With no ti for answers, Aslan bolted from the room. The academy dormitory where Dorothy resided was engulfed in flas. After running at full speed, Aslan arrived at the dormitory only to find it ablaze with unholy fire. So children who had escaped were either writhing from burns or crying out in despair. Dorothy, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Anxiously, Aslan approached soone who seed unhard.
Excuse , have you seen Dorothy? A girl with transparent blue hair?
Do, Dorothy? The failing student?
He seed to recognize Dorothy, but his expression betrayed ignorance of her current whereabouts. Suddenly, a child raised a hand.
I saw her! Dorothy saved that kid and over there.
The student, apparently exhausted from inhaling smoke, pointed to another unconscious child, but Dorothy herself was still missing.
Wheres Dorothy?
She went back inside to save more kids
Hearing this, Aslan charged through the entrance without hesitation. Having cast a series of spells to ward off flas, he dashed through the searing inferno. Despite the protective magic, the heat was intensethese werent ordinary flas.
This is magic.
Who would do such a thing? Did soone bear a grudge against the academy? Aslan, who didnt attend the academy, couldnt knowbut he was certain of one thing: he needed to find Dorothy.
Dorothy! Dorothy, where are you?
Dodging falling debris, Aslan desperately called out for Dorothy. A girl just barely managing basic spells couldnt possibly withstand such a blaze. He scoured the first floor, then the second, and as he reached the third, he sensed a drop in the ferocity of flas from a certain direction. Realizing this, Aslan propelled himself towards it with all his might.
Move!
He sent the rubble flying with magic and saw a glimpse of blue hair amidst the ice. Between locks of frosty hair, the clear ice-like skin of a girl ca into view, her body seemingly half made of ice, frantically suppressing the magic circle of flas with coldness.
It was Dorothy he knew so well.
Dorothy!
His voice drew her attention. Shock and confusion replaced the usual serenity in her eyes.
Ah, Aslan?
Flustered to see him here, and fully aware of her own appearance, she was at a loss. Aslan realized it thenDorothy was no ordinary human. She was a spirit.
The presence of a spirit instinctively incites aversion in people. And in the Igrit family, spirits were a taboo, ever since the atrocities committed by the first spirit contracted by the original spirit mage, which had gone down in history. Dorothy wasnt unaware of this, and guilt for deceiving him filled her mind.
However, Aslan felt a profound sense of relief. Dorothy was safe. He imdiately rushed to her side, regardless of her being a spirit. She was the Dorothy who had given him a second chance at life.
Aslan, you fool?! Its dangerous! Get out of here now!
Despite her shock, Dorothy was more concerned about Aslans safety than her own appearance. But he felt the sa towards her.
We just need to deal with this.
Wait, its dangerous!
Aslan, I am an Igrit.
He stepped in front of the magic circle, heat fiercely beating against his face. Ignoring it, he extended his hands and began to unravel the array of magical circles that had started to glow within his grasp.
Magic is my specialty.
The irony wasnt lost on him. The man who had grown weary of magic early in life was now claiming expertise in it. But he was the only one capable of stopping this magic circle. Dorothys gaze flickered wildly, her lips tightly pressed together, as she watched him act without hesitation despite knowing her true nature.
Aslan, I am a spirit. If people see you with , it could lead to disaster.
The repercussions could extend beyond a simple exile from the family. At least, the Fla Emperor would never let Aslan off the hook.
Still, Aslans eyes remained unchanged.
Yes.
He simply said, willing to endure it all just to be with her. Dorothy clenched her fists as Aslans sincerity reached her.
The one who started this fire used a spirit seed. Ordinary magic cant extinguish these flas. And obviously, spirits cant stop it either.
The magic, a new creation using a spirit seed sold in underhanded deals, was a forbidden spell that forced the spirit within the seed to bloom and explode. A powerful spell akin to world erosion, amplifying the spirits power at the cost of its sacrifice. The Igrit family was already investigating such magic users.
