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# Chapter 11: Master

Route, consumed by a rumor he wrongly believed to be true about Witch Enaga, finally snaps.

Faced with the overwhelming power of the world's #2 — what will the others do?

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**Akebi:** "What are you even saying!? We're on the same team! And — you're not allowed to hurt your friends!"

**Enaga:** "...Akebi, get your weapon ready."

**Akebi:** "...........HUH!?"

**Enaga:** "Fight like your life depends on it."

**Route**

**">>>> Luna Cannon <<<<"**

A blue-white beam of scorching light tore past right beside Akebi.

**Akebi:** "...WOAH!?!?

That's — that's HOT!? I'm gonna DIE!!"

**Witch Enaga**

**")))))) Seed Morestia (((((("**

**Enaga:** "Akebi!! Take Kuromame and get inside the barrier!!"

**Akebi:** "WAAAAAAH!!"

Akebi scooped up Kuromame and dove into the barrier, holding it tight.

**Route:** "Just die already!!!! You piece of—!!!"

**Akebi:** "Was he always this foul-mouthed...?"

**Kuromame** *(...........)*

**Route**

**">>>> Zehas Melda <<<<"**

Route twisted his two staffs together in a complex pattern, and shot through the wind straight toward Enaga.

**Witch Enaga**

**">>>>> Sharp Leisure <<<<<"**

Route was swallowed by an enormous tangle of crossing threads and sent flying far into the distance.

**Route:** "...Don't screw with me...

**DON'T SCREW WITH ME!!!!**"

**Route**

**">>>>> Black Pent <<<<<"**

The threads binding Route suddenly warped, twisting into a fold in space-time and dragging him inside.

**Akebi:** "What... is that..."

**Kuromame** *(watching Route's movements with sharp, focused eyes)*

**Witch Enaga:** "...!?"

A shockwave of distorted space slammed into Enaga, and her whole body wouldn't stop trembling.

Far off, Route stood watching them, wearing an unsettling grin.

**Route:** "I really don't want to take unnecessary risks, you know...

**>>>>> Charu Maharz <<<<<**"

The black hole around Route vanished, replaced by gleaming blue-white ribbons of light, twisting like blades.

**Route:** "...Ahh!! I'll cut through that stupid hat of yours, and everything else with it!!!!"

Controlling the ribbon-blades, Route closed the distance to Enaga at blinding speed. Her legs were still shaking from the earlier shockwave, refusing to move.

**Akebi:** "................."

Akebi appeared in front of Enaga in an instant, faster than should have been possible, and raised both of his staffs.

**Akebi:** "Try cutting through ME first!!!"

Route's face flickered with surprise for just a moment before he raised his staff again.

**Route:** "Don't get cocky, Orange Boy!!!"

**///// SLASH >>>>>**

*CRACK.*

**Akebi:** "!?"

Akebi's magic staff snapped clean in half, shattering into pieces that scattered across the ground.

**Enaga:** "Hah— Akebi!!"

**Route:** "Hah... don't get so full of yourself!!!"

The blade of light closed in on Akebi's head.

**">>>>> CLANG <<<<<"**

**Route:** "WHAT!?!?"

Akebi had stopped the blade of light with his bare hand!!

**Akebi:** "...ngh... ...hah..."

**Route:** "What ARE you!! ...WHAT ARE YOU!!"

**">>>>> SLAM >>>>>"**

Route's own light-blade was thrown sideways along with Route himself, and he went tumbling into the grass.

**Akebi:** "Enaga!! Are you okay!?!?"

**Enaga:** "...Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not about to lose either."

Enaga raised her staff toward the fallen Route.

**Witch Enaga**

**">>>>> GIGA DIVOID <<<<<"**

Everything around them went blinding white...

Nothing visible at all...

**Akebi:** "...Enaga!.........!"

When Akebi's vision finally cleared, he found himself alone, thrown clear off to the far edge of the grassland.

**Akebi:** "Why...? Where am I...? ............ahh!?"

Straight ahead, Enaga lay collapsed on the ground, with Route standing over her, about to unleash something.

Kuromame was trapped, wrapped in white light, unable to move.

**Route:** "...You made a real fool of me."

**Enaga:** "Ugh... what... happened...?"

**Route:** "Do I need to spell it out for you? ...Ahh, right, ...my defense spell reflected your attack right back at you — full force. Which means...?"

**Enaga:** "...............None of it... hit you at all...?"

**Route:** "Finally... finally, I get to matter for something..."

**Enaga:** "...huh—"

**Route**

**">>>>> Dia Moze <<<<<"**

Route unleashed the entirety of his mana in one go, and pitch-black light swallowed everything around them.

Wind screamed, and the crackling sound of colliding magic tore through the air.

**Akebi:** "..............is... is Enaga going to... die... like this...?"

The instant the mana surged forward in a straight line —

Kuromame took off running.

Little by little, Kuromame's body turned white, grew larger... and a massive hat appeared, trailing a shining, shimmering aurora-colored ribbon.

**Master Kuromame:** "Now that's just plain unreasonable, don't you think? lol"

Master leapt out in front of Enaga, threw both arms wide, and took the full brunt of the mana with his entire body.

**Route:** "...!? The world's #1...!? WHAT!? Why... why is he HERE!?"

The full force of every last drop of mana slammed into Master, and he crumpled to his knees, legs shaking.

**Master:** "................."

Not a single word.

**Route:** "Wh— WHAAAAAAAAAAAH!? Why...!? Did I...!? Did I KILL HIM!?!?"

A shadow charged headlong into the panicking, half-mad Route.

**Akebi:** "What the hell did you DO...!! Enaga's...!? Enaga's...!!!! ......"

Akebi, trembling and unable to stop, headbutted the frozen, unmoving Route over and over and over.

**Enaga:** "...eh...... Master...?"

**Route:** "Uh... uugh...... why...... why did this happen...... he's not dead, right... he's not... is he...?" Uugh...aaaaaaaaahh!!!!!"

Fat tears streamed down Route's face, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

**Master:** "...You're all so loud..............."

**Enaga:** "Master!! ...Master!!!! ...ugh..."

Enaga reached out and touched Master, her face a mess of tears — relief and confusion tangled together.

The moment she did, white light spread out from Master's body in every direction. Everything around them was swallowed in pure white light, and their vision went blank in an instant.

**Master:** "...........Let's talk. Just for a moment."

All four of them were wrapped in Master's mana, and pulled away — into a pristine, unfamiliar world none of them had ever seen before ——