Though Allen had identified his target's location, a major problem stood in his way, he couldn't swim.
That was no small issue. Sure, Allen could cast a spell called the Bubble-Head Charm, but that didn't mean he was at all comfortable in water.
The Bubble-Head Charm was essentially the magical equivalent of an oxygen tank. It would keep him from drowning, yes, but it did not mean he could swim well, let alone fight underwater. Worse yet, his current magic reserves hadn't fully recovered, so he was relying mostly on Blood Magic for combat. That form of magic could do just about anything... except one critical thing, it became completely useless in water.
As any student of physics would tell you, water is a great solvent, it can dissolve all sorts of things, blood included. Which raised a very serious question: how much blood would Allen need to cast effective Blood Magic underwater?
The answer: even if he wrung himself completely dry, it wouldn't be enough.
So there was no way Allen was getting in that water, forget the idea entirely. And even if he did, who's to say someone wouldn't suddenly yell "Demacia!" or "Avada Kedavra!" the moment he went in? Weakening himself like that was just stupid. He wasn't in the business of hand-delivering himself as a free package.
After all, if we're being logical here, walking into a trap like that wasn't brave, it was brainless. He didn't want his tombstone to read:
"Allen, Young Wizard of Hogwarts. Cause of Death, Being Dumb."
Still, refusing to enter the water didn't mean he couldn't fight. If you don't want to battle someone in their territory, the smartest approach is to make them come out. Then you beat the crap out of them on your terms.
With that thought, Allen pulled out his wand and cast a rather interesting spell on his throat:
"Sonorus!"
After clearing his throat and coughing twice, he took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his magically amplified lungs:
"Hey, you down there! If you don't come out, I'm gonna pee in the water!!"
Perfect delivery. Excellent tone and volume. Even if the guy down there was deaf, there was no way he missed it.
A classic case of words before wands. Sure, it wouldn't hurt the target physically, but at the very least, it could gross them out a bit, which was totally fine by Allen. After all, it wasn't like they were close or anything. No need to feel guilty.
In reality, a little pee wouldn't have done anything. The real trick was in what Allen actually planned to dump in the water: a selection of highly potent, thoroughly failed, and disgustingly smelly potion waste. Everyone knew failed potions were toxic, and while they weren't suitable as poisons, they were excellent for being downright revolting. The best part? The person in the water had no way to say no.
With a wave of his wand, a stream of clear liquid flowed from its tip straight into the pool. Of course, Allen wasn't really peeing, that would've been terribly irresponsible. Who in their right mind would whip it out in front of an enemy that might still be able to fight back? Did he look like he wanted to become the magical world's most literal "stream of consciousness?"
But just as he began, a panicked voice shouted from below,
"No! I'm coming out!"
It was a language Allen didn't quite recognize, but somehow he understood the meaning instantly.
…Wait, what? That was way too fast! This guy really didn't play by the rules.
As Allen pointed his wand cautiously at the shadow that emerged from the water, ready to fight, a high-pitched scream escaped his throat.
And thanks to the Sonorus spell still being active, his scream echoed like a siren across the entire cave.
In a panic, Allen did the one thing you should never do in a fight: he covered his eyes!
He quickly realized his mistake and reopened them. Sure, the situation was awkward, but now wasn't the time for modesty. This was the world of adventurers, no room for petty details!
Then he heard another voice, soft, confused:
"Huh?"
That voice… he knew it. He'd just told the girl who owned it to stay put and not move. But of course, she hadn't listened, and now she'd run straight into danger. She probably heard his yelling earlier and rushed over to help. The scream must've been her landmark, guiding her straight to him.
She hadn't even thought about her own safety. That… was kind of touching.
Except Allen wasn't feeling very moved at the moment. In fact, he felt like a cold, piercing gaze was drilling into his back, cold sweat began forming at his temples.
Under normal circumstances, he might have taken this opportunity to boast a little, but this was definitely not the time.
The "prisoner" who had just emerged now stood atop the water, her expression a perfect mix of innocence and "Please don't hurt me.jpg." But let's be clear, she was the cause of this whole mess.
And yes, she, not he. No tricks, no cosplay traps, no surprise manga reveal.
Allen saw it with his own two eyes.
Sure, the cave was a little dark, and lighting wasn't ideal. But Allen's night vision had been magically enhanced, he was certain of what he saw.
Which explained why he'd been so shocked he forgot every basic rule of combat.
She was a slender, delicate-looking girl with emerald eyes, light blue hair, and a face that looked about seventeen. Her long hair draped over her shoulders and hung down to her ankles. It was damp and a bit tangled from just coming out of the water, clinging slightly to her back in a somewhat disheveled, vulnerable way.
Yeah… okay, she was definitely pretty. Even if her ears were slightly pointed and didn't quite look human, that didn't really affect her charm. Allen had seen enough filtered pictures on the internet to not be swayed so easily.
There's a classic saying: Don't look at what you shouldn't.
That, right there, was why Allen had panicked. He wasn't some anime harem protagonist or wandering playboy, he had zero mental prep for this kind of encounter.
So now what was he supposed to do?
Urgent. Online. Waiting. Please help!!!
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