Chapter V: Inglis, Age 15—Battle with the Prismer (3)
Rafael couldn’t believe it. “Chris?!”
“She made it in time!” Eris said.
“Inglis! Yippee! Good job!” Ripple said.
Miriela was just as relieved to see her student. “Thaaank goodness... If that attack had made it to the town, our side would have been wiped out!”
“No better reinforcements are possible! After all, Inglis has already taken down one Prismer!” Silva said.
The center of attention, Inglis, opened her eyes, the gleam clear to everyone. “Wow... So this is a fully formed Prismer!”
Her attack had blown the Prismer away—rather, it hadn’t done anything but knock the Prismer away. Even an attack with her dragonscale sword, with Aether Shell active, hadn’t left so much as a scratch. Her Aether Shell technique infused the blade of her weapon with aether, making it more than just a physical attack and thus effective against magicite beasts. Such power combined with the sword’s own strength and sharpness would have been enough to cleave the demihuman larval Prismer in two. Even the hardy scales of Fufailbane, the ancient dragon, would have been sliced through, with grave consequences.
So at the very minimum, the Prismer physically outshone even Fufailbane. The proof was standing in front of them. It was the strongest thing in the world, what she’d dreamed of fighting since she was a little girl—and unlike the black-masked man, Fufailbane, or Evel after having absorbed Fufailbane and becoming a mechanical ancient dragon, it had no conception of avoiding a fight. It was the perfect foe. Now was the time when Inglis Eucus would put all her training to the test. Or, put another way, someone would finally put her to the test!
From the looks of things, Rafael was still okay, the dangerous attack targeted at Ahlemin had been averted, and no major damage had been done. She’d made it in time. From here on was her long-awaited encounter with the Prismer.
“I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Ever since we first met in Ahlemin, I’ve been looking forward to the day when you were back on your feet and I could take you on.” Inglis laughed joyously and cast a beaming smile at the Prismer she’d blown far away.
A Flygear swooped down, the Star Princess, with Rafinha at the helm. “Chris! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, Rani. Looks like I made it just in time. See? Rafael and the others are here, and they seem like they’re doing fine.” Inglis pointed up toward Rafael.
“That’s great!”
“Yeah. If we were late due to that side trip, it would have been bad. But now...” Inglis laughed. “Now I can do as I please!”
“Well, okay, just this once. But first, there’s something we need to do! C’mon, get in!”
“Yes, you’re right. We need to make sure no one interferes.”
“Phrasing! We need to get everyone to safety!”
As Inglis leaped aboard the Star Princess, Rafael descended to meet them. “Rani! Chris!”
“Ah! Rafael!” Rafinha jumped straight for him, knocking Yua from his shoulders through her tackle hug, and Inglis caught her and brought her aboard the Star Princess.
“Whoa! Rani?!”
“Thank goodness. I get to see you again! I’m so happy!”
Rafael took a moment to fully understand where his sister was coming from. “Sorry, Rani. You must have been worried about me.”
Rafinha sobbed. “I was! I was really, really, really worried! So much that I couldn’t eat!”
No matter how much she tried to put a brave face on things, it was only natural that she would lose her composure when coming face-to-face with Rafael. Rafinha was kind, compassionate, still young—those were the traits Inglis found most adorable in her. Inglis wanted to support that smile honestly, without indulging her or encouraging false hopes. Although, if Inglis took issue with any of what Rafinha had said, she thought the “couldn’t eat” part was a bit of an exaggeration, putting it lightly.
The two hieral menaces rushed over.
“Inglis! We were waiting for you!” Ripple said.
“You must have been the one who deflected the Prismer’s attack! Well done!” Eris said.
“Yeah! How’d you do it?”
“It was no big deal. That wall of light looked dangerous, but fortunately, it was running along the ground—cutting the ground away got rid of it.” Inglis patted her dragonscale sword. Rather than smashing aether into the wall as a counteracting force, physically cutting the ground away was quicker and less of a drain on her. All she’d had to do was thrust her dragonscale sword into the ground with Aether Shell active and then run alongside the barrier. She’d kept going and attacked the Prismer, only to be impressed that she’d blown it away rather than hurt it.
“I see. Well, I think it was a big deal,” Eris said, gaping in awe at the trail of destruction Inglis had left.
“Yeah... You did all that in an instant...” Ripple agreed, gesturing at the ground. It was as if a moat even wider than the town itself had appeared out of nowhere.
