First, I oriented and aimed myself for Hanan’s field of vision.

With the other three fighting, their perspectives weren’t stable. Having both Roxana and Hanan’s attention was safer for me.

When she heard me coming, Hanan raised her eyes. Thanks to that, I could slip my arm under her shoulder and pull her up. “Hanan, can you move?”

Hanan leaned heavily on me, only managing a shaky nod. “Let’s go.”

I pulled her towards Roxana’s position as fast as I could.

Ozias didn’t miss our movement, though.

Holding his arm out out, one of his scattered beads flew back into his hand, transforming into a sword. He struck out. Luka deftly intercepted it with an elegant thrust, but it was the wrong move. The green flames on Ozias’ sword leapt down Luka’s blade at the point of contact and engulfed his fingers, his hands. In the blink of an eye, they began to wither and blacken.

Luka quickly retreated with little more than a slight frown on his face. The fire on his sword died down, but on his body, it remained. He focused black aura on his arms and hands, which seemed to slow its spread.

Veric stepped forward to cover his escape. Unlike Luka’s sword, her dragon phantom didn’t burn, rebuffing the flames from her skin. She caught Ozias’ blade and pushed it to one side, stepping into his range and stabbing forward with her claws.

Ozias flipped the golden dagger in his other hand and stabbed up from below, cutting through the phantom as if it was just that. The blade pierced Veric’s forearm. He hooked her forward, pulling her off balance, and planted a firm kick into her stomach, sending her flying back.

A gap had opened. And in that gap, Ozias turned towards me and Hanan.

He swung his sword. The green flames roared. They surged forward, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye, and engulfed us like a dragon’s breath.

By instinct, I raised my free hand to shield myself. The ether domain I’d trained for the past few weeks spun to life.

When the flames entered my domain, I felt it.

They weren’t hot. Rather, they burned so cold it felt like it would sink down into the soul.

But it was still fire. And so, I could control it.

With a wisp of thought, I moved my ether.

The green fire parted around us like waves breaking on a rock.

When the fire died down and revealed myself and Hanan untouched, Ozias’ eyes widened.

My heart pounded rabbit-fast in my ribcage.

I changed the shape of my ether domain, just like Dalileh had showed me. Instead of a sphere with myself at the center, I stretched it out into a path with me at one end and Luka at the other.

I felt the flames on his hands.

And I extinguished them.

“Cover us properly,” I said.

I hauled Hanan away.

By the time Hanan and I stumbled back to Roxana’s side, Veric and Luka had adjusted their rhythm. Veric switched to a sticky, defensive style focused on tying down Ozias’ movements rather than causing any harm; she stuck close to him so that he couldn’t attack freely. Luka, meanwhile, shifted to the mid-range, using aura to extend his strikes. His fine control over the sword seemed to be worse. The fire must have affected the movement of his wrists.

I helped Hanan sit down behind the rocks, out of Ozias’ direct line of fire. “Roxana, can you heal Luka’s hands from here?”

“I don’t think so,” she said. “It feels like it directly burned the life out of them. Even the Great Dragon can’t bring back what has been lost.”

“Then how is he still holding onto the sword?”

“I don’t know. Luka has always had his secrets.”

Okay, sure, whatever.

“Hanan, do you know what that fire is?”

She shook her head. “He’s never shown it around me before.”

In the areas where the fire had burned, all the grass and flowers had withered — a hand of death imprinted onto the ground, outstretched.

“Your sealing technique. Does it require proximity?” I asked. “If not, we should get you out of the area first.”

“I need to stay, but don’t worry about me.” Hanan straightened up and made an attempt at hiding her labored breathing, though to little avail. “I still have some tricks up my sleeve.”

She pushed herself up, and then her vision went blurry, and she swayed to the side. I caught her and propped her up against the cave wall. Seemed like dying and using that sealing technique hadn’t done her any favors.

“Don’t move until you won’t cause us any trouble,” I said.

“…I apologize. This technique was more strenuous than I believed.”

She fumbled in the pouch around her waist and pulled out a handful of exquisite needles carved from bone. One was handed to Roxana, and the rest to me.

“If you or the others have the chance, use these on Ozias. I’ll be able to hinder his movements.”

