episode_0095

“Tch.”

“You’re slow, Chris.”

“Unlike my sister, I have to fight while protecting Oppa.”

“My, if that’s the case, I can switch with you anytime.”

“Both of you, shut up and just move your hands.”

“……”

“Don’t you think it’s a little shameless for Oppa, who’s doing nothing, to say that?”

“Tsk.”

I was half-carried by Chris. Because of that, she had to support me with one arm while fending off the limbs of Fairchild’s followers with the other.

“Both of you seem to be misunderstanding something—my expertise lies in rear support and healing, not frontline brawling!”

“Right now, only you have both hands free, unnie. And isn’t it common sense for a priestess to at least have enough combat ability to defend herself?”

“Ugh… I hate that I can’t deny that.”

To be fair, Cecilia’s raw physical strength and pure physical abilities weren’t particularly high.

In truth, the original hero party had been optimized with Luciella at the forefront, while the other three created an environment where she could rampage freely. So, aside from the undoubtedly weakest glass cannon, Elia, Cecilia would’ve been next in line.

But that ranking was only within the hero party. If you expanded the scope to all humans, Cecilia’s physical abilities were still quite high.

“Annoying!”

Thud!

With a sound too gruesome to associate with a saintess, a follower’s upper half literally vanished. Every time Cecilia swung a punch infused with holy power, the followers’ bodies exploded as if struck by a detonation. And the ones she missed were shredded by the spells Chris had pre-cast behind her.

“How many are left?”

“Almost done!”

“Their level is still too low. Maybe they tampered with the storage space itself.”

“Too low?”

Chris explained to me as I frowned in confusion.

“We’re not the first idiots to sneak into the sacred relic vault. Petty thieves, criminals, and even those who tried to overthrow the Church or the Empire using the relics—they all became Fairchild’s food. The ones we’re fighting now are basically scraps. The real fighters—those with holy power or magic—are deeper inside. If it were just me and unnie, it’d be fine, but protecting Oppa while fighting them would be a bit much.”

At that, I glanced up and checked the long corridor stretching ahead. If Chris was right, the stronger followers hadn’t even appeared yet. But the corridor was nearing its end. Just as we reached it without slowing down—

“Ah~ Just as I feared.”

“Figured.”

The moment we stepped into the corridor’s end, the antique door before us slid backward, revealing a new passage.

“Basic spatial distortion. Can you undo it?”

“What do you take spacetime magic for? Even I’d need at least two days. No wonder we stopped seeing followers—this must be why.”

“This? If no one’s appearing, shouldn’t we just sprint through?”

“Hup.”

Chris carefully set me down and pointed at the door.

“Wanna try running for it?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry, nothing’s gonna pop out.”

I sprinted toward the door as she said. But the moment my hand was about to touch it, it slid back again, just like before.

“What the—”

“See now? Come back~”

As I trudged back, drained, Chris spoke.

“Fairchild must’ve prepared for this. Distorting space to this degree would’ve taken days.”

“So, they moved right after talking with us? Even if they copied Eric’s mind, I didn’t expect such quick judgment… This is a miscalculation.”

“Rest first. Unnie and I need to recover mana too. And there’s more to explain.”

I plopped down on the floor. I hadn’t done much, but even that sprint had exhausted my frail body. Thankfully, Cecilia and Chris sat beside me without scolding me.

“Explain first. Are we trapped?”

“Trapped is… well… yeah, trapped.”

Chris seemed to search for another word but quickly accepted reality.

“Hard to put into words. Oppa, look at the corridor behind us.”

“Huh?”

The corridor we’d run through had shortened disproportionately to the time we’d spent.

“Magic space?”

“Yep. The path ahead stretches, while the one behind shrinks. Since the total magical space is fixed, it perfectly conceals mana without exposing anything outside.”

“Chris, sorry, but could you explain one thing? From what I know, even Elia wouldn’t dare mess with spacetime magic lightly. In the past, its use was recorded as a major event. Now, it only survives in relics and old tales. How could Fairchild, even as a sacred relic, cast such an immense spell alone?”

Cecilia’s question was met with Chris’s ready answer.

“Spatial distortion isn’t that hard. Unlike time magic—where even luck might not be enough—any mage genius of their era can use space magic. Imagining time is hard, but imagining spatial changes? Easy. Plus, time magic has another issue—”

“Paradoxes, right? Unlike space, which can change freely, time is one-way.”

“You know? Did you study this, Oppa?”

“Nah. Just seemed obvious. So space magic’s easier than time magic. Then what’s the catch?”

“Mana. Even if it’s easier, space magic still twists the world’s fabric and demands absurd amounts of mana. The fact Fairchild used all their followers for this space shows how much it takes.”

“Terrible cost-efficiency. No wonder it’s not used for war or personal feats.”

“Yep. And this simple looped barrier only works because Fairchild, a sacred relic, cast it. A normal mage would’ve been drained dry before even finishing.”

“So Fairchild saw this as their only chance. They must’ve considered their puppets a minimal investment.”

“They knew we’d notice their awakening. If we told Elia or the Pope, they’d be destroyed instantly. Why wait for death?”

I pointed at the door, so close yet unreachable.

“So if we don’t solve this today, we’re screwed. You anticipated this, right? Please tell me you have a solid plan.”

“What part of ‘it’ll take days’ didn’t you get?”

“Chris.”

“What.”

“Can you do it or not?”

“Of course I can.”

After the pointless back-and-forth, Chris swiftly began weaving mana.

“Breaking a spell circle is hard, but prying open a gap is simpler. Close your eyes for a bit.”

“Huh?”

“Even if it’s quick, it’ll take hours. Unlike me or unnie, you’re weak, Oppa. Plus, this whole plan hinges on your mental strength. Facing them fresh gives us a better shot than exhausted, right?”

“Fair point.”

Watching Chris work, I lay flat on the floor.

Sleep came surprisingly fast.

And as I closed my eyes, relaxed—

“…Huh?!”

“Yep.”

Maybe because of the situation, but waking up was as abrupt as falling asleep. Guess my instincts from the first loop’s world are still here, I thought, slightly relieved, as I cracked my eyes open.

“Done?”

“Ta-da.”

The corridor door still stood just out of reach. But what Chris proudly showed off wasn’t that.

“Two… doors?”

Where there had been nothing but a white wall before, now stood a door.

Unlike the corridor’s antique door, this one looked crudely carved from wood, but it undeniably had a handle.

“How’s that?”

“I get it now—I’m in no position to question your skills.”