NOVEL WEB Chapter 81
81. To Survive
“This place──”
When I realized it, I had returned to the real world.
It was the original fountain park.
“Resonance… the world within consciousness… I see.”
Electra seemed to understand as well and was quietly staring at me.
Then,
“Why bring out fakes of Luca and the others? What are you planning?”
“Do you know where the real ones are?”
Lilith and Alice tensed up with stern expressions.
“I apologize for that.”
Electra turned to face them and snapped her fingers.
Luca and Sarome── no, their imposters vanished instantly.
It seemed they were illusions.
“They’re right here.”
A gigantic shadow appeared behind Electra.
A giant, about five meters tall, made entirely of trees── it was probably a spirit too.
The giant spirit held Luca and Sarome, bound by ropes, in its hands.
This time, they seemed to be the real ones.
“Mmph… mmm…”
Both of them, gagged, made muffled sounds as they saw us.
“Why… is this happening…?”
“They’re hostages. I didn’t want to resort to such methods, though.”
Electra said nonchalantly.
“Hostages?”
I glared at Electra and then looked at Luca and Sarome.
Their eyes pleaded with us to run away.
But there was no way we could leave them behind and escape.
“What are you planning!? Let them go!”
Lilith shouted in anger.
“What if I refuse?”
“We will take them back by force. They are precious comrades to us!”
Even Alice, usually quiet, showed her fighting spirit.
“How brave── go, my spirits.”
With Electra’s words, the same spirit── the winged tiger, attacked.
“[Thunder Bullet]!”
Lilith chanted a lightning spell.
Golden lightning illuminated the night, exploding the spirit.
“I can ‘see’ it. That’s a decoy. The real threat is here.”
Just as Electra said, another spirit appeared behind Lilith.
A naked beauty with swords in both hands.
The twin swords whistled as they attacked Lilith.
The timing was perfect, as if it aimed for the moment she used her magic.
“Not happening!”
I immediately deployed a defensive skill.
A rainbow-colored orb── [Armor Phase] deflected the swords attacking Lilith from behind.
“I’ll──”
Alice chanted a binding spell to restrain the female spirit.
“I can ‘see’ that move too.”
With Electra’s words, the female spirit leaped high, escaping the magic.
At the same time, a fourth spirit appeared.
How many spirits can this person summon at once!?
The new spirit looked like a wolf carrying a cannon.
Its barrel glowed red, firing a giant energy ball.
“Ugh…”
Lilith and Alice stepped back to avoid it.
“Two seconds later, five meters behind. There.”
Electra murmured.
As if she knew where they would land, the female spirit struck with twin swords.
But I won’t let you──.
I moved the defensive skill to block the slash.
“!? No impact.”
The female spirit slowly vanished.
“An illusion.”
Electra smiled.
So, just like the fake Luca and Sarome earlier──.
“The real threat is here.”
Electra snapped her fingers, and vines extended from the giant spirit’s feet.
“Ah…!?”
Two screams.
The vines wrapped around Lilith and Alice like ropes, restraining them.
They were pulled towards Luca and Sarome.
It all happened in an instant, before I could redeploy my skill.
“Now there are four hostages.”
“Damn…!”
I gritted my teeth at Electra’s calm announcement.
“No matter how strong one is── when I can foresee the future and predict every move, they are no match for me.”
Everything went according to her plan.
Lilith’s attack, Alice’s defense, their subsequent attacks, and even my skill deployment.
She saw through it all, capturing them at a timing that couldn’t be avoided.
Like a chess master setting traps with each move──.
A power to foresee the future── that’s invincible.
“Yes, invincible.”
Electra nodded as if reading my mind.
“So I won’t lose to ordinary humans── but against someone with divine power, I can’t be complacent. That’s why I took hostages.”
“Saying that we could meet Luca and the others through fortune-telling was to lure us from the start.”
“To ensure my victory. And for me to survive── I’ll use any means necessary.”
Electra said.
“I don’t intend to fight.”
I bit my lip and groaned.
“So release them.”
“Even if you wish for something, the future doesn’t always align with it. You fought, didn’t you? Against that man, Gregorio, with the power to ‘kill.'”
Her cool eyes pierced me.
“And you killed him.”
“…!”
I gasped.
But I shouted back.
“Yes, I did kill Gregorio… but I don’t want a future where I have to fight! If I could meet someone with the same power again, I──”
Like with Jack the other day.
A future where we fight together.
That’s the fate I want.
“It can indeed be changed. I am someone who knows and manipulates fate── but to change it as I desire, not as you wish.”
Electra’s smile deepened.
“Now, this conversation ends here. My goal is to survive. To continue living peacefully. For that, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Three spirits gathered around her.
The tree giant restraining the four.
The naked woman with twin swords.
And the wolf with a cannon.
“You have no means of attack. Can you oppose me with just defensive power?”
“Damn…”
From what I saw, Electra’s combat style involved using spirits.
She didn’t seem adept at direct combat, so in a physical fight, I might have an advantage with my strength.
If I can just dodge the spirits’ attacks──.