Chapter 3: The Origin Spire

Hidden within the walls of the gray tower reaching into the heavens were treasures, traps, and deadly monsters. Those from Jenifa Royal Magic Academy referred to it as “the school labyrinth,” but among explorers, it had a different name: The Origin Spire.

It was quite possibly the first labyrinth to be discovered, making it a point of origin in the shared history of humans and labyrinths. As a result, it had been fully traversed and its secrets laid bare. As of now, the Origin Spire was under state supervision and officially recognized as a valuable site for both training and the collection of monster resources.

Upon entering, Sain’s group found the inside to be chilly and dimly lit. They made their way upward, venturing deeper into the tower. The lower levels near the entrance were garden-variety mazes, with each level partitioned into complicated systems of rooms and pathways by thick walls of stone. Occasionally they would come across conduits carrying water, but their source and destination remained a mystery.

“Huh. There’s nothing here. This place is completely empty,” said Sain, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

“Well, we’re walking down the so-called common route, so there are always people coming through here. Those who came before us probably cleaned the place up already. Still, keep your guard up. As soon as we go a little deeper, there’ll be plenty of monsters waiting for us.”

“O-Of course. I knew that. I was just curious.”

Sain wasn’t bluffing—he did already know this, but his mind was becoming increasingly scattered. The seals around his neck and coat became uncomfortably distracting—a perpetual reminder of his weakened state—and he noticed his eyes being subconsciously drawn to them from time to time. Each time he looked down, his stomach churned with a fresh pang of anxiety. This was, however, something he’d resolved to do, and he had no intention of turning back. Willing his nerves to calm down, he pressed on.

“There! Monsters!”

Alicia stopped and gestured forward. There were three figures in their path, two of which were humanoid. The last was on all fours—likely a beast of some kind. Not one reached above Sain’s waist in height.

“Two goblins and... that looks like a hound dog.”

Goblins were child-sized monsters with green skin and pronounced bony frames. Even with their reduced stature, they were strong enough to rival an adult human male.

The two ahead held wooden clubs, and stood glowering at Sain’s group. The hound dog to their side had ruffled up its gray fur and salivated menacingly through bared teeth.

“How convenient. This is a good opportunity to figure out what each of us are capable of,” said Alicia. “Don’t kill them immediately, okay? We need our training dummies alive. I’ll go first.”

She stepped forward and regarded her targets. Then, she cast her spell.

“Flagus!”

Pebble-sized bolts of fire shot toward the monsters, searing the air around them, each one erupting into a cloud of flame the moment they struck. The goblins screeched with pain as their silhouettes were engulfed by the blaze. The hound dog, however, had managed to dodge the volley of missiles.

“Ah, I missed one. Take this, then. Flagus!”

She mercilessly showered her enemies with another round of fire bolts. This time, the hound dog was not so lucky.

“Wow. That’s so... sloppy.”

“Oh, shut up. Just throw enough attacks at them and it’ll be fine,” Alicia retorted with a scowl.

Sain didn’t offer a response. Instead, he put a contemplative hand to his chin.

Alicia was telling the truth; her magic was actually effective against monsters. He glanced at Melia and perceived a hint of relief in her expression. She was probably pleased to discover that Alicia could indeed be relied on for firepower.

The monsters’ squeals of agony soon turned to roars of anger. They rushed toward Sain’s group, eyes burning with rage.

“I’ll go next, then.”

Melia stepped forward and held her hands out toward the oncoming monsters.

“Sprites of crystalline veil, roam the endless mist—Londo Mysteria!”

Flames spewed from her right hand and water from her left. They danced and twirled, red mixing with blue, before dispersing into a thick mist. The white haze moved as if carried by wind and soon enveloped the monsters. Even then, it continued to expand, its wispy tendrils reaching all the way to Sain.

“No way... This is... compound magic?”

“Indeed. My maid has a particular knack for it.”

Compound magic was special in that it was only usable by fivekind. As its name suggested, it involved mixing several elements in a delicate balance. Lightkind and darkkind were both restricted in aptitude to their respective elements, making fine control of other elements impossible. They were therefore unable to perform compound magic.

In contrast to Alicia’s astonishment, Melia controlled the mist as if it were the simplest task in the world. Technical mastery, however, could not elevate the spell beyond its inherent limits; it was ultimately a distraction, and the monsters were very unlikely to be killed by fog inhalation.

They continued their furious charge through the mist and eventually broke through. Before they could catch a glimpse of Sain, however, Melia continued her incantation.

“Points of origin, spin in reverse, encircle!”

The mist redirected its movement, cascading toward the monsters and once again swallowing them. Sain almost pitied their opponents as he watched them struggle to escape its clutches, only to be repeatedly dragged back into its swirling embrace. Shrieks of frustration and fury, grating and high-pitched, echoed from within the murky shroud as the monsters thrashed about blindly.

“And a continuous incantation, too... You realize you can probably count on one hand the number of people in our division who can do that, right? Like, I could tell during the proficiency assessment that Melia was really good, but this... She’s miles ahead of everyone else.”

Alicia spoke with unmistakable awe in her voice, but Sain could tell it was also tinged with some regret and envy. The two watched as Melia walked into the cloud of mist, her steps gliding and graceful. She swiftly drew a dagger and held it toward the monsters.

“And this is how I operate. I prefer to keep them distracted, then I walk up and go chop chop.”

“I see... And while you do that, I’ll focus on preparing magic with plenty of firepower. Still, how are you controlling such a complicated spell? Did you go through some sort of special training?”

“Nothing special, but... Let’s just say I’ve done my time in the field.”

“Huh... I assume that means we can expect to see some pretty impressive stuff from your master too, right?”

“Oh, absolutely. Push those expectations right up as high as they’ll go.”

“Hnngh! Stop raising the bar!”

“Okay, enough with the grumbling. Go show us what you can do.”

“Here comes the ace. Come on, knock it out of the park.”

“Damn it, you two! You never expect anything from me, and now, the one time I’d rather you didn’t...”

Sain stepped forward as well, just as the monsters emerged from the mist. Seething with rage after the harassment they had received at Melia’s hands, they fixed their eyes on him in unison and snarled.

A bead of sweat traced the back of his neck. He should be fine. There was no way he’d lose to monsters like these. He was almost, ninety-nine percent, with near-perfect certainty, sure of it.

“W-Well, fine! Just watch me, then! I’m improving every day, too! Take this! Darku!”

He pushed back the tail of his coat in an exaggerated motion with one hand, and a ball of darkness appeared in the other. He shot it toward the monsters, the black bullet tearing through the air with a shrill whistle.

It hit one of the monsters... only to harmlessly bounce off.

“Pff—”

“D-Don’t laugh!” yelled Sain, trying to hide his embarrassment. It was a futile attempt, however; his face had gone beet red.

“Oh, don’t make such a big deal out of it. It’s not like we expected anything from you to begin with.”

“Hnngh... I just need more practice... One day, magic like this will be child’s play...”

“At least you’ve got us. If we had to rely on your wimpy little spell, we’d be in serious trouble.”

“Don’t call it wimpy!”

Sain flailed his arms around in protest but failed to garner any attention from the girls.

“Anyway, I think we’re done with these monsters. Time to finish the job. Flagus!”

This time, she used the full extent of her power. The bolts of fire immediately reduced the monsters to smoldering carcasses.

“Okay. Let’s keep our formation and move forward,” Alicia instructed.

“You’re not going to scavenge them for materials?”

“Our only goal this time is the holy sword. More baggage will just weigh us down and make us less able to react quickly if something happens. Let’s save the money-making for next time.”

Sain and Melia nodded in agreement, and the three took up their positions in the formation. Sain led the group, Melia closely following a few steps behind, and Alicia brought up the rear.

“Miss Gold, are we heading toward this place marked on the map?”

“Yeah.”

“Understood. Hm... It’s still pretty far. Should we slow down and pace ourselves?”

