The Boy and the Witch

The prison was dark and chilly. There were no windows or crevices for a stray shaft of

sunlight to slip inside. The only source of light was a few flickering candles, and the

damp air carried the lingering smell of rust and dust through its halls. That was the

state of the cell where a girl was chained to its wall.

Thump. She heard the faint echo of a footstep.

"Who's there?" She jumped up reflexively from her prison bed.

She shouldn't have been able to hear footsteps. There weren't any guards around. It

was an unmanned prison, after all. Of course, there were reasons for that.

First, three layers of video surveillance systems monitored every square inch of the

facility.

Second, this prison housed undesirables, or those labeled as "witches" and "sorcerers."

This girl was no exception. Even when caged, witches were considered far too dangerous.

No one could guarantee the safety of any guards who would have been staffed there—

hence, it was left unmanned.

Then why do I hear footsteps?

Who was approaching her? And for what reason?

"…"

The girl who silently readied herself had been born with the inexplicable energy called

"astral power," meaning she was one of the fearsome witches. She couldn't fathom

anyone creeping up on her with good news.

Maybe they were coming to exact some personal revenge. Or to inform her of her

execution.

As the steps drew closer, she did her best to contain her fear and anticipation.

"Shhh, keep quiet."

"What?"

The moment they saw each other, he said something that made her eyes go wide.

"I'm gonna let you out right now."

It was a boy. He was a teenager with messy locks of dark-chestnut hair, wearing the

battle uniform of the Imperial army. A pair of swords hung from the belt at his hip—

one in a black sheath and the other in white.

…Let out? Who are you talking about?

She was the only one in the cell, but it still took her a little while to understand what

he was trying to say.

"Don't move. And don't get too close to the bars."

A sword flashed before her. That was all she could make out: a momentary flash of

light in front of her eyes.

With one swift move, he'd broken through the prison bars. She finally realized what

had happened when the remnants of the bars crashed to the floor and rolled down the

quiet hallway.

"…No way."

Even with her astral power, she wouldn't have been able to break those bars, which

were wrought from a metal alloy of steel and iron. They would have required heavy

machinery to rip apart. And yet, this boy had sliced through them with ease. Using a

single sword, no less.

However, the most confusing thing wasn't this incredible feat but his decision to break

her out in the first place.

"…Why?" she asked.

"Why? Well, I can't get you out without hacking through these bars."

"…Why are you… letting me escape…?"

The hole was just large enough for a single person to slip through. She rapidly blinked

in confusion.

"Aren't you an Imperial swordsman? Plus, that left armband means you're a Saint

Disciple… Why would someone from the Empire's ultimate military force be here?"

"You sure are well-informed." As he slid his sword back in its sheath, the boy nodded

in a way that could be described only as carefree. "Who would have thought that a

Nebulis mage would be familiar with the inner workings of our military hierarchy?"

"…Well." She cast her face down to avert her troubled eyes, which were filled with

uncertainty. "We're enemies. It makes sense that we'd study things about the enemy

country… Why are you letting me go?" She peered up at him once again.

His answer: "You're about thirteen or fourteen, right? Or are you younger?"

"…What?"

"If you're twelve, that'd make you three years younger than me. Oh, I guess almost four

now."

Their respective homelands had been engaged in an ongoing war for over a century.

In the Empire, witches were mercilessly captured and treated as prisoners of war

regardless of their gender or age—and yet, here they were.

"I happened to see you get captured, and you caught my eye."

"…?"

"I've got a thing or two to say about the Empire's policy of rounding up all the astral

mages, especially someone like you. You're still a kid. Plus, you don't even have that

much power."

"…That's just the way your country does things."

"True. All I can do is sneak you out. This is the first time I'm doing this, but if it works,

I'm gonna help other kids escape, too."

He beckoned to her from outside the cell.

"Hurry. I stopped the surveillance system, but it'll probably come back online in a few

minutes."

"Ah…" She involuntarily yipped when he took her hand.

Wasn't he afraid to touch her? After all, her very existence as a witch was despised.

Even if he wasn't scared, didn't he feel disgusted?

"Quick. We're gonna book it all the way down that hall."

His warm hand continued to grip hers as they darted through the deserted

passageway. Following his lead, she scurried along the halls with him until they found

themselves in front of the emergency exit.

"Go out from here. It'll take you to the outskirts of the Imperial capital. Follow the flow

of people heading downtown. From there, use the directories on the electronic

message boards to figure out your next move. I think it'll be best for you to hop on a

loop bus and head to a city in neutral territory. Here, take this. I'm sorry it's not much."

He pressed a few silver Imperial coins into her hand along with hardtack, which had

been given to him as emergency rations for the troops.

She didn't even thank him.

It seemed too good to be true. That was exactly why she'd started to suspect that this

was all a trap. She'd never heard of an Imperial soldier willing to help a prisoner make

a break for it, much less hand them money and a meal.

"Now go."

"…"

She was skeptical of his motivations, but she eventually scampered off, propelled

forward by her instinct to escape the prison—running all the way out of the emergency

exit and far beyond the prison walls.

At the gates around the Imperial capital, she hopped on a bus to take her to lands

beyond Imperial jurisdiction. From there, she headed to an encampment where others

like her gathered before she returned to her home country, the Nebulis Sovereignty.

She needed to check for herself and breathe in the familiar air of her own home before

she accepted the truth.

"…He wasn't lying." She finally realized his words and actions weren't a part of some

grand scheme to get her.

By the very next day, word of the unprecedented incident in the Empire had reached

the ears of those in the distant land of Nebulis.

"Iska, the Youngest Saint Disciple in History.

"Imprisoned for treason against the nation and aiding the escape of a witch. Given a life

sentence."

"No way…" The girl clutched the news magazine in her hands and trembled ever so

slightly.

Why? Why would he do that for me, an enemy?

What had driven him to act? She stood absentmindedly in place, grasping at straws.

That had occurred exactly a year ago. It had been a whole year since the incident in

question, when a soldier assisted a witch to break out of prison.

Now the world was about to recall his name once again, following a chance meeting

between Iska, the Successor of the Black Steel, and Alice, the Ice Calamity Witch.

"We have decided to discharge the convict Iska."

The Imperial Senate came to a resolution, united as the body that held absolute rule

of the largest territory in the world.

"Raise your head, Iska. It's your first time outside in a year. How does it feel to

be in the sun?"

"…It's blinding." With his arms and legs bound, the boy squinted at the rays of sunlight

beaming through a canopy.

On a platform in the center of the enormous Senate chamber, he glanced around at the

eight men and women peering down on him. They were the Eight Great Apostles—the

eight supreme leaders who controlled the Imperial Senate. Of course, they weren't

physically present in the chamber, but the hazy outlines of their faces were displayed

on the monitors along the wall.

"You don't appear to be in a sunny mood."

"…Half of me is in disbelief. Are you really gonna release me?"

"Indeed. It seems you understand the severity of your crime. As you know, it was

a serious blow to us when you released the witch in captivity."

"We've prepared an opportunity for you to atone for your grave crime."

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows knit together reflexively.

When he'd been imprisoned and stripped of his position as a Saint Disciple a year ago,

they'd sentenced him to life in prison.

…Why were they discharging him? He'd spent only a year behind bars. And he knew

the Eight Great Apostles on the monitors in front of him were not so merciful that

they'd let him go without cause.

"Are you giving me a mission in exchange for a pardon…?"

"Very perceptive. You're not a slow thinker, even when you arranged for that

witch to escape. I have to give you that."

The Eight Great Apostles chuckled in low voices.

"But I can only fight using my swords."

"You're evading the truth. You ought to rephrase that: It's not that you can only

fight with swords, but all you need to fight are your swords."

They weren't being sarcastic. There was a reason that the absolute authorities of the

most powerful country in the world had called upon him to give direct orders.

"Let's get to the subject at hand. We aren't going to order you to do something

that's a big deal. It's something you ought to do. In other words, we want you to

defeat a witch."

"A witch?"

"We received intelligence from a sleeper agent in the Nebulis Sovereignty that

they've decided to dispatch a single witch to an Imperial base."

"That sounds… like an everyday occurrence on the battlefront."

"This isn't any ordinary witch. She's a direct descendant of the Grand Witch

Nebulis. A purebred."

"A purebred?!" He couldn't help but go bug-eyed at the term. "…That's a formidable

opponent."

"That's exactly why we're discharging you," the Eight Great Apostles continued

matter-of-factly. "There was a time when the Grand Witch Nebulis turned our

very own Empire into a sea of flames. As you know, those from her bloodline are

referred to as 'purebreds.' I'm assuming you're aware that incredibly potent

astral power resides within their bodies, right?"

"I am. I've battled against them before."

"Your opponent is powerful, even among the purebreds. Her name is the Ice

Calamity Witch. During your imprisonment, she broke through the northern

front of Yubel alone. It was about a year ago. She managed to steal our latest

weapon there and took it back to the Nebulis Sovereignty."

"…She got through the front by herself?"

He remembered hearing about the incident through the grapevine—that a witch with

an impressive amount of astral power had made her debut.

"We imagine it would be a tough fight for even a Saint Disciple, especially if you

engage with her in direct combat. Meaning the unit on the front lines would be

hopeless against her. That's where you come in."

"Iska, you're our youngest Saint Disciple in history. We're counting on you."

"…You mean former Saint Disciple. I was demoted a year ago as punishment."

By fifteen, he'd shot through the ranks and become a part of the forces that directly

guarded their Lord. His unprecedented ascent was going to guarantee his status as a

hero… or at least, that's what was supposed to happen.

"If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you'll be able to re-earn your position as a

Saint Disciple in no time. After all, you studied under the strongest man in the

Empire, inherited the astral swords, and became the Successor of the Black

Steel."

The floor below Iska's feet parted, and a mechanical pedestal rose up from the ground

—holding a pair of swords.

One was in a black steel sheath, the other in white.

"Here are the astral swords passed down to you from that man. Take them."

"Are you sure?"

