The Crisis (1)
As they were escaping the altar, the sun had begun to set, but now the sky was almost completely dark, with darkness approaching.
The mysterious light barrier surrounding the sky was even clearer because of how dark it had become.
The two children were pacing in front of the barrier.
If you bring a branch close, it sparks and you can't pass through the barrier.
“I really can't get out... Should I use a dispel magic?”
Since Rubshi's illusion was immediately dispelled, Sugar raised her staff, but Ryly immediately stopped her.
“No. Don't do that.”
“Why? At least try it. We don't know who might be chasing us next...”
“I thought about it earlier. The reason you dispelled that woman's magic so quickly was probably because of your mana nature. But this isn't magic you cast alone.”
Chant magic. Claude's subordinates chanted to create a solid barrier.
“Why?”
“Earlier, when I was analyzing it, it felt like... I naturally understood the flow of mana...”
“So if dozens of flows are connected to you, can you follow them? Without losing yourself there, and processing those dozens of pieces of information?”
“Ah...”
It means my brain can't keep up with the enormous amount of information. Understood.
“Then what do I do... Do you know any magic that can break this?”
Ryly flipped through the magic book. But soon, blank pages appeared. Today, pages were interpreted, but still, the book is only half-filled. In addition to magic spells, it contains theories and knowledge about magic, so the number of usable spells is even fewer.
This friend really lived a pure life. It feels strange to feel this way anew.
The original Ryly from the novel killed people indiscriminately since childhood. If suspected, he would go to another city and do the same thing. Again suspected, go to another city, repeat. Probably at this point in the original story, he wouldn't have filled even half the pages.
“...”
-Thud, thud.
“There are a few candidates, but I don't know if they have enough destructive power... Right now, the remaining mana is insufficient, so I can't try anything.”
-Thud, thud.
“So, pulling your mana... Hey, stop it!”
Ryly jumped, but Sugar continued stroking his head.
A rough feeling. If you rub it with fingers, dust comes out. Sugar looked at it silently, wiped her hand on the back of her clothes, and handed it back to Ryly.
“Still, I have to try. I still have a lot of mana. It's fine.”
More mana than others. Because of that special nature, when using magic, more is consumed, but natural recovery is also more.
In today's escape, Ryly mainly used magic, so Sugar didn't run out of mana.
“...”
Nevertheless, Ryly looked at Sugar suspiciously. Is she lying now? Is she pretending to be strong even though she herself is struggling with mana deficiency?
“I'm telling you it's okay!”
Sugar, who noticed that thought, grabbed Ryly's hand abruptly.
It was precisely the moment she tried to grab.
In an instant, a mana bullet flew and they both stepped aside.
Looking in the direction it came from, there stood a being like a demon.
[I hope you stand still like that.]
“No way?”
Sugar, who fixed her grip on the staff, clicked her tongue, and Ryly responded with a mana bullet.
Claude, who effortlessly dispelled it, slowly approached. An ominous atmosphere. Since the disciples' singing had stopped since earlier, it was just a cold winter mountain with wind howling.
[If you behave quietly, I have no intention of harming you. Please follow me.]
“If you say things like that as if they weren't your words, you shouldn't lie. Doesn't it prick your conscience?”
[It's true that I don't kill. So there's no pricking.]
It seems he thinks harming is not the same as killing.
As expected, Claude. Completely different from Rubshi. You can't expect warmth.
Sugar and Ryly frowned and took their stance.
[If you think you can oppose me, it's a bit unfortunate.]
“There might be some unknown things. We can mess you up.”
[... Indeed, that woman has a personality that would like this.]
Without finishing his words, Claude waved his hand.
In a steady posture, very lightly, like throwing something to a friend, it was an unremarkable action.
Yet, something made a sound cutting through the air and grazed Sugar's neck.
With a startled heart, looking back, a surgical scalpel was stuck in the tree. If Sugar's reaction had been even slightly slower, it would have been stuck in the middle of her neck.
“Sugar!”
“I'm fine! ... Right. You didn't kill me, Claude?”
[I can save you to the point of being half-dead. It's the same as not killing.]
Immediately, he picked up the scalpel and slammed it into the ground.
They were having a conversation that didn't make sense, but he was coming towards Ryly instead.
It was natural for Claude to go for Ryly since he was holding the magic book. In this situation, the boy's ability to chant spells quickly, which could be a threat.
[And, you weren't being quiet either.]
The mana infused into the scalpel vibrated. The blade that cuts matter into molecular units, aimed at Ryly just by touching it.
Ryly changed the chant and quickly expanded a barrier, but it was pierced like clay and brought right up to his face.
Just before touching, Sugar rushed like a teleport and headbutted Claude.
“Aim for the crow!”
While he was staggering, Ryly chanted the incantation in response to Sugar's shout. The target was the crow on Claude's shoulder. It instantly burned.
At the same time, Sugar fiercely kicked Claude's hand. The scalpel in his hand flew in an arc, and immediately she put the staff against his neck. It wasn't particularly useful magic, but momentum is important.
“How is it? Ah, because there's no crow, can you not speak?”