“...You have a point. I think we should.”

Alicia nodded but then gave Sain a weird look.

“You know, labyrinth maps aren’t the easiest things to read. Usually, it takes some time to figure them out, but... you two act like you’ve been reading these your whole lives. Wasn’t this supposed to be your first time exploring a labyrinth?”

“This is our first time exploring a labyrinth properly. We’ve actually been inside them quite a few times before.”

“How were you exploring them before?”

“Hm. Let’s just say I paired up with someone who was ridiculously strong, and when monsters showed up, I let that person do all the hard work. In hindsight, it might not have been the fairest division of labor.”

“Well, fairness depends on the situation. People explore labyrinths for all sorts of reasons, after all. Researchers just hire a bunch of strong guards, for example, and spend all their time poking at things that interest them. In the long run, though... It’s probably better if all of us could pull our weight in battle.”

While the two girls chatted, Sain kept pressing forward until he came to a turn in the path. He stopped, peeked around the corner, and then turned back to his friends.

“Enemies up ahead. Four goblins. They’re each holding some sort of weapon. Probably clubs.”

“Got it. How far are they?”

“About ten meters. They haven’t noticed us, but they’re coming closer... It’s a long and narrow passage up ahead. Miss Gold, can you wipe them out with your magic?”

“Sure. Just tell me when to attack.”

Alicia began concentrating fire magic in her palm in preparation.

“Now!”

As soon as Sain gave the signal, she leapt around the corner and faced her palm toward the monsters.

“Velle Flaram!”

The goblins barely had time to process what was happening before they were swallowed by a surging wave of fire. The flames spanned the width of the passageway, consuming all in their path.

“I wish I had that kind of firepower,” said Sain, evidently impressed.

“Only works on monsters, though,” Alicia answered with a shrug, but Sain saw the smile on her lips before she turned away.

+ + +

Their progression through the labyrinth continued smoothly.

“Londo Mysteria!”

“Flare!”

Melia focused on stopping the monsters in their path from moving, sometimes by distracting them and sometimes by disabling them.

She summoned a stream of water which she whipped around the monsters’ legs. Once they had lost their footing, Alicia stepped in with the firepower. As raining flames burned the monsters to a cinder, the trio’s fifth battle drew to a close.

“Phew. That’s it for this place. Let’s move on.”

Several hours had passed since they entered the labyrinth, and in this time they had climbed over twenty floors. Though they weren’t walking particularly fast, their familiarity with labyrinth maps meant they could traverse each floor without ever getting lost, allowing them to progress at a relatively quick pace.

“You know, I’m starting to tire of all these battles,” said Alicia as they walked.

“Agreed. It’d also be a problem if we got spellsick. I suggest we focus on escaping encounters from here on.”

Wary of the toll repeated combat would take on them, Melia offered some sound advice.

The use of magic involved using one’s will to gather the ambient magical energy from their surroundings and modify its flow. During this process, the energy had to pass through the user’s body. If too much magic passed through in too short a space of time, a phenomenon known as spellsickness would occur, in which the user would experience symptoms similar to mental fatigue. Those afflicted could lose their ability to think and, in severe cases, their consciousness.

“Hah. I suppose that means it’s my time to shine now,” said Sain with a flourish.

Two pairs of tired eyes looked at him.

“No. You’re useless in a fight, so just go back to doing whatever you were doing.”

“Why?! I can help, even with—”

“Yeah, you said that last time. And then you almost died.”

“One more time! Just let me try one more time! I’ll just take the first shot—please!”

“No means no! Stop making me repeat myself!”

Sain’s attempts at combat had consisted of a series of failed darkness spells, each of which was promptly followed by panicked screaming as the monster closed in on him.

He never quite seemed to learn, though, and would try again with each new encounter.

Alicia sighed and then opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could pass her lips, Sain gestured at her.

“Monsters! They’re close!”

“All right. There’s not enough distance for us to run. Melia, stop them!”

“Okay. Spirits of turbid water, grasp what you seek—Worta Halden!”

At Melia’s command, arms of water surged toward their enemies. Empowered by her incantation, each watery limb branched into even more arms, each one wrapping its hands around the monsters’ legs. The water was viscous, making it impossible for the ensnared creatures to move.

“Pierce with flame—Flagus!”

Alicia’s fire bolts slammed into the labyrinth walls, one after another. By the third shot, a prominent crack had started to form. On the tenth, the walls collapsed entirely, burying the monsters under a pile of rubble.

She squinted at the plume of sandy dust, straining to ascertain the outcome of her attack.

All of a sudden, something gleamed. By the time she realized it was a pair of eyes, it was already too late. The monster leapt past her and nimbly kicked off the wall, landing behind Melia.

“Melia! Behind you!” she screamed, an overwhelming sense of panic surging through her.

“I’ve got it,” she responded in her usual tepid manner, pulling a dagger from her skirt.

The whip monkey, named so because of its whip-like tail, pounced at Melia.

“Hngh!”

She twirled with a quick grunt. There was a flash, and the whip monkey fell to the ground with a long gash across its torso.

“...You’re no slouch with a blade either, are you?”

“Martial mastery is but a part of maidly conduct.”

With the monsters gone, the three climbed over the rubble and came to another passageway, which led to the location marked on their map. As they reached its end, they came to a small room.

“This is our destination? I don’t see anything here...”

“It’s okay. Just watch.”

Upon entering the room, Alicia ran her hands along the walls in a practiced motion. There was a sound, and a part of the wall sank inward to reveal a hidden room.

Inside, a faint disc spread across the floor.

“Get on.”

They followed Alicia’s orders and, almost instantly, the disc began to glow a cold blue. It then rose off the ground, continuing upward before eventually slowing to a halt. A new door had appeared on the wall in front of them.

“Where are we?” Sain asked, stepping through somewhat cautiously.

They were in an expansive space with no monsters—or even walls—in sight, encircled by a glass-like barrier that was similar in appearance to a long, continuous window. This floor, unlike all the previous ones, seemed to be shaped like an observation deck.

“This is the labyrinth’s central area. Phew, I’m spent...”

“A safe zone, I see. This is the first time I’ve seen one so big...”

A glance around the space revealed a number of people dressed in the academy’s uniform. There were also a couple of men who looked to be mercenaries, along with a few ladies who seemed just a tad too old to be students.

“Is this place open to outside explorers as well?”

“Yeah. You have to pay an entrance fee if you’re not from the academy though.”

The presence of outsiders meant they might eventually run into professional explorers, some of who might know something about the power of the dark knight. Meeting them would be an invaluable opportunity for Sain to gain some information.

“Hey, look, it’s them,” said someone in the room. “The F-rank sucker and the Sham of Light.”

“Birds of a feather, huh? I guess losers are just drawn to other losers.”

It was an unpleasant conversation to overhear. Each of their expressions darkened, but the three kept their silence.

“I hear the maid is crazy talented. Hah... Couple of parasites.”

“Look at them, just strolling through the labyrinth. Do they think this is some kinda game?”

“Let’s get outta here. Just seeing them makes me wanna retch.”

As they watched the offending group move away, Alicia bit into her lip.

“People say the worst things sometimes...”

When she received no response from Sain, she looked in his direction. To her surprise, he wore a subdued expression.

“Sain?”

“...They were simply speaking the truth.” A shadow fell over his face. “At least, what they said about me was true. Right now, I’m nothing but a loser.”

Various emotions swirled within him; he wasn’t sure how he felt. All his life, he’d been living in a bubble of reverence. People everywhere, faceless and nameless to him, showered him with praise. Now, there were people who understood him. People who knew him as he truly was...

And they spoke of him with words of spite and malice.

“I’m glad people are seeing my true self, but... the truth sure is harsh.”

“Wow, what’s with the sudden negativity? The last time I said you looked weak, you almost went rabid on me.”

