It was stupid to bash your head in while thinking of doing the impossible.
If it was impossible to jump over the wall in front of you, you had many other options. You could take the long way around, or you could just give up.
A wise and experienced person would always find another way, no matter what.
Still, there was definitely a reason when everyone in the world called it an impossible task.
***
Drizzle.
The rain that fell on the roof of the cabin eventually reached the soil.
The girl, who had been sitting down and leaning against the outer wall of the cabin, stared blankly out at the sky. She then let out a large, tired yawn.
The reason she didn't go inside the cabin, instead choosing to sit against the outer wall while staring up at the eaves of the roof, was obvious.
The girl was waiting for someone to come home.
She didn't have any particular business to see to, and she wasn't close enough to him for them to warmly greet each other when they met up.
For no particular reason, Lucy Mayreel continued to wait for Ed.
Seeing the way she sat outside watching the cabin, it was as if she were a gatekeeper. But in reality, she was more like a parasitic houseguest than a gatekeeper. Though, she didn't realize that herself.
It was a strange feeling for her as she tied up her silver hair, which had become frizzy due to the moisture in the air, and passed the time idly while holding onto her witch hat.
To Lucy, who was lazy in everything she did, simply waiting around would quickly lead to her boredom.
However, sitting down and leaning against the cabin while quietly waiting for Ed… Rather than boredom, it felt as if a feeling of comfort was filling her heart. It was probably because the camp itself had a very special meaning to Lucy.
Ed's daily life was always changing, full of ups and downs, but at the end of the day it was the camp and cabin that he came back to settle down in.
Ed's day would always end with him in the camp.
It wasn't difficult to imagine.
Entering through the grass, checking that the campfire that wasn't lit, and kicking the logs of his cabin a few times to make sure it was still sturdy.
Then going to the drying rack to take care of his wet laundry, and then gathering all of his tools that were outside and starting to get rusty so that he could bring them back into the tent.
Going back into his cabin, wiping off the water that fell on his shirt before turning towards Lucy and saying 'Oh, you're here'… She would then nod her head in response.
He would then light the fireplace inside the cabin as well as the magically engineered lamp, sitting down at his desk and starting to read through his magic engineering textbooks.
Then, Lucy would lay down near the fireplace as she wrapped herself in a blanket and fell asleep.
The sounds of the rain hitting against the window and the crackling of the fireplace, as well as the occasional flipping of pages from Ed's books.
Drip. Drip.
Booooom!
Suddenly, from beyond the grass she could feel the presence of something. And the traces of magic power didn't just come from one person.
Lucy, who was sitting blankly against the wall, wiggled the tip of her nose for a moment.
"..."
People rarely went that deep into the North Forest. Moreover, it was currently late at night and pouring down rain.
If it wasn't Ed, just who was it and what were they doing…? Lucy wasn't the type of person to be curious about such questions.
However, it wasn't a pleasant feeling, having someone approach the camp unnecessarily.
If Ed, the owner of the camp, gave permission then Lucy wouldn't do anything. However, when Ed was away there was no guarantee that there wouldn't be someone sneaking in to do something absurd.
In fact, when Lucy had been sleeping inside the wooden shelter, Assistant Professor Cleoh had snuck in and even touched her without her realizing it.
Basically, Lucy hated strangers. Especially if that person was trying to sneak into her nest.
"Hmm…"
It was unusual for Lucy, who was indifferent and found everything in the world to be a pain. She stood up, brushing off her oversized uniform a few times as she jumped out into the rain.
Either way, there wasn't anything wrong with chasing away unwelcome intruders. Thinking of Ed coming back, stroking her hair, thanking her… It wasn't a bad deal.
She sprinted towards the grass where the sound was coming from. It was over a hundred meters away, but for Lucy it was a distance she could narrow in an instant.
There were two people a little beyond the grass.
"Eughk!"
A middle-aged knight that was in an awful condition, covered in blood. Sitting down in the grass, he was holding onto the other knight, who was passed out.
"Ughk…"
"...?"
"Y-You…!"
Kadek and Nox were running away from the coastal cliffs, heading towards the commercial district after having defeated Ed.
Coincidentally, it was a path that came near Ed's camp.
The smell of iron in the blood stung Lucy's nose.
"H-Help…! W-We're seriously hurt…! Um… In the woods… I stumbled and rolled down the hill…!"
"..."
"And… My colleague ran into a wild animal that bit his throat…! Please, go to the commercial district and bring medical help… Please bring help…!"
Lucy stood still, looking at Nox. There were injuries all over his body, but rather than scratches and bruises… Most of them looked like burns.
Obvious traces of fire or explosive magic were evident. The knight was lying to Lucy.
Normally people that were in such an extreme state wouldn't dare lie when asking for help.
Then, Lucy spotted an eagle emblem on Nox's torn robe.
"House Rothstaylor."
As Lucy softly muttered, Nox swallowed his breath.
After quickly making up his mind, Nox spoke again with a firm expression.
"My name is Nox, a vassal of House Rothstaylor. We are not suspicious people. To help Tanya Rothstaylor with her endeavors, we entered school grounds with permission."
"..."
"If you help us, it would be a great deed recognized by House Rothstaylor. Can you please help us make it back to the commercial district?"
It was becoming a task more annoying than she had originally thought. Lucy started to sense that fact.
Although she didn't want to get caught up in anything that was a pain to deal with, the name Rothstaylor tickled Lucy's ear.
It was the same house that Ed Rothstaylor used to belong to. Though, since he was excommunicated, he had been living a life completely separate from them. For Lucy, who thought she had a particularly strange relationship with Ed, she couldn't easily ignore that name.
Contemplating what to do… Lucy's eyes suddenly looked toward the unconscious Kadek's neck.
It was different from an attack from a regular wild animal. The magic power of a water spirit lingered around Kadek as well. It was a really small amount, but for Lucy, who was very sensitive to magic power, she was able to catch it.
Even looking at them from a glance, it was obvious these two knights wouldn't have any skill with spiritual resonance. So, the leftover energy of a spirit in his body… it was probably the recent traces of a battle against a spirit.
Lucy then looked at the blood stains all over Nox's body.
It definitely looked as if he had been caught up in explosive magic. It didn't look like he had been stabbed or scratched anywhere, so the bloodstains he had on him were strange.
Could it be traces of blood that had spattered from Nox's body? Yet, it seemed like it had splattered on him from the front.
Thinking it over, she concluded that the bloodstains on Nox didn't belong to him.
The vassals of House Rothstaylor, who had excommunicated Ed.
Traces of a battle against a spirit.
Bloodstains.
And the strange fact of where they came from and what time it was.
Shortly after, she lowered her gaze down towards the wound on the back of Kadek's leg. It had traces of magic power, but more importantly, it was a wound that seemed to have come from something sharp.
For example, an arrow.
As soon as she was able to think this far, goosebumps ran down Lucy's spine in an instant.
Whoosh!
Just clenching her fist, magic power started to move around as if it was a part of her body. It was Mana Resonance that has reached a level beyond the normal limit. It reached the point that it became possible to handle magic power as if it were part of her own body.
"EuuuuAckkkk!"
As if he had been grabbed by the collar, Nox's body was rising up into the air.
Lucy, who trudged through the rain, looked up at Nox while questioning him.
"You… What did you do…?"
An ominous feeling rested heavily on the girl's chest.
"What were you doing?"
He couldn't breathe properly. Nox's mind was becoming fuzzy.
The amount of magic power erupting from the girl's body was enough to even be felt by Nox, who was not well versed in magic.
There was no chant, no tools to help manage her magic power, and the magic power itself was at a level that could only be handled through one's immense skill in magic resonance. Magic power at a level that was immensely massive. One that went past all sense of reason, invoking great fear.
He really could die from it.
After overcoming death two times, he had barely managed to escape into the North Forest. But now, he was truly against an unbeatable opponent.
"Answer me properly."
