Around the same time, in the Mage Federation's battle fortress, in the grand master's office…
The old mage is reading through a letter with his mouth scrunched to the side, shaking his head.
Knock knock…
The grand master disdainfully discards the letter down onto the desk and adjusts his glasses as he turns his eyes to the door.
「Enter.」
He says in a raised, loud and clear voice with his fingers interlocked and elbows upon the desk.
Magnus enters and shuts the door behind himself. He smirks a little when he sees the grand master simply looking at him from his desk.
「Oh?… Now that's a rare occurrence, grand master. It's difficult to catch you without your nose buried in documents or letters…」
He says with a light grin and spread arms while approaching the desk.
「I have just finished one.」
The grand master simply adjusts his glasses.
「…Have you decided what you will do, grand master? Has there been a response from Headmaster Corvus?」
Standing in front of the desk, Magnus asks with his hands held behind his back.
「There has. And it's utterly ridiculous.」
The grand master nods, and turns his disdainful gaze to the letter.
「Really?… How so, grand master?」
Raising his brows in a light surprise and leans onto the desk.
「Corvus is strictly against it. I would have of course respected his opinion, but the arguments he gave are utterly ridiculous… I agree with his point that it's not the Federation's business…」
The old mage adjusts his glasses as he speaks, then returns his eyes to Magnus.
「…But gross abuse of magic definitely is. Only mages are capable of policing mages, and only through magic. If we decide that mages are free to do anything they please…」
The interlocks his fingers, briefly glancing aside.
「…Then we will simply make a return back to the savagery of mage kingdoms. The Federation is there to be a check for out of control, dangerous magic, even if politics are not our concern.」
He adds, briefly spreading his hands before leaning back in his chair.
「Absolutely, grand master. I agree.」
Magnus nods along and straightens out.
「You are being facetious at best, disingenuous at worst, Magnus. I know what your faction wants… But I also think that letting things be would eventually spiral out of control.」
The grand master says with a very lightly annoyed expression and elbows upon his armrests.
「Grand master, please… Factions aside, I want what's best for the Federation. It's as you say, things would spiral out of control… And I'd be gladly nodding along to Alexander.」
Magnus explains with an amused smirk and a shrug of his arms, before joining his hands behind his back again.
「…Perhaps so. Perhaps so… That wasn't his only argument, however. In fact, it was just a preface to his main argument.」
After a moment of pause and a sigh, the grand master nods, then remarks with a shrug of his shoulders.
「And that was?…」
Magnus bows a little with his brows curiously raised.
「…A man named Straf Katastrof Vindict. Some of the Listeners had already met him. Corvus goes on long, looong…」
The grand master straightens out and places his elbows on his desk again. Magnus furrows his raised brows slightly.
「…Very long tract about him. I feel like he wanted to write that man's biography, but unfortunately did not know much about him. He brought up the Academy incident again…」
The old mage continues, adjusting his glasses while the younger mage listens attentively.
「…He mentioned that this Straf handled a vampire, Archmage Diebin, as well as the wraith… Practically all by himself. Now, defeating Archmage Diebin is rather impressive…」
He goes on, nodding in mild approval.
「…But then he goes on great lengths to explain that he is not a threat, but also contradicts himself that he should not be trifled with.」
「This Straf character?」
Magnus asks, tilting his head.
「Yes… Corvus practically promises that some unspecified, negative event will happen should we decide to take action against the empire. Rather ridiculous.」
The grand master adds, spreading his hands with his brows furrowed in ridicule.
「Is he threatening us?」
The younger mage's head perks up in surprise.
「No, no… I suppose I should have specified…」
The old mage shakes his head with his palm pointed towards Magnus, then adjusts his glasses upon his bulbous nose.
「…He is warning us that this Straf will not take kindly to that. I don't know what to make of this, Magnus. Not a threat, but immensely dangerous? Dangerous to the Federation itself?」
He clarifies as he calmly interlocks his fingers.
「Grand master… My opinion, if I may?」
Magnus bows his head a little as he asks.
「Of course. Frankly, I was hoping for your input, Magnus, as I'm baffled by the headmaster's letter. He goes on to praise him so much, that he's almost reverent.」
The old mage nods, adjusting his glasses as he explains with a quick spread of his hands.
「…Headmaster Corvus is afraid of him, grand master. It's nothing strange. He's not a battlemage, he's a scholar. He didn't make his way to where he is now by shows of magic.」
Magnus leans in onto the desk, gently shaking his head.
「Hmm… That does make a lot of sense… Do you think so?」
The grand master nods while stroking his chin, furrowing his brows greatly.
「It can't be anything else, grand master. He is playing it safe, perhaps he's worried of the consequences of going against that man. That's hardly the attitude we should respect.」
The younger mage straightens out, spreading his hands.
「…Indeed. A criminal or not, a powerful mage or not… That should not dissuade us from taking action if taking action is apt. That man, Straf Katastrof Vindict…」
The old mage nods agreement and leans back in his chair, grimacing slightly.
「…He can flee the empire, curse the Federation, swear a lifetime of vengeance upon us… I don't think we should care if we make an enemy out of him. We will make plenty of enemies.」
「It is the burden of the decision-makers, grand master. A friend to all is a friend to none. We must make enemies to preserve the rules.」
Magnus declares, and nods along to the grand master's words.
「…Indeed. Moreover, his attitude towards that man concerns me. I am starting to have doubts whether or not he should even be a headmaster of the Academy.」
The grand master lets out a long, troubled sigh before straightening out and placing his elbows on the desk again.
