Salinger, the Transcendental Sorcerer

The buildings glittered golden as the sun lit them up.

The morning mist that had settled in during the night was flushed out by the earlymorning wind between the buildings, melting away without a trace.

They were in the hotel, in the presidential suite.

From their floor, which featured floor-to-ceiling glass panels on all sides, Alice elegantly

watched the view below her. Her long golden locks shone wherever the sunlight

landed.

Iska watched her absentmindedly from right beside her.

A girl and a boy connected by a single chain: Iska was in handcuffs, Alice had her

bracelet, and those rings were tied together—to prevent Iska from escaping.

The sedative had stopped affecting his body the night before. The only things still

restraining Iska were the handcuffs and the chain that bound him to the girl.

"Yow?!"

"Hey, Imperial swordsman, don't get any closer to Lady Alice."

That came from immediately behind Iska. Hovering by him, the attendant prodded his

back with the tip of a paring knife. Unlike Alice in her dress, Rin was in her usual

housekeeping uniform.

"What suspicious behavior. You must be trying to get close to Lady Alice so you can

launch a sudden attack on her…"

"I just can't get away from her because of the chain!"

"Then why were you looking at her?"

"…Are you telling me to look at the prison spires? It's not like I want to look at the

buildings where I might be imprisoned."

He felt like a prisoner of war who had been brought up to the gallows. The prison spire,

after all, was essentially the guillotine, which he obviously didn't think too much about.

"Stop that, Rin. Don't threaten Iska. Why would you tell him we're putting him in jail?"

Rin's mistress rebuked her. "Didn't I tell you just yesterday? We shouldn't have ever

captured him in the first place. We'll demand a ransom, but after negotiations are over,

we'll let him go home."

"I know that, but…" Rin let out a long sigh, lamenting as she looked back and forth

between her lady and the prisoner. "You narrowly escaped death, Imperial swordsman.

If Lady Alice was not so kind, you would have spent the rest of your life in Orelgan."

"Orelgan?"

"I have no obligation to explain what that is to you… Lady Alice, I will head to the first

floor to communicate with the central state. After that comes checking on the schedule

with the royal palace, since we've been away yesterday and today." Rin bowed and

turned her back on them. The pair watched as she left the room.

"Can you see them?" Kshk. The chain rubbed against itself. Alice was connected to Iska

by the wrist, pointing her finger beyond the glass. "Those three prison spires on the

horizon."

"The two smaller ones and the tall one in the middle?"

"Yes. One of those is a prison spire called Orelgan. It is the most closely guarded of

them all. There are atrocious criminals locked up in there."

"…I see."

You better not lay a hand on Lady Alice , Rin would have threatened if she had been in

the room.

"I gather it's full of terrifying prisoners?"

"Other than one part of it , the prison is normal. It's not as though those criminals are

all powerful astral mages. I once visited the place when I was young, but they were all

in their cells and sitting down in handcuffs, I think."

"…And the exception?"

"It's underground. Orelgan extends beyond the surface, and there's a room at the

lowest depths that the guards refused to show me."

A place that even the princess couldn't visit?

There were two possibilities he could think of immediately. One was that the prisoner

was so bone-chilling, they wouldn't allow visitors. The other was that the prisoner in

the cell was—

"Salinger, the 'transcendental' sorcerer. Not that I expect you to know him. Unless you

do?"

"No, not at all… But is that because he's a prisoner?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Alice, you just said sorcerer."

Iska hadn't ever heard of the sorcerer Salinger. But he was compelled to ask his

question because he was surprised the Sovereign princess would be calling a mage a

sorcerer.

…I mean, witches and sorcerers are derogatory terms for people with astral power.

…Aren't they all astral mages to the Nebulis Sovereignty?

As one who ultimately sought peace between the two nations, Iska tried to use astral

mage whenever possible, unless he had a specific reason. Someone with the same goal

as him wouldn't be compelled to use that term.

"Alice, I thought you'd get angry if someone from the Empire called you that."

"I would."

"…Then why did you just call him a sorcerer ?"

"I don't want to use that term, either. But we do for him. Our country accepts all astral

mages and protects them. But those who commit crimes require punishment. Those

who are imprisoned are called witches and sorcerers."

"..."

"Salinger the Transcendental turned his blade on the then-queen. A terrible criminal

who schemed to overthrow the country. The word sorcerer is the label borne by those

who commit heinous crimes."

It wasn't a symbol of discrimination but of transgression.

In the Empire, someone who turned their sword on the Lord would face nothing short

of execution. The queen must have been lenient for sentencing him with only

imprisonment.

"Regardless, this is about something that took place thirty years ago." Alice shrugged.

"It happened during the time of Nebulis VII. And since then, the deepest point in

Orelgan has been the den of that sorcerer."

"…Did he turn his sword on the queen because he was unhappy?"

"No."

"Then because he wanted to become the Sovereignty's king?"

"Close, but not quite." The princess with a right to succeed the throne pursed her lips,

placing her hand on the glass pane. "That sorcerer attempted to become something

greater than king."

"—Gh?"

"Okay, that's all I can say… Gosh, this is bad. When you're listening, I always say too

much. I've already revealed top secret information to you." Alice grinned wryly and

awkwardly as she pointed at him with her slender finger. "You can't go around telling

everyone in the Empire, now."

"…I know that."

"Or Rin for that matter. If you tell her that I told you about Salinger, then she'll be even

more vindictive about not letting you go home alive—"

"Lady Alice."

"Woo-oof?!" Alice leaped with enough force to hit the ceiling. "I—I wonder what you

might need, Rin?"

"I'd like to ask you the same. Did you just yip like a puppy? Your behavior as a princess

is—"

"That's all fine. What happened?"

Rin had exhibited a slight nervousness that escaped Iska, but her lady had seen

through the subtle change in her demeanor.

"There was a report. It's just…," Rin trailed off.

"Is Iska an issue?"

"No, I believe there is no issue with him hearing. If anything, his presence is

convenient." She glanced at Iska for a moment before turning to her lady. "We suspect

agents have passed through the border and infiltrated the country."

"…What did you say?"

"In twelve of the states, excluding the central state, the residents have reported seeing

strange groups. We have considered the possibility that they might be Imperial spy

units and issued a formal statement for everyone to be on high alert."

"You think they followed us from the neutral city?"

"No." The attendant shook her head. "I mean, the chances of being tailed aren't zero.

But it should be incredibly difficult for a member of the Imperial military to cross our

borders in the first place… Isn't that right, Imperial swordsman?"

"I don't know anything." Prudently selecting his words, Iska raised his handcuffed

hands.

Had their prisoner guided them in some way?

Considering the incredibly coincidental timing of the Imperial military's actions, they

immediately suspected Iska. This was no joking matter. It was a false accusation.

"I've been here this whole time for the past two days. You did several body checks on

me and took away my communications device. Plus, wouldn't you know more about

the difficulty of slipping through the Sovereignty's defenses?"

The astral trial.

It was far too dangerous for an Imperial soldier to make an attempt to cross the border.

If they were caught, they would be interrogated and forced to spill all the secrets of

the Empire.

But Iska could think of at least one person who had the ability to cross the border.

…Could it be Captain Mismis?

…Since she has astral power, she would be able to get across the border by showing them

the crest on her shoulder.

The chances were extremely low. If anything, the only one who could do it was Captain

Mismis. Would she really leave behind Jhin and Nene to act on her own?

…Captain Mismis wouldn't be that rash.

…Plus, Jhin and Nene would never allow it in the first place.

Therefore, he really didn't know anything. He had answered with the truth.

"I don't intend to suspect you of anything. I've been with you this whole time." Alice

took off the bracelet and undid the chain that connected the two of them together.

Alice was free. Iska was still handcuffed by both hands, immobile for the most part.

"Rin, you said these groups have been witnessed in places other than Alcatroz? In that

case, it's clear that he hasn't incited this and that we haven't been followed."

"Yes, they seem to be moving in a very systemic way."

"Let's wait to hear what my mother orders. I'd like to take a walk and get a look

outside. You stay here, Rin. And you too, Iska."

With a gentle sweep of her fingers, she quickly brushed aside her golden bangs lit up

by the sun.

Her voice carried the weight of her resolve.

"I want to release you on agreeable terms, but you heard that just now. The situation

won't allow it. I just can't get away from you, no matter how I try… It seems a strange

fate ties us both together."

The Ice Calamity Witch Alice exited the presidential suite.

It was slowly growing dark.

This was the time of day when the madder-red sky seemed as though it were ablaze

as the sun sank behind the tall buildings. The shadows of the twisted spires grew long

and stretched across the plots of grass.

One of them was Orelgan.

Even among the prison spires characteristic of the thirteenth state, Orelgan was a

place that housed only the most wicked of criminals. The site was surrounded by cold

iron fencing, and the windows were adorned with bars.

"It's not any different from Imperial cells. But the prison seems a generation older

than anything in our country."

They were three levels underground.

Concealing himself in the shadow of a protruding wall, Jhin muttered in a stifled voice.

"Cramped passageways and walls made of stone. The lights are reinforced glass. The

cells are made of steel, and just one set of doors weighs over sixty pounds. Opening

even one is a pain in the ass."

"…Right. I agree. They're not using a mechanical authentication system," whispered

Captain Mismis into his ear. "In the Empire, the doors would be automatic, and if the

prisoners had escaped, they would know from the surveillance cameras. But they

don't even have those. Right, Nene?"

"Hmm." Nene brought up the rear of their three-person line, glancing around the

basement floor from the darkness. "I think it would break them."

"What's that?"

"I mean, the surveillance cameras would have to be in corners of the ceiling. Like there.

But everyone in here is either a witch or a sorcerer, right? Cameras are easy to spot,

so any attempted escapees would have broken them already. With their astral power."

"Oh, right…!" Mismis agreed.

The prisoners could unleash astral power. Even with the Empire's anti–astral power

weapons, signal jamming could interrupt waves of astral power for only two or three

seconds max. There was no way to render astral attacks entirely useless.

