Complex Fusion Magic (3)
I had turned over every possible approach, but no satisfactory solution came to mind.
I hadn’t completely ruled out fusing Mana Block and Wind Chain.
But that was…
“Grace… what did you just say?”
“I said I’m going to fuse Mana Block with Wind Chain.”
“...Do you even understand what that means?”
Valter stared at me as if he couldn’t believe his ears.
“Combining two fusion spells again… That only exists in theory. No one has ever actually succeeded.”
He was right.
A fusion spell was already a blend of multiple attributes into one. Mana Block was a four-attribute fusion, and Wind Chain was a two-attribute fusion.
Combining them again meant turning a total of six attributes into a single spell.
And that wasn’t even the whole problem. It wasn’t the same as creating an ordinary six-attribute fusion spell from scratch.
Because this meant fusing something that had already been fused once more.
“Yes, I know.”
I answered calmly.
“But that’s the only option left to us. If we can’t block the projectile’s mana, there’s no way we’ll ever hit the wyvern.”
“But Grace…”
Mill cut in, his expression anxious.
“It’s too dangerous. If mana backlash occurs…”
“I know.”
I nodded and looked down at the two beads in my hands.
Gray Mana Block and blue Wind Chain.
Theoretically, it’s possible.
Bind the target with Wind Chain, then wrap the projectile itself in Mana Block.
A binding spell that flew like an invisible arrow, its mana signal sealed away.
That was what I intended to create.
“……”
“……”
No one said anything after my answer.
After a brief silence, Valter finally spoke.
“Can you really do it?”
Could I really do it?
In theory, yes. That was the accepted truth. But no mage had ever succeeded at it before.
And on top of that…
What I was trying to do now was create a spell that didn’t even exist in the Mage of Fusion special-ability list.
Something possible only in theory.
“To be honest, I don’t know.”
That was how I truly felt. I didn’t know.
If it were a spell listed among my specialties, I would have said it was possible without hesitation. But this was about making something that wasn’t there at all.
In practical terms, it might be impossible.
Which was exactly why it wasn’t in the list to begin with.
“...And you’re still going to try?”
“Yes.”
But I had to.
There was no other way.
“We don’t have another choice. If we keep dragging this out, the mages of the Crown Magic Tower will be wiped out.”
At my words, Valter let out a long sigh.
“...Fine. But what happens if you fail? Mana backlash could kill you.”
“I came prepared for that.”
“...Why are you going this far? Seriously, though. Grace, you could have used your solo authority and survived on your own. No, you did survive. So why come all the way here to our Crown Magic Tower…”
Valter trailed off.
“Why go this far?”
He was right.
I had no reason to do this.
“Yeah. Why are you doing this? Because if the Empire falls, you can’t survive either? Cut the bullshit. Even if we collapse here, the Empire will survive. Solaris and Bilheim already made it. And in the heart of the Empire, Lord Arkanus is still standing firm.”
“……”
I couldn’t answer Valter’s accusation.
“Or maybe because if we fall, countless cities and villages in the north will be endangered? Because you want to save hundreds of thousands of people? Is that some cheap hero complex?”
“...No.”
“Then why, exactly, are you trying to sacrifice yourself like this?”
“……”
“When we were urgently summoned, we ignored you. Said you were planning to run off alone. And when the five great magic towers gathered before, we ignored you then too. There’s no reason for you to risk your life for people like us. So why?”
There was a bitter self-mockery in Valter’s voice.
“……”
I fell silent for a moment.
Why?
There must have been a reason. A reason why I was going this far.
“As for the reason…”
I said slowly,
“I don’t really know either. I just can’t stand by and watch when I’m able to do something.”
That was the truth.
I didn’t really know why I was pushing this hard.
Whatever the reason was didn’t matter. I just wanted to do it.
Valter stared at me for a long moment.
“That’s it? That’s all?”
“Yes. That’s all.”
“...You’re insane.”
Valter laughed weakly and shook his head.
“You really are crazy, you know that? Who the hell gambles their life over a reason like that?”
He looked at me for a while longer, then let out another deep sigh.
“Fine. Go ahead. Tell us anything you need help with.”
“Thank you.”
I took one bead in each hand.
“Mill, clear the area a bit. If this fails, it could explode.”
“Understood.”
Mill nodded and signaled the other mages. They hurriedly backed away until they were about twenty meters from me.
I drew a deep breath.
All right. Let’s begin.
The first step was to melt the outer shell.
Just as I had melted the outer casing of the beads before and reconstructed them as part of a magic circle, this time I had to expose the inner mana of both beads.
The gray Mana Block in my right hand, the blue Wind Chain in my left.
I carefully let mana flow into them and began melting the outer shells.
Crackle—!
The outer shell of Wind Chain melted first. Since it was a two-attribute fusion, its structure was relatively simple.
