"Grr… Mash Burnedead!" Beatrice growled, clutching her bruised face.
"Not going down that easily, huh?" Mash said, pointing his fist at her as he advanced.
Mika, unable to stand still, moved to join him, but—
"Mash-kun, I'll—"
"Mika-san, leave this to me," Mash interrupted.
"What?!" Mika blinked, stunned. "Wait, what?!"
"Sensei, what are you saying?!" Saori shouted. "You can't face her alone—it's reckless! At least let me—"
"What, you got a death wish?!" Misaki snapped.
"W-We can still fight!" Hiyori stammered. "Everyone's risked their lives to get us here, to protect us… I can't just let you handle everything while we sit back!"
"Don't worry, Hiyori-chan," Mash said gently. "You, Saori-san, Mika-san, Azusa-chan, Misaki-chan—you've all fought so hard. You've done enough. From here… I'll take care of it alone."
"Sensei…" Saori whispered.
"Sensei…!" Azusa echoed.
Mash held up a hand, silencing their protests. The Arius Squad was at their limit—exhausted from hours of combat, hounded by Beatrice's magic, and mentally drained. Even Azusa, still relatively fresh, couldn't match Beatrice's power now.
"I'll handle it," Mash's words conveyed. "Rest, and let Mika protect you."
"Don't get cocky, Mash Burnedead!" Beatrice roared, staggering to her feet.
"Oh, you're up," Mash said casually.
"I, the sublime witch, will erase you!" Beatrice declared.
"If you're the 'sublime witch,' then I'm the 'valiant warrior,'" Mash shot back.
"Insolent brat!" she snapped.
Beatrice's rage boiled over as she summoned a red mist, coalescing it into a staff. Its crimson hue mirrored her appearance, but its mechanical, alien design felt more like a weapon than a magical wand.
"A staff…" Mash muttered. "Just like Seia-san said—you've been meddling in my world's magic."
"Under his tutelage, I honed countless skills," Beatrice sneered. "I know more about magic than you ever will."
"Planning to kill me with magic?" Mash asked.
"Of course—but not just any magic," she said. "Against you, I won't hold back."
Beatrice's staff glowed with crimson light, its nested shaft extending as the tip morphed into a single, eye-like orb resembling her own gaze.
"Summons: False God Yaldabaoth!" she bellowed.
Her presence transformed, radiating an overwhelming aura. The Basilica trembled under the sheer pressure of her power, her demeanor shifting to something divine, almost godlike.
"What… is that?!" Saori gasped.
"My skin's crawling!" Hiyori whimpered.
"I've never seen Beatrice like this!" Misaki said, trembling.
"Is that… her true power?" Azusa whispered.
"Seia-chan was right," Mika said grimly. "She's changed too much."
Mash, seeing the Summons staff for the first time, was visibly surprised but quickly steadied himself, ready for any attack.
"This is Summons," Beatrice intoned. "A power wielded only by those beloved by gods, awakening the divine within the staff. Magic is said to be a gift from the divine—and this staff channels that power."
"Gods? Like some fairy tale?" Mash scoffed.
"In his world, it's no fairy tale," Beatrice said. "You, of all people, should know that."
In Mash's world, gods were intertwined with human life, their magic a divine gift. Those favored by gods, the Divinely Awakened, held immense power. To lack magic was to be forsaken, an outcast defying the magical world's order. Those like Mash, born without magic, or others who lost it, were often "culled."
Beatrice, knowing this, taunted Mash to shake his resolve, hoping to bend his mind to her magic's control. But—
"I don't get it," Mash said, scratching his head. "Also, a transforming weapon? I came up with that kinda stuff when I was twelve."
(Is he… calling my weapon childish?! Mika thought, exasperated. Why does Mash-kun always hit people's sore spots?)
"I was explaining your world's concepts, not some delusion!" Beatrice shrieked, her composure cracking. "No, no—I must remain elegant, refined!"
"Did you use that power to torment Arius?" Mash asked, his tone darkening.
"No, using Summons on mere students would be a waste," she sneered. "I used my unique magic instead. Manipulating them with power beyond their comprehension, molding them to my will… Oh, the pleasure of their despairing faces—"
Mash's anger hit its boiling point. The idea of her using overwhelming power to dominate and hurt children fueled his rage. He lunged, fist raised.