「I believe that is a little out of my competence, grand master, but I'm certain you will make the right decision… Will you mobilize the battle fortress, then?」
Magnus asks with his eyes narrowed. The grand master pauses to think for a prolonged moment, stroking his chin while looking aside with a pensive grimace.
「…It cannot be done in a snap a finger. The battle fortress will have to undergo significant preparations, but I believe we have no choice but to act. I will have to write to Corvus first.」
The old mage replies with a resigned shrug of his shoulders.
「And not a moment too soon, grand master. I will let my faction know. We will aid in the preparations as soon as you give the order.」
Magnus stifles his smug smirk, hiding it by nodding fiercely in agreement. He takes a few steps back, turning slightly for the door.
「Mhmm… That would help.」
The grand master nods while rummaging through his desk's drawer for paper.
Magnus bows politely, and heads for the door with a smug smirk on his face…
…
A few hours later, on the lower levels of the battle fortress, in a mana-filled circular room…
Blue-robed mages with a lighter blue symbol of an eye in the center of their robes are kneeling around a large crystal of mana, just at the edge of the magic circle surrounding it.
「…Watcher please tell any one of us anything, any advice, any command… Our ruinous enemies are plenty and powerful, your world is at risk…」
Alexander says to himself in the direction of the crystal while kneeling along with the rest, keeping his head lowered and his eyes closed, focusing on the thick mana. Hushed mantra-like pleas of others fill the room in a low murmur, blending with the soft eerie chime resonating from the smaller crystals jutting out of the walls, floor, and ceiling. Magnus enters with a smug smirk on his face.
「Alexander… Great news!」
Magnus proclaims with his arms spread, grinning at Alexander and interrupting his meditative trance.
「Magnus… What do you want?」
Alexander shoots up to his feet, seething at the old man of own his age through his teeth while shuffling towards him in wide, rapid steps.
「The grand master will be mobilizing the battle fortress in just a few days' time.」
Magnus declares with a smug grin.
「What!?」
「Huh?…」「What? Are we really going to?…」「That will have consequences…」
Alexander and the rest of the Listeners perk up in shock. The rest of the Listeners stand up, and begin speaking amongst themselves in hushed tones.
「…Magnus, you rat. You kept hammering nonsense into the grand master's head. Do you not care about the people that might die!?」
He clenches his fists, shouting at Magnus and his smug face.
「Oh? This comes as a surprise to you?… How come? Did the Watcher remain silent?… Again?」
Magnus asks, spreading his hands with a smug smirk. Alexander's fist twitches as he mulls punching out a few of the bared teeth.
「…You are a lunatic, Magnus. Everybody knows it. I will ensure the world will know it too.」
Alexander remarks, calming down a little, but still fuming under the calm surface.
「A lunatic? Why? Because I want to present the empire and her majesty with a choice?…」
Amused, Magnus shakes his head in a feigned surprise.
「…People will only die if she decides to act how I think she will act, Alexander. People are predictable, and so are you. All of you are…」
He scoffs, shrugging his shoulders, and begins to circle around the crystal while speaking to the fellow old mage, briefly addressing the Listeners. Aldrei glares at him as he passes by.
「…We're a lot alike, Alexander, in that we both want to prove the existence of this supposed Watcher… A great observer, watching and listening. No deed big or small goes unnoticed…」
「We are nothing alike, you wretch. You are insane.」
Alexander chimes in, spitting scorn at Magnus as he disappears beyond the glowing, pulsating crystal.
「…Oh, but we are, Alexander. It's just… You want to prove the Watcher exists, and we simply decided that it will be easier to prove that the Watcher does not exist. Same thing.」
Magnus shrugs, returning to Alexander from around the magic circle.
「You know it's not. If we're wrong, then we're wrong. If you are wrong, you will eventually destroy the world.」
Alexander replies, glaring at the smug mage with Aldrei.
「Ah. Have more trust in yourself, Alexander… Should we push the world to the brink of destruction, the Watcher will intervene, saving it, and proving us both right.」
Magnus raises his palm, smirking at the old mage his age, before joining his hands behind his back.
「…And if he doesn't? What if he just lets you do it?」
Alexander asks, openly scowling.
「Well… That's quite a cruel observer then, isn't it?… Like a child by an anthill, watching the ants go about their day, and wondering what they would do if he'd pour in a bucket of water…」
With a shrug of his shoulders, Magnus looks aside at nothing in particular as he thinks. Soft, ambient chiming coming from the crystals fills in the silence.
「…Maybe we should stop being amusing toys for a bored god?」
He asks in a disdainful tone and a serious glare directed at Alexander, who grimaces in silent anger.
「Are you religious, Alexander?」
Magnus asks abruptly after a moment of pause, confusing Alexander and the rest of the Listeners.
「…What does this have to do with anything?」
Alexander asks with his eyes narrowed in suspicion and confusion.
「More than you think. I am…」
Magnus freely admits with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, and moves to make another circle around the crystal.
「…There is no doubt in my heart that there is another world waiting for us, Alexander. Therefore, this world is our plaything. You needn't worry about the end of the world…」
He explains while walking past the scowling blue-robed mages glaring at him.
「…Should you die, Mercia will take you away to another world, and you will be none the wiser. Maybe she already has? Hundreds of times? Thousands?… Who knows.」
Magnus adds with a smug smirk on his face, and another shrug as he returns.
