𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟖
“Mabel!”
Eugene hurriedly shielded Mabel.
As Eugene, whose incantation was interrupted, clicked his tongue, they heard the sound of flapping wings above them.
A large shadow raced across the ground, and Mabel followed it with her eyes.
‘Mutabilis!’
What landed in front of Mabel was Mutabilis, wearing a white mask.
Black majestic wings sprouted from their back, and as Mutabilis touched the ground, they disappeared as if bursting.
“So, it’s you, Shadow. This sort of excessive assistance to another country should not be encouraged, right?”
“I am―”
“He is merely supplying magic to our country.”
Travis appeared at the entrance of the staircase, where the two had climbed without anyone noticing.
Perhaps he had boldly entered after the operation had begun.
“Wiski is merely borrowing the power of Shadow and applying it to weapons.”
“Hmph,” Eugene scoffed.
“I see. That explains the strange magical entanglement.”
Eugene’s gaze was fixed on the mask worn by Mutabilis.
“Anyway, I just need to defeat you, right?”
Eugene raised his arm to shoulder height, pointing his finger at Mutabilis.
But upon seeing his posture, Travis exclaimed,
“Wait, is that really fine with you? After all, if he is dead, Mable will be in quite some trouble…”
“What do you mean?”
“If he’s gone, Mabel-sama will never be able to speak again.”
“…What?”
Eugene turned around and looked at Mabel.
Seeing Mabel still not uttering a word, Eugene seemed to have realized something.
“You are very cunning for a human, not far from a mage.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting you.”
With that, Travis smiled and clenched something in his hand.
Suddenly, Mutabilis, who was standing opposite them, pressed his hands to his face and began to suffer.
“Now Shadow! Kill that man.”
With those words as a trigger, Mutabilis let out a deep groan from the depths of his stomach and lunged toward Eugene with great force. Eugene reacted immediately, extending his white wings and escaping into the sky.
However, Mutabilis also spread his black wings and flew vertically, closing the distance between him and Eugene.
The two clashed high in the sky, creating a loud, harsh sound.
Eugene lost his balance and slightly descended in altitude. In response, Mutabilis reached out his hand, but Eugene unleashed a curved wind blade from below.
Mutabilis managed to dodge it, but it grazed his shoulder.
Chasing after Mutabilis, who was gliding diagonally with a pained expression, Eugene raised his arm even higher.
Mable held her breath in worry as she watched the battle between the two mages.
Of course, she wanted Eugene to win, but she also had feelings for Mutabilis, with whom she had spent time together in prison, ‘Although I don’t want him to be killed if possible, there is also Travis behind me to consider.’
‘if Mutabilis isn’t stopped, what will become of the Eakes Kingdom…’
Mabel couldn’t put either of those thoughts into words right now.
She looked around for some help.
Then she noticed that Travis, who was also looking up at the sky, was making some strange movements.
Travis’s gaze was fixed on Eugene floating in the air, slowly sneaking his right arm into his clothes. When his arm was pulled out again, he was holding something metallic.
‘It’s the weapon he used when he attacked Cero before!’
It was probably a tool that emitted shockwaves.
Although they were much farther apart this time, could he still shoot it?
Mabel noticed that Travis’s face was turned towards Eugene.
In a panic, Mabel also looked at Eugene.
But he was fully occupied with Mutabilis and didn’t notice what was happening here.
‘I have to stop him!’
Mabel stood up and ran towards Travis with all her might.
However, as Travis glanced at Mabel, he smirked and aimed his weapon toward the sky.
When he pulled the trigger, a beam of light resembling black sparks shot straight ahead.
―And in its path was Eugene.
For a moment, Mable forgot about the cursing and screamed loudly, “Run!”
Eugene immediately noticed the loud voice.
He arched his upper body backward, narrowly avoiding the light.
Relieved, Mabel pressed her hand against her chest, but at the same time, she realized something.
‘I shouldn’t be speaking right now!’
Mabel quickly checked her own body.
But her heart was still beating, and there was nothing strange about her limbs.
With a puzzled expression, Mabel witnessed an even stranger sight.
While Travis was preparing to wield his weapon again. Mutabilis descended rapidly, leaving Eugene behind in the sky.
Without hesitation, Mabel grabbed Travis’s arm, snatched his weapon, and threw it far away.
This time, it was Travis’s turn to be surprised.
