Saya breathed heavily as the monster stood tall in focus. On its right bicep, it cradled the unconscious boy so gently, like a mother cradling her peacefully sleeping baby. Of course, beneath its feet, the blood of countless survivors who had not managed to escape in time tainted its legs.
In the end, none of the citizens of Yucu Saa were shown mercy. Or perhaps this was the monster’s way of showing mercy, rather than tormenting them with an endless amount of survivor’s guilt.
Both she and Andalia got up with a struggle, their limbs wobbling and their bodies aching in pain from the sheer amount of strange magical energy forced into their bodies, and the sudden physical force they had to endure.
Of course, this was Andalia’s second time that night being tossed around, and by now, she had grown tired of being seen as inferior to others. But still, she couldn’t act so hastily just yet, not until she assessed what the monster was going to do with the boy.
All their theories of salvation were just that, speculation with no concrete proof of success. If the monster were to perform an action that defied both their expectations, then it would be better to simply run away and regroup, with hopes of forming a better plan.
Sweat dripped down Andalia’s temple as she shuffled two wards out of her sleeve. Having used so many during the battle in Yucu Saa, she was starting to run low on her primary method of attack. Even so, if the beast were to perform its Soul Symphony again, then she would have no choice but to empty out her arsenal for the sake of survival.
Saya, on the other hand, swallowed hard before coming to a stark realization about herself. Devoid of all anxiety, her mind was preoccupied with speculation of how she would cast a spell to make their problems literally disappear.
The beast was certainly too strong for either of them to fight in its current state. Therefore, if they found a way to retreat and gather more allies, then there might be a high chance of victory. Besides, although the beast posed a great threat to every city and nation, it wasn’t like any of them were devoid of defenses.
To her, retreat was the only viable option. Even if they somehow managed to get away now, to re-enter the barrier would be tantamount to suicide. The statistics that ran in her head, although not entirely accurate, were extremely clear.
It was faster than them, physically stronger than them, and even if Saya were to unleash countless Gravefire Cataclysms, there was no guarantee that her body would be able to handle the sheer amount of magical energy being exerted.
On top of that, she needed to pull the boy’s thread. There was too much to do, yet not enough skill to give her confidence.
She shook her head, wiping her overplanning from her mind. Right now, the main thing she needed to focus on was the monster that stood menacingly. It, just like Andalia and Saya, was waiting for the other party’s first move.
This concept was foreign to Andalia, but not to Saya. She had experienced this kind of stalemate before, and that was when she was both greatly weakened physically and mentally. So, if she put herself in the monster’s shoes, having to go up against two healthy mages would be a warning.
A fact that they both knew by now was that the beast was extremely intelligent despite its looks. But this analytical stalemate they found themselves in only confirmed it further.
Saya’s fingers twitched, her hand slowly moving back towards the book hooked onto her belt, quietly grazing its leather spine. She had no real intentions of activating either her Gravefire or Lawflare unless the situation seemed absolutely dire.
Plus, having witnessed the book’s ribbons being capable of restraining the monster, even for a second, was all the information she needed to confirm that she needed to use every tool available to her as quickly as possible.
Preemptively visualizing, she desired the Ribbons of Subjugation, imagining its vibrant pink light painting the night sky, battling against the moonlight for dominance over the surrounding darkness.
The Magical Gears inside her body whirred quietly, prepared to explode at full power at any given moment.
One downside Saya had was the fact that there were no mirages whatsoever in her vicinity. Normally, in battles she knew she would survive, there were still mirages performing actions all around her, indicating that she had been at that location in her previous loops.
But none of that was present before her. There weren’t any mirages showcasing death, there simply weren’t any mirages, period.
I’ve never been here before. One wrong move and I might die.
Her assumptions were correct. Although she didn’t know it, the silver-haired girl watching from the distance squirmed with excitement, as this event had never occurred even once during any of their previous loops.
To Quintella and Saya, this was completely uncharted territory. And to boot, this version of Saya possessed none of the analytical and calculative capabilities that Oktavia had, which was why the Fifth Prime was so self-adamant about monitoring the situation so closely.
With how she laid out her plans, there was high trust in Saya to survive this encounter, and she even encouraged herself to blatantly intervene if the situation called for it. If Saya were to perish now, then her entertainment program would abruptly end.