"Only the worthy may invoke the true power of these swords. They are for you

alone."

The handcuffs and shackles restraining Iska clattered to the ground.

"From this moment on, you are free. We will prepare a military transport vehicle

for you in seventeen hours. It will take you to the front lines. Complete any

necessary preparations by then. If you need anything, we're ready to provide it:

arms, personnel, funds, rations, medicine. Ask and it will be taken care of."

They would take care of everything. No prisoner had ever been treated so well. When

they made that proposal, Iska didn't hesitate to reply.

"There are three members I'd like in my unit."

"We are listening."

"For my commanding officer, I'd like Mismis Klass. For my sniper, Jhin Syulargun. For

my machinist, Nene Alkastone. Could you call the three of them?"

Sector Two of the Imperial capital.

This was the commercial district of the capital. Within the thick steel barrier of the

city walls, this was the busiest area. At one corner facing the town square was a

restaurant, Powder Base.

"Nene, honey, where should we sit?"

"Hey, Nene! We still haven't gotten our food."

"Nene—"

"Coming, coming! Geez! Be there in a minute!"

In the back corner of the kitchen, Nene gulped down the final bites of bread she had

been nibbling on for lunch. She hastily got up and donned her apron, which she'd left

neatly folded, then dashed over to the seating area swarming with customers.

This was the life of Nene Alkastone.

She had her voluminous red hair gathered into a ponytail, which accentuated her large

blue eyes. She was fifteen years old and wore a cheerful, lively smile that left an

impression on those around her. Her hot pants exposed her thighs, and her tank top

complemented her toned body. Overall, this sporty look suited her well.

"Okay, okay. How many people…? Oh!"

A silver-haired boy stood in front of the entrance.

As soon as she caught sight of him, Nene squealed in delight and ran over.

"Jhin?! Whoa, I'm so happy to see you here. Did you come all this way to see me?"

"I saw you just the other day."

"What? Oh, does that mean you're here as a customer? In that case, there won't be as

many people in an hour, and the place should be a little more comfortable. Today's

lunch special is, uhhh…"

"Sad to say, but I already ate." His voice had a calm and sober quality to it—a stark

contrast to Nene, who looked up at him in anticipation with her big eyes.

His name was Jhin Syulargun. His silver hair was spiked up, framing his masculine face

and sharp gray eyes. He wore a military uniform that incorporated fiber-optic cables

in the design and lugged around a rifle case on his left shoulder.

"Okay then, what's up?"

"I've got a message for you."

"What is it?"

"Our guy has been released. He just returned to the barracks, scrambling to get ready."

Nene's eyes darted around, unfocused, as she contemplated his announcement.

"…Oh!" Her eyes glittered as if she'd been struck by an epiphany. "By 'our guy,' you

wouldn't by any chance mean—?"

"It's Iska."

"Noooooo waaaaay?! What? Really? You're not pulling my leg, are you?" Oblivious to

how loud she was being in the restaurant, she cried out.

"You should get ready before you celebrate."

"You mean for his welcome-back party, right?"

Even as Nene bounced around in joy, Jhin didn't change his curt tone.

"We leave tomorrow morning at oh hundred. We're heading to the front lines aboard

a military transport."

"…Come again? A military transport? To the front?"

"It's a deployment."

"What?! Wait a sec, Jhin! I've got work till the evening!"

"Give it up. You? Holding on to a decent job? You've got to be dreaming." Jhin emitted

a semblance of a sigh, turning his back on Nene. "At least as long as the Empire and the

Nebulis Sovereignty continue this meaningless war."

As night began to fall on the city like a curtain of watered-down ink, a watchtower's

light pierced the darkness, illuminating the front of the city's military gate.

Iska felt compelled to stare at the night sky, taking in the twinkling stars faintly

flickering in the background.

"It's friggin' cold." He shivered as the evening wind trailed over his neck. "…A full year

since I last saw the sun. And the stars, too."

Iska flipped up the collar of his military uniform and let a bitter chuckle sneak past his

lips. He'd thought he would never see the sunrise or night sky again.

"Now that I'm free, I've got a perilous battle to deal with. Maybe I'll regret not spending

the rest of my life locked up in a cell. It was nice and safe in there… But who knows!"

He dunked his backpack onto the flatbed of the military transport vehicle, where it

made an aggressively loud thump. Despite the noise, his luggage was on the light side:

His only weapons were the swords he carried. Beyond that, he just had medical

supplies and a small communications device. If he'd been a sniper, he would have all

that, plus his own gun and a case full of ammunition. If he'd been an information

specialist, he would have had even larger equipment that needed lugging around.

"Uhhh, what time is—?"

"We have four minutes and thirty seconds until we need to meet up."

Iska spun around to find a silver-haired boy coming into view under the streetlamps.

It was the sniper, carrying his trunk on his left shoulder.

"Hey, Jhin. You were a lifesaver today. Thanks for getting in contact with Nene and

Captain Mismis."

"I'm used to dealing with your last-minute stuff. Like that time a year ago—when you

got carried away with breaking out that witch by yourself."

"Ack… D-didn't I apologize for that this morning?"

"You never follow through. The master always said, 'Whatever you do, make absolutely

sure you will succeed. Otherwise, wait until the time is right.' And yet you still haven't

learned your lesson." Jhin sighed dramatically and flung his things into the vehicle.

"When you were arrested, those two didn't take it too well. Their reaction was

something else."

"You mean Nene and Captain Mismis?"

"That means they're just as worked up about your release. Speak of the devil."

With his eyes, Jhin motioned to the headlights whizzing toward them at a terrifying

speed. A dense fog of dust followed the buggy as it peeled forward. The sound of its

brakes screeched into the night, shattering the silence. Most of the soldiers were

sound asleep.

"Iska, congrats on getting oooooout!" Before the ATV came to a halt, a redheaded girl

bounded out of the car. "Congrats, congrats, congraaaaaaaaaaats!" she sang.

"Nene?!" Iska caught Nene as she threw herself into his arms. "I know you're excited,

but… I mean, I feel bad for making you worry."

"It's okay. It's not your fault, Iska. Everything worked out in the end." She looked up at

him with tears welling in her eyes. "Do you know just how worried I was about you?!

I couldn't eat for a month! Like, I lost over six pounds."

"Yeah, and then you binged on barbecue and gained, like, ten pounds," Jhin muttered

under his breath, thinking back to how she'd gorged herself on meat.

"Jhin, how did you even know about that?!" Nene's sharp ears picked up on his snide

comment, and she whipped around to look him in the eye.

"…Oh, hey. Looks like the captain's arrived. Hey, over here!" Nene waved toward the

direction of the city.

Against the backdrop of the bright neon lights, a petite girl in an Imperial military

uniform was hurrying toward them.

"E-e-everyooooone… Haah… haah… S-sorry I'm late…"

"…Running at a snail's pace, as always." Jhin sighed in exasperation.

She was either weighed down by the enormous bag she was carrying or simply lacking

stamina. Regardless, she was on the brink of collapsing as she staggered toward them.

"Jhin, how has the captain been? The same as always?" Iska asked.

"She hasn't changed. And I mean that in a bad way."

Plop.

"Oh geez, she fell down again," Nene murmured.

The captain had taken a big tumble, even though there wasn't an uneven surface or

stray pebble in sight. But she got back on her feet—at least, she should have, but she

chose to remain crouched on the ground for some reason.

"…Sniffle. Sorry… I have no idea why I'm so unathletic. Plus, I'm always getting in

trouble with my subordinates and bosses. I have to wonder if I'm quite cut out for the

military. Hey, Mr. Electrical Pole. You think so, too, don't you, Mr. Pole?"

She started talking to the utility pole in front of her—of all things.

"…Maybe I should quit being a captain."

"Don't give uuuuuup!" Iska scrambled over to her in a hurry, trying to get her to stop

making her disturbing remarks. "You can't go home, Captain— Come on, be serious.

Who comes this far, then just falls apart?"

"Oh, it's you, Iska." The captain's face brightened instantly.

She was even more petite than Nene. Her face overflowed with a girlish charm and

was framed by her wavy light-blue locks. With her dainty, flushed lips, she gave off the

impression of an adorable child.

"Whoa! It's been so long, Nene. Did you get a little taller?"

"Y-you think so?"

"Definitely. I want to get taller, too, so I've been chugging milk every day, but I guess a

young girl like me can't compare."

"A girl? Gimme a break. You're not that young anymore," Jhin butted in, interrupting

their conversation like it was no big deal.

"Wh-what did you say?!" The girl—or rather, the woman arched her eyebrows at him.

That was Mismis Klass, the unit captain. Though she seemed younger than the fifteenyear-old Nene, she was actually the oldest of them all.

"But, like, I'm only twenty-two. And just the other day, I was able to get into the movies

on a child discount!"

"…Captain, just buy an adult ticket. Please?"

"Anyway, I'm so happy." With her fingertip, Mismis wiped the errant tear that'd softly

fallen from her eye. "An honest, good kid as always, Iska. And Nene, you've become

even more charming and pretty than you already were. Even your potty mouth feels

nostalgic, Jhin—for today, at least."

"Hey, wait a sec—"

"Unit 907 of the Special Defense Third Division. Back at it again after a year-long

hiatus!" Captain Mismis pumped her fist enthusiastically, unaware that Jhin was in the

middle of saying something. "And? And? What else? I know we have deployment

orders, like, super-suddenly, but what kind of mission is it?"

"We're hunting a witch. What else would the Third Division be doing?" Jhin said dryly.

"What?" Mismis stopped moving.

"Our target is a purebred, a direct descendant of the Grand Witch Nebulis. I'm sure

you're familiar with the Ice Calamity Witch, right, Captain? She's been making a name

for herself recently. You know, a real big shot."

"The Ice Calamity Witch?!" Mismis shrieked, and her entire face took on a blue tinge.

She started to convulse uncontrollably. "I-I-Iska, is that true?!"

"Yes. I was released to catch that astral mage. At least, that's what the authorities said."

