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OPI Chapter 297: Haki vs. Magic
🕑 Added 2025-02-28 02:41:40 +0000 UTC"That's impossible! Without my permission, no one should be able to move freely!" Cromwell exclaimed in disbelief.
Since he obtained the Ring of Andvari through that woman, he had become accustomed to controlling the bodies and wills of those around him.
However, the pink-haired man who had appeared out of nowhere seemed completely immune to his power. Amidst the purple glow, he moved with complete freedom.
But the stranger didn't even pay attention to him.
An instant later, a loud bang echoed inside the church.
Before anyone could react, they saw Wardes thrown backwards, his body bent at an unnatural angle. He crashed violently into one of the stone columns, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
No one could see what had hit him.
In their eyes, Biba had not even moved.
"What speed! Can a human do something like that?" Saito's sword exclaimed in a tone of astonishment.
Derfflinger continued with a warning: "Comrade, do not provoke this man. If you do, you are dead."
[Swish!]
Suddenly, Biba disappeared from his spot, and, in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Cromwell.
"D-Don't come closer! Get away! Don't take another step!" Cromwell shouted, backing away, his face twisted in panic.
In desperation he raised his right hand with the Ring of Andvari shining on his finger.
"I order you to commit suicide! No, better yet, I will drain all the water from your body!"
Hysterical, Cromwell poured all his magical energy into the ring. The purple jewel sparkled with an even brighter glow.
And for a moment, it seemed to work, as Biba stopped.
Relief lit up Cromwell's face.
But a second later, his smile froze.
Biba began to move normally again. With a slight smile on his lips, he turned his neck from side to side, relaxing. His skin began to darken, taking on a metallic sheen.
"I-Impossible! What kind of magic is this? Why isn't the Ring of Andvari working? It's a treasure of the Water Spirit!" Cromwell was on the verge of madness.
Suddenly, Biba, without saying a word, grabbed him firmly by the neck, slowly lifting him off the ground.
Cromwell could only struggle desperately, his face flushed from lack of air, as he watched helplessly as the other party snatched the ring from his finger.
"Wow, this forced me to use Busoshoku Haki! It seems like a valuable item~" Biba commented with a smile, examining the ring.
At the same time, the purple light emanating from the ring quickly faded after losing its supply of magical energy.
Inside the church, Chelsea, Saito, Louise, and the others felt their bodies suddenly relax, once again enjoying the freedom of movement.
"Uh... I'm sorry, Captain. I think I messed everything up." Chelsea said, lowering her head with an embarrassed expression as she looked at Biba's back.
"You ruined everything?" Biba arched an eyebrow, turning to her after releasing Cromwell, who collapsed unconscious from lack of oxygen.
"If I recall correctly, I ordered you to keep an eye on Knight Ander, find Prince Wales's hiding place, and report the location to us. You did well, didn't you?"
Then he turned his gaze towards the church door and said, "Mr. Tucker, you may come in now. Please help treat Prince Wales."
Hearing those words, Chelsea felt a great relief.
Then she thought of something and walked quickly to the side of Wardes.
His chest still rose and fell slightly, indicating that he was still alive.
Chelsea realized that Biba had deliberately spared his life.
After all, a living person was much more useful than a corpse. Besides, Wardes was the most powerful mage they had encountered so far and probably knew many secrets about the magic of this world.
With that thought, Chelsea used her Shingu to tie Wardes' hands.
"What do we do now, Saito?" Louise asked nervously as she watched Biba, and his group speak in a language she didn't understand. Instinctively, she clung to Saito's arm.
"It seems they have no ill intentions towards us, especially that beautiful red-haired woman. She gave the crown prince a pill and even helped us stop that damn Wardes," Saito analyzed, stroking his chin.
However, Louise narrowed her eyes. “Why did you include the word beautiful in your description?”
Saito felt a chill run down his spine and stammered, "E-Er... eh... well... You must admit that she's pretty too!"
"And what does it matter if she's pretty or not!" Louise snapped, gripping her wand angrily. "That has nothing to do with you!"
Guiche waved his hands trying to calm them down.
"Louise, this is not the time to discuss that. Look! Someone is approaching us. What do we do? Do you know them?"
Saito and Louise turned to the man walking towards them.
However, Tucker didn't address them immediately. He first approached Knight Ander, who was leaning against a nearby column, holding his chest.
Knight Ander's face was gloomy. There was no doubt that Biba and his group had followed him.
But he also had to admit that if it weren't for Chelsea, no one would have been able to stop Wardes and Cromwell. And if that were the case, the crown prince would already be dead.
Therefore, he had no choice but to put aside those worries and focus on what was important. He took a white pill with a purple butterfly engraved on it and swallowed it.
A purple glow lightly enveloped him, helping him recover.
Once he had recovered, Ander approached Louise, Saito, and Guiche, who were still looking at him warily. "These three adventurers are allies. I believe they can help heal the crown prince."
...
