“Huph!”
Crash!!
Mateo Jordana launched a powerful punch infused with rock mana.
A powerful blast of wind and a storm of stones surged forward, shattering the Iron Knight into pieces upon impact.
“Ohh! Senior Mateo, what was that move?!”
“Stop making a fuss. Let’s go.”
Mateo didn’t show particular delight at Abel’s admiration.
On the first floor of the Iron Sanctuary.
The students of Märchen Academy were scattered, busy searching for keys.
With the note Isaac had provided, they were navigating the puzzles and traps set up for the Academy Clash quite smoothly, but…
The Iron Knights were getting stronger and more cunning, wielding items and delaying their search for the keys.
“Hmm?”
“What’s this…?”
Abel’s team spotted sothing on the ground, startling them.
It was a black bodysuit, but a crater had ford around where it had fallen.
The first floor of the Iron Sanctuary mirrored the Academy Clash stage, except for the divided areas, so the ground wasn’t repairing itself.
“A trap? No, it doesn’t seem like a trap.”
“It just looks like clothes…? Like those magic training suits. It looks like one of those.”
The suit was a magic tool that could increase its weight, and this one seed to have an unimaginable weight capacity.
Just dropping it had created a crater on the ground.
Abel tried to lift it with both hands.
He barely got it up to his knees, his face reddening with the strain.
To the other students, it looked like codic slapstick.
“Kugh!”
Abel set the suit down with a thud.
As it hit the ground, it made a dull thud and kicked up a cloud of dust.
“Who could’ve left sothing like this…?”
At that mont, Abel rembered riding in the carriage with Isaac.
For a brief mont, the heavy carriage had tilted towards Isaac.
The students looked up at the high ceiling. They had felt the oppressive weight of a formidable mana pressing down on them, radiating intense anger.
“Senior Isaac…”
It wasn’t hard to guess the source of the mana.
Their gaze followed upward to the top floor of the sanctuary.
Slash!! Slash!!
As Rachnil countered Isaac’s assault with a flurry of blades, Isaac had no choice but to pull back.
Injured, Isaac pushed off the ground and rejoined Dorothy, Kaya, Ian, and Noah. The aura of the [Ice Sovereign] emanated from Isaac.
Seeing the pinnacle of the ice elent for the first ti, Noah looked at Isaac with awe. Could there be another human other than an elental king that was this overwhelming? ŗ
The problem was… their enemy was at the apex of all creatures.
“Unbelievable…”
Ian gaped in shock.
Rachnil’s body slowly rose into the air.
The onslaught of the [Ice Sovereign] attacks left Rachil’s body in tatters, visible cracks covered his body.
[To have gotten this far, you must have faced knights far stronger than those on the first floor…]
“I destroyed them all.”
A re human… has driven to this point. For that, I comnd you.
Rachnil’s grotesquely twisted face glared at Isaac and the others.
Iron mana radiated from Rachnil, creating a dense formation of greatswords.
Simultaneously, several Iron Knights were absorbed into Rachnil, restoring his body to its original state.
“What? He recovered from that damage so easily?”
“No, the damage is building up.”
Isaac responded to Ian’s astonishnt with a cold tone.
“Don’t be shocked. This place has turned into Rachnil’s sanctuary. In their own sanctuary, fairies hold the upper hand over anyone else. Rachnil is no exception.”
This place was the Iron Sanctuary.
Fairies, seeking natural order, often established contracts with humans in the area to prevent conflicts when creating sanctuaries. It was the most peaceful approach.
However, Rachnil forcefully claid this area as his sanctuary. It was a blatant cri against order and humanity, but it was still a legitimate way to create a sanctuary.
Ultimately, it was only natural that Rachnil would be the strongest here.
“Kaya, how’s White doing?”
“She seems to be showing symptoms. Just like you said, she’s starting to suffer from a high fever.”
“Good.”
There were signs that the fairy’s power was beginning to manifest.
Isaac drew the Obsidian Blade and stabbed it into the ground. A clear, ringing sound echoed as tal clashed against tal.
“From now on, follow my lead. Today, we’re taking down that fairy.”
Dorothy, Kaya, Ian, and Noah all nodded and prepared for battle.
anwhile, outside the Iron Sanctuary.
