Chapter 6: The Midnight Flame Battle

“Geez, where the heck did those two go…?”

Having searched the entire grounds of St. Lily Magic Girls’ Academy and returned to the open café where the farewell party was held, Glenn let out a heavy sigh.

“They’re probably together, Re=L and Elsa-san…”

Standing beside Glenn, Rumia looked worried as well.

Right now, the students of Glenn’s class were splitting up to search the academy grounds.

That said, the sprawling campus was far too vast for the roughly forty students of the Moon Class to cover effectively.

“Ugh, no good, no good. I can’t find them anywhere…”

“They weren’t in the dorms or the school buildings.”

As they spoke, Colette, Francine, and other Moon Class students began returning.

“Yo, thanks for the help, you guys.”

“No big deal, Sensei! It’s our last day, after all!”

“Even if it was only for a short time, they’re comrades we’ve shared our days with.”

Colette and Francine laughed.

It was hard to believe that just two weeks ago, they had been clashing so fiercely with each other.

Of course, there were still childish squabbles between the two factions, but the tension between them seemed to be gradually easing.

(That aside… where the heck are those two, seriously?)

It was taking them far too long to return. Something was off.

Re=L was always a bit of a free spirit, but Elsa was with her now. It was hard to imagine they’d act so recklessly during a farewell party like this… or so it seemed.

(…What’s this… this bad feeling in my chest…?)

Elsa, who had inexplicably gotten along with the socially awkward Re=L from the start… that faint sense of unease Glenn had felt about her suddenly reared its head again in this unnatural situation.

Unaware of Glenn’s inner turmoil…

“Hey, could it be… Re=L and Elsa-san… are they, like, that?”

Sistine wore a mischievous grin, like a gossiping aunt at the well.

“…That? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ugh, come on, Sensei! That is that! Don’t make me say it!”

Sistine, her cheeks flushed and her energy oddly high, playfully swatted Glenn’s back.

“I mean, those two are so close, it’s almost enough to make us jealous! They’re always together… My super-sharp, ultra-accurate love sensor is totally buzzing!”

“Super-sharp, ultra-accurate love sensor…?”

Rumia gave a vague, awkward smile at Sistine’s proud words.

“Yeah, that sensor probably doesn’t work on yourself, right? Yeah, I get it.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean, Rumia? …Anyway, never mind that!”

Sistine shot Rumia a puzzled look at her cryptic comment but quickly regained her composure and pointed dramatically at Glenn.

“Those two are definitely in love, no doubt about it! Eeeeek!”

“Idiot. They’re both girls, what are you even saying?”

“You don’t get it! When it comes to true love, gender is just a trivial detail—”

“You’ve been reading too many novels.”

As Sistine started to argue back at Glenn’s deadpan response—

Crash! Clatterrrr!

A sudden, deafening noise made everyone turn toward its source in unison.

The girl who had knocked over an outdoor table in the corner, flipping it dramatically with her fall—

“Haa… haa… I did it… cough… hack…!?”

“Ginny!?”

It was Ginny, her body covered in wounds, utterly exhausted and battered.

“You’re back… What the hell!? What happened to you!?”

“Ginny!? Oh no, this is awful! P-please, hang in there!”

Francine, on the verge of tears, rushed to Ginny’s side and helped her up.

“Oh, Ginny! Please…! If I lost you, I…!”

“It’s alright, ojou-sama… This much won’t kill me… Though I got beat up pretty bad… Well, at least my pathetic escape was worth something…”

“Rumia! Healing spells, now!”

“Right!”

At Glenn’s command, Rumia hurried to Ginny’s side. Completely unfazed by the situation, she carefully chanted healing spells, tending to Ginny’s injuries…

“No, Renn-sensei. My treatment can wait… There’s something urgent I need to tell you… The truth is…”

Gently pushing aside Rumia’s healing hands and sitting up, Ginny revealed a shocking truth—

…………

……

“Headmaster Marianne and… Elsa… took Re=L…? No way…”

“Even some of the female students here…? Damn… Are you serious?”

Sistine and Glenn were left speechless by the information Ginny brought back.

“The Ministry of Magic’s top-secret research division, Heaven’s Cross… I heard rumors about it back in my military days, but to think it was actually real…!?”

Glenn, piecing everything together from Ginny’s story, clenched his fists tightly.

Re=L’s suspiciously short-term study abroad offer… This whole incident was tied to that.

“This… This is all so sudden and grandiose, I can barely keep up…”

Francine and the other Moon Class students could only stand there, dumbfounded.

Amidst it all, Glenn suddenly recalled something.

Words once spoken by his greatest nemesis, the twisted《Justice》, left behind as a parting gift.

 

—Glenn, this empire… it must fall—

—This empire is a demonic nation created under some evil will—

 

Heaven’s Cross. A covert agency of the imperial government. Rumored to be connected to The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom.

The imperial government and The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom were supposed to be sworn enemies since the dawn of the empire’s history—

No, to begin with…

Why had the Alzano Empire, with its world-class power, been continuously manipulated by a mere magical society throughout its history? It was a nagging sense of unease that everyone had vaguely felt.

And the rogue mages of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, always able to operate so easily across the empire…

(Could it be… that’s what’s going on? Or is this just the tip of the iceberg?)

Jatice… What do you know? What have you seen?

“—No, now’s not the time for that. Re=L comes first.”

Shaking his head to dispel the ominous premonition, Glenn began to strategize.

“Sensei… If you’re going to save Re=L-san and the others, you need to hurry…”

Ginny, receiving Rumia’s healing treatment, spoke through the pain of her injuries.

“The headmaster and her group stole a train from the depot and left just moments ago…”

“What… They’ve already left!?”

“I’m sorry, Sensei… I got held up breaking through their encirclement… I couldn’t make it in time…”

“No, it’s not your fault… You did well to bring back this info… But…”

Now that they’d departed, catching up to a train was impossible. Even if Glenn used White Magic [Physical Boost] at full mana to enhance his physical abilities and chased after them…

To begin with, White Magic [Physical Boost] was a spell meant to enhance short-term combat performance. To avoid excessive mana consumption and physical strain, it wasn’t meant to be used continuously, even in battle; it was toggled on and off strategically.

It wasn’t designed for sustained long-distance travel. Using it that way would deplete mana in no time, and the body wouldn’t withstand the strain. Even Rumia’s abilities wouldn’t change that. If there was any chance of catching up—

“…White Cat. Can you use [Gale Kick] to chase the train and carry me with you?”

“I-I’m sorry… Controlling [Gale Kick] is… I can barely manage flying solo as it is… If I tried to carry you, Sensei, I’d probably stall out midair and we’d end up as minced meat…”

Sistine, looking apologetic, caused Glenn to groan in frustration.

They took a train bound for the capital… which likely meant they planned to rendezvous with the shady figures behind the Ministry of Magic somewhere in the capital.

If that happened, it was game over. The Ministry of Magic was one of the most powerful institutions in the empire, rivaling the Ministry of Defense, and worst of all, they were technically on the government’s side, which made things tricky.

If it came to that… Re=L and Elsa’s whereabouts would likely be lost forever.

What a mess I’ve made… Glenn was agonizing over this when…

“No, Sensei… There’s still a way…”

“Indeed, if we all pool our strengths… we might just pull it off.”

Colette and Francine said to Glenn.

“A couple weeks ago, this would’ve been impossible, but now…”

“Quite so. The idea of us working together would’ve been unthinkable before…”

“You guys…? What are you talking about…?”

Glenn, puzzled, looked at them skeptically.

“Ain’t it obvious? We’re saying we’re gonna save our comrades, all of us together!”

“The White Lily Society, you’ll help out, right!?”

“Black Lily Society, we ain’t just gonna abandon them, are we!?”

At Francine and Colette’s rallying cries…

““““Of course!””””

All the Moon Class students gathered there shouted in unison.

The White Lily Society and Black Lily Society distinctions no longer mattered. United under the single goal of saving their classmates, they stood as one.

“You guys…”

Faced with the girls joining hands and brimming with determination, Glenn was momentarily stunned.

“Come on, Sensei!”

“Let’s go save Elsa and Re=L together!”

Francine and Colette, smiling confidently, extended their hands to him.

 

—A long night—was about to begin.

 

In the darkness of the night.

Chug, chug. The steam engine roared with a heavy, rhythmic sound as the train sped along the tracks.

In the first car, closest to the locomotive at the front…

Marianne sat in a corner of the open salon car, gazing out the window.

As the forest’s night scenery rushed by, she propped her hand on her cheek against the window frame, a sly smile playing on her lips.

(Everything’s going smoothly… The locomotive’s engineer is a magically programmed puppet with all the necessary skills… Re=L and Elsa are securely restrained and locked in the central confinement car…)

Around Marianne, the academy’s female students chatted cheerfully. They were all filled with excitement for the wonderful days ahead, starting tomorrow. The sense of freedom and relief from escaping that prison-like academy filled them with joy.

(…I’ve got these girls completely under my thumb… The Ministry of Magic’s agents will handle the cleanup and follow-up perfectly… Yes, there’s no issue at all…)

If there was one minor concern…

(Come to think of it, that girl, Ginny, who slipped through the patrols…)

Marianne had detailed profiles on every student enrolled at the academy. She had meticulously researched which students were suitable for recruitment into Heaven’s Cross.