“Anyway, I’m sorry I’m late. Thank you for your patience.” Inglis bowed to the two, a graceful smile on her face. “And...thank you for leaving me a very nice catch.” She chuckled.
“Ha ha ha. Wooow, what a cute smile,” Ripple teased.
“This is hardly the time for small talk, but...why the new outfit?” Eris asked.
“Ah, right. Specifically as a temporary measure to deal with the current situation, His Majesty has granted Rani and me command of the Royal Guard, with these uniforms as proof of that. He deemed them appropriate in light of Karelia’s culture and traditions—of course, Rani has full authority, and I am merely her lieutenant.”
“What?! Command of the Royal Guard?!” they all shouted.
“Yes. And His Majesty has ordered me to destroy the Prismer.”
“Look, Rafael!” Rafinha jumped over to the Star Princess to stand next to Inglis, and they turned their backs to display the insignia on their capes.
“That insignia! It can only be given by His Majesty’s order!” Eris gasped.
“Y-Yeah. So I guess he truly means to let Inglis do her thing?” Ripple pondered.
“Yes. He is quite perceptive... Perhaps he had the same thought as we did.”
“And since royal orders are absolute...” Inglis began. “I pardon the intrusion, but may I inform everyone here of their places in our secret plan?” She held up a finger and smiled softly.
“Secret plan?” Rafael asked. “Chris, Rani, what do you two have cooked up? I’m grateful for the help, but there’s no need for you two to risk your lives. I’d rather do it my—”
Eris and Ripple covered his mouth as he spoke.
“Now, now, Rafael. Royal orders are absolute,” Ripple said.
“Yes,” Eris agreed. “We don’t have any time to waste, so let’s go along with it!”
“Thank you! Very well, then!” At Eris and Ripple’s nods, Inglis took her Flygear high into the sky and called out in a loud yet dignified voice.
“Brave knights who have gathered here to slay the Prismer! Listen, please! We have been entrusted with command by former Royal Guard commander Reddas Ayren to stand in his stead, and have come here on His Majesty’s order to drive back the Prismer! His Majesty’s commands override all else, so I humbly ask you to follow our plan!” As before, Inglis brandished the insignia on her cape as she spoke.
“Captain of the Royal Guard?! In place of Reddas, who His Majesty trusted so well?!”
“But that insignia is the real thing! And their uniforms are the same as those of Lady Eris and Lady Ripple—wait, is this girl a new hieral menace?!”
“She just might be! Look at her beauty, what she did to the Prismer, the strength she showed protecting us!”
“Ah! I knew His Majesty would foresee our plight and prepare for it!”
It was perhaps because of the Paladins’ familiarity with Eris and Ripple that Inglis was mistaken for a new hieral menace. It showed the trust the knights had for them. Maybe King Carlias had taken this reaction, as well as the symbolism, into account when choosing these uniforms. In any case, since time was of the essence, it was far better than being rejected.
“I’m sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I am Inglis Eucus, lieutenant colonel of the Royal Guard. The colonel herself is—”
“I’m Rafinha Bilford! Sorry to barge in, but this is to make sure as many people make it home alive as possible! Please listen to us!”
Inglis and Rafinha bowed deeply.
“Rafinha Bilford?!”
“Ah, she must be Rafael’s sister!”
“His little sister, huh! They look so much alike!”
The knights deeply respected Rafael thanks to his day-to-day command of them. They’d accept any family member of his.
“Everyone! As these girls say, royal orders are absolute! Listen to them!” Eris said.
“We hieral menaces ask you to follow them!” Ripple added.
The knights all had the same response.
“Understood! Lady Rafinha, Lady Inglis! Your orders?”
Inglis nodded and continued. “Then I humbly present the orders of the colonel of the Royal Guard! All forces will immediately evacuate to the tunnels below Ahlemin! The Paladins will lead a Flygear squadron to protect those evacuating! After withdrawal, repel any magicite beasts that invade the tunnels!”
The plan was essentially to flee, stay within fortifications, and defeat any enemies that might follow. Aside from the Prismer, there were countless other magicite beasts still on the field. Even after withdrawing to the tunnels, they would be assaulted mercilessly. Cooperation from the Paladins who could hear her would be vital in limiting losses.
“Are you telling us to run away?!”
“Are we of no assistance?!”
“It’s true that if we were caught in that huge attack and turned into magicite beasts, we’d become a liability, but...”
Downcast, the knights bit their lips.
“I assure you, you aren’t a liability.” Inglis smiled gently.
