Chapter 5: The Scorching First Battle

The next day.

Finally, the time had come for the Alzano Empire’s representative team to compete.

Their first opponent was the desert nation of Harasa—a team led by Adil Alhazad, a scholar from the Astrological Observatory, serving as the main wizard.

The spectator stands of the Celica-Elliot Grand Arena were already packed to capacity.

Even though there was still an hour until the match began, the fervor of the crowd was, as always, electrifying.

In the athletes’ waiting room of the grand arena, where the heat and cheers of the audience felt slightly distant…

(The opponent is Adil… that guy from the first day’s introductions…)

Sistine recalled Adil’s demeanor when he nearly clashed with Markov Dragunov from the Farnelia Unified Theological Academy.

—Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine; his presence was that overwhelming.

(Is it because of his homeland? That guy is definitely seasoned in real combat…)

Though Sistine herself was no stranger to real combat despite being a student, she didn’t make the connection, instead pondered with a sense of wonder.

(It’s strange. The old me… faced with someone with that kind of intensity, I’d be so terrified I couldn’t stop shaking… No, even now, I’m scared, but… I’m not trembling, and I feel oddly calm, almost unnaturally so… In fact, there’s a part of me that’s actually looking forward to competing against someone that formidable…)

Had something gone wrong with her?

“—And that’s the rundown of the match format and rules for our first battle.”

When Sistine snapped back to reality, she realized Glenn was standing before them, explaining the details of the first match and its rules, which had only been announced that morning.

“Got it all, White Cat?”

“…Huh? Oh… yeah, I’m good.”

Was it because her focus was heightened to an extreme degree? Even though Sistine had been lost in thought, Glenn’s explanation had lodged itself firmly in her mind.

She could probably recite every word verbatim, down to the quirks in Glenn’s speech.

“…Man, I’ve been thinking this since yesterday, but what kinda rules are these? One wrong move, and someone could die… Whoever came up with this is either a sadist or an idiot.”

“People getting injured or killed at the Magic Festival isn’t exactly new, is it?”

Eve snorted in response to Glenn’s exasperated mutter.

“Whether it’s magic, bare-knuckle fighting, or swordsmanship, any contest with the nature of a battle always carries the risk of injury or death.

The organizers have put safety measures in place to protect the students as much as possible. They’ve got top-notch medical mages on standby, so unless it’s instant death, they can handle it.

Spare me the tedious overprotectiveness about whether such dangerous matches should be allowed, alright?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Everyone here knew what they were signing up for and came prepared… An outsider like me’s got no right to lecture anyone who’s steeled themselves for this fight.”

With a sigh, Glenn turned to face Sistine and the other students.

“So, I’ve got just one thing to say to you all: Be careful out there, got it?”

The students nodded quietly in response to Glenn’s words.

Colette, Francine, Ginny, Gibul, Heinkel, Maria… all of them seemed to be feeling some degree of tension. Even the stronger ones like Rize, Jaill, and Levin, though acting as usual, were quieter, their words sparse.

“Especially you, White Cat. Pull yourself together, Main Wizard… You’ve been kinda spaced out. What, nerves got your brain all scrambled?”

“No… it’s not that…”

If anything, it was the opposite. Her senses were sharpened to an almost bewildering degree.

(I mean, listen… I can hear footsteps approaching from outside the waiting room…)

And from the sound of those footsteps, she could somehow tell who they belonged to.

Logically, there was no way those people should be in a place like this.

(…Huh? Why are they here…?)

That was what Sistine was vaguely thinking about.

Bam!

“Yo, Sensei! How’s it hangin’?!”

“The match starts in an hour, right? Good thing we made it in time!”

“Wha—!? What the hell are you guys doing here!?”

As Kash, Wendy, Teresa, Cecil, and Lynn—students from Glenn’s class—burst into the room with overwhelming energy, Glenn was utterly floored, while Sistine merely blinked in mild surprise.

“Ain’t it obvious? We took a little leave of absence to come cheer you guys on!”

“For travel, we pulled some strings through my family’s Reidi Trading Company… you know, just a bit.”

“You’re the ones chosen over me, of all people! You’d better win this thing, or I won’t be satisfied!”

“I just… really wanted to see everyone shining on the world stage with my own eyes…”

“Yeah… d-do your best… everyone…”

Kash and the others showered them with words of encouragement.

“…Hmph, what a bunch of idle slackers, as always.”

But even Gibul, who turned away with a sarcastic remark, didn’t seem entirely displeased.

“Goddamn it, how’d a bunch of outsiders get in here…?”

“Oh, sorry, Sensei. Ellen and I let them in.”

Rumia gave a wry smile in response to Glenn’s exasperated grumbling.

Ignoring Glenn and the others, the students began chatting animatedly.

“So? How’s it going, Levin-san from Kleitos? You in top form? Feeling confident?”

“Heh… I’d say I’m doing alright, wouldn’t you?”

“Colette, Francine, are you two okay? You don’t look so great.”

“W-We’re totally fine! Right!?”

“Exactly, Wendy! With us on the job, this match is—!”

“Maria-san, Jaill-san, do your best out there, okay? We’re rooting for you!”

“Th-Thank you, Teresa-senpai! I’m beyond grateful!”

“…Hmph.”

The unexpected arrival of the cheering squad made the waiting room suddenly lively.

The tension among the students preparing for the match seemed to ease in a positive way.

As the atmosphere grew warm and convivial…

“It’s almost time. To all members of the Alzano Empire’s representative team for today’s match, please proceed to the competition venue.”

An official entered the waiting room, urging them to move.

The battle on the world stage… its first round was about to begin.

As Sistine followed the official out of the room…

“Sistine.”

Glenn called out to her firmly, and she turned back.

“…Do your best out there. Show ’em what you’ve got.”

“Yes, sir! I’m off, Master! Just kidding♪”

Sistine flashed a bold grin, gave Glenn a playful salute, and left the room.

 

Passing through the long corridor leading to the field, they slipped through the gate.

Beyond it lay a vast expanse of reddish-brown rock, with mountains and valleys stretching out in intricate patterns.

“…This is incredible! What is this place!? Is this really the Celica-Elliot Grand Arena!?”

Maria let out a dumbfounded cry, overwhelmed by the majestic, imposing grandeur of the natural landscape.

“Sure, the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy’s arena has environmental manipulation functions, but…”

“The capabilities of this venue far surpass those.”

Most likely, magic was distorting the space itself. This field was clearly much larger than the arena’s actual area.

Rize and Gibul could only marvel at the unimaginable capabilities of the grand arena.

“Let’s review the rules, shall we?”

Sistine turned to the group and spoke.

“That said, the rules themselves are pretty straightforward. This time, the team that renders the opposing team’s captain—essentially, the main wizard—incapacitated wins.”

“But this field is teeming with magical beasts summoned and controlled through summoning magic. They’ve been ordered to attack any humans they see… though not to kill, of course.”

Rize added as a supplement.

As the group scanned their surroundings, they could sense the presence of numerous dangerous magical beasts lurking nearby.

“In short, it’s about defeating or evading the magical beasts while figuring out how to take down the enemy’s main wizard… and how to protect our own. Got it.”

Levin said coolly, running a hand through his hair.

“So, what’s the plan, Sistine? How do we move?”

At Gibul’s question, Sistine fell silent for a moment…

“…We’ll split into two groups.”

