Leave a comment

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Alright, that should keep her occupied by Laika for a while.”
“B-but what are we going to do?! Master’s in danger alone!”

Mr. Axio had brought me to a shadowed corner, a short distance away from where Master and Ragna were locked in combat. Even from here, I could still hear the crackling of electricity. Is Master going to be okay?

“There’s no denying that fighting her right after Claxton would be tough for her. But our goal here isn’t to defeat that girl.”
“I see! So, you’re planning to resolve this through negotiation, right?”
“Not quite.” Axio smirked. “Her objective is the dragon gem, after all. If we destroy it, her reason to fight disappears.”
“……”

I instinctively took a step back, shielding the baby on my back as I distanced myself from Axio.

“Ah, no, no, no! Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m not about to harm that child. Needless bloodshed isn’t my style.”
“Then what are you planning to do?”
“Simple—we’ll extract the dragon gem from the child. It’s doable if we have enough time.”

――――――――…………
――――……
――…

“Take this, and this, and this!! What’s wrong? All you’re doing is defending!”
“And you’re yapping like a hyperactive puppy. Doesn’t that exhaust you?”
“I’ll kill you!!”

I was told to hold out for five minutes, but every second dragged on like an eternity.

This girl… Her technique was rough, but she was undeniably experienced in combat. Feints, quick maneuvers, subtle tricks—she had them all, making her utterly unpredictable.

Meanwhile, a glancing shock from her lightning would be fatal for me. Even her massive hammer demanded a safe distance to avoid.

Balancing wind magecraft for flight, keeping track of the gap between us, and staying alert for sudden lightning strikes from every direction—it was taking a heavy toll. My magic reserves and mental endurance were being chipped away rapidly.

Had I possessed a stronger body, holding her off for five minutes might have been feasible. But with this fragile physique, every second of survival felt like a miracle.

“Really, doesn’t all this effort ever feel pointless to you? What’s driving you to act so recklessly?”
“Are you mocking me, you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲? Fine, I’ll play your game!!”
“Unfortunately, this game’s not for sale. Try something else. Surely, you’ve got enough stamina for a little small talk, don’t you?”
“………”
“So, you’re cautious about a wizard’s silver tongue? A solid foundation you’ve got there. Who taught you?”

In wizard combat, the balance between silent casting and full incantations was key.

Silent spells were harder to predict but carried the risk of magical backlash if their power was pushed too far, making them ideal for minor attacks.

Incantations provided greater power and stability but left you vulnerable as your spell was telegraphed to the enemy. Thus, much of a wizard’s strategy revolved around creating openings to cast spells safely.

“No one taught me. Everything I know, I learned on my own. Every sneaky wizard I fought tried pulling cheap tricks, so I learned to counter them.”
“That’s hard to believe. Thuru religion operates on a mentor-apprentice system. It’s rare for someone to acquire such experience without guidance.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I learn from no man! My body, my power—they exist solely to annihilate you and your kind!!”
“…Are you implying you’re not human? A vampire? A dragonkin? Perhaps a revenant?”
“None of those! I am the child of a god—one of ¹the harbingers of humanity’s doom, a walking apocalypse!!”
“Fascinating. Quite the pedigree.”

Despite my flippant words, the girl’s relentless assault showed no signs of slowing. Lightning and hammer strikes surged in ever more chaotic waves.

Judging from her demeanor, she wasn’t bluffing. She genuinely believed she was divine, the child of a god.

“So, ‘one of,’ huh? Does that mean you’ve got sisters? How big’s the family?”
“We’re no family. There are seve-… No, I’ve said too much. Besides, you’re not even trying, are you?”
“……”
“There’s no respect in your fighting. You’re holding back, only defending. What are you after, huh? Stalling for time? If that’s the case…”

The girl’s gaze shifted toward the direction Axio and Momo had retreated.

“Over there, huh?”

A flash of light and a deafening crack of thunder followed. As my vision returned, the girl was no longer there—instead, her legs were sticking out of a wall in the opposite direction Axio and Momo had gone.

“Well, this turned out more amusing than I expected.”
“Fgmhmgmph… phah! What the hell did you do!? Ugh, that felt awful! I couldn’t even jump the way I wanted!!”
“You think I’d spell it out for you? Don’t assume you can slip past me so easily.”
“Fine then! I’ll kill you head-on!!!”

Though her temper made her predictable, she wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. Thankfully, I’d kept my unique magecraft active since Claxton, but my stamina was at its breaking point.

Where were Axio and Momo?

“Master!! Are you okay?!”
“…Finally. Took you long enough.”

My sluggish mind snapped back into focus at the sound of that carefree voice. The girl in front of me froze at the sight of Momo stepping between us.

“You!! Pinkhead! What are you doing here?!”
“Negotiations! Back off, or I’ll smash this gem!!”

Momo held a glowing orb, about the size of a large egg, in her hand. Even from here, I could feel the magic radiating from within it. There was no mistaking it—that was the dragon gem that had been inside the infant’s body.

“What do you think you’re doing, Momo?! Stay out of this and stand down!”
“Heh, what a doting master you’ve got. Listen up, there’s no way a human’s strength could break a dragon gem.”
“Care to test that theory?”

Momo applied pressure to the stone, and a clear creaking sound emanated from it. It might have been impossible for a regular human, but with her Gift, she genuinely might crush it.

“This Gem’s important to you, right? I’m serious—if you try anything funny, I’ll break it!”
“Hah! You’ve got guts, pinkhead! Go on, try it! At this range, I’ll reach you faster than you can react!!”
“Is that so? Then… how about this?”
“ “……Huh?” ”

Both of us froze as Momo, seeing no advantage in being on the defensive, acted decisively. She shoved the dragon gem into her mouth.

Taking advantage of our stupefied reactions, she tilted her head back and swallowed it.

“Hmm, tastes like dirt… Well, now you can’t lay a finger on me, can you?!”
“ “……YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!!!” ”

In less than ten minutes of encountering the girl who called herself Ragna, both she and I—despite being adversaries—shouted in perfect unison.

1. Ragna is using a counter for machines rather than people to refer to herself.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.