That’s right. It wasn’t. They weren’t useless. They weren’t a burden. Inglis had a different reason, a simple one; she just wanted them to stay out of it so she could have her one-on-one with the Prismer. That was all, but it was, of course, not necessary to explain this so bluntly.
“But Lady Inglis, if we all retreat, then what of the Prismer?” a knight asked.
Inglis nodded. “Yes, allow me—I, Inglis Eucus, will launch an assault on the Prismer and prevent it from using its large-scale attack! After that, we will launch an all-out assault with everything we have! That is the plan.”
“Ah! So you have a way to prevent that attack!”
“And you want us to conserve our strength until then!”
“Of course. It’s reasonable to avoid wearing ourselves out before the attack!”
The knights clapped their hands together and nodded.
Well, that wasn’t precisely a lie. I do know a way to keep the Prismer from attacking—by taking it down. A defeated foe cannot attack again. Once I do that, our time to counterattack will never come...but plans change.
A skilled leader knew to give people a reason to listen. Additionally, once her allies evacuated, she could fight with no worries. She couldn’t enjoy herself while many of them were falling. She wanted a one-on-one fight without outside interference. That way, she could focus.
“You skilled knights here, pass the message along to those still fighting in the town!” After speaking, Inglis whispered to Rafinha. “Rani...”
“Huh? What is it?”
“One last bit of advice from your lieutenant. Try to inspire them.”
“Got it!” Rafinha took a deep breath and called out, “I can use a healing Gift! Bring the wounded to me! And remember, the Prismer and its beasts are terrifying, but we are the last line of defense! Let’s be a shield for people in need, and let’s return to them—all of us!”
The forces in Ahlemin were the strongest Karelia could bring to bear. If they were overrun here, it would all be over. Be determined was the meaning of her words.
A roar of applause rose from the knights as Rafinha spoke, her fists clenched.
“That was great! I knew you could do it,” Inglis said.
“R-Really? I don’t think I said anything that important...” Rafinha looked a bit startled.
“Sometimes it’s important who says something.” Rafinha’s words resonated because they came sincerely from her heart. If Inglis had said the same thing, it wouldn’t have been as persuasive; even she was self-aware enough to know that was because she was so enthusiastic about fighting the Prismer.
It was the same for Rafael, Eris, and Ripple. A holy knight and hieral menaces facing a Prismer would not be able to escape from their tragic determination and resolve. That tension would be reflected in their voices and above all, the words they chose.
They would never put it in the same way as Rafinha had, just like Inglis wouldn’t.
“I...I’m not being irresponsible, right?”
“It’s fine. I’ll make sure everyone’s safe.” Inglis patted Rafinha’s head before calling out to the knights. “Quickly! To your posts!”
“Yes!” The knights changed course and began to retreat back toward the walls.
“Principal Miriela, Silva—you too! Go along with everyone and help protect their retreat!”
Miriela and Silva nodded.
“U-Understood!”
“Call for us if you need us!”
They seemed to be in agreement.
“And then, I’ll proceed with my assault on the Pris—”
“W-Wait a moment!” Eris interjected.
“That’s right, Inglis!” Ripple agreed. Inglis had wanted to go on the attack immediately, but the two hieral menaces caught her by the arm.
“What is it?”
“You know what! I can agree with part of that plan, but...” Eris began.
“Yes,” Ripple said. “If our forces had been hit with that attack, they would have been wiped out—no, worse, turned into more magicite beasts. So it’s not a mistake to pull back, but...”
Rafael stepped in front of Inglis, trying to hold her back. “But sending you in alone is too dangerous! At least let us come along!”
“That’s right!” Eris said. “We’re relying on you to help us, but that doesn’t mean we want to throw you to the wolves!”
“We called you here. We should take responsibility too!” Ripple insisted.
Inglis quietly shook her head. “No. Holy knights and hieral menaces are humanity’s last hope—we need to avoid risking you in a fight with the Prismer where you won’t demonstrate your full power. If you take a full-on attack from the Prismer, not even a hieral menace will be safe.”
“Well...” Eris trailed off.
“That’s true...” Ripple admitted.
“And demonstrating your true power as you fight alongside me holds its own problems. I’m not here just to fight the Prismer; I’m here to prevent Rafael from losing his life. Rani doesn’t want that, Rafael. Neither do I.”
“Chris?!” Rafael exclaimed. “You know everything?!”
“I’m sorry. I explained it to Rani as well. She needed to know everything before making her own decision on what to do.”
“Rafael...I’m sorry, I didn’t know before...” Rafinha mumbled, sounding close to tears.
