The Fire Magus, Rosemary Purapos the Abyssal Inferno was certain she felt the land crying out. Magi dealt with forces hidden from the naked eye. Detecting this sudden surge didn’t take someone of her caliber; anyone with the slightest magical aptitude would’ve noticed it. It was something far too vast for a human to fully control, even if they happened to be a Level 8 Magus.
“So this is the Relic they said could invite calamities?” Rosemary said with a click of her tongue. “What a mess.”
She got up from the seat she had been quite comfortable in and grabbed her staff. The man in the mask hadn’t been joking, that Relic really was capable of decimating the world. But it just so happened she wasn’t the only skilled Magus here who could see the truth of his words.
The unseen force dug into the earth, causing the ground to tremble. People screamed as the arena began to shake. This wasn’t an earthquake, just as a sign of what was to come.
Rosemary couldn’t see through the clouds of dirt surrounding the ring, but she could tell what had happened. The boy had gone and botched it. He could formulate tactics, but maybe he couldn’t be trusted to do more than that. It seemed he was still just a young man.
Informed by her wealth of experience, Rosemary could discern that the energy coursing through the arena was pure and transparent. It was the same sort of energy that the masked man had channeled when attacking Krahi. It was more than fair to assume that this similarity was why the masked man had chosen this particular Relic. Just like Krahi was enhanced by his staff, the masked man had chosen a tool that he was compatible with.
“The barrier won’t last,” she said. “It wasn’t made with this in mind.”
Gark leaned forward, trying to get a better look. “I can’t see with all this dust. What the hell’s going on in there?!”
Then, another shock wave cleared the floating debris, revealing two silhouettes grabbing the hilt of a sword plunged into the ground. One was undoubtedly the Thousand Tricks, and the other was the man in the mask.
Another wave rocked the arena—small cracks formed in the floor and pillars. Still, Rosemary was confident that the waves were getting weaker. This could only mean one thing—this was her signal.
“Don’t panic!” she shouted at the spectators, who were about to descend into chaos. “The Thousand Tricks is holding it back! He’s giving us a chance to suppress it!”
If unleashed, the terrible might of Key of the Land would no doubt destroy not only Kreat, but perhaps the very empire itself. This wouldn’t be a disaster, it would be an apocalypse. But there was still time. That Relic was too much for a Level 8 to contain for long, but this was the Supreme Warrior Festival; there were hundreds of capable Magi in the vicinity. They couldn’t keep the damage to zero, but they could mitigate it. In fact, that was exactly what the Thousand Tricks was doing.
Those who realized what Rosemary meant quickly got down and pressed their hands to the ground, resisting the destructive power that was rippling beneath them. The Relic probably couldn’t maintain this sort of output for long.
“I’ll start evacuating the others,” Gark said.
“By all means. This is a job for Magi. The gall of that boy, working his elders to the bone.”
Rosemary watched Gark dash off. Protecting people wasn’t something he excelled at, but now wasn’t the time to be particular. The Abyssal Inferno heaved a sigh, then did something she hadn’t done in some time and mustered every bit of mana she could.
***
“Follow the Abyssal Inferno’s example!” Rodrick yelled at his guards. “Do whatever you can to keep the damage to a minimum! There’s no need to protect me, now go!”
It was hard to imagine how things could get much worse. Key of the Land was an energy weapon that, when activated, absorbed energy from nearby ley lines and then unleashed it as a destructive force. Until now, they hadn’t known just how the Relic was used. It appeared that while charging the sword was difficult, activating it was a simple matter.
Rodrick rose from his seat and gripped the railing, leaning over it as he stared intensely at the scene below. The sword shone as the Thousand Tricks and the Fox gripped it. As the emperor of a major nation, Rodrick was never allowed to lose his composure. Thus far, he had never let his emotions get the better of him, even in the most trying moments. But now, for the first time in his life, he felt an unfamiliar burning sensation within his head.
“Curse you. Wretched foxes,” he growled. “Have you no conscience?”
