A crunch rang as a red headed boy munched down on a skewer. He tore the meat off, swallowed it, and waved the stick at the black-headed boy to his left. Gulping, he spoke with a sly smile and took another from his plate.

"There's really not much to see here," He chewed, "I'll bet it shatters again~"

"Not one bit of faith?" Rain asked, a bit speechless.

"I have faith that it'll break."

". . .what an older brother."

"Thank you."

They returned to the estate and Maria found herself within the training room, mind in thought. She sat upon the wooden surface and ignored the chattering of the two boys behind her with a purse of her lips. 'I'll show him.'

White light surrounded her as she concentrated. Her mind wandered over the diagrams she had extensively studied and her mana moved, wallowing out from her and soon shaping into a dome. The first step, making the basic shape of the spell, finished just like that.

"Oh goddess of light, protect me in your embrace."

The next part came as she spoke, a dual task of reciting the chant needed to give mana meaning and constructing the spell itself in conjunction with its required matrix. The dots of light blurred for a moment, then layered upon one another, beginning to harden and strengthen under her control as Maria willed them to take form.

Finally, as she watched her mana flicker into a barrier of light, she stood up.

'I think I did it?'

Her feet tapped and she moved closer to the edge of the barrier. Immediaelty, she placed one foot back and brought a fist flying, twisting her figure as she took a step.

A clear pang rang as the air broke.

Her knuckles smacked against the reflective light of the barrier. She felt a bit of pain shoot through her arm as it shook, but the shield took the impact of her attack and shuddered slightly. However, it didn't collapse under its own weight.

The was a spell meant to block attacks at or below the level of the mana slate of the individual and unless it was bombarded with those same attacks, or pierced, it wouldn't easily break. When she used it previously, it would shatter at even that of the C rank, weaken the attack, but shatter nonetheless. This time, having placed her all into her strike, and seeing it take the brunt of it, Maria gleamed in glee.

"Success!"

She leaped up, pumping a fist into the air.

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"Wow. . .you actually did it. . ." Arthur muttered.

She shot him a glare, "Are you purposefully trying to rile me up?"

"Yes. Yes I am. Now, can we get going?"

She released her barrier and stepped towards the two, nodding her head, "Where's Ais?"

"She's with my father," Rain spoke up, "As far as I heard, your father had also sent her with you to converse with him. Specifically, about the defenses around the city."

'Oh?' Maria furrowed her brows but still nodded, "Let's get going then."

They entered an untidy office, stacks of paper still still littered the desk, and the brunette-woman at the other end looked even more tired than normal. Darkness circled her eyes, and her hair was in disarray. She pushed up her glasses as the trio walked in and quickly formulated a small greeting.

"Ah—right today's the day—good to see you threee again," She have a smile.

Maria nodded, finding a sit, "We're here for the arm. . ."

"Mhmm," Her brother mumbled at her side, a rare sight as he touched the base of his missing left arm, stroking it, "It's ready—right?"

He stared at the woman with hope in his eyes. For once, he lost his usual demeanor and sat in anticipation. The taste of the skewers were young on his tongue, but the thought of his arm was even more enticing.

Mash fraught nodded. She tucked under the table and brought out a box of black. Opening it, the trio gazed at the item within in wonder as Arthur gulped.

It was an arm.

An arm constructed of black wood, and embedded at the back of the hand was a spherical ball glowing in the color-less light of elemental-less mana.

"Is that a Mana Core?" The prince asked, a hand reaching out to touch the item.

It was coarse, but he could feel mana flowing through the item.

"Indeed," Mash smiled, "It powers the arm, and it can be recharged. We've also added the spell to it, it'll begin to automatically grow into the same shape when enough damage comes to it. Along with this, it's made out of Elven Wood and so has an high affinity for mana."

He held the arm up, his ruby eyes reflected back at him as the core swirled like a gas. It really was a Mana Core, a high-grade one at that. He wondered what dungeon or what Mana Beast it may have been taken from, but nevertheless turned towards his sister.

"Could you. . ."

"Help you wear it?" Maria smiler.

He nodded, tersely and she couldn't help but roll her eyes and stretch at a hand.

"Give it here."

"Be careful. . .the initial wear is painful. We couldn't mitigate that."

Maria nodded and helped her brother. She untied the sleeve of the shirt on his arm, wiped the nub, and slowly brought the mechanical apparatus up. There was a hallow end, a small half-circle hole that flowed with mana, and she attached it to the small part of his missing left arm that still existed.

As they connected, white light came and strings of mana pierced unto Arthur's skin as a yelp escaped his lips.

"Goddamn this is not just painful!"

Sweat rolled off of his forehead as he screamed, watching the tendrils of mana drive into the veins, muscles, and nerves that existed along his shoulder and stubby arm.

Maria frowned as she heard her brother's yell of pain. He didn't stop, and it continued, shaking in his air as he grasped onto the wooden arm.

"Rain—could you?"

"Mhmm."

The swordsman had no trouble holding the prince down. His yelp of pain was loud, melding into the air, and slowly becoming more beastly.

'Beastly?' Maria thought with a tilt of her head.

"Oh no-." Mash was the first to notice.

The office shook and it took only a moment for them to realize that his scream was not the only one they could hear.

As a black butterfly fluttered, Rain yelled.

"Run!"

A wail resounded and mixed with that of a beastly growl as the floor beneath them shook. Following that roar, an explosion of blue rocked the building as azure flames engulfed it. In one moment, their view had turned into a blaze of azure conflagration.