"Louise! Saito!"
As Ander spoke to the group, two figures burst through the open doors of the church.
They were two girls.
One of them was petite and thin, calm-looking, with fair skin and short blue hair that matched her eyes. She wore rectangular-framed glasses and, despite her fragile figure, she held a thick wooden staff that was taller than her in one hand.
The other, in contrast, was much taller, with a body of pronounced curves and long red hair that reached to her waist. Her skin had a tan hue, and her entire presence radiated a vibrant and passionate energy.
They both wore the same uniform as Louise: a feminine-cut white blouse, combined with a short black skirt and a black cape fastened with a gold brooch adorned with a pentagram.
"Tabitha! Kirche!"
Seeing them, Louise ran towards them in surprise.
"Why are you here?"
"Of course we came to get you!" Kirche replied with a mischievous smile as she brushed a strand of her hair away. "We were worried that something might happen to you! We know how clumsy you are, you must have gotten into some trouble."
"Hmph! What are you saying?" Louise grumbled, her face flushed with annoyance. "Everything was going perfectly well..."
Kirche looked around and took in the chaotic state of the church. When she saw Wardes lying unconscious on the ground, she was momentarily puzzled, but then her gaze landed on Biba. Her eyes immediately lit up.
"Gods! How can there be such a perfect man in this world?! I... I..."
Louise sighed as she saw the enraptured expression on her friend's face. "There we go again... Kirche is in love mode again." she complained, before turning a reproachful glance on Saito. "Somehow, you two are quite alike... You're both perverts!"
"Ehh... hehehe..." Saito scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, not even trying to deny it. He knew perfectly well that Louise was right.
"Hey, look at that!"
Guiche's voice interrupted the conversation.
Everyone turned to where Tucker was drawing a complex circle on the floor with his fountain pen.
"It seems to be drawing a magic circle, but except for the pentagram, I can't understand the runes on it, and the numerical formulas are also unfamiliar." Tabitha murmured.
"Huh?"
Kirche and the others were stunned. Tabitha was known as one of the most intelligent students in the academy, and yet she didn't understand that magic circle!
"But why is he drawing a magic circle?"
"And the strangest thing... How can he draw it with a pen on the stone floor of the church?"
Louise and the others watched Tucker's actions in confusion.
When Tucker finished the circle, he exchanged a glance with Knight Ander and gave him a wave of his hand. Without a word, Ander understood the indication and carefully carried the unconscious Prince Wales, placing him in the center of the circle.
The moment Tucker placed both hands on the ground, blue sparks ran across the surface of the circle.
An intense white light emerged from the circle, illuminating the entire church.
Louise and the others' eyes widened in shock.
Meanwhile, Biba and Chelsea stood to the side, watching silently.
"Look! The prince's wounds are healing on their own!"
Kirche was the first to notice the change.
Tabitha, with a serious look, muttered, "There are healing spells within water magic, but they only work on minor injuries."
After a brief pause, she continued, "Regardless of that, the fact that this mage can cast spells without the need for a staff or incantations suggests that he is a high-level mage."
"As for why he needs to draw a magic circle, it is probably because it is some kind of extremely advanced healing magic."
Moments later, Prince Wales's body was completely healed.
Only the tears in his clothes and the blood stains on his skin were evidence that, moments ago, he had been on the brink of death.
As everyone looked on expectantly, the Prince slowly opened his eyes, visibly confused.
"Where am I?"
"Your Highness!!"
"It's a miracle, Your Highness has really woken up!"
Louise, Ander and the others burst into jubilation. Meanwhile, Tucker stood up and walked calmly towards Biba.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Tucker."
Tucker removed the green eye from his forehead and smiled, "It was nothing. With this Teigu, I was able to observe the inside of the Prince's body, which made the alchemy process much easier."
On the other hand, Prince Wales heard from the knight Ander and Louise what had happened and the situation of Biba and his companions.
"So we can't communicate with them?"
"That's right," Ander confirmed. "Your Highness, would it be possible for you to use magic to solve this problem?"
"I'm sorry... As far as I can remember, there is no spell that allows people who speak languages from different nations to understand each other."
He looked regretfully at Biba and his companions. In his heart he deeply wished he could help his rescuers, but he simply couldn't.
"This is a problem..." Ander muttered, not knowing what to do. He didn't notice, however, the strange glances Louise and Saito exchanged.
"Saito, tell me... could it be that I...?"
She remembered well that when she summoned Saito to this world, they couldn't understand each other at first either.
But after Louise unsuccessfully tried to cast a silencing spell on him, somehow, the two began to understand each other perfectly.
"I think it's worth a try," Saito said, nodding.
Still, he couldn't help but feel that there was something strange about all this.
Since he came to this world, he met people from different kingdoms and, regardless of their origin, they could always communicate without problems.
In fact, Louise had told her that the same language was spoken in all countries.
So what made these three different?
Could they really be from some unknown corner of this world... or maybe...?