She analyzed calmly.

“They’ve likely got skilled detection mages on their side, so hiding is pointless. Instead of that, we should proactively secure a battlefield that gives us the advantage. We need to strike before they do.”

“!”

“We’ll divide into a scouting team and a strike team. Using communication magic to stay coordinated, the scouting team will track the enemy team and the movements of the magical beasts. The strike team will follow the scouting team’s intel to clear out beasts and secure territory. Once we’ve claimed a favorable position, we regroup and launch a full assault.”

Then, Sistine turned to the group and issued her commands with unwavering confidence.

“The scouting team will be led by Levin, with Heinkel, Gibul, and Ginny—you four, I’m counting on you. The strike team will be led by me, with Rize-senpai, Jaill-kun, Colette, Francine, and Maria—that’s the six of us.”

Her decisive and confident leadership earned natural nods from everyone.

It was clear to all now.

Standing on this grand stage without a hint of hesitation or nervousness, her sharp gaze fixed solely on victory like a valiant war maiden, Sistine was undeniably their leader… the Alzano Empire’s main wizard.

“Heh… I thought you’d go for some passive, defensive strategy, but damn… For a girl, you’ve got some serious guts with that call. I like it.”

Jaill grinned ferociously.

Sistine returned a fearless smirk.

At that moment, fireworks signaling the start of the match burst into the field’s sky.

“—Here we go, everyone! Lend me your strength!”

“Hell yeah!”

“Leave it to us!”

With that, Sistine and the others channeled mana into the physical enhancement runes etched into their bodies, scattering like a gust of wind—

 

“…It’s begun.”

“Yes, it has.”

“…Do your best, Sistine…”

—In the spectator stands.

Glenn, Eve, Rumia, and Ellen were watching the field.

That said, since the field’s space was distorted to expand its area, the view from Glenn and the others’ vantage point looked like a miniature model.

As a result, countless images, like windows, were projected into the sky above the arena using light magic.

These included perspectives from the athletes, views of the field, and various other angles, allowing everyone to follow the match and its overall flow.

The spectators all looked up at the sky’s images, growing excited as the match began to unfold.

“…For now, I can relax a bit. I’ve been on edge wondering when and how the Thirteenth Holy Execution Squad might try to interfere…”

“Yeah, the field is sealed off with a barrier that prevents interference from the stands. It’s impossible to meddle, and if anyone tried, we’d know instantly. Ironically, during this insanely dangerous match, they’re actually safe.”

Eve and Glenn exchanged such thoughts with mixed feelings.

“Heh, that White Cat’s making some solid calls.”

Watching Sistine in the overhead images deftly handle an attacking Shadow Wolf with remarkable skill, Glenn commented.

“Magical beasts protect their territory. Knowing early on where each beast has staked its claim and where the safe zones are is critical. Instead of huddling together to protect themselves, boldly splitting into a scouting team and a strike team was a great decision.”

“Indeed. That girl… she might have a knack for leadership.”

Eve, unusually, responded with a hint of pride to Glenn’s words.

“Wooooh! Go, Sistine!”

“Everyone’s amazing… They’re not fazed at all by that many magical beasts…”

Behind Glenn, Kash, Wendy, Teresa, Cecil, and Lynn were cheering loudly, watching Sistine and the others fight.

“…Hm. They’re securing territory at a solid pace. Claiming high ground ideal for magical sniping… If you view this as a magical corps battle, they’re playing it perfectly by the book.”

Glenn compared Sistine’s team’s advance route to the field map in his hand, making his assessment.

“Still, I didn’t expect this. Harasa’s team seems to be struggling with securing their territory…”

A glance showed that Harasa’s team wasn’t being particularly aggressive in their offense.

Nor were they employing a defensive strategy to protect their main wizard.

Their approach was oddly indecisive, neither here nor there.

“If this keeps up, White Cat’s team can set up a crossfire from the high ground and flank them… Heh, this might end up being an easy rout.”

Glenn laughed optimistically.

But Eve, sharply analyzing the situation in the sky, soon muttered with a troubled expression.

“…I see.”

“I see? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“No, it’s true that Sistine is playing this battle by the book, executing textbook strategies beautifully. It’s impressive. Thirty minutes in, and they’ve already gained this much battlefield advantage… Normally, the empire’s victory would be all but assured. …Normally.”

“What’s with the cryptic tone? Spill it.”

“Conventional strategies don’t work against unconventional opponents. Especially not against someone who’s a huge fool.”

“…Huh? What do you mean by—?”

At that moment.

Oooooooohhh—!?

The spectator stands erupted in a unified roar.

 

When Sistine heard Gibul’s urgent voice through the communication magic…

“…What? No way…?”

She couldn’t help but be stunned.

But as the communication magic reported, someone was—coming.

Scaling rocky cliffs, leaping over valleys, navigating complex terrain with triangular jumps, and slicing through flocks of avian magical beasts overhead with a blade, cutting them down one by one.

Straight, straight, straight.

At an almost inhuman speed, they were charging—toward them.

“—Hah!”

Finally, the boy, cloaked in wind, landed before Sistine and her team.

“…Yo, we meet again.”

“You’re—Adil!?”

Sistine’s eyes widened in shock.

It was none other than Harasa’s main wizard, Adil.

The enemy’s leader had appeared before Sistine’s group of six—alone.

The utterly unexpected turn of events left Sistine speechless.

“Hmph! You think you can take us on all by yourself!?”

“…Talk about underestimating us…!”

Colette and Francine bristled at Adil’s audaciously bold move.

“Haha, don’t get so mad. Even I’d struggle to face six world-class powerhouses alone. So—I’ll do this.”

Adil raised his left hand, revealing four gemstones held between his fingers.

“No way—”

“Tch, you bastard!”

Sensing something, Rize and Jaill lunged at Adil, swords raised.

—But they were too late.

“Hah!”

As Adil chanted a spell, he released the four gemstones.

The gems arced sharply, as if each had a will of its own, landing on the ground to form a wide circle around Sistine, who had stepped forward, and Adil.

The gems, landing at the vertices of a square, emitted a blinding surge of magical light.

Lines of magical energy raced along the ground, connecting the vertices—and along those lines, walls of light shot up toward the sky.

“A severance barrier!?”

“It’s simple, Sistine. …Let’s go one-on-one.”

Before the stunned Sistine, Adil beckoned invitingly, grinning with amusement.

“Oh, and just so you know, that barrier is unbreakable. Your overly systematic magic probably can’t comprehend it, but… ‘fighting one-on-one’… that 《oath》 makes this barrier impregnable.”

“《Oath》…?”

“Of course, a barrier this powerful comes at a cost. The four comrades who 《swore》 to share their fate with those four gems… are probably out of mana and incapacitated by now.”

Faced with magic they’d never seen or heard of, everyone present couldn’t hide their bewilderment.

“Magic is a mystery where blessings and sacrifices are two sides of the same coin. So, our 《Astromancy》, which reads the stars, deciphers our own fates, and intervenes in the world through the 《oaths》 we impose on our destinies, is the strongest magic of all. I’ll prove it to you.”

“I don’t really get it… but you used up four of your teammates to create this barrier? Just to fight me one-on-one?”

Sistine, visibly displeased, questioned him.

“In terms you’d understand, that’s exactly it.”

Adil replied nonchalantly.

“That’s just…!”

