The concept of Sub-Bell was a phenomenon unique to this Lostbelt.
As a Magus of Proper Human History, Shiomi possessed knowledge that far surpassed that of his contemporaries. He often exchanged information privately with Romani, who had once served as Solomon, the Magus King. Their discussions included subjects such as fairies and phantasmal species—beings long extinct in the modern age.
Thus, Shiomi could assert this fact with confidence. Sub-Bell were beings akin to fragments of the planet's soul. The Primordial Sub-Bell possessed power on a scale comparable to deities born from the personification of nature.
Yet unlike gods, they did not grant humanity any form of "law." Take Quetzalcoatl, for example. That principal deity of South America consciously reshaped the natural order through her power, compelling the people of Ur to revere her in exchange for divine protection. Sub-Bell, however, would never act in such a way.
It was also possible that Sub-Bell were entities sent to the surface after receiving a mission from the planet itself. Whichever the case, the might of both the Primordial Sub-Bell and the Returned Sub-Bell was beyond dispute.
Shiomi had already experienced that power firsthand in battle two thousand years ago. Hence, within the world of Magi, he could be called—the "Sub-Bell Killer."
"How... could this be? Is this really human power?"
Clutching his wounded chest, Wryneck slowly stood. His injury closed completely within a single breath—trivial to him. With the special organ known as the "Star Lung," any wound he suffered could heal almost instantly.
What astonished him, however, was that this so-called Sage before him had struck faster than he could react, sending him—the Returned Sub-Bell—crashing backward. He hadn't even seen the strike's timing, nor had he time to defend.
"Surprised? Just as among the fairies, a Returned Sub-Bell sometimes arises with strength rivaling that of the Primordial, it's not impossible for a human to appear who can match a divine being."
Shiomi strode calmly across the open field, closing the distance between them.
The Fang Fairies watching from afar stepped back, widening the space for their duel. This battle had already become sacred. To intervene rashly would only earn Wryneck's fury. They could only wait until the fight between this human and their kin reached its conclusion.
"Spare me your arrogance!"
Wryneck's hands elongated into sharp claws as he lunged forward with a growl. Shiomi stopped in place, unflustered, calmly parrying his lightning-fast strikes.
Those claws had the strength to cleave mountains and shatter stone. Even the sturdy armor forged by the Earth Clan would be pierced like paper. So rather than meet them head-on, avoiding contact was the wiser choice.
Yet Wryneck began to feel as though he were cursed. Every blow seemed certain to land, but each fell short by the slightest margin. His claws lashed out faster and faster, the slicing wind pressure around them widening in range.
Then, after another missed strike, the gust tore through Shiomi's sleeve. His expression flickered with mild surprise. Before Wryneck could follow up, Shiomi's fist slammed squarely into his chest, driving him back once more.
"Almost forgot—this outfit tends to catch on things. Still, you're the first opponent in a long time who's actually managed to damage it."
Shiomi gave a slight shake of his head, then spoke as if nothing had happened.
"Go on. I'll be more careful this time. Or is that all your so-called strength can do—tear my sleeve, Sub-Bell?"
Before he had even finished speaking, Shiomi flashed forward, appearing before Wryneck in an instant. He raised his foot and stomped down hard, but Wryneck's agility saved him; he sprang upward, soaring more than ten meters into the air.
"It's not over yet!"
As he shouted, Wryneck's eyes flared crimson. The space around Shiomi instantly grew heavy.
The crushing pressure of Sub-Bell. A binding force emanating from the eyes. Somewhat reminiscent of Touko's Mystic Eyes of Enchantment—yet fundamentally different. In a sense, it too could be considered a type of Fairy Eye.
"Oh… this move again." Shiomi casually flexed his fingers, unfazed by the crushing pressure around him. Even the weight of space itself couldn't make him bend.
Wryneck had already raised his expectations. He knew defeating the Sage with sight alone was impossible—this was only the preliminary stage of his sealing plan.
As the force lifting him waned and he began to fall, Wryneck raised one hand. Mana surged instantly into his palm, condensed, and fired as a beam of violet light.
A pure Mana strike—no chant, no preparation. It was the innate ability of a Sub-Bell reverting to their ancestral state. In that instant, Wryneck's hand became a cannon turret, unleashing a barrage of beams at Shiomi.
The ground erupted around them, explosions shaking the field as dense dust veiled the scene. Just as Wryneck prepared to press his assault, he felt a sudden weight on his back.
"Fall."
At Shiomi's voice, the chieftain of the Fang Fairies crashed into the earth, carving out a crater half a meter deep. Shiomi sat on his back.
"When did you…?" Wryneck's eyes trembled violently—he hadn't even seen what happened.
Shiomi looked as though he were simply resting, his weight pinning Wryneck so firmly that he couldn't move.
"One question. Have you ever killed a fairy?"
"Yes." Wryneck tensed, but couldn't break free.
"Humans?"
"The same."
"Then… Sub-Bell?" Shiomi suddenly shifted the topic.
Wryneck froze, uncertain what he meant. Shiomi rested his chin on his hand, propped on one knee.
"Two thousand years ago, I killed three Returned Sub-Bell—one from the Fang Clan, one from the Wind Clan, and one from the Wing Clan. You and that Fang Clan Sub-Bell look different, but your strength and fighting style are nearly identical."
"You… it was you?" Wryneck's voice shook.
He'd always wondered how the previous Sub-Bell had died, but could never find the truth. Could it really have been this human? A human who had lived for two thousand years?
Suddenly, the weight lifted. Shiomi stepped lightly out of the crater, his robe swaying in the wind.
"A rare chance—to meet another Fang Clan Sub-Bell. Let me give you a proper lesson, and help you understand the sins your clan has committed."
Shiomi raised one finger as Mana surged through his body.
Wryneck, now on his feet and keeping his distance, noticed the change and crossed his arms in defense. Was it going to be a Mana blast—or hand-to-hand combat infused with Mana? Even now, he still didn't understand Shiomi's fighting style.
"'Accumulating like rain, piling up like dust; melting like snowflakes, vanishing like lies. This is the hope you've sealed away, this is the sin time has buried. Now, I shall reveal its true form.'"
Shiomi intoned calmly.
"Reality Marble, [Eternal Orkney]."
Magecraft—the power that drives the world. As the final words left his lips, an icy chill swept across the plain.