Chapter 7: The Battle at Avesta Mountain Peak

Driving the dogsled, racing across the snowfield where gentle hills stretched endlessly like a gale—

Glenn and his group swiftly reached the foot of the Silvasno Mountain Range.

“So this is the trailhead for the route to Avesta Mountain Peak…”

While holding down the hem of his cold-weather gear, battered by the raging blizzard, Glenn shouldered the minimal supplies and equipment hastily prepared by Mayor John and looked up at the scene before him.

It was a towering white giant of a peak, reaching into the heavens.

Sparse coniferous trees dotted the landscape, and the mountain’s rocky surface was entirely cloaked in thick ice and snow, making it a breathtakingly beautiful snow-covered mountain that seemed to glow even in this darkness.

The terrain appeared complex and undulating, and from Glenn’s position, the summit was not clearly visible.

In this extreme weather, where air currents were utterly unpredictable, using flight magic was out of the question.

If they aimed for the summit, they had no choice but to rely on their own feet.

Exhaling white breath, Glenn unfolded a map of the area.

According to the map, the ridge extending from the summit down to the base branched into several sub-ridges, intricately dividing numerous streams and valleys, making a direct path to the summit extremely difficult.

From what the map showed, there was only one viable route to the summit: a path that detoured around numerous sheer cliffs, traversing several small peaks along the way. Though reckless, Celica was still human, and if she couldn’t use flight magic, she would undoubtedly take this route.

However, apart from the route’s complexity and the harsh conditions of this extreme cold and stormy weather, the climbing difficulty itself didn’t seem particularly high.

Still, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

Glenn carefully checked his bearings with a portable compass and drew a magnetic north line on the map with a pencil.

“You guys ready?”

With that, Glenn turned to look back.

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L, bundled in thick cold-weather gear and carrying backpacks, nodded solemnly.

“Don’t let [Air Conditioning] lapse, got it? But don’t overdo it either. You’ll burn through your mana too quickly. Fortunately, this area is a sacred peak with abundant ley lines running through it, and the atmospheric mana concentration is extremely high. If you carefully absorb mana through breathing techniques, you won’t run dry so easily in this environment. But be cautious. If you inhale too much too fast, your lungs will freeze.”

“Y-Yes…”

“I’ll take the lead, Re=L, you bring up the rear. Rumia, as our healer, conserve your mana as much as possible. White Cat, you use Black Magic [Spatial Perception] to constantly monitor the surrounding terrain. Don’t miss even the smallest crevasse or snow cornice. You’re our lifeline.”

“Heh, leave it to me…”

“Understood.”

“Mm.”

“For mages like us, a snow-covered mountain isn’t all that terrifying. An ancient ruin’s dungeon, with its malicious traps, is far more dangerous. Alright… let’s go.”

With that, Glenn confirmed the three girls’ nods.

And so, Glenn began walking toward the snow-covered summit.

They climbed.

…Climbed.

………Climbed.

No matter how much they climbed, all that spread before them was a white, silvery world of death.

Gradually, the slope of the snow-covered mountain grew steeper, and Glenn’s group climbed in silence.

With the wind howling constantly at their backs, they pressed on, climbing relentlessly.

“Haa… haa…”

“…Phew.”

Only the somber sound of Glenn and his group’s breathing echoed through the gaps in the blizzard.

Fortunately, they hadn’t lost their way.

Along the path, like guideposts, the shattered remains of ice wraiths lay scattered.

“…Sensei, again…”

Rumia murmured, looking pained at the fragments of an icy skeleton beneath her feet.

“Yeah, Celica’s handiwork. She must’ve fought them.”

Looking around, there were clear traces of destruction, as if the terrain itself had been altered.

“As flashy as ever, huh…”

Sistine remarked, exasperated.

“Geez, doesn’t she ever think about the risk of avalanches…?”

Glenn sighed. Casting such flashy destructive spells all over a snow-covered mountain could trigger an avalanche at any moment. The town was far enough away that an avalanche wouldn’t cause damage, but he wished she’d be a bit more considerate.

