Chapter Four 

All-Out War

Whenever I saw that nightmare, I’d always wake up and go running around in a panic. I had to make sure I wasn’t standing on a mountain of corpses or in a huge puddle of blood.

Phew. This is my room. Everything’s normal.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I had to make sure that it was me.

It’s okay. I’m scared. I’m not some monster, I’m just my usual cowardly self.

Once I calmed down, I left my room and went to my big brother’s. He had gotten up much earlier than I, and was already in his school uniform. I could tell he knew what was wrong just by the sight of me, but he didn’t give any of his usual weird remarks.

Silently, I hugged him. He gently hugged me back without saying anything. When I felt his big, bulky body embrace me, I was finally able to convince myself once and for all. Yes. I’m really me right now. I’m a coward, so there’s a lot I’m afraid of... But now isn’t the time to worry about nightmares. People are about to start a war over me. My big brother, Yukihime, and other people might get hurt. I might get taken away to another world and be turned into a tool of war... But feeling my big brother so close puts me at ease. I know that he’ll be able to protect me from everything I’m afraid of.

“...It’s okay, right?” I asked.

“Yeah. You don’t need to worry one bit.” Despite how vague the question was, my big brother still managed to put me at ease.

On December 24th – Christmas Eve – it began.

Star Gate Academy stood right at the front of Otherworld City’s southernmost district, which contained a barren wasteland as far as the eye could see. That’s where our enemies had invaded from during the First and Second Otherworld Wars, and it had become the battlefield for both.

Apparently, it was very easy for two worlds to connect in this area. Normally, one would have to go to the gates underneath the academy in order to travel to another world, but there existed a star sorcery capable of creating shortcuts, and certain Khaos Schwartz star sorcerers knew how to cast it.

Star sorcerers from our academy were stationed at predicted enemy entry points within the southernmost district, while Yukihime and I waited in the academy’s underground monitor room. In this room, a map of the southernmost district was visible on a movie theater-sized screen. The map was filled with red dots, which were detailed in a separate pop-up window.

Yukihime muttered as she stared at the screen. “Gross...”

I had to agree with her. Visible in the pop-up window were grotesque monsters with stark white bodies and smooth faces. They had mouths, but no eyes, and staggered on two shaky legs. Their hands and legs were thin, while their skin looked shriveled up and wrinkly. There were others who looked similar, yet smaller, and walked on four legs. I saw many more of these.

Behind these smaller monsters stood an even more grotesque horror. Basically, it looked like a giant earthworm. As thick and long as a school hallway, it came squirming toward us. Aside from that, there were other dragon-like creatures with worms for heads.

These monsters came pouring out of star circles that had appeared in the southernmost district. Suddenly, we saw a huge blip on the screen that looked bigger than all the others. The size of each red dot was determined by star power density rather than physical size, and it wasn’t long before we got details on this new intruder – the woman with the bewitching smile, Elemia.

“There she is.” Yukihime glared at the screen.

Then, we saw another red dot just as big as Elemia’s, right next to one of the underground gates. Grom had appeared.

“He’s heading straight for us?!”

“Since they obviously had ways to get to us without using the gates, I didn’t station many star sorcerers down here... Take care of him, Kokuya.”

“Roger that.”

“...You know what to do if things get rough, right?”

“Yeah.”

I didn’t want to use Towa, especially since she was so scared, but I had to be prepared for the worst, regardless of the risks.

“Be careful, you two,” Towa said.

Yukihime and I nodded.

“Bye for now.”

“See you soon.”

With that, we both headed off to our separate battlefields.

Sakito Nagisaki locked eyes with the monsters. After listening to the adults’ stories about the war and the grotesque monsters they had fought, he’d known this day would come eventually.

He had read books about them and studied pictures, yet the terror of seeing one in real life still surpassed all his collected data.

But so what, thought Sakito. What else have we been training ourselves for all this time?

A sea breeze passed over his cheeks. He was afraid, but he wasn’t about to run. “Liberation – Tempestas Falx.”

Sakito gripped his great scythe and swung its jade blade horizontally, sweeping down all that was in front of him. A massive wind blade burst out and instantly cleaved dozens – no, over a hundred monsters that were marching ahead. Still more of the pale creatures poured out from behind, paying no heed as they stomped over the mound of corpses in front of them.

While the other star sorcerers around him also began fighting, Sakito trudged forward, slicing, dicing, and knocking back the sluggish, zombie-like creatures and their four-legged counterparts. A gigantic dragon-shaped monster lumbered in, baring sharp fangs and claws as it shook the ground with its trunk-like legs. White wings extended out from its white body, while its tail split into multiple points at the end. Just like all the other small monsters, its face was as smooth as a worm’s.

Gnashing a gaggle of sharp teeth, the dragon opened its massive mouth and extended its stretchable neck. With the help of his wind, Sakito dodged backwards, while the dragon’s fangs dug into the asphalt and sent pieces of rubble flying. This area had originally been scheduled for redevelopment, but all the construction had been mercilessly pulverized in the previous war.

Aiming for the dragon’s neck, Sakito swung his scythe. A wind blade shot out and expertly severed the creature’s neck from its body, but things didn’t end there. In the next instant, the dragon’s severed stump bubbled up and regenerated its neck and head at a lightning-fast speed. Even its teeth had all returned to pristine condition.

“...Fine, try this!”

Sakito swung his scythe frantically, cutting off the dragon’s neck, wings, and legs all at once. Still, the monster was somehow able to regenerate them the blink of an eye.

“This is never going to end...” Sakito tightened his grip and thought about what to do next.

Suddenly, a bipedal creature’s fists came flying at him from the side. Sakito noticed just in time and quickly severed the creature’s legs, but it was too late. Simultaneously, a four-legged creature leapt onto his back and sunk its fangs into his shoulder.

“Gwah!” Sakito cried out in pain and chopped at the beast with his hand. Laced with star power, his hand easily cut off the creature’s head. While he had been fighting the dragon, the two- and four-legged creatures had surrounded him. Two four-legged creatures leapt at him at the same time. The dragon’s tail was also drawing close to him. Sakito released a whirlwind to blow all the monsters away, but the dragon’s tail cut through the wind and allowed it to keep pressing forward.

This is bad!

The moment Sakito resigned himself to his fate, huge icicles rained down from the sky and skewered all the monsters around him.

“You okay, Nagisaki?”

“...Yukigane?”

Standing behind Sakito was the girl he had a crush on, the headmistress of Star Gate Academy, and the strongest star sorcerer in the world, Yukihime Yukigane. She’d severed the dragon’s tail. Each of her icicles had also accurately skewered every small monster in the area and killed it, without accidentally stabbing any of her allies. The dragon’s body was now pinned to the ground, pierced from head to toe.

“Be careful, Yukigane, that big one regenerates at a frightening speed!”

Despite the icicles that had skewered it, the dragon continued to move. The icicles ripped through its body, but it simply regenerated the holes and forcibly escaped from its bonds.

“Well, that’s certainly a pain.” Yukihime snapped her fingers, and in the next instant, the dragon’s body was frozen solid.

Following this, Yukihime created a huge star circle high above the dragon’s head. Soon, an ice block as big as the dragon’s body materialized and came sailing down, shattering the frozen dragon’s body into pieces.

“Guess it can’t regenerate that fast.”

Thanks, captain obvious.

The dragon’s body now lay in scattered, frozen pieces along the ground. Regardless of what sort of abilities the dragon had, there was no way it could recover from that. There was no telling what would happen when the ice melted, but the area appeared to be safe for the time being.

Yukihime tried crushing one of the ice pieces. The white flesh inside it didn’t budge an inch. It seemed that dicing up the creature did indeed prevent it from regenerating.

“Nagisaki, can I leave the rest of the little ones to you?”

“...Sure. What are you going to do?”

“There’s someone I need to defeat. I’m counting on you, okay?” With that, Yukihime was off.

Even though Sakito had intended to keep fighting from the start, hearing that request instantly filled him with more power than even before. And so, Sakito swung his great scythe and continued cleaning up the small fries.

Razing the monsters that stood in her way, Yukihime blazed through the battlefield. At the southernmost point in the southernmost area, where only the sea was visible as far as the eye could see, Elemia awaited, surrounded by star circles overflowing with monsters.

Yukihime launched some icicles. They went flying straight into each of the star circles, dissipating them on the spot.

“Do you regret making the wrong decision now?” Elemia asked.

“Of course not.” Yukihime smiled as she replied. “In fact, I’m just about to prove the contrary.”

“Hmm... Maybe you’ll only understand after I defeat you here?”

“That goes both ways. Now that things have come this far, fighting is the only way we’ll settle anything.”

“True enough. Shall we get started, then?” Elemia’s soft whispers sounded as sweet as honey. “Liberation – Sand Scorpios.” She gripped her silver blade.

“Liberation – Snowbloom.” Yukihime’s sheathed, azure blade appeared at her hip.

“Oh, that’s right,” Elemia said. “There’s one thing I should tell you about. Each of the Seven Wicked Knights have two names, one that refers to their sin, and the other to a part of the animal that represents them. My sin is lust, and my animal part is the scorpion’s tail.”

“Thanks for being so kind to explain that to me, but I’m not going to remember all that.”

“So be it... But just so you know, we only divulge this information to someone who we’re serious about killing. So you don’t need to remember... Just prepare to die, that’s all.”

