Ch.142142. The Star-Cutting Sword (4)

In the underground of the magic tower, there is a massive magic crystal. Who placed it there and why has long been forgotten. The mages of Kairos simply preserved and protected it because that’s what their ancestors and teachers had done, treating the crystal like a sacred treasure. The underground chamber housing this crystal, which had witnessed the entire history of the tower, was considered a sanctuary.

BANG!

And today, this sanctuary was being trampled under the muddy feet of outsiders.

“Connect it! If we’re going to properly use this as a power source, we need to awaken the magic sleeping within the crystal. Doesn’t anyone know how to do this?”

Nella Tarr waved her arms and legs as she issued orders. Mages and soldiers moved efficiently around the underground chamber following her instructions. A box stacked in one corner of the wall toppled over, spilling precious materials everywhere, but no one paid any attention. Nella merely frowned momentarily before continuing to direct people where to go and gather.

“What is the meaning of this, Associate Professor Nella!”

Someone rushed down to the underground in a panic. It was a full professor with white hair, a 4th Circle mage. Nella looked at him with narrowed eyes, as if finding him pathetic.

“We need more magic power to drive the grand spell. What else could provide a stable supply of large amounts of magic besides this crystal? Without it, we’ll all die.”

“Do you know what this crystal is and still say such things?!”

“What kind of object is it?”

The professor closed his mouth at Nella’s brazen question.

“It’s a treasure passed down through generations of the magic tower… What more explanation do you need?”

“Yes. You can die hugging your magic crystal alone. Or risk your life trying to stop me from using it. If you’re not prepared to do either, then just get out of my way. Stop annoying me. Go upstairs and help prepare the barrier activation. Try squeezing out whatever magic power you have left.”

Nella dismissed the professor’s words with a wave of the stack of documents in her hand. The professor couldn’t protest further and shut his mouth. It wasn’t simply due to lack of logic or evidence, but because he cowered under the pressure exuded by a 6th Circle mage.

“…Damn it. Fine, I understand. We’re doing this to survive. It’s an unavoidable situation. I get it, I get it. Just don’t look at me with such frightening eyes.”

As if trying to rationalize this action, the professor kept muttering as he approached the crystal. After examining it, he scratched his head and spoke again.

“If you do it that way, the magic extraction efficiency won’t be as high as you think.”

That’s more like it. Nella smiled inwardly with satisfaction. The professor began reciting methods for utilizing the magic crystal. The issues of magic quantity and stability could now be resolved. Nella quickly left the underground and entered the first floor. The preparations for activation were nearly complete. The entire floor had been transformed into an empty hall, and sparks of magic were flying everywhere from the accumulating spell effects.

“The magic circle?”

“It’s in a compressed state. Once we infuse the key magic power, the circle will deploy itself and unfold the spell. The compression process was so excellent that… we didn’t need to make any adjustments. Actually, 6th Circle Daphne has been handling all the calibrations alone.”

The one answering promptly was a teaching assistant with messy hair. Other mages were busily moving around him. Nella turned her head toward the center of the magic circle. Daphne was there with her eyes closed, resonating with the grand spell. Her pink hair swayed with the flow of magic.

“…I should leave her to concentrate.”

Since Nella had entered the tower, they had clashed dozens, perhaps hundreds of times. Though they couldn’t understand each other, they could at least grasp what thoughts the other held. While Nella sought revenge and validation of her worth, what Daphne wanted was to help. To share some of the burden carried on the hero’s shoulders. That was the only thought she held while creating magic.

“How on earth is someone like her knocking on the door of the 7th Circle?”

Mages are selfish. Or they’re not in their right mind. If neither, they cannot reach higher levels. Effort entails obsession, and obsession is madness. How far one is willing to go for magic determines a mage’s level and growth limit.

“What a fool.”

Nella shook her head. Caring for the hero. That too was an obsession of sorts. The killing intent Daphne had shown on the day she left the hero’s party, and when Nella had insulted the hero. That sentiment closer to conviction than obsession with Ilroy. Nella quietly watched Daphne resonating for a while. Space distorted with the compressed magic. Daphne’s appearance seemed like looking through a broken mirror.

“…It’s done.”

Nella read Daphne’s lips. Her purple eyes opened, and the magic completely stabilized. Daphne, who had been floating in the air, landed.

“Let’s send people to their positions and move to the top. I’ll ask you to adjust the positioning.”

“…You really are an unbelievable monster. Aren’t you tired?”

Daphne briefly shook her head and pressed the elevator button. Even with the world on the brink of destruction, the elevator in the magic tower opened frustratingly slowly. Nella suppressed the urge to tear apart those bars and got on the elevator. The mages on the first floor looked at the two with desperate eyes, mixed with hope, expectation, fear, and worry.

“Don’t just stand there! Move to your designated positions and prepare to assist!! Don’t you know we’re not the only ones trying to stop the comet?”