「You truly are a lunatic. I have never heard of someone twisting religion in such an insane way like that.」
Alexander replies with pure disdain in his voice.
「Ah, Alexander… Don't tell me you're one of those people who thinks of religion as a tool for control?…」
Magnus rolls his eyes, asking with his brows elevated slightly.
「…Isn't that a filthy way to think, Alexander? So materialistic. All those secret good deeds of the people, all those unseen sacrifices, all those treacherous backstabbings done in the dark…」
The old mage turns his smirking face to Aldrei, then briefly glances at the rest of the Listeners while he continues.
「…And then, all those who freely do repugnant things that they will never answer for… And they are the ones who will come out on top, fat and happy? You simply die?…」
Magnus asks while Alexander looks at him with a look of disgust and disdain.
「…Then, priests and kings simply tell everyone else「Be kind to others! Be charitable! Live a good, wholesome life!」while not doing so? And they are the wiser ones for it?…」
He asks another rhetorical question, quoting Mercia's commandments.
「…I don't want to believe that, Alexander. There has to be more to life. Forgive my, heh, simplistic mindset, but I am wise, and I genuinely believe in Mercia's words…」
Magnus shakes his head, then turns his gaze to the pulsating, glowing crystal in the center of the room. The Listeners continue glaring directly at him with scowls on their faces.
「…Therefore, if a wise man like me follows Mercia's words, that means the simple people were not deceived. We just see the world in two different ways, Alexander.」
He returns his eyes to Alexander, and concludes with a nonchalant shrug.
「…If that whole stream of inane garbage was meant to aggravate me, well done. Otherwise, you should be ashamed of yourself for twisting religion like that.」
Alexander scoffs, shaking his head in utter disdain. Magnus nods back with a tight-lipped grimace.
「We will not see eye to eye then. That's a shame. I've got what I wanted, now I thought that I'd extend my hand to you, and have you see things my way…」
Magnus replies, briefly holding his hand out for Alexander as if for a handshake, before quickly returning it behind his back.
「…It's not that you can't, you refuse to, Alexander. I understand your position, I simply do not agree with it. You do not even want to begin understanding mine. It's a shame.」
He adds, then turns to leave through the arching passage without another word.
Alexander turns to face the Listeners with a greatly sour, angered expression on his face.
「…Continue listening! We still have some time! Maybe now we'll hear something!」
He waves his hand above his head towards the crystal, then returns to his previous spot and kneels down…
…
At the beginning of the next week, within the walls of the battle fortress, on the city level…
Many hundreds of fixed magic lamps glow brightly, filling the streets of the battle fortress with pale blue light. The sky is low in the orange, evening sky. Large, bulky, wheeled automata as tall as a man's waist roll along the smooth stone streets, shoveling snow out of the way with plows attached to the front of their rectangular bodies covered in glowing channels. There is a large commotion in the streets, and a dense crowd of people is being forcibly led out towards the gate by large, well-organized groups of mages in blue robes.
「You can't do this! I have merchandise to sell!」
An angry man shouts while he and the rest of the crowd are being pushed away with staves by a screen of blue-robed battlemages.
「Yes we can! You've heard the mobilization warning! Get out of the battle fortress!」
A blue-robed mage shouts back towards the crowd from behind the frontmost screen. Elsewhere, at an adjacent street, a similar scene is taking place.
「But I want to stay! I don't mind if it I go with you!」「Yeah! Just let us stay!」「I have an Academy term to study for! What the fuck is this for!?」
「It's for your own safety! Move!」
More protesting shouts come from the crowd, but none of the people dare to physically resist the mages gently, but forcefully pushing them out.
「This is illegal! I have alchemy ingredients that'll rot! I have to sell them!」
A man in robes clutches onto his pointy blue hat's brim as he shouts back.
「It's perfectly legal! You should have read the entry permit form!」
A frustrated battlemage shouts back. Somebody in the crowd trips from the constant pushing, while the screen pushes past him.
The second screen of battlemages is quick to rush up and scoop the still reeling man up by his arms, and carry him forward towards the gate.
「Please, everyone, just stay calm!… It'll be a few days at most!… This is highly unusual, but this isn't the first time it ever happened! Just camp outside!」
A mage from the rear calls out plaintively with his hands raised, trying to appease the angry crowd a little.
「Camp outside!? There's fucking snow outside! I paid for housing here!」
「Yeah!」「What's the point of renting a store if I get kicked out!?」「I want to speak with the grand master! This can't be legal!」
An angry, outraged man shouts back while shaking his fist at the battlemages pushing them. The crowd immediately agrees, and the people jump in with their own complaints.
「Enough! Solve it in court later! Now get out! The lot of you!」
Another battlemage shouts from the frontal screen as they reach the gate, funneling the mages and the mundane craftsmen, merchants, healers, bakers, and just about anyone else one could find in a regular city. Another formation of battlemages joins in from an adjacent road, and also begins funneling their own share of corralled fortress dwellers towards the snowy fields outside. Once physically outside the gate and the portculli, the crowd's resistance dies down very rapidly.
The angry, grumbling people walk out onto the knee-deep fresh snow, joining others who were pushed out long before them. Some tents were already pitched, while small groups here and there have cleared some of the snow around their camps. Most move to join one or the other, with none content to simply shiver in the deep snow.
The gate to the battle fortress closes, the bridge over its river rises to the wall, and the exterior portcullis slams shut. The disgruntled crowd lets out a collective resigned sigh of defeat.
