[Liselotte's Perspective]
Opening my eyes again, I am greeted by the night sky.
-Shit... -. Is all that comes out from between my lips.
Enigma's blows are really no small thing. He managed not to kill me, but it still took me too long to regenerate on my own.
With Falna it would have been quicker... only now I'm regaining consciousness.
I lift my back off the hard ground... and raise my eyes to the [Supernatural Rift].
From it the darkness emerges, and it's what covers the skies in this night that seems to go on forever.
She seriously has been busy since the moment I passed out... it sure is a nightmare in the rest of the world.
I'm relatively close to the foot of the mountain I must climb to access the crevice, so I sigh bitterly and get back on my feet.
As I start walking, I utter a single word. One name.
-Morrigan.
In immediate response to my call, from the darkness of my shadow emerges the [Goddess of Death] dressed as a nun.
After Nergal's death, she was left without purpose and chose to join me while she found an immortal to ally herself with.
Not many of us have the favour of the [Death Gods], we are basically a select few.
-I hear you, Liselotte.
Morrigan begins to follow my lead in the direction of the mountain. Like me, she is more serious than ever.
-I need you to find Elise. I doubt very much that Enigma has taken Elise's corpse with her because of the contempt he has for her.
-? Liselotte, she died for Dagda. There is nothing we can do to save her.
-Yes... but anyway, I want to give her a decent burial after Enigma has been wiped off the face of the earth.
-... okay, I communicate what I find out to you by telepathy.
I just nod my head a little, whereupon Morrigan disappears once more, into the trees and bushes to search for Elise.
She shouldn't be too far behind...
The moment I took a couple more steps, I noticed something. A sensation that sent a shiver down my spine.
It's a horrifying accumulation of magical energy being drawn directly from the rift. There should be no body capable of withstanding this much pure magic.
This frequency of magical energy is different from that of Enigma, which is usually accelerated by its regeneration.
I started to run now. Such an alarming flow of magic will create a complete imbalance. Whatever is consuming the Rift, it is very dangerous.
If I don't hurry, all magical beings will die at the same time.
But it happened in an instant.
With a single step, I broke through the magical barrier of that entity, and immediately a powerful pressure began to push me towards the ground.
A gravity enchantment was erected in the area at the foot of the mountain.
So powerful that it could pin me to the ground if I was careless.
...
No, it's no problem for me...
-Kædebryder.
(Chainbreaker.)
With an old spell I developed in my youth I was able to free myself from the exorbitant pressure on my body. Any incapacitation also counted in this.
In front of me, the one who was stealing magical power from the rift was a man. A tall figure, covering his body with a long robe.
I can't see his face as his back is turned to me. I can only notice the wooden staff in his right hand, and an orb in his left with which he is storing the pure magic.
I summon my master's staff, and point it at the man, while concentrating enough magical energy to use "Lich Archetype".
One hit should be enough...
-Are you seriously starting with your most powerful attack, "Immortal Sorceress"? I don't think you were raised to be this cowardly.
-!
Hearing the man's voice, my guard dropped completely. So much so that even the staff stopped pointing at his back... and I just stood stunned in my place.
Even if it's been a thousand years, there are some things you never forget as they mark you for eternity.
As I was careless, I could not realise at what moment Maxwell's cane was snatched from my hands by this man. And I could do nothing but be absorbed in the figure in front of me.
Black hair, white complexion... with a scar running over his left eye, accompanied by a teardrop mole on that same cheek.
I was totally blocked.
I couldn't believe who the man standing in front of me was...
-It's been a long time without my cane... thank you for taking care of it, Lottie.
The nickname "Lottie" is not something that came from Enigma, but she heard it from the first person who started calling me that.
The man who enlightened my desires, and allowed me to become what I am today...
Such an important figure in my life that he completely changed the course of my life with his teachings.
The time I spent under his tutelage was short, but I cherish those memories as the happiest of my life.
-... Max... well...