“Oh... Well, you’d also better prepare to die, then. When I announce my name, it means I’m prepared to carry the entire weight of the world on my shoulders.”

Elemia whistled in mock-admiration – and then her seductive smile shifted over into ferocious grin.

“I am Elemia Argyros, the Tail of Lust, 3rd of the 7 Wicked Knights! Now it’s your turn to introduce your self, lady of Azur Étoile!”

“I am Yukihime Yukigane, the Headmistress who protects Azur Étoile, and I vow to defeat you!”

Elemia brandished her blade, while Yukihime unsheathed hers. Once both had sworn to go all-out on each other, they collided.

Underneath Star Gate Academy, I stood in the spacious chamber that preceded the star gates. It was just a bit smaller than a gymnasium, and Grom stood across from me, returning my glare. Tension spread as we waited to see who would attack first.

“Hey, Kokuya... Do you know what people usually do before they fight?” Grom suddenly asked me in a bored voice.

“Don’t talk about pointless crap?”

“No, stupid, that’s what they do after they start. Before they start, they gotta introduce themselves. You wouldn’t wanna get killed by someone without even knowing who they are, right?”

“I have no plans to die here.”

“Yet people still die in battle! Besides, you gotta let your victims know your name before you kill them, or else they won’t be able to scream out your name in anger when they die. Grom always loves that part...” Grom said happily, as if he was talking about falling in love. “Anyway, shall we?” He grinned, then introduced himself. “The name’s Grom Eguleil, the Spine of Greed, 4th of the Seven Wicked Knights. You’d better make this fun, or else Grom’ll kill you right away!”

“Well, I don’t have any over-the-top title like that... I’m just Kokuya Kurono, and I have no intention of enjoying this. I’m going to end it as quickly as possible!”

“Liberation – Blitz Hedgehog.”

“Liberation – Chronoslayer.”

We both brandished our weapons. Grom was holding hedgehog spines – four in each hand, for a total of eight. He was the one who attacked first. It was rare for someone to get the jump on me, and I was just about to attack when I saw him throw the four spines he held in his right hand. He probably had a lot of confidence in his speed.

Before the spines reached me, I sped up my mind, which made it look like the spines were moving at a much slower speed. He had aimed for my left eye, my throat, my heart, and my left thigh. The first three spines were probably just decoys to distract me from what he was really after. If I panicked and tried to protect my most vulnerable spots, that final hit to my thigh would end up greatly limiting my movements. I used my right arm and the twinblade in my left to deflect all four spines. Clinking sounds echoed through the room as they hit the ground.

“What a pleasant surprise. Looks like this’ll be more fun than Grom expected!” Grom said, then threw the spines in his left hand.

I deflected them all again – but by the time I’d done that, Grom was no longer in front of me.

“Whatcha lookin’ at, slowpoke?”

I knew he was behind me before I even heard his voice – but even though my mind could keep up with him, my body could not. I twisted my hips and thrust the dagger end of my twinblade behind me. A clang sounded out as it clashed with one of the spines. As my dagger deflected the spine, I spun my twinblade to the right, like a clock’s hand moving forward.

The Chronoslayer allowed me to activate star sorcery quicker than when I only used my right arm. It also reduced the amount of star power I needed, and boosted activation speed. When I spun the twinblade to the right, it doubled the speed of everything, but due to the stress it put on my body, activation speed, and star power consumption, I could only maintain it for about ten seconds. These ten seconds would be essential.

With my enhanced speed, I spun and swept my sword across.

“Whoa!” Grom quickly leapt out of the way.

I immediately closed the distance and swung down my twinblade. He blocked my attack – not with those thin spines he had been using up until now, but two large ones. Holding a spine in each hand, he crossed them and pushed me back. It appeared that he not only had a limitless supply of spines, but could also manipulate their sizes.

“Yeesh! You got really fast all of a sudden!”

As Grom spoke, I kept my assault going, slashing at him from different angles with both ends of my sword. He blocked every hit, talking all the while. Even though I was moving at twice the speed, he seemingly had no trouble keeping up with me.

Are all of Khaos Schwartz’s Wicked Knights this fast?! I can’t believe he’s this strong... Hell, he’s probably even stronger than me. Our blades clashed yet again, and we forced each other back. If only I could push him back enough so he’d stagger, then I could get on top of him...

Suddenly, I heard a soft snap – and felt intense star power emanating from Grom.

Oh no. I jumped back just as a powerful wave of electricity burst out from Grom’s body. It sparked out in every direction, destroying the nearby walls and stairs. If I had been even a second slower, it would have hit me head-on.

Out of the basic elements, lightning was especially powerful, and one of the fastest. Strong electric attacks were even more dangerous, not to mention fast enough to keep up with my enhanced speed. My greatest strength, the ability to speed up my body, was virtually useless against him.

No, maybe it’s still a bit too early to say that...

“Yeah! Yeah! Attaboy, Kokuya! This is really getting fun now! Whenever someone fights with Grom, they usually either get burned to a crisp before playtime starts, or get turned into a pincushion... But you’re gonna let Grom have some real fun today, arencha?!”

I heard another snap as Grom laced his hand with electricity and placed it on his chest. Soon, a golden aura enveloped him. Despite the sparks flying off his body, Grom looked perfectly fine.

An evil smile rose to his lips. “Alright, time to crank things up a bit. You’d better not fall behind now, y’hear?!”

He’s already able to keep up with my double speed, and now he’s going to get even faster?! As chills ran up my spine, Grom started to move. Instantly, I spun my twinblade to the right. I had just used up my first ten seconds, but I was already going to double my speed again. I knew it would be strenuous, but I had no choice. It was the only way to keep up with him.

Grom threw both of the giant spines he was holding straight at me. I dodged one and deflected the other, which went spinning into the air.

“Oooh, you shouldn’t have hit it that way.”

Grom raised his right hand as if he was going to throw something, but he wasn’t holding anything. Instead, an electric shockwave burst out from his palm – and it wasn’t aimed at me, but the spine over my head. The electricity crackled as it collided with the spinning spine, which created an even fiercer burst of lightning.

“Kaboom!”

I wasn’t able to dodge it in time, and took the burst head-on. I coughed and wheezed as my body went numb. Due to the paralysis, I couldn’t even scream, and my breathing had all but stopped. Intense pain caused my mind to flicker – I felt like I was about to collapse. Because I placed my right hand over my head and covered my body in star power just before the attack hit me, I had managed to escape death, but I had still taken an enormous amount of damage.

“He’s still alive!”

The next thing I knew, Grom was right in front of me, with two huge spines in his hands. He thrust them straight towards my head and my heart. I forced my numb body to move and tried to deflect them. I wasn’t able to push the one aimed toward my heart far enough away, so it ended up slicing my shoulder. It was laced with electricity as well, so I could feel intense heat, pain, and numbness spreading out from the wound.

“Urggh! Aggggh...” The pain was so intense that I could only slur out my cries of pain.

“Grom likes the sound of that! More! Let Grom hear more!” Grom retracted his spines, then violently thrust them at me again.

Defeat.

Death.

Those words passed through my mind. I could see Yukihime’s face. I had to catch up to her. I had to get stronger. I could see Towa’s face. I had to protect her.

I... can’t lose here...

“I can’t die here!” I spun my twinblade and deflected the spines.

I still had a few seconds left of double speed. What would happen if I spun my twinblade again? My speed would be tripled, of course, but so would the burden placed on my body. And it only lasted for five seconds.

“This ends here.” I gripped my twin blade and sliced upwards with all my might. “Progress Boost.”

With that, I released the star power I had been storing up in my right arm since the battle began. Grom staggered backwards. Four seconds left. I caught the opening Grom had created as he staggered, and sliced out at his right hand. As he blocked it with his spine, I could feel his power waning. Three seconds left. I extended my right hand and grabbed the giant spine from Grom’s right hand. I now had two weapons: my twinblade in my left, and Grom’s spine in my right.

I thrust out my twinblade. Grom gripped his remaining spine with both hands, then thrust it up and knocked my blade off its course. Two seconds left. I used the spine in my right to stab Grom in his left leg.

“Graaaah!” Despite the pain that warped his face, Grom was still able to swing his spine downwards.

One second left. I gripped my twinblade with both hands again and parried the spine. As my longsword clashed with it, my enhanced speed ran out.

A tortured gargle escaped my throat as a horrifying amount of blood splurted out from within. The taste of copper filled my mouth. Then, the burden of enhancing my speed racked my entire body.

No... I’m still not done yet... I swung out my twinblade and slashed frantically at Grom’s extremities. Right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, and then a wide slash to finish it all off.

“...Asshole,” I spat.

Grom fell to the ground, painting it with his blood.

“I win,” I said, as I struggled to stay on my feet. Then, as I turned to leave, I felt a hand grab my ankle.

“Wait, Kokuya... Let’s play some more... Grom’s still stronger than you...”

“You’re strong. But unfortunately, I refuse to lose to shallow jerks like you.”

I had slashed through each of his limbs. He was done fighting.

Back above ground, Yukihime and Elemia were just about to begin their battle.

Elemia held out Sand Scorpios, her silver sword. It was lined with a number of joints that allowed it to extend, contract, and change shape at will. With a flick of her wrist, the weapon extended ten paces ahead to where Yukihime stood.

A brief clink sounded out as Yukihime deflected the silver blade. After unsheathing her sword at a lightning-fast speed, she quickly took a step forward and then dashed straight for Elemia.