Naturally, she knew Ginny’s profile inside and out as well…

(She seems reserved on the surface, but she’s actually very prideful and self-conscious… She shouldn’t have been the type to escape in a situation like the one reported…)

That small doubt and sense of unease flickered through Marianne’s mind.

(But, well, it doesn’t matter… Now that we’ve departed, there’s no issue…)

Dismissing it, Marianne stopped thinking about Ginny.

(Yes, everything’s going smoothly… perfectly smoothly…)

Outside the train’s window, as it slowly navigated the mountainous terrain, a deep, abyssal darkness stretched out—

 

Clop! Clop! Clop!

In the deep, dark forest, the sound of hooves cutting through the wind echoed.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

The rhythmic pounding of hooves traversed the pathless wilderness at a speed no human could match.

Two magnificent steeds galloped side by side—their manes flowing, tails swaying, their powerful muscles rippling gracefully as their limbs moved with wild, vigorous energy, charging through the forest—

“Hiyah!”

“Hyah! Haa!”

Accompanied by the spirited shouts of two girls and the crack! of whips echoing through the trees.

Driving the two horses were Colette and Francine.

Both handled the reins with masterful skill, navigating the dark forest without the slightest hesitation—

“Gya—!? I bit my tongue!?”

“Ow ow ow ow!? My butt hurts—! S-slow down a bit—!”

—while carrying Glenn and Sistine on their backs.

Colette and Francine pushed the horses to their limits, racing through the forest with reckless abandon.

Naturally, such a reckless journey, with two riders per horse and no regard for pacing, would quickly exhaust the animals.

As expected, the horses began to slow, reaching their limits…

At that exact moment.

Flash! A burst of Black Magic [Flash Light] illuminated the path ahead.

Looking up, they saw two Moon Class students, each mounted on a horse and leading an unmounted spare, waiting up ahead—

“Francine-san! We’ve been waiting for you!”

“Colette-neesan! Here’s the replacement horse!”

“Hell yeah! Thanks, vanguard crew!”

“Renn-sensei! Sistine, get ready!”

“Oh, come on! Again!? I’m not a damn acrobat—!”

As Francine’s rear group passed the vanguard’s spare horses—

In that instant, Colette and Glenn, and Francine and Sistine, each pair leapt onto the spare horses—

“Alright! Let’s go! Hiyah!”

“Haa—!”

With a swift crack of the whips, the two fresh horses surged forward with ferocious speed.

“Goddamn, these noble ladies sure know how to ride! Horsemanship’s second nature to them, huh!?”

Glenn clung tightly to Colette’s back, shouting in a mix of awe and panic.

“H-hey, Sensei!? You’re hugging a bit too—eek!?”

Sistine, gripping Francine’s back, was equally terrified.

“Still… who’d have thought we’d be chasing a train like this…!?”

Normally, riding double on a horse over rough terrain would drastically reduce the horse’s speed and endurance.

But if the vanguard rode solo, leading spare horses ahead, while the slower double-riding rear group switched to those spares, they could maintain high performance and cover long distances quickly.

In essence, this horse relay allowed Glenn and the others to pursue the train.

Excluding the injured Ginny and Rumia, who was treating her, every Moon Class student had gathered all the horses available on campus, taking turns to position spares at key points along Glenn’s path.

Thanks to that, Glenn’s group was moving at an incredible pace, but…

“Even so, there’s no way horses can catch up to a train! And we’re going in a completely different direction from the tracks!”

Sistine shouted as the forest trees streamed by like a torrent and her vision jolted violently.

“Yeah, if we chased it straight on, we’d never catch up!”

“But around here, there’s a chance we can make it!”

“What does that even—?”

“Just shut up and follow us for now!”

And so…

Following Francine and Colette’s lead, Glenn’s group switched to the vanguard’s spare horses time and again, racing through the forest… crossing passes…

Relentlessly charging forward…

…………

…Until, at last…

The forest abruptly ended, and their view opened up.

Under the moonlight, a steep grassy slope stretched downward, with rolling hills, mountains, lakes, and dense forests visible in the distance.

Winding gently through them, the train tracks snaked along…

“Ah!”

Following the tracks, they could see the train slowly approaching from the distance.

“No way… We caught up…? No, we passed it!?”

“How’s that, huh!? Haha, here’s the deal!”

Colette, maneuvering the reins to turn the horse, explained.

“You noticed it on the way here, right? This area isn’t a straight shot from the capital to the academy. There are tons of obstacles, so the train has to take a long, winding detour to reach the capital.”

“Plus, the terrain is so uneven that it often has to slow down considerably.”

“That’s right! This is the lake district, where untouched nature still dominates!”

From behind Colette, Glenn shouted as the realization hit him.

“Exactly! So, if you know the terrain well, have top-notch riding skills, and use high-quality horses to take shortcuts, you can absolutely catch up, even on horseback!”

Of course, knowledge of the geography, horse quality, and riding skill alone wouldn’t have been enough.

This feat was a miracle born from the Moon Class students setting aside their factions and uniting for a single purpose.

Just a short while ago, these girls had clashed over every little thing, divided by their factions. Now, their cooperation moved Glenn unexpectedly, and in the heat of the moment, he shouted:

“Nice work, Francine, Colette! I freaking love you guys!”

“N-No way, Sensei, saying you love me… I-I’m a girl, you know…”

“I-I’m not mentally prepared yet…!”

 

 

Sistine, strangely irritated, forcefully cut off the odd atmosphere of Glenn and the others’ conversation.

“Both of you! Maneuver to the front of the train’s direction along the tracks! Sensei and I will jump onto the train!”

“Heh, got it! Hold on tight!”

“Understood! Here we go!”

Colette and Francine deftly handled the reins once more.

With a snap, the horses surged forward again.

Down a steep slope, with skillful rein work, they charged without hesitation—

“Gyaahhh!? This is terrifying as expected!?”

“Hiiieee!?”

The pitiful screams of Glenn and Sistine echoed downward into the distance.

 

The horses galloped to intercept the train’s path, heading toward the front of the tracks.

The distance between the train and the horses gradually closed… until finally, they were running side by side.

Naturally, the horses couldn’t match the train’s speed in a parallel chase.

Beside Glenn and the others, the linked train cars steadily overtook the horses one by one…

“Kuh… will we make it…!?”

“Just a bit closer, just a little more…! Both of you—!”

Already, more than half of the train’s cars had passed them by.

As Francine and Colette steered the horses closer to the train’s side…

One car… then another… passed Glenn and the others, moving ahead…

Finally, as the very last car was about to overtake them… at that moment.

“Now, White Cat! Let’s go!”

“《Swift》—!”

Glenn maxed out his mana for an instant with [Physical Boost], while Sistine activated Storm Legs via [Rapid Stream], planting their feet on the horses’ backs—

And they leapt.

With the moon at their backs, the two soared through the air—

“Hup!”

“—Ha!”

Thud! Thump!

They landed deftly on the roof of the train’s rearmost car.

“I-I can’t believe we pulled off something this reckless…”

Amid the fierce wind whipping her hair and clothes backward, Sistine paled with dread.

“Wait, Francine and Colette—!? Huh… what?”

When Sistine glanced back, she saw the two horses that had been running alongside the train gradually falling behind… but their riders were nowhere to be seen.

The next moment.

Thud! Thump!

A noise sounded behind Sistine.

“Alright! Everyone made it aboard safely!?”

“Here we go, Sensei! Sistine!”

To her shock, Colette and Francine had also leapt onto the train’s roof.

“W-Wait, why are you two here!?”

“Tch, don’t be so cold, Sistine.”

“Once you’ve come this far, you might as well see it through to the end… We’ll join you and Sensei.”

“Why…? It could be dangerous…!?”

“That’s the same for you and Sensei, isn’t it?”

Colette and Francine retorted to Sistine’s half-angry, half-exasperated expression.

“Besides, we’re not sticking our necks out just for kicks or some whim.”

“According to Ginny’s intel… quite a few students from St. Lily Magic Girls’ Academy are siding with Headmaster Marianne, right?”

“Can you two really handle it alone? Don’t you need someone to clear the way?”

It was a valid point. In battle, numbers made a significant difference.

“S-Sensei…? What do we do…?”

Uncertain, Sistine turned to Glenn with pleading eyes.

“…”

Glenn stood with his arms crossed, silent for a moment… then fixed his gaze on Francine and Colette and asked:

“…Who are you two?”

“!”

“Tell me, Francine, Colette… What are you? Just ‘mages’? Or… ‘magicians’?”

At that, Francine and Colette exchanged glances… and then…

“We’re ‘magicians’!”

“Damn right, ‘magicians’!”

Both answered simultaneously, their faces beaming with confident smiles.

“Good!”

Glenn grinned with satisfaction.

“Then let’s do this, you two! We’ll save Re=L and Elsa, beat the crap out of Marianne, and give those angsty, rebellious teens a harsh lesson they won’t forget!”

 

BOOM!

“W-What was that!?”

The sudden impact sound from behind startled Marianne, who had been lounging comfortably, causing her to shout in a panic.

“It’s terrible, Headmaster Marianne! Intruders!”

Several female students burst into the car from the rear.

“What!? From where!? How!?”

Marianne couldn’t believe her ears.

“Um… somehow, a group of weirdos infiltrated from the rearmost car—”

“They’re taking down our allies stationed in each car and are heading this way!”

