I just posted another chapter a little while ago!
Lucius drew a breath and began his magic chant.
"──[Return to the heavens, herald the end—to the embodiment of thy will, a voice without form]"
(Just as I suspected──)
And at the very moment Ermes arrived at a certain conviction—
Lucius settled into his stance and declared the magic inscription.
"Bloodline Magic——
Messenger of the Faceless
!"
In an instant, Lucius's figure vanished.
Before Ermes could even register it, Lucius appeared before him with his sword raised high.
(I knew it──!)
But Ermes had read that move, too.
First, he'd already taken a backstep. That reduced the relative speed, allowing him to barely match the timing.
He quickly raised Enhanced universal magic to block the sword flash. At the same time, he threw himself backward with everything he had to dodge the impact. Against a first-time strike, it was an almost perfect response.
──And yet.
"──!"
An extraordinary shock tore through his entire body. Even through a perfect defense, damage that couldn't be ignored was hammered into Ermes.
While retreating and waiting for his body to recover, Ermes began his analysis.
……Lucius's Bloodline Magic was exactly as he had expected.
'
Messenger of the Faceless
'. A Bloodline Magic of physical enhancement—powerful precisely because of its simplicity.
He hadn't perfectly grasped the theory behind Lucius's technique, but he had predicted that this magic would be indispensable for achieving those kinds of movements.
But the magnitude of that enhancement far exceeded what Ermes had anticipated.
He knew because he could reproduce the same magic to a limited degree himself. Drawing this much power from the spell was impossible for Ermes in his current state. It meant Lucius had mastered this magic to a staggering level of proficiency.
"Oh, those last moves—you've got training in hand-to-hand combat as well!"
Lucius closed in for a follow-up attack, admiration ringing in his voice. …There was no more time for further analysis.
"'
Magic Bullet Archer
' —
Attribute Enchantment
:
Windstorm
!"
He couldn't just keep defending. Ermes cast a spell while continuing to retreat.
Wind magic bullets. A spell optimized for speed with priority on suppression fire was unleashed, all of them hurtling toward Lucius at once. But—
"A fine spell. However—you're just a touch too slow!"
So saying, Lucius swung his greatsword. The enormously heavy blade was swept one-handed at an almost absurd speed, and a thunderous roar tore through the air.
The result was — the same as before. Every magic bullet was cleaved through on the spot.
(—He had expected it, but still...)
Ermes confirmed this, and even as he readied his next move, his face twisted.
Looking at it once more, he couldn't make out the specifics, but he had begun to grasp the general nature of it.
First, that technique... it was probably the kind with some sort of trick behind it —
No.
Since that sword showed no signs of being a magical tool, it was most likely purely Lucius's own skill.
But that, in turn, meant — there was simply no effective countermeasure to be found.
"Come now, you're not out of tricks already, are you? Sorry, but I've heard your reputation — don't expect me to let my guard down!"
True to his word, Lucius charged in without slowing down even a fraction.
Ermes continued his analysis even as he braced to meet the assault.
—From there on, it became a one-sided affair.
Lucius pressed the attack relentlessly, and Ermes endured while retreating.
As for Ermes's means of counterattack — it would have to be Bloodline Magic on the run —
"Ha-ha — too sweet!"
"So that's how you come at it — but!"
"I already saw that one before!"
—This was, truly,
nothing worked at all.
Not a thing.
The likely one-of-a-kind ability to "slash through magic." On top of that, his own magic further amplified his already extraordinary physical prowess, combined with godlike skill in wielding a greatsword.
The result of all these factors combined — any magic Ermes employed was cut down the instant it entered his reach. What on earth were you supposed to do against that?
He tried every magic he knew, searching for openings in every possible pattern.
But none were ever found.
"I've seen this one before too... Are you finally running out?"
Time and again, he'd cut through spells without so much as breaking a sweat — and now Lucius posed the question.
In response, Ermes was breathing heavily from the sustained strain of evasion and spellcasting. Compared to Lucius, who had broken only a light sweat, the disparity was obvious.
...What a monster. Rumors hadn't done him justice — he was realizing that firsthand.
But of course. It wasn't in Ermes to simply be beaten.
His desperate retreat had paid off — he'd completed his analysis. And he'd found a breakthrough.
Which meant — the counterattack started now.
"—Hmm?"
Lucius furrowed his brow.
After all, the spell Ermes launched next was —
Magic Bullet Archer.
—the very spell that had proven utterly useless time and time again.
