NOVEL WEB Chapter 88.2
Stage 3-22. Signs
I gently pushed Reina aside to keep her out of harm’s way.
“…Reina. Leave this to me.”
“…Will you be alright?”
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of losing.”
Hearing that, she stepped out of the line of fire between Alice and me, seemingly convinced.
This is now a sacred space where only she and I may speak.
I know you, Alice.
Your conviction isn’t so weak that it would yield to something as paltry as this [Brainwashing].
“I’ll wake you up right now, Alice…!”
“…Persistent man. I’ve told you already, my name is—Chris Ragnika!”
She unleashed a shockwave of raw power through her slash.
To wake her, I first needed to make contact.
Then, the only choice was to step forward!
“[Limit Break – Steel].”
I channeled all the mana in my body into my right arm.
As an enormous amount of blood and mana coursed at high speed, my right arm turned red-black, harder than steel.
The damage to my cells was severe, but now wasn’t the time to care.
Focus solely on the exchange with her before you.
“[Flowing Blade Stream]!”
Timing my punch with her shockwave, I struck.
A metallic screech echoed as my fist collided with her attack. Rotating my arm instantly, I diverted the shockwave’s trajectory backward.
“Such an odd technique…!”
“I’ve spent countless nights perfecting it, just to defeat Alice.”
It wasn’t as if I lost to her in every training match.
Each time, I sought ways to overcome her.
“—Look. I’ve already closed the gap.”
My body, already enhanced by the world, surged with explosive power as I redirected the [Limit Break] energy from my arm into my legs.
I crushed the floor beneath me and shot forward like a bullet toward Chris Lagnica.
“[Delete].”
I thrust upward with my right palm.
Chris tried to block with her sword, but as I saw that, I halted my right arm with my left hand.
“…!?”
When an attack doesn’t land as expected, it creates a slight opening as the brain processes the unexpected.
This left hand’s role wasn’t merely to disrupt her rhythm.
By restraining my right arm, I built up power, unleashing an even faster strike!
“[Delete]…!”
“Gaah…!”
My palm pierced Chris’s abdomen, sending her flying.
If you were truly Alice, you would have anticipated and countered this strike, knowing my tendencies.
But you’re Chris.
Against a first-time opponent, feints can be effective.
Now then… Will this bring her back?
Using both [Limit Break] and [Delete] meant I couldn’t channel my full mana.
Still, it was clear it had some effect.
“Ugh… guh…!”
Chris began writhing in an unfamiliar manner.
The power of [Delete] weakened the [Brainwash], and the real Alice was starting to resist.
All I could do now was speak to her through my fists.
“Alice! How long will you keep sleeping?! Are you fine with being controlled like this?!”
“Controlled…? No. I am Chris Ragnika… Juke Andraus’s… sword…”
“…Still not enough, huh.”
That’s fine. Until you awaken, I’ll keep pounding it into you.
With the fist that made you believe in my future…!
“Take this!”
“Urgh…!”
The effects of the weakening [Brainwash] caused Chris to falter.
Now was the time to press forward.
Closing in again, I unleashed a flurry of punches at Alice like a machine gun.
Using [Limit Break – Steel], I broke her defenses with my right hand while driving [Delete] into her body with my left.
“With your current swordsmanship, I don’t need to bother! A brittle, weak blade like this is unworthy of trust!”
“Silence! I succeeded Lily’s role as captain… as captain… I…? I was supposed to… defeat him…”
“Lily, the captain? So that’s the name of your admired superior! But wouldn’t it be sad if the one entrusted with her sword turned out this weak?”
“No…! Captain Lily… in the end… smiled before… her death… Why? Why did she die…?”
Good…!
Even if each strike isn’t strong, repeated blows are weakening the [Brainwash].
Alice’s consciousness was gradually returning.