Chapter 28 - Sandcastle

It was nearly impossible to see even one's hand before one's face in the

sandstorm.

The man on horseback peered out from the cloth wrapped around his

head at a raging whirlwind of white sand. He said to his companion riding

next to him, "This is ridiculous… Is it always like this?"

The other man gave an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders. "It shouldn't

be… There's clearly something wrong."

"Dammit. Do you think we can reach the fortress of Cados?"

"If we can't, we're goners for sure."

Despite the life-or-death situation, the two exchanged casual remarks.

Suddenly, a girl's voice cut in. "I'll block the sandstorm for you."

As she spoke, the sandstorm stopped swirling around them. Their vision

cleared, revealing a vast desert of white sand.

"Come on, get going now!" she urged from behind.

"What a slave driver…," muttered Doan despondently as he readjusted

his grip on the reins. General Galen winced and followed after him.

Five days earlier, the two men had entered Yarda as travelers.

They'd departed from the fortress of Minnedart, crossed into Yarda, and

followed the border toward Gandona. Along the way, they had passed

numerous big cities and asked about the state of affairs in Yarda and where

the missing princess had gone.

They'd learned that investigations were underway in all four corners and

that the king of Yarda was bedridden. The prime minister, Zisis, was

running the government. However, rumor had it that Prince Savas and his

supporters opposed Zisis, and the court was divided.

On the other hand, the missing princess, Nephelli, did not belong to

either side and had been trying to mediate.

"Both the prime minister and the prince are mobilizing troops. I guess

they're preparing for a civil war," Galen stated calmly.

In contrast, Doan flashed a sardonic smile. "If it were only a civil war,

they could do whatever they wanted. If they're going to come at us, too,

then we've got no choice but to get involved. Plus, Miss Tinasha is all bent

out of shape."

"I guess she'll kill the enemy witch and settle all this one way or

another," surmised Galen.

"If she doesn't, all we can do is fight them head-on," Doan said dryly.

Yarda had lost to Farsas eleven years ago and had relinquished half its

territory as a result. That portion of land stretched from the fortress of

Minnedart to eastern Farsas. If things came to blows again, the whole

country of Yarda might go under. Galen mused on the fate of their neighbor

state.

Behind the two men on horseback rode a young redheaded girl of about

ten years old.

Despite her young age, she had striking looks and a cold expression. The

crimson-eyed girl wasn't human. She was one of the mystical spirits

belonging to Tinasha.

To avoid alerting Yarda to what they were doing, only two men had set

out on this reconnaissance mission, but a spirit was assigned to them to

guarantee their safety. Her name was Mila, and she often complained about

anything particularly irksome to deal with. Despite that, she was helping.

Protected by the sandstorm-repelling barrier, the three made their way to

the fortress of Cados in western Yarda. According to eyewitness testimony

they'd obtained, the mage assigned to the missing princess had come that

way.

Judging by the map, the fortress wasn't too far off now, so long as the

sandstorm didn't slow them down. Worried for his horse as it marched

through the hot sand, Doan looked up. Far in the distance, he could barely

make out the vague shape of a huge stone building.

"We're here…," he murmured, turning to look back.

Galen gave him a wan smile, and Mila just stared back at him,

unimpressed.

As the structure became clearer, Galen checked on his sword and started

to look worried. "Will it be all right for us to drop in? Won't they think

we're suspicious?"

"We can just say we're lost travelers. It's completely plausible that we

would be. And if anything happens, Miss Tinasha will open up a

transportation array and bring us back," Doan explained.

"Don't cause our queen any trouble. If that happens, just resign

yourselves to dying a noble death," said Mila.

"..."

Is she really here to ensure our safety? Galen wondered doubtfully.

However, he decided not to think about it too deeply.

The group of three brought their horses to the gate. Though it was a

fortress, there weren't any guards or watchmen. Galen shouted loud enough

to be heard inside the garrison, "Is anyone there?"

His cry echoed off the high walls. Had it reached the inside? After a

while, hurried footfalls came from the other side of the gate.

Tensing, Doan and Galen watched as the entrance opened. The soldiers

inside cried out in amazement at the sight of three new faces. "How did you

get here?!" one exclaimed.

"What?" they responded, exchanging glances.

Doan, Galen, and Mila had been met not with vigilance and hostility, but

rather with pure shock.

After a simple pat-down, the three travelers were granted entry.

Galen wore his sword, but that was deemed appropriate for a wanderer's

self-defense.

Unfortunately, Mila's mood took a sharp nosedive over her being

touched by humans. The two men walking ahead of her prayed they

wouldn't be casualties of her temper.

One man led the trio to a room where Yardan general Iosef, mage Gait,

and military officer Neona were waiting.

Iosef was a robust fellow in his midthirties with dark skin adorned by

crisscrossing old scars.

Gait was a young man with a sharp gaze and possibly the one who acted

as the princess's bodyguard.

Lastly, there was Neona. The young woman had long blond hair—a

rarity in Yarda—that was braided up in a bun. She would probably be

lovely if she smiled, but at the moment, she was giving the new guests a

hard stare.

With a good-natured grin, Iosef ushered them to sit down. Once all were

seated, he said, "Well now, you really are lucky. We had a sudden

sandstorm come on about a week ago. We've been stuck here. It's quite the

predicament."

Galen spoke up as the group's representative. "Are these storms

common?"

"Not at all. It might be hard to believe, but while these parts were never

all that hospitable, it only really became a desert last week."

Galen's and Doan's jaws dropped. They were both in their twenties and

hadn't taken part in the war eleven years ago. What they knew of Yarda

came from books and simple maps; they had no idea this had initially been

anything but what it was now.

Iosef gave a derisive laugh. "So you see, though you came here seeking

refuge, we're essentially stuck in lockdown."

Doan raised his hand at that. "Can mages not teleport out?"

The mage Gait snorted. "This wasteland…desert…has a barrier up

around it. We can't do any direct teleportation. In case you're wondering,

we weren't the ones to put that in place. Someone's keeping us locked up

here."

"Oh…," sighed Doan, restraining the urge to tear out his hair.

He had felt a little prickle when they'd entered the desert, but he would

never have thought there was a barrier up around the entire thing. He

glanced back to see Mila sitting there with her legs crossed, looking like

this wasn't her problem at all. She must have known but hadn't said

anything. Perhaps because she was a demon, she didn't care about anyone

but her.

So long as the trio was tasked with this mission, they couldn't just give

up.

Doan changed his mindset and started to probe carefully into what had

happened to understand the circumstances better. "So you think someone

deliberately sealed this place off?"

"Seems that way," Gait admitted resentfully.

Doan pressed further. "We've actually come from Gandona… Is it true

that the princess of Yarda went missing?"

"..."

The three Yardans present blanched.

Yarda had given no official announcement regarding Princess Nephelli's

disappearance.

For all most citizens of Yarda knew, she was still in the castle. The only

ones who knew the truth were a few people in Gandona and those who got

their information from there.

The Yardans exchanged grim looks. Suddenly, Iosef let out a sigh. "Who

knows…? It's hard to say. I've also heard the rumors that Her Highness

isn't in the castle. Things have been bizarre lately, and I don't have too

good an idea of what's going on, either… Ah, I shouldn't have said that to

you. Sorry."

Iosef was going to be much more challenging to deal with than they'd

thought.

Pasting on a meek expression, Doan nodded.

Gait's presence suggested that the Yardans in the fortress knew where

the princess was. Yet Iosef blended some truths and acted friendly to cover

it up.

Doan shot a glance at Galen. He nodded in reply.

Their goal wasn't just to investigate. If possible, they wanted to take the

initiative and help resolve Yarda's troubles—that was their real purpose

here. Doan had been granted that power.

He sat up straight. Gazing evenly at Iosef, then at Gait, he asked, "Do

you know who has locked you up here?"

They didn't answer, just sat there silently and sullenly. That was answer

enough. It was apparent that they did know, but refused to say.

Mila stared at them with condescension. Doan got to his feet and walked

over to stand before the three Yardans. He made his voice as calm and even

as possible. "If you know who it is, and you want to defeat them, we will

help you. Our king has asked as much of us."

The last sentence made Iosef look up. He gazed at Doan with shock in

his eyes. "Where did you…?"

"We have come here on behalf of the king of Farsas, Oscar Lyeth

Increatos Loz Farsas. Right now, your country is at a crossroads. I urge you

to choose wisely."

At those words, Neona finally lifted her lovely face after looking down

this entire time.

According to Iosef and Gait, Princess Nephelli had sensed that a strange

woman—a lover of her older brother, Savas—was interfering behind the

scenes in the court rupture. Initially, when the king fell ill and Prime

Minister Zisis took over, Savas had been against it. Unfortunately, he lacked

the drive and power to oppose the prime minister outright.

That was when a beautiful woman appeared and began to offer advice to

Savas.

Her suggestions were spot on, and Savas quickly garnered enough

support to oppose Zisis. During that time, Nephelli felt concerned but

supported her brother. However, one day Savas said, "Once I reclaim our

nation, we'll take back the land we lost to Farsas." This shocked her; her

brother had changed so much he was like an entirely different person.

Yet Yarda was already at the height of an internal rift. The country was

falling apart. If it dared to challenge Farsas after only just managing to heal

itself, Yarda would be wiped off the map forever.

Desperately, Nephelli tried to dissuade her elder sibling. However, not

only did Savas brush her aside, but he also tried to imprison her. The big

brother who was always so sweet to her no longer existed.

Driven into a corner, Nephelli announced that she would be attending

the Founding Day ball in Gandona and left the castle, intending to flee. She

planned to leave Yarda, then plead for help in another country where she

had relatives.

