Even after hearing the intelligence that a Phantom was heading toward Yugdra, Citry's reaction was far more muted than Adler had anticipated.
She had been informed plainly that the trail originated from the Dog Chain their own leader had unleashed, yet she acted as though everything were proceeding according to plan.
The Living Mirror continued projecting the image of a bizarre Mage clad in a pitch-black mask, striding through the forest. His pace was no great rush, but he advanced without hesitation in the slightest. Some means of tracking the Dog Chain's trail, no doubt. A few hours would bring him to Yugdra.
The more you looked at it, the more unsettling the Phantom became. Phantoms that closely resembled humans tended to be powerful, but that was not the only factor. The Phantom of the knight who had slain Zork and bisected Yuden had been formidable as well, and yet this Phantom felt somehow different from that one. What the difference was, he could not put into words— but— Citry studied the Phantom's form, adopted a contemplative expression, and nodded.
"I see… So that's the strategy this time. How unexpected… No, I suppose in its own way it's par for the course."
"Citry… you've gotten too used to the Weakling's schemes, you know."
"Well, Kurai-chan did make it all the way here this time…"
Liz shrugged as though it couldn't be helped. Apparently this sort of thing was not unusual.
Surrounded by towering stacks of glass and gemstones and rows of the peculiar apparatus of an Alchemist, Lucia looked upon the Phantom and scowled.
"We still haven't made any progress on our own end either— honestly. And to make matters worse— this is the worst-case scenario. The Spirit accompanying this Phantom is no ordinary thing. Phantom and Spirit together, they are not an opponent one can handle with one hand free."
"Hmm…"
To survive as a Treasure Hunter, the ability to judge the gap in power between oneself and one's opponent was indispensable. Those words carried the implication that without the Spirit, the Phantom alone could be handled with one hand.
Lapis, arms folded as she listened to Lucia, snorted.
"Hmph… Not an easy opponent, but we cannot simply abandon Yugdra and flee."
"…By the way, where did the Weakling run off to?"
"Kurai-san… left this situation to us and went off somewhere with Selen-san. Kurai-san has things she needs to do… probably."
Chrys wore an exasperated expression. Citry had been quietly observing the Phantom's movements for some time, but she gave a small cough, surveyed the area around her, and spoke.
"We will intercept it ourselves. The enemy is a single unit, and we have time to prepare. By the looks of it, it doesn't seem to warrant troubling Kurai-san with it… I think… probably."
"…Well, we can't exactly not intercept it, but do you have some kind of plan?"
If this was an opponent on par with the knight Phantom that had killed Zork, then a head-on collision was far too dangerous. But against a powerful Mage, there were almost no effective measures one could take— unlike against a knight.
Mages were all-powerful. They donned powerful barriers, soared freely through the sky, and manipulated nature itself. Individual variations were enormous, and without prior intelligence on what sort of arts this one specialized in, planning was difficult. Yet there was little time remaining.
At Adler's question, Citry looked momentarily surprised, then quickly settled into a gentle smile.
--- Though there should still have been considerable distance, he could feel the stagnant air washing over them.
Phantoms that had absorbed vast quantities of Mana Material, or monstrous beasts of tremendous power— both wrapped themselves in a correspondingly oppressive atmosphere. This Phantom's body was small in stature, yet the mana sealed within it rivaled that of a dragon.
In the Living Mirror. The masked Mage stood hazily at the entrance to Yugdra. A thin wisp of smoke rose from beneath his feet, and the grass and trees that had been growing near the entrance were withering away.
Beside him drifted a massive black Spirit, floating as though swaying. The Phantom stood motionless for a while, but eventually took a slow step forward.
Yugdra, with its thousands of years of history, was said to be protected by powerful barriers designed to repel outside threats— barriers strong enough to keep even the powerful phantom beasts and monstrous beasts of the surrounding region at bay.
The feet that bore a striking resemblance to a human's crossed the boundary between Yugdra and the outside world, touching the ground. But nothing happened.
Among the Spiritfolk who had been watching the mirror with baited breath alongside Adler, one named Astol widened his eyes.
