NOVPUBCassandra was slowly gaining control over my body.
The hand she pierced, hooked to her hilt by the thorn-like blades, was already a lost cause, and I could feel my arm would soon follow.
The stiffness I felt for losing control of my body continued to spread as we wrestled for control, and...
To make matters worse, with an entire blade piercing my hand, there was no way for me to heal it, and I had to instead focus on the injuries Nissa caused.
The woman in question silently watched me struggle with glee in her eyes, making sure to use the time to prepare as much as she could.
Miwen: "...Cass. Stop before I force you."
Even though I can force the girls to do almost anything by using the [Orders], it's a system I try to avoid whenever I can.
Its only purpose is to force my will through pain, and that's something I can't bear to direct towards the girls.
Unfortunately, Cassandra didn't seem like she would give me any chances, and honestly, I was a little afraid of what she was trying to do.
Her sultry personality is very deceiving.
Its roots lay in her view of the world. An incredibly animalistic perspective where morals and ethics matter little to nothing.
Thanks to that, she can be incredibly unapathetic, cold, and brutal.
And above all... Ruthless.
I heard no verbal response after threatening her, and instead, she chose to extend herself, both blade and hilt, forcing even my free hand that I was using to heal myself to grab onto the hilt's bottom.
Same as before, the blades from her hilt pierced me, forcing me not to let go of her.
The pouring blood masked my hands, now drenched in red.
I had lost most of the sensation in them, but still...
Despite the blood, I could tell she was guiding my fingers, almost as if she was looking for something in her own hilt.
My thumbs moved carefully, pressing in many different places and from multiple angles until she found the spot she was looking for.
What she wanted to accomplish with this was still unclear, but I knew it couldn't be good.
Having no options left, I begrudgingly commanded her with an [Order].
Cassandra: "Nnh... Not now, dear~"
I was serious about making her release me.
But at the same time, I did not want to hurt her more than necessary.
So I "only" used five hundred Kingdom Points on her.
Given her level and how high her role in the Kingdom is, this should be as painful as getting hit three or four times by someone like Anna... Well, maybe more like Angelica...
It should be enough to make anyone change their minds about what they were doing.
But... When I did it, she showed no reaction whatsoever.
It's not like it hadn't worked, though.
The points had been deducted, and I could verify I had inflicted damage on her.
I hesitated for a second, but I decided to do it again.
The second time, I used a thousand Kingdom Points.
Instantly, she lost half of her maximum health, leaving the total in a dangerous zone.
This amount of damage all at once would normally only be seen when someone has a limb torn in two.
The initial pain and shock would be enough to make someone pass out, and the continuous pain the [Order] causes should be unbearable.
I had walked on the edge.
Any more than this, and I would risk killing her.
Scratch that. I couldn't do more than this.
Any other [Orders] had to be less than a thousand Kingdom Points.
Both of us knew this, and so, all I heard from her was a small moan and a provocation.
She knew I wouldn't go further, so she became confident.
No matter what she wanted to do, I couldn't force her to stop anymore.
At least not without killing her.
Had she not been in her sword form, I'm sure I'd be seeing that chilling smile plastered all over her face.
Miwen: "What are you doing?"
Even if Cass was a little difficult to deal with sometimes, she has never been untrustworthy or disloyal.
Our opinions obviously diverge a lot, but while she'll make her point and show her dissatisfaction, she has never opposed my will or refused to do as told.
Ever since I summoned her...
There had to be a reason for her to do this.
Cassandra: "Oh... It's revenge, obviously. This one forced me to see and experience unpleasant make-believe memories. Scenarios I'd sacrifice everything to avoid... You might be satisfied already, but I'm not. I'll make her bleed. I'll make her despair. At the very least."
I felt chills run down my spine.
No innuendos, no unnecessary comments.
Her raspy voice told me in a serious tone what she wanted.
It wasn't a threat, but a promise.