"…Oof." The unit captain held her head in her hands. "Iska, the Eight Great Apostles are

setting you up…"

"What do you mean?"

"Of course there's no way you could've known, since the Ice Calamity Witch didn't

show up until after you got caught, Iska." Mismis had a strained expression. "Um, she

first appeared at the northern front in Yubel, I think. She attacked all alone and then

returned home without a scratch. And then I think a Saint Disciple was dispatched

three months ago, when she was spotted in the Viayle plains. But no luck. There's not

a lot of info out there, but rumor has it that she's the strongest astral mage in history.

Right, Jhin?"

"On the flip side, our opponent doesn't know we've got a soldier like you, Iska." Jhin

slung his rifle case over his back. "I don't think the Nebulis Sovereignty has much intel

on you—for better or for worse. Guess that's what happens when you get a demotion

right after becoming a Saint Disciple. I mean, you've never even had a chance to

participate in a battle. To them, you're just another private. Meaning they'll be coming

in without realizing they're opening Pandora's box. That's when you'll attack them

with the full force of a Saint Disciple. In other words—"

"We'll catch them off guard?"

"That's probably what the Eight Great Apostles are scheming. But they must have

gotten themselves in a real mess if they're placing their bets on a prisoner."

"The Ice Calamity Witch, huh…"

As the wind pushed him from behind, Iska climbed into the back seat of the military

transport vehicle.

"Iska, are we already heading out?" Nene settled into the driver's seat jubilantly, ready

for a successful mission. She gripped the controls with one hand and yanked the

telecoms equipment toward her mouth with the other.

"This is the Third Division. Unit 907. We're on the move! Hey, Captain Mismis, get in!"

"Whoa, wait for me, Nene!" The captain leaped into the moving vehicle in a rush. "Iska,

a-are you really going through with this mission…?"

"Of course. This is a big opportunity for me."

They blew past the gate of the Imperial barracks at breakneck speed, and the armored

car screeched onto the sandy road beyond. Iska absentmindedly peered through the

double-paned windows and watched the city lights stream by. He gave a small nod.

But he was firmly resolute.

"…Iska, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't they gonna throw you back in jail if you

fail?" Mismis asked demurely.

"I'm trying not to think about that." He gave her a wry smile. "I'm just trying to figure

out a way to end this hopeless war. That's what I was thinking about a year ago, and

that's all I'm thinking about now."

A century ago, there was a united stronghold under the hegemony of the Heavenly

Empire—or "the Empire" for short. They'd prospered at the height of their industrial

revolution, right until they came into contact with the Secret of the Celestial Body. The

Geological Survey Unit had found the thing in question—an unaccountable energy

called "astral power" surging up from the depths of the planet.

Even in modern times, they couldn't fathom why that thing had been lying dormant

inside the earth. All they knew for certain was that astral power had the capability of

possessing humans. At first, it was isolated, affecting only the Geological Survey Unit,

which had been showered in the substance upon making their discovery. Then it

touched the researchers studying this unknown substance, as well.

Anyone with prolonged contact developed a mark somewhere on their body for

reasons still unknown. And the possessed obtained powers straight out of a fairy tale.

In short, all those affected invariably developed an ominous mark and paranormal

power.

"…They're monsters."

These girls and women were labeled witches; boys and men were sorcerers.

It didn't take long for the general public to begin persecuting those with astral power,

and the Imperial population had grown to fear their immense strength. On the other

hand, the oppressed began to seethe with hatred for the Empire, eventually leading

them to revolt.

The girl with the most astral power transformed the Empire into a sea of flames and

founded a new nation for the witches and sorcerers—the Nebulis Sovereignty. The girl

was the Grand Witch Nebulis.

In time, the Empire vowed to eradicate the traitors and regarded their power as an

existential threat. Meanwhile, the Nebulis Sovereignty became obsessed with

avenging their ancestors and singing the praises of astral power for opening new

doors to humankind.

Even a century later, the battle between the two great nations showed no signs of

subsiding anytime soon.

"—Lady Alice."

When her attendant meekly touched her shoulder, the girl with golden locks came

back to her senses.

"Are you all right? Is it possible you don't feel well?"

"I'm sorry. I was simply thinking to myself." She turned to the assistant behind her as

she caught loose strands of hair that were flitting in the wind and curled them around

her finger.

The lovely girl in a royal gown was Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX.

Her golden hair glowed in the sunlight and rippled with the passing breeze like

strands of silk. Her ruby eyes were dignified, and her porcelain limbs were pale and

almost seemed translucent. The healthy flush of her cheeks and lips, combined with

her perfect features, gave her a coquettish charm that was tasteful—elegant.

"Thank you, Rin. I need to stay focused, don't I?"

"I'm sure you have affairs that require some thought, Lady Alice. It isn't an issue,"

replied Rin with a faint smile playing across her lips.

Her honey-brown hair was parted down the middle and tied on either side. She was

properly known as Rin Vispose, part of a family of attendants serving the royal family

of Nebulis and the sovereign princess's one and only confidante.

"How much longer will it be?"

"We've passed the border. All we need to do now is reach the battlefield. It shouldn't

take more than an hour."

They were flying at an altitude of over 6,500 feet on the back of a colossal bird monster.

Whenever the creature flapped its wings, it would kick up a gust of wind, sending

Alice's hair and gown billowing.

"We don't know if or when the Empire will fire on us using their long-range weapons.

Please be on guard."

"I'm used to it by now." Contrary to her calm demeanor, Alice silently bit her lip. "I've

totally gotten used to it… Used to having guns pointed at me and being cursed at as

the Ice Calamity Witch."

Alice was the second-eldest daughter of the current queen, meaning she had a right to

the throne of the Nebulis Sovereignty—eponymously named after its founder, the

Grand Witch Nebulis. On top of that, she was an astral mage who was extolled as the

Sovereignty's trump card at the tender age of seventeen.

They were once labeled witches and sorcerers—slurs under Imperial rule. But after

her ancestors' liberation, they chose a new name for themselves: astral mages.

"Rin, is the goal for this mission the same as always?"

"Yes. To destroy the Imperial base on the front lines." Rin's pigtails flapped wildly in

the wind. "We've received intelligence that the Empire is constructing a new type of

power generator for their weapons there, according to our allies in the field. Once it's

complete, their midrange weapons will be free to strike at our strongholds without

fear of retaliation, and we'll have no choice but to retreat."

"We need to destroy it before they finish it. That should be easy, but… Why aren't we

mounting a general invasion of Imperial territory? It would be a cakewalk for you and

me."

That was the root of Alice's dissatisfaction.

Even among the mages, she had enough astral power to determine the outcome of a

battle on her own. And yet, the most Alice's mother, the queen, would order her to do

was to destroy one enemy base or another and promptly return home after.

"I wonder why Mother won't allow me to launch an offensive… even though I'm a fullfledged mage."

"Oh, Her Royal Highness was worried you would say that, Lady Alice." Rin chuckled

and put her hand to her mouth. "You must remember, you're a candidate for the

throne. You should be receiving lessons on how to rule as a monarch, not charging

toward the enemy. Moreover, doesn't Her Royal Highness always say she would rather

have you focusing on your studies in the palace than runing off to see plays and

concerts between battles?"

"No thanks. Boooring! I can start my royal studies once we've achieved world peace."

"Of course, I believe there's some merit in that." Rin nodded.

"Right?" Alice flashed her a grin.

But that smile soon slipped off her face. Hardening her resolve, she made a

declaration: "First, we'll overthrow the Empire. I'll defeat their country and then

create a world without oppression."

The rust-colored earth painted the vast plain below them. Beyond that, they could see

the dense forest blanketing the horizon.

The Nelka forest.

It was the boundary line between the Empire and the Nebulis Sovereignty, known for

its Nelka trees that towered one hundred feet high. Over the course of the hundred-

year war, approximately 15 percent of forests in the world had burned down. But this

belt of trees had been lucky enough to escape the embers of war.

"…Whoa, these are huge." Mismis's mouth popped wide open as she tilted her head to

take in the scene. The boughs looked as if they could pierce through the sky. "This is

the first time I've ever seen ones this big."

"Captain Mismis, um, I believe you've come with me to this base before. For a different

military operation."

"Oh, did I?" She cocked her head to the side, her baby face revealing nothing but

confusion.

Parroting her movements, Iska shot a quizzical look right back at her. "You didn't

forget, did you? That was a really difficult mission."

"What?! Ah-ha-ha… L-like I would ever. I'm not that dumb. Like I'd forget a place we

visited before. I mean, wow, this is so nostalgic. Yeah, these, um, Shuvalts plains."

"You even got the name wrong! And hold on—how could you mistake this forest for a

plain?!"

"I-it's a joke! Of course I remember everything!"

"…That was very reassuring."

"It's fiiiine. You can trust me to handle everything!" Then the captain's expression

became more tense. "By the way, Iska. This grabbed my attention immediately."

She gazed nervously ahead, where a mechanical engine was emitting a piercing noise

and echoing through the forest—a military generator. From the outside, it resembled

a gigantic incinerator.

Unlike the regular heavy weapons carried by the troops, which were cranked out en

masse, the Empire's laboratories toiled over designing and specially manufacturing a

devastating weapon that would be fueled by this very power generator.

"This one's new, right?"

"I think so. It wasn't here when we came last time." Iska looked intently at the machine

as he stood next to Mismis.

They were at the strategic base in Nelka that had been established deep in the forest,

two miles from the battlefront, where the astral mage units were deployed. But thanks

to the titanic trees around them, the Imperial army could hide the existence of this

facility.

"Hmm. I wonder why there aren't that many units guarding this giant reactor."

The generator sputtered steam as it continued to run.

Around them were tents and communications sites. Though there were units bustling

past them in a hurry, their numbers were sparse for a strategic base—as Mismis had

pointed out.

"Oh, that's because—" Iska started.

"Hellooo, reporting back!" A redhead poked her face out from between some giant

trees.

"Whoa!… You scared me, Nene. Don't surprise me like that."