"The barrier of Yugdra… hasn't activated?"
"Impossible, you know… This is a barrier maintained by the Spiritfolk for thousands of years! Unless they're brute-forcing their way through, slipping past it like this is—"
The Phantom wandered aimlessly through the deserted streets of Yugdra without showing the slightest discomfort. Its attention had already shifted from the 'Dog Chain' it had been chasing to Yugdra itself.
It merely walked, but its ability to wither remained very much intact. Yugdra's buildings were constructed of wood. Given their size, they would not wither and collapse immediately, but there was no time to be leisurely about it.
Yet Citry, who was watching alongside Adler in the mirror, showed no trace of anxiety. She let out a small snort and wore a faintly bewitching smile.
"Of course the barrier of Yugdra wouldn't work on it— that was already accounted for. Because if the barrier stopped it, wouldn't that be terribly boring?"
A remark brimming with confidence. The Phantom reached the central plaza of Yugdra— the open space. At that moment, pillars of light erupted from all four directions.
Zebuldia's foremost Guardian Knights. The barrier magic of Anthem Smart, 'Immovable and Unchanging.' The Phantom froze for an instant at the sudden light. And then a long rod that came hurtling from out of nowhere pierced through the pitch-black Spirit floating above it.
The Spirit's body burst apart like a balloon.
Outside the barrier, the one who had hurled the rod was Liz. For a Thief, the art of throwing daggers was a fundamental skill. This time what she had thrown was not a dagger but a rod of 'Anti-Magic Metallic Steel,' and the thrown rod had unerringly pierced the Spirit's core.
Of course, this alone would not kill a Spirit. It had merely scattered its power.
But it was enough. If even for a single instant its movement could be halted, then what remained was nothing more than a single Phantom of a Mage.
Despite striking the spot she had intended, Liz spoke with a hint of dissatisfaction.
*'Aww, I was hoping for close combat!'* *'Big Sis! Step back a little!'* Tino pulled Liz backward. And then— the image in the mirror turned white.
A tremendous roar originating from far away sent tremors through the air, and the vibrations and wind surged all the way to Adler and the others.
The offensive magic of Lucia Roje, 'Myriad Forms at Will.' Its destructive power was far greater than when they had fought before. As a rule, offensive spells dealing concentrated damage to a single point tended to be more powerful than area-of-effect attacks.
The barrier Anthem had erected this time was not designed to protect the interior from outside attacks. Its purpose was to prevent the destruction from leaking outward.
A barrier meant to contain the Phantom's withering ability and the energy of Lucia Roje's offensive magic within. Even so, some shock still leaked out, but if it ended at this level, it was still preferable.
"We don't need any strategy. Rely too much on strategy and your fundamentals atrophy. Unless Kurai-san decides otherwise, we will fight fair and square from the front. That— is Lucia's opponent."
"Where does 'fair and square' come in?"
Quinto looked on with a deadpan expression at the efficient, waste-free attack that had fully deployed the combat strength on their side.
"Compared to Kurai-san's strategies, you can't even call this a strategy."
The dust settled. What stood there was— a massive crater, and at its center, the figure of the Phantom Mage.
A black dot suddenly appeared directly above the Phantom, swelling rapidly into the form of a black Spirit.
There were small cracks in the Mage's body, but not a single drop of blood was shed. Those cracks too healed in short order.
Uno, who had been watching from beside the mirror, opened her eyes wide.
"This— Mana Material is forming an armor-like coating over its body!"
"Mana Material armor… A technique unique to Phantoms, isn't it."
The attack must not have reached all the way inside. To suffer a surprise assault of that magnitude and sustain only this much damage… So this was what a Level 10 Treasure Hall Phantom was— not to be underestimated in the slightest.
There had not been a single monstrous beast in the 'Thousand Demons Night Parade' that could withstand an attack of that power level. The unexpected durability shown by a Phantom Mage type that should have been frail put Uno on edge as she looked to Citry.
"W-What do we do? It's almost completely unharmed!"
"We keep attacking until it's down, obviously. The attack did get through. Lucia's magic won't be something it can endure again and again."
"…Huh!?"
