Detective in Another World: Solving Crimes with Necromancer System-Chapter 101: Three-Way Battle

Her heeled boots echoed across the cavern floor, her dress made of black liquid dragged against that very floor as she stepped toward Edward and Auren.

Seraphine’s eyes locked with Edward’s for a couple of moments, but there was no recognition. Despite looking straight at him, Edward could tell that whoever it was, despite looking like her, was not Seraphine.

"Who are you?" he asked, but no reply came.

The girl’s lips curved to a cunning grin as she flailed her scythe through the air.

"She’s not your friend, stay focused," Auren murmured as he took half a step back, readying himself.

"Are you strong?" Her voice suddenly cut through the cavern. It sounded as if almost two people spoke at the same time, carrying a faint echo of a voice Edward did not recognise. "Everyone I meet is so damn weak, so tell me, are you two strong?"

"Why don’t you find out?" Auren asked.

And the girl wasted not a second. She dashed forward, and in less than a second, she was already upon them, her scythe whistling through the air where they had just stood a moment ago.

"I need her immobile to extract the evil spirit! Get a hold of her!" Auren yelled toward Edward, who already summoned his only two minions.

Shadow Warlord and Sovereign were already on the move, not giving Seraphine even an inch of room. But the now possessed girl was faster than Edward would’ve expected. Despite the combined strength of two of his strongest summons, she managed to slip past, coming straight at him with deadly precision.

*CLANG!*

Edward grimaced as he blocked her strike. His arm trembled upon the impact, and the blade of his sword sounded as if it cried under the weight of her scythe. But their bind lasted no more than a second before the girl spun and her scythe tore through the air once more.

This time, Edward wasn’t alone. His Shadow Warlord moved in front of him, taking on the hit with the blade of his long sword, while the Shadow Soverign wrapped its arms around the girl’s torso.

At the same time, Edward lunged at the girl’s arm, the one holding a scythe. Wrapping his arms tightly around it, he yelled for Auren.

"Now!"

The man, too, didn’t waste any time. Standing above Seraphine, he extended his arm, trying to consume the girl’s evil spirit.

Seraphine, however, or rather, the spirit possessing her, raised a brow at the attempt before bursting into loud laughter.

"Did you really think you could get rid of me that way?" At the same moment, the shape of her liquid dress changed, and from its fabric, spikes of black liquid exploded, striking each of them and pushing them aside.

Blood spilled from a deep gush on Edward’s side as he stumbled backwards. The shadowy figures of his two companions had also faltered slightly upon the strike. Only Auren looked untouched by the attack, despite Edward clearly seeing one of the spikes hitting him in the abdomen.

"What happened?" he asked, half his gaze turning toward Auren who stood no more than a meter away from him.

"It didn’t work. Her control over the body is too strong."

"So what now?"

"I’ll have to kill her to extract the spirit."

"What?"

Edward turned to Auren, who looked unsurprised, as if he had expected this all along. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"This wasn’t the deal-"

"The deal’s off. I told you before, didn’t I? I only need the spirit, the girl is irrelevant."

The words struck Edward like a warhammer. Just like that, their two against one battle turned into one against one against one.

For the first time since the battle began, Auren unseathed his sword. Without wasting even a second, he dashed toward Seraphine.

The girl readied her stance to parry, but before he could reach her, Edward had also dashed forward, intercepting the strike.

"I can’t let you kill her," he said, pushing against Auren’s strike.

"Do as you will," Auren replied before shifting his stance.

But before he could counter, the two of them had to roll aside as Seraphine’s scythe whistled past where they stood just a second ago.

"Having all the fun without me?" she mused.

The words only had a second to leave her lips as Edward’s two summons charged at her, keeping her on edge as he clashed once more against Auren.

Sparks flew throughout the cavern as Edward clashed against Auren again and again. But none of their exchanges was decisive, and Edward’s two summons were quickly beginning to get pushed back by Seraphine.

Edward’s blade slid against Auren’s, sparks cascading between them like dying stars. The impact jarred his wounded side, warm blood soaking into his clothes, but he didn’t retreat.

Behind him, the Shadow Warlord was hurled across the cavern wall, stone cracking upon impact. The Sovereign followed moments later, its form flickering as Seraphine’s scythe carved through its torso.

She wasn’t slowing down.

She was enjoying it.

"You’re distracted," Auren said coldly, pressing harder. "And you’re running out of time."

Edward gritted his teeth and forced Auren back a half step with his next strike.

But Auren’s frown only deepened. "Disappointing. I expected more, but it seems that I overestimated you..."

The man barely finished the sentence as dark green tendrils exploded from the ground, wrapping so tightly around Edward that all his movements faltered in an instant.

A cold dread ran over him as he remembered the ability that had immobilised him just like that before.

Auren eyed him for only a moment before turning toward Seraphine, who was standing above the two shadow summons, both barely able to stay materialised from their injuries.

The girl lifted her scythe high, ready to attack, but before her heels could click even once more, the very same tendrils erupted from the ground, immobilising her in the exact same way.

"Wh-what is this?!"

She twisted and turned, her liquid clothing struggling against the weight of the tendrils, but to no avail, as Auren was already upon her.

He lifted his blade casually before placing its tip against the girl’s chest, right where her heart was.

She barely had time to register what was happening as the blade plunged right into her heart.