"I've handed over the car. I've also found the person in command at that tent over

there. When I was checking in, you know what they said? This thing isn't complete

yet." Nene gave a few quick raps on the exterior of the reactor, which echoed hollowly.

"They're still in the research phase. That's why it's so loud. They really should have

been finished by now, but they had to divert personnel to defend the front line instead

due to all the recent astral mage attacks—which also explains why there are so few

people around here."

There was an intellectual yearning in the back of her innocent eyes.

Nene was a top-class mechanic with an insatiable appetite for knowledge and

research. During her time at the military academy, she'd released paper after paper

until she was eventually scouted by the Department of Suppression Weapons

Development at the Imperial capital.

But she'd wanted to form a unit with Iska and Jhin. If she hadn't wanted that so

desperately, Nene would have become a full-time engineer at the capital by this point.

"I knew from the start there was something off about it. It's thrumming too much, and

it's making some weird static sounds."

"Very impressive, Nene, as per usual."

"Not to mention the smell and color of the steam coming from the exhaust pipe. Plus,

the pressure gauge is on, but the control ring is stuck at the max limit, and of the seven

control lamps, the third and seventh are both on when they shouldn't be during

normal operations. In a genuine—"

"…O-okay, that's enough, Nene," Mismis cut her off.

Once she got going, Nene never knew when to stop.

"…"

"Iska, what's wrong? Why are you so quiet?" Nene asked curiously.

Iska's eyes swept toward the machine in front of him. "I'm wondering if a ton of astral

mages will get hurt again when this thing's complete…"

To a normal human, an astral mage's powers were on par with magic. And though their

powers' properties and abilities differed from individual to individual, it wasn't

unusual for the Empire's ordinary firearms to be useless against them.

Iska knew that this special weapon had been made to combat those astral mages, but…

"It's a vicious cycle." With his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder, Jhin was the first one

to speak up. "The Empire builds a new generator, the Sovereignty attacks us and

destroys it, we lose, we develop an even stronger weapon and generator to

counterattack, the astral mages lose, and on and on. This has been going on for more

than a hundred years and the world as we know it was built on this endless cycle…

Well, that's what the master would say, at any rate."

He let out a long sigh.

"It doesn't matter what started this war. It's only dragged on because of emotional

reasons. The conflict has gone on for so long that logic or rational thought can no

longer stop it. Someone has to forcibly bring everything to an end—even if they wind

up getting treated as the bad guy."

"Bring everything to an end, huh…," echoed Iska.

"I happen to know a certain someone who wants to negotiate world peace. That's an

option. Whether it'd work is a different matter."

Jhin walked by Nene before coming to a halt directly in front of Iska.

"I know I don't need to tell you that the throne of the Nebulis Sovereignty has been

held by the family of the Grand Witch Nebulis for generations. Their reason? All the

members of the royal family inherit potent astral power," said Jhin.

Of the mages, the Grand Witch Nebulis's bloodline ranked highest in terms of astral

power. The royal family's ability was incomparable. The Empire was especially

cautious of them and labeled them as "purebreds."

"We're catching one of those purebreds. Well, in most normal cases, no one would even

dare try to do something like that. Right, Captain?"

"Y-yeah… It'll be hard… Harder than capturing ten astral mages," she cautiously

replied.

"Ten? Try a thousand," the sniper quipped, shaking his head. "We've been at this war

for a hundred years. And there hasn't been a single time in recorded history where

we've captured a purebred. The Saint Disciples have always had their hands full just

trying to drive them away. The descendants of the Nebulis bloodline were out of their

league."

"That's exactly why—" Iska started to continue Jhin's train of thought, nodding slightly.

"If we can capture a purebred, I think it might be possible to get the Nebulis

Sovereignty to enter peace negotiations."

"I've heard this a thousand times." Iska's friend of nearly a decade let out an

exasperated sigh. "As things stand, no one in either the Empire or Nebulis will consider

peace. If that's how it's gonna be, then we just have to catch one of their VIPs and use

them to force everyone to sit at the negotiation table. That's your idea, right, Iska?"

"…But, Jhin?" the captain butted in anxiously. "If we capture a purebred, then the

Empire would be at an advantage, right? I don't think the Eight Great Apostles would

offer Nebulis such a sweet deal. I'm afraid they'll hold her hostage, threatening to

execute her if the Sovereignty doesn't yield to full and unconditional surrender. That's

not totally off the mark, right?"

"That's why Iska has to be the one to catch the purebred."

To work toward peace, the two countries needed to be on equal footing. If the Eight

Great Apostles refused to follow through, Iska would break the purebred out of

captivity.

"He's already set a precedent a year ago. You know, by breaking that witch out of

prison. If Iska threatens to do it again, they'll know it's no joke. Come on—how many

times have we explained this to you, boss?"

"Uh, ah-ha-ha-ha… Sorry. I can be a tad forgetful."

Jhin looked at her with his arms folded, and Captain Mismis let out a sheepish chuckle.

"As the captain, I don't have any reservations about our mission to catch an astral

mage… But I'm kind of scared of those purebreds," she admitted.

"Iska gets insanely stubborn once he's made up his mind, sooo…" Nene latched onto

his back and squeezed him. "But it'll be okay, because I'll protect you! Whenever you're

in trouble, I've got your back, and—"

"Hey, we're heading out, Nene. You can pretend to be Iska's bride after we get back to

the capital."

"Ouch! How could you, Jhin?!"

Jhin had grabbed the end of Nene's ponytail and marched forward.

"You're gonna tear the whole thing off…"

"Don't worry. A strand of human hair is even sturdier than similarly sized copper

wire."

"I've never even heard of such useless trivia!" Nene clutched the top of her head as she

reluctantly slunk forward.

Captain Mismis called after them. "Jhin, wait! We haven't gotten word from the front

lines yet. We'll get in trouble if we just go wherever we want."

"I already talked with them. While somebody was ogling the reactor."

"When did you…?!"

"They said they had no battles yesterday or today. The team of snipers saw some

scouts from the astral mage corps a few times, but they didn't look like the Ice Calamity

Witch. According to them."

"…I wonder if she'll actually come?"

"There's a good chance she'll launch a surprise attack on the generator sooner or

later." Jhin quickly trudged into the forest, heading to the military transport vehicle

hidden in the underbrush. "Oh, and the frontline unit said, 'We welcome any

reinforcements. We request a rendezvous immediately.' Goes to show just how much

the Ice Calamity Witch scares them. What do you think about the claim that she's a

purebred, Iska?"

"I don't think they're wrong. That's what the Eight Great Apostles told me, too."

"It's something you ought to do. In other words, we want you to defeat a witch."

"This isn't any ordinary witch. She's a direct descendant of the Grand Witch Nebulis. A

purebred."

"It'll probably be difficult, but I think catching the Ice Calamity Witch would give us

enough leverage to start peace talks."

"Well, that's how it is. Nene, bring out the car. We're linking up with the people at the

front lines."

"All aboard!" The girl in the driver's seat nodded once and gripped the gear stick.

The thick tires squealed as they spun at supersonic speed. The four-person open-air

vehicle jerked forward onto the forest path, narrowly sandwiched by the large,

towering trees.

"Raaafgh?!" Captain Mismis yelped like a puppy as she rolled around in the passenger

seat. "Nene?! Ah! Nene?! D-drive safely, please!"

"Dooon't wooorry. This would be a piece of cake even with one eye closed."

"Please keep your eyes opeeeeeeen—!"

The front window was shrouded by the looming Nelka trees and thickets. On top of

poor visibility, the ground was wholly uneven and riddled with protruding, knobby

roots. It wasn't unreasonable for Mismis to panic as they drove recklessly on the

"road"—if they could even call it that.

"I-it's been so long. I guess I'm nervous… I wonder if I'll be able to command properly."

"I get it," Jhin said quickly, head propped up in his hand. His sharp eyes glared at the

depths of the forest. "Iska is gonna be stiff, 'cause he was locked up for a while. I was

out of the unit for some time, too, and Nene was practically half-retired, working a

part-time job to make ends meet. Our instincts for battle are nil. The real issue is how

we're gonna take on the Ice Calamity Witch when we've just recuperated and

regrouped—right?"

"…Y-yeah."

"We're counting on you. This is a perfect chance for you to shine." Iska gave a firm nod

to the girl in the front seat. "Jhin, Nene, and me—we're all bad at sticking to the rules

and coordinating. But you're different, Captain: You're disciplined, and you always

have faith in our decisions."

"That's right. Well, just watch. You leave the battle with the astral mages to us. All you

need to do is give us orders behind the scenes."

"Jhin! Iska!" The captain sniffled, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes. "Oh,

I'm so happy. You've both grown up so much… especially you, Jhin. I can't believe

you've gotten so sweet in the past year!"

"Yeah, yeah. It'd be more trouble than it's worth to have you get riled up and try to fire

a gun or something. Better to have you giving orders than risk death by friendly fire."

"Arghhhhhhhhhhh—!!" Captain Mismis twisted around in the front seat, swiping and

pawing at Jhin.

Watching their exchange, Nene cheerfully glanced back at them from the driver's seat.

"Oh, Jhin. I can't believe you'd say that. If I remember correctly, you're the one who

told me to 'cheer her up by treating that idiot to some barbecue' when she was down

in the dumps about our unit disbanding."

"Oh, did he really? I mean, hey! Who are you calling an idiot?!"

"Who knows. Whatever. Nene, keep your eyes on the—"

—road. But Jhin didn't have a chance to finish his sentence.

"Jump!" yelled Iska and Jhin from the back seat.

"Wait! What?!"

"Hold on tight, Captain." Nene sprang out of the car from the driver's seat with Mismis

safely in her arms.

From the right passenger seat, Jhin scrambled out, clutching his sniper rifle. Once Iska

confirmed his teammates had made their escapes, he bounded out of the left seat. In

the next moment, the vehicle was engulfed in bright-red flames—thick slabs of armor

and all.

"Think it's the astral mages?"