“What’s wrong with that? Remember the purpose of this tournament, Sistine. This battle was always meant to be a clash between main wizards.”

“!?”

“Sub-wizards sacrifice themselves for the main wizard. The main wizard must step over them to secure victory. It’s all for the honor of our nations and the heights we aim to reach. A main wizard is someone who bears everything.”

“Th-that’s…”

“I’ve already 《sworn》 it. I’ll win, no matter what, using my comrades as stepping stones. I’ll bring victory. They believed in me and sent me forth, and I carry their trust as I face you. I’m certain you’re worth fighting, even at such a cost.”

Adil’s gaze, fixed directly on Sistine, was utterly clear.

It held nothing but his unyielding conviction and a pure desire for victory.

“Stop measuring our beliefs and thirst for victory by your common sense. Now, get ready, Sistine. I’ll say this… in a one-on-one, I will win. No question.”

With a sharp shari, Adil draws his curved blade.

A blazing, unyielding battle spirit rises from his body.

Sistine gazes at Adil for a moment… then lets out a faint smile.

“…I apologize. For a moment, I almost looked down on you. You… no, all of you, are truly pure in your pursuit of victory. You’re coming to win with absolute seriousness.”

And so, as Rize and the others watch from beyond the barrier, Sistine readies herself.

Then, after a brief pause.

“—《O great wind》—!”

Sistine shouts her incantation.

“《ABRA (I) / STA (here) / KEBRASTA (swear an oath)》—!”

Adil, too, chants his spell, gripping his curved blade and charging toward Sistine.

Adil’s left fingers dance swiftly above his head—in an instant, a star chart is drawn and unfurls.

In that fleeting moment, Adil’s blade slices through the fierce gale Sistine unleashed.

“《O violet lightning of the thunder spirit》!”

Sistine counters with a flash of her lightning spear.

Simultaneously, she activates Black Magic [Rapid Stream] in rapid succession—Gale Kick.

Sistine leaps, kicks off the barrier’s wall to leap again, and soars through the air.

“—So fast!? But—…”

For a moment, Adil loses sight of Sistine, but he quickly alters the star chart above his head with his fingers, activating some kind of magic to hyper-accelerate—catching up to Sistine’s movements.

“Haaaaaaa—!”

“Fu—!”

The two, chanting spells midair, cross paths and clash fiercely.

 

Beyond the barrier, as their intense battle unfolds.

“Daaaa—!? What do we do about this!?”

“It doesn’t feel like it’ll break at all!”

Colette and Francine pound on the barrier’s wall with Black Magic (Burakku Aatsu) and Maraha.

But it doesn’t budge in the slightest.

“…Dispelling it doesn’t seem possible either. It’s not just simply sturdy.”

“It’s like it’s ‘decided from the start that it can’t be broken’… I’ve never seen such strange magic.”

Jaill and Maria wear expressions as if they’ve bitten into something bitter.

“《O eyes of the sage・discern the myriad truths・reveal your great wisdom before me》…”

But Rize, who had been muttering something under her breath, calmly spoke.

“…The analysis is complete. It’s fine, we can break through.”

She had been analyzing Adil’s barrier with Black Magic [Function Analyze].

“Oh, seriously!? As expected of Rize-neesan!”

“There’s no such thing as an ‘absolute’ in this world’s magic. This barrier is no exception. From the analysis, I’ve determined that to maintain this excessively strong isolation barrier, a sub-caster controlling it remotely must be relatively close by. If we take out that caster…”

“The barrier will break!? Then, let’s get moving—!”

As Maria and the others eagerly start to move… it happens.

“I won’t let you.”

With those resolute words.

From the sky, balls of flame rain down one after another onto the group.

The members of the Alzano Empire team scatter instinctively to avoid them.

“Wha—!?”

“Heh, they showed up, huh!”

Looking up, they see several figures standing atop a cliff.

From their attire, it’s clear—they’re Adil’s comrades.

“I won’t let you interfere with Adil. I’ll be your opponent.”

A girl with beautiful black hair and tanned skin glares straight down at Rize and the others.

“…I see, splitting up as per standard strategy backfired, didn’t it?”

“Heh! Fine by me! Let’s do this—!”

Colette, now visibly fired up, has completely shed her pre-match nervousness.

With a ferocious grin, she unleashes her full magic, igniting explosive flames around her fists with Black Magic and charges up the cliff with beast-like agility.

“Go, get them!”

Francine spreads her arms, summoning a Maraha with white wings on its back.

She sends it soaring after Colette.

“Tch—those reckless boar women!”

“W-Wait! Colette-senpai, Francine-senpai!? Charging in like that is bad news!”

“Case 4! I’m taking over command from Sistine! Everyone, engage the enemy with your elements! Recon team, hurry to regroup! We’re going to support those two!”

Rize, swiftly assessing the situation, takes command and issues orders through communication magic.

The chaotic battle’s curtain is now raised.

 

Ooooooooooo—!

 

The spectators in the stands all rise, roaring with excitement.

Adil from Harasa demonstrates his bold and brilliant strategy.

Just when it seemed Harasa had completely outplayed the Alzano Empire, Rize’s calm recovery shifted the tide. The battle situation changes moment by moment, and it’s impossible to tell who holds the advantage.

And the high-level magical battles were unfolding everywhere.

Especially Sistine and Adil’s fight, which had already transcended the realm of mere students.

Every moment of this thrilling, exhilarating battle keeps the audience’s fervor at a fever pitch.

“That Adil guy’s insane… No matter how you look at it, a commander going solo to take out the enemy’s leader… That’s way too wild!”

“Hmph, isn’t that kind of thing annoying when it’s used against you? It’s exactly what you’ve been doing all along, isn’t it?”

Eve says sarcastically to Glenn, who clutches his head.

“What’s that? Sounds like you’re implying something.”

“Nothing.”

Well, putting that aside.

Glenn stares intently at the battlefield projected above.

“S-Sistie!? There! Behind you! Kyaaa—!? Oh! Yes, that’s it! Yaaaay—! Go for it—! Kyaaa!”

Ignoring Ellen’s incessant screaming next to him with all his might.

“…”

Glenn’s expression hardens as he watches Sistine engage in magical combat with Adil.

Adil is, without a doubt, a formidable opponent.

Honestly… she’s being pushed back. Even Sistine is being overwhelmed.

The star chart drawn above, the strange rhyming incantations… Adil’s unfamiliar magic is throwing her off.

The match could tip at any moment.

“…It’ll be okay.”

Rumia whispers to Glenn.

“Sistie is your prized student, raised with care… She’s the kind of person who’ll absolutely live up to your expectations.”

“R-Rumia…”

“I believe in you, Sensei. So I can believe in Sistie, who you’ve trained. So… please believe in Sistie’s strength, too.”

“…Yeah, you’re right… If anyone’s gotta believe in her, it’s me.”

With that, Glenn resolves to watch until the end, no matter the outcome, and looks up firmly.

 

As everyone watches with bated breath, the heated battle continues.

Sistine and Adil engage in close-range magical combat head-on.

Rize, Jaill, Colette, Francine, and Maria fight valiantly to hold advantageous high ground against Harasa’s team.

Meanwhile, Levin, Gibul, Ginny, and Heinkel rush to their aid, fending off attacking magical beasts as they hurry to the scene.

Truly, it’s impossible to predict which side will prevail—

 

—At that moment.

In a certain corner of the grand arena.