“Still, thanks to the professor, we’ve been able to climb smoothly without much fighting.”

“Yeah, looks like she took care of most of the wraiths along the way.”

But one thing was concerning…

The sounds of Celica’s battles had suddenly stopped a while ago.

Had she switched to energy-conserving combat?

…Or perhaps.

(No point dwelling on it now.)

Shaking off the unease and foreboding that bubbled up like foam, Glenn resumed climbing.

They climbed.

…Climbed.

………Climbed.

No matter how much they climbed, all that spread before them was a white, silvery world of death.

Eventually, after conquering the steep slope, Glenn’s group reached a ridge and followed it onward.

Soon, they came up against a sheer cliff and detoured eastward along it to avoid the blizzard, entering a ravine, crossing it, and climbing the next slope they encountered.

The soft, piled snow sank deeply with every step, robbing them of freedom in their footing.

No matter how much they climbed, the summit remained out of sight.

Nor was there any sign of Celica.

And then.

“Fuh—!”

“Hiyaaaaa—!”

The occasional ice wraiths that appeared were shattered by Glenn’s fists and Re=L’s greatsword.

“Are you okay, Sensei?! Re=L?!”

Rumia rushed worriedly to Glenn and Re=L after the battle.

“Haa… haa… Yeah, I’m fine…”

“Mm. Easy.”

This was, what, their fifth battle since starting the climb?

If this snow-covered mountain was the territory of the Silver Dragon, it should have been teeming with wraiths trapped within it.

But thanks to Celica having cleared out most of the wraiths beforehand, there were fewer battles than expected.

However, in this extreme environment, with their feet bogged down by snow, each fight was exhausting.

For a while, Glenn knelt on one knee in the snow to catch his breath before shakily standing up.

“…Alright, let’s keep going.”

Glenn stepped forward to take the lead and hurry onward.

“Wait, Sensei.”

But for some reason, Rumia stood in his path, blocking his way.

Then, Rumia removed the glove from her right hand, exposing it to the blizzard.

“W-What are you doing, Rumia?! You’ll get frostbite!”

“I’ll be fine. More importantly…”

Rumia reached out her exposed right hand and touched Glenn’s cheek.

And then—

“—!?”

Thump. Suddenly, the mana in Glenn’s entire body began to activate.

“Sympathetic Amplifier… no, Ars Magna, right?”

“Yes. Just a little… I’m using my power right now.”

Rumia smiled gently at Glenn, as if to comfort him.

“Idiot, stop it! The strain on you—!”

“Sensei, we still have a long way to go. Please… don’t push yourself too hard.”

Faced with Rumia’s earnest gaze, Glenn found himself at a loss for words.

It seemed Rumia had seen right through him.

“Tch…”

In this extreme cold and fierce blizzard, climbing a snow-covered mountain like this required the power of magic.

[Air Conditioning] to maintain body temperature. [Physical Boost] to enhance physical abilities… and various other support spells had to be enchanted onto oneself.

These sustained enchantments’ potency depended on the amount of mana poured into them per unit of time, and to maintain their effects, mana had to be continuously supplied.

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L all possessed remarkable mana capacities, far exceeding the average for their age, with Sistine standing out even among them. Combined with the mana-rich environment of this sacred peak, they could sustain these enchantments for quite a long time.

But Glenn’s mana capacity was average at best, if not below. His mana manipulation was inherently poor, and his efficiency in absorbing mana through breathing techniques was low.

Among this group, Glenn’s mana consumption was by far the most severe.

He hadn’t shown it on his face, but… Glenn was already in considerable pain.

“Outside of combat, I’ll use Ars Magna to assist with your sustained enchantments. No… please, let me do this. I want to be of help to you, Sensei…”

“……”

For a while, Glenn locked eyes with Rumia, who gazed up at him steadfastly.

In the face of her utterly sincere eyes, pride and bravado seemed meaningless.

Realizing this, Glenn let out a resigned sigh.