With a poor resonance level, it is difficult to feel another's magic power. So, if Nox, with his poor skill level in resonance alone, was able to feel the thick and heavy presence of magic power in the air… Then that girl was a magician at a level where she could end his life in a single motion, before he could let out a sound.
"Speaking honestly, I will help you. Either way… with your strength, you won't be able to do anything by yourself."
Even though she invoked such a fear, she still showed a bit of generosity.
Nox had already managed to survive after going through so many obstacles, so his mind was already worn out.
After being at the brink of death, over and over again, he was left with one final option… One that could never be rejected.
In the end, Nox made a choice that he never should have.
"I… killed a person…"
***
On the cliffside, in the strong wind and rain, a senior professor in monster studies—Flubin—picked up a dagger left at the scene. Taking it out of its sheath and looking at the surface, the afterimage of a dark red engraving clearly remained.
"It feels like incidents like these only happen when I'm on duty."
Scratching his clean shaved chin, he then analyzed the engraved pattern. It was the traces of a high-quality engraving that would be difficult to come across usually.
The engraving of a deadly poison.
A level where, once stabbed, death was certain. He couldn't feel any magic power from it, and the traces of the leftover engraving showed that it had been used.
Then that meant…. Someone had died. Flubin let out a deep sigh. As he thought, it was a major incident.
Recently, there had been many accidents within Silvenia. It was to the point where it felt like an uncontrollable major accident would occur at least once a semester.
At the northern edge of Acken Island, including Professor Flubin, five faculty members wearing robes remained at the scene.
At the request of the third-year magic department student Yennekar Palerover, many faculty members that were working in Trix Hall came out.
Among the faculty that were on night duty, Professor Flubin was the highest rank in charge that came running out. He was the one that suggested it wouldn't be an incident that they could take lightly.
"So, when you arrived on the scene it was already…?"
"Yes…"
It was a major shock.
The witness, Yennekar Palerover… she lowered her head under the robe the faculty members gave her to cover her from the rain. She hid her face, not showing her expression.
She was a famous student, so Professor Flubin was well informed about her. She was always energetic and lively, loved by not only students but professors as well.
Seeing such a girl with her head down, not saying a word… It was a difficult sight to witness. Though, they couldn't see her expression.
"To summarize what happened… You had an appointment with Ed to help him with his Elementalism training… But when you arrived, Ed had already been stabbed with a knife… Was it this one?"
"Yes… It was that one."
"And… since it was engraved with deadly poison…
It seems this was a planned murder."
Near the cliff, a bow and a ripped uniform that appeared to have belonged to Ed remained. It was evidence of a struggle.
"After I report it to the school, they will search for his body once the sun rises, but… the chances of finding him are low."
The waves crashed against the cliffside. Professor Flubin organized his thoughts regarding the situation, then looked back towards Yennekar.
It was heartbreaking to see her with her head lowered like that.
"Still, the truth behind what happened will be revealed soon. Did you happen to see the culprit's face?"
"Yes…"
Yennekar spoke as she kept her head down.
"House Rothstaylor's vessels, Kadek and Nox…
They definitely said those were their names."
"They couldn't have gotten far. Apparently, they were both injured, and it wouldn't be easy for them to escape from Acken Island without being seen. Yennekar, you seem to have been very shocked. Please, head back and rest."
Flubin decided to take the dagger as he put it away. He then finished checking the scene.
"When the sun comes up, I will report it to the head dean so we can make a public announcement. Even without this incident, with the student president election right around the corner things are already busy. It seems that the school is going to be even more hectic now. Until the sun rises, let's continue a basic search over the scene by ourselves."
"It seems your hands are going to be filled for quite some time, Professor Flubin."
"That's alright, Professor Max. I can still manage the amount of work that has built up thus far. It's more important to take care of what we can right now, so let's not worry about things like that."
Eventually, it became time for them to return back to the school.
On the other side of the cliff, at the entrance of the forest in the distance, someone was standing up straight. Professor Flubin looked right at them.
***
The way she looked was strange.
The girl that was standing in the rain, far off in the forest… She was full of cold anger.
An anger that has passed the normal limits, turns from hot to cold.
"Th-That… That student…?"
The assistant professor that was alongside Professor Flubin had also noticed the girl in the distance. The two of them watched her.
A witch hat was shoved tightly onto her head. Just how long had that girl been standing over there?
She continued to walk forward, holding down to her hat against the raging wind and rain. With how small she appeared, her walking stride was ridiculously big, as if she were unaffected by gravity.
"L-Lucy…!"
Yennekar stuttered as she called out the name of the girl that was approaching the cliff. The eyes that peeked out under her large hat had a chill to them.
Her eyes, which always looked drowsy and out of energy, were now sharp and intense.
"Y-You're… You're here…!"
Yennekar stumbled over her words.
There were too many people around to tell her the truth about what happened. It wasn't the time or place to tell Lucy about what had happened to Ed.
Lucy pushed down on her hat once more as she ignored the faculty, stopping right at the edge of the cliff.
She looked down at the crashing waves.
Near the edge of the cliff, she saw Ed's bow laying around, as well as his bloodstained uniform.
Thinking about what would happen if one were to be stabbed by a dagger with an engraving of a deadly poison… the chances of survival were close to zero.
She couldn't feel any of his magic power. If his body had ended up being washed away by the waves, that would make sense.
In reality, Ed's magic power was completely exhausted because he had used a legendary-grade magically engineered item. At the time, there was no way Lucy would even consider such a possibility.
Yennekar looked at Lucy in a cold sweat. The energy swirling around Lucy definitely showed that she was completely unlike her normal self.
"..."
Lucy looked around the scene before picking up his bow from the ground. The recurve bow, which had a faint amount of his magic power left in it, was too large for someone of Lucy's stature.
Picking up Ed's bloody uniform along with the bow, she looked towards the faculty with a cold expression.
"L-Lucy… Calm down… Why don't we go back to the camp first and I'll tell you what happened…?"
"I caught the culprit. They're still alive."
Ignoring Yennekar's words, Lucy quietly spoke to Professor Flubin.
"Wh-What…?"
"Kadek and Nox. They're the ones who killed him. The vassals that came to Acken Island under the pretext of helping Tanya with the business deal regarding the Sage's Seal."
Surprisingly, it seemed the situation had resolved quickly. Professor Flubin looked startled as he tried to say something back to Lucy… But seeing her expression, he could only swallow hard.
Lucy… She didn't change her expression at all. She put on her witch hat with one hand as she spoke coldly.
"L-Lucy…!"
The image of Tanya, who was full of hatred and a burning revenge aimed towards Ed every time she met her, was engraved into her mind.
It could be seen as a simple quarrel between siblings, but Lucy's keen sense when it came to discovering the truth was enough to feel a certain degree of sincerity in Tanya's hatred.
However, Tanya was extremely weak and Ed himself didn't seem to care much, so she sat still.
If Ed didn't care, then there was no reason for Lucy to care. That was the obvious reaction to have.
However, what happened had obviously crossed the line.
She had never thought that she would try to assassinate him, especially in such a messy and obvious way.
It was more than a sudden, impulsive decision. It was a completely insane thing to do.
All circumstantial evidence pointed toward Tanya Rothstaylor.
Using common sense, it seemed obvious that there would be no way Tanya's vassals would do such a thing without her permission. At least for Lucy, that was how things seemed.
That was because there was no way for Lucy to be aware of Krepin's influence behind the matter.
"Lucy!"
Yennekar's call towards her was ignored. Magic power began to swirl all around Lucy.
Fwooooosh!
Yennekar quickly tried to grab onto Lucy, but by the time she realized it, Lucy had already disappeared.
"Wh-What…"
There was nothing remaining in the place the strong wind erupted from. Not Lucy, Ed's uniform, nor his bow.
Yennekar, who finally got a hold of herself, in the middle of the pouring wind and rain… quickly put on the robe's hood.