“No, that’s fine, Rani,” Rafael said. “That’s the path I chose.”
“But royal orders are absolute! So listen to Chris! I believe in her! If she says she can do it, she can! And if you help guard the retreat, that will really cut down on our losses! That’s the most important part!”
“Rani!” Rafael protested.
“It’s not my place to say this, but...” Inglis began. “Rafael, I remember when Ymir’s castle was attacked, and you ignored my mother and put yourself in danger trying to help. If you stay back, it would be a relief to me.”
“Chris... You remember that far back?”
Now that Inglis thought of it, she had been an infant at the time. “Uhh...well, actually, my mother told me about it later! Anyway, I’d appreciate it if you guarded the retreat and left this to me.”
“Okay, Chris... But if you end up in trouble, I don’t know whether I could hold back. I don’t think I could bear having you get hurt for my sake.”
“Thank you, Rafael. But don’t worry. I don’t intend to—”
“Squaaaaawk!”
The Prismer made its return, its cries ringing with anger.
“Here it comes! Time for a fair fight, one-on-one!” Inglis somersaulted from the Star Princess and sprinted toward the Prismer.
Behind her, Eris’s voice echoed. “It’s tough, even for a Prismer! It has a high degree of adaptability, and if you use the same attack over and over, it won’t just become immune—it will start to absorb it! Keep that in mind as you fight!”
“Got it! Thanks for the advice!” Inglis turned back to Eris and smiled cutely. As Inglis ran, a smile still on her face, the Prismer stared at her with palpable wariness.
“Squaaawk!”
As its voice rang out, a rainbow-colored light rocketed outward in all directions and turned into a wall, broad and high. It was like a cage surrounding just the two of them.
“So you’re not letting me get away, huh? I feel the same way.”
If the Prismer was focused only on Inglis, there would be no need to knock it away. Plus, she wouldn’t have to worry about her allies getting caught up in any damage. She figured she owed it thanks for the chance to completely devote herself to the fight.
“Aether Pierce!” Inglis fired Aether Pierce, not at the Prismer but at the wall. It silently bounced off and disappeared into the ground. The cage, meanwhile, was completely unaffected.
It was quite solid. She couldn’t say too much, as Aether Pierce wasn’t a particularly impressive use of aether. Still, without wavering, the cage had managed to repel aether. On the other hand, it merely repelled the attack, and it didn’t seem to have any offensive use.
I think I can use it as a foothold! “Very well, then!” Inglis unslung her dragonscale sword from her back and held it at her side as she rushed toward the Prismer.
The Prismer prepared a counterattack, but as it did, she activated Aether Shell. Leaping up, she angled to the right, outside the Prismer’s vision. Her jump was so forceful that she almost hit the wall—exactly what she wanted. Flipping around, she bounded again off the wall and soared yet higher.
Speeding like a fired bullet, she reached a point on the wall above the Prismer’s head. The Prismer was still looking at where she’d turned right. By using the wall’s rebound, she’d managed to get a step ahead of her opponent’s reactions.
This time, I’m going to make the first move!
Kicking off the wall again, Inglis sprang toward the Prismer below. Winding up her dragonscale sword, she deactivated Aether Shell. That way, it wouldn’t be active when she attacked, and she could avoid the Prismer gaining resistance to the aether which permeated the blade. Being able to precisely switch it on and off in response to the demands of a high-speed battle was proof of how far she’d come. During all of this, she converted aether to mana.
“Ice!”
Clink!
Blue ice wrapped around the dragonscale sword, encasing it. She often used ice magic to form a sword, but this way was even easier—the ice only had to conform to an existing blade, not shape one itself. “Haaah!” Inglis slashed at the Prismer’s neck as she dived.
Thunk!
It felt hard—as if it was pushing her sword away. She’d left only a small jagged scratch on the Prismer’s skin, but that was fine for now. A probing assault didn’t need to leave damage. Upon landing, Inglis immediately slashed once more—this time upward—aiming for the scratches. The wound her blow left was only around half as deep as her previous try.
“Squaaawk!”
The Prismer was ready, thrusting its beak down like a spear. Inglis’s Aether Shell kicked in right then, keeping the momentum with which she’d raised her sword as she leaped into the air. The beak missed her, crashing into the ground. She was already in position to twist and slam her sword back down.
She deactivated Aether Shell. Her ice-clad sword caught the lower neck of the Prismer. This time, the blow left no trace. As Eris had said, repeating the same attack had reduced its effectiveness.