Unfortunately, just before she reached the border, her pursuers caught up

with her. Upon learning of the ambush, Nephelli's party changed course and

fled to the fortress of Cados, where they quickly found themselves trapped.

"The enchantress in the castle is taking every opportunity to fill Prince

Savas's mind with doomed ambitions. 'Reclaim your country, take on the

world.' Some people in Zisis's faction have been killed, and it's only a

matter of time before he marshals troops. It's embarrassing, but civil war

looks to be unavoidable the way things are going," confessed Iosef, his

voice laden with anguish. Though it wasn't their country, Galen and Doan

looked sympathetic.

This had been caused by a witch whose favorite pastime was raising and

destroying countries. Whether Savas won or lost, she'd still have had her

fun. In the past, she'd undoubtedly incited the triumphs and collapses of

other countries, though always making sure that she herself never made an

appearance in the history books.

"So then, where is the princess now?" Doan inquired.

"Well… In all the confusion as we headed to the fortress, I got separated

from the other guards. I still don't know where she is. Because of the

sandstorm, we can't go out and search for her…"

"What…?" said the two men of Farsas, astonished.

In the end, the princess really was missing.

Even if they could sway the people in the fortress to their side, the party

from Farsas doubted they could successfully intervene in Yarda's affairs

without the princess. From where Farsas stood, this was another country's

problem, and they couldn't take any action unless they won over someone

in Yarda's royal family.

Doan hesitated, unsure of himself. Should they search for the princess or

abandon the stronghold and pursue another lead? Keeping a cool head,

Doan thought for a while about which method would be the best one.

Just then, Neona spoke up for the first time. "Even if Her Highness isn't

here, the fact that this fortress is locked up means that her pursuers think

she is."

"Are you telling us to make use of that?" questioned Doan.

"We'll go out and search for her once the storm dies down, so until then,

we should pretend that she's sick and laid up in bed. This should deter those

after her, at least for a time."

"…I see."

This was a pretty shrewd woman to take advantage of the princess's

absence. Doan was impressed, finding the plan not bad at all. He nodded

and said, "Then let's go with that."

Neona looked relieved.

Now that they understood things a little better and had the support of the

fortress's leaders, Doan sucked in another deep breath. "Now, how are we

going to get this information back to Farsas with the teleport block in

place?"

"Don't tell me we have to ride home through the desert…," Galen

groaned, looking discouraged at the thought.

"I don't want to. It'd be a pain," Mila stated, voice dripping with scorn.

"What other choice is there?" Doan wondered.

"Can't we just send the message directly? Lady Tinasha, did you hear

that?"

"I did," answered a familiar voice into the room. Doan and Galen looked

surprised; so did the three Yardans, who did not recognize the voice.

The space next to Mila began to warp. A beautiful black-haired woman

appeared there out of thin air. As she ran her fingers through her hair, she

bowed to the three people before her. "I watched and listened through

Mila's eyes and ears. I'm sorry to seem like I was eavesdropping."

"Who are you…?"

"That's not important. I've made the king aware of everything. In about

an hour, he'll reach a stopping place in his work and then finalize the

details. Doan, Galen, do you want to head back for now? You've done

well," she said, issuing instructions briskly. The three Yardans were

speechless.

Doan and Galen felt comforted to have the witch intervene. Mila floated

into the air and happily threw her arms around her queen's neck. "Lady

Tinasha, was I useful?"

"You truly were. Thank you, Mila," answered Tinasha.

"Call on me anytime! I'll do a much better job than Nil!" the little girl

declared.

"Yes, yes," replied Tinasha with a little smile. Mila disappeared with an

enthusiastic wave good-bye.

Doan muttered wearily, "She acts completely different toward us…"

Tinasha heard him and burst out laughing.

One hour later, Oscar teleported into the fortress as promised with the witch

and two of his advisers in tow.

As before, it was Iosef, Gait, and Neona who welcomed them.

After Iosef greeted them, Oscar got right to the point and stated, "The

first thing I'd like to say is that we don't plan to publicize the fact that

Farsas intervened here. We'd like you to abide by that as well."

"Understood."

"And unfortunately, while the princess may be missing, we can't

guarantee that we can keep her safe. We're only going to be excising the

woman filling the prince's head with nonsense."

"That would be enough," Iosef responded immediately, bowing his

head. Never had he expected help to come from Farsas. Even if the type of

support it offered was minimal, that was more than welcome if it led to a

breakthrough in the current predicament.

However, there was one thing he was still curious about.

Why were they helping now? If Oscar just stood by and watched the

civil war unfold, he could nab Yarda once the dust settled.

When Iosef inquired about that in a roundabout manner, a dauntless

smile flickered across the handsome face of the king of Farsas. "Because

she provoked us first. And…if we're up against a witch, it seems only

natural that I be the one to handle it, right?"

The raven-haired woman next to the king smiled, her eyes narrowing

into crescents.

That was when the Cados trio realized that the one driving everyone into

this situation was one of the five witches in the world.

Astonished, Neona murmured, "Wh-why would a witch…"

"Who knows? As her name would imply, the Witch Who Cannot Be

Summoned appears even when none seek her out. It's pointless to think

about the reason. The answer is plain bad luck," replied the beautiful

woman.

While the trio of Yardans was still mute with shock, the king of Farsas

said, "Now then, how should we lure Leonora out…?"

He placed a hand to his chin and looked around the room. From left to

right, Neona, Gait, Iosef, Als, Kumu, and Tinasha all wore different

expressions. As he examined their faces, something occurred to him. "Why

doesn't Leonora kill Princess Nephelli?"

With a witch's power, it seemed like it would be simpler to destroy the

whole fortress than to maintain a sandstorm. There had to be a reason she

was going to such trouble.

It was Gait who spoke up. "When Princess Nephelli departed the castle,

she received the royal ring from His Majesty. It's also a key that unlocks the

temple where the coronation is held."

"So that means Savas can't become the next ruler unless he has that

ring?" Oscar asked.

"That's right," responded Gait.

Oscar puzzled over that. With the princess bound by such circumstances,

that meant her disappearance ill befit Leonora's designs. It was better to

pretend that the princess was safe than let word get out and have things

escalate unpredictably.

"Then we just need to make it look like we're interfering in the capture

of the princess. So long as the prince and the prime minister are in a

standoff, neither side can risk sending troops, so Leonora will have to come

herself," concluded Oscar.

"Oh, I'm planning to make extra sure that she does. She has a very short

temper. It'll almost be too easy," Tinasha remarked blithely, as if she herself

weren't just as short tempered.

Oscar gave a light pat to the witch's head. "How long will it take to get

ready?"

"Once I undo the sandstorm, Leonora will be alerted to our meddling, so

before I do, I'm going to cast a spell to prevent any demon summoning in

this entire region… I have a lot to do, and it'll take about two full days. On

the third, I'll end the sandstorm and draw her out. Since she's gone to the

trouble of making this place so inaccessible, I believe this is as suitable a

place as any to kill her," Tinasha declared calmly, appearing both lovely and

cruel.

There were only five witches in all the land. Yet she held not the

slightest hesitation about slaying one of her own. Her smile was the very

picture of composure, overpowering the others into silence.

Only Oscar nodded readily. "Got it. I don't want another castle to get

attacked. What do you need?"

"I'll borrow some people and get to work. On the night of the second

day, I'll come to find you. Just go about your usual work," Tinasha

instructed.

Oscar nodded, then pinched her ear with a frown. "Don't go rogue on

me, understand?"

"What are you talking about?" Tinasha asked, averting her eyes.

Oscar tugged on her ear harder. "If you do something and don't tell me

about it, I'm going to hang you upside down."

"..."

Tinasha squeezed her eyes tight unhappily, then stuck her tongue out

once he wasn't looking.

Watching the display, Als and Kumu felt headaches coming on.

After Oscar returned to Farsas, Tinasha called on four mystical spirits and

left to go check on the spell in the desert. Als had Iosef show him around

the fortress so he could review how it was laid out. Kumu stood atop the

fortress ramparts and used a spirit to communicate with Tinasha.

Neona was in a daze as the preparations got underway. She stared

outside from a corridor in the fortress. Her eyes followed the raging,

perpetual whirling sand that kept them trapped.

Just like a storm, she mused, thinking about the people from Farsas who

had descended so suddenly upon the garrison.

In particular, Neona found herself quite taken with the brashly confident

king. She'd heard tales of him for a long time now—stories of the

handsome royal whose swordsmanship was second to none. Many people

made their high regard for him known, even beyond Farsas's borders.

Now, Neona understood that his charm was far more than skin deep. It

was the strength of his soul and how radiant it was. His eyes were arresting,

compelling. It was an unwavering gaze that tempted Neona to submit.

Never had she expected to meet him, yet now she had. She wondered if

this was what Prince Savas felt like, ensnared by the witch?

They had met only once and hadn't exchanged any words; Neona knew

this was ridiculous. However, she quickly realized that as she gazed out at

the sandstorm, she was chasing her few memories of him.

"Leonora… Where are you?"

"I'm here," replied a languid woman's voice.

The sun was still high, but the curtains were drawn in the room, and it

was dark inside.

Leonora sat up in bed. Her honey-colored hair cascaded down her back

in loose waves. Her eyes were as green as a forest canopy that blotted out

all light. With her elegant nose and rosy lips, she appeared as one would

picture a holy saint.

She was as gorgeous as a flower in full bloom, brushing back her long

hair. A man peeked in from a crack in the door. "Were you asleep? I'm

sorry."

"It's all right. What's going on?" she inquired, smiling wide at him.

The expression was very reassuring to the young man, who entered and

sat next to her on the bed. "Zisis is gathering up the generals he has on his

side. I think he may finally be about to marshal troops."

