The rise of the strongest woman

47

As they teleported, the scene in front of them shifted to another part of the forest, enveloped in swirling blue flames. Seiko stood facing the mysterious master, who was on his knees, seemingly at the mercy of Seiko's powers. The atmosphere crackled with tension as Evangeline and Mana appeared on the scene.

"Evangeline, what's going on?" Mana asked, her voice tinged with concern as she surveyed the chaotic scene.

Before Evangeline could respond, Seiko took action, swallowing the mysterious master whole as if he were consuming a morsel of food. Shock and disbelief flashed across Evangeline's face as she watched the surreal spectacle unfold.

"Seiko, what in the world are you doing?" Evangeline exclaimed, her brow furrowing in confusion. "We don't just swallow people like that. Spit him out immediately. We need to question him."

Seiko nodded, acknowledging Evangeline's words. With a grimace, he expelled the unconscious form of the mysterious master from his mouth, the man's body hitting the forest floor with a dull thud.

As Mana approached, Seiko's demeanor shifted, his body tensing as he conjured a fireball in his mouth, ready to attack. Sensing the danger, Evangeline stepped in front of Mana, shielding her from Seiko's potential assault.

"Seiko, stop!" Evangeline commanded, her voice firm and authoritative. "Mana is with us. She's not our enemy."

Reluctantly, Seiko dispelled the fireball, his gaze darkening as he turned to face Evangeline. "You'd better have a good explanation for this, Evangeline," he growled, his tone laced with suspicion. "She stabbed you. What if it was all a trap?"

Before Evangeline could respond, their conversation was abruptly cut short by the sudden resurgence of consciousness in the mysterious master, his eyes flickering open as he groaned and struggled to rise to his feet.

As the mysterious master began to utter something, Principal Rosaline teleported next to him and struck him swiftly with her staff, causing him to collapse unconscious once more.

"At least it's very effective. Well played, Principal Rosaline," Evangeline remarked, nodding in approval at the principal's swift action.

Seiko chimed in, a note of skepticism in his voice. "It's strange, isn't it? This all feels too easy."

Evangeline frowned, pondering Seiko's words. "You're right, Seiko. Something doesn't feel right about this. We need to stay on guard."

"But no, for the moment, everything is under control," said the principal with a chuckle.

With a wave of her staff, the principal teleported them all back to the school stadium. They found the scene cleared of monsters and enemies, with everyone appearing unharmed. Misaki and Azumi rushed over to embrace Evangeline as soon as they saw her.

"We were really worried, Evangeline, when we saw that you and Seiko had disappeared from the arena," Azumi said, tears welling in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Mum. I'm fine, and Seiko's fine too, just a few superficial wounds. It takes more than that to defeat me," Evangeline reassured with a smile.

"Don't worry, I was with Evangeline after all," Seiko chimed in proudly.

Misaki, noticing Mana behind Evangeline, inquired, "By the way, Evangeline, who's that elf girl behind you?"

"Oh, that's your daughter-in-law," Evangeline replied with a mischievous grin.

Rosaline couldn't help but smile at the banter. Suddenly, Mana delivered a firm blow to Evangeline's head in response to her teasing words.

"Don't mind her. Evangeline's just being silly. Nice to meet you. I'm a friend of your daughter's," Mana interjected politely.

Misaki and Azumi exchanged smiles. Megumi and her parents joined the group, and as soon as Megumi saw Evangeline, she enveloped her in a warm hug, much to Mana's apparent chagrin.

As the mysterious man rose to his feet, he emitted a dark aura and launched an attack on the group. They quickly tried to shield themselves, but the master's assault was swift and relentless. Dark spikes materialized from the shadows, piercing Evangeline and Seiko directly and draining their magical energies. In a matter of seconds, he seized control of Mana, her eyes shifting from green to red under his influence. He commanded Mana to approach him, and she obeyed without hesitation.

Swiftly, the master produced a dagger and plunged it into Mana, draining her of all her magical energy. With a final gasp, Mana collapsed, unconscious. The rest of the group attempted to retaliate against the mysterious man, but he conjured a barrier of blue flames, shielding himself from their attacks. In a flash of green lightning, he vanished, leaving the group stunned and helpless.

The group stood in shock and dismay as the mysterious man disappeared, leaving behind a sense of dread and uncertainty. Evangeline and Seiko clutched their wounds, feeling drained and weakened by the dark energy that had been siphoned from them. Mana lay unconscious, her breathing shallow, her face pale.

Rosaline rushed to Mana's side, her expression wrought with concern. She checked Mana's pulse and murmured a spell, attempting to revive her, but to no avail. Megumi and her parents looked on, their faces filled with worry and fear.

"We have to do something," Misaki exclaimed, her voice tinged with urgency. "We can't just stand here and let him get away with this."

Azumi nodded in agreement, her fists clenched with determination. "We need to find him and stop him before he causes any more harm."

Evangeline struggled to rise to her feet, her body aching from the wounds inflicted by the mysterious master. With determination etched on her face, she made her way to Mana's side. Gently, she clasped Mana's hand in hers and channeled the last remnants of her magic into her lover's body. A faint glow surrounded Mana, and although her condition improved, she remained unconscious.

Turning back to the group, Evangeline's voice rang out with resolve. "The next time we encounter that mysterious master, we will defeat him, no matter what it takes." Her words were met with solemn nods and murmurs of agreement from everyone present.

As Evangeline looked once more at the still form of Mana, she vowed silently to herself that things would be different next time. She would not fail to protect Mana again, and if anyone were to be harmed, it would be her.