The Kingdom of Yustia had developed alongside Bloodline Magic.
It had brought many benefits... but at the same time, a price commensurate with those immense blessings had gnawed away at this country.
The most egregious of these was the corruption of the nobility. The privilege of "gaining tremendous power unconditionally simply by inheriting the right blood, with no effort whatsoever" corrupted people far beyond what its creators had ever imagined. Without exaggeration, this was the greatest factor behind the kingdom's current state.
...But there was one more thing.
He believed there was a fatal flaw even more devastating than the aforementioned corruption of the nobility that Bloodline Magic brought with it.
And that was—
That thoughts themselves become power.
If it were only positive thoughts, that would be fine.
But Bloodline Magic... no, the "magic" of this country, answered to all thoughts. It became a slave to any and every thought.
Even if a thought ran diametrically opposed to the ideals of magic... if it was strong and pure enough, magic would answer to it—or rather, magic itself would be the one twisted out of shape.
On a small scale, Aster—who had fought Katia before—and currently Ortesia's Bloodline Magic both proved this point.
...And in his own case.
The desire to "destroy this country"—an utterly unconscionable thought by any normal standard—
Had become so overwhelmingly powerful.
That he—someone who supposedly had no talent for wielding magic—could unilaterally crush his own daughter, who was far more gifted than he, using the very same Bloodline Magic.
What a cruel irony... Yurugen von Trackia thought to himself as he called out to his daughter, who lay prostrate on the ground.
"There was no disruption at all, was there?"
"..."
"I told you. When using the same Bloodline Magic... especially with this magic, all the more so. When they're identical, compatibility differences cease to exist, and the primary element that constitutes the magic directly translates into a difference in combat strength.
In other words—the one with the stronger will wins."
In the battle between Yurugen and Katia, what happened was simple.
The undead generated by the same branch of magic had clashed head-on... and Yurugen's simply overwhelmed Katia's in a one-sided manner.
"Did you think you could win this time? That eliminating your hesitation would let your will surpass mine? Or did you come here believing some nonsense like 'the righteous will always triumph'?"
Yurugen spoke with a mixture of emptiness, resignation, and a faint trace of doubt.
"...Seriously, why did you come here alone—and fight me head-on?"
"...Because I needed to know, Father."
There was an answer.
Before Yurugen's widened eyes, Katia rose to her feet.
...Of course, she wasn't unscathed. Even with her defense-oriented undead, they couldn't contain Yurugen's overwhelmingly destructive undead, and she had sustained significant damage across her body.
But the light dwelling in her eyes had not faded.
Holding fast to that resolve, Katia continued.
"What you say is not wrong, Father. ...Whether my will truly cannot match your desire for my ruin—I needed to confirm that firsthand."
And the conclusion was—just as she went on to say with a bitter expression.
"I've learned that it cannot. The years we've lived are different, the things we've witnessed are different, and with that, the weight and depth of the thoughts each of us has forged are different. I've lived barely half as long as you, Father—it was never something I could reach."
"..."
"In that regard, with will alone, I simply cannot overcome you. ...It galls me, but I have to admit it. And yet... on top of that—"
She lifted her face anew. And declared, looking straight ahead.
"—Of course I still have a chance to win."
She returned his earlier words in a voice that would not yield.
"That was precisely what I needed to prepare myself for. If I want to stop you—then I have no choice but to stake everything. I have to use 'this,' knowing the risks, knowing the success rate is low... I have to throw it all on the line. I needed to be certain of that."
Yurugen was perceptive.
And more than that, he was Katia's father. Even through her roundabout words, he surely understood what she meant faster than anyone else could.
"It's simple. I cannot surpass you through will alone.
Then... I have no choice but to surpass you through magic."
But there was no time to stop her.
He immediately prepared an offensive undead, but it was blocked by Katia's defensive undead.
Beyond that—Katia, her face set with resolve, tightly gripped the fabric at her chest.
And then, in words that spoke with unparalleled eloquence of the weight of her resolve, she declared:
"I'm sorry, El. From now on—I'm going to break your rule."
With that, she raised her head. The tremendous light that blazed in her amethyst eyes swelled as she drew her magic power higher.
She drew a breath.
And sang.
"—[Three-pronged moonlight, crossroads of the journey, gather, gather, azure torch— even the present world of salvation shall fall to shadow]"