Dorothy was a rare case, almost human-like among spirits. She was a new being created by the Spirit Kings Forest to evolve and respond to humans in a world undergoing erosion. Thus, she understood humans unlike typical spirits.
Regardless of the intent behind her evolution, her similarity to humans naturally piqued her interest in them, with magic being a particularly fascinating subject. She adopted the identity of a young mage nad Dorothy, who had died, to learn magic at the academy. It was there she realized that the mage she impersonated was connected to the group researching spirit amplification magic.
Upon discovering this, Dorothy monitored their activities and rushed to prevent the arson when she saw one mber being caught by the Igrits investigation.
Now, Aslan finally saw the burning seed within the explosive magic circle. The aura of the flas was beyond his comprehension.
I will suppress the spirits power.
I will undo the magic.
Their eyes t, a mutual realization of what needed to be done. They shared a smile amidst the roaring flas and moved in unison.
Dorothys coldness forcibly pressed down the spirits flas. anwhile, Aslan began to dismantle the magic circle.
The foundation of the magic circle was based on explosive spells of considerable complexity. It reflected the madness of the arsonist, obsessed with magic.
Great, what a lunatic complication. At least a Philosopher level 5th Circle Mages work.
He was rely a Theoricus, a 3rd Circle Mage. Facing a magic circle crafted by soone two whole circles above him, the determination behind the complex spell was palpable. It was so intense that Aslan nearly felt dizzy just looking at it.
Yet, his eyes and hands moved with a feverish determination, swiftly unraveling the spell. He understood why Dorothy had been suppressing itif it exploded, not just the dormitory, but the entire area would be obliterated. She had been desperately holding it back, and Aslan had to be even more careful in disarming it. Precision and speed were both crucial, a high-wire act where one misstep could be catastrophic.
Dorothys coldness was still pouring out, desperately holding back the flas, but she had been pushing herself since before Aslans arrival. Her increasingly spirit-like appearance and the water dripping between the ice were clear signs of her reaching her limit.
Ti was running out. Sweat beaded on Aslans brow. He despised himself for having neglected magic for so long, all the while making grand gestures and now struggling with disarming a magic circle.
Faster, more precise.
His hands and eyes showed no sign of stopping. His ntal focus, pushed to the limit, forced him into a state of intense concentration solely for the spells disarming.
Crack, thud
Blood began to trickle from his eyes, perhaps due to the imnse mana gathered there. His gaze never wavered, not blinking once.
Damn it.
Even then, he acutely felt the inadequacy of his skills.
Aslan.
Dorothys voice reached him.
You can do it. You taught even a fool like .
Now completely in her spirit form, Dorothy pulled up even more coldness and spoke.
You are the greatest magician among all those I know.
Having soone believe in him was enough for Aslan. His reddened eyes shone brighter than ever before, as if he had been learning magic just for this day. His fingers danced across the runes as dozens of magic circles began to unravel at his touch.
The flas grew fiercer, but Aslans hands continued to dismantle the magic circle. Finally, one last one. When his index finger touched the magic circle:
Crack!
The circle shattered like glass. Following that, the encompassing flas combusted and disappeared in an instant.
Thud, thud
Parts of the burnt building collapsed into ash. Amidst the quiet, Aslan gasped for breath, blood trickling down his cheeks.
His gaze shifted to the side. Had he used too much mana? His voice was gone, his vision blurry. Yet, in his sight, Dorothy was still vividly present.
Translucent ice-like skin, eyes and hair of azure blue as if each strand was ticulously carved from ice. Below that, Dorothys face was adorned with a bright smile.
Aslan!
They had prevailed. That was enough.
As Aslans consciousness teetered on the brink:
Boom!
The entire dormitory began to echo as its pillars could no longer withstand the fire, leading to the buildings collapse. They were cornered on the third floor, too far from any windows to escape. Moreover, Aslan was at his limit, mana-exhausted, his fingertips barely moving.
Yet, before he could reach out to protect Dorothy, she wrapped her arms around him first.
Crash!