At Nella’s shout, the mages’ feet were freed. Nella clicked her tongue as she watched the mages moving like ants and the first floor resembling an anthill.

“I’m not sure if those guys can do this properly. Damn, I’m dying of anxiety.”

“We have to hope they can. There’s nothing more we can do, is there?”

The elevator rattled unsteadily all the way up. Nella was so anxious she wanted to bite her nails. All sorts of ominous thoughts were running through her head. She fidgeted with the documents, looking at the paper calculating the comet’s position, and rechecking the calculations.

“All preparations must be completed by 8 PM. The expected collision time is 8:20…”

Flip, flip. As the papers turned, the elevator decelerated. Nella hurriedly closed the document folder and blasted the elevator door with magic, destroying it. At Daphne’s incredulous look, Nella frowned deeply in irritation.

“What are you looking at? Were you going to wait until that thing opened?”

Nella kicked aside the bars and stepped outside. A cold wind blew in. She walked unhesitatingly to the center point of the magic tower’s roof where magic was manifesting. A sensation that made her hair stand on end. Nella felt the stirring of magic rising from beneath her feet, stimulating her body. Then, she raised her head and glared at the sky.

“If only you’d come a little slower.”

The end of the light trail was at the western horizon. The tail seemed to mark the boundary between north and south, or like a particularly vivid cloud. The comet appeared to be flying in much slower than its actual speed. The comet’s main body seemed to be circling in the void like a bird of prey preparing to dive for the hunt.

“Daphne, I think we should start deploying the barrier. The collision…”

Nella turned her gaze back to Daphne but stopped. Daphne was staggering, leaning against the wall and sweating profusely.

“Hey, are you really okay?”

Daphne raised her hand to stop Nella, who was startled and about to approach.

“I’m… fine. I think I used more energy than expected during the battle. There’s no issue with my magic power. I have enough reserves left, so we can proceed with the deployment as planned.”

Nella stood there with a frown, looking at Daphne. It was impossible to tell if she was catching her breath or exhaling from the burden. She was definitely not in her normal state.

“I know you’re not okay. We probably have about 10 minutes, so rest and recover a little.”

“I can’t do that. You know as well as I do that we don’t have time to spare.”

Daphne spoke forcefully as she removed her hand from the wall. She staggered once more before regaining her balance and standing straight.

“What if the spell doesn’t activate properly because of your condition? Rest a bit. Stop being so stubborn. You said you wanted to help Ilroy. Then you need to be in proper condition first.”

“You know well. Resting for 10 minutes won’t dramatically restore my magic or stamina. But there’s a sufficient possibility the comet will strike within 10 minutes.”

Nella’s frowning face gradually hardened into an expressionless mask. Daphne was still breathing heavily. The comet was approaching. Time flowed differently for the three entities. Nella momentarily stopped the clockwork ticking in her head.

“If you die stopping the comet, no one will blame you. Your companions would naturally be sad, but no one would blame you. No one would question it either.”

Her voice was as rigid as her expression. At Nella’s sudden words, Daphne raised her head with a puzzled expression. Nella was giving her a somewhat frustrated look.

“I wouldn’t care either, but would that really be okay with you?”

“Ilroy would probably understand. Even if he doesn’t, he might at least come to my grave and cry.”

Daphne said this with a smile. There wasn’t the slightest trace of melancholy in the smile of someone talking about death. Nella’s clockwork began ticking again. If she couldn’t let Daphne rest, there was no reason to delay the spell activation further.

Daphne walked to the center of the circle. Nella flipped through the documents, checking the calculations. The wind strangely subsided. The sounds of battle were distant. A world where only the sky and mountains covered with magical beasts could be seen if one didn’t look down. The two stood at the edge of such a world.

“Let’s begin.”

Daphne nodded and extended her hand. The key magic flowed from her fingertips. When that tightly clenched fist opens, an unprecedented grand spell will be completed. Nella also extended her hand to channel magic. The structure had Daphne handling the activation and deployment, while Nella took care of other adjustments.

“”Barrier activation.””

The two spoke simultaneously, and a fierce whirlwind rose from the first floor of the magic tower. A grating sound of magical friction was heard, and a magic circle large enough to cover half the royal capital appeared. Nella shuddered at its weight and swallowed hard.

“-Successfully activated! Target it!”

“I know…!”

Nella pointed her finger at the head of the comet. And as if recognizing its enemy, the comet suddenly accelerated. Marking the endpoint of its trajectory, Nella stretched her hand up toward the edge of the sky.

“Fixation complete. We need to deploy the barrier now!!”

Rumble.

The ground was shaking. Trees were being uprooted and rocks were losing their center and rolling away. Nella froze completely upon facing the true nature of the comet. It was neither magic nor anything else. It was simply a massive object that needed no further explanation. A being that overwhelmed just by looking at it. Was it arrogance to think they could destroy something like that from the beginning?

“I’m deploying it!!”