Without warning, a cold wind blew. The air shimmered, and countless arrows materialized in the sky.
The unhindered casting of magic before a powerful enemy. The countless ice arrows floating in the sky were almost fantastical— a testament to their lethal cold intent.
Outside Anthem's barrier. Lucia swung down the long staff she had been holding.
The ice arrows reflected the sunlight as they rained down upon the Mage. Against the ice arrows launched with such density that there was no room to evade, the Phantom's response— was a counterattack.
The shimmering air. In an instant, ice arrows formed in the surrounding area and met the ice arrows Lucia Roje had unleashed.
Countless arrows collided with arrows, and the ice shattered violently. Adler shuddered involuntarily at the rush of cold air and the deafening roar.
Shimmering fragments fluttered down around the Phantom Mage. Not a single one of Lucia's arrows had reached the Phantom.
Eyes wide, he stared intently at the battle.
"It countered them!? They're— even!?"
To deflect everything by exchanging arrow magic volley for volley, rather than simply blocking with a barrier— that was something that should have been impossible in principle.
Citry, who had been observing alongside, spoke with admiration.
"No… They're not even. To think it would use the same magic as Lucia and surpass her with it—"
"!?"
The arrows raining from the sky stopped. But the Phantom's magic was far from over. The same ice arrows that had been fired were sent hurtling toward Lucia, who was standing outside the barrier, only to be intercepted and dissipated by Anthem's barrier.
It seemed that even in winning the exchange, the gap was not that large.
Lucia stared, momentarily stunned, at the Phantom Mage that had surpassed her with the same magic— then quickly composed herself.
She wore a sour expression and gripped her staff tightly.
*'I see… Interesting. Far more straightforward than what I'm used to, but if that's how it is— it has been a while since I've had the chance to face a superior Mage.'* *'Wait, Lucia.'* Just as she was about to swing her staff down, a voice called out from behind her.
It was the members of 'Star's Holy Thunder'— all except Astol, who had remained behind with Adler as their escort.
They all took positions on either side of Lucia, and their leader, Lapis, arms folded, spoke.
"I have no intention of interfering— but right now, we don't have the luxury of letting you fight that alone. Let us lend a hand."
"…Please, do as you wish."
Lucia raised her staff. The air before her spiraled, and a colossal spear several meters in length took shape.
Since quantity had failed to overwhelm, she would now compete on quality. A simple, clear answer. And this time, she was not alone.
The moment the piercing ice spear materialized, the members of 'Star's Holy Thunder' simultaneously launched their arts.
*'This time, Lucia, I'll accommodate you.'* Five Spiritfolk with an aptitude for magic. Before them, arrows of various colors materialized in an instant.
The art of generating and firing arrows was one of the most fundamental offensive magics, and one that directly reflected the practitioner's mastery.
In numbers, in power. In speed of fire, in accuracy. Not well suited for felling enemies over a wide area, but the 'Magical Arrows' of a high-ranking Mage could rival advanced attack spells in sheer destructive force alone.
Moreover, because multiple Mages were casting simultaneously this time, the Magical Arrows gained diversity as well. Water arrows. Wind arrows, lightning, earth. The absence of Fire arrows was because Spiritfolk were not fond of fire.
And then, without any signal, all of it was unleashed at once.
Lucia's colossal spear was fired with cannon-like velocity, while the Spiritfolk's arrows arced through the air, closing on the Phantom at high speed.
Uno let out a sigh at the 'technique' concealed within the fantastical spectacle.
"Incredible… The magical prowess of the Spiritfolk is well known, but— even with so many casting at once, they're skillfully avoiding mutual interference, steering their arts clear of one another…"
Lucia Roje went without saying, but every one of the other Spiritfolk was unmistakably a first-rate practitioner.
Under normal circumstances, multiple Mages firing offensive magic simultaneously at a single target was inefficient. When their spells collided with each other, the power was drastically diminished. But their arrows curved in arcs rather than flying in straight lines to preserve their power and avoid cancellation.
When targeted by magic of this many different attributes, the kind of cancellation that had occurred before would be nearly impossible.