“You said I looked weak. They said I am weak. There’s a difference.”

“...What? So a harsh attack on who you are as a person is fair game, but a harmless joke about your get-up and you completely freak out?”

“Of course! Do you have any idea how long I spend every morning doing my— Uh.”

“Doing your what?”

“U-Um, never mind. I was born like this. This ominous appearance of mine is completely natural.”

“Sure it is.”

Alicia rolled her eyes and received an immediate scowl from Sain.

“In any case, I’m fine. Their words didn’t hurt me. In fact, I agree with their assessment, so—” Sain glanced at Melia, who was sitting formally on her legs with her hands resting on her lap. “Uh, maid? Could you maybe stop glaring like you’re about to bite somebody?”

He’d spent more than enough time with Melia to know what kind of emotions were swirling beneath that icy look of hers.

“Huh? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Melia gave him the fakest, most exaggerated smile he’d seen in a while. He sighed and shook his head.

“Okay, let’s not get caught up in that. We should figure out what we’re doing next.”

At Alicia’s prompting, the three agreed to move on from the unpleasant topic.

“So, about the holy sword,” she continued. “As a matter of fact, I have a pretty good idea where it might be. It’s actually pretty simple when you think about it. Remember how I said this labyrinth is accessible to outsiders? Holy swords are generally under strict supervision, whether that’s by a kingdom or a domain. I’d imagine the academy wouldn’t want its holy sword being nabbed by some random outsider. In other words, it has to be somewhere that only students can get to.”

“I see.” Melia pondered over her words. “I wonder if anything is different about the labyrinth map we got from the academy compared to the ones you can get outside? If so, then that’s probably our answer.”

“I checked. Unfortunately, there weren’t any.”

“In that case... There must be some sort of mechanism. Maybe a room that can’t be entered unless you’re a student like us?”

Alicia nodded.

“That’s what I’m betting on too. The thing is, the light-magic-enhancing holy sword we’re looking for might be new, but the other holy and doom swords in this labyrinth have been here for years. If there’s a room that can’t be entered, it would have been discovered a long time ago, but I’ve never heard any rumors like that. Which means...”

“It’s not a room that only students can enter, but a room that only students can find.”

Alicia nodded again.

“That gives us a clue where to explore. The key to reaching the holy sword has to be something closely tied to our identity as students. Something like... our student cards, for example,” she said in a deductive tone.

“...Seems like it’s worth a try.”

“Right? Right?” Seeing her reasoning affirmed, Alicia perked up immediately. “The question now is how we’re going to find the right location. It’s not very realistic for us to comb the whole labyrinth.”

“How about using a detection spell?”

“It’d be great if we could. Do you know how?”

“Hah. What a foolish question,” Sain interjected, crossing his arms. “Of course I can’t.”

“You know, that really isn’t something you should be proud of...”

He was at least telling the truth. That was, perhaps, something to be proud of.

“My maid can, though.” He turned to Melia. “Maid, can you use a detection spell to find locations that respond to student cards?”

“I sure can.”

Melia closed her eyes and focused.

“Tears in resonance, flow to your beloved, link with water—Caul Larum!”

A single drop of water fell from the tip of Melia’s finger, landing on one of the student cards with a small splash. A ripple spread across its surface, expanded into the air, and then passed into the walls and floor. If Alicia’s reasoning was correct, there should be some sort of reaction.

After maybe half a minute, another ripple came back.

“Found it.”

Alicia pumped her fist. The ripple had brought with it their first glimpse of light at the end of a long tunnel.

The detection spell pointed them to a floor below the safe zone—namely one they had skipped when Alicia activated the elevator.

“And... the forty-seventh floor,” Sain counted as he reached the bottom of a flight of stairs. “Miss Gold, there appears to be a rather large room on this floor.”

“Yeah. It’s the training room.”

“Training room?”

“That’s what students call it, anyway. It’s a huge area and all sorts of monsters appear there, making it perfect for training—that’s what I’ve heard, at least. Some people even bring a ton of food and just camp out there for a bunch of days straight.”

“So you haven’t used the room before?”

“The name was coined by those in the senior division. It’s still too early for us to be training there. The stairs leading down are at the far end of this floor, though; on the other side of the training room... It’d be faster if we just ran straight through.”

Sain glanced at the map. Going around the large room did indeed seem time-consuming.

“How big is it, exactly?” asked Melia.

“About as big as the school grounds.”

Sain frowned.

“...That’s pretty big. If we’re spotted in there, we won’t be able to get away.”

The girls nodded, suggesting they shared the same concern.

“In any case, let’s go take a look first.”

There was more to their trip than just getting their hands on a holy (or a doom) sword; they then had to navigate their way back through the labyrinth. This meant conserving stamina was a priority.

Once they arrived at the large room, Sain took a peek inside.

“Sain? How does it look?” Alicia inquired.

“...I don’t see any monsters. It’s probably safe.”

Alicia furrowed her brow, skeptical, but followed him in regardless.

The room wasn’t as large as the safe zone on the fiftieth floor, but its size did indeed rival the school grounds. Despite this, however, it was almost devoid of monsters.

“...Looks like someone already cleaned this place up. Lucky us.”

“Still... Was it really necessary to be so thorough?” Melia pondered.

“Whoever came here before us must have been quite the monster themselves. Whoa, careful. There are still a few left,” warned Alicia.

Immediately, their expressions grew tense.

They were over forty floors up, and the monsters here were incomparably stronger than the ones they had encountered so far. A hobgoblin—a superior form of the goblin species—paced around the center of the room. They were both larger in size and more intelligent than the average goblin, making them truly dangerous enemies. And, to make matters worse, it wasn’t alone. Flying near the ceiling above it was an evil eye—a large eyeball the size of a human skull with black wings sprouting from its sides. Neither would be easy to deal with.

Sain’s group took a moment to consider their options, when—

“Huh—?”

There was a spectacular flash, and the three looked up just in time to see both monsters impaled by an enormous spear of light.

Before they could even begin to strategize, the situation had been resolved.

“What just...” Alicia spoke under her breath, her eyes fixed on the two now-unmoving forms on the ground.

Sain and Melia wore similar looks of surprise.

“That was light magic, wasn’t it?” Melia asked him.

“Yes... And very advanced light magic, at that.”

The spell they just witnessed was not only immensely powerful, but terrifyingly efficient. It was the magical equivalent of a finely-honed blade. Every shred of energy had been focused into its one, singular goal—to obliterate its targets. Its sheer perfection would have elicited gasps of awe from even the gods themselves.

Sain felt his hand twitch. He knew this power; knew it so well that he was overcome with a sense of déjà vu. It took him a moment to realize it wasn’t his own.

“Who are you?”

The abrupt voice sounded as though it were only a few paces away. He blinked in surprise, and, all of a sudden, there was a swordswoman standing in front of him. Alicia was wide-eyed as well.

Only Melia seemed to have sensed the woman’s approach, and her right hand was already hovering over her daggers.

“You’re... the vice president, I believe?” said Sain, recalling the faces he had seen during his interview.

Her intimidating aura seemed to both contradict and accentuate her striking appearance. Long, blue hair flowed down her shoulders; her amber eyes glowed, her gaze as sharp as a sword; fine brows traced graceful arcs leading down to her shapely nose; and her fair skin shimmered like freshly settled snow. A cultured air exuded from her as she stood, as if her very presence was a work of art.

A sudden, sharp pain shot up Sain’s leg.

“Ow! What the— What was that for?!”

“Gawking penalty.”

“G-Gawking?! I-I wasn’t... Ow, damn it, maid. My ankle...”

Their makeshift slapstick eased the tension between them. The vice president, Emilia, softened her demeanor as well. She looked over each of them with the gaze of an inspector before speaking.

“It’s been a few days since we met. I remember you three well.”

“I’m honored to have left an impression, then. Are you here to explore the labyrinth as well?”

