Dorothea was one of the Elysion Octa, and Dita was an Imperial agent – what?!
I was utterly confused.
Was this some kind of sick joke?
Was I dreaming?
“Dita…”
She offered no reply.
Instead, she stayed close to Dorothea’s side.
“Dita!”
I called out again, but still, there was no response.
Her odd-colored eyes, one gold and one silver, merely flickered with sadness.
“Tell me it’s a lie, Dita…!”
All I could do was groan weakly.
A sense of helplessness washed over me, as if my knees would buckle.
My thoughts were a jumbled mess, unable to coalesce.
It’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie.
Words denying reality echoed incessantly in my mind.
—Just then, I heard screams from afar.
A faint tremor followed.
The Royal Capital was under attack by monsters.
Right, stopping Dorothea is the priority now—
I managed to rally my senses, barely.
Though, it was truly by a slim margin.
I felt like my spirit was about to shatter.
Yet, being able to refocus my attention on the battle before me was likely due to the countless battles I had endured before.
“…Let’s go, Dorothea.”
I glared at the traitorous mage.
Switch gears.
Just like in my past battles against the Elysion Octa.
I desperately told myself.
“So, that is your answer, then? If you had come to the Empire, you would have been welcomed with the rank of a high-ranking executive—”
“I don’t want that.”
As I spoke, I kept a wary eye on Dorothea’s every move.
Coldly. Focused.
All I could think about was defeating her—
“Wyvern Spear!”
“Hydra Frost!”
The fire spell I unleashed was instantly blocked by an ice spell Dorothea cast in a flash.
“Titan’s Bolt!”
With that, I switched to a lightning spell.
“Aegis Sphere!”
This too was easily deflected by Defensive Spells she had conjured immediately.
“Damn it, this woman…!”
Her magic casting speed is unnervingly fast—
And it’s as if she’s predicting my attacks, casting the perfect counter-spell.
“It’s futile, Abel. I’ve reviewed all records of your battles against the Elysion Octa. I know your fighting style inside and out,” Dorothea said with a smug smile.
“In particular, your fight against Gouras in the Holy Kingdom of Recklom, where you used various spells to fight countless magic beasts? That was to analyze your attack patterns and habits—in essence, Gouras was just a pawn,” Dorothea continued.
I did recall something.
Gouras’s words during our battle—
“Now, let me see your true strength. Let me tell you, the characteristics of monsters vary. Some are strong against fire, some absorb lightning to empower themselves, and some weaken all spells—you won’t win if you don’t vary your spells.”
It wasn’t a taunt or advice.
He was trying to draw out my strength—
“So, to gauge my fighting style, you sacrificed your comrades…?”
“You should be honored. The Empire deemed you worthy of such an assessment, believing that without sacrificing a member of the Elysion Octa, they could not defeat a mage like you.” Dorothea flipped her long black hair.
“Furthermore, this enchanted outfit I’m wearing has two advantages: it enhances my resistance to magic and significantly speeds up my magic power activation.”
I remembered my encounter with Origa, the Elf Elder.
The Megid Mirage was a manifestation of high-density magic power.
She had explained that by simply cutting a piece of armor and converting it into energy, one could unleash powerful magic.
Being able to cast spells significantly faster than one’s opponent provided an absolute advantage in battles between mages.
Moreover, my attack patterns were already transparent, making it difficult to even land a hit.
Even if I managed to exploit an opening and land an attack, the enchanted outfit’s inherent defense was extraordinary.
This meant my attacks were effectively neutralized.
“Do you understand now? The unfavorable conditions are all aligned against you—now then, allow me to make the next move.”
Dorothea raised her battle-axe staff.
The Orb embedded at its tip gleamed brilliantly.
“Photon Blast!”
A blue-white projectile shot straight towards me.
“Damn it, another one of those spells in front of the Royal Palace—”
With an exasperated curse, I conjured a defensive spell just as before.
I deflected Dorothea’s projectile, diverting its trajectory and sending it soaring into the sky.
Immediately after, a blinding flash erupted overhead.
“My, my, I am holding back, you know? If I were to unleash its full power, the blast might even reach me,” Dorothea said.
She’s holding back with this?!
I mentally retorted, but I kept my gaze fixed on Dorothea, wary.
“Besides, thanks to you, the Royal Palace suffered minimal damage. As for next time—I can’t say for sure.”
With a smile, Dorothea slowly raised her staff.
This woman—she’s just like the other members of the Elysion Octa.
She shows no sign of concern for the damage inflicted on people or cities.
To them, people outside the Empire are nothing more than insects.
Such destructive acts are probably akin to pest control for them.
But I will never let that happen.
I will absolutely stop her.
Absolutely.
Absolutely—!
“Wyvern Spear!”
The flames I unleashed were repelled by Dorothea’s enchanted outfit.
But that was within my expectations.
The surrounding area was engulfed in a sea of red from the explosive flames.
“Photon Bullet!”
Using the ensuing inferno as a smokescreen, I unleashed another spell.
“…Ngh!?”
A muffled groan of pain echoed from beyond the flames.
The shining projectile struck Dorothea directly, and with a blast, she was sent staggering backward.
