"What... what are you saying...? Just who are you...?"
Instructor Gray stared at me, her expression dazed. Her face was a mask of total incomprehension. It was only natural; under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to grasp the true essence of this ability.
"W-Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
"..."
Words were no longer necessary. We both unleashed our magic. She activated her Material Code; I, in response, activated my Anti-Material Code.
She was possessed by nothing but pure terror now.
The Ice Sword Sorcerer shouldn't have been here. And yet, what stood manifested before her eyes was unmistakably the Ice Sword. Faced with that reality, she had no choice but to accept it.
Ray White was, without a doubt, the true Ice Sword Sorcerer.
Furthermore... she had witnessed it firsthand. She had seen her own magic completely neutralized.
"Don't come near me! Stay baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!"
Instructor Gray unleashed a desperate torrent of magic.
She likely couldn't shake the terrifying possibilities flashing through her mind. In her panic, the magic she cast was so shoddy it was offensive to even call it magic. It was magic where Code Theory had utterly broken down.
It belonged to no established category—not Quick Magic, Remote Magic, Chain Magic, Delay Magic, Material Shift, Extensive Magic, nor Extensive Chain Magic. It was merely a disorganized slurry of Code.
Against my Anti-Material Code, such a mess was essentially meaningless.
<<Anti-Material Code: Restoration>> <<Material = Anti-Material Code>> <<Material: Restoration = Prima Materia>>
I executed the process with no more effort than a single breath.
In an instant, that chaotic magic was reduced to Prima Materia. The pale blue particles dancing in the air were so dense they were perfectly visible to the naked eye.
"Ah... aah... waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
Finally, Instructor Gray broke. She turned her back and began to sprint away in a blind panic. I was not about to let her escape.
<<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code>> <<Material Code = Decoding>> <<Material Code = Processing = Deceleration = Lock>> <<Embodiment = Material>>
"—Icicle Blaze."
Incorporating the process of Deceleration, I activated the Ice Sword once more. However, unlike before, I wove the Code with meticulous detail.
Broadly speaking, temperature is determined by molecular vibration. For a sorcerer who specializes in ice magic, everything ultimately depends on their mastery of Deceleration.
However, most sorcerers cannot consciously incorporate that into the stages of Code Theory. They process Deceleration entirely by instinct, using it as simple ice magic.
But the true value of the Ice Sword Sorcerer lies beyond that.
Precise Code construction leads to the birth of the Ice Sword. In short, magical prowess is defined by how much intricate Code one can weave into Code Theory.
I embedded Deceleration and Lock into the Code, drafted the form during the processing phase, and unleashed Icicle Blaze.
"...Instructor Gray, prepare yourself."
With a flick of my palm, the countless blades of ice ruthlessly pursued her.
Sensing the attack, she tried to offset it with fire magic... but I instantly activated my Anti-Material Code. I returned her spell to its state as Prima Materia.
<<Anti-Material Code: Restoration>> <<Material = Anti-Material Code>> <<Material: Restoration = Prima Materia>>
I layered my magic further.
<<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code>> <<Material Code = Decoding>> <<Material Code = Processing = Lock>> <<Embodiment = Phenomenon>>
"—Frame Lock."
I designated the target coordinates at Instructor Gray's legs.
Lock. This magic was another of my specialties. I selected the target, concentrated Prima Materia upon it until it solidified, and locked it in place.
This wasn't only effective against physical objects like the Ice Sword; it worked on the human body as well. Naturally, the difficulty increased when applying it to a person due to the sheer number of intervening factors, but for the Ice Sword Sorcerer, such things were trifles.
I redefined the area as a three-dimensional space and designated the fixed coordinates.
Locked in place, Instructor Gray could only watch as the ice swords bore down upon her.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
A scream ripped through the air.
The countless ice swords mercilessly pierced her legs. They went straight through, and a spray of blood scattered across the ground. Her blood clung thickly to the frozen blades. Even as I watched the burning, crimson fluid drip down, I didn't flinch.
"..."
Looking at Instructor Gray as she collapsed, I felt nothing. I watched with clinical detachment as my magic impaled her, and then I took a step forward.
The essence of the Ice Sword Sorcerer.
It was encapsulated in the magic I had just exercised.
Deceleration, Lock, Restoration.
To define them as abilities: Deceleration, Lock, and Restoration.
The Ice Sword itself was a spell created with Deceleration and Lock as its primary pillars. Restoration was the technique of using Anti-Material Code to reverse Code Theory, returning magic to Prima Materia.
These three were the "essence" of the Ice Sword Sorcerer.
In that sense, the Ice Sword was merely an attribute. Everything was an application. The contemporary Ice Sword Sorcerer exercised magic with these three as his core.
