Joint Combat Practice 2 (15)
In the secluded corridors of the Glokt building, the girl leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling as blood pooled around her from the wounds she’d sustained.
“Ku… heuk… kugh…”
Despite her coughing, the choking sensation in her throat refused to ease. Adel brushed the hair stuck to her forehead with bloodied fingers and gazed down at her right wrist. The holy rune, once carved into her skin as a symbol of divine protection, had vanished. No matter how powerful, repeatedly using grand-scale holy magic had its limits.
At last, Adel had become ‘able to die’—a goal she had finally achieved after dozens of returns through time. A sense of release washed over her, though she could not really celebrate the circumstance.
Propping herself against the wall, Adel allowed herself a faint smile while the blood continued to flow. Her consciousness grew increasingly hazy.
* * *
“Why, Ed… Why you…?”
Headaches and chills attacked Ed’s body, and he fought back the urge to vomit. The memories flooding into his mind were from the past, all rewound by Adel’s sacred magic.
While Saint Magic could turn back the world’s clock fairly, memories were not immune to evaporation. Take Saintess Claris, who retained all memories of the rewound time.
Claris could resist Adel’s sacred magic because the foundation of her power lay in holy magic. Since Adel’s divine power manifested the sacred magic, it couldn’t fully exert its force if one possessed the protection of holy magic.
Furthermore, sacred magic often failed to fully affect those with innate resistance—not only those blessed with holy protection, as noted in the treatise “Introduction to Sacred Theology” by Glokt.
Knowledge was power.
Those with the potential to manifest sacred magic, surely then, had the ability to resist it. Even if not completely shielded due to the differences in power and scale, one could still weaken the impact or at least struggle against it.
In the current era, few could properly wield sacred magic, rendering the point rather moot.
“Kr, euk…”
The memories piercing his mind were, almost in entirety, agonizing—crushed under a building, burned alive, stabbed by a spear, impaled on scales, slowly dying from blood loss…
The vivid memories of death he had experienced dozens of times felt excruciatingly real. Grating his teeth, he clenched his fist on the table.
Yenika, though startled to see me like this, tried to soothe me. But for the time being, I had to endure the pain with gritted teeth.
In the midst of this, Saintess Claris had already approached me. Her hair was chillingly white, contrasting with her red pupils, and a red butterfly hairpin tilted in her hair. Memories of the girl I had seen die time and time again etched into me, driving me deeper into pain.
“Ed, Senior…”
—Thud.
I grabbed Claris’s wrist in a sudden movement.
With sweat trickling down my face, I staggered to my feet, drawing the attention of those around us. Gazing firmly at Claris, I stated decisively, “This may very well be our last chance.”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Claris’s eyes widened slowly as disbelief clearly crossed her features.
“Ed Senior… Memories…?”
“Time.”
I tried to compose my faltering breath and spoke with certainty, “We’re fighting against time. We must quickly and swiftly… steal the canine necklace.”
My introduction to sacred magic came through Glokt’s writings, but my resonance with sacred power had not yet peaked. Not quite understanding why I could now resist Adel’s sacred magic, I had no time to ponder; I had to act immediately.
“Ed…!”
Yenika supported me as I wobbled.
Claris, too, was restless before me, and the surrounding students’ eyes were wide upon us. It looked peculiar indeed—Yenika and Claris at each side as I staggered on.
Claris seemed overwhelmed by the completeness of my memory, yet there was no time to question it. After all, Claris had thoroughly learned what priorities to set in the face of crisis.
“Senior Ed… Then we should rush to the carriage…!”
“Your Holiness, take the carriage and head to the cathedral immediately. I’ll go separately.”
“Sir?”
“We don’t have time. You must leave at once. Listen carefully, Your Holiness.”
Despite her apparent desire to question why we must part ways, there was no time for lengthy explanations. I briefed her on what she needed to do, and soon enough, Claris nodded and quickly jumped into the carriage.
She commanded the coachman and knights, and the carriage sped off towards the academy’s cathedral.
“Ed… What was all that just now…?”
Naturally, the stares of the students, sharp as arrows, persisted. The unexpected appearance of the Saintess, the incomprehensible exchange, and then her swift compliance with my directions—it was all quite abnormal.
Yenika, too, wore a perplexed look. I steadied myself and placed my hands on her shoulders.
“Ah, ugh… Suddenly, why…!”
“We must head to the cathedral now.”
Throughout the endless cycles of time, the beginning had always been the same.
Saintess Claris informed me about the looping time and about my service number, urging me to board the carriage due to time constraints.