“No. We’re here for training. Rather, he is. I’m simply accompanying him,” Emilia said, gesturing behind her to where a blond-haired young man stood.

“Alicia Remia. Who’d have thought I’d find you here? A little far from home, aren’t we?” he remarked. He had a gaze so sharp that Alicia could almost feel his golden eyes piercing through her.

In his time, Sain had encountered his fair share of powerful individuals; those who draped themselves in wealth, and who basked in their influence and authority. He knew their aura well, which was why he could tell the boy standing before him was in every way their equal.

In fact, “equal” might have been putting it mildly. There was a certain gravitas to him that suggested he was in a league of his own.

The young man standing before them was Cain Theresia, student council president and undisputed top of his grade. If the intermediate division were a kingdom, he would be seated on its throne. And, for some reason, he was staring at Alicia with contempt.

“...That’s none of your business.”

“Excuse me? It is my business, because you, like me, belong to the Clan of Light.” Cain’s expression grew more serious. “You’ve been called a disgrace to the clan, and yet you still cling to this academy. Look, just take my advice. Leave. A life without magic suits you better.”

“That’s up to me to decide. Just get off my case already...”

“You’re in over your head. This place isn’t for you.” His eyes flitted to Melia. “Chances are, you had to rely on Sain Fostess’s attendant to even make it this far.”

Anger flared in Alicia’s eyes, but she ultimately bit her lip and turned away in frustration.

“Now hold on a minute. I just heard something that I can’t let slide.”

She looked back to find that Sain had stepped between them.

“While it’s true my maid is a force to be reckoned with, we couldn’t have made it here with her efforts alone. We owe just as much to Miss Gold’s power. She’s a valuable member of our party right now, and her presence is absolutely indispensable.”

“Sain...”

“Are you saying that Miss Gold is even less competent than me? Do you even know what I scored on the physical and magical assessments? E and F, respectively, thank you very much! And you think she’s worse than me?” Sain spoke with an unbridled confidence clearly unbefitting the words that had passed his lips.

“Well, so much for that. And it started so well, too...” Melia muttered under her breath, punctuating her exhaustion with a shake of her head.

“Whether she’s competent or not is irrelevant; I won’t fault her for who she is. And whether she chooses to follow her talents or her desires is her decision to make. But when her decision has negative consequences on others, then I must intervene.”

“What do you mean?”

“We belong to the Clan of Light, and the Remias are descendents of the Theresia family.”

Sain raised an eyebrow at Alicia, who nodded in response.

“My great uncle—that is, her grandfather—had a child with a darkkind. Though our two families have been separated ever since, we remain bound by blood. When her grandfather diluted his noble lineage through his union with a non-lightkind, he doomed the Remias to their current fate.

“As I understand it, their bloodline is in crisis, and yet she still insists on flaunting her fire magic in the public eye. Fake fire magic though it may be, it looks real enough to the people who see it. And therein lies the problem. She might as well be announcing the decline of her clan.”

Cain paused to let out a pained sigh before continuing.

“Fortunately, you’re recognized as lightkind in the official records. You’re notorious enough already, so for the sake of restoring our clan, would you please stop drawing more attention to yourself? No one asked you to be here, and your efforts aren’t doing anyone any favors.”

Sain took a moment to process what he had just heard. To put it simply: Cain and Alicia were second cousins, with Cain being higher up in the familial pecking order. As her relative, Cain was displeased with the current state of the Remias; they were a branch family, and so their decline reflected poorly on the Theresias as well.

It was true the Remias had at one point mixed a different magical genus into their bloodline, but as long as ensuing spouses were all lightkind, they would eventually restore their status in the clan. Alicia’s fire magic, however, threw a wrench in the works; the more she used fire magic, the more people would assume the Remias had abandoned the clan.

The issue boiled down to a matter of preserving image. From the clan’s perspective, they would much rather have her keep her head down and stay out of sight, all the while making clear she was still lightkind.

Having fully understood what Cain was after, Sain placed his hands on his hips and grinned.

“In that case, the correct choice for Miss Gold is to keep doing what she’s doing. You see, she is here in this labyrinth precisely because she does want to learn how to use light magic. Surely it’s to your benefit to have her using light magic as well? You might think she’s drawing unnecessary attention to herself, but it’s a crucial step in the process.”

“Effort without results is no more than an exercise in futility. If I had a coin for every time I was told, ‘It’s for learning light magic’...”

“Then you’d be rich, and she’d know light magic!” quipped Sain, his grin now stretched from ear to ear. Then, his tone turned serious. “So what if you’ve heard it a million times? As long as she means it, you should keep listening. Do you remember our conversation during the interview? You said you expected great things from me. Well, how about you trust me on this, then? Because it’s going to be pretty great.”

There was an edge to his voice as he turned the president’s previous remark against him.

Emilia’s gaze immediately turned hostile and, without missing a beat, Melia’s hand shot to her dagger. She met Emilia’s glare in kind and the two stood in what seemed to be a standoff, looking as though they were ready to pounce at any minute.

The slightest hint of a frown appeared on Cain’s brow.

“Why do you defend Alicia Remia so fervently? What is she to you?”

“Nah-ah-ah. Now that, my friend, is being gauche. Let’s keep this civilized, shall we? The only question that should matter right now is whether or not you’ll trust me.”

In declining to answer, Sain was sending a message. The implication: Don’t ask why. Just take my word.

Emilia rolled her eyes at what she believed was a facetious response. Cain, however, smiled.

“Fair enough.”

Emilia wheeled around and gaped at him in shock, but he simply continued.

“During the interview, I sensed a faint trace of something in you. A strong power of some sort. Now, however, I sense nothing at all. I pray it wasn’t a figment of my imagination.”

With that, Cain turned on his heel and walked away. Emilia glowered at them, clearly unsatisfied with how their conversation had concluded, before reluctantly leaving as well.

“He sensed something, huh...”

Sain said nothing else as he watched the two council members leave. He had entered his interview with one of his seals damaged, but the overall spell should have been mostly still intact. If that slight chink in his magical armor was enough for Cain to sense a fragment of his power, then the president did indeed live up to his name.

Only after their forms had disappeared did he turn around to see a flustered Alicia.

“U-Um. I, uh...” she stammered, her eyes wandering nervously.

He raised an eyebrow.

“That’s not what I expected.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not acting like your usual self. Did you forget your lines or something? Isn’t this where you get all upset at me and yell something to the effect of, ‘I didn’t need your help, you dummy’?”

His playful teasing coaxed a short burst of laughter from Alicia.

“Geez. If the proficiency assessment had a category for sheer nerve, you’d be an A, hands down.”

“Indeed. It is one of my strong points.”

But the apparent recovery in Alicia’s mood was short-lived, and she soon began brooding again.

“Hey, Sain. Tell me something. Why do you believe in me?”

It was clear their exchange with Cain was still on her mind, so Sain didn’t hesitate in answering:

“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. We’re two of a kind, Miss Gold. I know the strength of your resolve. I can feel it as if it were my own.”

The sight of Sain proudly declaring their likeness drew a weak laugh from her.

“...Haha, thanks. Well, let’s get a move on, then. No point standing around here.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Alicia directed a smile at him. Only after they started walking did she allow it to fade, revealing the anguish underneath.

It appeared Cain and Emilia’s hunting spree had cleared the room of monsters—at least for the time being—allowing them to quickly run through to the other side. As they reached the exit, Sain checked around for danger once more before pressing forward.

Melia’s detection spell had pointed out a new destination, which was now marked on their map. That was their destination.

“Huh... I’ve never been here before,” Alicia remarked as the trio made their way down a rather strange path.

They had discovered a room hidden behind a stairway, inside of which was a hole that dropped them into a large maze. Here they found a narrow crevice at the bottom edge of a wall, which they crawled through to find yet another new area. They ran into monsters more frequently here, which suggested this new area was yet to be touched.

