Chapter 208: OZ (5)

"Student Caitlin! Behind you!"

"I know...!"

Team B barred the researchers' path.

Sharp flashes cut through the dark corridor every few moments.

Crackle-!

Electricity flew, and pure white holy radiance burned away the darkness.

The surrounding Cult members gathered their demonic energy.

"Deploy defensive formations! Don't fall back carelessly!"

"We have to get to Lord Oz! We need to break through this passage somehow!"

"Chief Researcher Killian! Please, tell us what to do...!"

The researchers confronted the intruders.

Yet before Team B's two members, they were no more than leaves before an autumn wind.

"I'm going in!"

"Don't bother giving me a signal. Just get it over with quick, I'll keep up!"

Javert kicked off the ground.

High-pressure Divine Power was clenched tightly in her hand.

A moment later, a streak of radiant light exploded toward the researchers who had formed their line.

-Droit Style Martial Arts, Fourth Form-

'Extinction'

Boooom-!!

The Cult's tightly layered defensive formations crumpled.

Several researchers at the front were blown away as lumps of meat.

Crackle-!

As their formation fell into disarray, Caitlin swiftly slipped through the gap.

Her quick feet carried her into the researchers' ranks in an instant.

The bronze-skinned girl appeared as though she had teleported.

Without giving them time to react, Caitlin unleashed a maximum-output electric current.

-Lettus Style Lightning Magic, Eleventh Form-

'Lightning Field'

Kraaaackle-!!

A wave of high voltage swallowed the heart of their formation.

The Cult members were fried crisp on the spot.

Only a few researchers who barely managed to react saved themselves.

Before the aftermath could even fade, Javert's fist reached the survivors standing there in a daze.

-Droit Style Martial Arts, Seventh Form-

'White Extinction'

The blood balloons burst at once.

So far, it had been nothing short of Team B's one-sided slaughter.

"Khak, ptooey."

Javert was one of the Empire's ten strongest fighters, while Caitlin surpassed even Javert in speed.

An all-rounder with a perfect stat spread and a speedster. The two worked rather well together in this sort of chaotic battle.

They supported each other as they dealt with the researchers.

Yet despite their efforts, the number blocking the passage showed no sign of decreasing.

"Fuck... These things are coming back to life again. They're practically undead."

"This is already the fifth time. They truly come back as though nothing happened."

"I don't like having to compete in endurance..."

"It was similar during Blue Night. They kept reviving as though they couldn't die, and it gave us a great deal of trouble."

No matter how many times they killed the researchers, they revived somewhere and appeared again.

It had already happened five times.

At the center of it all stood a woman wielding a whip.

Killian appeared again with an open sneer.

"Ahaha! Aren't you a little too flustered? What do you think? Isn't it fascinating?"

"What's fascinating is the way you talk. Shouldn't a sixty-year-old be going 'Ho ho ho' instead of 'Ahaha'? Aren't you embarrassed to act so shamelessly?"

"Shut up! You bitch...!"

"If it bothers you, come at me. I'll fry that ugly face nice and crispy."

The two traded barbs.

Javert could only furrow her brow.

'This is bad.'

Whatever the mechanism was, Killian continued to revive.

No, this time, it wasn't only Killian.

All the researchers around her were reviving just like her.

There were more than ten of them.

And they weren't random nobodies. Every one of them was an executive directly under Oz.

'Student Caitlin is fast, but... she isn't built for prolonged combat.'

Their stamina was steadily draining away, with no way to turn the situation around.

They had to figure out the revival mechanic somehow.

Javert's thoughts grew increasingly tangled.

Then Caitlin, standing beside her, whispered quietly.

"Give me some support."

"Pardon?"

"I figured it out. That revival mechanic those bastards have."

"Really? How did you...?"

"I'm not certain. But the odds are high."

Tap.

A fist lightly bumped against Javert's shoulder.

Caitlin stared at the enemies who had formed ranks beyond Killian.

"So I'm going to test something for a moment."

Her eyes gleamed fiercely.

* * *

Elsewhere.

Oz's laboratory was, quite literally, a complete mess.

"Miss Ranne!"

"Yes! I'll hold them back! Please fall back, both of you!"

Booom-!

Tentacles in grotesque shapes slammed into the floor.

The inside of the laboratory writhed like a living creature.

Tentacles swarmed across the ceiling, while the walls and floor twitched and heaved like flesh.

"Hup...!"

Massive teeth tried to devour Team A.

A straight spear strike pierced through them.

-Kihano Style Spearmanship, Ninth Form-

'Reverse Starfire'

Krrrk-!

Starlight.

The pure white light barely shattered the rows of fangs.

