Chapter 291: Iron Fairy Subjugation (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 291: Iron Fairy Subjugation (1)
An eerie graveyard of blades.
Countless swords were driven into the earth, every inch of them—from tip to hilt—forged entirely of iron.
None of these weapons had been crafted by human hands. Instead, they were uncanny imitations, born of a power that merely mimicked human craftsmanship.
At the center of this sepulcher of steel stood a hill of bleached bones. Atop that grim mound, a massive greatsword stood tall, weathered by the relentless wind and rain.
A man approached the greatsword. His hair was a pristine, snow-white.
The raging storm could not touch him; he was draped in a radiant aura that caused the raindrops to evaporate before they could even graze his skin. Such was his holiness that the elements themselves didn't dare approach him.
Finally, he came to a halt before the greatsword.
[Fairy Rachnil. I know what you’re plotting, you wretch, skulking in the shadows.]
Suddenly, the surrounding swords began to vibrate, emitting a shrill, metallic screech that sounded like a collective scream.
Then, the iron mana contained within the greatsword surged outward, coalescing into a grotesque form that glared at the white-haired man.
[Move that plan of yours forward a bit.]
[And who are you to command me?]
A child’s voice echoed inside the white-haired man’s mind.
The iron mana churned, on the verge of manifesting into jagged shards to tear the man to pieces. But the man simply smiled as he gazed at the shimmering form.
[Command, you say? Nonsense. I am Vuel. Fairy Rachnil, I’ve come to strike a bargain.]
This was a story from several months ago.
*
“W-what is that?”
“This mana… what is this?!”
“I’m scared…”
Panic seized the students.
Noah, standing right in front of me, was in a state of shock. He muttered in a barely audible voice, “Rachnil…?”
Why is it appearing now…?
Something, somewhere, had gone horribly wrong.
Even though there was no guarantee the scenario would unfold exactly as I remembered, that massive greatsword in the sky shouldn’t have appeared yet.
❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ 「Act 11, Scene 2: Fairy War (1)」.
That was a scenario meant to trigger after the Academy Clash ended, marked by the arrival of Rachnil, the Iron Fairy.
In the original game, Rachnil initiated a death game targeting the few students remaining in the arena, using rules twisted from the Academy Clash. As the player progressed, other fairies would arrive to challenge Rachnil. At the climax, the protagonist, Ian, would temporarily borrow the power of the other fairies to land a decisive blow, clearing the arc.
But right now, the Academy Clash had only just begun.
There are still way too many students here.
Even though the people around me were elite students from the Empire’s top academies, they were nothing more than helpless scarecrows against Rachnil.
Fairies were the most dangerous beings in the world. Though they usually lived in seclusion to maintain the order and balance of nature, their strength was beyond description.
Among them, Rachnil was particularly lethal—fitting for the final boss of the 「Fairy War」 arc.
Even someone as mediocre as Noah had become a Level 189 powerhouse just by tapping into a fraction of iron mana. It was terrifying to imagine the sheer monstrosity of Rachnil, the source of that power.
What went wrong?
The reels of memory spun rapidly in my head. Then, the "encouragement" I had heard yesterday flashed through my mind.
— Isaac, I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s event.
Vuel…?
My pupils trembled. I shifted my gaze and activated [Clairvoyance].
With my eyes glowing silver, I looked toward the distant spectator stands, focusing on the instructor Ronzainus—otherwise known as Vuel.
He seemed to sense my [Clairvoyance] and looked back at me. His long lips curled into a wide, sinister grin.
He had expected this.
His relaxed expression seemed to mock me: “Try and overcome this.”
Surely, you didn't think I'd fail to see through this?
That was what Vuel’s expression conveyed.
“That son of a…!”
Clenching my fist, I looked back at the recent events.
Vuel had come to Märchen Academy and declared war on me. But that was it. He hadn’t made a move against me directly.
Is he underestimating me?
Then why come to the academy at all? Why reveal his true identity to me?
Isn't it obvious?
There was no way he didn't know. He made sure I would recognize him immediately. He knew I couldn't help but keep an eye on him—a high-ranking Heavenly being and an immortal who intended to kill me.
In other words…
Did he declare war specifically because he wanted me to watch him?
The pieces were starting to fall into place.
Vuel wanted me to monitor him thoroughly, forcing me to pour all my focus and effort into watching his every move. I was renowned as an archwizard capable of foreseeing dangerous futures, and to others, the true extent of my power was a mystery.
Vuel must have taken measures to address any factors that could threaten me before he even arrived, all to test the absolute limits of my abilities.
The greatsword in the sky was his way of exposing those limits right here, right now.
This is no time for theorizing. I need to protect the students first!
I cut my thoughts short. There were more pressing matters. I urgently tried to shout.
“I’ll protect you all, so get out of here—!”
[Who gave you the right?]
A child’s voice rang in my head.
It was Rachnil, the Iron Fairy. A chill ran down my spine.