However, the Sand Scorpios refused to allow her passage. It quickly changed its trajectory and assaulted her again. Due to the way it could change shape at will, it was virtually impossible to predict where it would come from. Still, Yukihime continued to deflect it with ease, defending herself as she moved forward.

“Fine. In that case...” A silver light flashed in Elemia’s left hand, then transformed into an identical sword.

This time, two silver swords came snapping at her, and Yukihime stopped in her tracks. As she was no longer able to defend herself by simply deflecting them, she started leaping backwards and dodging. Through this, the two grew farther and farther apart, which allowed Elemia to remain as the sole attacker.

“What’s wrong? Are you going to let me slice you up without even getting a single attack in?”

“Heh. Yeah right.” Yukihime let out a cold chuckle as her left hand began to glow. Out from the blue light came an ice sword. “Sorry I couldn’t think of a more creative counter.”

With Snowbloom and the ice sword in both of her hands, Yukihime easily cut through Elemia’s ferocious attacks. Sparks flew and blades clanged as she broke into a dash, preparing to close the distance once and for all.

Once she got near Elemia, Yukihime threw the ice sword straight at her. Elemia deflected it, and it went sailing into the ground far away from the two, leaving Yukihime with only one blade.

The Sand Scorpios’ shapeshifting nature allowed Elemia to extend and contract it at will and instantly block attacks at both mid and close range, something that no normal star sorcerer could do. Close range, however, was Yukihime’s specialty.

Yukihime swung down Snowbloom hard, but Elemia crossed her blades and took it head-on. Still, Yukihime kept pushing, so hard that she managed to shove Elemia back. The Wicked Knight staggered for only a moment, but it allowed enough time for Yukihime to launch a powerful horizontal swing. Elemia quickly held up a sword and tried to block, but the swing had gained too much momentum. The sword was knocked out of Elemia’s hand, but Yukihime had already launched a new upward swing.

Elemia was stuck on defense – Yukihime had proved herself superior when it came to close-range combat. Realizing that Yukihime was clearly the better sword fighter, Elemia clacked her tongue and took a huge leap backwards.

“Afraid of getting cut up?” Yukihime asked.

“Don’t get cocky just because you know a thing or two about swinging a sword.”

“Oh, I’m not. Do I appear that way to you?”

“...That attitude of yours is really starting to piss me off.”

“Yeah, your smile’s gone, and your eyebrows are furrowed.”

“I’m going to wipe that cocky grin right off your face.” Elemia stomped her foot and created a star circle in front of her.

But that wasn’t all – soon, a dozen star circles spread out along the ground. Out from each came a huge earthen hand, like giant ghouls reaching up from their graves.

They swarmed toward Yukihime. In response, she extended her hand and created her own star circle. Icicles flew out and pierced the hands, but by that time, Elemia had created even more of her own circles, and the number of hands was only increasing.

“This is never going to end...” Yukihime shrunk back from the earthen hands, held Snowbloom upside down, and touched it to the ground. “Freeze everything... Absolute Azure!”

Instantly, a cold wave of star power exploded out from Yukihime. It covered everything, creating a frozen world, as if time itself had come to a screeching halt. Frozen was every last leaf on the trees, which had just been shivering in the wind. Every inch of the ground was covered in a thick slab of ice, and every last blade of grass now looked like sharp ice knives.

Of course, Elemia’s earthen hands had been frozen as well. As she passed her eyes over what had happened, Elemia’s eyes widened... Not out of surprise, but joy.

“Looks like you’re at least strong enough to go head-to-head with Neige.”

“Would you please stop comparing me to someone I don’t even know? Besides, I’m sure I’m stronger than them.”

“Still so cocky. One of my fellow knights is an ice elemental, too... But fine. I’ll admit it, you know your way around the battlefield. I never expected you’d be able to make it this far... We’re pretty much on the same level.”

“Fine, keep talking down to me if it makes you feel better. I could care less how much stronger you think you are,” Yukihime spat, then kicked the ice beneath her feet. “You done playing around with dirt now? Can those mud clods of yours break through my ice?”

Everything was frozen as far as the eye could see, leaving Elemia with no more earth to manipulate.

“Let’s play a different game now,” Elemia said, as she let her sword melt into mud.

Once the sword dissolved, the remaining silver squirmed on the ground, as if it was alive. The tiny puddles merged into one, then began to transform into a giant hammer.

“Are you going to break through my ice with that?”

“Wrong,” Elemia said, then swung the silver hammer in the air. Naturally, since she was so far away from Yukihime, it didn’t hit anything.

“H... Huh?!” Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into Yukihime and knocked her backwards. She fell onto the ice, then bounced a few times before slowing to a stop.

The silver hammer squeaked against the ice as Elemia dragged it towards her prey. “My star power is terra elemental. It means I don’t just have power to manipulate earth... Understand?”

“...Abstract star sorcery,” Yukihime muttered as she stood up. “Terra elemental... Earthquakes?”

“Exactly. I can manipulate the abstract concept of ‘earthquakes’ as I please.” Elemia raised her hammer. “Now then, ready for another bounce?”

Elemia swung her hammer again. The space around Yukihime trembled violently, and another shockwave shot out toward her.

“I never fall for the same thing twice.” Yukihime extended her glowing left hand.

Out of the blue light appeared a wall of ice. The hexagonal ice wall took Elemia’s shockwave head-on without budging an inch or even taking any damage.

“That looks pretty hard... Okay.” Elemia raised her hammer and ran toward Yukihime. “Let’s see what happens when I hit it head-on, then!”

A loud clang boomed out as silver collided with ice. The wall remained unscathed.

“There isn’t a single person in this world who can break through my Azure Wall.”

“And how does it feel to be the queen of trash?”

“We’ll see who’s trash here.” Yukihime grabbed the wall and tossed it at Elemia.

Elemia instantly dissolved her hammer and turned it into silver body armor. The ice wall collided with her – then fell to the ground, leaving both parties unscathed.

“You’re pretty hard yourself. Okay then.” Yukihime sheathed Snowbloom and extended her right hand.

In the next moment, ice spears attacked Elemia from every angle. They all shattered the moment they hit her silver armor. Next, Yukihime raised her right hand. Simultaneously, a giant icicle shot up from below Elemia’s feet. Her body was knocked into the sky, where another icicle appeared right next to her. She took another hit, then went plummeting to the ground.

Massive icicles converged on her, but Elemia still remained unscathed.

“We both have pretty strong defenses... I guess this leaves me no choice,” Yukihime whispered in a defeated tone. Of course, it wasn’t the battle she had given up on, and soon, her body was emanating with even more star power than when she had activated Absolute Azure. “I didn’t want to use this, but it looks like I’ll need to go all-out to defeat you,” she said, in a tone colder than any of the ice that covered the ground. “You’re going to see what happens when I use all of my strength... and then this battle is going to end.”

Yukihime raised her hand up high, and a gigantic star circle appeared in the sky.

Rods from God – In our world, there exists a weapon that can fire a metal rod from a space satellite at ten times the speed of sound. It was as powerful as a nuclear bomb, and could become even more powerful if used in the right way. The moment Yukihime learned of its existence, a thought popped into her head. One day, science may surpass star sorcery itself... And then: But not just yet.

After all, Yukihime already possessed a star sorcery that was both more efficient and more powerful than any of that. There was no need for her to drop down a rod from outer space – for she could already materialize an even bigger chunk of ice in an instant.

“Level 1 Prohibited Star Sorcery – Azure Judgment: Starpiercer.”

That was its name. Yukihime possessed two spells that first required permission from every member of the Council of Seven Houses, and Azure Judgment was one of them.

Yukihime let the chunk of ice fall from the sky. It was a simple spell, but it was just as powerful as a meteor. At that moment, Yukihime could have caused hail to rain down on the entire world and destroy everything – for she had received permission beforehand.

Luckily, Yukihime could adjust the power of the spell. If she went all-out, it might end up destroying Otherworld City itself, let alone the southernmost district. At its current power, it should have been more than enough to defeat the opponent in front of her.

Down came heaven’s judgment. A chunk of ice big enough to blot out all of Elemia’s sight slid out from a huge star circle in the sky and came plummeting down upon her.

Elemia gaped. Her confident smile had been replaced by utter shock.

“No... way...”

Mere moments ago, Elemia had admitted that Yukihime Yukigane was no weaker than any member of the Seven Wicked Knights. But that was as far as she went. She had seen Yukihime as an equal, nothing more, and in a battle of equals, Elemia was still confident that she would come out on top.

Neige, the ice elemental that Elemia had spoke of earlier, was the 7th Wicked Knight. Elemia knew that she’d never lose to Neige. But what Elemia witnessed now made her realize that Yukihime was not only stronger than Neige, but far stronger than Elemia herself. And not only that, but – Elemia didn’t even want to consider such a thought, but there was no denying it – Yukihime might have even been stronger than Redge, the leader of the Wicked Knights, and the ruler of their world.

Elemia couldn’t win. She was far too outclassed.

“So what?!”

Still, she refused to back down, even if Yukihime was stronger than the Dark Emperor of Khaos Schwartz. In fact, that was precisely why she couldn’t.

For an instant, old memories washed through Elemia’s mind. Her entire life had been nothing but a cruel joke. Abandoned by everyone she ever knew, she had no choice but to let vulgar strangers violate her with their dirty hands in order to survive... that is, until he saved her.

