339 Angel in White vs. Cynthia ③

"Goodbye, Cynthia—"

"—Ice Mirage (Ice Garden)!"

The very next second, Teacher Coco moved in for the kill, exactly as I’d anticipated. I burned through half my remaining mana in an instant just to mask our presence and hide our forms.

"Ooh, it doubles as a mana jammer? Clever," Teacher Coco’s voice drifted through the impenetrable mist. "But you can't run far, you know?"

She was right. We were still trapped inside her barrier.

But of course, I already knew that.

"Lady Cynthia, do you intend to keep attacking? Is there any point in not giving up?" Lilith asked.

"…That’s the plan. Lady Luna, what do you think?"

I had an idea. A wicked, desperate idea. But I took a gamble and asked Lady Luna for her input first. This wasn't the kind of strategy that would succeed if even one person’s heart wasn't in it.

"My attacks are just blocked. Magic doesn't work. And even while we're standing here… she’s just draining our mana away…"

Luna’s voice was hollow, devoid of spirit. She hung her head in quiet defeat.

It would have been easy to offer her some shallow words of encouragement right then. Maybe I could have coaxed some motivation out of her with a few platitudes. But that wouldn’t mean anything. It wouldn't be enough.

I let the precious seconds tick by, simply waiting for her real answer. Lilith looked a little miffed—probably a bit of that usual jealousy—but I managed to settle her with a quick look. I trusted Lilith with my life, but Lady Luna? She was still a complete enigma to me.

But there’s one thing I’ve learned through all this training: Weiss believes in her. And if he believes in her, then I have to as well.

"…I’ve always been a coward," Luna whispered. "I’ve spent my whole life skulking in the shadows, hiding behind everyone else. But… I wanted to be strong, just like Vai-kun. I wanted to stand beside everyone as an equal. I’m sorry, Lady Cynthia. I don’t know what we can possibly do. But… I don't want to give up. Not until the very end."

A small smile finally tugged at the corners of my lips.

I knew it. She really is the girl Weiss put his faith in.

"In that case—I have a plan."

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I’ve just posted a new work in the Otherworld Fantasy category!

【The Fallen Former Noble's "Sand" Magic Is Broken and God-Tier Growth Won't Stop】

https://kakuyomu.jp/my/works/16818093077648640011

It’s a story about a protagonist with Sand Magic who travels with a group of heroines while being absolutely matchless (^^)/

It’s a distillation of everything I find fun in a story, and it’s being released via Dranobe.

Please give it a follow and rate it ☆☆☆ if you can! (^^)/