Is he targeting me specifically?
Whooooosh!!
Boom!!
“Kyaaa!!”
“Wait, what?!”
Iron mana saturated the dark clouds. The clouds, shimmering like liquid mercury, suddenly unleashed a downpour of swords.
The veteran mages hired by the Academy Clash organizers reacted instantly, unleashing powerful elemental spells and layering barriers one after another.
Crash!!
The rain of swords sliced through the counterattacks with ease, shattering the barriers and pouring down in infinite numbers.
No matter how skilled the Empire’s veteran mages were, these hastily cast barriers were as flimsy as paper against Rachnil. Only by taking the time to chant and deploy high-tier defensive spells could they hope to fend off the assault. If Rachnil truly intended to break through, no defense would hold—but for now, he was holding back.
I quickly scanned the area with [Clairvoyance]. Under Emperor Carlos’s orders, the mages were preparing to cast more powerful, large-scale barriers.
“Run, quickly!!”
“Save me!!”
“Please!!”
“We’re going to die, hurry!!”
“Aaah!!”
The spectators screamed as they fled in a frenzy. The more capable mages among them used their magic to temporarily deflect the rain of swords, buying precious seconds for others to escape.
Injuries were mounting.
At that moment, a pale green tree sprouted in the stands, emitting a broad, soothing light. The wounds of the injured began to knit back together instantly.
It was Kaya Astrea’s plant magic.
Chaa-clang!!
Simultaneously, brilliant starlight magic shimmered through the air, disrupting the trajectory of the falling swords and minimizing the damage. It was one of the few magic types capable of effectively countering a fairy's power.
Another fairy’s power.
Kaya and Dorothy were already hard at work. Other capable spectators were either evacuating the wounded or casting support spells.
I need to buy time here, too.
My current level was 157. I had leveled up once just before the Academy Clash started. I had 73 remaining stat points, and before the event, I had invested 69 of them into [Vs. Other Races Combat Power].
In other words, my current status was:
[Potential]
Stat Points: 4
◆ Vs. Race Combat Power
• Vs. Other Races Combat Power (A-): 70/100 [UP]
[Status]
Name: Isaac
Level: (192)
With [Vs. Other Races Combat Power] active, my stats surged dramatically.
I deployed [Fossilized Ice], a wall of ice infused with rock mana, expanding it until it encased the entire Academy Clash arena.
Rrrrrumble!!
Wooosh!
In an instant, the battlefield was shielded by a dome of shimmering [Fossilized Ice]. The continuous impact of the sword rain against the ice filled the air with a deafening, metallic roar.
“As expected of the Ice Sovereign…!”
“Amazing…!”
“Thank you, Ice Sovereign!!”
The students’ cheers didn't bring me any comfort.
I possessed the means to strike Rachnil thanks to my unique trait, [Nightfalls’ Edge]. However, that trait only allowed me to bypass his defenses—it didn't grant me invulnerability. As for Rachnil’s iron attacks, I had to fend them off using my elemental magic alone.
I don’t think I can hold out for long…!
Even my strongest defensive magic was buckling under the weight of the downpour.
According to the original scenario, the rain of swords wasn’t intended to kill the spectators; it was meant to drive them away. As they fell, the swords would shift their trajectory, transforming into an outer wall that separated the arena from the audience.
The kids won’t die for now, but…
It was a stalling tactic to complete the "stage" Rachnil desired.
“What should we do now?!”
“Ian Fairytale! From our academy—the guy with the black hair! Find him!” I shouted back at a student.
“Ian Fairytale?”
“Oh! The Child of Light! Right?!”
“We’ll go find him, quickly!”
Ian possessed the power to oppose the fairies. In the game, he fought desperately against Rachnil with the support of his teammates, landing the finishing blows. If Ian had the unique trait [Nightfalls’ Edge], his damage output would have been even more devastating.
Ian can stand against Rachnil. And as long as the enemy isn't a demon, he won't die.
After all, nothing but a demon could truly kill Ian. He was a cheat character blessed by the fairies—a legacy of the Fairytale bloodline.
If Rachnil was appearing now, the plan was to take him down as quickly as possible with Ian’s help. Even with [Nightfalls’ Edge], I couldn't protect every student in this distorted version of the Academy Clash that Rachnil was orchestrating.
“Noah.”
I looked at Noah. Amidst the deafening chaos, he was trembling, staring up at the beautiful, frozen ceiling of [Fossilized Ice]. It was clearly the trauma Rachnil had inflicted on him in the past.
“Noah!”
“Y-yes…?”
When I shouted his name, Noah snapped his head toward me, his face pale and startled.
“Rachnil is going to target you. This isn't the time to be shaking.”
“You know Rachnil…? But more importantly, how do you know my name?”
“That’s not important right now. Get a grip and brace yourself.”
I looked up at the ice ceiling and summoned a jagged crystal into my palm.
“Because today, we’re going to subjugate that fairy.”