Still stunned by the unreal scene, I involuntarily blurted out the surname of the man who cared for me as if he were my own father a thousand years ago.
The most important figure in the history of human magic, the greatest exponent of sorcery, the one who ended [The Calamity] and brought peace to the world.
There has been no one better than him. Or at least of whom there is any record.
Thanks to him, many modern magics are possible, such as flight and long-range teleportation. He also helped in the development of defensive magics for citizens at the time.
It was he who pushed for magic to be taught equally to all regardless of social class, as in a world where magic is everything, those who are poor in knowledge or unable to cast spells are often looked down upon.
Humanity is what it is because of this man's teachings. Above all, in researching methods of vampire slaying.
Seeing all the doubt and mixed feelings on my face, this man, pronounces:
-Codex of the World Knowledge.
Hearing those words shook my heart. And I could only lower my head.
There's no way he's an imposter, since the library didn't exist until Maxwell created the dungeon, and the only person who knew the name of that place except for me was Elise.
-... how...?
It was the only question I could ask because of the current situation.
A thousand years ago I cried at this man's grave, and now he is here, stealing magical energy from the Rift.
I could not understand how this I was witnessing was possible.
-On the verge of death... I went to introduce myself to Enigma... you can imagine what happened. It was me, Lottie. I spread the vampire plague when Enigma was already imprisoned.
...!
-But...!
-Let me finish, Lottie.
He stopped me in my tracks before I interrupted him. And I was completely silent after hearing his cutting voice.
He never liked to be interrupted while he was talking.
-I had no choice. Death was something I was too afraid of to face. I dedicated this immortal life to the study of sorcery, for the sake of attaining the "True Magic" that all the wizards of my time dreamed of.
Maxwell placed a hand on my head. Messing up my hair even more than it already was. This is a gesture he did in the past.
He continues:
-But no matter how much research I did, I could achieve nothing. My efforts to become a [Magi] were destroyed when I realised that you had blocked access to the rift seven hundred years ago.
I can feel hatred coming from his words. He is letting out unresolved resentments as he talks to me.
He is trying to remain calm, but he could explode at any moment.
-The one who should be asking you something now is me, Liselotte Sitri. Why did you rob all my colleagues of the chance to reach "True Magic"? I told you to take care of the world I love, not to harm it!
I felt a shudder run down my back, and I could only take a step back because of the fear I spontaneously felt...
I must answer if I don't want to make him angrier.
-... if the rift were free, those wizards who lost their way could take advantage of its power...
-You stopped the progress of magic! All those who over these thousand years with the will to change the world died frustrated because they were not able to achieve it. All because of your selfishness.
-No, I... I thought it was for the best! Even my people didn't understand all that the rift can do, it's a mistake to let loose something we don't understand!
-... damn the person who saved you... you're a lousy apprentice, I shouldn't have taken you under my wing or turned you into a lich!
-Ah...!
In an instant the words could no longer come out of my throat. To hear such things coming from him of all people... it's a very hard thing to take in...
All my life I have spent following this man's request. His last request...
...
I don't have to respect that anymore... he's alive.
All the time he was alive, and not once did he deign to show his face to tell me.
I suffered in loneliness all these years because this fucking bastard lost all his rights to access the library by becoming a vampire.
He who is praised as the [Wizard King] did nothing but betray everything he conveyed by becoming that which he sought to murder.
-Let's have a duel, Liselotte. Old school. "Heartbreaker".
-... fine...
I said, starting to distance myself from Maxwell.
A thousand years ago, I never felt the need to confront Maxwell. He just taught me, and I took in every word he said without hesitation.
I always knew that back then, he was a sorcerer to whom I could never compare.
This is not going to be like training. We're going in with every intention of killing each other.
It is certain that Maxwell will use magic with divine characteristics as it is the only one that could do real damage to me apart from the physical.
As for me, I must focus on defence. And nothing but defence.
The last time I had a magical duel I ended up drowning in my own blood. But I am no longer the child of that time.
