Tech Hero in Another World-Chapter 197: [196]

The night air at the forest's edge trembled with waves of magic. Erick stood swaying on the grassy ground, his body battered with wounds, face bruised, breath ragged. His academy uniform was in tatters, fresh blood staining its once-white fabric. Floating above him was a mysterious woman on a broom, her face hidden beneath a dark hood. Her posture was languid—one hand propping her chin, the other idly spinning a small fireball as though she had not a care in the world.

"Hooaam…" she yawned wide, her soft voice a jarring contrast to the deadly aura crushing down on Erick from every direction. "How dull. Still, I have to admit, you were somewhat entertaining. Unfortunately—" her lips curved faintly, red against the shadow of her hood, "—I can always get the girl back anytime. You, however, are nothing more than a temporary obstacle."

Her words cut into Erick's ears like an icy blade. He groaned, forcing himself to stand straighter though both knees trembled. His eyes burned with fiery resolve—not because he believed he could win, but because he refused to die in vain.

(Damn… and this is already after Velna escaped. I can't hold her off much longer… But… I still have one last option.)

Erick's hand lifted, trembling but steady. The mana around him surged violently. The calm night atmosphere twisted into something oppressive. A soft breeze turned into a raging swirl, leaves whipping loudly, the ground beneath his feet quaking as though the earth itself rejected his decision.

"Oh?" The witch leaned slightly forward, sharp eyes glinting with new intrigue. "Such a surge of mana… are you being serious?"

Erick grit his teeth. Closing his eyes tightly, he began to chant. Ancient words echoed, heavy and forceful. With each syllable, the air thickened further, as if the very world was holding its breath.

"This…" The woman's smile widened, her eyes glittering with fascination. "A tier-six spell? Hahaha… a child like you daring to surpass your limits? How entertaining…."

Yet she did nothing to interrupt. Instead, she floated calmly above her broom, watching—waiting—as if curious just how far a broken boy could push himself.

But Erick knew the price.

(My mana core… I'll have to shatter it. Without a core, I won't be a magician anymore. No… worse, I'll be crippled… a life without direction. But better to sacrifice everything than let Velna fall into her hands.)

In this world, every human was born with a mana core—an unseen organ functioning like a second heart. Ordinary people had one too, but it was weak, allowing them only to sense mana without control. Magicians, however, had stronger, more refined cores, enabling them to wield spells.

And Erick? He was known as one of the academy's most gifted earth magicians. Losing his mana core would mean losing everything—his talent, his status, even his very identity. He would be nothing more than a shadow of himself.

Even so, Erick did not falter. His chant quickened, his voice—though faint—resonated like thunder in the minds of all nearby. Intricate sigils lit up across the ground, forming a glowing brown-gold magic circle.

Erick's own body seemed to burst with light. Normally hidden mana veins flared, blazing like fire in his blood. His eyes gleamed, blond hair whipping violently in the storm of energy.

The witch rested her chin against her palm, her voice teasing yet cold. "How beautiful… You truly mean to sacrifice it all? What a lovely performance."

Erick gasped, pale-faced, sweat streaming down his temple. His voice cracked as he forced out the final incantation.

"—Terra Cataclysm: Final Bind!"

The magic circle rumbled, ready to unleash power capable of leveling the entire forest.

But—

"Enough."

A cold, commanding voice sliced through, shattering Erick's chant before the spell could complete.

BRUUM!

The magic circle split apart, fragments scattering into motes of fading light. The raging mana currents vanished instantly, leaving the night eerily calm once more.

Erick staggered, blood spilling from his lips as he collapsed to his knees, his body shaking violently. Nearly all his strength was drained, his mana core cracked but not fully destroyed.

From the trees, a small figure emerged. A petite woman with flowing silver-white hair, her crimson eyes gleaming like blood jewels. Her face was young—almost childlike—yet the aura she radiated was far beyond any mortal.

Olivia Lumina Blanche. Headmistress of Starford Academy. The youngest Witch of Oz, known as the White Witch.

"To think… Erick Greyson, you were really about to destroy yourself just for a few more minutes." Her tone was flat, but its coldness cut sharper than any blade. "I will not allow one of my students to commit such foolishness before my eyes."

