Under the crumbling starry night.
…
Although the days are far from calm, I still enjoyed the time together with Glenn.
Is it really the time to play house?
Complete your mission as soon as possible. Complete your mission!
As the happy days continued, the joy that I had felt slowly permeated my very soul drip by drip like poison. Before long, I was afflicted with the ‘ailment’. It was an ailment that my lonely self in the past could not have imagined, and would surely have scoffed at in the days when I feigned fort.i.tude – an ‘ailment’ so ridiculous that I would not have considered even in time of my greatest leisure.
Therefore…
While I ran, I slowly lifted up and gazed forward with my previously hanging head. In the far distant, I could see a similar portal to the one that had first brought me into the corridor.
Don’t go. Come back. The voice of my beloved pupil resonated in my ear.
A portal of light, the exit to the ‘Corridor of Stars’, slowly came into sight. There…
I unhesitantly stepped through the doorway, and returned to the place I belong.
In the deepest recess of Taum Observatory – the large planetarium chamber.
Tsk… What is all this? How is this in any way a ‘simple planetarium device’?!
If I have to describe this, it is like our modern magic language is merely ‘inferior runes’ to their ‘superior runes’.
The details aside, they were standing at the cusp of history. The “sorcery’ that lacked intelligible formulas – the greatest mystery of ancient magic, was revealed to be simple ‘magic’ under the auspices of Lumia. If Glenn wrote the findings in a thesis, it would certainly be the discovery of the century.
For the thesis to stand, Glenn would need to reveal Lumia’s existence to the public. This alone made it impossible, as even if Glenn had the will, the Imperial Government would surely send men to silence him.
Following Sistine’s instructions on the operation of the control panel, Glenn opened a portal of light identical to the one before.
What greeted him on the other side was a darkness dotted with a myriad of twinkling stars. A mysterious, dream-like, and infinite s.p.a.ce. Before him was a path made of the same light as the portal that extended as far as the eye could see, where any misstep may drop one into the ocean of stars.
Glenn and the others travelled down the path that Celica had already taken, what came to be a long and arduous journey. In the end, Glenn and the others finish traversing the ‘Corridor of Stars’ and entered the portal on the far end.
The scene that unfolded before their eyes brought Glenn to a standstill.
Scattered all around them were countless mummified remains, with their faces twisted in horror and malice.
However, Glenn himself had no time to calm the terrified Sistine.
Glenn tried to calm his racing heart, and once again surveyed his surroundings.
Then, Glenn dreadfully examined the corpses near his feet. From the tattered remains of their clothing and the staff clenched in their hand, it was quite clear to Glenn that…
The mysterious remains were all undeniably burnt or had otherwise incurred horrendous slashes with parts of their body cleaved off. These severe wounds were likely the cause of their untimely demise. But, regardless of how they died, one thing was painfully clear…
“Ugh…”
“D-darn it…”
It was absolutely a place where the living should have no business – a place Glenn and others shouldn’t have come. Within Glenn’s heart, regret began to sprout independent of his sensibilities.
R-right, as a teacher, I must not look too useless in front of the students.
“Alright, let’s head out! The sooner we find Celica, the sooner we can ditch this disgusting place!” Glenn strengthened his resolve and gave a confident speech.
“?!”
“Celica?! Hey, what is wrong with you! Please get it toge-…!” Glenn dashed toward the woman, only to come to a stop after a few steps.
Slide…
Rustle rustle…
Rustle rustle…
Fwoosh…!
“Ugh…?!”
“If it weren’t for that woman!! If it weren’t for that traitor!!” The woman shouted as her eyes filled with tears of blood.
The hair wrapped around Glenn’s neck exerted considerable strength, so much so that Glenn felt her neck could snap at any moment.
All of a sudden, countless arms burst out from the nearby wall, latched onto Riel, and dragged her back into the wall, leaving her completely immobilized.
Riel could not struggle free from the incredible strength of the arms that gripped her, and her body started to creak.
“Teacher?! Riel?! Hmph… Oh merciful light•Cleanse the filth-…” Sistine hastily began to chant an exorcism spell.
“?! Ahh!!” Sistine reflexively reacted to the touch of the undead, and broke her concentration, “N-no! No!! Let me go! Let me go!!”
D-darn it, this is not good! If this keeps up… but, what can we do?!
“Oh merciful light•Cleanse the filth•Purify the land!”
L-Lumia?!
T-to be able to complete a chant under such grueling conditions! What incredible willpower!
Kyaa!!
“Flames of exorcism•Bring peace to the dead•Guide their way!”
Kyaa…
“Is everyone… alright?”