Continuing, she swept her sword back in from the side. This time, not only did it fail to wound the Prismer, but the faint scars from her first and second attacks faded away.
“I see...!” The second attack was halved, the third nullified, the fourth absorbed. The Prismer certainly was adaptable. “But that’s not all I’ve got!”
Inglis Eucus did not shy away from a tough battle. An exciting fight challenged her as she took on her opponents at their strongest. Besides, she wanted to see more of this Prismer’s learning ability in action. That’s why she’d taken the initiative this time.
“Flame!”
Fwooosh!
The dragonscale sword erupted in flames, the fire replacing the ice that had enveloped the blade. She hadn’t learned how to control mana to create a sword entirely of flame yet, but she was at least able to set an existing one ablaze. She wanted to try as many elements as she could. The Prismer would gain resistance to those as well, but then she would return to ice.
Was there a limit on how many resistances it could have? Would it regain a vulnerability? That was what she was curious about. She also wanted to determine whether resistances would be lost after enough time had passed. Plus, the more she kept the Prismer busy, the safer things would be as her allies completed their evacuation to the tunnels.
“How about this?!” While dodging the Prismer’s attacks, Inglis struck with her flame-wreathed sword. Fortunately, the cage of light made for good footing, allowing her to flit around the Prismer.
This vexed the Prismer, which tried to bat her down, but it was clearly unable. The sight of the battle gave the watching knights courage and fired up their morale.
“How’s she moving like that?! She’s fast! Almost too fast!”
“Is that Lady Inglis?! I can’t make out a thing!”
They could only see a blur that kept darting around the Prismer, relentlessly attacking it.
“It’s working! The Prismer’s losing its cool!”
“We can do this! All right, we just need to hold out!”
But the Prismer would not sit idly by.
“Cawwww!”
As if it had become impatient, the Prismer suddenly let out a deafening call. At the same time, it forcefully spread its wings, creating an intense gale.
“Gah!” Quickly, Inglis brought her sword before herself and used it as a shield. But rather than trying to hold out against the storm, she took advantage of it to put some distance between herself and the Prismer. Heavy though her sword was, the wind carried her far backward, proof of its intensity.
However, this seemed only a byproduct of what the Prismer intended. As the cloud of dust from the storm cleared, Inglis began to notice a strange brightness. It was still night, but the world around her was as bright as midday. When her vision completely returned, she could see what was happening with just a glance. “Oh!”
Rainbow-colored feathers were floating down from the Prismer. They shone even brighter than the Prismer itself, and there were hundreds—no, thousands of them. The rainbow feathers dancing in the air were simply beautiful to behold. It was truly a fantastic sight.
“You’re not just here to put on a light show for a lady, are you? And even if you are, I’d prefer something with a bit more force!”
As if in response, the feathers changed their trajectories. Leaving trails as they flew, they suddenly rained down on Inglis. If she couldn’t figure out how to defend, she’d be overpowered by an attack from which there was no escape. It was too dense; it was overwhelming.
“That’s a nice attack! In that case...!” Inglis formed Aether Shell around herself and readied her sword. If she didn’t strike at the Prismer, using aether merely to repel the attack, she didn’t think it would adapt to aether-based attacks. Her aether flowed through her hands and into her sword, and she swept away the rainbow feathers that were closing in on her.
Fwoosh!
Several of the feathers disappeared—but her slash had handled only seven or eight of them. That was nothing compared to the total number, and many more were closing in.
“Haaaah!” Inglis continued her swift work with the sword, sweeping away any feathers that threatened her. It was a battle of the feathers’ density versus the speed of her blade.
Tmp-tmp-tmp-tmp-tmp!
Her high-speed swordplay created an invisible wall against the feathers which approached from all directions. But she couldn’t completely defend herself against a Prismer’s attack. A few feathers slipped through that wall and brushed against her.
“Ow...!” A small pain shot through her thigh. Glancing down, she saw a cut and a smear of blood. It wasn’t much of a wound, but it had cut through the defenses of her Aether Shell. Charged with aether, her skin was stronger than sturdy armor or the scales of a lesser dragon. She laughed. “So if all those had hit me, I’d be dead, wouldn’t I?!”
Inglis relished the idea. It was the thought of such a dangerous battle that made her blood boil and her limbs dance. It took her to new heights.
As she continued, more and more feathers slipped by her sword. A scratch on the right arm. Tears in her clothes at the belly, the hips, the neckline. There was no doubt that she was being slowly overwhelmed.
“Then... Dragon lore!” More power!
