It''s your turn!

    While lying on the ground, I quickly reach my hands for her ankles, grabbing them.

    "Mmph…!"

    "Wah~"

    I knew it wouldn''t do any damage to her— so I threw her for as far as I could from Kuroyuki.

    "Hah— Hah—"

    …I''m panting. It was tiring to deal with her.

    Thankfully I managed to guard it by switching from ''Presence Sensing'' to ''Hard-Defensive Cladding''. Or else I would''ve been finished by those seeming-to-never-end combos…

    But thanks to those combos, Night Fury dropped her blade. I hurriedly took it and gripped it firmly so that she wouldn''t have the chance to get her sword anymore.

    "My master sure is a stubborn person~" She told me.

    "Aren''t you the same…"

    "Because I am your servant~" She told me as if it was the most natural thing to do.

    Yes… keep talking. Be chatty. I just need to stall you for as long as possible.

    If Persia and the others were teleported… I believe they should be asking for help by now— as long as there aren''t any more magic interference and electromagnetic pulse.

    But… how do they get in…? This crazy sword spirit had her indestructible barrier in their way.

    …Hold on. Didn''t she cast teleportation magic out of the two-second range…?

    This means… the magic interference was lifted when she appeared. So if I draw a teleportation magic circle now… there''s still a chance to send Kuroyuki to safety first.

    "You aren''t listening to me at all, aren''t you~?"

    "W-Wah!?"

    So close!

    "S-Stay away…!" I yelled while swinging my black sword.

    CLANG!

    When she dodged, my blade hits the ground.

    She won''t notice if I stand on that spot and throw seemingly random swings at her.

    "You could never hit me with those amateurish swings~ She laughed at me.

    CLANG!

    …Good, it''s hitting just the spot I wanted.

    "I know, but I''ve got to try…!" I said.

    THUNK!

    "You missed me~" She teased.

    "Shut up…!"

    CLANK— CLANK— THUNK— THUNK— THUNK—…

    "Hah— Hah— Hah— Hah—"

    It''s getting harder to breathe. The damage on the lungs is spreading…

    "Nice try~"

    Suddenly, Night Fury tapped my shoulder from behind.

    "Kuh…!"

    I immediately swing my blade at her.

    CLANK!

    Nice— that was the last outer symbol…! Now… the circles…!

    "Yah…!"

    "…What are you doing— spinning around in circles like that… You will get dizzy."

    I know…! That''s the only way to keep you busy and go unnoticed…!

    Ugh… my head is spinning. How many spins was that— ten…? No matter… I manage to get the circles in their place… and now the last spot under my feet…!

    CRACK!

    I stabbed my blade to carve the last symbol at the centre, completing the teleportation magic circle. Then I immediately charged at her just so I could distract her attention.

    That… was the ugliest and simplest teleportation magic circle that I had ever constructed in my entire life. But no matter how ugly it is, I believe it will work.

    "My~ A frontal ?ssault~" She murmured.

    "Tch…!"

    I made a swing, trying to force her to retreat, yet—

    "Playtime''s over~"

    —she dodged by jumping over my slash and went past me.

    She''s aiming for Kuroyuki now…!?

    Suddenly, a golden light glowed from the magic circle that I carved— lighting up the entire basement.

    "Mnn…!?"

    Seeing that, Night Fury instantly retreated away from it while keeping herself in a defensive posture.

    I can''t believe it…! That bastard— he came here faster than I expected…!

    Eventually, a blinding golden light flashes up the entire basement.

    And just before the light faded away— I saw that person, standing on that magic circle.

    "W-What happened!?" He murmured. "How come retrieving a sword would become such a big mess like this, brat!?"

    "WHO ARE YOU!?"

    Before Principal knew what was going on— Night Fury charged straight at him with her hands reaching out.

    "Look out…!" I warned him.

    "Eek…!?"

    BAM!

    After Principal lets out a shriek— Night Fury lands a punch on his face, sending him flying to the wall.

    I don''t understand… why is it that he always takes the first hit…!?

    "…!"

    I suddenly could not feel Principal''s presence... he''s using ''Presence Erasing'' now.

    "A punch in the face!? What the heck is wrong with you, woman!?" Principal complained. "I''m already married, so stop being so passionate with me…!"

    "Who''s talking…!?" Night Fury uttered as she looked around, trying to find him.

    "…Behind you." Principal murmured.

    Just when Principal is going to grab Night Fury on her neck—

    "I know~ How''s my acting~?"

    BAM!

    —Night Fury slammed her elbow on his rib cage.

    "Arghh…!?"

    With a face full of shock, Principal quickly retreated from her.