“Mm. You saved our lives there.”
“T-that was quite the surprise. I didn’t know you were able to use such a high level exorcism spell like White Magic [Saint•Fire] that were almost exclusive to powerful shamans.” Glenn looked at Lumia with wide open eyes.
Alencia Oil, an expensive oil extracted from the flowers used in funeral rites.
“Don’t worry about it. After all, it is to save everyone from harm, I’m sure mother would approve.” Lumia flashed a bright smile toward the apprehensive Sistine and then turned to Glenn.
“Aren’t you reliable?” Glenn gently pat Lumia on the head, “Sorry, to tell you the truth, I was completely frightened by those creatures earlier. But I won’t let them get to me from now on, so please rest at ease.”
The pair revealed a trusting smile to one another.
“?”
After investigating the nearby tablet, Glenn confirmed that as long as they have Lumia’s amplification, they could open the portal at any time. With that settled, they then proceeded deeper down the path.
Still, that Celica… Where has she gone?
But the questions does not end there, the structure had countless disk-like floors extending both ways, as if a ‘tower’ of stacked coins. When Glenn and the others arrived at the outer rim of a floor, they peered out from the balcony to survey the surroundings. As the cold breeze blew past the tower, Glenn found that the sun had supposedly set, and what greeted them was boundless night sky. Hanging in the center of the sky was a large pale moon.
They could not see the bottom of the tower, with the floor down far below. From the looks of it, they had come to an incredible place.
Glenn could not answer Lumia’s straight forward question.
It was a labyrinth, yet at the same time, a city. Glenn could not fathom the actions of the ancients.
In the rooms and corridors, there were countless corpses of magicians sewn about. All of them, like before, had received fatal wounds. However, these corpses would occasional reanimate, and alongside the vengeful spirits, attack Glenn and the others. The constant hara.s.sment made their journey a grueling one.
With Riel’s Sword,
…Sistine’s Magic,
…And Lumia’s Exorcism Spell, the undead were easily dispatched. A perfect teamwork of Riel, who knocked the approaching undead away, Sistine, who sealed their movement using [Storm•Wall], and Lumia, who used the holy oil to conjure up flames of purification. Carried on the Sistine’s winds, the flames gently wrapped around each and every one of the undead and exorcised them. No matter how many undead a.s.sailed them, none could escape the flames of purification, and one after another were severed from the world and sent to the afterlife.
Lumia’s composure could not be overstated. Although her techniques were rough, she could remain calm and collected enough to accurately chant spells in the face of death – even in the army, there were few who could match her.
However, the one who surprised Glenn the most was Riel.
Since arriving at the inside of the ‘tower’, they had been chasing Celica deeper than they had ever imagined. Without a doubt, Glenn would have never been able to make it so far alone.
Glenn wryly smiled as he led the students forward.
Hours upon hours they walked down the tower.
“!”
“Teacher?! That noise earlier was…?!”
“Then let us hurry, teacher!”
The group picked up their pace and dashed through the gothic door.
Through the door, Glenn and the others found themselves in a large open s.p.a.ce in the shape of an arena – a circular stadium with fires scattered across the field. On the far side of the arena was a ma.s.sive stone gate glowing in a faint black light, and before the door…
Celica was in combat against countless vengeful spirits and undead.
However, the torrent of undead could not reach Celica.
“Mph!!”
“Get lost!”
Triple Harmonics. One of Celica’s greatest techniques.
“W-what incredible strength…”
Celica’s stunning display of might has rendered Lumia, Sistine, and Riel speechless.
Glenn gulped at the sight before them. Yet, a vexing feeling made Glenn furrows his eyebrows.
Certainly, Celica was known for her highly destructive spells. Although they are all devastating spells, Celica gave off a certain transcendent beauty to them – like a pyrotechnic engineer creating a wonderful display of fireworks, such that even the destruction could be breath-taking.
The piercing eyes of the countless undead remain focused on her and her alone.
“It is all your fault!! It is all your fault!!”
“The unforgivable traitor!! Curse you! Curse you!!”
“Too Loud! Shut up! Not my problem!”
However, standing before the oppressive and tangible hatred, Celica’s powerful spells erased them with ease, not giving them even the opportunity to approach. The pillars of flame pushed out from Celica, reaching the high ceilings, obliterating all those who were closing in on her.
But the hatred continued to pour as neither side could come to an agreement. The countless undead quickly replenished their ranks, blocking Celica from her path forward, almost as if declaring to Celica that ‘You will not pa.s.s’.
All of a sudden, it has appeared. A ma.s.sive black array of black light that crisscrossed on the ground as it drew itself, instantly forming a hexagram. Immediately, the field was dyed black, as if an illusionary h.e.l.l has appeared.
