by Terasu Senoo
“Then what can we do?”
“I don’t know. We were so close...” Claus let out a bitter groan.
Erika shared his exact sentiment. After coming so far, being cornered like this is just cruel. She contemplated whether they had another means of escape, but she ultimately drew a blank.
“Anne, Erika! Its charge is dangerous! Split up and find cover!”
Claus scattered all of his remaining spell cards, deploying his protective circle at maximum output. He raced straight toward the monster without a moment of hesitation. Erika and Anne went separate directions, as instructed, each finding their own thick pillar to hide behind.
But the air froze over as Claus was sent flying by a single blow from the monster. Its forelimbs were thicker, longer, and more sinister-looking than the last time Erika had seen them. Evidently, it had transformed again.
“I’ve grown tired of playing with children. Now, how should I kill you? Any ideas, daughter of vultures? Oh, I’ve got it. Aurelian, I’ll start by killing the other two right in front of your eyes. A special gift just for you.” The Zaratan’s voice was filled with glee.
“What?!”
“Bwahahaha, how wonderful. Your pain is my blessing! Now, may your soul taste the darkest depths of loneliness and despair! You shall offer your soul and sweet flesh to me!”
The beast chirped, all at once laughing with joy, singing a song, and raising a scream.
“I’ll start with the smallest, most powerless, yet strongest one among you. The one who inflicted the greatest wound upon me. I’ll snuff out your hope!”
With only two swings of its weighty forelimbs, the Zaratan pulverized the pillar Anne was hiding behind. Though she cowered in fear, Anne diligently kept the tip of her staff trained on the beast. Little Anne, the youngest among them, was determined not to give up.
“Come at me, monster! The one you’re really afraid of is me, not Anne! If you want to kill my sister, you’ll have to go through me first!”
Claus wavered on his feet, covered in wounds. His attempt at intimidation was accompanied by a blast from his spell cards, but the Zaratan ignored him entirely.
“Mwahahaha! I can sense it, little girl! I smell your strong and noble soul! Indeed, you shall be second only to the Aurelian in flavor.”
The airspace around the Zaratan’s body bent and warped.
“Stop!” Claus’ rending cry pulled at Erika’s heart.
Several sinister black shadows emerged from the areas warped by spatial magic. The monster was about to release the magic stored in its body, and if that wasn’t bad enough, the spell it had chosen was Death. If Anne, the smallest among them, were to take it on, there was no doubt she would die.
Was Anne unable to escape her fated death? Erika’s mind replayed the memories of the brief time she had spent with Anne thus far. The tips of her fingers nudged a certain wand out of its holster.
Not a chance! No way I’ll let that happen! The world’s already unreasonable enough! Why should I let such a small child die before everyone else?
Just as the black hands were reaching out to take young Anne, Erika swung the Castling wand without thinking of the consequences.
4
The Castling spell succeeded. Erika was moved to Anne’s position, and Anne was deposited at Erika’s former location. The circles deployed at their feet had swapped them in the blink of an eye.
As Erika looked up, she saw the Zaratan, a beast hellbent on revenge, towering before her. Countless black hands were stretching toward her, like the grotesque petals of a sinister flower.
This spell had been absorbed from the Death wand, then amplified by the power of the philosopher’s stone. It was now a hex of instant death.
The arms had already surrounded her, leaving not a gap between them. Every one of them was locked on, ready to take hold. It was too late to avoid them, too late to do anything at all.
In the corner of her eye, she could see Claus and Anne watching over her with looks of anguish on their faces. But the Zaratan’s grudges were directed solely at the Seafaring Tribe and their descendant, Erika. The Hafan siblings were unrelated to its revenge.
Run away. Please, you have to get out safely!
Instead of resisting, Erika prayed. The reapers’ hands gently stroked her without causing her pain or torment. She closed her eyes and accepted the death they would bring.
Having lost all its strength, Erika’s petite body slowly fell forward. Her mind was filled not with hatred or regret but with thoughts of her family in this world.