After a moment of thought, I accepted them.

We were allies working towards a common goal, after all.

But what could I do to influence the current fight?

I wanted to escape the fight entirely, but if Hanan had to stay in proximity to use her sealing skill, then we might be in trouble if we escaped out of range and all his abilities came back. Plus, who knew if Ozias had some kind of tracking skill? He’d managed to find us, after all. As long as we had Hanan’s sealing, maybe it would be best to take advantage of it and deal with the threat once and for all?

Luka and Veric were holding up for now, but I had a feeling it wouldn’t last.

Ozias was skilled and powerful, even after three seals. But with Roxana’s healing and Veric’s regeneration, time was on our side; as long as we could grind him down, we could win the battle. Someone who fought as sharply as he did must have known that.

So what would he do?

If I were him, I would definitely want to solve Hanan first. To get here, though, he would first need to break Veric and Luka’s guard. Veric’s regeneration made her hard to kill, so I’d aim for Luka.

Then what could I do?

In my current state, I was a liability in a melee fight. Using others’ perspectives to gauge where I should place my attacks was difficult. The strategy I’d used against Linden was also out for a similar reason.

Using the sacrificial flow frame would limit Ozias’ abilities, but it would also limit my allies’.

Lucky there was still an obvious avenue to explore.

I went to stand next to Roxana, who was looking at the battlefield. Using her depth judgment as reference, I changed the shape of my ether domain once more to a long strip with myself at one end and the battle at the other. Just as my ether field stretched to the limit, the flames burning on Ozias’ weapon came into my range.

I moved my ether to extinguish it.

But this time, I felt another will in that fire.

It didn’t go out.

Ozias looked coldly at me before his attention was drawn away again.

…At least it was better than nothing, right?

As the battle shifted back and forth, I adjusted the direction of my domain over and over again, following the beacon of Ozias’ fire. Whenever he extended it as an attack, I would direct the flames away as best as I could. If they separated from him, I could extinguish them fully.

Luka became bolder as he noticed my interference, and his movements became smoother. The wounds on Ozias’ body slowly accumulated.

It was just… the more I interfered, the more off-balance I felt.

It just didn’t feel right.

This wasn’t how fire was supposed to be, so cold and ghost-like. The fire of the underworld shouldn’t be anything like this.

No, it should have been hotter, crueler, brighter.

It should have seared your fingers together and scalded your throat shut when you breathed. It should have melted your flesh like a candle and popped the eyes right out of your skull.

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

[The Record Holder’s existential power is insufficient.]

It should have dragged all those bastards out from paradise into hell with the rest us, so we could burn together.

It should have swallowed everything.

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

[The Record Holder’s existential power is insufficient.]

It should have been apocalyptic, destructive, enough to extinguish all life…

Not something as paltry and weak as this.

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

A red spark appeared in Ozias’ flames and began to spread.

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

Yes…

That was it.

I smiled.

That was the fire that had killed me.

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

[{◾◾◾} wishes to wake.]

Smack.

My head whipped to the side. Something clattered against the rock. I blinked and held a hand up to my stinging cheek.

“Acacius,” Roxana said, voice tight and trembling, “whatever you’re doing right now, stop.”

…Right. What had I been doing? My head hurt. I licked my teeth and tasted blood trickling down from my nose, and then I raised my head towards her.

Roxana gasped.

Ah.

It was Jules’ glasses that had fallen.

I closed my eyes and turned my face away, but it was too late to hide what had been revealed.

“…Stop looking at me and pay attention to the battle.”

Then I added, “Roxana, if it hinders you too much, don’t siphon anything from me.”

“This is my job, idiot,” she snapped. “I’m trying to keep you all alive, but that doesn’t mean you should take that as free reign to hurt yourself more!”

She grabbed my chin and turned me forcefully to face her.

“Your body is already falling apart enough as it is. Do you think my abilities are infinite?” Her voice rose, sharper and sharper. “Don’t count on me so much. I’m not a miracle maker. I’m not Veric!”

“…Veric?” I repeated dumbly.

Roxana gnashed her teeth and flung me away.

“Stay quietly with Hanan and don’t move!”