What appeared next to Inglis wasn’t the usual pale, translucent dragon tail. It was pale and translucent, yes—but the shape it took was the dragonscale sword held by a pair of her arms. “All right!” It had taken on that form rather than the tail thanks to Inglis’s increased familiarity with this power. It was proof she’d come into her own as a user of dragon lore.
Maybe my battle with Rochefort held particular significance for my growth. I think I got the hang of things when I used the dragon lore then, Inglis thought.
When she’d practiced aboard the Star Princess on the way to Ahlemin, she’d been able to recreate part of herself rather than a dragon tail with dragon lore. And that image of her arm moved just as swiftly and just as precisely as the real thing.
“I like this outfit!” So I can’t let it get torn up anymore. I want to take it back with me and admire myself in the mirror from time to time.
The sword and multiple arms created with dragon lore began to sweep away the feathers alongside her. The increased number of attacks kept any more feathers from slipping through. She had completely blocked the Prismer’s attack, even if all it accomplished was reducing the number of feathers. However, the Prismer sensed this and changed its approach.
“Cawwww!”
It leaped up to the ceiling of its cage, at which point its entire body began to glow, as if it were one gigantic bullet of light—as if it wanted to smash its entrapped prey in one fell swoop. It was a bold move by the Prismer, aimed at crushing her entirely. The amount of destructive power behind such an attack was unimaginable. Inglis knew she couldn’t take it head-on.
The Prismer suddenly dived toward her.
“It’s fast...!” Unbelievably fast, given its size, but not so fast that she couldn’t track it. She ducked and weaved through the rain of feathers as she avoided the Prismer.
Using the cage of light as a foothold let her move unpredictably and dodge those feathers. It was a clear advantage for her. “I’ll draw it in as close as possible!”
But her plan was shattered in the blink of an eye, because the cage of light shrunk. It closed in rapidly, taking away her room to move around. And then, the Prismer glowed again.
She had nowhere left to run.
Inglis laughed. “Wonderful! I knew you could do it!” All her escape routes were blocked. She could no longer evade, and she couldn’t take a brute-force attack from a Prismer. She was completely cornered.
So, there was only one move left: take the Prismer down. Kill or be killed.
Inglis had yet to see the true extent of the Prismer’s power. Her ideal of taking on a foe at its strongest—and overcoming that strength—was yet unrealized. If she didn’t defeat it now, this would end in a permanent loss for her. This truly was a fully mature Prismer. It had given her a perfect duel, one she couldn’t have predicted. She’d had to experience it for herself.
But this was fine! No more running, no more buying time! She would crush it!
“Then I’ll go all out as well!”
Her dragonscale sword glowed brightly, imbued with all the aether she could muster. It was a blade that could handle her full power. Its pale-blue color shone brighter and brighter, and swelled as everyone watched. It was a glow as intense as the Prismer’s own.
“That’s not all! One step further!”
No, more than that! she willed herself. Swallow it!
As she squeezed even more aether from herself, the blade grew brighter still. “Take this!” With a forceful step forward, she swung her sword down. At the same time, she released the aether contained in its blade. A mass of aether following the sword’s path pushed away the feathers blocking it, and it rushed toward the Prismer.
Fwoooosh!
The aether following the slash and the Prismer crashed into each other. The two forces strained upon contact in the air with a blinding flash and a deafening roar. The Prismer faced a fierce struggle.
This is my chance! Without any hesitation, Inglis leaped forward. As if on cue, the feathers parted, opening her way. Nothing could stop her now.
In the blink of an eye, she dashed to where the Prismer struggled against the aether. Her dragon lore was concentrated as intensely as she could manage it. Inglis’s dragon lore didn’t have much range, but she was already close enough. Within the glow, the Prismer turned toward her, sensing her presence.
“Too late! Haaaaaaaaah!”
Aether Cross Lore!
Her dragon lore took the shape of arms swinging a sword sideways, rushing toward where the forces collided.
Booooooooooooooooooooom!
The gigantic explosion roared as loud as its shine was overwhelming; it was as if the sun had appeared for a moment in the night sky. The aether sword-flash, detonated by the dragon lore, increased its destructive power many times over and swallowed the Prismer.
“Squaaawk!”
Inglis heard the Prismer scream in pain as the explosion blew her away. Aether Cross Lore had destroyed the cage of light, so its walls weren’t there to catch her, and she was rocketed away a considerable distance. As a result, she had time in the air to twist and land on her feet.
She slid along the ground as she touched down. “Maybe I was a little too close!” Due to that, she had been struck by the shock waves. Her already-torn outfit was a mess; this was a matter of grave importance.
