Once we returned to Ulkanos, we arrived in our home and found Jallah waiting with Rune.
"Hey, you two! So here's the deal... I want to discuss living arrangements with you," Jallah said.
"What seems to be the issue?" I asked.
"Well...this is awkward... See, Rune told me you were staying in the room directly at the top of the stairs. That's sort of where I've lived for a long time... It isn't the real master bedroom, or the largest, but it's the room I've grown very accustomed to. I don't want to impose, but if possible...could I have it back?" Jallah said as he placed his hands together with a smile.
He was wearing glasses today and his hair had been cut shorter. I wondered if it was his usual style. Regardless, it was a good question.
"Well, we've only just arrived here. Even if we took your place, it would be wrong to just keep it from you. Yeah, we can move. Is that okay, Isabella?" I asked.
She nodded with a gentle smile.
"Awesome! Thank you so much! I didn't think you'd have a problem with it, but I also didn't want to just assume. Rune, can you show them to the new room?" Jallah said.
"Of course, dear. Then afterwards, you can practice with Mizik just like you wanted to."
"Practice?" I said.
"I want to see what you're capable of. Just a quick sparring match is all I'm asking for. Sound good?" Jallah asked.
"That's fine, but can we wait until tomorrow? I need to get started on making a spell for the assault."
"Awesome! That works too! Well, I'll be down here if you need anything. Take care!" Jallah said cheerfully.
After that, Rune led us to our new room. It was a slightly larger room on the third floor of the fortress and it even had a balcony.
Truthfully, we could just jump out for quick deployment anyway.
When we got settled in, I sat down on the floor and peered into the chasm of magic.
I began constructing a spell to use on the day of the assault.
The Archmage Aspect was very powerful, but it required a lot of skill and magical knowledge to make full use of. It would likely be a long time before I mastered it...
Still, I now had an eternity to do just that.
I began by trying to use explosion magic to create a large enough blast.
Unfortunately, I was only able to push that type of spell so far. I could create a massive explosion of about a mile radius, but it would completely drain all of my energy. I would collapse to the ground and be unable to move.
Seriously, what kind of moron would do something like that?
Instead, I tried working with pure magical energy.
Magical power in its purest form was called etherial energy. Or just ether.
I found that this substance, while very useful, was incredibly volatile.
This type of magic was so pure that it would almost be poison to anyone absorbing it.
Next, I tried combining this energy with some of my knowledge of explosives.
While in school after the first battle with Kazuma, I learned about atomic and nuclear weaponry. Extremely powerful bomb weapons that had been decommissioned in a mutual agreement by both Nexus and Arcadia. They were so destructive that they rendered the landscape uninhabitable for a long period of time.
Due to a phenomenon called radioactive decay. Ironically, one of the Overlords had an Aspect that gave her control over both poison and radioactivity. Overlord Elizabeth, The Atomic Serpent.
They had technology that could split particles at an atomic level and harvest the energy created. That energy was used to create an incredibly potent explosion that would not only obliterate everything in the surrounding area, but render the landscape desolate due to radiation.
I wanted to create a clean alternative using magic.
If I could replicate that process using only magic, the resulting energy residue wouldn't cause radioactive decay and should dissipate quickly.
Pure ether could be quite toxic and I would have to make sure that it was eliminated before we made landfall.
Lastly, I needed a delivery system for the spell...obviously...
I couldn't fire off a spell capable of obliterating anything within five miles of a massive port city at point blank, could I? That would be really stupid.
I would have to use another large amount of magic to charge the spell from a distance and launch it into the port from the sky above.
It would also go without saying that I needed to be sure no one noticed it glowing above them. So I had to cloak the entire thing...
If I managed to cast the spell, I could still end up collapsing on the ground like a moron...
Perhaps...I could use assistance here?
It was at that moment that I felt a light tap on my shoulder.
Soon after it felt like someone was gently shaking me.
What's going on?
I continued thinking until I heard someone calling out to me.
"...zik...Mizik!!! Please!!!"
I opened my eyes and saw Isabella staring at me with a worried expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that it was nighttime...
When did that happen?
"Umm...Isabella?" I said.
"Oh thank Iris...you were meditating for thirteen hours, Mizik! I was starting to worry you had lost yourself!" She said tearfully.
"No...I was... I think...umm..."
I shook my head to collect my thoughts.
My mind was in a deep haze. I felt like I had just come out of a dark cave located at the bottom of a trench in the deepest ocean in the world.
And even that failed to describe it...
How deep into the chasm of magic did I go?
"Mizik, you need to be careful with that power! You can't spend so much time peering into the chasm! It's dangerous for your mind."
"Sorry, Isabella. I'm just trying to focus on the task I was-"
She placed a finger over my mouth and frowned at me.
"No! Take it slow! You have a month and a half to do this. Please just take your time, okay?"
I silently nodded and she held my head close against her chest.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say she meant to suffocate me... Regardless, this was how I would want to die. I didn't mind at all.
"Mizik, why don't you join me in bed? It's almost morning, but we can still sleep together. Please?" Isabella said lovingly.
