Volume 12 : Chapter 11 – THE MOUSETRAP (2)

I watched Nia disappear around the corner before turning my attention back to our egg.

Up close, it was even more beautiful.

Its smooth blue shell was slightly translucent, with a faint blue light glowing beneath it, like sunlight shining through clear water. Even from several meters away, I could feel a strange magic sleeping inside it.

According to what I had heard, these eggs were incredibly rare. They were recovered from the depths of the sea, with barely a dozen discovered each year.

No wonder people were willing to fight over them. At this point, I was starting to understand why the guild had turned the whole thing into such a spectacle.

I slowly swept my gaze across the area.

With Al's assistance, I could locate the various magical surveillance devices hidden around the battlefield. Some were crystal-like objects floating in midair, resembling camera lenses, while others took the form of tiny familiars and spirits hovering above the streets.

They were all watching us.

Or, more accurately, they were watching the match so it could be broadcast back to the guild.

"Wow. They really went all out."

I had to admit, as I felt strangely excited. The rules of the match themselves were surprisingly familiar.

They reminded me of one of those online team-based games I used to play.

The kind where everyone starts out thinking, this is going to be easy. We will be fighting as a team.

Ten minutes later, someone would be screaming at their monitor because their teammate had wandered off alone into enemy territory and gotten themselves killed.

And judging by the sheer number of spectators watching, this was basically an e-sports tournament.

As a pro gamer myself, there was no way I could afford to lose.

Unfortunately, the odds were already against us. We had a numerical disadvantage from the very beginning.

I narrowed my eyes.

Then, suddenly, I felt a disturbance in the surrounding magical energy. A powerful fluctuation traveled through the battlefield.

"So, they've already engaged in battle."

Nia had started fighting.

I already knew how capable she was. She was incredibly diligent when it came to her work, and I had no doubt she would give it everything she had.

But if things continued like this, it would take too long.

I only had two days left before my holiday ended. Within that time, I needed to complete this quest and investigate the cultist organization.

While this game is fun, I need to end it quickly and focus on our main objective.

"All right." I clenched my fist. "I'll attack their base while everyone's focused on Nia."

That was the obvious strategy. But at the same time, they won’t see it coming because they believe I am a non-combatant and a healer who wouldn’t have the skill to bring the fight to them.

If their attention is concentrated on the battle, I could slip past them and destroy their egg.

There was only one problem.

How was I supposed to sneak through an entire battlefield that was under surveillance?

I didn't want to reveal my true abilities.

Worse, I absolutely don’t want to do anything that might expose my identity to my classmates. Even if my classmates don’t realize it, the Gods won’t miss me exuding divine power if I used a strong spell.

As far as everyone here knew, I was a healer. That meant my abilities were supposed to revolve around light magic.

I couldn't suddenly start using some suspicious ability that had nothing to do with healing or light.

I thought for a moment.

Then an idea came to me.

"Oh." I smiled.

"That should work."

In fact, light magic was actually perfect for this.

If I created countless microscopic barriers around my body and manipulated their refractive properties, I could bend the light traveling toward me.

It wouldn't technically make me disappear. Instead, it would make the light behave as though there was nothing there.

It was similar to a prism, except instead of splitting light into different colors, I would control the direction of every ray, guiding it around me as though I wasn't there.

Of course, doing this with a single barrier would be impossible. The moment I moved, the distortion would become obvious.

So, I created thousands of tiny overlapping barriers, each one continuously adjusting its angle according to my movements.

The light flowed into the outer layer, bending smoothly around my body as the barriers guided each ray along a curved path. Then, as the rays emerged from behind me, they converged and continued on their original path as though I had never been there.

From the outside, the background would appear almost uninterrupted.

Fortunately, I had enough control over light magic to pull it off, and I could leave all the processing work to Al.

"Let's see if this works."

I activated the spell, and my body gradually disappeared.

"Perfect."

It wasn't that I had achieved perfect invisibility, but more like turning myself into a moving optical blind spot. It was basically magical camouflage.

With my special magic in place, I immediately started running toward the opposing team's base.

But I couldn't just rely on invisibility.

If one of the Blue Crest members possessed strong sensory abilities, they could still detect me. There was also the possibility that they had magical surveillance equipment capable of detecting fluctuations in magic.

So, I suppressed my magical flow as much as possible.

I slowed the circulation of magic through my body and minimized the amount of magical energy escaping from my core.

At the same time, I adjusted the barriers around me so they didn't produce any unnecessary magical fluctuations.

From Nia's battle, I had already learned something important.

Blue Crest had excellent teamwork.

That wasn't surprising. They had been working together for years.

Their movements were coordinated, and each member seemed to understand what the others were going to do without needing to communicate much.

Nia, on the other hand...

We had basically started out as enemies.

Even now, the relationship between us was nothing more than that of an employer and an employee.

She wasn't used to fighting alongside me.

And this game wasn't something one person could win alone.

Everyone had to do their part. That means I need to step up and help Nia out.

"Just hold on a little longer, Nia."

I glanced in the direction of the battle.

"We're going to win this."

I immediately accelerated.

Navigating the streets wasn't difficult this time.

Our starting points had been positioned on opposite sides of the battlefield, so all I had to do was travel straight toward the opposing team's base, where their egg was located.

Besides, I could always rely on my magical senses.

Even from this distance, I could faintly sense the egg's magical signature at their base. It was like following an invisible trail that only I could sense.

To make sure I stayed on the right path, I climbed over walls, leaped across rooftops, and even balanced along narrow ledges like a cat. I pushed myself as hard as I could, never letting my momentum slow.

One minute. That was all it took.

I finally reached their base.

I stopped behind a nearby building and peeked around the corner.

There it was.

The Blue Crest's egg was resting on top of a pedestal.

But...

"Huh?" I blinked.

It was a completely different color from ours. Instead of blue, their egg was a beautiful emerald green.

I turned my attention toward the three female members of Blue Crest at their base.

Even better, they were facing away from me, completely focused on the front entrance of the street.

They looked completely calm. None of them had reacted to my presence.

“Good. They haven't noticed me.”

I slowly stepped out from behind the building.

One step.

Then another.

I moved toward the pedestal as quietly as possible, carefully tiptoeing across the ground.

Even though they couldn't see me, I didn't want to make any unnecessary noise.

I was getting closer.

"Almost there..."

My heart began to beat faster.

I reached out my hands.

Just a little more.

I was finally within arm's reach of the egg.

All I had to do was grab it and crush it.

"Hopefully, I don't get egg yolk all over my hands when I crush this..."