Eduard, Father, forgive me for leaving before you. Thank you for always being so kind to me. I’ll be joining Mother now.
Thinking back on it, Erika felt that her mere eight years of life had been very fulfilling. She felt grateful to have been able to live without a care in the world; it was something she never could’ve pulled off in her past life.
If she were to be reborn again, she wanted to be a blade of grass swaying in a pasture or an emperor penguin. But as such carefree thoughts floated through her mind, Erika realized something was off.
Huh? Am I not dead yet?
Unlike the merciful curse the trapped chest had placed on her, Death magic was meant to promptly bring about her demise. It would have made sense if she’d lost consciousness ages ago. What’s more, it was around the right time for her body to hit the floor, but she was still in the air.
Knowing something must have gone awry, Erika cautiously opened her eyes.
The first things she saw were her trademark blonde ringlets. Far from the pretty, maintained curls she was used to, they were in considerable disarray from intense movement. She could clearly make out the difference. At the moment, her hair was poised like it was blowing in the wind, yet it was frozen in place.
No, it wasn’t only her hair; the blue ribbon she had bound it with was also suspended in the air. So, too, was the Castling wand that had left her hand, the kicked-up dust, the falling debris of the pillar the Zaratan had destroyed, and even the Zaratan itself.
Is this where my life is supposed to flash before my eyes...?
But it wasn’t as if everything had frozen. Only a four- or five-meter radius was locked in place. This couldn’t possibly be the world slowing down in her last few seconds of life.
An innumerable amount of small objects circled the suspended space at breakneck speed, letting off a silver glimmer as they flew.
Are those spell cards?
The cards flew wildly to and fro, deploying a silver magic circle. The barrier they formed seemed to slow the flow of time.
But... that’s strange.
Erika couldn’t follow. Just like spatial magic, time magic was one of the most powerful magics in the world. Neither Claus nor Anne should have been able to use it.
His head hung in despair, Claus slowly trudged forward. He artlessly entered the barrier as if it were the simplest thing in the world. The altered flow of time didn’t seem to affect him.
“L...itt...le... one... Wh...at... di...d... y...ou...”
“Shut up.”
The Zaratan was interrupted by a dark voice, thick with hatred. It was hard to believe that this cold, angry voice had come from a ten-year-old boy.
“How dare you.”
Claus swung his fist, and something collided with the Zaratan. The resulting clank made it sound as if it had been struck by a heavy, metal hammer or a thick, metal plate.
Small cracks spread across the monster’s natural armor where it had taken the blow.
“How dare you.”
The boy swung his fist again. Erika saw it this time: a single spell card flew out from the protective circle he still had deployed. The monster’s shell received a blow to the same spot as before, this time shattering and ejecting the black liquid within. Fragments of scales and drops of liquid were suspended in the air like everything else.
Claus lifted his face. It was a solid, icy mask that bore no expression. His eyes were as blue and clear as a p
erfectly transparent sapphire. A single teardrop spilled down his cheek.
“How dare you,” he repeated again.
Another spell card struck the monster, and a little more of the Zaratan’s body crumbled away. The protective circle had undergone gradual tweaks to be more efficient at defending against the monster. But even if it was effective, it was still just defensive magic. Sending it at an enemy shouldn’t yield any significant damage.
Erika was shocked to realize Claus was attacking with nothing more than pure kinetic energy. He was imbuing the cards with unfathomable levels of acceleration. And within a barrier where time was slowed, the Zaratan had no means to oppose him.
“Do...n’t... tell... me... you... used... ti...me...”
The Zaratan was unable to dodge or defend itself. It could regenerate, or even alter the properties of its armor to resist this new type of attack, but it just wouldn’t happen fast enough. Even if it wanted to absorb the attacks, the disparity between time for its body and mind made such a delicate process impossible.
“How dare you.”
