There's Always a Way Out

A ruined, hollowed-out house.

Soft moonlight filtered down through the gaping hole in the roof, lending the place a bleak, desolate air. A place that had once known every glory could no longer even reminisce about those days; all that remained was the afterimage of failure.

There, Luden waited alone for the guest soon to arrive, idly admiring the traces the years had left behind.

"He's probably collapsed in shock by now?"

Most likely. A stain on his record that he'd believed long erased had appeared bold as brass—there was no way that wouldn't rattle him. It was a shame Luden couldn't watch the man's face in person.

"Those must have been hard to come by."

Naturally, the items Luden had sent were not the real thing. He'd had Charles round them up just the night before. The Flame Moth Powder was one thing, but that quill in particular had long since been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠discontinued—procuring it in a single night spoke well of the man's talents.

Once this is over, maybe I should put him to use elsewhere.

Of course, if Darkus calmed down and thought it through for even a moment, he would notice the pen wasn't the one he'd once favored. But it didn't matter. The instant he laid eyes on it, Darkus's pride had already been scraped raw. By the time he reached this place, he'd be thoroughly worked up.

"What matters is what comes after."

Luden closed his eyes and put his thoughts in order. And before long—

The guest he'd been waiting for finally arrived.

Thud.

"There you are."

"That was an amusing provocation. I never imagined anyone would dare play such a trick on me."

"I take it you enjoyed the gifts I sent, then?"

"Oh, I enjoyed them immensely."

The expression on Darkus's face as he stepped into view was no different from their last meeting, yet Luden could feel him suppressing his fury. Mana on the verge of detonation was pressing down on him even now.

So that time really was just a game to him.

Tense beneath the surface, Luden kept close watch on Darkus's every movement.

"And this place, too. To think you'd prepare it with such care."

"Isn't it a place you hold dear?"

"Ahh. Yes. Dear indeed."

But for all his words, no warmth touched his voice or his expression. Could a man really feel nothing at all, looking upon the tower he had once belonged to?

"I'll ask you only one thing."

"What is it?"

Darkus was holding still not out of caution toward Luden. He had already confirmed that Luden was the only one here, and there was no trap of any kind—if he willed it, he could erase the boy on the spot. But first, there was something he needed to know.

"How do you know about that?"

How did Luden, a complete stranger, know the truth behind an incident no one in the world was supposed to know? And—

"Who else knows?"

"...That's two questions, isn't it?"

"Answer me!"

A skin-crawling wave of mana swept through the ruin. Fighting against its pressure, Luden forced his mouth open.

"No secret stays buried forever."

"……"

"In fact, I'd like to ask something myself. Why do you despise Vivre Magic Tower and Elder Basel so much?"

"Despise? Me?"

Darkus frowned as though the word displeased him, but in Luden's eyes, hatred was exactly what it was. If he had merely coveted the research, stealing it would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠have sufficed. And yet he had razed Vivre Magic Tower to its foundations and was now driving even Basel himself toward ruin.

"The methods you used are things even a demon wouldn't stoop to without a grudge. Betraying the master who taught you and your fellow disciples wasn't enough—you're still trampling what little remains of us, aren't you?"

"Ha. What foolishness. Just like him. So in the end, that's all either of you can see."

Contempt was steeped in his eyes. Luden and Basel—and emotions toward a distant past churned beneath the surface.

"Pathetic meddlers, waving their worthless curiosity about, unable ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to even put what they possess to proper use. They could climb higher, yet they refuse. Why?"

To Darkus, magic and magic towers were, in the end, nothing but tools. Means to success. Stepping stones. And yet the fools of Vivre Magic Tower had spouted endless nonsense, refused to acknowledge his achievements, and lavished all their attention on Basel, lost in his delusions. That was when he understood. Vivre Magic Tower was no stage for his ambition. That was all there was to it.

"I've talked too long. Let's end this."

The moment his words fell, countless signs of life stirred all around them.

Luden's eyes turned golden as he sensed the beings encircling the ruin from outside.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"How naive. Did you truly believe I would come alone?"

Darkus, who had never intended to let a man who knew his secret live, had prepared thoroughly. Besides Charles, he had brought every hound he'd used over the years and stationed them all throughout the area.

Luden regarded him with unfeeling eyes and asked:

"And what would you do if there were others besides me who know the truth?"

"Then I'd erase that one as well. You truly don't understand—there is nothing in Resen that Lunvel cannot do."

Even if the truth leaked out, no one would lend an ear to it. And even if someone did, Darkus was confident he could seal their lips quickly enough. The Lunvel of today had more than enough power for that.

"You asked to meet alone because you hoped to wring something out of me with my weakness as leverage. You miscalculated. Did you truly believe such a petty threat would work on me?"

"Blackmail, you say."

"This place you chose will be your grave."

"We'll see."

It was, without question, a crisis. A mage who had reached the 7-Star stood before him, and more than a hundred enemies ringed him on all sides. Objectively speaking, Luden's escape from this place was impossible. And yet there was not a flicker of alarm on Luden's face.

"You weren't the only one who came prepared."

"What?"

Luden fiddled with his right ear, and something like a tuft of white cotton popped free.

"Phew."

"What in the...?"

KUWOOOONG!

It was then. A tremendous roar split the air, and a monstrous current of mana surged from outside. Darkus's face hardened in an instant. He instinctively recognized the owner of that mana and shouted in desperation:

"Stop him! Don't let that man reach this place!!"

