Amy remembered reading about a very special pearl. It was called the Alcantira Pearl, and it glowed with a dark, deep-sea light. It came from a giant clam that lived only in the very deepest, darkest part of the ocean, the Alcantira Trench.
The water there had no light and the pressure was so strong it would crush a person. Normal fishermen could never go there. Only special teams sent by kingdoms, with powerful mages to protect them, could ever hope to get one of these pearls.
The clam's shell was so strong it could handle the deep-sea pressure, and the pearl inside was even harder than a diamond! It was one of the hardest things in the whole world. Because it was a perfect sphere, it was also incredibly useful for machines.
Not many people would buy one for fun, but one single Alcantira Pearl was worth 200 million gold! It was so valuable that kingdoms sometimes used it as money when they traded with each other.
So this is an Alcantira Pearl… Amy thought to herself.
She knew that ancient, powerful weapons from long ago still existed because they were made from special space-rock metal. But even those old machines had parts that could wear out. The only thing strong enough to replace those parts was an Alcantira Pearl. At 200 million gold for just one tiny part, it was crazy to think how much money kingdoms spent.
Hah. This settles it, Amy thought.
The man across from her, Prince Zion, saw her quiet thinking and thought she was hesitating. He felt smug. Of course she would be unsure! He wasn't just offering her a pretty necklace; he was offering a treasure used by kings.
"You recognize it, I see," Zion said. "Most nobles propose marriage with a diamond, to mean unbreakable love. But this," he said, holding up the pearl, "this is harder. This is an Alcantira Pearl. Only royal family members can give these away. So, what do you say? Will you promise to marry me?"
Zion smiled a proud smile as he moved to put the necklace on her.
To be clear, Zion didn't give this pearl to just any girl. But even for someone as special as Amy, throwing away 200 million gold was crazy. Right now, however, he didn't care. He was planning something terrible. He thought that once her friend Shirone was dead, it wouldn't matter what he gave Amy anyway.
"I fell for you the moment I saw you," Zion said, giving his final, romantic speech. "Will you accept my heart?"
Amy just stared at him, feeling nothing. For most noble girls, a marriage proposal from the First Prince of Kazura with an Alcantira Pearl would be a dream come true. But Amy only felt worried. All she could think was: I need to get back to Shirone right now.
"I am sorry," Amy said firmly. "Thank you for the offer, but I cannot accept such an expensive gift."
Zion's face twisted in shock and anger. This was the first time a woman had ever said no to an Alcantira Pearl. Even if they weren't interested, most people would at least think about it!
Seeing that his gift didn't work, Zion decided to try his biggest, most important card.
"Then how about this?" Zion said. "Have my child. You could become a royal mother."
Amy's face showed she thought that was a ridiculous thing to say.
This kid is still wet behind the ears… she thought.
She knew many nobles married for politics, but royalty acted like their family bloodline was a gift from the gods. And maybe it was. Many women would line up for the chance to have a prince's child. But Amy had no desire to be royalty. To her, his words were an insult.
"I am leaving," Amy said. "We have nothing more to talk about."
She turned and walked toward the door without waiting for his reply.
"You—!" Zion yelled.
His pride was deeply hurt. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her back hard. Amy pulled her arm free, her skin stinging from his grip.
The prince of a whole nation, acting like this… she thought angrily.
She rubbed her wrist and glared at him. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked, her voice full of anger.
But Zion was the one who was truly furious. "You dare to refuse me? You are just a noble!"
Amy almost laughed. Her family, the Carmis family, was so respected that even her own kingdom's royal family treated them with honor. But then she remembered—this wasn't just any prince. This was the son of the powerful Empress Teraze.
"You followed me here because you wanted this, didn't you?" Zion sneered. "Do you know how honored you should feel to be in my room?"
"I said no, very clearly," Amy shot back.
"Hmph. You are arrogant. You don't know your place," Zion said, grinding his teeth. Then he calmed down and smirked. "Fine. Then as your prince, I command you. Serve me tonight."
"No," Amy refused. "Even though you are a prince, I am a noble of Tormia. I do not take orders from foreign royals."
