Magic Academy Bans Harem

Chapter 348 The Tin Man

To be fair, Millie felt that she hadn't actually run away from herself.

Although she entered Erles Academy as "Miriam" for various reasons, it wasn't because she longed to be male or hated being female. It was more of a reluctant choice.

So when Millie first heard Ritas suggest that she face herself, she was just baffled.

However, after calming down and thinking about it carefully, Millie felt that what the professor said made some sense.

During her time as "Miriam," although she wasn't running away, she inevitably neglected her true self.

Especially during the nearly one year she'd been a student at the magic academy. Except for a few occasions when she would revert to her original self, she spent the vast majority of her time living as a teenager.

In other words, if we only consider her life as a woman, there is an "empty" period in it.

During this period of silence, she undoubtedly underwent changes.

Physical growth and change are natural processes. Similarly, maturation in perspectives and ways of thinking is also a natural progression.

More importantly, during these gaps in her life, she transformed from a naive girl who had never been exposed to magic into an apprentice mage.

So, if we temporarily remove the time she spent as "Miriam," does that mean she essentially became a magic academy student with extensive experience and a certain level of magical power without any prior process?
"."

Although these were conclusions she had come to herself, Millie still felt that these ideas were strange. It was as if she was getting stuck on some odd, tangential point, or falling into bizarre philosophical contemplation.

Of course, some things will indeed differ when compared.

However, what difference would there be between examining what she has grown and gained over the past few years from the perspectives of a man and a woman?
Also, why is she still able to use magic to a certain extent?

Unlike Charlotte, who was once a regional leader and thus a resident of this world in some respects, she is undoubtedly an "outsider".

What's even more puzzling is why she woke up right after the Goddess of Bathing, and unlike the others who were drawn into the fairy tale world, she wasn't trapped in the area or even manipulated?

It's important to know that even someone as powerful as Estria was initially confined to the snowy mountain region.

What is she doing?

Not far away, looking at Millie who had her hands pressed against the blood-red barrier and stood with her eyes closed as if in a meditative state, Charlotte asked in confusion.

"Oh, poor child. He'll be driven mad by Xiao Li sooner or later."

The goddess of bathing shook her head and sighed.

Sometimes the goddess of bathing felt that Ritas's educational approach was truly problematic.

Millie was originally a perfectly good "feeling-based" student. Ritas insisted on leading her astray, always making her do detailed or even abstract thinking.

Charlotte and the Bathing Goddess chatted casually, but neither of them let their guard down.

Because the colors of the setting sun have already spread throughout the entire fairy tale world.

"Isn't it about time? To be honest, I still don't really have a concept of those regional leaders you've mentioned."

Since being rescued from the "Carrier Pigeon" area, Xia Luoluo hasn't encountered any regional leaders. All in all, the only time she's had a good night's sleep was after being beaten up in the snow mountain area.

Due to her limited talent in swordsmanship, even though she was born and raised in the Elson family, Charlotte never had a clear understanding of the meaning of the title "Sword Saint" or the power of the Sword Saint himself.

But there was one thing she was very clear about.

Or rather, it's something as common sense as eating when you're hungry or drinking when you're thirsty, something you learn from childhood.

That is, her father is the most powerful person in the world.

Although, as she grew older and gained more experience, this "most powerful" might need to be prefixed with certain specific terms. For example, in swordsmanship.
Regardless of the existence of this world's strange powers, the fact that Cortelene could nearly defeat Roland was still unbelievable to Charlotte.

It wasn't that she suspected the Bath Goddess and Millie were lying or exaggerating. Rather, even if she believed them, she still felt the whole thing lacked authenticity.

"I hope you never have a concept of it. Although I've been through it many times and gotten somewhat used to it, the feeling of being killed is really awful."

The goddess of bathing sighed softly.

Just as she was thinking that the Tin Man was not showing up for a long time, should she get closer and lure him in?

Suddenly, the setting sun that had enveloped the town of Prista began to gradually turn crimson.

"Watch out! She's coming, Millie!"

The goddess of bathing immediately gave a loud reminder to Millie, who was at the edge of the barrier.

