◇ ◇ ◇
It happened last month, when Master took me to an expensive-looking restaurant for my Coming-of-Age Celebration.
"I put a lot of thought into what to give you for your adulthood, but in the end, this was the only thing I could really offer," Master said.
Some time had passed since I had poured my heart out to him about my anxieties. He handed me several sheets of paper, a self-deprecating, wry smile playing on his lips.
As I accepted them and scanned the pages, I saw they were densely packed with spell formulas.
"...Master, is this... all one spell?"
I couldn't help but ask. One look at the contents confirmed it was a magic formula, but the sheer volume of information was staggering.
He had shown me the formula for Space Leap once before—a spell considered to be of the highest difficulty—and I had realized then that it was something I couldn't even hope to use in actual combat yet. The contents of these papers represented a formula on that same level.
"Yes. Ideally, I wanted to divide it into six parts, but I ran out of time. I'm sorry it's so incomplete."
"No, don't say that! But Master, isn't this your original magic? It feels similar to the Six Basic Types of support magic, but..."
"As expected of an Enchanter. You’re right," Master said. "You know how I use a unique buff that only works on myself, right?"
"Yes. It's your original magic, Master. It has a much higher output than standard support spells."
"Right. I call that magic Stacking. Until recently, I didn't understand why it wouldn't work on others, but I finally figured it out. The formula I just gave you, Log, is a modified version of Stacking. I’ve added arrangements so it can be cast on others, not just yourself."
"This is... the formula for the buffs you always use..."
"I've modified it considerably, but the effect should be identical."
"I... I'm incredibly grateful. But this is original magic. I've never developed my own, so I can only imagine how much work went into this. Is it really okay to just give it to someone like me so easily?"
"Don't belittle yourself. You're a talented Enchanter. Besides, I plan to release this spell to the rest of the clan soon. I just needed someone to act as a test subject first, and you were the perfect fit. So use it without hesitation. Just make sure to report back on how it feels. Well, assuming you can even master it, that is."
Master spoke in a teasing tone. The "test subject" bit was likely just a white lie to ease my guilt.
"...Thank you, Master. I promise I’ll master this magic!"
"Yeah, I’m counting on you. One more piece of advice, Log—"
◇ ◇ ◇
By activating Double, I managed to neutralize the boy's debuff.
"...?"
The boy, being an Enchanter himself, seemed to sense the change in my aura. A flicker of caution crossed his face.
Having finally grasped the trick behind it through Double, I began constructing even more formulas to trigger the spell’s next stage.
"......Triple!"
I wondered if Master really used this repeatedly during combat. The thought of how high the wall I had to climb was hit me again. Every time I added a layer of Stacking, my headache intensified.
This was my current limit. I couldn't stack any more layers. That meant I couldn't refresh the buffs once they expired.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—the duration of my support magic was significantly longer than average. I had roughly four hundred seconds.
In these four hundred seconds, I’m going to blow these two away!
"—! Fred, get back!" the girl screamed.
At the same moment, I kicked off the ground. I closed the distance to the boy in an instant, thrusting my spear toward him. He failed to react entirely. I aimed to miss his vitals while still incapacitating him, but the girl intercepted me with terrifying speed.
She caught the tip of my spear with the flat of her blade. I didn't let up, putting every ounce of my strength into the spear and shoving. I sent both the girl and the boy behind her flying.
"Amazing... even with the debuffs, I can feel the power surging through me..."
"What kind of strength is that? Fred! Give me a buff!" The girl shouted as she recovered from the impact.
The difficulty of Stacking was too high for me to attempt again in the middle of a fight, but I could still use other spells. I could endure any amount of pain if it meant preventing a future where Carol was hurt!
That said, if I used too much, I'd pass out. Master had hammered into me that the most essential requirement for fighting with self-buffs was to maintain a calm, objective grasp of my own situation.
My blood was boiling with rage, but I couldn't afford to fight recklessly. I launched several Thunder Arrows at them. The boy intercepted the bolts with his own magic while simultaneously buffing the girl.
With her strength boosted, the girl charged.
I've done mock battles against swordsmen until I was sick of them, all thanks to Master. I won't lose to someone weaker than him!
The advantage of a spear was its reach—you could attack from outside a sword's range. It was only because Master was an anomaly who could slip through that range effortlessly that he was so hard to hit; against a normal swordsman, I could win even if our skill levels were slightly apart.
Plus, I had the Stacking buffs on my side. Or so I thought, until the girl proved to be an exception.
"—!?"
We were even at first, but I was slowly being pushed back. The reason was her sword. Typically, a sword's length is supposed to be between half and two-thirds of the wielder's height. However, her blade was nearly as long as she was tall.
Normally, such a weapon would be unwieldy, but she possessed the technical skill to manipulate it perfectly. Consequently, she was able to step inside my spear's range and nearly reach me with her tip. Furthermore, because of the blade’s length, the tempo of her swings was completely different from a standard swordsman's. Whenever I tried to parry as I usually did, I found the blade was still farther away than expected, making it incredibly difficult to time my movements.