“…It’s about time.”

A lone man standing there mutters softly to himself.

“Now… I don’t hold any grudge against you, and I don’t think badly of you… but you’ll have to drop out, Sistine Fibel.”

With ominous dark magic rising from his entire body, the man gazes far into the distance—

 

Through the wall of raging winds, Sistine unleashes a chaotic dance of lightning flashes.

“…Strong!”

Adil, forced to retreat and dodge, lets out a cry of admiration.

“To think someone could impose such a ‘oath’ on themselves and still not be overwhelmed… This is the world!”

With leopard-like movements enhanced by magic, Adil kicks off the rocky terrain, momentarily putting distance between himself and Sistine.

“《BREA (Fire) / FREA (Flame) / BREA (Blaze)》!”

While gaining distance, Adil chants a spell and manipulates the star chart above.

Suddenly, a fierce storm of flames engulfs Sistine, swirling around her.

The flames move as if they possess a will of their own, an eerie behavior.

“《Deny and obstruct・O wall of storms・grant peace to their limbs》—!”

But as Sistine chants her spell, a fierce wind spirals and rages, scattering the flames outward and dispersing them.

“…You even blocked that?”

“I don’t know what that ‘oath’ of yours is! But we have our own reasons to win! Don’t think you’re the only ones who can’t afford to lose!”

Sistine chases after the retreating Adil with [Gale Kick].

In terms of top speed alone, Sistine has the edge.

However, Adil’s mastery of fluid martial arts, supported by precise physical enhancement techniques, is nothing short of breathtaking.

With the graceful movements of a wild animal, Adil navigates the treacherous terrain swiftly and unpredictably, easily shaking off Sistine’s pursuit.

(What speed!? No, it’s agility! I can’t even begin to catch up!)

Sistine, confident in her speed, is mildly shocked.

“Then, even if it’s a bit far! There! 《Roar, warhammer of the raging storm》—《Strike》《Smash》!”

Sistine casts Black Magic [Blast Blow].

A massive warhammer of compressed air, formed from condensed wind, fires three times in succession, aiming straight for Adil.

“Ku—!? 《MERKATRA (Mirror) / MITRA (Mirror)》—!”

Realizing he could dodge the first two but not the third, Adil chants a spell and vanishes as an illusion, escaping the spot.

The sound of destruction, of shattering—a deafening roar.

The wind warhammer, having lost its target, slams into the rocky terrain, obliterating and blasting it apart.

“No way!? He dodged it!? What was that magic!?”

Sistine, certain it was a sure hit, is stunned.

“…Such power from that distance.”

Meanwhile, Adil, reappearing some distance away, widens his eyes.

“To think wind magic, when mastered, could achieve this… The world is truly vast…”

Zac!

Thus, the two find themselves in an open area with no obstructions around them.

Standing about a dozen meters apart, they lock eyes, intently watching each other’s movements.

“You’re incredible,” Adil says, remaining on guard.

“I’m proud to have fought someone like you on the world’s stage.”

“…Same here.”

“But… I’ll be the one to win.”

Then, Adil tightly grips the blade of his sword with his left hand—and pulls it sideways.

Bushu… His hand is shallowly cut, and blood drips steadily.

“Fuh, I didn’t want to reveal this in the first match, but you’re not someone I can hold back against… 《ABRA (I) / STA (here) / KEBRASTA (swear an oath)》—!”

—It’s coming!

Sistine instinctively senses it.

Most likely, Adil is about to unleash his trump card, a secret technique of some kind.

(If I try to counter with a half-hearted spell here, I’ll be overwhelmed in an instant! I have to face it with the strongest technique I can muster right now—!)

It’s no longer just intuition—it’s certainty.

Sistine acts swiftly.

“《Obey me, people of the wind・I am the princess who rules the wind》—!”

With a soul-draining surge of mana consumption, she shouts her incantation.

Mana light bursts sharply and swiftly from Sistine’s feet, instantly forming a magic circle that begins to spin furiously with her at its center. Guided by the rotation, a powerful wind gathers beneath her.

It’s Modified Black Magic [Storm Grasper], completely dominating and controlling all the wind in the area.

“—《EREREREET / ERFUREET / AREET》!”

In response, Adil’s fingers alter the star chart, and his dripping blood begins to evaporate.

As if using it as fuel, the blood mist ignites, raising explosive flames—a radiant, crimson giant of fire, glowing like molten magma, begins to take shape.

“No way, a fire demon (Ifrit)…!?”

“Fu… that form… I see, Sistine. You’re a wind demon (Djinn), aren’t you?”

One, a ruler of flames; the other, a princess commanding the winds. By chance, their confrontation mirrors the battle of the two gods from Harasa’s El-Rad mythology.

“Now… this immense power… neither of us can sustain it for long, can we?”

“Yes.”

Maintaining [Storm Grasper] alone is devouring Sistine’s mana at an alarming rate.

Likewise, Adil’s blood continues to evaporate as mist, fueling the fire demon.

That must be the ‘price’. At worst, Adil could die from blood loss.

“Here I go… Whatever the outcome, no hard feelings.”

“—Understood!”

And so, Adil commands his fire demon.

Sistine gathers all the wind she dominates.

Both prepare to unleash their terrifying powers at each other—right at that moment.

 

“GYAAAAAOOOOOON—!”

 

With a fearsome beastly roar.

Paan!

The isolation barrier surrounding Sistine and Adil shatters with a sound.

“Wha—”

“…Huh!?”

Adil and Sistine are stunned.

The sudden, unexpected turn of events causes them to instinctively release their spells.

The wind and flames dissipate helplessly.

“…Impossible. Saredin was taken out!? That’s too fast…”

Adil stands frozen, looking off in disbelief.

At that moment.

‘Sistine! It’s bad!’

Gibul’s communication magic reaches Sistine’s ears.

“What’s wrong!?”

‘You might not believe this, but stay calm! Right now, heading your way—’

As Gibul frantically tries to explain something—

 

“GYAAAAAOOOOOON—!”

 

Once again, a roar crashes down from above, drowning him out.

“—Wha!?”

Sistine and Adil’s eyes widen in shock.

Wings of stretched membrane, a massive body like a small mountain, jaws baring fangs ready to devour prey.

A silver-gleaming embodiment of overwhelming violence descends—

With earth-shaking tremors, the magical beast lands before them, raising its scythe-like neck and glaring down at the two—

“A Silver Wyvern…!?”

“No way! Why is it here!?”

Indeed, this field is populated with numerous magical beasts.

The Silver Wyvern is one of them.

Far too powerful for students to handle, the Silver Wyvern is actually herbivorous and rarely bares its fangs unless intruders approach its nest.

(The Silver Wyvern’s territory was carefully mapped out by Gibul and the others! We made sure to leave more than enough margin! So why—!?)

Sistine’s shock hasn’t even settled when the Silver Wyvern begins to move.

Its cold, sharp blue eyes lock directly onto the diminutive Sistine.

“…Huh?”

There’s no time to think why.

The Silver Wyvern, with agility unbelievable for its massive frame, lunged at Sistine, charging with ferocious intent—

“Wha—!?《Swift》—!?”

In an instant, Sistine activated Black Magic [Rapid Stream] in rapid succession.

With Gale Kick, she leaped back, narrowly escaping the log-like thrust of the Silver Wyvern’s twin fangs.

