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Hom had risked everything to protect us, yet here I was, still struggling to figure out how to fight effectively.

I felt a deep frustration with myself, unable to fully capitalize on the opening Alfe had created. Even in this second life, what exactly was I doing?

—What means do I have to fight right now?

As I questioned myself, I opened Ars Magna. My best offensive tool was within this tome, though Arkecius wasn’t designed to cast spells outward. However, if I could designate specific coordinates for the spell, that limitation could be overcome. Among the spells at my disposal, the one most suited to this situation—if I could just channel it through the drill…

“Thunder, dance! Éclair!” As Arkecius charged toward the Geist Armor, I unleashed the drill, now wrapped in high-voltage electricity.

“What?!” The pilot instinctively tried to pull back, but Arkecius’ drill grazed the machine before he could react.

The drill, slicing through half of the Geist Armor’s face, erupted as the spell overwhelmed it. Arkecius wasn’t built to handle magic like this, so I’d been prepared for that. However, the drill missed its intended target—the pilot—and instead struck the machine’s face.

“A desperate attack, impressive!”

The pilot’s words were not of admiration but of mockery. As Arkecius lost its balance, the Geist Armor swung its pile bunker, striking Arkecius and sending it flying.

“Ugh…”

The impact reverberated through the cockpit, jarring me. My vision blurred for a moment, and everything went white, but thanks to Aether Overproduction Syndrome, I quickly recovered.

“It’s time to end this little game. I realized I can’t let you live any longer.”

So, my attack had indeed been a threat to him. If only Arkecius had been more resistant to magic, maybe I could have turned the tables.

As the Geist Armor approached, I checked on Hom, who had fallen near the cliff. There was no sign of her returning. She was alive, but likely too injured to keep fighting. How do I get out of this situation? I couldn’t bear the thought of failing to save both Alfe and Hom.

“Leafa, Hom is…” Alfe’s voice reached me, breaking through my resolve. She was using telepathy to inform me of Hom’s condition.

“…Hom.” Glancing at the video display, I saw that Hom had made it back to the top of the cliff. Her injuries were significant, but she was still standing, showing me she could fight.

“I’m going to fight too,” Alfe said.
“…That’s right. I’m not alone.”

It might be a weakness, but it was also a source of strength.

“Now, get ready!”
“Water Shooter!”

Just as the Geist Armor’s pilot raised his arm, Alfe’s water spell struck the exposed cockpit, where the drill had torn through earlier.

“What?!”

The pilot was momentarily startled by Alfe’s surprise attack, but that was all. Alfe’s water magic had about as much impact as a child’s squirt gun—hardly a lethal attack. Yet, Alfe persisted, firing off a continuous stream of water in a desperate bid to assist.

“…Oh, what’s this? You want to play with water guns?”

The pilot’s voice dripped with mockery as he realized that the surprise attack was nothing more than a squirt of water. He burst into a fit of laughter, thoroughly amused. Alfe, perched on a large rock, continued her futile assault, the ineffectiveness of which was painfully obvious.

But thanks to Alfe, I could now see a path to victory. The constant stream from her water spell had soaked the Geist Armor and the ground around it.

“Your opponent is me,” I shouted, raising Arkecius back to its feet.

“What can you do with that broken-down machine? Don’t worry, sweetheart, once I’m done here, I’ll play with you too,” the pilot sneered, pointing the pile bunker at me. If that spear launched, there would be no escape. Yet, I felt no fear. As long as the goddess of victory (Alfe) was on my side, I couldn’t afford to lose.

“Let’s finish this! Take this!”

As expected, the pile shot out, grazing the top of Arkecius with a grinding force. I braced against the impact and drove the remaining left arm deep into the ground, steadying the machine.

“No, it’s you who’s finished… Éclair!”

I channeled Aether into Ars Magna and unleashed the high-voltage spell.

“W-what the…!?”

