Even if the opponent is tens of thousands of light-years away, already dead and existing only in the past, or doesn’t exist at all…
There’s a way to hit someone regardless of any physical conditions—by striking within the heart (心).
Swinging a fist in one’s own heart transcends the speed of light, leaps over time, and ignores the hierarchy between oneself and the opponent.
Everyone lives while imagining hitting someone in their hearts. But the reason people can go about their lives without issue is that such imaginings have no effect on reality… except for one Aura Master who carries a sword in their heart.
“Gyaaah!?”
Once again, an attack from an unknown location strikes Merlin’s magical barrier. Merlin calms the trembling shield and waves his staff.
Having created his own unique magic, Merlin doesn’t need to chant various spells like other sorcerers. He uses but one: manifesting his fantasies into reality.
“—「Fantasy Manifestation」!”
Dozens of fantasies simultaneously manifest and fly toward Kail. Each phenomenon possesses the same destructive power as a spell cast by a sorcerer.
Yet Kail calmly draws his sword.
“Mayer Style 1.”
Earth Dragon Flash.
Instantly, a massive wall appears before Kail. Merlin, whose vision and magic are blocked by the sudden earthen wall, immediately disperses his magic to locate Kail.
But faster than that, an attack hits Merlin from somewhere.
“Again—!”
Blocking the attack with his staff, Merlin quickly vacates the spot. Though he cannot see Kail, it’s obvious his target is his neck.
It was predictable that he would aim for the previous position. Sure enough, as soon as Merlin moves, Kail’s Aura Blade pierces through with a “Swoosh!”
“…Amazing, truly amazing.”
Blocking another of Kail’s mental blades with his staff, Merlin chuckles as he looks up at Kail floating in the sky.
An Aura Master standing on the air—anyone watching would surely mistake this side for the Aura Master and the other for the Master.
Impressed, Merlin claps and compliments Kail floating above.
“Remarkable, for an Aura Master to display such tricks.”
“—Are you scared?”
“Scared…? Indeed, phenomena beyond comprehension are frightening. And your attacks were incomprehensible.”
Blocking Kail’s mental blade once more, Merlin narrows his eyes and smirks.
“Until just now, that is.”
“You figured it out in that short time?”
“Do you take me for some idiot? The greatest sorcerer on the continent is also the greatest intellect.”
Of course, Merlin adds while pointing his staff.
“It would’ve been difficult for other sorcerers to notice. Using Aura Blades to cut through space…”
“Other sorcerers…?”
“Right, those who focus solely on magic. But I am different.”
Merlin says so while emitting swirling auras from his staff. The ability to emit aura outside the body is the exclusive domain of Masters.
The fact that he can emit aura outside his staff means…
“Aura Master…?”
“You’ve forgotten my introduction. I am Feyna 「Staff」.”
After introducing himself, Feyna smirks and mimics Kail’s technique. Feyna’s aura, which transcends space-time, reaches Kail.
Kail staggers under the mysterious attack and plummets to the ground.
Landing hard, he grits his teeth and glares at Feyna. Feyna smirks back, finding it amusing.
* * *
In what seemed like an eternal moment, Arthur’s group, watching the two fight, could only remain stunned even after their clash ceased.
Realizing that nothing physical or magical could penetrate Feyna’s Fantasy Manifestation, they tried not to interfere with Kail’s attempts to attack him.
However, when Kail began to falter, they flinched.
“Damn…”
“Is there nothing we can do?”
“Hmm, frustrating, but that guy is a higher-ranked sorcerer than me…”
While the two sorcerers gnawed their fingers in frustration, Star Tail, who had been quietly observing in Arthur’s arms, suddenly poked her head out.
-Cheeeeww!
“Sta, Star Tail?”
-Cheeew!
Star Tail, emerging from Arthur’s chest, flies toward Feyna like a meteor.
-Ding!
“Ugh!?”
Feyna, focused on Kail, didn’t notice Star Tail’s movement and got bitten on the shoulder.
Startled, Feyna shakes off Star Tail. Arthur swiftly catches the returning Star Tail and steps back.
Witnessing this, Rizelotte realizes one fact: physical attacks work on Feyna right now.
“—Now.”