Even though I kept her by my side for so long, she never expressed the desire to make Nissa pay.
But I should've known...
After all, I was much the same, having experienced one of the personal hells her relic created.
It's just that... I had reasons to keep Nissa alive.
Cassandra did not.
Miwen: "I can't let you kill her."
Cassandra: "Killing is too easy. I only want to hurt her. Besides, you owe me this much."
Miwen: "Do I? Since when?"
Sincerely, I had no idea what she was talking about.
Sure, I depend on her quite a lot, but it's always been mutually beneficial for us.
Cassandra: "Let's see... The cat, the pyro girl, and the icy woman... They all taught you something. I've been jealous all this time, you know~"
That took a different turn than what I was expecting.
But I was glad.
Perhaps if I focused on that, I could calm her down, even if a little.
Miwen: "What are you planning on teaching me, then?"
Cassandra: "Haha! Me? I can't teach you, silly."
Miwen: "...What?"
Cassandra: "You're not good enough yet. Even the girls you look up to don't qualify to be my disciples. You see, I'm not a good teacher."
She...
She confused me quite a bit.
Cassandra: "Whether you learn anything or not, it's up to you. All I can promise you is a good time~ How does that sound?"
Miwen: "...You are sure you can take her on?"
Cassandra: "Hm? Of course. She's weak~"
Right... Weak.
It's not like I had to prepare for years to face her or anything of the sort.
Miwen: "You won't kill her. Promise me that, and I'll let you play around."
Cassandra: "Sure. But now... I need you to relax and enjoy the ride, boy~"
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pulse run through my body.
Like something had crept inside me, the only thing she left me in control of was my mind.
My five senses were still there, I could see and hear like always.
I felt my tendons tense up, my knees flexed, and the sword's tip now reached just a little above my head, angled forward.
Still under her control, my feet moved, and I took one step forward before stopping completely.
A sportsmanship-like gesture to signal we were ready and prevent Nissa from being taken by surprise.
Having realized the battle had started again, the countless light orbs surrounding Nissa fired her merciless barrage of magic our way all at once.
Every second that passed while we were not on the offensive was to her advantage, and now that I didn't have the protective rings, any direct hit would spell my end.
As such, even though I agreed to let Cassandra pilot my body, my instincts couldn't help but react when the first ray reached us.
I had to move... I tried to, even if instinctively.
But under Cassandra's control, my arm and wrists had already moved to intercept the attack.
Slightly, she had pulled the hilt to the left and angled the blade's tip to the right.
It was just enough... Barely...
But incredibly precise.
The first ray was completely stopped, and the second met a similar end without her having to make any additional movements.
From the look in her eyes, I could tell that Nissa had not understood what happened.
She searched for a trick after seeing how much I had prepared against her, but this time was different. There was no such thing.
Nissa's strategy of overwhelming the enemy with numbers and speed was strong, but Cassandra made it seem like child's play as the next few dozen attacks failed to reach me.
I had not moved anything other than my arms and wrists, not a single step, as the sword in front of me took care of anything that came my way.
The endless barrage suddenly became meaningless.
Sure, Nissa could fire a thousand beams against us, but if none of them hit, it wouldn't matter.
I was fascinated by what was happening and Cassandra's ability, but I couldn't prevent a feeling of powerlessness from growing inside me.
This was my body, no doubt that whatever Cassandra was doing, I should be able to do the same, but...
Could I really?
My mind was always a second late. Before I figured out how to react to one of Nissa's attacks, Cassandra had already moved much more precisely, positioning herself to counter the next two or three.
Only five minutes had passed, but I felt like I was already four minutes behind her.
If Cassandra weren't in control of my body, I would've died a thousand times, having blocked less than six or so attacks.
It was a hard realization. Using my own body, she outdid me in every way possible while I was powerless to do anything but watch.
Nissa: "...Light that pierces the dark. Darkness that swallows the light. Swirl slowly, but never stop..."