I was just about to touch it.

Then—

SHIIIIING!

A golden light suddenly erupted beneath my feet.  Then the light intensified.

Brighter.

And brighter.

Without warning, a massive pillar of golden light exploded upward, piercing the sky.

My eyes widened.

"What...?"

Al hadn't detected any magical traps around the pedestal.

That could only mean one thing. Whatever this was, it wasn't a normal magic trap.

The magic circle beneath my feet rapidly expanded.

Golden lines raced across the ground before curling upward and forming a ring around my body. The moment the ring closed, an invisible force seized my arms and pinned them against my sides.

"What the...?"

I struggled against it.

It wasn't particularly powerful, but it had caught me completely off guard.

Then I looked ahead.

The three members of Blue Crest who had been guarding the egg suddenly flickered.

And then—

Poof!

They evaporated. Three small dolls dropped onto the ground where they had been standing.

My eyes widened.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

At the same time, a faint ripple appeared in the air several meters in front of me.

A transparent dome of water gradually emerged from nothing.

Three figures stepped out from within the dome.

Nozomi.

And the two goddesses, Themis and Athys.

"Amazing job, Athys!" Nozomi exclaimed.

I immediately understood that the water dome had been her work.

She was using a principle similar to my own invisibility spell, except instead of bending light around her body with countless barriers, she was using water to distort and redirect the surrounding light.

It was a clever method.

But that wasn't what surprised me.

It was the fact that they had managed to hide three fake bodies right in front of Al's radar.

Then it clicked to me.

Nozomi.

Her unique magical constitution allowed her to manipulate magic in a way that didn't follow the physical laws of this world but leaned more towards the metaphysical.

It was something that could be loosely described as shamanism.

Normally, all magic obeyed certain laws. No matter how complex a spell became, there was always a structure behind it.

Magic from all living beings interacts with the energies of nature. Each reaction led to the next, forming a predictable chain that ultimately produced the spell's intended effect.

Nozomi's magic wasn't about changing the environment. Instead, it was focused on reading those changes, predicting their outcomes, and, to some extent, even influencing them.

It was almost as though her powers didn't follow the rules of magic at all.

That was why Al couldn't recognize the dolls as magical constructs. I couldn’t blame Al much, since this was my first time facing an opponent like that.

There was no consistent magical signature for him to analyze.

And unfortunately...

I had fallen straight into one of her strange traps.

I could probably break out of it without much difficulty.

But there was another problem.

They had discovered me.

So instead of resisting, I relaxed my body. For now, I would play the role of the captured enemy. I could use this opportunity to figure out what they intended to do.

"Who do you think it is?" Themis asked.

Athys tilted her head.

"Could it be that Nia girl? Their vice leader?"

"I don't think so." Nozomi calmly looked in my direction. "Her element is darkness. Besides, the invisibility spell this person is using is quite similar to the one Athys was using with her water dome."

Her eyes narrowed.

"So, it has to be the other girl."

She had already figured it out.

Well, I could understand why they were still uncertain about my identity.

I was still concealed inside my invisibility barrier, so they couldn't actually see my face.

"Really..." Athys glanced at me suspiciously. "You do realise the spell I was using was highly sophisticated. Not even a high-level priest should be able to pull it off. Are you really sure it’s their healer?"

"Of course."

Nozomi sounded completely confident.

"It’s because I memorized their measurements."

I froze.

"I remember that Nia's waist is around twenty-six inches, while the other girl's is around twenty-four," Nia said, recalling from her memory.

She pointed toward the golden ring trapping me.

"And the size of this trap matches the second measurement perfectly."

There was a brief silence.

"Oh my..." Themis slowly covered her mouth with both hands. "Nozomi, I never knew you were the type to pay such close attention to other girls' measurements."

"How indecent." Athys gasped dramatically.

"Don't make it sound something so scandalous!" Nozomi's face immediately turned red. "You know it was for the plan!"

She waved her hands frantically.

"If Nia made it this far, we planned to use a doll of this girl and make her believe we'd taken her teammate hostage!"

What?!

I stared at her. First, she had memorized my body measurements.

And now she was casually revealing that they had already prepared an entire fake hostage scenario in case Nia reached their base.

She's crazy!

I decided it was probably better to interrupt before they came up with something even worse.

"Um..."

I deliberately raised my voice.

The three of them immediately turned toward me.

"H-how did you know?"

Nozomi smiled.

"Oh, you must be wondering how I knew you'd come here."

She lightly touched the necklace around her neck.

"And how I knew exactly where to place the trap, right where you'd be standing now, trying to destroy our egg."

She paused.

"Honestly, I didn't."

"...?"

"I just knew. That's just how my power works."

Her explanation made no sense.

But then again, her entire magical constitution operated beyond the laws of cause and effect.

Still...

There was something strange about the magic I'd felt when the trap activated. By now, I had already analyzed the golden light surrounding me.

There was a strange pattern hidden within Nozomi's magic.

The trap itself didn’t exist until the point when I tried to touch their egg.

It almost felt like I was looking at the future.

Almost.

But it wasn't actually future sight. Or she was able to place the magic trap in the future.

If I understood what I was seeing correctly, her ability was doing something far more complicated.

Every action in this world caused tiny disturbances in the surrounding magical field.

Like how people moving through an area disturbed the magic in the air, or how even a suppressed spell left behind faint residual fluctuations no matter how carefully it was concealed.

Magical objects constantly emitted traces of magic, even when they weren't being used. Even a person's emotions and intentions could sometimes cause subtle changes in their magical presence.

Normally, these fluctuations were meaningless noise. There were simply too many variables to make sense of them.

But Nozomi's strange constitution allowed her magic to read those fluctuations and rapidly calculate possible outcomes.

It was less like seeing the future...

And more like observing millions of tiny pieces of information and calculating where they were most likely to lead.

If someone moved left, certain magical disturbances would follow.

If they moved right, a different pattern would appear.

If they cast a spell, their mana would react before the spell was even completed.

Her magic could continuously observe those changes and narrow down the possibilities.

The more information she gathered, the smaller the range of possible outcomes became.

Eventually, one possibility could become overwhelmingly likely.

And when that happened...

It would look exactly like predicting the future.

So, she wasn't actually seeing what would happen. But what was most likely to happen.

And somehow, her calculations were frighteningly accurate.

So that's her unique skill... she received from her goddess.

It explained how she had known I would come here.

"Well, her voice confirms it isn't Nia," Themis said, glancing at Nozomi. "So, what do you plan to do with her next? Maybe take her into a dark corner somewhere and make her reveal all of Nia's weaknesses while doing all sorts of unspeakable things to her?"