Which was why these prisons simply had to be strong and durable.

"I guess they can't use automatic doors, either. A strong astral attack would be able to

break through a weak mechanical barrier, and they could make their escape. If I

oversaw the surveillance here, I think I'd make it this way, too. A thick stone wall

wouldn't be vulnerable even with fire- or wind-types," observed Nene.

There was another side to the communications engineer. While she had been enrolled

in officer cadet school, she had been scouted as an engineer by the Department of

Suppression Weapons Development at the capital. If she hadn't met Iska, Jhin, and

Mismis, she probably would have become a top researcher there.

"Which is why this prison spire was built underground?" asked Mismis.

"Pretty much. It's hard to imagine, but this works better than making it reach the sky."

The spire rose five stories above the ground but stretched eleven stories underground.

That was the way the Orelgan prison spire had been built. The only way to move

around the floors of the entire structure was by stairway. Those stairs were limited to

those designated for common use and the emergency exit.

"We're currently on the underground third level. What time is it now, Nene?"

"Nineteen hundred. We've still got four hours left."

"That's that. We're on standby here until twenty-three hundred. We don't have

anything specific to do. We're emergency personnel. We'll only spring into action

when there's been an accident." With the sniper rifle slung across his shoulder, Jhin

leaned against the wall.

The air was stagnant, smelling of mildew whenever they breathed it in this underground

prison.

"Don't make a sound, Captain. The inmates in the cells will be able to hear you. It'd be

a pain if you yelled and they called in the guards."

"I wouldn't yell unless there was a reason to!" Captain Mismis clamped her hand over

her mouth. "Hey, I wonder if Iska really is locked up here. Risya said there was a

chance."

"The commanding officer said so. Regardless, we don't have much of a choice when

she orders us to come with her."

"Isk is in the Orelgan prison spire."

"He was brought to the thirteenth state after all. That makes this the most probable

place. I imagine he'd be on the lowest level or something."

Unit 907 had investigated enough to know this state was known as the "prison block"

within the Nebulis Sovereignty.

"It's the most appropriate place to hold Iska after taking him. But…"

"I-is there something wrong, Jhin?" Mismis asked.

"They've come to this conclusion too quickly. Plus, the Saint Disciple is one of the

personal guards of the Lord. It's unusual for them to leave the capital—especially

when this isn't even a fight for the vortex."

The vortex was the most terrible of resources due to its ability to strengthen a mage.

Because of that, in a desperate attempt to take it, the Saint Disciple Nameless had been

dispatched to the front. What was going on this time that made it so important?

"You think there's something that would bring a Saint Disciple all the way out here?"

"B-but… maybe it's because they think rescuing Iska is as big a deal as protecting the

vortex?" Mismis offered.

"There are seven."

"Seven what?"

"Seven prison spires in this state. Meaning seven possible spires where Iska could

have been taken. But Risya picked this one without hesitation. Why? It's not like that

Saint Disciple to rely on instincts."

"In what way?"

"She wouldn't make a move unless she was fairly certain—certain Iska was here. Or—

"

"O-or?"

"Iska's rescue is just a justification."

Glancing at the stairway that continued to the underground eleventh floor behind

them, the sniper spat this out with loathing.

"We came here for a different reason… For a reason they didn't bother telling

underlings like us."

A beautiful piano sonata flowed from the speakers on the ceiling, the notes echoing

throughout the extensive underground space—the eleventh floor of the Orelgan spire.

The ceilings and the walls were all adorned with murals of meadows. The stone floor

was covered with a thick carpet that stimulated the senses when walking on it.

"A Saint Disciple? Oh, one of the dogs of the monstrous Lord. I'm impressed you

crossed the border to get here," sneered and admired the masculine voice. "I'll allow

you to tell me your name, hound of the Empire."

"Risya In Empire. Did I need an appointment?"

"Not at all. Even if you did, I wouldn't bother remembering it."

All around the man were glass walls several inches thick. The one who stood in front

of the panes was a tall Saint Disciple wearing black-rimmed glasses.

Of course, it was Risya In Empire, wearing a photochemical camouflage suit that

perfectly fitted the contours of her whole body.

"Salinger the Transcendental. A sorcerer incarcerated by the Sovereignty thirty years

ago, according to the Lord. But you seem quite young. Are you really him?"

"Ha!" The man behind the glass laughed.

The sonata continued to play in a prison room filled with artful murals. A man with

white hair lounged on his side atop the elegant sofa that furnished the space.

"I'm impressed you would speak to me in that way. Vixen, are you so confident because

you are shielded by the Lord?"

"Not at all." Shaking her head, Risya smirked with her crimson lips coated in rouge. "I

just thought that I'd found a wonderful, amazing gentleman. And a half-naked one to

boot. I was so fascinated by you that I almost forgot my duties."

"Do as you please. Look to your heart's content," the tall man told her seriously.

His hair was stiff, and his features were chiseled and fair. With sharp eyes, his

expression exuded a sense of absolute confidence. He could have easily been mistaken

for a supermodel in a magazine as he reclined on the sofa without a shirt. His exposed

physique was muscular, with not a single hint of excess.

He had the allure of someone who could entrance the women of the world with a

single glance.

"But what a pleasant surprise. Tell me, Risya. How did you get in here? The grounds

entrance, the entryway, the central staircase—all of it should be closely guarded. Did

you do them in?"

"I used agreeable methods." She pulled out a fluttering piece of paper.

It was an entry permit.

If she wasn't a Sovereign subject, they shouldn't have issued one to her. And they

should have taken particular care in checking her identity when she was accessing the

underground eleventh floor.

"I got my citizenship specifically for this reason."

"Dual citizenship. For flitting between the Empire and the Sovereignty, is it?"

"Do keep it a secret. If they find out someone from the Empire has infiltrated them, it'll

be difficult for me to get around next time… Well, even if I don't remind you, you wou—

"

"Wouldn't care. I would forget tomorrow."

An Imperial soldier had snuck into the Nebulis Sovereignty—appearing right before

his very eyes. Even then, the man remained unfazed.

He was Salinger the Transcendental, the sorcerer who had been caged at the very

bottom of the Orelgan prison spire.

But what was the meaning behind the state of this floor? It had the air of an aristocrat's

private chamber. A luxurious carpet had been laid out under the sofa, and the light

patter of music filled the room.

"Oh, you're wondering about this interior decoration? I ordered the prison officers to

get these for me."

"My. So you really are different, Master Sorcerer."

Though he had been imprisoned, the inmate had intimidated an officer. Based on the

state of the room, the man named Salinger knew how to influence people.

"Well, putting that aside. I don't have enough time to sit around listening to music, so

I'll be blunt. May I tell you the reason I came to this place?"

He was silent.

Speak. In front of the sorcerer who compelled her with his composure, the executive

and direct subordinate of the Lord made her announcement.

"We will be releasing you. Immediately."

"..."

"Oh? You don't seem very happy."

"Vixen," the man on his side growled with wrath. "Who do you think I am?"

"Why, Salinger the Transcendental. The unprecedented criminal with an ambition to

become greater than the royal family. The one who single-handedly broke into the

royal palace thirty years ago. Even when you reached the queen, those directly

descended from the Founder stood in your way. There were two, right?"

"Three. Don't forget the most important one—the queen herself."

"Ah yes."

It had been just a rebel against three of the Nebulis bloodline.

Risya naturally understood the strangeness of this situation. She had already made a

preliminary inquiry into the incident that had happened thirty years prior.

"'Nobility dwells not in lineage but in ideals.' That was supposedly your favorite

phrase."

"In that case, you should watch your tongue." His handsome features scowled. "You

said you would release me? Are you attempting to make a beggar out of me? If you are

under the direct command of the Lord, you certainly would not err in the decorum

with which you make your remarks."

"How rude of me. Well then, I humbly correct myself. Our nation has planned a largescale operation. We would like to borrow your abilities."

"An attack on the central state?"

"Yes, to be concrete, we will infiltrate the royal palace." She pushed up the bridge of

her glasses.

The doubtful sorcerer intently looked at her.

"Mirabella Lou Nebulis IIX," she continued.

"..."

"The current queen, known by all in this nation. The one and only. She was one of the

brave heroes who imprisoned you thirty years ago when you fought Nebulis VII."

"Ha! Idiotic." He closed his eyes. "You want to sway me with a chance to seek revenge?

How foolish. Retaliation is nothing more than the endeavors of a lowly man. It goes

against my aesthetics. Regardless, I pay no heed to young maidens like Mirabella."

"…"

"However…" He opened one eye, slowly getting up from the sofa, and held out both

hands. "I'm somewhat bored of this underground lifestyle. That is the truth. Fine. If

you can break these bracelets, then try."

They gave off an ebony luster. He seemed to be showing her the two bracelets on his

arms.

"They're astral relics that were left behind by the people of the stars. These are just

imitations, but they are a menace to astral mages nonetheless."

"Yes, of course I know." She nodded.

Psht. Cracks ran along the glass wall that separated the two even though neither of

them had laid a finger on it.

"I will do as I so please. I will head to the central state; however, I will not accept

instruction on when I attack the royal palace."

"That is more than enough. You will leave this place behind. The central state will be

thrown into a state of confusion just by hearing the news that Salinger has disappeared

from the prison spire."

At last, the glass completely shattered, breaking into thousands of pieces and dancing

in the air like snowflakes. Adorned by dizzying fragments of glittering light, the inmate

with white hair stood up.

"I suppose I'll go. To transcend the royals. "

An earsplitting alarm blared.

The reverberations came from the bullhorns on the ground, traveling through the

concrete walls and echoing three stories underground.

"Ugh, wh-what is this?!" Mismis, leaning against the wall, scowled.

They had been frightened about the prison-spire guards discovering them as they hid.

There was no way she wouldn't be shaken by the alarm going off.

"They found us?! Uh, but isn't this weird timing?"

