‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Once upon a time, long ago, deep in the forest.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ There was a monster, a fearsome monster.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Its mouth was so big, it could bite anything.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Its claws were so sharp, they could grasp anything.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Its eyes burned like fire, they could see anything.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Does it resemble a fish? No, because it has sensitive antennae.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Does it resemble a grasshopper? No, because it has a long neck.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Does it resemble a giraffe? No, because it has thin wings.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Does it resemble a bat? No, because it has rough limbs.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ This monster resembles all.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ This monster resembles null.

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‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ Now, the Jabberwock emerges henceforth!

A stone chamber where skeletons sang, skeletons laughed, and skeletons danced.

Facing the black-haired girl sitting formally on the floor, the Witch of the East spoke, “I’ve told you about it, but it’s best not to use this if you can avoid it.”

The girl asked curiously, “You said it’s a convenient undead that’s strong and just needs various corpses mixed as catalysts. Why shouldn’t I use it?”

“Because it can’t be controlled,” the Witch of the East answered simply. “There’s an acquaintance in the north who likes to play with words. I created a similar spell because their method seemed quite useful, but the result was too good in a sense. Unidentifiable, incomprehensible, bizarre. That’s what this is. While its operation method is necromancy, because its origin is different, it’s easy to summon, but difficult to control. I might manage, but with your pathetic skills, it’ll be difficult.”

Perhaps unhappy with being called pathetic, the black girl asked with a sulky expression, “What’s so good about the result? It seems completely defective—ow!”

After hitting the girl’s head with her staff, the Witch of the East clicked her tongue as if exasperated, “Whether it’s defective or not, in the end, it’s all in how you use it. Foolish apprentice, do you think you have innate talent in magic, or do you have reckless determination that doesn’t consider consequences? With mediocre talent and unnecessarily picky habits, you’re in perfect shape to die in vain. That’s why I’m telling you to keep even things like this.”

Clutching the spot where she was hit and glaring resentfully at her, the ill-tempered witch curled her lips and said to her apprentice, “Anyway, there’s nothing better than this for creating chaos without thinking about the aftermath.”

***

《──────#$&###@@#@%!!》

An indescribable roar echoed.

It was the howl of a wolf, the cry of a bird, the resonance of an insect.

And it was none of these.

As the Jabberwock’s hairy foreleg flew towards the White Knight, the White Knight thrust its spear forcefully in response.

Crack!

The attack itself was a point, but its result was a plane.

The moment the White Knight’s spear tip touched the fabric, the enormous power contained within scattered around, causing the entire foreleg to burst like a balloon.

Whoosh!

The Jabberwock’s mouth swelled greatly, and massive flames poured out from inside.

An incredible heat that could melt not only human bodies but even metal was emitted, but the White Knight’s body didn’t budge at all.

When the White Knight swung the spear in its hand like a pole, the Jabberwock’s head was torn off in an instant.

As if this wasn’t even enough to slow it down, just as the White Knight was about to dash towards the Tin Knight.

Squelch!

The Jabberwock’s foreleg that had been blown away below the shoulder suddenly sprouted again and grasped the White Knight.

However, while the original foreleg had been that of a mammal, the newly sprouted leg was covered in reptile-like scales and had hook-like claws.

Creak, creeeeak!

The White Knight tried to escape by forcibly spreading open the foreleg that was constricting its body, but before that, the Jabberwock threw the White Knight with all its might.

The White Knight immediately took a falling posture to regain its balance, but then hesitated.

The Jabberwock, which it thought would naturally come at it with additional attacks, was lunging at a random audience member while ignoring the White Knight.

The head, which looked like an enlarged mosquito, was sucking the blood of audience members with its long snout, turning them into mummies.

“R-run away! Run!”

“It’s a monster! A terrifying monster!”

The audience seats became a scene of pandemonium.

The animals tried to flee to other places one after another, but each time, the Jabberwock stretched out its wolf-like-reptile-like-tentacle-like arms to grasp and devour them.