Professor Flubin was extremely taken aback to see that Yennekar, who he thought was still in shock and afraid, had a normal expression on her face.
"Yennekar. What is…"
"We have to chase after Lucy right now! Before things become any bigger!"
***
Boom!!
From above, Ophelis Hall was in the shape of an arch that surrounded the rose garden.
The large building contained six floors, including the roof, and was extremely spacious. The fact that it was one of the most famous landmarks at Silvenia Academy wasn't without reason.
In the rose garden that was surrounded by Ophelis Hall, there were two people that had fallen to the ground, rolling around in the middle of the large central square.
Click, Clack.
"E-Eughk… Keuhk… Gulp."
It was Kadek and Nox, who were being restrained by Lucy's magic. Kadek was still unconscious, but Nox was still awake.
The rain fell on the rose garden.
Looking up, you could see the massive view of Ophelis Hall arching around.
In the corner of the third floor was Lucy's room.
And right next to it was Tanya's.
Lucy cast the low-rank explosive magic Explosion at the window.
Boooom!
There was a massive explosion. Ophelis Hall's automatic defense magic activated, though in the face of Lucy's magic it was nothing more than a piece of paper.
One of the walls of the room collapsed, as the rain and wind came through into the rising dust… But inside, Tanya was nowhere to be seen. She wasn't in the room.
That was expected.
Lucy looked around towards the rest of Ophelis Hall, maintaining her cold expression.
"Wh-What the! What was that noise?!"
"Head Maid! Bring the Head Maid! Something is happening!"
"Wh-What? Are we getting attacked?! Should I run away now?!"
As expected, screams over the chaos came from the windows of Ophelis Hall. It was only natural, given that an entire portion of the building had just exploded.
After receiving the report, Head Maid Bell Maya rushed towards the rose garden… Looking at Lucy's appearance, she swallowed harshly.
The rain continued to fall on the garden.
In the central square that could be seen from every window in Ophelis Hall, the girl that was wearing a hat firmly pushed down on her head and a large torn male uniform stood. On one side of her, a handmade recurve bow was floating in the air.
The girl was drenched from the rain, not showing her expression… She occupied the square as she quietly looked towards Ophelis Hall.
"Young Lady Lucy…? What are you doing right now…?"
As she spoke, Bell had a feeling about what was happening. It came from being the maid that had been taking care of Lucy for a longer time than anyone else.
She was a girl that had lived a life of indolence and indifference, to the point where one would wonder if it was truly acceptable. However, she made sure to never cross the line.
Even though she was born with a talent in magic greater than everyone, she had never mistreated the maids, nor did she use that immense strength of hers to persecute or attack others.
As she had suddenly started attacking Ophelis Hall with explosive magic, even if nobody else recognized it, Bell Maya was sure of it.
She was poised, quiet, and virtuous…
But she had lost all sense of reason.
She didn't know the reason behind it yet.
However, from the energy that came from underneath that hat, which was deeply shoved onto her head… she was sure that it would be impossible to predict what would happen if they were to make a single mistake towards her.
Bell raised her hand to stop the maids, who had jumped out all at once with their rapiers in hand.
"Lady Lucy. What is wrong?"
As Lucy stood in the rain… She pressed down on her hat as she quietly spoke.
"Bring me Tanya."
Magic power started to rise again as the two vassals were dragged into the air by their collars.
"Keuaghk!"
Leaving Nox hanging in the air struggling, Lucy kindly repeated herself.
"Bring me Tanya."
-x-X-x-
Boom!
The explosion rang out at the end of the battle with Elvira.
"Wh-What…?"
It occurred in the student dueling facility, located in the basement of Ophelis Hall.
The top first year student, Wade Callamore—who had been enthusiastically challenging every top student in each department—was full of energy.
The combat department's top second year, Clevius Nortondale, had announced his withdrawal from the fight as soon as he arrived at the facility.
Elvira, who was the top student in the Alchemy Department, had also admitted her defeat as soon as all her reagent bottles were destroyed by Wade's sword.
All of the onlookers that gathered in the basement of Ophelis Hall shouted their cheers.
Aside from Lucy, who is considered in a league of her own, if he defeated the second-place student in the magic department, Ziggs Eiffelstein… then it would be time to challenge the third years.
"Good job, Elvira."
"Hmpff."
In the dueling facility, which was now full of dust, Elvira was off in a corner putting away her reagent bottles as she snorted.
"You're in good spirits."
"It was a good match."
"Saying that it was a good match… It's obvious that you're just happy you were able to beat your upperclassmen."
"Haha. Well, I'm only human…"
Elvira wasn't very proficient when it came to combat. In the first place, the study of Alchemy itself wasn't a field that specialized in combat.
However, when it came to a match against an upperclassman that was a top student, usually the difference in combat proficiency would be difficult to close. It showed just how powerful Wade really was.
"Either way, next time all I'll have to do is beat Ziggs."
What an arrogant statement. Nevertheless, Wade was actually convinced that he could do it. And the onlookers that had just witnessed the duel couldn't deny that possibility.
Wade's swordsmanship was definitely not on the level of a first year. There was a reason that he was able to surpass Joseph of the magic department and Claude of the alchemy department to take the place as the top student amongst the first years.
Ziggs, who had been off in a corner of the room leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as he watched the duel, only shrugged his shoulders.
Either way, it was now too late in the night. There was no longer enough time to have a match, so Wade and Ziggs had to agree to have the duel another day.
The duel between Wade and Ziggs was the battle that all of the students were most excited to see. Realizing that the main event would have to be postponed, the students couldn't help but feel disappointed.
"By the way, what was with that sound and the shaking? Did something collapse from a thunderstorm outside?"
"I'm not sure. We'll just have to go up and check it out. It's almost time for the dueling facility to close anyway. I'm sure the maids will come down any minute to tell us to leave."
Boom!
Sure enough, before Ziggs could even finish his sentence two maids ran into the dueling facility.
Not even considering the fact something massive was happening at Ophelis Hall, Ziggs and Wade stood around, lazily looking towards the door.
"You have to evacuate now! Outside… Something bad is happening…!"
For it to be 'something bad'… Just what could it be for her to be panicked and speaking like that?
Ziggs furrowed his eyebrows as he pushed off from the wall, standing straight.
"Saying that something bad is happening… What is it?"
"Th-That's… Uhm… First, let's just evacuate…"
All the students in the facility nodded their heads with bewildered expressions.
The large number of students followed the maids that were rushing up the stairs, making it to the ground floor. Then, as they passed through the main hall and walked down the hallway, Ziggs' jaw dropped as he looked outside.
The courtyard was full of 'bronze statues'.
Though, upon closer inspection he realized they weren't actual statues. They were the maids of Ophelis Hall, who were frozen.
The time-related Celestial Magic. Time Prison.
It was a time-based celestial magic that could only be used by those highly trained in Celestial Magic.
Even though it was hard to believe, there were people in the world that could copy the Celestial Magic of someone that devoted their entire life researching it.
The number of maids that were frozen in time, stuck in the courtyard… One, two… There were nearly a dozen of them.
Among them, the one in charge of Ophelis Hall, Head Maid Bell Maya, was also there.
"Wh-What is going on…?!"
Wade shouted. Looking up at the rain, a massive amount of magic power in the shape of a sphere was filling the sky.
The advanced fire magic, Searching Sphere.
The most famous advanced magic in the field of pure fire magic. A spell that could burn an entire area through pure firepower alone.
Less than five minutes had passed since the first explosion was heard. What had happened during those five minutes could be inferred by just seeing what was outside.
The center of the square.
A young girl with her hat pressed tightly down on her head.
A familiar face.
"Lucy… Mayree!…?"
Was she out of her mind?
Even Lucy, who was known to be the biggest freak there was, was still by no means a person that would do such a crazy thing.
However, looking at what was happening, it seemed that Lucy might even be willing to destroy the entirety of Ophelis Hall at any moment.
