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「HNNGGGHH!!」

The rain of light pierced through Diego’s body, wounding him. As the light arrows grazed at his cheeks and ears, the parts with the little bit of flesh that he had, they produced bleeding wounds. However, because the attack was dispersed, it wasn’t the decisive blow that Rafinha had intended it to be.

Had she faced someone with a regular physical body, the countless shallow wounds would have been effective enough to shave off their will to fight and stop them from making any movements. However, Diego’s mechanized body did not feel pain. A few minor damages were nothing to him.

That was why, dispersing an attack like this wasn’t very effective against him, but it was still better than being nullified altogether. Besides…

「I leave him to you two!」
「Sure!」
「Consider it done!!」

This was a perfect distraction that would lead to an attack by her friends! Following Rafinha’s light arrows, Leone and Liselotte were already closing in on Diego.

The sound of metal kissing metal rang explosively. However…

「Kgh! It didn’t cut him!」
「But why, the last one was sliced through?!」
「Don’t belittle me! My body has been etched with ‘Convergence Magic Formation’, the more power I absorb the stronger my body will become! None of you can land a blow on me anymore!」

Diego whipped out both of his arms at the same time, sending Leone and Liselotte flying with just a swing. They were both blown away until they crashed hard against a wall. His strength was exponentially higher than before, he passed another threshold of power after he sucked the mana from Alina.

「Kgghh!」
「Agghhkk!」
「I will not have you disturb me! You will stay there for a while!」

Diego quickly shot something out of his arm. It was a chain with what looked like a pointed cone at its head. And, as though it had a will of its own, it wrapped around the bodies of Leone and Liselotte and embedded its head deep into the wall, binding them like a crucifix.

「I-, I can’t move!!」
「P-, petty tricks!!」

They both struggled desperately, but it didn’t look like they would be freed anytime soon.

「Leone! Liselotte!」
「R-, Rafinha! Just buy some more time!」
「Do that and I’m sure Miss Inglis will soon return!」

Sure, if Inglis were to come back, everything would end in a flash, but even while they were saying that, Diego once again pointed his palm at Alina.

「AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!」

Alina shrieked once again.

「ALINA!!」
「I-, IT HURTS!! BIG SIS SAVE ME!!」
「I will! Just wait for me!」

Rafinha tried to make a run to her, but something caught her foot and she stumbled down.

「Kgh?! What the hell?!」

She looked at her foot. A series of chains, similar to the one that bound Leone and Liselotte, had protruded out from under the floorings near her feet and wrapped around her ankles.

I can’t move anywhere with this!

「Since when?! Let me go! I have to save Alina!」
「Give up. This kid’s hidden, brilliant power is the cornerstone of our aspirations, and we will make use of it effectively.」
「Don’t screw with me! Alina didn’t come here for you!」
「Really? Rather than spending the rest of her miserable life being thrown around by that merchant, it is more effective to sacrifice her life for the greater good」
「You shut your trap!!」

Unforgivable!! To treat such a small, sweet, innocent child like her as if she was an object! Seeing Alina trembling in pain and shedding tears, Rafinha could feel the anger that made her blood boil.

Unlike herself who was born and raised in a happy environment with nothing more she could ever ask, this child had been struggling with life ever since she was young. Rafinha couldn’t even imagine what she had gone through.

At the very least, she wanted her to have a memory of watching the Weissmall Troupe which she could look back and smile at.

And anyone, no matter what noble purpose they have, who tramples that is unforgivable!! She had seen her share of atrocious deeds of the Highlanders and many other humans, but… this one was the worst.

「……!!」

Rafinha drew her bow once again. The arrow of light in her hand steadily grew bigger and shone brighter.

「It’s futile now, you better stop trying.」
「What?!」
「You are waiting for something, aren’t you? Then don’t get in my way and just watch. You do that and I won’t do anything to you. I might even let you live under my conditions. As you see, I am busy collecting strength.」
「Don’t belittle me!!」

As if I can abandon little Alina here!! Rafinha replied by shooting her light arrow.
The thickness of the arrow was the same as before, except this one was shining aqua blue, unlike the pure white arrow from before.

「Hmph. Then I’ll start from you!」
「BURST!!」

Countless streaks of blue light poured onto Diego’s body.

「Another one of this, huh!」

He didn’t even bother to stop sucking power from Alina now; he just held out his left hand to defend against the incoming arrows of light. His body, exposed to the rain of light, didn’t even bear a single scratch this time. On the contrary, the flesh wounds on his neck and ear just healed, leaving no trace.

「Ku ku ku… Not only can’t you injure me, but I’m also starting to heal now! What brilliant power!」

Diego laughed. However, that wasn’t what actually happened. He was wrong, but Rafinha had no intention to correct him.

I-, I succeeded! Then!

Rafinha nodded to herself in her heart. Her new Artifact had two Gifts in it. The first was the power to create and manipulate arrows of light that she had just demonstrated. And the other was the power to heal the wounded.

Up until now, she could only use her healing Gift if she directly touched the wounded person directly. The arrows shining in aqua blue that she unleashed just now were the combination of both Gifts. In other words, it was not an attack whatsoever, but rather a healing arrow.

She tried it out on Diego, just in case that she had failed using it. She had been practicing it for a long time, but she had never done it so well before.

「……I’ll show you! Alina, wait for me!」

Rafinha held her bow up towards Alina, aiming at the ‘Submittance Sign’ that was shining on her arm. With her foot abound, this was all she could do!

「AAAAHHHHHH!!! IT HURTS BIG SIS, IT HUUUURTSSS!!」
「I’m saving you now! It will hurt, but don’t move, just hold onto it!」

Rafinha shot two arrows in rapid succession.

The two arrows were of different colors. The first arrow was a white light for her normal attack. The second arrow was aqua blue for healing.

The leading arrow shot through Alina’s upper arm, gouging it out.

「AAAAHHHHH?!!」

It injured Alina considerably. No wonder it hurts. However, the moment the aqua blue arrow hit her…

「AAH——Huh?? I-It doesn’t hurt anymore?!」

The wound instantly closed. With the ‘Submittance Sign’ gone, the veil of light that enveloped Alina also disappeared.

「Mu?! I shouldn’t have sucked every last drop of her power yet!」
「Too bad for you! I will never let you do that, never!」

The first arrow gouged out the ‘Submittance Sign’, the second arrow healed the wound that it opened. The ‘Submittance Sign’ was a foreign object to Alina’s body. And so, healing her wound after removing it wouldn’t make it return to her.

It was a spur-of-the-moment attempt, but it went well. She was able to make use of her daily training. She made good use of it. In that aspect, she could say to herself that she had grown.

「I see. Then, I’ll have you die first.」

With unbelievable speed, Diego rushed towards Rafinha.

「Kgh!」

With her feet bound, Rafinha couldn’t move to gain distance away from him.

「Too bad for you, I can etch ‘Submittance Sign’ to anyone anytime I want! First I’ll etch it onto you and suck your mana dry!」
「Hell no!」

Rafinha parried Diego’s blade with the limb of her bow, but the force was too great for her and the bow fell to the floor.

「Ah!!」

She extended her hand to grab it, but…

「Oh no, you won’t!」

A fist made of iron was flying towards Rafinha’s face when… suddenly, there was an ear-splitting roar accompanied with an earthquake-like tremor. At the same time, an enormous pale blue light, Ether Strike, rose and completely pulverized the roof of the theatre.