Lucia, observing the Phantom's movements— watching for the next move of the Mage that had surpassed her magic. Seeing the magic bearing down on it, the Phantom raised its hand once more.
*'—!?'* Lucia's eyes went wide and she drew a sharp breath. A powerful wind roared, and the Phantom's hair whipped violently. And then— directly before it, a colossal ice spear was conjured.
No— that was not all that was created.
Surrounding the Phantom, one after another, Magical Arrows were generated in rapid succession. The same种类 of Magical Arrows that the members of 'Star's Holy Thunder' had produced.
"…Simultaneous activation of multiple magics— impossible… No— was the magical artistry of the past truly that advanced…"
Even Adler, who was no pure Mage, understood this. Deploying multiple types of offensive magic simultaneously was a feat of extreme difficulty. And at that volume, it was likely that no Mage in the modern era could replicate it.
The members of 'Star's Holy Thunder' could be seen standing in stunned silence. Arrows collided with arrows, canceling each other out in flashes of light like fireworks.
Lucia's ice spear and the one the Phantom had created collided head-on, both shattering.
The power was roughly evenly matched, perhaps— but their side had six Mages attacking, including Lucia. And the Phantom, and the Spirit, had not yet gone on the offensive.
Were they gauging the situation, or was there some other reason— silence returned once more.
"…In pure magic, they are clearly superior. But the outcome isn't decided by raw magical power alone. If we incorporate physical attacks, there's still a chance. The Guardian Knight's defensive arts are designed specifically for countering Mages."
There was still a winning chance. Their hand was not limited to Lucia and 'Star's Holy Thunder.' What it came down to was whether the Phantom could match Liz's godlike speed after receiving the anti-magic defensive arts.
Liliz Smart's speed surpassed that of any Thief Adler and the others had encountered to date. That speed was close to a first-sight kill.
Strike during the opening it created to attack. With that 'Anti-Magic Metallic Steel,' even the Spirit should be manageable.
While he was lost in thought, Citry blinked and nodded as though something had clicked.
"Oh… So that's how it is."
"Huh?"
Uno looked at Citry.
The Lucia in the mirror had changed to a sour expression. Frowning, she looked down at her own palm and spoke.
*'…I see… What's needed isn't parallel activation— but standby. Constructing spells sequentially with a standby period before discharge. Yes— with this, even if only in a pseudo manner, different spells can be activated simultaneously. If I'd had just a little more time… I would have realized it on my own…'* A petulant tone. Lucia raised her head and looked at the Phantom. At the same moment, Magical Arrows materialized around her once more. But this time, they were not ice arrows alone.
Water, fire, ice, earth, wind— arrows of every attribute and every color floated into the air one after another. The speed of manifestation was slow, but it was a recreation of what the Phantom had just done.
Surrounded by arrows suspended in the air, 'Myriad Forms at Will' thrust her staff forward and spoke in a cool voice.
*'The contest of power is over. Ten seconds until discharge. That should be enough time to cast some rather large magic. Please defend yourselves.'* "?? Why would she bother warning the enemy—"
At Uno's bewilderment, Citry replied with a look of exasperation.
"…She's not talking to the enemy. She's talking to Lapis and the others."
"Huh?"
The arrows floating around were fired with virtually no time lag.
Countless arrows closed in. The instant the Phantom raised its hand, Lucia raised her voice in a thunderous incantation.
*'Overweight— Gravity Wave World!!'* '—!?' The air groaned. The members of 'Star's Holy Thunder' who had been standing around Lucia threw their eyes wide, cried out in pain, and fell to their knees.
The Phantom's body crumpled to the ground as though crushed from directly above. And into its defenseless back, the arrows Lucia had fired struck true.
--- Water and fire arrows interfered with each other and detonated, turning to steam that blotted out the vision.
Uno let out a voice that hovered between astonishment and admiration.
"Whoa… Was that Gravity Magic? That's rare… But to think she'd drag her own allies into it…"
"Lucia-chan had been researching Gravity Magic on Kurai-san's orders— so it's fine. They won't die, of course. She wouldn't be able to use magic if she was worried about hitting her allies."