"Oh? You think you are above me?" Zion said. "Then how about this? If you do not obey, I will start a war with Tormia."
Amy stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Do you think I am joking?" Zion continued. "The kingdom of Kazura will soon be mine. Once I am king, Tormia will be the first place I conquer. Your stubbornness will destroy your own nation."
This was not an empty threat. If Zion became king, his mother Teraze would use all her power to help him expand his kingdom.
As Amy slowly lowered her head, Zion thought she was finally giving up and he grinned.
But then—
A cold, strong voice came from her lips. "Do it, if you can."
"What?" Zion gasped.
"Start a war if you want," Amy challenged.
"You have lost your mind!" he shouted.
A noble girl daring to speak so rudely to a prince was unbelievable! But compared to her defiance, that was nothing.
"You think I'm joking?" Zion snarled. "You will regret this."
Amy couldn't help but laugh. "You are delusional. You, becoming king? Don't flatter yourself. Everyone knows your position as First Prince is already weak and shaky."
"You—!" Zion yelled, his eyes burning with fury. He had never been so insulted in his entire life.
He changed his mind. He wouldn't kill her right away. First, he would break her spirit, just enough to keep her alive. Then, when he burned her kingdom to the ground, he would make her watch and cry tears of blood.
"You said those words… You will take responsibility for them?" he asked darkly.
"Responsibility? No, I will not take any," Amy said, her crimson eyes beginning to glow with power. "But even if a war starts because of me, I will fight for my kingdom as one of its citizens. I am ready to die for it."
Zion flinched. He felt a scary, dangerous energy coming from Amy. It made his blood run cold. Who would have thought the pretty, blushing girl from the party could be so brave?
They say mages are strange and powerful… he thought.
Amy stepped closer, her eyes blazing. "What are you planning? Why did you really bring me here?"
She was thinking hard. A prince like Zion wouldn't have tricked her and Shirone's parents just to flirt. That meant he had serious business with Shirone. But what?
Suddenly, Amy understood. Her lips trembled with fear.
Zion didn't matter. The important thing was that Empress Teraze's whole group planned to finish things tonight.
She had to find Shirone—right now!
She focused her mind, entering a state mages call the Spirit Zone. With her senses super-sharp, she could feel the door behind her. She realized it was locked from the inside. Her only choice was to break it down.
She prepared a Fireball spell in her hand, waiting for her chance. The moment Zion's face twisted into a savage look, she made her move! She spun around and ran for the door.
"Armand!" Zion shouted.
His demonic sword, Armand, flew through the air into his grip. Without even looking, he threw it right at Amy!
Amy twisted her body in mid-air, barely dodging as the sword slammed deep into the wooden door. If she hadn't been using her Spirit Zone senses, she would be dead.
He really is trying to kill me, she thought. Fine—let's finish this.
But Zion just looked smug. Logically, now that she was trapped, he should be worried. But he wasn't. She soon saw why.
It was the sword, Armand.
A sinister, evil energy—unlike anything she had ever felt—was coming from the sword stuck in the door. It felt like something gross and horrible was clinging to it. The feeling was so vile it was terrifying.
"You think you can just walk away unharmed?" Zion laughed. "I am not some weakling in my own kingdom."
"The Carmis family is powerful, it's true," Zion admitted. "But once Shirone is dead, it all ends."
He knew that killing someone was the easiest way to win a fight. It wasn't that the dead person was important, but because a dead person can't talk or defend themselves. With Shirone gone, people like Zion could make up any story they wanted.
I have to get out. No matter what, Amy told herself.
She bit her lip so hard it bled. The metallic taste of her own blood helped her focus and fight off the scary aura from the demonic sword.
Count to three—then move! she planned.
But just as she was getting ready, Zion called out, "Armand, return!"
The sword flew back to his hand. Amy frowned, watching him carefully. Why would he pull the sword out after using it to block her escape? It didn't make sense. She was sure she was a better fighter than he was.
His next words made everything clear.
"What a pity," Zion said. "You could have had the most exciting night of your life. But thanks to your silly noble pride, you will die without ever knowing love."
"I won't let you kill me," Amy shot back. "But if I die and become a ghost, I will haunt you first. If you see me in your dreams, you'll know there is an afterlife."