Iska twisted around in the air, drawing the dual swords from the belt on his back, and

knelt on the ground. Nene and Mismis touched down after him.

"What?! But this is Imperial territory!"

"They've broken through our defensive line. There must be a strong astral mage

nearby. Nene—"

"Iska, we have a message!" Nene put the palm-size receiver up to her ear. "It's from the

communications team in Nelka: a request for backup from all units!"

"…We can't waste any time. We're dealing with a surprise attack, too, but if the

frontline units can't fend off the assault, the enemy might charge in and attack in

force."

As Jhin landed, he flicked off the safety on the gun on his shoulder.

Behind him, the thickets rustled loudly.

"Jhin, get back!"

It happened in a flash: From behind, a giant wall of fire caught Jhin by surprise, but

Iska used his black sword to cut the burning barrier in half.

"…Did you cut through the flames of an astral mage?!" A man and a woman jumped out

from the bushes.

They were members of the Nebulis astral mage corps, wearing silvery-white clothes

woven with metal fibers—material that could even withstand a barrage of fire for

short periods of time. Aside from the seams, which were less than half an inch, their

garments rendered gunfire ineffective. Even with Jhin's sniper rifle, hitting anywhere

besides those seams wouldn't have much effect on them.

"T-two astral mages?! Be careful!"

"We can friggin' see. How about you worry about yourself instead of warning us? And

don't yell your orders. They'll figure out that you're our boss right away. You—"

"And I don't need you giving me constant sass!"

"Then shut up and get back." Jhin gave the teary-eyed captain a backward glance.

He aimed his gun at the two mages, who were ten yards in front of them. Before Mismis

could say anything else, Jhin pulled the trigger with no hesitation and shot them from

close range—but the astral mages didn't so much as flinch.

The bullets had stopped in midair. As if time had stopped, the rounds came to rest for

a few seconds before clattering to the ground, deprived of all their kinetic energy.

"That's what I thought. That's why you can keep calm staring down the barrel of a

gun." Jhin glared at the motionless man. "Acting as a shield for your buddies, huh?

You've got the astral power of wind, right? I could tell 'cause the bullets in midair were

quivering slightly. Same thing happens when you shoot through a wall of compressed

air. Which means the woman must be a fire-type. You did a number on our car."

The two astral mages stood silently.

These were paranormal beings feared as witches and sorcerers across the Empire.

Among their number were those who wielded enough power to demolish an entire

Imperial building and others who prided themselves on their impermeable defense

that could deflect even a hail of bullets. The astral mage corps of Nebulis held the

power to annihilate the Empire's front line with a single unit.

"How pitiful. Four Imperial cheerleaders?" The four soldiers could see only her lips

peeking out from under her hood and curling into a sneer. "All right. Let's hurry and

clean this up so we can take down the next squad."

The ground beneath them started to squirm, then it made a popping noise. As it broke

apart and began to fall inward, more astral mages emerged from the hole, one after

another.

"Take your pick: unconditional surrender or utter annihilation."

"What? H-how…? When did this happen?!"

From eight directions, eight astral mages closed in—plus the two already in front of

them. Ten in total. Mismis paled, blood draining from her face at the arrival of their

newest foe.

"Jhin and Iska!"

"Oh geez… Another one with the power of earth? I see. No one would notice you if

you're underground."

"That's quite a trick. Looks like you're all really strong."

"How can you two be so calm?!"

"Because we expected this kind of stuff— Hey, Iska," Jhin replied coolly and faintly

motioned with his eyes. "About the astral swords that the Eight Great Apostles

confiscated. The ones in your hands aren't fakes, right?"

"They're the real deal. I can tell by feeling them."

"Can they cut through anything?"

"Once my intuition kicks in again. But I might have trouble with it right now. I'm going

to need you to help me."

With his two swords at the ready, Iska eased back as a girl stepped out in front of him.

He turned to her. "Nene."

"Location transmission, complete—" The girl with the ponytail held her palm straight

up into the sky.

A ring-shaped mechanism was secured onto her pinkie. By the time the astral mage

unit had noticed, gunfire had started to ring out around them.

"Satellite, Star of Tetrabiblos, launch anti–astral power grenade."

A grenade hurtled down at them, kicking up a dust cloud from the ground as bullets

burst through the Nelka trees. After a big blast, light and shock waves diffused in the

air.

"Wha…?!" As the surprise attack came at them from above, the astral mages fell to

their knees.

Nene had called for the help of a satellite that had been launched by the Department

of Suppression Weapons Development. As a mechanic, she'd been entrusted with it

for experimental use. It was a weapon made to combat astral power, using radiation

wavelengths that disrupted astral power over an area with a radius of nearly a

hundred feet in two seconds flat.

Within that short time span, Iska had made his move.

"Five on the right," he barked at Jhin behind him as he swiveled to the left.

In a single breath, he closed the distance to the astral mages until he was basically on

top of them.

"A lone Imperial soldier…?! You sniveling… So what if you managed to pull off one little

trick?!" A mage jumped out from the rising cloud of dust.

A crimson pattern appeared on his exposed elbow. It was a crest—a symbol of those

with astral power. Its location on the body differed from person to person, and it was

said that the size and complexity of the pattern on the crest corresponded to each

individual's strength.

That eerie mark was another reason why the Empire shunned and cursed witches and

sorcerers.

"No gun? Are you insane?" The man jeered.

Iska rushed forward and made no attempt to reply. He'd trained his abdominal

muscles for years, pushing them past their limits. His sense of balance made it possible

for him to maintain his velocity, even as he charged with swords in both hands.

"You cretin!" The astral mage readied himself as Iska drew close enough to engage in

hand-to-hand combat.

The mage realized he couldn't escape Iska's charge and readied himself for a

counterattack by flinging up his right arm, marked by the astral crest. It started to

gleam a brilliant vermilion, causing embers to dance around his outstretched limb.

"Oh, astral power of raging flames, I command you…"

"You're a fire-type, huh?"

"Burst!"

Sparks appeared above Iska's head, condensing in an instant before becoming a

massive ball of fire that flew straight at him. Iska was bathed in flames and would soon

be finished—at least that was what the sorcerer thought was happening.

But that illusion was quickly dispelled when a fellow witch shrieked at him. "No!

Behind you—"

"…Ngh..."

Her warning was too late. The astral mage crumpled onto the ground before he could

get a word out.

"The Empire sees those from the flame lineage as one of its biggest threats: They can

set a combat uniform on fire or ignite gunpowder and weapons in an armory. But their

weakness is that the enemy can predict the size and trajectory of the attack based off

the embers. All you need to do is get out of range before they invoke their powers."

Iska stood behind his target. Before the fireball could land, he'd swiveled around,

gotten behind the mage, and bashed his sword hilt into the man's head.

"Predict an attack before it's invoked…? But you didn't even have a second to—"

"That's what my training was all about."

"Ngh, don't come any closer!" screamed a witch with a green crest on her neck,

thrusting her hand out with a look of anger.

She wielded the astral power of wind. Although those with this power were all lumped

together under the same classification, their abilities ranged from being able to

unleash a "gust" to being able to summon a "tempest." In addition, there was a

subvariety who possessed what was known as the power of dust devils, which could

create "blades of wind." This made it difficult to gauge the true capabilities of a windtype mage until they launched an attack.

But for Iska, simply knowing their element was more than enough information.

"Air currents are invisible, making it harder to react to your attacks compared to firetypes. But…"

He swept past her extended hand, and in a split second, Iska had bent down to her

feet.

"It always takes a little time before the wind starts up."

Thud… With his palm, he delivered a swift jab to her defenseless chin, catching her off

guard.

"—" The witch had lost consciousness before she could summon a gale.

By knocking out the host human, Iska severed the astral power from its guiding hand,

leaving the energy directionless.

In the end, Iska barely felt the last vestiges of a breeze reach him.

The two mages who had just barely managed to react in time had gone silent. The

other three had already been downed the second Iska initially passed by them.

"Jhin, how's it going over there?"

"I'm done." Behind Iska, the silver-haired sniper rested his gun on the ground.

As the dust cloud from Nene's grenade settled, it revealed several more mages strewn

about, bullet marks on the seams of their armor in Jhin's wake. Despite his limited

visibility, Jhin had still managed to land his shots. With his range of vision reduced to

a few yards, he couldn't possibly have seen the seams. It wouldn't be an exaggeration

to call his unrivaled precision the miracle of magic.

"Wowie… Amazing as always, Jhin and Iska."

"I had enough time to check out my targets during our staredown before Nene

dropped the grenade. Even when they weren't visible because of the dust, all I needed

to do was remember their positions and shoot. I could do that much with my eyes

closed—no problem." Jhin reloaded his gun as Captain Mismis watched him in a daze.

"What? But you had to aim at the seams of their clothing! That's such a small target…"

"I'm a marksman. Being able to do that much is the bare minimum."

As a sniper, it was Jhin's duty to take out key targets with a single shot each after Nene

unleashed her wide-range attack and threw the enemy into chaos.

Of course, it would be a problem if the enemy was able to figure out their plan. What

if Nene or Jhin was the first to be targeted? Or if Captain Mismis was showered in a

hail of concentrated gunfire? They would need a decoy.

That was where Iska came in—running headlong toward the enemy by himself and

becoming the sole focus of incoming attacks. That way, he would draw fire away from

the other three in his unit.

"If it'd have been a year ago, we probably could have left all of these guys to Iska, and

the rest of us could have gone ahead." Jhin looked down at the collapsed mages. "You're

still a peace-loving war nut, right?"

"…"

Iska had rendered five astral mages unconscious. He'd been on the receiving end of a

counterattack from the two mages who'd managed to scramble away from Nene's

grenade, but he didn't so much as blink an eye when he bashed them into the ground.

Not to mention, he hadn't used any firearms, which were practically an emblem of the

modern-day Empire.

Some called him a demigod; others, a vengeful spirit.

Any astral mage who'd borne witness to one of Iska's charges knew him by those

names. They'd seen the way he didn't fear death. But his friends in the Imperial

military knew that Iska went into battle while bearing a deep sorrow in his heart,

hoping to end the war as fast as possible.