And the magic circle tilted toward the comet. Nella bit her lip and regained her focus. Daphne clenched her fist at the right moment, and the magic circle devoured space, creating a hole to the void. A darkness blacker than the night sky spread beyond the barrier.

“Infuse as much magic as possible!”

Nella said this while squeezing her heart to inject magic. If they weren’t careful, even magic would be meaninglessly crushed by that physical mass. Hundreds of mages were pouring in magic at the risk of their lives.

The coordinates were correct. The magic unfolded as designed. All that remained was to wait for the comet to be sucked into that void-!

Whoosh.

Dozens of trees, a portion of the city wall. Numerous injuries from the air pressure.

That was the extent of the damage left by the comet’s arrival.

The comet had entered the void created by the mages.

“It… worked!”

Nella shouted with wide eyes, unable to believe it, but Daphne shook her head strongly, indicating otherwise. From below, the huge cheers of mages who knew nothing could be heard.

“No… it’s still resisting fiercely. If the magic supply is interrupted even for a moment, it will tear through the sky and reappear.”

“Then what happens now?! Can you maintain the magic supply?”

Daphne couldn’t answer that question for a while, then very slowly nodded. It wasn’t really a question meant to be answered anyway. Daphne seemed to be barely conscious.

“I can do it.”

“How can you do it?”

Nella growled questioningly, but Daphne remained calm. The way a mage obtains magic beyond their capacity is obvious. They sacrifice their future time to gain the present.

“I can hold it for quite a while. Maybe even keep it contained until the comet loses its power in the space…”

“It’s all pointless if you die, you stupid idiot!”

Nella couldn’t hold back and shouted. At Nella’s sudden outburst, Daphne looked at her with round eyes. Nella glared at Daphne before slowly opening her mouth.

“I can’t do it. I can’t kill myself to save the world, and I don’t think I can watch you kill yourself to save the world either. And if I had to choose one, I’d choose the former.”

Nella stepped forward and extended her hand to Daphne.

“Hand it over. The control.”

“…I can’t do that.”

Daphne shook her head. As if she had already made all preparations, a blue energy was surrounding and circling Daphne. Nella firmly grasped Daphne’s hand.

“Hand it over.”

“Why are you being so stubborn? This isn’t like you at all. You said you were selfish.”

“Yes. I’m making this choice because I’m selfish. I simply can’t bear to watch with my own eyes a magical achievement that I could never reach being accomplished like this. But if I achieve that feat and die, I think I could die truly happy. And get revenge on that hero guy while I’m at it.”

Daphne resisted, and Nella tried to take it by force. The two held hands at the center of the magic circle, engaged in an invisible battle.

“You wouldn’t be happy dying here.”

“There’s no such thing as a happy death.”

Crackle.

Electricity sparked from their hands. Magic was flowing back and forth, colliding, mixing, and exploding repeatedly.

“The barrier will break at this rate, Nella.”

“Then you should hand over the barrier.”

Nella forcibly channeled her magic. The magic that was gradually developing cracks was filled and repaired with Nella’s power. The barrier stabilized, but the battle of nerves between the two mages didn’t stop. Then, Daphne raised her left hand that she hadn’t been using. An earthquake occurred in Nella’s eyes.

“Hey, what are you trying to-!”

Zap!

Nella fell to the ground, her body trembling. And Daphne rose into the air.

“You bastard…!!”

“Thank you, Nella. I would be really happy if you erected my tombstone.”

“Damn it… I said I would…!”

“Then you don’t have to.”

Daphne smiled and flew into the gaping void. She must have already created the seventh ring while activating this spell. The electric magic that hit Nella was beyond what Nella could overcome. Nella scratched the floor with her fingertips and screamed, but Daphne paid no attention. And she stepped into the barrier after the comet.

“Please tell Ilroy… and all my other companions that I’m thankful.”

“Tell them… yourself!! You damn woman….”

The last thing seen was her bright smile. Nella clenched her fist with eyes that had lost their light. Her nails had broken from scratching the floor, and blood was streaming out.

“Please….”

She was gone. Someone she had just been able to acknowledge as a comrade had disappeared so easily. A tear streamed down Nella’s cheek. A broken voice escaped from her throat, which had been strained from screaming.

“Who….”

Nella cried, seeking help for the first time.

“Help me.”

And the hero was there.

Was she seeing things? The hero existed like a hazy, bright light, like a dream. But right now, she didn’t care if it was an illusion. Whether real or not, she needed something to lean on.

“Ilroy…. There, in the closing place, the comet… Daphne…!”

The hero nodded. Then he turned around and soared up. Nella stared blankly at the wings unfolding behind his back. The two swords in his hands were crying low and high, wrapped in silver auspicious energy.

“I’ll bring her back.”

One sentence.

For some reason, Nella released all tension in her body at those words. The hero cut through the sky with one flap of his wings, and

then disappeared into the void just before it closed.