Fate/Magus Path

154 Subjugation

At the heart of the area engulfed by the Child of Einnashe, the twisted forest continued to close in from all directions, its relentless assault unending.

"This is never-ending. This forest is determined to devour us," Aoko Aozaki muttered, her voice heavy as she observed the waves of attacks crashing toward them for what felt like the hundredth time.

"If we keep dragging this out, it won't end well."

"Aoko... you should take Shiki and leave. Don't worry about me."

Aoko had the strength to escape if she truly wanted to. The forest wouldn't be able to stop her. Alice Kuonji knew this. She knew Aoko was staying, fighting this hopeless battle, solely because of her.

They could leave, but the mansion behind them—her mother's most precious gift—could not. Alice couldn't bring herself to abandon it, even if it meant dying alongside it. But Aoko and Shiki had no reason to risk their lives for her sake. She was the one holding them back...

"Alice, what nonsense are you spouting?" Aoko shot her a glare, her tone laced with irritation as she continued to fend off the encroaching forest.

"We're best friends. If I abandoned you over something like this, what kind of friend would I be?"

"It's just a stupid forest! I'll wipe it out in one go! Being a Magician isn't just for show, you know!"

With that, Aoko raised her hand, forming a finger-gun gesture, and unleashed a devastating magical blast that tore through a large swath of the forest. Her crimson hair fluttered in the wind stirred by the explosion, her eyes filled with determination. As long as she stood there, not a single branch would reach her friends.

"...Idiot. Stop talking nonsense."

Meanwhile, Shiki, who had retreated to the second line of defense, glanced at Alice, who was visibly drained from the constant magical exertion. She helped her into the mansion to rest.

"Instead of worrying about that, focus on recovering. We don't know how long we'll have to hold out before he arrives."

Though Shiki wasn't close to Alice—they had only met a few times—she wasn't the type to abandon a comrade. Thanks to Avalon, her injuries had mostly healed, and she was ready to continue fighting. However, the forest was a poor match for her abilities. While the vines she cut would wither and die, the sheer scale of the forest made her efforts feel insignificant. Venturing deeper would only invite ambushes from all sides, so she heeded Aoko's advice and stayed back, not wanting to burden the team.

If she had wanted to escape, she would have done so the moment she crawled out of the river. Instead, she had followed the flames and vines all the way here.

"...Thank you," Alice murmured softly as she watched Shiki's retreating figure.

Shiki tightened her grip on her dagger and continued to guard the perimeter of the mansion.

Despite her bravado, Aoko was growing increasingly frustrated. The forest's attacks were becoming more frequent, and though her magical blasts kept them at bay, the relentless assault was wearing her down.

While the Child of Einnashe didn't completely sever the connection to the greater source of magical energy like the true Forest of Einnashe, it still made drawing upon it incredibly difficult. This inferior version of a Reality Marble severely limited Alice's abilities as a traditional witch. She couldn't risk sending her hounds into the forest, knowing they would be devoured.

Using magical blasts to fend off such a monster was inefficient at best.

"Damn it, if only I had a Reality Marble of my own."