“We’re here.”

Melia made her announcement before what appeared to be a dead end. Her detection spell, however, pointed straight at it. Rather, it pointed through it.

“This is probably where the student card comes in.”

“How do we use it though?”

“Who knows? Probably just wave it or something.”

Alicia pulled out her student card and began tapping it on the floor and against the walls. Eventually, something she did set off a trigger, and the wall in their path started to glow. Sain watched as light slowly soaked through the stone, revealing the contents hidden beyond.

“Bingo.”

A stately white gate stood before them, a beautiful woman bestowing a sword upon a young man carved into the arch. It clearly led to somewhere special.

“Very clever. I didn’t know you were a puzzle person, Miss Gold.”

“Oh, please. I don’t even remember the last time I thought so hard about something... But my dream is riding on this, so I’m pulling out all the stops. No excuses.”

At the end of the day, Alicia was still a student of a renowned academy, and no amount of hate or derision was going to change the fact she deserved her place. Not only did she have plenty of actual battle experience, she also had the critical thinking skills to back it up.

The gate opened on its own, revealing a new path forward.

“All right! No turning back now. I’m going to find that holy sword one way or another. And, once I do, I’m going to tell that stupid president to take his advice and stuff it,” she proclaimed, marching forward with vigorous steps.

Sain and Melia followed after her. But as soon as they passed the threshold, an array of crimson-colored magic circles flew in from beyond the gate.

“Wha—”

The moment they came into contact with Alicia, the circles spread into a ring around her, spilling an odd crimson light from their peripheries.

She froze in shock, staring wide-eyed at the bewildering sight.

“Oh, god— Grab my hand!” Sain yelled, lunging toward her with an outstretched arm.

Sensing the urgency in his voice, she spun around and reached for his hand. Just before their fingers could touch, the magic circles flashed with a blinding light. When Sain opened his eyes, his hand had grasped thin air. Alicia was gone.

“Damn it! They got us!”

He clenched his fist in frustration. They had become separated. Panic began to rise within him. They had run into a forced teleportation trap—a fairly well-known hazard found in labyrinths that was worth being especially careful of. Their momentary lapse of attention had cost them dearly, and, to make matters worse, this was probably more than just a simple trap.

“Master Sain, was that...?”

“Judging by those magic circles... It definitely was.”

“What should we do?”

There was no time to waste. They had to act now. Sain immediately formulated a plan.

“...If I go straight after it, it might just run off. I’ll need to stay put for now.”

“Which means I should be going, then.”

“Sorry to make you do this.”

“It’s no big deal. Plus, I’m worried about Miss Alicia too. I’ll go right now.”

They looked into one another’s eyes in a final show of resolve; so deeply that, in her brown eyes, Sain could make out the gentle blue of his own. A short silence passed between them until, eventually, Sain’s lips moved to speak.

“Godspeed... Melia.”

He had spoken her name.

Immediately, a warm current of power coursed through Melia’s body.

“Much obliged.”

Her voice carried the same lazy drawl, but now her eyes blazed with a brilliant golden light.

+ + +

For a long time, Alicia felt as though she were floating. Various sights flashed past in a nauseating blur of colors. She had no idea how she’d gotten here or where she was going.

Then, all of a sudden, she fell.

Almost instinctively, she aimed a fire spell downward.

“Fan of crimson flame, direct the wind, weather the barrage—Vaan Flargo!”

An explosion filled the air directly beneath her. She crossed her arms and braced for impact as a wall of rising wind slammed into her. Though it slowed her descent, she still hit the ground hard.

“Ow! That hurt... Ugh, I’m still terrible at defensive magic...”

After checking herself over, she was relieved to find that the fall had left her bruised but not crippled. Since she couldn’t use any healing magic, all her limbs being fully functional was definitely good news.

Slowly, she pushed herself up, brushed the sand from her clothes, and looked around.

“What a trip... Where am I, even?”

The last thing she remembered was being captured by the ring of magic circles. She hadn’t tripped or fallen, so it must have been a teleportation trap.

She bit her lip. It was a costly mistake; she’d let her guard down thinking the holy sword was nearby.

“...Well, I have no idea what this place is.”

Having been a student of Jenifa since her junior division years, Alicia knew the Origin Spire like the back of her hand. The place she was in right now, however, was completely new to her, which meant she must still be on the route leading to the holy sword.

This part of the labyrinth was thick with a primeval aura. There were no passageways, let alone rooms or mazes. It was simply one large cavern that seemed to stretch endlessly in one direction.

She produced a flame in her hand to light her way and began to walk, when—

“What the—”

She sensed another presence; a presence that was neither man nor beast.

There was a monster up ahead.

Cautiously, she inched forward, her back pressed against the wall, until she was close enough to see it.

Up ahead was a twisted abomination, its massive form looming ominously over her. It had sharp fangs and claws, wings sprouted from its body, and a tail extended from the back of its beast-like form.

But, in terrifying contrast to its monstrous appearance, the poise with which it stood gave the creature an air of intelligence. It didn’t growl with hunger, nor did it appear to be asleep. It simply stood there like a colossal statue—silent and unmoving, yet ever intimidating.

Alicia carefully observed it with bated breath. This monster was bad news; it was clearly far more dangerous than anything she had encountered before.

The air around it shimmered and blurred, owing to the heat emanating from the cloak of scarlet flames that rose from its body.

“A monster the deep red of blood... It’s the thing Sain warned me about...”

His words surfaced in her mind, telling her to run if she ever saw the monster. She’d wondered why he said that at the time, but, now, the answer was clear to her. This monster was nothing like the others, and it definitely wasn’t one she should dare fight.

Plumes of crimson flames continued to erupt from its body, crackling and hissing in a dire warning to all who would approach. There was no way she could defeat something like this. But—

“Run, huh...? Thing is, there’s only one path, and it leads straight through that thing...”

The route she’d taken to get here hadn’t ever branched, so, if she wanted to leave, she would have to make her way past the monster.

She considered waiting for the help of her friends. With Melia’s skills, they might be able to handle it. But Melia was still unfamiliar with this labyrinth, and it would probably take her some time to find her. There was no guarantee that Alicia could stay safe until then. If there was even a chance that help wouldn’t arrive in time, she should act while she still had the strength to. She’d have to ignore Sain’s warning and fight while she still could.

Her voice echoed in her head. Why? Why now, of all times? The holy sword was right there. I almost had it. But now I’m stuck here. My life is in danger. Why couldn’t everything just wait? Wait until I found the holy sword... If I had just got my hands on it, even a monster like this would be a pushover...

“I’ve come too far... to lose everything now!”

She grit her teeth, steeled her nerves, and leapt toward the monster.

“Orb of fire, purge with raging flames—Flare!”

In head to head combat, she would have no chance. And so Alicia took the initiative, unleashing her spell in a surprise attack; it was a gamble, but one she deemed necessary if she wanted to win.

Hot air converged into a ball of fire before shooting toward the monster like a flaming bullet. She had put as much power as she could into the spell, but held no illusions about defeating her foe. All she needed was an opening.

But the monster didn’t give her one. As the fireball closed in, it suddenly sputtered and died out. Not a single ember managed to make contact.

“But... That’s...”

Silence fell. The monster remained perfectly still, as though nothing had even happened. Without so much as batting an eye, it had crushed Alicia’s opening gambit. She stared at it, speechless, her mind blank.

Then, in one slow movement, the monster opened its mouth, emitting what could only be described as noise. It was both a piercing screech and a rumbling growl.

The dissonant duet of bass and treble flooded the passage and, within moments, black and white circles—voids in the very fabric of space itself—appeared in the air. From them climbed a smorgasbord of monsters. Goblins, hound dogs, and evil eyes, along with many more she couldn’t even begin to name.

“What is this, even...?”

The non-stop medley of unfamiliar monsters, sights, and phenomena assaulted her senses, overwhelming her with fear and confusion. She held up her hand and, as if trying to blow away the swirl of terror, shouted, “Flare!”

