“Hmm, magic that traps those inside. A mimicry of my barrier. This is quite surprising.”

Magic developed to confine those who enter, known as the Cage.

Thus, within the magic, Auria, who had been trapped, smirked as she muttered to herself.

“Who would have thought they would prepare such magic?”

Always on the side that captures others, being the one trapped was an experience she had never encountered.

“Still, just having that won’t be enough to hold me.”

Yet even in this situation, the relaxed smile on Auria’s face did not fade.

The magic that confined her was, contrary to its name, a modified barrier, which was as extensive in size as the original barrier that encompassed an entire city.

In other words, this meant that the space inside was exceptionally vast.

Why do the greedy beasts, despite having relatively weak combat power compared to other beasts, often receive such complaints?

It’s precisely because they have wings and can soar freely through the sky.

Furthermore, Auria could surpass simply flying freely like the greedy beasts; she could leap across spaces with ease.

That overwhelming mobility.

That is the greatest strength both Auria and the greedy beasts possess.

“With such a vast expanse, being trapped isn’t really being trapped, is it?”

No matter how much they prepared a cage to confine Auria, if the internal space is this expansive, she would never be caught.

Even if they tried, they would only be exhausted from chasing after her, who flits freely across the space.

That is why Auria could afford to be relaxed.

Even until the moment when Yoon Si-woo’s sword swooped down towards her.

“Hmm…?!”

However, that composure transformed into surprise right after Auria leaped across space to avoid Yoon Si-woo’s sword.

“…What? Just now.”

Strands of golden hair fluttered.

They were severed by Yoon Si-woo’s sword.

As she touched the place where her hair had just been cut, Auria wore a confused expression.

Her spatial movement could be activated instantly, at the very moment she wished for it.

Thus, it was only natural that Yoon Si-woo’s sword should have never reached her.

No matter how fast the sword was, it could never be quicker than Auria’s ability to recognize an attack and think.

And yet that sword had connected, and several strands of her hair were cut off.

An occurrence that should have been impossible had taken place.

Was Yoon Si-woo’s sword faster than anticipated?

No, that wasn’t the case.

The reason this happened was—

“Something feels… off.”

Her ability’s activation had slowed down compared to usual.

Moreover, the distance she had moved through her ability fell short of even half the distance she intended to travel.

At this point, Auria couldn’t help but catch on.

Something was hindering her spatial movement.

And the identity of that something was likely—

“…Is this magic obstructing spatial movement?”

“So you finally noticed. It’s a pity for a bird trapped inside a cage to be able to fly freely.”

As Auria mumbled, she confirmed that she had lost her composure, and Dwight’s voice amplified within the magic.

“Thanks to someone, I’m fully proficient at the teleportation obstruction magic that I laid down across the entire city. I’ve also placed it in this ‘Cage’. Although most of the cost goes to the confinement function, I can’t completely block spatial transference, but this should hinder your movements to some extent.”

With a mocking tone, Dwight questioned Auria.

“So how does it feel? Is that proud wing of yours feeling restrained?”

“…Ha, restrained? Just this much?”

In rebuttal to Dwight’s words, Auria scoffed.

Despite being hindered by the magic, her spatial movement ability was still functioning adequately.

It was merely that a slight delay had been introduced to her ability, which used to activate the moment she thought, and her travel distance had been reduced to several hundred meters.

However, even that wouldn’t allow the majority of humans to even catch a glimpse of her shadow.

Thus, Auria boldly declared.

“Do you think you can catch me with just this?”

“Sure, that’s more than enough.”

And in response, Dwight similarly replied, brimming with confidence.

Because in his eyes, there was already—

“At least for that guy.”

A figure charged at Auria with terrifying speed, targeting her—Yoon Si-woo.

Swoosh─!

“Grrh?!”

The sword that flew in from behind.

Auria barely managed to evade it.

Chills ran down her spine as the sword grazed her nape.

Unconsciously trembling, Auria turned to look behind her.

Yoon Si-woo was leaping toward her, stepping on the sword he had summoned in midair, rapidly narrowing the distance of several hundred meters that Auria had traveled with her spatial leap.

Moreover, Yoon Si-woo wasn’t the only one targeting Auria.

“Capture the witch!!”
“Attack!!”

All the heroes present were her enemies.

Attacks rained in from all directions.

Originally, dodging would have sufficed, but now, with her abilities hindered and Yoon Si-woo hot on her heels, even incoming attacks posed a credible threat.

“…Ha, do you honestly think you can catch me with sheer numbers?”

Auria let out a scoff, finding their hopeful expressions laughable, as she pulled out a black orb from her pocket.

That orb was an Aetheric Space created using her powers.

It was an item she had lent to other witches, capable of storing enormous beasts inside.

As Auria threw the black orb high into the air—

-■■■■■!!!
-■■■■■■■!!!

A flurry of greedy beasts burst forth from the orb, flapping their wings.

“Ugh, these are!”
“Greedy beasts! Be careful, or you’ll be trapped in the barrier!”

Simultaneously, black barriers unfolded in tandem with the numerous beasts.

Like spilled ink, the chaotic barriers filled the surroundings, swallowing up all the heroes, and the previously raucous area fell silent.

“…Ah, I didn’t want to resort to this extent—bringing out the beasts like this would make things too easy.”

Glancing at the barriers trapping the heroes, Auria muttered, slightly dispirited.

These barriers, which required a living host to activate, become unbreakable and insurmountable, as long as the one who activated them remained alive.

And she could unleash hundreds or thousands of such barriers with her beasts.

Regardless of their combat power, those beasts were optimized for capturing their targets, and utilizing them in a time-limited game of tag virtually assured victory.

For an ordinary human, there would be no means to escape the sea of barriers deployed by those beasts.

Indeed.

To ordinary humans, that is.

“…What?!”

Suddenly, amidst the silence, a sound echoed—something being sliced.

At the origin of the sound, Auria watched as the barriers created by the beasts were sliced away and vanishing.

“…It won’t go like last time.”

Stepping out slowly from among the severed barriers was Yoon Si-woo, who muttered.

In the past, when he was trapped in a barrier deployed by greedy beasts like this, he was unable to prevent Scarlet from being kidnapped due to the delay it caused.

But this time was different.

“This time, I don’t have to worry about anyone else’s needs.”

Having undergone many experiences, he no longer needed to concern himself with the gazes of others.

Yoon Si-woo was now able to wield the power he couldn’t use at that time.

-■■■■■!!!

Sensing danger from their master, the greedy beasts surrounded Yoon Si-woo, howling.

At the same time, several layers of barriers were again being deployed to trap his feet.

However, the barriers, which acted on the space itself and were physically invulnerable,

“…! The barrier!”

Were sliced away like paper before Yoon Si-woo’s pitch-black sword, which possessed the ability to cut everything.

-■■■■■…!!!

Realizing that the barriers were futile, the greedy beasts lunged at Yoon Si-woo, trying to block him.

But Auria had a gut feeling.

He was someone who had faced off against the Sloth Witch and the Gluttony Witch head-on and survived.

In terms of combat power, he was no mere human.

Against such a being, the greedy beasts, now reduced to mere big birds without their barriers, would—

-■, ■■…!!!

Not even serve as a diversion.

“…This might truly be dangerous!”

The barriers and beasts were swept away like autumn leaves.

Auria felt a serious sense of life-threatening danger.

And thus, she began to flee, evading Yoon Si-woo, who charged forth, cutting down everything in his path.