Each time Claus thrust a spell card at the monster, the Zaratan’s body crumbled, exposing more of the black liquid that constituted its real body.
It was a one-sided assault. The spell cards themselves were nothing more than small scraps of paper, yet they bombarded the monster as though they were lumps of iron.
He swung. It crumbled.
He swung. It crumbled.
He swung. It crumbled.
He swung. It crumbled.
As if he were a machine made solely for that purpose, Claus kept hammering the Zaratan with his rage in silence.
It wasn’t long before all his spell cards were out in the air. Claus lifted up his staff and took an offensive stance. Another tear fell from his clear blue eyes.
Erika felt that tear was terribly beautiful.
“How dare you... How dare you kill... my friend...”
He struck the bottom of his staff against the stone floor. Taking that as their signal, the countless cards that had once formed his protective circle flew at the Zaratan all at once.
Claus’ magic was like a silver tornado. Contrary to its beauty, the gale annihilated anything it came into contact with. The Zaratan’s limbs were already tattered, and now it was dismantled to such a degree that not a vestige remained of its initial form. Soon, it was nothing more than suspended black liquid surrounded by spell cards.
“I’ll never forgive you.”
The encirclement of spell cards slowly contracted, letting off a prismatic array as they compressed the Zaratan within.
“Roooaaaaar...! W...hy... you... Le...t... go... I... still...!” Zaratan’s final cry reverberated throughout the room. It was not expressing resentment toward Erika or Claus; it was simply a cry of anguish. A deep portion of Erika’s heart resonated and shook with the monster’s scream.
Ultimately, the ball of spell cards sealing the Zaratan shrank down to the size of a tennis ball. A little late, Erika realized Claus had used not only time magic but also spatial magic.
Hafan magic was hindered by an immature body and an unstable mind. However, strong emotions could amplify a spell’s strength enough to overturn any disadvantage.
Erika felt a tiny swell of happiness. She never could’ve imagined Claus would be this angry over her death.
Claus took out an empty bottle and began chanting a spell in a singsong voice. What remained of the ancient monster was sucked into the small vial, spell cards and all. Now this lonely beast would slumber once more.
The spell he sang sounded somewhat like an elegy to Erika.
“Erika, I... You were...”
Once he had finished the sealing spell, Claus powerlessly crumpled down on the spot. Concurrently, the frozen time snapped back into motion.
Erika fell onto the floor, which was covered in rubble. Her delicate back smacked into a rather large fragment.
“That smaaaarts!” Erika yelped without romance or fanfare as she writhed around in desperate search of flat ground.
Claus’ body twitched, and he trembled as he slowly turned toward her.
“Huh?” His eyes opened wide when he saw Erika’s unsightly display of agony.
Noticing Claus’ stare, Erika picked herself up. Along the way, she smiled as wide as she could to inform him that she was perfectly fine.
Color and expression slowly returned to Claus’ face.
Huh... He looks pretty surprised.
The emotions she could read on his face went round and round like the patterns of a turning kaleidoscope—anger, joy, embarrassment, suppressed tears of relief. After he wiped at his face, something seemed to dawn on him, and his brow furrowed.
No, that’s not it. He’s angry, I knew it. He’s really, really angry. That’s not good. Where should I run?
Just as Erika was about to retreat, Anne raced over and embraced her.
“Erika! I’m glad you’re alright!”
“Yes, I’m fine now.”
Anne’s face was frigid from her extreme anxiety. Erika patted her on the back as gently as she could. Though Claus was still scowling, it seemed he had lost the better—and more colorful—part of his vocabulary in front of his sister.
Can I play it off? Erika wondered. But unfortunately, Anne abruptly returned to her senses and backed off with a bashful look.
Ahh, wait, Anne, stay a bit! Please, protect me from your brother!
Erika barely kept the words from spilling out of her mouth.
“You... Why did you do something so dangerous?”
“I don’t really know. I wonder why.”
When Erika played dumb with an innocent look on her face, Claus went scarlet.