WHOOSH!
"…Huh?" Mash blinked.
"Such a barbaric man," Beatrice mocked.
SWING!
"Impulsive, linear—a true child," she taunted.
"When did she—?!" Mash muttered.
His punch missed entirely. Beatrice wasn't even there—she stood slightly away, untouched.
"That illusion…" Saori said.
"Her magic from before," Misaki noted. "But no red aura this time."
"Maybe it's a decoy, not just a hologram," Mika mused. "This could be tricky."
"Sensei!" Azusa called.
THWACK!
Mash launched a flying kick, determined to hit her this time. Beatrice raised her staff, summoning a red barrier—
"CATCH!" TWIST!
(The barrier's wrapping like a rope—!)
"THROW!" WHOOSH!
"Gah!" Mash grunted.
The barrier morphed into vine-like tendrils, ensnaring Mash's leg and body. Beatrice swung him like a lasso, then released, hurling him across the Basilica. Mash spun mid-air, landing gracefully and dusting himself off.
"No time to recover!" Beatrice snapped.
"More golems!" Hiyori cried.
"Hmph!" Mash grunted, smashing through the summoned golems with a flurry of punches.
"They won't stop Sensei—wait, what?!" Saori gasped.
"The broken golems… they're forming a giant?!" Misaki shouted.
"Crush him!" Beatrice commanded.
The shattered golem fragments rolled together, forming a massive rock giant. It stomped toward Mash, who blocked its foot with his right arm—
"No big deal!" CRASH!
Mash shattered the giant with his left fist, hurling the debris at Beatrice. But just before impact, the rocks crumbled into water.
"Now water?!" Mash groaned. "Seriously?"
"In Kivotos, one must use firearms," Beatrice said, clicking her tongue. Click, click.
"There's a limit, you know," Mash muttered.
The water rose, transforming into an arsenal of submachine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers, and sniper rifles. At Beatrice's command, they unleashed a blazing wall of bullets—enhanced with mystic poison designed to kill Mash. He darted through the tracer rounds, dodging with hair's-breadth precision.
"I've always wanted to try this," Beatrice said gleefully.
"Give me a break," Mash replied.
As he evaded, Beatrice scooped up a mass of water, forging RPG-7 rocket warheads. As the firearms ceased, she launched multiple rockets. Mash caught one, hurling it back with a full swing.
"Shield!" Beatrice countered, blocking with a golem.
"Now for something fantastical!" WHOOSH!
Raising her staff, Beatrice summoned fireballs that lit the Basilica in red-orange hues. Mash reshaped Proteus into a bat, deflecting the searing orbs.
"Then…!" SWOOP!
She swung her staff upward, conjuring a tornado that lifted Mash into the air. Trapped in the vortex, he faced her staff's glowing eye, which blazed brighter.
"Time to end this!" Beatrice declared.
The staff's eye unleashed a crimson inferno, laced with napalm-like incendiaries. The tornado fueled a swirling pillar of fire, engulfing Mash in sticky, scorching flames. The Basilica's ceiling shattered, the Arius District glowing red like a sunset. Beatrice swung her staff again, striking the vortex with lightning. The unburned incendiaries exploded at thousands of volts, scattering flames across the Basilica, shattering stained glass and scorching Mika, Azusa, and the Squad.
"What… just happened?!" Saori stammered.
"What was that?!" Hiyori cried.
"Golems, guns, fire, water, wind… What's going on?!" Misaki shouted.
"Mash-kun!" Mika screamed.
As the smoke cleared, Beatrice saw Mash standing in the cratered floor—unscathed. He rose as if nothing had happened, though she smirked faintly.
"Still relying on the Shittim Chest's protection?" she taunted.
"So that was your goal," Mash said grimly.
"Sensei, I'm sorry…! The barrier's at its limit!" Arona's voice crackled.
"It's okay, Arona-chan. You did great," Mash said.
"Cough, cough… Sen… sei…!" BZZT!
"Arona-chan?! You…!" Mash growled, glaring at Beatrice.
"It seems that lightning overloaded her OS," Beatrice said smugly, raising her staff. "Now, Mash Burnedead, let's fight fair and square."
