Chapter 193 This Was A Trap To Kill Me
Ickle, who had transformed into Aaron, stood before Fiona's suspicious gaze, and with determination, began to undress.
At that moment, Chronosphere's words came to mind.
'Ickle, when you take off your clothes, do it confidently. Like you're showing off, without a care. Don't be embarrassed, and just leave the clothes scattered around.'
'But, Father. If I don't hang them up neatly, they'll get wrinkled.'
'Ickle, that's no good. You mustn't do that. Leave the clothes scattered around. Got it?'
'...Yes, I understand.'
Ickle followed the instructions, carelessly removing her jacket, shirt, belt, sword belt, shoes, and even her pants and underwear...!!
And so, with not a single thread on her body, she stood tall and proud, her chest out.
Her face turned bright red with embarrassment, but she used her "Transformation" Supernatural Ability to maintain a calm expression and complexion. Since "Transformation" is an ability that can control the body, it was easy to fake a calm expression and hide her embarrassment.
Ickle then remembered Chronosphere's words again.
'Alright, Ickle? Once you're naked, speak in Aaron-kun's tone and say this――'
Ickle obeyed Chronosphere's orders and opened her mouth.
"How's that, Fiona? Can you tell I'm the real deal?"
Fiona's eyes widened in shock, her gaze fixed on the numerous scars etched all over Aaron's body, finally settling on a certain spot, and she muttered.
"...The same, shape...!? ."
In an instant, the memory that flashed through Fiona's mind was the time she kidnapped Chloe and interrogated her in the underground room.
That Chloe was a fake, the one Aaron met in the Helheim Wilderness. The real Chloe had scars that the fake one didn't.
So, even if the mastermind behind the Stampede had advanced disguise technology that could perfectly replicate someone's appearance, it would be impossible to recreate the unknown scars or perfectly duplicate the shape of Black Radiance on their legs.
On the other hand, the Aaron in front of her had the exact same scars and Black Radiance shape as the real one. Fiona could assert that because she had seen Aaron's naked body countless times in her daily life.
(――That means, the Aaron in front of me is the real...!? No, but that can't be...!!)
The consistency of physical characteristics and the inconsistency of everything else.
These 2 facts created confusion in Fiona Ackerman's mind.
At that moment...
Space magic――[Space Transfer]
Ickle, who was disguised as Aaron, carelessly raised her hand, and magical energy was released from her palm.
However, the target of that magical energy was not Fiona.
Chronosphere had instructed Ickle:
'If you get naked and Fiona shows even the slightest sign of confusion, use the [Space Transfer] magic next. But don't use it directly on Fiona. At this point, her abilities have already become quite formidable. If you try to use teleportation magic on her, she'll probably dodge it anyway.'
'Father... so, what should I do?'
'Hmm... at this point, the clan member closest to Fiona... and if possible, a woman who Fiona will definitely protect. I'll leave the specific target to you, but you'll use teleportation magic on that person. Only Fiona will be able to react. And Fiona, who's been caught off guard, will likely――.'
"W-what!? Is it me!?"
"――Zara!!"
With a loud thud, Fiona pushed Zara, who was caught off guard with her eyes wide open.
However, the magical energy that was released instead enveloped Fiona's body――and in the next instant, Fiona's figure suddenly vanished before Owen's eyes.
"""――What!?"""
"Big Sis!!?"
Fiona was teleported somewhere. It only took a few moments for them to understand what had happened.
"You bastard!! You're the fake, aren't you!?"
Owen and the others, who had realized Aaron was the fake, closed in on Ickle and readied their weapons. But they were too slow. If they had just a few moments, Ickle could easily teleport away.
"――See you later."
With a sneer, Ickle teleported away.
* * *
The place Ickle teleported to was several hundred meters underground.
It was a small underground room, about a dozen meters above the [Temple].
This was the room where the teleportation circle, set up by Chronosphere, was located, and it was the closest place to the [Temple].
In the small room lit by the faintly glowing teleportation circle, Ickle took out her staff and shot magical energy dozens of meters underground, activating multiple magic spells.
[Space Perception] was the only exception, which she had set up beforehand before teleporting Fiona.
So, she already had a grasp of the situation inside the [Temple]. What she would activate next was a multitude of attack magic spells.