「Everyone!… Please keep your chins up! We'll be back inside soon, but until then, let's work together to get comfortable here, okay!?…」
A woman raises her arm and calls out from one of the camps towards the displaced crowd with a warm, welcoming smile on her face.
Her long black hair whips around a little as she swivels her pointy-hatted head.
「…That's a lot of people. Could we get some teams working on collecting firewood, while others fish!? If we could get someone to hunt, that'd be wonderful too!…」
She then moves her cold hands to the sides of her mouth, and shouts a few requests towards the crowd in general…
…
An hour later, inside the battle fortress control room…
A blue-robed mage enters the grand room full of desks, whose tops are covered in runes of all sizes, colors, and patterns. Dozens and dozens of battlemages sit upon them, either fiddling with crystal positions on the runic circles, or simply sitting in their chairs and looking up at the grand master with an expectant gaze. Up on the elevated platform, Magnus, Alexander, as well as members of both factions are standing directly behind the grand master, glaring at each other with scowls on their faces.
「…Grand master, only the battlemages remain.」
The blue-robed battlemage says to the grand master after squeezing through the crowd of the Action and Listeners factions.
「Good… Mobilize the battle fortress!…」
The old mage nods, then throws his hand out forward with his fingers splayed wide as he shouts a command towards the battlemages at the desks.
Immediately, their attention returns to their runic desks, and most of them begin fiddling with the magic gems. Some gems slide into a new position on their own, others are moved by hand. Some glow brighter, some dim. The previously quiet room begins to fill with noise, both from the people, as well as with odd and omnipresent rumbling.
「…Let's see if it still works. It'd be embarrassing if we'd find out we're toothless now.」
The grand master calmly remarks as his hand returns behind his back.
「…North crystal ready!」「…Central crystal ready!」「…East, ready!」
The men at center-most desks begin calling out as some of their gems pulse with light.
「…All crystals in operational state! Begin phase one!」
After a moment, another man calls out while looking at a group of battlemages sitting off to the side. They begin fiddling with their own gems' positions.
Grgugrrggggrg… Grrrrrgurggrggg…
The floor begins to rumble noisily. Most of the younger battlemages observing from above look around the room with worried eyes as the ground shakes.
The grand master continues staring down at the runic desks, ignoring the rumbling…
…
Around the same time, outside the battle fortress…
The unfrozen lake surrounding the battle fortress begins to ripple, and the ground surrounding it begins to rumble faintly. Crows in a nearby forest take flight with noisy cawing. The people getting settled into the camps stop their work for a moment, whether it be cooking, chopping food, butchering small animals, or simply shivering. They turn their eyes towards the battle fortress, its tall walls, and its tall, pointy buildings stretching up into the gray sky.
「…What is going on!?」
Somebody shouts, and the displaced crowd shoot up to their feet as the battle fortress begins to rise.
…Sssplosh!… Ssssssplasssh!…
Streams of water begin to drop out of the ground from small pockets of empty space beneath the battle fortress as it takes flight, rising upward. The ominous rumbling around the camp stops as soon as the enormous crystals of all colors that jut out from the rock beneath the battle fortress's city level emerge from the lake fully.
「It's flying!?」「Where is it going!?」「What the fuck!? But my stuff is there!」
The people cry out in shock as the battle fortress in its entirety along with its walls, the city, the buildings, and a large chunk of its apparent underground level simply flies up and away at a sluggish, hulking pace, slowly ascending into the gray clouds. Most of the people are left speechless with their jaws hanging low.
The displaced people are left stranded in an empty, snowy field by an unfrozen, gently bubbling lake, surrounded by a distant, beautiful mountain range worthy of a painting…
…
In the evening, in the Redwing palace, in the royal bedchamber…
Wearing only her nightgown, Cycelia is lying in bed with Straf. Her day to day clothes are folded neatly on the bedside chair, while her arms are wrapped around his body. Her large, soft breasts are squeezed against Straf's chest, with nowhere else to go than to the sides. She rests her head right next to his, on his pillow, looking at his handsome face from the side.
「…You know, Straf… I just realized I haven't really slept with you yet. I either couldn't sleep at all, or I dozed off in the chair for a few hours… Things like that…」
Cycelia says in a soft, quiet voice while blinking her sullen emerald eyes at him.
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
「…I'll try really hard to actually fall asleep with you now. I won't let any monster stop me, either. I know if I'd be in danger, you'd save me anyway…」
She moves her hand to stroke Straf's head, brushing his hair back gently.
「…So… Goodnight, Straf.」
Cycelia adds, and stares at his face while half-heartedly waiting for a response. She gives up after a moment, and rests her cheek back down next to his head as her eyes grow a little damp.
She closes them, and hugs into Straf in an effort to fall asleep…
…
In the next morning…
「Mnhh…」
Cycelia's eyes twitch slightly, and open with a soft groan. Still slightly dazed from waking up, she quickly and lazily glances around the room with her emerald eyes, then lets out a troubled sigh. Her eyes turn to Straf's sleeping, handsome face. A great sadness fills her heart again, and she sits up.
She shivers when the blanket drops off her bare shoulders, and sniffles slightly while rubbing her eyes with the backs of her fingers. She glances at Straf again, then looks towards the door.
「Good morning, Straf…」
Cycelia says in a sullen tone, then lets out a sigh.
「…Nggh… Yeah, mornin'…」
Straf replies with a quiet, strained voice and closed eyes.