Zion's face contorted with rage. He decided that talking was pointless. The only thing a mage understood was force. The thought of Amy's gruesome fate made him feel better. He held Armand straight up and chanted:
"Diamond Armor."
CLANG!
The sword began to split apart like a spider's legs! The hilt and the blade separated. A gross, red, fleshy fiber, like the essence of life itself, oozed out like thick oil.
The evil feeling was even stronger than before. The sword, centered around a red gem, now looked like a giant metal spider.
What happened next was even worse.
The dozens of split blade-limbs lunged at Zion and started to swallow him whole, starting from his head!
The real fight was about to begin.
Amy frowned in disgust, but in the blink of an eye, the gross spectacle changed into a form that looked more like a suit of armor.
The part that was the hilt became a helmet that covered Zion's face. The blade stretched over his head and then curved down his back, sticking to his muscles to form a metal skeleton.
From that skeleton, more metal spread out, shaping into pieces of armor. The metal that reached his wrists formed into giant gauntlets. The part that flowed down his legs turned into pointed metal boots.
Once the armor covered his important organs, the red, fleshy fibers wrapped around all his joints, sealing the armor to his body perfectly.
Finally, a huge amount of fiber seeped from the neck of the armor and transformed into a long, fluttering red cape.
To Amy, it all happened so fast it looked like a magical transformation.
Zion, his face now hidden behind a cross-shaped helmet, lowered his arms and clenched his fists.
CLINK! CLINK!
Suddenly, two thirty-centimeter-long blades sprang out from the top of his gauntlets!
Amy gulped. Apart from the glint of his eyes behind the visor, every part of Zion was now covered by the demonic sword. It was like the red fibers had covered his body first, and then the armor was layered on top.
How is this even possible? she wondered.
This broke all the rules of magic and science. Just the weight of all that metal had to be much heavier than the original sword. And what were those red fibers?
She realized that if strong, flexible muscles protected the joints, the armor would be both super tough and let him move quickly. That was why Zion, even in the heavy armor, now moved with more speed and agility than before.
Zion smirked behind his helmet, seeing how confused Amy was.
Hmph, of course. When would a little girl like her ever have seen something like this? he thought.
His S-class object, the [Silver Metal Lifeform], had amazing powers. It could do two main things. The first was [Precision Control], letting him control the sword with his mind. The second was [Diamond Armament], which let him fuse with the sword to become an unbreakable armor.
Right now, he was using [Diamond Armament Mode]. In this mode, the sword acted like a living thing and fully protected him, and since it shared a connection with Zion's brain, it could even think for itself!
"Did you think I was just some stupid prince, living off my mother's famous name?" Zion taunted.
He took a step forward.
CLANK! The sound of his steel boots scraping the floor was scary. Amy instinctively pressed her back against the sealed door.
"Of course, you might have thought that," Zion said. "But what does it matter? Before the great name of Teraze, everything else is nothing. Your family, your talent—I don't want any of it. Because I…"
Zion stretched out his armored palm toward Amy.
"…am a member of the great royal family."
The red, fibrous gauntlet writhed like a living snake. Then, a sharp tendril shot out from the center of his palm, flying straight at Amy's heart!
Even in her panic, Amy saw the tip of the tendril harden into a blade as it flew. She jumped to the side just in time.
BANG! The tendril stabbed deep into the door. At the same time, the part connected to Zion's palm snapped off, as if it was meant to be fired like a bullet.
Amy stared in horror. Where the tendril had hit the door, root-like red fibers started to spread out, completely sealing the door shut, making it even stronger than before.
Biting her lip, Amy knew that no ordinary strength would be enough to break those weird, tough fibers.
"When are you going to use that fire spell in your hand?" Zion asked, slowly walking closer.
The pressure coming from him now was completely different from before. It was like the sword's evil aura had become a part of him, making him much more dangerous.
"Then again," he sneered, "you didn't really think a little fireball would work on me, did you?"
Zion raised one of the long blades on his gauntlet. The smooth, shiny metal reflected Amy's own worried face, glaring back at her. He was ready to attack.