The Four Spirit Kings
Elizabeth tilted her head, staring curiously at the half-finished ice soldiers.
“What if these things start moving?”
“They’re just empty shells without any spirit power. Right, Sally?”
Bagan called Seleana “Sally” because she had asked him to. The stronger their bond grew, the stronger her spirit power would become—that was why she had made the request.
(That's right! Moving an incomplete ice soldier would require far more spirit power. Kihi! They won't move until they're fully formed.)
Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief at those words.
Soon after, Elestra sharpened the direction the Holy Grail was pointing, precisely pinpointing Frost’s location.
(Over there.)
In the direction Elestra indicated, they pushed through countless ice soldiers. There, a pure white tree with only thick branches stood tall.
In the Zairan Forest, a single tree might not mean much. The woods were so vast that trees were as numerous as the stars in the sky. But the tree before them was far too peculiar to ignore.
The surrounding giant trees had lost their vitality and stood leafless, yet none of them were pure white. The aura it gave off and its very appearance declared that this was no ordinary tree.
“I don’t know the details, but that strange tree is the root cause of all this, right?”
Bagan strode forward with confidence. Elizabeth quickly stopped him.
“Bagan, are you really just going to walk up to something you don’t even understand?”
He paused mid-step.
“Fair point. Any ideas?”
Bagan, who had been staring blankly at the white tree, turned to her. But the answer came from Elestra instead.
(That tree is essentially a medium. Frost was summoned through it, and he is likely watching us from somewhere.)
“Is that so? Then why hasn’t he shown himself yet?”
Elizabeth still found it strange that Frost hadn’t revealed himself. Seleana provided the answer.
(If it's a medium, he's probably protecting the tree. Kihik!)
Apparently the thought made her dizzy, because she drew a flaming skull on top of her head and clung to Bagan’s back. He spoke simply.
“So in the end, if that tree disappears, this winter ends too.”
(It points to the tree containing Frost’s full power, so yes, that should be correct.)
Elestra answered, and Bagan moved.
“Ordinary fire probably won’t be enough to destroy it.”
It was a medium infused with a Spirit King’s power, after all. It didn’t seem like it would vanish easily.
“Shall we give it a try?”
Seleana had risen back to the upper rank. She was even stronger now than when she had possessed the Blessing of Flames. This was thanks to the bond they had built through their contract and the spirit power it granted them.
Bagan met Seleana’s eyes and nodded.
“Let’s go, Sally.”
Mana and spirit power worked slightly differently, but both magic and spirit arts were brought into reality through imagination. The richer the imagination used to wield the power, the more concrete and potent the result.
And when it came to imagination, no one could match Bagan.
Nothing’s scarier than a fire that never goes out.
If magic layered imagination atop fixed formulas, spirit arts put imagination first and then formed the formula with spirit power. That made spirit arts far more flexible than the complex incantations of magic.
Bagan received the flames from Seleana, compressing and condensing them into a single orb.
“The very first fire to ever burn should be spectacular. Prometheus.”
The red orb flew forward and, upon touching the Icicle Tree, erupted into massive flames that burned fiercely despite the bitter cold.
(That was the most extravagant name I’ve ever heard! Kihit!)
It was a name he had come up with by imitating the earthly god who had given fire to humanity. Bagan was glad Seleana liked it.
(However, the opponent is a Spirit King. This is not over yet.)
Elestra’s warning not to let their guard down instantly killed the cheerful mood between Bagan and Seleana. As she said, Seleana was only an upper-rank spirit. Their opponent was a Spirit King. No matter how favorable the matchup, the chances of landing even a single wound were slim.
And then—
Shaaaaa!
As if to prove Bagan’s thoughts, the red flames turned pure white. Waves of cold energy swirled outward again and again.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The fire still burned stubbornly without going out, but the tree remained just as steadfast. It seemed an upper-rank spirit’s power had its limits. The flames rose as if they would burn forever, and from within them, a figure burst forth.
(You dare mock me again! This time, I will not lose myself!!)
Frost appeared—a giant easily three meters tall, with blue hair and a crown carved from ice. He wore ice armor from which cold air rose visibly in white wisps, and he carried a greatsword infused with freezing energy over one shoulder.
Creeeeak!
Frost gripped the massive blade with both hands in a murderous stance and swung it down at Bagan and Elizabeth.
“Dodge!”
Bagan saw the sword descending and leaped aside instantly.
Boooom!
Snow exploded upward, blocking their vision. Even the power of an upper-rank fire spirit couldn’t completely stop the cold from piercing through.
“This won’t be easy.”
As the snow gradually settled, Bagan saw that Elizabeth was unharmed. She seemed to have barely deflected the strike with a curtain of water.
“…Elestra!!”
But Elestra had exhausted her power with that single spirit technique and returned to Harmonia.
Hundreds of years ago.
A great spirit sorcerer had come to the Zairan Forest after an unnatural winter destabilized its ecosystem. His name was Dalo. He was called great for one simple reason: he was the first human in history to form a contract with a Spirit King.
(Contractor. This is the place. As I told you, summon the other Spirit Kings.)
“C-can I really do that?”
(There is no problem. Everyone has agreed.)
“O-okay.”
Dalo had formed a contract with Elion, the Water Spirit King. Contracting with ordinary spirits was possible with sufficient affinity and spirit power, but contracting with a Spirit King required heavenly luck. One had to be chosen by the King.