As the dormitory crumbled, black ash and smoke swirled around them. Amidst it all, Aslan felt himself falling, muttering in despair. But no impact ca. Dorothy had encased the surrounding debris in ice, narrowly preventing it from collapsing on them.
But the real problem was next.
What, what is that?
A monster, its a monster!
Theres a spirit! Theres a spirit here!
Amidst the chaos, Aslan heard the panicked voices of children and magicians who had arrived late to fight the fire. Fear, hostility, and a mix of emotions poured from their eyes.
Its taking a hostage!
The magicians shouted, not realizing who had quelled the explosion. Desperate to correct the misunderstanding, Aslan couldnt muster his voice. He was fortunate not to be vomiting blood.
His gaze hurriedly sought Dorothy. They needed to flee now. If Dorothy remained, shed beco a target for the magicians. And she knew it.
But before she could move, a wave of flas surged.
Stay away from my son!
With a thunderous voice, the fire enveloped Dorothy in an instant. She had been at her limit from suppressing the amplification magic. Naturally, she couldnt escape such high-tier fla magic.
Ah, aahhh!
Aslan, witnessing the scene, scread in horror, spewing blood as he tried to rush to the burning Dorothy. But before he could, soone grabbed his arm.
Aslan! Its okay now, its over!
It was none other than his mother, Agatha. She had been investigating the forbidden magicians and rushed here after hearing of the academys arson. Luckily, the culprit had been captureda professor at the academy, who upon being cornered, unleashed his madness on the dormitory. Arriving, Agatha saw a spirit apparently attacking Aslan and, mistaking it for another hostile spirit prepared by the arsonist, incinerated it with all her might to save her son.
However, none of that mattered to Aslan. Dorothy was burning away. That was the only problem for him. At the last mont, the mory of her pushing him back, smiling, was vivid.
Do, Dorothy
Calling her na for the last ti, Aslans consciousness broke as mana exhaustion took him. And that day beca the day Aslan shattered.
Yet now, Aslan had co this far to et Dorothy again. He ridiculed his past self for choosing suicide over searching for a way to resurrect her, for failing to find salvation in Dorothy. He despised himself for nearly giving up because he couldnt find a way, despite her saving him.
So, then.
Aslan spoke up, his voice cutting through the water as he addressed the shining Spirit Kings egg.
Dorothy, lets et again.
He would atone and live with the regrets of his past for as many tis as necessary. He proclaid his desire to et her once more, swallowing tears. He hadnt yet received her answer that day.
In that mont, the entire lake was enveloped in a halo of light. The Spirit Kings egg Aslan was cradling began to crack, and as he slowly lifted it from the water, the radiance converged upon the egg.
Swish
Transparent blue hair fluttered before his eyes, and Aslans gaze widened more than ever before. The girl subrged in the water slowly opened her fluttering eyes and rose.
As Aslan wept underwater, he smiled gently.
Dorothy.
Ah, Aslan?
His arms reached out, pulling her into an embrace, making a vow in his heart never to lose her again. Their reunion brought a new hope to Aslans life, a reason to keep on living.
And then, he rembered Kraush. His benefactor was now facing off against his own grandfather.
Dorothy, explanations will co later.
They had to leave imdiately.
The clash of swords resounded. Kraush, busy with his vision, was fending off dozens of fireballs with his instincts and blunted blade. Across from him stood Adolf, exuding a casual air of confidence, every bit the formidable Ten Great Lord he was reputed to be. Kraush never intended to win. If Adolf were serious, Kraush would have been finished long ago. He could only face him because he knew Adolf wouldnt truly engage.
But still.
Kraush dodged another volley of fireballs and took a significant step back.
That nonchalant attitude is infuriating.
He had only planned to buy ti until Aslan could resurrect Dorothy, but looking at Adolfs face made him reconsider. He understood why Aslan hated and resented Adolf so much. If this was what Aslan endured daily, it was no wonder.
It made Kraush want to land a solid blow.
[Kraush.]
Crimson Gardens voice reached him.
[The spirit has been resurrected.]
That was enough to push Kraushs limits beyond their bounds.
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