Magic Genius, Part 2
"What... are you?"
An 'angel.'
With a look of disbelief on her face, she addressed Laplace.
Even she could tell — something was terribly wrong with the situation.
Laplace simply extended his hand, slow and unhurried.
"......'
Wicked God's Bonfire Veil
'"
He declared fearlessly.
"——'
□□□□□
'
Reject it."
'————'
Everyone present.
Every human's thoughts went blank, all at once.
In that instant, a devastating effect took hold.
"Wha—!?"
With a surge of magic power so intense it made the very space tremble, the "Angel" let out a cry of anguish.
Judging from the scene, it was clear that what Laplace had predicted was indeed coming to pass.
"Heh, easier than I expected!"
As if to prove the point, Laplace laughed.
"Simple! If that Fourth Genesis Magic is the root cause of our disadvantage, if it's what's been restricting our magic—
──
then all we have to do
is disrupt the magic itself!
Once you know the trick, it's easy! What kind of world-creating magic is that, anyway — nothing more than a slightly fancy jamming device!"
"Nngh — disrupt the Genesis Magic, you say—!"
That much, at least, was as the "Angel" had said.
Ermes knew this well, having just attempted the same thing from a similar angle. Because it was divine magic, it boasted formidable resistance to outside magical interference.
What Laplace had just proposed was pure armchair theory — something that should have been impossible.
What made it possible was the unfathomable level of magic output Laplace now wielded.
Just moments ago, Laplace's magic hadn't possessed anything close to this kind of power.
What on earth had happened — just as that question crystallized in Ermes' mind, the "Angel" raised the same alarm.
"What — what are you?! Such magic output from a mere human! Your magic didn't have anywhere near this kind of force just moments ago! What did you do?!"
"Heh, don't you know, Angel? There's only one reason a human's magic — their Bloodline Magic — would suddenly power up like this!"
Laplace, true to his word, delivered the simple reveal.
"— 'Resolve.'"
That was the verdict, delivered without hesitation.
"It's simple — you pissed me off! You've sent me to the absolute peak of my entire life!
The crystallization of our feelings! The embodiment of our desperate wish! Not some equal who fights us on even ground, not some fool who charges in head-on to protect someone — but some nobody who shows up out of nowhere, looks down on us, decides to play savior on his own, and pretends none of it ever happened?! Nobody invited that sort of help!
"!"
"That's why I'll stop you even if it kills me! When I wished for that, my magic went perfectly! It's a simple story — how can someone who calls herself an angel not get that?!"
"Th-that's absurd—!"
Even Ermes couldn't believe it.
If what Laplace said was true, then his current state was simply magic amplified by the discovery of his own sincere feelings and wishes. Nothing more than that.
In other words — until now, he had been...
—
Without a single unwavering
wish from the heart
,
was he really
that strong
?
He retracted the evaluation he had just formed of him.
Laplace was no mere equal to Ermes in talent.
He far surpassed even Ermes. Without question, he was the greatest magical genius in the kingdom's history.
And so he — the awakened Laplace — pressed on, buoyed by the elation of having found himself.
"I can't just let that go, can I?! Our fight—it's only we who have the right to decide how it goes! Angel or whatever, outsiders don't get to stick their noses in and mess with it! Wins, losses, good, evil—all of it! We clash, and we decide!"
"A—ah..."
"No matter the circumstances, you don't just get to shove your hands in and tinker as you please! What angel are you,
when God
threw you away?
You couldn't even stand on the same level as God, so you came crashing into the realm of lesser beings, trying to dominate with your overpowered nonsense?! It's just like an adult barging into a children's playground—aren't you ashamed, you moron?!"
"Y-you, Sama—!!"
The first half of those words resonated with Ermes.
And the second half's provocation finally made the 'Angel' throw away all prior composure and erupt in fury.
"You are not fit for the good nation that lies ahead! Disappear!!"
"Guh—!"
With that momentum, a palm strike landed. A tremendous shockwave erupted, and Laplace's body was thrown backward by the direct hit.
However, right after—Laplace recovered his posture, and despite spitting blood from his mouth, he showed a fierce grin.
"—
Your control slipped, didn't it?
"
"! Oh no—"
The very moment those words were spoken.
The pulse of space grew noticeably stronger, and the unpleasant sensation that had been dominating the space until now vanished. At the instant he grasped what this meant, Laplace's voice followed immediately.
"Now! The Fourth Genesis Magic has stopped working! Press the attack all at once!"
The instant those words were spoken, the three of them sprang into action.
"Formula Replay —
Fire Heaven Judgment
!"
"Seamless —
Great Eagle —
[Invisible —
Giant]
!"
"Messenger of —
the Faceless!
Haaaah—!"
Ermes, Rose, and Lucius.
Fire magic, downward pressure from limited release, and a godspeed sword forged by concentrating enhancement magic at a single point. They unleashed a simultaneous barrage with the maximum firepower they had never managed before.
"—!"
All three struck true.
At the same time—without a doubt, the sensation of having shaved something away.
"We can do it!"
Rose shouted.
"Keep up that momentum! We definitely shaved away some of his magic power just now! Keep it up!"
There was no doubt — this was the one and only opening, the greatest chance they would get.
Having confirmed it, they staked everything on this moment. All of them resumed their assault simultaneously.
