Azrael sighed, shaking her head, reading it, "Caelindra, the woman you love... Sorry, but she cannot be saved at this point."
Leo clenched his fist tightly, his eyes squeezed shut against the pain.
Azrael pressed on, "In order to deal with her... There are many stories, so lies, so truths. So even disguised her as a man to crown her in the Kingdom. Not many gave a definite answer.
She was nothing more than a mortal who reached the pinnacle of magic. Except her sword... Take it from her hand, and even a mortal human could wound her!"
She finished, looking at Leo, who took a deep breath, struggling to steady himself, and finally nodded.
Raphael nodded too, her expression thoughtful, "So now we know their weaknesses. It’s ti to plan our counterattack—"
"Wait, there’s more," Azrael interrupted, turning the page with urgency and continuing to read.
"You may already know about the ranks of spirits, but for practical use, you need to understand their powers.
Even after they beco fallen, their ranks remain the sa as before.
Ex: Mythic... is almost equal in power to Pseudo Stage Four.
S: Legendary... is Stage Three. For example, Essa, Caelindra, and Camazotz.
A: Heroic... is Early Stage Three. For example, Nergal.
B: Renowned... is Stage Two.
So... dealing with Nergal, Caelindra, and Camazotz, you need at least three Stage Three Mages."
Everyone blinked... Stage Three? Where could they possibly find soone?
Raphael frowned, puzzled, "Wait... what is Early Stage Three? Ophis only told about the Four Stages. Like... 0 is a normal human, Stage 1 is an awakened one, Stage 2 is a real mage, and Stage 3 is a summoner... right? Stage 4, I didn’t know it was there until ntioned and now this?"
Essa nodded, "Yes, for the most part, you’re right. Stage Four is considered almost a myth—even though very few have achieved it, it’s still just a pipe dream for most.
Ignoring that for now... Actually, Stage Two mages who are able to summon champions are only considered Early Stage Three Mages! But technically, they are still Stage Two mages."
Leo frowned, "What do you an? So Valra is still a Stage Two mage?"
Essa nodded, "Theoretically, yes. But after she managed to summon a champion, she’s considered an Early Stage Three mage, even if her official rank is still Stage Two.
Only when her connection with her champion grows—when the mana flow between them increases—will she beco a true Stage Three Mage. But that only happens if the champion remains with her for at least a year or so."
"..."
Leo’s face turned blank... So because of him, she lost her chance again?
"Anyway, enough of that topic. Turn the page—my master already wrote down the tactics," Essa said.
Azrael turned the page and read aloud,
"Essa against Dracula... Valra against Nergal... Ophis against Camazotz... Leo, Raphael, and Azrael against Caelindra."
Everyone frowned... The plan made a strange kind of sense, balancing their forces to face monsters equal to their strength... well, most of them, except maybe Essa.
But then Leo frowned, "Valra?"
Essa nodded, "My master said... Valra will co."
Everyone frowned at this. Leo said, "But she’s wounded, and... we still haven’t heard anything from her."
Essa shrugged, "I don’t know. But... my master said Valra would co."
Raphael muttered, "So, we three against an S-ranked spirit?"
Essa nodded... Azrael and Raphael looked at each other. As long as they were with Leo, they felt they could face anything together.
"That’s a good one," Leo said, nodding with a thoughtful expression. "That’s a good plan, I suppose."
Essa smiled, pride in her eyes. "It’s a solid plan. Now, all we have to do is... train. Starting tomorrow, you’ll all do what I say. Understood?"
Everyone nodded with serious faces, determination setting in around the table.
Azrael turned the next page and suddenly frowned, "It’s torn off... Why?" She looked at Essa with concern, holding up the book and revealing a half-torn page still marked with strange letters and faint symbols.
Essa blinked, taking the book from Azrael’s hands and staring at the damaged page for a mont before shrugging. "I don’t know," she admitted quietly, placing the book aside as if the missing piece was sothing she’d rather not think about.
Soon, they sat down for lunch together. Of course, their conversation circled back to the plan, discussing powers, tactics, and skill sets.
And with the Healing Stones in their possession, they didn’t need to worry about any deep or lingering injuries anymore.
Once the decisions were made and everything settled, Essa vanished as quietly as she always did.
Azrael started to follow Leo toward his room, but was intercepted by Raphael, who pulled her gently away to their own room!
anwhile—
Leo sat alone at his desk... He stared at the notes Essa’s Master had given, his attention caught by the torn half-page.
He pulled open a desk drawer, took out a pencil, and flipped to the blank page behind the torn one. Leaning forward, he began to shade the paper softly, hoping to reveal any hidden impressions left behind.
Ssrrccchhh...
The quiet sound of graphite scratching paper echoed in the still room.
Leo worked slowly and carefully, then blew away the loose graphite dust, revealing faint lines pressed through from the missing piece.
He placed the remaining half-page alongside it, eyes narrowing as the ssage slowly appeared.
"LEO, DO NOT STEAL THE ARCANUM EIDOLON!"
Leo’s face went pale as he read the stark warning.
For a mont, his heart nearly stopped, cold fear flooding his veins. He gripped the pencil tighter, hand trembling, and scrawled over the words as if to hide them from anyone who might look.
How?
How did that person know?
How in the world did they know this?
Did it an that the person was the one who brought him here?
No!
If that were the case, wouldn’t they have asked him to steal it, not warned him away?
What was going on here?
Did Essa know who he truly was, then?
No, no... If that were true, wouldn’t she have spoken to him directly, asked him outright?
Or... did it an that Essa’s Master knew about him?
And if so, just how much did they know?
His previous life?
His goal?
His deal?
Leo scribbled harder, the page turning darker and darker under the growing pressure of his pencil... almost tearing through the thin paper.
And finally, when the page had turned almost completely black, he stopped... He sat frozen, staring at the ruined page.
At last, he set the book aside and carefully slid it into the drawer, where a small folded piece of paper waited... tucked away.
Leo placed the book on top, closed the drawer, and locked it!!
He leaned forward over the table, hands buried in his hair, mind churning with questions and mories.
Every thought crashed into the next:
Who was watching him?
What did they want from him?
How much of his past was truly hidden?
Until—
"L-Leo?"
Leo flinched at the sound, jerking upright in his chair. He turned, seeing Ophis awake at last, her eyes heavy and tired, lips dry and cracked. She struggled to swallow, her throat parched, voice barely a whisper.
"I... I am hungry."
For a mont, Leo simply stared, then smiled gently.
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