"Right. We've been on standby here. Not a single guard has come through in that time,

but if we were the reason for the alarm, they probably would have turned it on a while

ago." Jhin lifted his sniper rifle off his shoulder. "Although if another guest burrowed

their way in, this timing is too perfect, in which case—"

"Oh! Maybe it's Risya?!" suggested Mismis.

"There's a high chance that Iska is being kept here, so I'll go check." Maybe the reason

they hadn't heard from her in nearly an hour after she had departed was because she

had been caught while infiltrating the place?

But… would someone who held a high seat as a Saint Disciple even commit such a

blunder?

"Shhh. Captain, Jhin! Keep quiet!" Nene put a finger to her lips. The girl with the

ponytail looked up with a grave gaze as footsteps echoed from the emergency stairs

above them.

"…Guards? Uh, huh? But…"

"Not regular guards. They're suppression squads for capturing inmates."

All of them gripped anti–astral power riot shields. The Empire had developed them to

defend personnel against conjured flames, cutting winds, and bolts of lightning, but

these were likely just imitations.

"They look exactly like the protective gear from the Imperial military. Those'll be your

best bet if you're facing an astral mage prisoner. In that case, I don't think we're the

targets."

"Then maybe it's Risya?! Th-this is terrible! We need to help her…" Captain Mismis

looked as though she had made up her mind, reaching for her gun. "She's my friend."

"You should be calling her the commanding officer, boss."

"It doesn't matter! Anyway… I can't let this happen. Iska got caught when I couldn't

help him, and this time Risya is being targeted." She went pale as she gnawed her lip.

"I have to help her."

Gripping her handgun with both her small hands, she looked almost as ethereal as a

priest offering a prayer and as gallant as—

"Hey, boss! Your left arm…!"

"What?" The witch belonging to the Imperial military hadn't noticed the light coming

from her left arm. The green astral light flooded out from under her clothes. "Huh?

Wh-what is this?! Jhin, what's happening to my left shoulder?"

"How should I know? It's got to be the astral power, obviously!"

Mismis was in a fluster as she clamped a hand over her shoulder. This was happening

despite being covered by a skin-toned bandage and her jacket.

"Hurry up and hide it, boss."

"B-but I don't know what to—" She put her hand over her clothes, trying to intercept

the light. Right when that happened…

…an impact that originated from deep below shook the prison spire.

A roar and shock wave rolled outward as if from the detonation of a powerful bomb.

The impact almost made them lose consciousness. Meanwhile, the stone wall warped

as fragments of rock clattered from the crumbling crevices.

"…What was that just now? Did they let a rocket explode underground or something?"

"I-it's still shaking, Jhin!"

The rumble emanating from the bowels of the earth had yet to cease. It was all Jhin

could do to just stay standing. Nene and Mismis held on to each other to keep upright,

but a regular person would have toppled over on the spot.

"Oh, hello? Mismis, you all right?"

"Risya?!"

"Oh, I'm relieved you're fine. But I'm guessing the suppression squads are already coming

to the lower floors, so you should keep your voice down," she said through the

communications device.

They couldn't detect any nervousness from her blase tone.

"So you're okay, Risya? I'm so relieved…!"

"Me? Of course I'm fine. So you can all run along now."

"…Huh?"

"You could hear that sound just now over there, couldn't you? He broke through an

underground wall, went into the hole, then opened up a gigantic shaft leading to the

surface. Astral power is really something."

"W-wait a second, Risya?! Uh, um… what about Iska?!"

"Oh, sorry, Mismis." She sounded dejected. "I looked for Isk, but he wasn't here. I did find

a strong sorcerer in the lowest area. When I let him get out to rampage, this is what

happened. Hee-hee."

"…Uhhh… which means…"

"So, ladies and gentlemen of Unit 907, the one you were seeking is not here. It's time to

withdraw. Take care not to get caught by the suppression squads."

"What are you talking about?!"

Psht. The communications device cut off.

Jhin gave Mismis a firm pat on the shoulder as she stood there, dumbstruck. "We're

heading out, boss."

"Ow!"

"I don't know what that Saint Disciple did here, but I know that the guards must have

realized Imperial soldiers have infiltrated this prison spire. That's why the Saint

Disciple is already taking a different getaway route. We need to run for it, too."

"Jhin, does that mean we're the decoys?!"

They were there to buy the Saint Disciple Risya time to run away.

That was the reason why she had had Unit 907 accompany her to this prison spire.

"That's right. I don't know what she wanted out of this. Just thinking about it is useless.

Our problem is that." Even as Jhin looked upstairs, the sound of footsteps came one

after another.

Though most of the suppression squads had already gone underground, continuing to

descend the stairs, six people had stopped on the same underground third floor they

were on, starting to search the cells.

"…We're stuck. That Saint Disciple should've told us two minutes earlier if she was

going to say anything." Jhin clucked his tongue.

The squads had gathered on the underground second floor and the fourth. The third

had a six-person squad currently conducting a sweep of the cells. Though they were

checking cells in the back at the moment, they would find Unit 907's hiding spot soon.

They weren't simply stuck.

Put bluntly, they were completely surrounded by the suppression squad.

"Hey, this is bad. We barely have any weapons…!" Nene said.

When they had crossed the border, they had left most of their gear in the capital.

Jhin had his sniper rifle and a scarce amount of ammo.

Nene had an electroshock gun and anti–astral power hand grenades. The weapons

Mismis had were as good as nothing because she was carrying only Iska's astral

swords in a bag on her back.

"Fighting them head-on is impossible. There's nothing we can do in a cramped

passageway."

Plus, they were battling armed astral mages. If any astral attacks were aimed at their

position, they would have no place to run. If they counterattacked, it didn't take much

guessing to know reinforcements would be called immediately.

Either we wait until we're discovered in our hiding spot.

Or we jump out right now and get spotted.

Two hopeless choices.

In any case, they couldn't avoid a battle with the suppression squad. If they resisted

with all they had, one or two of them might have been able to break through the

encirclement, but the chances of all of them surviving was next to nil.

"We need to find a safe escape route that leads to the surface. In order for a miracle to

happen…" Jhin's thoughts were clear.

If they wanted high returns, they needed to be willing to take high risks. In other

words…

"We need a decoy. Well, that'll probably be me." The boy with silver hair sighed. "Nene,

boss, you stay on standby here. I'll jump out and get their attention. The moment

there's an opening, take out all of them. You got that?"

"W-wait, Jhin! That should be your role. I'll be the decoy."

"They won't be scared if you do it. Think of how you look."

Nene was disguised as a normal person.

If she had been in her Imperial battle uniform, the suppression squad would have been

on their toes, but if she jumped out in her street clothes, would they really see her as

a threat?

The answer was no.

One or two of the soldiers might pursue Nene, and the rest would continue searching

the cells.

"Think about it: Me, a guy with a gun, jumping out versus you. Just think of which is

going to draw their attention."

"…B-but… But with the equipment the captain and I have, we'll have a heck of a time

taking down that whole squad, even if they're not on their A game. They might catch

us, and if you get attacked while that happens, then it's all over!"

"In that case, all you can do is pray that won't happen. Hey, boss, you're fine with this,

right?"

"…"

"Boss?" The boy held the sniper rifle, and the girl gripped her electroshock gun.

Feeling the gazes of her two subordinates, Mismis pursed her lips, then bit down on

them as she firmly gripped her left shoulder.

…I'm scared.

…And I really don't want to do this. But…!

But she had made up her mind.

In order to protect her subordinates, she would…

"I'll be the decoy."

"What?"

"Hey, boss, were you listening to me? It'd be one thing if you had your combat uniform,

but to jump out the way you're dressed right now? They wouldn't be surprised at all.

You can't do anything to draw their attention—"

"I can." Instead of saying the rest, Mismis firmly sliced through her jacket with a dagger

used by covert operatives. Cutting the sleeves off, she showed off the bare skin of her

left shoulder.

Right.

She really didn't want to do this, because it would be the same as accepting that she

was a witch.

But…

"…I'm a witch now."

She tore off the skin-toned bandage, revealing the crest—the mark that contained

astral power—that emitted a brilliant emerald light.

"Captain?"

"Hey, boss, you can't be serious!"

"This prison has a ton of captured witches, right? In that case—"

She didn't wait for her subordinates to respond. Throwing off the bag that contained

Iska's astral swords, Mismis said nothing as she jumped from the shadows of the

passageway…

…and purposefully showed her crest.

"…I-I've escaped!" Mismis yelled loudly—making sure her shout reached the ears of

the six conducting a search on the third floor who were approaching from the end of

the passageway.

"An escapee?!"

The captain's wager paid off.

"So there was one!"

"That woman must have caused the explosion. Just look at the astral light coming from

her shoulder… She's a strong witch. All hands on deck!"

They took the bait.

Mismis's desperate gamble had made the suppression squad change their focus. They

had no doubt that Mismis was an escaped criminal.

"Stop!" She swallowed back the please that she had been on the verge of saying. "Mmy astral power… will blow us all away with one shot! B-because I've totally got really

strong powers!"

"…"

On one side of the passageway was the suppression squad, armed with shields that

were specifically designed to protect them from astral-power attacks. The squad

members themselves were astral mages, veterans with training on how to corner and

defeat escaped convicts.

In contrast, Mismis couldn't use a single astral attack at all.

It wasn't clear how far this bluff would go…

"Are you done talking yourself up?" muttered the man standing at the front. "We have

no mercy for an escaped witch. In accordance with article nineteen of the Imprisonment

Law, we will execute you."

"..."

"Move in."

The burly and heavily armed group sprang into action.

By the time they started moving, Mismis had already turned her back to them and

sprinted down the hallway. If she got caught, her life was over. She had naturally

expected escapees would be executed on the spot. That was the gamble of pretending

to be an escaped criminal. The risks the decoy faced were incredibly high.

But…

"This is the only way." Mismis gritted her teeth. She didn't let her legs pause for a

second, heading for the corner of the hallway. If she turned there, she would once

again exit out to a long passage. "Because only I can fill this role…!"