Nozomi looked at me.

"Waaahhhh!" A squeal escaped my mouth.

Should I run now?

"Look, you scared her like a poor little cat," Athys smirked.

"Oh, come on, you two. This is no time to have fun. We need to win this competition and get the quest for ourselves. I don't have time for that."

Wait. Does that mean she would have done it otherwise...?

She's scaring me now.

"We have two options."

Nozomi said, raising two fingers.

"We can continue with the original plan and use her as a hostage to force Nia to stop fighting and make them surrender and accept defeat."

She lowered one finger.

"Or..."

Her smile became slightly mischievous.

"We can keep her captured here and attack their base."

She lowered the second finger.

"Destroy their egg and take the victory for ourselves."

I gulped.

"Shouldn't the second option be much simpler?" Themis asked, glancing toward me. "We're still not sure how Nia would react if we took her hostage. And considering how the other three boys haven't done anything yet, it's pretty obvious that she's giving them a hard time."

“I like the second option too,” Athys said enthusiastically.

Nozomi, however, didn't respond.

Instead, she suddenly turned her attention toward me.

"Huh?"

Before I could react, she stepped closer.

Then closer.

And then...

She leaned her face toward me.

I instinctively took a small step backward.

She's getting way too close!

Can’t she tell where I am because I am still invisible?

I tried to move farther away, but my back immediately hit the wall behind me.

There was nowhere else to go.

Nozomi's eyes remained fixed on my chest. She leaned even closer, her face now only a short distance from my invisible body.

Does she even realize how close she is?!

I held my breath.

She stared at me for several seconds. Then, suddenly, she backed away.

"Scratch that plan."

"What?" Athys blinked.

"We will be using your long-range attack," Nozomi spoke with complete certainty.

Themis looked confused.

"What happened?"

"Just a hunch."

Nozomi tapped her chest lightly.

"Her heart didn't show any disturbance when we mentioned infiltrating their base and destroying their egg."

My eyes widened.

She noticed that?!

"Could she have placed a barrier around her base?" Themis wondered.

"Even if she did, Athys's attack should be more than enough to break it." Nozomi then turned toward Themis. "All right. You have the coordinates of their location ready by now, right?"

"Yes." Themis nodded. "I asked one of the local yokai to find out how far their base is. I'll help Athys pinpoint its location so she can launch her attack directly at it."

"All right."  Nozomi looked back at me.  "In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on her."

What?!

I screamed internally.

What exactly does she plan to do with me?! Please spare me.

Athys walked toward the center of the open street and stopped.

She planted one foot forward and slowly shifted her weight onto it. Her other foot swept across the ground in a wide circle, guiding her body into a smooth, flowing stance.

She raised one hand.

Water immediately spilled from her palm. Instead of falling to the ground, it curled around her wrist and followed the motion of her arm.  Athys swept her hand outward, and the stream followed, looping around her body like a ribbon.

She moved her other hand in the opposite direction. Another stream of water appeared, twisting around her arm before joining the first.

Her movements were strangely graceful. Every step, turn, and sweep of her arms sent the water flowing in a new direction.

The streams circled her body, crossing over and beneath one another without ever colliding. With each movement, more water joined the formation until it surrounded her like a gigantic flower made of flowing water.

Athys slowly brought both hands together.

The countless streams responded at once. They curved inward, following her movements, and began spiraling around her in tighter and tighter circles.

Whrrr...

The water trembled.

The vibration traveled through the ground beneath my feet as the entire formation began to resonate with the water within the earth and the sky.

Athys suddenly swept both arms upward, and the water followed.

Every stream twisted toward the same point above her, merging into a gigantic rotating vortex.

"Coordinates locked." Themis raised one hand.

Athys smiled.

"Then we're ready."

For one brief moment, everything became completely still.

Athys raised one hand toward the sky.

"Vortex Magic."

She snapped her arm forward.

The vortex exploded into motion.

The water spun so violently that the individual streams merged into a single massive column.

"Heavenly Current." Her voice echoed through the street.

The next instant—

WHOOOOOOM...

The entire vortex erupted upward. A gigantic column of water shot into the sky, spinning so rapidly that the air around it seemed to twist with it.

The column climbed higher and higher, piercing through the clouds before bending at its peak.

For a moment, it looked like a colossal rainbow stretching across the sky.

Sunlight passed through the countless droplets surrounding the spell, scattering into brilliant bands of color.

The sight was breathtaking until I remembered where that beam was heading.

Wait. It's no time to admire someone else’s attack.

My expression stiffened.

That attack is heading straight toward our base!

The beautiful arc suddenly accelerated.

The massive stream of water curved through the sky like a celestial serpent, then came crashing down toward the distant horizon.

BOOOOOOM!

A tremendous shockwave rolled across the battlefield. Even from where I stood, I could feel the impact beneath my feet.

The beautiful rainbow-like beam had become a spear of destruction as I stared at the distant explosion.

"...It's finally over," Nozomi said.

◇◇◇

“Hey, guys!?” Natsu called out, staring at the golden pillar of light that had suddenly appeared in the distance.

“Can you stop daydreaming, hero? I need backup here!” Shou shouted.

He barely managed to block Nia’s sword as she lunged at him again. Their blades collided with a sharp clang, sending sparks scattering between them.

“Just how much stamina does she have?” Uranus complained, breathing heavily as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “I’m already exhausted.”

“Just look at the sky,” Natsu shouted again. “I think it is Nozomi’s trap, but what could have happened? Were they attacked?”

“There’s no way,” Uranus muttered as he lifted his chin.

Nia said nothing as she glanced at the golden light surging through the sky.

Her eyes remained fixed on her opponent, but a thought quietly crossed her mind.

Miss Alicia... Where are you?

For a brief moment, worry tightened her chest. But there was no point in thinking about it now.

This was her fight. And she had complete faith that Alicia would protect their base.

Nia tightened her grip around her sword and stepped forward to continue the fight while her opponents were confused.

Then—

Whoooosh!

A tremendous torrent of water suddenly shot into the sky.

The column twisted and curved high above the battlefield before bending forward, forming a magnificent arc across the heavens. Under the sunlight, droplets scattered from its edges, shimmering as they formed a faint rainbow.

The sheer beauty of it was enough to make all four fighters stop.

Natsu lowered his weapon.

Shou froze in the middle of his stance.

Even Nia briefly looked upward.

The enormous stream of water continued along its graceful path.