Millie, snapping out of her reverie, stepped back and looked towards the interior of the town.

Then, they saw that familiar figure shrouded in black mist slowly walking towards them along the main road connecting the town's entrance.

Millie wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, or if fear was beginning to take root in her heart after she realized the other party's power. She felt that the oppressive feeling brought to her by the shadow of black mist this time far exceeded that of before.

Even if there is an incredibly solid barrier in between!

It was precisely because of the oppressive feeling of the shadow of the black mist that Millie didn't even notice that before she withdrew her hand, two of her bent fingers had slightly sunk into the blood-red barrier.

The shadowy figure in the black mist, who had already arrived at the entrance of the town, drew a longsword from his waist.

She flicked her sword gently, and the black mist-like substance surrounding it vanished completely.

Millie and the other two saw that it was an extremely broken sword with uneven edges and chips all over its blade.

Was this what her sword looked like before?
The shadow of black mist flicked its wrist again, casually slashing the broken longsword at the empty space around it.

In an instant, the scene of being chased by the shadow of black mist, which had once been in the fortress city, reappeared.

As if a section of the distance in front of her had been abruptly cut off, she was moved a considerable distance to the side and arrived in front of the blood-red barrier.

The shadow of black mist stopped moving.

She, too, seemed to be blocked by the blood-red barrier.

Meanwhile, the three who had been on high alert breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing Xia Luoluo's somewhat pale face, Millie realized that her previous feeling was not an illusion.

The oppressive aura emanating from the shadow of the black mist is indeed greater than before. Even Charlotte, who was meeting the regional leader for the first time, felt genuine fear.

"Is she unable to get out?"

After a long while, Xia Luoluo finally managed to utter a sound.

"Is not being able to get out a good thing? Although it's different from what I expected, if we can observe closely through a barrier, we might be able to get some information."

The moment the shadow of black mist appeared, the goddess of bathing, whose face had turned deathly pale, recovered somewhat.

"Observe? You dare get closer?" "Hmm."

The goddess of the bath and Charlotte exchanged glances, then turned their gaze to the silent Millie.

"you."

Is she really the "older sister"?
"Well, we can't put all the blame on one person. How about this, we can hold hands and go together?"

Ultimately, Charlotte felt embarrassed to leave all the dangerous tasks to Millie, so she proposed this.

“If something really happens, wouldn’t holding hands just get in each other’s way?” Millie pointed out, somewhat speechless.

Fortunately, the shadow of the black mist didn't give the three girls much time to hesitate.

Clearly not wanting to be treated as an ornamental animal, the shadow of black mist assumed the stance of Elson's desperate sword strike.

Seeing the familiar posture, Xia Luoluo, who seemed to finally realize what was happening, stared wide-eyed and froze.

The next moment, the surging sword strike crashed directly into the blood-red barrier.

boom!
With a tremendous sound that seemed impossible to come from a broken sword, the entire earth seemed to shake for a moment.

"."

While the three girls were either stunned, standing there dumbfounded, or swallowing their saliva.

The black mist shadow, which had failed to shake the crimson barrier with its previous attack, suddenly let out a fierce roar.

Was it a backlash from the desperate sword strike, or was it anger at being blocked?
The question was quickly answered.

The Shadow of Black Mist first discarded the broken sword, then reached up with his right hand to his shoulder, tearing off a cloak-like object and throwing it aside.

The black mist that surrounded her dissipated considerably.

Upon getting a clearer view of the other person's figure, Millie, the Bath Goddess, and Charlotte all had their pupils constrict for a moment.

Because of the previous black mist, they hadn't noticed. In fact, the current Tin Man's appearance is extremely strange.

The tin man's true form was encased in a suit of jet-black armor. This armor acted like a giant magnet, attracting countless swords, spears, and halberds to its surroundings.

Even Millie and the Bathing Goddess immediately recognized among the absorbed weapons Roland's broken sword "Fishing Rod" and Freud's twin swords.

Presumably, Charlotte will only recognize the swords of more familiar people from that scene that resembles a graveyard of weapons.

"This is this"

As Charlotte wavered, the Tin Man pulled a heavy sword from behind his back.