「Eh!? Eeeeeeeh!? Straf! You're awake!?」
Cycelia shouts with her emerald eyes wide open as her fingers dig into his muscular shoulders.
「…Yeah I'm awake… Can you stop shouting first thing in the morning?… Man, my fuckin' head is killing me…」
Straf opens his eyes and looks at Cycelia's face while it's looking down at him on the verge of tears.
「Straf!… Straf!… Straf!…」
Cycelia wraps her arms around Straf, diving her face into his broad neck.
「Is it morning even?… Wait, did I get knocked out at the arena and it was all a dream? It better fucking not be!」
Straf's brows furrow as he looks around the unfamiliar surroundings and finds himself in an odd situation without a recollection of how it started.
「No… No it's not…」
Cycelia shakes her head, sobbing with happy tears.
「…Wait, hold the fuck up. What is this place? How did I get here? I didn't slip on the fucking stairs to the basement and die like a chump, did I?」
Straf asks as his head swivels around as much as Cycelia will allow it to. She loosens her grip and wipes her tears with her finger, smiling.
「No… There's a lot to explain, Straf. I'm just glad you're awake… I'm really…」
Cycelia shakes her chestnut head, but before she can finish her sentence, she breaks out into sobbing again. Tears flow from her emerald eyes.
Tap.
「…Okay, stop bawling already, Lia. If I actually bona fide fell asleep somehow, then sleeping 14 hours is fairly normal for me. I wasn't dead, alright?」
With his mouth aslant and brows furrowed, Straf forcefully places his hand on top of Cycelia's head and ruffles her chestnut hair. She smiles while wiping her tears.
「Straf… Things is…」
She replies, still sobbing and trying to collect herself. Straf raises one brow while petting her.
「…It was a lot longer than 14 hours.」
「Eh?」
Cycelia adds, and Straf's mouth corner shoots up in confusion. He pulls his arm away, and notices the nightgown Cycelia is wearing.
「…Nice. Is that what you usually wear to bed, Lia?」
Snap.
Straf snaps his fingers and rubs his chin while looking at her cleavage, and the conspicuous, narrow strap of brown leather leading to it from her neck.
「Eh!? Ah! No! It's just!…」
Cycelia's wet cheeks turn red, and her emerald gaze escapes sideways as she fidgets on her knees.
「…Do you like it?」
She asks with a pout on her face as she taps her index fingers together.
「Yeaaah… Though I didn't expect to wake up with you in my bed, and wearing that…」
He nods along, pulling his hand away from his chin and shrugging it.
「…Hold on, why am I buttnaked?」
As he sits up, Straf feels for his hip with his hand, and finds it completely bare.
「There was a good reason for it…」
Cycelia replies with a shrug of her shoulders while glancing aside.
「…So, how long was I out? A day? Two?… Let me guess, three. It's the protagonist-in-a-coma thing. They are never in a coma for longer than three days 'cause-!」
Straf asks, scoffing with his hands spread.
「Two weeks now…」「Eh what the fuck?」
Cycelia replies, causing to Straf to gasp in shock with his eyes wide open, and brows raised high.
「…You mean there is a good fucking chance I actually pissed myself in bed?」
Straf stares down at his blanket with a tight-lipped grimace.
「Um… You had maids taking very good care of you, so…」
Fidgeting with her thumbs, Cycelia replies, and adds a shrug.
「…For fuck's sake… Okay, where's my pants? Don't tell me they threw 'em out. The black bars are going to be too expensive to print out.」
Straf looks around with his arms inquisitively spread. Cycelia jumps out of the bed and rushes to a chest of drawers, and pulls out one of them.
「…Here. The maids said they were surprisingly clean… But they're freshly laundered, and perfumed too!」
She says as she presents Straf with his underwear shorts and pants. He snatches them out of her dainty hands, and slips into them under his blanket.
「…Hoooooookay! I missed a lot, huh?」
Pat!
Straf exclaims as he leaps out of the bed onto his bare feet, and casually places his hands in his pockets.
「Yes… Yes you have. Quite a lot. I've had everyone help me while you were asleep.」
Cycelia nods with a warm, happy smile as she sits back down on the bed's side.
「…By the way, why was I in a coma? I only remember going to the basement, finding that loser weirdo, asking him how to charge a gem, charging my big one… And that's fuckin' it.」
Straf scratches the back of his head, furrowing his brows as he thinks intensely, then rubs his chin while recollecting his last memories.
「Well, um… Yes, that's how I heard it went, too. You knocked yourself out by flowing all your mana into a supergem, Straf.」
Cycelia nods along, and shrugs her shoulders as she explains.
「Wait, what? How the fuck?…」
Straf shakes his head in deep confusion, furrowing his brows at her.
「Spells only need a certain amount of mana until they're ready, Straf, but gems can be practically charged infinitely. If you're not careful, you could flow all your mana away to them…」
Cycelia begins to elaborate, tilting her head slightly while blinking her big, slightly reddened emerald eyes at him.
「…Which is what you did. Since you ran out of mana, the flow stopped, and you knocked yourself out. Luckily you had a little bit left, so you didn't die. Didn't you know this Straf?」
「No! Why the fuck would I!?」
Spreading his arms, Straf exclaims with an incredulous expression on his handsome face.
「I mean… Don't you work with magic gems a lot? And flow mana into them with your magic thingies?…」
Cycelia sks, tilting her head further.