Space magic――[Space Rupture Slash]
As a Space magician, even if Ickle was far away, as long as she had set up [Space Perception] in that location, she could shoot magical energy over a long distance to activate magic, or teleport magic she had activated up close.
However, it was impossible to prevent the delay in magical energy transmission due to the distance barrier. Therefore, she needed to cast magic from as close a location as possible to avoid detection by her enemies who could sense magical energy.
And yet, despite that, she could attack one-sidedly without receiving any counterattacks, making this location ideal.
Still――,
"He's still avoiding it even after he's exhausted all options!!"
Ickle, who had continuously cast magic and then transformed back into her original form, muttered to herself.
"But, with this...!!"
There was no problem, though. Ickle continued to cast [Space Rupture Slash] spells to block the escape routes of her fleeing targets, while also activating another magic spell.
Space magic――[Space Barrier]
If things go as Chronosphere says, their situation should change right away. So, before that, she need to attack and also "transform".
She remember Chronosphere's words.
'Before the final preparation, move to the underground teleportation room and have you prepare in advance, Ickle. That's because I want you to 'transform' to Fiona... are the conditions for 'transformation' met?'
'...I can already "transform" to Fiona Ackerman.'
'That's amazing!'
After returning from the Halem Wilderness, she went through the information the Association had gathered about Aaron Gale, the ≪Wooden Sword Way≫ clan, and its members.
As she did, she realized that she had somehow met the conditions for "transforming" into Fiona.
She doesn't know when or why she felt "jealous" towards Fiona. She doesn't need to know either.
Anyway, she'll use [Space Rupture Slash] and unleash a barrage while changing her entire body from her original form to Fiona Ackerman's.
Since she didn't take off her clothes, she's naked. For a moment, she thinks she might be embarrassed. During the battle against the "death" that dwelled in Nord, she's only seen Fiona's naked body once, and it wasn't up close or within her [Space Perception] range. So, the accuracy of her naked body imitation isn't that high.
Still, she believes in the words Chronosphere said when she expressed her concerns: "If the face is the same, that's good enough." She'll continue with the "transformation".
Squids and octopuses can change the color of their entire body, varying the texture of their skin, and blend in with their surroundings in an instant. Similarly, Ickle was warping her own body in a bizarre way, changing the shape of her flesh, skin, and hair color.
Before long, the "transformation" was complete.
"Ah, ah, Aaron."
She spoke, confirming that her voice had also changed.
Ickle had been waiting for "that moment".
* * *
A floating sensation.
Her field of vision shifted.
She realized she had been teleported somewhere else. It was hot, and she had no idea where she was. But in the next instant, Fiona froze.
"Fiona...?"
I turned around, and there he was――
"Aaron...?"
It was the familiar figure of Aaron Gale. That's what it should be.
However, Fiona's thoughts came to a halt. Why?
――A dark aura was covering his entire body.
The "possibility of death" that only she could see, or the "dark aura". It was enveloping Aaron's entire body in a darker, more intense color than the one that had clung to him in the graveyard after the last Stampede.
(Why...!?)
There was no time to investigate what was causing his death.
"――!?"
Fiona's head was frozen in shock, and a magical energy beam from somewhere above her materialized and began pouring down.
Space magic――[Space Rupture Slash]
"Ku...――!!"
Fiona dodged the magic blades raining down from above.
Although she had exhausted herself in combat on the ground, avoiding a mid-range shooting magic was easy.
But――,
(What's going on, targeting me alone――!?)
Countless [Space Rupture Slash] attacks are pouring down on Fiona alone. The magic blades are relentless in their pursuit of Fiona, and to make matters worse, a [Space Barrier] is expanding to surround her, limiting her escape routes.
Normally――if she were in top condition and not exhausted――Fiona would be able to dodge these attacks with ease, unfazed by the barriers surrounding her. However, because she'd been fighting at the center of the Stampede, Fiona had accumulated deep fatigue.
Furthermore, the shock and confusion caused by the "black mist" clinging to Aaron had dulled her thinking, leaving her open to attack.
(No――!?)
She's failed.
The barriers are closing in on her, and she's losing her escape routes.
In just a few dozen seconds, she'll lose her chance to dodge and be cornered. Her vast battle experience is screaming at her to realize this.
That's why she's realized...
"Fiona――!!"