"I see… That's nothing to fret over. You're the rightful heir to the

throne. Simply judge him guilty of treason."

"But I'm not the king. If Nephelli isn't here…"

"It's fine. Things will go our way soon enough. Trust me, Savas," the

witch cooed, laying one ivory hand along the man's cheek.

He nodded hazily, like he was in a dream. After Leonora gave him a set

of instructions, he departed to ensure that his troops would be ready to go at

any time.

Once he had slipped out the door, Leonora sniggered. "What a

weakling…"

Despite being the crown prince, he couldn't decide on anything himself.

If not for Leonora, Yarda would have already fallen into Zisis's hands.

But she didn't mind. She'd had more than enough of strong and arrogant

men. Being toyed with was no fun. The witch much preferred to be the one

doing the toying. All the people in the world were nothing more than her

adorable pawns to play with as she pleased.

Leonora got out of bed and let out a little yawn. Then she heard one of

her followers say, "Lady Leonora, the demons you sent after Lord Travis

were all killed."

"I see. Forget about that for now."

"The Witch of the Azure Moon isn't in Farsas Castle."

"Oh?"

Now, that was unusual. Had something happened for her to leave her

contract holder behind even though they knew they had enemies?

Leonora could not believe that Tinasha had chosen a man like that.

Personally, Leonora found the idea of a partner of equal level detestable.

Particularly if that person bore Akashia. Wasn't it the height of absurdity for

Tinasha to be with a human who could kill her?

Nonetheless, Tinasha was an ex-royal herself. Maybe it had gotten hard

for her to live alone. Leonora remembered the scrawny girl she'd once

known, and she snorted.

Such an impertinent woman. Tinasha was a witch of a completely

different sort from Leonora. She drew people to her with a different light.

That luminance could stand to dim a bit. Leonora didn't hate Tinasha.

She just didn't care for her.

Besides, how funny would it be if Tinasha died—or if she lost the love of

her life? Leonora was growing excited over the mere idea. It would be a

new game.

An enchanting smile curving across her lips, the witch gave her

followers a new command.

Once Oscar returned to the castle, he tried to get as far ahead on his work as

he could.

Because Farsas's involvement was a secret, he had to select whom he

would bring with him carefully. Tinasha planned to deploy all of her

mystical spirits, but they would be up against a witch. When facing

someone who'd slaughtered thousands during the Dark Age, Farsas would

need to be just as thoroughly prepared.

The king's witch hadn't wanted him involved, but no matter where this

all had started, it was Oscar who had been targeted and had nearly perished.

There were casualties from the attack on Farsas, too, so he intended to make

sure the same thing would never happen again by taking action to bring

down Leonora.

"Still, she sure is fierce about this…"

Tinasha hadn't wanted to provoke the other witch who'd threatened

Oscar, the Witch of Silence who'd cursed him. But she'd jumped straight to

plotting murder when it was Leonora. Maybe it was because Oscar had

suffered direct harm; even so, her reaction was bloodthirsty. But based on

how Tinasha spoke of her, perhaps she just plain didn't like Leonora.

As Oscar pondered that, he headed for his chambers along with some

guard soldiers. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a beautiful ravenhaired woman perched on the edge of a window in the hallway. The soldiers

on either side of him headed for her and bowed.

"Tinasha, what is it?" he asked.

"I wanted to see you… Can I not?" she answered.

"I don't mind, but are things okay over there?"

"Everything's fine," the witch replied with a grin, jumping down from

the window. She ran up to Oscar, and he stroked her hair before dismissing

the guards.

Once they were in his room, the witch reached out both arms and

hugged him tightly. He smiled and lifted her up, then set her down on the

wide bed. He sat next to her as she looked up at him with wide, fawning

eyes.

As Oscar gazed at her, he grabbed her slender wrist. At the same time,

there was a metallic clinking sound. She turned her head to see what was on

her wrist, but Oscar caught hold of her chin.

In a low voice, he said, "I kept this around in case I needed to punish

her. Seems like it came in handy in a different way."

"…Oscar?" Tinasha questioned.

"Don't call me that. I don't know who you are, but do you really think I

can't tell the difference between the woman I love and an impostor?"

"..."

A tremble of fear ran through the faker. Oscar leveled a cold glare at her.

She tried to cast a spell to escape but realized she couldn't focus on her

magic. Oscar was holding her head in place, so she couldn't see it, but the

item locked on her wrist had to be a sealing ornament made of the same

material as Akashia.

"I'm uncomfortable with that disguise, so first I'll ask you to remove it,"

Oscar stated with a voice that brooked no argument.

The woman gulped nervously. The air was fraught with such tension that

he was likely to snap her neck if she refused. She focused and drew on

power that wasn't magic. Her black hair changed to a glossy green, and her

dark eyes took on that same verdant shade. The vibrant hue immediately

made it plain that this was no ordinary human.

Oscar scowled. "So you're the woman who summoned the demons.

Tinasha did mention you looked half-spirit."

Only her lips curled up in a smirk. When Oscar saw the derision there,

he brought the hand that was on her chin to her throat. "Tell me your

name."

"…Aderayya."

"Why are you here?"

"My master ordered me to."

"Leonora, huh? I don't think much of her taste," Oscar spat.

In a bid to maintain some of her pride, Aderayya kept silent and only

smiled at him. Death felt imminent, and her body had gone cold. It wasn't

entirely because her magic was sealed. After facing him up close, she knew

how powerful this man was. Her master had instructed her: "Kill him with

an internal poison if possible." But even if he hadn't possessed Tinasha's

protective barrier, she didn't think she could overpower him at close range.

Oscar spent a while staring down at the pale-faced creature beneath him

before he finally smirked. "Are you important to Leonora?"

She knew what he meant and gasped out, "I-I'm like trash to her."

"Oh yeah? Well, whatever," he said casually, strengthening his hold on

her neck. He pressed down on her carotid, and her eyes bulged.

Several seconds later, Oscar went out into the corridor to find a mage,

dragging the woman's unconscious body behind him.

Tinasha worked late into the night to get halfway through the spell, then

paused her work there and spent the night in the fortress. While she was

known to be the strongest witch, she didn't intend to overestimate her own

abilities. She wanted to be scrupulous in her preparations. However, even

that wouldn't be enough when facing a fellow witch. There was also the

fact that out of all five of the witches, Leonora was the second oldest, after

Lucrezia. Purely as a mage, her wealth of experience was different.

"Well, even so, I'm going to win," murmured Tinasha placidly as she

gazed out from the corridor windows at the morning sun shining down on

the desert.

A spell banning any demon summoning in the entire region was an

absolute necessity when facing Leonora. If it collapsed, everything would

fall apart. That would only lead to a war of attrition as Leonora summoned

an inexhaustible supply of demons.

That was why it was so convenient to have this desert. Yet she still felt a

twinge of uncertainty.

"What is it that's got me anxious?"

Tinasha knew that the region had initially been a barren wilderness even

before the recent transformation into a desert. For ages, it was only stark

earth with no vegetation, just like Old Tuldarr. That was probably because a

small amount of magic had accumulated here. While it was nothing

compared to the amount in the now-diverted magical lakes, there were

several power spots like this all over. Tinasha wondered if Leonora had

buried this place in the sand so quickly so she could draw on that magic

undisturbed.

Even that didn't seem to explain the woman's niggling discomfort.

"I do hope we're not in proximity to another god or something…"

The last one had been an incredible nuisance, but she didn't think there

were too many beings like that lying around.

The witch would have liked to get to the bottom of this odd sense of

doubt had time permitted, but her first priority was ensuring Leonora didn't

get wise.

Tinasha tamped down her malaise for now and kicked off from the

hallway to leap into the air.

After working all morning, she finally finished and called over Als and

Meredina, who had arrived that afternoon. Last night, she'd arranged a

transportation array linking the fortress and Farsas Castle. But to be

absolutely safe, its use was limited to citizens of Farsas.

On a desk, Tinasha laid out the twenty or so swords she'd brought from

her tower and pointed to them. "Take whichever sword you like. They're

not as strong as Akashia, but they're all first-rate blades."

Meredina's jaw dropped, and she gaped at the witch. "What? I can really

take one?"

"Of course."

"These are…magic swords, right?"

"You'll probably be fighting demons, so yes. I picked out ones that are

excellent at killing such things."

Gingerly, Als picked up the nearest blade. A dragon decorated the hilt;

he unsheathed the weapon, and it glinted blue.

"Wow," he commented, eyes sparkling as he inspected one sword after

another until finding the perfect ones for himself and Meredina. With their

chosen weapons in hand, they faced the witch with openly emotional gazes.

"Thank you very much!" they said in unison.

"It's partially due to me that you're even in this fight, so there's no need

for gratitude," Tinasha dismissed with a self-deprecating smile. With a

wave of her hand, the unselected blades vanished. She let down her hair and

checked the time. "All right, I'm going to return to the castle for a bit."

"Are you going to go call over His Majesty already?"

"No. I'm going to get permission to make the first move…," she replied

with a mischievous grin before she transported herself away.

She teleported to the study first, but no one was there. Cocking her head in

puzzlement, she headed out into the hallway. She looked to her right and

saw Lazar passing right by.

Tinasha gave him a light wave. "Um, do you know where Oscar is?"

"He's in the third lecture hall. He caught an enemy mage last night."

"Huh? What happened?" Tinasha inquired, taken aback by the

unexpected turn of events. She thanked Lazar before winking out of sight.

Oscar, Kav, and Renart were looking over a green-haired woman bound

to a chair.

No sooner did Tinasha appear in the room than her eyes went wide. She

knew this prisoner.

Oscar turned back to her. "Oh, you've come at a good time."