That’s why. “I won’t let you...” That’s why she couldn’t lose. “I won’t let you stand in his way, you puny little girl! I won’t let a single grain of sand cloud Lord Redge’s path!”

As if to encourage her shaking legs, Elemia roared. Then, she transformed her silver armor back into a hammer. After pouring every last ounce of star power into her weapon, she shattered the ice at her feet with a single strike.

Through the cracks in the ice, Elemia could just barely see the ground. Instantly, she created a star circle. Mounds of dirt shot up, ripping through the ice. Soon, all the dirt clumped together, until it resembled a giant made out of earth and stone.

The giant swung its fist up at the chunk of ice. The punch was large enough to easily flatten several houses, yet it was still dwarfed by the size of the ice. And so, its fist crumbled upon impact. Moments later, the giant itself was mercilessly flattened. The difference in scale was simply too great.

Finally, the chunk of ice reached the ground. Moments away from being crushed, Elemia felt neither fear nor despair.

“I’m so sorry... Lord Redge...”

A deafening boom erupted through the area, followed by a violent wind. The entire district quaked as the ice chunk eclipsed it. Dirt beneath it was blown up into the sky, creating clouds of dust. A shower of mud and ice followed, and soon, the entire area had been sullied.

Far beyond the limits of Absolute Azure, a flock of birds flew over a mountain of monster corpses. Azure Judgment had also eclipsed the spot where Yukihime was standing, yet she remained unscathed. When Yukihime said that no one in the world could destroy her Azure Wall, she meant it, for she was no exception to the rule. After the attack ended and she deactivated her wall, she took a look around.

A huge crater now lay where Elemia had been standing. Panting heavily, Yukihime traversed the warped terrain. Huge beats of sweat dripped down her face as she approached the crater. Casting that spell had exhausted both her star power and her body.

Finally, she reached the edge and peered down. The crater was very deep, and littered with drops of silver liquid. Probably the remnants of Elemia’s weapon, she thought, when suddenly the silver began to squirm. Startled, Yukihime watched it move. It didn’t look like the type of weapon that stayed active after its owner died, which meant that Elemia must have survived the attack.

So then where is she?

Instantly, Yukihime figured out the answer. As disbelief washed over her, she realized the silver liquid wasn’t Emelia’s weapon, but Elemia herself. Soon, every last drop gathered up and reformed into a female torso.

“...That’s some astounding tenacity.” Now, a different kind of sweat began to drip down Yukihime’s forehead.

As Elemia’s torso extended its arms and began to crawl out from the crater, the rest of the silver liquid gathered up behind her, completing the rest of her body. Yukihime ran down the side of the crater, unsheathed Snowbloom, and thrust it at Elemia’s hands. Within them, she could see tiny silver blades. It appeared that Elemia still wanted to fight.

I know I limited the power of the spell, but still... Even though it wouldn’t kill her, I thought it would at least end the battle. Elemia’s tenacity had surpassed Yukihime’s expectations so much that she found herself feeling a bit of respect for her foe. I don’t want to kill her... But not because I’m afraid of murdering people. If I kill Elemia here, their goal will change from kidnapping Towa to getting revenge. I don’t want to kill them... I want to make them give up.

But now, when she saw how determined Elemia was to achieve her goal, Yukihime started to realize just how difficult that would truly be. As she stood there in hesitation, Elemia’s body continued to regenerate, and so, Yukihime sent star power into Snowbloom and froze Elemia’s body right there on the spot.

The moment her regeneration stopped, Elemia’s left hand suddenly turned into a blade and shot out toward Yukihime. Since she assumed that Elemia would no longer be able to move, Yukihime was wide open. The blade lightly slashed her right hand, and blood trickled out. Yukihime frantically grabbed Snowbloom with her left hand and chopped off Elemia’s right arm, then finished freezing the Wicked Knight’s body, preventing her from making any more counterattacks.

Suddenly, she felt another presence, and a massive slash shot out straight between Yukihime and Elemia.

Sensing star power nearby, Yukihime instantly leapt back. The ground was carved up, as if a massive blade had slashed through it.

A chill ran down Yukihime’s spine, and in the back of her mind, she saw her body skewered on a blade. Without a single thought, her body instinctively moved backwards to the edge of the crater.

Fear. Overwhelming fear that surpassed any kind she had ever felt before. What... is this? Near the center of the crater, right next to Elemia, Yukihime felt a strange presence.

She looked down to see a silver-haired man touching Elemia. Cracks appeared in the ice that imprisoned her, and soon, it shattered.

“I deeply apologize for falling into such a pitiful state, on top of losing... I will accept any punishment.” Elemia regenerated her lower half, then knelt and bowed before the man.

A voice as sharp as a blade echoed out. “Just make sure you stay alive, and rest for now.” After showing this bit of mercy, the man focused his eyes on the other person present.

Yukihime was in his sights now. Just feeling his eyes on her was enough to send another shiver up her spine.

A split-second later, the silver-haired man was standing in front of her. Held together with a silver strap, his silver hair looked as sharp as a bunch of hanging blades. He was handsome, with beautiful white skin, and his tall figure was clad in a jet black military uniform. Despite how lean he looked, Yukihime could tell that well-trained muscles lay hidden beneath the fabric.

“I can’t believe you actually managed to defeat Elemia,” he muttered softly. His movements looked strange, as if parts of his steps were invisible.

“Are you... the Dark Emperor of Khaos Schwartz?” Despite how obvious it seemed, Yukihime still asked the question.

This was the leader of Khaos Schwartz, and the one who led the Seven Wicked Knights – Redge, the man who sought to kidnap Towa... and Elemia’s star power seemed like nothing compared to his.

“Indeed, the Dark Emperor is what they call me. And you’re the queen of Azur Étoile, correct?”

“Calling me a queen would be inaccurate.”

“You’re the most powerful being in Azur Étoile, yes? I find it hard to believe there are many in this world who could fight on equal footing with my subordinates.”

Redge looked around, then fixated his eyes once more on Yukihime. His gaze made her feel like blades were pushing up against her throat – but she didn’t have time to feel afraid.

“If I defeat you, this war will end,” Yukihime said.

“Humorous. You mean to tell me that we’re this close, yet you still can’t sense my power? Or do Azur Étoilians find meaning in hoping for the impossible?”

“Guess that means I can’t convince you to back off, huh?”

“A foolish question. I have a duty to protect my people, and I have no intent to return empty-handed.”

“Well, I have a duty to protect my people, too.”

“No ruler is allowed to retreat. If a king halts, his kingdom falls. If marching forward requires sacrifice, he should not shirk away from it... Even if it means clashing with another ruler who has a duty to protect her own kingdom. This is what it means to rule.”

“Yeah... Wanna get started, then?” Yukihime tightened her hand around Snowbloom.

“Yes, what a battlefield needs is not words, but swords.” Redge brandished his giant blade. “Since you sit on the throne of your world, you surely must know how to start a battle properly.”

Yukihime stared straight at her foe and shouted. “I am Yukihime Yukigane, the Headmistress who protects Azur Étoile!”

“And I am Redge Ferimento, the Dark Emperor who rules Khaos Schwartz. Yukihime, was it? This is your chance to stake everything on your blade... and learn that there are some heights you will never reach no matter how much you risk.”

Yukihime slashed out toward Redge – and cut nothing but thin air. Just before that, Redge had swung his own sword down, but their weapons hadn’t touched. Redge had also disappeared.

Yukihime turned back to see Redge standing diagonally behind her. Is he just fast? No, this has nothing to do with speed... I couldn’t see any sort of movement. What was that just now? Did he disappear the moment I slashed at him?

Yukihime spun around and slashed out at Redge. Suddenly, fresh blood splurted out from multiple points on her body. She hadn’t been hit, yet she could feel cuts all over. Redge still hadn’t lifted a finger.

If this is some kind of star sorcery, then how does it work? It doesn’t make sense... As Yukihime was caught up in thought, her wounds were only increasing. She tried taking a step back. The damage stopped. Does this mean I stepped out of his star sorcery range? Either way, I can’t let myself get close to him again.

Yukihime swung her left hand and fired a dozen icicles. Instantly, they were all cleaved, as if a sword had passed right through each of them. Not a single one ever reached Redge.

Is he a wind elemental? She thought of Sakito Nagisaki, the 3rd strongest at Star Gate Academy. He could also use wind to create invisible slashes similar to the ones she was experiencing. But then why isn’t there any wind blowing? How could a wind elemental do anything without wind?

Wind also didn’t explain Redge’s teleporting, for which he had seemingly needed no preparatory motions. There was a possibility that he possessed a unique element, but it seemed like wind was out of the question. After all, there was no evidence that he was using any wind star sorcery.

Another thought popped up in Yukihime’s mind. There existed an abstract element known as ‘space,’ which had been utilized by a Khaos Schwartz star sorcerer to pulverize the Azur Étoilians during the First and Second Otherworld Wars. That might explain his impossible movements...

“Yes... Spatial control.” The moment Yukihime muttered those words, she saw a sliver of emotion rise onto Redge’s face – it almost looked like anger. Seeing that, Yukihime knew she was mistaken. But if that isn’t the answer... then what could it be?

As if to shake off her confusion, Yukihime let out a powerful shout and stepped forward. The moment she slashed, Redge instantly teleported far into the distance.