A small sphere was forming in Nissa's hand.
Shadows and light alike made their way into it like a black hole...
She had slowly escalated her efforts, from curving her attacks, trying other angles, and even using her shadow blades to limit my movement.
At most, she forced Cassandra to take one step to the side to avoid one attack.
Throughout the entire battle, this was her biggest accomplishment.
While chanting, she kept sending her attacks, but her fire rate had slowed down a lot.
Cassandra could have used this opportunity to get closer, but refused to take a single step towards Nissa.
When her chant ended, the sphere slowly moved forward.
When she stretched out her arm, a sudden beam of light and shadows ferociously destroyed everything in its path.
Cassandra: "...Is this it?"
She forced one of my hands out of the hilt, with an open palm, or what was left of it, she pressed against the sword, and forced my right foot to move back.
When Nissa's beam met the sword, a portion of it was redirected to the left, while the other was too strong for my body to handle.
Cassandra had already realized this and used the impact in her favor.
With the momentum, she launched herself to the right, and when Nissa redirected the beam to her...
She did it again.
Cassandra: "It's no wonder she lost to the Devil. This much is not even entertaining."
Nissa: "Haah... Hah..."
I heard Nissa could draw a lot of mana from the city core, but being so distant from it, this probably wasn't an option.
She probably used as much mana as she could in a last-ditch effort to end us, but unfortunately for her, it had no effect.
With barely any effort, Cassandra had completely shattered Nissa's hopes in a way I thought only Elizabeth could.
It even made me question...
If Elizabeth were in Nissa's place, would the result have been the same, or...
Nissa: "Ahgh!"
While still catching her breath, Nissa desperately tried to use what little magic she had left from the light spheres lingering in the field.
Her firing rate dropped constantly, until she only had one last beam to fire.
After deflecting it, Cassandra forced me to slowly and casually walk towards her.
When we were face to face, a sudden downward swing of the sword cut off Nissa's fingers, letting them fall to the ground.
Miwen: "Satisfied-"
Cassandra: "No~ Just a little bit more~"
Another swing, her hand was cut in half.
Another, everything down her wrist was gone.
Slowly, Cassandra made her way to her shoulder until the blade met Nissa's neck.
Nissa: "...!"
Miwen: "Cass..."
She turned around, softly hitting Nissa's cheeks with the blunt side of the sword, as if slapping her.
Cassandra: "I'd be careful if I were you. Today, you get away with just this. Tomorrow? One can never know."
I saw a tint of fear in Nissa's eyes for the first time.
However... While healing herself, she looked down and then posed me a defiant look.
Miwen: "...?"
Nissa: "Even if it's just one... No sacrifice is too small...
Nissa had just been one-sidedly beaten.
But she took a deep breath, facing me with a smirk.
And then... A small rock fell beside.
Then, like sudden rain, many more.
I looked up, and what I saw...
Miwen: "You've gotta be kidding me. How much of a sore loser are you?"
Rodky, the floating city casting its shadow down on us...
This world's magic center and Nissa's lifetime work...
It was falling on our heads.
Miwen: "...Cass?"
Cass: "Haha... No?"
Miwen: "Figures."
No matter how strong she was, there wasn't anything she could do.
Nissa had effectively turned the entire city into a weapon.
The city was easily a few hundred times bigger than the castle behind us, so almost all soldiers in the field didn't try to run and instead only accepted their fate when they noticed the shadow above them becoming bigger.
Thanks to my Gift, I could evade the city by entering the Kingdom, but...
We would lose the army.
There was also a small chance for Mia or one of the other girls to still be unconscious, making them unable to accept the invitation to enter the Kingdom.
What's more, there was no chance for me to bring Nissa in.
True to her words, she was prepared to lay down her life to protect this world.
This suicide attack was it.
The culmination of her determination.
...
I used the psychic link to send a few messages to my citizens.
