“Who would have thought Nally Stenner was the one hiding behind the mask?

The answer is no one.

It was all one great big mystery that left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths. Sure, discovering the culprit brought momentary relief, but ultimately, it only raised more questions.

How did she do it?

How come there were two bodies?

And does she have any accomplices?

Nobody knew, and, as a result, they all stood still due to the shock. It was too much to process.”

…

Snowl was the first to recover after momentarily blanking out. The head knight still had his blade wedged deeply into the girl’s side. Surprisingly, her expression suggested she was feeling no pain. Lifeless was the first word that came to his mind upon seeing her void of emotions and reactions. This was all despite the fact that she seemed conscious, with a steady heart rate and eyes that wandered slightly within their sockets.

What on earth? He thought to himself as chills ran down his spine. Even as he shifted the blade slightly, purposefully striking places he knew would send pain receptors, the reactions were non-existent. Was she drugged?

“Stop that,” Rurah intervened, gravitating toward the Head Knight. He placed a firm hand around Snowl’s wrist, purposefully squeezing it. The ice wielder sighed as he turned to face the giant, who wore an angry expression. “Stop it.”

“No,” Snowl stated calmly. “This girl is our enemy. Don’t let your tiny period befriending her intervene with your decision-making.”

Dr. Scale abruptly hovered toward the two of them, joined by B15. The Guild Master stared at the girl intensely, examining her face and wound. After what felt like an indefinite period, he pulled out a quilt and notebook hidden within his robes.

“Move your hand slightly, Snowl. I want to see her reactions.”

The Head Knight faced Rurah with a commanding gaze. After an intense stare-off, Rurah reluctantly released his grip. Now free to move as he wished, Snowl proceeded to do as instructed.

…

After a minute of writing, Dr. Scale placed the quilt in the notebook and snapped it shut. “Alright, that’s enough,” he began. “As I thought, the girl is conscious yet unconscious.”

“What do you mean?” B15 inquired, his confusion evident in his crossed arms. “How can she be both?”

“That statement was more a figure of speech,” the Guild Master answered. “The best way I can describe the girl’s current situation is that of a mental retreat within herself despite being aware of what’s happening outside.”

The healer's eyes widened in understanding, his fingers gently tracing the contours of his mask. “So, in essence," he mused. "She’s like a turtle, retreating into a shell that still has eyes.”

"I'm not fond of that analogy," the doctor muttered. "But yes, that captures the essence of it."

Dr. Scale's brows furrowed as he grappled with the implications of the current situation. He recalled the girl's earlier tests, in which she had seemed perfectly fine. This could only mean one thing - her current state was a direct result of the Mask attack.

"I believe," he continued, his tone tinged with uncertainty. "That there are two plausible explanations for her current predicament. First, she may be responsible for the attacks but capable of controlling only one body at a time. This would explain why Mask remained silent and devoid of emotion during the examination--Nally was simply occupied controlling the primary body."

"So, how did she end up like this?" he asked his companions. "I suspect she was in control of the other body when Snowl destroyed it, leaving her in this peculiar state."

“I don’t think so,” B15 frowned. "No Incantation possesses such power, and there is no record of a Divine Art with that ability."

“I agree with the healer,” Snowl stated flatly. “This girl supposedly used Blitz while the masked person I defeated earlier didn’t. If they are the same person, their Divine Arts and Incantations should be consistent."

Dr. Scale shook his head slightly. “Don’t rule out the possibility. They could be two bodies possessing different Incantations and Divine Arts. Nevertheless, I was leaning toward explanation two anyway.”

He continued:

“Our masked friend likely used her as bait, biding for time to regain strength to launch a counterattack. That goat head incantation is probably defending what remains of our foe so that they can recover.”

“I don’t know,” Snowl stated sharply, still eyeing the girl. “I think it’s best we kill her just in case.”

“What!?” Rurah interjected, shock filling his face. “You can’t be serious, right? We still don’t know if Nally is responsible. We can't make any rash decisions!”

“Keeping her alive is a rash decision,” the head knight retorted. “Dr. Scale, what’s the verdict?”

The old man struggled to contain his excitement. He was seeing an entirely different version of Snowl. It was laughable and baffling even to suggest this was the same person who earlier today refused to comply with handing over a fox plushie.

“I see no reason to keep her alive,” he agreed. “You may dispose of her.”

Just as he finished that sentence, he spotted an alarming sight from his periphery. Someone was once again emerging from the goat head. That same mask greeted them, shrouded in all black. The figure slowly exited the beast's mouth, revealing a long, slender blade it held in its hand. Then, it slowly began to approach them.

Snowl wrenched his blade out of the girl. Then, the Head Knight turned to face the enemy, gravitating toward them.

In the meantime, Rurah quickly rushed over to grab the girl, examining her wounds with a worried expression.

“You’ve got an opportunity,” Dr. Scale smirked. “If we apprehend this new masked person and find no relation, that girl can live.”

