Chapter 331 - Imbuing a Dazzling Light
『Hey. Sorry to bother you out of the blue, but do you think you could spare a little time right now?』
――――――…… ――――…… ――……
『Sure, a little is fine.』
『Thanks. Is your partner with you? I have a request for the Eastern Wings.』
『Huuuh? Then would you mind telling me why you chose to contact Rii-na, of all people, instead of the face of MinaRina, Mi-na-chan~???』
『Why am I getting a message from the red one under Rii-na's name… Is this a virus?』
『Alright, that's it, it's war!!! Get over here and face me, you coward!!!!!』
『Well, yeah, of course I'll come to you, but still.』
『…Mi-na and I will be waiting at the Round Table.』
◇◆◇◆◇
"Alright, you're forgiven!"
"W-Wha—?!"
Using my ranker privileges, I brought Sora along to the Eastern Round Table. The moment our teleportation finished, my partner was snatched from my side.
I didn't bring her here to be an offering to appease their anger… but while Sora-san seems quite startled by the red one's vigor, she doesn't seem to mind, so I guess it's fine.
"Yo."
"Good evening."
Unlike her partner, who was as hyper as ever despite it being nighttime, I exchanged greetings with Ri-na, who was sitting quietly in her chair. When I gave a little wave, she dutifully waved back.
Yep, the blue one is a good kid today, too.
I've always thought this, but seeing her small avatar perched on that large chair is strangely cute and soothing—
"Oof…!"
"Wah…!?"
"Sooo? What's this request you have for us?"
An impact to my lower back from behind sent me stumbling. I managed to avoid falling thanks to the VIT I'd recently managed to stack up.
I shot a sidelong glance behind me. The red-haired girl, who had charged into me while still holding onto Sora, was pressing me for the details of my 'request.'
My hand reflexively started to rise towards her face, but this time, I'm the one asking for a favor. I'll have to grit my teeth and be humble.
…As for Sora, who was getting squished in the middle and looking dizzy, she'd just have to bear with it for a little while.
"Uh, well, due to various circumstances, I need a huge magic spell—"
Taking responsibility for bringing my partner here with the assurance that I 'had someone in mind' for the magic imbuement, I began my negotiations with the 'two little mages.'
"—ALRIGHT! Let's get this show on the road!"
"I'll do my best."
…And so, just like that. There was no need for any lengthy negotiations with these two, who had already fallen for Sora on the very day they met.
The matter was settled the moment the words 'for Sora's sake' left my lips.
They immediately agreed, and before I knew it, we were whisked away to the same training ground where Irori and I once had our sword fight.
"I don't really get it, but we just need to hit it with our strongest spell, right?"
"Does it matter what kind?"
"I wanted to discuss that a bit, too."
I'm grateful for their enthusiasm, but unfortunately, this isn't a matter that can be decided on vibes alone. It would be best to get advice from them, hailed as Arcadia's strongest artillery cannons.
"Let me explain in a bit more detail—Sora."
"Yes!"
At the victory party the other day, I had already revealed that 'my partner is even crazier than me,' but Sora got embarrassed and stopped me, so I wasn't able to explain what was so crazy about her.
So, first things first, a demonstration of my partner's abilities.
As the girl held up her right hand, the [Cradle of Sword-Craft] began to glow, and a storm of mana whipped up, rustling everyone's hair—
"—…………………………Whoa…"
Whether she was fired up or just secretly panicking, I wasn't sure, but the red and blue pair's eyes widened at the sight of the thousand swords that had been deployed at full throttle from the get-go. Mi-na let out a voice that was somewhere between exasperated and impressed, while Ri-na wordlessly approached the magic swords that formed countless rings and reached out a hand.
With a command from Sora's [Psychokinesis] skill, a single sand sword was presented to her, and the girl stroked its surface with a familiar touch.
"…So that's the gist of it. Right now, she can only use this 'sand,' but her Anima's tier has increased, and she can add another attribute slot. And the way to fill that slot is—"
"To imbue it with magic."
"I see…"
I nodded at Sora, who had looked to me for confirmation. At their master's command, the thousand magic swords vanished into thin air. Ignoring the red one, who was muttering "Hmmmm" as she pondered something, Ri-na was pestering Sora, asking her to summon another one. Did she take a liking to it?
"Hey… this is a way bigger responsibility than I thought, isn't it?"
"It's a matter concerning our future combat potential."
"Uuuh…"
Even Sora-san, after fighting alongside so many rankers, has come to clearly recognize that she is 'one of them.'
My partner swallowed any pointless denials or modesty, fidgeting restlessly at the words of the two, who had switched from their playful and listless attitudes to serious mode.
After that, we shared various details about the magic swords, and—
""—We recommend 'Fire.'""
The 'Eastern Wings,' who aren't even sisters, let alone twins, stated their conclusion in perfect, startling unison. Amazing, it sounded almost exactly like a single person's voice.
"Fire attribute…"
"Hmm… And your reasoning?"
""Because it's strong.""
Okay, that's scary. The unison is fine, but please speak one at a time.