"What in the world happened?" the witch asked.

"She snuck in very brazenly, so I captured her," he answered.

Tinasha noticed that the woman had Sekta on her wrist. A wave of

repulsive memories flashed through her mind, and she felt a little

sympathetic. Dismissing the unpleasant recollection, the witch focused on

the matter at hand.

"She's the one who's come at a good time. This is a lucky break—it

saves me the trouble of going to catch her," stated Tinasha.

"Oh yeah? We're having trouble dealing with her. She won't talk, so I

was thinking of throwing her in a well," retorted Oscar dryly.

"Then you'd ruin a perfectly good well," Tinasha shot back, making a

face. She came to stand in front of the woman, bending down to look her in

the eye. The woman smirked at her. It may have been just a bold front, but

her guts impressed the witch. "What's her name?"

"Aderayya, apparently," Oscar replied.

"That's a nice name. Now, Aderayya, I'd like you to tell me in detail

about the layout of Yarda Castle and the current state of affairs there,"

Tinasha requested with all the imposing majesty of a queen.

Aderayya gave a cynical sneer. "Didn't you hear them? I'm not giving

anything up."

"I think you will," Tinasha said, and she held out a hand. A tiny bottle of

transparent liquid appeared in her palm. She grabbed it and gave it a little

shake to check the contents.

"Here we go," the witch muttered. One glance at Aderayya made the

white flesh of her arm split open in a cut. Red blood welled up and began to

ooze out. Tinasha opened the bottle and let little beads of the liquid within

dribble out onto the wound as she hummed an incantation. From the cut, the

droplets entered Aderayya's body. Once Tinasha had made sure of that, she

sealed the wound.

Aderayya's face was frozen with nervous tension, but she still looked up

haughtily and declared, "Potions won't work on me."

"They don't work on me, either, but there are exceptions. This is a truth

serum concocted by Lucrezia, the Witch of the Forbidden Forest," the witch

revealed, which made the blood drain from Aderayya's face. Naturally, one

of Leonora's servants knew the name of the woman who was second to

none when it came to potions.

Oscar examined the little bottle, which was still over half-full. "Why do

you have something like that?"

"Lucrezia gave it to me and told me to use it on you if you cheat,"

Tinasha answered.

"…I'm not going to," he said.

"Tell Lucrezia that," she quipped back primly.

Oscar's expression soured, and he fell silent. Renart stifled a smile

behind him.

Kav looked interested in Lucrezia's concoction, murmuring, "I could

find a use for a bit of that."

About thirty minutes later, Tinasha had extracted just about all the

information they needed on Yarda from Aderayya.

Arms crossed, Tinasha made up her mind about what to do next and

looked to Oscar. "I'll be going to Yarda for a bit now."

"Did I hear you wrong?" asked Oscar.

"Ow! Ow!" cried Tinasha, fighting back as the king pressed his fists

against her temples.

After a moment, Oscar released her from his vise and shot a chilly

glance at her. "Did you not understand what I said to you?"

"I did. But Yarda is on the brink of civil war. Even if I kill Leonora, we

may not be able to stop the conflict immediately—or it may start before I

can get her out of the picture. That's why I need to delay things a little,"

Tinasha explained.

"There's no need for you to go that far. It's too much meddling," Oscar

chided, standing firm.

"Can't you just let me do this? It'll be fine. Plus, it would be prudent to

thin the numbers of Leonora's servants in advance," Tinasha asserted.

"That sounds like something that would make her aware of your

involvement."

"I can take them out one by one without leaving a trace. That's how

different our power levels are. She broke into the castle. I'm merely

repaying the favor," Tinasha wheedled.

"Listen…," Oscar began, exasperated.

"I won't speak to Leonora. I'm just going to stir things up a bit," she

insisted.

A brief silence fell.

Oscar had a strange sense of déjà vu; this all felt a lot like the time

Tinasha went to slay the demonic beast. Back then, he had concerns, but in

the end, he had watched her go.

Now he was king, and he bit back a sigh. "…You'll come right back?"

"I'll return in two hours, and then I'll come to get you. Can I go?"

Tinasha requested again, looking up at Oscar with her dark eyes.

He stared into them for a while before sighing and patting her head.

"Go."

When the witch heard that, she gave a soft smile. Her trust in him was

evident on her face, reflecting his own confidence in her.

The witch conjured a long-distance transportation array. Turning to her

attendant, she said, "Renart, you come, too. We've got a lot to do."

"Yes, my lady," replied Renart, and the two mages disappeared into the

transportation spell together.

The king turned back to face Aderayya.

She was still drugged; her green eyes were clouded over and cast down

at the floor, unmoving. After a moment of contemplation, Oscar asked her,

"Why does Leonora dislike Tinasha?"

The inquiry had been born of pure curiosity. A moment later, Aderayya

murmured feebly, "Because of Gaweid's betrayal."

Oscar ruminated on that.

"We'll take the king into custody tonight," declared Zisis, and his three

generals nodded.

The longer a civil war persisted, the more Yarda would suffer. He

needed to settle this as soon as possible. He would respect the king's

authority, but only by making him a figurehead.

For better or worse, Savas didn't have any aptitude for running a

country. In addition, it was obvious what would happen now that he was

under the thumb of that serpent-tongued Leonora. Zisis needed to do

whatever he could to prevent Savas from inheriting the throne.

Savas needed Nephelli to be crowned, and she was currently missing.

Zisis's plan was to secure the king, immobilize Savas, and then search for

the princess.

The prime minister surveyed his generals. "Prince Savas's private army

is expected to march soon. Take them down."

"Yes, sir."

"…Actually, I was hoping you might delay that," remarked an

unfamiliar man. Whoever had spoken wasn't in the room, and all present

jumped to their feet.

The one who had interrupted was standing in the doorway. His

appearance suggested that he was a mage—a rather brazen one.

It was unacceptable that some unknown interloper could infiltrate this

meeting of utmost secrecy to discuss overthrowing the country.

The three generals exchanged glances—then immediately drew their

swords and charged at the man. Unconcerned, he wove up a spell with a

brief incantation.

Just as their swords rose to cut him down, a transportation portal opened

up right before them.

The array gave a sizable shudder before swallowing up the three

generals.

Astonished at the sudden disappearance of his comrades, Zisis cried,

"Wh-what do you think you're doing? What happened?"

"I just tossed them somewhere suitably far away, as my queen desired,"

Renart responded, putting out a hand. In response, the portal changed shape,

its tip edging closer to Zisis. Though the prime minister tried to escape, he

too found himself drawn into the spell.

A gray stone corridor.

It seemed like it would go on forever and looked identical to hallways

found in any castle.

Maria, dressed as a lady-in-waiting, walked down this unexceptional

corridor carrying a pitcher of water for the king.

About half a year earlier, she had come to this country on the orders of

her master, Leonora.

At one time, Maria had been a court mage of Cezar, but she grew bored

with her trouble-free life and quit her job to become a wanderer. During her

travels, she came into contact with Leonora, one of only five witches in all

the land. She was calamity in human form. Strong, beautiful, proud…and

pandering to no one.

The witch was cruel, yet sensitive. Maria was drawn to her immediately.

She felt that Leonora could overthrow everything. Thus she begged the

witch to take her along.

And Leonora obliged, giving Maria the life she'd hoped for.

It was Maria's first time watching a country crumble away before her

eyes. She smiled as she watched the castle slowly lose its luster. She

envisioned a future when it would all be covered in flames and blood—

Suddenly, a black shadow appeared at the end of the hallway, abruptly

curtailing the woman's musings. "What…?"

As she blinked, wondering if her mind had played tricks on her, the

shadow slithered closer.

Eyes formed from shards of night.

A woman so lovely she could be an embodiment of beauty was staring

at Maria from very close. She had arrived out of thin air, and her long onyx

locks and black mage's attire gave off a sense of otherworldliness.

Unlike her master, who mesmerized everything only to burn it away, this

woman's ebon eyes drew all around her into an infinite abyss.

The woman in black didn't smile as she reached out a hand to Maria.

"Do you have any last words?"

Maria didn't realize these were her final moments. All she could

comprehend was that the creature before her was an opponent.

Reflexively, she cast an attack spell. She lifted her right arm high to lob

it at the woman—

"Ah!"

Yet to her surprise, the limb had already been severed at the elbow. The

flesh was charred.

As the woman brandished a burning sword, she warned Maria, "If you

don't have any, you'll leave nothing behind."

However, by the time she heard the statement, her vision had gone

black. Maria vanished from the world without so much as a drop of blood

left behind.

Having neatly eliminated all her targets, Tinasha glanced at the water

pitcher she was now holding and teleported away again.

Not many people in the castle noticed the change.

If they did, they mistook it for the type of transition they had been

expecting. The court of Yarda had been touch and go for so long that a

considerable number of people just thought the time for the anticipated

upset had arrived.

Only those of the inner circle recognized the strangeness for what it was.

The crown prince Savas was one such person. He stalked down the castle

hallways, his irritation on full display. "What in the world is going on…?

Where did everyone go?"

For quite a while now, he'd been trying to assemble his generals and

mages so he could instruct them on how best to strike out at Zisis. To his

anger, however, none answered his summons, no matter how long he

waited. He'd given up and gone to find them himself but couldn't locate a

single one.

Savas hadn't the faintest notion of what his followers were doing during

such a crucial time. In the end, he couldn't rely on anyone but Leonora—

others were useless.

Savas reached the office of the royal chief mage—one of his allies—and

threw the door open. The chamber's occupant turned around. "Come in."

When Savas got a proper look at the one who had spoken, he briefly lost

the power of speech.

In the royal chief mage's stead stood a devastatingly beautiful woman.