Ritual Magic [Gehenna•Gate]. It was a depraved magic that casted the souls of the undead into the abyss. Originally comparable to White Magic [Saint•Fire] for its use in exorcism, and was a method of dealing with the undead, the spell was declared as a forbidden magic because of its cruelty. To put it simply, unlike the white magic that returned the souls to the cycle, the forbidden magic forced the dead into an eternity of ‘nothingness’.
“Help me! Not there!! I don’t want to go!!”
The screams of the forsaken souls echoed in the chamber. The bottomless hatred quickly turned to fear and despair. The dead were helplessly dragged into the depth of the abyss. Their lingering grudge, their attachment to the real world, and their overwhelming resentment, none of it mattered. Everything was to be mercilessly swallowed by the abyss – by ‘h.e.l.l’.
“Hmph… That’s for needlessly obstructing my way…” Celica irritatingly muttered to herself.
Glenn hurriedly rushed over to Celica, who was standing in a daze.
“…G-Glenn? How…?” Celica slowly turned her head.
“…W-why are you here?”
“T-teacher, you said the same thing twice…” Lumia wryly smiled at the complaining Glenn.
“Hey, Glenn! Hear this! I finally… finally found it!” Suddenly, Celica revealed a forced smile, with little emotions behind it.
“The ‘leads’ of the past that I had lost!”
The unexpected answer froze Glenn in his tracks.
Celica extended her arms to her sides, and performed a pirouette in joy.
“Umm… In a certain ‘tower’?”
“…Huh?!”
Because of the sudden influx of information, Glenn had a tough time keeping up.
“Don’t you understand? I have easily bypa.s.sed the impossibly difficult 10th to 49th floor – the floors that I had come to call the ‘Trial of Fools’!”
She had incessantly challenged the Underground Labyrinth, but the endless and grueling journey, the countless guardians, as well as the myriad of fatal traps have prevented her progress. Additionally, the construct and the traps within the labyrinth would time and time again change, rendering maps and teleportation spots moot. The very design meant to impede any meaningful progress, the so-called ‘Trial of Fools’.
“49th Level… as long as I am able to break through that accursed ‘Trail of Fools’, I would be home free! Rejoice, Glenn! I am inches away from unveiling the truth of this labyrinth!!”
Why would the Taum Observatory be connected to the Underground Labyrinth below the academy, and what exactly was that planetarium device?
Why was Celica so obsessed with the Underground Labyrinth? Or at a fundamental level, what exactly was Celica?
…But none of the questions are important right now.
“As I expected. My past, my lost mission, my inexplicable immortality – they are all found in this Underground Labyrinth, just as the ‘voice’ had foretold.” Celica continued to speak in riddles, “Yes… I also, vaguely, remember that… ‘door’!”
“On the other side, I am certain… everything… my everything…”
“G-Glenn…?” Celica turned to look at Glenn with puzzled eyes.
“W-why? I am finally so close to find out about my true self.”
Glenn looked straight into Celica’s eyes, and continued.
“…?!”
“G-Glenn…”
“B-but, Glenn! I-…! I-…!!” Celica lowered her head in silence.
Celica cut off Glenn’s words…
Celica seemingly wanted to say something, but stopped at the very last moment.
“Ah! Hey! Celica!!”
That’s the door! Everything that I sought for so long is definitely behind that door!!
“Return thyself to the cycle of providence•…”
“The five elements to the five elements•…”
One day, the voice that had always been whispering ‘complete your mission’, ‘realize your destiny’ and such, changed. It was a day Celica cannot forget, the moment ten years ago, soon after she had adopted Glenn and took on the position as a professor at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy. Due to some task, she was down in the Underground Labyrinth. At that time, the voice called out to her…
Since then, Celica, as if possessed, challenged the Underground Labyrinth time and time again, to unveil the truth behind her four centuries of wandering… Such was Celica Arfonia’s abnormal attachment with the Underground Labyrinth.
But, honestly speaking… to the present Celica, her real ident.i.ty, her past, and her mission did not matter to her. Even without her previous memories, even without her past, and even without her mission, Celica was no longer alone, for she has Glenn by her side. She was now able to walk with another, toward a shared future. She no longer needed her past and mission to define her existence, nor felt unease by the loneliness. Therefore, what she currently sought was because of something else entirely.
Celica activated Modified Black Magic [Extinction•Ray]. The beam of light that erased all that crossed its path extended from her left hand, straight toward the door that stood in her way. For a moment, the world was dyed white by the intense light and heat.
