The Ice Princess, also known as “Hyōsetsu Kōjo,” announced her presence with a chilling proclamation. The moment her name was uttered, the heavy, oppressive summer air vanished, replaced by a biting, icy wind that cut through everything around us.

I quickly spread out Silveit, weaving it into a protective cocoon to shield Shirayuki-sensei and myself from the freezing gusts.

“You’re the one who invaded first, Hyōsetsu Kōjo!” Shirayuki-sensei shouted, her voice filled with defiance. But instead of a verbal retort, the Ice Princess responded with a massive block of ice.

The ice, so large it covered the moon, descended from the sky, casting a shadow over everything.

“…!”

Shirayuki-sensei gasped in horror.

The Ice Princess’s magic was pure Mana Form Transformation—the exact same principle as my Meteor.

And fortunately, I had a countermeasure for exactly this type of attack. Though it wasn’t something I had anticipated using in a place like this, it was now or never.

Planting Silveit into the ground, I extended it into the sky and triggered Elemental Change: Wood.

If the Ice Princess was going to use a massive amount of mana to create this gargantuan ice block, I would meet it with my own magic.

“Hisasigi!”

In an instant, a massive tree, towering over 30 meters, erupted from the Tokyo streets, its branches spreading wide to intercept the descending ice.

It was a spell I had developed to counter my own Meteor. The giant tree would shield us by catching the massive projectile. In the real world, this spell was impractical since it required such an enormous amount of space. But here, in this mental world, it found its use.

Still, seeing the sheer size of the ice block made it clear—Hyōsetsu Kōjo might truly be a Sixth Hierarchy monster.

‘You would’ve been better off dying from that blow,’ she muttered indifferently, showing no reaction to me blocking her attack.

Then, with a soft exhale, visible white breath escaped her lips, and the very air around us froze with a sharp, cracking sound.

“…!”

Shirayuki-sensei and I barely managed to dodge to the side before the freezing breath passed us, freezing the asphalt behind us in a glittering layer of ice.

Incredible. How cold was that air?

But this wasn’t the time to be impressed. My motto had always been “Strike before you’re struck.”

Even though I had been forced onto the defensive, I wasn’t going to just stand here and watch.

“Homurabachi!”

A blazing spear of fire erupted from my hand, soaring toward the Ice Princess. But I knew full well that a spell like this wasn’t enough to take down a Sixth Hierarchy monster. Just like Raikō Dōji had deflected attacks with unknown means, Hyōsetsu Kōjo would surely have her own defenses.

I was counting on it.

‘A paltry spell.’

As expected, the Ice Princess raised her hand, and the flames of my Homurabachi dwindled in size almost instantly.

‘To think you would use fire against ice magic… Exorcists have fallen far.’

“No, this is just fine,” I replied calmly.

Of all the spells in my arsenal, Homurabachi had the flashiest, most intimidating presence.

That’s why I chose it.

“Because the next spell is already in play.”

Once again, the light of the moon was blocked. But this time, it wasn’t the Ice Princess’s doing.

It was mine.

“Meteor.”

The exact same misdirection trick that those reckless monsters had used earlier. While she had been focused on Homurabachi, I had already set my next move in motion.

In the world of illusions and sleight of hand, this tactic was called “misdirection.”

Having performed it myself, I finally understood why my father had always emphasized the importance of broadening one’s vision.

The Ice Princess’s eyes widened as she finally noticed the massive meteor looming overhead. She kicked off the traffic signal, attempting to flee from the falling star.

“Running won’t save you,” I called after her.

What the Ice Princess didn’t realize, because she lacked the True Sight, was that there was no escaping my Meteor.

No matter how fast she ran, the meteor shifted its trajectory to follow her. That’s because the Meteor followed the path of Silveit.

“My magic will keep chasing you,” I said, my voice calm.

‘Such persistence… Truly, the cowardice of exorcists knows no bounds,’ she sneered, realizing that the meteor was pursuing her.

Realizing there was no escape, she stopped dead in the middle of the two-lane road, her icy gaze fixed on the falling meteor.

‘If it can’t be dodged, then I’ll simply destroy it.’

“You won’t get the chance.”

I released five strands of Silveit, allowing them to fly freely toward her.

“That’s all the time you get.”

Two of the threads wrapped around her right hand and foot, while the other three missed their mark as she twisted her body to evade them.

Three missed. But I was ready for that.

As she turned to counter, I sent another barrage of Silveit streaking toward her.

Before the threads reached her, however, the Ice Princess spoke, her voice laced with chilling certainty.

‘Do you know what happens when you use such powerful magic inside someone’s mind?’

My three remaining strands of Silveit wrapped around her.

‘The sheer force of the magic will overwhelm their mind, and it will shatter.’

I froze, my hand stopping mid-cast. .net

I couldn’t help it.

At that moment, the meteor crashed into the Ice Princess.

A deafening explosion echoed through the night, the shockwave knocking up clouds of dust and debris. But through the haze, I could still feel the faint pull of Silveit.

Of course. I had known from the start that Meteor alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat a Sixth Hierarchy monster. I had learned that lesson from my encounter with Raikō Dōji.

That’s why I had planned to follow up with Multiple Elemental Changes, using Oboroduki, the moonlit spell, to finish the job.

But now, I was frozen in place.

If the Ice Princess’s words were true, if casting such powerful spells in Aya-chan’s mental world would risk damaging her very mind, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take that risk.

“…!”

I instinctively looked toward Shirayuki-sensei, but the confusion on her face made it clear she had never heard of this before either.

Of course. Shirayuki-sensei was only a Second Hierarchy exorcist. She wouldn’t know about these risks. In fact, most exorcists wouldn’t. The only ones who might were those who could wield powerful magic—and such exorcists didn’t usually need to learn Resonance.

A sudden cracking sound brought my attention back to the battlefield. The meteor had been shattered, and standing amidst the wreckage was the Ice Princess, surrounded by a crystalline barrier of ice.

She stepped out onto the shattered remains of my meteor, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

‘Judging by the look on your face, it seems you didn’t know. Whether through ignorance or indifference, it matters not to me.’

She extended her hand toward me, her gaze cold and unwavering.

‘What I do know is that the arrogance of exorcists continues to astound me.’

And with that, I felt a powerful, invisible force hit me, knocking my consciousness backward.

No…!

I could feel it. My connection with Aya-chan was being severed. The resonance was breaking down.

And without resonance, there was no way to stay in this mental world.

As I hurtled back toward reality, I shot Silveit into the ground, desperately trying to slow my departure.

But it was a futile effort—like trying to stop a tidal wave with a handful of sand.

I needed a new plan, something else…

In the fading moments of my consciousness, I felt a strange sensation through the thread of Silveit still connected to me.

“…!”

I realized something.

There was still one option left.

It was a gamble, and a dangerous one at that. But there was no time to hesitate.

I couldn’t allow the Ice Princess to remain inside Aya-chan any longer.

So I made my choice.

In that instant, I resonated—not with Aya-chan.

But with the Ice Princess herself.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep