Infinite Mage [Remake]-Chapter 182: Claire Marsha (Part 5)

As Photon Cannons condensed around her, Rian, Tess, and Amy shielded Shirone.

The flashes of light rained down, and Amy grabbed Shirone's collar and flung her body away.

Marsha: "Hahaha! What's this? It's this easy?"

As Marsha repeatedly cast the Photon Cannon, the recipients felt like they were facing death.

'This is insane.'

Amy's expression twisted.

Since they had always considered the Photon Cannon an ally, they had never simulated how to deal with it.

But now that they had to face it, they could feel the despair of the enemies who had fought Shirone.

With the thunderous explosions behind them, Amy hid behind a rock.

Amy: "Shirone, for now...!"

Amy stopped speaking when she saw Shirone, who was in shock and looked dazed.

'Well, I'd be the same.'

The feeling of having your core, something you had honed through life-and-death struggles, stolen from you was indescribable.

Amy: "Shirone, snap out of it. It's not over yet."

Shirone: "But I have no means to attack."

It was the first time Shirone's voice had trembled.

It might be confusion, or perhaps it was anger.

Amy: "Think logically. Magic can't be stolen this easily. There must be a huge risk involved."

Shirone: "Risk...."

Her mind, momentarily shaken by the sense of loss, began to focus on the problem again.

'Amy's right.'

Stealing the opponent's magic isn't the end.

Marsha must also be bound by restrictions and consequences.

Shirone: "The principle of equivalent exchange."

Amy: "Right. If it was easy to steal, it should be easy to take back. No, it should be even easier to take back than it was to steal. That's equivalent exchange. It's not over yet."

Shirone: "Got it. I'll try."

Shirone regained her fighting spirit.

Though her signature Photon Cannon had been stolen, she still had a few spells left.

'Is there a limit to the number of spells that can be stolen?'

Each spell Shirone could still use was precious, and she couldn't afford to test things recklessly.

'Let's assume I only have one chance.'

Amy: "I'll cover you."

As Amy unleashed a barrage of Fire Strikes, Marsha stopped firing the Photon Cannon and dodged.

Shirone charged forward, while Rian and Tess flanked Marsha from both sides.

Even while fighting four people, Marsha didn't easily leave any openings.

Her combat skills were too seasoned to excuse her fatigue, and Shirone's spells continued to dwindle.

'This is unbelievable.'

Shirone bit her lip as even her only movement ability, teleportation, was stolen.

'An irregular ability?'

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Everything that had happened since entering the magic school flashed through her mind like a panorama.

All that effort, resolve, and passion had vanished like a dream in an instant.

The tide of battle was turning in Marsha's favor.

Rian was sent flying after blocking a Photon Cannon, and Amy's sniping, fueled by sheer willpower, missed futilely. Tess, with an injured leg, was also half-crippled.

'This can't be happening.'

Shirone charged forward with wide eyes.

The only spell she had left was Wind Cutter, which she had never used in combat, but it was still her only proof of being a mage.

'If I can just get close....'

Marsha, who had been aiming the Photon Cannon at Rian, flinched and quickly turned her head.

She was also sweating profusely, clearly exhausted.

Shirone: "Go!"

As Shirone kicked off the ground and lunged forward, Marsha teleported away.

10 meters, 20 meters... Marsha kept retreating until she was a full 40 meters away.

'Huh?'

Shirone was puzzled by the extreme evasion.

At this point, with most of her magic stolen, why was Marsha fleeing as if terrified?

'No, I shouldn't think that way.'

Only Shirone knew how few spells she had left.

Marsha had no idea how many spells Shirone still possessed.

'If I had another movement ability besides teleportation, I would've caught her. That's what Marsha was afraid of.'

But even so, was it normal for her to be this intimidated? Her reaction seemed almost instinctive.

'A thief's mindset.'

If the logic twisted by trauma was the irregular ability, then her life must also be intertwined with it.

'She absolutely can't be caught. It's not about avoiding magic but the very concept of being caught by me....'

She avoided it.

'What happens if I catch her? If I grab Marsha, will my magic return?'

If it was easy to steal, it should be easy to take back.

'It's more than that.'

Amy had said this.

To be equivalent exchange, it should be even easier to take back than it was to steal.

'If I catch her, it's really over.'

Perhaps death... wouldn't it be?

The value of logic might need to be weighed, but the principle of equivalent exchange felt intuitively clear.

'Marsha can't let me get close.'

Now that she had found a way to reverse the plunder, the probability of paying a price had skyrocketed.

And that price was her own death.

As Shirone's gaze changed, Marsha's expression twisted seriously for the first time.

'If I can just touch her, I win.'

As Shirone sprinted at full speed, Marsha predictably created distance.

Confident now, Shirone shouted.

Shirone: "We have to catch Marsha!"

Amy, who understood the intent, and Rian and Tess, who didn't, moved as one.

Marsha's face turned pale.

