Joint Class - Part 3
"Why didn't you wake me?"
Opening my eyes, I dragged myself out of the tent and approached Claire.
"S-sorry!"
"No, I mean, I don't mind getting more sleep, but..."
Now that we were up on the mountain, we couldn't afford not to set a night watch.
Zenia had grumbled, asking why we even needed to bother, but Yurisia had been stubborn. She seemed to hold a firm belief that safety had to be verified with one's own eyes.
"Aren't you tired too?"
Honestly, I had expected her to be dozing off.
She had to be exhausted. Her body was likely still aching from various lingering wounds.
"Well... I just couldn't seem to..."
Beneath the small campfire, I could sense the faint, dark traces of magic.
"You were practicing."
"Yeah. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't... I don't know, I just can't figure out why."
Claire shook her head.
"...That's why I told you to stop."
"I-I know! I get it! I know... But we're in the same party as the Princess, aren't we? At the very least, if I don't pull my own weight right now..."
Looking into her eyes, it was clear she had absolutely no intention of sleeping.
I had no choice.
"Hey. What do you think is the foundation of dark magic?"
"Using power you normally couldn't obtain... through a contract?"
"In principle, yes."
More specifically, it was about diversifying the ways one could grow stronger.
Normal training involved tempering the physical body, constantly pushing past one's limits to increase mana capacity, and learning how to fight in real combat through experience and sparring.
But those who wielded the power of darkness could grow stronger in countless other ways.
They offered up their sanity, their blood, their deaths, and provided amusement to demons.
"Do you want to know why you can't use dark magic properly?"
"Y-yes! Wait, why are you only telling me this now?"
Because I had thought it was pointless. Because I believed it would only push her too hard.
I conjured a small Dark Arrow and shot it into the ground.
"See? It's so amazing. I feel like I'm trying my best, but at some point, my dark mana just gets completely blocked, like it's stuck..."
"The reason you can't use dark magic is..."
I had hoped she would give up sooner.
"Claire. It's because you don't actually want to."
"What?"
Claire stared at me, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
"How can you say that! I... I can really offer anything—"
"It's not enough."
You need a more desperate malice. A more frantic resolve.
I extended my left arm toward her.
"If a demon demanded it, could you shoot a Dark Arrow into my arm?"
"W-what are you talking about?"
"Demons are fickle. It's common for dark mages to suffer because of their bizarre demands."
"But how could I... how could I ever do something like that to you?"
Claire bit her lip hard and shook her head.
"You know how weak your Dark Arrow is, right? It would just sting a bit. It's still a dark spell, so it would bleed a little... but that's it."
The very fact that she hesitated meant she could never become a proper dark mage.
"You claim you can sacrifice everything, but in reality, you can't give up anything. Not even your friend's arm."
"...That's too harsh."
"It can't be helped. You're seeking power. You can't get it for free... And the demon you contracted with knows that too. They won't bother telling you, but they can feel that you're someone who will absolutely 'never' cross that line."
That was why they wouldn't lend her their power.
Because she was boring, worthless, and couldn't even be manipulated to their liking.
"Do... do all other dark mages live like that?"
"It depends on the case."
Some dark mages were born with constitutions naturally favored by demons.
Others possessed willpower and malice several times greater than ordinary people, allowing them to never forget why they became dark mages even amidst constant demonic temptation.
Sometimes, their personal disposition simply aligned perfectly with a demon. Or their circumstances made them ideal for offering 'sacrifices.'
"There are special cases. Unfortunately, you aren't one of them."
"Why... why does it have to be me..."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you should be proud."
Even when tempted by power, the inability to harm a friend was a significant strength.
While Claire's mental fortitude couldn't objectively be called outstanding, she was the type who would never stab an ally in the back, even under the influence of brainwashing.
"It's a good trait."
For an ordinary person, or even for someone wielding the power of light, it was strictly a virtue, not a flaw.
It was the dark mages who were abnormal.
"I see. That's why you wanted me to choose a path other than dark magic."
Claire nodded, her eyes filled with sadness as understanding finally dawned on her.
"Yeah. So for now, just rest. There's nothing you can do right away."
"Okay..."