“Your Majesty, we’ve brought Princess Snow White, but her condition seems critical…!”
“White?”
People had evacuated to a shelter on a high hill to escape the iron sea spreading on the ground.
In the center of this refuge, the Imperial Knights and rlin Astrea had brought Snow White to Emperor Carlos.
White, lying on rlin’s back, was groaning and sweating profusely from the high fever.
“Call the healers imdiately!”
“Yes!”
White was laid on a bed, and Emperor Carlos watched his daughter with a worried expression.
Explosions and magic echoed outside, shaking the building.
“Why is White in this state? Is it because of the fairy? Explain, rlin Astrea!”
“I apologize, Your Majesty. Since the Iron Fairy appeared, Princess Snow White’s body temperature has risen rapidly. We believe there is a connection.”
“Have the Wizard Unit investigate the cause and use all resources to find a way to support the Ice Sovereign inside the Iron Sanctuary! We can’t let the mysterious powers of a fairy defeat us so easily!”
Even the strongest individuals in the Empire couldn’t breach the Iron Sanctuary that Rachnil had established.
Only Dorothy and Kaya, the kins of Stella and Sylphia, had managed to enter.
However, if they couldn’t support Isaac, the reputation of the Zelver Empire would be tarnished.
“Haa, haa…”
White lay with her eyes tightly shut, breathing heavily. She could faintly hear the surrounding sounds.
Her mind was hazy as if she were straddling the line between dream and reality.
Despite her headache which felt as if needles were piercing her brain, she couldn’t fully regain consciousness. Even the energy to be in pain felt like a luxury.
A healer arrived and began casting healing magic on White, but her condition showed no signs of improvent.
“Senior Isaac…”
In the darkness, the image of the silver-blue-haired boy appeared in White’s vision.
“Princess White?”
rlin and Emperor Carlos watched her with worried eyes.
Her face flushed from the fever, White squinted at rlin.
“Ehehe… I’m alright, I’m…”
“You shouldn’t speak, Princess White.”
“Senior Isaac is fighting hard… I can’t let him see like this…”
With a faint smile, White tried to move and get out of bed.
The healer tried to stop her but couldn’t bring himself to touch the Princess.
When White nearly collapsed, rlin rushed to support her.
– You’ll start feeling feverish soon. That’s when it begins.
“I need to… complete the final ntoring properly…”
White rembered Isaac’s voice, drifting into her past mories.
***About a month prior, on a dark night.
In a corner of the Hydrangea Garden, Isaac and White stood facing each other, hands joined, practicing their mana mastery.
“White, I have sothing I need to confess.”
“…What?”
“I think it’s ti I finally tell you.”
The mood was thick with emotion.
The lake, glowing with natural mana, lit the night like a vast lamp, casting a soft glow in Isaac’s eyes.
White swallowed hard, her mouth dry.
In such an atmosphere, with an older man like Isaac, who had an irresistible charm, the word “confession” was almost lethal to a teenage girl.
“Ah, yes…? A confession…? You an like spilling your deep emotions? Senior Isaac, to …?!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah, nothing, just wanted to be sure…”
White couldn’t help but bla herself for occasionally feeling flustered around her ntor, Isaac.
Isaac withdrew his mana.
“The truth is, I approached you with a specific purpose. And now, it seems I’ve accomplished it.”
“What purpose…?”
“Listen carefully, White. This is about you.”
That night, Isaac revealed an unbelievable truth to White.
He explained that the Elfieto royal bloodline was blessed by the Night Fairy Nix, and among them, White was the most profoundly affected by this blessing.
Isaac predicted that soon, she would have to use that power.
“…I’ve been making you stronger for this mont. Now that you’ve reached a certain level, I, who have been in close contact with your mana, have gained the power to oppose the fairies. But you are only able to share that power with one person, and that person is now .”
“That… I don’t really understand what you’re saying…”
“To put it simply, I’ve used you.”
White gasped at Isaac’s blunt admission.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I wanted to eliminate as many variables as possible.”
His honest words were conveyed with a gentle, calm deanor.
White bowed her head.
“So, you didn’t trust …”
“…”
“That’s alright.”
White lifted her head, smiling brightly at Isaac.
“Thank you for telling . A ntor and a ntee… once the teaching is over, we no longer have a connection. So, I guess it makes sense that our relationship is just that, right?”
