Lysander's movement was his greatest strength. It's what allowed him to compete against Professor Boyden. And it's what allowed him to end our lives in an instant.
This last means of absence had to have a long duration and limit his movements.
After using invisibility and shadow tag, my mana pool will barely have enough to hold out for one last means of absence.
And if I'm to drain myself dry, I might as well use my mana for all it's worth. So, this is where I needed to be efficient.
This took a bit of thinking, but that girl, Sariel Williams, gave me a great idea. Although for the wrong reasons.
The absence of friction.
'For a name... How about Glide?'
With no friction, his footing will stay unstable. And his movements should be limited.
Using that should keep Lysander unstable.
Applying it specifically to his boots should save me on mana, which I can then use to extend the duration.
I can see the vision in my head. It's all coming together now.
"Alright! Let's do this, Dusk!"
'...Yay....'
The final preparation was upon us.
After gathering the finishing touches to my plan. The wig, uniform, and makeup...
The seventh day finally fell upon us. The afternoon sun began to dip from its place high up in the sky.
August and I made our way into the library. Just early enough to talk to Aurelia, and prepare before battle.
He had her daily schedule fully memorized like some stalker. It allowed us to enter moments before she did.
And as Aurelia entered the library, her blue eyes landed on me.
'What do you want?'
A tinge of annoyance could be heard in her inner voice.
"I'm here to prove my point."
She sighed at my words.
"So then, why's he here?"
August noticed her finger pointing at him, responding, "To save you."
"...From what? We're in a library, Viscount August."
"From Thalia Everblade."
When Aurelia heard our older sister's name come out of my mouth, she turned to me.
Hey...
A face of anger stared me down.
"Don't bring up that name."
Just like me, Aurelia held an awful relationship with our elder sister.
Thankfully, their relationship made my next words sound all the more believable
"In an hour, her knight, Lysander, will appear. If you don't do anything, you will lose your life. That's why we came here, to help you and..."
The knot in my stomach tightened.
"...borrow your strength."
Aurelia's brows twitched when hearing those last words. She pulled out a chair and sat across from us.
Scoffing at me, she said, "Even if her knight will arrive to end my life, you say you intend to help. How is that possible in your worthless state?"
"This is how."
I opened my palm. Letting darkness spread across my hand, it slowly rose.
Giving birth to a small ball of black smoke, I presented it to Aurelia.
"Is... that...?"
"This is Dusk. A spirit of Nocturne."
White eyes peered at Aurelia. Her innocent blue eyes reciprocated by peering back.
"I see..." Her gaze traveled back up to me. "So you're a spirit magician now."
A small smile appeared on her face. As if trying to hide it, she quickly asked another question.
"You said you're here to borrow my strength. Does that mean, you'll need me to use my blessing?"
"Yes," I responded.
"And you're okay with that?" Aurelia asked.
I tilted my head. I wasn't sure what she meant by that question.
"Yes…?"
She sighed.
'Did you forget the last time I used my blessing?'
Yeah… I'm completely lost. How am I supposed to know when she used it last?
The last memory I have of her blessing was when she beat me with it for leaving the main estate. But that was almost 10 years ago.
August mentioned that Aurelia has struggled to use her blessing. That being each time we confronted Lysander.
But there's no way she hasn't used it in 10 years... right?
Aurelia's expression became complicated, her downcast eyes conveying a sense of guilt.
Oh god.
After our last conflict, I didn't think she held any lingering regrets. With her knowing my secret, it's impossible to tell how she feels from her thoughts alone.
Stuff like this is why I keep my blessing under wraps.
Clearing my throat, I explained the situation. "You only need to use your blessing for about a minute. We'll try to help as much as we can in that time frame, but-"
"I'll be doing most of the fighting," Aurelia finished my sentence for me. "I figured as much considering who my helpers are."
Her words were harsh but correct. After I use my third means of absence, there's a chance I might pass out from mana fatigue.
August is...
Well, I just hope he stays alive in this loop...
"So, do you have a plan? If not, I can try to figure something out."
To Aurelia's question, I pulled out a few items. The wig, girl's uniform, and makeup were all laid out on the table.
"First step, I'll need your help with some makeup."
Her awkward expression left me embarrassed, however, to get the jump on Lysander, this was the best I could think of.
And it worked. Fooling Lysander right into the palms of my hands.
Once my hands gripped Lysander's boots, his fate was sealed. The final means of absence leaving my lips.
"Glide."
His feet left the ground, sent upwards as his upper body neared the floor. The suddenness of the situation caused his eyes to widen in a panic.
To put it simply, he slipped.
And, to meet Lysander as he fell, Aurelia's powered-up fist slammed into his side. It was a critical blow, signifying our first hit in this dangerous battle.
The strength of the blow clocked Lysander into a nearby shelve of books. It utterly destroyed the shelf, causing books to scatter along the floor.
This level of damage is due to the utter absurdness of Aurelia's blessing.
[Herculean Surge]
It grants an insurmountable strength without the need for aura. Increasing her physical capabilities the longer she keeps it active.
In exchange, she loses her cognition the longer it is active, reverting her to a monster that knows nothing but instinct.
If Aurelia can hold on for one minute, we should be safe. Otherwise, I foresee this loop ending in a painful death.
"Mackenzie, can you stand?"
It was August's voice that called out to me from above.
"Ah... Yeah."
My stomach churned. Pushing myself from the floor only made it worse.
The lack of strength in my limbs was palpable. It took almost everything in me to move.
"Here."
August lent me his shoulder. Leaning me against a nearby wall.
"Thanks."
"Good work, now it's our turn."
I'm not sure if that was him trying to act cool, or just a turn of words. But I put my faith in them. More specifically, I trusted Aurelia.
As Lysander struggled to stand, holding onto the shattered shelf, he thought to himself.
'What the hell was that?'
He tried to process what he'd seen. It felt absurd to describe it.
A young King Casimir was wearing a skirt and wig. This clearly was not the right conclusion. Lysander knew that.
However, that hair and face were indistinguishable in his mind. If it was not Casimir himself, then his child.
He wondered who. But there were only two children of Casimir that carried over his scarlet hair. Aurelia Everblade and... Oh.
The bastard.
Once he reached his answer, Lysander wanted to react quickly. However, that approach was impossible as he was now.
The gliding feeling at his feet left him unable to walk. He couldn't understand it. The power of spirits was completely unfamiliar to him.
'I'll have to fight at a range then.'
He concluded his thoughts, rummaging through his cloak.
"Aurelia!"
But a voice called out the name of his target. My voice. Warning her of the impending danger.
Without wasting a single second, Aurelia's immediate reaction was to kick. However, it wasn't the air her leg met with, but rather a bookshelf.
The bookshelf flew effortlessly off the ground. Lysander barely dodged as he pushed with his arms to leap from the floor.
*CRASH!*
As the bookshelf collided with the wall, Aurelia stepped back. Keeping a keen eye on Lysander and holding a 30 ft distance.
Thankfully, those movements, confirmed to me her rationale was still intact. Aurelia was still following the plan.
45 more seconds to go.
'God... I hope this is the last loop.'