The black-haired vixen smiled and pointed behind Savas. "Close the

door."

"Uh, all right…," he agreed, rushing to obey. Entirely overpowered, he

turned back to face her. "Who are you?"

"Your sister asked me to come," she responded.

"Wha…? Do you know where Nephelli is?!"

"I do. But I'm not going to tell you, Your Highness," she said.

"I'm her brother!" he protested.

"You were up until a little while ago, yes," she shot back scathingly, and

Savas reddened. He wanted to defend himself with an excuse but used his

minuscule self-respect to hold it back.

The woman sat on the desk and folded her legs. The skin peeking out

from under the hem was alarmingly white.

Her dark eyes flashed up at him. "Do you want the throne? Or even

greater power?"

"The throne! The rights I deserve! If Zisis hadn't gone and made all this

trouble…"

"You could have built a better nation?" she asked.

"Of course! I'm royalty," he insisted.

"Have you done the work for that?" inquired the woman, gazing at him

coldly. This unknown beauty's words made his head feel hot. Before Savas

could say anything, she continued in a sharp tone. "The nation is not an

instrument of the king's authority. Both king and country are institutions

made by the people to protect the people. Those who do not understand that

are not fit or qualified to run a country."

"I know that!" Savas cried.

"I hope you do," she replied, gazing at him so steadily that her jet-black

eyes threatened to peer into his soul. An uncomfortable jolt ran through his

body.

Her eyes held a strange power. She was terrifying.

Savas feared that if he looked upon her for too long, he'd reveal

something he ought not to.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't let him look away. Her cold eyes bored into

his as she overwhelmed him with pressure. "Maybe you should take a better

look around. The people you're trying to kill and the ones trying to kill you

are all your citizens. If you don't protect them, who will? Your woman only

sees them as pawns."

"Leonora's done nothing wrong!" he protested.

"I didn't say she has. All I'm saying is that your positions are different.

She'll use every trick in the book. Whom do you think you're going to kill

by leaving what you should decide and what you should do up to someone

else?" the woman asked, hitting him with a direct question that left Savas

speechless.

The prince knew that he'd never decided a thing on his own and that a

war for the crown was about to break out. All the tragedy stemmed from

Savas's own weakness.

"You think you're so clever… What do you know?" he muttered.

"Certainly nothing about you. But you're not the only one who owes a

debt to their country," the woman answered smoothly. It sounded as if she

was obligated to a nation of her own or was very close to someone who

was.

Feeling frustrated, Savas curled his hands into fists. The beauty stared at

him, her gaze unreadable. If he met those eyes, he'd be drawn into the

abyss. It was dizzying, like peering into a full-length mirror in a room at

night.

One of Savas's hands reached for the sword at his hip. "…Leave now,

unless you wish me to cut you down."

"I certainly don't. I'd get quite an earful if I killed you," the woman

replied.

"What?" the prince said dumbly, unable to immediately comprehend

what she meant. Her gaze remained even.

Anger and threats didn't get through to her; nothing did. It was like

Savas was suddenly standing trial.

The aura wrapped about her tore apart his bluffs. His face began to show

signs of the very indecisiveness he had pretended not to see.

It wasn't that Savas didn't have regrets. He wasn't ignorant of his own

incompetence. Even so, the man was a royal. He might be a foolish one, but

his sovereignty was a fact.

Yet did his natural-born privilege justify mass death?

Savas seized up, and the room went silent.

The woman did not take this chance to attack, even though Savas was

frozen in hesitation, nor did she offer him any words. All she did was face

him, staring with eyes that knew all but seemed unfettered by anything. It

was only natural that the woman kept quiet. She wasn't Yardan royalty. Just

like Leonora, she had no direct stake in this fight.

Which was why…Savas alone had to be the one to decide.

Abruptly, he wilted. Softly, he admitted, "…There's nothing I can do to

stop it now…"

He was past the point of no return in his feud with Zisis, and the troops

were about to sortie. If Savas didn't strike, the other side would.

At this, the woman gave a wry smile. "Nothing has even begun yet. It's

not impossible to turn back. You just need to swallow your pride a little.

Can you do that?"

She hopped down from the desk and walked over to Savas, reaching out

an ivory hand and touching his cheek.

Her fingers felt warm and soft.

The heat seeped down into the prince, and he felt like crying. He thought

of the face of his late mother.

"…Can I really make it in time?"

"If time is what you need, I'll give you some," replied the woman, and

she smiled. Her voice was gentle.

The setting sun lent a glimmer to the whirling sandstorm.

Accompanied by mystical spirits, Tinasha did a final check of her spell

and placed a camouflage over the entire thing so it would be undetectable.

An average mage wouldn't even be able to see the magic, though it was

unclear whether another witch would.

Even so, it was leagues better to have it than not. Tinasha nodded

approvingly at the spellwork, then drifted slowly through the air before

landing on an outdoor walk. Oscar was already there waiting for her, with

Gait and Neona next to him.

Oscar patted her head. "How is it?"

"It'll do. If I make the magic too strong, it might ward them off. There's

actually a lot I'm not happy with about the spell's construction, but I settled

for some compromises," Tinasha answered.

"I see," said Oscar.

The witch gave a little yawn. She didn't feel tired when focused on her

work, but now that she'd stopped, she was tremendously sleepy. Perhaps

that was her delicate body's reaction to wielding such powerful magic.

Oscar rubbed her head. "How did it go in Yarda?"

"I threw out almost all of the key people involved in the infighting to

various places near the border. I've sealed off the mages' powers, so they

won't be able to get back right away. I also put laxatives in the water supply

so the army can't fight."

"Every trick in the book, huh…?" Oscar remarked.

Tinasha's tactics seemed pretty vulgar. However, she fended off Oscar's

comment apathetically. "I talked a little bit with Prince Savas. He seems to

regret how things turned out, so that should give us a bit of time. Also, the

king was drugged by a magic potion, so I cured him. A full recovery will

take a while, but he's not confined to his bed anymore."

"What's this about His Majesty?!" cried Gait in shock.

Pale faced, Neona pressed a hand to her lips. "He was drugged? I had no

idea."

"When you consider the timing of the first dose, it seems possible that

Zisis was the initial culprit. One of Leonora's minions definitely took over

at some point, though. The potion isn't all that potent, but over time it

gradually robs you of your strength," the witch explained calmly.

Neona grew agitated and cried out, "If you figured that out, then why

didn't you bring His Majesty with you?! Won't it be even more dangerous

for him if the witch learns he's recovered?!"

Neona motioned as if to reach out and grab hold of Tinasha, but the

witch remained unruffled. "Prince Savas told me he'd care for the king

himself. There would be repercussions later if Leonora learned that your

ruler fled the castle during this time of emergency. The king himself

acknowledged this. Surely he can bear it for a day," Tinasha answered

sternly, and Neona was left with nothing to say.

Tinasha was right. A king's fleeing a castle was tantamount to his

surrendering it.

Neona was unable to offer an objection. Oscar looked down at her and

said coldly, "It was her meddling that allowed us to slow down the internal

conflict in Yarda. Didn't I warn you at the start that this was all we intended

to do?"

"…I'm very sorry," Neona apologized, reddening and bowing her head

before practically bolting away. Gait followed her.

Oscar and Tinasha were left alone on the walkway, and the latter let out

a little sigh.

"Ugh. This is why I told you not to do anything unnecessary," grumbled

Oscar.

"It's nothing a witch can't clean up later," Tinasha replied, floating into

the air and winding her arms around his neck. She was cuddling up to him

like a cat, and he grinned.

When Tinasha acted this way, she seemed like any other innocent girl,

though she wasn't the type to show just anyone unconditional kindness. The

witch was tough on royals, undoubtedly due to her origins.

Suddenly, Oscar remembered what he'd heard from Aderayya. "Is

Gaweid the name of a person or a place?"

"Oh, there's a name I haven't heard in forever. What's going on?"

Tinasha inquired, her eyes wide. Oscar explained things to her.

Now abreast of the situation, Tinasha dropped back down to the

cobblestones. Her expression turned blank, and a shadow clouded her

downcast eyes. "I didn't think that bothered Leonora."

"Was that when you two had your duel?" Oscar asked.

"No, that was much later… Gaweid was the name of a Tayiri king."

Oscar's eyebrows rose in surprise. Tayiri was the nation that hated

mages. What kind of relationship could the master of such a place have had

with a witch? He was curious but didn't know if he should ask.

Tinasha shook her head with a faint smile. "It's nothing too serious. At

least, not for me."

The pair set off along the walkway together. As the Yardan soldiers they

passed turned their heads to look back at them, Tinasha recounted the story

in dribs and drabs. "This occurred shortly after I had become a witch. At the

time, Gaweid and Leonora were lovers—of a sort anyway. They weren't in

love. It's more accurate to say that they were trying to control each other.

Leonora wanted to mess with the nation that hated magic, and Gaweid

wished to feel that he'd made the mages surrender by controlling a witch."

"That's stupid," Oscar stated frankly.

The witch gave a pained smile. "And then I appeared on the scene… I

was a singer in Tayiri when Leonora caught on to what I really was. She

told Gaweid about me."

"So he switched his focus to you?"

"Urgh… That's a very blunt way of putting it, but in effect, that is what

happened. When Gaweid heard that I had nearly been the queen of Tuldarr,

he tried to make me his mistress. At the time, Tuldarr had just fallen, and

guesses as to the reason were on everyone's lips. Gaweid was trying to give

other nations the impression that Tayiri had destroyed Tuldarr by making

me his mistress," Tinasha continued.

"What the hell? I've never heard something so ridiculous," Oscar

muttered, irritated. Even if rulers used dumb, cheap tricks to raise their

country's prestige, it was all a meaningless facade in the end. What did this

king expect to accomplish with pride built on a foundation of lies? It

boggled the mind.