Citry's blunt words. When they had first encountered her and she had launched a sudden attack, he had thought this was quite the Party, and apparently that impression had not been mistaken.
The timing of the technique had been perfect. By using Gravity Magic to crush the opponent's resistance, Lucia's offensive magic struck the Phantom without being canceled.
An attack that would have sent any ordinary Phantom flying without question. Yet Lucia's severe expression did not change.
Ignoring her fallen comrades, Lucia stared alone into the steam.
Within the steam that had risen up, a point of black appeared. The black spread across the whole mass in an instant and fell as droplets to the ground.
Emerging from the other side of the steam was the collapsed Phantom, and before it, as though shielding it, the Spirit had stepped forward.
The Phantom's body bore cracks far larger than before. But not a drop of blood flowed, and the cracks too were mending before their eyes.
It seemed that alone had not been enough, but there was no time to dwell on that now.
Black droplets dripped from its body— a melted, molten black sphere with two round eyes that gazed fixedly at Lucia.
What manner of Spirit was this? The black droplets that had fallen to the ground exuded miasma and corrupted the earth in creeping black tendrils. Its round pupils looked innocent enough at first glance, but this Spirit was without question a monster that surpassed even the Phantom Mage.
It appeared that from here on was the real fight.
The cool sweat that now trickled down Lucia's cheek belied the composure she had maintained throughout. She drew a water-filled vial from within her robe and uncorked it. The liquid inside rose into the air, forming a thin ribbon of water that encircled her in a protective ring.
A water Spirit. The command of Spirits was considered the highest art even among a Mage's repertoire.
She still had a trump card hidden away. That was astonishing in itself, but even accounting for it, Lucia was still at a disadvantage. The class of Spirit was simply different.
The members of 'Star's Holy Thunder,' freed from the gravity, rose to their feet and raised their staffs. But even combined, how much of the gap could they close— A desperate situation. Citry, who had been watching the battle's progression, wore a troubled expression.
"Hmm… This is looking a bit unfavorable, isn't it. Lucia-chan will keep fighting even when there's no chance of winning— but I suppose we'll have to use Mires. A higher Spirit for a higher Spirit."
"Mires…? Come to think of it, Lapis mentioned something about that… Yugdra's guardian Spirit, or something?"
"There were circumstances, so we evacuated it, but a small amount should still be usable— the problem is that Mires is inside Mimi-kun, and Selen, who could use it, isn't here…"
"…Let's go check. Living Mirror— show me Selen!"
He had been told Selen had gone out with 'Thousand Transformations'— honestly, the timing could not have been worse. He had been meaning to see the skills of 'Thousand Transformations' for himself, so why was he the one who ended up moving first?
Suppressing his rising discontent, he issued his command to the Living Mirror.
The image in the mirror switched. And when the scene appeared, Adler forgot the situation for a single, stunned moment.
What the mirror showed was Selen, wearing the gaudy patterned shirt that 'Thousand Transformations' had previously worn, being guided through the streets of Yugdra as 'Thousand Transformations' pushed at her back from behind.
Something clearly out of the ordinary was happening, but what surprised Adler most of all was Selen's expression.
It was the complete opposite of the composed, sharp-eyed look he had seen the day before— her eyelids were half-closed, and she wore the drowsiest, most languid expression imaginable. Her steps were unsteady, and she even yawned from time to time.
As far as Adler had observed, Selen was the responsible type among the Spiritfolk. But the Selen before him now bore no trace of who she had been yesterday.
*'This is a problem… You heard that noise, right? Feeling good is fine, but I really need you to keep it together.'* *'It's fine. The world's going to end anyway, and I've never felt this good in my life. Stop bothering me.'* Her voice dripped with utter apathy, and 'Thousand Transformations' let out an exasperated sigh.
*'I'd heard that some people could get wrecked by too much comfort, but when all the burden is lifted at once, this is what happens to the ones with a strong sense of responsibility… Look, there was a sound from that direction, so let's move.'* "T-This man… What does he intend to do in a state like this?"
Those steps were heading straight toward Lucia and the others, where the fierce battle had just begun.