Necromancer 40

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40. Illusion Sword Dance

At that moment, the tip of Mirage's sword vanished—

Sthwick! Stthwick, stthwick, stthwick, stthwick!

Behind the Reaper, the sword tip reappeared, striking with countless thrusts.

Caught off guard by a flurry of attacks, even the Reaper couldn’t avoid them. Its back was riddled and it was blown away.

"Mirage...?" 

"A final, desperate technique."

Mirage looked at me. Its form was slowly fading.

"An illusion technique that can only be unleashed once, in exchange for one’s existence… Its power is immense, but the cost is—" 

"H-Hey...!?" 

"My very existence is greatly diminished."

Its form continued to fade.

"Mirage!" 

"Don't worry."

Mirage spoke to me as I shouted.

"I won’t vanish entirely. However, I won’t be able to respond to the Master's summons for some time."

Mirage’s legs and waist were disappearing.

"I don’t know how long it will be. A few years, a few decades… maybe even longer…"

Its chest and arms vanished.

"I regret... that I won’t be able to help you... And my own quest for origins will… end here…" 

"H-Hey...!"

I instinctively reached out for Mirage.

Only Its head remained. I barely managed to reach the mask,

whoosh...

And Mirage's form completely disappeared.

"Mirage…"

I bit my lip.

Thinking back, since my skill awakened, It’d always been with me.

Always at my side, giving me courage.

A monster, yet far closer and more trustworthy than most of my classmates.

Now, Mirage was gone.

Maybe It’ll come back, but when? It could be years, decades, or even centuries.

Or we may never meet again—

"Snap out of it."

Before I knew it, Ran was behind me.

"To think you defeated the Reaper."

Distracted by Mirage’s disappearance, I hadn’t noticed Ran’s approach.

I glanced to the side; the fallen Reaper lay motionless. Did Mirage’s attack kill it?

Though, I’m not even sure what it truly was—

"—You’re next."

I put aside my grief over losing Mirage, tightened my grip on my sword, and refocused.

Every muscle in my body coiled.

In raw combat ability, I might be stronger, but Ran held the superior position—'behind me.'

Each of us held an advantage.

All that remained—was whose advantage would determine the battle’s outcome.

"Looks like I’ll have to handle this myself—[Execution]." 

"—!"

As Its skill activated, I lunged forward with all my strength.

Thud!

I felt the floor splinter beneath me.

My body was—safe.

It seemed I escaped Its skill's range before it detonated.

"What...!?"

Ran's face was one of shock.

"Uoooooo!"

Landing, I charged straight at him.

Before a second strike came—I'd end it!