Without warning, Yuri casts a spell assisted by a Master-level sorceress. The combined magic of a Master-level sorcerer and two near-Master-level sorcerers completes instantly and flies toward Feyna.
Feyna, having momentarily stepped out of his fantasy while emitting aura, clicks his tongue upon seeing the incoming magic. It’s too late to activate Fantasy Manifestation again.
“Too weak…”
His aura-wielding staff scatters the incoming magic. In the gaps of dissipating magical power, Kail suddenly lunges.
Mental blades are ineffective now. Against another Aura Master, they’re mere tricks.
He hasn’t created multiple Aura Blades either. What he needs now isn’t several swords but the sharpest single blade.
‘Compression—’
Compressing the Aura Blade into a single point.
A sword crafted by squeezing all the aura from his entire body.
Superior Blade.
Kail is certain this sword can slice through even illusions.
“Dieeee!”
Recognizing that the figure before him resembles but is not Merlin, Kail swings his sword without hesitation.
Facing Kail’s Superior Blade, Feyna watches in shock as his own Aura Blade collapses uselessly.
And he trembles.
“Hahahaha! This is fun!”
At the realization that there is a higher level beyond what he thought was the peak of an Aura Master.
The genius who mastered two abilities feels his capacity expanding endlessly at this moment.
And simultaneously understands his own limits.
He walks two paths. Even if it was due to a dual personality, his body has learned two extraordinary abilities simultaneously, meaning neither can reach its ultimate limit.
He cannot become like Kail.
Then he will reach the extreme in a way different from the man before him.
Phantasma Blade.
He shatters his opponent’s strongest move with his own illusionary sword.
“Kaiiiil-!”
“Ughhh—!”
Reality and illusion collide.
Two sword energies, never before seen in history, cover the world.
As if splashing paint across the world, vivid colors begin to coat the sky.
“Aaaaagh!?”
“Ughh—!”
“Chuhh!?”
The two sorcerers casting spells far away scream and catch their breaths. Arthur takes care of the returned Star Tail.
Even though they are near-Master-level strong, they can’t intervene in the transcendent battle unfolding before them.
Soon, the end of the transcendent battle is revealed.
When Kail’s sword finally breaks Feyna’s staff.
Illusion falls before reality.
“Haa, haa… Hahaha-!”
“…Crazy bastard?”
“Wasn’t it fun? Kid, I enjoyed it.”
Feyna recalls the transcendent events he experienced. A supernatural wonder no demon has ever seen. He witnessed and recreated a myth.
As a demon loyal to instinct, there is no greater satisfaction than achieving what no one else has.
“—You may kill me.”
“Who said you could decide?”
“Hmph… Not killing your defeated opponent? You’re soft.”
“Soft… Doesn’t mean everything ends with death.”
Kail grabs the fallen Feyna by the neck and lifts him up. Struggling with his airway blocked, Feyna thrashes around but can’t escape the grasp of an Aura Master after expending all his energy.
“Are you really Merlin?”
“Kek… Let… Me go…”
“I thought you were someone else based on names like Feyna, but… fighting you made it clear.”
To Kail, Feyna is 100% identical to Merlin. Not just a lookalike or a doppelganger but Merlin himself.
Yet he displays completely different personality and behavior. How should this be interpreted? Fortunately, Kail knows a term that describes this condition.
“Multiple personalities or something, right? And if so—luckily, it’s something I can handle.”
“Wha… What are you going to do…”
“Apophis.”
The Demon of Dreams. And the Demon Sword that seals it.
Upon activating the Demon Sword, Feyna panics, realizing Kail’s intentions.
“You wouldn’t dare…”
“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
In the next moment, Feyna’s personality is dragged into the Demon Sword. Kail could keep him trapped forever. Beyond that, he could destroy Feyna’s personality entirely.
If a person’s personality is destroyed, they usually become a mindless fool. But in the case of multiple personalities, it might be different.
“…What did you do?”
“Didn’t you see?”
Indeed, upon regaining consciousness, Merlin sees Kail release his grip on his neck.
From inside the Demon Sword, Feyna’s screams of agony echo in his mind.
Kail smirks down at Merlin.
“You owe me one.”