It seemed like a whim at first, but the cold, sharp blue eyes of the Silver Wyvern, locked onto its prey, perfectly tracking Sistine’s movements as she cloaked herself in a gust of wind to gain distance—

The Silver Wyvern beat its wings powerfully, stirring a tempest around it, and pursued Sistine, lunging once more.

“GYAAAAAOOOOO—!”

“W-Why—only me!?”

Amid a vision where the surrounding scenery rushed backward like a torrent.

Keeping the massive form of the relentlessly pursuing Silver Wyvern in the corner of her eye.

Sistine had no choice but to desperately kick off rocky cliffs, leap over valleys, and flee with all her might—

 

“—It’s a cheat!? Stop the match!”

Amid the uproar from the spectators at this unexpected turn of events.

Glenn stood up, shouting with a roughened voice.

“…Calm down.”

“How can I stay calm!?”

To Eve’s cool words, Glenn roared back.

“That Silver Wyvern leaving its territory, taking down the barrier’s guardians with a Dragon’s Shout, and targeting only White Cat—how is that not cheating, no matter how you look at it!?”

“It’s possible this is the enemy team’s magical strategy. Perhaps they’ve subdued the Silver Wyvern with mind-control or summoning magic…”

“No way in hell! Look at the Harasa team! Their faces scream this wasn’t part of their plan!”

“That’s why I said calm down. I get it.”

To Glenn, shaken by his student’s crisis, Eve spoke as if dousing him with cold water.

“Even I think this is, nine times out of ten, malicious interference from a third party. But the field is sealed by a robust isolation barrier that completely blocks external interference.

Especially when it comes to magic, it’s strict. There’s no way a third party could maliciously interfere with mind-control or summoning magic.

At the very least, the organizers are confident of that, so they have no choice but to judge this as some strategy set up by the Harasa side. They can’t stop the match.”

“You know how absurdly high the Silver Wyvern’s magic resistance is, right? No student-level magic could—”

“Didn’t Sakuya Konoha from the Land of the Rising Sun do just that in yesterday’s match?”

“…That freak’s an exception…!”

Glenn could only grit his teeth.

Because that freak might be out there, they couldn’t stop the match.

“Well, anyway… it’s finally starting to feel real.”

Then, Eve, irritably brushing back her hair, with cold sweat beading on her forehead, said.

“The Thirteenth Holy Crusade… What the hell did they do, and how…?”

Against the unseen, unknown enemy’s machinations.

Glenn and Eve could only watch the match’s outcome with burning impatience.

 

“…What the hell is going on…?”

Watching Sistine and the Silver Wyvern’s game of tag.

Adil stood there, utterly stunned.

“…Adil! Are you hurt!?”

A beautiful girl with tanned skin and black hair landed beside Adil.

“Elseed.”

“It might not sit well with you… but this is an opportunity.”

To Adil, whose expression betrayed no emotion, Elseed said.

“Even though we hold the advantageous terrain, they outnumber us. We’re evenly matched now, but if this continues, we’ll be overwhelmed.”

“…”

“Sistine… if she becomes the Silver Wyvern’s prey, it’ll be over quickly. But she’s not someone who’d go down that easily, right? Until she recovers, we need to reduce their forces, or we’ll be the ones devoured. We don’t know how long the Silver Wyvern’s whim will last.”

Victory.

For those two words alone, the strategist coldly analyzed the situation, and Adil nodded.

“…You’re right. It’s deeply regrettable that the match has taken this form… but we carry our homeland’s honor… we absolutely cannot lose, no matter what.”

“…Adil.”

“Understood. I’ll go. I’ll push back their offensive.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I just… truly wished to fight her on equal terms.”

Then, glancing briefly at Sistine’s small figure, tirelessly evading the Silver Wyvern’s snapping jaws on the distant rocky cliffs.

“Let’s go! This battle… we will win!”

Adil and Elseed dashed off like a gale toward the heart of the conflict—

 

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!

WAAAAAAA—!

The fervor enveloping the venue only skyrocketed as time passed.

“Kyaaa—!? Sistie!? That’s dangerous!?”

In the stands, Ellen screamed, her face pale.

“Damn it—! What’s with that dragon!? That’s unfair!”

Kash roared, his anger plain.

“Kuh… Everyone’s getting pushed back…!”

“Our main wizard is effectively out of the fight…!”

“C-Can’t something be done…!?”

“This won’t do…”

Wendy, Cecil, Lynn, and Teresa could only watch, flustered and helpless.

“Sensei…”

“Tch…!”

To Rumia’s anxious glance, Glenn could offer no reply.

Sistine, targeted by the Silver Wyvern, had been forced to withdraw from the front lines.

As a result, the enemy’s main wizard, Adil, was now free to act.

The Harasa side, with Adil at the forefront, was completely dominating the Empire’s team.

And on a projected image above, Sistine was shown being chased by the dragon.

 

“Haaaaaa—!”

Sistine dashed and soared with Gale Kick.

She streaked across the rocky terrain at ultra-low altitude, kicking up shockwaves as she went.

Dodging the Silver Wyvern’s claws as it swooped down from above, she subtly shifted her flight path, barely evading.

In that fleeting moment, Sistine scrambled up a rocky cliff with a triangle jump.

The Silver Wyvern’s claws, a half-second too late, shattered the rock she’d used as a foothold.

Leaping over countless valleys—Sistine soared into the sky, and in that instant, the Silver Wyvern ambushed her from behind.

Its claws nearly caught her—but in the next moment.

Sistine twisted her body, rolling sideways, decelerating sharply, and plummeting—

The Silver Wyvern, carried by its momentum, overshot her uselessly—

As Sistine fell toward the valley’s cliff base, she reactivated Gale Kick, kicking down the cliff face at ferocious speed—

Just before crashing headfirst into the ground, she spun again, kicking off with a gust of wind, bolting down a narrow path flanked by cliffs.

Yet, the Silver Wyvern, circling back, pursued her closely from behind—

The deadly race between girl and dragon showed no signs of slowing, only heating up further—

 

“What now, Glenn?”

Amid the crowd’s frenzy over Sistine’s grand race, Eve spoke coolly to Glenn.

“No matter how monstrous Sistine’s mana capacity is, at that pace, she’ll burn out soon. If you’re going to stop it… if you’re going to forfeit, now’s the time. As head coach, you have the right to abandon the match. Do it now, and Sistine won’t be broken.”

“…Tch!”

“Sensei!?”

Rumia cried out as Glenn stood, unable to bear it.

In his hand was a flare gun, ready to signal the forfeit.

The situation was checkmate. For reasons unknown, the Silver Wyvern targeted only Sistine, showing no sign of relenting. And Glenn could do nothing to stop it.

As head coach, stopping the match was his responsibility.

(No choice…! I’ve got no choice…!)

Just as Glenn was about to signal the forfeit to the organizers by firing the flare…

“—What!?”

Sistine’s eyes, projected on the screen above, met Glenn’s.

Their eyes didn’t truly meet.

But Glenn felt it.

Through the venue’s broadcast, Sistine had indeed looked at him.

With those eyes, she had pleaded with him.

 

—I haven’t lost yet. I can do this. Let me try—

 

Those eyes, burning with an unyielding will to win, spoke more eloquently than words ever could.

“…Sistine…!”

Seeing this, Glenn lowered the flare gun he’d raised.

With a grit of his teeth, he swallowed his overprotectiveness and resolved to trust the mage before him.

