I wasn't always by Luna’s side during her training.
Hovering over her twenty-four-seven would likely only make her feel cornered. Besides, she had specifically told me, “Please don’t just focus on me, Orun-san; I want you to do what you need to do as well,” so I took her up on that offer.
When I wasn't available, Shion or Oliver stayed with her during her sessions.
That was why I could now focus on my own discipline.
“I’m in your hands, Kiryu-san.”
As I spoke and took a stance with my wooden sword, Kiryu-san’s lips curled up slightly, and he settled into a low, ready position.
“Yes, there is no need for restraint. Come at me from any angle you wish.”
I lunged forward, closing the distance—but I had no intention of a simple strike.
Before stepping into Kiryu-san’s reach, I activated my sorcery, deploying a Reflective Wall on the ground. Without losing momentum or telegraphing my movement, I used the barrier to leap high into the air.
Positioning myself between the sun and Kiryu-san, I cast a shadow over him from above. I immediately replicated Shadow Manipulation to launch a surprise attack from beneath his feet.
Kiryu-san didn't lose sight of me for even a fraction of a second. Despite the dual-pronged assault, he evaded the shadow with calm, efficient movements, exuding an air of effortless composure.
“…I figured you’d dodge that.”
While I was impressed, it was still within my expectations. I immediately activated Shift.
In the next instant, I vanished. The sunlight that had been blocked by my silhouette flooded back toward Kiryu-san, acting as a momentary blind.
I used that split second to teleport into his blind spot and swung my wooden sword, certain I had caught him.
—It’ll reach.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, a wooden sword identical to mine appeared before my eyes. It was Kiryu-san’s.
He had stopped it just inches from my face.
There was no doubt that his blade would have struck me long before mine reached him.
“I… I yield.”
I lowered my wooden sword and couldn't help but give a wry smile. So this was it—the Counter-initiative.
Kiryu-san pulled back his weapon and regarded me with a cool, clear gaze.
“Your ingenuity with both the blade and magic was quite good. However, your eyes speak far too much.”
My eyes spoke too much—meaning he had been reading my intentions through my gaze. If even a fleeting moment of impatience or desire could be read so clearly, then neither sword nor magic would ever touch him.
It was a complete defeat.
Kiryu-san moved his wooden sword behind his back and let a soft smile play on his lips.
“…Did you gain anything from this?”
“Yes. A great deal.”
When I answered, he nodded contentedly.
“Then it was well worth it. …However,” he continued, his voice leisurely but holding a hidden sharpness, “why did you not use an area attack with your magic? Facing someone like me, who has no talent for anything but swinging a katana—the optimal solution would be to attack from a distance where the sword cannot reach, would it not?”
He was right, of course. But I shook my head.
“You likely have a way to deal with that as well, don’t you? …Besides, this isn't a real battle; it’s a mock battle. That’s exactly why I wanted to face you in your area of expertise.”
“Hmm…”
“Being able to use a diverse range of styles is my strength. But because of that, I wanted to understand what a ‘pinnacle of strength’ feels like—the kind of strength I don’t possess. I need to know it if I’m ever going to fight in a way that surpasses it.”
Kiryu-san remained silent for a while, then laughed heartily.
“Hehe… I see. I understand what you desire now, Orun-dono. You are truly an opponent I would never wish to face in a real battle.”
At his joking tone, I gave a wry smile and gripped my wooden sword once more. The pinnacle of martial arts was still far off.
But I would reach it.
“Then, may I ask for one more round?”
“Yes. I shall keep you company as many times as you wish.”
After finishing my practice with Kiryu-san, I headed to the Phoenix Shrine.
The large crystal enshrined in the main hall emitted a faint, luminescent blue light. Countless spell formulas floated from the crystal like the feathers of a firebird spreading its wings, filling the shrine’s interior. Symbols and lines overlapped, forming patterns woven from a linguistic system entirely different from standard magic. They moved quietly, yet with undeniable purpose.
I began reading through a section of the code.
“Just as I thought… Chris’s hypothesis was correct,” I muttered. The space around me seemed to tremble in response.
『—You've come again, Orun.』
Titania’s voice drifted softly into my mind. Her presence was gentle, reaching me directly without obstructing my own thoughts.
“Yeah. I have to proceed with decoding the principles of magic as quickly as possible.”
I replied to Titania while comparing the characters flowing through the air with the notes I had scribbled on parchment. I had only managed to decipher about half of the strings. While some parts resembled standard sorcery, the overall system was alien. Analyzing it was grueling.
『…I see. And? Did you have any success?』
“Yeah. I’ve only decoded a fraction, but I prioritized the sections I was most curious about. I finally found what I was looking for.”
Titania paused for a moment before asking, 『And what was that?』 I could feel a sense of curiosity bleeding through the mental transmission.
“The impact that long-distance teleportation has on the world.”
The air in the shrine seemed to grow even more tense as I spoke. I traced a part of the spell formula with my finger.
“In sorcery, we have a teleportation spell called Space Leap. It allows for instantaneous movement, but the distance is limited to about a hundred meters. However, the teleportation used by Amunzaas or the Cyclamen Cult is a long-distance version that ignores those limits. Even with its restrictions, it clearly deviates from the standard magic system.”