“They’re shouting about returning Elsa and Re=L!”

Likely, someone had pursued them based on Ginny’s leaked information.

That was the only explanation.

But—

“Ridiculous… How could they possibly catch up to a moving train…!?”

One possibility was a relay of horses chasing them down… but with the factional rivalries plaguing that academy, such teamwork seemed impossible.

Yet, the fact that they’d been caught meant—

“Tch… Subdue the intruders immediately!”

Regaining her composure, Marianne barked orders in a shrill voice.

“The rear cars are mostly private compartments! Narrow spaces negate our numerical advantage! Gather the students stationed in each car, lure the intruders to the open salon car, and overwhelm them with numbers!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am!”

“Do you understand!? If this plan fails, you’ll all be sent back to that suffocating academy! Got it!?”

““““Yes, ma’am!””””

Spurred by Marianne’s words, the female students rushed toward the rear cars…

“Tch… After coming this far…”

Amid the train’s rattling and the growing sounds of battle approaching, Marianne cursed irritably at the unexpected setback.

 

Inside the train, Glenn and his group clashed fiercely with the female students sent to intercept them.

“Yaaaah—!”

One student, determined to block their path, brandished a rapier and charged at Glenn.

“Hmph—!”

Glenn nimbly dodged, sidestepping the fierce thrust of the rapier.

As they passed, he struck the student’s neck with a hand chop, knocking her unconscious.

Without missing a beat, the students lined up at the back of the car, who had been targeting Glenn’s bold advance, chanted in unison.

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

“《O white storm of winter》—!”

“《O mighty wind》—!”

Lightning bolts, freezing waves, and battering gusts surged toward Glenn—

“《O radiant barrier of protection》—!”

As if anticipating the attack, Sistine deployed a shimmering mana barrier—[Force Shield]—in front of Glenn, blocking everything.

“N-No way…!?”

“Now’s our chance—!”

Seeing the enemy ranks falter after their coordinated attack was thwarted, Colette clenched her fists, activated [Physical Boost] to its fullest, and charged straight into the enemy formation.

“You idiot! Colette, don’t—!”

Glenn tried to stop her, but it was too late.

He noticed one of the enemy students smirking slyly as Colette charged.

(That one’s set a trap!)

As Glenn suspected, the student had laid a trap.

A [Stun Floor] had been secretly placed in the middle of the aisle. The student prepared to activate it just as Colette’s reckless charge brought her within range—

“—Huh!?”

The next instant, the student lost sight of Colette.

“Raaaaah—!”

Incredibly, Colette had leapt forward and diagonally upward just before triggering the trap.

Using her momentum, she ran three steps up the right wall, then leapt again.

Flipping upside down, she landed on the ceiling, kicked off—

Propelled by her leg strength and gravity, she dove from above, directly at the student who’d set the trap.

Her left hand, clad in a studded glove, shimmered with white frost as she swung it down with fierce resolve.

““““Kyaaaah!?””””

The punch, laced with swirling frost, struck the group of students, knocking them down, freezing them, and rendering them unconscious.

“Tch… Colette, you—!”

One student who narrowly escaped raised her left hand toward Colette’s back—

“I won’t let you! There—《Thunder—”

Francine, moving to cover Colette, began chanting a spell—when suddenly.

Clang!

“Aaaaah—!”

The door to the rear car burst open, and a female student charged at Francine’s back with a rapier, shouting furiously.

She’d likely been hiding with invisibility magic to catch them off guard.

“—Eek!?”

The unexpected move nearly blanked Francine’s mind for a moment.

But she barely held back the panic, suppressing her shock—

“Sensei! Behind—!”

With a quick glance at Glenn, she shouted her spell.

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

A bolt of lightning struck the student aiming for Colette, knocking her down—

“—Agh!?”

“Whoops, sorry! Time for good girls to take a nap!”

The student who’d attacked Francine from behind was easily subdued by Glenn.

“Phew… Man, you guys are giving me heart attacks…”

Surrounded by unconscious ojou-samas sprawled across the floor, Glenn wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Don’t jump at obvious shortcuts, always catch the enemy off guard… right?”

“Keep a cool head at all times. Don’t falter at the enemy’s unexpected moves… correct?”

Colette and Francine shot smug looks at Glenn.

“Hah, not bad! I’ll give you a passing grade!”

Glenn flashed a proud grin back at them…

“There they are! You won’t advance any further!”

“We’ll stop you here, no matter what! Everyone!”

The door to the forward car opened, and a wave of reinforcements poured in.

“Ugh, here comes the VIP entourage…”

Glenn groaned in exasperation.

“But, well, feels like we’ve got the upper hand, right, Sensei?”

“Indeed.”

“Alright, you guys, this is where the real fight starts! Let’s do this!”

With Glenn’s rallying cry, the group nodded in unison.

 

While Glenn and his team’s battle intensified in the rear cars—

In a certain car near the train’s center.

(…Ugh… What’s happening…?)

The growing sounds of battle slowly roused Elsa’s consciousness.

(…It hurts… my hands…)

In her hazy awareness, Elsa assessed her condition. Her hands and feet were bound tightly with sturdy rope, and her magic was sealed by a [Spell Seal].

The space around her was cramped. Judging by the swaying and layout, this was likely a private compartment in a compartment-type train car. She was sprawled on a seat.

The room was fortified with a robust confinement barrier. The ceiling and walls were covered in intricate magical runes, with mana light flickering across them.

Escape seemed impossible. This compartment was a veritable prison.

(…I was… deceived by Marianne… my aunt… I hurt Re=L, who was innocent… and to top it all off, I got captured so pathetically…)

As Elsa recalled the recent events, she sank into the depths of self-loathing.

“…Elsa? You’re awake?”

A familiar voice came from behind.

Elsa rolled over, struggling to turn her body toward the sound.

“…Thank goodness… Are you okay, Elsa?”

There, on the opposite seat, was Re=L, bound head to toe in ropes, looking like a cocooned caterpillar.

“Re=L…”

Elsa averted her eyes. An awkward silence settled between them.

After a while.

“…Re=L… I’m sorry…”

Elsa mumbled, her voice barely squeezing out an apology.

“…? Why are you apologizing?”

Re=L tilted her head, genuinely puzzled.

“Because I deceived you… I dragged you into this mess…”

Elsa whispered faintly to the curiously tilting Re=L.

“You’re… fundamentally a different person from Illushia, aren’t you… But I…”

“…Hm? How do you know that?”

“After you collapsed, a lot happened…”

With a self-deprecating smile, Elsa began calmly explaining the circumstances and situation…

…

“Hm… I see… So that’s what happened… And you tried to take me down, Elsa…?”

“Yeah… You must hate me now, from the bottom of your heart… I did something unforgivable…”

Tears of unbearable regret streamed down Elsa’s cheeks as she confessed everything.

Deep down—Elsa had known all along.

At first, she approached Re=L to gauge her true nature, driven by a desire for revenge.

But in truth, she’d been drawn to Re=L, a girl so pure and untainted.

The ‘Memory of Flames’ that still tormented her—a fatal weakness—made her fear how others truly saw her deep down. She felt burdened by others’ consideration, always keeping everyone at arm’s length.

For someone like Elsa, Re=L—who was utterly without guile, who neither coddled nor put on airs—was a salvation.

Though she’d stubbornly refused to admit it… the days spent with Re=L had brought her genuine peace.

To someone like her, trapped by the past, trembling in fear of it, and unable to move forward… Re=L, despite her timid and clumsy nature, shone brilliantly as she earnestly took one step at a time toward progress.

She truly felt a sense of comfort being with Re=L… and deep in her heart, she had indeed felt the stirrings of friendship.

But—she had smothered that with her obsessive fixation on the past, cruelly burning it away in the flames of vengeance—

And this was the result: this pathetic, wretched, utterly deplorable situation.

(If only I had talked to Re=L properly… before taking such drastic actions—)

That Illushia was Re=L… it wasn’t information she had confirmed herself. It was merely something Marianne had unilaterally told her, and she had swallowed it whole simply because the appearance matched her memories.

If Illushia and Re=L were the same person… she had vaguely sensed something was off.

The color of her eyes, her hair, the way Re=L spoke about Illushia—there had been plenty of hints.

But—

(My heart, so eager for revenge… the sweet bait of returning to the military… it clouded my judgment…!)

Dragging herself forward, bound as she was, Elsa crawled toward Re=L.

She tumbled off the seat, yet still struggled toward Re=L…

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry, Re=L…”

Most likely, Re=L had been… at St. Lily Magic Girls’ Academy, where she had been forcibly enrolled, surely her first true friend.

That friend… because of her, was about to become a test subject for some shady organization’s experiments—an unbearable thought. To realize this now, how utterly foolish.

“I don’t care what happens to me… but at the very least… I want to save you…!”

With great effort, Elsa rested her head on Re=L’s body and bit into the ropes binding her. She gnawed desperately, trying to tear them apart.

But they were tough. Far too tough. What in the world were these ropes made of?

Perhaps they were ropes reinforced with magic.

Either way, they weren’t something human strength could break.

But even so, Elsa…

“Haa… haa… ugh… at least you… please, escape somehow…”

Breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face… she bit into the ropes with such force it felt like her teeth might break…

…But then.

“I’m glad.”

Suddenly, Re=L’s soft murmur made Elsa freeze.