There were still students inside. If she was really planning to use magic of that level to destroy Ophelis Hall, a catastrophe would happen.
"The word is that the third-year magic department student, Ed Rothstaylor, has died."
"What did you say?"
"At the very least, that is what Lady Lucy said."
The maids quickly led the students as they ran across the hallway towards the back of the first floor. Through the backdoor, they planned to evacuate everyone they could.
They continued to explain the situation.
"Right now, the Head Maid and other high-ranking maids have all been attacked, so we are in a state of chaos as well. For right now, all the maids still available have been focusing on evacuating the students. We have to move fast."
There were about twenty students that had come from watching the match in the dueling facility. For the maids, leading all of those students to safety was the most urgent task at hand. It had to be taken care of immediately.
"Ed… He's dead…?"
Running across the hallway, looking out the window at what was behind Lucy, two vassals that were trapped by her telekinetic magic were floating in the air.
"Yes. It seems that he was assassinated by the vassals of House Rothstaylor."
"If it was the vassals of House Rothstaylor… Then… It was Tanya Rothstaylor…?"
"That's… not something I can say for certain."
The maids continued to run as they opened all of the locked doors. If there were any students that were still in their rooms, they would take them along as they continued to run.
The group of students following the maids were terrified, watching the Scorching Sphere resonate.
"Then, where is Tanya?"
"That… I don't know…"
"..."
Ziggs, who was following the maids, suddenly stopped. They glared back at Ziggs, as if asking what he was doing in such a chaotic situation.
"Go on ahead."
"What? Young master Ziggs, the situation right now…"
"I know. Right now, make sure to evacuate everyone."
Ziggs could sense it.
If Lucy really wanted to, she could finish her casting of that Scorching Sphere in an instant and send it flying towards them.
She was only using it as a means to threaten them, to make them bring Tanya to her. But if all of the students did escape and she was sure there would be no student casualties, she might actually finish casting.
Lucy was in a state where she had lost all sense of reason. But still, she hadn't let go of that last string.
The reason she had defeated the maids using the inconvenient magic Time Prison was because she didn't want to harm them. Even if the Searching Sphere were to be cast towards them, they wouldn't be harmed in any way as their time was separated.
However, destroying all of Ophelis Hall… By any means necessary, it has to be avoided. No matter how careful and prepared everyone was, it wasn't safe to assume that there wouldn't be a single casualty.
"I will act on my own."
"You can't."
"I understand, but…"
"Two of the top students in the fourth-year class have already lost."
When Ziggs heard those words, he quickly looked towards the courtyard again. Among the numerous statues, he could see Dorothy Whitefeld, the top student in the fourth year's alchemy department, and Traycana Bloomriver, the top student in the fourth year's magic department.
How much longer would it take for the school's faculty to arrive? Ten minutes? Thirty minutes?
Even when they did arrive, would they even be able to handle that monster?
At least inside Ophelis Hall, there wasn't anyone that could currently take on Lucy Mayreel.
Looking out the window, Lucy was floating in the air with magic power all around her.
Floating in the air right next to her was Ed's recurve bow. Dozens of magic arrows were already prepared by Lucy. Each one of them was engraved with a magic circle that utilized the power of a high-ranking magic.
The courtyard was filled with elemental magic circles that were all so complicated that it would take three days and three nights just to figure out one.
She truly was a genius that had received the blessings of heaven. He wondered if there really was someone that could stop such a monster.
There in the rose garden, the reckless act to stop the disaster she would create…. Could be expressed with just one word.
Impossible. It would be impossible to prevent such a thing.
Still, Lucy had yet to cross that last line. She was still not attacking Ophelis Hall, which was still full of students, directly… But if she really did end up losing all sense of reason and crossed that line…
"We tried to talk to her, but it didn't work. She keeps on demanding that we bring Lady Tanya to her."
"I see. You need to go on ahead."
When Ziggs spoke, the maid couldn't help but frown. It was an understandable response.
"You're too reckless, Ziggs."
That time, Wade had spoken up to try and stop him. Afraid, Wade frowned as he spoke, blocking his path.
"How are you going to stop something like that…? Just evacuate with us…!"
"When the time comes, I will evacuate on my own. Leave first."
"Why are you like this, young master Ziggs?!"
They really were the maids of Ophelis Hall, who are always polite and respectful. It was really hard to see them raising their voices.
It was understandable enough. If there were any casualties, who knew what responsibility would fall upon them.
Ziggs bowed his head with a regretful heart.
"I am sorry."
After saying that, he broke away from the group, running off. It was obvious why he was acting so stubborn.
Because of this current situation in itself… Ziggs couldn't understand it.
***
Boom!
As soon as he sprinted through the door, Ziggs was met with the cool air that came through the destroyed exterior wall. The third room on the third floor of Ophelis Hall, Tanya Rothstaylor's private room.
Given the situation, Ziggs had broken through the door without knocking. It was a cute, girlish room, but it was also very luxurious.
It was ridiculous to see that the outer wall had been broken open as the rain and wind blew through, but at least the shape of the room was still intact.
Ziggs took off his clothes as he looked around. The fact that the maid, who was leading the way from the dueling facility, was running around meant that most of them had already checked all over the place.
There was no way that she would go out late at night in the rain, so the only place Tanya could be in was her room. The room was already in such a horrendous state that it was difficult to even still call it a room, but there had to be at least one place she could hide without being caught.
A few pieces of furniture were still in good condition. After searching a few places, Ziggs came across a large closet and opened it up… And from inside, Tanya Rothstaylor popped out.
"Uh… Uhhhhh…"
Locked in her closet, holding onto her knees and trembling… the girl herself was in an absolutely frightened state. Seeing her all curled up, even though it sounded ridiculous, she looked more like a hamster than a human.
"..."
"Uh…. Uhhhh… Wh-Why…? Why did things end up like this? Wh-What…? Why…?"
Ziggs turned his head again, looking towards the half-destroyed exterior wall. Looking straight across the central courtyard, he could see Lucy, who had lost all sense of reason.
It was a terrifying sight to see. Ziggs couldn't help but gulp.
The idea of jumping out and heading towards Lucy from where he stood was impossible to do without courage. Rather, doing so is no different than suicide.
Looking at Lucy, it wouldn't be strange if he were immediately killed after jumping out and running towards her. It was a natural and reasonable decision for her to hide.
"Listen up, Tanya Rothstaylor."
Ziggs took a deep breath as he took a chair from the corner of the room, placing it in front of the closet and sitting down.
He looked straight in her eyes as he spoke.
"You must answer me with the complete truth. If you shy away or lie to me, I won't let you go. At this point, I am the only person who can guess what Ed would have wanted. And the only person who can help you."
Tanya nodded her head.
"Then… Did you order the assassination of Ed?"
A person with a rational mind wouldn't be able to nod their head to that question.
Nevertheless, Ziggs didn't care and asked the question. That was because he couldn't quite figure it out.
Ed Rothstaylor had never shown any hostility towards Tanya. In fact, he only helped her.
The unique nature of Ziggs, which came from living in the wilderness, was ringing. Believing in his gut, he had asked Tanya that question. It seemed that Tanya did have some kind of resentment towards Ed, but he thought it wasn't all that serious.
Tanya was in a position to greatly benefit from Ed. She wasn't the kind of person to stab Ed in the back like that in the first place. That all stemmed from the fact that she was Ed's younger sister.
That was why Ziggs wanted to make sure of the truth.
"No… Really… I didn't…"
Tanya cried as she shook her head.
Upon hearing that, Ziggs lowered his head for a moment as he fell into a deep thought. He then came to a conclusion.
If she were to show herself in front of Lucy, he had no doubt that Tanya would die.
Ed Rothstaylor… He wouldn't want that to happen.
Getting blood on Lucy's hands, Tanya being killed in such a way… It didn't seem like a situation he would ever want.