Straf's head perks up, and his pensive, focused gaze jumps around the dim room. Troubled, he rubs his chin. After a moment, he raises his index finger as if to present a counter-argument, but then folds it back up and resumes rubbing his chin. After a moment more, he begins grimacing in frustration.
「Tsk… This world is fucking shit.」
Straf scoffs angrily, and places his hand back in his pocket.
「Well, to be fair… Tolwick said he had never seen something like it before. Your mana throughput is absolutely unbelievable, Straf. You knocked yourself out before you could feel sick.」
She adds with a shrug of her shoulders.
「Ahhh… Whatever. By the way, what happened to that gem?」
Straf asks, turning his frustrated gaze back to Cycelia.
「Ah!…」
She perks up, then reaches into her bountiful cleavage with her fingers.
Cycelia pulls out a tiny object wrapped tightly in a brown, narrow leather strap. She tugs at its knot, and begins unfurling it.
「…Tolwick told me to keep it in the safest place I can think of, and to let absolutely nobody else have it. He said that it could vaporize the entire capital if dropped wrong.」
She unwraps the object, revealing a tiny red gem glowing brightly in her palms as she cautiously displays it for Straf.
He reaches for it, and plucks it with his thumb and finger.
「…Heh. It better be fucking full.」
Straf says after holding up the gem to his eye level, and focusing his gaze on it. He grins and turns his eyes back to Cycelia.
「That was the safest place you could think of?…」
Straf asks while looking at Cycelia's cleavage, and her gemmed silver medallion just a little above it.
「Well, um… It'd be the safest with you, but… You know…」
Blushing a little, Cycelia bashfully pouts as she explains herself.
「Eh. You kept it safe after all…」
「Right…」
Straf shrugs, and throws the red gem up slightly as Cycelia returns her emerald gaze back to him.
「…Hnnghhhhhh!」
She gasps as she watches the red gem in the air with her shocked eyes wide open.
Tink.
「…Heh. That's going to be useful some day.」「…Huffffffff.」
He nonchalantly catches it into his fist with a massive smug grin on his face, and places it in his [Portable Storage]. A large, relieved exhale escapes Cycelia.
「Alright. Can't believe I'm asking willingly for an infodump, but what the fuck happened over these two weeks? I doubt it was just peace and quiet-」
Slam!
The oaken doors loudly slamming open interrupts Straf. A panicked red-plumed guard runs into the room.
「Your highness!… Your highness! Big trouble! Really big trouble!」
「Wow, look, right on schedule.」
Straf rolls his eyes as the palace guard shouts in panic, pointing his finger in some vague direction.
「What? What's going on?」
Cycelia perks up, and realizes she's still wearing her nightgown. She self-consciously covers her large chest with her arms the best she can.
「…The battle fortress!」
The palace guard swallows, and exclaims…
…
Around the same time, in the Academy of Magic, in the headmaster's office…
「…That idiot!… That utter, complete idiot!」
Corvus exclaims while clutching onto a letter, crumpling it in his angry grip while Professor Aria watches on with a worried face from beyond his desk.
「…What is it?」
She asks with a hesitant tone, greatly furrowing her brows.
「He's decided to go through with it! He said as of this letter, he's ordering the battle fortress to be mobilized! He's even going to abuse our status as an Autonomous Zone!…」
「What?… He intends to fly over the Academy?」
Aria's hatted head perks up in disbelief.
「Over, aside, beside, next to, under!… Doesn't matter! This will end badly!… I need to do something! There is still time!」
Corvus shouts and throws the letter down, then shoots up to his feet and rushes towards his bedroom.
「Corvus!… Corvus, what are you planning!?」
Holding her massive hat's brim up, Aria exclaims as she rushes after him.
「Dream invasion! A letter won't get there in time, magical or not!…」
Corvus replies as he shoves the door to his room open with his shoulder.
「Corvus, that's illegal! He's already considering moving you away from your position, but you'll be arrested if you use that!」
Aria grasps at his shoulder, feebly pulling him to a stop.
Pat!
「I know it's illegal, but we are in an Autonomous Zone! I'll leave for the empire if I must!… The Mage Federation might vanish if he doesn't change his mind!」
The headmaster swats her gloved hand away, hastily pulls out a pointy chunk of red wax from a nearby chest of drawers, and begins pushing his bed out of the way…
…
Around the same time, nearby the Mage Federation Autonomous Zone, in the battle fortress control room…
「…We are nearing the legal border of the empire, grand master!」
The navigator shouts over his shoulder from his runic desk. The old mage nods in approval.
「…Stop the battle fortress for the time being!… And prepare to test-run the mana crystal!… Let's see if it still works. Otherwise we'll bluff if we have to-」
「Yes, grand-!」
The navigator's shout cuts off as the grand master feels a sensation akin to floating limp in water. Everything surrounding him is black, and the only noise is faint howling of a distant, indistinct wind. The grand master quickly regains his bearing and plants feet on the ground, then turns around to face the visitor.
「Headmaster Corvus. Somehow I expected it to be you, but at the same time, I did not expect you to do something as foolish as breaking the law.」
With his hands still held behind his back, the grand master calmly says to Corvus as he approaches.
「…Ggggrand masterrrr!… Ttttthis has to stoppppp!… Ttttthere is still timeeee!…」
Corvus shouts in a stretching, weak, and indistinct voice. His already blurry form blurs further as he speaks.
「Corvus… I have already made a decision after giving it a lot of thought. I do not appreciate you invading my mind like this. Begone.」
「…Yyyou are making a mistakeeeeee!-…」
The grand master casually points his palm at Corvus, only bringing it up as high as his waist, interrupting the blurry headmaster's shout with an instant and blindingly bright beam.
