Annihilation Magic

Author: Unicoon
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8138gc/34/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

“Mm. That’s enough!”

Lady Ulrika had appeared all of a sudden.
She was holding Bram’s Demon Claw at bay with one hand, easily.

“Lottie! Livi! Sasha! All three of you did well!!”

Lady Ulrika turned and smiled at them.

“Leave the rest to me…”

Then she turned a sharp gaze on Bram.
In those eyes was a quiet, deep killing intent.

“…What are you?”

“These ones’ friend. And your True Ancestor, I’ll have you know.”

“True Ancestor? A little girl like you? Don’t say things that make no sense!”

Changed to mist, Bram slipped from Lady Ulrika’s hand and melted into the dark.
Lady Ulrika, for her part, thrust a hand into the dark without ceremony.

“Wha—what!?”

She dragged mist-form Bram out of the dark, sliding.
Amazingly, Lady Ulrika was gripping the mist body as it was.

“What is this! Why can you grab my body after I changed to mist!?”

“You don’t even understand that?”

Pressure of mana poured from Lady Ulrika’s hand.
Then Bram’s mist body was gradually forced back to physical form.

“My body is reverting on its own!? What’s happening!”

“A vampire changed to mist can be forced back to physical form if you put pressure of mana on them.”

“That shouldn’t be possible!!”

“You’ve never met a vampire of higher rank than yourself, have you… there.”

Lady Ulrika tossed physical-form Bram aside without ceremony.
He rolled across the cobblestones. His body began to change to mist again.

“Guh… damn it, then—!”

Melted into the dark as mist, he appeared behind Lady Ulrika.
Demon Claw came at the nape of her unguarded neck.

“Guaaah!?”

The one who had driven the claws in was Bram. The one who screamed was also Bram.
The Demon Claw that should have slashed Lady Ulrika crumbled from fingertips to wrist.
Lady Ulrika, of course, was unhurt.

“That’s what happens when you touch me carelessly.”

Neither the mist ability nor Demon Claw attacks worked on Lady Ulrika at all.
Beaten back at every turn, Bram’s movements gradually dulled.

“Kh… what… I can’t move well… the power of True Ancestor Return is fading…!?”

“What is True Ancestor Return? Aren’t you simply letting your mana run wild?”

“Mana running wild… that’s absurd…?”

“It looks like you’re only forcing mana out beyond your capacity. Do that and the body screams. Of course you can’t move.”

“Dammit… don’t mock True Ancestor Return…”

“Hmm… I’d be troubled if you returned to me, but… never mind…”

Lady Ulrika slowly raised one hand.

“By the way… you called my friends ‘small fry,’ didn’t you…”

A voice darker than the night dark.

“You mocked them as having neither power nor resolve…”

An unprecedented chill ran down Bram’s spine.

“Hih”

He turned his back on the instant and tried to flee into the dark.
Lady Ulrika did not let him go.

“Where are you going?”

Bram’s body went rigid, and he toppled on the spot.

“Uuu… I can’t move! I can’t mooove!!”

“Don’t make a fuss. It’s only binding magic.”

Lady Ulrika slowly approached the writhing Bram.

“Stop! Don’t come!!”

“I think not…”

Mighty mana poured from Lady Ulrika’s whole body.

“You hurt my friends. I have to return that—”

And the magic of terror was loosed.

“—Annihilation magic, Demohollow—!”

At once a jet-black sphere appeared in the night.
A scream that stabbed the ears rang through the town.
The loosed annihilation magic swelled as it closed on Bram.

“What is this!? Stay awaaay!!”

“It’s over…”

“I don’t waaant it…”

Bram’s scream was swallowed by the cry of annihilation magic.
And Bram himself was swallowed, easily, into its dark.

The annihilation magic that had swallowed Bram gouged the academy’s outer wall and was sucked into the night.
Left behind was only Bram’s withered corpse.

At the unreal sight, Charlotte, Olivia, and Natasha froze, mouths open.
Lady Ulrika turned toward the three of them.

“Mm! That settles the matter!!”

Lady Ulrika smiled.

The long night was about to break.