Claude's snort was heard.
When I tried to ask what was funny, the answer was already there. A flock of crows had gathered on the trees and were looking down at the two kids. The black things staring intently was eerie.
[Trying to block the chant was good.]
One of them opened its mouth.
Ryly quickly noticed and chanted an explosion spell, but it dispersed in an instant and almost all the crows survived. They perched on different trees.
It was a substitute body and vocal cords. Claude couldn't have prepared such tools. Carefully, painstakingly, always carefully bringing them along.
Although he had consumed a lot summoning the power of the Dark God yesterday, for dealing with kids, this is enough. More than enough.
When he focused, the crows began opening their mouths all at once. Even though Sugar had the staff pressed to his neck, it didn't seem funny. The sound of opening their beaks and singing in unison was very irritating.
“I don't know what it is, but stop it! I'm shooting!”
[I have already analyzed your skill. There aren't many magic spells you can use properly.]
After the new crow on his shoulder finished speaking, Sugar took out a scalpel from her pocket as if she had been waiting. She had pulled out the one stuck in the tree.
“I said I'm shooting.”
She threw it into the air and aimed at Claude.
She shot it with power towards his head.
-Clang!
At that moment, Claude changed the angle of his head and deftly deflected the beak mask with his beak.
What a surprise!
Sugar looked at him dumbfounded, and in response, Claude slapped Sugar's wrist.
The staff flew away.
Ryly hurriedly grabbed it, but just as he was relieved, the crows' singing intensified.
Each one harmoniously sang high and low notes in their respective vocal ranges. It was a chorus mixed with the sound of metal, and the momentum felt incredibly grand.
With an ominous feeling, Sugar quickly moved to Ryly's side, distancing herself from Claude.
The beak mask man didn't grab it but just watched. As if nothing you do matters.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
[You'll find out when the time comes.]
Then, he quickly took out five scalpels from his pocket and threw them scattering.
“Protection (Protection).”
Immediately, Sugar received the staff and chanted the spell, and Ryly followed.
“Reflection (Reflection).”
Two different people chanted two incantations.
The barrier created by the natural overlap of those protected Claude's attacks.
Oh. Claude jumped back to avoid the returning scalpel and exclaimed in admiration. It was actually the crow that exclaimed.
[Did you train? It wouldn't have been easy.]
It was just to try. It seemed like it would work, so I tried. The two didn't say much.
“If you want to know, tell me what magic the crows are chanting.”
[You'll find out soon. What are you so curious about?]
He took out a wand from his pocket and chanted instead of answering. It was a somewhat long chant.
In response, Ryly also started chanting.
If I insert myself in between, it would just interfere. Sugar immediately hid behind Ryly. With this gap, replenish the mana. She placed her hand gently on her friend's back.
“...”
Her mana seeped into every corner of Ryly's dried body. It was just a temporary measure, but better than nothing.
Ryly felt his body filling up, felt his chest swelling, and put the incantation in his mouth.
Although the spell was written in the evil magic book, it was to protect Sugar.
As he was muttering, it felt like a goal appeared.
A dream-like thing appeared.
Feeling a heartbeat with some unknown thrill, he chanted the incantation.
“...... The frozen breath of frozen earth—”
[Flame Eruption.]
Two magic spells of opposing attributes collided.
A fierce cold storm blowing as if swallowing the front.
Fire like angry momentum spurting.
They mixed chaotically and white steam rose.
Sugar frowned, didn't stop injecting mana, and looked ahead.
At first, she thought Ryly was winning, but soon Claude pushed forward. No matter how much the magic book, the gap in ability due to time and experience couldn't be filled.
But this kid isn't alone.
Sugar raised the staff with her other hand. The intention to seize both her friend and freedom with her own hands.
But, in an instant, her mind went blank.
Ryly and Claude's mana clashed, and the mana in the air trembled accordingly. Sugar's body also shaking made it strange.
It was a sensation she had felt at the altar earlier.
A sensation as if anything could be done, as if it would happen as imagined. The flow of all mana around seemed to reach her hand, and her eyes spun with the information volume.
The immediate mana inter-collision in front of her eyes.
The crows' chants.
The huge barrier surrounding the sky.
Just by reaching out, it seemed to touch immediately. Following that sensation, all scenery receded and illusions took place before her eyes.
A white wall in some forest. A moss-covered stone wall.
-Feeling like going left instead of right? Then hitting the wall. But now I found the correct way to go.
Some analogy from the past vaguely came to mind.
If you fiddle with that wall, the feeling from the other side comes, and if you listen carefully, some sound comes.
Chatter chatter, chattering...
“...”
The sound tickling her ears.
It was at that moment when Sugar was dazed.
The tide of the two's fight turned.
“Kk...!”
Unfortunately, Ryly was pushed back. He expanded a barrier just before being hit, but he couldn't avoid the influence. His whole body was hot.
“Hey, are you okay... Sugar?”
Is the one behind okay? Worried, she quickly turned around and saw a girl staring into empty space as if enchanted in the steam.
She was clearly looking ahead but seemed to be looking at something farther.
Her state was not normal.