「…Grand master? Grand master?」
The attack specialist calls out from his desk as the grand master snaps out of his standing daze.
「…Yes?」
The grand master nonchalantly asks, raising his head back up and covertly wiping drool from the corner of his mouth.
「The crystal is ready. There is an empty field below us, but we will definitely gouge some Redwing Empire land too. What should we do?」
The battle mage replies, still staring at the old mage above with his brows gently furrowed.
「Doesn't matter. Test it anyway.」
「Yes, grand master!」
The old mage dismissively waves his hand and insists. The attack specialist nods, and turns back to his desk.
「Alexander, Magnus… I want you to send your men to their capital to negotiate. I mean now. Once the battle fortress is hanging over the city, a panic will break out.」
He glances over his shoulder at the two younger mages behind him, and calmly declares.
「Yes, grand master…」「Yes, grand master…」
Magnus and Alexander both reply in unison with nods. Alexander then glares at Magnus with a scowl on his face.
「Let's go-」
「No… Only your men. I want you two with me, in case I need to send you elsewhere.」
Alexander gestures his hand for the Listeners to follow, but the grand master stops him by raising his own. Magnus and Alexander exchange confused glances as the two factions' members leave towards the magic elevators. The factions split, each taking one elevator for their own faction, and the first group enters the round platform while the rest wait. Inside, one of the Listeners pulls a lever down to its bottom-most position, then yanks it sideways with a loud clunk. It then retracts into the wall, hiding itself.
Two large channels at the sides of the elevator light up. The platform they're standing on, and only the platform begins to slide downward rapidly…
…
Around the same time, in a watch outpost by the border…
Two guardsmen are watching the battle fortress floating in the distance with a wary gaze, entirely silent as a chilly wind blows.
Almost like a lightning bolt, a bright light briefly flashes beneath the massive floating city's rock, shooting directly downward. The guards furrow their brows in concern.
…FfffwwwwwOOOOOOOOOWPFFFFFFFFFF!
「Oh fuck!」「What the shit!?」
The two shout as a powerful shockwave hits them, kicking up snowy dust everywhere, creating an artificially forced fog.
They squint as the unique, jagged shape of the battle fortress becomes hard to see.
As the floating snow settles back down, the guardsmen gain tight-lipped grimaces when they realize a forest near the battle fortress is now smoking and on fire, while the one closer to them has been nearly entirely knocked over. They exchange large-eyed glances, then return their eyes back to the floating fortress.
「…Hey. Doesn't it look like it's floating directly towards us?」
「It fucking is. I'm not staying here and guarding this fucking dump!… What are we even supposed to do!? Those aren't fucking bandits!」
One asks the other, and the other guard begins hastily hopping away through the dense snow, briefly stopping to point his armored finger at the battle fortress and shout.
The other man joins him, and the two flee, abandoning the outpost as fast as their legs will allow…
…
Meanwhile, in the Redwing palace, in the royal bedchamber…
「…Eh!?」
Cycelia exclaims in shock.
「They're now heading directly for the capital! They are definitely hostile in their intent! It won't be long before they're here!」
The plumed guard shouts, lowers his pointing hand and quickly reassumes an at-attention pose.
「Which direction are they coming from!?」
Cycelia shouts as she jumps out of the bed. Straf looks on with his brows furrowed in confusion.
「North east, your highness! They're nearby the Academy of Magic, but you can still see them from here!」
The man shouts, and Cycelia rushes towards the study. The guard salutes, and quickly rushes out of the room.
「…Hey, Lia… What the shit's a battle fortress?」
Straf nonchalantly asks while Cycelia is panickily trying to open the balcony door in the study.
Clunklunk!…
She yanks the plank obstructing the handle out of the way, and throws it aside.
「It's what I was hoping to avoid, Straf! They are very, very serious about reclaiming the grimoire!… Or destroying it!…」
Cycelia quickly explains over her bare shoulder as she opens the balcony and runs out, ignoring the snow underneath her feet.
「…Or my father's kingdom!」
She adds with growing despair in her voice as she looks up at the gray, cloudy sky. Sure enough, a vague black shape of the battle fortress can be seen in the distance, complete with its characteristic crystals jutting out of its bottom. Shirtless and likewise shoeless, Straf rubs the back of his neck with a nonchalant grimace on his face.
「The Mage Federation, you mean?…」
Straf asks as he walks up to the front of the oaken desk.
「Yes! It's an old, old remnant from millennia ago! The Mage Federation used it to threaten various concessions out of a lot of kingdoms!…」
She replies with a shout back from the balcony, clutching onto its snow-coated wrought iron railing with her dainty hands.
In the distance, the battle fortress sluggishly floats over a tiny tower by a road, and hangs over it. Cycelia watches, furrowing her brows.
「Man… I really spent the last 2 weeks just sleeping, huh?… I bet everyone's already asking… Where's the budget!? Where did the budget go!? I don't want to watch a guy sleep!…」
Straf groans and grumbles with a frustrated grimace on his face, largely ignoring the looming battle fortress and the general commotion.
A beam of light comes from the large crystal pointing directly downward, and the tower disappears in its light, before the light itself disappears. Everything beneath the battle fortress turns white, then the white spreads outward rapidly, covering an immense amount of ground in seconds. Cycelia blinks her emerald eyes at the incoming white half-dome speeding along the ground as it slowly becomes translucent again.