The light still glittered on her left arm. The glow of the artificial astral crests on Jhin's

and Nene's arms were too weak. If any of them was going to pretend to be a powerful

witch who had forced her way out of prison, the most realistic candidate was Mismis,

who was a real witch with visibly stronger astral power. She could draw away the

suppression squad.

…Because I'm already a witch.

…As long as I continue to live as an Imperial captain, I'll need to hide the fact that I've

become a witch.

In which case, at least while she was in this Paradise of Witches, she might as well

embrace her witch identity.

She had no qualms if this meant they would be able to get home alive. If she was doing

it to protect her subordinates, she would make full use of her terrible stroke of bad

luck.

"After this, I just need to escape…!"

She wanted to keep their attention on her, even if only for one more second.

She would guide them, leading the suppression squad following behind her to her

target destination.

Snap! An ice whip hit the wall not far from her.

"An ice attack?!"

There were six people in the suppression squad. It was definitely one of their powers.

The ice whip ran along the wall before rooting itself in it, stretching out to entangle

itself in Mismis's feet. She barely managed to leap away from it in time.

…I need to remain calm. Astral power of ice isn't that unusual.

…What else is there? Come on, Mismis. You studied this in the Empire.

She usually left combat to her subordinates, because she'd end up slowing them down

if she joined. Meaning all she did was watch from a distance.

On one hand, she was proud to have subordinates she could count on, but she also

couldn't shake the persistent feeling of worthlessness.

But right now…

"Now you're coming at me with fire?!" She spun around when a wave of searing heat

lapped at the nape of her neck.

A wall of flames filled her vision. They weren't planning to arrest her—this was a

deliberate attempt to execute Mismis, the escaped criminal.

"I can't… let myself die in a place like this!" She took a sharp turn in the passageway. It

couldn't have been more than a second later that the entire hallway she had just come

from was engulfed in flames.

But it wasn't over yet. The astral flame vanished in the blink of an eye, and she could

hear the footsteps of the suppression squad closing in—and coming in front of her,

too.

"They went the other way around?!"

From both sides of the passageway, the armed officers held their riot shields at the

ready, locking her in place. With their intimate knowledge of the layout of the prison,

the squad had accurately predicted where she was heading, splitting into two teams

to corner Mismis.

"—Argh, then I'll…!" Even if she was surrounded from the front and back, there was

one last place to turn into nearby. If she escaped down that way…

Just as she got ready to do that…

…a gunshot rang out. Mismis's body slammed into the floor as she felt a sharp pain jolt

her thigh.

"Don't give us any more trouble, witch."

There was another loud crack of gunfire.

The next bullet tore through her skin as she tried to get up. The source was a large

handgun, most likely based on an Imperial weapon. The designers must have imitated

the build after retrieving a sample from the battlefield.

"An escaped inmate. Well, I guess you didn't escape—as long as we finish you off right

here, that is." One of her pursuers prodded her with the handgun, jamming the tip

against Mismis's forehead as she remained in a heap on the ground.

There was a man holding another gun coming to block her on the other side.

"..."

"Why're you looking at me like that? If you're going to beg for your life, you've gotta

work harder."

She didn't respond to the man's provocation. "…Are you going to torture me before you

kill me?"

She was more than familiar with how to use a gun and understood exactly what was

happening. He didn't miss the earlier shots: The man had shot slightly off target to

scare her.

Or they were doing it to humiliate her because she was a woman. Regardless—

"Amateurs." With the gun still pointed at her, Mismis dauntlessly glared at the man.

"Wounded beasts are to be feared. Anyone who's slow with a gun is as good as an

amateur to me. Evidence that you don't have enough experience."

"Looks like you don't understand the position you're in." The cold tip of the gun pushed

against her forehead. "A wounded beast? And what makes you a beast? That astral

crest… It's emitting a strong light, but you won't amount to much in battle. If you did,

you would have used it already."

"Who can say?"

"I can. You aren't a beast. You're just an escaped criminal who's about to be executed."

"…" She gritted her teeth.

There wasn't a single person in the world who wouldn't be scared of a gun in between

their eyes, but…

"Come at me." She had taken on the risks to come this far, which was why she would

win her gamble. "I never said I was the wounded beast."

"What?"

"Just look at who's behind you."

"Ha. Now you're trying to fool me. Who would—?"

His voice froze. There was no way anyone would be there. In fact, when the man from

the suppression squad checked his periphery, he really didn't see anyone… not even

his own colleagues.

The five others had been chasing down the escaped criminal. At this moment, he

finally realized that the footsteps that had been running at his side had abruptly

stopped at some point—and he was the last one standing.

"Huh?!" His colleagues were collapsed in the back of the passage while others were

already facedown to the front.

"…All I needed to do was buy some time. I can't believe you underestimated me—

thinking you could play around before you killed me. As long as my subordinates were

able to take down the enemy in time, I won't sweat the details." As she hid her witch's

mark with her right hand, the Imperial captain howled, "Even if I've become a witch,

I'm still part of the Empire! I won't lose to the enemy!"

"Get down, boss ," whispered Jhin through the communications device.

At the same moment, Mismis flattened herself against the floor and pressed her head

to the ground.

Sniper fire.

The single shot flew from the back of the passageway straight toward its goal, plowing

into the handgun that had been pointed at Mismis.

"Sorry for the wait, Captain."

From behind the last man standing, Nene had silently approached like a feral beast

and discharged her stun gun. A high-voltage current surged through the ballistic

fibers, knocking out her victim with one hit.

He fainted.

"…Whew. With that, I think we've cleaned up all the enemies on the floor." Nene swiped

the gun from the guard's hand and took a deep breath. "I'm so relieved. That was a

close one, Captain. A stellar performance. You did a great job as the decoy—"

"Neneeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Ah?!"

"I was so scaaared! If you were a few seconds too late, I would've definitely been shot!"

Pouncing on her subordinate, Mismis clung to Nene.

"There, there, Captain. Is your gunshot wound okay?"

"Y-yeah. It was mostly a graze… What about you two?"

"It's not like we'd get hurt." In the back of the hallway, with his sniper rifle in hand, the

silver-haired young man appeared. "We were behind the guys chasing you. No reason

why we'd get hurt. Considering their body armor, I don't think they're dead, either."

"Should we take them hostage?"

"For what? We'll just head straight up. We got the goods, after all."

He was referring to the suppression squad's weapons and shields.

For the trio who had brought the bare minimum with them, those spoils of war had

the potential to be their saving grace.

"It's the first time in a while the boss was in combat. I'll praise you for that. I guess this

is the first time in a while you've gotten any praise, too."

"That wasn't even close to praise!"

"More importantly, there's something that's bothering me." Jhin looked pointedly at

Mismis's left shoulder—at the emerald astral crest.

Compared to earlier, its glow had settled down considerably, but the mark was still

very visible on her skin.

"This astral power that possesses you, boss… It might be a strong one."

"Huh? Wh-what are you saying, Jhin?!"

When she thought back, she remembered the man from the suppression squad had

been saying something. Mismis herself honestly wasn't happy in the least about it.

…It feels like they're saying I've been possessed by a powerful demon.

…What kind of girl would be happy to hear that?

"That doesn't put me in a good mood. Hiding it is so much trouble…" She pulled out a

spare bandage and stuck it to her skin before noticing that Jhin and Nene were intently

watching her every move. She covered her left shoulder in a fluster. "S-seriously!

Knock it off! You two aren't allowed to look. It's embarrassing!"

She inhaled, gently using her right hand to block the faint light that spilled over from

under the bandage.

"Okay, we're going to get out of this place, stat. And then once we're home safe, we'll

scold Risya. I can't believe she ran out ahead of us. We're having her treat us to

barbecue as an apology."

"And Iska, too?"

"Of course!"

Unit 907 dashed up the stairs where the footsteps of the suppression squads echoed—

launching themselves out of the Orelgan prison spire.

The flowers bloomed at night.

…Fireworks?

For a few short seconds, Iska felt as though he was hallucinating.

From the top floor of the hotel, he could see buildings illuminated by brilliant neon

flashes. Against the inky sky, these lights unfurled themselves over the city—radiating

a brilliant red.

"…What is that?" Alice asked in a dry, husky voice.

At the same time, a gigantic pillar of fire blasted out from the ground, reaching the sky.

"What?"

"Was that an explosion…?!"

The two of them touched the glass wall with their hands, forgetting to even breathe as

they stared in the direction of the fire.

It ceased, extinguishing the sparks in the air and the pillar of fire. Seeing a massive

explosion disappearing at that speed, they instinctively knew it had to be an astral

attack.

…Astral flames go out in a few dozen seconds.

…I'm not worried about the fire spreading, but something of that scale would definitely

result in injuries.

And who had caused it?

If it was a blast within the Sovereignty, the first thing she would suspect was the

Imperial army's destructive handiwork, but the flame was clearly created by astral

power. The perpetrator had to be a mage.

"Orelgan…," rasped Alice. "It's in the direction of the Orelgan prison spire. I'm certain

of it."

It couldn't be.

That was the place Iska had asked her about that day. Even in this state that housed

many prisoners, that spire was home to the vilest of criminals.

"Salinger the Transcendental turned his blade on the then-queen."

"That sorcerer attempted to become something greater than king."

That was what she had told Iska—the sorcerer who had turned his blade on the queen

thirty years prior was still confined in the deepest cell of the Orelgan prison spire.

"It's an emergency!" Followed by two small knocks.

The door flew open before her mistress could answer, and the attendant in uniform

burst into the room.

"I've confirmed there was an explosion at Orelgan. In addition, we've received reports

that a large hole that's spewing debris has formed on those grounds."

"I saw the explosion."

"…A prisoner has escaped." The attendant's lips trembled as she relayed the message.

"The first report from the guards of the prison spire has come in. A tremendous roar

came from that sorcerer's—Salinger's solitary cell."

"Come again?"

"We are just receiving communications from the suppression squad on the scene."

