“How does this even work? It’s illogical…” Lily, who was holding on to Claud, muttered for the third time. The two of them were soaring through the clouds at a phenomenal speed, through a mana-infused Flight skill. With his Mana Control Proficiency at a new level altogether, Claud could directly improve the speed at which they travelled at; at such a speed, they could reach Julan with three Flight skills.

“Well, my Mana Control Proficiency is at Expert,” Claud replied.

“You’ve rubbed that into my face for the third time this flight.” Lily punched Claud with a cottony force, and he smiled. “But it still doesn’t explain how we can fly while standing up straight like this. I’m sure it goes against some natural laws here and there.”

“True,” Claud conceded. “Then…uh, something from the gods? In the first place, why does a label on our status get to dictate our abilities and specialties? How does that even work?”

“We’ll have to ask the long-dead Goddess of Water and Learning for that, I’m afraid. But shouldn’t you open your status or something? You don’t seem to have opened it ever since you became a tri-folder.” Lily peered up at him, her adorable eyes blinking twice. “I’d have opened it, if I was in your place.”

“I was intending on checking it out when I had time,” Claud replied, “but I’ve been spending the past few minutes talking to you…which is frankly better for me. I’m…scared.”

At that word, Lily’s smiley face faded away. “It does feel that you’re embarking down a point of no return.”

“And I’m dragging you with me.” Claud looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry for being this troublesome. We’re still a small distance away, so you can actually choose to—”

“And I’m staying with you.” Lily patted his shoulder. “You’re not going to be alone. Not with me here. You know, you should really consider what the others think. You’re doing all this for them, but you don’t even let them know about it. If I were to find out one day, I would come after you, stuff a bomb into your pants, and—”

“That’s horrible!”

Lily giggled in reply. “Well, it’s one way to make sure you stay faithful.”

“Excuse me? I’ve been living with four Dia-lookalikes. If I wanted to be unfaithful, there would have been ample opportunity.” Claud rolled his eyes. “That said, everyone was in disguise, so…eh.”

“Right, how do you like this look of mine?”

“Love it, naturally. You should be you. Stop idolising the princess…is what I’d say, but everyone has a right to their hobbies,” Claud replied. “Besides, your bomb-making really is useful. Since you know the basics of sneaking around, you could join me for a nice moonlit heist one day.”

“You and your Time-sensitive High-Efficiency Trading,” Lily replied. “Yeah, I worked that out after a while. The acronym was a bit too obvious.”

“I wasn’t intending to hide it that much,” Claud replied. ”I’d been going around and robbing the rich, using the money I got to buy food for the poor. Not often, but enough to make a difference. But…well, maybe I wanted someone to recognise me.”

“And that someone did,” Lily replied. “So…you are Tot after all.”

Claud remained silent, only jerking his head once.

“You tried to lie to me again, but knowing you, it’s for my own good. You probably aren’t going to tell me how you survived ritual magic or struck down Zulan Patra for that reason either, right?”

“Can’t tell you, yes.” Claud nodded. He had seen the small screen that said ‘Authority increased’, and given the secretiveness of just about those who actually knew concrete stuff, it wasn’t too hard to guess what this authority referred to. “But I can show you, right?”

“Show me?” Lily took a deep breath. “Yeah. I suppose that works.”

The two continued to zoom through the clouds. The ground was now a complete blur, but Claud’s eyes were scanning for the pillar of bright moonlight that the Moon Emissaries apparently emitted.

Stolen story; please report.

Sometimes, anyway. Most of his attention was focused on hugging Lily; he didn’t dare to exert too much strength in holding onto her. She felt like a soft bundle in his arms, and Claud feared that exerting too much strength might injure her.

Also, she had this pleasant scent to her.

Shaking his head mentally, Claud ran a hand through her hair.

“Claud? Something wrong? You look very emotional,” Lily asked.

Claud blinked, and then smiled. “I’m just…I haven’t had a real family for a very long time. You’re the first one to intrude into my life and stake a bold claim on it.”

“Not even Schwarz?” Lily asked.

“Schwarz? He’s a good friend, but he has his own baggage too. We’re quite alike in that regard, and…well, I’ll tell him tell you about it if we ever get the chance.” Claud played with her hair. “Point is, you’re now the most important person to me. So…”

“That makes the two of us, then.” Lily smiled. “But I don’t think this is the time to be exchanging lovey-dovey words, right? What a romantic.”

