Joey's eyes watched Lucy, who was floating in mid-air.
She saw Lucy push her aside, take the hit in her place, and rise into the air.
Despite having no wings, Lucy defied gravity and flew.
Though it was natural for her eyes to close, Joey absent-mindedly watched as Lucy ascended.
And before long, a thunk! echoed through the air.
The descent was instantaneous compared to the eternity of the rise.
Joey, who had forgotten where she was, looked vacantly at the spot where Lucy had fallen, hearing her groaning on the floor.
Because of me.
Because I failed to react.
Because I didn't notice it in time.
Lady Yuria.
Lady Yuria...
Thump!
The sound of something being struck snapped Joey back to reality. She looked and saw the roots of a tree blocked by the divine barrier, stepping back a step.
"Prince! Lady Kent! Please respond to the attack!"
"I’ll do my best!"
"Revenge. We need to get revenge."
"And also—"
Kuaaa!
The bear's roar swallowed all the sounds that were present in the space.
At that moment, everyone instinctively covered their ears at the ear-piercing sound, as the bear prepared to charge.
The bear, with its massive body, looked slow at first glance.
But the reality was different.
As soon as the bear took its stance, its form disappeared in an instant.
Kwaaaang!
Beyond the shock that tingled the skin, Prete stood firm.
Wearing gloves blessed by the goddess, he blocked the bear’s massive form with both hands. His veins were clearly visible as his muscles tensed.
"I’ll handle this! You all focus on those roots!"
With a powerful strike to the bear's brow, Prete pushed it back and drew his sword from his waist.
The sword, shining with a brilliant light, stood out even in this place filled with ominous energy.
Kuung!
While Prete faced the bear, the tree roots continued to strike the divine barrier.
This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.
Fabius did his best to maintain the barrier, but it was clear to anyone that it wouldn't hold much longer.
"Saint, destroy it."
"But we still can't tell the real from the fake..."
"Just do it."
At Prete’s firm words, Fabius nodded.
"I'll count to three."
"Okay."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
At the signal, Fabius erased the barrier, and Prete’s sword sliced through the air.
Then, a series of sounds followed, as something fell to the ground.
The blackened tree roots lay on the floor.
"Don’t trust your eyes. It could be real or fake."
"How do we tell?"
"You’ll know when you see it."
"Damn, you’re no help!"
While Arthur and Prete blocked the incoming roots, Lucy staggered and got back on her feet.
Her abdominal armor was deeply dented, a sign of a significant impact, but she refused Fabius’s healing magic and once again gripped her shield and mace.
"Do you think I’m gonna have trouble just from being hit by these damn roots? Stop messing around and do your job, useless saint."
Joey, watching Lucy push forward with great strength, took in the sight.
The numerous small wounds that had been etched into her skin from countless battles.
The hair, dull from always being in the frontlines, drenched in sweat and grime.
The exhaustion in her eyes.
Lucy, always at the front, leading everyone, must have been suffering more than anyone.
She never showed it, but she must have been tired. She carried so many wounds in her heart.
She probably didn’t want to get up.
Yet, Lucy was still trying to move forward.
Kwaang!
Suddenly, as Lucy approached, she struck Joey's side, and the tree roots that hadn’t existed a moment ago now lay scattered on the ground.
Once again, Joey had been protected by Lucy.
"Puhahaha, look at your face. Why do you look so stupid when I’m the one who got hit? Are you about to cry, boo-hoo?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Idiot."
Before Joey could finish her apology, Lucy’s voice cut her off.
"Don’t get the wrong idea. I just did what I had to do."
"..."
"So you do your job too. If you don’t want to be treated like a fool."
After a smirk, Lucy turned her back.
Though small like a child, her back seemed so much larger, and Joey gripped her staff tighter.
Lucy’s words were right.
At this rate, she’d always have to remain in a position where she was protected.
She’d always be behind Lucy, never by her side.
Joey didn’t want that.
She didn’t want to be a burden to Lucy.
She knew that friendship was about helping each other, not just receiving help.
So what can I do now?
Should I attack those roots with magic?
Would that even mean anything?
Can an attack I create on the spot without preparation have any impact on such a powerful being?
