(How long has it been since I last visited this place?)
Looking at the world of bones surrounding him, Naoki let out a soft sigh, then turned to the figure on a nearby throne: "Finally willing to meet me? Where have you been these past two days, Manaka?"
"Nowhere special, just handling some personal matters."
Manaka seemed in high spirits, propping her chin and answering with a smile.
"What do you think of the gift I gave you? You vixen."
"So it was your doing… No, it should be, 'so it was their doing.'"
Naoki scratched his head: "Honestly, creating something that low-grade, what kind of mentality lets you show it off to me so proudly? You dared to bring out a version of 'me' like that?"
His words dripped with disdain.
Manaka smiled and nodded: "Indeed, as you said, it's just low-grade trash. Though that Servant was based on you, its physical abilities are only two-thirds of yours. Its use of Summoning Magecraft is limited to summoning fairies. It can't use elemental or princess powers at all, let alone the Prince's."
"And your Mystic Eyes, the most rule-breaking of all, we couldn't even replicate. It's truly low-grade trash riddled with flaws."
"But, at least the current you can't even defeat that low-grade trash, can you?"
Naoki fell silent.
Though [his other self] had numerous shortcomings, it was still him. As long as it could use Summoning Magecraft, its power wouldn't be too weak. Naoki's physical strength, his only advantage now, would be nullified under Summoning Magecraft.
"By the way, can I ask what you're planning?" Naoki changed the subject. "Don't tell me you're thinking of escaping my body this way?"
"What if I said 'yes'?"
*CRASH!*
Suddenly leaping from the bones and lunging at Manaka, Naoki was stopped mid-air by a giant skeletal hand before he could strike.
Manaka smiled: "Though I'm sealed by you, I still have some power in this place, more than the current you. If you want to destroy me here, you'd better bring that Succubus along—oh, right, you don't know yet. The Magecraft that Succubus left in your body has been erased."
"Erased?"
"Yes, essentially killing her. Though it was just a mental clone-like entity, it must've suffered severe mental trauma. She's useless now, so—"
"Hey, what did you just say?"
Naoki's low voice cut off Manaka's words. His gaze shifted to her, bound by the skeletal hand. Manaka was about to speak, but the aura radiating from Naoki made her tremble involuntarily.
The calm before the storm—that was the impression Manaka had now.
*CRACK!*
Struggling to break the skeletal bindings, his sky-blue eyes glared sharply at Manaka. Like a furious beast, Naoki, with a grim expression, asked again: "You said, what happened to Merry?"
A quiet flame of rage burned, its power not overwhelming but strikingly pure.
"This is the first time I've seen you this angry." Manaka withdrew her hand. "Is she that important to you? If you didn't hear clearly, I'll repeat. The clone of her in your body is, in essence, dead."
"Though dealing with it was a bit troublesome—"
Before Manaka could finish, Naoki, suddenly breaking free from the skeletal bindings and bursting through the cage, struck her face with a fierce punch!
*BOOM!*
With a loud thud, Manaka was sent flying from her throne by the single blow.
Covering her face and standing, Manaka looked at Naoki descending and sneered: "That hurt. You're that angry? Over a mere clone?"
"Got a problem? If you do, I can hit you again." Naoki said coldly. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not angry because you erased Merry's Magecraft. With her personality, even I want to give her a couple of punches, then encase her in cement and sink her in Tokyo Bay."
"I'm angry because of your stunt, I won't be able to see her for at least five years. Do you know how big a loss this is for me? How are you going to compensate?"
"Isn't that great?" Manaka wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Why should I care about you, you vixen? On the contrary, you've imprisoned me here for so long. After finally getting this chance, letting you suffer a little is already too kind."
Though she said this, in reality, Manaka was back to being powerless. Even in this world of hers, she couldn't deal much damage to Naoki.
(It's all that succubus's fault! Just a consciousness entity, yet so troublesome!)
If she hadn't focused on erasing Merry's Magecraft, Manaka could've done so much more!
*CREAK!*
The world of bones trembled. Manaka sneered: "Your body's tough, pierced like a sieve yet recovering so fast. But even so, you can't defeat your other self. The current you is too weak."
"Not necessarily."
Naoki smiled, raising his hand to tap his chest: "Though I can't use Magecraft, I still have her… No, she's still with me. If I lose with her power, I won't have the face to meet her later."
Arthur's power wasn't Magecraft but pure strength. Even without Summoning Magecraft now, Naoki could still use it. In fact, during his fight with [Naoki], some of Arthur's power had already started to activate.
"Besides, I don't plan on losing to myself."
"I can lose to anyone, but the one I must never lose to is myself. I have to surpass myself. So I'll win, smashing that defective, low-grade thing to pieces."
"Big talk. Let's see how you pull it off."
Manaka waved her hand, as if bidding farewell. The bones beneath Naoki suddenly formed a giant palm, slowly lifting him.
Watching Naoki gradually leave, Manaka returned to her throne and sighed softly.
(Don't lose, vixen. Don't lose to yourself, and don't… lose to me.)
(You can only fall to me.)