Now that we are at a sufficient distance, forty paces, and I have been able to pull out my own magic staff. We can begin this duel.
The rules are simple.
1. The first to receive a direct spell loses.
2. The challenged must advance ten steps for each spell blocked.
That's the basics, but since we're going to play "Heartbreaker", it adds a special rule to the duel.
3. If the challenged reaches the challenger, he will rip out the challenger's heart by any means. However, if the challenged is hit, then the challenger will be able to rip the heart out.
It is simple to understand. Therefore, Maxwell is the challenger and I am the challenged.
What set Maxwell apart from most wizards was not only his Kabbalistic knowledge with which he could strike down even the most studious.
He understands spells in a different way to everyone else. That is his strongest point that made him stand out from everyone else in his youth.
Thanks to this. Thanks to "His World", he is able to cast mixed magic formulas with ease.
In other words, he can cast "Compound Spells". That is, combined magics.
-Kalcineret Permafrost!
(Calcined Permafrost!)
At the moment he summoned his first magic, he mixed two types of elements, water and fire.
The spell "Permafrost" is advanced water element magic, and mixed with "Calcined" which is intermediate fire magic, creates this spell composed of blue flames.
These flames are so low in temperature that they could roast a normal person just by touching them.
Having analysed the composition of this spell, I set about creating an appropriate barrier for it.
When creating a magical barrier, you have to think about what kind of spell you want to block, so you create barriers for each type of spell that are more efficient than a general protection.
For Maxwell's magics, you need to have a high understanding of sorcery, especially if you intend to block them. Since they cannot be single-element barriers.
It was enough to give him properties against fire and freezing to finish off that spell. No big deal.
-I knew it wasn't going to be enough. It was too weak even for a brat.
I was silent as I took my allotted ten steps.
I think he's either misunderstanding something, or he's ignorant...
Once I reached thirty paces, Maxwell didn't hesitate to cast his next magic.
-Gravitational Destruction!
A wave of magical energy surrounded me, seeking to exert pressure on different parts of my body with the purpose of tearing me apart from all directions.
This time it was not compound magic, but Maxwell's star sorcery, [Gravity Sorcery]. He was the forerunner of the popularity of that magic and the one who created the first ten spells of it.
Thanks to that we were able to conquer the skies, which was exclusive to dragons at the time.
This is a spell I never saw, but it is not inevitable.
Just putting absolute protection against gravitational magic around me was enough to prevent it. And even as the spell continued, I didn't care, and cut another ten paces away - not only barriers, but also protections.
-Not only barriers, but also protections. Magic for beginners! Now I'll prove to you that you just had good luck.
From his staff, Maxwell invests his magical energy into a new attack. The glow of this magic is... non-existent.
It is black. I can't tell what element it is just by looking at it.
... there is no rule about how I should block the spell...
Maxwell summons a beam of light from his staff, so large that it could pierce me and leave only pieces of my limbs on the floor.
Unperturbed by what happens, I place the base of my staff against Maxwell's beam of light, where it begins to be absorbed at full speed.
-Your staff ate my spell! -. Maxwell immediately realises what has just happened.
Well, it was obvious.
I got this staff on one of my travels, and there's no more satisfying way to confront a wizard than to take his magic right in front of his eyes.
The staff is literally called "Enchantment Devourer", and this property is only found at the base of the staff, where a "Primal Rune" is inscribed, which can destroy any magic it comes into contact with.
Too bad though, I could only use it once... after that the staff would be unusable. This is why I prefer to channel magic with my own hands or with wands.
I throw aside the now wooden stick, and advance my next ten steps. The same distance that now separates Maxwell and me.
-It's ridiculous... you were weaker than me and it's always been like that... I didn't keep teaching you anything, so it's impossible for you to be able to reach the level of the "Primal Runes".
Yes. It's true that he didn't teach me much apart from defending myself. So I understand your confusion right now, along with the nervousness you're feeling.