『Meaning… it is close to true magic?』
“Exactly. Chris has long suspected that the Cult’s goal is to increase the concentration of mana—the toxin—in our world. If the mana concentration rises, the burden on the principles of magic increases. The hypothesis was that long-distance teleportation was a catalyst for that increase.”
『And you’ve confirmed it?』
“Yeah. Some of the formulas here record the remnants of teleportation traces. They show that with every long-distance teleportation, microscopic cracks are carved into the principles of magic. It’s the same phenomenon that occurs when a Transcendent exercises true magic.”
『In that case, wouldn't that mean true magic itself is the problem?』
“Strictly speaking, yes. However, the holes opened by a Transcendent close immediately. In contrast, the holes opened by the Cult’s long-distance teleportation take a significant amount of time to mend.”
Titania’s mental transmission went silent for a moment.
『So, how far has the damage progressed?』 she prompted.
“This is just a guess, but given that the Cult has begun moving in earnest, we can assume the mana concentration has reached a critical value. If they continue like this and long-distance teleportation is abused… the wall of the principles of magic will tear all at once, like a balloon that’s been overinflated.”
『That… is not the ending you desire, is it?』
“No. Our goal is to eventually dismantle the wall, but only after we’re prepared. If it breaks before then, it will mean the extinction of humanity.”
Titania’s presence sank into a long silence. Eventually, she asked, 『That is the worst-case scenario. What do you intend to do?』
“First, I’ll rewrite the principles to seal long-distance teleportation itself.”
『I see. Then, I shall lend you my strength.』
I breathed a deep sigh of relief at the serious resonance in her voice.
“That helps. Thanks, Titania.”
『I decided to stop being a bystander and cooperate with you. Even in my current state, I can manage this much.』
Her voice was soft, yet carried an unshakeable will.
The spell formulas erupting from the crystal filled the space, drawing complex, interlocking circles.
『Then let us begin. I will stabilize the flow; you focus on the rewriting, Orun.』
“Got it.”
I raised my palm and interfaced with the ring of spell formulas overflowing from the crystal. Titania’s mana danced like particles of light, calming the turbulent flow of logic. Taking advantage of the stability, I began to rewrite the chain of symbols.
With a faint vibration, the circles rearranged themselves soundlessly. Eventually, the torrent of formulas subsided, and they were gradually swallowed back into the crystal ball.
『…With this, long-distance teleportation can no longer be used.』
“That was a massive help. Thanks to you, Titania.”
『You are quite welcome.』
I looked down at the now-quiet crystal. I still hadn't grasped the full picture of the world’s logic, but the most urgent task was complete.
“Alright, next step.”
『Next? You aren't finished?』
“No. Next is the preparation to grant resistance to the outside mana to every human being in this world.”
『…Is such a thing truly possible? Even my master, August—the man who understood mana more deeply than any other—could not achieve that.』
There was blunt doubt in Titania’s mental transmission. Her skepticism was only natural.
“If I were in the same position as August-san, I probably wouldn't be able to do it either. But there is one decisive difference between his era and ours.”
『A decisive difference?』 Titania echoed.
“It’s the fact that every human living in this world today was born in this world. I’ll skip the complexities, but the point is that modern humans are fundamentally linked to the principles of magic. And sorcery—a technology unique to the World of Principles—can interfere with a person’s Ki, or even their genes.”
『I understand the concept regarding Ki. Support Magic acts upon it. But I have never heard of sorcery reaching as deep as one's genes—』
Titania’s transmission cut off abruptly, as if a realization had suddenly struck her.
『…Ah. Oliver.』
She had recognized the precedent. I nodded silently.
Oliver and I are cousins. He is the son of my mother’s older brother, making him a descendant of August-san just as I am.
About twenty years ago, a radical faction within Amunzaas grew desperate in the face of the Cult’s growing power. They came up with a horrific plan. In order to defeat the Evil God, they decided to create a designer baby—an artificial atavism of the Fairy Tale Hero, engineered with an artificial Ability called Mana Convergence.
The result of that experiment was Oliver.
That gene manipulation magic was theorized by my grandfather and perfected by my father. My father exercised the spell while Oliver was still in the womb.
The miscalculation for Amunzaas was that I, a natural atavism, was born shortly after Oliver.
As a side note, the sealing magic placed on me as a child was an application of that same gene manipulation magic. It was a failsafe intended to restrain Oliver if he ever went out of control, but my parents chose to use it on me.
I respect my parents and my grandfather, but I cannot condone everything they did. Yet, I probably don't have the right to blame them either.
“I think you see where I’m going with this, Titania.”
『…You intend to use the connection between the world’s logic and humanity to instill Evil-Bane in everyone.』
“Exactly. By manipulating the principles, I can change the structure of the world. And that ‘world’ includes the humans within it.”
『…You have conceived of something truly outrageous.』
Wary surprise colored her voice.
“I think so too. I intend to take every possible precaution before I carry this out. …First, I’ll test it on myself.”
I shifted my gaze and pressed my hand against my chest.
“I’ve been wanting to manipulate Yoryoku, anyway. That power is sealed by a mechanism engraved into my genes. I’m going to find a way to neutralize that seal.”
The light of the crystal faded, and the air in the shrine regained its stillness. I felt the weight of the unknown, but I couldn't stop. I believed this step would be the foundation that finally opened the path to the outside world.