A cry thick with desperation. Then he hastily unleashed a spell at Luden.

FWOOROOROSH!

A massive spear of flame came hurtling forth. An intermediate-tier spell—but cast by a 7-Star mage. Take it head-on, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not even bone dust would remain. Only ash.

But—

PASH!

The moment Luden's blade split the flaming spear, the spell scattered into nothing.

"Wha—?!"

The impossible sight of his own magic being cut down by a sword rattled Darkus badly.

Crazy. I couldn't pull that off twice.

He had broken Darkus's spell, thankfully, but the mana it consumed in that instant was no small thing. He'd managed it once—but could he withstand the next spell?

Was he still too far away?

Just as Luden burned with impatience—

KUWOOOONG!

Something plummeted through the gap in the broken roof. In the dust kicked up by the thunderous impact, Darkus and Luden alike froze mid-motion and turned to stare at the uninvited guest.

"Not too late, am I?"

"Elder Basel!"

Luden's face brightened at the sight of him.

Two mages who had once shared the same tower now stood face to face.

"Darkus."

"...Basel."

Furious eyes bore down on Darkus. Having already learned the truth of that day through the eavesdropping earplug, Basel had forgotten even the plan he'd coordinated with Luden and come sprinting straight here.

"I always knew you were arrogant and hungry for more. But to think your ambition would drive you to such savagery! I misjudged you, Darkus."

"Still spouting the same foolish nonsense. What difference could realizing that now possibly make?"

"Even now, I will set what is wrong to rights."

GOOOOOOH!

As mages who had reached the summit of their craft raised their power in earnest, a storm of mana came howling down. The already-collapsing ruin could hardly bear the weight of their clashing auras.

Basel spoke, his gaze locked on Darkus.

"Luden. Will you leave Darkus to me?"

"Of course."

Luden nodded without a moment's hesitation. Luring Basel here had been his goal from the very start.

"My thanks."

With that parting word, Luden slipped out of the ruin at once—

KWAAAAAANG!!

An instant later, an explosion and a tremendous torrent of clashing mana burst forth.

"Whew. Anyone caught in the middle of that would be swept away."

Luden clicked his tongue at the tremors of that magnificent battle. He'd made it outside, but this spot didn't feel all that safe either.

Tap!

Then a figure cut through the darkness and landed before him.

"Luden! I'm not late, am I?"

"No, you're not. If anything, your timing's perfect."

Luden had more or less foreseen that things would come to this, and he hadn't come without countermeasures. He swept his gaze over the surroundings. Basel's entrance had stirred things up considerably, but plenty of the troops Darkus had brought still remained. Dealing with them fell to him and Sarah.

"Should I hold back?"

"No. Not this time."

One or two of them might prove useful, but there was no need to leave them all alive. At the long-awaited permission, Sarah's face lit up with delight as she charged off, and Luden drew his sword as well.

"There he is! Grab him!"

"Catch him and there's a bounty!"

The moment Luden was spotted, enemies came swarming in from every direction. Even at a glance they were Charles's caliber—not worth a shred of caution.

Then again, you couldn't exactly put knights or tower personnel on the payroll for dirty work like this.

Which suited Luden just fine.

SHWAAAAAK!

"GYAAAAAH!"

"Careful! This one's no ordinary man!"

"Figured that out just now?"

A fierce wind howled, and the men who had come rushing in collapsed screaming. Just as he'd told Sarah, Luden showed no mercy in his work. These men, like Charles, had surely committed every filthy crime Lunvel asked of them.

He cut, and cut, and cut them down.

"Don't make me laugh! He's just one man! Loose!"

SHSHSHSHSH!

At someone's command, arrows came flying in from every direction. Had they forgotten their own allies were standing nearby?

"Tch. Working awfully hard, aren't we."

"Wh-what is that?!"

The spreading wave of mana swatted the arrows out of the air. The onlookers' jaws hung open at the unbelievable sight. Only then did the thought that they had poked the wrong hornet's nest flash through their minds—but it was far too late.

The dazed men were pinned in place with no hope of escape, and Luden seized the opening to carve through their ranks once more. It didn't take long to finish the rest.

"Haa."

Having confirmed that no enemies remained nearby, Luden caught his breath. Sarah was nowhere to be seen—off chasing down the ones who'd fled, perhaps.

KWAGAAAAAANG—!

PWOOONG! BOOM!

From deep within the ruin, the collision of tremendous mana still spilled out. Explosions rang out in succession, and above the broken roof, magic circles and spells of every color flashed into view. And yet none of the aftermath leaked outside, for a simple reason.

"Is he minding that, too?"

Because the one fighting inside was holding it all in. Naturally, that someone was not Darkus. As if a man like him would care about such a thing. It had to be Basel. Even locked in combat with Darkus, he was regulating his power so that Luden and the others outside wouldn't be caught up in it. In other words, he had that much to spare. And of course he did—for Basel was one of the rare 8-Star mages in all the Vedia Kingdom. A difference of a star or two couldn't decide everything on its own, but in both experience and skill, Basel held the advantage over Darkus. Had he not been saddled with that false stain, Basel would still have been renowned as one of the finest mages in the Vedia Kingdom.

Before long, the sounds from within the ruin fell quiet. The terrifying torrent of mana could no longer be felt.

The battle was over.