The first to respond was Angelica.
She flew out of the castle in her dragon form, reaching the bottom part of the city and doing her best to keep it in the air.
Of course, this was never enough, so...
Miwen: "Marin, summon all of your ghost ships. Bring all the Snow White Wolves into them. Make sure to bring Anna and any other soldier who wants to live. You'll anchor the city and have everyone do their best to keep it in the air."
Marin: "...You're crazy. On it!"
It was a shame to suddenly remove her from her post since she was doing an incredible job destroying Hamperlon's fleet, but if there was ever a time I needed our drunkard captain, it was now.
Miwen: "Bea, can you reduce the city's weight? Make her floaty? Anything?"
Bea: "It's an entire city, Miwen. Any spell targeting it will have almost... I'll see what I can do."
Miwen: "Great... Now, you three. Help Angelica if you can."
Aside from the girls in the infirmary and the ones taking care of them, I had summoned everyone in the Kingdom to do what they could.
It was a desperate struggle to-
Lily: "Um... W-What should I do?"
Miwen: "Oh..."
Literally everyone.
Miwen: "You can give us a moral boost through your cuteness."
There's simply no man who wouldn't break past their limits to protect this fluffy airhead.
With thousands of us in the field, there had to be enough power to keep the city in the air..
Or at least send it away from us.
The truth, however, was that we fell short.
The efforts of every mage and warrior were getting us results. The city had clearly slowed its descent.
However, it was still falling...
Miwen: "...The people up there will meet the same fate as us. Are you sure about this?"
Nissa: "...It's a shame. But to save the entire world? It's a small price to pay."
Miwen: "I see. But I don't think they share your opinion."
The best mages in this world resided in Rodky.
They had accumulated several lifetimes' worth of magic research.
And they were all incredibly powerful.
Alone, like us, they wouldn't have been able to do much, but with so many people trying their best...
The city's falling speed almost halted.
It was a miracle, but we had safely landed it away from the castle in an open field.
Miwen: "Anything else you've prepared?"
Nissa: "...Where do you think the mana from the core went?"
Of course...
Nissa: "This time, I'll make sure to-"
...
Nissa: "Why can't I use any magic? What did you do?"
Miwen: "One of the rings you absorbed had a cursed jewel. A collaborative effort between Jackie, Isa, and me."
I could activate my mana inside the jewel whenever I wanted, allowing the curse to interrupt any magic flow.
It's a basic curse, but we worked hard to make it as powerful as possible.
And of course, if I used [Hollow Destiny], Nissa would not be able to throw away the ring for at least a few minutes, giving me more than enough time to kill her.
I had won the battle the moment she chose to usurp the rings.
Nissa: "She... Betrayed me?"
Not quite.
I never told her why I needed this, I only said I wanted her to contribute if she wanted to stay in the Kingdom, which she was happy to oblige.
Miwen: "...Do you surrender now?"
Nissa: "I would rather die fighting. I'm sure someone will-"
Miwen: "I see. But that's not really an option. So... What do you want in exchange for serving me?"
Nissa: "Ridiculous. There's only one thing-"
Miwen: "This world, right?"
It was pretty obvious already...
And it was time for me to make a decision.
I spent a lot of time considering what I should do, and heard everything Isabella, Mia, and even Sabrina had to say.
Hell, I even gave Edmond the time of day.
I might regret this.
I might never be truly satisfied, but...
Miwen: "If you come with me, I'll spare Jackie, the people of Rodky, and... I'll stop at Hamperlon. You'll have accomplished your mission."
Nissa: "..."
Miwen: "It's the only way you can still win."
...She kneeled on the ground before me, her face buried in the grass.
Nissa: "...I beg of you. Have mercy on them."
Miwen: "Sure."
And with that, Nissa surrendered.
The last thing I had left to do in this world was destroy Hamperlon.
But before that, I had to have a word with Elizabeth.
