It's a Rule That Artificial Flowers Have No Scent.
It's a Rule That Artificial Flowers Have No Scent.
Trixie still wasn't entirely comfortable trusting others.
But she made an effort to try.
Becky provided defense with ice. Louis controlled their vision with bursts of light. Landing a decisive blow on the Ice Wolf—that was Trixie's role.
Hisss—!
Fire and ice clashed in midair.
The shockwave rippling out from the collision of opposing elements was savage. In an instant, it turned the whole area into something like a fog zone.
"Ugh...."
Trixie gritted her teeth. Every time she collided elements with the Ice Wolf, the strain was immense.
The gap in attainment was still vast.
The destructive power that took her two full manifestations, the Ice Wolf produced with a single swipe of its claws.
And that wasn't all—its massive body moved with reflexes that were hard to believe.
BOOM! KWA-BOOM!
Her arm went numb with every collision. It felt like the circuits branching through her body like veins were going to burn out entirely.
"...."
Her body and clothes were already soaked through. She could melt the ice, somehow, but she couldn't evaporate it as well.
The rain-like torrent of water droplets made it hard just to keep her eyes open. Her vision narrowing was an inevitable consequence.
She already knew the answer. In this situation, she should be focusing on defense rather than offense.
"...She's not even a mage."
But Trixie refused to lose.
At the very least, when it came to the elements, she didn't want to back down.
"Impudent."
And in that moment, her refusal to run created a notable difference. Her output surged.
...She grafted Plan's teaching onto it.
Trixie poured all of that output into purity. After she had sculpted the flame into the shape of a wolf—
CRACK—!
Manifestation.
Trixie's flame wolf bit down on the Ice Wolf's neck.
KWA-BOOM—!
Plunk. Plunk.
Along with a thunderous roar, the Ice Wolf's fangs and claws sheared off and fell to the ground. Louis and Becky stared at it blankly.
"...Did we finish it?"
Becky muttered to herself.
And then, the Ice Wolf rose to its feet again. All three students' bodies went rigid at once.
Awoooo—.
Magic power of an entirely different class pulsed through the mages' bodies.
The Ice Wolf's eyes deepened with an even more intense blue. Its body doubled in size, and its fangs and claws grew sharper still.
"Wh-what, what, what. We had to bring it down twice?"
"Ahaha.... Yeah. Didn't see that coming."
Looking up at the enormous body, Becky swallowed hard.
"Plan.... shouldn't Plan be coming for this too? It, it, it looks way too strong...?"
"Is Plan still grading?"
The three of them turned their heads in the same direction at once.
Before long, the figure of a single man came into view.
Amid countless knights, he sat there nonchalantly.
"Is that a clone.... Looks dangerous over there too."
Trixie murmured.
At the same moment, the sea of clones slowly began to engulf Plan.
A greatsword displaying its might, a thin sword stabbing at subtle gaps, a blade driving in with unwavering honesty.... Countless knights surged in like a wave.
Their momentum was akin to a tsunami. They opened their menacing maws wide, as if to swallow the mage whole.
Plan coalesced an element, utterly nonchalant.
In an instant, the Fire Wolf ignited its entire body and began rampaging across the battlefield. Dyeing the surroundings red, it pushed back the wave of clones in reverse.
Spewing flames, shielding Plan with its own body.... The Fire Wolf's every movement played out to Plan's advantage.
"Is he.... controlling that?"
"...Looks like it."
With flame coalesced at his fingertips, Plan manipulated the Fire Wolf. It was just like a conductor wielding a melody.
The Fire Wolf was not protecting Plan of its own volition. It was simply being manipulated so that it had no choice but to protect him.
"Wow...."
An involuntary gasp of admiration slipped from Becky.
The conducting continued without pause.
The deflected clones vaporized and vanished, and Plan still sat there as nonchalantly as ever.
A perfect defense that permitted not a single attack, not a single approach.
Then, at some point, the gazes of the three met Plan's gaze.
Plan quietly raised his index finger.
After tapping it twice against his eyes, he pointed at the three of them twice with the tip of his finger.
"...."
The meaning was clear.
Without a word, the three of them turned their bodies back toward the Ice Wolf.
Awoooo—!
The roar of the immeasurably ferocious beast... seemed almost courteous by comparison.
◈
Naturally, the Fire Wolf had a great interest in flames.
My pure spark was welcomed by the creature far more than I anticipated. Taking advantage of that, I was currently manipulating the Fire Wolf like a trained summon.
It must have been while I was using its fiery claws and fangs to clear away clones.