A sarcastic smile crossed Tinasha's lovely features. "Back then, I really

wasn't more than thirteen years old. The advances were very unwanted.

Naturally, I left Tayiri immediately. Gaweid…ended up dying under

suspicious circumstances later."

"And that's why Leonora has a grudge against you? It sounds like she's

just taking her anger out on you," Oscar concluded.

"That's not all it is… Fundamentally, we don't get along. I know she

simply doesn't like me," Tinasha said.

"So she sends out demons to attack you, all because she doesn't like

you?" Oscar asked skeptically.

"That's what witches do. Have you forgotten?" questioned Tinasha,

floating up and kissing his cheek.

There was a wry glint in those dark eyes.

She dreamed.

It was a vision of a day long past, when she was still a child.

"Come here, Sister!" cried the younger twin from the middle of a

prettily manicured garden, waving her arm enthusiastically.

That was how their playtime always started. This was a memory of

heartbreakingly halcyon days.

"They really look exactly alike. I'm thrilled our girls are so close,

darling," said the mother to her husband.

"They're both the apple of my eye, my dear lady," he replied.

She was the daughter of a local lord, and she spent her childhood

happily at a castle in the middle of a forest with her affectionate parents and

twin sister.

That life changed in an instant when someone broke into her home for a

secret attack.

Snow drifted lazily down from the sky on a silent eve.

The intruder crept into the castle and murdered her parents as they slept.

She was thrown out, alone and on the verge of death, into the dark woods.

"Save me, Elou…"

Her twin was nowhere to be found. For the first time in her life, she was

alone.

The bleeding wouldn't stop, and it was terribly cold. At some point, she

collapsed in the snow.

The poor child couldn't even guess why something so awful had

happened to her.

By all rights, she should have died. Before she could, however, an

elderly half-spirit woman rescued her.

In a cabin deep in the forest, she learned magic while working as the old

lady's servant.

It was all people could do to stay alive amid sudden upheavals. Thus it

never occurred to the poor child that she would ever experience more hatred

and pain than she had on that snowy night.

"…Sister…"

Leonora's own whisper pulled her back to consciousness. She awoke in

a dark room.

As she glanced around, she remembered she was in her chamber at

Yarda Castle. Leonora sat up in bed slowly, pressing a hand to her head. She

was still slightly addled. "A dream…?"

Something told her she'd definitely had one, but she couldn't recall its

contents.

For whatever reason, she'd been spending more and more time asleep

the past few years. Maybe it was because her games didn't delight her as

they used to. If she was going to do something boring, she might as well

dream when she had the chance.

That was why she came to countries, planted her seeds, wound the

springs, and went to sleep. She wouldn't watch from the sidelines as her

machinations proceeded as she had arranged. The witch was interested in

observing only once everything started to draw to a close.

As Leonora was a witch, she had plenty of time, and she was not given

to fussing over minor details.

Occasionally, however, she mused, Maybe I've grown tired of the world.

Wherever she went, it was all the same.

From the dawn of time to the Dark Age to the Age of Witches, names

changed, but events remained repetitious. People lived like fools, and then

they died. Nothing the slightest bit electrifying ever occurred.

Despite that, the idea that she had lived too long was unappealing to

Leonora.

She wanted to exist, so she did. The witch harbored no regrets about

that, nor did she desire to go back to how things used to be at any point.

Leonora got out of bed and headed out into the hall, long white gown

trailing behind her. "Savas?"

Hadn't he gone to ready the troops for deployment? It was strange that

he hadn't hurried back to report to her. Had something happened?

"Maria? Are you there?"

Ordinarily, the witch's servant would appear instantly, but today she

didn't. Puzzled, Leonora shook her head. She still felt sluggish; the fog of

sleep refused to dissipate from her head. Memories drifted heavily about

her mind. It was difficult to recall when she'd last seen Maria.

"Laketh? Mizha? Aderayya?" Leonora called. Her voice resounded

through the corridor but went unanswered. She sighed and gave up,

returning to her room.

When the witch glanced out the window and saw an azure moon

hanging in the night sky, she scowled reflexively.

There was another of her kind who had taken the name of that pale

sphere for her own. The youngest of the witches—the one Leonora disliked

the most.

When Leonora had first met her, the other woman was but a child. The

last queen of the fallen Magic Empire was standing in the midst of a crowd,

her dark eyes flashing with hatred for mortals.

That sort of expression was unsuitable for a witch.

Whatever suffering that girl had endured, she had endured it and

managed to become a witch. She should forget all about her misanthropy

and have fun. Nothing good would come of letting resentment control her.

Leonora knew that firsthand.

Leonora had revealed Tinasha to Gaweid on a whim, and while she was

angry to be cast aside, it was nothing more than that.

Still, if she had to pick a time when something flared up inside her, it

may have been when Gaweid looked at that skinny, lonely girl and said, "I

like her eyes."

Those words would come to haunt Leonora.

Those eyes. An abyss filled with hatred and hunger for revenge. The

very same emotions that Leonora had finally let go of amid much agony.

Even at a young age, that witch contained such terrible suffering, but

unlike Leonora she had managed to remain placid.

That was the sort of person Tinasha was, and it attracted people.

She was different from Leonora, who was a prisoner to sinister feelings

that had warped into something ugly.

Leonora cast off her resentment and pasted on a smile to charm people,

but Tinasha actually used the glimmer of her anger to fascinate.

"…Detestable woman."

Leonora hated her. She still did, even though the resentment had faded

from Tinasha's eyes.

Unable to shake off the exhaustion clinging to her, Leonora sat down on

the bed. "Unai, come here."

Unai was her right-hand man, the one she trusted above all others and

who had served her the longest.

This time, the witch's request was answered. A tall man with dark skin

appeared, carrying a slightly curved longsword. Once, his hair and eyes had

been brown, but they had changed to deep crimson when Leonora gave him

power.

Seeing his face, she broke into a smile. He knelt before her. "Have you

called for me, Lady Leonora?"

"Has anything happened?" she asked.

"As you ordered, I have been in Gandona. Nothing has occurred."

"Ah, I see…," Leonora replied. She had forgotten about that. The

woman felt as if she'd been left behind. A sort of shapeless anxiety was

settling inside her body.

Unai poured a glass of water from a pitcher and offered it to his lady,

who looked pallid. "Are you tired? You should lie down for a bit."

"I just woke up, though…," Leonora explained with a pained smile.

Still, she obeyed and reclined after drinking some water. Her body sank into

the bed, feeling oddly heavy. "Unai, stay with me until I fall asleep."

"Yes, my lady," he responded. The answer reassured her, and she closed

her eyes.

She could rest a little more, just for tonight. And when she woke up,

she'd do something more fun.

As a graceful smile played about the witch's lips, she drifted off to sleep.

While Leonora drifted into slumber, the fortress of Cados was still wrapped

in a curtain of night.

In a council room, the king of Farsas, his closest circle of advisers, and

the Yardan general and mages were doing a final confirmation of plans.

Oscar, who was leading the meeting, turned back to the witch at his side.

"Tinasha, how many people do you think we're up against?"

"Hmm, I don't think it's anything to worry about. I took care of most of

her followers that were in Yarda today. I actually do wish I'd done

something about Unai, though," the witch admitted, taking a sip of tea. Out

of the corner of her eye, the sandstorm raged beyond the window. "Mages, I

need to ask you to maintain the spell I've laid out over the entire desert.

Once I engage Leonora, I won't have any spare mental capacity for doing it

myself. If I use sigils to draw a magic circle, she'll find out immediately…

I'm sorry for the oversight."

All the mages in the room bowed their heads in assent.

Oscar picked up the fortress floor plans. "The officers and soldiers will

defend the garrison. Tinasha, can your spirits handle her demons?"

"They've said they would, so I'm leaving that to them," she answered.

"Leonora specializes in summoning magic, right?" Oscar recalled.

"She does, but there's a spell banning all summoning set up around the

fortress… Plus, we've got some help. The only high-ranking demons who

would answer her call are those already under contract to serve her. So

we're putting pressure on them," evasively explained the witch, mischief

plain.

Oscar realized that Travis had to be involved. He must be the one

causing trouble for Leonora's demons. Evidently, the witch had made

herself even more enemies before the battle began.

Tinasha flicked at the satin bow tied around a lock of her hair. "Even so,

we won't know if we can kill all the demons or not until things get started.

It'll be a lot for the generals to deal with."

"We will do our best," the Yardan soldiers replied.

The witch nodded, but there was still the faintest crease in her brow. Her

dark eyes surveyed everyone in the room. "The Witch Who Cannot Be

Summoned…Leonora. Unsurprisingly, her actions have made her the most

hunted witch of all, but she's managed to stay alive, eating away at new

countries to her heart's content. She's underhanded, cunning, and

dangerous. Please be careful."

As this warning was coming from the most powerful witch, it was

particularly galvanizing for everyone. Tinasha softened her expression and

added, "I'll disperse the sandstorm tomorrow morning. Even if it takes her

some time to get ready once she notices…she'll probably arrive sometime

before the end of the day. If she doesn't, I'll take action."

"Let's hope she takes the bait, then," stated Oscar calmly, drawing the

meeting to a close.

With a historically unprecedented battle against a witch looming, there

wasn't a single person without worry.

However, those of Farsas still thought they would be able to manage

because they had their king and his beloved witch on their side. They knew

very well how powerful those two were. It was no exaggeration to call them

the mightiest pair in all the land.

They filtered out of the room, trusting that everything would be over by

the following night.

Once Tinasha returned to her room, she checked on the mystical spirits

stationed around the fortress.

