Shut Up and Die, You Jerk!

Facing a fully unleashed Naoki as an enemy—something Aoko never imagined, not even in her wildest dreams.

She also didn't expect that the first opponent she'd face would be Naoki himself.

*CRASH!*

The ground shattered, lava spewing from the cracks, instantly morphing into several monstrous giant lava snakes! Snarling and snapping, they lunged at Aoko.

*SHRIIING!*

Mana light flashed like lightning, vanishing under the overwhelming assault. In an instant, Aoko reached a height to dodge the attack. Gripping the wall, she stared at the lava zone below, now a forbidden area for life, and couldn't help shouting at [Naoki]: "Hey! Kouhai-kun! What's this about?! Is something wrong with your head?!"

"What do you think?!"

With a near-desperate roar, [Naoki] burst through the sea of flames, leaping toward Aoko. Like a blazing meteor, a fiery kick shot forward!

*BOOM!*

The building beside her split in half from the kick! The cut edges even looked melted from the heat.

At a distance of dozens of meters, noticing her chest clothing slightly singed by the fiery gust, Aoko realized she couldn't reason with Naoki now. Whether his mind was broken or she'd mistaken him for someone else, one thing was clear—

"You're my enemy now, aren't you?"

Magic patterns appeared on her hands and feet as Aoko took a deep breath.

With a flash of light sweeping the space, [Naoki]'s wide field of vision was instantly filled by a rapidly approaching Aoko.

A punch shot forward!

*THOOM!*

The sensation of blocking a direct cannon shot sent [Naoki] flying, crashing through an entire building!

(What's this situation? This woman—she's different from my memories!)

As far as he knew, this woman couldn't even handle a Dead Apostle Ancestor, right? She always seemed so sloppy, needing the original to save her life every time.

Why was her speed so much faster now?

(Whatever, doesn't matter!)

"—This is better!!"

Suddenly stomping and cracking the building's surface, [Naoki] laughed maniacally like a child finding treasure. A vortex of flames surged around him, and he launched like a rocket!

The distance between them shrank to zero!

Separated by an arm's length, [Naoki] glared at Aoko with fiery eyes: "Come on, Aoko! What I couldn't finish beating last night, I'll take from you now! Don't die too easily! Let me kill you till I'm satisfied!"

(This guy… he's definitely got mental issues!)

The Naoki Aoko knew wouldn't show such battle-thirsty emotions. For him, fighting was just a means, not the obsession of a battle maniac.

But this guy in front of her was clearly an idiot whose brain was consumed by fighting!

*CRASH!*

A thunderous sound echoed between them. Using the impact, Aoko retreated dozens of meters, but before she could stabilize, a wave of flames followed like a shadow.

"Don't run, Magician!"

With a roar, a punch struck, and the ground where Aoko stood shattered effortlessly. The explosive impact forced her to retreat several more steps!

"Are you embarrassed?!"

*BOOM!*

A near-point-blank Mana cannon blasted [Naoki]'s face. An indigo flash eroded the ground ahead for at least a hundred meters, tearing a massive gash in the road!

As if enraged, fury clouded Aoko's brows.

"Embarrassed? How could I be embarrassed by you? Even the original isn't much! So talkative, yapping while fighting—you're so noisy! I'll rip your mouth off, believe it or not!"

This blabbering idiot couldn't compare to that warm, understanding man!

*CRACK!*

The moment Aoko finished speaking, as if sliced apart, the surrounding buildings and streets shattered into countless fragments!

A tornado appeared in the distance.

The entire sky pressed down heavily.

"Come on! Try catching this!"

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

[Naoki]'s shouts and thunderous roars echoed across the sky. Fierce winds gathered dark clouds, sparking a thunderstorm. The gray sky filled with rolling lightning, bolts striking one after another!

The raging lightning relentlessly demolished buildings and streets. The large-scale lightning assault turned the entire area into a bombardment zone, destroying everything uncontrollably!

"This lunatic…"

Aoko clicked her tongue. An attack that could even involve himself—Naoki would never use something like this. He seemed reckless, but his recklessness was calculated.

(Really not Kouhai-kun?)

(The evidence is enough. Eighty percent chance this is a fake Kouhai-kun created by someone, but I can't rule out the possibility that Kouhai-kun's mind is being controlled.)

"Let's test it, shall we?"

(If it's Kouhai-kun under mind control, beating him to near death shouldn't be an issue. To break mind control, pummeling someone to the brink is a pretty effective method.)

(If he dies that easily…)

"My dear Kouhai wouldn't die so easily in my hands. He's someone who can save the world. Dying like that would be beneath him."

Amid the vast sea of lightning, Aoko raised her hand forward. Dozens of magic patterns like armlets appeared instantly, Mana surging and expanding rapidly at a speed too fast for the eye to follow!

[Naoki] sensed this Mana. Amid his awe, uncontrollable excitement and enthusiasm flooded his heart!

This was right, this was worth killing seriously!

"That's how it should be, Magician. Without this, it's not a fight! Come on! Unleash all your power, then take your death from me!"

Lightning gathered, a bright, scorching light concentrated above [Naoki]'s head, and then…

It fell!

A scene rivaling the fall of the sun stole Aoko's vision.

Undoubtedly, it was a light that would bring her death, but Aoko had no intention of dying now. She still had so much to do—at least until she found a man she could bring home to show off to Touko—

"I'm not dying."

*ZHENG!*

A concentrated Mana cannon shot from the magic circle. Like an exploding star, like fireworks soaring into the sky, it blasted straight toward the falling sun!