She shifted her gaze, hesitantly looking at Re=L’s face.

To her surprise, Re=L… was smiling gently at Elsa.

“…Re=L…?”

“I thought… Elsa hated me. So… I’m glad.”

Re=L’s utterly pure smile left Elsa dumbfounded.

“G-Glad? Why…? I did such awful things to you…”

“…Huh? But… I like Elsa.”

Re=L’s unadorned, straightforward words sent a whirlwind of emotions churning in Elsa’s chest. Her tears felt like they would never stop.

“…Don’t cry, Elsa. Let’s get out of here… together.”

“B-But… we’re tied up like this…”

“It’s fine. I know a rope-escape spell. That’s why I was waiting for you to wake up.”

“A rope-escape spell…? But… we can’t use magic right now…”

Elsa was about to warn her that their magic was sealed.

Budzun!

Suddenly, a sound erupted from somewhere on Re=L’s body…

“There… rope-escape spell.”

Abruptly, Re=L stood up.

The ropes that had been wrapped around her fell away in pieces…

“W-What… a rope-escape… spell…?”

Elsa caught a glimpse of a section of the fallen rope, which looked as though it had been forcibly torn apart by some tremendous force… but she convinced herself it was an illusion.

“Here, I’ll cast the rope-escape spell on you too, Elsa.”

With that, the now-free Re=L reached for the ropes binding Elsa…

Bujin! Budzu!

With Re=L’s quick “spell,” Elsa was freed in an instant.

“…Right, a spell… Magic is the art of achieving miracles beyond human capability, after all…”

Rubbing her newly freed arms, Elsa decided to stop overthinking it.

“B-But, Re=L… are you sure you’re okay moving around? Your injuries…”

“No problem. I took a nap, and they healed somehow.”

The truth was that Re=L, being an artificial human, had a self-healing ability far superior to ordinary humans… but to Elsa, this girl named Re=L seemed like an unstoppable force, leaving her speechless.

“Come on, let’s go, Elsa. I have a feeling Glenn and the others are somewhere nearby…”

“B-But… this compartment… it’s sealed with confinement magic…”

“No problem. I can use a lock-picking spell too.”

Re=L puffed out her chest, looking faintly proud. At this point, pointing out the absurdity felt pointless.

But…

“Elsa?”

Re=L tilted her head. Elsa, head bowed, refused to move from her spot.

“…Listen, Re=L… it’s no good. I’d just be a burden…”

“Really? I think you’re really strong, Elsa.”

“No… that’s not it. I… I can’t handle fire or blood… anything red. Just seeing it makes me tremble uncontrollably, unable to move…”

“…Hmm… that trauma thing? Glenn mentioned it in class once.”

“Yeah… and all our enemies know that. They’ll definitely exploit it… so I’m certain I’ll just hold you back, Re=L…”

“…”

“So, Re=L… leave me behind and go on your own…”

Elsa had barely gotten the words out when—

“…It’s okay, Elsa. I don’t really understand, but…”

Re=L looked directly into Elsa’s face, her gaze unwavering…

“I’ll protect you.”

With a strong, reassuring smile, she declared it clearly… in that moment.

“…Ah.”

Thump. Elsa felt her heart leap in her chest.

Instantly, her cheeks flushed hot, her mind growing hazy as if overtaken by fever.

(What’s this…? S-Somehow, I can’t look Re=L in the face…)

It was warm, comforting, yet somehow bittersweet, her chest tightening with a ticklish ache. As Elsa grappled with the new emotion stirring within her…

“…So, let’s go together, Elsa.”

Re=L, with a sleepy but gentle expression, extended her hand to Elsa.

“Let’s escape this place together… and then, I want you to hear me out. About my sister… Illushia. I’m not sure if I can explain it well… but I want you to know, Elsa.”

Elsa gazed at Re=L, her expression dreamy, as if lost in a vision…

And soon, with a small nod, she took Re=L’s hand.

 

The battle within the train grew ever more intense—

The frenzied rush toward conflict showed no signs of stopping.

“Francine! Colette!”

The female students roared with resentment as they charged at Francine and Colette.

“Hah! Too slow!”

Colette swiftly parried three incoming rapiers with skillful handwork.

She followed with a kick, an elbow strike to knock them down, and a sweep of freezing aura from her fists—

“《O spirit of lightning—》”

Aiming for the exposed Colette, the female students waiting in the rear began chanting offensive spells in unison—

“《Cry out to the void・resounding echoes・the roar of the wind spirit》—!”

Using Colette as a shield, Francine’s preemptive spell completed a fraction faster.

A compressed air bullet arced toward the enemy ranks—naturally, Colette had already pulled back—

Zuun!

“Kyaaaaaaa—!?”

“Uaaaaaa—!?”

The sonic shockwave and air vibrations sent the clustered female students flying—

The impact shook the entire train car.

“Tch… these people…!?”

This car’s left half was filled with private compartments, meaning the battle had to take place in the narrow corridor, where numerical superiority was useless.

No matter how many forces were sent to overwhelm Francine and Colette, these top-tier students of St. Lily Magic Girls’ Academy struck back with devastating precision.

Trying to lure them to a wider space didn’t work either—they wouldn’t take the bait.

The moment the female students turned to retreat, Francine and Colette eagerly attacked, but when led to an open area, they quickly withdrew to the narrow car.

As a result, despite their allies’ growing numbers, they couldn’t overpower the duo—

“Francine! Colette! Why are you getting in our way!?”

One of the students siding with Marianne—Sheeda—shouted.

“Huh!? Obviously we’re gonna get in your way! 《O purple lightning of the thunder spirit》—!”

“We can’t just stand by while our friends are taken! 《O mighty wind》!”

“Tch!?”

Sheeda ducked into a compartment, dodging the incoming spells.

“Elsa and Re=L are just people you barely know, aren’t they!? Think it over! Instead—join us!”

Amid the barrage of spells, Sheeda shouted.

“Come with us! To the Heaven’s Cross!”

“Hah—!? Don’t make me laugh—”

“You were suffocating too, weren’t you!?”

Sheeda’s cry caused Francine and Colette to freeze for a moment.

“You were suffering too! Bound by your families, by the academy, with no freedom, no will of your own! You wanted to destroy this situation! You wanted something to cling to, to prove you were different—that’s why you strutted around with that ‘faction’ of yours, right!?”

Hiding in the compartments, Francine and Colette fell silent, their faces bitter.

Sheeda’s accusation had hit the mark perfectly.

Seizing the opportunity, Sheeda pressed her case with even more fervor.

“So come with us! To the Heaven’s Cross! Everything you’ve ever truly wanted will be yours, easily! All your suffering will be resolved!”

Silence. A fleeting moment of quiet amid the battle.

But…

“No way.”

“We refuse.”

Colette and Francine answered in unison, their voices resolute.

“W-Why—?”

“Oh, it’s tempting, no doubt… Honestly, I kinda wanna go, to be real.”

“A researcher or spy for a secret government agency… unbound by family, free to become something unique… Honestly, it’s very tempting.”

“Haha, damn… If this was us a while back, we might’ve gone along without a second thought.”

“Indeed…”

“T-then just come with us already—”

“But that’s no good!”

Their response was, as expected, a firm rejection.

“It’s the same thing, in the end! That’s not something we’d claim with our own strength!”

“Nothing would change from how things are now! Still bound by constraints, aimlessly lingering at the academy, pretending we’re special—it’s no different! It’s just a slightly different birdcage!”

“B-But then, what do we do!? What’s the answer!? If things stay like this, there’s no hope for our future, is there!?”

Sheeda cried out, her voice breaking.

In truth, the students who sided with Marianne… they likely knew, deep down.

That this was wrong. That their choice was a mistake.

But it was the only path they could think of—

“I don’t want this! I hate this life! What do we do—!?”

“Yeah, you’re right. We’re screwed, aren’t we? Blessed with wealth, but our freedom’s insanely restricted… Haha, that ‘noblesse oblige’ crap, what a load of garbage.”

“If you call it the spoiled whining of sheltered ojou-sama, that’s fair enough…”

“But Renn-sensei said it. Mages, in the end, are arrogant, sinful beings who bend even the laws of the world for their desires…”

“And because of that, they’re freer than anyone…”

For some reason, the opposing students listened intently to their words.

They couldn’t ignore them, as if they were the words of a savior.

“Listen up, you lot. If you want to change your situation… you need ‘power.’ To live by your own will and choices, without anyone’s orders, you need ‘power’!”

“Not some childish ‘faction’ or a ‘special place’ handed to you. Power forged by your own efforts, undeniable power that no one can ignore…”

“Magic, swordsmanship, influence, wealth… the type of power doesn’t matter. To stand alone, you need power.”

“To a ‘mage,’ those are just cards to play. Mere tools. Using them with wisdom to pave the path you desire—that’s what makes a ‘true’ ‘mage’—”

“Listen, you lot… For us, born into this lack of freedom, if we want to be free… if we want to stand alone… if we want to break through… we have no choice but to become ‘true’ mages!”

“Huddling together, licking each other’s wounds, won’t cut it! It’s painful, it’s hard, it takes effort and ingenuity… but we have to become ‘true’ mages!”

“In short, stop acting like spoiled kids!”

As if preaching to themselves as well, Colette and Francine’s shouts rang out.

The listening students were struck dumb, overwhelmed by the weight of their words.