“No, what is this now? Ah!” Gale, who had been blinking at the unexpected scene, raised her voice.

This was because she saw the Tin Knight, who had somehow retreated, receiving mana from Dorothea.

The White Knight became like a single spear and charged with a terrifying momentum, but before that spear could reach, the Tin Knight sprang out and stopped the White Knight.

The power of the White Knight, enhanced by Gale’s magic, was terrifying, but the Tin Knight, perhaps thanks to being able to use mana freely now, didn’t get pushed back much and created an even fight.

Moreover, curse bullets shot by Dorothea rained down on Gale with a fierce momentum.

Gale tapped the ground with a thud.

Gale’s body transferred to Dorothea’s rear, but unlike before, Dorothea seemed to have read this movement and responded calmly.

Gale’s cane and Dorothea’s barrier clashed and creaked.

“To think you’d distract our attention by attacking the audience and gain time to regroup! What a brilliant idea! Dorothea!”

Dorothea’s face crumpled abruptly.

It was even more so because Gale’s expression and tone weren’t sarcastic, but genuinely praising.

She wanted to give her a piece of her mind, saying it wasn’t like that, but she couldn’t exactly explain, “I originally ordered it to attack you, but that thing ignored it and started a mukbang.”

She had heard from her teacher that it was difficult to control, but to think it would go berserk right after summoning—no, creation.

Even as Dorothea remained silent, Gale continued chattering without minding.

She had always been a very talkative girl.

“Jabberwock isn’t the name of a specific soul, is it? Did you put various souls into a single body specialized in regeneration and transformation, then leave it without giving any one soul dominance? It’s an extremely dangerous and interesting technique!”

“Hmph!” Dorothea snorted. “Don’t try to understand a witch’s magic like a formula. Unidentifiable. Incomprehensible. Bizarre. That’s enough!”

“Hahaha, I know about witches’ secret arts, too, I learned from my mentor. Ancient magic is dreams, illusions, beliefs. She said explaining it with logic is uncool. Well, I’m an engineer too. Think of it as an occupational disease.”

Creak, creak.

Dorothea’s barrier screamed.

But Dorothea didn’t get anxious.

Certainly, the barrier was being chipped away, but compared to the powerful attacks Gale had shown earlier, this level was something she could endure sufficiently.

And the reason was clear.

“…Your character magic. It seems you can’t enhance multiple targets simultaneously. Either you can only use it on one target at a time, or its power weakens the more it’s dispersed.”

“Yes, that’s right. You observed well,” Gale affirmed it so frankly that it was almost ridiculous. “The number of words, no, ‘concepts’ I can use at once with my ability is up to three in total. Moreover, if the concept is too abstruse or high-level, even that number decreases or it fails completely. Right now, I’m using all of them to enhance Sig, so all I can use are basic techniques like physical enhancement and the effects of magic tools I originally had on my body.”

“You’re quite talkative. Are you looking down on me?”

Despite her guess being correct, Dorothea rather showed signs of displeasure.

Gale smiled.

“There’s no point in hiding what we both already know. After all, my role is sufficient just by keeping Dorothea occupied.”

Gale’s blue eyes gazed at another battlefield.

The White Knight had literally become a gale and was driving the Tin Knight back, and unlike before, the Tin Knight was only enduring and couldn’t gain the upper hand.

It wasn’t because the Tin Knight’s abilities were lacking, but because while the White Knight was receiving direct enhancement from Gale’s support, the Tin Knight wasn’t receiving such assistance.

The Jabberwock, having eaten its fill of audience members, was intervening in the battle between the two knights with its tremendous regenerative ability and bizarre powers, but its attacks weren’t solely directed at the White Knight and were being swung indiscriminately at both knights.

This was partly due to Dorothea’s lack of control, but also due to the characteristics of the schools they had learned.

While Enchantresses were specialized in assisting and enhancing others from their very foundation, Necromancers were a school that weakened others rather than adding strength.

