7
It was a white flame.
The white flames that erupted from Miroslav’s body swelled rapidly, engulfing Kuraia, and in a heartbeat, they dissolved the Od barrier.
Od is essentially the magic power that wells up from within a person.
Magic power can be neutralized by other magic power. When a Seirin Flag Bearer who has mastered keiso enhances their Od, it is exceedingly difficult for an outsider mage to break through.
But the white flames Miroslav unleashed had undeniably broken through the Od of Kuraia, a member of the Golden Generation.
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“Gah…!”
Blinded by the flash and scorched by the heat, Kuraia instinctively leapt backward.
But the searing heat that enveloped her showed no sign of weakening. A single retreat wasn’t enough to escape the range of the white flames.
Kuraia took another step back, then another. It wasn’t until her fifth step that he finally managed to break free from the spell’s effects.
Almost simultaneously, the spell’s duration ended, and the white flames dissipated like mist.
In a hoarse voice, Kuraia addressed the mage before him.
“…Are you insane?”
The sight of Kuraia as she spoke was a pitiful one.
her snow-white hair had been singed, leaving blackened spots, and her burned skin was painfully swollen.
The arrows-patterned kimono and scarlet hakama she wore were smoldering, emitting a charred smell.
“To deliberately cause a magic outburst… how is that any different from suicide?”
What Miroslav had done was to release the magic power stored within her.
This technique wasn’t particularly rare. Earlier, Klimt had used it to blow away the earth spirit Lunamaria had summoned.
However, Klimt had carefully controlled the output. He released just enough magic power to free himself from the spirit’s bind without harming himself or hindering the rest of the fight.
In contrast, Miroslav’s approach had completely disregarded restraint. She didn’t care if she hurt herself or if she became unable to continue fighting afterward. She had even used magic stones to deliberately trigger a magic overload.
[Magic Release] or rather [Magic Explosion] — That was, in Kuraia’s words, synonymous with suicide.
“…I just… thought… you were an opponent… that required… going that far…”
Miroslav’s fragmented response revealed a state far worse than Kuraia’s.
Her clothes were burned beyond recognition, and the burn marks that had eaten through her skin had turned from red to white. It was a severe condition.
More than half of her proud red hair had burned away, and the remaining part was blackened like soot.
There was no trace of the red-haired magician from before the activation.
Considering that she had not only unleashed her own magic but also driven the magic stone into a rampage, the result was inevitable. This last strike was Miloslav’s final trump card, one that disregarded even her own life.
– And yet, all it had done was give Kuraia minor burns.
Miloslav’s body collapsed to the ground as if it had crumbled.
As her face became smeared with dirt, she gritted her teeth in frustration at her own inadequacy.
She had fought desperately and bought a little time, but it wasn’t enough for Seal and Suzume to escape. The enemy would soon cut off Miloslav’s head, then enter the mansion and do the same to the two of them.
Despite being left in charge, she had failed so miserably. She hadn’t even completed the task of improving the antidote that she had been given.
“…I’m sorry… my master…”
She apologized to her master, who wasn’t there, for dying before she could atone or dedicate herself to the cause.
Just as Kuraia was about to say something to Miloslav, who was lying in front of her, it happened.
“—Sister!”
With a voice that was almost pale, Klimt burst into the mansion. He must have sensed something ominous from the explosion of magic different from his sister’s.
Taking in the scene before him, Klimt instantly understood the situation.
“You bastard! You hurt my sister!!”
Seeing Miloslav lying on the ground in tatters, Klimt erupted in fury. And he immediately acted on that anger.
“Armament Activation!”
Miloslav would die even if left alone—Klimt knew that.
His sister’s injuries were just minor burns, and they would heal in a few days even without treatment—Klimt knew that too.
But it didn’t matter.
Even if it wasn’t necessary. Even if it was just a trivial scratch.
Anyone who hurt his sister, human or monster, Klimt would kill them with his own hands.
That was Klimt’s vow.
Raising the deep crimson long sword that had manifested in his hands, Klimt shouted with lethal intent.
“Burn to ashes, Kurikara!”
At that moment, flames soared into the sky from the streets of Ishka.
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“Stop, Klimt!”
The moment her brother activated his armament, Kuraia had already called out to stop him.
But her voice did not reach Klimt’s ears, as he was enraged by his sister’s injury. Realizing this, Kuraia extended her right hand straight ahead.
Klimt’s armament was the flaming divine sword. If he swung it down, it wouldn’t just burn the magician—it could incinerate the beastmen and oni who had fled into the mansion.
But that wasn’t all. The mansion, the houses standing beyond the walls, the residents within them—all would be consumed by the flames, and even the walls of Ishka would eventually be torn apart.
No matter how much they wanted to defeat the oni, they couldn’t allow that kind of devastation.
“Armament Activation!”
In Kuraia’s hands, her armament appeared.
If Klimt’s armament was a deep crimson long sword, then Kuraia’s was a jade-colored long sword.
Gripping the blade with a color as clear as beryl, Kuraia began to recite the words for drawing her sword.
But someone moved faster than Kuraia.
With a swift movement.
The hand that grabbed Klimt’s wrist, just as he was about to swing down his armament, was a rugged hand that could be mistaken for a bear’s—it was the hand of Goz-Shima.
“Let go, Shiba!”
Klimt, now obstructed, glared at his superior with bloodshot eyes. Someone with a weaker will might have died just from that glare.
But Goz received Klimt’s fury without even a flicker of his brow.
“Calm down, Klimt.”
“I am calm!”
“Look at your sister.”
“…What?”
Hearing Goz’s words, Klimt hastily looked at his sister. And then, seeing her holding her armament at the ready, he twisted his lips.
He understood why his sister had manifested her armament.
“…Sorry, Shiba. Now I’m calm.”
“Good.”
Hearing Klimt’s now lower voice, Goz released the wrist he had been holding.
Klimt, who now had a bruise on his wrist in the shape of fingers, cursed Goz’s brute strength in his mind. He didn’t say it out loud because he knew he was in the wrong.
Killing the oni in accordance with the rules was not a problem. Killing the human who protected the oni was not a problem either. But losing his temper after his sister was hurt, using his armament unnecessarily, and slaughtering civilians from other countries who had nothing to do with the oni—that would be a problem.
Both the Mitsurugi family, his lord’s house, and his own Belch family would certainly question Klimt’s suitability as a Seirin Knight.
Goz had prevented that future from happening.
Thinking the same thing as her brother, Kuraia stepped forward and bowed her head to Goz.
“Thank you, Shiba.”
“There’s no need for thanks. More importantly, both of you, get ready.”
“Understood—Wait, what?”
Kuraia, who had been about to put away her armament, blinked in surprise at the unexpected words.
Goz had told them to get ready, not to stand down.
Klimt also seemed puzzled, as he looked at Goz with a questioning expression.
Thinking she might have misheard, Kuraia hesitantly asked for confirmation.
“…Shiba, did you say to get ready?”
“I did.”
Goz wasn’t looking at Kuraia. He wasn’t looking at Klimt either. Nor was he looking at the fallen magician.
The strong warrior was staring intently at the southern sky.
And then.
‘──── is coming.’
He announced briefly.
As if triggered by his words, a resounding roar echoed across the sky of Ishka.
The siblings turned their gaze south as if on cue. In their view was a winged beast rapidly approaching from the south.
Its scales were a vivid indigo color.
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