The courtyard was roughly fifty meters square, bluestone-paved, with wooden targets lined neatly along one side.
Sora and Aaliyah walked to the center, stopping ten meters apart.
Aaliyah drew the bright silver sword at her waist with both hands. Her expression hardened; in an instant, her entire presence changed. A faint pressure radiated from her, and a light breeze coiled around her body, sweeping dust away from within a meter of where she stood.
Sora's face grew more serious.
His thoughts brushed against Shui Linger's in the water gem.
Shui Linger, I can feel a magic reaction, but it's different. Do you know what this is?
Don't bother me with trivia… Let me see. Huh — this human's magic is different from yours. I've… seen this before… Where?
"Vicious guard, won't you draw your sword?" Aaliyah asked.
"Well, my sword's a bit strong. Be careful," Sora replied, sliding Dever from his left hip with his right hand.
"Oh, back again. And this time the opponent's just a little girl, buddy," Dever said lazily.
"Huh? The sword… it talks?!" Aaliyah recoiled.
"This is the 'Sword of Wisdom.' Never seen one?" Sora said lightly. "Dever can absorb and release magic up to power rank five. If you're a mage below Triangle-class, you've no chance."
"Quite a blade," Aaliyah said. "But I'm not a mage. If anything, I'm… a 'magic swordsman.'"
I remember now, Shui Linger said. This is how humans used mana six thousand years ago — spreading it through the body to strengthen it, boost reflexes, and add elemental damage. Since Premier, humans shifted to his external-element casting method. Didn't expect someone still walking this path.
"Vicious guard, I'm coming," Aaliyah called.
She launched forward — faster than Sora expected. Ten meters vanished in a heartbeat. She brought her sword up from her right hip in a rising slash.
Sora braced Dever in front of her blade.
CLANG!!
Steel met steel. Though barely one meter fifty-eight and a girl besides, her strength matched Sora's one-eighty height. Sharp, invisible winds skimmed past Dever, raking Sora's body.
"Kh… kh… kh…"
It felt like being cut by sheets of paper. Not painful, but tiny wounds blossomed everywhere.
Secondary elemental damage — unlike Wind Blade or Wind Hammer, Dever couldn't absorb it.
Now this… is interesting, Sora thought, a smile tugging at his lips.
He pressed his left hand over his right and shoved, forcing Aaliyah back.
Then he chanted quickly.
"Yah Phil Albrook." — [Fireball].
The fireball's power flowed straight into Dever; the blade flared red.
Aaliyah, knocked away, charged again, sword raised in a high overhead slash.
Sora swung to meet her.
CLANG — BOOM!
From the impact point, a burst of flame erupted, swallowing the tiny wind-blades clinging to her strike and surging back toward her.
Aaliyah's expression sharpened. She bent low; the flames roared over her head.
She came up with another slash. Sora hopped aside, letting the blade miss. Mid-swing, Aaliyah pivoted — turning the rising arc into a horizontal cut at his waist.
Sora inverted Dever, blocking awkwardly. Without proper leverage, he took the full brunt of her power and was flung five or six meters, crashing through three wooden targets before hitting the ground.
Her assault did not slow. She sprang after him, left hand feinting, right hand gripping the sword as her focus locked onto him.
Her blade stabbed in a blur, thrust after thrust so fast the tip became a whirling storm. In an instant, a ball of steel half a meter across enveloped Sora's upper body.
Barely landing, Sora had no time for magic — and nowhere to dodge.
If this continues, he realized, I'll be riddled like a beehive — and she'll be cut in half.
He swung Dever in a brutal horizontal slash toward her waist.
Aaliyah could still adjust. She halted mid-stab, compressing the storm of thrusts into a single downward chop. Her silver blade crashed onto Dever before it reached her.
KENG!!
Dever scraped a half-circle in the stone at her feet as Sora slid back and then sprang away, resheathing.
Aaliyah paused her pursuit.
"Using a mutual-kill move like that is really sneaky," she said, displeased.
"Sorry, sorry — it's all I could think of at the time," Sora answered. "Didn't expect you to be that strong. At your range, any mage without Square-tier instant-cast would be dead."
"Vicious guard, you're not Square-tier," Aaliyah said seriously.
"I'm not just a mage," Sora smiled. "I'm also a swordsman."
"I'll give it my all next — be careful."
Sora closed his eyes and murmured:
"Yah Phil Phil Albrook." — [Great Fireball].
Red light pulsed along Dever's blade.
"Inz Wendy Wendy Gluck." — [Great Wind Hammer].
Blue light joined it.
Eyes closed, Sora stilled.
Aaliyah began circling ten meters away, feinting charges and halting herself each time.
This feeling… The danger radiating from him, the suffocating killing intent, made retreat seem wise. Logically, with his eyes shut, he shouldn't react — even to a full-force strike.