Two frontline players, one unknown support, versus a singular monster forged in darkness. Despite Quintella being invisible, the beast sensed her all the same. Having tasted the blow created from her hair, the memory was difficult to forget.
Sliding her nails in between the book’s pages, she cracked it open ever so slightly. With each passing second, her Magical Gears’ spins grew louder and louder. On her left, Andalia still remained frozen, her wards now firmly held between her index and middle finger, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.
For a moment, their gazes met. Despite no words being spoken, they understood the situation all the same. No matter how they were to approach this battle, they would have to be in sync from start to finish, as if they had been fighting together their entire lives.
The tension against the monster grew denser, as both parties twitched one limb after the other, hoping to catch their enemy by surprise.
Completing her visualization, Saya took a step back before rapidly pulling out her book, pouring as much magical energy as she could channel into her spellbook.
Immediately, the Magical Gears within her were kickstarted, sending out loud whirs as her body glowed a beautiful cyan color. Without warning, pink ribbons burst forth from within the pages, acting like a portal for the spell to manifest.
It was truly a gamble. Saya wasn’t entirely sure if her plan would work, but now that it had, they would have to move as quickly as they could.
Kicking her feet sideways, Andalia sprinted as fast as she could. The sound of chiming bells was disrupted by the howling wind, and the grinding of her Magical Gears. She circled around the monster, waiting for the most appropriate moment to strike.
Her movements were too fast for even Saya to perceive, with only hints of her white clothing and amber hair standing out as blurs flashed past both her and the monster. Each step she took carved faint impressions into the ground, her speed warping the air around her as if she were phasing in and out of existence.
“▅▂▃▃▄▄▅▅ ! ! !”
Raising its other arm, the monster slammed against the soil as hard as it could. The first result was dust being kicked up, obscuring the vision of both Saya and Andalia. With how much wind Andalia was generating from her never-ending sprint, the dust quickly spiraled around them, creating a small vortex devoid of all visibility.
Finally, the monster jumped as high as it could, dodging the initial barrage of ribbons aimed toward it. Without hesitation, Saya pointed her book upward, firing a second round as quickly as she could.
Although she had finally managed to use the book to her advantage, the process of actually manipulating the ribbons’ trajectory was too much for her brain to handle all at once, forcing her to rely on hopefully landing a hit with a straight shot.
But she had forgotten that the monster was, indeed, intelligent. Saya’s second attempt was all it needed to confirm her weakness, as it readied itself to slam back down onto the earth with as much might as it could muster.
Pumping with adrenaline, the beast’s muscles tightened, increasing its body mass and, subsequently, its falling speed as well. Opening one palm over the boy, a small barrier made of dark energy engulfed him, protecting him from any physical force that could come to its master.
The sudden shift in weight and speed caused her second barrage to miss.
If the monster ends up landing, it’ll come straight after me!
There was no time to think, and thus, her body started moving on its own. Her brain rummaged for ideas. Having spent all her time visualizing the ribbons, she had foolishly not given herself enough time to calculate her next steps.
I don’t want to use my Gravefire…
She pondered. Ever since losing her arm, even the thought of casting that spell sent chills down her spine. Although it ended up working out for her back in Yucu Saa, it was a risk that she was not willing to take.
Another possibility was to use her Physical Strengthening, but if she were to exert too much power, that spell would eventually transform into Gravefire regardless. Cursing her lack of spells, Saya’s eyes scanned for the monster’s approximate landing location.
From what she had been told, desire and visualization were the primary components of casting magic. It didn’t matter whether or not she had a Birthmark, as it was a rule established with Mana itself, rather than the rules of how the world worked.
It was something most understood subconsciously, but for Saya, who had never cast a single spell up until nearly a month ago, it was a daunting task. What came naturally to others had to be consciously forced by her, each step requiring deliberate thought instead of instinct.
Despite her mistakes, Saya stood confident, as if victory had already been decided for her. The rage she felt towards Sulva hadn’t been fully extinguished from her body, and with an opponent big enough, there was a large part within her that simply wanted to go all out.
The ground shook as the monster finally landed. Using that momentum, Saya started sprinting as fast as she could as well, utilizing as much Physical Strengthening as she could muster to enhance her speed.