That's what made him a peace-loving war nut.

More than anyone, he wished for the fighting to stop. That was why he would take

point on the front lines, restrain any mages who stood in his way, capture the

purebred, and use her as a hostage to force the Nebulis Sovereignty to hold peace

negotiations.

"Someone needs to play the role of the evil villain…"

Chances were good the Imperial leadership that coveted Nebulis territory would

condemn him, and the Nebulis Sovereignty would treat him as their mortal enemy.

"Well, my master told me to be ready to be hated by both sides anyway."

Iska turned around as he sheathed his black astral sword. He'd prepared himself for

that possibility ever since his master had passed the blades down to him.

"So, Captain. What should we do about these mages?"

"Hmm… I wanna bring them in, but we need to hurry and get to the front line." Captain

Mismis examined their foes. Their faces were planted in the ground. "Could you ask

the platoon on the base to take custody, Nene?"

"Rogeeer. I'll contact them. We should have handcuffs somewhere in the back of the

car. Uh, but it's still engulfed in flames, so I wonder if we'll be able to fish 'em out."

Nene pivoted her heels toward the scorched military transport vehicle and took a step

forward.

Just then, a terrific rumbling echoed from where her foot had landed.

"W-wahhh?!" Mismis tumbled over as she raised a small shriek.

It was a roar louder than the earlier bombardment and made the ground rise up

before their eyes.

…Is it an earthquake? No.

…What's making the ground move unexpectedly?

It was almost as though something were crawling underground.

"We're not gonna let you take us in." A girl's voice weaved itself among the gaps of the

trees and oozed with anger. "Those are my comrades, the pride of Nebulis. Don't you

dare touch them, you Imperial dogs."

The forest ground swelled upward, gathering earth and sand as if it were moving of

its own volition. Forming into a humanoid shape, it blocked Iska's unit from going any

farther and protected the collapsed mages.

"Is this the astral power of earth?" Nene shouted.

"…A golem, huh. And one that grows fast, to boot," Jhin murmured.

"How curious. You look like nothing more than the average squadron. But you

managed to deal with the astral mage unit before I arrived."

The golem mowed down a clump of trees as it finished materializing, while the girl

remained perched on its shoulder. Her honey-brown locks were parted at the center

and tied back on either side. She wasn't outfitted with a uniform of the astral mages,

instead wearing a housekeeping apron and a skirt with a hem long enough to reach

the ground. At first glance, her clothes didn't seem made for battle…

"Come alive."

At her beckoning, the earth quivered, and the area around Iska went dark. Something

was obstructing the sunlight.

It was a second golem, and its giant fist was coming down over his head—fast.

"Start with him first."

"Iska?!"

The earth around him started to cave in. The roots of the Nelka trees tore apart, flying

in his vision as the golem's fist cracked with the sound of a snapped whip.

"—Captain."

The gigantic hand crumbled in a dry heap. Iska readied the black sword that had sliced

through the golem's wrist and turned to face the girl riding on its shoulder.

"I'll take her on. Lead Jhin and Nene to the meeting point. Prioritize reinforcing the

front lines."

"Wha…? But…"

"She's an astral mage. A strong one, at that. We'll just waste time here if the four of us

fight her."

He turned his back on the three and crossed his pair of swords together as he braced

them.

The captain was quick to come to a decision. "O-okay, I got it. Be careful!"

With her petite feet, she sprinted across the ground as fast as she could, followed by

Nene and Jhin. The astral mage—an earth-type, Iska guessed—didn't so much as

glance at the three scampering from the scene.

"You're not gonna follow them?" he asked.

"I will. After I finish you off and rescue my kin, I'll take my sweet time catching up."

Her eyes and tone of voice were dispassionate, and she conducted herself in the

manner of her predecessors, the fearsome witches ostracized by the Empire in days

past. "So you have the ability to dismember a golem. I see. That's why you believe you

can stop me by yourself."

"And what if I do?"

"Don't get cocky with me, footslogger."

He felt something shifting behind him and whipped around to see a fist—the same fist

he'd destroyed earlier.

"You regenerated it?"

"It's made of earth. You should think of golems as immortal soldiers, as long as I'm

commanding them."

But that wasn't the reason why Iska was bug-eyed: Its recovery had been too fast. In

theory, the astral power of earth could be used to regenerate the limbs of a giant. But

it was a feat easier said than done.

…To manipulate a mountain of soil at this speed and from such a distance…

…The pure capacity of her power and her skill as a mage are nothing to scoff at!

The fist flew by his bangs by a whisker. With only a moment to spare, he leaped away.

As the witch watched him move agilely with the control of a martial artist, her pretty

face twisted in disgust.

"Judging by those moves, you're used to handling astral power attacks. Could you be…

a Saint Disciple… one of the strongest fighters in the Empire?"

"I'm just a soldier."

Using the momentum of his leap, Iska kicked a tree trunk to scrape off the mud sticking

to the bottom of his shoes.

"I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd be able to turn the ground into a swamp so quickly."

She could control far more than just golems. In an instant, she'd transformed the

ground below his feet into a quagmire, hoping to immobilize Iska to give her golem

time to strike him down with its fist. Her plan was first-rate, but she couldn't have

accounted for Iska's extraordinary mastery of martial arts. Even with the mud clinging

to his legs and his movements restricted, Iska dashed around at a speed that far

surpassed the golem's.

"Let me ask you something." With the swampy ground between them, he faced the

young mage. "Are you the astral mage they call the Ice Calamity Witch?"

"…Heh." Her answer was a scoff. "Believe whatever you want."

The ground writhed under him as though it were alive. Was it a third golem? He

readied himself. But his prediction was completely off—something else pierced

through the ground.

They were spears made of dirt: Several dozen of these sharp projectiles flew out with

tremendous force from the ground.

"Ngrh." He sprang up, somersaulting higher than the golem's head. Iska fended off the

whizzing missiles with the astral sword in his right hand.

All it took was the faintest of swings.

As he gauged the trajectory of the countless shots, he selectively took down those

zooming toward him, swatting them away with a single stroke of his black blade.

"…Did you cut your way through an astral attack?!" She was baffled.

These earth spears had the appearance of primitive weapons, but these projectiles

weren't like the golems, which were simply soil packed together. Instead, they were

fashioned out of superhard minerals and lumps of metal. If Iska had been careless

enough to assume these weapons were on the same level as the golems, those

spearpoints would have easily sliced through him.

But he'd cut them down with his blade—and not in a crude manner, either. The way

he neatly parted them into perfect halves could even be described as beautiful.

"What kind of sword is that?"

"—An astral blade."

There was a reason why a soldier named Iska garnered the attention of those who

held the greatest authority in the Empire—the Eight Great Apostles. They called on

Iska for his transcendental skill as a swordsman, of course, and the pair of blades that

he'd inherited from his master.

"The black astral blade has the ability to intercept astral power. If I can lock down the

correct timing and trajectory, I can cut off anyone from their astral power."

"Intercept astral power?… Ha, as if your empty threat would frighten me. If such a

thing existed, the whole Empire would be churning them out en masse."

"They can't make another one. This is the one and only original."

"And you're telling me that some no-name foot soldier is the owner?"

"I didn't get it from the Empire. I received it from my master, the one who taught me

the ways of the sword."

"…" The girl looked down at his weapons with disdain.

His story was hard to believe, but he didn't seem to be lying. She'd gathered as much

from Iska's unwavering gaze.

It compelled her to ask: "What's the power of the white sword, then?"

"You're sharp." Iska earnestly praised her for her insight. "I don't intend to answer. Oh,

but if we're swapping info, that's a different story. I wouldn't mind trading for the

location of the Ice Calamity Witch in exchange."

"…Silence, grunt!" she barked, opening her small mouth wide. Her face made her fury

obvious. "I'll never allow you to even look upon her!"

"I thought you might say that." Iska shook off the dirt on his blade and hounded after

her. "But I've some business with the Ice Calamity Witch."

"…Don't trifle with me, boy!" She still hadn't lost any of her composure. "How long can

you last with just swords?!"

She gestured at one golem, which crumbled into countless pieces of earth. Then she

started compressing the clumps of dirt in the air. After forming new spears, she rained

them down on Iska from above. But they didn't have to enter his vision before he

fended them off with his black blade. This time, he didn't cut through them. Instead,

he aimed to reflect the missiles back at the astral mage.

"Impossible!"

The girl jumped down from her golem's shoulder. For a moment, her attention was

diverted by a passing spear that grazed her cheek, and Iska closed the distance

between them.

"You're slow." Cutting off her escape, he held his sword to her neck.

"…Agh! Who are you?!" Her face turned red from shock and humiliation as she bit her

lip.

She was slightly shorter than Iska. Now that he got a good look at her, she seemed even

more delicate and thin than he'd first thought when they initially met at a distance.

Is she around the same age as me?

That musing passed through Iska's head, putting him off guard for a brief moment. He

brushed off the distracting thought.

"Tell me where the others are."

"And if I don't?" A smirk sneaked onto her face. "Kill me."

"…Kill you?" he repeated without thinking as he tried to process her unexpected

command.

"Strike me down. We are incompatible—an astral mage and an Imperial dog. I'd rather

die than become your prisoner."

"Oh… uh, well…"

"If you want to interrogate me, then you can try your best to torture me, or imprison

me, or whatever you please."

He had badly misjudged the situation. At this moment, that's what Iska truly believed.

His only objective was the Ice Calamity Witch. If he captured some other witch, the

only thing he'd accomplish would be alerting the purebred.

"What are you waiting for? Kill me!"

"—"

He wouldn't make any progress this way. He had to either restrain her, right then and

there, or render her unconscious and hand her off to another unit. For a moment,

Iska's thoughts veered away from the girl.

"To think you'd actually take your eyes off your enemy… You're helpless!" The girl tore

away her skirt.

In fact, it was clear that her peculiar outfit had been designed specifically to let her do

so as a part of her battle gear.

