119 Absolute Demise/Incinerate Anthem (4)
"Can you hear me, Glenda?"
After a beat, the voice of an aged woman was heard through the magic circle.
"For you to suddenly contact me, I wonder if something has happened, Augusta."
Hearing that voice, Lavinia's eyes widened.
From her reaction, it seemed that the voice was familiar to her.
Augusta cheerfully spoke to the person on the other end of the communication type magic circle.
"Right now, I was just fighting your disciple the Ice Princess. How about you let her hear your voice. Hasn't she been desperately searching for you?"
In response to Augusta's words, the woman, who appeared to be Lavinia's master, replied as follows.
"There's nothing to discuss."
The tone was one of blunt refusal.
"——!"
Lavinia was left speechless by this response, and her entire body was trembling.
Completely enjoying Lavinia's reaction, Augusta let out a laugh.
"Kakakah! How cold! Wasn't there a time when you more or less loved this girl as a daughter? And yet you are fine saying something like that! How heartless!"
"..."
In response to Augusta's statement, the magic circle that appeared to be in communication with Glenda was silent just for a moment.
And then, she addressed her pupil.
'"Lavinia."
That was for her pupil Lavinia who had been searching after her master's welfare, a reply that could be said to be regretful.
"I'll say it once more. What I have to say to you, is nothing."
Thereupon the communication ended, and the magic circle disappeared.
The excessive events left even Jason at a loss for words.
As for Lavinia herself.
"......"
Dropping her wand, her arms hung languidly, and with her gaze becoming unfocussed, her expression was enveloped by an atypical lack of composure.
Even the Ice Princess standing beside her had ceased its offensive posture.
Completely trifling with her ability, the truth that her patron, who when she had lost her relatives had showed her kindness and offered her hope, had been one of those conspiring with the enemy she was pursuing, this truth was surely something she couldn't come to grips with.
It would not have been strange even if she believed that it wasn't real.
Somehow opening her shivering lips, Lavinia.
"N-No way."
In a voice that was unimaginable for her normally, from deep within her body, from the bottom of her heart, she screamed.
"I DO NOT BELIEVE IT!!! I don't, I don't believe it!!"
Lavinia staggered. Her legs had no doubt become unsteady from the considerable shock.
Her heart and body's condition had been completely shaken.
However, they was still a battle in progress.
Tobio and Natsume met each other's eyes. The pair of them, having agreed to help Lavinia, nodded to each other in silence.
Tobio and Natsume rushed in at that moment, their aim being Lavinia's rescue.
Augusta let loose a dangerous magic circle from her hand, and a black magic circle with an ominous pattern began to unfold.
"You've lost your senses then. Now!"
In an instant, an enormous black magic circle began to develop around the defenseless Lavinia. Bizarre magical power overflowed from it, and began covering Lavinia starting from her toes.
Without time to resist, Lavinia was enveloped by deep black magic power.
Just as her entire body was dyed black, there was also a change that befell Augusta.
The body of the old witch was shining, having turned into an orb of light. This orb of light flew at great speed towards Lavinia who had turned black, and finally collided with her.
The orb of light went inside of Lavinia who had become jet black.
At which point, the magic circle vanished, and the jet black magic also died out as Lavinia collapsed to the ground.
What remained was just Lavinia.
Watching this series of events, Natsume raised a voice of confusion.
"What just happened!?"
Jason's face turned dark, Vali's wasn't much better. They both understood more or less what had just happened.
"How much time is left?"
A voice answered in Jason's mind.
"1 minute"
A short moment later, Lavinia regained her posture, her face lowered, and let out an ominous laugh.
"Ahahah!"
For the usual her, a loud laugh of such a volume was unthinkable.
Lavinia turned her face to them. Her pointed gaze was filled with hostility.
She then stated the following.
"Too bad. I have taken this miss's body. Now then, how should we do this?"
Lavinia expression was so much like Augusta's that Tobio and the others were shocked.
The aura drifting from her had also become that of Augusta!
Could Augusta have hijacked her body!?
The ominous magic from just a moment ago, it was something intended to hijack Lavinia's body.
Though they somehow understood the circumstances, it was nevertheless surprising that the Lavinia before them had had her consciousness stolen by the old witch from Oz she'd been at odds with, and Tobio and the others were racking their brains over how to respond.
Lavinia—Augusta, paying no mind to how much confusion and the like they were feeling, was issuing instructions to the Ice Princess that was beside her and wasn't that independent avatar type made from ice pointing its four arms towards them!
Moreover, even the purple flame giant that Augusta had controlled had started to take an offensive posture towards them!
Augusta, bringing Longinus of ice and flame that were their respective other selves to their feet, laughed fearlessly.
"Are you able to oppose two kinds of Longinus? Well black dog and Four Fiend young ladies?"
The Ice Princess produced a mass of ice in its hand, and the purple flame giant raised its cross up high.
In this situation, they'd end up sustaining simultaneous attacks from the Longinus of ice and flame.
Tobio had raised his guard, but then Natsume grabbed his arm.
"Let's withdraw temporarily."
Natsume had just proposed that they abandon Lavinia in this situation.
Tobio's expression became severe.
"B-But! To leave in this situation—"
He had spoken to that point, but then Tobio noticed how Natsume was biting her lip.
Even for her, this was a mortifying last minute decision.
In any case, at the moment they couldn't think of a way to save the captured Lavinia.
"Leave"
Jason showed up next to the boys.
"Vali stay with me. The rest flee 200 meters away, not farther."
"~~~~!!!"
Tobio made an anguished expression, and couldn't help but to let out a sound as he gripped his fist tightly in frustration.
And then, Tobio took Sae's hand, Natsume grabbed Shigune's hand, and they sought refuge from that place. Koga and Kouki followed from behind, covering their backs.
"Running away are you! Ahahahah!"
From behind they heard the loud laugh of Augusta who had entered Lavinia.
"Vali, take care of Incinerate Anthem. I'll suppress Augusta. This situation is a little delicate."
"Understood, Aniki"
A pair of white Dragon wings on Vali's back. He faced the giant mass of purple fire.
A pair of fire wings appeared on Jason's back and confronted Augusta/Lavinia along with Absolute Demise.
"The White Dragon Emperor and a mysterious boy, what a most interesting combination. Can you against two Longinus?"
To Augusta's question, Vali only laughed while Jason remained silent. None had made a move until now and they were watching each other.
"What are you laughing at, Lucifer's son?"
Vali spoke.
"You're wrong, Grandma."
"What?"
"You're alive because aniki has no interest in killing you. You are not worthy."
Lavinia/Augusta's face darkened. She then charged.
The mass of purple flames fell silent and attacked Vali.
Divide!
Unlike Jason, Albion's skill was effective against Incinerate Anthem.
Seeing that Vali could manage on his own, Jason stopped paying attention to him. Augusta also had her eyes fixed on him.
The old woman spoke.
"It looks like you're not going to make the first move."
Jason shrugged, carefree.
"Time plays in my favor."
Lavinia/Augusta looked at him with a frown.
"You're not afraid I'll keep Lavinia's body?"
...
In response to Augusta's question, Jason grinned.
"Why should I have it? She's about to arrive."
"She?"
"The one who will teach you what a real witch is."
A message reached Jason at that moment.
"The magic circle is ready. Medea can go when you command it."