His last bit of rationality unveiled the identity of this feeling—it was rage. Throughout the many clandestine dealings he had gone through, the attempt on his life, even when he learned of the copy of his daughter, he had suppressed this emotion. But this was too much.
Due to the organization’s secretive nature, the empire had never been able to dedicate too many resources to countering Fox. They needed proper justification to make a move like that. Zebrudia may have been an absolute monarchy, but if a group hadn’t caused any apparent damage, then even the emperor couldn’t use his authority to crush them without receiving some backlash.
This, however, was beyond the bounds of forgiveness.
The key glimmered. According to the writings, this meant it was at full power. A Key of the Land running at maximum would use the ley lines to alter the landscape around it. It would crush mountains, drown continents, and more.
The literature from the age of the original item claimed that it had never once been used to its full capacity. However, according to the Vault Investigation Bureau, that era had been swiftly brought to an end by a full-power use of Key of the Land. This implied that nobody had lived to write about the earth-shattering event.
Rodrick hadn’t thought Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox would go this far. They weren’t just willing to bring down a nation, they showed no qualms over altering the face of the planet. They were an enemy to everyone alive. It was just one strike they were trying to make, but it was one that couldn’t be allowed under any circumstances. It took a horrific degree of antipathy to be willing to destroy the world, yourself included.
If he had known they were planning something like this, Rodrick wouldn’t have taken such a reticent approach. Even if it had meant flattening Kreat and being censured by the other nations, he would have used any means to eliminate Fox.
He took a deep breath, quelling the anger ablaze in his mind. Such techniques didn’t aim to erase his rage, rather to transform it into a cold hatred. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the man in the mask, who was holding the handle of the blade. Rodrick clenched his fists, his nails drawing blood. However, the pain, the shaking, the screams, none of it reached him.
“I’ll crush you. I’ll slaughter you, Fox. I’ll check every blade of grass until I’m sure you’re all dead.”
Fox wasn’t the only player willing to be ruthless.
***
In an instant, Caelum Tail’s anger was replaced with bafflement. He barely managed to overcome the initial shock wave, then grabbed the key and channeled mana into it simultaneously. He used his powers to counteract the destructive forces of the Relic in the hope of suppressing it even a little bit.
He was slammed by a vicious shock unlike any other he had experienced. The Thousand Tricks, also gripping the handle, looked up at him, but didn’t appear to be trying to stop the Relic. It must have been a miracle that had allowed him to take that first hit. If he had been knocked back, the land could have been destroyed in the few extra seconds needed to regain lost ground. Such was the speed at which Key of the Land could unleash widespread devastation.
Caelum couldn’t be bothered paying attention to anything else. All he could do was try to suppress the Relic, and glare at the man before him.
“Y-You!” Caelum roared. “What have you—”
“Huh? Have I what?” he replied, wide-eyed, but otherwise calm despite the destructive currents. This was a privilege allowed to whoever used Key of the Land. This man was standing in the eye of the storm.
So this was the Thousand Tricks! A man divorced from all sanity! Caelum wanted to strangle him, but he wasn’t afforded the luxury. If his focus slipped for a moment, he would be knocked away.
The Relic began to shimmer, indicating it was at full power.
“Damn! You!” he said through clenched teeth. Gripping the sword, the energy flowed through his hands into the rest of his body. He felt as though he might be torn into pieces. With his power and mana, sensations like this had once felt like a thing of the past. There was a stabbing pain in his head and his hands burned, but he dedicated his body and spirit to maintaining a hold on the Relic.
This wouldn’t have happened if things had gone according to plan. Fox’s ultimate goal was the destruction of civilization, but that death was built on the premise of rebirth. The calamity threatening them was far greater than what Fox wanted. They had meant to use it as a trump card, one that they couldn’t actually play. Just showing it would have been sufficient to intimidate their foes.
This man couldn’t have been sane if he was willing to use such a weapon. Was he trying to bring about the end of the world?
“I just—I just tried to grovel, that’s all,” he said.