Yes, the truth of the world, the answer… is always deceptively simple and cruel.

The path you most want to avoid, the one you dread walking, filled with hardship and suffering—

It seems like an endless detour… but it’s always the shortest route.

“Let’s do this! Time to settle it, Francine! Cover me!”

“Let’s go for it!”

Seizing the moment, Colette and Francine leapt from the compartments, charging into the ranks of the demoralized, motionless students.

“Uoooooooh!”

“Haaaa—!”

The tide of the battle—had turned.

 

In the open salon car, the first car directly behind the locomotive.

“Tch… useless girls… As expected of sheltered ojou-samas!”

Marianne gritted her teeth, observing the battle in the rear cars through her far-seeing magic.

Her clairvoyance showed just two enemies: Francine and Colette. Yet these two were systematically defeating the promising students she had handpicked.

“What are these girls… They’re clearly different from before…”

Francine and Colette’s technical skills hadn’t changed.

But the way they wielded their power had transformed. No longer did they blindly flaunt their strength to prove themselves. Now, they carefully assessed their options, wielding their abilities with precise wisdom to achieve their goals.

According to her memory, St. Lily Magic Girls’ Academy had many teachers who could teach the ‘power’ of noble refinement, but none who could teach its ‘application’ and ‘wisdom.’

“And Re=L Rayford and Elsa Virif… Where did they disappear to?”

A bad feeling crept over her. Peering into the car where she had confined them with her far-seeing magic, she found no trace of them. In the compartment, meant to be a magical prison, there were only ropes torn apart by tremendous force and a door kicked down with equal brutality.

Only someone like Re=L Rayford could pull off such a ridiculous feat.

The compartment wasn’t originally designed as a magical prison, so the magically reinforced locks and door had their limits—but she hadn’t expected them to be broken so easily. She had completely underestimated Re=L’s sheer strength.

“Even granting that Re=L Rayford escaped… Why did she take Elsa with her!?”

The evidence in the car made it clear: Re=L had freed Elsa and taken her along.

But why? To Re=L, Elsa should be a hated enemy who deceived her. So why…!?

“Tch… They must be hiding somewhere in the train… If I can find them and take them down myself…”

But—no matter where she looked, they were nowhere to be found.

Her far-seeing magic turned up nothing. Where could they have vanished to?

Meanwhile, the sounds of battle from the rear grew steadily closer.

“Why… Why is everything going wrong!? Where did it all go off the rails…!? Who’s to blame for this? Who—!?”

Marianne gnashed her teeth in frustration… when suddenly—

Gashaaaaan!

The rear window of the car was shattered from the outside, and someone leapt inside.

Seeing who it was—Marianne’s lips trembled as she screamed.

“That’s it, I knew it…! It’s you…! It must be because of you…!”

In truth, Marianne had known the identity of this person.

She had investigated the temporary instructor sent from Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, clearly assigned as Re=L’s minder with military backing.

But he was just a third-rate mage, a good-for-nothing magic instructor—surely no threat to her plans.

Pushing back too forcefully would raise suspicions and stir conflict with the higher-ups—that was the judgment, and thus, tacit approval was given.

Looking back now—that man’s arrival should have been stopped at all costs.

That was the greatest mistake Marianne made in this plan.

That man’s presence changed the mindset of Francine and Colette.

It forced the prideful Ginny to choose a shameless retreat, leading to the plan leaking outside.

It caused the Moon Class students to unite and cooperate, guiding those people to this train.

It resulted in Elsa and Re=L building a bond far stronger than necessary.

The culmination of these small things—

“It’s all your fault! Glenn Radaaaaaars!!!”

“Hahaha! Let’s put an end to this nonsense, you hag!”

Landing inside the train car and facing off, Marianne screamed at Glenn.

—I expect you to bring a fresh breeze to this academy—

Her past words now felt like a biting irony against her current situation.

“Seriously! Using Francine and Colette as decoys while we move along the train’s roof to take down the mastermind… you’re as reckless as ever!”

Whoosh! Sistine, cloaked in wind, leaped through a broken window into the train car.

Landing behind Glenn, she shouted in exasperation.

“What’s the big deal? Thanks to that, we managed to rendezvous with Re=L and the others who were also moving along the roof…”

“…Mm.”

Two more shadows, using skillful acrobatics, leaped through the window into the car.

Re=L and Elsa. Thanks to Sistine’s Dispel Force magic, the Spell Seals on both had already been broken. Re=L had conjured her greatsword, and Elsa had resummoned her blade.

After regrouping, they had exchanged information during their journey here, and Glenn’s group had already reconciled with Elsa.

Now, all that remained was to work together to defeat the mastermind—

United under a single purpose, the four braced themselves against Marianne, who trembled with rage and astonishment.

“…Four against one, huh? Even you can’t possibly win. Just surrender already.”

Glenn declared triumphantly.

But…

“Heh, hehehe…”

Instead of giving up, Marianne let out an eerie laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing… I just never imagined, truly, that things would come to this…”

Then, Marianne gently drew the sword hanging at her waist.

It was a longsword with an antique design.

“I brought this thinking it might serve as a check against Elsa if it came to it… but it was absolutely the right call!”

She raised the sword overhead—in that instant.

Boom! Flames erupted from the sword, swirling around Marianne.

These were clearly no ordinary flames. The overwhelming heat wave from their intense blaze stung the skin of Glenn and the others, even from a distance of over ten meters—

“Hot!? What the hell is that!?”

Glenn’s eyes widened in shock.

“There was no sign of magic activation with those flames…!? It’s not a magical artifact with that function—no, that’s not it! There wasn’t even a hint of activating an artifact!”

To begin with, in a situation brimming with close-combat prowess, Glenn, with his Original Magic [Fool’s World], would never miss the activation of such a thing.

As Glenn faltered, bewildered by the mysterious flames Marianne wielded…

“Could that sword be… a magical artifact—the Flame Sword [Frey Vood]!?”

Recognizing its design and characteristics, Sistine gasped in disbelief.

“One of the ‘Hundred Flames’ said to have been wielded by Via Dhol, the Flame Demon Emperor, a key figure among the Demon Generals in The Magician of Melgalius… the [Frey Vood]…! How could something like that be here…!?”

“Oh my… it seems we have an ancient civilization enthusiast here, saving me the trouble of explaining… Well, you’re mostly correct. This sword is a magical artifact that controls flames—”

Marianne sneered.

“In my research for the Heaven’s Cross’s [Project: Revive Life], I worked on techniques for restoring and passing down experiential memory and combat skills… As part of that, I explored whether we could recreate the combat techniques of ancient heroes in the modern age…”

“Could it be—an application of the White Magic Ritual [Load Experience]!?”

In this world, there exists a ritual magic that can reproduce and channel the memories stored within objects.

“Yes, exactly. While I couldn’t perfectly recreate the combat techniques of past heroes like Celica Arfonia, I succeeded in imperfectly but semi-permanently channeling the combat skills from this [Frey Vood] into myself.”

“What…!?”

“This [Frey Vood]… the idea that it was wielded by a Demon General is just a fairy tale from Loran Ertoria, isn’t it? But a magical sword of this caliber… surely it was used by a renowned warrior in ancient times, don’t you think? And I hit the jackpot, didn’t I?”

Suddenly, Marianne’s form blurred and vanished—

“—!? Watch out, everyone, get back!”

Re=L reacted, lunging forward—

Clang! In a fleeting moment, a tremendous metallic clash rang out as blade met blade.

Before Glenn and the others, Re=L and Marianne locked swords, their blades crossed—

The next moment, flames burst from Marianne’s sword.

“—!?”

The flames, erupting at point-blank range with overwhelming force, threatened to engulf Re=L—

“《O wall of air・double-layered・protect us》!”

But a double-layered air barrier instantly enveloped Re=L, blocking the flames.

Sistine’s preemptive casting of the modified Black Magic [Double Screen] barely managed to shield Re=L from the flames that sought to consume her—

“You bastard!?”

Glenn drew the handgun hidden behind his back.

With a blindingly fast draw—three rapid shots fired in a fanning motion.

But Marianne leaped back with godlike speed, gracefully deflecting the incoming bullets with her sword—

“Well, how about that…? I’m pretty good, aren’t I…?”

On the flat of Marianne’s horizontally raised sword, the three bullets rested neatly in a row—a sight that left Glenn utterly dumbfounded.

Whoosh! The flames erupting from the sword incinerated the bullets in an instant—

And then, Marianne, wreathed in fierce flames, swung her sword, unleashing an arc of fire.

The flames, as if alive, rapidly spread across the ceiling and walls—

Completely cutting off Glenn and the others’ escape route.

“…You’re not getting away… I’m going to toast you all just right and turn you into experimental samples…”

(A flame barrier…? Damn, this woman… she’s insanely strong…)

In a world consumed by raging flames, Glenn shuddered, his body drenched in cold sweat.

And then—

“Ha… ha… hah…!? Ugh… ahh…”

“Elsa!?”

Elsa, pale and sweating profusely, collapsed powerlessly to the floor.

The flames Marianne wielded seemed to have triggered her trauma.

“Hey, I heard a bit about this earlier, but is it really this bad…?”

Shocked by Elsa’s sudden change, Glenn and Sistine could only stare in disbelief.

“Then it’s up to the three of us… Let’s go, you two!”

“Y-Yes!”

“Mm.”