Sitting in the carriage, I had time to sort out my thoughts and come to terms with the situation.
But the carriage was too slow. We desperately needed the aid of Yenika’s spirits who could defy geography and soar through the air.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})“Suddenly…? Ed… You need to take part in the joint combat training…!”
“I can’t explain in detail, but it’s an extremely important matter.”
“If Ed says so… I concede… Even so…”
I had to start moving even as I tried to explain.
The surest solution was to race to the northern forest and summon Lucy. In the previous cycle, I did just that.
Lucy Meyril was a formidable force, unmatched within the academy. A bulldozer or a cheat of sorts, capable of breaking through any dead-end.
With Lucy present, we could subdue Telos’s Apostle or Archbishop Verdio in an instant.
But that was not the objective. It wasn’t about subduing them; it was a time attack.
We had to snatch the canine necklace of Belverok and cast it as far away from Aken Island as possible.
It was uncertain how far we needed to go to prevent it from reacting with the seal—it might not be enough to cover kilometers, perhaps requiring travel to another province.
There was no telling how much time it would need. If we could retry the cycle, we might discern the exact distance, but with Adel’s life on the line, that wasn’t an option.
I had to proceed as though this was truly the final attempt.
Hence, there was no time to summon Lucy from the northern forest. It would be better to race to the cathedral and seize Belverok’s canine necklace as quickly as possible.
After securing the necklace, I would flee Aken Island as quickly as I could. Dealing with Telos’s Apostle would come later. First, we had to hinder the revival of the Holy Dragon.
And at the start of every cycle, Yenika was always closest to me.
As the handler of the cycle, having no connection to Saintess Claris, she had to fully invest her efforts to persuade and take me with her.
There had been no choice for me but to be confusedly dragged along. But now… the situation had profoundly changed.
“It is urgent, so I understand… But Ed, you don’t look well. Aren’t you overexerting yourself?”
Yenika spoke as she amassed the power of the spirits. It was a considerable amount of magic energy, enough to summon mid-level spirits, yet she didn’t seem burdened.
Yenika had an extraordinary sensitivity to spirit magic.
Before long, a giant water-formed hawk spread its wings, and a moist breeze coiled around the bench.
Yenika swiftly climbed onto the hawk. Though not exactly colossal, it was large enough for two people to ride.
Extending her hand, I grasped it and climbed up beside her. As the hawk flapped its wings and began to hover, I struggled to maintain balance and wrapped my arms around Yenika’s waist.
“Ack!”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Yenika shivered and hiccupped. Perhaps the abruptness of my action had startled her. But at that moment, I was too preoccupied to attend to my mental state.
As we soared across the sky, we could see the Saintess’s carriage bustling below.
Yenika and I perched atop the hawk, ignoring buildings and roads and flew directly toward the Cathedral of the Scholars visible in the distance.
“Listen carefully, Yenika.”
“Uh, yeah?! I’m listening! Ed!”
“From this moment, I’m going to strike at the Holy Emperor and the Archbishop.”
Her ears, previously flushed with bashfulness, returned to their pale color at my words.
“What?!”
“Move swiftly following my descent, and if anyone sees you, fly away as quickly as possible.”
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Yenika turned her body while I was still embracing her back.
“We don’t have much time—start moving now, Yenika. And if it goes south, you risk expulsion.”
“Even if it means becoming a fugitive, I can’t let you go alone.”
There was firm resolve in her eyes, the usual hesitance nowhere to be found.
“If we’re to be expelled, let’s face it together. Perhaps we’ll feel less unjust if we share the burden.”
“Isn’t that too reckless…? If things go wrong, I might not escape the pursuit of the church.”
“We can figure out a plan when the time comes. If we become fugitives… I’ll run away with you. My hometown of Flan is in a remote area, so hiding there will make it difficult for…”
“I know it’s going to be tough.”
Still, Yenicar’s gaze is unwavering, certainly pretense is absent in her solemn affirmation.
Ready to descend into the abyss alongside me if that’s our fate.
She speaks of a retreat through the less traveled deserts or lawless zones as if it’s as simple as having a stroll, draped in robes, eking out a living on meager quests and scraps.
“No way…”
“I’m resolved to that, Ed. So don’t even think of leaving by yourself.”
It’s as if Yenicar can read my thoughts.
“You’ve been suffering alone again, haven’t you?”
“What?”
“I can tell just by looking at your face, Ed.”
Scores of painful deaths are etched in my memory, each one so agonizing that the mere recollection threatens my sanity.
With a sorrowful look through narrowed eyes, Yenicar speaks.
“I hate seeing Ed suffer.”