…FFFFFWOPPPWFFKkklaklkaklaklak!…
「Agh!」
Cycelia grunts as the shockwave finally hits the city, kicking up snow from the railing into her face, and noisily clattering the study's window-wall.
When she recovers, her shoulders slump and her face gains a crestfallen expression.
「…I guess I have to no choice, huh?… It's either my family grimoire, or my father's kingdom… If they still want the grimoire, that is…」
She mumbles to herself while leaning onto the now lightly dusted railing, slumping onto it.
「Hey, Lia… Are you going to just let them do that?…」
Straf casually asks while pointing his hand at where the distant outpost tower once was.
「What?… No… But what can I do? It's the battle fortress…」
Glancing over her bare and reddened shoulder, Cycelia furrows her brows and slumps back down on the railing. Straf grimaces a little and scratches the side of his temple.
In the distance, the battle fortress moves on, now sluggishly floating in a straight line towards the palace.
「…Do you want me to deal with it?」
A little confused, Straf asks and shrugs his muscular arms, still standing in front of the desk.
「Huh?… Straf… You are you, but it's still the battle fortress. Its resistor crystal has to be at least three times bigger than the Academy's, not to mention the walls…」
Cycelia once again glances at Straf, then returns a resigned shrug of her shoulders as her once again saddened emerald gaze looks upon the floating walled city in the distance.
「…It's basically game over, Straf. It can't be in the air forever, that's the only weakness… So they just have to destroy your kingdom before they have to land.」
She adds with a sullen face, and lets out a long sigh. Straf clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes.
「It's boring! It's too slow, pacing died! Are they reusing frames!? Where did the budget go!? Budget, budget, budget… I'll give you assholes some fucking budget…」
Grumbling and rubbing the back of his sore neck, Straf walks out onto the balcony while reaching into his [Portable Storage]. He pulls out the magic rifle and holds it in one hand as he reaches into the swirling purple vortex again. Cycelia turns her confused gaze to him and his chiseled, distracting chest. Confused, she blinks her emerald eyes rapidly at Straf and his magic gun.
「…Didn't want to use it so soon, but…」
He grumbles faintly and shrugs as he pulls the lever on the rifle's bottom, slides a gem into the now-open hatch on top, and pulls the lever back up.
「…My sincerest apologies to artists and animators everywhere.」
Straf nonchalantly declares as he shoulders the rifle and lines up the sights with his finger on the trigger.
Tink!…
A blindingly bright blue beam magnitudes broader than the rifle itself shoots out of its barrel. It sparkles, shining as it cuts through the snowy air. The dim, gloomy, snowy streets of the capital light up as if shined upon with a hundred of spotlights. The citizenry cover their eyes from the light, wincing. Getting ready for the day, Lily furrows her brows in confusion at the bright light flooding through her bell tower's window as she slips on her gothic dress.
The beam continues onward, crossing the entire span of the empire in less than the blink of an eye. Still sparkling, the beam plays chicken with the battle fortress and its invisible barrier. Both heading directly towards each other, one blazing fast and other sluggishly slow, neither is willing to blink.
The beam splashes against the barrier, shattering it before it can even fully become opaque. The beam goes on, impacting the city level of the battle fortress.
Inside of the control room the entire fortress jolts violently, sending the grand master stumbling forward for the stone balustrade.
「Did we hit a mountain!?-」
The grand master shouts a question towards the battlemage responsible for collision avoidance.
Before he can properly finish his sentence, for a brief fraction of a second, his eyes notice that the floor of the control room is glowing…
「…Eh?」
Cycelia utters out, still recovering from being blinded by the light, when she sees the battle fortress shoot upwards after being hit with the beam. The gray clouds in the sky part in a perfect circle above it, revealing an unnaturally and pristinely blue patch of the sky.
The fortress lost most of its shape. Its characteristic crystals are simply gone, the pointy towers have crumbled, most of the rock beneath it has shattered and scattered over the fields below, and the battle fortress itself is spewing black smoke like a chimney. Cycelia blinks in confusion as the battle fortress tilts. Despite barely holding its shape and visibly crumbling as it flies, it still desperately attempts to levitate, and failing. Badly.
Instead of levitating, the once sluggish battle fortress is now simply accelerating downwards at a sharp angle, fanning the flames burning in the walled city as it plummets towards the ground.
After a few breathless seconds, it makes contact with a large, empty field far away from the capital. A white half-dome appears at the point of impact again, obscuring its form.
…ffffffwwwwwBOOOMMMMMMMMM!!
Cycelia clenches her teeth as an invisible shockwave hits her and the palace, once again clattering the balcony's window panes.
She opens her confused emerald eyes, and realizes that the shockwave from the battle fortress crashing down is still coming. She quickly slinks behind Straf for cover while he grins.
…ffffffwwwwBOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!
The half-dome only becomes slightly transparent as it almost reaches the capital. Some of the looser roof tiles dangerously plummet to the streets, threatening the citizens standing below them. The capital's walls absorb most of the shock, however. The palace's top floor and some of the city's tallest buildings remain at the shockwave's mercy. Cycelia hugs into Straf's broad, muscular back as the air simply moves around him without affecting him in the slightest.
He puts his free hand into his pocket and places the rifle's buttstock against his hip.
「…That'd make a good opening.」
Straf declares with a smug ear to ear grin on his face as Cycelia skittishly peeks her eyes out from beyond him…