Glenn and the others stepped forward to confront Marianne.

“R-Re=L…”

Elsa, hyperventilating on the floor, called out to Re=L’s back as she headed into battle.

“…I’m… sorry… I’m just… a burden after all…”

“It’s fine. No problem.”

A curt but resolute reply came back.

“I’ll protect you, Elsa.”

“…R-Re=L…”

And so, with the trembling Elsa watching, the final battle began.

 

Overflowing with lush greenery, crisp local air, and a beautiful lake…

This was Rasle, a pastoral lakeside village in the Alzano Empire’s lake district.

“What’s that…?”

Despite the late hour, the villagers of Rasle had gathered outside, staring at the railway tracks running along the opposite shore of Lake Claire.

The whistle of a train and the sound of its steam engine echoed from the distant mountains.

While it was a local attraction to catch a prime view of the majestic steam locomotive that passed by the village four times a day along the lake…

“A whistle…? A train at this hour…?”

“That’s strange… There shouldn’t be any more trains today…?”

The puzzled villagers fixed their gazes on the distant mountain pass where the steam locomotive always appeared.

Eventually, as the villagers watched in curiosity…

Just as always, the train emerged from the pass… and in that moment.

Pop! The pass suddenly glowed orange.

“What!?”

As the villagers froze in shock, the train descended the tracks as usual… slowly approaching the village… and running along the lake’s opposite shore as it always did.

Its appearance—was abnormal.

“W-What is that…!?”

“It’s burning!? The train… it’s burning!?”

The railway train moved slowly from left to right along the lake’s opposite shore as usual.

But its front—the locomotive—was now a blazing fireball—

 

“Ahahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahaha!”

Marianne’s maniacal laughter echoed through the train car.

As she swung her sword with reckless abandon, scorching crimson flames erupted from its tip, writhing and surging around her—

“《O radiant barrier of protection》—!”

Sistine deployed Black Magic [Force Shield] in front of the group.

The magical light barrier blocked the flames rushing toward Glenn and the others—

“Owowowow!? Hot!? It’s hot!?”

Even with the barrier, the heat scorched Glenn and the others.

“Hey, White Cat!? You’re not blocking the heat enough—crank up the output! Stop slacking!”

“This is my limit!”

Sistine screamed back at Glenn’s criticism.

“That magical artifact sword’s output is insane! It’s not my fault!”

“Tch!? Fine, then!”

Glenn clenched his fist and rapidly chanted a spell.

“《O guardian・from the three calamities widespread・protect me》!”

Black Magic [Tri-Resist]. A counter-spell that enchants the target with resistance to fire, cold, and lightning energy.

Glenn cast it on himself—

“White Cat, cover me!”

“《O wall of air・double-layered・protect us》—!”

Sistine chanted the modified Black Magic [Double Screen], enveloping Glenn in a double-layered air barrier as he charged toward Marianne.

Unlike the coordinate-specific [Force Shield], [Air Screen] and its variant [Double Screen] were target-specific spells.

They allowed the caster to move while maintaining the spell’s effects.

“Uoooooooh—!”

Parting the swirling sea of flames, Glenn dove into Marianne’s range—

With the momentum of his charge, he unleashed a sharp right straight.

But.

“Ahahaha!?”

“Wha—”

Marianne deftly sidestepped, easily dodging.

As Glenn’s defenseless body staggered, Marianne countered with a swift slash—

The blazing blade tore through even the [Double Screen]’s air barrier—

“Glenn!”

—In the nick of time. Just as Glenn was about to be bisected, Re=L, who had also charged in, intercepted, blocking Marianne’s sword with her greatsword.

“Iyaaaaa—!”

She tried to forcefully push Marianne back—

Boom! Crimson flames erupted again from Marianne’s sword, writhing violently.

“Kuh—!?”

Though Re=L had cast her own Black Magic [Tri-Resist] for heat resistance, being scorched by such intense flames at close range was unbearable.

“Tch, 《O wall of air》—!”

If Sistine hadn’t instantly cast [Air Screen] on Re=L, she would have suffered severe burns.

But even that air barrier—

“Shh—!”

Marianne’s ferocious slash instantly tore through and dissipated it.

The flames surged again, swirling and crashing toward Glenn and Re=L like a fiery storm—

“Tch, retreat—!”

Chased by a tsunami of flames, Glenn and Re=L hurriedly fell back to Sistine.

“《O radiant barrier of protection》—!”

The light barrier rose again, holding back the oncoming wave of flames—

“Hot!? I said it’s hot!? Do something, White Cat—!”

“Don’t ask the impossible! I told you, this is my limit!”

In modern magic, the fundamental defensive spells against offensive spells are always [Force Shield], [Air Screen], and [Tri-Resist].

Each has its strengths and weaknesses: [Force Shield] is versatile and robust but immobilizes the caster, [Air Screen] is versatile and mobile but weak to physical impacts and easily dispelled, and [Tri-Resist] is mobile and persistent as long as mana lasts but limited to three attributes and only reduces damage.

Marianne’s Flame Sword exploited the weaknesses of these defensive spells with uncanny precision.

It wasn’t flashy, but it was supremely troublesome.

“Damn… [Force Shield] pins us down, and if we rush in out of frustration, [Air Screen] gets sliced through, and then she blasts us with heat that overwhelms [Tri-Resist]… That’s practically cheating!”

Sistine was fully occupied casting defensive counter-spells like [Force Shield], leaving no time to counter with offensive spells. Moreover, only Sistine, with the highest mana among them, could block Marianne’s flames with [Force Shield].

Glenn’s three-phrase chants were too slow and too weak to affect Marianne now.

Re=L had no offensive spells to begin with.

In close combat, Marianne, channeling the swordsmanship of an ancient hero, dominated.

With the flame barrier encircling the train car, retreat was no longer an option.

They were completely cornered.

“Ahahahaha… Burn…! Burn it all—!”

From the sword Marianne raised, even more overwhelming flames erupted, swirling and crashing toward Glenn and the others like a tsunami—

“Owowowow!? It’s hot!? I’m gonna get toasted!?”

“Kuh—!”

Glenn and Re=L poured more mana into their [Tri-Resist], and Sistine into her [Force Shield], but it was like pouring water on a burning rock.

Naturally, the swirling flames had set the train car ablaze, turning it into a roaring inferno.

Worse, the spreading flames had ignited the locomotive at the front, causing the steam engine to malfunction. The engine was overheating, and the train’s speed had been steadily increasing.

The scenery outside the windows blurred past like a raging torrent, and the train began to shake not just side to side but up and down—

“S-Sensei, at this rate…”

“Yeah, this is bad… Really bad.”

Imagining the same grim outcome, Sistine and Glenn paled.

Derailment—if the train’s speed kept increasing, the worst possible accident would occur. If that happened, everyone on this train—would die.

“Hey! Cut it out already!? Stop the flames! Do you wanna die too!?”

Unable to hold back, Glenn shouted at Marianne.

“Hyahahahahahaha—! Burn… Burn it all—! Ahhhyahahahahahaha—!”

“Damn it, that woman… she’s completely lost it… What’s going on…?”

Since she began wielding [Frey Vood] in earnest, Marianne’s mental state had clearly deteriorated.

“Could she be… getting dragged down by the sword’s memories…?”

“Yeah, using the memories of some crazy ancient hero might do that…”

Loran Ertoria’s The Magician of Melgalius… its true nature remains unknown. Whether it recounts actual ancient truths is unclear.

But if The Magician of Melgalius does speak of ancient truths… then [Frey Vood] is the blade of Via Dhol, the Flame Demon Emperor—a weapon of the Demon Generals.

As the story goes—the Demon Generals were those who, through various circumstances, ceased to be human.

“Tch—! Hey, White Cat! In that fairy tale, how did the ‘Mage of Justice’ take down that idiot Via Dhol, the Flame Demon Emperor!?”

“If I recall… the key was… ‘the blade of wind that cleaves through flames’…”

“Alright, White Cat! Black Magic [Air Blade]! I taught you that one recently, didn’t I!?”

“No way! I’m already stretched thin with counterspells! If I take my time chanting a big spell like that with so many verses, everyone’s gonna get roasted!”

“Yeah, damn it! Guess it’s up to me and Re=L to figure something out—”

Amid the fiercely swirling storm of flames, while Glenn and the others were having this exchange…

(It’s hot… scary… so scary… Father… help me…)

Elsa, clutching her sword in a corner of the train car, trembled uncontrollably.

(I have the power to fight too… so I need to stand with everyone now…)

She understood it rationally, with her mind. She knew.

But—it was no use. The ‘Memory of Flames’ kept mocking Elsa.

In a situation where flames blazed so fiercely, her body simply wouldn’t move, paralyzed by fear.

Her limbs shook, her strength drained, and dizziness, nausea, palpitations, and hyperventilation wouldn’t stop—

The world warped redly before her eyes, and she could barely even stand—

That’s when it happened.

“Damn it!?”

Under Marianne’s relentless barrage of fiery attacks, a section of Sistine’s [Force Shield] finally shattered, leaving a gaping hole.

Through that gap, an overwhelming torrent of flames surged inside the [Force Shield]—

And at the end of that fiery path stood Elsa.

“Ah… …ah, aaah…!?”

Faced with the flames rushing toward her, Elsa could only stand frozen, helpless—

The flames were about to engulf her—when, at that very moment.

