One Step (3)
"...This is dangerous," Georg muttered.
Nella had just incinerated yet another horn-hog.
I shook my head to wave away the acrid, burnt smoke and looked at Georg. Catching a whiff of the scent drifting through the black smoke, I realized it smelled suspiciously like grilled pork belly.
"What's so dangerous?"
"If things keep going like this, we'll have no choice but to kick Daphne out of the party."
Nella had just snapped her fingers and roasted five horn-hogs on the spot. Daphne, walking slightly behind her, had yet to cast a single proper spell. Just as it had been during our training sessions, tiny sparks of mana crackled in her hands but failed to manifest into magic. So far, Daphne hadn't managed to defeat a single monster.
"Are you worried about her? I thought you wanted Nella to win."
Georg frowned uncomfortably at my question. I let out a low, mischievous chuckle.
"I merely proposed a compromise that both could agree on to stop them from fighting. I wasn't rooting for either of them to win."
Liar. I knew exactly how much Nella used to boss Georg around. While Aryen had been her favorite target for nagging, Georg had been nothing more than a convenient meat shield. There was no way Georg wanted Nella back in the party. Yet, in his rigid attempt to be fair, he had proposed a contest where Nella had a clear advantage. Was he just incredibly flexible to a fault, or was he a massive masochist?
"Honestly, I want Daphne to win. Decisively."
"Then why did you let them compete when the gap in their skills is so obvious?" Georg asked, his tone accusatory.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Daphne. She was still channeling mana, sparks sputtering from her fingertips. However, the feeling was entirely different from before. Smiling as I watched her growth, I answered Georg's question.
"Because Daphne said she wanted to do it. When someone says that, you believe in them. That's all."
Cracklet. Usually, when Daphne failed to cast a spell, her face would fall. She would look deeply disappointed in herself and apologetic toward me. Dwelling on her failures, her movements and expressions would grow heavier with each successive mistake. But right now, Daphne wore a completely different expression.
"To think a 4th-Circle mage is groveling before me, unable to cast a single spell."
Daphne completely ignored Nella's taunts. She had the intensely focused eyes of an artist on the verge of a breakthrough. Reflected in those eyes were neither the charging monsters nor Nella.
Cr-cracklet! Something had shifted. While Daphne's gaze remained steady, Nella's eyes wavered as she looked back at her. She seemed to have sensed the change occurring within Daphne. Nella turned her gaze toward me and shouted urgently.
"Isn't this enough by now?! Do we really need to see any more?"
Please, it's not like you were planning on stopping either. I let out a dry laugh and shook my head. I had to stay and watch Daphne completely shatter her wall.
"It's not over yet."
Nella's face contorted with anger and frustration. Suddenly, I felt Daphne's wildly leaking mana vanish entirely. Her violet eyes, which had been deeply immersed in her inner world as if searching for something, snapped back to reality. And when I saw the glowing violet sphere of mana forming in her hand, a smile spread across my face.
One step. You've finally taken it.
The vanished mana erupted from a single point. Daphne thrust her hand straight forward and chanted her spell.
KABOOM—!!
A violet lightning bolt—no, at this point, it was more like a cataclysm taking the shape of lightning. A writhing dragon of pure, rampaging mana tore through the forest with a deafening roar.
"...!!"
The shockwave pushed Georg and me back, while Nella hastily deployed a barrier spell to shield herself from the blast. Dirt and sand sprayed like waves in the wind. As the rising dust settled, Georg stared open-mouthed at the devastation left in the wake of Daphne's magic.
"...Is that really the Lightning Bolt I know?"
No need to make such a fuss over this. Feeling a deep sense of pride swell within me, I looked at Daphne. Violet currents of electricity crackled around her like a suit of armor. Ahead of her, everything in the path of her spell had been completely erased, as if someone had swept a giant eraser across the forest. Trees, earth, monsters—all of it was gone.
"Daphne's magic has always been special. I'm not surprised. Besides, she's only going to grow stronger from here."
I barely suppressed the urge to run over and give Daphne a high-five, forcing myself to answer nonchalantly. Though I was sure a note of unmistakable pride leaked into my voice anyway.
Georg stared blankly at the ruins before turning his head to look at me. His expression was equally incredulous.
"...Did you know this would happen all along, Elroy?"
I shrugged. Of course I did. Though, breaking through her wall and reaching this point was entirely her own achievement. I had merely stood by her side and watched the process.
"You have to look at people for who they truly are. Well, it was only possible because Daphne worked so hard."
"...Just what are you..."
Georg stared at me with a deeply complex expression. I wished he wouldn't look at me like that; it was creeping me out. Georg then let out a sigh.
"I see. Because you believed in her from the start, all of this was possible."
I gave Georg a smirk before turning my attention back to the mages. Now, the real battle was about to begin.
"...Getting cocky just because you've barely managed to cast a spell," Nella muttered in a low voice, glaring at Daphne.
In terms of raw numbers, it was a clash between two 5th-Circle mages. However, the five-ringed magic Daphne had perfected was on an entirely different level from Nella's. And it seemed both Nella and Daphne had realized this.
She really should stop before she embarrasses herself further.
Muttering to myself, I followed the mages as they walked ahead. What followed was a slaughter so one-sided it was almost painful to watch. Of course, the difference this time was that the victim was Nella, not Daphne.
Lightning Bolt.
KABOOM—!!