She turned her back on me, clasped her hands, and began to pray again.

If only I’d still had my own vision…

Then I would have known what kind of face Roxana was making.

I fumbled around behind Roxana’s back and sat down next to Hanan. Sometime while I’d been zoning out, she’d closed her eyes. She hadn’t stirred at our exchange just now. Maybe she was unconscious.

Ozias was in worse state. The green flames were gone, and his sleeves had been scorched away, revealing burned arms underneath. He was limping on an injured leg, bleeding from multiple injuries, and slowly being pushed back under Luka and Veric’s attacks.

No…

The back of my neck prickled.

Something was wrong.

I combed over the details of the battle in my mind, and my skin prickled. I reached out and tugged Roxana’s dress.

“Roxana.”

“What is it?” she snapped.

“Ozias’ beads. Do you remember where they fell? Are there any near them right now?”

There was a long pause.

I forced myself back up to my feet and cupped my hands around my mouth.

“Watch out for the beads!”

They reacted quickly. Luka leaped back, and Veric attempted the same, but when Ozias stabbed forward with the golden dagger, her movement was disrupted. With a sudden aggressive onslaught, Ozias forced Veric’s path of retreat to veer to the side.

He let go of his sword and formed a seal with his hand.

Six copper-green beads that had laid forgotten in the grass rose up into the air, transforming into savage stakes that emitted an eerie light. Veric’s shadow split into six, and the stakes fell, nailing each shadow into place.

A dark, translucent barrier rose up from the stakes, and no matter how Veric struggled, she couldn’t move her feet from place. She struck out at the barrier with her dragon phantom to no avail.

Luka dashed forward, sending out a series of slashes at the stakes. They bounced off, leaving little more than faint white scratches. Before he could take further action, Ozias blocked his way.

Their blades clashed. Blow after blow, Luka pushed himself to meet Ozias’ swordsmanship. He narrowly dodged one thrust and returned one of his own. Sparks flew between their weapons. He leaned back to avoid a slash to the neck, only to be struck by a follow-up attack with the golden dagger that left a bloody gash across his forehead.

Blood dripped into his eyes, obscuring his vision in a curtain of red, but Luka didn’t falter at all, reading Ozias’ movements as if he had a second pair of eyes.

Unfortunately, the six beads Ozias had used to trap Veric weren’t the only ones scattered around the field.

Ozias locked Luka’s sword with his. With the hand holding the golden dagger, he crooked two fingers. A seventh bead shot out like a bullet.

Luka twisted to avoid it, but too late. It tore through his shoulder, sending him spinning off-balance, and Ozias kicked him down to the ground. He raised his sword.

Luka was fast to draw his limbs in to protect his head and torso, rolling to the side.

So when the sword came down, it impaled him through the forearm, pinning him to the ground. Roxana groaned.

Ozias stepped on Luka’s other arm and kicked the sword out of his stiff and blackened fingers.

I exhaled.

With Luka on the ground, as long as I defined my range properly, I wouldn’t accidentally hit him. I stretched out my ether domain and estimated the distance.

I converted all my ether above a certain height.

Fire bloomed, and Ozias began to burn.

Under that fierce light, shadows gathered around Luka and coalesced into the shape of a wolf. It opened its jaws and lunged for Ozias, tackling him away. Using Roxana’s perspective, I shifted the flames with him.

“Our lady of sorrows, take mercy on your poor lamb,” Roxana muttered. “Guide this lost soul to safety, and grant us succor for our pain…”

Blue light gathered around Luka. He sat up stiffly and reached for the green sword pinning him down.

A faint expression of pain crossed his face as he hooked his withered hand around the hilt. It spasmed and fell away.

Ozias re-summoned his green fire around his hands. It subjugated the fire I’d created, painting it green and pulling it out of my control. He forced open the shadow wolf’s jaws. Its form flickered and grew transparent where the flame drew near, not so much letting go as losing cohesion entirely.

Ozias burned the wolf away like a wisp of smoke and looked towards Roxana and I. He raised one hand. In it was the green bead he’d used to ambush Luka, still gleaming with blood.

I grabbed Roxana and threw us down to the ground.