“Elsa!”

Someone threw themselves in front of Elsa, shielding her with their body.

It was Re=L.

The searing flames enveloped Re=L in an instant—

“《O radiant barrier of protection》—!”

In that split second, Sistine recast the barrier.

The flames were cut off, their source severed, and the fire engulfing Re=L was extinguished.

“…R-Re=L…?”

“I’m fine. No problem.”

Re=L glanced back at Elsa, who had called out to her with a worried voice.

Even though she had enchanted herself with Black Magic [Tri-Resist], Re=L’s body, having shielded Elsa, was badly burned on one side. The pain must have been immense.

There was no way she was fine. No way there was no problem.

And yet—

“I’m glad you’re safe, Elsa.”

Re=L, unperturbed, readied her greatsword and turned back to face Marianne—

“W-Why… for someone like me…?”

“Because I said I’d protect you.”

Re=L said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“…!?”

Elsa could only stare at Re=L in stunned silence.

“Tch—《O merciful angel, grant him peace and the hand of salvation》!”

Glenn placed a hand on Re=L’s head and chanted White Magic [Life Up].

Re=L’s burns healed to some extent.

“Re=L! Can you keep going!?”

“Mm.”

“Alright! Let’s take that bastard down!”

“Haaaaaa—!”

Once again, Glenn and Re=L charged toward Marianne side by side.

“《O wall of air, become twofold and protect us》—!”

Sistine cast a support spell to aid the two.

Glenn unleashed a punch at Marianne, while Re=L swung her greatsword—

Marianne dodged Glenn’s fist with a twist of her neck and parried Re=L’s greatsword with her own blade—

“Ahahahahahahahahaha—!”

Laughing maniacally, she continued to gracefully fend off Glenn and Re=L’s coordinated attacks—

“Explode—!”

In a brief gap in their furious onslaught, Marianne leaped back, swung her sword, and unleashed a storm of flames.

“Gaaah—!?”

“—Tch!”

The heatwave roared, engulfing Glenn and Re=L, tearing through the train car—

In such a confined, cramped space, an area-suppressing attack like flames was in its element.

No amount of clever tricks would work. A magician’s wisdom would have dictated avoiding a fight in such a place altogether, but now, there was no way out.

If only they were in a more open space, things might have been different—but as it stood, the terrain advantage was entirely Marianne’s. They were completely on the defensive—

“Hyahahahahaha—!? Ahhahahahahahahaha—!”

And so, while Glenn and the others were at a loss, the train kept accelerating.

The shaking grew more violent, occasionally jolting up and down.

The time limit—was closing in, moment by moment.

“Damn… we’re always just one move short…!? What do we do…!?”

Facing the oncoming torrent of flames, Glenn crossed both arms in front of him, pouring mana into [Tri-Resist], enduring through sheer grit. Sistine repeatedly recast [Force Shield] and [Double Screen], desperately holding on.

But—mana depletion was near.

“Ahahahahahahaha—! Hyaha!? Hyahahahahahahahaha—! Burn—! Burn to ashes—!”

 

“Re=L… everyone…”

Elsa, trembling with fear, stared blankly at the crimson spectacle.

The scene was a perfect recreation of the ‘Memory of Flames’ etched in her mind.

And—in that ‘Memory of Flames’, Re=L was fighting.

The girl who promised to protect Elsa. The girl who once tried to take her life.

The girl who said she liked Elsa, no matter what Elsa thought of her, was fighting desperately.

To protect her. Even as her body was scorched by the flames—

(Am I… really… okay with this…?)

The flames were terrifying. The color red was terrifying. The worst trauma she still couldn’t shake.

But to cower, tremble, and cry in a situation like this—

What, then?

Why did I even take up the sword in the first place?

Why did I aim to become a soldier like my father—why did I hone my skills—?

 

—Elsa… wield your sword to protect. Wield a sword that gives life to others—

 

Seeing Re=L’s back as she fought to protect someone, the words of her father, who fought for others, resurfaced in her mind.

“I—I—!”

Forcing her trembling body to still, she gripped the scabbard of her sword tightly.

Amid the scorching terror of the blazing flames, Elsa desperately thought.

About what she needed to do—

…………

…That’s right. This can’t be enough.

(…I’ve already let revenge consume me—wielding my father’s techniques for selfish desires—sullying his name… his proud sword… with mud—!?)

To do nothing more, to cower, tremble, and cry—

 

“No more…! I won’t… sully my father’s name… his techniques… any further—!”

At that moment, Elsa roared.

Crying, she roared and stood up.

“Elsa!?”

“Hey, you!? Don’t be reckless! Stay back!”

Re=L and Glenn shouted as they noticed, but she didn’t care.

Her knees, her hands, her entire body still trembled—she didn’t care.

The backlash of her resolve gripped her heart with unprecedented fear, but she didn’t care.

That weak heart could crush itself for all she cared. It could die.

“This…!”

Elsa drew her sword with her trembling right hand… the icy blade that would scatter like pearls if unsheathed…

And gripped it tightly with her left hand.

“You…!?”

“Elsa-san…!?”

Spurt… the blade reached an artery, blood gushing and dripping from her left hand…

It seemed that draining her blood calmed her racing heart a little.

The red of blood was still terrifying… but in a world already so red, it hardly mattered anymore.

“…Everyone…”

Her body and heart still trembled with fear, but with slightly clearer thoughts, Elsa stood unsteadily.

“Ha… ha… we’re… one move short… right…?”

“Yeah… that’s right…?”

“Tch… then… I’ll… carve a path…”

To Elsa’s gasping, raspy words, strained by hyperventilation.

Glenn, Sistine, and Re=L all widened their eyes.

“Don’t be stupid. Look at yourself. What can you do in your state…?”

“…I know… ha… my condition… well enough… but…”

And then, trembling, Elsa looked straight up at Glenn and said,

“…Even so…! I… I have to do this…!”

“…!?”

“Please…! Trust me…!”

The flames burned. They raged even more fiercely. Only the sound of scattering embers and the crackle of consuming fire harmonized with Marianne’s deranged laughter.

Sistine’s barrier of light barely held back the encroaching flames… but its limit was near.

The runaway train was on the verge of derailing.

There was… no time.

“…Can you do it, Elsa?”

“…I’ll do it.”

Gasping for breath, pale as death, sweating profusely.

Even so, Elsa answered clearly.

“Please… Sensei, everyone… fight as you have been… If I can just find the ‘moment’… I’ll… fill that missing move… I swear…”

Elsa’s pleading, desperate murmur—

“Glenn… trust Elsa. I believe in her.”

Re=L backed her up.

For a fleeting moment, Glenn gazed into Elsa’s eyes, hesitating—

“…Alright. Got it.”

Glenn turned his back on Elsa and faced Marianne once more.

“I don’t know how you’re gonna pull off that missing move… but our fate’s in your hands, Elsa.”

“S-Sensei…”

“Let’s do this! One last strike! We’ll end it here!”

And so.

Glenn and Re=L launched their final charge—

 

Before Elsa’s eyes, the same scene unfolded as before.

Glenn and Re=L faced the onslaught of Marianne’s flames.

“Haaaaaa—!?”

“Yaaaaaa—!”

With Sistine’s support, they used various defensive spells, trying to close the distance to Marianne.

But Marianne’s flames kept them at bay.

Faced with this scene, the first thing Elsa felt was, as expected, sheer regret.

“Ah… aaah…!?”

It was red. Everything was red. A world of blazing, scorching flames.

It was—terrifying. She wanted to disappear. Her trembling bones felt like they’d shatter from the chills.

The ‘Memory of Flames’ that had tormented her forever overlapped with everything.

Even so, in this blindingly red scene, she had to stand and face it now—

“Zehh…! Zehh…! Zehh…! I…!”

Severe hyperventilation. It was agonizing. She was breathing, but couldn’t breathe. She craved oxygen.

No… this was fine. If oxygen didn’t reach her brain, she wouldn’t have the leeway to think unnecessary thoughts, and her mind would grow clearer—

Elsa closed her eyes, in this extreme mental and physical state, recalling one by one.

Her father’s techniques.

The days of training.

Everything she had cultivated until now—

(…Spring Breeze One Sword Style… Secret Technique…)

Now, she would become a machine to execute only that—

(…From a rigid stance, pull the left foot back half a step—softly lower the hips, relax the body—grip the scabbard lightly with the left hand’s pinky and ring finger, the others merely resting…)

Slowly…

(…The right hand on the hilt, gentle as if touching a woman’s skin—prepare to step with the left foot, coiling a spring in the right—distribute the body’s center of gravity, seven parts to the right foot, three to the left…)

Slowly… recalling…

(…Consider the spine a whip—a single, supple whip to transmit the body’s flex—know the pelvis as the bowstring—the source of all driving force…)

…Recalling each detail carefully, building her stance.

(Raise the sword so the tsuba aligns with the forehead. Make the sword’s weight and the principle of gravity your allies…)

In her wavering vision, Elsa slowly raised the sheathed sword…

(…Inhale deeply, filling the chest. This is akin to drawing the string of a bow with an arrow nocked. Hold the breath for two seconds… and release everything as you exhale—)

Having meticulously built her stance with such care…

Elsa stopped her movements.

And then, quietly… she opened her eyes again—

Instantly, the red world seared Elsa’s retinas with ferocious intensity—

The embodiment of Elsa’s fear.

