The Arcanas were legendary items that were forced down the notes of history as fairy tales.
They were too powerful to be considered real!
A total of 22 of them existed—objects that could defy the very nature of existence by their presence.
Their origin was said to be from the founders of Magic—and these items stored the Original Magic of our ancestors.
Many believed them to be objects of fables, but I believed differently. Only a few enlightened minds truly had an inkling of their genuine existence, and even then... it was easy to abandon hope of ever finding any.
My friends and I also searched for these treasures.
And...
... We couldn't complete the mission!
So why?
How?
Who?
What made these guys dedicate themselves to search for such lost relics?
"How... why are you after The Arcanas?!" I forced myself to speak as I glared at the man in front of me.
He gave a light shrug, but I could tell he was dead serious as well.
"Arcanas are lost treasures from time immemorial. They contain transcendental Magic that allows a person to manipulate the laws of this world..."
He was right! They were the ultimate pieces—Magic that far surpassed the limits and understanding of man.
"... Is there any reason an evil organization wouldn't want something so grand? Hahaha!"
'Tch!'
This conversation gave me a bad feeling. I didn't expect things to turn out this way.
If Legris had said world domination was their goal, I would have understood—since it was a simplistic goal.
But... to think the enemy was this ambitious!
"How many have you found?"
"What makes you think we've found any yet?"
"The Arcanas are objects of myth. You wouldn't be able to rally such a powerful organization without some sort of binding force."
'You guys have been after me for twelve years now... it's clear that you must have some with you, else you would have disbanded long ago...'
If proof of something's existence wasn't found, it was certain that a large group would give up on it.
My friends never gave up since we found proof, but...
... What about these guys?
"Fair point. As I said, I don't know much since I don't belong to the top brass, but... apparently, they've gathered a few already—maybe 7?"
Seven out of Twenty-two didn't seem like a huge number, but it was.
Obtaining seven items that could control the very laws of the world... that was scary.
'Even we never got.... damnit!'
"I also heard that the top brass is allowed to wield them. The Arcanas have some sort of pulling effect on one another, so it helps with the search. That sort of thing..."
Legris Damien was yammering on about so many things.
It was clear that he understood more than his position allowed.
I was already quite shaken by this development, but there was no way I would get carried away by the enemy in front of me.
'I should stop here...'
Any further conversation would only be a waste of time.
At the moment, I wasn't capable of doing anything about it. Besides, Legris must have had ulterior motives for feeding me so much Intel.
'Is he trying to use the method I used when I caught Liliana? That won't work on me...'
The only reason I told him my capabilities was that it wouldn't matter.
He was going to die here.
Even if he survived—by some miracle—I would have evolved even more the next time we met. There was more merit for me in exchanging information.
However, that was it.
"Let's wrap this up," I told the man.
"Oh, yeah. That's right. I got so carried away..."
Our distance was considerable.
If he wanted to, Legris could attempt going into the portal that was closer to him instead of fighting—but that didn't seem to be the case.
'It's not like I'll allow him to escape, but...'
He could have tried at the very least.
"... I should wrap up and kill you already. I still have one more errand to run."
Once Legris said this, I found it ironic.
"I wonder why you're telling me so much about your organization when you still plan on carrying out their wishes."
It made no sense, unless...
"Well, let's just say I have my reasons. It's a gamble, maybe? Anyway, I plan on attacking you with all I have. If you survive, then consider it—"
Before he completed his statement, a bright barrier covered the area—trapping both me and Legris in some sort of pillar-like translucent field.
"Yeah. Let's end this..."
The barrier was different from the one I used against Kahn.
It was made by using Legris Damien as its target.
That meant anything except this man was able to come in and go out freely.
Of course, that included me.
"If you're thinking of teleporting or breaking out, it's no use."
I stepped out of the barrier and watched him look around with a smile.
"And? These kinds of barriers don't last very long. Besides, even if you trap me here, you have no way of winning. What will you do? Report me to the authorities?"
That was the last thing I planned on doing.
After speaking to Neron, I realized even more that I couldn't count on the Kingdom's System. They were too complacent to the point of allowing someone like Legris to infiltrate a learning environment.
Just how many 'Legrises' had been stationed in the Eastern Kingdom's system?
The barrier grew brighter, and then the light ascended into the heavens, like a pillar of illumination, piercing the clouds.
"You were curious about how I would beat you, right?"
I began to remove one hand from my pocket... bringing something out of it.
"T-that is—?!" Legris Damien bellowed.
For the first time, I saw him flustered.
"—An Arcana?!"
The item I brought out of my pocket was a card. It was dyed in golden light and had vein-like patterns embedded around it.
There was a gem-like substance at the center... and the power it emitted was beyond even my perception.
"No. It's not an Arcana... you could call it some sort of replica? No, more like... a prototype? No... ah, how to explain this..."
In short, this was an item I made.
It was a Trump Card, something I designed with the idea of the Arcanas in mind.
This was an item that stored Magic!