"Alright. I'll have to listen to your detailed explanation later."
Ziggs looked back towards the courtyard again. Lucy was so furious that if Tanya wasn't brought to her immediately, she really was going to destroy Ophelis Hall.
If Ed really did die… It was understandable that Lucy would be so angry.
That was because Ziggs had a vague understanding of just how special Ed was to Lucy. Ziggs himself also felt a similar feeling.
"Listen, Tanya Rothstaylor. If you go out to the courtyard now… You might actually die."
"..."
"That's why it's best to stay hidden here for now. I don't know where this misunderstanding came from, but… After Lucy comes back to her senses, we can talk about it."
From Lucy's point of view, it was obvious that Tanya would be in charge of the assassination. All of the circumstantial evidence compelled her to think so.
No matter what he told her, it wouldn't be easy to convince her. First off, until she was able to come back to her senses and they were able to properly figure out what happened, it was better for Tanya to stay hidden no matter what.
"First off, I'll stop Lucy."
"You can't do that, Ziggs."
Wade came in through the broken doorway. Wade had also left the group and followed after Ziggs.
The maids must have been suffering from a major headache. Ziggs felt sorry inside.
"There's no need to challenge the impossible now. For now… the right choice is to listen to Lucy's demands. That monster… How would you even go against her…?!"
Wade, who had followed after Ziggs, blocked his path as if to stop him.
"Can't you properly understand this situation? Right now… That… Who knows what that monster will do if we keep hiding Tanya. Let's just… bring Tanya in front of Lucy."
"I do as I want, Wade."
Wade's words were reasonable and made sense. Ziggs knew that fact well.
However, Tanya Rothstaylor was Ed's younger sister. Even though there wasn't much reasoning behind it, that fact was enough to not overlook the matter.
Also, if Lucy was still the same as Ziggs knew… No matter how much she lost her reasoning, she wouldn't ever cross the line and send advanced magic towards the rest of the building.
Ziggs decided to trust his faith and stay true to the plan.
"You are making an unreasonable judgment… Ziggs."
Wade drew his sword.
"Then… even if I have to use force, I will carry out my plan."
"..."
"Please send Tanya over there."
***
Boom! Boom!
Several more explosions were heard. One side of the pavilion in the rose garden had been destroyed, and a statue that was hanging off the roof had been smashed to the ground.
"Waaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
As Clevius ran behind the rose garden, he started rolling on the floor at the sound of an explosion.
The maids that were leading the students were trying to escape with as many students as possible. That was why the route they were taking was too long.
Frightened, Clevius couldn't stand it anymore and ran away from the group, making his way back to the back of the courtyard alone.
Clevius, who tried to run away by hiding in the flower beds outside of the building, slipped and fell onto the floor in the middle of the rain. Rolling down the hill, he ended up all the way back at the central courtyard.
"..."
"…Eeek…!"
Lucy, who was surrounded by an unbelievable level of magic power, glanced down at Clevius from the air.
However, showing her disinterest and no intention to attack him, Lucy completely ignored Clevius.
That was because Lucy already knew Clevius' cowardly temperament well.
Clevius, who was barely able to get up with his trembling legs, screamed as he ran away.
"Uaaaaaaaaak!"
Clevius ran behind Lucy as he escaped from Ophelis Hall. He didn't have anywhere to go, but he didn't want to stay in such a dangerous place.
If you could escape, then you had to. That was Clevius' first rule.
"Really… What the fuck…? Why…? Why is this happening…? Shit…. Fuck…! I didn't come to Silvenia for this! Is there really no moment of peace in my life?! Fuck this! Fuck all of this…!!!"
Clevius continued to tremble as he spouted nonsense and ran away. After making it to the exit of the rose garden, Clevius fell back down onto the ground.
Splash!
Shwaaaaaaaa!
Clevius, who had collapsed onto the ground in an unsightly manner, stretched out his body as he lay in the rain.
The pouring rain fell onto Clevius.
"Seriously… If something like that suddenly shows up… Of course, I'm going to be fucking afraid… Seriously… Fucking… Shit… Fuck…"
Laying down, he thought of what his body looked like. He had been completely drenched from running away in the rain, and after hiding in the flowerbeds and rolling down the hill, he was also covered in mud.
He already looked gloomy but seeing how he was drenched in water and mud, he couldn't look any more pathetic than that.
"Seriously… What the fuck…?"
Laying down on his back, Clevius clenched his teeth as he wiped his face, which was covered in rainwater.
But he couldn't move his feet. He was completely out of strength. Clevius wiped his face again as he laid still, spitting out profanity over and over again.
"What are you doing, stupid Clevius?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from beyond the rain. It was Nosy Elvira, the alchemy department's top second year student. The one who had just been competing in a duel.
She had been the same since the Glasskan Subjugation. The same old top student in the alchemy department that made fun of Clevius for acting so pathetic.
"Doing this and that… Now you're lying around in such a place."
"You… Weren't you fighting in that duel a little while ago…?"
"Yeah. But I ended up losing all my reagents while fighting. I needed to go and grab a few more from the lab."
With that, even Elvira had run away from the group.
"With the current situation as it is, who aside from the top students would be able to stop that monster? And until the school's faculty and staff arrive… Shouldn't it be at least another thirty minutes? That's why I decided to join forces with the other top students."
Saying so, Elvira then kicked Clevius in the shin.
"It seems that you ran out of strength in your legs. When you get your strength back, you should run towards the education district. If there are any faculty still there, you should call them, too."
Most of the high-ranking faculty members working late at night were still out in the northern cliffs, investigating the incident.
They were extremely far away, and since Ophelis Hall was originally managed independently by the maids, their system in case of emergencies wasn't closely linked.
It was obvious that it would take longer than thought until the school's faculty would arrive.
Elvira also thought it would be difficult to fix the situation right away. Despite that, she ran off towards the lab with her bag full of alchemy-related things.
Elvira ran away as Clevius was once again left alone… Laying on his back, he stared up at the rain falling down on him.
"..."
"Seriously… What the fuck…?"
"You pathetic bastard… useless piece of shit… You… fucking… ugly bastard…"
Clevius couldn't do anything other than lay down in the rain for a while.
He clenched his teeth and as he used his clenched fists to press down on his eyes.
***
"Ed!"
Yennekar ran into the cave where the campfire was lit.
Since I was completely out of magic power, and my physical condition wasn't great, I had no choice but to greet her while laying down.
"S-Something bad happened, Ed…! Firstly, the academic faculty that were here had already left… and Merilda is also on the move… Just in case, I think you also need to move, Ed…!"
"What?"
"I couldn't tell her… Lucy… the fact that you died… before I could explain it to her, it seems she had already found out…! I don't know how she found out… But she already knew about it…!"
My body, which was screaming in pain, wouldn't move as I wanted.
"So, what happened…?"
"I think she went to Ophelis Hall to find Tanya…!"
Hearing those words… I didn't have a choice but to force myself to stand. That… It felt like it's something I was going to have to take care of myself.
-x-X-x-
Drip, Drip.
In a cabin up in the Lamelin Mountain Range, the sound of burning firewood could always be heard.
Covered in a soft blanket up to the bridge of her nose, Lucy could always be found lying around somewhere nearby, sleeping. It wasn't unusual to see her covering herself up in bedding like that.
However, she was tightly wrapped up in a blanket because she had caught a cold.
She was destined to become a master of magic in the future. But right at that moment, she was nothing more than a regular girl that had just entered puberty.
All girls at that age acted the same.
It was fine to just stay cooped up in a corner of the hut when it was raining outside. But choosing to walk around the mountains unnecessarily, only to end up catching a cold was all too common for her.
Her skill in magic was growing at an unbelievable speed, but it was still in a transitional period. She wasn't at a level where she could completely protect her body from the environment.
There was an old man that was poking the burning campfire with a poker.
From her point of view, she could only see his backside.