Then, he removed the glove from his left hand, took Rumia’s right hand, and wrapped a scarf around their exposed skin to prevent frostbite.

“Sorry… I’m counting on you.”

“Yes.”

Rumia, openly relied upon by Glenn, smiled like a ray of sunshine.

Until Glenn’s mana recovered, the two continued walking hand in hand.

They climbed.

…Climbed.

………Climbed.

No matter how much they climbed, all that spread before them was a white, silvery world of death.

The area was filled with small peaks, steep slopes, and cliffs, with highly rugged terrain.

Glenn’s group traversed these small peaks in this complex region, moving forward.

The piercingly cold wind constantly blew against them, howling in their ears before passing by.

How many ridges had they crossed by now? No matter how much they climbed, the summit remained out of sight.

Nor was there any sign of Celica.

…Eventually, they emerged into an open space where a cliff dropped sharply beside them.

“We’ve climbed quite a ways…”

Glenn wiped the sweat from his brow, breathing heavily as he looked at the map.

But there was still a long way to go… Confirming this grim reality, Glenn felt a bit fed up.

Tug, tug. Someone pulled at Glenn’s sleeve from behind.

Glancing to the side, he saw it was Re=L.

“What’s up?”

“Look.”

Re=L pointed to the side.

“Whoa!?”

There, a large igloo had somehow appeared out of nowhere.

“What the heck!? This wasn’t here a second ago!”

“I made it just now. With alchemy.”

Alchemy’s pretty handy… Glenn sighed, exasperated.

“So? What’s the deal with this? Now’s not the time to play in the snow.”

“Glenn, let’s rest?”

Re=L’s sudden suggestion, delivered in her sleepy tone, made Glenn furrow his brow.

“Huh? …What, you’re tired? You, the stamina freak?”

“No, me, Sistine, and Rumia are probably fine. …Glenn should rest. You’re leading and clearing the path… you’re probably the most tired.”

Glenn stubbornly brushed off Re=L’s words as she looked up at him.

“Idiot. You don’t need to worry about me. If you guys are still fine…”

But then.

“Glenn should rest.”

Thud! Re=L pushed him, and Glenn was sent tumbling into the igloo.

“Gwah!? Hey, what the hell!?”

Unfazed by his shouting, Re=L calmly entered the igloo.

Then, she plopped down beside Glenn, who was sitting on his backside inside.

“Listen when people talk—”

“It’s okay.”

Re=L’s oddly forceful words made Glenn fall silent.

“I’m… not good with words, so I can’t explain well… but, yeah, Celica’s probably fine.”

“……”

“But right now, Glenn’s not fine. You look exhausted, like you’re about to die. If this keeps up…”

“……”

“If something happened to Glenn… Celica would probably be sad… and also…”

“……”

“Um, what’s the word…? I… don’t like it.”

Glenn blinked and looked at Re=L.

As always, Re=L’s sleepy, expressionless face made it hard to tell what she was thinking.

“I don’t want Glenn to disappear.”

But her sleepy eyes seemed to convey something, in their own sleepy way.

As Glenn watched, Re=L suddenly rummaged in her pocket and pulled something out.

It was a half-eaten strawberry tart.

“Mm. Rest. …Eat.”

She offered it to Glenn.

“Geez, you little spoiled brat. Looks like you still need me around, huh?”

Glenn gave a wry smile as he accepted it.

“But thanks. …Yeah, maybe I’ll take a breather. Mana aside, I need to regain some stamina. …White Cat, Rumia, get in here. Let’s take a break.”

Sistine and Rumia, who had been watching Glenn and Re=L’s exchange with warm smiles, glanced at each other and chuckled.

Then, they both climbed into the igloo.

The inside of the igloo was surprisingly warm. Simply shielding them from the wind and snow made a huge difference.

Sistine melted snow with a portable stove and began brewing tea… and for a while, a gentle moment passed among the group.

They climbed.

…Climbed.

………Climbed.

No matter how much they climbed, all that spread before them was a white, silvery world of death.

Nor was there any sign of Celica.

