Jane scrabbles at her chest, her breathing becoming labored and rough. After a moment, her face starts to turn red as she topples over.
On the ground she lays there, wheezing painfully, her eyes starting to water and bulge.
This is the level 91 spell that is unique to darkness magic: a spell to stop one’s organs from working. Now this is what darkness magic should be like.
Now that I’ve surpassed 90, most of the spells are exactly what you’d expect from the darkness element. And this is what it looks like when you stop someone’s lungs from working.
You definitely can’t carelessly use this one on a fellow human being, but just this once it couldn’t be helped.
….A pretty convenient phrase, isn’t it? It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t have any other choice. What else could I have done? All great ways to not take any responsibility for what happens next.
As I’m thinking this, I still make sure to snap my fingers once more.
If I don’t leave things here, she really might end up dying.
Frothing slightly from the lips, Jane manages to pull her head up off the floor just far enough to glare at me. Looks like my little spell had been a rather painful experience for her.
But she’s the first person I’ve felled that came running back for more. What else could I do?
“…..What…. did you…. do… to me–!?” Jane rasps, straining to keep her head off the ground from where she still lays collapsed on the floor. Her breathing still sounds labored, like the air is ripping at her throat as she fights to pull enough into her body.
“I just stopped your lungs a little bit. Why? Did it hurt?” I ask, tilting my head to the side and beaming at her.
The eyes of the onlookers change from contemptuous to fearful the moment they process what I just said. The atmosphere in the room becomes strained. I hardly thought it possible, but an even thicker silence falls on the dining hall as everyone tries to quiet their breathing. No one wants to take any chances of catching my notice, lest they suffer a similar fate.
This wasn’t bad timing for me to show off my magical abilities. Now everyone knows just how frightening it is to cross a villainess.
I wonder if that’s why Gilles had wanted me to step in? He realized what a great opportunity this was for me! With a quick flick of my eyes, I send a glance Gilles’s way.
….Huh? Gilles looks surprised as well. It would seem that my actions went beyond even Gilles’s imagination.
“I’d stay down and not move around too much if I were you,” I say to Jane as I walk past her prone form and head over towards the girl with light purple hair.
Even though she just witnessed firsthand such a terrifying demonstration, she’s still looking at me with respect and admiration in her eyes.
“What’s your name?”
“It is Carol Miller, Alicia-Sama.”
Despite the slight tremor in her voice, she still manages to speak clearly.
“I beg your pardon. I am a little nervous to be standing here in front of you, Alicia-Sama.”
As she says this, she straightens her back, standing firm and tall while gazing straight at me. There really is a distinct grace and refinement in her posture and movements.
“And your element?”
“It is poison magic.”
Although Gilles’s question was curt, Carol maintains her polite tone as she replies.
……Did she just say poison? Poison magic is supposedly fairly weak, but it’s an extremely rare form of magic. Ever since I read about it, I’ve been wanting to meet someone who is able to wield it.
And to think I’d find one such person under these unusual circumstances…. She just might turn out to be useful, after all.
Furthermore, not just me, she clearly holds Gilles in high esteem as well. It’s nearly impossible to find someone who will speak so politely towards a young boy. Especially one without a title. So even if the reason is merely because he’s my assistant and not due to his keen intellect, I can’t help but have good feelings towards a girl like this.
“Hey, Alicia?” Gilles says, catching my eye. Without saying anything more, his eyes tell me that he’s thinking the same thing as me; this girl we can use.
It’s like he read my mind. Holding his gaze, I give a small nod of my head.
“You. You’re a fan of mine, are you not?”
“Yes! Your strong ambition is wonderful! And it’s so admirable the way you always face reality and tackle everything head on. And, of course, your gorgeous golden eyes are captivating and your long, black hair is so beautifully charming! I love it all!” Carol exclaims a little overly overzealously.
I never thought that there’d be someone who would idolize me to this extent.
“Even if just a little, I wanted to become more like you, Alicia-Sama. That’s why I was growing out my hair, but…..” her voice trails off, her excitement quickly falling to sorrow at the thought of her ravaged hair.
I also take a look at her hair as she says this. It’s become quite short now. Most of it doesn’t even reach her shoulders. I wasn’t the only one who overdid things. Jane also went way too far with this.
“……I’m sorry that I said you were useless,” I say solemnly to Carol before turning to walk back toward Jane.
Whatever nerve and crazed audacity she’d been running off before has completely vanished. Now she’s just a pitiful, shaking little thing that’s still lying prostrate on the ground since she’s too weak to get up and run away. Her eyes look desperate as they follow my approach.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have any further business with you,” I assure her, smiling lightly down at her as I snatch the scissors from her grasp.
I’ve been thinking for a while that I was due for a cut. When you keep the same hairstyle for so long, you’re bound to grow tired of it.
I just never found the right timing. Even if I told Father that I wanted to get it cut, I knew he’d never agree to it. Well, I could have done it in secret I suppose, but that was more trouble than my trifling desire was worth.
And when I was fighting with Nate and he sliced through some of it with his sword, that also would have been a good opportunity….. but I just never got around to it. I’m a busy woman, after all.
However, there’s no time like the present, is there?
Holding the scissors tightly, I walk slowly back over to Carol. As I stop in front of her, Carol looks at me dazedly, clearly puzzled by my actions.
And then, with one hand holding the scissors, and the other hand gripping my hair, I cut down hard. Black hair flutters to the floor, landing on top of the light purple strands already scattered there.
Both Carol and Gilles are looking at me wide-eyed in shock. If they were anymore surprised, I think their eyeballs might pop out of their heads.
“Now our hair is the same length. I guess you were able to become a little more like me after all,” I say to her. And then I give her a brilliant smile.