Now that I had completely unleashed my power... no one could stop me.
"Now then."
"Hi—hiiieeeee... Are you really... truly that Ice Sword...!!?"
I had aimed for her legs specifically to seal her movements. The pain was clearly excruciating; sweat poured from her face.
"I am. I told you at the start, didn't I? I am the Ice Sword Sorcerer."
"U... a... aah..."
The murderous intent in her eyes had vanished.
Until now, she had been the hunter. She had delighted in the process, killing and tampering with brains for her own pleasure. But now, her instincts were screaming the truth: she was the prey, and she could never hope to reach the Ice Sword Sorcerer.
"Stop... wait, I understand. I'll introduce you to Eugenics! Yes! That's it! Look, just let me go this once! My research can't end here!!"
She crawled toward my feet... but it was a decoy. She suddenly unleashed a Fireball at my face using Quick Magic.
However, I was far too experienced to fall for such a desperate trick. I neutralized it with Anti-Material Code in less than a second.
"What's wrong? Is that all?"
"Hi... hiiieeeeeeeee...!!"
The difference in our strength was absolute. I forced her to face that reality. Even among the Seven Grand Sorcerers, the Ice Sword Sorcerer was hailed as the strongest in close-quarters combat. She never stood a chance.
"U... aah... aaah..."
"Is this the end, Instructor Gray?"
I manifested an ice sword in my right hand and pressed the tip against her throat.
"Heh... hehe... Ah... incredible... I'll admit it... even a Platinum Rank cannot reach the Grand Rank... and against the Ice Sword, the strongest in close combat... Hahaha... I can't win... Haha, ah-hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
She laughed. Perhaps it was the sound of utter self-destruction.
Even so, I didn't lower my guard. I kept the sword at her throat.
"Hehe... So, what now? Will you kill me with that sword!? Well!?"
"No. You will face the proper authorities and receive your punishment."
"Heh... Taking me alive... I see... Hehe... Right... I guess... I can't afford to hold back anymore..."
In an instant, a void of darkness appeared. I immediately recognized it as a torrent of Prima Materia.
Just as I leaked pale blue Prima Materia from my body, she was using hers as a medium to manifest pitch-black Prima Materia into the world.
"—Dark Triad System, Activate."
The voice echoed from within the shadows.
Dark Triad System. Master had mentioned it once. A term for the three dark traits of humanity: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy.
I surmised they had codified these traits into a magical system, but its actual capabilities were unknown.
When the torrent of Prima Materia subsided, a monstrosity stood in her place.
"Hehe... Fuhahaha... Ah-hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!"
I wasn't sure if she could even be called human anymore. Red-black Code pulsed visibly through her body, and her eyes were stained a burning crimson. Sharp, white, rod-like objects—perhaps bone—protruded through her skin at various points.
"You forced me to use this... the culmination of all my research... I'm taking you with me, Ice Sword Sorcerer... Hehe, ah-hahahahahahaha!!!"
She spread her arms and laughed like a lunatic. I had never heard of magic that could transmute the human body this way. It might have been a form of Inside Code, but no standard Physical Reinforcement could cause such a grotesque transformation.
Engrams, the Dark Triad System. This was what happened when a human cast off the shackles of ethics—they became something else entirely.
Even during the Far East Campaign, I had never seen such a concentration of Prima Materia. It was on par with a Grand Rank... or perhaps even higher.
"...Now then, show me what you've got, Ice Sword..."
As she raised her hand, I felt it. A Fire Pillar erupted directly beneath me. It was Quick Magic, but its power was on a different scale entirely.
I retreated, deploying more ice swords to gauge her movements, but—
"—Guh!!"
"Come on, come on! Where's that strength, Ice Sword!!!!!!!!!"
She had vanished from my sight.
With speed that bordered on teleportation, she circled behind me. She tried to activate magic right in my face, but I instantly reduced it to Prima Materia with Anti-Material Code. I used the resulting energy as a catalyst to produce even more ice swords.
Magic returned to Prima Materia by Anti-Material Code is different from the natural state. It was once manifested in this world as a spell, meaning it contains what Master calls Engrams—magical traces.
Because of this, I could exercise magic faster and with higher quality than usual. This was the true advantage of the Anti-Material Code. I had been doing it unconsciously until now, but I focused my mind, running the Code with absolute clarity.
"—Haaah!!"
Exhaling sharply, I used the swarm of ice swords to lash out at Instructor Gray. I felt no hesitation in cutting her down. This was a genuine fight to the death between sorcerers.
Part of me felt a grim sense of nostalgia for this sensation, but I quickly pushed the thought aside.
"Hahahahahahahaha!!! Even like this, I still can't reach you!!! This is fun!! Ice Sword!!!! You really are the world's strongest sorcerer!!!!!!!"
