NOVEL WEB Chapter 83
83. Mastered
Before Electra’s eyes, the world wavered like a mirage.
The light sphere that should have struck Haruto directly halted just before impact, as if pinned in midair.
“Impossible…”
Electra muttered.
Haruto hadn’t activated his defense skill.
There was no sign of it, and he wasn’t allowed to activate it before the preemptive attack struck.
Moreover, this was completely different from the predicted vision.
The light sphere, which had stopped in midair, began to reverse slowly.
It was drawn into the muzzle of the cannon carried by the wolf spirit, as if the attack never happened.
“What is going on!?”
Unable to comprehend, her thoughts stopped.
But the anomaly didn’t end there.
“…!?”
Before she knew it, the dual-blade spirit stood beside her.
The spirit that was supposed to have slashed at Haruto a moment ago.
Furthermore—
“Don’t use your skill. If you do, they will die.”
Before she realized it, Electra found herself uttering those words.
(What am I saying…?)
She was stunned after speaking.
She remembered the line.
Yes, it was what she said a few minutes ago.
“No way…”
Electra groaned in disbelief.
She felt like she finally understood what was happening.
What Haruto had done.
“Is this the effect of his defense skill? It can’t be—”
Electra’s attacks all reversed, resetting as if time had gone backward.
This was a sight even her foresight hadn’t shown.
Perhaps it was a future beyond the limits of her predictive ability.
A fate she couldn’t fully see.
Or perhaps—
“An ability that transcends even fate…”
“Yeah, I mastered it at the last moment.”
Haruto quietly informed the groaning Electra.
“This is—my skill resonating with your power and growing.”
The time Electra stood in shock was just a second or two.
That brief moment decided the outcome.
“Damn…”
Haruto was already before her.
Taking advantage of Electra’s stunned state, he closed the distance with a fierce dash.
“Sixth Form [Reverse React]”
Above Haruto’s head, a pattern of a goddess with twelve wings appeared.
“I’ll turn back time just a little to nullify attacks—this seals your foresight.”
In the next moment, Haruto had pinned Electra down before she could react.
※
I pinned Electra to the ground.
I had the upper hand in strength.
Looking down at her androgynous beauty,
“You…reversed time…!?”
Electra looked up at me in astonishment.
This was the new power the goddess had taught me in the inner space.
Even if an unavoidable attack was foreseen and executed, I could reset the very fact of ‘being attacked’.
By reversing time.
Upon activation, it was a mighty skill that provided absolute defense.
However, unlike my previous skills, I couldn’t activate it consciously.
It only manifested when the holder was in mortal danger, essentially an [Auto-Guard].
Moreover, it had the restriction of being usable only once a day.
I had spoken confidently about sealing her foresight to keep her from realizing this limitation.
If Electra used her foresight again, she’d discover I couldn’t use [Reverse React] consecutively.
If that happened, the battle could reverse again.
So, I only needed a brief moment.
If Electra hesitated, I would exploit that gap—
“If I could see just a bit further into the future, I could have understood your skill’s true nature. But even if I had, the fact that time itself is reversed would alter the future I saw.”
Electra smiled wryly.
“To manipulate even my fate, one who can control destiny itself…unbelievable.”
Realizing her defeat, she exhaled softly.
That moment of resignation—of lowered guard—was the priceless opportunity I needed.
“It’s over, Electra.”
I activated [Barrier Phase].
With this, Electra couldn’t issue new commands to her spirits.
Spirit summoning treated any command as a spell.
Even if the sixth-form skill was unusable until tomorrow, this ensured my victory.
Electra had no means of attack left.
“Release the bindings on the four.”
I moved away from her.
“…I can’t resist.”
Sighing, Electra snapped her fingers.
The summons were undone, and the three spirits vanished.
At the same time, the vines binding Lilith and Alice disappeared.
“I have many questions for you.”
I approached Electra.
She could see the future, after all.
I wanted useful information.
Like the possibility of another attack from the Demon General.
Among those with skills, some like Gregorio might go on a rampage or attack other holders.
Electra herself had mentioned seeing a future where several skillholders fought.
If we could prepare, we should.
“And then, you’ll kill me when I’m no longer needed?”
Electra smirked coldly.
“I would never do that!”
I shouted involuntarily.
“No, you will. You’ll eliminate me…I’ve said many times I can see the future.”
“But the future can change, right?”
I shook my head.
I could never eliminate—kill her.
“Don’t you think of changing it for the better?”
“And who says that? The one who will destroy me?”
The conversation went in circles.
“I just want to live in peace. To survive, that’s all.”
Electra smiled sadly.
“I never wanted this power. But I see things, whether I want to or not. Some visions are by my will, but others are not.”
Her long, narrow eyes held a hollow light.
Whether it was sadness, suffering, or despair.
“That’s why, I—”
At that moment, something black appeared before me.
“What…!?”
The sudden event froze my thoughts.
“This is—”
It resembled something.
Yes, definitely—
Syrega.
An interdimensional pathway that appeared when demons or monsters manifested in this world.