Then Nia's eyes widened.

She recognized its direction.

The water was heading straight toward their base.

“Ah...” Uranus slowly lowered his weapon. A knowing smile appeared on his face. “So they finally did it.”

Natsu stared at the massive arc in awe.

“Athys is always amazing with her water bending,” he said. “Even the temperature around us has dropped. I feel refreshed already.”

Shou tilted his head back, watching the water glide across the sky.

“It’s beautiful...” he murmured.

◇◇◇

“So that light was from a trap magic?” one spectator muttered.

“I knew the Blue Crest would be heavily prepared for this.”

“Doesn’t that mean the match is pretty much over? Even Nia gave it everything she had, but their healer walked right into their trap.”

Inside the guild’s observation area, people couldn’t stop talking about the recent turn of events. However, Guild Master Orgol remained silent.

He stood with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the battlefield screen as he carefully studied the situation.

“What are you thinking, Guild Master?” a man beside him asked.

Orgol narrowed his eyes.

“Even though no one was watching that particular area, is it really possible for someone to move through our surveillance that easily without being detected?” he asked. “Our surveillance is equipped to detect even the highest-tier camouflage skills.”

“Now that you mention it, that is strange…” The man fell silent.

“Our surveillance cameras record magical activity over more than a hundred parameters. Yet we didn't detect even the slightest interference.”

He tapped his fingers against the armrest.

“Could the system have malfunctioned?” The man wondered.

“No,” an operator immediately replied from his station. “I can confirm that every surveillance system is functioning normally.”

Orgol's expression darkened.

“Then how...?”

Before he could finish, a sudden roar erupted from the audience.

“Look! I think that blue-haired girl is cooking up something amazing!”

“Oh, that looks elegant!”

“Is water magic her specialty?”

“What are they trying to do?”

Then someone suddenly shouted.

“Oh, I smell big money coming into my pockets!”

“It’s their final move!”

“But where are they aiming for?”

“I think they’re planning to destroy the egg from there!”

“But how are they going to reach it? Is it even possible for a spell to reach that far?”

“Sit quiet! Just watch!”

The entire hall’s attention shifted toward the sky.

A gigantic pillar of water had risen high above the battlefield.

The water surged upward before sweeping forward in a massive arc that stretched across the sky like a brilliant river suspended in midair. Droplets scattered from its surface, sparkling as they fell and creating a gentle drizzle below.

“What a huge pillar of water!”

“This is the best match I've seen in years!”

“Those two adventurer clans are really something!”

“First, we got to see Nia's incredible swordsmanship, and now the Blue Crest Clan is pulling out magic like this? This match just keeps getting better!”

The audience erupted into cheers.

The enormous arc of water jet swept across the sky toward its destination.

The crowd gradually fell silent.

One by one, the cheers faded as everyone stared at the screen, holding their breath.

The magnificent stream of water continued its graceful descent.

Until—

SPLAAASH!

The entire area around the Sierra Clan's base was swallowed by the water torrent.

“Put all the cameras on the Sierra Clan's base on the feed right now!” Orgol ordered.

“Right away!”

The screens throughout the guild hall immediately switched over.

The spectators gasped.

In that instant, Sierra Clan's base had been completely submerged. And at the center of it all stood the pedestal holding their blue egg.

The water rushed around it, shaking the pedestal and everything the torrent hit.

Crack.

A crack appeared across the egg.

Everyone froze.

Another crack spread across its surface.

Then—

CRRRRRR…… CRACK!

The blue egg shattered.

Its fragments dissolved into the surrounding water before disappearing completely.

For a moment, there was absolute silence.

Then—

“YES! I WON!”

“I'M RICH!”

“I almost quadrupled my entire fortune!”

“I'm buying a big house in the city complex! No, I think I can buy even a mansion.”

“I'm starting my own business!”

“I’m going to sell Blue Crest merchandise this season! Those girls just made me a fortune!”

The hall exploded with cheers. People jumped onto tables, raised their drinks, hugged strangers, and celebrated as though they had just won the tournament themselves.

The once-tense hall had transformed into a chaotic celebration.

“More drinks!”

“Keep them coming!”

“To Blue Crest!”

“And to making money!”

◇◇◇

While the entire town erupted in celebration over Blue Crest's victory, Nia alone stood in silence.

Her teeth clenched.

For a moment, her hand trembled around the hilt of her sword.

Was I too late?

Then Alicia's words came back to her.

I trust you.

Nia slowly closed her eyes.

Alicia had given her a second chance at life.

For the first time, someone had placed their trust in her without asking for anything in return.

So, she would trust Alicia too.

The trembling in her hand stopped as she tightened her grip on the sword.

This time, she wasn't alone.

There was someone behind her.

Someone far stronger than she could ever hope to be.

And for the first time in her life, Nia had someone she could trust with all her heart.

She took a deep breath and lowered her stance.

Uranus stared at her in disbelief.

“What's the meaning of this? The match is over.”

“Yeah. There's no way your friend could have stopped that attack,” Shou said. “You should accept the result.”

Natsu casually stepped toward her.

“You should listen to us. My offer still stands if you—”

The tip of Nia's sword stopped against his neck.

Natsu froze.

“Pick up your sword,” Nia said in a cold voice.

“Hey, calm down.” Natsu raised his hands with a casual smile. “The match is over. You don't need to take this so hard.”

“Yeah, there's no reason to fight anymore,” Shou added.

Nia didn't lower her sword.

“And who said this is over?”

The three stared at her as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“I haven't heard any announcement from the Guild Master or the organizers.”

Uranus scratched his head.

“Huh? Well... maybe they're still in the process of doing it?”

He glanced around, hoping for a third party to intervene and declare them the winners of the tournament.

But nothing like that happened.

“But isn't it pretty obvious? The first team to have their egg destroyed loses.”

“Isn’t it obvious they are taking their sweet time because they are surprised by our performance?”

Nia's eyes remained fixed on Natsu.

Then the corner of her lips lifted.

“If you're so sure you've won...”

She raised her sword slightly.

“Then pick up your sword and prove it.”

◇◇◇

“Hey, is it just me, or isn't the money supposed to be credited to our guild cards as soon as the match is completed?”

“Yeah. I haven't received my winnings either.”

“Me neither.”

“Is there a bug in the system?”

“Hey, Guild Master!” a man shouted. “We haven't received our betting award! Is there some kind of issue?”

But the Guild Master didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the surveillance screen as he hovered over the operator's shoulder.

“Zoom in.”

“Yes, Guild Master.”

