Evil Black Maria - Chapter 88. Tiger Tail

Yellow Magic Lightning System, Lightning Strike.

A medium-level spell, consisting of five verses, that was rarely mastered by someone of Izuru’s age.

The effect produced is to create a high density of yellow magic in the air and release it downwards at a specific point.

In other words, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a lightning strike.

But it’s not easy to produce lightning strikes, which are one of the most common natural disasters. Especially in such a small area.

It required a large amount of magic power and a very long preparation time, as the magic power had to be shot up into the sky before it could be activated. Unlike lightning bolt guns, which use solidified magic as a projectile, lightning itself is easily attracted to water and metal.

It’s difficult to use, difficult to repeat, but it’s a powerful, single-use technique that overcomes all its shortcomings.

It was Izuru’s best technique.

“Gah..ah..”

The ground was gouged out in a circular pattern by the impact of the lightning.

The discharge lasted only a thousandth of a second.

That’s right. In just a short period of time, Casca was struck with an enormous amount of energy that penetrated her whole body.

“Aaaaaah…!!”

Her back, which was slightly hunched over, tensed up and she arched her back, her navel piercing red hot from the electrical heat.

The sword dropped from her grasp and fell near her feet with a clatter.

–The sparks and explosions ceased after less than a quarter of a second.

Casca stood in the centre of the charred ground, a thin wisp of white smoke billowing from every part of her body and staring almost straight up.

“No way….How can she still stand after all that….!?”

“This is no time for fooling around! Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Izuru was stunned, but Keith pulled her hand and immediately ran away.

Casca was standing motionless in an upright position, either not wanting to follow them or unable to do so.

Ilze, who had fled out of range of the attack, trembled uncontrollably.

“This…This is bad…”

“…..”

Whether by accident or by hearing Ilze’s tense muttering, Casca’s shoulders twitched.

“Aa…guh..”

The arms, which had been hanging limply, slowly moved upwards.

When it reached the base of her neck, she rubbed it again and again.

And then.

“…Got a cramp in my neck…!”

In a voice that sounded like it was being squeezed out of her throat, she moaned in pain.

“Urgh…”

She had been struck by lightning and her neck had cramped up from the impact.

Surprisingly, that was the only noticeable damage.

“F**k them……I’m gonna f**king murderl them!”

However, Casca wasn’t patient enough to suppress her frustration after suffering a severe amount of pain.

In the middle of it all, she stopped.

“—–eh?”

Suddenly, she realised something. A thought.

The hand on her neck is stretched further upwards.

She touched her hair.

Her blonde hair which was messily cut into a wolf cut contributed to the ferocity of her appearance.

Despite its appearance, her hair was soft.

However, the feeling from her fingertips was different and crispy.

Plucking lightly and pulling to test it – the hair, which had been carbonised to the ends, easily broke into tiny fragments.

(“Cassy’s blonde hair is beautiful. It would be nice if you comb it.”)

In the past, she used to leave her hair alone, even if it was full of split ends.

She was proud of her hair, which she started combing herself after being complimented on its beauty.

“——-huh?”

A few strands of burnt blonde hair.

Casca’s voice was horrifyingly flat as she looked down at it.

Then she noticed something else.

The red manicured nails that adorn the tips of her fingers as she plucked her hair.

Perhaps by electric heating.

The bright red paint had melted and flaked off in places.

(“They are so well shaped. I bet you’d look great with a manicure or something, right?”)

Every day she painted her nails a different colour, and before long she had settled on blood red.

It didn’t take long for her to start buying and using her own tools for the manicure.

–The air around her shook violently.

“Huh…”

Ilze, who always was extremely optimistic, paled at the sight of Casca.

Eventually she turned on her heel – and fled, in an almost straight line.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…!”

Zack, who Ilze was in charge of, was already killed by her.

There is no need for her to do anything about Keith or Izuru on that basis.

After such a loud noise and light, the neighborhood watch will soon be gathering here.

To avoid any trouble, it was perfectly reasonable to leave.

“… My hair, nails…..How dare they….”

Above all, the current Casca would kill anyone who made eye contact with her.

Ilze didn’t want to die for fun.

In the darkness of the night, Keith and Izuru ran with all their might.

They didn’t know where they were going, but they just kept running forward.

“Urgh…, it’s hard to run when you have broken ribs……”

“Hurry up, don’t start talking nonsense now!”

Izuru’s voice was slightly shaky and she urged Keith on, his forehead covered in sweat.

However, he couldn’t keep running for so long because of his injuries. While he was tough enough for his size, he was already struggling to breathe.

“Don’t worry about it.There’s no way someone could take that hit and survive”

“—I hope so”

Keith forced a half-hearted smile as he ran, clutching his side.

But even with his words, Izuru couldn’t shake the unease that bubbled up in her heart.

The Lightning Strike was undoubtedly the strongest attack she possessed at the moment.

Any normal human being would not have survived a direct hit.

“(I feel like I did it…., but I just don’t know if I killed her….!)”

On the contrary, she felt as if she had done more harm than good.

To put it another way.

It’s like stepping on the tail of a giant tiger with all their might.

“—–Yo”

A low-pitched call, resembling a roar, suddenly rang in both of their ears.

Their running feet came to a halt, as if something invisible had latched onto them.

Next thing they know – Casca, who should be far behind them, was right in front of them.

“What….!?”

“….!”

As soon as they spot Casca, Keith and Izuru’s eyes widen to the point of bursting out of their sockets.

But it was not only because she had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“Well, you’ve done it”

The red eyes had a strange glow that stood out clearly in the darkness.

The pupils were different from before, they were slitted vertically like a beast’s.

“You f**ked up my hair and nails.”

The most significant change was in the sclera.

The area that is commonly referred to as the white of the eyes and which, as its name suggests, normally should be white in colour.

But for Casca, with her red eyes glowing eerily.

It was a dark, grim, muddy black.

“Killing you isn’t enough…..Prepare to suffer, you f**king bastards.”

There was a dense feeling of rage in the air that could be described simply as murderous intent.

Casca glared silently at them with her bizarre eye