The Shittim Chest's Arona Barrier was gone. Mash would face her attacks with his bare body.
He'd used the barrier to study her abilities, but her supernatural powers defied human comprehension.
"Curious about my magic?" Beatrice asked.
"Yeah, what was that?" Mash replied.
"This is my unique magic, learned in his world—Fantasim," she said.
"Fantasim?" Mash echoed.
"It amplifies and manifests fantasies," she explained.
Mika, Azusa, and the Squad froze, realizing the terror of her power. Fantasim turned Beatrice's imagination into reality—limitless attacks born from her whims, bound only by her creativity.
"So… if you imagined eating infinite cream puffs, you could make infinite cream puffs?" Mash asked.
"Such a vulgar analogy for a sublime power," Beatrice sneered. "But within your limited understanding, it's not entirely wrong."
"That's cheating," Mash said.
"I can't directly affect others' bodies or nearby space," she admitted. "But I have more than enough power to erase you. Enough talk—let's resume!"
Beatrice swung her staff, summoning a rain of spears. Mash crafted an iron umbrella from Proteus, deflecting them. Outmatched, the Arius Squad could only watch, cursing their weakness and praying for his victory.
Beatrice mocked them. "Well, Arius Squad, Azusa, Mika—do you still think your Sensei can defeat me?"
"We decided to believe in him," Saori said firmly. "So we believe he'll win."
"Foolish," Beatrice scoffed. "Even if he beats me, you'll never find happiness. You've hurt others, spilled blood for me—sinners like you don't deserve joy. That's the world's decree."
The Squad faltered. They were sinners, having followed Beatrice's orders, harming others and rival schools. But Mash, deflecting spears, retorted sharply.
"There's always a chance to atone," he said. "I'll make sure of it. And you're the root of it all, aren't you?"
Mash circled behind Beatrice, swinging his umbrella. She blocked with a thick barrier.
"I made the natural choice as an adult," Beatrice said. "Dominating, exploiting, and controlling children to elevate ourselves—what's wrong with that? Your happiness, your future—it's decided by adults like me, not immature brats like you."
"Then I'll change that world's opinion," Mash declared.
"Sensei said so!" Saori shouted. "So we'll—"
"You think I'll allow your happiness?" Beatrice interrupted.
"I'll make them happy," Mash said. "And I don't need your permission."
"You think words change reality?" Beatrice sneered. "Children like you are at the mercy of adults' whims!"
She morphed her barrier into a blade, attaching it to her staff like a naginata. Her movements, honed under Innocent Zero, were precise, targeting Mash's vitals with thrusts and sweeps. Mash dodged, parrying with Proteus, now reshaped into a blade.
"Happiness is different for everyone," Mash said. "I don't know what'll make them all happy yet."
"Then—" Beatrice began.
"But that's no reason to do nothing," Mash cut in.
"Sensei, below!" Saori shouted.
Beatrice sneaked a knife-shaped barrier at Mash's jaw. He blocked with his left hand, redirecting it into her thigh.
"Gah!" Beatrice winced.
"Saori-san and the others have suffered enough," Mash said. "They deserve to find happiness now."
"That's just fantasy!" Beatrice roared, swinging her scythe-like staff to lift Mash with a gust. She reverted her staff, summoning red-black magic circles that fired heat rays. Mash deflected with Proteus but struggled as the rays multiplied.
"Happiness isn't for them!" Beatrice screamed. "They've hurt, betrayed, and cared only for themselves. They have no right to joy—that's the world's judgment!"
The rays converged into a massive laser, striking Mash and sending him crashing to the ground. Beatrice summoned steel thorns, whipping them like a storm to lash him.
"That's cruel!" Hiyori cried.
"Blood… Sensei!" Azusa gasped.
"It mustn't be!" Beatrice ranted. "Students mustn't find light! They should be cloaked in hatred, cursed in eternal despair, exploited by adults like me!" THUD, THUD, THUD!
She pummeled Mash with iron-gauntleted fists, mirroring the beatings Arius endured. Saori, unable to bear it, lunged forward, screaming—
"Stop it! STOP!"