Getting used enough to dragon lore that it mimicked her own limbs was nice, but creating a replica of Fufailbane’s tail had given her the ability to attack from a safer distance. It seemed to have increased in power, but there was still room for improvement in terms of how that power was applied. Her techniques were showing rapid progress. She’d have to keep pushing their limits.
“The next time we fight—” Inglis began to call out to the Prismer before suddenly cutting off. “I’m sorry. It seems there won’t be a next time.”
The upper half of its body had been completely blown away, leaving only the lower parts of the giant birdlike creature intact. They fell to the ground and rolled to a stop.
Inglis felt a twinge of regret, but no real dismay. Transforming Highlanders into magicite beasts was one thing, but this Prismer had affected even people of the surface. Inglis didn’t have any knowledge of other mature Prismers, but she had to guess this had been one of the strongest. She’d never read any books or heard any legends about one having such an ability; it was entirely unheard of. If it were more common, humans would be wiped from the surface. So she couldn’t just keep this Prismer alive as a pet. It would be too dangerous. Even she, with Fufailbane’s dragon lore and an extraordinarily strong sword forged from his scales, had been in a situation where a single misstep could have gotten her killed.
And most importantly, this was what Rafinha wanted. In order to fulfill Rafinha’s purehearted hope that her brother would survive, Inglis could not let the Prismer live. Her own enjoyment came second to the urge to protect her beloved cousin’s hopes, even if she was doing it in an entirely grandparental fashion.
“The Prismer has fallen! It’s fallen!”
“Without the use of a hieral menace?!”
“Incredible! What a fierce battle!”
“Truly His Majesty knew best!”
“All right, we’ve got to do our part too! Wipe out the remaining magicite beasts and we win!”
Even as the cheers of the knights rose like the rumble of an earthquake, Inglis recognized Rafinha’s voice calling out to her from farther away.
“Chriiis! You did it! I knew you could! Thank you so much!”
Rafinha was beaming. She was practically glowing, suddenly free of anxiety. It was adorable. It was as if all her hardships had been swept away. Yua rode next to her, as indifferent and seemingly bored as always.
The battle itself had truly been an experience, and Rafinha was happy, so there was nothing more to say. Inglis waved with a smile. “There are still enemies left, so be careful!”
Her words were meant for Rafinha, but they immediately came back to haunt her herself.
Vvvvoooon...
A strange noise and tremor suddenly came from behind her.
“Wh—?!” Inglis gasped.
When she turned around, the Prismer’s lower body was glowing and writhing, emitting a strange noise.
“Ah...! It’s still alive?!”
It wasn’t only the Prismer’s lower body that had changed. A bluish something cut across her field of vision.
“What’s that?!”
There were chunks of ice strewn across the battlefield, each sealing away a humanoid magicite beast. Now, they flew toward the Prismer, smashing into it and disappearing. As what had been the Prismer writhed, its shape began to change into an unrecognizable, prismatic clump.
“Is it trying to revive by absorbing the magicite beasts?!” Then I need to wipe it out before it gets the chance!
Inglis didn’t know exactly how the magicite beasts had gotten frozen to begin with, but she knew why they were. She’d seen it before, in Nova, when Cyrene had transformed into a magicite beast. And just maybe, someone else who knew what had happened there had suggested encasing magicite beasts in ice. It was important for her to keep that in mind, but things were not looking good this time.
“Eeeeek!”
“Ngh!”
She heard cries. Looking up, Inglis saw the Star Princess, carrying Rafinha and Yua, being drawn toward the Prismer.
“Rani! Yua!”
None of the other Flygears were being drawn in, so why was the Star Princess?
It was because of something Yua cradled in her hand. A block of ice—and inside, a tiny magicite beast. As far as Inglis knew, only the black-masked leader of the Steelblood Front had the skill to accomplish such a thing.
That meant he was likely present.
Yua was gripping that ice desperately, refusing to let it go, and the Prismer was pulling it—as well as the Flygear they were on—toward itself. Inglis needed to act.
“Haaah!” Inglis leaped toward the Star Princess and pulled it down to earth through brute force. Then, to prevent it from being drawn to the Prismer, she planted her legs and held it in place.
“Chris! Thanks! You saved us!” Rafinha said.
“Sure!”
“Thanks, Boobies,” Yua chimed in. “I felt like my arms were getting pulled from their sockets.” It had been a long time since Inglis had heard that nickname. Yua was still very...Yua.