"Hurry, Rin! If that sorcerer escapes… he'll go after my mother's astral power next!"

Go after her astral power? Iska couldn't ask the girl next to him to clarify.

He felt a sense of urgency wash over him, making him hold his tongue as he watched

Alice's face lose its composure.

"I'll head over."

"B-but, Lady Alice! His power… is dangerous."

"Is there anyone else who can do this? The suppression squad will barely stand a

chance against that man. You know about the battle from thirty years ago."

"..."

"Rin, go to the first floor. Prepare the car as soon as possible."

"…As you wish." The attendant didn't say anything further, bowing before sprinting

through the door and dashing down the hall as fast as an arrow.

They were once again alone together in the room.

Alice had been watching Rin take her leave and sighed under her breath. "You heard

me. I'm heading over to that prison spire now."

"And I don't suppose you can tell an Imperial soldier any more?"

"Yes, because you're the enemy." She ran her fingers through her prided golden hair,

offering him a weak smile… a self-deprecating smile. "But it makes me wonder… I bet

I would have so much more peace of mind if only I could tell you everything."

"…"

"Hey, Iska…"

And with her supple lips, she wove together a question.

"If… I asked you to lend me your strength…"

"Would you answer my request?"

She asked between haggard breaths.

Or had that just been Aliceliese inhaling and exhaling? Maybe he'd imagined it. Her

voice had been that faint.

"…No. I'm sorry. Forget it." Alice pressed her lips together. "It's nothing more than a

prisoner managing to get out of his cell. We only need to capture him again. I'll be right

back."

And then she turned her back to him, starting to walk.

"...I forgot something." She marched through the living room and into the bedroom

in the back.

When she returned, she held a brand-new handkerchief, and at a glance, it was easy

to see that it was a high-quality design and made from fine fabric.

"I wonder if you remember?"

"What happened to my handkerchief? I gave you mine after you soaked through your

own."

"…That one is sopping wet, too."

"You're crying way too much!"

It had happened at the opera house in the neutral city of Ain.

There was no way he would ever forget—that he had lent his handkerchief to a girl

sitting next to him and that the girl had turned out to be Alice herself.

"You must think it's impolite of me to return this to you now, but I want to give it to

you while Rin isn't here. Because the one you lent me… well… I got it dirty. I'm sorry I

had to get you a new one. It might not suit your tastes." She placed the handkerchief

folded into quarters on the table. "I'll put it here. If you don't like it, just leave it. But I

hope you'll take it with you."

Could she have been embarrassed? She spoke quickly as she left him and tried to keep

from meeting his eyes.

"See you, Iska."

The Sovereign princess turned away and was soon out of the room.

In that time, Iska hadn't been able to conjure a single thing worth saying.

Everything had happened too fast.

From this explosion in the middle of the night to the sorcerer and inmate Salinger

escaping from the prison spire. Rin and Alice were obviously not their usual selves.

…What is he? That transcendental? Salinger? Why did Alice have that expression on her

face?

…Just what is going on?

A common Imperial soldier had no way of knowing.

Even if he tried to speculate, he possessed only bits and pieces of information. There

were too many empty spaces he needed to fill to put the puzzle together.

"Damn it! And in the afternoon, Rin said that someone had slipped past their border

guards. Is that related?!"

They had spotted suspicious groups in Alcatroz in the morning.

And a jailbreak had occurred in the middle of the night. The timing was too perfect for

it to have just been a coincidence.

"Ugh, really. Someone just tell me alre… ady…?" He used all the strength he had to yank

at his handcuffs.

But of course, he knew he couldn't tear them apart. The reason he'd whipped around,

pulling at his chain, was because he'd heard a familiar electronic noise coming from

the other side of the living room.

It was the Imperial communications device.

When he had been drugged and taken, Rin had confiscated it from him. It should have

been turned off. However, the sound indicating an incoming call blared in the living

room.

"Captain?! You're kidding!"

He had no time to think over why it was happening, instead decisively lunging in the

direction of the communications device before it cut off—which meant making his

way toward the bedroom in the back with his hands still bound.

To Alice's bedroom.

The bed she had slept in the night before was there. It was easily big enough for two

adults.

Her sweet smell faintly lingered in the air.

He felt guilty sneaking into a girl's bedroom at her delicate age, but he didn't have time

to hesitate.

"Where are you, communications device? Where is that coming from…?"

The pillows. It was immediately next to one that Alice must have used. The device lit

up to indicate it was receiving a call.

…But why would she leave it conspicuously on top of her pillow?

…If she wanted to keep it from me, wouldn't she hide it somewhere I couldn't find it?

Iska's communications device had been left behind on Alice's pillow.

It was almost as if… a young child had been cradling their favorite doll in their sleep.

"…Alice?" He called out the name of the girl who had left the room.

But he lost his train of thought as the communications device rang loudly.

"Ah, right, the call!"

"...…"

"Um…!"

"...…Iska?" It was a cute and gentle voice. Though it sounded like a very young girl,

he knew it was a respectable Imperial captain.

"Captain Mismis! It's me; it's Iska!"

"Iska?! We did it. We finally got through. See, you two?!"

"All right, just get to the point already! It took all we had to stop the suppression squad!

Hey, Nene, throw an anti–astral power grenade over there!" shouted Jhin.

"Leave it to me!"

There was the sound of a gunshot and roaring flames.

"Iska, what's going on over there?!" asked the captain.

"I honestly have no idea. It's just that no one is around me. I'm being held captive on

the top floor of a hotel."

"And the Ice Calamity Witch?"

"She left. On her way to the Orelgan prison spire… Oh, wait. I should tell you where I

am—"

The thirteenth state—Alcatroz.

First, he needed to explain that he had been held captive here. His head couldn't keep

up with all these new developments, but at least he could tell them about where he

was.

"Orelgan? Uh, but that's where we are right now."

"…Excuse me?" He almost dropped the communications device.

All the remaining members of his unit were gathered in the thirteenth state, and on

top of that, they were at the prison spire that had exploded just a moment ago?

What did it mean?

What coincidences had to have happened to lead them to this situation?

"Jhin, Nene, this is bad! The Ice Calamity Witch is heading to our location! That's what

Iska just said!"

"Wait, Captain! Was the explosion at the prison spire, you guys?"

"No, we just got caught up in it. We came to look for you, but it turned out you weren't

the one we were looking for, and then… Ugh, seriously, switch with me, Jhin!"

"Hey, Iska," started the silver-haired sniper. "We can tell each other our life stories later.

Right now, we need to figure out how to meet back up. I'm going to ask you straight up:

Can you get to us?"

"…It might be hard. I've got handcuffs on, so I think I'd get caught before even getting

out of the hotel."

"So you're a prisoner." Iska heard a tsk come over the device, which must have meant

the ever-composed sniper was starting to show his impatience.

"And you, Jhin? Could you get to me?"

"It'll take a while for us to get out. We're on the uppermost floor of the underground

prison spire. There are suppression squads all over the place, so we're dead in the water."

In contrast to the other three members of Unit 907, Iska was alone.

Just as Jhin had said, in order to meet up, it certainly would be easier for Iska to head

over to them.

"Iska, I'm gonna ask you again. You're alone on the top floor of the hotel. That means if

you can just get the handcuffs off, you can escape. Do you think you can tear those things

off?"

"If I could, I would have already." He reexamined the heaviness of the steel handcuffs

around his wrists. In order to break them, he needed a device that could slice through

metal, but it wasn't as though something like that would be conveniently nearby.

"All I have is the communications device. I have it in my hand and…"

And what else?

What could take off his handcuffs? A wire? Tweezers? Could he bend something until

it was in the shape of a key and jimmy the lock on the handcuffs? Impossible. The

handcuffs from this time period didn't rely on simple locking mechanisms.

…No.

...Wait.

Wasn't he forgetting something incredibly important?

"I want to give it to you while Rin isn't here."

"I'll put it here. If you don't like it, just leave it. But I hope you'll take it with you."

It was just a single memory.

Her parting words bubbled up from the corner of his mind.

"...Alice?"

"Iska? Hey, Iska, what's going on?!"

He was silent in response. Because his mind was blank. He couldn't say anything.

Plus, it was just speculation. It was a hollow idea, and he knew that it was an

expectation that was too convenient to be true.

But… why had she given it to him now? There was an explanation for her behavior.

"She couldn't have—" Iska let out in a choked voice as he started to sprint.

He launched himself into the living room. On the table in the middle, the thing that

Alice had left was still there.

The handkerchief she had returned.

It had happened when they had met in the opera hall in Ain.

There was no way he would forget. That was because it was the first time he and Alice

had met other than on the battlefield.

"…She couldn't have."

With his hands bound by handcuffs, with trembling fingers… Iska picked up the new

handkerchief. Mind blank, he stopped breathing. He almost felt as though he was

praying as he unfolded the handkerchief…

Thump. A small key slipped into his palm.

The key to his handcuffs.

"Uh… ha-ha… I see… I'm so stupid… Why didn't I notice…?"

He raised his handcuffs, letting them clatter together as he held his forehead.

…I'm so stupid.

…Why didn't I realize this immediately?!

Alice had been looking for a chance to release him.

Ever since the beginning. Nothing had gone the way she had hoped. She wanted to

settle things on the battlefield. Hadn't she been saying that herself this whole time?

"I promise I'll release you as soon as a suitable negotiation has been reached."

In which case… what would the conditions have been? What had Alice wanted out of

it?

"If… I asked you to lend me your strength…"

"Would you answer my request?"

It was so obvious.

If he couldn't answer that question, then he didn't have the right to call himself her

rival.

…If those are the conditions, then…

…If that's what you want, then I've got to comply!

The handcuffs clanged as they came off.

He didn't even look at the handcuffs that dropped to the ground as he quickly returned

to the bedroom. He picked up the communications device he had left.

"Jhin."

"Iska?"

"I'm heading over to you right now. Let's meet at Orelgan."

"What? Wait, but your handcuffs…?!" asked Jhin, startled.