“Closer. Focus on the area around the pedestal and the ground.”

The operator quickly adjusted the camera.

The image on the screen expanded as the Guild Master stared at it.

“...”

His expression slowly changed.

“...What is it?” Someone beside him leaned forward.

“What did you see, Guild Master?” Another asked.

The Guild Master didn't answer; instead, he pointed at the screen.

“It's not there.”

“What is?”

“The egg.”

The surrounding chatter suddenly died down.

“...Huh?”

“The shell pieces of the broken egg are missing.”

Everyone stared at the screen.

The pedestal was still there.

The ground around it was covered in water.

But there was no broken shell.

“Wait... didn't we all just see the egg break?” someone asked.

“Maybe the water carried the pieces away?” another person suggested.

“Ha! Then you guys must be new here.” A man turned toward them, a giant mug of the local liquor in his hand.

“Yep. We're tourists. We just happened to be lucky enough to see the local event.”

“That explains why you don't know.”

“Know what?” The tourists looked at him in confusion.

The Guild Master shook his head.

“It’s impossible.”

He pointed toward the screen.

“That egg weighs several tons. Yet its characteristic is that its shell can fracture from the slightest impact.”

His voice grew more serious.

“That's why they're found at the very bottom of the seabed. We don't even handle them by hand. And are transported using teleportation scrolls.”

A few people exchanged uneasy glances.

“Then what does that mean?”

One of the spectators swallowed.

“Are you saying... the match isn't over?”

The Guild Master slowly nodded. “Looks like it.”

“But how can we be sure it’s not over?”

“The moment an egg breaks, the egg’s sensor activates.” An operator turned from the betting counter. “The result is then transmitted to the guild system, and the winning bets are automatically paid out. And I can confirm there was no impact registered by the egg's sensor.”

Everyone looked at their guild cards.

Not a single payment had appeared.

“So...”

A nervous silence spread through the hall.

“The match really isn't over.”

“Looks like it.”

“But then...”

Someone looked back at the screen.

“Where is the real egg?”

Suddenly, as if an epiphany had struck him, the Guild Master's eyes widened, and his entire body stiffened.

“Quickly, shift all the cameras to the Blue Crest's base…”

◇◇◇

“I can confirm the attack hit the target, and the yokai also saw the egg break,” Themis spoke calmly, her eyes glowing with a silver light as though she were looking at something far beyond what was happening in front of them.

“Yeah! We did it!” Athys jumped with joy.

But Nozomi didn't celebrate.

She slowly looked around, searching for something she couldn't quite explain. There was an uneasiness in her chest, like a thorn lodged deep in her heart. Something wasn't adding up.

Even with her ability to see the future, she still hadn't seen a vision of her future self winning the competition.

Then her senses flared.

“Why is it taking so long? They still haven't announced the winners.” Nozomi asked.

“Now that you mention it, maybe they never expected us to end the match this way.” Athys tilted her head.

“No. Something is wrong.” Nozomi's expression hardened. “This is a guild event. The moment the match ends, our guild cards should notify us of the result. But we haven't received anything.”

“But the yokai clearly saw their egg break. It's obvious that we won. What are you getting at, Nozomi?” Themis asked.

Nozomi didn't answer, and after being lost in thought for a moment, she turned toward me.

Before I could react, she rushed forward and slammed me onto the nearest wall.

“Ahhh!” A tiny squeak left my mouth.

Her hands immediately began searching for my collar. Though she couldn’t find it since I was still invisible.

“Tell me what you did! Where is the egg?!” Nozomi shouted directly into my face, despite not being able to see me.

“Nozomi, what are you doing?!” Athys cried out.

“Stay back. And be ready.” Nozomi's voice became sharp. “I know the egg is with her. What Themis saw could have been an illusion. Don't forget, she can use light magic.”

She tightened her grip.

“I'll check her clothes.”

Nozomi's hands moved toward my clothes.

“Wahhh...” Another strange sound escaped my mouth.

Just spare me!

I don't want to be defiled like this!

What if she was just using this as an excuse to get her hands on me?!

I never knew Nozomi was that kind of person. This is dangerous.

I really need to do something fast to get out of this situation.

“Ha... ha...” I laughed softly. “So, the cat's out of the bag.”

For a brief moment, Nozomi hesitated. Her hands suddenly stopped.

The corners of my mouth lifted.

“Why don't you guys...”

I formed a small square with my hand over my eye.

“Say cheese.”

FLASH!

A blinding burst of light exploded from my body. The entire area vanished beneath a wall of white.

“Whaaa—?!”

Nozomi immediately raised her arms and stumbled backward.

That was all the opening I needed.

I immediately freed myself from her grasp and created as much distance between us as possible.

“I can't see! What happened?!” Athys shouted.

“Me neither!” Themis cried out. “Even my vision sharing with the yokai isn't working!”

They had fallen exactly into my trap.

From the moment I was caught, I had remained completely still.

Instead, I had used that opportunity to prepare my counterattack.

Every ray of light entering my barrier had been trapped inside, bouncing endlessly between its condensed layers through total internal reflection.

I had been storing it all.

And now...

I released everything at once.

The flash wasn't meant to hurt them, but it should be more than enough to blind them for a while. Just like how a flash bomb works.

And while they were still trying to understand what had hit them, Al's voice rang inside my head.

[Analysis complete.]

[Trap magic identified.]

[Weak point located.]

A smile formed beneath my mask.

Perfect.

I lowered my hand and touched the edge of the golden ring binding me. Just a tiny amount of magic flowed from my fingertip.

Clink.

The ring gave off a faint metallic sound and fell on the ground. The moment the restriction disappeared, I stepped forward.

I was free.

Nozomi, Themis, and Athys were still blinded by the light.

“My trap spell broke!” Nozomi's expression changed the moment she realized I had escaped.

But instead of losing hope, she quickly came up with her next plan of action.

“Athys, since you can't see, quickly shield the egg with your magic! Themis, summon new yokai and use your vision sharing. They should be fine against this flash attack! I don’t think she will be able to use another flash soon.”

Even after losing her vision, Nozomi hadn't given up.

She was already adapting.

“Alright. At my mark, aim.”

I was already circling them, searching for an opening. If I could get past them, I could reach their egg.

But Athys had already reacted. A wall of water rose around the egg, completely blocking my path.

“Tch.”

They were getting annoying.

Nozomi suddenly raised her hand.

“Fire at six o'clock!”

“What?!”

I stopped dead.

A spirit arrow launched by Themis tore through the space where I had been standing a moment ago.

Whoosh!