What good would it do now? The possibility existed that he'd embedded something within this bullet — but even so, Lucius could simply cut them all down at once. That was his judgment as he readied his sword. But —
"—!"
Right before —
The magic bullet that should have been hurtling toward Lucius suddenly curved sharply from its descending arc and slammed into the ground.
The magic bullets detonated. Sand and dust billowed upward.
The result — their vision was momentarily blotted out.
"So that's — how it is!"
Even as he fended off Lucius's assault, Ermes began to chant — unleashing the trump card magic he had kept hidden and in reserve until this very moment.
"Formula Replay —
Messenger of the Faceless
"
Technique Composite —
Magic Bullet Archer
"
A fusion of the speed enhancement unique to Ermes's magic bullet body enchantment and his physical reinforcement magic.
Among all the composite Bloodline Magic he commanded, it was the fastest.
The reason Ermes had chosen this was simple.
— Because it was the only magic that could surpass Lucius's speed.
Through his analysis up to this point, he had grasped the full range of enhancement from Lucius's
Messenger of the Faceless
. Though Lucius boasted greater enhancement from individual magic alone, he could not match this speed-specialized composite Bloodline Magic.
And so — this was the moment.
He would steal Lucius's vision with sand and dust, then land a high-speed strike from his blind spot before he could even react.
If he couldn't find an opening, he would simply overpower him with pure speed and crush him.
With that resolve burning within him, he activated his magic. Pouring every last ounce of magic power he could muster in an instant, he pushed himself to maximum speed.
And then — his body became a magic bullet. He sensed Lucius's position through his magic power, threw out several feints, and launched a godspeed charge from outside the line of sight.
Having reached a speed greater than ever before, he was certain that even Lucius would be unable to catch him —
— or so he thought.
"—
Right there.
"
Flawlessly.
Without the slightest error, Lucius swung his sword from amidst the enveloping sand and dust.
As if being drawn in, he knocked Ermes's charge flying.
"Guh—!"
At this point, speed itself turned its fangs against Ermes.
His body was sent careening by a sword swung at relativistic, godlike speed, and the overwhelming impact that tore through him was so severe he couldn't even breathe — he let out a cry of pure agony.
His mind was consumed by nothing but sheer astonishment.
"—That was a magnificent strike."
Lucius, having completed his swing, held his stance.
"But, sorry about that! —Even without my sight, as long as I can see your magic power, I can more or less predict where you'll come from."
In a tone of genuine admiration, he revealed the secret behind his movements.
Indeed — the true nature of his reaction was magic power perception.
Just as Ermes had used magic power to pinpoint Lucius's position, Lucius had done the same. ...The difference was that his perception was far more detailed — he could discern the true nature, speed, and even the target of the magic.
And so, Ermes was driven into the ground. He barely managed to break his fall, but the damage was immense.
Even so, as he forced himself back to his feet, his mind raced.
(...Up to that point, I had read him.)
Ermes had also predicted that Lucius would react to him.
After all, he knew of a person whose magic power perception exceeded his own. Measured against that, it was well within the realm of prediction that his intentions could be read through his magic power.
That was precisely why he should have launched his charge after reaching a speed beyond the threshold—where even if the opponent could react, their body couldn't keep up.
And yet, he had received a flawless counter.
Even that, Ermes had grasped with perfect clarity in that single instant.
(That man, in that moment—
concentrated his magic.
Probably into his upper body, or more specifically, his right arm.)
"
Messenger of the Faceless
"—an application of it.
That magic was normally used to reinforce the entire body without exception. That was its most fundamental purpose, and anything beyond that fell outside the magic's intended design.
But Lucius had overturned that.
The magic that evenly reinforced his entire body. He had—
into his upper body,
concentrated it,
,
the
concentration
of the magic.
As a result, he succeeded in pushing past his limits, achieving movements fast enough to keep up with reactions.
Of course, this was a textbook example of "easier said than done."
In the first place, doing this normally would not only be pointless but counterproductive. If you strengthened your entire body, it might be somewhat manageable — but if only one part of your body became abnormally powerful, there was no way you could move properly. Your balance would be thrown off, and you'd be lucky to perform at your normal level.
And yet, Lucius had pulled it off. Probably through relentless training, a deep understanding of magic, and an innate aptitude for it.
Ermes couldn't do the same… not in his current state.
That meant one thing.
This young man was, in the flesh, the very theory that Ermes had once conceived and Rose had spoken of.
He was none other than a person who had reached the pinnacle Ermes could not — someone who had *mastered a single spell*.