Fear – Yukihime had felt this emotion many times, but the fear of fighting someone stronger than her was something virtually unknown to Yukihime. She hadn’t known how powerful Elemia was until she fought her, but from the very beginning, her instinct had told her that she would win. It had been there when she fought Kokuya and Towa... but that same instinct was silent now.

Still, Yukihime refused to back down. “Just wait, you’ll be sweating soon enough,” she said. Unwavering, her blue eyes became even sharper as she glared at her foe.

“You have strong eyes,” Redge said, as Yukihime began to run toward him. “But now you’re in my range.”

Instantly, Redge’s star power exploded outwards. It sliced the air, the sand and rubble that cluttered the ground, and the remains of Yukihime’s ice. They also sliced into Yukihime – or so it seemed, initially.

“Oh?” Redge muttered quietly.

Just before Redge’s star power touched Yukihime’s body and slashed it up, icy star power glittered up around her body. Yukihime had activated an automatic defense star sorcery, and as a result, a multitude of tiny hexagonal ice walls had formed.

Cracks sounded out around her as the tiny ice walls split apart, but Yukihime kept running until she got close enough to draw her sword.

“Knowing what you know, you still dare to enter my range? You’re either brave, or merely reckless. But if you insist on fighting me in close range, then I’ll be happy to play along.” A clear smile rose onto Redge’s lips as he raised his massive sword.

Along the huge blade, Yukihime could see a second, smaller blade that had been attached to it. Its handle was also unusually long. A blade half the size would have been more than enough for a longsword, but for some reason, it was double.

Steel cried out as Yukihime’s blue blade clashed with Redge’s monstrous weapon. Fresh blood squirted out from new wounds on Yukihime’s body.

My star sorcery isn’t perfect... And since I tried to retain as much star power as possible when I created these ice walls, they can’t fully protect me from his attacks. Quickly, Yukihime thought up a brand new spell: one that would instantly create an ice wall the moment an opponent’s star power touched her. It’s a thin veneer to mask my lack of a proper defense, but that doesn’t matter. I’m in close range now, which means I no longer have to run around like a fool.

Desperate, Yukihime gripped her blade. But how much more desperate do I need to get in order to win? This doesn’t make sense... and there’s no end in sight. But that doesn’t matter now. I just need to keep my eyes on what’s in front of me.

“Absolute Azure: Slashdance – Dancing Mad Blades.”

This was a variation on the spell Yukihime had used to stop Elemia, where she had frozen everything in sight. In an instant, she became surrounded by a slew of ice swords. Yukihime had taken the amount of star power necessary to freeze an entire area and instead poured it into these new weapons.

Yukihime poured all the energy she could muster into Snowbloom and slashed outwards, pushing Redge back. Then, she threw her star armament high into the sky. As it arched upwards, it began spinning.

A high-speed swordfight had begun.

First, Yukihime grabbed the two closest ice swords and threw them at Redge. Following that, she grabbed two more and moved in to pelt Redge with a series of quick strikes. He had a very large sword, and certainly outclassed her in terms of power, but she was hoping to overwhelm him with a greater number of attacks.

Downwards slash, push in, thrust. Redge caught every attack with the side of his blade. Still, Yukihime continued to push him back. The two swords she had thrown had landed next to Redge’s feet and a step behind his current position. The one that she had aimed at him had been cleaved before it even reached him, while the other now pierced the exact point where she had wanted it to land.

It seemed that Redge’s ability to slash anything around him affected a specific radius when he emanated it, but when he was focused on fighting Yukihime, its effects disappeared. Of course, it seemed that Redge could also focus it on a certain direction, like he was doing now in order to block Yukihime’s attacks. That’s why the other sword that Yukihime had purposefully thrown away from Redge hadn’t been cleaved.

Redge’s sword technique made Elemia look like an amateur, but then again, Elemia had never seemed like a true sword fighter. Yukihime could tell that Redge was extremely well-trained when it came to swordsmanship – as if his strange ability wasn’t bad enough, his physical technique alone was enough to make him a monstrous opponent.

Yukihime picked up Snowbloom, grabbed another nearby ice sword, then ran back up to Redge. She crossed her blades as she approached, and he caught them head-on.

Now. Yukihime stomped her foot on the ground, and a thick icicle exploded out from the ice sword she had thrown behind Redge. It should have stabbed him right in the back – but she had no such luck, for Redge was no longer standing there. He had teleported once more.

Quickly, Yukihime threw Snowbloom into the sky again and pulled out two more ice swords. She could feel intense star power coming from behind, but she was ready.

“You lose,” Redge said, as he swung down his silver sword.

“Azure Wall.”

As Yukihime’s unbreakable wall blocked his attack, she muttered something else without turning around, and a different spell activated.

“You lose.”

Yukihime deactivated the ice walls and spun around. Both of her ice swords went zooming toward Redge’s neck and chest, but they were instantly diced into dozens of pieces. Then, something fell down from the sky.

Yukihime reached up and caught her beloved Snowbloom. “Absolute Azure: Slashdance – Flashdance.”

As soon as she said that, Snowbloom’s blade expanded, covered in ice as strong as any Azure Wall. It had now become a blade that no one could break, and Yukihime swung it in a flash.

The azure flash sailed toward Redge – and he caught it. Yukihime’s blade clashed with Redge’s sword, and they came to yet another stalemate.

Good. This is exactly what I was waiting for.

Casting several flashy spells in succession had averted Redge’s eyes from Yukihime’s true intentions, and now she had his blade locked behind the indestructible weapon she had created with Flashdance.

I used up a lot of star power in my battle with Elemia... I won’t be able to fight another long one here. I need to end this now!

“I thought you said I was going to lose,” Redge retorted.

“You are. Right now.”

Finally, it was time to unveil the other spell that Yukihime had activated back when she blocked Redge’s attack with her Azure Wall – and in his current condition, there was no way he could escape it.

“Azure Judgment.”

Yukihime had put so much work into fighting Redge at close range, in order to keep his eyes on what was in front of him, rather than what was above him. The reason she threw Snowbloom into the sky was not only so that she could use two ice swords, but so that Redge’s eyes would focus on that instead of the star circle in the sky. She had also made sure to make the circle itself smaller than when she used it on Elemia. The ice chunk she dropped was also smaller, which would decrease its range, but it had to be that size in order to keep Redge from noticing it right away. Additionally, by keeping Redge in one place with her sword attacks, Yukihime had been able to make up for the loss in coverage. In order to defeat an enemy like this, she needed to pull out the stops, and since she couldn’t drag out the battle, this was her best option.

And so, Azure Judgment descended from the heavens once more. The moment the ice chunk left the star circle, a deafening boom crackled through the sky. By the time Redge noticed the danger approaching from above, it was too late. The massive chunk of ice was plummeting down at a shocking speed.

Despite the fact that it seemed like he was seconds away from death, Redge showed Yukihime nothing but a wide grin, then began to speak in a delighted voice. “I suppose I owe you an apology, Yukihime. You are indeed a powerful warrior. It’s no wonder you were able to defeat Elemia. You definitely have what it takes to rule.”

Redge teleported ten steps away from Yukihime. It seemed like he had no intention of running away. If there are are no limits to that space-severing teleportation move of his, then my plan will end in total failure. Judging from the way he’s moved up until now, it seems like he can only move so far with each teleport...

Redge lowered his massive sword to his side, and it began to take on a silver glow. Yukihime could sense an unbelievable amount of star power within it, steadily rising to a level that she’d never seen before.

“There isn’t anything I can’t sever. Before my blade, all of creation is no more durable than a piece of paper.”

You’ve got to be kidding me... Yukihime paled. Don’t tell me he’s actually thinking about cleaving Azure Judgment... It’s impossible! Azure Judgment was composed of special ice produced by a star sorcery spell. It wasn’t as durable as an Azure Wall, but it was far stronger than normal ice. Even if he managed to shave off a few layers of the surface, it would mean nothing. Just let it hit you already...

Yukihime got ready to create an Azure Wall. She was even prepared to delay it from activating so that both of them would be trapped, just as long as it would keep Redge from escaping. Meanwhile, Redge swung his silver blade up toward the great chunk of ice in the sky.

A silver slash flew upwards. It slammed right into the center of the ice – and kept moving, expertly cleaving the chunk of ice in two. But the spectacle didn’t end there. Chopping the ice in half didn’t make it any less a threat, and so Redge kept swinging his sword, as if he meant to split the very sky itself.

Silver slashes flew up one after another, at lightning fast speeds. As she watched, Yukihime could barely believe what she was seeing. Each slash diced up the ice, until it was no more than a clump of hail.

If it had been a normal fight, this would have been the point where Yukihime fell to her knees and stiffened up like a corpse. She may have soiled herself. She may have cried like a baby. She may have screamed for mercy. She may have turned her back and run away. She may have even put her sword to her neck and quietly killed herself. That was how ridiculously insane this whole situation was.

But this was a special case, and Yukihime Yukigane would not turn her back on her pride or her duty, even if it meant dying at the hands of a god.

“No... I can’t lose here!” Yukihime exploded out towards Redge and violently swung her blade sideways. It was the most skillful slash she’d ever performed – but not even that was enough to reach him.

Redge’s great sword flashed, and Snowbloom was cleaved. Its blue blade went spinning into the air – this time without the rest of the sword.

“Im... possible...”

