“Mwahaha! Listen and be stunned, for I am—” I stop midspeech because everyone’s wide eyes are glued to the space beside me. Their gazes are locked on…Julius and his ice-cold poker face.
“Y-You’re Julius! It’s Analia’s strongest Grand Magi, Julius!”
“Isn’t he supposed to be dead?!”
Ignoring me, everyone’s full attention is anchored on Julius.
Oh my gosh! This was supposed to be my moment!
That’s right! Julius is the most infamous Analian in Gaea!
“Hey! Julius, stand back and out of my limelight!”
“Okay.” He obediently steps behind me. However, everyone’s gaze follows him into my shadow. Grr!
“You’ve got serious nerve to ignore me! But whatever. I’ll let you off the hook this once! Empty out your ears and listen well! For I am…one of the former Four Grand Magi of Analia, Elle Falmil Gracedane! I don’t love the Demon Lord anymore, and the Demon Lord doesn’t love me, but I am the grand sorceress Elle who loves and is loved by an amazingly awesome village!” I proclaim, and get elbowed in the side by Julius.
“You left my part out,” he whispers.
So I go with the flow and add, “Also! I am the most loved by Analia’s strongest Grand Magi, Julius! Your ceiling was destroyed on my order! Furthermore, I, of course, also…also…um…well…kind of love Julius, too… Yeah, I do love him. Actually, to tell you the truth, we’re already married. Kya! Don’t make me say this in front of everyone. I’m blushing!” I simper halfway through, getting too embarrassed to finish, and start twining my fingers in front of my chest.
Sheesh! What is Julius trying to make me say? Oh no, my face is so hot.
“D-Did you hear that?! Two of Analia’s former Four Grand Magi have come to attack Gaea! Oh nooo! We’re dooooomed!” Laurent shouts like a ham actor reading off a script.
Whoops. Julius’s meddling during my speech made me stop short out of embarrassment. I have to get us back on track.
“That’s right! That’s exactly what’s going on here! With Julius and me together, we make the strongest team in the whole world! Did you honestly believe you won the war against Analia? Oh, and on that note, we have absolutely nothing to do with Sereniel and Regulus, who are ruling New Analia! We’re a different sect!”
I’ve tried to clear Sereniel’s name just in case.
Phew. I said it all. That’s one job done.
Honestly, I wanted to wreak havoc with a flashy display of explosion magic, but it’s too much of a risk to use wide-area spells now… Yeah, I’m satisfied with this.
I put on a good show.
“How did you survive?! I thought you were dead, Julius, and Grand Sorceress Elle, who is the most beloved by an amazingly awesome village! You may still be alive, but as long as Aela and I are still breathing, we won’t allow you to harm Gaea!”
A clear and powerful voice resonates through the dance hall.
Guido steps forward. His expression is stern, but an amused twinkle dances in his smiling eyes. Beside him, Aela grins at me as if to say I really know how to wow a crowd.
It looks like they were able to hear the whole plan from Laurent during the time I bought with my speech. The show will end once Guido forces Julius and me to withdraw.
There should be a sharp decline in anti-Guido members after having it driven home that Gaea won’t stand a chance against Analia’s forces in the future without Guido and Aela.
Now, come at me! I spread my arms in anticipation of Guido’s slash. He raises his magic sword and—
“Agh! A magic shield…! I can’t bring down my sword!” he says, pretending to struggle to lower his sword all the way.
“Wh-What immense and terrifying magical power…!” Aela cries in a strained voice.
“I must protect Prince Guido and Lady Aela! But, nngh, the magic pressure is too great!” overacts the sham thespian Laurent, who falls to his knees before me. And while he’s on his knees, he quickly scribbles several magic circles on the floor.
Wait, isn’t this the magic circle for time reversal that Laurent and Julius have been practicing a lot lately?
As I stand there perplexed by the changes in the script, Julius brings his lips to my ears.
“The crooked nobles here should experience a little pain to drive the lesson home. Use your favorite wide-area inferno spell to teach them a lesson.”
I stare at Julius wide-eyed. “B-But…I don’t have enough magic…”
“You do. Laurent and I came up with a special spell just for you. I promised to give you the best moment in the spotlight, didn’t I?” he says as he draws a magic circle in the air.
Hundreds of magic circles form around him. Another set appears around Laurent.
“All right, are you ready, Elle? It’s only temporary, but this is our present to you. Nomonicotte nomonicotte ein ik… Time Gate. Answer my request with this blood offering. My wisdom is absolute law.”
Julius and Laurent chant the same spell, bite their thumbs, and spill blood.
The light bursting forth from the hundreds of circles Julius drew and the dozens Laurent drew pours into me.
This is it… This is the feeling.
A nostalgic sensation suddenly returns to me. This is the long-lost magic power I thought I lost for good.
Since losing my overwhelming magic, my life in Elle Village has been peaceful and happy, but I have always felt I was missing something. After all, what I had my entire life suddenly vanished. The void hidden deep in my heart occasionally makes me sad.
But I am extremely fulfilled right now.
Is this why Laurent and Julius have been practicing so much lately? There are hundreds of different magic circles and configurations they used to pull this off. This wouldn’t be possible without them working together.
“Thank you, Julius, Laurent…,” I say with tears of joy threatening to spill over, and I put my right hand on my chest.
That old familiar feeling is filling my heart.
I begin forming a massive magic circle in the air that I haven’t drawn in a while. It appears right over where the nobles are standing like deer in headlights. The huge magic circle fills in the space where the ceiling used to be.
Of course, this is the circle that goes to my favorite grand inferno spell. It’s the ultimate imprisonment spell that I almost used when Sereniel captured me. I didn’t get the chance to activate it then, but…this time I will!
“Open, Inferno Gate! My wisdom is absolute law!”
The circle shines with my incantation and magic flows from my body. But no matter how much pours out and into the circle, my supply doesn’t run out.
Yes, this is it. This is the feeling.
I feel amazing!
The burning red flame pillars reaching the skies above make the dance hall brighter than midday.
“What in the world…?!”
“It’s hot! It burns!”
“I can’t get out!”
The lords and ladies caught in the whirlpool of flame are suffering incarceration in an Inferno Prison.
Yes, suffer. You won’t die, but the heat will gradually cook you! Be grateful I chose this spell over a typical explosion-class spell that would kill you on the spot!
“Lady Elle’s inferno magic is awesome…” Laurent stares up in awe at the towering flames.
“Hmm. They may be the people trying to destroy me, but I’m kind of starting to pity them,” Guido says with a dry smile.
“You are too kind, Prince Guido! They are the fools trying to take your life! This is a lukewarm punishment in comparison,” Golem says with a snort.
Aela giggles. “Please don’t worry, Your Highness,” she says, the calmest of the three. “I will heal anyone who is seriously injured. Besides, I also believe this is just the right punishment for them.”
I become intoxicated by the immense flow of power necessary for casting a massive wide-area spell while I listen to our friends. Julius rests his hand on my shoulder.
“How are you feeling, Elle?”
“Amazing, obviously!” I respond with a big smile.