A ball of raging fire slammed into the monsters. Against multiple foes, it was usually more effective to use “Velle Flarum” to summon a wave of fire, but she had no one to hold off the monsters and buy her time. She had no choice but to prioritize casting speed over firepower.

“Flare! Flagus! ...Flagus! Flagus! Flagus!”

She threw out spell after spell, but the monsters were now appearing faster than she could destroy them.

Alicia was immediately seized by an intense anxiety. Every new pair of eyes chipped away at her sanity. Each spell she fired took with it a piece of her willpower.

She stopped thinking about getting back alive. Then, she gave up on keeping track of the monsters. Not long after, she stopped taking cover. And, eventually, even the stream of fireballs waned in intensity.

Then, something in her snapped, and she stopped casting spells entirely.

“Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!”

All the while, the blood-red monster never moved. It simply looked at her. Looked down at her. She felt a surge of anger. At the monster... At her luck... But, most of all, at herself, for she would meet her end at the feet of this accursed beast and its derisive gaze.

“Ah—”

Before she knew it, a horde of monsters had amassed before her. The sheer number was ludicrous, taking up so much room that they were piling on top of one another. She felt the countless pairs of eyes fixed on her. They showed no fear. These monsters could read the tide of battle, and they knew which way it flowed.

Alicia froze, her eyes fixed on the looming horror. They edged closer and closer toward her like a slow avalanche of death. She couldn’t look away. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Then, she heard the sound of water.

A ripple passed through her, sending another bouncing back in the opposite direction in the process. The second ripple glided past the monsters and disappeared into the labyrinth walls.

Mere seconds later, there was a resonant shiiiick, followed by the gratifying sound of severed flesh. A corner of the growing mountain of monsters exploded in a cloud of blood that rained back down on the others, covering them in their own gore. With a gap in its foundation, the towering heap lost its balance, collapsing under its own weight, and the metaphorical avalanche melted before her eyes into a mound of crushed carcasses.

Beyond the bloodbath stood the form of a girl she knew well.

“Are you okay?”

The girl spoke in her usual drawl, but, to Alicia, her voice sounded like the very manifestation of valor.

“Yeah... Somehow.”

“I sincerely apologize. I was a little late,” said the black-haired attendant with a characteristic bow.

Her clothes were spotless and her expression relaxed. Everything about her looked normal... aside from one big exception. The Melia that Alicia knew had immaculate brown eyes. For some reason, the eyes of this girl were a brilliant shade of gold.

“Well. So there was one, after all...” she mumbled, her gaze fixed on the blood-red monster Alicia had encountered.

It never so much as raised a finger against Alicia, but as soon as Melia appeared, its fur bristled and its expression grew wary. Melia responded in kind, tightening her grip on her dagger and looking cautiously around at her surroundings.

A form appeared atop the collapsed pile of monsters; one of them had clawed its way out.

Immediately, it pounced at the maid...

“Flagus!”

...But was stopped it in its tracks by a ferocious bolt of fire.

Alicia took her place at Melia’s side.

“I’m glad you came, but do you have a plan to get us out of here?”

“Of course. We beat on them until they let us go.”

“...That’s not what most people would call a ‘plan.’”

“True, but it doesn’t look like we have any other choice. How about we take care of the small fry first?”

“...Sure. But be careful. That weird monster over there has the ability to summon more monsters.”

“Don’t worry. It can only cough up so many; we’ll just wait until it runs out.”

There was a certainty to Melia’s tone that seemed odd to Alicia. Then, she remembered that Sain had known about the blood-red monster. It wasn’t much of a leap to assume his attendant knew as well.

“What is that thing?”

“Ah, well... That’s a little too complicated to explain right now.”

“...All right.”

On the surface, Melia’s face was expressionless as always, but it was possible she was just masking her apprehension. Alicia decided not to pry any further.

“This time, I’m joining in the attack, too. I’ll take on the scary-looking one,” Melia declared.

“Got it. Then I’ll focus on thinning out their numbers.”

“Let’s go.”

Melia closed her eyes and concentrated on her magic.

“Sprites of crystalline veil, roam the endless mist—Londo Mysteria!”

The energies of fire and water mixed to produce steam, and a thick mist enshrouded the monsters. Immediately after, Alicia and Melia dashed apart.

“Orb of fire, purge with raging flames—Flare!”

She took aim at the densest clump of monster forms, and a chorus of pained screeches echoed through the passageway. Melia dashed through the flames with dagger in hand, her uniform fluttering as she danced and twirled through the mist, leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. The sight was striking in both its beauty and terror, as if touched by Death itself.

“Lost souls gathered, scream in fear, die a shapeless death—Death Ripper!”

Melia’s incantation continued. Mist magic born from a combination of fire and water was rare to begin with, and Alicia had only ever heard of “Londo Mysteria.” The spell Melia was currently casting was completely unknown to her. Its effects, however, were immediately apparent.

A flash of cold metal arced through the mist. It passed through monsters effortlessly, cleaving them apart before they could even react. The blade then vanished into the mist, which then itself melted into the air, leaving not even a shadow behind.

Alicia watched the slaughter with a growing sense of puzzlement. What she was witnessing was leagues beyond the capabilities of a student. Why would someone like Melia enroll in the academy? Her status ill fit her talent.

She clutched at her chest.

Melia was so much better. Too much better.

“Watch your six,” said Melia as she engaged another monster.

The warning tore Alicia from her thoughts and she felt a sudden chill at her back. She spun around to find the blood-colored monster baring its fangs at her.

It swiped at her with its claws. Alicia raised her palm, then momentarily paused; they were standing too close to one another for her to retaliate without risking damage from her own spell.

“...Flare!”

Nevertheless, she roared the word. Her instincts screamed that she couldn’t afford to defend herself any other way.

She braced herself as the explosion consumed her, only to then send her flying backward.

“Ugh!”

While airborne, she managed a glance at the monster. Like before, it hadn’t taken a speck of damage. Then, her back made abrupt contact with the wall, knocking the air out of her lungs.

Forcing out a pained groan, Alicia pushed herself to her knees to find Melia by her side.

“Are you okay?”

“Could have given me a hand—ow, god, that hurts—if you saw the thing...”

“Well, as you’ve probably realized, that monster nullifies the vast majority of magic thrown at it, which makes it exceptionally difficult to keep it from moving...” she lamented.

For Alicia, the admission had a quelling effect on her growing sense of envious resentment. It felt as though she had just found the first smear on the image of perfection that was Melia. There were, she thought, some things that even the attendant could not do.

“Melia, how’s your side?” she asked, eyes still fixed on the blood-red monster.

“I’ve cleaned up the mob. All that’s left is this thing.”

Despite saying she’d focus on the colossal beast, Melia had still probably killed many times more monsters than Alicia had. Only now did she realize that Sain had been the placating lubricant in their group. With him gone, the skill gap between her and Melia was painfully obvious.

She swallowed a mouthful of spit and, along with it, the mass of bitter emotions swirling within her. This was neither the time nor place.

“What are we going to do about it?”

“Defeat it, of course.”

“...And how, exactly?”

Melia responded by sheathing her dagger.

“Technically, there is a way for me to kill that thing, but I’ll need a pretty big opening. So, I’d like you, Miss Alicia, to distract it for me.”

“Wait, didn’t you just say it nullifies magic? How am I supposed to distract it, then?”

“It can nullify magic, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely immune. You might not be able to damage it, but you can trip it up. I’ll take a few swipes while I’m charging up as well. Let’s figure out a good rhythm so we can chip away at it together.”

“...Okay, but what are you going to do to actually kill it?”

“Good question. Let’s just say... something like light magic.”

Alicia nodded, then did a double take.

“I don’t have time to go into the details, but that monster can only be hurt by light or dark magic. And I happen to be able to use the kind of light magic that can take it down.”