Even though fire magic and a swordsman's strikes were equally dangerous in terms of lethality, she was desperately trying to get away from Shirone.

'What's the price?'

Running dozens of meters away from Shirone, who couldn't even teleport.

If the distance represented the magnitude of fear, it was a reaction only seen in the face of natural disasters.

Perhaps that's why the meticulous Marsha was stabbed by Tess's sword.

Marsha: "Ugh!"

The rapier pierced deep into her thigh.

Marsha hastily retreated and teleported away, but Rian was already closing in.

'Got her!'

The moment Shirone was certain, Marsha bit her lip hard and unleashed a burst of light.

Shirone: "Fall back!"

A barrier of light exploded outward from Marsha, and Rian, struck by the shockwave, rolled on the ground.

Rian: "Ugh!"

Though the burst only lasted an instant, it felt like every bone in his body was about to break.

It was the moment he truly understood how powerful Shirone's magic was.

But Marsha wasn't unscathed either.

The moment she unleashed the burst, she felt a mental drain far worse than that of the Photon Cannon, and her consciousness nearly faded.

Marsha: "Ugh!"

Kneeling on the ground, blood pouring from her thigh, Marsha looked up.

Using a magic system built on Immortal Function so recklessly was too much.

'It's over!'

As Shirone lunged toward the immobilized Marsha, Amy shouted.

Amy: "Shirone! It's dangerous!"

A loud roar erupted from the sky, and a dozen flashes of light descended.

The surviving members of the Parrot Mercenaries had finished healing and returned.

As they immediately surrounded Marsha, Shirone hastily stopped in her tracks.

Charging into enemy lines without offensive magic was suicidal.

Marsha, refusing her subordinates' help, struggled to her feet and spoke.

Marsha: "Huhu, don't feel too wronged. This was all part of the plan. Anyway, it's over now."

Shirone's group was devastated.

In their current state, incapacitated in some way, breaking through a dozen combatants to subdue Marsha was impossible.

Shirone's eyes no longer held the same fighting spirit. She just stared at Marsha.

Marsha: "Oh my, Shirone? Why that face? Ah, because of your magic? It's fine. You're young, so you can just learn again from scratch. Of course, the magic I stole will be unusable for you forever."

Shirone: "You stole sound magic too, didn't you?"

Marsha: "Of course, what else? You know I have a stealing habit. Why are you being so stingy all of a sudden? When I stole ceramics, you even offered to pay for them, but now you don't want to give me yours? You're just a hypocrite after all."

Amy shouted: "How can you say that? What did Shirone do to deserve this?"

Marsha: "Hohoho! Not at all! I don't hate anyone. I just do this for fun. What's the difference between you and me? You're all the same, so why act so righteously? I just find that hypocrisy disgusting."

Shirone thought.

'She's really... incredibly twisted.'

She seemed to hate the world, but what she truly hated was probably her stepfather.

And through Marsha, Shirone was seeing the world.

'Am I a hypocrite?'

Perhaps, but Shirone wasn't ashamed.

Just because there's no right answer in life doesn't mean you can write the wrong one.

Even if it's not good, it shouldn't be mocked and despised by evil.

Shirone: "I understand you don't want pity."

Perhaps that was what Marsha found most repulsive and ugly.

Shirone: "But now, I won't back down either."

Shirone's eyes reflected a firm determination, and Marsha responded with a cold smile.

Marsha: "Fine, you're not as useless as I thought. But what now? You've lost. Do you think you can reach me?"

Shirone nodded.

Shirone: "Wait. I'm coming for you now."

"..."

Marsha's expression remained unchanged, but her heart was beating faster than ever.

'This is nonsense. I'll never be caught.'

Shirone couldn't use magic, and his friends were all exhausted.

The probability of Shirone breaking through her subordinates and reaching her was close to zero.

Shirone: "Rian."

Shirone spoke.

Shirone: "Cut down anyone who tries to stop us."

Despite being the most injured among the group, Rian's fighting spirit was unbroken.

Rian: "Got it. Leave it to me."

Tess interjected.

Tess: "Wait. I don't know what you're planning, but I'll do it. I'm in better shape than Rian."

Shirone shook his head.

Shirone: "No, that won't do. This is about trust in the knight's oath. I can't let anyone but Rian spill blood."

Tess: "Blood? What blood?"

Instead of explaining, Shirone began walking toward the enemy lines.

With Rian guarding his side, Marsha's face stiffened.

10 meters, 9 meters...

Even though she believed it was impossible for him to reach her, her breath hitched as the distance closed.

Marsha: "Kill him! Stop him!"

As her subordinates drew their swords and charged, Rian gripped his great sword tightly and stepped forward.

'I'll hold them off.'

Meanwhile, Shirone continued walking calmly.

With no means to defend himself, Amy and Tess watched anxiously. Just as a subordinate was about to clash with Rian, his body transformed into light and shot into the sky.

Amy looked up, following the flash of light.

Amy: "Spatial teleportation?"

But why?

Was it normal to flee before even crossing swords?