Supporting my friends?
Fabius could handle that. I don’t need to do it.
If I jump in, I’ll just get in the way.
Then, what should I do?
I can’t stand on the frontlines like Arthur.
I don’t analyze everything like Lucy.
I don’t have overwhelming power, so what can I do?
There is.
Something I can do.
Something only I can do.
Huff.
With a deep breath, Joey steadied her staff and released her magic.
There’s a saying among those who study magic.
"All phenomena in this world can be analyzed and recreated through magic."
Some dismiss it as nonsense, spouted by fanatics who believe magic can solve everything. But Joey knew that this wasn’t entirely untrue.
She knew the one who showed her that.
The strongest mage of the current kingdom.
Her first teacher.
The best mage Joey knew.
She still remembered the scene her father had shown her, a scene she had once thought she could never reach, and now, she had decided to challenge it.
Once she was sure her magic had spread, Joey closed her eyes and watched the natural magic moving within her own power.
"Is this all? ♡ The roots are so small, so they don’t have much strength. ♡"
She did not view the world as the world.
"Prince, it’s a fake."
"Damn! How can you two tell the difference?!"
She didn’t view phenomena as phenomena.
"Oh great God, banish the corruption."
The mage’s mindset was one of analyzing even miracles.
Within it, Joey recalled the magic she had learned so far.
They said magic originated from the attempt to recreate the miracles of nature.
At the time, she thought of it as just a historical story, but now, she realized how important that story was.
If the origin of magic is the recreation of nature, then the opposite is also possible.
I can do it. I can do it now.
I’ll replace what I can’t confirm through guessing with magical knowledge.
Even the parts that seem hard, I’ll compensate with multiple magic circles.
I don’t need to worry about the amount of magic.
The gift Lady Yuria gave me is still with me.
Opening her eyes once more, Joey let out a fierce smile, not typical of a noblewoman, and swung her staff.
The magic she had spread in the air formed a magic circle. A type of magic that would never be taught at the academy.
The circles were tangled, chaotic, and it was hard to even call them magic.
If anyone saw it, they might wonder if it would even work.
The magic circles were clumsy, but Joey didn’t doubt what she had created.
"Let’s go."
The moment Joey’s magic manifested,
Things that were once invisible now became clear.
Things that were clear began to blur.
Joey deciphered and broke the power of the void that existed in the space with her magic.
Using all her magic for this, she collapsed to the floor, but then she heard a distinct laugh and forced herself to lift her head.
Lucy’s eyes.
Her eyes, filled with genuine joy,
Were praising Joey.
"Why have you been such a fool when you could do something like this? Are you infected with the protagonist syndrome? Idiot Joey?!"
Hearing Lucy call her name, Joey raised her eyebrows, then smiled and tightened her grip on her staff.
She felt like she could collapse at any moment, but the battle wasn’t over.
In fact, it had barely begun.
She could rest after all of this was over.
"You’re just wasting time."
From a distance, a raspy voice filled the whole space.
From behind the bandages covering his face, glowing red eyes stared at Joey.
"Do you think I can’t deal with this?"
The overwhelming pressure sought to crush Joey and destroy her magic.
"You can’t ♡ idiot ♡."
But what blocked it was the most reliable small shoulder.
From the tiny figure, a sun-like divine energy radiated, driving the sinister energy towards Joey away.
"Do you think I’ll allow that? ♡ Maybe your brain is rotting and you can’t think straight? ♡"
"Don’t think Joey is the only one who can resist you."
Right after that, Fabius’s divine power covered Joey’s magic.
The saint’s divine power, which would not allow corruption, solidified the miracle Joey had caused.
"Now this is getting interesting. I can finally go all out."
Arthur, now able to distinguish the illusions, smiled as he gripped his sword.
"I’m not interested anymore."
Disappointed that the opponent had weakened, Prete poured aura onto his sword.
"There are no more obstacles."
Fabius blessed everyone around them.
"Get ready to get wrecked ♡. You’re useless without help, loser ♡."
Lucy added divine energy to her mace.
Seeing all this from behind, Joey used her staff as a crutch to rise and stood proudly next to Lucy.
It was time for revenge on the nightmare from her past.