“……”
Ignoring geographical constraints, we flew through the sky. It wasn’t long before the cathedral of the academy loomed beneath us.
“Are you ready?”
“Don’t talk. It’s pointless.”
“Then… Let’s break through the stained glass.”
The unexpected proposition to shatter the cathedral’s grand windows and invade within seems like madness, especially from Yenicar’s perspective, unversed in the intricacies of the matter…
“Understood.”
―Crash! The cacophony of breaking glass!
The falcon pierced the stained glass of the academy precisely.
* * *
What followed happened in an instant.
The attack was most critical at the moment of entry.
As the massive glass shattered, raining fragments onto the floor below.
Leaping from the falcon, I rolled on the ground before setting my sights on the pulpit.
The congregates sat stunned in the pews, Archbishop Verdieu on the pulpit, and High Priest Eldain behind, reviewing his plans.
All were dumbstruck, but their confusion presented a singular opportunity.
I charged the pulpit and, with no hesitation, kicked Verdieu in the gut, sending him tumbling down.
Taken by surprise with no thought to defend himself, Verdieu emitted a choking sound as he toppled from the stage.
Witnessing this, Telos’ apostles drew their weapons and stood. My eyes confirmed the presence of the Velbrok tooth necklace dangling ostentatiously on the pedestal.
Quickly, I snatched the chain of the necklace and adorned the summoned falcon’s neck with it. The legendary artifact, the Velbrok tooth necklace, could adjust its length according to the wearer’s neck size.
Although it was a tight fit, it sat neatly around the falcon’s neck.
“What in the world…?”
Swiftly, I remounted the falcon. Initially, I planned to utilize arcane magic gear but with Yenicar’s assistance, the narrative shifted entirely.
My priority was to halt the revival of the Holy Dragon Velbrok, flying high over Aiken Island.
What comes after is a concern for another time. Now is not the moment to search for an optimal route by casting various gambits. Adel’s life can no longer be wagered.
I flung a dagger into the ground. With the manifestation of the Spirit Formula ― Explosion, smoke enveloped the pulpit.
The apostles quickly dispersed the smoke with their magic, but by then, Yenicar’s falcon was already soaring through the sky.
Slicing through the heavens, Yenicar clutched tightly to me as we flew side by side.
The apostles of Telos took wing after us. Each possessed the capability to fly via their immense wings, moving at a surprising pace, but the distance between us and our pursuers narrowed more quickly than expected.
“Yenicar!”
Conversing was challenging with the sound of our clothes flapping violently in the wind.
“We’ll be caught if we keep this up…! Descend now!”
Why would altitude matter in a chase? Yenicar likely wanted to question that, but a glance below offered a faster answer.
Flying spirits capable of carrying a person are exceptionally useful, yet summoning and sustaining them consumes an exorbitant amount of mana compared to ordinary spirits. An average spirit master would be exhausted mere minutes into a flight.
Naturally, Yenicar possessed an absurd mana efficiency when it came to spirit magic, able to fly effortlessly over several kilometers. As the wind struck our faces, we continued to glide through the sky.
“Just ten minutes ago, I was sitting dazed in front of the Glokta manor—!”
It must have felt like a bolt from the blue, but Yenicar persisted, focusing on her spirit magic despite clenched teeth.
Six apostles shredded the sky with their wings, hurling various elemental spells our way.
We zigzagged to dodge the barrage, but there were limits to how long we could resist.
When a basic wind spell, ‘Blade of Wind,’ hit the falcon squarely, the spirit disintegrated into its elemental form, vanishing in an instant.
A fleeting sensation of weightlessness dominated as I hung in midair, but the pull of gravity soon reclaimed its hold.
―Thump!
The rustling of the garment…
While suspended, I immediately snatched the Velbrok tooth necklace still afloat.
As I was about to fall toward the ground, Yenicar, still clutching my garment, delved her hand into her bosom.
Whispering into my ear as we fell together, she said,
“You’ll take care of the aftermath, won’t you, Ed?”
“What…?”
“I trust you, Ed, so I’ll do it.”
From within my cloak, she extracted… ‘Glast’s Phoenix Ring of the Golden Sun.’
With her fist clenched tightly around the ring, Yenicar extended it towards the sky… And then the heavens vanished.
―Rumble!
Though ‘wings’ is a broad term, their varieties are countless.
From the smallest insects, sparrows, and bats to the largest eagles, pterosaurs, and skeletal birds… Each type of wing spread over the world takes a different form.
Yet, among them all, the most imposing was… the whale.
It was a clear day.
But the sun’s light could not reach the academy.
