I Will Create a Good Ending for the Yandere Villainess

Chapter 149: Second Layer of the Forest of Disruption? [10]

[A few days ago]

Lillian tilted her head to the side and repeated, ”Mana Disruption?” She was currently standing in an open centre amidst a thick jungle—a simulation created for her.

Since she had managed to the Disciple rank—otherwise known as the 2nd Tier—she had been given some special treatment.

While the Academy students were allowed the simulation pods, that only really started in the second year.

Anyway, she was currently going through a jungle...

—THUD!

... Alongside Marionette, who had followed her here. Lillianʼs eyes focused on the raven-haired woman as she leapt through the air and slammed the head of an orc-like monster into the ground.

After the monster had become dazed, Marionette, who landed and crouched beside its head, sunk the tips of her fingers into its eyes.

Just before the orc could let out its pain-filled screams, its body jolted and suddenly went limp.

Lillian stared with a wry smile as the inside of the orcʼs head suddenly exploded out with dark spikes, painting the grass beneath it with blood, brain matter, and shards of its skull.

Marionette slowly brought herself up from her crouch before quickly waving her blood-soaked hand.

”Yes. Mana Disruption. We learnt this particular topic in class, while not off great detail.”

She then raised an eyebrow at how quickly the orcʼs blood dried before raising her hand to Lillian and asking:

”Could you please wash my hand?”

”Hm? Oh uh, sure. No problem.”

After Lillian had splashed her hand with water, she pulled out a pure-white handkerchief from the inside of her blazer pocket.

Lillian watched as the Assassin neatly wiped her hand with an almost disgusted glint in her eyes. This led her to wonder why Marionette even bothered to use her hand if she was going to feel like this.

”Sooo... what about it?” She asked, getting Marionetteʼs attention, while she was putting away the piece of cloth.

”Refer back to what you remember about it from class.”

”... Thatʼs it?”

”Thatʼs it. Unless you werenʼt paying full attention to the lesson and canʼt do it.” She folded her arms.

”Huuuh...” Lillian rolled her eyes and waved her hands dismissively. ”Donʼt doubt me, Marionette.” She then raised her hand, transferring parts of her mana into it.

It then twisted, taking on the form of water, ”When people reach Rank C in Affinity, they can apply their element onto themselves.” She then raised her other hand and poked her index finger through the water.

”Allowing some to just avoid attacks with seemingly no issues.” She then pulled her finger out and waved off the water. After her finger was dry, she continued, ”Because of this technique we were able to deal with monsters to much less casualties.”

Lillian then watched as Marionette reached out towards her wrist, gently clutching it and lowering it.

”Then how come we still struggle with defeating some?” Marionette asked, testing her as she stared through the liquid hand.

”Since it takes mana to convert/apply our element to our bodies, it can be disrupted by foreign mana signatures. This was found out during a Trial where a monster was able to kill a few.”

Marionette nodded, satisfied. She raised her right hand and moved her index towards the palm of Lillianʼs liquid hand.

Around it was a thin layer of mana, which once making contact, caused the water to take on the colour of Lillianʼs skin and then transform back into it.

And soon enough, her entire hand returned back to its previous state.

Marionette then spoke:

”Despite us humans being able to use mana a lot more effectively than monsters, we still learn a lot from them—Mana Disruption being one of them...

Lillian glanced down, feeling Marionetteʼs cold, slender finger wrap under her chin, tilting her face up. She stared into Marionetteʼs tender eyes.

”So thatʼs why, unless you are sure you can win against one, try not to underestimate them too much... Especially their intelligence.”

”I doubt I would find a ”smart” one any time soon.” Lillian rolled her eyes again, ”Monsters only really start to become smarter when they reach C rank.”

She then placed her hand on the back of her head, scratching it, ”But even so... At that level, only their ability of recognising patterns would get better...”

”Hm... I suppose.” Marionette tapped her chin before pulling away and headed off towards the trees. She then stopped and turned her head back to Lillian and said:

”Letʼs continue. Letʼs try going through the trees this time.”

”Trees? I donʼt know how to climb trees...”

”You donʼt? Well then... I suppose I can teach you since Iʼm here.” Marionette smiled.

***

”Piece of shit—!” Lillian said, gritting through her teeth as she was dragged through the air by her shoulder.

She grimly stared at the spike stuck in her right shoulder and tried to pull herself off with her left hand.

SWOOSH!

The thingʼs movements were unpredictable.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

They zigzagged through the air, causing shots of pain to bash against her mind as more blood leaked from her shoulder. And after it made one last final turn—

THUD!

”PUA—AHK...!” Her back was slammed against the bark of a tree—her chest plate taking most of the blow, fortunately.

She clutched the spike in her shoulder harder, grimacing at the subtle, but dreadful light emanating from it.

Lillian gave a shaky and nervous smile, ”This guy found out my trick after just three stabs?” She then winced as she felt the spike twist in her shoulder.

Her body also shuddered as something slowly approached her.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

The fog parted once again to reveal the horrific Arachnid as it stepped towards her with its many legs. The small appendages above its maw twitched and even curled its many hairs, disturbingly.

