PathFinder

It's coming!

The wind sliced through my body as a whole, i got torn apart as i was setting where i would reborn or restart.

I'm dead aren't i?

The ringing voice in my head comes back, following the constant death, i think i cannot handle it.

I wake up, then die, then wake up, then die, then wake up, then die, then wake up, then die.

Duck fool!

Where?!

I flung my body downwards, taking a break, gasping for air. Oh that's not nice, i restart in the middle of an attack.

That wind blade was more powerful than before, going on and making a hole in the wall.

I have just realized that this place me and Mr. Bootes's daughter were imprisoned is located at the storage room. Knowing that there's a lot of dead insect as a collection and flowers.

"Nice fringed iris... My favorite."

"Boy, you know this flower?" The witch asks, and preparing for another spell. "Whatever!"

I braced my legs, trying to run away to a place where i could actually dodge.

When i say tried i really try, but her dark magic entangled my foot making me fall over.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere."

"блять..."

...

I died, so i need to avoid shadows. I restart in the middle of an attack. I forgot!

One death in the cost of two, making my head hurts even more, luckily i Dodge it the second time. The gap has been made, i need to get out of here. Wait, should i get my knife? That's a good idea.

I lunged forward to the Witch, dodging left and right as i avoid her windblade attack.

As i try to continue, my legs have been locked again, and here it comes!

I Dodge it! Making an even bigger hole.

The witch bite her tongue, now's my chance but... How do i escape?

I stomped the shadows grabbing my feet as the witch charge another attack. With her wand pointed towards me-no, where is she attacking?

The girl?

The shadows finally let me go, just in time before the wind blade was launched. But an eerie feeling fills my spine.

That's a bait.

I bite my lips it is a bait, goddamn it. Find the c answer, the wind blade was aiming for me all along, it just guide me into its path. If I didn't move in front of the Windblade i still have to restart.

Lose-lose situation...

"You..." The witch stopped throwing magic. "Why do i feel like already killing you a million times..."

There's a way, if you're willing to sacrifice three your left fingers.

That's fine, what shoukd i do?

My body moves on its own, sliding and kicking The green haired girl out of range while almost my whole body is still outside the magic's path. Except for three fingers in my left hand.

I hold my left hand with the other, it hurts... Blood coming out non-stop from those now gone three finger.

How do I fight? How do I move forward? I wanna hurrily escape this loop an move on wards.

I hurriedly look around, where is she?

The witch dissapeared without a trace, waiting for a surprise attack. Where is she? What could be the one place that stands in the circle of how she attacks and how I'd be attacked?

No, i think it's not heading for me...

I look to see the witch, right there, standing high while holding Mr. Bootes daughter.

"How did she get outside, with her?"

She smiled.

"Surrender kid, or she'll be the one who bears your consequences."

"Is that so?"

To escape this situations, what should i do? What do i have?

I can use magic, if the foundation of magic is imagination and copying then...

But how does it work?

"So... What's your answer?"

God, my hands feels awful, i can barely move it.

But it's fine, imagine me grabbing her foot from below.

Then what?

Maybe the magic circle? No. I only looked at it for a second, i can't remember. Maybe i need to visualize it vividly, weak is fine, just need time.

No, that's too hard.

"Time's up boy,"

I raised my hands, i surrender.

"Too bad, i know what you're trying to do, i can't allow it..."

"Much like i cannot allow you to have a date tonight, is there another reason you're doing this?"

The smile in her face vanished, swapped with a weird look.

"How, did you know?"

Wait, which route is this one? Oh yeah, i don't answer her question, that's why...

It's easier to do this, if imagining is the foundation than it'd be quicker to imagine this. Flashbang, how big should i made it? Ah, who cares?

I rushed forward, she couldn't move backwards anymore, cornered by a tree.

"Think fast!"

I grabbed her face, blinded her with a ball of light. For a few minutes she cannot do anything but writhe in pain, probably. If according to plan it should be happening.

Now, i need to think about a way to get out of here, or to kill this witch.

But the second option makes no sense, i couldn't kill her. Not that i will feel quilty of doing it, but because physically i can't.

I need to seal this wound in my left hand, if i die because of bleeding out i wouldn't be funny.

This is fine, if i escape, then i win.

As the waning moon for my witness, i had won.

I grabbed Mr. Bootes's daughter, and with little strength i have untie all the knot.

"Why did you come here?" She asked.

"Because i want a notebook, now let's go!"

I reached out my hand, she ignored it, walking past me.

I followed her, we need to hurry.

We still hadn't escape, yeah, this isn't finished. But i got another pawn to use.

"Where do you think you're going?"

The witch, standing up tall. Her face was bleeding, coming out of her eyes were streams of blood.

It did that much damage? But with that she possibly couldn't-wait...

Cynic! Save!

I've used it before, i couldn't.

What's stopping you?!

You.

Me?!

This is bad, out of all the wind blade she used, this one's more dangerous.

"Duck!-"

I can't i literally can't! The windblade slashes through anything, half of the house and trees were obliterated... Including me.

...

Swiftly duck, the windblade hit nothing. After a while restarting in a situation like this has become memorable, with only a sliver chance of failing.

What should i change, should i grab the knife? The Green-Haired girl first?