Meanwhile, desks and chairs scattered around the laboratory rushed toward us.

Inanimate objects transformed into grotesque shapes.

Flesh and tentacles clung to them in thick patches.

Dealing with that swarm was, as expected, Alice's job.

"All forces, advance...!"

Playing cards and chess pieces rushed forward in a wave.

The immortal soldiers clashed with the inanimate objects.

Bursting impacts rang through the room.

'This is Oz's unique magic...!'

It was complete chaos.

All kinds of objects mutated and charged at us like vicious Chimeras.

My teammates were busy defending against tentacles, thorns, teeth, and all sorts of things rushing in from every direction.

<Oh dear, are you letting your guard down?>

While the others fought desperately, I dueled Oz.

The faceless man kept driving me back.

Bundles of tentacles tangled around me.

I cut through the masses of flesh as they came.

The scythe clenched in my hand unfolded, slashed through them, and repaired itself over and over.

"Activate. Thorns."

Shwaaak-!

Dozens of layers of flesh were pierced at once.

I forcibly tore through the hide and tried to charge at the man beyond it.

<Not a chance.>

Booom-!

A tentacle shot out from my blind spot and struck me.

Like a ping-pong ball, I bounced around for a while before crashing into the floor.

"Urgh...!"

Everything around me shattered from the impact.

Fortunately, a pitch-black crown floated above my head.

[Broken Crown]

-Category: Accessory

-Rank: S-

-Status: Destroyed

-Description: This is the crown worn by the ruler of nightmares, the 'Black Queen.' It has now been destroyed, leaving only her remnants behind. When worn, you can use the skill 'Nightmare Transformation.' It can now be worn for up to 30 minutes per day.

Without the crown's effect, I would've been crushed and burst like a mosquito by now.

Despite the dizziness, I steadied myself and got back up.

<Ahem.>

Oz stood across from me.

His body didn't have a single scratch.

He simply brushed the dust off his gown.

<Didn't I tell you? The main body is incomparably stronger than the clone.>

His voice was full of delight.

I leaped forward once more.

Tap-!

The distance closed quickly.

Yet I was stopped again.

<That's far enough.>

Wham-!

A drawer that had rolled across the floor slammed into my body.

The drawer had grotesquely fused with flesh, turning into an indescribable giant monster.

"Activate. Thorns."

I barely managed to shake it off by spreading thorns just as it was about to grab me.

Oz remained standing there calmly, as though none of it mattered.

<You can't reach me. You won't even be able to tear this single gown.>

"Phew..."

<Why not turn around and run away while you still can?>

"That's tempting. If I run, will you let me live?"

<Perhaps. Ah, but you'll have to leave my test subject behind.>

"Then we have no deal."

A few pointless words passed between us.

I tightened my grip on the scythe.

<That crown... It had a time limit, didn't it? I figured that out last time.>

"Oh dear, you caught me."

<Well, you couldn't possibly borrow the Queen's power without limit. It looks as though you can borrow it for longer than before, but its light keeps growing fainter. It looks like it'll go out soon enough.>

Was this the sort of insight one should expect from Alice's creator?

He had calculated the crown's capabilities to some extent after seeing it only once.

Oz chuckled.

As though he were carefully examining an interesting test subject.

<So... once the crown's effect ends, how do you intend to deal with me? By the looks of it, you won't even last ten seconds.>

It looked like I had been driven into a corner.

Yet even in that situation, I hadn't lost my composure.

"You needn't worry."

<Hm?>

"Because it'll all be decided within the next ten minutes."

<Oh?>

Perhaps my confident answer was unexpected.

Oz tilted his head.

<Do you truly believe you can defeat me? You don't seem particularly stupid, so I suppose you have something to rely on.>

"Well, I don't know if I'd call it something to rely on."

<Would you tell me what it is?>

"It's simple."

I opened my hand.

Two tickets lay in my palm.

Ding-!

[You use the item '???-Rank Reward Selection Ticket'.]

[You may choose and obtain one of the rewards presented.]

The slip of paper I had kept clutched in my hand ever since we infiltrated this place.

It was the ticket I had saved specifically to kill Oz.

And it wasn't just the selection ticket.

A special ticket I had obtained before was attached to it as well.

Ding-!

[Selection Ticket Deluxe]

-Category:???

-Rank:???

-Status:???

-Description: This is a support item. When used together with the item '???-Rank Reward Selection Ticket,' it enhances the function of the reward obtained through that selection ticket. The degree of enhancement is random.

The description floated before my eyes.

I spread the two tickets out and smiled.

"Let's see if you can stay relaxed even now."

Riiip-!

The next moment, the sound of paper tearing echoed through the laboratory.