Gabriel’s breathing was slow as he approached the tall gates of the Giselle estate. He could see the main mansion and the various smaller annexes that were scattered across the estate, the various gardens that served to fill the gaps between the buildings. As it was the estate of a duchess, there were naturally a great number of people moving about to ensure that all the day-to-day needs were met.

But he could sense it. A tension in the air, a slight weight that bore down on all their shoulders. The scent of fear hung in the air, an intangible dread he was all too familiar with.

He spat out a long breath, a faint white mist spreading through the air. His vision was narrow, the slits in the helmet ensuring that he couldn’t see too much of his surroundings. It was like the blinds you put on a racing horse, block out everything around them so that they could focus completely on the one task ahead of them.

He narrowed his vision further. Cooled his mind further. Focused his senses further.

This was the estate of a duchess. Sure, she belonged to the Kasarias kingdom so it wouldn’t be the same as attacking a duchy in the Earhart empire. But she was a duchess nonetheless, a noble just barely beneath the king. Some of the strongest people in the empire would be gathered within this estate, quietly waiting for their chance.

Gabriel did not have confidence in his ability to tear down everyone here. If his goal had been to kill everyone in the estate then he would have to retreat and bide his time. But that wasn’t his goal today. No, he just had to ‘kidnap’ Alice while wrecking the place a bit before slipping away. The fuse had already been lit by his earlier attacks, the kingdom was already on the verge of tearing into itself. This would just be the final straw.

Another breath was exhaled, another puff of icy mist spreading through the air. His blood felt cold, like ice flowing through his veins as he gathered his power. He could feel the souls inside him, teeming with life and memories. Each one had been a life at a time, each one had been a possibility.

And now they were burning. One by one they were torched, memories and desires turning to ash that clung to his insides. The ice within got colder, the rushing of his frozen blood got faster. And his vision grew narrower, his mind quieter.

The sword in his hand weighed nothing. It was just another finger, another part of his hand. His brain sent the signal, his nerves flared, his muscles moved. The blade swung.

The sound of metal against metal, the scattering of sparks that danced like little fireflies. The splatter of blood as armor and flesh were torn. A slight move of his muscles, and the blade moved again. More sparks. More blood.

The gate fell like paper after the guards were dispatched, the metal dented violently as it flew through the air. By the time it struck the ground, it had left his mind so he couldn’t even hear the sound as it came crashing down.

His narrowed gaze moved. Enemies. Enemies. Servants. Enemies. Buildings. He knew the layout of the estate, he knew each of the various buildings and what they were being used for. There was a familiar scent in the air, one his nose could just barely pick up.

Alice De Vritara. Her scent was accompanied by flashes of red and purple. A bright and burning dawn. The main mansion, that was where she was being kept. Was she looking at him right now?

He couldn’t tell, he could only detect her scent. Perhaps it was like instinct to him, like a chick that imprinted on the first thing it saw. But whatever the case, as long as he knew where she was he could act more freely.

“Akasha, Argan.” (Demon, Fester.)

A soft mutter, barely more than a whisper, so quiet that not even the wind could hear it. But the result was violent. Beneath his armor, the skin on his right arm peeled off, disintegrated by the erupting magic. Dark purple scales covered in black and silver veins grew out from his flesh, extending from his hand and up to his elbow, his nails cracking before they were pushed out and replaced by claws.

Unique Magic, his privilege as someone who traversed worlds. His ‘shield’ burned himself, the souls within him. But his ‘sword’… It burned the world around him. In the end, all creation was just another log on the pyre.

As it was with the first time he used it, he didn’t really feel any different. Just… Weary. But the world around him seethed and roiled, invisible flames swallowing the life-force of even the land around him. The attacks that had been aimed at him were reduced to nothing by the erupting magic

His narrowed vision moved. He had to make a mess, a great big spectacle for the whole kingdom to see. His eyes found their target, and his sword moved, his claw-like hand hidden by his stolen armor as he clutched the sword.

The blade whistled as it cut through the air. Or perhaps it was a roar? A great big scream of magic as the air vibrated violently due to the force.

It was too strong, too violent. Gabriel had never used both his ‘sword’ and ‘shield’ together at the same time, at least not ever since the day he fought the claw, and most certainly not after he took down the elbow. So he didn’t know the result it would produce.

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People vanished. Soldiers weren’t even leaves in front of the force of that magic, they were motes of dust. The earth cracked into a long gash and the resulting wind tore up the closest trees. Serving as the epicenter of it all, Gabriel was thrown into the air like a helpless leaf.

And because of that, he got the perfect vantage point to observe the carnage. The gash in the earth resembled a scar as it continued in, eventually reaching the annex that was used to house important political guests. The magic erupted as it reached the building, blooming into a gargantuan spike of ice that rose from the ground and tore through the building. Several smaller spikes branched out from the main pillar, causing the entire thing to resemble a glacial tree, the remains of the building it had torn through becoming frozen fragments that clung to it.