“Thank you, Guild Master,” Rurah sighed in relief. “I truly believe she has nothing to do with this twisted masked person. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Healers!” Dr. Scale yelled. “Evacuate her alongside Ned. Bring her to my invigilators after treating her so they can cast binding Incantations. She will be interrogated later.”

“As for you, Rurah,” he continued. “Assist Snowl alongside Fumie and B15. If you wish to chat big and dispute our decisions, you better be able to back it up with skills.”

“Yes, sir!” the giant answered.

His face was filled with determination and resolve, which satisfied Dr. Scale.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

It’s about time you showed a bit more ambition, he smirked. This is only the start.

…

Rurah flew toward Snowl, joined by Fumie and B15, who took up positions behind them.

Almost instinctively, he reached for the hilt of his warhammer. He had seen earlier just how intense Snowl’s fight with the being was. Knowing this, it was only right that he prepared to go all out against their foe.

“Sno- sorry, Mr. Head Knight, how do you say we approach the individual?”

“I wish I could tell you,” Snowl sighed, pointing his blade at the enemy. “This is now the third ‘masked individual.' The only thing I can assume is that its attack patterns are different from the other ones, so be prepared."

…

The gap was now all but closed.

Only inches separated them from Mask and its massive slender blade, which up close looked larger than Rurah himself.

“Ice Incantation 40,” Snowl stated with his blade elongated, showing no hesitation at all.

A blast of ice erupted from the tip of his sword. At this distance, the strike was practically at point-blank range, travelling at a devastatingly fast speed.

In response, Mask's blade contracted into a spiralling circle wall – a makeshift shield. The speed at which it achieved that form was even quicker than the incantation blast. The stream of ice struck the wall, dissipating on impact.

As all that was happening, Rurah quickly positioned himself on the right flank. The titan swiftly entered release mode, gripping the handle of his massive weapon and heaving it off his back. Instantly, massive black storm clouds gathered within the arena below them, covering the ground around them as a soft, eerie rumble began.

…

“What on earth..." B15 gasped as his eyes observed the anomaly. “Is all this caused by that warhammer!?”

“I-I think so,” Fumie agreed, her eyes filled with marvel and worry. “I-It’s probably a relic weapon that’s capable of controlling the weather. S-Super dangerous.”

…

The spot directly below Rurah rumbled the loudest, with a blitz of electricity erupting from it, striking the warhammer. The weapon glowed in yellow as thunderous bolts shot wildly everywhere. Rurah gripped the handle tightly, fighting against its rage as he pointed it toward Mask.

“Divine Art – God’s Strike.”

The arena blackened.

Then, a blinding light enveloped the area.

What followed was an ear-deafening roar that erupted throughout the air.

Unexpectedly, an inconceivable amount of thunder shredded its way toward Mask at light speed from the warhammer. The blast hit the being in the blink of an eye, leaving no time to react. Mask twitched and shuddered, pain evident in its appearance as it struggled against the shock.

Snowl took the opportunity to get behind their foe, launching ice incantation 40 once more. As the ice stream travelled toward Mask, a black pentagram appeared between the fighters. It hummed momentarily before releasing a massive black goat head with four horns jutting from its crown. The beast's mouth jarred open, absorbing the ice incantation.

“No way,” Rurah muttered.

The last of his Divine Art began to subside, yet Mask still stood strong. The figure’s gaze was directed toward the giant, who was utterly bewildered at its state. That was my strongest attack, he stressed to himself. Just how powerful is this person!?

Mask raised one arm, pointing a single finger at Rurah. In the blink of an eye, both goat heads vanished, appearing right before the titan. Their mouths stretched open, revealing those jagged teeth drenched in saliva.

Rurah’s heart sank as his body froze.

…

At the exact same time, Snowl rushed in to attack Mask. The being released their sword from its shield form, extending it in all its length to meet the head knight’s ice blade. The two weapons clashed, sending sparks flying as an intense spar began.

“Help Rurah,” commanded Snowl between rallies. “I’ll hold off the main body.”

Thankfully, Fumie did not hesitate. With the help of B15, she erected a Divine Barrier while the goat heads continued to charge up their attack.

The low, eerie hum from the goat heads got louder and louder with each passing second. Soon, a ball of energy formed within their mouths. But then, at the last second, the heads turned to face Fumie and B15.

!?

“What…?” the girl cried.

Suddenly, B15 pushed Fumie out of the way, taking the full brunt of the blasts. The impact sent B15 crashing into the ground, smoke rising from his charred form. Fumie’s heart pounded in her chest as worry filled her mind. Is he alive? And what about providing support? Could she really do it alone with practically no mana?

“G-GUILD MASTER!” she yelled, whipping her head around. “PLEASE H-HELP US.”

…

“That’s the plan,” Dr. Scale chuckled, levitating forward while holding up two white cubes. “Thanks to your efforts, I’ve learned how to defeat this foe.”

He threw the cubes into the air, instantly causing them to swell. In a matter of seconds, they dwarfed the goat heads. Then, a black spiral appeared in the center of the cubes. As it grew bigger, it began to attract the goat heads toward it, sucking them in like a black hole. Just moments later, the heads were gone, completely absorbed.