Following a knife-sharp ridgeline, the group eventually reached a high vantage point with a clear view.

Their field of vision opened up, revealing the distant peaks of the Silvasno Mountain Range.

The blizzard raged on as always. Though it was well past noon, the sky, shrouded in clouds and snow, remained dark.

Glenn stood at the cliff’s edge, surveying the terrain with magically enhanced vision, lost in thought.

(…Will I make it in time?)

A sudden, overwhelming wave of anxiety gripped Glenn.

(Can I save Celica? Can I save her and defeat that Silver Dragon?)

Once the seed of doubt took root, it spiraled downward like a stone rolling off a cliff.

(I ended up relying on my students again… Was that really the right choice? Should I have abandoned Celica and Snowria by now, focusing only on saving them… escaping from Snowria? Wasn’t it time to start thinking about that instead? But I—)

As Glenn let the blizzard batter his body, tormented by his thoughts.

“…When you make that face, Sensei…”

At some point, Sistine had come to stand beside him.

“You’re always overthinking things, getting all worked up. …Like your love is too heavy, or your heart’s too deep.”

“…White Cat?”

Without looking at Glenn’s face, Sistine pressed her hair down and gazed into the distance.

“You don’t need to think about unnecessary things, Sensei.”

At Sistine’s words, Glenn couldn’t help but blink and stare at her profile.

“As always, just charge full speed toward what you believe is right… what you think you should do. I’ll pave the way for you to run freely, like I always do.”

“…”

“Honestly, getting all hesitant like this isn’t like you at all. What’s wrong? Don’t tell me this blizzard’s actually making you a bit timid?”

“Tch. Damn it… getting called out by the mentally weakest person here is just humiliating.”

Hit right on the mark, Glenn felt a flush of embarrassment and spat out his usual snarky retort.

He braced himself, expecting an immediate, sharp comeback as usual.

But.

“You’re right. But when you’re around, Sensei, I feel like I can be strong… or at least, that’s how it feels.”

“…Hmph.”

For some reason, at times like this, she responded with such earnest sincerity, leaving Glenn feeling like the rug had been pulled out from under him.

“Alright! I’ve finished the magical analysis of the surrounding terrain. Come on, Sensei, let’s go!”

And with that, Sistine grabbed Glenn’s hand and started walking.

“H-Hey!?”

“We’ll definitely save them! Both Professor Arfonia and Snowria!”

Sistine glanced back, her expression unusually bold and fearless.

“And all of us are going to make it back alive!”

Her radiant, forward-looking figure was so dazzling, so noble…

Seeing her like this, the anxiety that had been slowly gnawing at Glenn’s heart melted away in an instant.

They climbed.

…Climbed.

………Climbed.

No matter how high they ascended, all that stretched before them was a silver world of white death.

It was—sudden.

Zuun… A massive tremor reverberated through the ground, reaching Glenn and the others.

Without a doubt, it was the explosion of magic.

“S-Sensei…?”

“It’s Celica. She’s close… Stay alert.”

Glenn issued a warning and stopped in his tracks.

From beyond the small ridge ahead, they could see bursts of flame rising with earth-shaking force.

“Sensei, over there!”

“Tch! Let’s move!”

Glenn and the others broke into a run, kicking through the snow as they charged up the ridge’s slope.

Finally, reaching the crest, Glenn looked down.

Below lay a wide, basin-like valley with a steep incline leading toward the mountain’s peak—and there…

“—Found her!”

Even in the dim blizzard, a flash of golden hair caught their eyes.

In the center of the space below, they could just make out Celica’s back.

“…What the hell is that!?”

Glenn let out a dumbfounded shout.

Before Celica stood an enormous ice skeleton, so massive it could be mistaken for a giant.

“An ice wraith…!? No, it’s huge! Way too huge!”

“Sensei! That’s got to be a collective spirit! To stop Professor Arfonia, the wraiths in this area must have gathered together and grown massive!”

“No way…! Even for Professor Arfonia, facing a monster that big—!”