“Aren’t you fivekind?”

“Like I said, no time for details.”

“No time.” Alicia’s tone grew a little testy. “Okay then.”

Their exchange was cut short as the blood-red monster let loose another roar.

“Well, whenever you’re ready.”

“...Fine.” Alicia stepped forward. “I don’t even care anymore. You want a distraction? Sure! You can have your damn distraction! Hey! You big, ugly beast!” she yelled in a fit of anger and desperation.

She hurled a ball of fire toward the monster. Then, she hurled a few more, never bothering to check whether they even hit their mark. Visual confirmation was unnecessary, after all; she knew she wasn’t strong enough to hurt it.

After her explosive volley of “Flares,” she grit her teeth and dashed closer to the monster. Her survival instinct went into a frenzy, sending waves of panic through her body. But she fought the urge to flee and continued her approach until she was just close enough. Mid-range battles were her forte. Her spells, as expected, sputtered and died out before reaching the monster, but, as she steadily pushed forward, her barrages landed closer and closer.

“Great torrent of fire, turn all into ashen seas—Velle Flaram!”

“Velle Flaram” was a heavyweight spell that drained a great amount of stamina. Immediately, exhaustion set in and the world around Alicia began to spin. The monster, however, appeared completely unfazed.

“Swirling vicissitudes of mist...” Melia’s incantation began. The thick haze in the air began to gather into a spiraling vortex to her side. “Converge into a phantom of destruction, deafen the smoldering battlefield with your roar—Mist Wyrm!”

As the last syllable passed her lips, the misty vortex exploded with the thunderous boom of a cannon, launching itself at the monster like a dreadful leviathan of wind and water. Its sheer force was jaw-dropping, far eclipsing everything in Alicia’s repertoire. It slammed into the monster with a deafening crunch; the resulting shockwave carried through the walls and ground, shaking Alicia to her very core.

Even then, the monster stood its ground.

“Now that’s a tough nut to crack,” Melia muttered with a tsk.

And then the monster took its turn. It growled, a blaze of crimson flaring up all around it. The sight alone sent an intense chill down Alicia’s spine and, almost reflexively, she lunged to the side.

A split second later, a ray of flame bore a hole into the ground where she’d stood.

“What are we supposed to do...?”

Blood-red flames rained down on her from all directions. Some were thin, drawn-out rays, others great circular bolts. Each kind of attack traveled in a unique pattern and fell at a different pace, making it excruciatingly difficult to grasp the correct rhythm for evading them. Every so often, she would find an opening and throw out a “Flagus” of her own, but the effect was entirely negligible.

As she struggled to keep her concentration, Melia’s voice echoed through her mind.

That monster can only be hurt by light or darkness magic.

She stopped. Time seemed to slow down. She glanced down at her hands, which were now bloodied and raw. Deep crimson lines ran across them like some sort of ghastly display of cross-hatching. But, if they could unleash light magic... The momentum would instantly swing in her favor. She would be able to defeat that monster. Without Melia’s help.

The setup was perfect. The hero’s tale had reached its epic climax. Her back was against the wall, and now was the time for a grand miracle. It was do or die; now or never. The dramatic twist; the big reversal.

She felt it—knew it. This was it. The time was right. The stage was set. The moment was hers. She only needed to claim it.

Then, for some reason, she remembered Sain’s words.

Master your fire magic first. Once you do, your talents will truly come to fruition.

They were so vague. So meaningless. And yet, they somehow set her heart aflutter.

“Orb of fire, purge with raging flames—Flare!”

After dodging an oncoming ray, she concentrated what little strength she had left into one final attack. A ball of fire appeared in her palm, the surrounding air wavering as it grew to an enormous size. In one swift move, she shot it toward the monster.

The miniature sun hissed and crackled as it shattered through what looked like pane after pane of invisible glass, losing speed as it went. However, it did not stop. It kept going, and going...

And then, it hit.

Alicia opened her eyes wide. Her heart raced. All of a sudden, everything became clear. She knew how this fight would end. For the first time, the monster howled in pain. Her magic had reached it. Hurt it.

“Yes! Take that, you freak!”

She reveled in her triumph, made all the sweeter by the look of complete disbelief on Melia’s face. The moment was glorious.

“Thank you very much.”

As Alicia continued her small victory dance, Melia reappeared in the mist. The hazy shadow of her figure overlapped with the monster’s. They were back to back. She was close—so dangerously close. Then, she raised her arm high up in the air.

“Siem Saevas, here I bear the attendant’s mark. Second Gift—Holy Sinking Blade!”

There was a blinding flash. Melia’s arm glowed with a golden radiance, illuminating her so clearly that not even the thick mist could shroud her. Pure light gathered along her arm, taking on the shape of a sword.

The sight of the shining blade burned itself into Alicia’s eyes; she couldn’t look away. Then, everything happened in an instant.

Melia spun, her eyes and blade drawing golden trails through the air in poignant juxtaposition with her fluttering black hair. A bright arc shimmered through the blood-red monster, and it was no more.

The terrible creature, nigh-untouchable in its overwhelming power, had been reduced to another carcass on the ground.

“Ah ha... Ah ha ha... What is this... I can’t even...”

Alicia slumped down onto her knees, watching as the other girl pat down her uniform, threw back her silky black hair, and let out a quick, casual breath. There wasn’t the slightest sign of fatigue in the attendant’s expression.

Something dark and viscous began to blister in Alicia’s heart. She had tried so hard, fought with all her strength, but, in the end, it didn’t even matter. She hadn’t even come close. Even in terms of pure firepower, she was no match for Melia. All she did was create a tiny, tiny opening. Melia did the rest. Melia did everything. Melia did everything better.

“...Well, color me surprised. I knew you were strong, but I didn’t expect you to be that strong.”

“No, color me surprised... Never did I imagine you’d be able to land a hit on that thing.”

Alicia felt her eye twitch. Was that a gibe? She laughed it off.

“Hey, how come you’re Sain’s attendant? If you’re that strong, there must be tons of other jobs you can do.”

It was an honest question. She didn’t mean it as a slight against Sain, it just seemed like an objective truth that the two were ridiculously mismatched.

“Ah... that’s because...” Melia trailed off hesitantly, as if the answer was something difficult for her to say.

Alicia cocked an eyebrow curiously. Then, a thought came to her, and her expression darkened.

“Wait... Don’t tell me... Did he—”

“Can you keep a secret?”

Alicia nodded.

“You see, the truth is...”

+ + +

The two girls chatted for some time. Only when their conversation drew to a close did they hear the frantic patter of hurried footsteps.

“S-Sorry! I’m late, but I’m here now!” he shouted anxiously.

Alicia turned to regard the approaching figure, taking in his black hair, blue eyes, and peculiar outfit. It was definitely Sain.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Are you two okay—”

“You sick bastard!”

Sain froze, baffled by what he had just heard.

“How can you blackmail such a sweet young girl into following you around?! You’re the worst!”

“What?! What the flying flecks are you talking about?!”

Alicia pulled Melia into her arms like a mother protecting her child as a bewildered Sain stared at them, speechless at the unexpected turn of events.

+ + +

Sain ran as fast as he could. He knew he was weak. He knew he’d be deadweight. But, nevertheless, he ran alone through the dangerous labyrinth, because he knew his friends were in trouble.

Though he’d sent Melia off in advance, he couldn’t help but worry. What if they needed him? What if there was something he could do? Even if there wasn’t, he had to be there, because that was what it meant to be a friend. True friends stayed at each other’s side no matter the circumstance.

And so, he ran. On and on, he ran. At times, he held his breath and crawled past monsters, desperately hoping they wouldn’t notice him. At other times, he stumbled and struggled through traps, barely making it through them alive. And when he finally arrived—

+ + +

“Do you swear?! Do you swear on your life and honor and everything you’ve ever known and loved... that what she said isn’t true?!” Alicia demanded, leaning forward with wide, hysterical eyes.