The electricity surged through the waterlogged ground, enveloping the Geist Armor in a lethal current. The overload fried the power unit, sending sparks flying. The machine began to smoke and sputter, its joints seizing up as the circuits shorted out. However, Arkecius wasn’t unscathed either.

“Aaahhhh!”

The left arm of Arkecius exploded, the force of the blast knocking the machine backward. I felt a jolt of pain from the electrical feedback, but it wasn’t enough to cause lasting damage. It had to be this powerful; anything less wouldn’t have achieved the goal.

From the searing pain and the nauseating smell of burnt flesh, I could tell that the pilot of the Geist Armor wasn’t unscathed either. The silence from the machine was proof of that.

“Leafa!”

Alfe descended from the boulder and rushed toward Arkecius. Seeing her unharmed, I exhaled in relief. But in the next instant, I noticed the searchlight on the remaining half of the Geist Armor’s face flickering back to life, and my body tensed.

“Alfe, get behind me!”
“R-right!”

I pulled Alfe behind Arkecius as I struggled to get the machine upright again. Using a wind spell from Ars Magna for assistance, I managed to stabilize Arkecius, but with the left arm gone, I had no easy way to defend. Still, that didn’t matter right now.

“…Not a bad plan, but too bad, kid. Underestimating an adult is a big mistake. Now, why don’t you come over here quietly—”
“No.”

I cut him off, standing firm against his taunts.

“Then I’ll force you—”
“It seems you’re the one who’s mistaken. I never expected that to finish you off. I was merely providing cover… for Hom!”

The electrical current that had spread through the ground had been channeled along the rails Hom had forged. Waiting for the right moment, Hom now stood, eyes locked on the Geist Armor, ready to strike.

“Blitzraid!”
“Hah! You think the same trick will—”

¹

A surge of lightning magic struck the Geist Armor, as Hom, cloaked in electrical currents, charged forward with incredible speed.

“Whaaat!?”

The Geist Armor’s pilot hastily raised his shield in defense. However, Hom’s kick, moving faster than the eye could see, smashed through the shield. The shield didn’t stand a chance against Hom’s supersonic strike and shattered into pieces.

“A-Are kidding me!?”
“Haaaaaah!”

Even after shattering the robust shield, Hom’s acceleration from the Blitzraid didn’t waver. Her sharp kick pierced through the Geist Armor, causing its armor to disintegrate into fragments and the pilot to be thrown to the ground.

“…Did he die…?”
“No, he’s just unconscious. I can see his chest moving².”

From the visual feed, it was clear that the pilot’s life was spared. Even though I’d been prepared to kill, I realized that might have been a mistake. It could deeply wound Alfe’s heart if I were to take a life unnecessarily.

“Master…”

In addition to the damage from the Geist Armor’s attacks, Hom had sustained significant injuries from using Blitzraid. She had numerous bruises and fractures, but she still knelt by Arkecius’ feet, showing remarkable resilience.

“Well done, Hom. We need to tend to your injuries. Let’s hurry to the city.”
“…Yeah. I’ll take care of it, so Hom, don’t move.”
“Thank you, Lady Alfe.”

After her agreement, Alfe nodded and used levitation magic to lift Hom onto Arkecius.

“My healing magic alone might not be enough, but it’s better than nothing… Pain, pain, go away—”

As Alfe laid Hom down and cast her healing magic, her incantation was original, distinct from standard healing spells. It was a reminder of her unique approach³ and brought a sense of comfort, reminiscent of our childhood days. I hoped that Hom, who shared memories with me, felt the same reassurance.

1. Robinxen: We’re getting a sudden spike in artwork now aren’t we.
2. Robinxen: I’m not sure that’s a valid indicator…
3. Robinxen: I want to leave this in just so my comment here makes sense, but wow, AI really has a distinct style of writing doesn’t it… yeah I don’t think it’s going to replace real translators and editors any time soon.