The White Death was quiet as it watched Ash smile at it.
"You're probably wondering how I was able to piece together your identity just from all of this, but that's because I did my due diligence for the whole of today."
While it seemed like he was goofing off doing nothing, Ash was actually solving the case.
"I spoke to your roommates, under the pretext of concern and apology, but I used that as an avenue to ask about you and your actions before I arrived in your room."
Apparently, Britta spent a while in the bathroom before finally getting out for the vigil. It was also her idea for them to host it that night, rather than the usual weekends that it was usually done.
That solidified his suspicion of her as The White Death.
"Of course, none of this would have happened if your accomplices didn't slip up and give me some things to latch onto in suspicion."
The first guard who approached him in concern was the lookout.
The three who were shaken up were the accomplices to the murder, and the last of them—James—had mysteriously died to the White Death. He had initially suspected that they actually killed one of their own to hide their tracks, but the blood splatter didn't make any sense, and they also didn't have enough time to do so.
Also, and most importantly, there was no need to.
"You probably didn't know that I had already spotted four distortions in space and that I knew some details about your accomplices, and even if you did… you couldn't pass it across to your goons."
That was the disadvantage of being an anonymous boss.
"Your henchmen reacted when I wanted to enter my room, saying it wasn't secure when I hadn't given them any reason to think otherwise. There was no sign of struggle or anything, and the murder took place in the hallway, so how exactly did they know I was invaded in my room?"
It was something that could be deduced, but not by someone overcome by grief and in such a brief span of time.
Instead, it was the work of someone slipping up.
And, just like clockwork, every single accomplice backed up that logic and offered help. That helped him to identify all of them and also deduce how they operated.
"Of course, it would be easy to commit organized crime as a unit, and having someone in order unit as your lookout and cover is good too." Ash grinned. "Bottom line, you're well connected and also a very good planner."
Stll, he was able to win—and right in the nick of time too.
Why?
"Because, unlike you, I'm ten steps ahead."
Even now, as he was talking to the White Death, wasting time so the guards would come and spot them conversing to the phantom creature, the time could be cross-referenced with something else that was happening simultaneously.
"Right now, Gerard Lockwood and his men have surrounded your room and they are most likely by your bedside, watching you sleep and utilize your Familiar for your nightly activities." He calmly retorted, both hands in his pockets.
"They would have also noticed that some soldiers are missing, and the corpse you tried getting rid of is a fake. The reason they know all of this is because I told them, right before I headed in this direction."
It was the perfect way to trap the White Death in a two-way headlock that couldn't be escaped.
"When you open your eyes… your actual eyes… you will be caught."
At this point, the White Death began to descend, very slowly and calmly. It seemed like it fully understood the situation and was about to surrender.
Then—
WHOOOOSH!
—It charged towards Elma, paws wide as if it was going to take the life of the girl who had managed to conspire against it and also draw out time for so many things to fall in place against the White Death's favor.
Anyone would consider it a last attempt at destruction—a strike for revenge.
Elma ducked, using her flames to ascend high into the sky as Ash used his Magic to encircle himself and float into the sky as well.
He watched as the White Death chased after Elma, probably considering him to be too dangerous for its final struggle.
Elma was much faster than the projection, however, so she was able to dodge its strikes and finally reunited with Ash as the both of them floated in the sky and stared down at the rapidly approaching White Death.
"How do we stop it?" She asked with a sigh. "It's incorporeal, so none of our Spells will work against it."
"True."
"And? What's your plan now?"
"...."
Ash said nothing, simply watching as the white silhouette gained on them with rapid ferocity.
"Ashfelt, say something! You shouldn't have come here in the first place, arghhh! This wasn't the plan you told me about, and you even had to aggravate her."
"Mhm…"
"You bastard!" She shrieked, rushing off again as the white silhouette chased her.
After another second of this, all the patrol guards finally arrived and shouted at the top of their lungs the moment they saw the White Death. In an instant, they brandished their Magia Rifles at the horrid creature, taking aim instantly.
The night was painted in a myriad of bright colors, but none of them affected the White Death.
It was ultimately a projection.
They couldn't attack it… but it could attack them!
The White Death danced in the air for a few more seconds before charging in the direction of the guards who shot at it.
In an instant, it passed through a few of them, causing horrifying results.
"UUARRRRGHHHHHH!!!"
Many screamed as their Magia Flow was instantly destabilized, causing their bodies to twist and turn uncontrollably until their blood was wrung dry and they collapsed to the ground as nothing but lifeless corpses.
"Ashfelt! Do something!" Elma yelled out in concern as she watched the guards. "They're dying!"
Ash watched all of this happen and sighed.
"I can't do anything, Elma."
All they could do was wait for Familiar's power to run out, or for the Head of Staff, Gerard Lockwood, to take action and wake the girl. Either way, it was all out of his hands—though one of the two was bound to happen at any moment.
"Like… right now."
BZZZTTTTTZZZZZZTTTTZZZZZZZ!!!
Just like clockwork, the White Death began to shriek, its incorporeal body fritzing as it faded away in the terrible night.
Just like that, the terror of the White Death ceased.
Everyone was saved.