“Mm. Glenn, let’s go help.”

Rumia pulled out the fragrant oil, the catalyst for her high-level purification spell, while Re=L readied her greatsword.

“Right! Let’s do this, you guys—!”

As Glenn prepared to rush down the slope to support Celica…

“《Die》—!”

Celica shouted some kind of incantation.

A line of blazing crimson flames streaked across the snowy plain.

The fiery line encircled the giant’s feet, then darted freely in all directions.

Soon, the crimson lines wove together intricately, forming letters, then a pentagram—until finally, they created a massive magical flame circle that filled the entire snowfield.

In the next instant, a hellish inferno erupted from the circle, soaring toward the heavens.

The fire wasn’t mere flames—it was closer to plasma. A crimson prominence.

—KISHAAAAAAA—!?

Naturally, the ice giant, swallowed whole by the prominence, disintegrated in an instant.

Despite its imposing appearance, the battle ended far too abruptly.

“No way. Seriously?”

Zzzaa! Glenn slipped and slid headfirst down the snowy slope.

“It’s just… overwhelming…”

“As expected of Professor Arfonia…”

“Mm. Celica’s too strong.”

Sistine and Rumia gave wry smiles, while Re=L wore a slightly bemused expression.

“Man, she’s just on another level… Damn it.”

With nothing left to do, Glenn propped his cheek on his hand, lying on the snow, gazing at Celica’s dependable back below.

“Wait, hold on… Is she actually fine handling that silver dragon on her own? Are we just… unnecessary? Did we worry for nothing?”

Glenn let out a sulky sigh… and then it happened.

Celica’s body, standing in the distance, suddenly swayed.

Thud… She collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

“—!? Celica!?”

“Professor!?”

Glenn scrambled to his feet and raced down the slope toward Celica.

“Hey, Celica!? What’s wrong!? Hang in there! Celica!?”

Kicking aside the bothersome snow, he finally reached her and helped her up.

“Celi—!”

The moment Glenn touched Celica’s body, a chill ran through him.

Her face was deathly pale, unconscious… and her body was terrifyingly cold.

“…Mana deficiency!? Damn it, you were pushing yourself too hard, weren’t you!?”

In truth, Celica’s mana capacity wasn’t as absolute as it once was.

Her soul had been damaged in her battle with Demon Blade General Al-Khan, drastically reducing her mana capacity ever since. While her mana density remained among the world’s highest, meaning her magic’s potency was largely unaffected, Celica now struggled with prolonged battles.

She had likely been tirelessly defeating ice wraiths to clear the path for Glenn and the others, sparing them from combat. In this frigid world, where merely standing drained mana, it was only natural that Celica would collapse.

“I-Is she okay!?”

“No, this is bad! She’s so drained she can barely maintain [Air Conditioning]… She’s got mana deficiency and hypothermia! If we don’t do something fast, she could die!”

“G-Got it! I’ll start a fire!”

“Then I’ll try to sustain her with a healer spell!”

“Mm! I’ll build a snow shelter!”

The group rushed over and began working frantically to save Celica.

But at that moment…

Gogogogo… A low rumble reached their ears.

“W-What’s that sound…?”

“Could it be… the silver dragon?”

Sistine and Rumia glanced around nervously.

Re=L, too, gripped her greatsword, lowering her stance cautiously.

But Glenn, stunned, stared up toward the steep incline leading to the summit.

“No way… You’ve got to be kidding me…!?”

His face paled, his cheek twitching as he groaned.

“Sensei, what’s wrong?”

Following Glenn’s gaze, Sistine looked up toward the slope.

The upper part of the incline leading to the summit was shrouded in an odd white haze.

The haze grew thicker, rushing toward them with increasing force.

The low rumble grew louder in tandem… until finally, it became clear what was approaching.

A torrent of snow, like a flood, was cascading down the slope.

“No way—an avalanche!?”

Realizing the truth, Sistine’s face turned ashen.

“That idiot Celica, blasting magic like a moron without thinking, damn it!”