Jane scrabbles at her chest, her breathing becoming labored and rough. After a moment, her face starts to turn red as she topples over.
On the ground she lays there, wheezing painfully, her eyes starting to water and bulge.
This is the level 91 spell that is unique to darkness magic: a spell to stop one’s organs from working. Now this is what darkness magic should be like.
Now that I’ve surpassed 90, most of the spells are exactly what you’d expect from the darkness element. And this is what it looks like when you stop someone’s lungs from working.
You definitely can’t carelessly use this one on a fellow human being, but just this once it couldn’t be helped.
….A pretty convenient phrase, isn’t it? It couldn’t be helped. I didn’t have any other choice. What else could I have done? All great ways to not take any responsibility for what happens next.
As I’m thinking this, I still make sure to snap my fingers once more.
If I don’t leave things here, she really might end up dying.
Frothing slightly from the lips, Jane manages to pull her head up off the floor just far enough to glare at me. Looks like my little spell had been a rather painful experience for her.
But she’s the first person I’ve felled that came running back for more. What else could I do?
“…..What…. did you…. do… to me–!?” Jane rasps, straining to keep her head off the ground from where she still lays collapsed on the floor. Her breathing still sounds labored, like the air is ripping at her throat as she fights to pull enough into her body.
“I just stopped your lungs a little bit. Why? Did it hurt?” I ask, tilting my head to the side and beaming at her.
The eyes of the onlookers change from contemptuous to fearful the moment they process what I just said. The atmosphere in the room becomes strained. I hardly thought it possible, but an even thicker silence falls on the dining hall as everyone tries to quiet their breathing. No one wants to take any chances of catching my notice, lest they suffer a similar fate.
This wasn’t bad timing for me to show off my magical abilities. Now everyone knows just how frightening it is to cross a villainess.
I wonder if that’s why Gilles had wanted me to step in? He realized what a great opportunity this was for me! With a quick flick of my eyes, I send a glance Gilles’s way.
….Huh? Gilles looks surprised as well. It would seem that my actions went beyond even Gilles’s imagination.
“I’d stay down and not move around too much if I were you,” I say to Jane as I walk past her prone form and head over towards the girl with light purple hair.
Even though she just witnessed firsthand such a terrifying demonstration, she’s still looking at me with respect and admiration in her eyes.
“What’s your name?”
“It is Carol Miller, Alicia-Sama.”
Despite the slight tremor in her voice, she still manages to speak clearly.
“I beg your pardon. I am a little nervous to be standing here in front of you, Alicia-Sama.”
As she says this, she straightens her back, standing firm and tall while gazing straight at me. There really is a distinct grace and refinement in her posture and movements.
“And your element?”
“It is poison magic.”
Although Gilles’s question was curt, Carol maintains her polite tone as she replies.
……Did she just say poison? Poison magic is supposedly fairly weak, but it’s an extremely rare form of magic. Ever since I read about it, I’ve been wanting to meet someone who is able to wield it.
And to think I’d find one such person under these unusual circumstances…. She just might turn out to be useful, after all.
Furthermore, not just me, she clearly holds Gilles in high esteem as well. It’s nearly impossible to find someone who will speak so politely towards a young boy. Especially one without a title. So even if the reason is merely because he’s my assistant and not due to his keen intellect, I can’t help but have good feelings towards a girl like this.
“Hey, Alicia?” Gilles says, catching my eye. Without saying anything more, his eyes tell me that he’s thinking the same thing as me; this girl we can use.
It’s like he read my mind. Holding his gaze, I give a small nod of my head.
“You. You’re a fan of mine, are you not?”
“Yes! Your strong ambition is wonderful! And it’s so admirable the way you always face reality and tackle everything head on. And, of course, your gorgeous golden eyes are captivating and your long, black hair is so beautifully charming! I love it all!” Carol exclaims a little overly overzealously.
I never thought that there’d be someone who would idolize me to this extent.
“Even if just a little, I wanted to become more like you, Alicia-Sama. That’s why I was growing out my hair, but…..” her voice trails off, her excitement quickly falling to sorrow at the thought of her ravaged hair.
I also take a look at her hair as she says this. It’s become quite short now. Most of it doesn’t even reach her shoulders. I wasn’t the only one who overdid things. Jane also went way too far with this.
“……I’m sorry that I said you were useless,” I say solemnly to Carol before turning to walk back toward Jane.
Whatever nerve and crazed audacity she’d been running off before has completely vanished. Now she’s just a pitiful, shaking little thing that’s still lying prostrate on the ground since she’s too weak to get up and run away. Her eyes look desperate as they follow my approach.
“Don’t worry. I don’t have any further business with you,” I assure her, smiling lightly down at her as I snatch the scissors from her grasp.
I’ve been thinking for a while that I was due for a cut. When you keep the same hairstyle for so long, you’re bound to grow tired of it.
I just never found the right timing. Even if I told Father that I wanted to get it cut, I knew he’d never agree to it. Well, I could have done it in secret I suppose, but that was more trouble than my trifling desire was worth.
And when I was fighting with Nate and he sliced through some of it with his sword, that also would have been a good opportunity….. but I just never got around to it. I’m a busy woman, after all.
However, there’s no time like the present, is there?
Holding the scissors tightly, I walk slowly back over to Carol. As I stop in front of her, Carol looks at me dazedly, clearly puzzled by my actions.
And then, with one hand holding the scissors, and the other hand gripping my hair, I cut down hard. Black hair flutters to the floor, landing on top of the light purple strands already scattered there.
Both Carol and Gilles are looking at me wide-eyed in shock. If they were anymore surprised, I think their eyeballs might pop out of their heads.
“Now our hair is the same length. I guess you were able to become a little more like me after all,” I say to her. And then I give her a brilliant smile.