“…Fine… give it your all!”

Had Glenn’s resolve somehow reached her?

Though Sistine couldn’t possibly see him… in that moment, the Sistine on the screen gave a faint smile.

Then, while shaking off the Silver Wyvern with high-speed maneuvers, she began folding the fingers of her right hand into complex signs, one after another.

“…!?”

“Code signals,” Eve noted, catching the unnatural movements of Sistine’s fingers.

“That’s an original system you and Sistine devised, right? It’s a message for you. So? What’s she saying?”

“Uh… ‘Dragon,’ ‘Movement’… ‘Unnatural’… ‘Pattern’?”

“…The dragon’s movements have an unnatural pattern? What does that mean…?”

Then, as if realizing something, Eve pressed a hand to her mouth.

“Come to think of it… the Silver Wyvern always chased Sistine directly, but there were a few times it oddly slowed, as if losing sight of her at strange moments.”

“We thought it was just White Cat slipping into blind spots, watching from the outside through the feed… but from White Cat’s perspective, it was losing her at impossible times… so it felt unnatural? Could it be…!?”

Glenn peered intently at the map in his hands.

It showed the field where Sistine was locked in her life-or-death struggle.

Comparing the map to the footage of Sistine above.

As if utterly convinced Glenn was analyzing it, Sistine began leading the Silver Wyvern across the field in every direction—

Glenn plotted each point on the map where the Silver Wyvern lost her at those odd moments.

—And then.

Something unnatural emerged on the map.

“Looks like we’ve cracked the trick…!”

The plotted points consistently appeared just northwest of obstacles in the rugged field’s terrain. It was an unnatural pattern that couldn’t be dismissed as coincidence.

“So… when viewed from the southeast stands, when she enters a blind spot, the Silver Wyvern’s movements glitch?”

“Yeah, meaning the enemy’s doing something from somewhere in the southeast stands.”

Convinced, Glenn stood.

“Eve! We’re searching the southeast stands! Help me out!”

“Impossible! Are you stupid!?”

Eve shot down Glenn’s wildly unrealistic proposal.

“Pinpointing the enemy’s general location is a feat, I’ll give you that! But do you know how many thousands of people are there? Searching them one by one would take all day!”

“…”

“Sure, they’re up to something! But it’s not magic! The field’s sealed by an isolation barrier! And if they’re not using magic, we can’t even trace their mana! Finding them is impossible!”

But.

“…Heh. I’m damn glad it’s you and Rumia here with me right now.”

Glenn flashed a fearless grin.

“…Huh?”

“Eh? Sensei?”

“And I’m glad the field’s got that isolation barrier, making magical interference from the stands impossible. If it wasn’t there… if we hadn’t confirmed it’s not magic, we’d be totally screwed.”

Glenn said this with a playful, smirking tone.

Had the dire situation driven him mad?

“Alright, let’s go, Rumia, Eve. Those bastards have been screwing around too long… time to make them pay! It’s our turn now!”

 

—Meanwhile.

“Why don’t you just give up already!?”

The tanned girl Elseed, along with four other Harasa members, clashed with Gibul, Francine, Colette, and Ginny.

The battle had now tilted decisively in Harasa’s favor.

Right after Adil’s sudden, ambush-like entry, his flame magic took down Heinkel.

Levin, Rize, and Jaill fought valiantly to hold Adil back, but far from matching him, they were being overwhelmed. Before Adil alone, Levin’s group was in tatters.

And though Gibul, Francine, Colette, and Ginny tried to support them, Elseed and Harasa’s five mages blocked and divided them.

Their numerical advantage was all but gone.

“Uoooo—! These guys!?”

“They’re so persistent! Let us through!”

Colette and Francine teamed up, charging forward.

Colette swung fists brimming with explosive flames, and Francine unleashed Maruaha, but Harasa’s mages, working together, raised a barrier wall that blocked them, sparking spectacular bursts of mana.

“There—!”

Seizing the moment, Elseed brandished her curved blade, slipping into Gibul’s guard, who had momentarily drifted from the team.

For Gibul, weak in close combat, this range was fatal.

“—Got you!”

She was certain she’d taken one down—that’s when it happened.

“…?”

(What…? He’s holding his breath…?)

Elseed’s sharp instincts and insight as a mage screamed for her to retreat.

A faint, barely noticeable acrid smell tickled her nose, something she wouldn’t have caught without that sense of danger—

“—Tch!?”

She hurriedly leaped back.

“…Not bad.”

Gibul, with an irritated glance at the retreating Elseed, moved away from the area.

Alchemy [Paralyzing Mist Array]—Gibul had spread a mist of paralyzing poison around himself, which would rob the body of movement if inhaled.

Positioned downwind to spare his allies, he’d deliberately shown an opening, predicting Elseed, who favored close combat, would take the bait. A brilliantly cunning move.

(That was close—if I’d stepped one foot closer, I’d have been the one taken down…! What a sly guy…!)

As Elseed shivered at the chill creeping up her spine.

“Gibul-san! I’ll cover you!”

A hail of shuriken rained down on Elseed like a meteor shower.

It was Ginny.

“—!?”

Elseed deflected the shuriken with her curved blade while leaping back.

“Too bad, Gibul-san.”

“Hmph, the smell of the paralyzing poison is something to work on…”

Gibul snorted, responding to Ginny while fixing his gaze on the retreating Elseed.

“Still… I don’t get you guys.”

At a lull in the fighting, Elseed spoke, baffled.

Sure, Colette and Francine’s stubborn resilience and Gibul’s clever tricks were barely holding the line… but the Empire’s side was already in shambles.

The battle’s outcome was long decided. There was no reversing it from here. Gibul’s last move, given its mana cost, was likely his final struggle.

“The match is already over. You’d do better to surrender.”

Elseed stated this calmly to Gibul.

“Dragging this out further is pointless. That main wizard girl… she has a future. It’d be a shame to crush her here, don’t you think?”

“Well… normally, yeah.”

Gibul adjusted his glasses and replied.

“But our leader’s got a real problem with giving up. So, we’ll keep holding on a bit longer.”

“What’s the point of struggling in this hopeless situation? Just—”

“Hopeless? You call this hopeless?”

At Elseed’s words, Gibul began to chuckle with a knowing smile.

“…What’s so funny?”

“A predicament, huh… You call this a predicament? …Hahaha, you guys are softer than I thought.”

Gibul pushed up his glasses again, speaking in a provocative tone.

“You see, we’ve been trained by a teacher who’s faced and overcome predicaments so harsh that a situation like this feels like paradise in comparison.”

“!”

“If we gave up in a predicament this mild, that no-good jerk would mock us to no end. And that’s something I absolutely can’t stomach.”

In this cornered situation, Gibul’s fearless attitude seemed to grate on Elseed’s nerves.

Elseed raised his voice, retorting sharply.

“You’ve got a big mouth… Fine, I’ll end this quickly!”

“Idiot… This is a kind of magic too. One called ‘buying time.’”

“~~~ !”

Provoked by Gibul’s taunts, Elseed’s eyes blazed with anger as he readied his sword and charged forward.

“Ginny! Just buy me some time! Don’t let that guy get close to me!”

While chanting his next spell, Gibul issued those instructions to Ginny—

“Yes, yes, got it~ Honestly, you’ve got quite the personality, don’t you?”