She'd placed them in battle positions in advance in case her infiltration

of Yarda Castle was discovered, but at present, there were no signs that

Leonora would be attacking sooner than anticipated.

After hearing from her spirits that nothing was out of order, Tinasha

stepped away from the window. Oscar was sitting on the bed, polishing

Akashia with a cloth. She sat down next to him.

"You've fought her once before, right? How did that go?" Oscar asked.

"I won. But…it was more like a draw due to injury. My second got

seriously wounded," Tinasha explained.

"Your second?"

"We fought a two-on-two duel. On her side was Unai…and on mine was

the man who taught me to use a sword. They were roughly even when it

came to skill, but Unai is virtually inhuman."

"Inhuman? What do you mean?"

"Apparently, Leonora made him absorb a demon. So his physical

abilities are a little strange," she elaborated.

Oscar waved Akashia over a candle. After checking the blade's sheen,

he sheathed it. "I take it I'll be up against him, then?"

"I think so," Tinasha responded. She was in charge of this battle

between witches.

Oscar gave a slight nod. "Relax. I'll beat him—it won't even be close."

"Please do," she urged, looking up at him with a smile. In her eyes was

all the confidence of the most powerful witch.

Oscar glanced at her and set Akashia beside the bed. He pulled her into

his arms, caught hold of her chin, and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Tinasha accepted the kiss, her eyes closed, but once she realized his

kisses and touches were moving slowly from her neck to go lower and

lower, she blushed and pushed him away. "We can't."

"Why?"

"There's a time and a place."

"Understood," he accepted, which relaxed Tinasha.

But in the very next moment, she found herself pushed back onto the

bed, and her eyes grew wide. "You didn't understand a thing!"

"It's been so long since I've heard that from you."

"Listen to what I'm saying!"

In a leisurely manner, he kissed from her neck down to her chest. His

large hands gently caressed up her ivory legs. As she bore the tingly, hot

sensations making her back arch and shudder, Tinasha reached out and

pinched his ear. "What are you planning on doing if she shows up now?"

"If that happens, I'll stop. But I'd regret it if I didn't do this now and

died tomorrow."

"D-don't say that! You'll invite misfortune…"

The man really could make such mean jokes, even though he never once

thought he'd lose.

Oscar looked up and smiled, then whispered in Tinasha's ear. "Now that

you understand…indulge me."

"…I'm starting to really feel like blasting you away tomorrow during all

the confusion…," she muttered.

He didn't appear nervous at all. Resisting him felt more and more

ridiculous.

Tinasha gave up the fight, though she was struck with the strangest urge

to burst out laughing. She wound her arms around his neck and hugged him

tight enough to feel all of him.

The next morning, Tinasha stood on the ramparts. Oscar had needed to

wake her up, and her eyes still looked bleary.

With her were the Yardan forces—wearing concerned expressions—and

those from Farsas—with little smiles, as they understood why Tinasha was

having a hard time getting out of bed lately. The witch lifted her arms to

face the sandstorm.

"I command a transformation of the definition. I command the meaning

to be lost. Should the cage become the world, the boundary shall reverse.

Register my life as everything."

From the witch's hands, a spell teeming with magic spread like a

spiderweb across the entire region.

It swelled up instantaneously before breaking away from her and

dissolving into the sandstorm. Seconds after it disappeared, the storm

calmed to nothing.

Little by little, visibility improved.

The white desert glittered under the sun's rays. Iosef and Neona gasped

to see such gigantic dunes.

Tinasha covered her face with both hands and yawned. "That should do

it… Okay. We've got at least an hour until Leonora gets here. That's if she's

awake."

"Would she not notice it if she's asleep?" Oscar asked.

"Maybe…," Tinasha said, giving a lazy, drowsy answer.

In response, Oscar pressed his fists against her temples, and her eyes

welled up with tears. "O-ow… I'm awake…"

"Go make sure you're fully awake before she gets here. Pamyra, I'm

counting on you," Oscar ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Pamyra, dragging Tinasha back inside the

fortress as the witch rubbed at her eyes.

The Yardans watched her go with evident worry, but Oscar waved a

dismissive hand. "She'll be fine. Also, we might have longer than an hour,

so we don't all need to wait out here so intently. Split up into shifts," he

instructed, and he went back inside. Kumu and Als started dividing up the

remaining personnel.

Neona watched the king of Farsas disappear into the garrison and

realized that she wanted to chase after him. She shook her head, tamping

down her feelings.

Now wasn't the time for that. The very existence of her country hinged

on this battle. She focused her energies on preparing herself mentally for

what was to come.

Her hands curling into light fists, Neona, too, went back into the fortress

to spend an hour waiting.

The sound of something breaking echoed inside her head. Leonora looked

up instinctively.

Not a moment earlier, she had been sound asleep. She barked out

sharply, "Maria! Aderayya! Shink!"

The call resounded impotently. Leonora sifted through her memories.

Hadn't she ordered Aderayya to go to Farsas?

"Don't tell me…"

She couldn't sense her followers' existences. Savas wasn't coming,

either, and the sandstorm trapping the princess had dispersed.

It was obvious whose doing this was; no other could stand up to a witch.

The world turned red with Leonora's rage. Windowpanes in the room

shattered one after another with violent crashes. The witch's shrill cry

smashed apart the shards of glass flying through the air into even smaller

pieces. "UNAI!"

"I'm here," he said, appearing and kneeling before her.

Leonora regarded him arrogantly. "I'm going to go and kill that woman.

You will help me."

"Yes, my lady," he accepted.

Leonora narrowed her eyes, and a smile materialized on her crimson

lips.

If she had dispelled the sandstorm, that meant she must be in the

fortress. She'd barged in unaware that it was Leonora's territory. How very

foolish.

Though Leonora was taking the rare bit of initiative, this all fell within

the realm of her expectations. After all, she'd elected from the very

beginning to enjoy whatever happened.

An hour remained until the expected arrival of the Witch Who Cannot Be

Summoned.

Neona practiced her sword form for a while in the fortress's training

area but couldn't seem to calm herself. After some deliberation, she decided

to take a bath to rinse off her sweat and soothe her tense mood.

While the sandstorm had everyone trapped, water had been a growing

concern. Therefore, the fortress's public baths had been closed, and people

made do with sponge baths. However, when the party from Farsas arrived,

that beautiful mage woman used magic to draw up water. Apparently, the

nullification on transportation magic didn't affect her at all. Those who

reaped the benefits of her power felt grateful, but still apprehensive.

After undressing and slipping into the large main bathing room, Neona

was shocked to catch sight of a black-haired woman through the steamy

haze. She was sitting on the edge of the tub, facing away from Neona and

soaking her legs in the water. Next to her was a clothed lady mage, who was

combing out her master's raven tresses. This attendant noticed Neona right

away and looked up to give her a nod, but her lady showed no signs she was

aware of the new bather.

Neona returned the nod, then moved to the edge of the tub some

distance away from them and knelt there. As she ladled out water and

poured it over herself, she watched the black-haired woman out of the

corner of her eye. Her soft-looking creamy white skin glowed with an allure

that could enthrall anyone, regardless of gender. She hadn't introduced

herself to Neona by name, but Neona knew this must be the witch.

If not, she couldn't have undone Leonora's magic as easily as she had.

More than that, Neona had also heard the stories of the king of Farsas being

infatuated with the witch he kept at his side.

Neona's heart ached to see that the witch's ivory skin was marred with

deep, red scars in places. She meant to keep in mind that this beautiful

witch was his paramour, but it was still hard to be in her presence.

Without thinking, Neona bit her lip, then realized that the witch had

returned her gaze and was staring back at her. She must have noticed Neona

peeking at her; Neona flushed with shame.

However, the witch only cocked her head in confusion. From behind,

Pamyra whispered something. Tinasha listened, then covered her face with

a hand and winced. "I'm so sorry…"

Instantly, the scars on her body all vanished. Neona gasped at the

witch's magical prowess.

She hadn't even used an incantation. Her power was paramount. She

was human, but also not.

The pale woman's ebon eyes reminded Neona of Leonora's green ones.

She'd met the other witch only once, in Yarda Castle. It was evident that

they both possessed irresistible charm.

And Neona herself had none of that power. She didn't have that sort of

gaze.

Upon realizing as much, she felt intensely despondent and distressed.

Emotions she couldn't suppress leaked out. "…Why are you with him? Are

you controlling him just like the other does to Prince Savas?"

Once the question slipped free of her lips, she realized her indiscretion.

The blood drained from her face. With her feelings all in a mess, she'd

blurted out something she shouldn't have.

Neona was frozen stiff, but the witch didn't seem bothered at all. She

gave a light smile. "Controlling him? He doesn't listen to a thing I say. I'm

the one who's at his beck and call," she replied, dipping a hand in the water.

Slowly, she drew it out. The liquid that should have dripped down stopped

in midair instead, as if held up by some invisible hand, and formed a little

tower of water.

But the witch spared only one glance at her delicate creation before

demolishing it artlessly. Just as blithely, she asked Neona, "Do you desire

him, Princess Nephelli?"

"…!"

Her heart felt like it stopped—both at what the witch asked and at the

name she used.

Gasping, Neona asked, "H-how did you…?"

"It was very easy to deduce. You didn't object at all when I delayed

ending the sandstorm. Any duty-bound servant would wish to end the storm

and seek out their lady as swiftly as possible. Also, that bit about the

princess having a ring needed for a coronation is a lie, isn't it? The true key

is a magic sigil embedded in your body. I can tell just by looking," the

witch answered with a smile.

Neona had nothing to say for herself. The witch had seen through

everything.