She hopped viciously, trying to spend as little time as possible on the ground. The quake couldn’t affect her if her feet were never touching the ground in the first place. Though the other was unaware, the monster could clearly see Saya’s glowing core, while Saya could see its dark core.
“Six Style Rondo: Swallow Bird”
Invisible slashes cut through the air, born from the vortex of wind Andalia had been building with her movement. With a sharp motion of her body, she bent the currents to her will, redirecting them back toward the monster as compressed arcs of cutting force that tore through the space between them.
Unexpectedly, its fur was sliced into bits, while its gray skin was split apart by the violent impact. Rather than blood, however, what gushed out was something akin to thick, black tar that one would use for construction.
Everything about the beast defied all knowledge both mages had of the world, but now was not the time to dwell on the finer details of their opponent. As long as it showed something equivalent to bleeding, that was all they needed to know.
“Fire!” Saya shouted. With one word, yet another string of ribbons fired forth from the book. This time, distracted by its wounds, the ribbons finally wrapped around the beast, impairing its movements momentarily.
Skidding to a halt, Saya spread her Physical Strengthening across her entire body.
Even though she wasn’t sure about the nature of the barrier surrounding the boy, one thing was clear: the monster was not invulnerable, and if she wanted to survive, she would have to land at least one solid blow against it.
Blue lightning crackled, tearing the skies open with its brilliant light. The nearby trees and grass were immediately scorched upon contact, the air snapping and hissing as the wind displaced the violent force through sheer ionization, leaving behind the sharp scent of burning ozone as the ground blackened and split in jagged patterns.
As lightning shot forth into the sky, Saya’s gaze momentarily glanced upon the stars above. Like a flicker of light, an idea immediately popped into her head. The Physical Strengthening spell wound down, as she returned all traces of it back into her legs.
That’s right. I don’t have to use my Gravefire.
Her mind flashed back to her encounter against Lucia. The stars above had the capability of raining down hellfire. During her battle, she used her Soul Sight to accurately predict where the projectiles would land, but what she wasn’t aware of at the time was that it also helped her realize the functionality of the spell.
If visualization and desire is all it takes, then I’ll give it a shot.
Deep down, she knew how stupid it was to try something new in such a dire moment. But losing her other arm forever, potentially never being able to hold Albo’s hands again, frightened her more than meeting her demise. A twisted way of thinking, yes, but it was the conclusion that she had arrived at.
Scanning the ground, she located her target.
“Set. Execute!” she yelled out the command for her own sake.
Within a split second, the lightning that stood by struck precisely at the locations she had envisioned. Disks of magical energy formed beneath the monster’s feet, spreading outward in an instant, dotting the field like planted mines, each one humming with unstable energy ready to erupt.
They were far from invisible, but all she needed was a split second to finalize her spell. Andalia, who was still running, watched as Saya prepared her spell. Although she wasn’t sure what the cast was, she came to a halt, leaping to the peak of a nearby tree and tossing her last remaining five wards into the air.
She hung her head, closed her eyes, and clapped once. Like a snap, the paper that was so silent only moments ago burst with life, as magical energy was imbued within the leaves that once were a part of the Tree of Life.
With passion burning in her heart, she yelled out the names whose souls were resting from within the wards. “Tomi Kitagawa! Renna Kosaka!”
Two souls that no longer had physical forms were summoned back into the world, hearing the plea of protection. With their bodies now composed of pure magical energy, the spectres didn’t hesitate to burst forth in speed, landing squarely just in front of the beast.
Andalia was painfully aware that the spectres would perish without succeeding in their mission, but if they could buy even a single moment for Saya’s spell, then their second lives would not be lost in vain.
Sharply inhaling, Saya finally sang the lullaby to rain the wrath of the stars upon the dark creature. Her voice shifted from rough and arrogant to soft and comforting, a gentle contrast to the destruction she was about to unleash. If it insisted on spreading malice and tar, then the young mage would answer with the very light that pierced through darkness.
Twinkle,
Twinkle,
Little
Star.
How I wonder what you are!
The world froze for both mages as they anticipated a miracle to get them out of this bind. Quintella leaned forward as she watched her plaything cast Third Magic for the first time in her life, and so casually at that.
It had taken her nearly five years to teach the technique to Lucia, but with Saya having access to the source of magic itself, complicated spells that were not bound to Birthmarks or elemental properties were much less taxing, and simpler to cast.