Glenn cursed with a forced joking tone, but his expression held no trace of composure.

Even as he spoke, the avalanche drew closer, threatening to swallow them whole—

“This is bad! We’re right in its path!? Damn it!”

Glenn’s sharp gaze swept the surroundings, his mind rapidly flipping through his knowledge.

The avalanche’s scale, its nature, the terrain around them. The possible safe zones—

“White Cat! Carry Rumia and use《Gale Kick》! Get to the top of that ridge! You should be able to ride out the avalanche there!”

By some stroke of luck, Glenn pointed to a particularly high ridge and barked orders.

“You should be able to handle one person! Re=L! Back her up in case she slips! With your physical abilities, you can do it—I’m counting on you!”

“S-Sensei, what about you!?”

“I’ll—deal with Celica!”

Glenn hoisted the limp Celica onto his back and stood.

“B-But—!”

“Shut it! Hurry! No time to worry about others! Get to safety, now! Or we’re all done for—!”

Spurred by Glenn’s urgent shout…

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L dashed toward the ridge Glenn had indicated.

“Haa—!”

Sistine lent Rumia her shoulder and used《Gale Kick》to race up the slope like she was flying.

Normally, carrying someone with《Gale Kick》would drastically reduce precision and speed, risking a fall, but Sistine’s survival instincts kicked in at the critical moment.

She nearly lost balance in midair several times but held on by the slimmest margin.

The reassurance that Re=L was following and could catch her if she fell gave Sistine the confidence to reach the ridge’s crest safely.

“Haa…! Haa…! I… I did it…! It’s a miracle…!”

“Th-Thank you, Sistie…”

Sistine, drenched in sweat from the tension, collapsed, while Rumia comforted her.

“Mm. Easy.”

Re=L arrived next to Sistine with light steps. Her exceptional physical prowess shone even in the snowy mountains, moving across the snow as swiftly and nimbly as a rabbit.

“Where’s Sensei!?”

“Still below—!”

Sistine turned back, only to see Glenn still far below.

“He’s still that far!? S-Sensei! Hurry, Sensei!”

“Kuh, damn it…!?”

But Glenn, with Celica on his back, suddenly dropped to one knee.

He had planned to max out his mana with [Physical Boost] and charge up the slope in one go—but it wasn’t working.

(Damn it… I’m at my limit, aren’t I…!)

Despite the difference in mana capacity, what a pathetic display for a teacher in front of his students.

He could only grit his teeth at his own inadequacy. His body felt heavy, his legs wouldn’t move, his breathing was labored… His mind raced, but his heart refused to keep up. He was utterly exhausted.

(Yare yare, if I were still the me from my military days… Guess I need to start training again…)

As Glenn’s thoughts wandered vaguely…

The tsunami of snow surged toward him—mercilessly, relentlessly, closer, closer, closer—

“Sensei—!?”

Unable to stand by, Sistine prepared to use《Gale Kick》to rush to Glenn’s side—

“Don’t come! It’s too late! You can’t carry two people anyway!”

Glenn, calmly assessing the situation, stopped her.

“N-No…! No way…!”

“Sensei…!”

“Glenn… No…?”

To the three girls, their faces pale with fear…

“It’s fine! You think I’d go down to something like this!?”

Glenn flashed a bold grin and shouted.

“B-But…! But…!”

“Relax! Trust me!”

More importantly, Glenn strained his throat to yell louder.

“Re=L! I’m counting on you to look after White Cat and Rumia! Find a safe spot, dig a snow cave, and cover yourselves! I’ll come back for you, I swear—!”

With those final words…

—The merciless white mass engulfed them.

Glenn and Celica were swallowed by the avalanche, swept away.

“S-Sensei—!”

Sistine’s anguished scream echoed through the mountains.

And at that moment—the great white peak wailed.

The blizzard grew fiercer, thick fog mingling with the snow.

—A whiteout.

The pounding snow and gas sealed everything away—Sistine and the others’ vision was painted pure white, the world’s outlines melting into nothingness.