“Aha ha ha... Anyway, Yua, what’s that?! It seems like the Prismer’s trying to pull it in.” Inglis looked at the block of ice in her upperclassman’s hands.
“It’s Beanpole, and I won’t get rid of him even if you tell me to.” Yua looked far more serious than usual. No, probably more serious than Inglis had ever seen her.
Inglis rested her hand over the ice. “I would never tell you that! I’m going to help you!”
Rafinha’s hand stretched toward it as well. “Me too! Mm-hmm!”
Yua seemed surprised. “Maybe you two are nicer than I thought...”
“I don’t think that should be surprising!”
“What gave you that impression?!”
“Well, one of you just snaps sometimes, and the other’s always trying to beat me up.” Yua looked back and forth between Rafinha and Inglis.
“Well, that’s upsetting!” the two protested in unison.
“Then please... Take care of Beanpole for a little while.” Yua passed them the block of ice before she turned toward the Prismer.
“Yua...?” Rafinha began.
“What are you going to do?!” Inglis asked.
“Give it a beating. I’m in my rebellious phase.”
Inglis didn’t completely understand what Yua meant by that.
Yua turned a sharp gaze toward the writhing Prismer. She held both hands up as finger guns and brought them together, which would make them fire a single, more intense shot. She planted her feet firmly, readying herself. At some point during this, ears and a tail like Ripple’s appeared on her, and they swayed, shimmering with a faint rainbow light. And then, in front of her fingertips appeared a bullet of light that swelled as Inglis watched.
“Wow, Yua! That looks like something Chris would do!” Rafinha exclaimed.
“I’d love to have another sparring match with you!” Inglis added.
“Stop saying silly things and take care of Beanpole.”
I was being completely serious, Inglis thought. Anyway, that light she created is something big. Its size, the power I sense from it... It’s on a level with my Aether Strike. In fact, it might surpass that.
Thinking about the amount of aether she could focus, Inglis knew that an Aether Strike couldn’t embody one hundred percent of it. Maybe twenty or thirty percent at most. To use all of her power in one blow, she had to rely on a weapon like her dragonscale sword. It was possible for her to do combos like Aether Breaker to increase the destructive power of Aether Strike, but leaving those aside, that was the most she could do unaided. It was worth watching an attack more powerful.
“Super big bang!”
Blammmmmm!
Inglis cringed. What a dumb name...
Yua’s blast of light carved a trail as it rushed toward the Prismer and hit it dead center. Light flashed out like an explosion, covering the surrounding area.
“Did it work?!” Rafinha asked, squinting against the blinding glare.
Inglis couldn’t immediately answer. She still sensed the energy of the Prismer. It was still writhing. It was hard to see, but it may have taken on a more concrete shape.
“Chris! What happened?!”
“I don’t know if that worked!”
Rather than being obliterated, it may have gained strength. Was it from the many magicite beasts it was absorbing? Or from absorbing Yua’s attack?
Yua’s power seemed to be partially infused with the power of a magicite beast—rather, of a Prismer. Specifically, the demihuman larval Prismer she had fought before. Inglis surmised that was why Yua got demihuman ears and a tail when she wielded that power.
Using that premature Prismer’s power was fine enough. Despite its source, Inglis saw no problem with Yua using it for her own ends—in fact, Inglis was pleased as long as it made her a stronger foe. She certainly wasn’t going to complain about another powerful sparring partner.
But since it was a Prismer’s power, was this Prismer able to absorb it? Even Prismers were different from one to the next and didn’t contain precisely the same properties. Additionally, while the larval Prismer’s power had become part of Yua, she’d had something else to begin with.
Or had Yua attacked the Prismer before Inglis had arrived, allowing it to gain resistance to her attacks?
The reasons for what Inglis was observing were unknown, but the result was clear. The Prismer stopped drawing in the humanoid magicite beasts. The chunks of ice not yet absorbed crumbled and fell. They had succeeded in protecting the chunk that held Morris.
“It stopped! Is it over?!” Rafinha asked.
“Yeah, this one’s fine!” Inglis replied. “But—”
When the light subsided, the Prismer’s new form was revealed. Its shape was completely different from before Inglis had blown its upper body away. Its head was the same: that of a powerful, majestic giant bird. It kept its wings as well. But as for the rest of it—its arms, its legs, its torso—it had taken on a humanoid shape. Its size was a fraction of that which it had been before. It was still perhaps three times taller than Inglis herself, but it was nonetheless far smaller now. However, the intimidating power she sensed condensed within it was far greater.
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