“H-how…?!” Celica stared at the sight before her eyes.
“How? How is it not destroyed?! Darn it! How could I get to other side of the door?!” Celica walked in front of the door, and with a heart filled with loathing, began to desperately bang on the door with her bare hands.
Glenn gazed up at the ma.s.sive gate. The surface was packed with etchings in ancient writing, mysterious symbols, decorations, and drawing, but none to immediately indicate the method to open the gate. Glenn himself felt it wasn’t particularly a terrible thing to leave the gate locked.
Glenn pushed Celica, who was throwing a tantrum with bloodied fists, against the door. As long as it was not a contest of magic, Celica was just a simple girl. Her physical strength was no match for Glenn’s.
“…!”
“Remove thy hands from the door, filth!”
“Daws and guards shalt not pa.s.seth. Only citizens of the land and the sky shalt pa.s.seth. Thou doth not possess the qualifications!”
Glenn and the others could not help but gaze toward the source of the sound. As if stepping out of the darkness, it has come to appear at the center of the arena. The mysterious existence was draped with a cloak of crimson red from head to toe, with his face hidden away by the hood. Black air oozed out from the seams of his cloak, as if darkness took on the shape of a human while sporting a robe. There was no doubt that the one who stood before them was a wraith.
D-darn…!
“Ah…?!”
Sistine and Lumia also felt terrible vibes coming off the wraith. Even Riel was on her guard toward the new arrival, the tip of her sword trembling.
Glenn could tell from just a glance that the wraith was abnormally strong.
“Ha! Who the heck are you?!”
“Forget it. At least you seem to understand words. Let me ask you then, how do you go about opening this blasted door? As long as you obediently tell me, I will leave you with your life.”
“Huh?”
“I see thee not as the Celica I knoweth. Thou has’t not the right to cross through this gate. Argal, prithee returneth the way thee cameth!”
“Begone. Thy current self doth not int’rest me.”
“Daws. Thy lives art forfeit the moment thee trespa.s.s’d into the realm of the divine. Alloweth mine own blades end thee lot, and as the dead, still catch but a wink in the ‘Tower of Breaths’!”
“Eek…?!”
“Ahh…!”
“Haa… Haa… Haa…”
Glenn had decided to retreat.
Glenn signaled Celica with the intent of having them ‘buy some time for the students to escape’.
However, Celica completely ignored Glenn’s intent, and charged headlong toward the wraith.
“Idio-…! Stop! Celica!!”
“Die!”
“Mere child’s play…”
“To beest companions with daws, how weak has’t thee gotten. Whither gone the proud ‘king’s sw’rd’? Hast the previous thee perish’d?”
Glenn was startled by the sight. From the surface, all that happened was that Celica’s spell got nullified. But for Glenn, a veteran mage that survived through countless battles, his intuition screamed that it was something more. Yet, despite his misgivings, Celica continued to charge at the wraith.
“No, Celica! Do you not understand?!”
“That is not some simple counter-magic! It is something more…!”
“Hyaa!!”
“Let me take off that prideful head of yours! Hopefully with just your head, you will finally be obedient and answer my questions!!”
“To rely on borrow’d arts. Art thou not ashamed?”
Ding!
“Wh-…” Immediately, Celica let out an unexpected gasp, “H-how could this be?”
“W-why has my spell been dispelled? W-what did you do?!”
The wraith drew a circle above him with his blade, as if offering his prayers to someone.
With that said, the wraith entered a stance with both of his swords, “Argal, I doth not permit thee to sully the sw’rd any longer, Heavens! How far shalt thou falleth? I couldst nay longeth’r hide mine disappointment in thee…”
Leaping back, Celica raised her left hand, and chanted Black Magic [Plasma•Cannon]
With a single swing of his sword, the lightning that approached the wraith was easily cut down.
“Tsk!”
“Haa?”
“W-what? What happened to my strength?”
The wraith walked next to the defenseless Celica, and brought his right blade to her neck. Without any means to resist, the air around the wraith became more p.r.o.nounced, in a way that clearly demonstrated his superiority.
“I has’t misjudg’d thee. Thou art not worthy to beest mine master, disappear from mine sight.”
Celica stared helplessly at the edge of the blade. With only a gentle nudge, Celica’s head would be cleanly detached from her body, and with it, her life will end. Despite always worried about her immortal self, Celica was now face to face with death.
“Ah…”
“I… don’t want to die…”
“N-no… I-… still…”
“Utt’r disgrace…” With his last words of criticism, the wraith lift his sword for the swing.
Celica thought of Glenn in her last moment, with her eyes tightly closed as the icy blade came down to take her neck.
