It looked like they had managed to make it in time, at least for now.
The moment Ermes learned that Karma had appeared nearby and the first prince Herc had moved to intercept, he dashed over at top speed—the fastest among them—and arrived in the nick of time. He managed to join the fight just as Herc was on the verge of being defeated.
Herc, battered and in tatters, was staring at Ermes with an indescribable expression, but frankly, Ermes didn't have the luxury of dealing with him right now.
He had come here for two purposes. One was, of course, to rescue Herc. But there was one more.
—The analysis of Karma. Up until now, Rose and Ermes had discussed and hashed out Karma's abilities, nature, and the hypotheses surrounding them. Since he was here to analyze those very things, Ermes now needed to pour all his concentration into observing Karma.
"Oh my. ...That magic, it's quite nice, isn't it?"
Karma's attention was no longer on Herc at all. As if to say he'd found something far more interesting, he observed the spell from moments ago and—
"—How about this?"
Sure enough, he effortlessly reconstructed a wall of light in his hand.
But this was within expectations.
After all, the Spirit Veil was something Ermes had intended to give away from the start. He already knew that Karma possessed powerful barrier-type magic, so he had used a spell that would be the "least problematic if reproduced" as a kind of sample—bait, if you will. The goal was to observe Karma's characteristics in greater detail and gauge the differences.
Karma turned toward Ermes with a satisfied smile and spoke.
"I knew it—you really are different from other mages. Everyone else, including that prince over there, only ever used a single spell, but you carry so many different ones. And not the boring kind that wouldn't even be worth using, like that prince's. Really impressive ones, lots of them."
"..."
"So come on, show me more. You've definitely got more, right? Why are you holding back?"
"...On the contrary, why would I need to reveal everything in my hand?"
"Huh? But—"
Ermes sensed something strange in the odd exchange and posed the question.
In response, Karma tilted his youthful face with a puzzled look.
"—Isn't that exactly what you exist for?"
He said it in a voice utterly devoid of clouds or doubt.
"............"
"Because it doesn't make sense otherwise. You people have almost no magic power—practically none—and your technique for using magic is worse than a random monster's, yet the spells themselves you wield are incredibly refined."
Those words.
Somewhere, he had heard them before.
"It's such a waste. It's heartbreaking for magic. Frankly, it's deeply unpleasant—if you truly understood the beauty of magic, you'd feel compelled to let all of humanity die off, leaving nothing but magic behind. But you're too foolish to even realize that."
And so— the boy smiled gently, beautifully, like an angel.
"That must be why I exist. To kill every last one of you who defiles beautiful, magnificent magic without even knowing it—and I, who can wield magic better than anyone, will inherit it all. That is the natural order, the right thing to do, and the correct path for us."
Am I saying something wrong? he concluded with a pleasant smile.
...Ermes understood.
This boy was exactly as immature as he appeared. He had been fighting since shortly after birth, learning about the people of this country through that process, killing on instinct, and accumulating knowledge.
And at the end of it all, he had arrived at this conclusion. Because his fundamental nature as a living being was entirely different, correction was no longer possible.
Moreover—he possessed extraordinary power far beyond the norm, enough to make that conclusion a reality as naturally as breathing.
For a moment—a baseless thought with no evidence whatsoever crossed Ermes's mind.
If "magic" itself had a will, could it be that magic's hatred of humanity had produced this very boy? The hypothesis was terrifying enough to make his blood run cold.
...But of course.
He couldn't simply sit back and allow that to happen.
Ermes reaffirmed that the period of seeking something through dialogue had long since passed. He raised his magic power.
"I understand your way of thinking perfectly well. Then let me answer you this—come, take everything you can, if you're able."
"Mm, got it. You're not stupid enough to hold back when you're on the verge of death, are you?"
They exchanged those words. Ermes for analysis, Karma for learning.
Two boys with certain similar traits once again clashed in a fierce battle.