"You can use it as concealment?!"

"What? Did you honestly think I would be frozen in fear with nothing more than the

threat of your sword?"

Lunging at his sword with the ripped fabric, she trapped the weapon in a tangle of

cloth. She used the rest of her skirt to obstruct his vision.

"I'm the attendant and guard of Lady Alice. It's only natural for me to be familiar with

hand-to-hand combat."

With her clothes torn and shredded, she was left with what was essentially a miniskirt.

In her hand, she held a switchblade, which she'd concealed under the long, billowing

skirt that had no place on the battlefield.

"Begone!" She swung her small knife at him, cutting through the fabric of her skirt with

its sharp edge, aiming straight at the boy—

"…Urg?!"

He'd knocked her hard into the ground, pinning her down.

"…Im… possible!"

"Whoops, you almost got me. Wrapping my sword in cloth, then trying to blind me

while you attack with a dagger, huh? I would have never imagined there'd be anyone

with the skills of an assassin among the mages."

She was shocked, still unable to figure out exactly when he'd pinned her down.

Iska put pressure on her shoulder joints, letting out a short burst of breath. "I didn't

think an astral mage would resort to a physical weapon."

"…But you still managed to brush aside my surprise attack as though it was nothing—

and immobilize me. Who in the world are you?" The girl gritted her teeth.

"I'll revise my earlier question. You just said that you were the attendant of Lady Alice,

right? Who's Alice?"

"…!" Her expression changed.

"That wouldn't be the Ice Calamity—?"

"That's my name." Those words hadn't come from the girl underneath him.

Who was it? He twisted around to see the source of the voice that had rung out behind

him.

…Shudder. This was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He could say that for sure.

The creeping chill down his spine was so alarming that he ignored everything else to

leap as far away as he could manage.

"I'll show you. Feel it for yourself."

"Great Ice Calamity—"

Psht.

The air, the trees, the ground, everything in his vision was enveloped by a white fog,

as if he had fallen into a trance. In an instant, the world he had seen moments ago was

encased in cold, glittering blue ice.

"Ow!"

He felt a numbingly frigid chill at his neck and arms. The second a gust carrying ice

and snow hit him, his limbs started to shiver uncontrollably.

…Even though I jumped this high to avoid her attack, it's still this cold up here?

…Just how freezing is it on the ground, then?

Clack. He heard the sound of footsteps echoing across the ice.

A girl in set of clothes fit for royalty stood atop a hill of frost, hiding her face under a

magnificent headdress. But her voice was surprisingly young.

"Rin, are you hurt?"

"Lady Alice!" The attendant looked up at the newcomer with a warm expression and

spoke in a sunny voice—a world of difference from how she treated Iska.

No one would be this excited by the arrival of ordinary reinforcements. Her face

conveyed absolute reverence and faith, along with the belief that she could weather

any plight or despair as long as she had her lady.

Meanwhile, Iska was icing over.

"…This has to be a joke," he spat, his breath turning into shimmering white ice.

He surveyed the ground, the gigantic trees, the thickets around him. Everything was

draped in frost.

It was like the coming of another ice age. All this had happened during the few seconds

Iska had taken to scramble into the air. How cold did it have to become to cause this?

…If I hadn't jumped, what would have happened to me?

…I would have been powerless, sealed away in a block of ice.

"Lady Alice, please be careful. I don't know what tricks are up his sleeve, but that

sword can cut through and interrupt astral power."

"Thank you, Rin. But that's a trivial matter."

"What?"

"If my attack just now had finished him, his sword or whatever wouldn't have mattered.

Impressive that he managed to evade it."

The newly arrived witch patted Rin's head and turned to Iska.

She wore an incredibly ornate royal gown. The headdress and the veil over her face

were dazzling. Though for a different reason than Rin, she also wasn't dressed

appropriately for the battlefield. She was practically confessing that she was a big shot

from the Nebulis Sovereignty.

"Still, well done. Rin, you did a great job buying time."

"Buying time?"

"What do you think is behind me?" The girl in the royal gown inclined her head to

indicate something in the distance—beyond the icy forest.

"…Is that the power generator?!"

The reactor was frozen in a giant block of ice. It was far away enough to be indistinct,

and yet, he could clearly see what had occurred with his naked eye. The impressively

rugged form of the military generator had been reborn as an immaculate crystalline

icicle. Catching the sun's rays, it twinkled as it scattered the light.

"Collapse," she uttered, and the machine contorted as though some entity was crushing

it underfoot.

It warped and quickly became nothing more than scrap metal as it made a thunderous

cacophony, screeching under the pressure.

"…This was your goal all along." Iska expressed his regrets.

At that very moment, Mismis, Jhin, and Nene were scrambling to join the battle that

was already raging along the front lines. Iska had purposefully chosen to position

himself in a location that would allow him to run over and support them at any time.

But the enemy's goal had been to attack the base directly.

"You mean you pushed into the Imperial base all on your own?"

"Is that an issue?" She didn't have a single gash or a speck of dust on her pristine dress.

There should have been reserve units stationed at the Imperial base. If a witch had

appeared there, it wouldn't have been strange for them to surround and empty their

guns on her. But…

"Oh, I guess there was an issue. Namely, you."

Even through the mysterious veil, he could feel her cold gaze—filled with hostility.

"If everything had gone according to plan, I would have captured a hundred prisoners

of war at that base and seized the cutting-edge weapons for study. But I never got the

chance. If I hadn't hurried over here, Rin would have been captured."

"—"

"Now, who might you be? I find it hard to believe that a 'nobody' could have overwhelmed

Rin. Especially someone who isn't even a Saint Disciple."

Iska's response was in essence a declaration of war. "I came here to capture you."

"To capture me? Who do you think you're talking to? If you don't want to face an icy

fate worse than death, then I suggest you—"

"Surrender."

"You should surrender."

They were in a glittering white world.

A boy gripping his sword and a girl in a brilliant dress, made for royalty, demanded

their surrender at the exact same time.

"…Swordsman of the Empire, may I have your name?"

"Iska," he replied honestly, tightening his grip around his weapon.

If he had a record as a Saint Disciple, she could have looked up his history from

previous battles, but he didn't need to worry about that.

"And you?"

"It's Aliceliese Lou Nebulis IX. But you already knew that, didn't you? I'm an astral

mage. Your Empire calls me the Ice Calamity Witch."

The girl stood at the peak of a gigantic glacier.

Though her face was obscured by a headdress studded with lapis lazuli, the voice

ringing through the forest was crisp and dignified, giving him the impression of a

noble young maiden.

"Did you defeat the astral mage unit of Nebulis all on your own?"

"Are you telling me you destroyed the Imperial power generator for our weapons by

yourself?"

Their voices overlapped as they spoke at the same time.

"…I did." Iska nodded.

Far from him were the two astral mages who were still unconscious.

"What are you? You aren't even a captain, much less a Saint Disciple, the personal

guards of the Empire's Lord. How could you have overpowered our astral mage unit?"

"That's what I wanna ask you. You infiltrated our Imperial base alone and broke

through our defenses. And you took out our power generator. You can't be a normal

astral mage."

It seemed like an ice age had descended upon the surrounding trees, which had frozen

over thanks to the biting ice, wind, and snow. Beyond that were the frost-covered

remains of the generator that had been crushed beyond recognition. The steel armor

hadn't been able to hold up against the cold and ice, leaving it collapsed into the

ground.

…This is the Ice Calamity Witch.

…This might be the first time I've seen such a large-scale astral technique.

She was an order of magnitude above other mages. Even if they'd gathered ten astral

mages of the same ice lineage, most likely none of them would have even come close

to her power.

However, that was exactly why Iska was confident.

An astral mage as powerful as the Ice Calamity Witch had to be part of the Nebulis

family's royal bloodline. There was no mistake that she was someone close to the

current Nebulis queen.

"What the hell are you?"

"What in the world are you?"

He was trained to become the trump card of a mechanical utopia, the Empire. His

name was Iska, the Successor of the Black Steel.

She was the greatest witch ever born to the paradise of mages, the Nebulis Sovereignty.

Her name was Alice, the Ice Calamity Witch.

The two made their moves at the same time.

"Come forth, wall—crush him!"

Alice unleashed her command at the ice that Iska stood on, causing it to fissure

immediately. The chasm opened wide, tripping him momentarily, as sheets of ice

closed in on Iska from all four directions, fully intent on flattening him.

"…Trying to corner me, huh?"

The walls were too big to slice through with his sword. After making that judgment

call, Iska dashed toward one of the fast approaching ice panels.

"Why did he jump at the barrier?!" Alice's attendant, Rin, had her eyes opened wide as

Iska crouched down and slid over the icy floor, finding a gap between the walls.

Before four corners were closed off, he managed to slip out.

"That's what I thought he would do. If he could overpower Rin, he should be able to

avoid this much." Under the veil that hid her face, the Ice Calamity Witch smiled

fearlessly. "Ice Calamity—Blizzard of a Thousand Thorns."

"Ice blades?"

Had she purposefully left an opening in order to lead him where she wanted?

Iska belatedly came to this realization when he saw several hundred blades glittering

in the direction he was sliding, pouring out from the icy floor, from the air, and even

from the frozen-over trunks of the large trees—an endless wave.

He'd managed to avoid Rin's earth spears by leaping into the air. But these innumerable

ice blades covered every angle the moment they popped into existence. He had

nowhere to run.

"A thousand swords coming from all directions. Dodge them if you can." The astral

mage lifted her hand. "Impale him."

From overhead, the side, and below, a storm of blades rained down on him. He had no

chance of escaping or protecting himself. What could he possibly do?

There wasn't any room for debate: He would break through it head-on.

Iska readied his two astral weapons and sprinted along the glacial surface. "Hah!"

He gripped his black sword and angled it at his side as he spun like a top, slashing the

incoming projectiles. He could feel the light touch of some icicles at his feet graze the

hem of his battle uniform, but he managed to evade them by a hairbreadth.