As it stood over, the white-haired girl, it then began to drag her up the tree.

SKRRRR...!

Etching a long, jagged streak in the treeʼs wrinkled grey bark.

Lillian felt fear grip her heart as she unconsciously wiggled her legs in the air. She let out short and rapid breaths as the Spider opened its large venomous maw under her.

She clenched her jaw and pulled her hand away from the spike, moving it to her side and summoning a familiar glass shard and dropping it, causing it to land beneath the Spider.

And when it landed, it shattered into a cloud of glass crystals.

Just before Lillian fell into its mouth, a black spire appeared from the cloud, stabbing through the Spiderʼs lower body and flipping it over as the Beetle crawled on top, roaring with its appearance.

Lillian was dragged along with the Spiderʼs flip, causing her to land on her skewered shoulder, and making her let out another heart-wrenching yelp.

She soon closed her mouth and took in her surroundings that suddenly warped and spun for a moment—a sign of vertigo.

As she looked around for anything she could do to escape, her ears were bombarded with the two monstersʼ hateful screams at one another. And it seems the Spider wasnʼt so unfazed about the new hole in its underside now.

But even so...

”Just let go!” Lillian cried out in frustration as she stared at the subtle blue light still emanating from the Spiderʼs sharp, metallic tip.

She had to escape. But with its mana in the way, she wouldnʼt be able to slip away by morphing her shoulder into water.

She could try cutting off the spike. Yes! She could...

Lillian pushed out her hand, trying her summon the black odachi to her hand—only to find nothing appeared. Where did it go?

”I-I... dropped it...” Her eyes trembled before flashing with a determined light, ”N-no matter! I can just... My water can cut it off, right?”

Just above the squirming limb that kept on dragging her through the dirt, eliciting more painful shocks through her arm, the blade of a guillotine appeared.

With whatever focus she had left, she shaped the water to have the sharpest edge she could make. She knew the leg was armoured, but—

SWISH!

She was sure its joints werenʼt tough enough to that degree!

The breath she was holding was deeply let out once she felt the spike in her shoulder become still. She then shivered at the ear-piercing scream the Spider let out behind the fog.

Lillian gritted her teeth and just hoped her Beetle could hold it down long enough for her to recover. She took in a deep breath before rolling over, placing her left hand on the group and pushing herself up onto her knees.

She then raised her head towards the sky, taking in rapid, heavy breaths as she tried to calm down her heart. After that, she tried to push herself up onto her feet—

—Thud...!

Only to be pulled down by the spike in her arm that was still attached to a portion of the Spiderʼs severed limb.

”Haha...” She let out a nervous laughter as she gripped the spike and tried to pull it out. But as she tried to, it felt like her entire shoulder was getting pulled outwards.

”Haha... Itʼs not coming out...” She laughed again—the rate she tried to pull it out quickened. ”Itʼs coming out... why isnʼt it coming out? It should be coming out...” The palm of her hand bled more as clutched it.

The nervous smile on her lips turned into an exaggerated grin as she tugged at it more.

”Hehehe... just come out for me... itʼs all I ask, you know...?” Until it eventually became a frustrated frown. ”WHY WONʼT YOU COME OUT!?”

The more she tried to pull it out, the more she felt her blood drain from her body, just like her bravery.

She felt her blood go cold, the fog becoming darker and colder as it comforted her in its embrace. It was almost as though it was mocking her a little.

That was when she got an idea... Should she just...

A blade of water manifested just above her shoulder. She hesitated at the thought of doing the unthinkable. She soon broke and got rid of the blade, letting it wash over her body.

She couldnʼt.

She bent her body over as she clutched the lower half of her face.

It was too scary to think about.

She listened to the noises of what she would assume to be her Beetle being slammed against the trees.

How does Marionette do it so nonchalantly?

As the noise grew louder, she figured the Spider must have gotten up from its back.

But... it should be weakened... Right?

The wound left behind by the Beetle must be taking a toll on its body.

It could bleed out! She can win this!

After having this thought, she calmed herself down a bit. And with a calmer mind, she moved her mana from her core and towards her shoulder before pausing.

She raised her left hand towards the air, reaching into her system and pulling out a conspicuous blue pill before popping it into her mouth.

If she were to only turn her shoulder into water, her right-left arm would just fall off. And so... a Major Affinity Pill was needed.

Splash...!

As the spike fell through her now liquid arm, she raised it to get a good look before smiling. It was much harder to keep it in a constant shape. It wobbled inconsistently, ”glitching” almost.

She then turned it back into her arm before gazing up into the fog-covered sky.

”To think I almost resorted to cutting off my arm...” She said with a deprecating smile and tone.

She had to go now. But should she run over there to fight...

...Or to just run and escape?

She then trembled as another roar echoed out from the direction of the Beetle. She then let out a deep sigh, ”I canʼt escape without it. And I doubt it could win. The Spider would track me down soon enough.”

She then got up to her feet and drank another health potion, followed by the mana potion.

”That Beetle is my ticket out of here... I canʼt let it die now.” She then went silent before adding, ”And... Iʼd rather not return to Marionette like a coward...”