The arrow flew past my shoulder and disappeared into the darkness.

That was close.

I quickly changed direction.

“Fire at three o'clock!”

Another arrow shot toward me.

I twisted my body and narrowly avoided it. They shouldn’t have been able to see me, with my invisibility spell in action.

But Nozomi wasn't following my movements.

Even without her vision, she was using her abilities to calculate where I would move next and directing Athys and Themis accordingly.

“Athys, two o'clock!”

A torrent of water jets came hurling in my direction.

I barely managed to dodge it.

“Hey, I think I can start seeing again. Leave it to me.” Themis suddenly said.

“Same here,” Athys responded.

“Alright, let’s capture her back and take that egg from her.”

How annoying.

At least she has a good head on her shoulders. She figured out the situation before anyone else. I'll give her that.

But the match was already decided the moment I entered enemy territory.

And now... I'll end this.

Since she is good at playing guessing games, how about we play one more.

I cancelled my invisibility spell and appeared before everyone.

“Looking for this?”

I reached into my storage dimension, making the motion look as casual as pulling something out of my pocket. A blue egg appeared in my hand, its smooth shell reflecting the light, quickly catching everyone’s attention.

Athys and Themis immediately stiffened.

“Is that the real egg?” Athys asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Why would she reveal her weakness to us?” Themis muttered, her gaze darting between me and the egg.

“That’s the real one! I saw it with my own eyes!” Nozomi shouted.

Athys blinked.

“Then is she stupid? Or is she trying to surrender?”

Despite her question, Nozomi remained silent. She stared at me as though she were trying to see through my mask and uncover the intentions hidden beneath it.

I smiled.

“Come and get it if you can.”

Before they could respond, I tossed the blue egg high into the sky.

“She's throwing it away?!” Athys exclaimed.

“I'll shoot it down!” Themis immediately raised her bow, drawing a spirit arrow as her silver eyes tracked the egg's trajectory.

But just as she was about to release the arrow, a powerful gust swept across the battlefield.

The sudden wind whipped Themis's hair across her face, obscuring her vision. She clicked her tongue and hurriedly brushed the strands aside.

What greeted her was a bizarre sight.

Hundreds of leaves were swirling through the air, caught in a spiraling current that swept across the battlefield. They spun around the ascending egg, spreading in every direction until it became difficult to distinguish anything against the sky.

“Where did this wind come from?!” Athys shouted, struggling to keep her balance. “It's unreasonably strong!”

“And what's with this ridiculous number of leaves?!” Themis complained, desperately searching for the blue egg through the swirling mass.

Right on cue.

Perfect timing, Elly.

I smiled beneath my mask and glanced toward the edge of a close building.

There she was, waving at me cheerfully while controlling the wind that carried the leaves across the arena.

And, of course, no surveillance device would pay much attention to a tiny, harmless spider sitting quietly on a nearby wall.

Thanks, Elly.

“Let's make this a little more fun.”

I raised my hand and twisted my finger. The leaves scattered throughout the sky suddenly changed.

One by one, blue eggs appeared among them. To be more precise, the leaves began transforming into blue eggs.

Themis froze.

“Wait. What?!”

Athys stared upward, her mouth hanging open.

The sky was now filled with hundreds of blue eggs, all swirling through the air alongside the original.

And the number kept increasing as Elly's wind magic swept more leaves into the battlefield.

Of course, these weren't real eggs. They were nothing more than carefully constructed illusions made possible by my magic.

All I had to do was surround each leaf with a tiny barrier, absorb the incoming light, and selectively reflect the blue wavelengths matching the original egg's color. By controlling the intensity and distribution of the reflected light, I could reproduce the egg's appearance, including its size, color, and glossy sheen.

With the leaves spinning at different angles and moving at different speeds, the imitations looked remarkably convincing.

Even better, the real egg was still flying among them.

Now then, can you tell the original apart?

I lowered my hand and watched the chaos unfold.

Nozomi stood frozen for a moment, staring at the countless blue eggs filling the sky. Her eyes darted from one to another, trying to make sense of the impossible scene.

“Hey, Nozomi. It shouldn't be too difficult to predict which one is the real egg, right?” Athys asked.

Nozomi’s expression hardened. “Leave it to me. I'll find it.”

“Nozomi, don't strain yourself,” Themis warned, glancing at her with concern.

“I'm fine.” Nozomi clenched her fists. “The real egg is still up there. I can do this. No, I have to do this. We've come too far to lose now!”

Themis bit her lip.

She knew better than anyone how much effort Nozomi's predictive abilities demanded. Processing countless possible movements and calculating the changes unfolding around her wasn't something the human brain could handle indefinitely. Every new variable placed another burden on her mind.

And I had just flooded her field of vision with hundreds of identical targets, each moving along a different trajectory.

Well, that's exactly what this little performance is for.

Let's find out where your limit lies.

For the time being, I was perfectly safe. They believed they could win simply by hitting the egg without having to get past me.

That confidence was precisely what I intended to exploit.

“Alright, Themis!” Nozomi called out. “Aim at the egg at five o'clock, fifth in the line! I'm certain that's the real one!”

Themis immediately drew her bow.

“Understood! Let's shoot for the win!”

A luminous spirit arrow materialized between her fingers. She released the string, and the projectile shot through the air with a sharp whoosh, cutting straight through the swirling leaves.

It struck the designated egg.

For an instant, a blue shell shimmered beneath the impact.

Then it flickered.

The illusion vanished, revealing an ordinary leaf that disintegrated under the force of the spirit arrow.

Silence fell.

“...What?” Themis stared at the empty space where the egg had been.

Athys's eyes widened.

“Nozomi has never been wrong about something like this!”

“Impossible,” Nozomi whispered.

All three of them looked utterly bewildered.

“It's alright, Nozomi,” Themis said, trying to reassure her. “Just try again.”

Nozomi didn't respond immediately.

Instead, she turned toward me.

I wondered what she could make out from my expression. My mask concealed my face, leaving her with little more than my posture and the slight tilt of my head.

Still, she seemed to sense something.

Her fingers curled into tight fists. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Alright. On my signal, fire at two o'clock. The second egg from the left.”

Themis didn't hesitate.

“Got it!”

She released another spirit arrow.

SHWOOOSH!

The arrow pierced the target.

Another leaf disintegrated.

“Miss again!” Athys cried.

Nozomi's shoulders twitched, but she forced herself to continue.

“The one to the upper right! One o'clock, slightly to the left!”

Themis adjusted her aim and fired.

SHWOOOSH!

