My Origin Magic was never merely a flurry of exploding butterflies.
It was a fragment spilling over from my very essence.
Its true nature, its core, lay somewhere else entirely.
—Ah, why is it?
Why is it that the world appears so clearly to my eyes now?
I finally understood the essence of this awakened power. This was surely the place I was destined to reach.
My days with Ray were undoubtedly... all for the sake of reaching this point.
"...Amelia, you... what on earth is that...?"
Ariane spoke, her voice thick with bewilderment. I did not answer her question.
Instead, I spoke a single truth.
I thrust a cold, irreversible reality upon her.
"Ariane. You can no longer reach me."
"What... what are you saying...?"
"I understand. I understand this ability perfectly now. So, let’s bring this to an end."
"...I will never, ever lose!!"
She charged.
Ariane did not yet grasp the full scope of my power. I could tell as much from the shock etched onto her face.
Even so, she attacked valiantly.
Wringing out every ounce of her willpower, she kicked off the earth and lunged.
Her reddish-black limbs were still holding firm. Her lightning was still active. It would likely be easier for both of us if we just released our magic and stopped.
But we wouldn't. We couldn't.
We were fighting for our pride.
Fighting to prove our very existence.
But Ariane would never reach me again.
That wasn't a delusion or an empty boast.
—It was a pure, unadulterated fact.
"..."
I watched her.
I tracked her movements through the gaps between the Crimson Butterflies fluttering around me.
Ariane sprinted across the arena in a single breath, swinging her fist toward my body.
A certain hit.
At that speed, there was no time to dodge. Defense would never be fast enough.
But Ariane's attack would not land. For that was the causality now fixed into the world.
"Over here."
"Eh...? H-how... that's impossible. It can't be... this can't be happening..."
A swing and a miss.
I was no longer where Ariane's fist had struck.
Now, I was standing behind her.
The Crimson Butterflies continued to flap their wings, dancing around me.
Fragments of deep red Prima Materia shimmered in the air.
Until now, they had been mere sparks. Those butterflies had been nothing more than fire mimicking a shape.
But now, these were perfectly composed of Prima Materia through my magic.
The air was thick with the residue of burning, crimson Prima Materia.
It was the same phenomenon Ray had shown in his previous battle. The concentration of overflowing Prima Materia was so dense it was completely visible.
In his case, it was a pale blue, but mine was a contrasting, searing red.
Though my body was riddled with wounds, my spirit had been completely revitalized.
Now, no one... could stop me.
"U... uwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
Ariane charged again. Skillfully manipulating the lightning clinging to her body, she engaged me in a cross-range melee.
But those fists, those legs, that lightning... they would never, ever reach me again.
Within my mind, I ran massive amounts of Code, layering them over and over. Pushing the Magic Capacity of my Magic Area to the absolute limit, I maintained the Butterfly Effect in response to Ariane’s every move.
«Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code»
«Material Code = Decoding»
«Material Code = Processing = Aitia = Constitutive Qualia = Formal Qualia = Efficient Qualia = Final Qualia»
«Embodiment = Causality»
Butterfly Effect.
It was a Concept Interference-type Origin Magic that manipulated the causality of the world, using the butterflies as a catalyst.
The activation required a four-step process known as Aitia.
Constitutive Qualia was the material of the causality—generating the butterflies that served as the base for the magic.
Formal Qualia was the blueprint—incorporating the mental image of the causality I wished to manifest.
Efficient Qualia was the action that triggered the manipulation—set to the movements of the butterflies, such as flapping, moving, or exploding.
Final Qualia was the manifestation of the causality itself. By following these three steps, the "result" was finally etched into the world.
I stored these four processes in my Magic Area as a single mental model, embodying causality in reality.
The Code Construction permitted not even a hair's breadth of error.
I incorporated every wingbeat of the butterflies and every motion Ariane made, maintaining the Butterfly Effect.
The true essence of this overwhelming Origin Magic lay in this meticulous construction.
I built and activated those four processes with perfect precision.
I didn't know why, but in this moment, I understood every facet of this power.
"Haah... ah... haah... ah, uugh... haah."
Ariane did not give up, even in the face of this power.
But causality had already been established.
I was manipulating the "result" of Ariane's actions. The outcome where her attacks hit me was being erased and replaced with failure.
The manipulation of causality.
That was the true value of the Butterfly Effect.
It intervened in the very concept of cause and effect. It allowed me to step into a causal relationship that was meant to happen, break it, and overwrite it with a different outcome.
Ariane’s attacks would never reach me.
No matter how she struggled, the movements of the butterflies produced the inevitable result: "the attack does not hit."
Calmly, I spoke to her.
"Ariane, you can't win anymore. The causality of this world has already been decided."