“Ahahahahahahahahehehahahahaha, hahaha—! Die—!”

And there, the figure of her sworn enemy, Marianne.

The preparations were complete—

 

“Tch, damn it—!”

“Guuuu—!?”

Just a little more.

Just a bit closer—and they’d reach Marianne. They were so close—

“Ahhyahahahahahaha! Hyahahahahahaha—!”

Once again, flames erupted from Marianne’s sword, writhing violently around Glenn and the others.

Glenn and Re=L pushed [Tri-Resist] to its limits, while Sistine multitasked, layering [Double Screen] over them.

Even so—the hellish, overwhelming heat scorched their bodies—

The ferocious heatwave, with the force of a storm, blocked their advance, physically preventing even a single step forward.

“Damn, is it really impossible—!?”

The situation was a repeat of everything before.

At this rate—Marianne’s flames would pierce through all of Glenn and the others’ magical defenses—

Glenn and the others were burning to death.

“Kuh… It’s no good, Re=L… Fall back…!”

Glenn orders Re=L to retreat—

Yes. Normally, both of them would withdraw here. They would have no choice but to withdraw.

But—

“No way! I’m not falling back!”

This time, Re=L shouted and refused.

“Elsa said she’d do something! I believe in Elsa!”

Those usually sleepy eyes now shone brilliantly with the light of trust in Elsa.

“Heh… Damn it, fine then!”

Seeing his little sister figure like that, Glenn grinned and steeled his resolve.

If you’re going to eat poison, might as well lick the plate clean.

“White Cat! I know it’s tough, but crank up the defense for us even more! I’m counting on you!”

“I’m already at my limit, but—got it! I’ll pour in all my remaining mana—!”

Sistine pushes beyond her limits, unleashing her mana.

She reduces the mana fueling the [Force Shield] protecting herself…

And the [Double Screen] shielding Glenn and the others grows even thicker.

In this scorching hell, it’s barely a drop in the bucket—but thanks to it, they can endure a few more seconds.

Glenn and the others, trusting in Elsa’s final move, hold their ground in that inferno—

 

And then—

(…Thank you… for believing in me, Re=L… Everyone…)

In stark contrast to the blistering, searing world that seemed to burn everything to ash…

At some point, Elsa felt her thoughts, her inner world, becoming as cold and sharp as ice.

It was as if… a single droplet fell onto a tranquil water surface, sending ripples spreading outward.

Her honed senses, reaching every corner of the world…

Finally… caught that moment… that instant.

Her breathing—

(Re=L… This time… I’ll protect you—)

—exhaled in a single breath.

“Haaaaaa—!”

In that fleeting moment, with a spirited cry that tore through the air, Elsa’s limbs exploded into motion.

The divine speed of her left foot stepping forward, the ultra-fast lateral rotation of her hips, and the flex of her spine channeling those differing vectors of force into her right arm.

She draws the blade, cutting the koi mouth of the sword held aloft. The blade glides along the scabbard.

With the force transferred to her right arm, she swings the sword straight down, following gravity—

It was truly a masterful technique.

A sword skill made possible only by the ‘uchigatana,’ a razor-thin, razor-sharp blade.

By utilizing every aspect of her body techniques and principles, she wrung out an extraordinary ‘force’ and ‘speed’ that defied normal limits. Without letting that force diminish physically, she channeled it into the blade, amplifying it with mana—creating a razor-sharp slash that tore through the air, generating a vacuum, and transforming into a blade of wind that could cut far beyond the sword’s normal reach.

A slash that transcended the sword’s range. A technique impossible by ordinary sword principles.

The secret technique of the Eastern sword style, Spring Breeze One Sword Style—《Divine Wind》. Here, it was unveiled.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

The moment Elsa swung her sword down with a do-or-die spirit—

 

Hyupa!

 

The air—resounded.

Suddenly, the tsunami of flames about to engulf Glenn and the others split left and right with a bam!

“Aghhh—!?”

The blade of wind had sliced through half of Marianne’s body, far beyond its normal reach.

A gust of blood swirled.

Marianne instinctively twisted her body at the last second, avoiding a direct hit, and the blade of wind passed through at high speed toward the front engine car—but…

For that brief moment, Marianne’s movements stopped.

With the flames parted left and right—a path to Marianne opened.

Now, there were no obstacles. And… that was enough.

“Uoooooo—!”

“Iyaaaaaaa—!”

Immediately, Glenn and Re=L charged toward Marianne.

Squeezing out their last ounce of spirit, they closed in on Marianne with ferocious expressions.

“Ugh—Aaaaaa—!?”

In response, Marianne tried to counter them, raising her sword—

“Not happening—!”

A split second faster, Re=L dove into Marianne’s guard, swinging her greatsword upward with ferocious force—

Gakiiiin!

Marianne’s flaming sword—was spectacularly knocked away.

The sword spun out of Marianne’s hand and embedded itself in the ceiling—

And, at the same time.

Glenn kicked off the floor, leaping forward, reaching out to grab Marianne’s collar—

“—Gotcha.”

“—!?”

In that instant.

Glenn swiftly grabbed Marianne’s arm, swept her legs, and hoisted her body over his back while spinning his pivot foot like a top—

Using the momentum of his charge, he threw his own body forward as if hurling himself—

And flung Marianne.

“Sleep tight—!”

Marianne’s vision spun as her body rotated upside down.

Like lightning, her body was slammed downward.

Glenn, putting his full weight into it, mercilessly slammed Marianne into the floor.

Zuuuun!

The impact of their combined weight shook the train.

With Glenn’s all-or-nothing throw, Marianne’s consciousness, battered against the floor, was easily snuffed out—sinking into darkness.

 

At the same time—

A deep vertical crack ran through the engine section of the lead car with a bishiri!

Bashuuuu!

In an instant, ferocious steam poured out, dyeing the surroundings pure white.

The aftermath of Elsa’s strike had completely destroyed the lead car’s steam engine.

Kiiiiiiii—

The train’s wheels screeched with a piercing metallic sound, gradually slowing down…

And eventually…

Under the moonlight illuminating the silent night, in the middle of an endless grassy plain.

The train… came to a stop.

“…”

Silence.

Only the flames still burning inside the train flickered quietly.

 

“…It stopped…?”

Suddenly, Elsa muttered softly.

With an expression of disbelief, she stared at her own hands.

Perhaps because the wielder of the flaming sword had lost consciousness, the fire’s intensity had weakened considerably… but the flames still clearly burned and smoldered around Elsa.

Yet… there wasn’t a single tremor in Elsa’s hands.

“…Yeah. The train stopped.”

Re=L, who had toddled up to Elsa, responded.

“No… not the train…”

And at that moment.

“Hahaha, that was awesome, Elsa!”

Glenn, rushing over, slapped Elsa’s back heartily.

“That was incredible! What was that just now!? What kind of magic!?”

Sistine, too, was visibly excited.

“No, that wasn’t magic…”

“Man, you saved our butts—! To think you had such an insane trump card up your sleeve! I was seriously shocked!”

“Thank you, Elsa-san! Hey, could you teach me that magic sometime!?”

As Glenn and Sistine, caught up in their excitement, left Elsa in the dust…

“Sensei! Everyone!”

“You okay!? What’s with the train suddenly stopping!?”

Francine and Colette finally caught up.

“Oh, you guys are safe too.”

“Obviously! We finally beat down every last one of those punks and shut ’em up!”

“With Sensei’s training, there’s no way we’d lose to such pathetic losers!”

“Looks like you guys pulled it off too, huh!”

“Yeah, thanks to Elsa… we managed to wrap this up.”

At Glenn’s words.

“Elsa’s…”

“…doing…?”

Francine and Colette blinked, scanning the situation around them.

Even though the source of the flames lay unconscious, the train’s interior was still ablaze in places.

Yet, surrounded by those flames, Elsa neither trembled nor cowered, nor did she cry out… She stood firmly on both feet, staring at her hands.

“So… Elsa… you finally…”

“That’s great…”

Sensing something, Francine and Colette offered Elsa warm smiles.

And then…

Pon. A hand tapped the shoulder of Elsa, who was still staring at her hands in a daze.

When Elsa looked up, it was Re=L who had tapped her.

“…Thanks, Elsa.”

“Re=L…”

“I don’t really get it… but you saved us.”

Saying that.

Re=L’s usually sleepy, expressionless face broke into a rare, beaming smile.

Elsa stared at Re=L’s face, dumbfounded for a moment…

Then, her expression crumpled…

And with a thud, She clung tightly to Re=L.

“…Elsa…?”

“No… No, Re=L… The one who was saved… was me… It was me…”

Still clinging to Re=L, Elsa began to sob.

“…Thank… you… sniff… Really… thank you… Re=L…”

“…? Don’t cry, Elsa… Are you hurt somewhere?”

Re=L let Elsa do as she pleased…

And Glenn and the others exchanged glances, deciding to let Elsa be until she calmed down.

“So… how the heck are we getting back to the Academy from here?”

Glenn scratched his head with a weary sigh, gazing out at the night sky through the train’s window.

Beneath the chilly, crisp night air.

A cool breeze gently rippled the endless grassy plain as far as the eye could see.

The starry sky and a beautifully glowing full moon looked down upon Glenn and the others.

 

The cold night air felt pleasant against their flushed, overheated cheeks.