All she could do was summon powerful undead like now and send them as support.

But even that, if she couldn’t control it properly, had no more meaning than throwing a troublemaker onto the battlefield.

It was amazing that the Tin Knight was holding out without being pushed back even in this situation, but that combat power was only maintained when mana was abundant.

If mana ran out like this, or if he showed an opening to replenish mana again, that would surely be when the White Knight’s spear would pierce through the Tin Knight.

Gale preferred head-on battles over winning through tricks, but waiting idly while the opponent replenished was a different matter.

That was closer to looking down on the opponent rather than being fair and square.

In fact, Gale didn’t let her guard down against Dorothea even at this moment.

She could eliminate the now useless Jabberwock and summon weaker but easier to control undead again, or she could take out something unexpected through the Gloves of Haider.

Either way, there was no way she would give up the match like this, so she would surely make another decisive move before the Tin Knight’s mana was depleted.

And yet.

…Why isn’t she moving?

Strangely, Dorothea wasn’t showing any big movements.

No, far from it, she was even showing a faint smile at the corners of her mouth.

“—You seem to be misunderstanding something, but it’s not me who’s tied down, it’s you.”

A question appeared on Gale’s face.

Buying time should be advantageous for her, so what use was tying her down?

She realized her misunderstanding after checking the battlefield of the two knights and one monster again.

The Jabberwock, whose body size had noticeably decreased, perhaps as the price for repeated regeneration.

The White Knight, who had accumulated small wounds bit by bit and had somehow come close to a quite precarious state.

Lastly, the Tin Knight, who was maintaining his condition without major injuries, just like before.

“Huh?”

Only then did Gale realize something strange.

Three evenly matched opponents were fighting, but while two had noticeably deteriorated in condition, only one remained unchanged and robust.

Was it because the Tin Knight was the strongest among them?

No, that couldn’t be.

If comparing individual combat power, the strongest was the White Knight receiving Gale’s assistance.

Was it because Dorothea had completely controlled the Jabberwock and was supporting the Tin Knight?

That wasn’t it either.

The Jabberwock was literally attacking everything around it indiscriminately, hostile to everything in sight.

This was evident from the fact that Adelaide and Sophia couldn’t easily approach and were staying far away.

But why?

Gale carefully observed their battle again.

The White Knight attacked the Tin Knight.

The Tin Knight didn’t resist the attack and retreated greatly backward.

The White Knight tried to pursue, but just then, the Jabberwock’s tail struck the place where the two knights had been clashing.

The Jabberwock attacked the Tin Knight.

The Tin Knight blocked the attack with his shield.

The White Knight’s spear thrust out as if to pierce through both the Tin Knight and the Jabberwock, but as the Tin Knight rolled on the ground, only the Jabberwock was pierced by the spear.

“No way.”

As Gale’s eyes widened, Dorothea’s voice reached her ears.

“That guy’s specialty is melee combat. Specifically endurance.”

Efficiently, calmly, composedly, using everything around, conserving strength, with minimal power, for as long as possible, to defeat as many enemies as possible.

It wasn’t that Dorothea had no choice but to send a troublemaker.

Sending a troublemaker was enough.

Gale quickly tried to stamp the ground with her foot, but golden ropes forcibly held her legs.

Dorothea’s eyes silently growled as if to say she wouldn’t allow spatial movement or support.

While Dorothea was holding Gale, the White Knight’s spear pierced through the Tin Knight.

Through the side that had already been carved out once and was now empty.

The White Knight tried to quickly retrieve its spear, but the Tin Knight was faster in throwing the White Knight as if applying a throwing technique to the spear itself.

The White Knight tried to prepare for the Tin Knight’s follow-up attack, but its movement was delayed for a moment because it had to block the Jabberwock’s attack coming from behind.

Right after that.

The Tin Knight’s Severing Flash, releasing all the mana he had been saving up until now in one go, cut through both the White Knight and the Jabberwock simultaneously.

***

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