The spirit arrow streaked across the sky.

For a brief moment, the targeted egg glimmered as the projectile passed through it. Then the blue shell vanished, leaving another harmless leaf fluttering in the wind.

“Not this one either,” Themis said, her voice growing uneasy.

Nozomi rubbed her eyes.

Hundreds of blue eggs continued to dance across the sky, their numbers growing with every gust of wind.

And for the first time, a hint of uncertainty appeared on her face.

…

Nozomi kept trying again and again, while Themis continued firing at every target she identified.

And every single time, the result was the same.

The blue egg flickered, revealing nothing more than an ordinary leaf before disintegrating at the spirit arrow's impact.

Another miss.

And another.

Nozomi's breathing grew ragged. Sweat trickled down her temples, and her legs trembled beneath her. A dull, throbbing ache spread through her head, growing worse with every prediction she made.

It felt as though someone had packed her brain with ice cubes and left them to melt inside her skull. Her thoughts were growing sluggish, and a strange chill crept through her body despite the sweat soaking her clothes.

“At this rate, my head is going to burst!” Nozomi whispered, struggling to bear the strain of pushing her ability beyond its limits.

Compared to when Nozomi slept, her mind would continue making these calculations naturally. Her subconscious core processed enormous amounts of information and predicted the most likely outcomes without her needing to think through every possibility. This allowed her to foresee events, even years into the future.

But doing the same thing while awake was an entirely different matter.

And now, she was trying to do all of that while her opponent continued adding more variables to the battlefield.

“Damn it! There has to be a way!”

Nozomi gritted her teeth and forced herself to continue.

But the more information she processed using her ability, the more exhausted she became.

Finally, she raised her trembling hand.

“Two o'clock! The egg at two o'clock! And right after Athys, aim for the fifth egg at six o'clock at the same time!”

Athys turned toward her in disbelief.

“Wait, I don't understand! How can there be two real eggs?!”

“Just listen to me!” Nozomi snapped, barely managing to catch her breath. “It's what I saw!”

Athys hesitated, then glanced at Themis.

“...Alright. I'll trust you.”

Oh? So, she can actually think that far ahead?

I tilted my head in interest.

Nozomi wasn't merely identifying a target anymore. She was attempting to predict several consecutive stages of events, accounting for my possible reactions before either of them had even launched their attacks.

In other words, she was trying to predict not only where the real egg would be, but also where I would move it after they attacked.

That's quite impressive.

The two attacks shot toward their designated targets.

SHWOOOSH!

Both struck their marks.

And both targets turned out to be leaves.

“...Huh?”

Athys stared at the two disintegrating leaves.

Themis lowered her bow, her expression stiffening.

Unfortunately for them, I had already prepared for that possibility.

The trick I had been using was simple. Whenever either of them aimed at the real egg, I would teleport it away and replace it with a leaf from another location. Their attacks would hit the decoy, while the real egg continued moving among the illusions.

However, Nozomi had not given up yet and managed to predict up to four consecutive teleports.

In a way, it was almost similar to predicting four consecutive moves from an opponent.

I couldn't help but smile beneath my mask.

Mother would definitely be interested in fighting someone with an ability like this. Even if she couldn't fight them herself, she'd be thrilled to hear about it.

“Ah...”

Nozomi’s knees buckled as she dropped to the ground. Her head felt as though it were burning with a terrible fever, yet her skin had grown frighteningly cold.

“Nozomi!”

Themis rushed forward and caught her by the shoulders before she could collapse completely.

“That's enough! You need to rest. Don't push yourself any further!”

“B-But... the egg...”

“Forget about the egg!” Themis snapped, her voice trembling with worry. “You're going to hurt yourself!”

Nozomi tried to lift her head, but the world swam before her eyes. Her fingers dug into the ground as she struggled to remain conscious.

Athys hurried over.

“Is she alright? Her hands are freezing!”

“Just give her a moment!” Themis said, supporting Nozomi as she struggled to breathe normally.

I watched the three of them from a short distance away.

Well, I guess that's the limit of her power.

Still, I had learned enough to be satisfied.

“Ugh! I'm so fed up with this!”

Athys suddenly shouted, looking as though she had finally reached the end of her patience.

“If we can't figure out which egg is real, then I'll just destroy every single one of them at once!”

She thrust her palm toward the sky.

A massive sphere of water materialized above her, swelling rapidly as streams of water rushed together to form a giant, shimmering bubble.

“Aqua Legion!” Athys clenched her fist.

The enormous water sphere burst apart.

Thousands of droplets scattered in every direction, but instead of falling to the ground, they stopped in midair. Each droplet twisted and reshaped itself into a tiny humanoid soldier made entirely of water.

In the blink of an eye, an entire army had assembled above the battlefield.

Thousands of miniature water soldiers hovered in the air, each one facing a different blue egg.

Athys pointed toward the sky.

“Attack! Destroy every single egg!”

The water soldiers surged forward like a swarm of tiny warriors, racing toward the countless eggs as the battlefield erupted into chaos once more.

Well, that's certainly one way to deal with a problem you can't solve.

“I guess the show's over. Let's finish this.”

The three of them turned to me as though I had just announced something utterly incomprehensible.

I looked toward the pedestal and raised my hand.

The pedestal stood at the center of the battlefield, protected by a massive dome of water. Its surface churned with countless currents, forming layer upon layer of swirling blue walls. Inside, a green egg remained safely perched upon its stand.

Athys had gone to considerable lengths to protect it.

Unfortunately for her, she had made one rather unfortunate assumption.

I pointed my index finger at the dome like a gun.

A pinprick of light appeared at its tip.

The next instant, a brilliant beam shot from my fingertip, streaking across the battlefield with a sharp, piercing whistle.

“Ha! Do you really think an attack that feeble can break my barrier?” Athys laughed.

She spread her arms, displaying the enormous water dome behind her.

“Especially when you're a light magic user! Light will simply reflect off the water or disperse as it passes through. No matter how powerful your beam is, you'll never break through my defense!”

I smirked.

“Haah...”

Athys's smile twitched.

“What's with that expression?”

She turned back toward the incoming beam, ready to watch my attack scatter harmlessly against her magnificent barrier.

The beam struck the water.

And disappeared.

For a brief instant, everything went silent.

Athys blinked.

“...Huh?”

For a moment there was no sensation. Not even a ripple beyond the ordinary movement of the water.

The light had simply vanished into the dome.

Athys stared at the spot where the beam had made contact.

Then a brilliant ray suddenly burst from the top side of the dome. It shot straight into the heavens.

