“Dr. Ide’s enemy is our enemy!” The three Jewelculi simultaneously began constructing their spells. Then an impossible—for their stats, anyway—amount of magical power began overflowing from them.
Dimension accurately grasped their magical power—no, the movement of their blood. It must be that incantations had been engraved into their blood since birth. I could see that blood, accompanied by heat, was racing through their entire bodies, producing a terrifying amount of magical power.
“We know our power falls short! But if it falls short, we have our own way of fighting! Forever drifting, the dreamer of the hymn of all things, within the infinitely expanding soul! Diva Praised: Arrow!”
The Jewelculi added a vocal incantation on top of the automatic incantations engraved in their blood to unleash a Holy spell. The Resonant magic of the three, amplified by a double price paid, surged forth as an ultra-thick arrow of light hurtling toward me.
Naturally, I tried to interfere to prevent its success. However, I couldn’t use counter magic against a spell I’d never seen before. I could only manage to delay and weaken it.
“Deflect! Dimension: Counting!”
“Blow it away! Dragoon Ardor!” Snow, who had just returned to the battlefield, joined the counterattack. Her spell launched a sphere packed with vibrations. The collision between the fading light arrow and the mass of vibrations began, and Snow gained the upper hand. The light arrow began to fade away, but—
“Not yet! Dreamer of the hymn of all things, within the infinitely expanding soul!” The Jewelculi repeated part of their incantation, and the light arrow regained its strength.
“Hold on! No more...”
We would lose in this magical contest, in which case, so be it. But the price of that third incantation alone could not be overlooked. Temporarily, they were releasing magic power rivaling Snow’s, but in exchange, something precious to the three Jewelculi was being eroded.
“They’re at their limit, Kanamin! I can’t just stand by and watch!” It seemed that Titee, waiting in the rear, couldn’t overlook it either. I felt an immense wind surge from behind me. Following that wind, her voice, showing her determination, also reached me. “Wind of Freedom! Break their incantation!”
The Thief of Wind’s Essence was unleashed upon the battlefield. That alone rendered all power dynamics null and void. A vicious, almost mocking magical wind swept across the field, as though laughing at the struggle that had come before.
“End it all! Wynd!” First, chains of wind wrapped around Noir, the closest target, from all directions, sealing her movements. It was so fast and heavy that it didn’t even allow a scream to escape the girl. Then, a sudden gust blew down from above her immobilized form. Unlike me, choosing carefully where to strike, Titee showed no restraint, smashing our enemy’s head into the ground, knocking her unconscious.
Next, her signature Wind of Freedom filled the battlefield, effortlessly extinguishing the light arrows fired by the three Jewelculi. Like a finishing blow, the wind encircled the Jewelculi like a birdcage. Trapped within a miniature storm, the three gasped for air, clutching their throats, and lost consciousness within seconds. Of the five-person party, only Rouge remained, having shown no will to fight.
It was over in an instant. With a single basic spell, the enemy was annihilated. Still, it was clearly a forced magical construction.
Breathing heavily, Titee shouted, “Ide!!! Why didn’t you stop them?! Have you forgotten what you said yourself?!”
The Wynd spell still filled the air, not yet dissipated. As if insisting there was still work to be done—or rather words to be spoken—the spell swept across the battlefield. It slammed against every tree in the vicinity like it was knocking on doors, addressing the person waiting far beyond them.
“What you’re doing now is no different from the Southerners a thousand years ago! You exploit the weak without a second thought, all for your own gain!”
For Titee, the Jewelculi were now of no concern whatsoever. She seemed to believe her conversation with Ide was ongoing. She continued shouting, picking up where she left off earlier.
“Is that the Viaysia you seek?! Do you truly not care about sacrificing these people as stepping stones?!”
She seemed slightly breathless. Seeing the scene unfolding before her now, Titee might have been remembering her former self.
“Answer me, Ide!”
Titee’s questions plunged our surroundings into silence for a brief moment. Neither Snow nor Rouge nor I could say anything in the face of her anger. There was only one person who could answer her.
“Those beings are Jewelculi... I still cannot say who the true sorcerers are whom I wish to save,” Ide said, his voice echoing from one of the trees. He sounded a little frightened.
“So you’re just going to abandon them?! I’m telling you, that’s the same mindset the South had! Don’t you realize it’s just the words that have changed?!”
“I have no desire to debate with the Sovereign Queen Lorde right now. Dealing with Kanami the Founder comes first. Unless I eliminate him, persuading you will be pointless. No matter what I say, we’ll just go round in circles,” Ide continued, cutting off the conversation. He clearly had no intention of talking with his sister. Just as Titee now seemed to have eyes only for Ide, he addressed me as if I were the only one in sight.
“Kanami the Founder, I have a good grasp of your current strength. The biggest difference from the past is your Swordsmanship skill. And you seem to be even more of a slow starter than before. While there are various changes, it is still within my expectations.”
“Ide! Don’t ignore me!” Titee shouted, angered by his rudeness, but Ide continued speaking to me without acknowledging her.
“It is within my expectations, and yet you are still strong. You are unfairly powerful, Kanami the Founder. I knew it, but my body still trembles. Still, I’ve grown stronger over the past year too. Of course, the Apostle and your sister have as well.”
I couldn’t stay silent when he brought up Dia and Hitaki. “I’m sorry, but I need you to give them back. That’s why I’m here.”
“It seems we both have things we want back. If we could exchange hostages, things would be simple...”
“That’s impossible. As long as you demand Titee be returned as the Sovereign Queen Lorde, I couldn’t give her back even if I wanted to.”
We each held the other’s most precious person. If it were something we could exchange immediately, we would, but we both knew that was impossible. We paused for a breath, each waiting calmly for the other to speak.
Finally, Ide did. “Well then, Kanami the Founder, let us duel. With the safety of our precious ones at stake.”
He declared war. It was so unexpected that even Titee’s furious shouts from behind fell silent.
“Ide?” she said.
As if explaining to both the astonished Titee and the skeptical me, Ide detailed the terms of the duel.
“No detours, no tricks, no negotiations, no discussions. Come straight to Viaysia Castle, where I await. There, I will stake everything I am to defeat you. I should have done this long ago. Truthfully, ever since the day I met you, I sensed this moment would come.”
His voice flowed smoothly, like he was reminiscing about the past. It was so calm and gentle that it made my earlier assessment that he was insane seem like a lie.
“Kanami the Founder... There was a time I wished to walk alongside you. But now that you have reappeared with my queen, I cast aside that sentimentality. I give up on ever reaching that ideal nation. My kingdom has no need for Kanami the Founder. That’s my final decision.”
I sensed a hint of affection toward me there. A one-sided affection absent from my memory. But it was swiftly smothered by fury, replaced by a savage challenge.