"Gugh...!"
She seized an opening and swung downward. I blocked it with the shaft of my spear, held horizontally. The weight of the sword combined with her magically enhanced strength bore down on me. I was only holding my ground thanks to Stacking, and I knew I couldn't last much longer.
I have to do something!
As the thought crossed my mind, thunderous arrows flew at me from both sides. It was the boy's attack magic.
"—!?"
Pinned down by the girl and unable to move, I watched the arrows close in—only for them to suddenly halt in mid-air. Then, they reversed direction and flew back toward the boy.
"What?! Why?!" the boy cried out, barely dodging his own spell.
"I can at least... provide some cover for Log!" Sophie's voice called out from behind me.
It was her Psychokinesis. To think she could even reverse attack magic... Abilities really were incredible. I wanted one too, but there was no point wishing for what I didn't have. I had to fight with the tools I had!
Despite the resolve, the situation was grim. The threat of magic follow-ups was gone, but I was still being crushed by the girl's blade.
How do I break this...?
—"One more piece of advice, Log. When you feel like you're in a truly desperate situation, try whispering 'I am a shadow' to yourself in your heart. You might just be able to turn things around... maybe."
Master's words from last month surfaced in my mind. I didn't know why he had told me that. But I didn't have many options left. If I was going to be cut down anyway...!
(...I am a shadow.)
I firmly repeated the words I had often felt as a child whenever I was consumed by negative emotions.
"Eh—"
Suddenly, it felt as though the ground had vanished. I sank into the earth—no, I sank into the shadow.
◇
The next moment, I was drifting through a pitch-black void as if I were underwater.
"Hahaha... seriously, I'm no match for Master..."
I never would have dreamed that the feelings I’d struggled with since childhood were actually the key to my Ability. I had only mentioned them to Master for the first time during my celebration. Yet, he had seen through the truth of my power immediately.
Despite being a dark, empty void, it felt strangely comforting. I wanted to stay there forever, but I didn't have the luxury of time.
"Alright! Let's go!"
◇
I lunged out of the shadow stretching behind the boy. Perhaps sensing my presence, he turned around, eyes wide with shock. I put everything I had into a punch, slamming my fist into his face.
"Fred...!"
The girl watched the boy fly several meters and hit the dirt. She turned her murderous intent toward me and closed the distance with terrifying speed.
"...He's your brother, isn't he? Then why... why can you get angry for him, but still hurt Carol, your own sister?!"
I raised my voice as I slammed my spear against the blade she swung at me.
"...Shut up! You're just a stranger! You don't know anything!"
"I'm not a stranger! I'm her comrade! I won't stand by while my comrade is being hurt!"
Fury flashed in her eyes. She rained down a barrage of strikes. I blocked them with my spear while simultaneously interfering with my own shadow. The shadow beneath me writhed, taking the shape of a wolf as it materialized.
The shadow wolf lunged at the girl.
"What is that?"
I attacked with my spear in tandem with the wolf, but she didn't seem bothered. She parried my strike and cleaved the wolf in two. The creature collapsed, splattering like black liquid.
Each drop reshaped itself into a tiny needle. Sensing the danger, the girl leaped back and braced herself. As the countless needles flew toward her, she swung her sword, using the pressure of the swing to blow the needles away while simultaneously sending a shockwave of force toward me.
I dodged the slash and activated a spell.
"Rock Wall!"
A wall taller than her rose up from her flank. It was a simple earthen wall with no special properties, but it was enough to draw her focus for a split second.
The moment she glanced at the wall, I dived into the shadows. I emerged from the shadow cast by the wall itself—the same trick I’d used on the boy.
She reacted instantly, spinning around and slicing through me—or rather, the double I’d made of shadows.
"A decoy?!"
In the moment she faltered, I leaped from the shadow at her feet. I slipped inside her range and pinned her to the ground. I used shadow-materialized vines to bind her before stepping away.
"...I win. I'm not going to kill you. But you’re going to apologize to Carol and then answer for your crimes."
"...How naive. You had a chance to kill me, and you chose to bind me instead?" she said, looking at me with cold, dismissive eyes.
"Maybe so. I can't forgive you for what you did to Carol. But I don't want to be a murderer."
"Fine. Fred, if you would."
The moment she spoke, she vanished from sight.
"—! Space Leap?!"
I realized immediately that it was teleportation magic. I scanned the area and saw the boy—who had somehow recovered—standing with the girl beside the unconscious Master Abel. Her sword was poised to strike him, held back only by Sophie’s strained Psychokinesis.
I dived into the shadows again, aiming to emerge from the boy's shadow.
"That's the third time."
"Gwah!"
I was hit by a shockwave the moment I emerged and sent flying. Thanks to my buffs, it wasn't fatal. I performed a break-fall and looked back at the pair.
"Ha... ha..."
Every time I moved through the shadows, it felt like my stamina was being ripped out of me. It was likely the same exhaustion Sophie felt when she overused her Ability.