"I... I will not give up! Amelia... come at me with everything you have!! I'll shatter every bit of it!!"
It wasn't a bluff.
She had no chance of winning, but that didn't mean she would stop.
Ariane was betting on the smallest sliver of possibility.
She believed in it with her entire soul. That much was clear from the burning will in her eyes.
So, I would respond in kind.
I took the Butterfly Effect, which I had used purely for defense, and turned it toward offense.
«Prima Materia = Encoding = Material Code»
«Material Code = Decoding»
«Material Code = Processing = Aitia = Constitutive Qualia = Formal Qualia = Efficient Qualia = Final Qualia»
«Embodiment = Causality»
Manifesting a single butterfly on my fingertip, I let it explode right in front of me.
To an observer, it would look like I was blowing myself up.
However, that explosion didn't touch me; it struck Ariane directly.
"Gu... uuu... aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
Explosion after explosion.
The detonations occurred all around me. The Crimson Butterflies circling me burst one after another. Ariane was at a distance they should never have been able to reach.
And yet, I had designated her as the target for the "result of being struck by the explosion."
The code built via Aitia fixed that causality into the world.
No matter where the butterfly detonated, the Butterfly Effect ensured the result began and ended with Ariane.
Attacks against me failed; my attacks hit with absolute certainty.
Ariane was left with nothing.
"..."
Calmly, I designated the coordinates as Ariane tried to dodge.
I continued to manipulate the Butterfly Effect with my hands.
I detonated the countless butterflies floating in the air. Each one triggered an explosion centered on Ariane, like crimson flowers blooming in succession.
She used her incredible speed and a coating of Prima Materia to endure the blasts... but "dodging" was no longer an option.
Before the Butterfly Effect, every strike was a certain hit.
As long as she remained within the effective range of my magic, there was no escape.
And the range of my Butterfly Effect easily covered the entire field.
In this space, my attacks were guaranteed to hit. Conversely, her attacks would never land—not as long as I kept the Butterfly Effect active.
It might be different in a real-world battle, but under the conditions of this tournament, the Butterfly Effect reigned supreme.
Ariane emerged gallantly from the black smoke of the bombardment.
Cloaked in electricity, she sprinted across the ground for one final charge.
She was clearly at her limit. The reddish-black coating on her limbs was beginning to dissolve.
This was the final struggle.
I watched her approach with a calm gaze, but then...
"Ugh, cough..."
I coughed up blood.
The burden of this magic was immense. Along with the blood in my mouth, more began to drip from my nose and overflow from my eyes. The strain on my brain—on my Magic Area—was catastrophic.
I was on the verge of a Magic Area Overheat.
But none of that mattered now.
I would face Ariane's sincerity head-on.
Even if I bled dry, even if my brain burned out, I would maintain the Butterfly Effect.
Looking back, it had taken so long to get here. I had spent so much time thinking I was worthless, that I was nothing but a fool.
I thought I would never reach Ariane.
That winning against her was a fantasy.
That I could never touch that proud, soaring existence...
But I, Amelia Rose, am standing here.
I have a right to be here.
I was certain that this power had awakened because I had finally changed... because I had finally accepted myself.
Without everyone—without Ray—I would never have reached this place.
And without a rival like Ariane, I would never have found the strength to push myself this far.
I can't live alone.
I can't do anything by myself.
But with everyone, I know I can keep walking this path.
With everyone, and with Ray, I will move forward.
"...Ariane, thank you. Let’s finish this."
I activated the final Butterfly Effect of the match.
The power I had used over and over was now completely under my control. I manipulated causality one last time.
"AMELIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"
She ran. She lunged.
Ariane's fist loomed before my eyes.
"—Butterfly Effect."
In that instant, an explosion erupted, centered exactly on the rose Ariane had defended so fiercely. Previously, I hadn't been able to aim with such precision.
But now... the ability was a part of me.
Without hesitation, I set that point as the trigger and let the magic fly.
Caught in the unavoidable blast, Ariane was sent flying through the air before crashing to the ground.
Silence fell.
"The winner: Amelia Rose!"
The name of the victor was announced. It was my name.
Seconds later, the stadium erupted. The crowd seethed with excitement as thunderous cheers and applause rained down upon us.
"THE MATCH IS OVEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! The winner—the champion of the Newcomers' Tournament—is Contestant Amelia Rose!! But what on earth was that power!!? Her new ability, her Origin Magic, is incomprehensible!! Caroline-sensei, please, we need an explanation!!"
"...It’s incredible. That’s a Concept Interference-type Origin Magic... there are hardly any users of it in the entire world. Even among existing spells, Concept Interference is exceptionally rare. It likely originates from the 'Butterfly Effect' of Chaos Theory... it directly links causality... or perhaps it can even excise it? It’s truly a pinnacle of sorcery... to be able to interfere with the very concepts of the world..."