"When you're thinking offensively with magic and attributes, the fire attribute is super effective, you know?"
"Arcadia's fire attribute has a biological special effect. It's effective against most enemies, including players, except for aquatic or non-biological types. There are very few enemies it doesn't work on."
"Plus, you can aim for additional damage over time with effects like burn or ignite by default. The damage modifiers are generally excellent, too. When you talk about being attack-focused, 'Fire' is just common sense."
"It's mana-efficient and has high power. You learn a wide range of single-target and area-of-effect spells, so it has few weaknesses and is easy to handle."
"'Easy to handle' is 'strong,' you know. Since it's strong and easy to handle, it's super strong. If you have the choice, I think most people would choose 'Fire.'"
"If there's a high chance it will inherit the properties of the imbued magic…"
"Yeah, the first thing we'd recommend is the fire attribute."
Are you guys speaking in perfect sync even when you talk separately? Are you sure you're not related?
"I understand the recommendation… but I heard from Tetra that you two are users of 'Star' magic, right? He said it's super strong, but you don't recommend that?"
"Star magic…!"
Oh, perhaps she had never heard of it. Sora's eyes lit up at the name of the attribute, which sounded special just from its name—but,
"Nah… 'Star' is a little…"
"…We don't recommend it."
Surprisingly, the response I received was extremely negative.
"Look, it's not like we're trying to hold back, okay? It's just that…"
"The star attribute is, fundamentally, magic that demands a 'price.'"
"A price?"
In response to Sora's tilted head, the expressions of the two didn't change. Even the usually expressionless Ri-na had her eyebrows slightly furrowed in a troubled manner.
"To be honest, the magic that Rii-na-chan and I use, whether it's 'fire,' 'water,' or 'wind,' all of it originates from star magic."
"Huh?"
"Come again?"
I have no idea what she's talking about… but fine, continue?
"Because of that, no matter what kind of magic we use, we're bound by that 'price'… which is exactly why, as users, we can't recommend 'Star' magic."
"At the very least, it's not convenient. While you still have few options, I think it's better to add other, more manageable attributes."
The two of them were completely serious the whole time. I hadn't doubted them from the start, but it was clear they really weren't holding back.
"I see…—Sora, what do you want to do?"
"—Wh-Ah, right, let's see…"
We'd received various opinions, but in the end, it all came down to what Sora wanted.
If she were to say she still wanted 'Star' magic, I had a feeling the two of them would agree, one way or another—but,
"Then, um… may I have your recommended 'Fire' magic, please?"
Unlike me, Sora-san generally prefers stability.
I knew that she, being the straightforward person she is, would choose the attribute that the two 'professionals of magic' had recommended in unison.
And so—
"I'm in your hands…!"
We used the training ground's settings to create an indestructible pedestal, on which we placed the [Cradle of Sword-Craft] after activating its magic-reception standby mode.
At the request of Sora, who bowed her head with a mix of anticipation and nervousness,
"Okay, then we'll imbue it with an extra special one!"
"You won't regret relying on us."
The two energetic, petite avatars joined hands as if on cue.
"—[Mi-Helnaria, Brush of Manifestation]."
"—[Ri-Zelnataku, Brush of Dream-Drawing]."
In each of their free hands appeared quills of red and blue.
And manifesting above their heads was a single, gigantic crown formed by the two of them—the one and only unique crown in Arcadia's history, which I was seeing with my own eyes for the first time.
It was a 'special' sight that made it easy to understand why they had so many passionate fans. As Sora and I were left breathless and intimidated by it—
"'One.'"
"'Two.'"
"'Three.'"
"'Four.'"
"'Lined up.'"
"'And layered.'"
""'Weaving a true event.'""
The long, long incantation—a song—spun by the Eastern Wings began to echo.
"'A clear sky to gaze upon.'"
"'A blazing sun to scorch the eyes.'"
""'A doll reaching for the ever-falling starlight.'""
""'Its body kindled, it begs for a heavenly sign.'""
"'The light of a star, fingers growing hot, a searing roar dwelling in its eyes.'"
"'My name is the usurper, and the ruby stolen from the heavens,'"
""'I now cast down upon the horizon—Blaze, high and endless, to the far side of the sky.'""
"With twin wings—"
"We shall paint it here————ah, you two?"
""Huh?""
While being buffeted by the roaring storm of mana.
Just as we were truly captivated by their 'song,' a nonchalant voice cut in, causing Sora and me to let out a dumbfounded cry in unison.
The Twin Wings glanced back. Mi-na, on behalf of the still-blank-faced Ri-na, flashed a mischievous grin—
"It's going to be a little hot and bright, so be careful, okay? —Ready, and!"
And in the next moment.
""[Vanishing Light, Sunfire Ruby]—!""
The 'little sun' that manifested painted the pure white training ground an even deeper shade of white.
[Vanishing Light, Sunfire Ruby]: During the incantation, any who view it, even for a moment, are set as targets. It is an un-evadable, un-blockable kill-spell that burns the target from within by directly manipulating their body temperature. A decisive weapon meant for fighting the [Sword Queen].