"Hey, Cassel! What the hell are you doing?"
Igor, frustrated, shouted at Cassel.
"...."
Cassel only bit his lip hard. There was no way he could readily admit he was already giving it his all.
Observing the shifts in the three siblings' expressions had its own charm. Those dumbstruck faces slowly sinking into a mire of bewilderment—they were yet another piece of proof for me.
Igor kept shouting.
"Hey! I said do it right!"
"Shut it for a second."
Veins bulged in Cassel's eyes.
In those eyes, I could sense a powerful resolve not to taste humiliation here.
"...I'll do it properly now."
The moment Cassel murmured that and drew his sword, he vanished from sight. In his place, countless Cassel puppets appeared and began to move as a single body.
"...."
I, however, simply closed my eyes. I thinly radiated mana into the surroundings, and that was enough.
'I can see he's steeled his resolve.'
His movements. I could feel he had put serious effort into one thing in particular.
Precision.
Each individual puppet moved as if it were a separate living being—the seasoned dexterity of each targeting a different vital point on the mark.
Even by the standards of the summoning school of magic, it was at a fairly usable level. In truth, a great many mages struggle with handling summoned creatures.
A considerable number of people would have struggled against this.
But, as always.
I am not among that 'considerable number.'
I evade the swords.
The clones' swords couldn't slice even the hem of my robe.
No—they didn't so much as graze a single hair on my head.
Ultimately, a subtle wave exists in all movements, and I receive that information from the widely radiated mana.
So long as this transmission is not blocked, there is no chance of me being struck by a sword.
Swish—!
I handled the Fire Wolf to lightly rake the real body's face. A red line appeared on his cheek, and a bead of blood welled up.
Cassel wiped the trickling blood with a bewildered face.
"You figured out... I'm the real one?"
I didn't bother answering. It was an obvious matter.
Cassel was unable to comprehend the situation. He frantically sought out the second-born.
"...Wendy. What is that bastard."
"What about what."
"What kind of guy he is, how much mana he has left, what kind of things you can see.... I'm telling you to tell me everything, without leaving any of it out! Get a clue even if I'm being vague!"
In the end, Cassel lost his composure and yelled. Wendy, the second-born of the four siblings, silently drew her sword for the moment.
Humming, Wendy's sword resonated with an uncanny sound. At the same time, I felt something knock against my forehead.
...A sword that reads the mind? My interest was piqued.
I did not resist it; I welcomed it. Curious about how it might differ from magical interference, I willingly opened my mind.
Wendy closed her eyes and focused. She opened her mouth as well.
"First of all...."
But she never finished that sentence. The next moment, she tilted her head.
"...?"
Wendy tilted her head once to the left and once to the right, and Cassel urged her on impatiently.
"Do it fast. Fast."
"...Uh."
Wendy narrowed her brows as if to concentrate harder.
Simultaneously, a thought-form in the shape of a snake began crawling through my mind.
'So this is how it feels.'
I was about to find out just how strong the mental fortitude of a second-year knight cadet was.
I drew an identical thought-form in my mind. No—that would be boring, so I doubled its size.
I continued, expanding it without end.
"...!"
After a moment, Wendy's body trembled as if convulsing.
"H-hyik!"
Her eyes flew wide open, and she slumped to the floor.
The gaze looking at me was already not the gaze of someone looking at a human being.
"What's with her, why's she like that."
"Hik! Hyiik! Eu, euugh!"
Collapsed as she was, she pointed at me with the tip of her sword. Her arm trembled like a bare, thin branch.
"You.... What are you! What the hell! Hiyiii!"
"If you want to unsettle another's mind, you should order your own first."
After that short addendum, I went back to handling the Fire Wolf. I cleaned up the few remaining clones.
"...."
And at some point, the three siblings' attacks stopped completely. I asked in a low voice.
"Is it over already."
No answer returned.
"...How dull."
By now, even openly ignoring them drew no retaliation. I had the Fire Wolf pounce on them.
"Ugh!"
The moment the Fire Wolf lowered its stance, the brats took a defensive stance. I let out a deep sigh and stopped.
"Forget it. Sit."
I scattered a single spark on the ground. The Fire Wolf docilely settled its haunches at that spot and stayed motionless.
"...."
The faces of the three siblings who had watched that were completely blank with bewilderment. I understand why. The Fire Wolf, of all things, was being handled like a pet dog.
I straightened my collar and spoke.
"I have something to ask you."
I carried on calmly.
"Just what is contained within your swords."
"...What's that supposed to mean."