Blue mana spilled out and swirled around me. It was mana mixed from wind and earth.
“Ugh…”
Then the outer shell of Mana Block began to melt as well. As a four-attribute fusion, it was far more complex.
Gray mana slowly leaked out. Fire, water, light, and darkness maintained a delicate balance within it.
Crackle—!
The moment the two streams of mana met in the air, they repelled each other violently.
“Ghk!”
The recoil from the collision slammed into my body. Blood trickled from my nose.
The backlash was far stronger than I had expected.
Still, I gritted my teeth and forced the mana under control.
I’m not just mixing two fusion spells. I have to make one become the outer shell of the other.
Wind Chain was the core, and Mana Block was the protective layer around it.
An invisible membrane that would seal off mana signals while the projectile was in flight.
That was what I was trying to make.
“……”
“……”
Still, no one spoke.
The gray mana in my right hand gradually expanded.
Like drawing thread from a spool, I spread Mana Block thinly across the space between my hands.
At the same time, I concentrated the blue mana in my left hand at its center, compressing the binding force of Wind Chain as tightly as possible.
Crackle—!
But the two types of mana kept repelling one another.
In particular, the light and darkness within Mana Block clashed with the wind in Wind Chain, making everything unstable.
“Ghh…”
Mana backlash had begun. It felt as if the mana circuits inside my body were screaming.
“Grace!”
Mill shouted urgently, but I couldn’t stop.
If I give up now, it’s over. Just a little more…!
Crackle—!
The light attribute inside Mana Block began to go berserk.
As its balance with darkness collapsed, fire and water followed, trembling in sequence.
“Aaaagh!”
The backlash intensified. I could feel cracks forming throughout my internal mana circuits.
Blood poured from my mouth.
“Grace! Stop! You’ll die like this!”
Valter’s scream rang out, but I had already crossed the point of no return.
If I stopped now, it would explode. If I kept going, I might die from mana backlash.
Then… I have no choice but to keep going!
If stopping would still lead to an explosion, then continuing was the better gamble.
I clenched my teeth and wrung out the last of my strength.
I recalled the principle of circulation I had realized at the fourth circle: how a smaller cycle could be enclosed within a larger one.
The circulation of Wind Chain as the core, with the circulation of Mana Block wrapped around it.
To contain two independent cycles within one greater cycle.
Rotate them…!
I began spinning the two mana streams in opposite directions.
Wind Chain clockwise, Mana Block counterclockwise.
Crackle—!
As they rotated, the two mana streams gradually started to weave together.
But the friction created in the process felt like it was shredding my body apart.
“Ugh…!”
Blood started leaking from my eyes. From my ears, my nose, my mouth—everywhere. Blood poured out of my entire body.
“Grace!”
“Tower Master!”
Mill and Valter’s voices sounded farther and farther away.
My consciousness blurred. I could feel my body tilting toward the ground.
But I still did not let go of the two beads in my hands.
Just a little more…! Just a little…!
And then it happened.
Complex Fusion attempt detected
Fusion success rate +30%
The Mage of Fusion special trait… activated.
A spell that isn’t even on the specialty list…?
But I didn’t have time to think about that now.
With the trait activated, the violently raging mana began to stabilize little by little.
Even so, it still wasn’t enough.
The process of binding six attributes into one was far more complicated than I had imagined.
Thirty percent support alone couldn’t fully control it.
Crack—!
I heard something breaking. One of the mana circuits inside my body had completely ruptured.
“Khh—!”
A scream burst out of me. It was agony as if something inside my body were being torn apart.
“Grace! Stop right now!”
I heard Valter’s cry, but I couldn’t let go.
If I stopped now, everything would end.
Circulation… the principle of circulation…
Through my fading consciousness, I clung desperately to that insight.
The four-attribute circulation of Mana Block and the two-attribute circulation of Wind Chain.
I couldn’t simply lay them on top of each other. I had to integrate them into one greater cycle.
Six attributes into one current…
Fire, water, light, darkness, wind, earth.
Everything forming a single circle, endlessly circulating without end.
Crack—!
Another mana circuit ruptured. I had truly reached my limit. Blood streamed from my entire body, and my vision turned red.
And then, in that instant—
Whooooosh—!
The two streams of mana finally began to intertwine as one.
Gray and blue mingled, creating a new color.
Silver. A mana that pulsed softly in my palms, gleaming like moonlight.
Kwaaaang—!
A massive wave of mana exploded outward. The ground around me caved in, and wind surged in every direction.
“Ugh!”
Mill and Valter were blown backward.
Then, as the wave subsided, a single bead remained in my hand.
A brand-new fusion spell, glowing with silver light.
Did I… succeed…?
1,249,291 → 1,249,292 (+1)
—