"How could I possibly resist you?" I said with a smile as I looked up to her.
"Ehehe...I think I'm physically stronger than you now, Mizik. You couldn't even if you tried!"
"I had time to examine The Centurion, so I already know... You have monstrous strength for someone so beautiful, Isabella."
She blushed, then proceeded to grab my arm and pull me into bed with her. I didn't bother to resist because I wouldn't have had the strength to anyway...
As much strength as the Warlord gave me, for everything I had from my status, and my Enforcer Aspects as a whole...
The Centurion made her a monster. She might not have been very fast, but Isabella could probably beat the shadow dragon at arm wrestling as far as I was concerned.
And that was on top of divine teleportation from the Priestess...
After we laid down together, she held me close to her in bed.
"Much better... Please sleep well, my love. I'll be here!" Isabella said.
Yeah...I can die happily now.
* * *
We awoke at around midday.
I had a hard time getting Isabella out of bed because she said it was so comfortable...
I couldn't deny it, but we still had to get up. I wasn't strong enough to force her up, but I could still carry her. She didn't protest that.
Once we got ready, we headed down and explained to Jallah why we were up so late and he understood.
I would only be able to meditate for a short time now.
Still, the chasm of magic called to me. I wanted to continue working, but Isabella would be upset with me if I did.
Instead, I had a sparring match with Jallah.
"Lightning and Kinetic Energy... The first is self explanatory, but...Kinetic Energy?" I said.
"Yes. It's a very rare and exceptionally powerful Aspect. I can just about hold my own against Dante or Kazuma with it. Are you aware of the concept of motion?" Jallah said.
"Hmm...somewhat...?" I said.
"An object in motion stays in motion. Motion produces something called kinetic energy. I have control over the motion of objects in my general vicinity."
"Which means...?"
"It means that I'm immune to physical attacks as long as I can prepare for them. Bullets, punches, swords, you name it. I can also change my own kinetic energy to move really fast and hit really hard," Jallah said.
That sounds powerful...
"Go on and try it. Hit me as hard as you can!" Jallah said with a smile.
"You sure? I can hit pretty hard at this point," I said
Jallah laughed.
"I can take it! Come on! Give it a go!"
I bolted towards him and tried to punch him in his chest as hard as I could...but...
As soon as my fist impacted him, it stopped and all I could do was give him a light tap.
"What the hell!?" I said.
"Ha! Now watch this!" Jallah said.
He swung his fist quicker than I could blink and hit me in the shoulder.
It was so fast that my instant reaction couldn't dodge in time. As soon as his fist touched me, pain exploded into my side and I was sent flying backward.
When I stood up, I discovered that the bones in my shoulder had been shattered. It hurt like hell, too.
"Ah...dammit, Jallah! How about holding back!?" I said.
"Mizik, I don't think you understand. I WAS holding back. That's why you still have an arm. If I charged that punch to full power, your body would have been blown to pieces. Those bastard Overlords are lucky that I didn't have time to get a proper attack off when they ambushed me."
Isabella ran over and immediately began healing my broken shoulder and arm.
"Jallah, could you please be careful? This is my husband, you know..." Isabella said as she almost glared at Jallah.
"Oh...sorry... Yeah I sort of forgot! My bad, Isabella! And sorry, Mizik! But there's a reason I did that. I want you to be ready for anything. When you were fighting Kazuma, I realized that you weren't very experienced with those powers of yours yet. I aim to change that."
It made sense. Enforcer Aspects required skill to make good use of. Even with two Ultra Aspects, I could still easily be killed due to lack of experience.
"So you'll be practicing with me for the next month and a half, or so?" I said
"Yep. In between your meditations of course. And while you're doing that, I'll train with Isabella."
"Very well. We accept. But before we get started, are you aware of status magic?"
"Somewhat. Leiso mentioned it before the meeting. She's level 95 or something, I think."
95 already!? How many monsters has she killed so far!?
"She said you could get me fixed up. That okay?" Jallah asked.
I nodded and approached him. I placed a finger on his chest and imbued him with status magic just before Rune walked over.
"Mizik, could I have it too? I would better be able to serve and protect Jallah if I had more strength," Rune said.
I shrugged and placed a finger over her heart.
Once I finished the process, Rune and Jallah smiled at each other.
"Awesome! Well, I guess we should get some levels in, right?" Jallah said.
"I think that would be a good idea. We can pick up where we left off tomorrow," I said.
After that, Jallah and Rune left and we returned to our room.
Then Isabella did something that surprised me, she started praying to Iris.
"Isabella? You can just call Iris, you know..." I said.
"Yes. This helps my divine energy flow more strongly. The Priestess allows me to to use divine power to smite enemies, heal and support allies, and borrow power from the gods. I want to be more helpful to everyone, so this is necessary," Isabella said happily.
At that very moment, my phone rang and I answered it.
"Mizik, can you tell Isabella that if she wants to talk to me, to just call?" Iris said over the phone.
I handed the phone to Isabella.
"Hello, Iris. Sorry about that, I have to pray in order to increase my power. Yes... I'm sorry for bothering you but-... I understand... I'll try to keep them simple... Thank you..." Isabella said.