No matter how much spirit power or affinity one possessed, without being chosen, the limit was an upper-rank spirit. Dalo was already astonished that he had been selected for such a golden opportunity, yet being with Elion left him no peaceful days.
Even now, at her request, he had come to the dangerous Zairan Forest, and the idea of summoning all Four Spirit Kings seemed even more absurd.
(Contractor. There is no need to tremble so.)
As Elion said, he didn’t want to tremble, but he already felt utterly inadequate to even embrace her. How could he not be nervous?
Still, knowing he had to do it, he took various items from his pouch and laid them on the ground.
“Fragments of fire, fragments of earth, fragments of wind. If I weren’t an alchemist, I would never have seen such things in my lifetime.”
Curiously, Dalo had been an alchemist before becoming a spirit sorcerer. He had started as an alchemist and only became a spirit sorcerer after being chosen by Elion. He had used that background to create the mediums for summoning the Four Spirit Kings.
Of course, it would have been impossible without Elion telling him the materials.
“I earnestly beseech you—Master of Blazing Flames, Master of the Earth, Master of the Skies—descend upon this land.”
(You don’t have to go that far. They will come anyway.)
But if he didn’t at least do this much, his heart wouldn’t have been at ease. Seeing his behavior, Elion urged him, saying time was of the essence.
Whoosh!
Rumble!
Whoooosh!
Red flames blazed from the fire fragment, the ground split open beneath the earth fragment, and fierce winds howled from the wind fragment. Then, just as when he had first seen Elion, the Spirit Kings appeared in astonishing forms.
(Is this the place?)
The Earth Spirit King immediately began scanning the surroundings the moment he appeared.
(Where’s Frost? Did you find him?)
The Wind Spirit King approached Elion and asked what she was curious about.
(I told you this was pointless.)
The Fire Spirit King looked annoyed for some reason.
Though tense, Dalo still greeted them.
“I-it is an honor to meet you. My name is Dalo. I am still inexperienced, but I handle spirits.”
(If you contracted with Elion, you are hardly inexperienced. You should have a little more confidence.)
The Wind Spirit King, Silian, floated gracefully over and patted his shoulder to help him relax. She wore a mint-colored dress, her silver hair fluttering as she darted playfully through the sky—a true free spirit.
(The ground is frozen. Frost is definitely here.)
The giant spiritual entity who had knelt and placed his hand on the earth was Noas, the Earth Spirit King. His black hair and bare upper body showcased rock-solid bronze muscles that looked unbreakable at a glance.
(I can feel that bastard’s energy without even trying. My flames are roaring.)
The arrogant spiritual entity who always looked down on others had long red hair and wore a red coat that perfectly matched his prickly personality. He was Ifrit, the Fire Spirit King.
He had looked annoyed when he first appeared, but facing the harsh cold had ignited his fiery nature and made his blood boil.
Dalo explained the situation, and Elion spoke with conviction.
(Frost is here. We just need to take him back. And I will tell Lady Spia that Frost did nothing wrong.)
Elion believed there had to be a reason Frost had caused trouble in the spirit realm. It might have been because of her, or for some other reason, but she wouldn’t be able to sleep without hearing it. And if it truly was because of her, she wanted to apologize.
Whoooosh!
“Eek!”
A bone-chilling wind suddenly blew in, aimed straight at Dalo. It had come so abruptly that he couldn’t react. He squeezed his eyes shut.
Whoosh!
But nothing happened. Instead, he felt a warm energy before his closed eyes and relaxed.
(Little one. There’s no need to be afraid.)
Ifrit had neutralized the cold wind. Dalo bowed his head.
“Th-thank you.”
(More importantly, he’s finally shown his true colors. Does he need to be beaten half to death before he comes to his senses?)
Ifrit glared in Frost’s direction as if he had known all along. And there he was, exactly as expected.
(I suppose it’s fair to say he has invaded my territory?)
But Frost’s condition was strange. All Four Spirit Kings thought so. This wasn’t the Frost they knew. He looked wounded somehow, his mind unstable. The gentle personality they remembered was gone, replaced by a clear intent to mercilessly slaughter any who intruded.
(Everyone ignores me. Everyone invades my territory… So you’ve come to cut down my Icicle Tree as well?)
At Frost’s bizarre words, Elion reacted.
(What are you saying! Frost! Who said anyone invaded your territory? It’s me—Elion. Remember me!)
(Elion, are you mocking me too? Fine. If you wish to fight, I won’t stop you.)
Frost’s mind had shattered completely. Yet from his reaction, they could deduce one thing.
(Judging by his state, it doesn’t seem like he ran away on his own.)
(It looks as if he was forced by someone.)
Just as Noas and Silian said, there appeared to be a reason for Frost’s behavior.
(Even if we take him back in that state, we won’t be able to do anything with him. Killing him would be easier. If he’s on the verge of death, maybe he’ll remember something and speak.)
As he spoke, Ifrit created a fireball in his palm. His original personality was already like this, but the dramatic clash between fire and ice had excited him even further.
(Wait, Ifrit. There must be something wrong with the Icicle Tree. This isn’t his fault.)
Elion, seeing Frost mention the Icicle Tree, spotted the small tree blooming behind his massive frame.
(I know that too. The problem is that his attitude suggests he has no intention of talking.)
At Ifrit’s words, Elion hesitated. She simply could not bring herself to tell them to attack him.