(…So there really was… someone like this?)
As Ermes rose to his feet, clutching his shoulder, a certain sense of awe stirring within him, the dust cleared. Standing before him was—
"—Once again, truly magnificent."
Lucius, a thin line of blood trickling down from his forehead.
"Wha—!?"
"Lord Lucius is bleeding!?"
The soldiers of the Northern Alliance burst into commotion. It seemed that the mere fact of him sustaining a wound was something they found unbelievable.
Ignoring the clamor, Lucius opened his mouth.
"Your spell was deflected. But in the instant my blade made contact, I realized it would be deflected and twisted my body — which would be astonishing enough on its own, yet you still aimed for my head!"
Ermes explained what he had done in that split second.
...That said, the wound he inflicted was merely a graze. Even as Ermes reflected on this, Lucius did not let his tone of admiration waver.
"And those eyes—even after being pushed this far, your fighting spirit hasn't diminished in the least!
Truly remarkable—and precisely because of that, what a waste."
For the first time, he lowered his gaze with something almost inexplicable.
"—And yet you possess that much power. Why do you defy the Star God? You must have undergone considerable training to reach that level. In that process, you would have touched upon the divine majesty as well."
"...?"
This time, it was Ermes who felt a sense of unease.
How to put it—he couldn't quite put it into words...
It wasn't like him.
That was the feeling he got.
Granted, it might seem strange to make such a judgment about someone he'd only met a few minutes ago, but he felt he'd gotten a reasonable sense of Lucius's character through this fight.
And compared to that impression—those words just now felt unnatural.
First, the content itself was off. Did he know something that Ermes didn't?
As Ermes analyzed those words, Lucius opened his mouth to speak again—but then.
"I had hoped to exchange the fruits of our training before this was settled—but it seems that won't be possible."
The situation had shifted. —For the worse.
Behind Lucius, from the other side, came the sound of a multitude of footsteps. Their identity needed no inquiry.
"Your tenacity is commendable. But I have been given strict orders to secure this position."
Reinforcements from the Northern Alliance.
Based on the scale of the footsteps, their number was in the hundreds, easily. It was a force so vast that even if Katia and the others arrived to reinforce them, it was questionable whether they could stand against it.
The soldiers lined up behind Ermes let out sounds of despair.
"Allow me to ask, young hero. What is your name?"
"...Ermes. It is Ermes."
Lucius's question followed on the heels of that. Ermes knew this was no time for such formalities, yet he felt an almost irresistible pressure and answered honestly.
And, at the same moment,
—a familiar magic power was approaching rapidly from the opposite side. From the enemy.
The instant he grasped its identity... he felt a sense of understanding in a certain way.
"Then, let me properly introduce myself as well! My name is Lucius—"
Because they had far too many things in common.
A certain straightforwardness in their personality and bearing, their fighting style and movements—and, above all, the weapons they wielded.
Add to that the fact they were from the Northern Alliance, and even if hazy, a premonition would likely stir.
"Lucius von
Frodaite.
As the eldest son of Viscount Frodaite, a family of the Alliance, I serve as the Commander-General of the Alliance Knights."
And then, finally.
From the crowd behind him, the owner of that familiar magic power—a beautiful, silver-haired girl—burst forth.
"And listen well, you northern heretics! All those who defy the words of the Star God and continue to uphold this false order, this Northern Alliance Knight Order and—"
Lucius's voice rang out, seeming to address even the soldiers at Ermes's back. The girl took her place beside him.
"Know that we, the 'Frodaite Siblings,' shall never let you escape!"
Nina von Frodait.
A friend from Ermes's academy — and someone revealed to be a spy for the enemy during the academy incident.
That girl now stood at the side of her own stepbrother — Ermes's enemy — Lucius von Frodait.
With her lovely features and eyes of gold brimming with an unreadable emotion, she fixed her gaze upon Ermes.
"Come to think of it... you did say your brother was here, didn't you? When we first met."
As Ermes murmured softly, footsteps sounded from behind as well.
It seemed Katya and the others had finally descended the mountain and caught up.
...And so, before long — by what twist of fate, who could say —
they who had once exchanged words at the academy and bore all manner of entanglements —
would find themselves gathered in one place sooner than anyone had anticipated.
So, new character! Nina's big brother — Lucius!
He's super strong. Definitely stronger than Ermes at this point, no question.
I plan to flesh out his connections during the Northern Rebellion arc as well. Including the reunion with Nina, I'll be driving the story forward in a big way. I hope you'll look forward to it!