But fear consumed stamina. If she remained frozen, she'd lose.
Finally, Aaliyah cast aside her hesitation. Her gaze cleared; silver blade blazed, wind howling around it.
I'm going!
She charged from his flank, closing ten meters in a blink. Wind-wrapped sword humming at power rank five — enough to cripple or kill.
Sora sensed her through mind's eye, not sight or mana — a perception his grandfather had taught on Earth, refined in battle with Fukai. Now he invoked it again.
As Aaliyah committed, Sora's sword snapped back in a diagonal reverse slash.
[Great Fireball] and [Great Wind Hammer], stored in Dever, erupted together — merging into a torrent of fire and wind.
A three-meter-high, five-meter-long wave of flame roared from the blade, engulfing her charge.
The gale-laced sword carved a narrow passage in the inferno — just wide enough for one body. Then the surrounding winds were devoured, and her blade could no longer hold back the advancing wall.
No way to stop this. I'm going to die, Aaliyah thought, closing her eyes.
Facing death, everything went blank.
Neither Father nor Sister nor Verus came to mind.
Instead, memories played: her clumsy magic lessons; brilliant, crushing Sister whose talent loomed like a mountain; never once praised. Her confidence in magic eroded.
Then came discovery — pouring magic into her body by accident, dispersing it through muscles. A path she named the [Mage's Road]. She grew strong enough to rival Sister, but joy never came. Mages had clear paths from Point-tier to Square-tier; she'd groped here alone and stalled. Even surpassing her Triangle-tier sister, she'd still be overtaken by a Square-tier wall.
If only I could see further…
Sora had no intention of killing this fierce girl. The moment flames overwhelmed her wind barrier, he invoked Dever's absorption again.
One second before the fire touched her skin, the blast thinned into scattered embers, dissipating. A few sparks brushed her cheeks — more numb and itchy than painful.
When the heat finally faded, Aaliyah opened her eyes.
Sora stood before her, half-smiling.
"You didn't think I'd kill you, did you? That regretful look — like you were about to die without confessing your love?"
She collapsed to the ground, strength gone with the ebbing terror.
"Hey, you alright?" Sora asked, suddenly worried. Did Dever fail to pull everything back? Did I roast her brain? If she's truly hurt, there goes the Grunt–Verus alliance…
He helped her up, checking her breath — steady. Fingers on her wrist — pulse strong, no obvious injuries.
Aaliyah's face burned. She opened her mouth, flustered, trying to speak.
Sora released her hand.
"Looks like I win. Show me to a room, little girl — I need rest."
"It's not 'little girl,'" she muttered, glaring.
"Come," she said shortly after losing, speaking less, and silently led him to a guest chamber before departing.
Left alone, Sora lay on the bed. Dever and Shui Linger both had minds of their own — hardly quiet company. He reached inward.
Shui Linger, Shui Linger — can I use mana to enhance my body?
Of course. What do you think your physique is? What was my 'baptism'? Your body's already washed in my mana. Why else do your strength and reflexes rival that girl's? You've gained water's physical blessing — rapid regeneration, flexibility, impact resistance.
What about water-attribute "extra damage"?
That's just mana leakage. Release power as you strike and it spills out as chaotic elements — drafts, mist, dust. Useless.
So… is there a way to release it in an orderly way? Sora's eyes lit up.
Want to learn? Shui Linger asked coolly.
Yes. I really do.
Beg me.
Please, Lady Shui Linger — you're the greatest. Teach me how to wield mana without casting spells.
(Of all the humans I've seen, Sora is the most shameless, Shui Linger thought, sealing his surface thoughts from him. His mental realm's so low nothing's hidden — like watching a movie: when he stopped wetting the bed, first crush, all of it.)
Fine. I can teach you. But don't forget why I'm bound to this gem.
Sora thought. Ah — the guy who stole the Water Spirit Ring and offended your majesty.
You humans… you really forget. My tone's not a joke. You're in Albion now — first, find who wears my ring.
Understood, Lady Shui Linger. I'll track him down. But, please, teach me. Teach me! Sora's eyes practically shone.
Hopeless… All right. Relax your control of the body. I'll take over to demonstrate.
Like this?
Don't tense up. Fine — I'm coming in.
Lady Shui Linger…
What?
Please… be gentle with this humble servant's body.
…Roll!!
Sora's consciousness cut off — thoughts blocked. He couldn't sense her exasperation.
Shui Linger took command. Sora's eyes glowed water-blue; mana coursed. Around her manifested water orbs, ice spears, flowing streams, serpentine whips, even a coiling water dragon, spiraling up and down around her.
Sora's observing mind drank in every shift, memorizing the flows and principles behind Shui Linger's demonstration.