“Yes! I told you so many times already!” Sain rebutted, sitting in formal repentance with his legs folded under him.

“...I don’t buy it.”

“What do I have to do to get you to believe me...?”

“Convince me, then. Show some effort.” Her voice was cold and contemptuous, and she glared down at Sain with the utmost disgust.

Sain, for his part, still hadn’t fully understood why any of this was happening, but he had a pretty good hunch. He snuck a glance at the wily trickster he called his attendant. Her eyes had returned to their normal brown color, and her expression was as flat as always.

When she noticed him looking at her, though, she shot him a quick, sly grin and stuck out her tongue before reverting to her usual mask of indifference.

“Hey, eyes on me, buddy!” Alicia snapped, causing him to jump and quickly look back in her direction. She leaned in further, menacing shadows falling across her glowering face. “Hmph! I see you looking at her. Nice try, but Melia’s not going to listen to you anymore, because she’s going to stand up for herself. She’s done with you! Got it, you evil slavedriver of a master?”

“Who are you calling an evil slavedriver, damn it?!”

“I’ll give you one last chance, then. Can you look me in the eye and honestly swear to the gods that you aren’t holding Melia against her will and forcing her to work for you?”

“W-Wait, about that, uh... Can we just, like, not do the god part? I’ll swear to you however many times you want, but—”

“See? Guilty as charged!”

“Noooo! Why?!”

“Why? Why can’t you swear to the gods, then? Is it because, oh, I don’t know, you’re a terrible person who blackmails young, defenseless girls?”

“Auuuugh, no, that’s not true! It’s not, but... Hnnnngh! O-Okay, fine! I’ll do it. I’ll swear to the... the... gods...”

“Come on! I can’t hear you!”

“Ughh... Hnnnngh...”

Sain held his head in his hands, as if undergoing some sort of terrible internal struggle, and let out an anguished wail. Then, in a tone of tragic resolve, he declared, “Fine! I swear to the gods!”

Immediately after, he screamed with even deeper distress.

“Gaaaaaaaah! Shut up! Shut up, goddess! How many times do I have to tell you not to throw a fit in my head?! Get out— Gyeeeeeeeeeh?!”

His shrieks grew higher and higher in pitch.

“Damn it! Cut that out! Stop dancing in joy— What?! We love each other with all our hearts? In your dreams, lady! I swore to the other gods! I didn’t say anything about you—

“Augh, damn it! There you go with the crying again! Ugh, I hate it when you do this! Can you please just act your age? You’re always going way overboard with your obsessive worrying, but as soon as I scold you, even a little, you start bawling your eyes out—

“Uh oh, can you stop crying now? It’s my fault, okay? I’m sorry, so would you please stop crying already?! If you keep crying like this, the angels are going to rip me a new— Gyaaaaaaaah!”

Sain fell to the ground and began writhing in agony. Alicia raised a suspicious eyebrow, but, aside from that, seemed content to leave Sain to his misery.

Eventually, Melia decided to offer him some words of comfort.

“You know, I have a pretty good idea what just happened there, and... Well, I offer my condolences.”

“How about—ugh, my head—an apology, damn it? Whose fault do you think this is?”

In response to his bitter complaint, Melia curled the very corner of her lips to allow just a sliver of her tongue to poke between them. It was, in a way, probably one of Melia’s most impressive feats: Her ability to keep a completely straight face while mocking him at the same time. Only after that did she turn to Alicia.

“Miss Alicia. My sincerest apologies, but what I told you was indeed just a joke.”

“Nobody’s forcing you? Really? Do you mean it?”

“I sure do.”

“...In that case, I guess it’s fine.”

Seeing that he’d finally been absolved of the accusation against him, Sain breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Then, to ensure he never ended up in a situation like this ever again, he turned to Alicia.

“Honestly, it’s simply ludicrous that you even suspected me in the first place. Miss Gold, let me clear this up once and for all. Come. Take a good look at the two of us.”

Alicia looked from him to Melia, and then back again. Her brow furrowed into a perplexed frown.

“Think about it. If one of us has something on the other, who do you think it would be? Between the two of us, do I really look like the one with the leverage?”

“...Good point.”

Sain winced. The speed with which she agreed was surprisingly hurtful. Then, he felt a tug on his coat.

“Master Sain, you have something on me, too, you know? More specifically, you stole something of mine...”

“What? I did? When? Huh...? I don’t remember ever taking anything... What was it?”

Melia held his gaze for a few seconds before letting out a deep sigh.

“Haa... What was it indeed...”

Alicia watched them, shrugged, and said, “Anyway, let’s get out of here first.”

They nodded in agreement, and the three headed toward the exit. Both Sain and Melia had come here without the magic circles, so they had no trouble finding their way back.

After walking for a while, Melia slowed her pace, allowing Alicia to pull ahead, and whispered to Sain.

“Just so you know... I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Sain scratched his head.

“What isn’t?”

“Well... How you’re keeping your power hidden...”

“Hidden? I’m not hiding anything. This is the true me. Everything up until now has just been me taking the goddess’s power for granted.”

“The true Master Sain would have no business being mocked like that...”

“...Are you still hung up on that?”

“Not everyone in this world is okay with hearing bad things said about you, you know? Some people get upset.”

It seemed she was still dwelling on the events of the fiftieth floor, where they’d received a rather rude welcome from some students they didn’t even know. Sain, in particular, had been called a loser, and Melia was having a very hard time letting that go.

“Up until now, I’ve only ever fought using borrowed strength. Their comments reflect the path I took and the choices I made. Grating though it may be, such criticism is well deserved, for neglecting my own training was my failure and mine alone.”

He spoke from his heart, but, still, Melia appeared unconvinced.

“The only thing that’s well deserved here is a good stabbing,” she muttered, crossing her arms with a slight pout.

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I get that you’re stressed out about it, but there’s no cause for violence. It’s not like they were being actively hostile—”

“And the one who deserves it is Master Sain.”

“Wait, me?! I’m the one who’s getting stabbed?!”

“You sure are. Death to all dense masters.”

“Hnngh, I don’t understand. What did I do wrong...?”

Their debate was utterly fruitless, as everything Melia said went straight over Sain’s head. In the end, with her exasperated and him thoroughly bewildered, they dropped the topic. They were, after all, still in the labyrinth; there was no shortage of hazards that vied for their attention.

After another period of walking, Sain broke the silence.

“Oh, I should have said this earlier.”

“Said what?”

Sain regarded the girl who had braved the dangers of the labyrinth in his place to rescue Alicia. There were important words that remained unspoken.

“I’m glad you’re safe.” He looked her in the eyes. “Thank you, Melia.”

“Ah!” There was something oddly sensual about her reaction. It sounded almost like a moan. “Oh, Master Sain, you...”

Realizing she’d stopped walking, Sain did the same and turned around.

“What’s wrong, Melia?”

“Ahh!”

She flinched at the word, and her fists trembled ever so slightly. A rosy tint painted her cheeks.

Sain scratched his head as he looked at her, his face the usual mask of confusion.

“Um, you know... If you could stop calling me by name, I’d really appreciate that...”

Her words finally hit Sain like a hammer to the gut. He wasn’t making advances; his intentions were entirely platonic. He was sure Melia knew that too, but it still made her visibly uncomfortable to hear him say her name.

Regret welled up in his throat, his vision becoming ever so slightly blurred. He quickly dabbed the tears away and, his voice trembling, apologized profusely.

“I-I’m sorry. Of course you hate it when I do that. I’ll be careful from now on. Trust me. Won’t happen again.”

“Oh, um, actually... It’s not that I hate it, but, you know... There’s a time and place for these things, and I’d prefer that you saved it for when it’s just the two of us...”

Melia’s mumblings did not, however, reach the ears of a very dejected Sain.