It was a very new-looking greatsword, so large that one wondered how the Tin Man had ever carried it on his back.

With one hand gripping the hilt of the greatsword that Millie found particularly familiar, the Shadow of Black Mist once again assumed a stance for a desperate sword strike.

The next moment.

The violent, earth-shaking collision sound rang out again.

The first strike caused the crimson barrier, which resembled a world-building mechanism, to begin cracking extensively.

The second blow, with a piercing sound like shattering glass, was mixed with the earth-shattering crash.

These things all happen within a few breaths.

Millie, who had spent two months training in the Cross Hall, found the scene before her unbelievable.

Every strike the Tin Man makes is undoubtedly a desperate, self-destructive blow.

But how could such an extreme and biased sword strike, which even contemporary sword saints always scoff at, possibly be delivered continuously?

boom!
In the brief moment when the three girls were completely unable to respond, the Tin Man swung his sword a third time.

At that moment, the black mist around her completely dissipated, and even her armor shattered into pieces on the ground.

Within the Iron Man's black armor, there was none other than Corténe Elson. She was even wearing the same light-colored outerwear she had worn when she strolled through the fortress city with Ritas and the others.

At this moment, only the armor on Cortriene's head remained intact.

Through the gaps in her black visor, her eyes, hidden in the shadows, gleamed with a bloodthirsty red light.

The horizontal slash, imbued with immense force, shattered all the barriers blocking the tin man's path in an instant.

Not only that, even Millie, who was closest to the crimson barrier, only saw a flash of sword light. Then, the scenery before her eyes suddenly split diagonally.

"Millie!"

Once again, Millie exited in an exceptionally tragic manner, surrounded by the light of the golden apple. The Goddess of Bath felt a long-lost sensation of something rising in her stomach.

After her body died, Millie, whose spirit remained at the scene, wanted to shout to the Bath Goddess, "I'm okay."

Although, from any perspective, she cannot be considered to be unharmed.

Just as Millie was contemplating whether she should fly into Prista as a spirit now that the barrier had been broken as predicted, to see what was really going on inside.

Suddenly, she saw it.

As the dust and smoke from the complete collapse of the crimson barrier dissipated.

With the black mist gone, the tin man, visible more clearly than ever before, was now aimed at her by the red light hidden in the shadow of his black mask.

!

Millie, who was in a soul form and rarely felt anything, suddenly felt a chill spread throughout her body.

Could it be...? She was thinking...
But how could that be? She's in a spirit state.
No matter how incredulous Millie was, Cortriene, in the distance, was still aiming at her location, poised to launch a slash.

"Xia Luoluo! Take me there!"

Suddenly, the roar of the goddess of bathing rang out.

Originally, according to the plan, after Millie was murdered, the Goddess of Bath should have turned around and fled, trying to delay the arrival of the "return" and buy Millie time to explore.

However, at that moment, the goddess of bathing suddenly felt a very ominous feeling.

Even though she couldn't see Millie's soul. Even the particles emanating from the golden apple only enveloped the area where Millie's body was located.

But seeing the Tin Man suddenly aim at an empty space, she still felt that if she didn't do something, something terrible would happen.

"it is good!"

Because of her lack of experience, Xia Luoluo, who was often slow to react, still started moving under the clear instructions of the Goddess of Bath.

Suddenly, she released an ice spike, which struck the Bathing Goddess in the waist. As the ice spike rapidly extended and expanded, it propelled the Bathing Goddess straight toward the location of the Tin Man.

"Where are you looking, Cortrienne! The person you want to kill is right here! Here!! Here—!!!"

Not only was she pierced by ice spikes, but her entire body was also like a broken goddess, who shouted sternly.

The tin man, who was staring at Millie's soul, turned to face the Bathing Goddess, who was still mocking her as she flew towards her, just as he was about to unleash his slash.

In an instant, the sword flashed.

As a cloud of blood mist exploded in the air, the ice pillar connected to it and the caster of the magic were both cut in two.

Three golden rays of light began to shine simultaneously, bringing the three girls back to the golden apple tree.

(End of this chapter)