"I figured it out. Also, I want you to tell Captain Mismis: Get out of there fast. And be

careful. The suppression squads aren't the ones you have to be worried about," he

answered the sniper in a clipped tone. "A sorcerer imprisoned in that spire escaped."

"…What do you mean?"

"We can go into details later. I'm heading over there right now."

He hung up.

In the dimly lit bedroom, Iska took a small breath.

"The transcendental sorcerer, huh?"

The man who had bared his fangs at the then-queen. Iska couldn't even imagine what

kind of person would do that.

"I'll be there right away. It'll be okay."

Who exactly was he trying to assure? After Iska turned his unconscious desires that

he did not understand into words, he left the room.

"If my opponent is an astral mage, I don't intend to lose—no matter who they are."

The heart of the thirteenth state, Alcatroz.

Though it was the middle of the night, the sidewalk was overflowing with a din of

people. There had been an explosion at the Orelgan prison spire. Intermittent rumbles

continued to wrack the ground, and there had even been some who witnessed the

telltale light of an astral attack.

Concealing himself in the crowd, Iska continued to sprint down the main street.

"Salinger, the transcendental sorcerer… If he escapes, he'll go after the astral power of

the queen? What does that mean…?!"

As he dashed down the street, he was kicking himself with regret. Iska hadn't heard

Salinger's name before, finding out about him only from Alice's anecdote that he'd

once attempted an attack on the queen.

…The Nebulis Sovereignty isn't a monolith.

…There are those who oppose the royal family, and Salinger is one of them. Is that what

this means?

Eventually, the wave of people thinned out.

"Is the spire on fire?!"

He had caught sight of the gnarled prison spire, ringed by an iron fence. The structure

itself was engulfed in roaring red flames. A fiery red inferno blotted out the entire

night sky.

Iska stared as he watched the flames that showed no signs of dying down.

"This isn't astral flame. Is it an actual fire? Where are… Captain Mismis and the

others?!"

He also knew that Alice and Rin should have arrived somewhere on the grounds by

now. That said, it would probably be best for him to meet up with the captain and his

other colleagues first. When Iska had communicated with Jhin earlier, the three other

members of Unit 907 had still been under the prison spire.

"Captain Mismis, Jhin, and Nene… Where are they…?!"

"Iska?!" called out a voice from the grounds.

With the prison spire rising in the background, he noticed his adorable captain cutting

through the grass—dressed in her personal clothes in place of her combat uniform. It

must have been a disguise. Normally tied back, her hair was down, and she looked just

a little more grown-up than usual.

And in her arms, she was holding one black and one white astral sword close to her

chest.

"Captain Mismis!"

"Waaaaaaah! Iska, is it really you?!"

"Ah?"

As though forgetting the situation unfolding around them, his superior immediately

ran over and leaped onto him. She rubbed her cheeks, still smeared with soot, into

Iska's chest as hard as she could.

"I'm so glad… I-I'm so sorry, Iska. If I had been better…"

"N-not at all! That was completely my fault!"

He was the one who had completely let down his guard and drank the drugged juice—

that had been his own blunder. Even if he had been distracted by other things.

"Captain, where are the others?"

"Ahhh, Captain Mismis! You're hogging Iska all to yourself again!"

He heard the familiar high-pitched squeal of a girl.

After spotting Iska and Mismis in each other's arms, a girl with a ponytail trotted over,

gripping a stun gun in both hands.

"Seriously, Captain, that's so unfair! C'mon, move. Iska belongs to everyone!"

"I'm the one who found him!"

"Could you guys shut up for a bit?" Jhin walked quietly through the lawn. He had made

an appearance last because he had been acting as the anchor as they escaped from the

prison spire.

"This has been one huge pain after another." The young man with silver hair shrugged

as he looked at Iska. "One minute you're captured, and then a minute later, you've

escaped. I can't keep up."

"Uh… I know. I'm sorry." Iska lowered his head as an apology to the three of them.

He could only imagine what the unit had gone through to be there. He didn't have the

luxury of asking them about it, but he was sure it hadn't been easy.

"Well, don't worry about it. First off, we're getting out of here. If we hang around, we'll

get caught up in the firestorm." Jhin jerked his chin toward the iron fence behind him.

The grass around the spire had caught on fire, and the embers were rising, turning the

air itself red. It was only a matter of time until the blaze spread past the grounds.

"We're heading out."

"Oh, wait, Jhin! Captain and Nene, you too."

"What?"

"…Captain, can I have those astral swords?" He took the pair of swords from her.

Although they had been separated for only a few days, he couldn't help feeling that the

sturdiness of the sheaths had a nostalgic quality to them.

"..." There was still something he needed to do with these swords in the prison spire.

He hadn't met Alice's "conditions." Yet.

"Captain, I'm sorry, but would you let me have fifteen minutes?"

"Come again?"

"Down that main road over there—the largest hotel you can see is where I was held

prisoner. Could you wait for me behind it? I'll follow right after."

"Wha—?! W-wait, Iska?!"

His target was the Orelgan prison spire.

Iska hardened his resolve as he leaped through the rising flames and smoke to enter

the building.

A short time earlier…

At the heart of the thirteenth state, Alcatroz.

"…Rin, try to be as fast as possible."

A small car raced through the streets.

While watching the buildings fly past, Alice muttered, "It would be a serious matter if

that sorcerer was to wreak havoc in this place."

"Yes. That said, the residents who are outside should be taking refuge inside the

buildings. It would be unbelievably dangerous to run into an escaped inmate, after all."

Though the Empire indiscriminately feared astral mages as monsters, one and all, the

reality was that only a handful possessed notably strong astral powers. Most would

be able to create a small breeze at best. Though this was called the Paradise of Witches,

most of its residents were far from dangerous or terrifying. On the other hand, the

inmates of the prison spires were kept there because they had committed crimes with

their strong astral power.

"This is the worst-case scenario of an inmate escaping. This moment will go down as

a black mark on the Sovereignty's history," Rin said.

"No, it won't," Alice responded in a hardened tone. "I'll go out and face him. I just need

to lock the inmate back up in a cell again. That'll be the end of that."

"And I will be there to assist. If the sorcerer goes into hiding, I imagine it'll be hard to

pursue him. I'm sure he will appear again at the royal palace."

"Yes. That's why we need to hurry, Rin."

The car peeled away, going way beyond the speed limit.

…I'm facing the sorcerer Salinger.

…The man who attacked the royal palace and reached the queen.

A terrible criminal who had turned on the previous ruler.

As far as Alice knew, it was unprecedented in all the history of the Sovereignty for

anyone outside the royal palace to reach the queen. One of the select few who was an

exception to that was Salinger.

Naturally, Rin and Alice had been told about his abilities.

"My mother told me about it. Thirty years ago, he raided the royal palace, seeking

Nebulis VII's astral power."

"Yes, and the one who stopped him was none other than our current queen."

The then-queen, Nebulis VII, and the current queen, Nebulis IIX, had made their move.

Of course, they were extremely cautious of the man who had posed such a dire threat

to their power.

"Lady Alice, please be careful."

"No need to worry," Alice answered with a calm smile. "If it's a head-on battle, I won't

lose. My mother and her predecessor already defeated him once in the past. I wonder

what it will be like."

If that had been enough to hold him down… then she definitely wouldn't lose.

After all, the full strength of the Ice Calamity Witch Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX had

already surpassed the current queen's. She knew saying that would be perceived by

others as snubbing her mother, the queen. Which was why Alice would never make

the claim herself, though it would be a different story if the current Nebulis IIX was to

declare it to be true.

…Yes, that's right. I won't fear Salinger the Transcendental.

…I'm not scared to battle him. I'm scared of him escaping at the end of the battle.

She wasn't uncertain of herself. Given the chance, that man would inevitably attack

the Sovereignty royal palace again. That meant there was a danger that he would

attack her mother next.

"I can see it, Lady Alice."

"Yes, it's almost time." Alice snapped her face up, listening to the voice in the driver's

seat.

Crack. In that moment, the reinforced glass pane of the car cracked in front of her eyes,

creating a depression of half an inch.

"A bullet?! Is it Imperial gunfire?!"

"What did you say…?"

"Lady Alice, get down!"

They were suddenly swiveling all over the place. Rin gripped the steering wheel,

changing their course.

"They're aiming for this car. We need to get out!"

"I know!"

Rin escaped through the right-side door of the driver's seat, while Alice leaped out of

the left door in the back seat.

The iron fencing had been blown away by force.

The twisted door retained no semblance of its original form.

And then there was the raging firestorm.

The flames lapped at the grass, showing no signs of extinguishing as Alice watched it.

…This isn't astral flame. But if it's not a normal fire, then could it be due to an incendiary

explosive?

…Is this the work of the Imperial military?!

The timing was just too on the nose.

She couldn't imagine that the sorcerer Salinger's escape was unrelated.

"But why is the Empire doing this? Salinger is a traitor to our country. The Empire

shouldn't know anything about him…"

Her vision was clouded by flames and black smoke.

Because of the dense smoke and haze, visibility was poor. Rin was right beside her, but

she would most certainly have disappeared from view if they took a few steps away

from each other.

What about the prison spire?

The main structure was so obstructed by a wall of flames and smoke that she didn't

know what had become of it.

But the most troubling issue was the ensuing mayhem.

The people running, streaming before Alice's eyes, were all shouting about something…

"Calling the prison-spire management room… The cell on the underground eleventh

floor has been destroyed! The sorcerer Salinger has been seen escaping."

"Who cares?! Where are the firefighters?!"

"Don't hang around here! Get away—hurry! There are Imperial forces here!"

"It's possible the other prisoners have escaped as well. There were reports of a smallscale battle breaking out on the underground second and third floors and—"

The command structure is in confusion.

It was likely that none of the people rushing around understood the situation in its

entirety. Each disparate group wasn't even able to coordinate among themselves, and

they were all divided.

No, they had been divided.