"Looking at a softie like you makes me want to vomit. You must have lived in such a peaceful little world," the boy spat, his voice laced with rage. He began to chant, but—
"—Fred, we're leaving," the girl interrupted.
"......Isn't that a bit sudden? We're not finished with the job the 'Doctor' gave us."
"The 'Doctor' told us to get back immediately. Apparently, things are getting interesting on the other side. The Lord's son doesn't matter anymore."
"Ugh, seriously...?" The boy’s anger evaporated into annoyance.
"You know how it is with the 'Doctor.' Just set up the formula. We need to be back before they lose their temper."
"Fine, fine..."
"Hey, wait! I told you to apologize to Carol!" I shouted.
I could gather they were leaving, and honestly, given my buffs were fading and my head felt like it was splitting open, I was relieved. But I couldn't let them just walk away after what they did.
"............"
The girl stared at me for a long moment with those cold eyes, then shifted her gaze to Carol.
"...Caroline."
"......"
"The Third Research Lab. That's our base of operations. Do what you want with that information. But if you stand in our way again, I won't show any mercy."
With that, the boy triggered a Space Leap, and they vanished. I kept my guard up, but their presence was completely gone. I had Sophie check as well, but she confirmed they were nowhere nearby.
◇
We waited for our debuffs to wear off and for Master Abel to regain consciousness.
"I'm sorry for being a burden," Master Abel said after we explained what had happened.
"Don't say that. If you hadn't protected us from that first explosion, we might have died. Thank you for saving us."
"You are Orun-kun's precious disciples. If I had pushed a dangerous task on him and then let his students die, both he and I would never have forgiven me. I protected you for my own peace of mind." He gave a self-deprecating smile.
"A dangerous task? What is Master doing right now?"
"...I shouldn't say, but after all this, I suppose I have to. But first, let’s get back to the mansion. It isn’t perfectly safe, but it has defensive magic tools. It’s better than being out here. I’ll explain everything once we're back."
"Understood. We don't know if those two will come back. Sophie, can you keep an eye on our surroundings?"
"Yeah, of course! Log, are you okay?"
"Ahaha... honestly, my head is killing me and my body is shaking from overwork. I’m not exactly in peak condition. But I’ll manage."
"I see. Log... thank you for saving us!"
Hearing those words made everything worth it. Lately, I had been feeling inferior to the two of them, constantly wondering if I even deserved to stand by their side. I was weak. My resolve was lacking. But maybe... maybe it was okay to acknowledge myself just a little.
I still had a long way to go, but for now, I was just happy we hadn't lost anyone.
As we prepared to head back, I noticed Carol was still huddled on the ground, looking like a lost puppy.
"Carol, what are you doing? Let's go home together."
"............Eh?"
She looked up at me, a look of pure shock on her face. I didn't know the "right" way to treat her or what the perfect answer was. But the words that had come out when I was desperate while casting Stacking—those were my true feelings.
Carol was an irreplaceable, precious comrade.
"What do you mean, 'eh'? I said we're going back to the mansion."
"B-But, I... I tried to leave you both behind..."
"Oh? Did that happen? I don't remember."
"...What?"
I played dumb, and Carol looked at me as if I'd lost my mind.
"I used too much magic and my head is spinning. I don't really remember what you were doing. I'm pretty sure you were just trying to save Sophie and me, right? Sophie?"
I looked at Sophie, and she caught on immediately, giving a brilliant smile.
"Yeah! I was under a debuff, so things are a bit fuzzy, but I definitely remember Carol desperately trying to protect us!"
"See? There's no problem with you being with us. You're a precious comrade, Carol. You're a member of Twilight Moonbow. So, let's go home."
A single tear rolled down Carol’s cheek.
"............Yeah...!"
Her reply was quiet, but it was firm.
◇ ◇ ◇
"Well, I suppose that’s a passing grade," I murmured.
I had watched every moment of Logan Hayward's battle from afar.
"Did you say something, Titania?" Ruu-ko asked. She was currently busy intercepting the magic beasts pouring out of the labyrinth entrance.
"No, nothing. The stampede is almost over. Once you've cleaned up here, head to the Eddington mansion."
"...Why the mansion?"
"It seems the kids in your party were attacked by bandits. They lost their guards and their carriage, so they’re walking back now."
"W-What?! What happened?!"
"Exactly what I said. The kids and the Lord's son are safe, but they’re likely exhausted. You should hurry up and finish this so you can regroup."
"Of course! Titania, lend me your strength! I'll wipe them out with Seirei Magic! I don't have time to waste here!"
"I suppose I must. Let's finish this, then."
After Ruu-ko literally vaporized the remaining magic beasts, she sprinted toward the mansion. I followed her, but my "sight" was elsewhere.
I was watching Orun Doura. He was currently standing off against dozens of Dragon Species, led by the Black Dragon from the 92nd Floor.
"I knew it, but I was still too slow to move... I suppose this flow of events can no longer be stopped."
Thank you for reading. This concludes Logan's perspective. From the next chapter, we return to Orun's perspective as the fourth arc enters its climax.