She handed the phone back to me after hanging up.
"Iris says I talk too much in my prayers."
"Don't let her stop you. If it's necessary to get stronger, bother her as much as you need to. She'll live."
Isabella nodded and then gave me a hug.
After that, I began meditating again.
* * *
Over the next month and a half, I began slowly working towards my goal of creating a super-spell to annihilate Port Davis.
I worked on the spell itself first.
By splitting ether particles, I could generate more explosive energy. That energy would collide with and split other particles.
The chain reaction would cause an explosion of immense power that would obliterate everything in it's vicinity.
Next, I worked on the delivery system.
I had to manifest the spell above the port to shoot downwards like a beam. The beam would condense the energy into an orb after hitting the ground and then explode. I also had to cloak the gathering power while it was in the air.
After that, I had to work on the generation range. I couldn't have that thing go off anywhere near us. I planned to manifest it in the sky above the port from far away.
Lastly, there was working with the ether generation itself.
Normal spells worked fine without it, but more advanced spells required magic circles to manifest properly.
More magic circles meant a more complex spell. Larger circles meant stronger spells.
Luckily, the Archmage gave me an understanding of arcane runes. I practiced and perfected the circles I would need until the time drew near.
Once I was sure that the spell had been fully made, I went to speak with Iris. Isabella joined me.
"Mizik! Isabella! So good to see you! I have a question for you both!" Iris said gleefully.
"Question? Can it wait?" I asked.
"It's just a quick question... So umm...it seems someone has formed a fan club for each of you. They also seem to be fighting amongst each other."
"A...what?" Isabella said.
"A fan club. One for each of you. It's a group of people that have a strong admiration and love for you that get together and celebrate. They also have merchandise and make money off of membership dues," Iris said.
"Do they just not have anything better to do?" I asked.
"Ehm...well, I wanted to know if you two had anything to umm...sell to them for money. You know...for extra revenue?"
At that moment Dante walked into the room.
"Ah, Iris. Are you talking about those fan clubs you formed for them?" Dante asked.
Iris turned and glared at him before making a motion at her throat for him to shut up.
He tilted his head slightly.
"So it was you... I repeat my previous question: Do you not have anything better to do?" I asked Iris.
"Ehhh...I just want to make extra money! Get off of me!" She said while covering her face. "Dante they're bullying me!"
He turned around and quickly left before she could stop him.
"Wait! No! Don't go!!!" Iris shouted.
Isabella sighed heavily.
"Iris...are you sure this is healthy?" Isabella asked.
"I know it isn't...but I still love him..." Iris said.
"You need to move on, Iris. It would be best if you just treated him as professionally as possible," Isabella said.
"I...suppose so... Can we not talk about this now? It's still painful..." Iris said.
"I understand. Changing the subject, Mizik has completed the spell. When are we beginning the assault?"
"What!? Why are you asking me that? Leiso is handling the details of the whole thing. Also, when we begin the assault, Jallah and Rune will join your party along with everyone else to gain exp. Then I'll be taking them home. Okay?" Iris said.
"Fine...where is Leiso?" I asked.
"Don't ask me! What am I, her keeper?"
She's in a weird mood...
"Something like that. Right, goddess of balance?" I said.
She glared at us and snapped her fingers.
At once, we were standing in front of Leiso.
"GAAHH!!" Leiso jumped back in fright.
She covered herself and shouted at us.
"Wh-what the hell are you doing in here!? I'm changing, dammit!"
I covered my eyes and turned around. Isabella did the same out of respect.
"Iris teleported us here! You can thank her for that, later! I just wanted to say I finished the spell..." I said meekly.
I heard quick rustling and then a sigh.
"I'm decent now. And that's good. I was planning on meeting you soon for that very reason. In a few days, we'll begin the assault," Leiso said.
I turned around and she was wearing a simple shirt with shorts.
Thankfully, she had been in her underwear... That would have been really awkward if she was naked.
Her hair was currently down. She was surprisingly pretty like this.
"Also...did Iris know I was changing?" Leiso asked.
"We don't know..." Isabella said with an awkward smile.
"I'll beat the shit out of her later... For now, make yourselves at home. This is where I live, here in the city of Arkonix. Formerly the village of Arkon where I grew up," Leiso said.
"Excellent! You have a nice place here, Leiso!" Isabella said kindly.
"This is where you grew up?"
She nodded.
"It used to be a village. Over time, it grew and eventually became a city. My descendants live nearby as well. They typically prefer to stay near me for protection."
"That's pretty amazing..." I said.
Leiso allowed a slight smile to cross her face.
"I'll have one of my Attendants give you a tour. Mizik, you are free to finish any last-minute changes you might have for the spell. I'll also spar with you if need be. Although if Jallah has been your partner, you might find me a bit dull."
"Not at all, ma'am. It feels natural for us to spar. Like old times," I said.
"Good. I'll let Jallah know. Just relax for now."
After that, we were taken to a room to rest for a while.
We stayed at Leiso's place for a few days and then she brought us out to a helicopter. Once we were onboard, we departed for the coast.