Caelum would be helpless to any attacks, but the Thousand Tricks made no attempts to do so. But it would be silly to assume that this man had activated the Relic simply so he could kill Caelum.
“Grovel?! What are you babbling about?!”
What was he talking about? How could he be so calm after inviting the end of the world? Caelum couldn’t comprehend him. Krahi was strong, but he was nothing more than a man of valor. This man, however, was different.
“B-But I think you share some of the blame,” the Thousand Tricks said. “Look, I don’t have anything against you guys, so come on...”
Why?! Why didn’t he stop the Relic then?! The world very well could have been at stake. If not that, then at least all the nations in the region. The ley lines had altered considerably over time, so it was unclear just how far the damage might extend, but there could potentially be millions of victims, if not more.
Grieving Souls were known for their intensity, but that couldn’t explain this lunacy. This man was a lord among demons, willing to wipe out Fox, his allies, and all of civilization. His simple, empty-headed expression now terrified Caelum.
The Thousand Tricks looked at the sword, his hands, then at Caelum. He looked mildly shocked.
“Sorry about all this,” he said.
***
Grieving Souls had overcome a diverse array of dire situations. Sometimes it was monsters they were up against, other times it was phantoms, sometimes humans, sometimes it was just the very circumstances they found themselves in. Their most important asset through it all was their good judgment.
Once the dust had cleared, Sitri assessed the situation and leaped to her feet. “The Thousand Tricks is keeping the Relic at bay!” she called. “Please, lend him your aid. We’re in great danger! GREAT! DANGER!”
“So get moving!” Liz added in a blaring voice. “We’re not gonna make Krai Baby handle this all by his goddamn self!”
Jolted back to their senses, the Magi of First Steps got to work.
“For heaven’s sake, brother!” a certain Magus grumbled.
A grinding sound emitted from the supposedly sturdy arena. The destructive shock waves pulsed like a heartbeat, as though a great beast was about to awaken. Anyone could tell things weren’t looking good. With the Abyssal Inferno leading the charge, the Magi began to act, but they would have to use every second available to them.
“The Thousand Tricks is holding back Fox!” Sitri yelled, emphasizing each word. Her pink eyes scanned the ring, then settled on the man in the mask and her leader, both of them gripping the sword.
Right before the dust clouds appeared, the one in the mask had been holding the Relic, making it appear he was the one who had activated it. But Sitri could tell that wasn’t the case. Activating such a powerful Relic in front of so many witnesses was too risky, and Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox had no reason to use it here. Furthermore, though it was hard to tell from this distance, Krai seemed to have the better grip on the sword.
Sitri removed every mana potion she had and set them on a chair. Lucia’s hair floated slightly as a result of the immense power she was summoning. Pressing her hands to the ground, a deluge of mana flowed into the ground and fought against the waves of destruction.
This was a race against time and neither side seemed to fully grasp what was happening. The winner would be whoever could dictate which way the current flowed, and Fox couldn’t be allowed to get away with their plans!
“I’m going to distribute these!” Sitri announced.
“Go for it,” the sister replied.
“Oh! I’m coming too!” Luke roared.
“Yeah, Luke, you stay here and stop the destruction,” Liz said, grabbing a hold of Luke. This was a simple matter of allocating roles. Luke could break through near any defense, but he wasn’t of much use in a situation like this (Sitri didn’t think his sword would do much in the face of the pulsing energy).
Lucia, Ansem, and the other Magi in the clan were all doing their best to keep the destruction at bay. If anyone was reaching their limit, Liz would probably just force a mana potion down their throat.
As the ground shook, Sitri turned and ran through the stands, shouting all the while. “This is an emergency, everyone! The Thousand Tricks is keeping Fox at bay! Please assist him or we’ll be in great danger!”
***
On my knees, I listened to the rumbles and screams. I gripped Key of the Land, which was still glowing and exuded a greater power than any weapon Relic I had ever used. Its might was apparent even to my dull senses and was probably obvious to anyone nearby.