With half a dozen shots, six flashes streaked across the air. Glenn had unloaded his clip onto the wraith.
Taken by surprise, the wraith was pierced through the heart by a bullet that had snuck past his defenses. He then immediately swung his blades with blinding speed, creating five streaks of light that struck down the remaining bullets – a truly stunning display of agility and swordsmans.h.i.+p. He then leapt toward the ceiling, pulling some distance away from Glenn.
“What curious weapon thou has’t…” The wraith remained cautious of Glenn, and held his blades at the ready, “A magic tool that us’d explosive magic to propel pellets of metal? M’re third-rate toy, bethink not ’twill w’rk again.”
“Darn it, why are you still alive?! I clearly shot you through the heart!!”
“V’ry well! Alloweth me see how far the daws has’t achiev’d in their senseless struggle!”
N-not good!!
“Sisti!”
Sistine’s Black Magic [Blast•Blow] smacked against the wraith towering above Glenn. With Lumia’s amplification, the hammer of wind was at its peak power, and with the might of destruction, crushed the wraith beneath.
Once again, their magic dissipated upon touching the edge of his left blade, turning from a powerful blast to a mere breeze.
At the same time, Riel was on the other side…
However, the wraith was as swift as ever, with his left blade to catch Riel’s blow, his right blade moved to bisect Riel.
Riel’s sword suddenly shattered to shards and obscured the sight of the wraith. Her magic sword was made through alchemy from the stones outside the observatory, and upon contact with the wraith’s left blade, would disintegrate to its original components. Riel took advantage of his magic to blind the wraith for the moment, and precisely in this moment, Riel unleashed her real attack.
It was the mithril sword lying beside the crippled Celica, which Riel picked up on her approach. With the sword held in reverse, Riel spun her small frame like a whirlwind from bottom up, and delivered a slash from the wraith’s right waist through his left shoulder.
Riel’s powerful cut sliced deep into the wraith, and sent him reeling into the air. A blow so strong, it created a blast wave that blew past Glenn and the others half a second later. Taking such a terrifying blow was undeniably fatal, and the wraith was likely done for. But, as with before…
With a sigh, the wraith gently landed at a point far away from Glenn and the others.
The wraith held his two blades at the ready, and slowly approached Glenn and the others. From a glance, the attack seemed to have once again failed to do any lasting damage.
Within, Glenn was hastily sorting out the information he have on the wraith in his mind, with cold sweat pouring out from all over his body. From what he gathered, the wraith’s left blade was able to nullify any magic on mere contact, which meant using magic against him was pointless. On the other hand, his right blade could render anyone it touch immobile, likely an attack that directly interfered with the spirit. Although simple, it was an exceedingly problematic move. At the same time, no matter how heavy an injury he sustained, he could not be felled. All that was then combined with the wraith’s innately superb martial arts, who could use the two blades to their utmost.
The wraith was simply too strong, and there was no weaknesses for Glenn and the others to exploit. It was simply the type of enemy that was the worst match up for Glenn. At that moment, victory against the wraith felt like no more than a pipe dream.
Also, what is with that spell?!
“N-no way! H-how much magic power do you have?!” Glenn was completely stunned by the display of might. Certainly, the wraith was strong by itself, but now he had stepped beyond the realm of logic.
In that moment, Glenn hesitated to pull out his Fool tarot card. With the wraith still in the process of casting his spell, as long as Glenn activate his unique magic [The Fool’s World], he could easily seal the spell.
All that was left to Glenn would be his fists and gun, in addition to Riel’s sword. With all magic sealed, even Lumia’s skill would become moot. In short, while they would be able to avoid immediate death, without any combat potential, they could not avoid it for long.
“…%!#@#. Die.”
“Darn it…”
…
Just as everything was about to end, the world lost its color and sound. The wraith and the sun above him also froze. Everything has turned to a shade of gray… with only Glenn and the others unaffected.
“Teacher? T-this is? What exactly happened?”
“…Hurry, everyone, over here!” A voice came from behind.
“Wh-…?”
Before them was a young girl. Her hair ashen white, and her eyes shone like red coral with a dark hue, all the while dressed in a thinly veiled dress. On her back were a pair of wings clearly not of this world.
“Y-you are…!” Glenn had seen her before, “At the first ritual chamber, below the statue of the Twins of the Sky, Taum. So you were not a mere hallucination?!”
“Umm, who exactly are you…?” Sistine nervously asked, “W-what is happening? And why do you…”
“W-why do you… have the same face as Lumia?!”
Just as Sistine asked, the young girl’s face looked identical to Lumia, almost from the same mold.