"..."
I submerged my consciousness.
I sank.
Like sinking into the deep sea, I let myself return to the instincts of those days. I sharpened my senses, focusing every nerve in my body on one goal: stopping her.
"—Icicle Blaze."
I produced another volley of ice swords, but this time, I wove a different Code into the process.
<<Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code>> <<Material Code = Decoding>> <<Material Code = Processing = Material Shift>> <<Embodiment = Material>>
The Code was Material Shift. I transformed the ice sword I held into the shape of a katana. Material Shift wasn't just for changing states of matter; it could also be used to alter form.
"—Ice Katana."
The Ice Sword Sorcerer could manifest any bladed weapon using ice as the medium. I chose the katana.
I took a stance and locked my eyes on the struggling Instructor Gray. I could already see the path to victory. Now, I just had to execute it.
"U... guuu... aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
She was clearly writhing in agony. She clutched her body, unable even to wipe away the blood pooling on the ground.
—I have to end this.
Maintaining such a monstrous form was likely a hellish experience. That is why... I will deliver the final blow now!
"—Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
I charged.
The black Prima Materia surrounding her raged like a storm, a wild force that ignored the laws of Code Theory. It was chaotic magic. Because it was so massive, trying to negate it all with Anti-Material Code was an impossible strategy. Nor could I use Frame Lock, as the coordinates were obscured by the black torrent.
"GUUU... aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!"
Black hands reached out from her magic, trying to entangle me. I recognized the spell. It was Mental Interference Magic: Abyss.
While most magic falls under the four basic attributes, others target the psyche, hijacking the target's mental structure through their Code to destroy it from within. On the battlefield, I had seen many men swallowed by this magic, their hearts shattered beyond repair.
"..."
Over a hundred black hands surged toward me, layering over each other to seize my body. I neutralized them locally with Anti-Material Code and used my floating ice swords to parry the rest.
—I can see death.
If those hands caught me, my life would end. It was a visceral sensation. Death was closing in, and my biological instincts were screaming.
But Master's teachings were carved into my soul. Do not try to forcibly suppress the fear of death, she had said. Do not ignore it. Do not pretend it isn't there.
Instead, look death in the face and find the will to fight anyway. Do not deny it; accept it.
When I did, the trembling in my body stopped. My senses grew sharper.
"GUUUUUUU... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!"
As I drew closer, the density of the magic increased, and the attacks grew more violent. I pushed forward. I couldn't afford to stop. I needed to finish her with this one strike.
Finally, I entered my Killing Range.
Simultaneously using the Anti-Material Code and the Ice Sword was taking a toll on my body. My skin was cracking and bleeding, and blood seeped from my eyes. But even if my vision turned red, I was going to land this hit!
I whispered the name of the technique.
"—Ice Flower Profusion."
A single flash. I slashed horizontally through the black storm of Prima Materia.
However, the blade of the Ice Katana shattered into pieces. It hadn't been able to withstand the pressure of her magic. The shards of ice were swallowed by the darkness.
"He... Fuhahahaha!!!! Even you can't break through this!!!!!!!!!"
She laughed, believing she had completely blocked my attack. She likely thought that katana was my trump card. She hadn't realized her mistake yet.
"Now... die!!!"
The black hands converged to swallow me, but the battle was already over. I looked at the hands as they froze mid-air and spoke calmly.
"No. It's finished."
"Na... ha... a... aah...?"
Ice Flower Profusion. Its true power lay in Chain Magic and Delay Magic.
The technique involved shattering the ice blade and then using Chain and Delay Magic to reconstruct those shards into blooming ice flowers at designated coordinates.
I had let the blade shatter on purpose. It was never meant to be a simple cutting attack. The goal was to lure the opponent into a false sense of security, then envelop them entirely with the reconstructed ice. I chose the katana because its lower durability made the reconstruction process easier.
Furthermore, when weaving mental images into Code, a clear visualization is essential. That was why I chose the image of a flower.
Through Chain Magic, countless Ice Flowers were produced, and through Delay Magic, they bloomed simultaneously, covering her entire body.
"Wh... what is this... what's happening!!?"
"Instructor Gray. You should sleep for a while."
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!"
With a series of sharp cracks, her body was completely encased. A massive, crystalline Ice Flower stood where she had been. Shards of ice drifted through the air like falling snow, creating a beautiful, surreal scene.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
I dropped to one knee.
I immediately used Deceleration to dial back my power and applied Chronos Lock to seal it away.
"Ray!!"
"Are you all right!!?"
"Ray-kun!!!"
The three of them came running toward me as soon as they were able to move.
Ah... I did it. I protected them. This time, I didn't lose anyone.
So... it's okay for me to rest now, isn't it?
Right, Master—?