The Angel was no slouch either.
Battered by the onslaught from Rose, Ermes, and Lucius, steadily losing the power needed for its manifestation, it still managed to organize a counterattack.
Its target went without saying —
"Give it back! My Genesis Magic — !"
Laplace — the single greatest factor creating this situation. Pouring every ounce of power beyond mortal comprehension into the struggle, they fought to reclaim control of the Fourth Genesis Magic, which had been rejected and neutralized.
"Ngh — gaaah — !!"
— But they couldn't break through.
No matter how hard they pulled, some force from elsewhere would always exceed it by just enough to maintain a stalemate. They simply could not wrest it back.
Why? There was no way a mere single human could match them evenly. What trick was at work here? — Just as suspicion crossed the Angel's mind, it noticed something.
Something was flowing out of Laplace's body — no, from their soul — and that very thing was becoming an extraordinary force bolstering Laplace's power.
"You — you're converting your own life force into magic power too!?"
Those words made even Ermes, who had been listening, stare in astonishment.
But Laplace didn't let their smile falter.
"So what? I told you — even if it kills me, I'm stopping you! I'm a man who keeps his word, so come on, Angel, hurry it up! If you dawdle, we'll hit the limit!"
A miracle born from the kingdom's greatest genius putting everything on the line — body, soul, and life itself. The unmistakable feat of going toe-to-toe with the Angel single-handedly.
……Ermes had his own thoughts about what Laplace was sacrificing for this.
But he couldn't stop it — he had neither the room nor the right to try. So, with respect for that resolve, that willpower, and that strength, he too focused on what he needed to do.
Continuing the assault on the Angel. Rose and Lucius shared the same determination, driving their maximum firepower into it without hesitation.
«D-Damn—! This—this is impossible!»
The Angel’s voice began to take on a panic it hadn’t shown before.
It didn’t seem like it was skilled at bluffing. Realizing its manifestation limit was truly near, Ermes and the others intensified their assault. Meanwhile, the Angel wailed.
«For this to happen! To be stopped by a mere human child—!»
«Haha! You’ve finally shown your true colors, Angel!»
In response, Laplace’s grin deepened.
«In the end, that’s all you are. No matter what, you’ve always looked down on us! You never saw us as equals, always condescending! That’s why you say things like that, that’s why you get bitten back! I’ll say it plainly—we humans don’t need your kind to call the shots!!»
«Ugh—Aaaaaargh—!!»
The Angel lost even more of its composure under the relentless stream of provocations.
……Ermes couldn’t help but agree with that.
And so, all while pressing his attack on the Angel, he too opened his mouth.
«Yes. I feel the same way.»
«What—!?»
Just as expected, the Angel was particularly sensitive to words directed at it.
«To be honest, there was a time when I unconsciously shared your way of thinking.
But that’s wrong. Good or evil doesn’t matter—those are just human frameworks to begin with. The intent behind one’s actions, whatever it may be, must be treated as equal, must clash on equal terms, and only then can it prevail.»
And ironically, using an expression he seemed to have learned from Laplace.
«Deciding the superiority of one’s intent. Seeing you has made me realize just how foolish that is.
—Thank you for being such a good example of what not to do, Angel.»
«You—damn—!»
Being denied by Ermes as well, their emotions spiral out of control. As a result, their command of magic destabilizes, and much of the power they wield is wasted — which only pushes them closer to their limit.
Unable to break free from that vicious cycle until the end — the moment had finally arrived.
"!!"
At their limit at last. Perhaps realizing this had finally brought them clarity.
The "Angel" poured every last drop of remaining power into a single, explosive release. The sheer force of it drove Ermes and the others back entirely as they lunged at Laplace.
Seeing the shock on Ermes's faces, the "Angel" was certain the surprise attack had landed. As long as they killed Laplace and reclaimed control of the Fourth Genesis Magic, even a sliver of remaining power would suffice.
With that conviction, the "Angel" reached out to turn the tide —
"——'
◻︎◻︎◻︎◻︎◻︎
'"
—— from behind it.
A magical incantation had rung out. A Genesis Magic resonance different from their own.
Caught completely off guard, they stared in disbelief.
Looking past Laplace, they saw a black-haired young man they had never seen before, wearing a fearless grin, reaching out with his hand.
"Chrono von Feibraad...!"
"That's perfect, Boss."
The instant.
Blessed by the Genesis Magic, Laplace's power soared.
He had already been evenly matched with the "Angel" under normal circumstances — with this additional boost, the outcome was plain for all to see.
The power of rejection consumed everything.
It even swallowed the Fourth Genesis Magic that had been locked in a tug of war, and not content with that, it surged forward to deliver a fatal blow to the "Angel" itself.
"Thanks for coming within reach, you know."
The "Angel," who had drawn close enough to kill Laplace, had no way to avoid it.
The palm strike crashed into Laplace's body while at the same time the power of magic blazed up all at once──
"It's over. Go back home, you damn Angel──!!"
The absolute power of rejection.
It consumed everything—every last scrap of the monster's remaining power that had targeted the good kingdom, leaving nothing behind.
The long three chapters have finally reached the climax.
Next time: the showdown with the "Angel," and their final, fierce clash. I'd love it if you'd read it!