A high whistle sounded, and the cavern wall above us shattered. Rock shards fell around us.

“Hanan!” I shouted. “Wake up!”

Ozias dashed towards us, bending his fingers again.

Hanan opened her eyes and threw herself aside. The bead smashed into the space where her head had been just moments before.

The bead flew back to Ozias’ hands, transforming into a sword. Green fire blazed down its blade. He swung it at Luka’s wolf as it reformed before him, cleaving its body in two.

The shadows began coalescing again. Evidently, it wasn’t so easy to destroy. But it was enough time for Ozias to finish crossing the distance and appear before us.

I staggered to my feet and stood in front of Hanan, even though I had no idea what to do. [Caller] appeared in my hand.

But seeing me stand before him, Ozias’ eyes flickered, and he attacked Roxana instead.

One foot smashed Roxana’s head into the ground. A blue barrier barely flickered to life in time to protect her.

Seeing that, Ozias switched the green sword for the golden dagger.

Roxana screamed as the dagger impaled her through the back. Ozias stomped on the hilt, nailing her down in a chorus of cracking ribs and a spurt of blood.

Roxana coughed and whimpered. Red spittle flowed out of her mouth.

But even so, she reached out with one hand. White gleamed between her fingers.

With a desperate thrust, she stabbed Hanan’s bone needle deep into Ozias’ ankle.

“Hanan!” she cried.

Hanan breathed deeply and made a gesture with her hands.

“Embroider.”

Something flew out from her robes and shattered in a shower of dusty starlight.

The space where Ozias stood shifted. Was cut out. Turned into an exquisitely embroidered tapestry.

Only his leg was incomplete.

The bone needle rose up on its own and began to stitch. Hanan panted and gasped.

“Three minutes.”

Okay.

Three minutes.

I felt my way forward and grabbed the dagger in Roxana’s back.

“Brace yourself,” I said.

On the count of three, I pulled it out.

Roxana sobbed, and her vision blurred.

“O lady of sorrows,” she gasped. “Have mercy on me.”

Blue light gathered around her wound. She crawled forward, away from the weave.

I helped her up. “Go to Veric. I’ll help Luka.”

Veric was familiar with her, and Roxana had a better chance of understanding that seal than me.

Roxana choked back another sob. She wiped her eyes and ran ahead.

“Ah, wait…”

Hanan’s eyes were focused on Ozias. From the way she wasn’t looking away and was barely even blinking, it seemed like she needed all her concentration there.

Because of the darkness of the barrier, Veric couldn’t see more than a few feet outside of it.

Roxana had prioritized Luka’s most serious injuries first, so the cut above his forehead hadn’t healed. His eyes were still covered in blood.

No one was looking his way. I couldn’t see where Luka was.

I blindly stepped forward and called, “Luka.”

I was afraid he wouldn’t answer, but he said, “I’m here.”

I followed his voice.

When I was close, he said weakly, “Hand me my sword.”

I swallowed down the laugh that wanted to force itself out.

“Where is it?”

“Over there.”

Fuck.

“We just need to get this out of you, right?” I muttered, kneeling down and feeling around. If it was just pain stopping him, I was confident I could handle it better than anyone here. My hand brushed against his coat. I extended my arm and waved, bumped into the sword, and closed my fingers around the handle.

—I touched something I shouldn’t have.

A strong sense of repulsion swept through me, and before I even realized it, I’d let go.

“It’s either an exclusive title or a World Proof,” Luka said. “We can’t use it.”

Dread knotted itself in my chest.

“…What do you need your sword for?”

“To cut my arm off.”

My breath caught.

Everything was going down the same path. I’d screwed up from the beginning.

I shouldn’t have looked for others, shouldn’t have saved Veric, shouldn’t have fought for a chance for more people to survive. What the hell was I thinking? I barely even knew these people. It would have been easy to leave them behind.

But it was too late for regrets.

What could I do?

In this situation, what could I possibly do?

“Acacius.” Luka’s voice broke into my thoughts. “I’ve been wondering for a while.”

Light and steady, as calmly as he’d spoken of cutting off his arm, he spoke.

“How much can you actually see?”

Chapter 30 Chapter 32