Snowbloom was just as strong as an Azure Wall, which no one had ever penetrated, yet Redge had sliced through it like butter. The durability did drop when it was formed into a blade instead of a wall, but at this point, that sounded like nothing but an excuse.

“The only difference between bravery and recklessness is whether or not one is successful in the end. You made no mistakes... except becoming my opponent.” Redge raised his silver blade once more.

A new shade of despair washed over Yukihime. “Azure Wall!”

As he watched her flounder, the respect for her that had started to show in his eyes was replaced with disappointment. Yukihime’s frantic attempt at resistance proved futile, for Redge cut through her last defense with ease.

The shattering sounded so clear and pure. It was the sound of her own despair.

Redge was right. There was nothing he couldn’t cut through. Yukihime’s unbreakable defense was no more, and there was no longer anything to stand in the way of Redge’s blade.

A wound that ran from Yukihime’s shoulder to her hip split wide open, decorated with a splatter of blood. The pain burned, but thanks to the Azure Wall, the wound was a shallow one. She had barely escaped instant death. If she had taken the full brunt of that sword, it would have easily severed her torso from her body.

Am I going to lose? As the pain brought her to the brink of unconsciousness, a single thought floated up in Yukihime’s mind. In this war, loss means death.

“Kokuya... I’m sorry.”

What am I apologizing for? Losing? Failing to protect everyone?

Yukihime possessed two Level 1 Prohibited star sorcery spells. The first was Azure Judgment: Starpiercer, while the second was something that might kill her if she used it in a weakened state. No, I’m sure it’d kill me if I used it now.

It was assured suicide, but it would be better than dying silently.

Redge got in position for an upwards strike. If that hit her, it would surely mean the end.

In response, Yukihime unleashed a product of abstract star sorcery – the most powerful spell she possessed.

“Absolute Zero.”

Time stood still. In the simplest of terms, Yukihime had frozen time itself.

In good condition, she could keep this spell active for ten seconds, but currently, she would only be able to maintain it for five. This was the star sorcery she had used to defeat Kokuya and the Ruinmaker – the ultimate star sorcery, which could surpass the goddess of ruin herself.

Ice slid out from the broken end of Snowbloom, recreating its blade. It wasn’t as durable as an Azure Wall, but that didn’t matter at this point. She first needed to be able to defend herself before she worried about breaking another weapon.

Yukihime raised her ice blade towards Redge. He was wide open.

She never regretted not using this from the start. Absolute Zero would always be dangerous, no matter the state she was in. After expending a considerable amount of star power in her battle with Elemia, she had completely given up on using it.

Yukihime swung her blade down – and instantly, her mind flinched. She stumbled, and her blade faltered. The wound was too shallow.

Yukihime tried swinging down her sword again. Suddenly, Redge’s right hand reached up and grabbed it.

How? It hasn’t been five seconds yet. Did I use up too much star power? Did I miscalculate the amount of time–

“You dont get it, do you?” Redge snapped the blade he held in his hands. “There isn’t anything I can’t cut... even time itself.”

“If that’s true, how did you do it after I stopped time?!”

“Just before you activated that time stop star sorcery, I sensed a different type of star power. I merely emitted some of my own star power in sync with it, and mimicked it.”

Redge had created a star sorcery that automatically reacted to his opponents’ star power, which allowed him to counter abstract star sorcery with mimicry. It was so ridiculous that Yukihime couldn’t even muster up any sense of shock. She had played her last card, and she was all out now. No, it was more like every last one of her cards had been ripped up into unrecognizable shreds. He was on a completely different level, and had utterly defeated her.

“Farewell, Yukihime. You reminded me how uplifting a true battle can be. I am proud to know that the glory of Khaos Schwartz will rise to new heights thanks to warriors like yourself.”

Praising the battle, Redge raised his silver blade high, then brought it down one final time.

But just before the sword could slice through Yukihime’s body–

“I don’t think so!”

A black-haired boy suddenly appeared and sent a lighting fast fist straight toward Redge. Before it collided, Redge yanked back his sword and deflected the punch, which sent the Dark Emperor skidding back from his prey.

Clearly, this battle was far from over.

Right after defeating Grom, I headed back to the monitor room. As I watched Yukihime fighting Elemia on the screen, I happened to notice another red dot pop up nearby. It was far larger than Elemia’s, Grom’s, and even Yukihime’s.

“What kind of a monster is that?” Not only did it possess a massive amount of star power, it was also heading straight toward Yukihime.

“Towa, I need to get to Yukihime!”

“...I’m going, too.”

“But...”

“Remember what I said? I’m joining in this time. Yukihime said that I can’t hesitate when the time comes. And that time is now!” She clearly had no intention of stepping down.

“Fine... Let’s go!”

With a wild punch, I managed to knock back the man with the massive star power. I probably hadn’t hurt him, though.

Towa was hiding in the shadows behind me. I needed to get a solid hit in and then rescue Yukihime, so I hadn’t used any of Towa’s unpredictable powers.

I managed to rescue Yukihime, but...

“Hey, Yukihime! Who is that guy?! I’ve never seen anyone with so much star power!”

“I know someone... You, when you use Towa’s powers.”

“You mean he’s as strong as the Ruinmaker?”

For a moment I thought that he was the one who wielded their world’s Ruinmaker, but they were here in order to steal ours, so that didn’t make sense.

“That’s their leader...” Yukihime muttered. “Redge, the Dark Emperor of Khaos Schwartz... Kokuya, listen carefully.”

Yukihime quickly explained to me what had just happened. Spatial teleportation, invisible slashes, and powerful attacks that could even cut through Azure Walls and nullify Absolute Zero.

“But that isn’t fair...”

“That doesn’t matter now. We need to defeat him, or we’ll never win this war!”

“So he’s the last boss, huh?” I took a step forward. “Get some rest.”

As far as I could tell, Yukihime had used up way too much star power. There was no way she could go on fighting, and the silver-haired man named Redge was already heading our way.

“I thought I felt Grom’s star power dissipating,” he said.

“Yeah, I just fought him.”

“...And your name is?”

“Kokuya Kurono. I’m the second strongest in the world, next to her.” I motioned toward Yukihime with my right thumb.

“Then you have no hope of defeating me.”

“Sometimes people still need to fight, even if they have no hope.” I knew I was no match for him, but I also knew that I couldn’t just run away. “Here I come...”

The moment I started running toward Redge, he disappeared. Is this what she meant by teleportation?!

Suddenly, he appeared right in front of me. I swung out my right fist – and missed. Redge teleported again. This time he appeared to my immediate right, with his sword raised high.

The glowing silver sword came whooshing down. I heard a sickening slice, then watched as it chopped through my right shoulder. My right upper arm fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“The end.”

Redge quickly pulled his sword back and then swung it sideways at me. Frantically, I spun my twinblade in my left hand and leapt back as soon as I sped up. He was too fast. On top of that, he had somehow cut off my right arm. If he was powerful enough to destroy an Azure Wall, that meant I had no way of defending myself against him. I would just have to dodge every single attack he threw at me.

...But how? Without my right arm, I had little means of attack. I had also used up most of my star power in the battle with Grom. If I kept going like this, I’d either run completely out of star power, or my body would reach its limit. Was there any way to defeat him with what little I had left?

...No. I can’t beat him.

Then, just as I began to accept my defeat–

“Big brother!” Towa ran towards me.

“Stay back, stupid!”

“You’re the stupid one, big brother!”

She was right. I had nothing to retort with.

Towa reached out to me. “Stop hesitating. Hurry!”

“...Okay.”

I pressed the switch on my shoulder, removing my prosthetic arm. As the remaining part of my severed right arm fell to the ground, I began the chant that would turn my little sister into a weapon.

“Liberation – Ruinmaker.”

Towa’s body began to glow, then disappeared. Her light gathered around my shoulder and transformed into a new silver arm.

I clenched my right fist once more. “Let’s do this.”

“Okay.”

Behind me, Towa’s ghostly apparition appeared. As soon as Redge saw this, his eyes widened.

“Azur Étoile’s Ruinmaker...”

He was staring at my right arm. When we first clashed, it had seemed like he was very calm, composed, and powerful, but as I saw the bloodlust that seeped out of his eyes now, I started to feel like I had gotten the wrong impression.

“So... you killed my mentor...”

Even if you gathered up all of the hatred and resentment that filled the pits of Hell, it still would have sounded weaker than the enraged miasma that spilled out with Redge’s cold, determined words.

Mentor? Me? I had no idea what he was talking about. But there was no denying the genuine emotion I could feel behind Redge’s voice. Either I or Towa, or perhaps both of us, were clearly connected to his mentor somehow.

This man was from Khaos Schwartz... And he had changed the moment he saw Towa become my right arm.

Suddenly, one possibility popped into my head – and the moment it did, I understood why he had become so upset, and felt my own rage bubbling up from underneath.

I struggled to retain control and opened my mouth. “Ten years ago, a man and woman were killed in a laboratory here in Azur Étoile... You were there when it happened, weren’t you?”

Redge laughed. It was a very hollow laugh, as if to say ‘Yes, I’ll be happy to play along with your little charade.’

He stared at me with indifferent eyes and nodded. “Yeah... which means you must be the one who used the Ruinmaker back then.”

Formal confirmation. Our connection was now clear.

“...Thats’s right, I am.”