Saya smirked as she readied herself for the next step of her plan. But to her shock, no attack befell the creature.
The wind blew gently as she stood in disbelief that the magic hadn’t been cast. She snapped her head up, but saw not even a single sparkle of light originating from the stars. Andalia, who had no knowledge of Saya’s spell, simply watched in silence, expecting something to happen at any moment.
Jaws dropping, Saya’s heart began to beat rapidly. The beast, understanding that whatever Saya did had no effect on it, advanced forward with the intention of finally ending her life. It had grown tired of the two mages’ games and wanted to get rid of them once and for all.
What did I do wrong? Did I miss something? Did I visualize it wrong?
Seeing Saya panic, Andalia immediately leaped into action, her nimble body bursting with speed as she tried to reach the young mage as quickly as she could. Gravity and wind resistance worked against her greatly, and doubt filled her mind as she wondered if even one second was enough for her to reach her target.
Saya had indeed missed a crucial step in her spell. However, it had nothing to do with visualization or even magical energy. As she scrambled for answers, her body was frozen in place as the monster’s shadow loomed above her.
Then, it clicked, and the answer had become obvious.
It’s nighttime.
Stars twinkled brightly during the night, which gave them no reason to demand attention by raining light from the skies. When Lucia used the exact same spell against her in Atrila, the sun was still out.
Raising its arm, the monster quickly slammed its powerful limb down onto Saya. Andalia was still quite far off, even despite her extraordinary speed. To the young mage, this was the end of the line for her.
With no further time to waste, the beast finally connected its punch, landing squarely on Saya’s stomach.
“—GHKK!”
The impact drove the air straight out of her lungs in an instant, a hollow, crushing force that folded her in on herself before she could even process the attack. Pain flared outward from the point of contact, robbing her of any chance to breathe or think.
The world snapped violently as she was sent flying into the woods, the air tearing past her ears in a loud, rushing roar. Her vision blurred, streaks of green and brown blending together as branches whipped against her body, scratching and striking without mercy. Leaves tore free around her, scattering in her wake.
Internally, an overwhelming amount of regret flooded her heart as she cursed herself for being too cowardly to commit to her Gravefire attack.
I’m stupid… So stupid.
Her body lay flat on the ground, twitching with every breath she took. Wheezing in and out, she struggled to even gather her thoughts together to attempt to heal herself. This was completely different from when she had faced death with Rias Sol.
While the experience with Rias was far colder due to her stomach being sliced open, her body felt far more labored from the punch, as if her internal organs had burst like bubbles, spilling pain through every nerve and vein.
Landing before her, the monster wound up its arm for a follow-up attack, seeing as its first was not sufficient enough in power to finish off the mage in a single, clean hit.
Then, from her peripheral vision, thin sparkles glimmered in the sky before a flood of projectiles rained onto the beast’s body. Immediately reacting to the incoming attack, the monster canceled its strike on Saya and leapt backwards.
The sheer force of the attack sent shockwaves, throwing Saya’s now limp body across the soil. Blood gushed from her mouth as it forced its way up from her shattered organs.
When her vision cleared, Saya saw three long white spears with a pale surface and gold lining across their metal. Before her fading consciousness could question where the weapons had come from, or who fired them in the first place, the monster let out yet another deafening roar into the air.
“▅▂▃▃▄▄▅▅ ! ! !”
Without warning, the monster turned around, shoveling its hand under her carefully and scooping her up. Its freakishly inhuman hands wrapped around Saya’s waist, as her neck and arms flailed from the lack of resistance. Her mouth was wide open, with streams of blood dripping out.
“Saya!” the priestess screamed in panic as she saw the silhouette of the monster, and the girl it was carrying in its arm, vanish into the night.
Her elegant and pristine clothes were now lathered in dirt, while the bells adorned on her uniform were shattered into pieces, no longer sending out soothing chimes with each bit of movement.
In the night sky, Saya’s clothes fluttered in the wind. As her eyes grew far too heavy to keep open, she saw the silhouette of a long-haired young girl hovering in the sky, watching over her like a dutiful guardian. Although she couldn’t exactly make out her face due to the stream of blood covering her vision, the facial structure and hair color she could make out seemed all too familiar.
“K…”
“Kanami…?”