I had failed. This was hardly my first mistake, but I had never before activated a Relic this dangerous. Before me, the club president was also gripping the hilt. His mask prevented me from seeing his eyes, but his gritted teeth told me that he was being pushed to his limits.
I took a deep breath and said, “Now, now, let’s calm down. That’s what you do at times like this. First, let’s evaluate the situation.”
I looked up and saw that the whole coliseum was shaking violently. I couldn’t feel it, but I could tell just by looking that it was bad. To top it off, the energy pulsing from Key of the Land didn’t seem to be abating.
What do I do? What would be best? At this rate, something terrible might happen to Kreat. Gosh. This is why I said they shouldn’t give me the Relic.
“Maybe this one will also turn into fried tofu,” I suggested.
The club president groaned and growled.
“Hey, I’m serious here,” I said, clinging to my last bit of hope. “How did you turn that one into fried tofu?”
The club president made a noise that could have come from the depths of hell. I guess he didn’t have it in him to speak.
Hmm.
If they were the same Relic, then this one should’ve also been able to turn into fried tofu. I wanted to remove my hands and try a few things out, but they were being pressed against the Relic. With the club president’s hands over mine, I couldn’t even stand up. Nothing was going my way.
You see this, Your Imperial Majesty? This is what bad luck looks like.
I resisted the urge to cry and made a hesitant suggestion. “I’m really sorry about all this, but could you move? I want to try a few things.”
“What?!”
I had no idea why I was just fine when the club president appeared to be in so much pain. But it didn’t seem like he would get out of the way. However, despite everything, I was a Level 8, which meant I had to do something.
My experience handling Relics was vast. It was the one thing I had over my childhood friends. I was confident there was something I could do to subdue this thing. I chose to believe in myself and have faith in the hours I had spent around Relics. I closed my eyes and concentrated, focusing entirely on the sword.
Then, I felt something warm on my face. My eyes flew open and I saw the club president coughing up blood. There was a smell like rust. Even I could handle an unpleasant scent, but then the spurt became a torrent as blood erupted from his mouth. Still stuck to the Relic, there was nothing I could do to avoid it.
“Ack! Augh!”
“Hm?”
The club president slowly raised his left hand, which hadn’t been gripping the sword, and placed it atop the hilt. It was then that I noticed the glowing lights had a red tint to them and the flow of energy into the ground had grown from earlier.
Hm? No. Wait. I’m trying to restrain it...
I tried subduing the Relic, and the light grew a deeper shade, the vibrations getting stronger. People were tossed around, screams and shouts echoed everywhere.
Oh? Maybe I can’t restrain it...
It was looking like this thing really was unlike any other item I had ever handled before. The club president seemed as though he was about to pass out. He didn’t have it in him to be angry at me, yet he still kept a grip on the Relic. Did he want the sword that badly?
Wait. Maybe it’s his fault I can’t control it?
From the start, he had intended to use Key of the Land. His copy had inexplicably turned into fried tofu, but that was no reason he might not want to use mine. That would certainly explain why I couldn’t stop the flow of energy.
Fortunately, the club president seemed to be approaching his limit. He wanted the sword to be used, I wanted to stop it, and neither of us was likely to get any outside help. I braced myself.
“A competition of raw force, is it? Show me what you’ve got,” I said.
The club president looked bewildered as I began to roar. I gripped the sword with all my might and tried to bring the deluge to a halt. The Relic shone like the sun, the tremors intensified, cracks formed in the ground, the club president coughed up more blood. It was a mural of hell.
The blinding light forced me to clamp my eyes shut. I was out of Safety Rings and was therefore unprotected. All I had was my determination to not lose. If running wasn’t an option, then all I could do was press forward.
The arena was full of my fellow clan members. After learning so much from Matthis and making Tino accompany me on shopping trips, I wouldn’t be able to show my face in front of either of them if I failed to keep this thing under control.
“Quit. It,” I groaned.
“Such force,” he said in a pained voice.