The mysterious witch upon her broom only chuckled softly. "Fufufu… so you've finally shown yourself, Olivia. I've been waiting…."

The silence of night shattered beneath the magical pressure erupting from Olivia's body. The Headmistress of the Academy stood calm, her flowing white hair gleaming beneath the moonlight, her crimson eyes blazing like embers. The earth quaked as if bowing to her authority. Winds howled wildly, trees rustled in frantic waves, and the very air itself grew heavy, difficult to breathe.

The hooded woman floating above her broom stiffened. Her smile stretched thin, though cold sweat trickled from her temple. "Heh… so this is what makes the Academy so feared? This terrifying aura… just by standing there, you press down on me as though I've been buried alive."

Olivia did not answer. She only raised one hand slowly—her movements graceful, yet so tense they pierced through every shadow. With a voice flat, stripped of emotion, she uttered a spell.

"Bond Crimson."

A magic circle bloomed in the air. From it burst forth glowing crimson tendrils, thin yet razor-sharp, like living strips of radiant cloth. They streaked like lightning, binding the mysterious witch from every direction. In the blink of an eye, the woman on the broom could no longer move.

"Ahh… hahaha!" she strained against them, her face tightening though her lips still curved in a grin. "A tier-two binding? How amusing… I should be able to tear through this easily. But…" her red eyes widened, her breath hitched, "why can't I break free!? What… what have you done!?"

Olivia's cold gaze sliced through her without a shred of mercy. "The spell is simple. But the one casting it is me."

The woman laughed shakily, her voice laced with panic. "So… this is the true power of a Headmistress… hahahaha… damn you."

But her suffering was not yet over. Olivia lifted a finger. Its tip glowed bright, forming a complex golden-white circle of magic.

"Solaris Ray."

A sixth-tier spell. Condensed sunlight erupted, unleashed as a beam of pure brilliance that tore through the night sky. In an instant, forest, earth, and heavens alike were lit as though dawn had arrived too soon.

"Damn—" The last word spilled from the hooded witch's lips before her body was consumed by light. Her scream was smothered, her silhouette dissolving within the solar flare that incinerated everything down to its core.

The explosion of radiance lasted mere seconds, but its aftershocks lingered longer. The ground lay scorched, the air reeked of ozone, and only silence remained.

Olivia lowered her hand slowly, her expression unchanged, as though she had brushed dust from her sleeve rather than unleashed one of the most destructive spells in all magic. Erick, still kneeling with his battered body, could only stare wide-eyed. "That… that's the power of the Headmistress…"

But Olivia did not glance his way. She knew the battle was not yet over—elsewhere, on the old stone bridge linking the forest to the Academy, another clash was reaching its climax.

—

Kiriya now stood face-to-face with the abominable experiment that had charged him time and again. The bridge beneath them was riddled with fractures, chunks of stone already crumbling into the rushing river below. One wrong move, and the entire passage to the Academy could collapse.

Yet this time, Kiriya was no longer cornered. Clad in his mechanical suit, he withstood the monster's assaults. Each time its strikes landed, the suit's quantum tunneling system displaced the impact, keeping his body intact though the vibrations rattled his bones. He moved faster now, his reflexes enhanced by the nano-machine computations fused with his nerves.

"Grrraaaahhh!!" the creature roared, its hollow eyes still fixated on Velna, though she had long since escaped. Kiriya barred its way, refusing to let it advance.

Behind his helmet, Kiriya's lips curved into a faint smile. His thoughts drifted back to the day Ren had first handed him this suit, joking that he now looked like a tokusatsu hero they once watched on Earth. The silly moves and dramatic finishers he had practiced back then for fun… had now become his ultimate weapon.

"This kick… I only trained it as a joke. But who would've thought… today it'll save my life."

Kiriya crouched low, preparing himself. The suit blazed with light, orange energy gathering in his right leg. The device at his belt roared with power.

[Overload Detected. Charging Complete.]

The system's voice rang out.

The monster lunged, both arms raised like massive hammers. Kiriya slammed his foot against the bridge, propelling himself into the air at blinding speed. The orange glow along his leg flared into a fiery trail that cleaved through the night.

"Vulcan Kick!!"