Ginny dashed forward in an ultra-low stance, practically crawling along the ground, intercepting Elseed with lightning speed.

 

────

The deadly battle raged on.

Sistine Fibel continued to flee from the Silver Wyvern.

Adil overwhelmed Levin, Rize, and Jaill with his sheer power.

Gibul, Elseed, and the others were locked in a grueling, stalemated magical duel.

But as the battle progressed, every spectator began to sense the tide of this fight.

If things continued like this, Harasa’s victory was assured—

By now, nearly everyone in the arena was convinced of it.

────

 

“…”

There was a portly old man.

He stood in the passageway, watching the match from a distance.

Unlike the spectators in the stands craning their necks to view the projected images above, his eyes seemed to be fixed directly on the field itself.

Then, from behind the old man—

Click.

A young man appeared out of nowhere, pressing the muzzle of a pistol against the old man’s back.

“…Hey, how about we put an end to this noisy charade?”

It was Glenn.

Standing beside Glenn was Rumia, holding his hand tightly.

“…To approach me so closely without letting me sense even a hint of your presence.”

The old man muttered under his breath, not moving an inch.

“What kind of trick did you use?”

“I’ll reveal the secret to that trick another time.”

Glenn glanced at Rumia beside him and smirked.

Rumia’s hand was faintly glowing…《Ars Magna》was activated.

“Then, can I ask one more thing?”

The old man’s form began to lose color, gradually turning pitch black.

As if transforming into a shadow itself… the figure writhed and twisted…

…And eventually, the shadow reformed into the shape of a young man.

The young man who appeared was none other than Chase Foster.

“How did you know it was me? I hate to toot my own horn, but my transformation technique is world-class. I even altered my presence and physical structure…”

“Simple.”

Glenn said nonchalantly.

“We’ve got someone who’s great at detecting heat sources… Let’s just say I owe a lot to Ignite.”

“Heat sources? That’s ridiculous… How many people are in this arena right now—?”

“—We had them search for someone with ‘unnaturally low body temperature.’”

At that, Chase fell silent, and Glenn pressed on sharply.

“You… You’re a vampire, aren’t you?”

“…”

“I don’t know why the Temple Knights are keeping a vampire. Nor do I know how a vampire can overcome their bloodlust and maintain human rationality.

But vampires are undead. Their body temperature is abnormally low compared to normal people. Searching the entire arena would be impossible, but if you have a rough idea of their location, it’s easy enough.”

“…”

“Plus—if you’re a vampire, you’d have the magic eye for domination or charm. That’s not magic; it’s an ability. The projected images in the sky let light pass through, so it’s possible to project a gaze as well… Though, even accounting for that, it’s an extraordinary ability.”

“How did you know I was a vampire?”

“Well… I’ve killed a vampire before.”

For a fleeting moment, a bittersweet memory flashed through Glenn’s mind—the face of a girl named Carmilla.

“There was something about your presence that vaguely reminded me of her… But the decisive clue was your partner’s words. I remembered.”

“…Luna’s words? What could she have possibly… She didn’t say anything—?”

“‘A pervert who loves sucking blood’… For a joke or a threat, that’s a bit too specific, don’t you think? Words that don’t even graze the truth don’t usually come to mind so quickly.”

At Glenn’s words, Chase’s eyes widened in shock.

“Just from that…? From this situation and a single, insignificant piece of information Luna let slip, you pieced it all together and tracked me down…?”

Chase quietly closed his crimson-glowing magic eyes, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a sigh.

Instantly, the strange power emanating from his eyes toward some distant point vanished.

“Luna, you underestimated him. The former Special Missions Annex’s《The Fool》… Despite the name, he’s a terrifyingly sharp and troublesome man…”

“Quit yapping and shut up, you pervert.”

Glenn pressed the gun harder into Chase’s back.

“This is loaded with holy silver bullets. No matter how powerful a vampire you are, in front of these—”

“Let me clarify: Holy silver bullets of that caliber won’t work on me. I’m a true ancestor, after all.”

“…True ancestor…?”

“Oops, I shouldn’t be giving you any unnecessary information.”

Chase gave a wry smile.

In the next instant, Chase’s body dissolved into a black mist and dissipated.

“H-Hey!? You trying to run, you bastard!?”

‘Yes, exactly. I admit defeat. I have no intention of causing a scene here.’

As Glenn glared regretfully at the dispersing black mist, Chase’s voice echoed directly in his mind.

‘Glenn Radars. So you absolutely refuse to back down, huh? In that case, no more tricks. I’ll face you with everything I’ve got.’

“Tch… Get lost, you idiot.”

Once Glenn was certain Chase’s presence had completely vanished, he holstered his gun.

“Se-Sensei…”

“It’s fine, don’t worry. This was the best we could do for now.”

Glenn flashed a reassuring grin at the concerned Rumia.

Then, he fixed his gaze on the distant field.

“…Anyway, this should shake things up. The rest… is up to White Cat and the others.”

But Glenn’s expression no longer held any trace of anxiety—only a glint of certainty.

 

Sistine kicked off a rocky outcrop, leaping into the air.

The wyvern flapped its massive wings, relentlessly pursuing her.

Sistine darted freely across the field, but a creature bound to the earth could never match one that ruled the skies.

Slowly but surely, the wyvern’s fangs drew closer to Sistine. Closer and closer—

Yet Sistine pressed forward, spinning, changing directions, sprinting, and dodging—calmly shaking off the wyvern’s pursuit, over and over again.

But the Silver Wyvern always anticipated her, cutting her off at every turn.

A massive shadow loomed from above—the wyvern dove straight down, aiming to seize Sistine in its talons with overwhelming force and speed.

She was caught—everyone was certain of it. At that moment—

“—Gyauuu…?”

Suddenly, the wyvern halted, hovering in midair with steady wingbeats.

After circling the area two or three times, it seemed to lose all interest in Sistine, as if its earlier fixation had vanished.

With that, it turned and flew back toward its own territory.

—In that instant.

As if she’d anticipated this turn of events, a faint smile curved Sistine’s lips.

“…I was waiting for this. Thanks, Sensei.”

Whoosh. Sistine, who had been streaking through the sky, flipped midair.

She landed on a nearby rocky outcrop, kicked off with a burst of wind, and changed direction.

Aiming for a specific location, she poured even more magic into her Storm technique, rocketing forward at a ferocious speed greater than ever before.

The aura of the ongoing battle grew stronger and stronger against Sistine’s skin—

 

“You’re persistent. You guys are really strong.”

“Kuh—!?”

By now, the Alzano Empire team was completely cornered.

The battlefield had become a blazing inferno.

Red—everything was red. The rising flames tinted the air red, the sky itself red.

Everything was burning. Even the rocks glowed red-hot, melting and bursting into flames.

It was the searing tempest of flames spewed relentlessly by Adil’s fiery demon.

Caught in the flow of battle, the empire’s representatives had regrouped, only to be engulfed in this hellish blaze.

“—What kind of firepower…!?”

“Kuh—!?”

“I-It’s hot… It’s so hot…!”

“Jaill-san…! Any more than this…!?”

“Just stay back…!”

Jaill, the most adept at defense, fortified his magical barriers to the maximum, standing as a wall before the group, absorbing the brunt of the scorching heat.

Meanwhile, Levin, Rize, and Gibul worked together to erect defensive barriers, desperately trying to mitigate the flames’ power even slightly.

