It was the sword of ancient rule.
A power that shackled curses and crushed wills—an anomaly not meant for human hands. It was one of the Twelve Sacred Treasures once wielded by the Hero. A destiny passed down through time.
A single boy swung it without a moment’s hesitation.
"Dominion, Sovereign Sword of Myriad Curses," Leonis whispered.
In that instant, the air distorted.
An invisible pressure blanketed the entire plaza. For the first time, Kyle’s smirk faltered.
"...What is this?"
The ground shifted. The grey flames flickered unnaturally, as if they were being forced into submission.
Leonis took a step forward, the usual softness absent from his eyes.
"You can go."
It was a blunt, short command. I was momentarily lost for words.
"But—"
"Luka." Leonis didn’t look back. "I’ll handle this."
His voice was quiet, but it carried an undeniable weight that brooked no argument.
Are you seriously pulling the ‘leave this to me and go’ routine?
To be honest, there wasn’t much I could do here anyway, so maybe it was for the best.
Kyle chuckled. "Haha... I see. This is quite an intriguing power."
The grey flames swelled, threatening to consume the square. "But tell me—is your power as infinite as my flames?"
The fire overflowed, looking as though it would swallow the entire plaza. Even so, Leonis remained unmoved. His dagger glowed with a fierce light.
"In that case..." He took another step forward. "Then let me take it all. And I’ll give it right back to you."
The grey flames lunged at once.
A roar like a physical blow shook the air. But the fire was swallowed by a blinding light. Absorption, followed by total control.
Kyle’s grin deepened. "Excellent! Let’s see which of us runs dry first!"
The flames surged again, seemingly endless. Standing before the inferno, Leonis stood his ground.
"...Hurry," he muttered softly. "Please go. This is going to take a while."
Looking at his back, my resolve finally solidified. If it was Leonis, he could win this alone.
"Understood!" I turned around. "Let’s go, everyone!"
"Right!" Allen responded immediately.
Around the perimeter of the plaza, the remaining black-robed figures shifted. "Did you think we’d let you pass?"
There were far too many of them. I almost clicked my tongue; these mob enemies were such a nuisance.
"Lord Luka, please go," Fia said.
I really didn't want to! How could I leave things to a little girl like her? But her eyes were dead serious.
"I shall remain here as well," Orbis added, stepping forward as the wind began to swirl around him.
Allen braced himself. "Leave the stalling to us."
I hesitated for a heartbeat. But I couldn't afford to stop here. Besides, maybe I could turn this situation to my advantage.
"Orbis! There's something I need you to do. Can you handle it?"
I quickly explained my crude "insurance" plan. It barely even qualified as a strategy.
"...It is possible, but... there are risks—"
"If it's possible, that's enough. Here, I'm taking these!"
"W-Wait, Lord Luka?!"
I didn't wait for an answer. I turned and ran toward the clock tower. Behind me, the sound of magical combat erupted with a roar.
I scrambled up the stone steps, lighting some of those Orbis-branded planks as I went. My lungs burned and my breath grew ragged, but I didn't slow down. Halfway up, the thought crossed my mind: What good am I even going to do once I get there?
But I didn't stop. I could sense powerful mana from above. Two... no, three sources. It wasn't the foul Black Magical Power those other guys used. There were two familiar sources of mana that I knew very well.
"Yuka! Elysia!"
I pushed myself even harder.
At the top of the clock tower, the air rang with the screech of clashing metal.
Yuka and Elysia were working in perfect sync, driving Dia back. Yuka lunged with a flurry of dagger strikes at a speed that would have been a blur to any ordinary person. Weaving through the gaps in her attacks, ice spears sought every opening.
Dia leaped backward, his robes torn, yet his composure remained unshaken.
"Splendid," he laughed, sounding genuinely amused. The Original Tome in his hand began to glow. "Truly magnificent."
The next instant, heat erupted. This wasn't the grey ash from before, but a scorching, white-hot blaze of pure energy. Elysia immediately raised an Ice Wall. Steam exploded as the two elements collided, turning the summit into a white void.
Yuka charged through the mist, but her strike was parried. Dia was right in front of her, smiling.
"You are being far too impatient."
A powerful shockwave sent Yuka flying back. She managed to twist in mid-air and regain her footing. Elysia stepped forward, manifesting a forest of ice spears.
"Your composure ends here," Elysia said, her voice like a winter gale. It was a lethal, final attack.
But Dia just laughed. "No." He slowly raised his book. "Not yet."
His mana swelled, and the approaching ice spears melted into nothingness before they could even reach him. The atmosphere grew heavy, suffocating.
Then, the door slammed open with a thud.
"Yuka!"
The familiar voice made Yuka’s eyes waver. She looked back to see me standing there, completely out of breath.
Dia slowly turned his gaze toward me and smiled.
"...I see. The protagonist finally makes his appearance."
"Yeah," I wheezed, the heat of the room hitting my face. "A hero is always obligated to be fashionably late."
The flames flickered, and the air between us grew even more tense.
Back at the academy, near a collapsed wall, the black-robed attackers lay defeated.
Elphiria stood in the center of the carnage, her Magical Power Detection Network slowly receding.
"...I suppose that's the lot of them," she said, scanning the area. There were no signs of movement. The campus was secure.
Nearby, Lene was staring up at the sky in the direction of the distant clock tower. She looked as though she were sensing something far away.
"Lene?" Elphiria called out. "What's wrong?"
Lene didn't look away. "We're finished here, aren't we?"
"Yes, for the most part..."
Elphiria paused. Something felt different about Lene’s aura.
"...No way," Elphiria whispered.
Lene took a step forward. "Then I’m done here." Her voice was light, as if she were talking about the weather. "I have to get to Lord Luka."
Elphiria let out a small sigh and put a hand to her forehead. "Are you really going? The city isn't stable yet. There might still be remnants—"
"It's fine."
"...Understood. It certainly seems like you're more needed over there anyway. Very well, you may go..."
By the time Elphiria finished the sentence, Lene had already vanished into the night.