Nephelli heaved a little sigh and straightened up. She gazed back evenly

into the witch's eyes. Shining from her own was the certain majesty of

someone raised as a princess. "Does he know…?"

"I haven't said anything, but he has good intuition. He may have

realized."

"I see…," murmured the princess, her voice almost fading into the steam

of the room.

Tinasha scooped up some water and rinsed her face. She whispered to

Pamyra, who was awaiting orders behind her, "I feel alert now. I really have

a hard time when other people wake me up… I should have slept alone."

"If you had, I would have come to rouse you," Pamyra pointed out.

"Urgh…," Tinasha mumbled, pushing back the inky black hair that had

fallen in her face. When she glanced over, she saw that Nephelli was sitting

on the edge of the same tub, staring down at her hands. Tinasha observed

the face of this lovely princess.

If not for the interference of witches, Nephelli might have become queen

of Farsas.

If the Witch of Silence hadn't placed a curse on Oscar.

If Tinasha hadn't become his protector.

If Leonora hadn't set her sights on Yarda.

The possibilities were endless.

People's fates were always unwieldy. And the witches who toyed with

them were like deformations driven from the pages of history. They could

not be like normal humans at all. The slightest of emotions or any

capricious whim of theirs could change the fates of many. Tinasha herself

hated that idea and wouldn't come into contact with anyone.

"A 'pitiful little girl,' huh…?"

Leonora had once mocked Tinasha with those words. Back when she'd

hated people with everything in her body. Leonora had ridiculed Tinasha for

her life of avoiding others.

And it was true.

At that time, she really had been just a little girl. She was afraid of

people, didn't want any contact with them, and was ever consumed with

anger. Even after Tinasha had managed to process those emotions, she'd

built a tower for the express purpose of isolation.

The witch could have never imagined that anyone would show up and

want her for herself—as a person.

"…He's beyond help."

Still, she was done waffling over the decision.

Tinasha remembered the look in Aurelia's eyes.

They had glimmered with a strong determination. That was someone

whose spirit was a light burning bright within their fragile body.

Aware that she'd grown fraught with emotion, the witch breathed in

deeply.

It would be all right.

She would stand up and face her.

Calmly, Tinasha let out an exhalation.

Nephelli struggled to work out whether she should say something or not

after noticing that the witch had gotten to her feet and looked up.

While she'd worn a gentle smile a few moments ago, now her face was

cold and shrewd. A chill ran up Nephelli's spine at the sight of it, despite

the warm bathwater.

A basket of clothes appeared in Pamyra's hands. The witch retrieved her

clothes and donned them, still dripping wet. Pamyra fastened the outfit tight

around her.

Tinasha muttered indifferently, "One hour exactly. She must be pretty

angry."

Pamyra nodded. Tinasha noted the gesture, then turned back to Nephelli

and gave her a smile as beautiful as a flower in bloom. "I'll be off now."

With a light wave of her fingers, she disappeared.

Left behind, the princess stared in blank amazement at the spot where

the witch had just been. She felt slightly neglected and greatly troubled.

"You're late. At least dry your hair," chided Oscar, who had been gazing up

at the sky from the ramparts when the witch teleported next to him. He gave

her a dumbfounded look when he saw the state she was in.

"Sorry," she said, though it wasn't just her hair—she was wet all over.

Droplets clung to her leg, visible through the high slit of her mage's attire.

She may as well have just stepped out of the water.

However, Tinasha didn't seem bothered at all as she used her fingers to

comb out her hair. At the same time, her black locks dried to a glossy sheen.

All the dampness was drained away from her body.

For some time now, a series of explosions had been sounding in the east.

A closer look revealed that a swarm of black dots was headed for the

fortress. The mystical spirits were engaging the demons Leonora had

summoned for battle.

Tinasha cupped a hand around her ear and then issued an order to a few

of her spirits that weren't already embroiled in the fight. "Saiha, Nil, Itz, go

to the east and help them out."

She listened for their acknowledgment and put her hand down.

Oscar looked around at his subjects, standing around him ready and

waiting. "Remember what I said yesterday. Don't die. That would be

ridiculous. Put your own life first. Als, I'll be going out with Tinasha, so

you hold down the fort."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Als replied.

Looking up at the eastern sky, the witch grinned. "She's here."

Tinasha flung out her right hand gracefully, and a sword appeared in its

waiting grasp.

Next to her, Oscar called the name of the dragon on his shoulder. It

responded instantly and assumed its true size. Nark waited for him right

outside the rampart, and Oscar crossed over the railing to leap onto the

creature's back.

The young king turned and stretched out a hand to his protector.

"Tinasha, if we win this fight…"

"Yes?"

"Will you marry me?"

"…Yes, I will. Let's get married," she replied with a captivating smile,

and she took his hand.

Oscar's eyes went wide. Tinasha tugged on his arm and used the force of

that to leap onto the dragon's back so easily that one had to wonder if she

weighed nothing at all.

Oscar patted her head. "Do you mean it?"

"Of course," she said.

On the ramparts, the people of Farsas watched them with expressions

that were a blend of surprise and joy. Oscar gave his beautiful fiancée a

faint smile. "I guess I can't afford to lose now."

"Were you planning to?" she teased.

Casting her long eyelashes down, Tinasha closed her eyes. Oscar could

hear her drawing a deep breath.

When she opened them again, the darkness in those orbs blazed with the

warlike gleam of someone at the precipice of battle. Her long black locks

fluttered in the wind. A smile crept across her lips. "Come on, it's time for

war."

"Let's go," Oscar said, and the red dragon rose into the air. The great

creature circled slowly before vanishing into the east. Everyone left in the

fortress watched them go with their hearts in their mouths.

As Nark zipped along through the air, it must have sensed the enemy.

The farther they flew to the east, the more clearly they could see hordes of

demons in the air. In the sunny sky, the mystical spirits' magic dispelled

their gigantic fireballs.

Tinasha surmised the flow of battle and frowned. "There's too many of

them. Defeating Leonora will end things faster than dealing with all this."

"You can disable my barrier if needed. Maintaining it uses some of your

power, doesn't it?" offered Oscar.

"Mmmm… I guess I'll take you up on that…," said Tinasha, drawing

blood from one of her index fingers. Then she rubbed it behind Oscar's ear.

"There might be aftershocks from our magic, so don't be afraid to wipe the

blood away and let me guard you."

"I'll be fine," he assured her.

The witch smiled and nodded at him. Then she pulled out a pair of white

ribbons. They were the sort that could usually be found in her hair. One

went around Oscar's left bicep. Tinasha tied the other around her own arm.

"What are these?" questioned Oscar.

"I don't know how this is going to go. If anything happens, give that a

tug. The other person will feel it."

"You feel a pull? That's all it does?"

"That's all it does. But that's enough, right?" she asked, dark eyes boring

into Oscar. The pair had a peerless, mutual trust. Tinasha knew that with the

two of them working together, it would be all right.

She seemed so innocent, and Oscar smiled. "Got it. That's more than

plenty."

Tinasha grinned back. When she faced forward again, she was back to

being the witch who had already lived for over four hundred years.

She held her sword parallel to the ground and held her left hand over the

middle of it.

A gang of demons had noticed Nark and were heading their way. The

witch's clear voice rang out loudly.

"Let it be defined—I summon and control you. Light, appear and follow

my command!"

A white light hot enough to burn the world flashed across the sky for an

instant, swallowing up the pack of demons. It continued to race through the

air until it abruptly dispersed.

A man and a woman were floating where the luminance had stopped.

"It's been a long time, little brat." The Witch Who Cannot Be

Summoned smirked.

Leonora was a witch with rare natural charm.

This extended to more than just her physical appearance, though that

also had the power to irrevocably beguile people's hearts.

She had honey-colored hair that trailed in loose curves and green eyes.

Her union of looks and grace were enough to ruin nations. In her gaze was a

bloodthirsty hunger, though there was also something dissociative there, as

if she'd lost interest in everything.

A dark-skinned, red-haired man stood next to Leonora, his sword drawn.

The Witch Who Cannot Be Summoned smiled sweetly. "I've come to

see you. Are you satisfied now?"

Tinasha's only response to that was a sneer. She lightly kicked off the

dragon's back and leaped into the air, slashing horizontally with her blade.

"These threads wait for no affirmation."

It was a short incantation, refined to the utmost.

As she spoke, hundreds of red threads materialized from her sword and

flew at Leonora and Unai.

Leonora put out a hand to try to shoot them down with magic, but they

stretched out like a spiderweb and encased her barrier. Each thread was as

sharp as a needle, striking at the two of them from all directions.

Leonora tutted in annoyance. "Repel!"

Her fierce force of will made the red threads on one side vanish.

Now Leonora could see again, but Tinasha was no longer there.

Then a fearsome shock wave crashed down onto Unai from right above

him. Never given a chance to resist, he was slammed onto the desert far

below, sending up a massive plume of sand.

"Wha…?" Leonora muttered, frantically trying to check if he was all

right, but the dragon diving toward her ally blocked him from view. The

witch held up a hand to send an attack at that meddlesome dragon, but she

sensed something and teleported a few paces back.

Tinasha's slender sword sliced through where Leonora had been a mere

second earlier.

Tinasha swung her sword back up and offered her a cordial smile.

"Don't worry about Unai. My man will entertain him."

"Spirit sorcerers who've lost their purity are so insolent…"

"I had to redo all my spells, you know. Admittedly, I'm grateful for the

chance to test them in combat," said the Witch of the Azure Moon, lifting

her left hand toward Leonora and launching a compressed mass of power at

her.

Thrust ungracefully onto the desert sands, Unai bounced to his feet.

Leonora had fortified his body so that he could take an impact like that

without a scratch.

Partway through brushing off sand, he held his sword above his head on

instinct.