"…We've been had." Rin clenched her hand into a fist. "It seems this wasn't just about

Salinger's escape. For so much disorder to occur all at once…"

One, Salinger had suddenly disappeared from his underground solitary cell.

Two, Imperial units had unexpectedly infiltrated the state.

Three, there was a chance that prisoners other than Salinger had escaped from the

underground prison.

Four, the local commanders had completely lost control of the situation.

Because all this had occurred at the same time, the Sovereignty hadn't been able to

maintain order.

…If things keep going like this, we'll lose Salinger.

…It's not just that. We won't be able to stem the large number of escapees from getting

out or stop the Empire's attack.

Were they invading Alcatroz?

No, the Empire was after the Nebulis Sovereignty central state. They had likely made

the Sovereignty turn its attention to this place, fully intent on infiltrating the palace

while everyone's focus was diverted by the chaos.

If Alice were on the other side, she would have hatched the same plan.

This wasn't just about extinguishing the prison fire. If she failed to get the situation

under control, there was a possibility this chaos would engulf the entire Sovereignty.

…If that happens, the people will lose trust in my mother.

…That is exactly what the Empire is after.

This wouldn't just end with her capturing Salinger. As a princess of this nation, she

needed to take a stand against the disorder that was unfolding right before her eyes.

"Fine. I'll take care of everything. That's what a princess does, right?" she asked herself.

She raised her right hand before making a single declaration: "QUIET!"

The space around the Orelgan prison spire froze in place.

That wasn't a metaphor.

The prison grounds were instantly chilled as if they had been transported to the

middle of a glacier.

A breeze blew up a gust of snow, whipping it around and making the grass underfoot

turn faintly white. Even the raging fire lost some of its vigor, batting back the cold air.

"Know your place! All of you here know who this is!" bellowed Rin. Everyone stopped

and turned around.

The source of the terrific chill… was the princess with flaxen hair, standing in front of

the ice pillar that craned toward the heavens above. One look, and they doubted their

eyes.

"Princess Aliceliese?!"

"Wh-why are you here…? N-no, I mean… what an honor it is to be graced by your

presence!"

The suppression squads dropped to their knees and bowed their heads as fast as they

could. She responded with a smile.

"I will be taking command here. I wonder if you would be so kind as to follow my lead?"

There was no way anyone would object.

As a descendant of the Founder, Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX—the famous princess

known as the Sovereignty's trump card against the Imperial army—had herself just

said she would take command, after all.

She was strong, majestic, and utterly captivating.

The princess brimming with charisma brought down her hand.

"On my name as the second princess Aliceliese, I will use the queen's right of absolute

command as her proxy. All units are to hereby report to me. I will lead the way!"

She gave four orders.

For the prison suppression squads to pursue the sorcerer Salinger.

For the prison guards to capture the other escapees.

For the astral mage corps to mount a counterattack on the Imperial infiltrators.

For the city police to pacify the panicking citizenry.

Alice commanded them all.

…Now we've stopped the confusion from spreading throughout Alcatroz.

…At the same time, this was a double-edged sword.

With this, Alice couldn't leave this place anymore.

She was sure Salinger wouldn't be defeated, even with all the strength of the

suppression squads put together.

"Rin."

"I understand," said the attendant who accompanied her.

"There is no time. I know it will be a dangerous role, but you're the only one who can

do it. I believe the suppression squads will not be able to stop him."

"As you wish. Certainly." After she bowed, Rin ran in the direction of the prison spire.

Alice watched her go as though she was praying.

"—Gh." Alice silently gritted her teeth.

Salinger was the one who had been driven back through the cooperation of the

successive queens. He was incredibly dangerous. That was exactly why she originally

was the one who should have fought him.

…It's not that I don't believe in Rin. She's strong.

…But even if I do trust her to do this, I can't get these nerves to go away.

Earlier, she had gotten a bad feeling about how events were developing. This was the

exact scenario she had feared most—winding up in a situation where she'd be unable

to move freely, leaving Rin to deal with Salinger by herself.

That was exactly why she had asked for assistance from him.

"If… I asked you to lend me your strength…"

"Would you answer my request?"

If he would only help her. How much peace of mind would it have granted her?

When she had thought that, Alice's lips had unconsciously continued to say the words

that were incompatible with her position as a princess.

…I wonder if he misunderstood.

…I wasn't asking him to help me because I didn't think I could win against Salinger.

No, what was done was done.

Now all she could do was pour her whole body and soul into her current task. She

would command everyone as capably as she could and continue to pray that Rin would

be safe.

"Quickly! Prepare an emergency line to communicate the situation to the royal palace!"

Among the burning fires, Alice yelled after them.

"I will speak to the queen. Please hurry!"

The prison spire was fully engulfed in flames.

"…Sorcerer, show yourself!" Rin rasp-yelled as the embers and smoke cut through the

air, carried on the wind as one.

The fire had flared up.

Although it had calmed momentarily after Alice unleashed her powers, the embers

soon danced through the air once again, spreading the fire from one grassy patch to

another.

"I wonder if the Imperial soldiers are hiding inside…?"

Visibility was bad. She couldn't tell whether anyone in front of her eyes was a fellow

mage or an Imperial spy disguised as one.

"…And the firefighters."

If the firefighters came much later, the prison spire itself would burn down. In fact, if

the fire spread beyond the prison spire, it would be catastrophic.

"Clod of earth, I beseech you." With Rin's command, the ground under the grass

wriggled. "Stifle the fire!"

As though the ground had been overturned, chunks of earth soared into the air and

crashed down on the fire before her. Once it was covered with earth, she was certain

the flame would go out.

Or it should have—except in midair, the flying earth pressed together to form a

"shield," returning to Rin's hands.

It was an automatic defense, triggered by her astral power.

"An Imperial soldier?!"

Then came a gunshot.

The earthen shield in Rin's hands stopped the large volume of gunfire suddenly

directed at her. She was being sniped at from the shadows. Without that automatic

defense, Rin would have found it incredibly difficult to avoid getting hit.

"I suppose you have no mercy for a witch, even if she's a girl."

The person was firing at anyone within the grounds—male or female. Though it was

particularly ruthless to hide in the night and gun down targets indiscriminately, the

Imperial soldiers had misunderstood a critical point.

"Aren't you underestimating me?"

After all, she was an attendant of the royal family—in other words, one of the Astrals,

the elites who served as royal palace guards—similar to the way the eleven Saint

Disciples directly served the Lord.

The attendants who aided the Sovereignty's princesses were first-class astral mages.

"When you shot at me, I figured out exactly where you were!"

The ground rumbled. From under the grass, a pitch-black crevice revealed itself. The

crack in the ground opened its maw wide and attacked its mark…

…which was the Imperial unit that had hidden themselves behind the obscuring fire.

"Fall to the bowels of the earth."

The bottom was a hundred yards down—an abyss where even the light of the sky

could not reach. The Imperial soldiers who hadn't been able to escape plunged to the

bottom of the pit.

Most importantly, while the attack seemed brutal, it had almost no ability to injure or

kill people. This astral technique held enemies captive and specialized in rendering

them powerless.

"Don't assume you escaped from death just yet, Imperial soldiers."

They were on the grounds of a prison spire. There were more than enough cells to

cage Imperial hostages. After cleaning everything up, she could bring them out of the

pit and take them captive.

"I have no business with foot soldiers right now. There's something more pressing—"

Rustle. She felt the subtle presence of someone walking through the grass.

There is something different about this one.

An Imperial soldier would have charged, a prisoner would have scrambled, and a

member of the suppression squads would have been chasing someone—but this

person was in no hurry at all. Rin heard footsteps slowly making their way across the

grounds.

This newcomer was composed and full of self-confidence.

Who was it?

Who could have kept their cool in this situation?

The red flames framed the approaching figure.

From the embers emerged a handsome man with white hair. He had a chiseled face

with bold features: eyes long and tapered, and mouth curved in a comfortable smile.

He had a strange appearance, wearing a thick, long coat over his naked chest.

"..." She had seen him before.

However, it couldn't be. That man had been captured thirty years ago. If the reports

that Rin had read were right, he should have been well into his twilight years.

So why? How could this powerful, young form of his be—?

"What a cold reception."

It was Salinger the Transcendental.

The sorcerer infamous for turning on the royal family had just calmly appeared

through the flames.

"I thought I'd be received with applause and cheers. And all I get is this little girl

greeting me?"

"Salinger!" Rin did not hesitate as she flipped up her skirt, springing into movement

without missing a beat.

She pulled out two daggers that were fastened to her thighs. Though she drew her

weapons in one clean swipe, the man simply narrowed his eyes.

"Oh. A tiger in sheep's skin. You may look a servant, but you act as though you know

what you're doing. It seems you're not just some maid."

"I have no intention of telling a criminal my name."

This man was not only a threat to the royal palace but also to every astral mage in

existence.

Salinger the Transcendental.

This sorcerer could steal other people's astral powers.

"You infiltrated the royal palace and tried to snatch the queen's astral power, of all

things! That deserves a fate worse than death!"

"..."

"What is it, thief?"

"I've grown bored of this." Salinger sighed dramatically. He had his hands stuck in the

pockets of his coat. "Based on how you talk, I gather you're from the royal palace. And

the way you're dressed… I see, you're an attendant of the royal family—one of the

Astrals."

"And what of it?"

"'Nobility dwells not in lineage but in ideals.' I'll show you."

That was the logical statement that this sorcerer lived by.

He believed that the Nebulis Sovereignty's throne should not have been chosen based

on bloodline but on a meritocracy. It certainly sounded fine on the surface, but…

"Shut it, sorcerer," Rin continued, murder dripping from her words. "Criminal! You

who have stolen astral power from countless people! Your ideology is nothing but an

excuse to justify your barbarism!"

"It's not. This is merely 'collection.' I hate for it to be compared to theft."

"What did you say?"

"Think of how a king collects taxes from his people. What is so wrong for the king of

mages to collect astral power?" Salinger held his right hand to the sky, gesturing as

though he was holding a heap of gold coins in his palm and gripping it tight. "Don't

you agree?"