I have a new arsenal which is my flashbang, this is useful to escape so now i just need a plan revolving the different way and time i can use this. I think the problem is half solved, if only there was a way of neglecting magic, then i would be at an advantage and disadvantage.

So, this is probably the best time to use it...

Flashbang!

"What do you-" the witch blocked her eyes. "I was right all along!"

I charged at her, kick the hand blocking her vision from getting blinded. And before she could stop it, i used another one, right in front of her eyes.

I think it's like a guaranteed attack, i mean, what can you do when you're blinded?

The witch creates another magic circle, analyzing it, yeah, the big windblade.

"Over here fool!"

The witch frantically looked around, as i run around, make noises around her.

"Do you really think i wouldn't notice?" The witch grabbed my clothes, as i was about to stab her with my knife.

I cannot blinded her again, what do you want me to do?

The magic circle... It's always the same, let's make a breakdown in four seconds before i die again...

I don't know how i was able to do this or since when but i realized the more i think the more slowly time passes for me.

But only my mind, my body is still as slow as other stuff when in think hyper-thinking mode.

Break it down, what's the problem? How do i solve it? What do i want? How to achive it?

So the problem is i cannot defeat her in anyway possible. Strength, speed, magic, etc, i would die. The solution is, to interrupt the casting of her magic... Probably.

I don't even know how I'm going to do it, but i have a hypothesis. If i imagine that magic circle is a disc, and the magic is a song. Then, to override it, i need to just disrupt the melody, or in this context... The mana or energy output?

I reached my hand, it was sliced in half...

Four seconds to just think about that, i don't even answer the last two question... Or have i? Do i have dementia or something?

I died again...

It wouldn't be done in the first try, i have achieved a lot of things using that and know it's hitting me back the hard way.

...

Argh! I forgot to duck Again!

God this is so stupid, just giving me more and more headache... Why am i here in the first place?

Let's run it back, in this place filled with dead bugs and flowers i create a ball of light.

Flashbang!

She blocks it again, but that's fine. Instead of kicking it, i should just stab it with my knife. That might work.

No it wont.

The witch dashed backwards, evading my stabbing. Should i attack more faster? Or should i just take a breather?

Focus.

Three windblade coming right up, in that tight space, there was little space to dodge. Those attacks hit evryting but me, the collection of butterfly in the wall, and the shelf with poisonous flowers.

Really a witch, and the last windblade hit the wall behind, making moonlight another source of light.

A way iut has been made! Right in front of me...

"Oh no, you won't!"

"Oh yes i will!"

From all these loops all the Mr. Bootes's daughter purpose are to just sit there and watch.

I'm afraid she cannot fight using weapon, but still this is stupid.

Care to explain why i need Mr. Bootes's daughter?

You have a lot of things that crosses paths, even if you didn't take this route you will always meet.

Where did you get that prediction?

It was-

Another spell, so let's try my theory. To disrupt it, i think the easiest way is to just add an extra energy.

Wouldn't it just make it much bigger?!

Shoot! I didn't think of that, well it's too late. I need to dodge, The windblade hit the wall again.

This couldn't be just like this forever.

"Why is that magic-" the witch's voice hasn't even fully vibrated, i already attacked her once again.

Charging with my knife, she couldn't dodge it.

It hit right in her left arm, out of rage she threw me out of the house, exposing me to the moon.

Mr. Bootes's daughter!

I reached out my hand, from this range it would still hit. Flashbang!

"You... How did you use magic without magic circle or incantation?!"

I smiled, now it's my chance to grab her and run out of here. I want to yell something but it would just expose my current place so i give up.

I untie the rope that's tying Mr. Bootes's daughter, and the one in her mouth.

I carry her in my back, preparing to run while the witch is still blinded.

"The truth is... Magic is just Imagination, Theory, Practice, Evaluate, And Result. I don't care if i skip a few steps."

"W-why did you help me?"Mr. Bootes's daughter murmured."Why?"

Under the moonlit sky, inside a dense forest, running from an eerie witch hut-no, a house at that scale. I wonder who pays for building it? Probably her date...

"Why?... Because you're why?"

"Huh?"

"Because you're you, that's why..."

I could see her putting her face down, hiding it. Even in a dark place, my mana vision tell me there's a lot of heat in her face. Billions of red cells rused into her face.

That is... The actual thing that happen when blushing, blood-rushing.

Why did i answer it like that? I coukd just say i wanted Mr. Bootes to focus on the notebook and not worry about her daughter. But that sounds a bit evil.

"So what's your name?" She asks.

"Noir, and you?"

"Naya, Naya Bootes."

"Found you!"

That voice! How did the witch found us?!

"The shadows..."

I looked at my feet, entangled by hands creeping out of my shadow. How did she do it from a faraway place? Even sending a message?

"You cannot run samsa!"

Who the f*ck is samsa?!

This feeling that spread across my whole body, nothing more and less. A big windblade spell.

I have come this far but why?!

Ah, maybe you're on the wrong route?

What you mean by that?!

Before my wuestion were answered, the attacks have cut me and Naya in half, ending the route once again.

Damn it!

I maybe have forgotten but, to finish it, you must complete the fight with certain condition.

1.The witch should be killed.

2.Naya should have been able to use antimagic.

3.Born of 'The child' is... 3 more deaths...

What?!