    Although part of this is his fault by exposing his position to her… but it doesn''t seem that Night Fury couldn''t see where he is.

    "Oi— are you alright!? Don''t just go and die on me when I was expecting you to save us…!" I said.

    "What''s with this woman— that elbow almost destroyed my last defensive magic barrier layer…!"

    "That''s not important!" I uttered to him. "Kuroyuki had trouble with her recoil— get her to safety first…!"

    I know I can''t do anything now, so I will leave it to him.

    Hearing that, Principal immediately shifted his gaze at Kuroyuki— who was leaning at the unattended stone pillar.

    "WHAT!!? WHY DIDN''T YOU SAY THAT EARLIER…!?"

    Leaving those words behind— Principal springs forward, straight to Kuroyuki in full throttle.

    "Do you really think I would let you~?"

    I wondered why, but Night Fury immediately stood in his way instead of aiming to kill Kuroyuki first.

    "STAY OUT OF MY WAY, WOMAN."

    "…!"

    Even though I immediately equipped myself with ''Fighting Spirit''… his ''Intimidation'' is just so powerful that it''s suffocating me.

    "Oh my… That was scary…"

    Yet Night Fury was unfazed by it at all— or rather, she withstood it easily.

    Principal immediately cast a magic circle on his hand, pointing it at her.

    “Compressum aerem pila!” He chanted.

    (Compressed air ball!)

    Several small air balls shoot out from his magic circle and stop right in front of Night Fury.

    "Nngh…!?"

    Then, it exploded together— blasting her away.

    Principal carefully carried Kuroyuki in his hands and cast a teleportation magic circle beneath his feet.

    "Brat— hold on for as long as possible!"

    With those words, he disappeared together with Kuroyuki after a golden flash.

    CRACK.

    Night Fury destroyed the teleportation magic circle that I drew when I came to.

    Crap… that bastard can''t use that magic circle anymore…!

    Magic circles are very easy to be destroyed when drawn on physical objects. For example, by erasing one of the important symbols on it, the entire magic circle would become unusable.

    "Ah… my master… my dear master……" Night Fury murmured to me.

    "… What''s wrong… Night Fury…?"

    I thought I could attempt to talk to her now since there''s no distraction or what-so-ever… but…

    …Is Night Fury— crying…?

    "Why… Why have you… forsaken me…?"

    "…!"

    Suddenly, I lost sensation of the black blade that I held in my right hand.

    The black blade on my hand— disappeared…!?

    "You aren''t my master anymore……" She told me.

    When I noticed, the blade was on Night Fury''s hand.

    "Calm down… Night Fury…!"

    "I just wanted to be free… why can''t you grant my wish…!?"

    With an irregular movement like a madwoman running towards me— Night Fury swings her blade down.

    THUNK!!!

    I raised my hands and blocked it with my scabbard.

    "I have not forsaken you!" I yelled at her.

    "LIAR!!!"

    BAM!!!

    Night Fury followed with a left hook punch— straight to the solar plexus.

    "Grk…!?"

    The damage is immense! I didn''t switch to ''Hard-Defensive Cladding'' fast enough…!

    I need to switch it back to ''Presence Sensing'' or else I can''t see the following attacks…!

    If only I had Nightmare''s ''Anticipation''…!

    "AHHH!!!" Night Fury screamed in agony.

    Another slash is coming from the left…!?

    THUNK!!!

    When I blocked it with my scabbard— she threw a left hook punch,

    This pattern again!? ''Counter Cladding''!

    B— BAM!!!

    While receiving Night Fury''s attack, I launched a front kick back to her with full force.

    "Mnngh…!?"

    Even though I was well aware that her punch was powerful... but I wasn''t expecting myself to kneel down from it afterwards.

    …I have a concussion. My sense of balance was robbed entirely away from me.

    I was careless…!

    That left hook was a feint— she switched it to an uppercut and smashed my chin…!

    "Why… Why……!?" Night Fury stood up while murmuring to herself.

    Then it''s as if… she glared at me from a distance. It''s like she''s staring deep into my soul, like the gaze of death.

    Even though I''m suffering from concussion and not using the ''Presence Sensing''…

    …I shivered in fear.

    She''s the one who made me shiver in fear.

    …The sound of her feet walking at the ground echoed in this pitch-black darkness.

    I want to move, yet— I can''t. In my current state… I''m utterly defenceless.

    I can''t believe I had the thought of beating some senses back into Night Fury. It was genuinely na?ve of me for that line of thinking to cross my mind. Of course, I''ve sent her flying and slamming to the wall, but at what cost!?

    …Look at me. The damage I had accumulated from those attacks were catching on.

    That''s it.

    It''s impossible for me to overcome this situation…