"So you're pretending to be a king? I can only see this as the vulgar fantasy of a single

mage."

"That's right. Right now, I'm just a king." Light appeared from his upheld palm.

It was weak enough that it disappeared into the shadows of the night. However, Rin

knew this was the light of Water Mirror, the astral power that Salinger possessed.

"I will take all available power and transcend royalty."

"What nonsense. There's living proof that everything you claim is nothing but a bluff.

Have you already forgotten those who defeated you at the royal palace?"

The one who had fought Salinger alongside the then-queen had been a teenage girl—

Mirabella Lou Nebulis IIX.

"Even if you were to attack the palace again, you'll simply lose once more against the

queen."

"Ha! Me? Lose against that girl?" The alluring man guffawed. With one hand stuffed

into his coat, he held the other to his forehead and leaned backward. His shoulders

heaved as though he couldn't help himself. "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's absurd. It's

only been thirty years. It seems history has distorted itself in that time."

"…What?"

"I've never feared or paid any heed to that little girl back then or now."

His voice cut through the sounds of the night—overpowering the gunshots, explosions,

screams, bellows. This was despite the fact that at that very moment, Imperial soldiers

and the astral mage corps were engaged in a brutal fight.

Salinger the Transcendental laughed without paying any mind to the battle being

waged nearby. "She isn't the one to fear in the Nebulis line. You haven't even noticed

the true monster created by the Founder's bloodline. How pitiful."

"Don't get carried away, scum!" Rin's cry rose above the raging fire. "You don't deserve

to even speak of the royal family. And the one who will become the ruler of the world

has already been chosen. That's my lady. You're nothing more than a feeble shadow

compared to her."

"Oh? And what's her name?"

"There's no reason to tell you." She brought her hand around her back. Her detachable

skirt fluttered in the air as Rin ripped it off to reveal a knee-length one. "You're going

back to prison."

Her dagger sliced through the air.

The blade glittered in the night, tearing through her skirt as it fluttered in the air,

hurtling at the man's thighs. If she scored a hit on his legs, he wouldn't be able to run—

sorcerer or not.

That blade stopped in midair.

"So you've trained with throwing knives. Great aim." Salinger plucked the levitating

blade out of the air. "Pulling off your clothes was just a distraction so you could hide

your hands while you threw that dagger. You're good for your age, maid."

"So that was the astral power of wind."

"You thought I didn't have that?"

Of course. Salinger had the ability to take another's astral power. By the time he had

challenged Nebulis VII, he had already stolen more than one hundred. And he had

chosen only strong ones.

That was the case now, too. He had used a strong wind as a barrier to stop the blades.

She couldn't approach him without care. The techniques this man would employ were

unknown and needed to be treated with caution.

"Did you think I would be cautious?"

"Hmm?"

"You think you can stop me by making me fear your astral powers? Is that what you

were planning?" Rin launched herself off the ground.

With her precise, almost feline movements, it took her a mere three steps to close the

distance. Her right hand was curled into a fist, while the left readied a dagger.

"The stronger the astral power, the larger the area of effect. Try using your power as

much as you'd like, sorcerer. I'd enjoy watching you get consumed by your own

attacks."

"How impudent."

The sorcerer opened his eyes wide.

She had been incredibly insolent, but despite that, Salinger's eyes appeared incensed.

His mouth drew back in a grin from his surprise and admiration.

This kind of close combat was the ideal approach to fighting him.

If Salinger tried to summon a powerful, raging wind at such close range, he'd also get

caught up in it. But if he held back to avoid endangering himself, it would be weak

enough that Rin would be able to neutralize it with her astral powers of earth.

"Ha-ha."

She searched her chest pocket. Though she flashed her dagger in her left hand, her

true attack would come from her other hand. With rigid fingers, Rin aimed a strike at

the sorcerer's neck.

Gshk. She heard a dull sound. Rin's fingers dug not into his neck but the arm Salinger

had suddenly swung out. He had pulled out the left hand that he had kept in his coat

as a sign of his composure.

"So you can aim for the vitals without hesitation. I'd call that disrespectful… but it's

actually quite commendable." The sorcerer leaped away as his left arm trickled blood.

His legs weren't just strong. When Salinger retreated, the ground moved like a

treadmill and increased his speed.

"Now then, maid, how did you learn to battle mages? "

"..."

"The Empire is the Sovereignty's greatest enemy, so I'm sure you're familiar with

fighting Imperial soldiers… Shouldn't you have no experience going up against fellow

mages?"

There was virtually no reason for a mage to fight against another mage under normal

circumstances.

Apart from Salinger, who had gone against the royal family, most people would have

found it incredibly difficult to engage in extremely close combat—even if it was the

most optimal way to fight.

"Either you possess incredible talent or you had a worthy teacher."

"I have no obligation to respond." Rather, she didn't want to respond.

She advanced upon the mage once again with the force of a wild animal. Her form,

harsh yet refined, deviated from all the other armed techniques she'd previously

acquired…

…because they were the battling techniques of the Imperial swordsman Iska.

This was the way Iska had challenged Alice. But Rin would rather choke than admit

she was mirroring his moves—even though from the bottom of her heart, she

respected his strength.

"Earth, I beseech you." Rin snapped her fingers. "Crush this man. Ruin his unseemly

face."

The ground under Salinger's feet started to swell, gathering and forming into a

humanoid shape. It towered over the sorcerer, blocking him in.

"A golem? I see, so you're an astral mage of earth."

"Crush him."

"Too bad it's so frail."

The golem swung down its fist—only for Salinger to intercept the attack with his palm.

When they made contact, the handsome man let loose a terrific flash of light from his

right hand.

It was the astral power of lightning—the most brutal of attacks that could explode and

scatter all that it touched, pulsing with more than enough energy to obliterate the

golem. And yet, the one who scowled was the sorcerer.

"Tch. This isn't just made of dirt… You used clay from deep underground!"

The golem blew apart, flinging debris that clung to Salinger's limbs, smearing his body

with muddy clay that wouldn't be easy to remove.

The earth had severely limited his movements.

"That look suits a thief like you."

"…Did you really think you managed to get one over me?" Salinger cast away the clods

that had bound to his body, slinging them through the air and pelting Rin. "This is what

a true earth-type is like."

"What?!" She had lost control of the dirt. No, it was something else. Were her powers

being hijacked? She was losing connection with the ground. "It couldn't be…?!"

"Looks like my power is greater. That's all it is." The astral crest of the Water Mirror

glowed on his palm.

To steal astral power, Salinger had to touch their crests together—the longer they

were in contact, the more power would be transferred. At most, he had the potential

to steal as much as half. Consequently, his stolen power could only be half as strong as

the original.

And yet, Rin had been pushed back.

"My astral power of earth comes from a purebred. Yours can't even dream of

competing against it."

"…Are you saying you stole it from the royal family?!"

The royal family were the descendants of the first Nebulis who had established the

country. To commit such a crime against the bloodline of the Founder was nothing less

than blasphemy.

"SALINGEEEEEEEER! You could die a thousand times and still come short of atoning

for your crimes!"

"Don't raise your voice at me!" he snapped. "You think the royal family has done any

good? Yeah, right. I can admit that the Founder had a considerable list of

accomplishments, but look at the current royal family. A bunch of louts who are

content to simply rest on their laurels without even trying to elevate their naturalborn powers."

"…—Agh."

"That's why I say I will surpass the royalty." The handsome sorcerer raised both hands,

as though beckoning the sky to come closer, and stared up at the heavens. "I have one

more announcement."

There was an impact—the resulting force nearly split her eardrums, ripping through

her entire body as though she'd been whipped, and caused her to momentarily black

out. When she came to her senses, Rin found herself facedown on the grass. Her

clothes were shredded and all the muscles in her body, aching.

"...—Gh… hrgh…?!" Her throat clogged with globs of spit, mixing in with the metallic

taste of blood.

What happened? What had just hit her? Rin hadn't peeled her eyes away from Salinger

for even a moment, concentrating with all her might. And yet, she had no idea how he

had managed to attack her.

"—Do you—maid—?"

With her ears ringing, she couldn't even make out what he was saying.

Wait. My ears are ringing? She knew of an astral power with a similar skill.

"…It was... sound…"

"That's—ri—" The sorcerer chuckled, shoving his hands into his coat once again. "I

just launched the largest sound wave possible. Even if you protected yourself with an

earthen wall, the shock wave would have passed right through it—something that

earth-types can't properly defend against."

"...Ugh…"

"What? That's it? On a scale of zero to a hundred, I only showed you a five or a six."

"—Nh?!" As she lay in a disheveled heap, Rin couldn't stop her full-body tremors.

To think their powers differed so greatly…! She didn't intend to accept this man's

words at face value, but it was true that she hadn't seen the extent of his powers just

yet.

"…Sa… lin…"

"Boring. This is like making sport of a cat or dog." He sighed. That was Salinger's candid

way of showing his contempt. "But there's no need for discouragement. Anyone would

face the same fate after going up against me. You chose the wrong person to pick a

fight with."

"..."

"Glaring at me while you're in such a state? Disappear from my sight."

It was Roaring Song—the astral technique Salinger had once stolen from a purebred—

an auditory tsunami that was closing in on the girl collapsed on the ground, about to

crash over her…

"Just this once…"

The roaring waves had been severed in two—right before they could reach her.

"…Impossible." The transcendental sorcerer balked in shock.

The sound wave was both invisible to the naked eye and incredibly massive, making it

virtually impossible to evade, much less detect its approach.

And yet, it had been cut down with a single stroke by a swordsman who had appeared

with the wind.

"Are you all right?"

"...Imperial swordsman… you're…?!" From behind, Rin could hear a voice. Craning

her neck as far as it would go in her current condition brought into view a boy with a

pair of astral swords.

"Just this once…"

The Saint Disciple, the swordsman, the captive—Iska was standing right there.

"…I'll lend you a hand. This guy is Alice's enemy, right?"