The flow of energy hadn’t abated in the slightest. I had thought it might have hit its crest, but it continued to intensify. I could barely believe one little sword was capable of this. I never would have imagined the Fox Mask Fan Club might contain someone better at controlling Relics than I was. They were truly a group to be reckoned with. I thought I was number one when it came to playing with—I mean, handling Relics—but the world’s a big place, with greater and greater heights.
Again, the club president hacked up blood. I seriously thought he should give up on this and get some help. If I had lost so much blood, I probably would’ve died.
You’re that determined to use it?! Who the heck are you?!
I summoned as much strength as I could. Then there was a noise from where my hands were. I opened my eyes. A brief moment of silence passed, then Key of the Land crumbled into tiny pieces.
***
The end arrived rather abruptly. The world-shattering tremors stopped almost instantly. The arena was in ruins. Cracks ran through the floor and walls. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed. There were piles of rubble everywhere. But Rodrick ignored all that.
“The key shattered! Apprehend that man!” he shouted.
His guards did as they were told and sprinted into the ring. Rodrick hadn’t expected the sword to fall to pieces. Relic weapons had a tendency to be sturdy, and Key of the Land wasn’t supposed to be any exception. It was said that the Relic could deflect blows from greatswords and remain unscratched. If it shattered, then that must have been the trade-off for the relentless power it had just brought forth. Still, this was good news for the empire, for the entire world.
Due to Key of the Land’s abilities to act as a deterrent, the empire hadn’t been in a position to destroy the Relic. But if Fox wanted it, and was even mad enough to use it, then destroying the Relic was imperative. Given the circumstances, the emperor would have to accept the loss of Key of the Land.
The man in the mask staggered to his feet. The blood pouring from his mouth made it clear he was gravely injured. It wasn’t clear what had hurt him, but there must have been a struggle over the Relic.
A moment later, the Thousand Tricks tried to stand up. He wobbled and fell to his knees. He must’ve been at his limit. Clutching his chest, the man in the mask looked down at him. Fox’s plan had failed. The destruction had come to a stop and Key of the Land was no more. He must’ve understood the unenviable spot he was in. That combined with his injuries just made his persistence all the more unnerving.
However, the Thousand Tricks wasn’t alone. In a stroke of immense fortune, the stands were filled with talented individuals. They were the reason the destruction hadn’t been any worse than it was. Fox’s best were said to be on par with high-level hunters, but this one was exhausted and his plan had failed. Rodrick wasn’t going to lose a champion; he would ensure the brave hunter was saved.
Rodrick inhaled deeply, then once more, boomed with all the intensity he could muster, “Catch that Fox, no matter what it takes! I’ll grant the wish of whoever brings him to me!”
***
By the time Caelum Tail realized what a bad spot he was in, it was too late. Key of the Land had somehow been subdued, but that was the only silver lining for him. He was woozy from all the blood he had lost, but he could still accurately assess the situation.
He felt sluggish. His wounds were deep. Such pain and humiliation were sensations he had grown distant from. Everything sounded distant, as though he were hearing all the screams and commotion through a filter. He knew he should be on guard, but he didn’t have that sort of energy left in him.
Shortly after Caelum got up, the Thousand Tricks also rose to his feet. At last, Caelum was beginning to understand the greater scope of this man’s plans. The Thousand Tricks got up, then stumbled and fell to his knees. It was such an earnest, natural movement, Caelum couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Heh heh heh. HA HA HA!”
This young man was terrifying. Truly, someone to be feared. Preterhuman artifice and other stale phrases didn’t do him justice. This man had been playing with hellfire. His chances of success hadn’t been high, and the slightest slipup could have resulted in him being accused of treason. It could have even brought about the end of the world.
It was the sort of plan that should be rejected regardless of its mastermind. That went even for an organization like Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox, and any normal person would never imagine such a ploy in the first place. Chances were, Caelum’s cohorts wouldn’t believe him if he told them about this. This man was no mere tactician—he was a lunatic.
Caelum was cornered. Key of the Land had shattered and no replacement existed. The operation had failed and Fox was believed to be behind the Relic’s activation. They had planned to display just a fragment of its power and use that as a bargaining chip to hold over the world’s nations.