Aaron, who'd also realized Fiona was about to be cornered, was trying to turn the situation around by swinging the "Black-White" in his hand.
"Use this!!"
"No――!!"
But Fiona's attempts to stop him were in vain, and Aaron had already released the sword.
In that instant, the "black mist" clinging to Aaron suddenly grew thicker.
As it rotated rapidly, the pale blue "Black-White" drew a parabolic arc, flying towards Fiona――.
* * *
Just a few seconds earlier, Aaron had realized it before Fiona did.
Fiona was the only target, with [Space Rupture Slash] and [Space Barrier] magic poured down on her, as if to corner her. It was clear that the goal wasn't to kill Fiona.
Why else would they go out of their way to teleport Fiona here?
Why did they need to attack only Fiona in front of him like this?
Aaron realized.
――This was a trap to kill me.
He had no magical energy left. He was in no shape to fight. Yet, they were still trying to crush any possibility of counterattack.
When Chloe teleported them to this [Temple], the unsettling feeling he got wasn't because of the [God's Remains] sealed inside the pillars. It was the intense, obsessive murderous intent to kill him for sure. That's what was telling him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
――They're trying to take away "Black-White".
In this situation, that's the only way to save Fiona. Since the enemy isn't here, using [God's Descent] would be a bad move. Fiona could avoid this situation if she used it, but for Fiona, who's already exhausted, it would only shorten her lifespan due to magical energy consumption.
However, if Fiona uses "Black-White", she can handle it somehow. The enemy's magical energy isn't infinite either. With "Black-White", she can break through the obstacles and force the enemy to consume even more magical energy.
But...
――Instead, he'll die.
A sense of certainty, like a premonition.
He can't think of a way to change the outcome. He's completely at a loss. On the other hand, if he let go of "Black-White" and abandoned Fiona, he wouldn't have 0 chances of survival. But still...
――The value of human life isn't equal.
Which life is more precious to him, his or Fiona's?
He didn't even need to think about it.
It was obvious to Aaron which one to prioritize, without needing to consider it.
"Fiona!!"
To wield the "Black-White" stained black, he gathered all the aura in his palm and absorbed it. Then, he turned it back into a thin, dark-colored sword, made it lighter, and swung it up.
"Use this!!"
"No――!!"
And then he threw the "Black-White" at Fiona.
Right after that...
Magical energy converged on Aaron's back.
(――Hey, are you kidding me?...)
It's not a long-range attack magic. From the flow of magical energy, he instantly knew it was teleportation magic. If they could kill him with just a long-range attack magic, why would the magician themselves teleport here? Are they looking down on him?
Aaron instantly took out Black Radiance from his storage ring, turned around, and swung his sword.
"――――!?"
But his sword stopped mid-swing.
In front of the person who had teleported behind him, just a hair's breadth away from the back of their neck.
Aaron himself stops it.
The enemy didn't underestimate him. They came to kill him on purpose.
"――Aaron."
Behind him was Fiona, calling out his name with a gentle smile.
No way.
It was someone who looked like Fiona. But even though he was almost certain it was an imposter, he couldn't help but hesitate. He needed just a moment to determine if the real Fiona was behind him, teleported by teleportation magic.
The decision itself was made in an instant.
The Fiona behind him was naked, after all.
However, it was that brief moment of hesitation that the enemy was aiming for. They called out his name on purpose, half-expecting him to freeze. And indeed, he couldn't move.
Space magic――[Space Rupture Sword]
[Space Rupture Slash] is a magic that takes the form of a sword, and can be deployed at will. The advantage of this magic is that it can be wielded like a sword.
The fake Fiona, who had already activated her magic, smiled gently and charged towards him, sword pointed at him.
There was no way for him, who had let go of "Black-White", to defend himself.
He, who had been caught off guard, had no strength to dodge.
The sword pierced through his chest, going through his heart, esophagus, and spine, dealing a critical blow to his vital organs and nerves without any resistance, and exited through his back.
"――――."
Thud, as she look down at the one who flew towards him, Aaron is convinced.
(The smell of this Fiona is different――)
But, it's a scent he's smelled somewhere, sometime, and it stimulates his memory, making him feel a little nostalgic.
Gulp, the severed esophagus flows backward, and a large amount of fresh blood overflows from his mouth.
His legs lose their strength.
He falls.
His head hits the floor.
He no longer feels any pain.
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