However, just looking at his bent back and curled shoulders, you could tell he was a small old man in the twilight years of his life.
You could clearly tell that the prime of his life had passed. Of course, that was before Lucy was even born.
Walking around the continent, he studied all kinds of advanced magic, gained numerous disciples, met the love of his life and raised a family, made a name for himself in the academic world, acted as the first leader in the subjugation of high-ranking monster tribes, and acted under the command of the Imperial house multiple times.
He lived a productive life, taking every opportunity he had with vigor.
He thought of his life as one where he had never looked back, and continued to run forward, achieving more than anyone else could.
However, in that Archmage's final years of his life, he went to the edge of the mountains where no one visited.
Just what happened, and what did he go through?
His numerous disciples and loving family were no longer by his side… All alone in the cabin, he poked at the campfire.
The only relationship he had left… A single girl that could somewhat be called a disciple.
"It's normal for one to get sick after playing around in the rain."
"You're bound to be an unrivaled magician in the near future."
"That feeling of pain you feel now will only become a distant memory that you felt in the past. That day will surely come."
"Getting sick like this and having to lay down, or even getting any injuries to your body, they will all start to become more and more rare for you."
It's unknown just how much that young Lucy understood the meaning behind his words.
Still, Glockt had great significance behind the words he told her.
"Because of the ability you were born with, your life may become boring, and everything may appear meaningless."
"Those who are less skilled… You may meet lots of people that, where it might be a simple and easy task for you, might be facing a challenge that they devote their entire lives to."
"That's why you have to remember what you are feeling right now."
The day where that feeling of pain would only become a distant memory in her distant past… It would surely come.
It would be impossible to know what that meant to Lucy at the time, but… At the very least, she knew that Glockt was trying to tell her something.
Because even those memories alone had all become a part of her distant past.
Shwaaaaa.
The spring rain fell on her skin.
Walking across Ophelis Hall's rose garden, the maids and students that had been completely frozen due to the Time Prison were lined up like statues.
Lucy walked through them, weaving between all of them and looked up at the sky while clutching her hat. The pouring rain continued to fall on her.
There weren't many people that knew it, but even though Lucy was born with a lazy personality, she greatly respected and recognized those that lived a life of passion. She would never belittle them, nor would she help them. Even if they were criminals, she would never look down on them nor would she treat them as meaningless beings.
Needless to say, that was all because of Glockt's influence.
Spending her life walking through the Lamelin Mountain Range half asleep, she couldn't help but watch that old man, brimming with passion, with her own two eyes.
He was a person that put aside all of the success that he achieved throughout his long lifetime. And even though he became a small, scruffy old man living alone in the mountains, he still tried his hardest to make every day worthwhile.
Coming back to her senses, those feelings towards Ed that were more than just goodwill, deep down she knew they might have been because he was a person that tried his hardest to live despite being backed into a corner.
At the very least, he wasn't a man that deserved to die in vain.
"…That lying old man."
Didn't he say that one day, after becoming a powerful magician, the feeling of pain and difficulty would only become a forgotten memory in the distant past?
But the feeling rising inside her chest was the 'pain' that had been forgotten.
Something that became even more precious after you lost it…
Lucy already knew that from experience.
And she didn't want to have to experience it twice.
Spending time laying around the campfire, chewing on grilled fish as Ed read his book, laying on his lap while looking up blankly at the sky. None of those moments seemed all that special.
However, she probably just didn't realize… just how valuable those moments were.
How fragile was a human?
She was someone that was gifted with such talent, she could use all sorts of high-level magic as if it were nothing. A level where even history's greatest geniuses could only nod their heads at her talent…
For such a person, it was almost ironic how the death of a single person could bring her such torment and pain.
Boom!
At that moment, a huge explosion erupted at Lucy's feet as she trudged towards the main entrance of Ophelis Hall.
A huge amount of smoke rose in the air as heat covered the vicinity. But with a single wave of her hand, Lucy blew it all away.
"I guess, in its own way, this is a way for me to look back on the past."
Who did Lucy defeat as she walked to the front gate of Ophelis Hall?
The head maid of Ophelis Hall, Bell Maya. The fourth year's top magic student, Traycana Bloomriver. The fourth year's top alchemy student, Dorothy Whitefeld. The third year's top combat student, Drake Laygus. Even fourteen senior maids.
Having the power to defeat all of them on her own, without receiving even a single scratch, at the very least inside Ophelis Hall there was no one that could stop Lucy.
And the girl that was now blocking Lucy's path, she should know the fact that there was no chance of victory all too well.
The second year's top alchemy student, Nosy Elvira.
The girl armed with all sorts of magically engineered items, alchemy reagents, and beginner magic… Her combat abilities weren't even all that great compared to the other top students.
"I thought you were a bit more rational, Lucy."
"..."
Lucy's cold eyes looked at Elvira, who was guarding the entrance.
"Wait, even right now you still have some sense of reason, right?"
The magic sphere that was filling the sky above Ophelis Hall, the maids that had been imprisoned due to her Time Prison, and the rose garden that was full of other magic spells Lucy had cast.
It might seem like she had created a nonsensical wreck, but there was clearly a 'line' that Lucy had kept in her outburst.
Unnecessary destruction had been avoided to an extent. And of course, there was not a single casualty. If she really had lost all her sense of reason, even though it looked like she was willing to destroy Ophelis Hall in its entirety, it still seemed like that would be her last resort.
The students of Ophelis Hall were still in the process of escaping. The maids that were leading the escape were running out the back door.
Elvira… if she could bind Lucy's feet for even a moment, it would be enough.
"Get out of the way."
But wasn't that, in itself, arrogant to think?
As if she was simply moving aside a leaf in the forest that was blocking her view, Lucy waved her hand once.
With that alone, a ridiculous amount of magic power, which Elvira couldn't handle, hit her body.
It wasn't even a spell. Magic power in itself acted as a physical force that pushed her.
Even then, Elvira's body flew all the way into the flower beds off to the side.
"Ughk!"
She knew well the difference in their power.
Elvira's real goal was to just set up a magically engineered item around the front entrance.
With a click, magic power began to surge from a spot behind a pillar near the entrance.
With strength alone, it wouldn't be possible to win against Lucy. With that being the case, the only choice left was to rely on the laws of nature.
Even Lucy, who was born with immense powers, wasn't free from the provinces of the world.
When it rained, she got wet. When the wind blew, her collar flew. When the temperature dropped, she got cold. And when something like water boiled, it would eventually evaporate.
Only God could be free from the provinces that formed the foundation of the world. Even if Celestial Magic could twist and break those provinces, magic power itself wasn't free from its grasps.
That was why Elvira had decided to 'evaporate' all of her magic power.
As soon as Lucy was able to see what was behind the pillar, all the magically engineered equipment that Elvira had brought came into view. Everything that arrived in that large bag full of items she had brought from her secret lab.
It looked like there were dozens of items. It was impossible to name each and every one, one by one. The number of items was that massive.
"Hmph!"
Elvira, who had fallen down, wiped her mouth as she stood up. She then gathered a small amount of magic power to cast a new spell.
Raising her hand towards Lucy, she squeezed her fist shut. The various magically engineered items she had set up began to run rampant at once.
Krex Magic Separator, Noise Generator, Elemental Return Stimulator, Claw Fingers, Wave Balls, Apparition Disks, Katlan Magic Power Purifier…
Those were all the magically engineered items that Elvira had spent her time researching after entering Silvenia Academy. That was the result of Elvira's school life.
All different kinds of magically engineered items had their own different uses. But many of the magically engineered items that she had set up didn't suit the present situation. More than anything, they weren't meant for combat.
However, Elvira's goal wasn't to use those magically engineered items for their intended 'use.'
All of them were items that she had spent her life on, that were like her own blood… But without hesitation, Elvira started to run the 'Krex Magic Separator', which was placed in front of all the other items.