He charged forward, deflecting the ice blades in the air with a stroke of his left sword

before knocking down other blades. All the while, he fended off the assault in his

periphery and struck the blades hounding him from behind—guessing their location

from the faintest change in the air around him through his skin.

"—Above!"

Iska became aware of the ice blades in his blind spot, with less than a second to

intercept them. But he did it without even looking: The airflow had been disturbed by

the manifestation of the ice blades, and he'd reacted instantaneously to the chill in the

air.

"…That was something." The one who had spoken was none other than the Ice

Calamity Witch herself, looking somewhat exasperated. "But I won't let you go. You

must realize that astral power is the will of the planet itself. As an Imperial soldier

who rejects its power, you and your swords cannot face me and my power."

Iska hadn't even managed to cut down a hundred of her ice blades yet—but that was

already enough to push him to his limits. More sharp icicles zoomed toward him,

forcing him farther away from Alice, when his goal was to get closer.

"Guh…"

One of the ice blades that he'd missed cut his right arm as it whizzed by. The pain that

shot through him made Iska lose his concentration for a split second. In that vulnerable

moment, his left thigh, his waist, his shoulder, and more were grazed by additional

spikes.

"You're reaching your limit."

"Nope."

The white sword in Iska's hands began to glow.

He'd used the black steel one to fend off Rin's attacks, intercepting her astral power.

And the other sword—

"Awaken."

Above his head, ice blades of the same make as the Ice Calamity Witch's creations

popped into existence and hurtled toward her.

"Using the same attack as Lady Alice?! How… How did you get that power?!"

"It's not mine. It's the astral sword's."

It could perform an astral release: The black sword could intercept any astral techniques,

storing them until the right moment—when the white blade would "reproduce" them

just once.

Iska was bathed in a blue light, the color of lapis lazuli—not by Alice's swords but by

those Iska had unleashed from his white blade.

"Ninety-seven. That's the number of blades that the black sword intercepted and the

number that the white one can re-create."

"And? What are you going to do with so few? That's far from being able to counter my

powers."

"Counter? Bad guess. I'm going to use these"—he wiped a gash on his cheek with the

back of his hand and stabbed the white astral sword into the earth—"to get to you."

The ninety-seven icicles, identical to the ones Alice had unleashed, struck down every

shot aimed at Iska. As that was happening, he charged.

He ran straight toward the Ice Calamity Witch, who stood in the middle of a world of

ice.

His attack wasn't enough to cancel out her attack, but it bought Iska enough time to

close the distance between them.

"Lady Alice!" Rin had guessed his aim and shouted at her master instinctively.

Iska bolted up the hill of ice and snow. Alice had been composed and unflinching up

until that very moment, but now she braced herself for the first time as she watched

him accelerate to an unimaginable speed.

"I'd like to tell you that was a good plan… but it's useless." She thrust her right arm in

front of her and snapped her fingers.

Gshk. From her feet, a mirror shield creaked out of the ground—the most beautiful

thing in all the land.

"Ice flower."

The sound of a deafening crack reverberated through the frozen forest.

"Geez, that's hard!" Iska's face contorted after he attempted to swing his sword down.

A large flower had bloomed in front of Alice and stopped his sword—the blade that

could cut through any astral power.

"An invincible shield: It's even resisted the firepower of Imperial weapons of mass

destruction."

"…And is perfect for both offense and defense, huh?"

"That's right. You ought to give up!"

A cold blast from the gigantic icy bloom sent Iska flying into the air. As he tumbled

through the sky, Alice calculated where he'd land, then summoned innumerable ice

blades on the spot.

But there was a reason the Eight Great Apostles had entrusted Iska with the only pair

of astral swords in the whole world, and Alice was still underestimating him—and the

sheer tenacity of the boy, the Successor of the Black Steel.

"…Give… up… you say?" Iska spat as he bit his lip between each word, even as he was

blasted upward by the icy winds. "If I give up here, who's gonna stop this war?!"

"—Wha?"

For a moment, Alice and Rin were caught off guard, and they swept their gazes up to

look at him. Iska had stuck both the astral swords deep into the frozen trunk of a giant

tree in front of him, then launched himself straight from it, nimbly leaping to another

nearby tree.

His practically inhuman speed made Alice lose sight of him for a few seconds. Finally,

Iska leaped past the ice-flower shield and landed right behind her.

"Wha—?!" The Ice Calamity Witch let out an astonished cry as she flipped around.

"Vines, bind him!"

Vines of frost shot out from Iska's landing spot, entwining themselves around his

ankles before he could bring his feet down.

"Geez! You're quite persistent…! Hurry up and surrender or simply die already!"

"That's my damn line!"

Before they could bind his whole body, Iska sliced through the vines, and in that time,

the astral mage retreated further up the hill, escaping from his vicinity.

"…Lady Alice is ceding ground?" Rin was watching the scene in disbelief.

Alice could have used any means to pursue Iska as he hacked away at the vines, but

she chose instead to abandon her advantage and distance herself.

She had to be scared—concerned about a potential counterattack if she pursued him.

She knew half-baked attempts wouldn't work on this swordsman. He dodged her

attacks in ways that shouldn't be possible for humans, and if he found a moment when

she was off guard, he would go straight for her throat. That was why she chose to pull

back.

"How idiotic." Her breath spilled from her lips under the veil in a sparkling white puff.

"Idiotic?"

"I'm talking about you." Alice looked down on Iska from the hill.

"You're a beast. No matter how many times I think I've won, you insist on surviving,

hounding me over and over again… It's idiotic. You call us witches and sorcerers when

you're the one who's the monstrosity."

"…As if." Iska wiped the sweat on his forehead as he answered, glancing around the

glacial forest at the strewn masses of ice blades that could have easily annihilated an

entire Imperial battalion.

She had the power to level a city and then some. On top of that, her invincible ice

flower rendered his attacks ineffective.

"I could say the same about you."

"I'll take that as a compliment. But I don't intend on withdrawing. I won't let anyone

get in the way of my goal to defeat the Empire and unite the world."

"…Unite the world?"

"I want perpetual peace without violence or oppression. I wonder if someone like you

could comprehend that." But she must not have expected any response, because she

looked pleased with herself and puffed out her chest to continue her grand

proclamation. "That's right. That's exactly why as the rightful successor to the crown,

I, Aliceliese— Wha—? Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

The moment she took a proud step forward, she stumbled on a hunk of ice and then

shrieked as she tumbled down.

"Nooooooo!"

"Whoa!"

The astral mage was sliding down the hill—Iska acted fast.

"…Ow."

"A-are you okay?" Iska caught the girl, stopping her from slipping down the rest of the

slope.

"Uh, yes, thank you… I mean, wh-wh-wh-what do you think you're doing?!"

"…Uh." He had acted on reflex.

But Iska couldn't find it in him to string a proper sentence together, because he was

cradling the Ice Calamity Witch in his arms. Her headdress had fallen off from the

impact of her fall, revealing her face.

"——Huh?" Alice touched her own face, as if she'd just realized it herself.

Her face had been exposed—and it was a vision, captivating and absolutely breathtaking.

Her beautiful features were arranged into a cold and dignified expression; her long,

glossy eyelashes and faintly red lips would have made a fairy-tale princess pale in

comparison. That was how lovely she was.

"...…"

It was exactly as though time had stopped in the frozen world as they gazed at each

other.

"Ugh! You saw, didn't you?" The astral mage was the first to snap back to reality,

brushing off Iska's hand and backing away. She thrust out her hand with a menacing

look on her face. "I can't let the Empire know what I look like! Now I can't let you go!"

She gritted her teeth audibly and glared at him. "We'll end this here and—"

"Iska!"

That was when he heard his companion's voice from afar.

"Nene?!"

"Oh, Iska! Wh-what's with this ice?!"

Next, he heard Captain Mismis's voice: "Does this mean the Ice Calamity Witch is

nearby?! Jhin and Nene, be careful. We don't know where the enemy could be hidiiiii—

Aaaaaaaaagggghhhhh?!"

"Geez, I was just about to tell you not to run on the ice or you'll slip, but you managed

to do it before I could even say anything…"

He could hear Jhin's exasperated tone, followed by footsteps.

But the entire surrounding forest was gripped by frost, meaning he couldn't tell their

exact locations. Still, he knew his companions were close to reaching him.

The mages had figured that out, too.

"…Rin, we're retreating."

"B-but, Lady Alice?! Aren't we going to deal with him?!"

"We've destroyed the power generator. We know enemy reinforcements are coming—

staying here would be dangerous."

The two witches dashed across the hill.

After using Rin's earth golem to gather the subordinate mages, they got back onto the

monstrous bird they had originally been aboard.

"It was Iska, right?" The princess of the Nebulis Sovereignty turned around, blushing

from the disgrace of her earlier blunder. She'd allowed him to see her face, even though

she'd wanted to keep her identity a secret from the Empire. "I'll let you go for today.

Don't think I'll do that next time!"

As the bird flapped its wings and echoed through the rustling trees, Iska watched the

two girls disappear into the sky.

"Iskaaaaaa, I'm so glad you're safe!"

"Whoa, Captain?" He caught the childish captain as she leaped into his arms.

"I was so worried. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"…Why would you jump on someone when they could be hurt?"

On the other hand, Nene and Jhin were looking up at the hill before them and sighing.

"What's this? Hey, Jhin, is this really the work of astral power?"

"Just as the rumors say. It seems like she's no ordinary mage. It's like the Ice Age

around here. There was even some snow at the rendezvous point on the front line."

"…It's exactly what it looks like." Iska glanced around the frozen forest and shrugged.

"How long has it been since you've been injured by an astral mage? Make sure you

disinfect your injuries."

"Th-that's right, Iska. We need to treat them or they'll get infected."

"All right." Iska nodded, even as he felt his heart throb in his chest.

…Why is my heart beating so hard?

…I'm probably still wound up from all the fighting. But why? I've never felt like this before.

It might have been because of the lingering tension from the battle or because of

something else—regardless, he failed to understand why it was happening.