But even with all that, the overwhelming heat pierced their defenses, scorching the bodies of the empire’s representatives bit by bit… bit by bit.

“E-Everyone…! I’m sorry…! My power isn’t enough…!”

Maria frantically cast wide-range healing spells to tend to the group, but it wasn’t enough.

“Damn it, what the hell is this…!? Even with all this magical defense…!?”

“…Ughhh…! It’s hot… so hot…!”

Colette gritted her teeth, enduring, while Francine let out screams of pain.

The area around them was completely sealed off by a thick wall of magma-like flames, leaving no escape.

It was truly a hopeless situation.

“Why don’t you just surrender already? …You’ll die, you know.”

Adil said with a composed expression, issuing his ultimatum.

Elseed, standing close by, whispered to Adil with concern.

“…Adil, is this really okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine. I’ve still got plenty of blood to spare.”

Adil glanced at the blood evaporating and combusting at an alarming rate from the wound on his hand.

“The outcome was decided the moment Sistine Fibel withdrew from the front lines.”

“You’re right. They put up quite a fight, but… it looks like our victory is finally sealed.”

Elseed surveyed the scene with confidence, and the other Harasa members watching the battle wore triumphant expressions.

In a situation this dire, there was no miracle that could turn the tides… That’s what their faces said.

“Alright, time to finish this. …If you won’t listen, I’ll have to char at least one of your arms.”

Adil smiled coldly.

“Well, I hear there’s a skilled healer around, so they can probably fix you up.”

With that,

Adil prepared to release more blood, strengthening his fiery demon—when it happened.

“…Yare yare, you finally made it, huh?”

Gibul muttered under his breath.

 

A tremendous whirlwind roared through the area, spiraling wildly.

 

“—Wha!?”

Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

It was as if an enraged wind god had suddenly thrown a tantrum, rampaging and writhing in chaos—a violent storm tore through the battlefield with reckless abandon.

The tempest scattered the swirling flames into the distant sky, smashed the scorched and crumbling rocky outcrops, and sent them hurtling far away—

“Kyaaaaa—!? Adil—!?”

“Elseed!?”

—It blew Elseed and the other Harasa members into the distant sky without exception.

No one could resist the sheer ferocity and might of the storm.

All that remained was the scorched earth, the dumbfounded empire team,

And Adil, who had instinctively shielded himself with his fiery demon.

“…This wind… Could it be—!?”

Adil looked up to the sky—where silver hair trailed like a meteor.

A lone girl, cloaked in a gust of wind, descended like a war goddess.

She plummeted straight toward Adil at blinding speed—

“—Modified Black Magic [Storm Grasper]!”

“Sistineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee—!”

Adil roared.

It wasn’t the anger of having his imminent victory interrupted.

It was the joyous roar of facing a worthy rival once more at this critical moment.

Sistine in the sky.

Adil on the ground.

Their eyes locked. In that instant, they understood each other.

The next move—the next move would decide everything.

Both were heavily exhausted, equally so.

 

In this miraculous clash brought by fate, all that remained was to give their all.

“—《O maiden of the sword・Brandish your blade in the sky・Dance upon the earth》—!”

Sistine, riding [Storm Grasper], chanted Modified Black Magic [Blade Dancer].

Countless terrifying vacuum blades, capable of tearing through space itself, formed around her.

“《ABRA (I) / STA (here) / KEBRASTA (swear an oath)》—!”

Adil countered with his own chant. His blood boiled explosively, and the fiery demon behind him roared with flames, swelling larger and larger—

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

“Woooooooooooooooooooooo—!”

Sistine unleashed a chaotic dance of over a thousand vacuum blades.

Adil released a spiraling inferno of ultra-high-temperature crimson flames.

—They collided head-on in midair.

A massive explosion.

Fierce winds and searing heat scattered in all directions, seeking an escape—

────.

—And then.

Thud! Screeeeech—!

Sistine landed, skidding past Adil, her boots and knees carving a trench in the ground for over a dozen meters.

“…Kuh!?”

When her momentum finally stopped, Sistine’s face contorted in pain.

Her left arm was horrifically scorched…

“Sistine!?”

Her left hand, used for casting magic, was ruined—her situation seemed hopeless.

For a moment, the group watching with bated breath was struck with despair—

“…Magnificent…”

After a few moments of silence, everyone gasped as Adil turned around.

Adil’s body bore a deep, jagged wound running from his right shoulder to his left side…

Adil coughed up blood, yet somehow wore a serene smile.

“…You win, Sistine…”

With those final words praising the victor, he collapsed, losing consciousness—

 

Harasa’s main wizard, Adil, defeated. A miraculous comeback.

At that moment, a signal flare announcing the conclusion soared grandly into the sky above the great arena.

The venue was enveloped in a frenzy of cheers and roars, as if the heavens themselves had burst open.

 

“Haa… haa…!”

As Sistine gazed dreamily at the medics who had rushed to the scene, efficiently tending to the injured Adil,

“Yeeeaaahhh—!”

“You did it, Sistine-senpai—!”

the Empire team members who had come running swarmed around Sistine, overwhelming her.

“Geez, you—! Always stealing the spotlight like that—!”

“As expected, Sistine-senpai is so cool! I’m tempted to switch from Team Rumia-senpai to Team Sistine-senpai—!”

Colette, Francine, Ginny, and Maria were in a state of wild excitement.

“Well done, Sistine.”

“Hmph. As expected of my rival, I suppose.”

“Tch, I wish you’d shown up a bit sooner, though.”

From a distance, Rize, Levin, Gibul, and Jaill watched Sistine.

Sistine, for a while, stared back at her comrades in a daze, as if watching events unfold in another world…

(…I… that’s right… I won…)

…Eventually, Sistine looked up at the sky.

The cool breeze felt pleasant against her flushed body.

The sky, once dyed red with the heat of battle, was now clear, sparkling with a brilliant blue.

(…What do you think, Grandfather… Have I gotten even a little closer to you…?)

Her expression, as if gazing at something dazzling, as if seeing the flying castle of her homeland, was radiant and utterly serene—

 

“…Heh, not bad, White Cat.”

“Sistie… you did great…”

Amid the roaring cheers rippling like high waves through the spectator stands,

Glenn and Rumia stood in the passageway, watching Sistine and the others through the images projected into the sky.

“…For now, we’ve cleared one hurdle, I guess…”

But fundamentally, nothing had been resolved.

The Thirteenth Holy Crusade Execution Squad, the Last Crusaders. As long as those people were around, nothing was truly over.

The reason was unclear.

But for some reason, that duo seemed determined to sabotage the Empire’s team.

Thinking about the likelihood of more despicable interference in the future gave Glenn a headache.

(But I won’t let them… I won’t let them get away with it.)

Watching his students revel in their victory, Glenn renewed his resolve.

(If you’re hell-bent on sabotaging us… I’ll make damn sure to break your smug little noses. I won’t let you lay a finger on my students…!)

Then, Rumia gently took Glenn’s hand.

“We’ll absolutely protect everyone’s dreams… Sistie’s dreams, Sensei.”

Rumia gazed at Glenn with calm eyes lit by determination.

“I’ll be your strength, Sensei. No, I want to be your strength.”

“…Thanks, Rumia.”

With that, the two shared a smile.

They continued to watch their students, trembling with the joy of victory in the sky beyond, for a long, long time—