What just happened, however, was no simple act of intimidation. If this man had no trepidations about using a tool of apocalyptic capabilities, he must have been more than willing to die if it meant bringing his enemies down with him.
No doubt, this would change how the allies of the Thousand Tricks thought of him. They wouldn’t be able to look at him the same way ever again. He had even gone and thrown away their means of deterrence!
But there was one thing Caelum couldn’t wrap his head around—where the Thousand Tricks had gotten his information.
“How?! How in the world did you figure it out?!” he cried.
“Urgk. I might be sick,” the hunter mumbled. It was unclear if this was supposed to be some sort of joke or not.
The writings that had told Fox of Key of the Land hadn’t mentioned anything about it self-destructing when overloaded. There were no records of the Relic being used at full capacity in the first place. For what it was worth, the records found by Fox suggested it had never been used, which implied there was no way of knowing the Relic’s max capacity.
The timing had been similarly perfect. Caelum was down to a fraction of his power when the Relic shattered. Where had this man acquired information that not even the network of Fox could obtain?
Unfortunately, Caelum didn’t have time to speculate; he was in enemy territory and heavily wounded, neither of which were part of the plan. He had to get out of here by any means necessary, but there was one thing he wanted to take care of first.
Just as he was about to step towards the Thousand Tricks, a shadow fell over him.
“YOU’LL HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME FIRST, CHALLENGER!”
“Hm?!”
The voice was gravelly yet audacious. Caelum took a step back to avoid the incoming force. Inches before him, a crater was formed by a massive fist wrapped in a golden glove. The ground shook, cracks formed.
Caelum clicked his tongue when he saw who the interloper was—the previous Supreme Warrior. He was a man who had dedicated every ounce of his mana material to bolstering his muscles. When drawing up his original plan, this was the man Caelum had been the most concerned about. He was the perfect example of what happened when talent was paired with idiocy.
“Supreme Brawn...” Caelum muttered.
The previous Supreme Warrior gave his response in the form of a resolute step forward. Wounded creatures are known for sometimes summoning unexpected strength, but that didn’t deter this man at all. He likely followed his instincts, which led him down a violent, rampaging path in which neither defeat nor death itself could calm him.
The Thousand Tricks would have to withdraw. No matter his abilities, he couldn’t fight this hulking mass in his current state. A number of hunters jumped into the ring. Seeing Caelum fall back, the Supreme Warrior gave a demonic smile and swung his fist. He didn’t have his usual weapon, but a punch from him was enough to knock out any high-level hunter.
“Think you can run?!” he shouted.
Mustering what mana he could and moving no more than necessary, Caelum dodged a fist driven by pure instinct. Normally, even a flurry of punches would pose no threat to him, but he couldn’t protect himself when his mana was so depleted. Another indicator of his shortage was the sharp pain in his head. He couldn’t even spare the mana to maintain his footing.
The Supreme Warrior switched to smaller swings, perhaps to whittle Caelum’s energy down. The Fox stepped forward, then hopped in the air, letting himself take a “light” hit. Through his magic defenses, he felt a shock that threatened to rip him apart. However, this was what he wanted. The Supreme Warrior’s lack of thought was his strength, but that could also be his weakness.
Caelum landed on his hands and feet. The brute’s eyes widened when he saw what had happened. Caelum had been sent hurtling through the air, and he had landed right by the entrance meant for contestants. This would be his escape route. He ran as fast as he could. His head throbbed, blood spilled from his lips, and, behind him, he heard the thunderous footsteps of the brute and the cries of the audience.
Then the air around him changed and the sounds from behind all faded away. A girl in a mask similar to his stood before him, almost like she had always been there. She wore a robe of pure, unblemished white and a tail of the same color extended from her lower back. Her small index finger was pointed at Caelum.
“You’re Mr. Caution’s enemy,” she said, to his complete confusion. “I’ll help you escape. Next time, victory will be mine!”
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