After watching Saito gracefully land on the ground after his impressive display and then looking at her two nearly crippled golems, Fouquet was once again dumbfounded.
The news that both Henrietta and Louise had summoned two commoner familiars had spread like wildfire throughout the Magic Academy. Naturally, Fouquet, who had been infiltrating the academy, had also heard about it.
However, she never would have imagined that these two commoner familiars were anything but ordinary!
She originally thought that these two were merely there as cannon fodder, but it turned out they were the real tough opponents!
Power doesn't come without a price in this world, even the legendary familiar "Gandalfr" cannot defy the law of energy conservation.
When Saito uses the power of "Gandalfr," he gains extraordinary swordsmanship, agility, and superb reflexes.
However, in exchange, the power of Gandalfr drains a significant amount of Saito's stamina.
Just think about it—how strong can the physical endurance of an ordinary, couch-potato type of boy really be?
So, after swiftly severing the arms of the golems, Saito quickly found himself exhausted...
Fouquet, who had just been stunned by the impressive display from Wood and Saito, suddenly found her confidence returning when she saw Saito looking like a three-second wonder, and she sneered.
"I thought you might be someone special, but it turns out you're just a regular kid after all.
Did Osmond send you here to reclaim the 'Staff of Destruction,' or was he just sending you to your death?"
Waving her wand, Fouquet watched as her nearly destroyed golems were revived once again, their bodies repaired with an influx of stones.
Normally, with her usual methods, Fouquet might have considered kidnapping these kids and then extorting ransom from their noble parents.
After all, most students at the Magic Academy are from noble families, and if there's one thing they don't lack, it's money.
But these kids had seen her true face, and the buyer she'd arranged to meet was about to arrive. To avoid any unforeseen complications, Fouquet decided it was best to kill them all.
The two golems, now repaired, once again swung their massive fists, weighing several tons, towards Louise and the others, who were surrounded. Meanwhile, Fouquet jumped off the golem's shoulder, not wanting to get herself dirty with their blood, especially since she needed to maintain her appearance for the upcoming deal.
"Two-Sword Style: Chaotic Butterfly Dance!"
The frenzied flashes of the blades whirled like a tornado, and in the blink of an eye, the two golems were sliced into countless pieces by streaks of silver light.
Under the dazzling display of multiple slashes, the giant rocks turned into small rocks, then into rubble, and before the golems could even bring down their fists, they had already been reduced to a cloud of debris.
"Too weak. It seems that in this world, there's no need to act so low-key after all.
If even the feared Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth is only at this level, then the supposed big boss, the Ancient Dragon, and the other Void users must be just as underwhelming."
Back at the Magic Academy, Wood hadn't had a clear understanding of his current power level because he lacked proper benchmarks.
After all, while Tabitha and Kirche were important characters, they didn't appear in battle very often.
And since Louise and Saito were the ones driving the main plot, Wood hadn't been too clear on where Kirche and Tabitha stood in terms of power in this world.
But after facing Fouquet, Wood now had a clearer understanding of his own strength.
Fouquet was a notorious thief across several neighboring countries, evading capture thanks to her considerable power.
Yet, in Wood's eyes now, the strength that had allowed her to remain at large seemed rather unimpressive.
Now that he had both knowledge of the storyline and power that allowed him to run amok in this world, there was no reason to hold back. The faster he completed the storyline and returned to the world of One Piece, the better.
The power of "Lífþrasir," the God's Heart, originally seemed quite lackluster, as it could only boost the strength of Void magic.
However, it was clear now that the "God's Heart" power he possessed was an enhanced version.
Looking back, when he fought against Tabitha and the others, the power boost from "Lífþrasir" seemed limited, but that was only because Wood's current body in this world was relatively weak.
Just imagine—if he unleashed the full power of his One Piece world self, then used the power of "Lífþrasir" to multiply that strength several times, how terrifying would the result be?
There was no denying that using "Lífþrasir" came at a great cost—it drained his own life force. But in a critical situation, this power could be his ultimate trump card.
The two towering golems had turned to dust in an instant, leaving not only Fouquet but also Louise and the others utterly shocked.
Wood dashed forward, trying to capture Fouquet alive, but her years as a thief hadn't been for nothing.
Although she was stunned by the sudden destruction of her golems, she quickly recovered and threw aside her wand, pulling out a dagger from her belt instead.
"Clang——!"
The long sword clashed with the dagger, producing a metallic ringing sound in the air.
In terms of strength, Fouquet was no match for Wood. Although her dagger managed to block his sword, she used the momentum of the impact to perform a series of agile rolls, creating some distance between herself and Wood.
"Who the hell are you?! A regular commoner couldn't possibly have this kind of power... No, not even the strongest knight in the kingdom could wield such strength."
Fouquet, having put some distance between herself and Wood, retreated under a tree. Her already scant clothing, further disheveled from dodging Wood's attacks, revealed even more skin, causing Saito and Guiche to start drooling.
However, despite her predicament, Fouquet had no time to worry about her clothes. Instead, she watched Wood warily, who stood before her wielding dual swords, and demanded answers.
"As you know, I'm just a familiar summoned from the common folk, a mere human who happens to be skilled in the martial arts."
Wood spoke calmly while crushing the wand that Fouquet had dropped earlier underfoot.
Seeing this, Fouquet's expression turned grim. Without a wand, a mage can't use magic.
While she was trained in some combat skills, facing someone like Wood, who had just demonstrated such extraordinary abilities, she had no confidence she could escape unscathed.
No, actually, she did have one extra wand...
"Although this goes against my professional ethics, my life is at stake, so I can't afford to be picky."
Fouquet retreated further back to the tree, and after some rummaging, she pulled out what was known as the "Staff of Destruction"...
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 200+ at patreon.com/Betek.