“See? I told you! All your attacks are useless.”

Meanwhile, the beam continued climbing, piercing the clouds and disappearing into the vast blue sky.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Athys slowly turned back toward me. She pointed toward the thousands of miniature water soldiers swarming among the fake eggs.

“My soldiers will find the real egg sooner or later!”

For a second I looked up.

Athys's gaze followed as her triumphant expression froze.

“...What?”

The sunlight was beginning to fade.

It happened so gradually that, at first, no one noticed.

A shadow crept across the clouds, swallowing the blue sky. The light illuminating the battlefield dimmed, and a strange stillness settled over the arena.

The wind became even more chaotic.

Themis looked up.

“Wait... Why is the sky getting dark?”

Above us, the clouds had begun to gather into a vast, spiraling mass. Their undersides darkened to an ominous shade of violet, while faint flashes of light flickered deep within their depths.

A low rumble rolled across the sky.

Grrrrrrrr...

Athys's face paled.

“Don't tell me...”

Nozomi, still supported by Themis, suddenly widened her eyes.

A vision flashed through her mind, and the pieces fell into place.

“No...” Nozomi’s lips trembled. “Everyone, get away from the pedestal!”

But her warning came too late.

The heavens split open.

A colossal bolt of lightning descended from the clouds, its brilliance so intense that the entire battlefield turned white.

KRA-KOOOOOOOM!

The thunderclap shook the arena.

The science behind this magic was actually quite simple.

First, I adjusted the angle of my light beam so it could pass through the water without being reflected back. With a few calculations, I made sure it would emerge from the other side and continue straight into the sky.

Once the high-powered beam reached the atmosphere, it ionized the air along its path, creating a plasma channel that could help guide an electrical discharge toward the target.

For one breathtaking instant, the heavens themselves seemed to bloom.

Then the lightning descended.

Not as a single bolt, but as an enormous network of branching electrical currents, each one racing downward in search of a path to the ground.

The first and the biggest branch struck the water dome.

CRAAAAACK!

Brilliant blue-white veins spread across its surface.

Athys's eyes widened as the entire barrier illuminated from within. The water, once her greatest defense, had become the very thing carrying the attack toward its heart.

“W-Wait! My barrier!”

The lightning tore through the dome.

Water erupted in every direction as the barrier shattered beneath the tremendous discharge. The electrical branches spread through the suspended droplets, connecting them in a vast, glowing web.

For a moment, the pedestal disappeared behind a curtain of blinding white light. Countless luminous branches spiraled upward, while sparks spread across the ground like the roots of a divine tree.

From the center of the impact, the electrical currents climbed back toward the sky, branching and intertwining until they formed the image of a gigantic tree made entirely of lightning.

The thousands of false eggs caught in the storm vanished almost simultaneously, their illusions dissolving beneath the blinding radiance.

The miniature water soldiers were swept into the same catastrophe. Their tiny bodies scattered into vapor and glittering droplets as the lightning raced past them.

BOOOOOOM!

The impact sent a shock wave across the battlefield.

For several seconds, no one moved.

The thunder gradually faded, leaving behind the soft crackle of residual electricity. Tiny sparks drifted through the air like glowing fireflies, illuminating the drifting leaves and the mist rising from the shattered water barrier.

The clouds slowly parted.

A single ray of sunlight broke through the darkness, falling directly upon the pedestal.

And there, amid the fading sparks, the green egg rested in plain sight.

CRACK…

I lowered my hand.

“Now then.”

I glanced at the three girls, who were still staring at the scene with their mouths agape.

“Shall we call it a day?”

◇◇◇

“Hey, what's happening near our base? Looks like a massive storm has broken out.”

Uranus stared at the darkened sky in the distance, where flashes of blue-white lightning illuminated the clouds.

“Could be Athys going wild with her water magic,” Natsu replied, folding his arms. “You know how she gets when she's serious.”

“Yeah, but that doesn't look like an ordinary storm to me...”

GRRRRRRRR... KRA-KOOOOOM!

A tremendous bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking the exact location of the Blue Crest's base.

For a split second, the entire landscape lit up.

Natsu's smile vanished.

“...What the hell was that?”

Shou clenched his teeth, staring toward the distant flash.

“What's happening over there?”

“Could it be a coincidence?”

None of them could make sense of what they had just witnessed. The lightning had been far too massive to be an ordinary magical attack.

Then, suddenly...

Pop.

A notification appeared on Natsu's guild card.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

One after another, notifications began appearing on everyone’s cards.

“Huh? What's with all these notifications?” Uranus muttered, pulling out his guild card.

Natsu, however, immediately brightened.

“Oh! I bet these are notifications telling us we've finally won!”

He hurriedly pulled out his card and glanced at the screen.

His smile froze.

“...Huh?”

Shou turned toward him.

“What is it?”

Natsu didn't answer.

His eyes remained fixed on the notification, his fingers trembling around the card.

Shou snatched a glance at his own guild card.

The color drained from his face.

Uranus checked his as well, only to find the same result.

For several seconds, none of them spoke.

Then Natsu clenched his fist.

“This is impossible!”

His voice cracked with disbelief.

“There must have been some mistake! How could we have lost?!”

Natsu stared at the screen as though he could somehow force the words to change by glaring at them hard enough.

They had been certain that the Sierra Clan couldn't possibly turn the tables at the last moment.

And yet, the notification displayed the result without a hint of mercy.

[WINNER: Sierra Clan.]

[YOU LOST.]

[Wins: 31]

[Defeats: 1]

The match was over.

And they had lost.

Nia was standing a short distance away, her eyes fixed on her guild card. For a moment, she didn't move, as though she needed to read the notification several times before she could believe it.

[WINNER: Sierra Clan.]

[YOU WIN.]

[Wins: 1]

[Defeats: 0]

Then her shoulders slowly relaxed.

“Alicia...”

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“You did it. We finally won.”

She pressed the guild card against her chest, and a relieved smile spread across her face.

“I think I will rest for a little while.”

Her knees wavered, and she slowly let herself fall on the soft ground.

She had been fighting almost nonstop, carrying the weight of the battle on her shoulders. Even now, she had been standing through sheer force of will.

But with the match finally over, she could no longer pretend that she wasn't exhausted.

Instead of shouting in triumph or celebrating her victory in front of everyone, all Nia felt was

— Relief.

The kind that came after holding on for far too long, pushing through exhaustion and uncertainty without knowing whether all that effort would amount to anything.

She looked up at the beautiful, vast blue sky.

“Thank you.”

◇◇◇

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