"No, never mind. Forget it."
I shook my head. I wouldn't get an answer of any use from them anyway.
I simply said what I wanted to say.
"You say you use Inherent Abilities.... Well, they don't look inherent at all. The knights I knew weren't like this."
"Arrogant bastard."
That voice came from the east.
The owner of the voice was the eldest of the four siblings, Ela. Having arrived belatedly, she said a word to the three siblings.
"What are you all doing."
She softly licked her lower lip as she surveyed the state of the battle. Then she slightly narrowed her brow.
"...What's with the sorry state of you all. And what about Wendy."
Wendy was still collapsed, clutching her head. The other two just hemmed and hawed without answering.
Frustration tinged Ela's voice.
"It's not hard. Igor charges in, Cassel uses Doll Sword, Wendy severs his mind with Ghost Eye Sword. Do it like that."
So those were the names attached to their swords.
In any case, Ela's instructions were things the three siblings had already attempted. No matter how many more times they tried, the result wouldn't change.
"Haa...."
Ela let out a deep sigh.
"Everyone just step aside."
She drew her sword from its scabbard. It was a bizarrely shaped blade—very thin and long, resembling the form of a needle.
Exuding an incredibly intense killing intent, Ela murmured.
"Because I'll do it all by myself."
We confronted each other wordlessly.
"Huuuh...."
Drawing in a breath, Ela tightened her grip on her sword. I quietly observed her.
'...Fascinating.'
Numerous transparent threads were tied to the tip of her sword.
And it wasn't just there. Countless threads were also strung from each of her individual fingers.
Astonishingly, every single one of those threads was a thin sword.
After steadying her breathing, Ela spat out a single line.
"Any last words?"
"You shouldn't have time for this. Ela."
"Ha."
With a snort of derision, Ela immediately moved her sword—as if she intended to converse solely through her blade from this point on.
One.
Then another.
Her threads spread wide like a spiderweb. The sharp energy each thread held rippled like a wave.
One.
Then another.
At last, the ripples of that spiderweb swelled into a tsunami. The wave of the Silk Sword began to completely tear the surrounding area apart.
The glimmer created as the transparent threads reflected light was beautiful. But one must not be captivated by it.
Cheonrajimang.
As if even she were satisfied with her own attack, the corner of Ela's mouth subtly lifted.
KWA-BWA-BWA-BWAM—!
The surroundings were turned completely upside down. The ground flew up into the air, and everything suspended in the void was shredded into fine pieces without exception—like bits of a cube puzzle.
"Ela...!"
"What the—!"
Rather, it was Igor and Cassel who shouted that.
And indeed, they would know the power of this attack best.
A single strike that butchers the body like a puzzle. It was not something you could easily attempt even against a student carrying a Return Stone.
And right now, I didn't even have a Return Stone.
"Watch closely. Because I speak with my sword."
Abruptly, Ela muttered.
I quietly, simply shut my eyes and opened them again.
"If that's the case, then this side speaks with magic."
A bizarrely shaped sword I had never seen nor heard of. It was a novel experience—but truly, that was all it was.
Right now, I felt no threat whatsoever.
The reason is one.
'An artificial flower has no fragrance.'
There is a principle to magic.
A miracle that designs a formula—which is nothing more than imagination—into a circuit, compounds mana, and brings it forth into reality. That is magic.
But these Inherent Abilities are void.
They are merely strokes of luck granted one day, which I consider to be a curse.
An artificial flower cannot possess fragrance. For an artificial flower to have a fragrance, one must spray perfume onto it to add scent.
And perfume inevitably volatilizes away.
It means they are fake.
A fleeting moment.
I finished deliberating over the magic I would demonstrate.
If you fully understand the principles of magic, deciding how to display it is not the slightest bit difficult.
The complexity of the formula, the urgency of time, the difficulty of the calculations.... All those constraints.
Kaplan.
Before my name, they are utterly futile.
I pressed both palms together. As I slowly pulled them apart, blue mana stretched out long and thin like thread.
I fired it out.
Within Ela's transparent Silk Swords that gleamed pure white, my blue threads began to live and breathe.
Cross-stitch.
The countless Silk Swords were reduced to mere sheets of blank white paper. The blue threads danced across them, ruthlessly impressing upon them what they sought to depict.
Ka-ga-ga-gak—!
The two kinds of threads became heavily entangled. Repeating a process of intertwining and coiling, they fiercely exchanged offense and defense.
And around the time that all watching had lost themselves in the sight—
Abruptly, it took on the shape of art.