It was… Exquisite. Greater than anything he had expected.

But the ice in his veins and mind cooled him down before he let himself go any further. This was a duchy, the main estate of that duchy even. The people here were most definitely stronger than anyone he had encountered before. Lingering was not an option. Getting drunk on power was not an option. Tear the place up, kidnap Alice, get away.

He gathered his magic and cast his strengthening magic, plummeting to the ground and crashing down with a thunderous sound. The earth cracked as fragments spread out, the resulting shockwave shattering the windows of the various buildings around him.

His gaze rose as more magic burst out of him, the earth creaking and groaning as ice burrowed beneath it. The horrible chill broke through the ground in several places, tearing humans just as easily as it tore buildings.

And then he saw it. A flash of crimson, a gleam of purple. Within one of the windows of the main mansion. The shattered glass danced around her, reflecting the light like tiny crystals. And within them, a hundred different Alice’s, a smile from a hundred different angles.

She was smiling at him.

As he gazed upon her, she took a step forward, vaulting out of the window. It was only after she landed on the ground, Quetzalcoatl and Fenrir at her side, that he realized that she was carrying a young child. Another poor unfortunate soul she had picked up, another sad child she would try to give a better life.

Well, currently that child was being protected by Quetz so that she couldn’t see or hear the surroundings so it seemed like Alice wanted to shield her from the cruelty of the world for a bit longer. But oh well, it could always be done later, like with Bellona and Edith.

He put strength into his legs and shot forward, stone tearing as ice burst out from the ground all around him. With how much ice there was, and the distance between the various attacks, it would look as if there were many more enemies attacking the estate.

He got close to Alice, but he didn’t dare to get too close. The world around him was still burning, fueling him. If he got too close then it would start burning her. So he stopped a bit away from her, gazing upon her.

It had been over a week since they last saw each other, almost two weeks even. But it was only now that he was looking at her that he could feel the dull ache in his chest. The pain of separation, even if it was a willing one… It was his first time experiencing it.

She looked at him, and he looked at her, neither of them opening their mouth. Alice just wore that smile of hers, like a gentle sun that slowly melted him from the inside out. How often had Gabriel found himself speechless, unable to decide what to say first?

More ice burst out around them, tearing through even the screams. He knew that they should get away right now, having already achieved their goal. But part of him was simply spellbound after seeing her again. It was the first time he could understand what it meant to have been lonely.

“…A…”

His mouth opened to utter something, but his words were cut off by something his senses picked up. Some of the ice that was supposed to burst out beneath the nearest barracks, it had been blocked. His eyes moved quickly and then he saw it, roots. The roots of the surrounding trees had expanded and grown thicker, forming a net that prevented the ice from properly blooming.

“…”

His brows suddenly furrowed. He’d been focused on Alice so he hadn’t noticed it, but now that he was checking he could detect another familiar scent. It reminded him of flowers and a fresh field of grass, a quiet clearing in a forest.

His head turned, and there he saw her. Alice too, probably saw her. She was clad in the armor of a knight belonging to Duchess Giselle, but that wouldn’t be enough to fool Gabriel. Teresa was hiding beneath the armor, breathing heavily as she gasped for air, pouring out every last drop of magic she had. She had blocked Gabriel’s attack.

His brows remained furrowed. Teresa should be back in the Earhart kingdom, recuperating while keeping an eye on Bellona and Edith. Why would she be here? He wasn’t surprised that she was able to track her down, he had taught her almost everything she knew so it would be stranger if she wasn’t able to figure out his plans after he left.

But the question remained, why would she be here? This wasn’t a job he wasn’t able to handle on his own so she had no reason to follow him. And naturally, she had much less reason to stop him like that.

She moved as his thoughts did, rapidly approaching him. Her magic surged as she ran, he could feel her gaze beneath the helmet. Was she… Crying right now?

He couldn’t see her tears, but he was sure that she was crying. Why was she crying as she approached him? And why… Why did he felt rather pained when she was crying like that?

“Wa…”

He tried to take a step back as she got closer, tried to call out a warning. His Unique Magic was still active so if she got closer it would start eating away at her. But she rushed in before he could finish his words, her magic forming thick roots that coiled around her arm. But he could feel her burning after she entered his range, he could feel the life-force lurking within her body turn into energy that fueled his own powers.

And then his head jerked to the side. The fist, covered by both armor and roots, struck his face with all the might she had been able to muster up. She ignored the burning sensation of his Unique Magic, she ignored the death that crept up from her insides, and she struck Gabriel with all her might.

“Have you gone completely insane?!”

Her voice was a hoarse roar, her throat strained and pained. He could feel her tears earlier, but now he could hear them in her voice. There was… Sorrow in her voice. Deep and flourishing sorrow.

“Look at this! Look around you! Have you lost your minds?!”

She screamed in sorrow. She roared at them. And she cried.