Her dejected voice trailed off weakly. Hanging her head low, Claire stood up from the flat rock she had been sitting on and walked toward the tent.
"Hm?"
In that instant, I felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Dark mana erupted across the entire area. It was a dark energy so deep and oppressive that for a split second, I wondered if I had been dragged straight into hell.
With a sound like the heavens tearing open, thunder roared. Lightning struck. A sudden tempest began to pour from the sky that had been completely dry just moments ago.
"E-emergency! Everyone, wake up!"
Shouting toward the tents, I caught the sound of rapid, unnatural footsteps, barely distinguishable from the patter of the rain.
"Claire?"
She was running straight into the forest.
Claire understood.
Wade's explanation had been kind. It was simple enough for someone as clueless as her to grasp, and that made it all the more cruel.
She was someone who simply could not use dark magic.
Once we go back... I'll have to find another path.
It might be too late. Whether it was swordsmanship or standard magic, the foundational classes would already be over.
She might not receive any special treatment. She might become an underachiever once again, struggling to keep up with classes she couldn't comprehend.
But still, I wanted to be with him...
Her stubborn insistence had been largely because of Wade.
He was her very first friend. She hadn't wanted to part ways with him. She felt like no matter how difficult the obstacle, she could overcome it as long as someone as kind as him was by her side.
But now, she understood. She could not stand by his side as a dark mage.
The moment she gave up on everything and turned back toward the tent, she felt a massive, alien sensation.
Ah... Huh?
It was evil. It was dark mana. A wave of energy so colossal that she couldn't dare to resist was ravaging her fragile mind and body.
What... is this!
She couldn't even open her mouth. An overwhelming impulse washed over Claire.
It wasn't human language. It wasn't human emotion.
It was simply 'something' that was far more devoted to evil, far closer to the Demon God, commanding her.
No, no, no...
But this was no gentle suggestion. It was not a sweet temptation. It was not a transaction yet to be made.
The power Claire had used. The Dark Arrow she had barely managed to cast, and the oaths she had sworn with her hand resting on the basin filled with blood.
That contract, the vows she made when she surrendered herself to evil, the past Claire who had sworn to sacrifice everything to find her place...
...were now taking control of her body.
No. No, no...!
Emotions that did not belong to Claire were coursing through her veins.
The instinctive greed and wrath of a colossal beast were shaking her to the core. Claire's own feelings were being subsumed by that massive will.
This is insane. No. I absolutely don't want this...!
The Princess was a kind, benevolent person. She could never stab her in the back.
The mage was a bit mischievous, but she was still a good person. She couldn't bring herself to replace the mage's smile with anger.
And Wade...
Ugh, aaaaah...
She absolutely did not want to hurt him.
The power she had never truly wanted, the dark mana, flooded her body. And now, it was demanding its price.
Claire realized she couldn't hold out for long.
There was no way she could endure it. Even if she abandoned all her power right now, the dark mana that had entered her body—the contract that already bore her signature—would not let her go.
She had to get away, no matter what.
Through the pouring storm, Claire ran as if possessed.
She had to escape. She couldn't let them get close. She had to put distance between them.
If she lost her sanity even for a moment, she might fail to hold back and end up harming the people she was with.
"Hey, where are you going?! Stop!"
Wade was calling out to her. Anxiety and terror flooded Claire's mind.
She had to die now. There were plenty of cliffs. A single misstep would allow her to end her life without causing harm to anyone.
Running without pause, Claire suddenly realized she had unconsciously been heading straight toward the source of that dark emotion.
"Ugh..."
It was massive. A hideous creature, larger than most houses, was staring down at her.
It didn't look at her as an enemy, nor as a small creature, nor as food.
It simply gazed at her with an expression devoid of joy or sorrow, as if looking at a mere extension of its own body—
"Aaaaaaaah!!!"
Claire shrieked. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream in resentment. She couldn't understand why she had to be thrown into a situation like this.
"You finally stopped... Ah, damn, that's a big one."
"G-go! Go away! Just leave!"
And that shared emotion carved a tiny crack in Claire's faltering mind.
A Dark Arrow erupted from her hand, hurtling straight toward Wade.
It carried an abyss far deeper than the night forest, as if it had swallowed every last scrap of light remaining in the woods.