“Incantation attacks seemed ineffective,” Dr. Scale stated. “So, I deduced that these goat heads are composed of mana. The cubes I threw expand in size in proportion to the amount of mana in their vicinity. They then absorb the mana before shrinking down to a manageable size.”

As he finished those words, the cubes shrunk back down, falling into his hands. He took a moment to observe the white objects, twirling them around in his hand.

“Truly fascinating,” he smiled. “You can feel the weight of the mana. Marvellous.”

His eyes fell on Snowl and Mask, who were still locked in an intense bout. They zipped around the arena like blurs, crashing into one another periodically. The Head Knight also fired minor incantation blasts, though they appeared ineffective.

Interesting, Dr. Scale pondered. Snowl was able to overpower Mask earlier, but now not so much. Did they learn his attack pattern? Or is this a third individual who’s stronger than the previous ones?

Suddenly, Mask parried away Snowl’s blade, breaking the deadlock. The ice user’s expression darkened. His torso was completely exposed. Mask swung their sword in, ready to slash through his side.

But right as its blade was about to connect, a blitz of electricity charged its way toward the two fighters. The sound of metal clashing screeched through the arena as dust enveloped the impact zone. The area quickly cleared out, revealing Rurah wrenched right in between the two fighters, holding off Mask’s blade with all his might.

The pain was plastered all over his face. He was struggling to hold off the effort, straining his muscles. Eventually, Mask began to exert more power, slamming its whole weight onto Rurah’s warhammer. Right as the giant was about to give in, Snowl released Ice Incantation 40, forcing Mask to retreat slightly.

“Thank you,” Rurah huffed haggardly. His chest expanded and contracted wildly as he attempted to regulate his breathing. “I appreciate it.”

“No worries,” Snowl responded. “Just be careful not to overexert yourself. I could’ve used my Divine Art to deal with that attack. You didn’t need to do that.”

Dr. Scale let out a heavy sigh as he flew over toward his companions. He wore an annoyed expression, which he directed toward Snowl.

“Would it pain you to say thank you?” He asked. “Regardless of if you could’ve handled it, Rurah assisted you. You should be grateful that he gave you a chance to conserve mana.”

“I understand,” Snowl stated flatly. “But right now, we should focus on the enemy in front of us. If Rurah wishes to live, he’ll heed my advice going forward.”

“Who do you think you’re talking to like that?”

“Guild Master, Head Knight…” Rurah interrupted. “The masked person… is doing something.”

A black glow was emitting from the being, who was now curled up into a ball.

For some reason, Dr. Scale sensed immense danger. His body went cold as the hairs on his back straightened.

“FUMIE,” he yelled, facing the bewildered girl. “COME HERE NOW.”

…

She did as she was told, rushing toward Dr. Scale with B15 in tow. The moment she was within range, Dr. Scale shoved the white cubes into her face.

“Eat these,” he stressed urgently. “Then cast as many Divine Barriers as you can around us. Now.”

Fumie nodded, gulping down the cubes whole with some effort. Instantly, she felt a surge of energy course through her veins, reinvigorating her. She raised her staff high, determination gleaming in her eyes.

“Divine Barrier!” she yelled, her voice echoing through the arena.

A single golden cube appeared around them, shimmering with protective energy. Then another. And another. Soon, more than thirty Divine Barriers were cast around them, forming a formidable fortress of light that stretched outward.

“Is this enough?” she asked, her breath coming in ragged gasps, completely winded.

Dr. Scale gave a grim nod, surveying the layers of protection. “It’ll have to be.”

…

Words could not even begin to describe what happened next.

First off,

Mask disappeared.

The being was nowhere to be seen despite being present moments earlier.

Then, out of nowhere, the whole stadium began to rumble uncontrollably. It shook with a force akin to that of an earthquake, levelling the ground completely below them and tearing its way through the tiered seating. In less than five minutes, the whole of the interior was destroyed.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

In just under five seconds, all but one of Fumie’s Divine Barriers were instantly smashed through.

In all that time, Dr. Scale could do nothing but pray for his life, leaving everything to chance. It was a forgotten, foreign feeling that reminded him just how fragile existence really was.

What on earth, he thought to himself.

One quick look around confirmed he wasn’t the only one in shock. Fumie had fainted, Rurah was wide-eyed, B15 was still knocked out, and Snowl’s composure was broken, rage filling his face.

And who could be surprised at any of their reactions?

Nothing could be seen, heard, felt, or even sensed from that so-called attack. Pure destruction occurred, yet there was no way to measure or observe how to counter it effectively.

In all my years, the doctor stressed. I’ve never faced something like this before. Fumie’s Divine Barrier is the strongest protection known to mankind, yet it was shattered like glass by an invisible attack. That person possesses strength I can’t even begin to comprehend.

…

Then, a sudden thought made him shudder.

There’s a slight chance, he feared. That they could be stronger than Ozo.