But Maxwell is not a man to stop thinking about all the possibilities. He still has that orb loaded with pure magic...
And now he plans to use it.
The fear of dying... I never thought it would make people become so desperate...
-There's no way you can block this, it's something you've never seen before!
Raising the orb above his head, it begins to emit a glow almost impossible to achieve with magic, almost like the sun itself.
Maxwell prepares his final attack with his staff, which he has gripped so tightly that his hand has begun to bleed.
No...
His blood is part of the ritual, that's why he's wounding his own flesh in order to cast this spell.
It is true. This is a magic I've never seen before.
[You have activated "Valuation".]
That brief message comes into my head as I watch the spell.
Behind Maxwell's back, a tree begins to emerge, rising higher than the clouds themselves, immediately linking itself to the Supernatural Rift itself.
At this very moment, I am sure that every corner of the world is watching this event. The birth of this tree, at the hands of the greatest sorcerer known to human history.
According to the myths of the Othinus region, a tree was what divided the seven kingdoms at their roots.
It is here that I was able to witness something that would be impossible for a mortal life. An event so important that it had only happened once in all of history.
Maxwell had finally attained "True Magic".
His magic threads are boiling from the overload of pure magical energy that is flowing through them. It's such a large amount that I could summon eighty times Lich Archetype and still have energy left for another eighty.
I have to intervene, I know. But if I break the rules of the duel, then I'm the one who will definitely lose.
-Ego sum Alpha et Omega.
(I am the Alpha. And the Omega.)
Maxwell... he's not dying, he's adapting to this new magic. His body is becoming more and more resistant to pure magic.
He is creating a miracle. Something that may definitely be able to change the world.
-Initium, et finis.
(The beginning, and the end.)
The branches of the tree spread out, using the Supernatural Rift as fuel, they begin to spread across the night sky and blossom into a myriad of silvery leaves.
These branches... each form a rune.
The "Rune of Death" of the Death Gods.
The "Rune of Dragons" of Lucifer.
The "Rune of the Soul" of Frill.
The "Rune of Sorcery" of Æther.
And finally... the "Rune of the World" of Kýena.
All these runes form a pentalogy of kabalistic symbols, which if all of them can be united in one spell, the one who succeeds will have the ability to "Ascend".
This ascension is nothing more and nothing less than a shortcut to mortal life to become not only a "God", but to allow you to become the avatar of one of the "Primeval Gods".
Frill. Æther. Or Kýena.
I could do nothing but stand on my two feet as this tree spreads endlessly.
Suddenly—.
Maxwell's head flew through the air, followed by a spray of blood. At the same time, Maxwell's body only fell to his knees, without dropping either the orb or the staff.
The impossible things only added up more and more...
A girl dressed in jet-black armour, with blood-red designs. Pale skin and long golden hair, whose armour gloves are dripping with the blood of the one she just decapitated...
My eyes widened like two plates at the sight of a scene that should not be possible just by the mere rules of this world.
A complete anomaly.
-Jackpot! -. Shouts this girl loudly, in a cheerful manner.
Involuntarily, I put my eyes on this girl's back, and my [Valuation] read:
[Elise Redhart II (aka. Nishimiya Saika) - Higher Vampire]
Redhart II...
Before this instant, I had even doubted whether Elise was actually destined to become this at some point.
A vampire with infinite potential for growth and a heart that stands firm against all odds that come her way.
I wondered several times during my confrontation against the [Deified Pantheon] if it was worth the effort to protect someone.
But I no longer have any doubts about it...
Yes, after returning from the final death, there is no doubt what this girl is...
Even "Dagda" is not a death sentence for the one who is destined to take up the mantle left behind by [The Calamity].
Seeing her back, so straight and unchanging... I can't help but bow my head, as a sign of absolute respect for her person.
(Ulykkens Arving... after all, the madmen on the thirty-third floor were right... a force worthy of a crown would be born after receiving "Hollow Death" with her soul...)
That's what I think in my heart of hearts...