“Me? Romantic?” Claud chuckled. “Maybe. And….oh. We’re here.”

A pillar of white light stood at the distant south, making itself manifest despite the fact it was bright daylight. Claud could sense a massive threat there, with the ambient energy that exuded warping light and space around them.

The tide of light at the horizon could only be the Moon Emissary and its armies of white death.

Claud stopped, and as the world returned into focus, he nodded his head slowly. Lily did have a point. His Flight skill really didn’t make sense, the way he came to a halt this easily. What happened to inertia and physics?

Chuckling, he took a deep breath and took out three skillstrips. He tore the first one, and the Flight skill refreshed itself. Presence Nullification activated a moment later as he tore the second one, masking his and Lily’s presence from the world itself.

He passed the last one to Lily, who was also protected by Presence Nullification.

“Once I attack,” said Claud, “tear this and hold on to me really, really tight.”

“Okay.”

Claud looked her the eyes once more. “You sure about this? Once I strike, things will change. The Moons aren’t going to let us live here anymore. We’ll have to start a new life outside for a long period of time. You’ll perhaps never get the chance to return here again, to see the others. Whether I succeed or not, this will be it.”

Lily flicked his nose. “Dummy. If I didn’t want to accompany you, I wouldn’t have waited for you at your door. The face you had when you heard the news about the Moon Emissary…I knew that you were going to pull another Third on it. And that you probably had no intention of coming back.”

“Heh.” Claud rubbed his nose on hers gently. “Thanks. Okay, then. I’ll be generating an incredible attack. Once I throw it and it hits, tear that skillstrip and hold on really tight. I’ll bash out of the barrier that separates the Umbra…err, Istrel Sovereignty from the others and flee to the closest city in Nihila.”

“Okay.”

“You can really say more things, though…”

“I’m just eager to see you at your strongest, my love.” Lily smiled gently, and Claud felt his heart flip.

“How unfair.”

“Hehe.”

“Alright, then. Prepare yourself.” Claud closed his eyes and stilled himself. He could sense Lily hug him even tighter, and he rehearsed his motions one last time.

Absolute One would last ten seconds. He would spend three to gather up mana, one to fire it in the general direction of the Moon Emissary, one more to hold Lily really tightly, and the rest to empower his Flight to ridiculous proportions. He had done a single trial back then, when he fled from Count Nightfall right after dealing with Rodrio, but the him at that time and the him now was completely different.

“Receive this blow as one about to die, O bane of my peace,” Claud muttered. Only Lily could hear him, but he couldn’t feel any shame whatsoever — just a vague reassurance that he was doing the right thing.

Absolute One.

The blue colour of the afternoon sky and the lush green colour of the vast prairie before him fled, as a burning azure light surged out of him. A truly limitless mana poured out of his body, but with the effects of Absolute One, Claud easily took control of it and compressed the boundless light into a spear the length of his arm. A fraction of that insane energy flooded his right arm, and Claud drew his arm back.

The arrow was notched…or rather, the spear was ready.

Considering the faction that had done the Spear of Fate in, this seemed like a rather fitting shape.

The three seconds he had allotted to prepare the attack were about to pass. The blood vessels in his right arm burst from the sheer amount of mana coursing through them, but the only thing in his eyes was the lunar tide at the distant horizon.

With a mighty shout, Claud hurled the azure spear at the distant horizon, and the mana contained in it immediately began to unravel. Claud, however, had no time to admire the sight, and he flung his arms around Lily.

“Hold on to me!” Claud roared.

As the luminous spear hurtled forward as a gigantic lance of death and destruction, Claud forced the bottomless mana welling out of him into the spiritual structure of Flight and blasted himself northwards, Lily in his arms the whole time.

The world turned into a blur as Claud and Lily fled towards the northern extremes of the Istrel sovereignty, wrapped by a renewed Presence Nullification. Only the vast spear of azure light remained clear, its all-destructive might annihilating everything in its way.

How would the Moon Emissary react to such a deadly attack? Claud didn’t know, and nor did he care.

The only thing he cared for now was getting him and Lily out of the Istrel Sovereignty.