[225] Let's Go!

Terms like "demons running wild" or "night parade of a hundred demons" aren't nearly enough to describe the chaos unfolding inside this barrier.

It's called a fairy-tale world, but there's nothing cute about it—hell would be a far more fitting description, wouldn't it?

Especially that Ferris wheel and the Chinese dragon—how the hell can even those things be recreated?

Is the First Magic really that overpowered?

Well… yeah, maybe it really is.

As much as Eiji hated to admit it, he had to acknowledge that magic truly defied all logic. Even the slightest connection to it completely shattered common sense.

"Cheer up—those are all just hollow shells!"

Seeing how troubled he looked, Aoko couldn't suppress the smirk on her face.

"They're just puppets controlled by resentment, transformed from the original amusement park facilities. They're not the actual mythical creatures themselves—otherwise, you'd be better off picking out a coffin right now."

Take that Chinese dragon, for example—it was originally a roller coaster. It didn't have the cloud-summoning, mist-spewing abilities of the real mythological creature, or Eiji would already be dead.

Still, just the sheer number and size of those fairy-tale monsters were enough to create an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Eiji stared at the hellish scene, seriously considering his options.

"This guy… is actually trying to come up with a plan?"

Aoko glanced at him, unable to help her internal scoffing.

He wasn't even a proper magus and barely knew the basics, yet he was seriously thinking of challenging a monster that even real magi would consider outright cheating.

What a fool.

But… she didn't dislike people who fought earnestly to survive.

"Found the main body yet?"

The words slipped out before she could stop herself.

The moment she spoke, she wanted to slap her own mouth shut, filled with instant regret.

"Oh? You don't want me to die?"

Eiji turned his head, giving her a weird look.

Providing intel was one thing—she was being forced, after all, and refusing meant a spanking. But she had no reason to ask him if he'd found the main body.

From her perspective, even if she spotted it, she should've stayed silent, praying he never found it.

By speaking up now, wasn't she just inviting misunderstandings?

"Hmph, I'm just gathering intel so I can work with Alice from the inside."

Aoko crossed her arms, turning away with an icy expression.

But her gaze wavered uncertainly, and her cheeks showed signs of warming up.

She should've just kept her damn mouth shut!

"I actually knew where the main body was from the start."

Eiji didn't tease her further, instead casting his gaze toward a distant spot.

"Seriously?"

Aoko mentally scolded herself to shut up, but his words drew her right back in, her face full of disbelief.

She'd known all about Oil of the Moon's traits for a long time, yet even after being trapped inside for so long, she hadn't found its main body. This guy knew nothing about it, yet claimed he'd figured it out immediately?

She followed his line of sight, landing on a particular object.

After a moment of thought, her eyes widened in realization.

"Ah! How did I not think of that?"

In just a few seconds, her opinion of Eiji shifted yet again.

"Don't overthink it in situations like this—just trust your instincts."

Eiji shrugged, giving a vague answer.

Aoko stared at him blankly.

Instincts?

What use were instincts in magecraft battles, where knowledge was everything?

But she couldn't deny it—Eiji had actually gotten it right!

It was downright bizarre!

"The real problem now is that height."

Eiji absentmindedly rubbed his chin. "And we don't know if it has any defensive measures…"

It was at least several hundred meters up.

And if its defenses were too strong, hitting the main body might not even do anything—which would be even worse.

"…"

Aoko stole a glance at Eiji, thought for a moment, then silently looked away, pretending to study the sky.

"You look like you really want to say something."

"Oh my, do I really seem that way?"

Aoko turned back with exaggerated surprise, her expression feigning annoyance. "I should've acted more natural!"

Eiji narrowed his eyes.

So fake.

But he'd let it slide this time.

"What is it?"

"Oh, well, all fairy-tale monsters share a common weakness—or rather, a trait!"

Aoko put on a reluctant face, as if she was only answering to avoid another spanking.

"In fairy tales, most monsters seem incredibly strong, wielding unbelievable powers, yet they're always easily defeated by humans in the end—proving they're actually very fragile."

In other words—

"Its main body has terrible defense?"

Eiji's eyes lit up, shooting Aoko an appreciative look.

Magecraft in this world was built upon concepts rooted in reality.

For example, if a fairy tale became a well-known concept, a magus could weave that concept into magecraft, creating an entirely new system like fairy-tale magecraft.

"Oil of the Moon" was a familiar born from this system.

Which meant its weaknesses could also be traced back to the fairy tales it was based on.

Magecraft or familiars born from a certain concept would inevitably carry the weaknesses embedded in that concept.

Fairy-tale monsters were often fantastical but were always defeated in bizarre ways, leaving the impression of fragility—and that very concept became "Oil of the Moon's" weakness!

Making its main body extremely vulnerable!

"Aozaki, do you know any magecraft that lets people fly? Or at least levitate?"

"…You really know how to hit where it hurts."

Aoko's mood instantly soured.

She excelled at destructive magecraft, learning it with ease—but other types of spells became exponentially harder for her.

Take a simple magic bullet spell, for example—she could quickly stack three layers of magic circles, drastically increasing its power. With enough mana, she was essentially a mobile artillery unit.

But a basic hypnotic suggestion spell? She still hadn't memorized the incantation.

Like Eiji, Aozaki Aoko was a genius with extreme specialization.

So how the hell was she supposed to know levitation—let alone flight—magecraft?

"Guess I'll have to solve the height problem myself, then."

Eiji's gaze shifted to the monsters roaming the park.

"…Let's go."

"Not going to think of a strategy first?"

Aoko looked at him in surprise.

"Nope. If we stay hidden too long, the enemy might pull out a second fairy-tale familiar of this caliber—and that'd be bad."

Eiji shook his head, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by seriousness.

"Time to trust my instincts. If I think I can do it, then I can do it—and I just so happen to have a new move I want to test out. Might as well use 'Oil of the Moon' as my guinea pig!"

***

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