Mika grabbed her. "Mika, why?!" Saori cried. "Sensei and the Princess will—"
"Not now," Mika said. "What can we do against her?"
"But… at least cover fire!" Saori pleaded.
"With half-empty magazines? Against a barrier that blocks Sensei's attacks?" Mika asked.
"Then what?!" Saori demanded. "Just watch them die?!"
The Squad was breaking—Mash, their savior, and Atsuko, their family, were in peril. Mika felt the same desperation but held firm.
"Believe in Mash-kun," she said.
Mika trusted that Mash wouldn't lose to a witch like Beatrice.
"Hah… hah… Feel the weight of an adult's fist!" Beatrice panted, obscured by smoke. She felt the impact of crushing Mash's body.
"Shut up, you monster," a voice growled. "As long as I'm here, you won't touch them. I'll crush you first."
"What…?! Impossible!" Beatrice gasped.
From the smoke, Mash rose, battered but unbowed, radiating defiance.
"Even with her magic's strength, Beatrice's stamina has limits," Saori realized.
"Mash-kun's defense and endurance outmatch her," Mika said. "This fight was decided from the start."
"But how does he get close? She's not giving him an opening," Azusa said.
"That's where Mash-kun shines," Mika grinned, winking.
Beatrice's stamina couldn't outlast Mash's durability. Her attacks paused, leaving a brief window as she recovered.
(I'll regain my strength and finish him… I still have my trump card—huh?!)
In that moment, Mash pulled out Proteus and another item—a chain from the Engineering Club, a byproduct of Proteus's creation. He reshaped Proteus into a spiked iron ball, attaching the chain and a second staff as a handle.
The Arius Squad and Azusa gaped at the absurd weapon. Mika burst into laughter, while Beatrice's bloodied face paled. Mash had crafted—
"A Morning Star?!" Saori and Misaki exclaimed.
"Hahaha! Mash-kun, you're the best!" Mika roared.
The iron ball, roughly 30 cm wide, was chained to a handle half Mash's height. It defied physics, ignoring mass and conservation laws.
"What… what is that?!" Hiyori stammered.
"It's… bigger than it should be!" Misaki said.
"A Morning Star that size?!" Saori gasped.
"So what?!" Beatrice shouted. "You think that toy can beat my magic?"
She slammed her staff into the ground, summoning vines. Mash swung the Morning Star.
CRASH!
The vines shredded under the iron ball's weight.
Beatrice summoned golems and Mimesis, raining spears and bullets. But—
WHIRL, WHIRL, WHIRL!
"No way!" Hiyori cried. "The Morning Star's too strong—it's smashing everything!"
"How is he swinging that thing so fast?!" Saori asked.
"Let's stop questioning it," Misaki sighed. "My head hurts."
"That's our Sensei!" Azusa cheered.
"Go get her, Mash-kun!" Mika shouted.
"You… you brat! Don't underestimate adults!" Beatrice screamed, veins bulging.
She conjured multiple Gatling guns like Barbara's, firing wildly. The Morning Star deflected bullets with its chain and handle. Fireballs fizzled, winds failed to lift the heavy weapon, and lightning couldn't strike before Mash closed the distance.
No matter how fantastical her attacks, they were powerless before Mash's raw, irrational violence.
(I have to retreat, regroup—!)
"Going somewhere?" Mash asked. "We're not done."
(When did he—?!)
"Feel their pain," Mash said.
He swung the Morning Star, aiming the iron ball at Beatrice's face. She summoned a thicker barrier, but it was too thin. Far too thin.
CRASH!
"GAH?!" Beatrice yelped.
Mash relentlessly pummeled her with the iron ball, retribution for the lashes she'd dealt. THUD, THUD, THUD!
"Guh—argh—ngh!" Beatrice groaned, battered senseless.
The Squad watched in shock, Azusa's eyes sparkled with awe, and Mika gave a wry smile. But all shared one thought—
(Please, Sensei… win!)
Beatrice's mind blanked, consumed by pain. Mash's victory loomed closer.
"Divine Retribution!" BOOM!
With a final swing, Mash's iron ball struck Beatrice, sending her crashing into the wall. The real fight was just beginning.
-------------------------------
Hello everyone!
I've already posted 30 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you very much!