Alchemy, one of the branches in magic, was a field that specialized in the scientific analysis of the properties of magic.
The 'understanding of magic power' differed from magicians, who only wielded magic power through their innate resonance levels. It could also be considered the specialty of Elvira, the top student of the alchemy department.
"Where… Try stopping this, too…!"
Elvira took the 'Scarlet Crystal Reagent' from her pocket and threw it.
Lucy quickly reacted as she grabbed the reagent bottle in the air, clenching it in her hand. The bottle then burst open. In the first place, the goal of it was only to spray the reagent in the air.
Elvira, who had achieved her real goal, quickly ran back towards the flower beds.
Clunk, Clunk!
The Scarlet Crystal Reagent was a type of lubricating oil that increased the fluidity of magic power.
For a magically engineered item to activate, magic power was naturally needed. However, it was not an easy task to pour one's own magic power into certain objects.
While a magically engineered item with a simple structure wouldn't consume much magic power, the more complex and difficult the structure became, the more the amount of magic power needed significantly increased.
Thus, the main use behind the Scarlet Crystal Reagent was to alter the flow of magic power, making it more sensitive. That way, magically engineered items could be utilized.
Even if the amount of magic power were the same, if it had been affected by the Scarlet Crystal Reagent, it could be much more easily and conveniently used in magically engineered items.
Although it was only a type of auxiliary reagent, to an Alchemist it had its own personal uses.
Naturally, Elvira's reason behind throwing the Scarlet Crystal Reagent was completely different.
Clunk, Clink, Clank!
The 'Krex Magic Separator', which was running wild, began to absorb all of the magic power nearby.
It was an item that acted as a 'circuit' of sorts, absorbing the nearby magic power and efficiently supplying it to the connected magically engineered items.
However, when it began to overload and run rampant, it became a monster that devoured all of the magic power nearby nonstop.
If the connected magically engineered items were all working normally, then it would have stopped overloading. However, the issue was with the magically engineered items that were connected to it. They were all works that Elvira devoted her life to.
Time was tight, so she couldn't manage to connect them together while properly calculating the magic power's efficiency. She had just quickly connected them all to the circuit without a thought.
However, that was all she needed. In the first place, Elvira's goal wasn't to have the items 'running normally'.
The real purpose was to absorb all of the magic power.
Lucy's magic, which had been affected by the Scarlet Crystal Reagent, began to be absorbed by the magically engineered item at an uncontrollable speed.
All sorts of magically engineered items that were connected to the Separator also began to run rampant.
There were explosions, apparitions were made, loud noises ran throughout the now chaotic rose garden.
All sorts of bright lights were flashing, smoke began to form, and the magic power it consumed was continuing to rise… it was as if it was a massive magic factory of sorts.
They were magically engineered items that had all been connected together in a circuit at random.
The magic power efficiency was near zero.
No matter how much of a genius wizard she was, that level of magic power usage wasn't something she could overcome by herself.
That was it. If you couldn't compete in terms of magic strength, then the alchemist way was to fight back with the laws of nature.
However, unfortunately for her, her opponent's strength surpassed even the laws of nature.
Phwoosh!
In the moment where Lucy's magic power was being sucked away at an uncontrollable speed, rather than trying to absorb it all back… she chose to release her magic power even more.
The magically engineered items that were going wild were no longer able to deal with the influx of magic power… and one by one, they started to explode.
Ba-Boom!
Crash, Poooom!
In the background, a girl stood still in the back holding onto her hat as Elvria's magically engineered items, which she had dedicated her life to, began to explode one after another.
"F-Freaking Crazy…"
Elvira took a deep breath as she wiped her wound.
Even if it wasn't an exact calculation, she was still able to roughly calculate just how much magic power had to have gone into all of those items for them to explode.
And the amount needed was astronomical. It wasn't a level that could even be scientifically predicted.
Lucy's eyes, which were staring at her through the explosions, were sharp.
Even though it looked like she wasn't showing any emotions, Elvira realized that all of those feelings she had were instead swirling around in those eyes of hers.
It was impossible to stop her. That's what it was. That was in the 'realm of impossibility'.
It was stupid to even try and wrap your head around attempting the impossible.
Afraid that she might be attacked, she unconsciously took a step back. Still, she clenched her teeth and stood up straight once more.
"Since things became like this… If I can just destroy the entrance…!"
She quickly tried to cast beginner fire magic, but with a single gesture from Lucy's hand Elvira was sent flying down to the ground, completely subdued.
It all happened in less than a second.
"Ughk…!"
Elvira rolled down on the marble, rain-covered floor. As she had fallen to the ground, she had bitten her tongue. The bitter taste of iron filled her mouth.
Rolling on the floor right in front of her, Lucy looked straight down at Elvira.
A primal fear enveloped her entire body.
There was no murderous intent in Lucy's eyes. Naturally, it was because she had no intention to cause harm to anyone. Never kill if there wasn't a reason to.
However, the certainty that if there were a reason Lucy could easily do it… lingered in Elvira's mind.
It was stupid to stand in the way of that girl right then.
Her brain was screaming that at her.
Yet… Elvira still stretched her hand out through the rain, grabbing onto Lucy's ankle.
Lucy didn't say a word.
Rather, it was Elvira who spoke.
"If you go through with it… You'll regret it…"
Was she just saying nonsense? That wasn't it.
"I get that you're sad, but even if you do this, the dead won't come back… Please just think about Ed…"
"..."
"Ed… He wouldn't have wanted something like this…"
The rain had continued to pour for a while.
The spring rain that came pouring onto the ground fell across the world equally.
"That's…. Something I have to decide after I see Tanya."
Then, at the moment Lucy was about to cast the Celestial Magic Time Prison on Elvira, who she was looking down at.
Clash!
A sword attack came flying in, too fast to see with one's eyes. But it couldn't cut down Lucy.
However, it was enough to separate Lucy from Elvira.
In an instant, a shadow came through, slashing another attack towards Lucy. She quickly jumped away towards the rose garden, widening the distance.
Elvira had been completely defeated, as it was difficult for her to move her body in the slightest.
She was lying on the floor, trying to forcefully grab onto Lucy.
Now, the man that stood in front of Elvira, holding his sword in hand… began to spit out swear words.
"I'm seriously… A fucking idiot. I must be out of my fucking mind…!"
His long hair, which had gotten wet from the rain, made him look even more gloomy than usual. The dark circles around his eyes trembled.
The second year's top combat student, Clevius Nortondale.
A gloomy boy that couldn't control the blood of the Blade Demon within him, only to end up killing his own brother and being abandoned by his family.
"That… monster… Just how… Fuck… Look at me… Shit…!"
The gap in their power was massive.
None of the students within Silveria Academy could win against Lucy Mayreel.
A hurdle that a hundred out of a hundred people would deem impossible. Running away was obviously the correct choice.
And there were many opportunities for him to escape. In the first place, Lucy wasn't even hostile towards him. Clevius' temperament wasn't at a level that Lucy would regard him as an enemy.
Clevius lived the life of a runaway.
Running away from the fate that came with his name, the obstacles that stood in his path, and the curse of his own blood. He had become accustomed to constantly being called a coward.
And would have been the same that time, too. Anyone could tell that, in that situation, running away was the right choice. Anyone that would run away couldn't be blamed or criticized.
Nevertheless, Clevius still drew his sword.
All of the students in Ophelis Hall hadn't evacuated yet. The maids had also yet to finish what they needed to do.
That was right. It would be completely foolish to challenge the impossible.
That thought, which would constantly fill Clevius' heart, had started to rise up again.
Through the eyes of a pathetic failure that had lived a life running away, the view of the entire rose garden stuck in his mind.
The many statues that filled the rose garden were the traces of defeat. They had also lost.
In the face of the huge calamity known as Lucy Mayreel, they were all fools that jumped in the way, already knowing of their defeat.