A relationship ford for mutual benefit.
That was the kind of relationship that put White at ease.
In retrospect, White felt particularly open to Isaac not because of his goodwill, but because he did not extend it blindly.
A strict give-and-take. That was what made White feel comfortable.
Trusting soone ant exposing a weakness. Soone’s unconditional goodwill could one day turn into a threat.
This was a belief White had developed after enduring nurous attempts on her life by her mother.
There was a sharp pain in her chest, a sign of her vulnerability.
But she was fine. White smiled gently.
“Honestly, even with all that, I still don’t really understand. The I know is just a weakling who couldn’t even hit soone I disliked. Hehe, I’m just glad I was able to help you, Senior Isaac.”
“Can you help if I need you?”
“That’s cruel…”
“…”
“…After that, I’ll no longer be of any use to Senior, right? We won’t be able to be together like we used to, will we?”
“We’ve already completed all the ntoring sessions.”
Isaac spoke firmly, “I won’t be teaching you anymore.”
White had often felt that Isaac was looking toward a distant future.
The future seed so daunting that even an archwizard like Isaac showed signs of impatience.
Maybe it was just her imagination. How could she possibly understand the mind of an archwizard?
The only thing she knew for sure was that all she could do was hold Isaac back.
“…Ehehe, you’re really cruel.”
White gazed at the beautiful lake imbued with natural mana.
She recalled the tis spent with Isaac in the Hydrangea Garden at Märchen Academy.
Those monts were as beautiful as the blooming flowers. And like those flowers, perhaps they would one day wither away.
Suddenly, she recalled the embarrassing mont when she had clung to Isaac, begging him not to leave.
Isaac had promised he would never leave her side, and White rembered every word he said that day.
Once again, White realized that they were rely ntor and ntee, connected only by the academy.
Liar.
Even though he would eventually leave.
White looked back at Isaac and forced a smile.
“Well, it can’t be helped. I believe it’s my duty as a Princess to help you, Senior Isaac. You’ve worked so hard to protect everyone. So, I’m on your side. I’ll do my best to see you smile until the end.”
“…Thanks.”
That day, Isaac was annoyingly calm.
White kept reminding herself that it was inevitable.
***The mory of the most beautiful mother in the world lingered in White’s thoughts. She shone like a precious jewel.
White admired her mother’s beauty.
Even when her mother threatened her life, White continued to feel that way until the truth was revealed.
“rlin…”
“Yes, Princess White.”
The realization that the pocket watch her mother gave to her was nothing more than a cruel tool to ensnare her in an endless tornt… tightened around White’s heart once more.
She found herself unable to trust anyone.
To her, it seed that trusting soone would only lead to a blade against her neck soday.
Isaac was no exception. A ntor, an archwizard, what difference did it make?
Though White admired him and showered him with affection, if soone asked whether he was trustworthy, White would hesitate to answer.
Isaac had subtly drawn boundaries with White, which made White feel secure in liking him.
It was a relationship full of irony.
And this was where it had led them.
“rlin, you won’t leave , will you…?”
With a sense of hollowness, White smiled. It was a self-deprecating laugh.
rlin averted her gaze.
“Yes, I won’t leave you.”
“Hehehe… thank you…”
Lies.
Even you will leave one day.
You are only here because you were ordered to be my escort knight.
“Take to the window… I have to help Senior Isaac…”
White’s face showed no emotion.
All she wanted now was to do what needed to be done.
“Who’s there…?! Kugh!”
Suddenly, a sharp scream and a crashing sound echoed from the hallway.
rlin quickly stood up and grasped the hilt of her sword.
Emperor Carlos glared towards the entrance.
Boom!!
The door burst open, and a bloodied Imperial Knight tumbled across the ground.
Soone entered.
Just one person.
“A demon…?”
White’s eyes widened as she stared at the creature.
Its bizarre appearance made it easy to guess it was a demon.
rlin noticed the demon’s strength and frowned. Its aura reminded her of the demon from the Alice incident.
The knights and wizards in the room readied themselves for battle, but the demon rely smiled casually.
[Pleased to make your acquaintance, Emperor of the Zelver Empire.]
The demon bowed courteously.
[I am phisto. I greet you through the body of my contractor.]
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