"E-err, so... in other words...?"
"...Ah! A-anyway, it's an amazing ability!! Congratulations on your victory, Amelia-chan!! And Ariane-chan was also incredible! You were both magnificent! Congratulations!"
"Y-yes, indeed!! Everyone, a round of thunderous applause! Applause for our champion, Contestant Amelia Rose!! And applause for Contestant Ariane Olgren, who fought until the very end!!"
The cheers were deafening.
All of it was for me.
No, not just for me. It was also a tribute to Ariane for fighting until the end.
I walked over to where Ariane lay spread-eagle on the field.
We were both in tatters. Blood dripped steadily onto the floor. I limped toward her, one slow step at a time.
I just wanted to talk to her.
"...Ariane."
"A-Amelia. Hehe... you look awful. Your body is covered in burns..."
"...You're one to talk."
"Hehe... I suppose so..."
I wiped away the blood and sat down gently beside her.
I squeezed Ariane's hand. She spoke in a soft, gentle voice.
"Hey, Amelia..."
"Yeah..."
"You've become... so strong."
"Yeah. I have."
"Yes. Truly, truly... you are amazing..."
"Yeah... yeah...!"
Hearing those words from her made the tears spill over.
To hear that from Ariane, to be able to talk to her like this and be acknowledged... it made me happier than anything else.
I had always wanted to stand in the same place as her. Not just to surpass her, but to have a relationship where we could move forward together.
"Why are you... the one crying? You won. You defeated me. You should be... more proud, you know?"
"I... I only made it here because of everyone. My friends at the academy... and Ray helped me so much. But it's also thanks to you, Ariane. Because you were there, because you were always ahead of me, I was able to reach this point. I just... I wanted to say thank you. That's all I wanted to say..."
The tears wouldn't stop.
As I spoke, tears began to pool in Ariane’s eyes as well.
They traced paths down her cheeks and fell to the earth.
Finally, I had been able to lay my heart bare to her.
"Stupid. You’re so stupid... Amelia. Did you come over here... just to say that? Crying in front of a crowd like this is so unrefined... ugh... hic..."
"...Maybe... but you're crying too, Ariane..."
"This is... just sweat from the heart...! U... uugh...!"
We both sat there, unable to stop.
We simply let the tears flow and sobbed together.
Eventually, Ariane managed to sit up and pulled me into a tight embrace.
"Amelia, I'm sorry. For abandoning you when we were children..."
"No... I just let myself fall apart..."
"I knew. I knew you were struggling with what it meant to be a noble, with who you were... but I didn't know what to do. I wondered if I should even speak to you... so... I decided to become a role model. I aimed to be the most prideful noble I could be, hoping I could show you the way..."
"F-for me...?"
I hadn't known.
I had no idea she had been thinking that.
It was true, then.
Humans don't understand each other unless they use words. Without them, we can't truly touch another person's heart.
It's only when we speak that our souls can connect.
"Yes. I was fighting for you. This tournament... more than anyone else, it was for you, Amelia. Of course, I wanted to win for myself, too. But more than that... seeing you grow makes me so, so happy... I’m happy from the bottom of my heart..."
Ariane wept even harder. My chest tightened at the sight, and my own tears redoubled.
"Ariane..."
"But that is exactly why I faced you with everything I had. And I lost. So... I have no regrets. Congratulations, Amelia. You are the champion of the Magics Chevalier Newcomers' Tournament! Truly, from the bottom of my heart... congratulations, Amelia!"
"Th-thank you... ugh... aaaaaaaaaah!!"
The last of my walls crumbled. I clung to Ariane and cried.
Every hardship, every worry, every hesitation, and every ounce of inner conflict melted away.
It all dissolved and washed away.
Just as I had opened my heart to Ray, I had now found that same connection with Ariane.
I see.
I had always aimed to be like Ariane, but she had been doing everything for my sake all along.
Knowing that, I stopped caring about how we looked to the crowd and just wept.
In front of thousands of people, we held each other and let the tears flow.
But they weren't tears of sadness.
They were tears of gratitude—for everything that had led us here, for the beauty of the world, and for the beauty of the human heart.
In that moment, a single bird took flight into the vast sky.
I was no longer a bird in a cage.
I could flap my wings and soar into that endless blue, just like that bird.
I am not alone.
I have friends I wouldn't trade for anything.
I know there will be more pain, more hardship, and more sadness ahead.
I'm not so optimistic as to think that life will be easy from now on.
But I—
I can move forward with everyone.
I can stand my ground with everyone.
I can find the meaning of my life together with everyone.
I am not a bird in a cage anymore.
I finally have wings of my own.
I know I will come to love the life I live. And I will continue to live the life I love.
With everyone, from now on, and forever.