Those people, they were all idiots. Those were the idiots that felt an obligation to protect others and lived a romantic life by following a path of righteousness. And because of that, they were the losers that lost without bringing honor to their name.
The young alchemist girl lying behind him was no different.
Despite the fact that she was the top student among the second years in the alchemy department, going up against such a monster and trying to stop her alone was impossible… She must have known that fact all too well herself.
Still, his legs didn't budge. It wasn't like they were someone else's. They were his own. Yet they wouldn't listen to him.
"Y-You… Fucking bastard… You won't… pass me…!!"
In the first place, it wasn't a battle he could win. However, he might have been able to buy some time.
Clevius clenched his teeth as he held his sword, charging straight towards Lucy.
Clevius' body flew through the air like a hawk as it aimed straight towards Lucy.
Whoosh.
Then, with a single gesture from Lucy's hand, he was sent flying to the ground.
Clevius' body, unable to withstand the magic power bullet, received a huge hit as he was sent flying towards the flower bed.
That time as well, it took less than a second for the battle to end.
"Y-You… stupid idiot… Clevius….!!"
The fallen Elvira clenched her teeth as she looked towards the smoke rising from the flower bed.
Lucy let out a small sigh as she calmly looked back towards Elvira… After a bit, she started to walk towards Ophelis Hall's front entrance once more.
It would be insane to continue to try and block her path.
***
Clang! Clang!
Fwooosh!
Ziggs Eiffelstein could wield almost any type of weapon. In the first place, he was a boy whose abilities were at a level where it wouldn't have been strange had he entered the combat department.
He was wielding a ceremonial rapier that was just hanging above the fireplace as a decoration. With the ceremonial rapier swordsmanship that he had learned from the Islam family, he had come to his own interpretation of it, adding in his own movements.
Wade was taken back by the sword attack that came flying his way, as he quickly took a defensive stance.
Expecting a sword attack that would be focused on stabbing, he was surprised to see Ziggs' movements were much freer than he had thought.
"No… This…!"
In the first place, since Ziggs didn't have any constraints when it came to wielding weapons, it was difficult to find any openings.
The life of a wild beast that roamed the northern grasslands and the life of one that learned about civilization and manners in the Islam household, following the example of the aristocrats that surrounded him.
The swordsmanship that had been completed by combining the two lifestyles had become extremely practical. It had reached a level that even surprised one's common sense.
For Wade, who only mastered the swordsmanship of a noble… it was beyond a level that was just difficult to deal with. It was at a level that couldn't be dealt with at all.
Wade was also at a level where he could be praised for his strength wherever he went. But to go against Ziggs in terms of swordsmanship, he would have to completely flip over his beliefs and the knowledge of swordsmanship that he had learned previously.
But… There aren't any gaps…!
In the moment he thought that, suddenly an opening was shown on Ziggs' side.
Fwoosh!
Clang!
He had tried to attack his side, taking advantage of the fact that Ziggs' center of gravity was completely leaning towards the left, but Wade's sword had completely bounced off. But Ziggs was in a position where he shouldn't have even been able to deflect such an attack.
However, he soon started to realize what happened.
It wasn't Ziggs' sword which had deflected the attack, it was magic. He had used the magic Wind Blade to stop Wade's attack.
In the first place, that gap was left open on purpose. By the time he realized that fact, he had gotten hit in the neck by the handle of Ziggs' rapier.
"Keughk!"
Ziggs then kicked Wade in the stomach. Wade was now all the way in the corner, rolling on the floor… After coughing heavily a few times, he barely managed to stand back up.
"Are you going to keep fighting?"
"Of course I will."
Wade shut his mouth as he stood up, glaring at Ziggs. Only then did he realize the difference in their strength.
It was such an obvious fact that it was strange he had forgotten it in the first place.
Ziggs… he was a magician. Swordsmanship was only secondary to him.
Remembering that fact, he had a realization of the difference in strength between Ziggs and himself. Still, Wade only laughed.
"Do you think I'm going to give up after only that much, Ziggs?"
"..."
"C-Cough… I'm someone who enjoys fighting against the strong. How could I give up after being lucky enough to have the opportunity to fight such a strong individual like yourself, in the magic department."
"Just for a bit more… Can you let me have my fun?"
Ziggs folded his arms, looking quietly at Wade. He then slowly closed his eyes for a moment… before slowly responding.
"You're a disgrace, Wade. You don't enjoy the fight, you only enjoy winning. If it isn't an opponent that you have at least some chance of winning against, you don't have the slightest desire to go against them."
"What did you say?"
"In the first place… That's all your worth. Answer me. If all you really wanted to do was fight against someone who was strong, there was no reason to choose me, a mere second year student in the magic department. Am I wrong?"
He then raised the rapier so that its long tip was pointed towards Wade.
"The top student in the second-year magic department isn't me, It's Lucy Mayreel."
Those words hit the target.
Ziggs had already made his way into Wade's innermost thoughts.
"Labeling her as impossible. Completely out of the realm of possibility. That's just all so convenient for you, isn't it? After all, there's no chance of you being able to win against someone like her. For someone like you, that isn't possible."
"That's… obvious…"
"That's right. And that's all you're made of."
Ziggs then attacked Wade, clashing swords.
"Keughk…!"
Wade was now in a position where all he could do was defend. As their swords continued to clash, Ziggs looked Wade straight in the eyes as he spoke.
"Grab your sword tight, you fucking coward."
It was the first time that he had heard Ziggs, who always looked so dignified, swear. Was that also part of his strategy to catch Wade off guard?
Despite Ziggs' warning in advance, the sword Wade was holding in his hand dropped. That was because while he was careless, Ziggs managed to kick the sword's blade.
C-Clang!
Wade's sword flew in the air before rolling onto the floor.
Ziggs' rapier was now pointed straight at Wade's neck.
"Th-This…"
"Are you looking for an excuse? Or are you looking for a reason to admit your defeat?"
Wade's eyes began to tremble.
There was nothing he could do except express his will to surrender. That was because it would be completely insane to try and fight back anymore after being completely overwhelmed and put in such a situation.
There was no way for him to fight back anymore.
If he acted as if he was crazy, grabbing onto the blade of the rapier and moving his body out of the way, or grabbing his sword and being willing to get somewhat injured in the process, or if he was even willing to risk a fatal injury… The options he still had available to him were endless.
However, the more he pushed himself, the more injuries he would receive… Wade knew that fact from experience all too well.
Wade, who was overcome by fear… slowly raised both of his hands.
"Yeah… That's your limit."
Boooom!
Suddenly, the sound of something collapsing was heard towards the entrance of Ophelis Hall.
***
It was more like a massive bullet that struck than an attack from a sword.
It was impossible to believe it all happened with just a single strike from a sword.
The pillar supporting the entrance of Ophelis Hall had completely collapsed.
Boooom!
Smoke rose through the pouring rain.
At some point, the boy had run out of the flower bed. And now, his entire head was dripping with blood.
Once again, he put himself in front of Lucy, blocking her path… It felt strange to even call him a human anymore.
His hair, which was drenched from the rain, covered his eyes. His expression couldn't be read at all.
But his leg was hurt… One of his knees was bent and he barely stood up, holding the sword that was still in its sheath.
In the first place, he couldn't win.
If that was how it would have to be, the best thing to do was buy time.
But still, there was no guarantee that everything would be resolved by buying just a little bit of time.
He hoped that some prince on a white horse would come out with immense power, taking care of the entire situation. However, it felt like it would all just be in vain.
The rain continued to fall. The entrance of Ophelis Hall had collapsed.
The Sword Demon that was covered in blood, holding onto his sword handle… he quietly sat down with his head lowered.
He no longer swore like he usually did, and he wasn't shivering in fear like he normally would. Instead, he was eerily quiet.
Time seemed to have completely stopped around the Sword Demon, who sat there in silence…
Elvira, who had fallen to the floor, watched as she forgot to breathe for a moment.