“If you’re alive, then say something! You caused me to misunderstand, did you not?!”
“Even if she wanted to speak, Erika was in your delay barrier, wasn’t she?”
“Ngh...!”
Anne’s comment had him at a loss for words.
“Hey, I’m alive and well, so could you be a little happier?” Erika timidly pointed out.
Claus clenched his shaking fists with a sulky look on his face. Unlike a moment ago, his appearance befitted his age perfectly and came with its share of cuteness. The sight of him caused just a smidgen of mischief to bud in Erika’s heart.
“What’s that?! Why, Claus, I’d like to think not, but...”
“Wh-What is it?”
“Do you really want me dead that badly?”
“Oh... Brother, you’re the worst...” Anne played along with Erika’s theatrics.
“Wrong! Of course I don’t!” Claus refuted, turning redder by the minute. He was responding with such earnestness, Erika immediately regretted teasing him. Only now did it occur to her that she’d done it because she was too embarrassed to properly thank him.
It wouldn’t get across if she didn’t say it outright, so she had to be clear.
“Claus.”
“What is it this time?!”
“Thank you for saving me.”
“Oh, uh, right.”
“Also, thanks for getting angry for my sake, as a friend.”
Erika imparted her heartfelt gratitude. Claus averted his eyes from her in bashful irritation.
“Well, so be it. As long as you’re safe, then all is well. I, you see, Erika, I—”
“Aha!” Erika suddenly shouted while Claus grappled to find the right words.
“What is it?” he asked.
“What’s wrong, Erika?” added Anne.
“Could it be that the Death spell lost out against my brother’s merciful death curse?”
That must’ve been why she hadn’t died instantly. The curse of merciful death had already fated her to die in a few hours. This contradicted the instant death that the Death spell would’ve brought upon her.
As a result of these two contrary fates colliding, the more-powerful merciful death must have triumphed.
Fortune and misfortune are intertwined�
��or perhaps, inscrutable are the ways of heaven. Nice going, Eduard.
Erika was genuinely impressed. Not just anyone could make such a powerful death trap. She worried whether or not anyone aside from Eduard would be able to dispel this fearsome curse, but mulling it over down here wouldn’t amount to anything.
“Yeah, that’s all I can think of. I noticed the conflict the moment I realized you were alive.”
“You’re pretty smart, Claus. I only realized it just now.”
“Then... that wasn’t your plan when you used Castling?”
“No, not at all. It completely slipped my mind.”
“You did that with the intention of throwing your life away?”
“Yes. I was going with the flow, I suppose, and carelessly went and did it.” Erika’s tone was indifferent, as if it were someone else’s business.
That’s just about what you should expect from someone as shallow as me. She chuckled to herself.
“Don’t throw your life away on the spot like that! Oh, you won’t hear the end of this! Not from me!”
“But you’re the one who kept putting your life on the line to protect us,” Erika said with all seriousness, looking straight at Claus.
“Erk! Y-You have a point... But still, I can’t believe you!”
“Claus! I’ll never forgive you if you keep saying such rude things to Erika!” Anne cried, and the two of them immediately got into a sibling quarrel.
Erika smoothly and quietly made her escape so as not to instigate them any further.
These two actually get along pretty well, she thought as she enjoyed their exchange from afar.
☆
Erika, Claus, and Anne escaped the Seafarer’s Ruins in one piece. All it took was some earnest swings of the Levitate wand while the Wall-Phase scroll was active.
They were back in the Spring Palace before midnight. Erika estimated it had been roughly four hours since they had first entered the ruins. It had felt like much, much longer.
To Erika, these were the longest, most drawn-out four hours she had ever experienced, past life included.
Claus dispelled his phantasmal maze, allowing Erika to go to her father. She deliberated a bit, wondering how honest she should be, and ended up telling him only that she had fallen for a trapped storage chest set by Eduard in the Seafarer’s Ruins.