A moment passed, and then he spoke again. “Ten years... I’ve been waiting ten years for this.” Emotion slowly began to warp his face. Hatred, rage, and joy. “Now, I can finally kill you with my own hands, and avenge my mentor!”

At that point, he had ceased to be a ruler – he was brandishing his sword for purely personal reasons. That’s how much he hated me.

My smile probably looked as hollow as his. I struggled to keep my laughter down, and instead erupted with an uncontrollable bellow of rage.

“You invaded our world, killed my parents, and now you have the nerve to say that?!”

He’s the one who killed them. He’s the one who stole all the joy from our lives. He’s the one who pushed a cruel fate onto Towa. “What could possibly make you think that you have the right to get revenge?!”

I could feel my mind drowning, submerged in a color darker than any shade of black, overflowing with murderous rage. It was the same feeling I had gotten that night, when my parents died before my eyes.

Kill. That voice echoed in my mind again.

I kicked off the ground and instantly sped myself up. That movement alone was faster than anything I had displayed so far. I was faster than I’d ever been, because I had access to way more star power. I was like a completely different person.

I swung down my longsword from above, and Redge blocked it. He unleashed his star power as well, and I felt multiple cuts make their way across my body. So these are the invisible slashes Yukihime was talking about.

I leapt back. He seemed more capable than me when it came to close-range fighting, but this was the only option I had.

I spun my twinblade to the left. I think I’ve figured out a way to beat those invisible slashes of his...

Spinning my twinblade to the left slowed time down. Usually, I had no use for this, but now that I had Towa’s power, I could send my star sorcery out beyond my own body.

I shot my star power out into the atmosphere, slowed time down around Redge, then ran up to him again. The wounds created by his invisible slashes now appeared to be much slower, and Redge himself had also slowed down.

I thrust my longsword out. Redge caught it with the side of his greatsword, so I quickly pulled back and slashed out again. This time, I aimed for his neck, and it felt like I was going to hit – but then Redge suddenly sped up and blocked it with his greatsword again.

No, he didn’t speed up. Blood gushed out of numerous places on my body. The flow of time just went back to normal.

The slowdown usually lasted for five seconds, but this time, I hadn’t even been able to maintain it for three. Absolute Zero hadn’t even worked on him, so in a way it made sense that time slowdown was no exception.

I leapt back out of his range, while Redge swung his sword sideways. It was glowing with a silver aura, and as it flashed across the air, a silver slash shot out. Redge and I were standing over ten meters apart, but his silver crescent of light covered the entire distance. Immediately, I poured star power into my twinblade until it began to glow with a golden light. As the slash approached, I swung my glowing blade and created a golden slash to match it. It was a long-distance attack, which I would have never been able to use without Towa.

My golden slash collided with Redge’s silver slash. A blinding flash preceded an ear-splitting boom as the two slashes canceled each other out.

Immediately, I swung my dagger and sent another golden slash flying toward Redge. As if to mock me, Redge lazily swung his sword with one hand and sliced my slash in two.

At this rate, it’ll never end. I doubted I would run out of star power in this state, but there was no telling when my body would give in. I just wasn’t built for long battles, which meant I needed to finish this fast.

But how? What should I do? The way this is going, I’ll lose for sure. I couldn’t even beat Yukihime with Towa, and she lost to this guy! There’s no way I’d be able to win.

It seemed impossible – which meant that I simply had to do the impossible. I recalled what Yukihime had told me. Redge had nullified Absolute Zero, but she had still been able to attack him. It had been a shallow strike, and incapable of defeating him, but it appeared that even though Redge could nullify time manipulation, it at least took him some time to do so.

If I can stop time, then I can attack him.

Even though I was time elemental, stopping time was no simple task. Usually, since I couldn’t affect anything other than myself with my star sorcery, it was absolutely impossible. Apparently, my father knew how to do it, but since it required so much star power, it prevented him from using any other star sorcery afterwards. It also put an incredible burden on his body, and he could only maintain it for one second.

It made him cough up blood, prevented him from using any other star sorcery, and only lasted for a single second. That was how hard it was to stop time. It made me realize how incredible Yukihime was.

There’s no way I’ll be able to stop time here. It isn’t the sort of spell you can just cast on the spot... But slowing down time... If I could slow down time to an extreme degree, I might be able to emulate the sensation of stopping time. I’ll just have to keep slowing time down, until even he can no longer handle it!

I spun my twinblade to the left. Once, twice, thrice... I just kept on going. Without Towa’s help, I would have already run out of star power.

My star power clashed with Redge’s, and I could feel mine being nullified. Regardless, I continued to send out my slowdown star sorcery towards him – then, I spun my twinblade once to the right and dashed forward.

Stop, stop, stop! I pleaded over and over as I continued to unleash the spell. More! Faster! More, more! Simultaneously, I sped up my own body. I moved in as close as I could, then released a golden slash.

Of course, Redge blocked it. But right after that, just for a moment, he slowed down. I moved right up next to him and slashed my longsword upwards. He blocked it with his blade, so I pulled back and swung down my dagger from above. He blocked that, too, but I wasn’t worried. I used the momentum he gave me when he deflected my twinblade and spun it to the left. At this point, I was forcibly slowing down time, with total disregard for the stress it placed on my body.

Just stop!

In the next moment, I sensed silence. Time hadn’t stopped, but my star sorcery was working, and things had slowed down to an incredible degree. Redge would surely nullify it soon, but as long as I got one little chance to attack, it would be worth it.

“Progress Boost.”

I released the star power I had been storing in my right arm since the beginning of the battle and unleashed a single attack. As long as this hits, it’ll be worth it.

I threw out my fist, and the minute it connected, my star sorcery wore off. Redge’s body was blown violently backwards, and bounced off the ground a few times before it came to a stop.

I panted heavily. I had been using a crazy amount of star sorcery nonstop ever since my battle with Grom. All I could taste in my mouth now was raw, coppery blood.

My all-out attack had struck its target. If Redge stood up now, I’d be done for.

As my vision blurred, I fell to my knees. Despite my fatigue, it still felt like my body was overflowing with star power. The Ruinmaker truly was incredible... But my body couldn’t keep up. No matter how much star power I possessed, it meant nothing if I was too weak.

Suddenly, Redge rose to his feet. Hacking up puddles of blood, he glared at me like a bloodthirsty wraith.

You gotta be kidding me... One more... I just needed to get one more attack in. He was barely standing.

My legs quivered. I need to stand up... I need to stand up and kill him!

I tried to regain my strength, but there was nothing there anymore. My body moaned in response to the strain I’d placed on it, and I hacked up more blood.

As I slipped on the red pools that had come out of my body, Redge swung his blade and shot out another silver slash.

I swung my twinblade and tried to create my own golden slash, but I didn’t make it in time. Instead, I took the brunt of the silver slash with my glowing longsword, which snapped in two.

The top part of my twinblade was now only half as long as it used to be. The sword itself was shaped like clock hands, and if I lost either hand, I became unable to both accelerate and slow down time. There was no longer any way for me to go on fighting.

Meanwhile, Redge swung his greatsword up yet again. I could feel an immense amount of star power gathering around the glowing silver blade.

Guess I was fated to die either way. Even with my twinblade, there’s no way I’d be able to block that.

I’m dead.

It was so clear now. I couldn’t move, and I no longer had any way to escape or block his strike.

I deactivated Towa.

“Why, big brother?!”

“Towa, you need to run away.”

“No! I can’t just leave you here!”

“Sorry... But I can’t move anymore.”

“I’ll just take you with me, then!”

Towa stumbled as she tried to pull me with her. No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible.

“Hurry up and go! You can escape on your own!”

“No! I... I’ll never...” Tears welled up in Towa’s eyes.

There was no point in crying. But what else could we do? If only I could get Towa away from here...

Redge swung his silver blade down, crushing my hopes. His silver slash was right on course to perfectly slice me in two. I’m dea–

“Azure Wall!”

Yukihime jumped in front of me and blocked the strike. But her wall was no match for Redge’s slash, and it cut straight through, shattering the ice and ripping into Yukihime’s slender body.

“Ahh... Ahh...”

As I watched Yukihime bleed, I was speechless. Her body collapsed in front of my eyes, and crimson blood gushed out from a massive wound. I could tell with one glance that she’d never survive.

“You idiot... Why...”

“You’re the idiot. I told you... I have a duty...”

“That doesn’t make any sense... How could you die just for some stupid duty?”

I sounded crazy. Yukihime’s duty was to protect Towa. I could never ask her to sacrifice herself for that. Neither could I choose between Yukihime or Towa. I should have been the one to die.

“Oh, easy,” Yukihime replied. “And I’m not just dying for my duty... You’re here too, remember?”

“Why would you die for someone like me?!”

“Someone like you? You’re my best friend, my partner, my rival, my servant, and...”

Her words trailed off as more blood spilled out from her.

“Hey, stop talking! Your wound will open up...”

“Kokuya...” Yukihime ignored me and continued to speak. “I see this dream sometimes. It’s such a nice dream. My parents and your parents are still alive, and we’re all there with Towa. Everyone’s smiling...”

Yukihime reached her slender hand out toward me. I pulled my body toward her, and her beautiful white hand stroked my cheek.

“My dream will never come true, but there’s still hope for you and Towa... And for all the other people in our world... You need to make sure their dreams come true.”

“I can’t. Are you crazy? Without you, I can’t do anything...”