Only a vast shadow cast darkness over it.
Elemental spirits come in myriad forms and species, yet for each element, there exists a unique being.
Spirit masters refer to these beings as ‘Supreme Spirits’.
The supreme spirits are the earliest forms of life among their kind.
The supreme water spirit, Préide.
The immense whale floated over the academy, emitting a sound like a grand horn.
Surrounded by a host of flying spirits, its majestic movement recalled a mothership with an escort fleet.
Even Telos’ pursuing apostles paused at the sight, momentarily bewildered.
―Swoop!
A pterosaur-shaped wind spirit swiftly seized Yenicar and me, offering respite upon its plush back, and the sensation of plummeting dissipated.
“Hey… How much mana did you draw from…?”
“I’m not sure… I guess I’ll be bedridden for a while…”
Staggering with effort, Yenicar used her staff to prop herself up and slowly stood on the spirit’s back.
Without any explanation, she had overexerted herself for my sake, leaving me with a profound sense of debt, lodging itself deeply in my heart.
The six apostles ceased their pursuit for a moment, surprised by an unforeseen circumstance.
Surely, chaos had already erupted at the academy.
The supreme water spirit, Préide, was regarded as a calamity that claimed the lives of two mythical heroes.
The forced manifestation of Préide marked one of the greatest achievements of the archmage Glokta, as the entity itself embodied a terror in human history.
Though Préide was now under Yenicar’s control, it was uncertain whether the academy’s others would perceive it similarly.
The apostles altered their expressions and prepared collective sacred magic for a more serious confrontation.
* * *
― ‘Saintess, there is something only you can do.’
― ‘You alone remember all of history, Saintess, with a full grasp on the situation. While I use whatever means to thwart the Holy Dragon’s revival, Saintess… please persuade the High Priest Eldain.’
Stepping from the carriage, the chaotic scenes at the academy cathedral unfolded before me.
Clarisse, unfettered by the knights’ escort, strode decisively through the open cathedral doors before her.
Inside, those expecting the apostles’ return and news of the situation awaited.
The audacious assault that resulted in the theft of Velbrok’s tooth necklace had left a profound impression, as if the culprits knew the order’s every move.
As if responding to this anomaly, the sky filled with elemental spirits of all sorts… Something was clearly amiss.
On the pulpit stood Archbishop Verdieu, issuing commands to the cathedral knights, and High Priest Eldain seated behind, gazing skyward with reflections of a distant and lofty academy overhead.
Most of the order’s movements were spearheaded by Archbishop Verdieu.
High Priest Eldain… an observer who had left most decisions to Verdieu.
Observation itself is a form of participation. There is no moral hierarchy in such apathy.
Yet, Clarisse knew.
High Priest Eldain was not powerless. He was simply weary from weathering the passage of time.
Caught between faith and reality, his scales had slowly tipped toward the latter.
“Saintess…?”
“How did you… That is, the situation here is rather complicated…”
The stained glass lay broken, chairs scattered across the floor. The sanctuary was in utter disarray.
Pushing aside knights who attempted to bar her path, Clarisse ascended to the pulpit.
“Saintess Clarisse.”
The circumstances were already hectic. Nonetheless, reverence for the Saintess remained of utmost importance.
Bowing his head, Verdieu greeted her and wanted to ask for patience with the ongoing crisis.
“We are…”
“Please sit down, Archbishop Verdieu.”
Finally, she had arrived.
On a small table atop the pulpit designed for candles and a holy water dish… Clarisse slid them aside and perched herself there with grace.
At this moment, Verdieu sensed the dissonance.
Clarisse… was beholden to no one’s scrutiny.
Her mind was consumed only by the endeavors that led to this point.
A man had died dozens of times. Each time, he persisted in self-sacrifice, propelling her toward the culminating point of these events.
The weight of this debt was indescribable, and while there was no need for a sense of obligation, it was evident that she had received far too much.
The pinnacle of the Telos order was shaped like no other.
Saintess, Archbishop, High Pries.
Seated at the core, Saintess Clarisse addressed Eldain in a soft voice.
“High Priest Eldain.”
Eldain, observing from behind on a wooden chair, showed no reaction.
Still, Clarisse gazed upward at the broken ceiling and spoke.
“You surely understand, High Priest. I know you’ve been caught in an endless turmoil. However… You cannot remain a mere observer forever.”
“……”
“Archbishop Verdieu is a cancer that consumes our order.”
A murmur echoed through the cathedral as Verdieu’s brows furrowed sharply.
Before he could demand what she meant, Clarisse responded,
“You must excommunicate him.”