Daphne advanced, relentlessly using the exact same spell. Every time she reached out her hand, lightning struck, leaving Nella to watch in helpless frustration as the monsters vanished before she could even lift a finger.
Nella gnashed her teeth and unleashed a 4th-Circle offensive spell, managing to dispatch a monster before Daphne could.
"...Is a 3rd-Circle Lightning Bolt the only spell you know how to cast?"
Daphne frowned, looking down at her hands. Nella let out a mocking laugh at the sight. Daphne clenched and unclenched her fists, then shook her head.
"I guess that won't work after all."
"...?"
"No matter how hard I try, I don't think I can win using only Lightning Bolt."
"What...?"
Nella stared blankly. Daphne conjured a new surge of mana in her hand. This time, it was a flame blooming like flower petals. She sent the dancing fire in her palm floating into the air. Nella's expression faltered violently as she watched the spell. It was the 5th-Circle magic she had used most frequently—Pillar of Fire. But it was different. The spell taking shape at Daphne's fingertips was of an entirely different caliber than Nella's.
"I wanted to make you regret every single word you said before this," Daphne murmured, then clenched her fist. The flames swirling in her palm vanished, but a similar fire seemed to ignite within her violet eyes.
A grey bear suddenly burst through the thicket. Daphne's eyes locked onto it. The bear roared, charging at the intruders who were destroying its territory.
BOOM—!!
Instantly, a massive pillar of fire erupted, swallowing the bear whole. The flames raged fiercely, wrapping around the bear's thick hide and fur. The beast recoiled, letting out a painful shriek. Its resilience in surviving such a direct hit was astonishing.
"...Not enough."
Daphne channeled her mana once more. A glowing spear of ice pierced the head of the staggering bear. Perhaps one wasn't enough, for even with its head impaled, the bear raised its massive paws high into the air. With an expressionless gaze, Daphne flicked her finger again.
Thud. Thud-thud. Thud.
The ice spears easily penetrated the grey bear's hide, which had been softened by the pillar of fire. Its belly, back, forepaws, and hind paws. The grey bear turned into a pincushion, collapsing in a pool of blood. Remembering how much trouble I'd had defeating one of those things, the sheer ease with which Daphne handled it now felt almost terrifying.
I think she's already left me in the dust.
I looked at Daphne, who stood triumphantly before the fallen grey bear, and let out a wry smile.
"Would you like to continue?"
Nella clenched her fists at Daphne's provocative question. Her defeat was absolute. Yet, she shook her head in denial. She certainly hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
"It's not over yet."
Nella began to draw on her mana. Unlike Daphne, Nella would be completely exhausted if she expended any more magic. They had already wiped out dozens, if not hundreds, of monsters, marching continuously without any time to recover. It wouldn't have been surprising if any ordinary mage had collapsed by now.
"Not yet..."
A light of mana flared above Nella's head. It was as if she was trying to prove she still had strength left, that she could still fight. But then, her eyes met Daphne's.
Crack!
The mana swirling around Nella dissipated with the sound of a short circuit. It was a mana discharge. Nella stared at Daphne in panic. Daphne returned her gaze, looking equally puzzled. Was it finally time for Nella to collapse?
She still has usable mana left?
Terrified?
No more monsters attacked. It seemed the two of them had completely wiped out almost every beast in the vicinity. A mountain breeze swept through, carrying the ashes of the incinerated monsters with it.
"You lost," Daphne declared, cementing Nella's defeat and her own victory. Nella hung her head, unable to deny or accept the undeniable outcome.
"Keep your promise."
"You... bitch..."
Nella staggered backward like the bear that had been struck by the pillar of fire. Her heavy footsteps crunched against the ash as she turned away.
"Elroy... so you're really going to play it this way." Nella stopped in front of me, hissing like a snake. I looked down at her and let out a soft sigh.
"If you're willing to change your attitude, I'm willing to let you stay. If not..."
"Cut the crap, Hero. Go die fighting a Calamity." Nella spat with deep-seated venom before brushing past me.
I watched her retreating figure disappear into the distance, then turned around at the sound of footsteps behind me.
"Elroy."
Daphne stood there, wearing a bright, clear smile as if all her tension had finally melted away. She took a few slow steps toward me, but her legs gave out, and she collapsed forward. Having overcome the trauma that blocked her mind, she must have expended just as much mental energy as she did mana. It was only natural she was exhausted.
I caught her in my arms. Her faint scent brushed past my nose.
"I... I did it," Daphne said, a soft, proud chuckle escaping her lips. Her cheeks, slightly smudged with ash and dust, were flushed. Her tired violet eyes shone with pure joy.
"Yeah. You finally did it."
"Thank you... for believing in me..." Daphne couldn't finish her sentence before losing consciousness, slipping into a deep sleep from the sheer exhaustion that had pushed her to her absolute limits.
As I lifted Daphne into my arms, Georg approached. He wore an expression that was bittersweet yet somehow relieved.
"Good work, Elroy."
Leaving behind those brief words, Georg turned and began to walk back. Now, that stalwart fellow wouldn't have to suffer because of other people anymore.
"El...roy..."
Daphne mumbled in her sleep. Even in her deep slumber, a faint smile played on her lips. One of Daphne's trials had finally come to an end. Feeling genuinely happy for her, I gently brushed away the stray hairs clinging to her face.
"You did well, Daphne."
Holding her close, I followed slowly behind Georg as we began our journey back to the Royal Capital.