“Shut up and do as your master says... Get a hold of yourself... I’m entrusting my duty to you now.”

“Why? Why me? Come on, this isn’t what we talked about... We’re supposed to protect the world together!”

“Stop being selfish... You need to keep protecting it even after I’m gone... You promised... Relax, I know you can do it...”

“I can’t! Not without you...”

“Yes you can... Oh, there was still so much more I wanted to say, so many more things I wanted to do... But I guess this is it for me. Can I say one last thing?”

“No! This isn’t the end! Don’t talk like that!”

“...Kokuya, I... I love you.”

For a moment, I thought that time had stopped. I became color blind and deaf at the same time. In that moment, everything other than her simply faded away. Those were the words I had wanted to say so many times, but I just kept swallowing them down.

“Your stubbornness, the way you try to act tough, how you can never be honest about things, how you hate to lose, how you always get so focused on certain things, how you’re surprisingly easy to get disheartened, how you’re an idiot and a pervert, how you keep trying to get stronger, I love it all...”

They were the words I kept pushing deep down inside, lying to myself about how I wasn’t fit for her yet.

“Me too! I love you, too!” I said it. “I love everything about you, too. How stupid you are, how ridiculously proud you are, how you always get depressed about the tiniest things, how you try to act cool in the dumbest places, how you always get so easily scared, everything... Your hair, your eyes, your voice, the beautiful ice you create, I love it, I love it all!” Once I started, I just couldn’t stop. “I was never able to tell you until now, but I’ve always...”

“...Idiot. I already knew that.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“It’s okay. You managed to say it now, right? We both should have been more honest with each other...”

“...Yeah.”

I know I took way too long, but please... Just please don’t die.

“Would you knock it off already?”

I lost track of how many times I’d said it. And yet he kept walking up to me – Kokuya Kurono. I was the one who challenged him first. It was just so frustrating after he beat me with the Ruinmaker. I felt sure I could beat him when he wasn’t using it, though.

“It isn’t that hard to understand.”

“...”

“I’m the strongest star sorcerer in the world, and you’re a G Ranker. You could never beat me, not even if you turned the entire world upside down.”

“Shut up.”

“...What did you say?”

“I said shut up. You’re the strongest? And I’m a G Ranker? Who cares about stupid ranks? I’m going to turn your entire world upside down, right here and now.”

“Where do you get all that stubbornness from?”

“I promised I’d protect her.”

“Your little sister? Why don’t you just leave that to me?”

“Towa’s my little sister. I need to protect her. Me, and no one else.”

He really seemed hung up on his little sister for some reason. Towa Kurono was the Ruinmaker, a weapon capable of destroying the world. Since I was the strongest, it was my duty to protect her and make sure she didn’t fall into the wrong hands. I didn’t understand what he could possibly have a problem with.

But Kokuya continued to challenge me. Day after day, he fought and lost to me, but he never gave up. All the other students at the academy made fun of him. “He’ll never beat her. There’s no way. Can’t he see how much stronger she is?” He had to listen to that every day. I’d even thought similar things myself.

Still, there was one thing I understood that the others didn’t – Kokuya would do anything for his little sister. He was obsessed with her, it almost seemed like he was crazy. I sort of understood, though. After all, I’d do anything for my parents. No matter how impossible something may have seemed, I didn’t care. Just because something was impossible at the time didn’t make me want to give up one bit. If I couldn’t do it once, I’d just have to keep trying until I did – just like how he insisted on fighting me until he won. We were the same, in a way.

He was also the only one who treated me like an equal. When I was born, so many things were instantly decided for me. I was to become the world’s strongest star sorcerer and the Headmistress of the academy. It was all planned before I even spoke my first word. I even heard people calling me the ‘finest masterpiece of the Yukigane house.’ Since I was born from exceptional parents, it was my duty to be exceptional as well.

I could understand why some people felt that deciding things based on heritage is a bad thing. It’s not like I was a fan of having others decide things for me either. But what if those things happened to coincide with what you wanted to be? What if you liked the path they set out for you? I was proud of the path my parents had set out for me, and the duty they entrusted me with.

I had my share of complaints, though. The people around me only ever saw me as the daughter of the Yukigane house, and only treated me as such. Some respected me, some envied me, and others desperately tried to curry favor with me. No matter which attitude they assumed, every single person only saw me as the daughter of the Yukigane house, and nothing more.

He was the only one – Kokuya was the only one who paid no mind to those things and saw me for me. He didn’t care that I was the daughter of the Yukigane house, or even that I was the strongest star sorcerer in the world. He just kept challenging me because he knew that I was stronger than him. And it made me so happy. It made me so happy to know that in his eyes, I wasn’t the daughter of the Yukigane house, but Yukihime Yukigane.

In his eyes alone, I could truly be myself. He took me from the top of the world and turned me into just another normal girl.

It felt like I was watching a kaleidoscope. Old memories of the time I’d spent with Kokuya flashed through my mind one after another – then I saw it. Redge, firing his silver slash.

If I was to fulfill my duty as the Headmistress, I needed to protect Towa with my life. We could always find another compatible user, but there was only one Ruinmaker.

In other words, I should have let Kokuya die. But I didn’t. There was no way I could have.

In that moment, I was no longer acting as the Headmistress. I was doing what I wanted to do. I was just a run-of-the-mill girl, prepared to do anything to protect the one she loved.

I had no regrets... No, that was a lie. I failed to fulfill my duty with him. I had wanted to stay by his side forever.

And yet, strangely enough, I felt satisfied – for I knew that he would inherit and finish all that I had started.

Blood gushed out from my body. Next to me, I could see Kokuya, wailing as tears streamed down his face. I knew I was a goner... I knew it. But...

“I was never able to tell you until now, but I’ve always...”

“...Idiot. I already knew that.”

“I’m sorry it took me so long.”

“It’s okay. You managed to say it now, right? We both should have been more honest with each other...”

I squeezed out the next words. If I was going to die here, I knew what I needed to say next.

“But I’m satisfied.”

I told him how I really felt. I could finally close my eyes.

At last, I managed to say it, right before I died.

“But I’m satisfied,” Yukihime said, as she kissed me.

Her lips felt cold and soft.

She grabbed my left hand, which was gripping the remains of her sword, then, moved it up toward her chest.

“I want to give everything to you. My love, my life... I did all the hard work up until now, so if you don’t win this, you’re gonna have to answer to me...”

Yukihime thrust the sword toward her chest and made my hands grip it.

Why? But I already knew the answer. And soon, a great power began to fill my body.

The Ruinmaker had the ability to steal star power from whoever she killed.

Just before she died, Yukihime gave me all her strength.

“That’s some look you’ve got on your face.”

Slowly, he appeared in front of me, dragging his greatsword behind him. Redge – the man who killed Yukihime.

“You...” I glared at him.

He slitted his eyes and glared back at me. “I see that woman meant a great deal to you.”

“...What’s your point?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t kill her in order to retaliate against you. The death of a great warrior shouldn’t be corrupted with such things... But I suppose it may look that way, by coincidence.”

“By... coincidence? Are you completely insane?! You people are the ones who invaded our world and started ordering us around!”

“Zol and I were merely forced to come here on a mission. You’re the one who chose to seek vengeance for your parents. Not that I could blame you. Just like you, I seek vengeance for my mentor, therefore, I have no right to judge you. We both want to murder the one who took someone precious from us. That’s all there is to it. Our relationship is quite simple, really.”

He just went on and on. He murdered Yukihime, while his mentor murdered my parents. If only the two of them had never shown up...

He’s going to pay.

“In that case, you’re going to die. I’m going to kill you,” I said.

“As you wish. If it’s a meaningless death you want, I will oblige.”

Again... I could feel murderous rage taking over again.

Redge raised his greatsword. I no longer had any way to block it. Towa had provided me with unlimited star power, as had Yukihime. I would never run out, but my body simply couldn’t handle it any longer. I couldn’t do anything.

Am I really going to die here? Without killing him?

Suddenly...

“I’m going to make sure you pay for what you’ve done.” Towa walked in between Redge and I, raised up both of her arms, and glared at him. “You hear me?” I’d never heard her talk like this before.

Redge narrowed his eyes. “Ruinmaker... What could you possibly do in that form?” he scoffed. “Unfortunately, I can’t humor you. I need to take you back alive.” Redge dropped his sword and reached out for Towa.

“Towa, you idiot! Run!”

In the next moment, a wind blade shot out toward Redge, only to be sliced to bits by an extended silver sword.

“Lord Redge!”

“Kurono!”

Nagisaki and Elemia stood side by side.

“We should retreat for now, sir! If we regroup, we’ll be able to come back and steal the Ruinmaker in a flash!” Elemia ran up to Redge.

“Don’t worry. I’m about to end everything right now.” Redge shrugged off Elemia’s plea and tried to continue the battle.

But Elemia kept talking. “Valt was assaulted on her way back. At this rate...”

As he heard this, Redge stopped moving.

“You’re not getting away!” Nagisaki swung down his scythe toward Elemia, who deflected it with her sword.

Redge stared at me with his silver eyes and screamed. “Mark my words – we’ll be back to finish this very soon!”

After hatred rang out in his voice, Redge disappeared along with Elemia.

They left us with nothing but tattered remains. Shattered ice. A huge crater. Hundreds of pale monster corpses. Countless scars of war.

I bent down before the one I had killed – before the remains of my beloved – and cried.