Naya waltzed through the forest, following the path she remembered would lead to the clearing. While the tower isn't there, it would be an excellent place to start.
The forest was as quiet as before, though she learned it was called the Silent Forest the night before. It made sense; even now, she can barely make out the sound of steps of animals in the distance. She can't imagine what could make a place so lifeless.
[Perhaps the Witch somehow... no.]
--Yeah, unless it's an old witch that's been around for a long time. But if that were the case, she wouldn't just be in 3rd circle.--
Naya still didn't quite understand why they were called circles and how ranking up worked, but she didn't care enough to ask at the meeting.
--It's not complicated. The circle represents unity between the Witch and the Devil, and the number is something the other races attached to determine danger levels.--
[Good to know, I guess.]
It wasn't long after that Naya emerged into the clearing. Now that she knew where to go, there wasn't any delay in heading straight to it.
The broken house from when she threw Alyssa into it still remained, with the wall shattered. The beautiful field of flowers and grass was tainted once again by the remains of a campfire. [They spent the night here, how stupid. And they ruined this place, typical humans.]
--For them to be out here means they aren't as weak as you might think. Remember, Alyssa still had cards up her sleeve.--
[So did I.]
--Yes, but you're an Elf with an absurd power... Looking down on them will bite you one day.--
[I don't look down on them; I just know I'm stronger. It's confidence in my own abilities.]
--I'm not going to argue with you here. Take a look next to the house; they buried the Witch and even made a tombstone.--
She was right; to the right of the home, a burial mount marked by a tombstone had the words [Forsaken in the name of power] engraved. Another mound was slightly behind it, where Naya assumed the Witch's many skulls were buried.
"Burying a Witch? Ridiculous. They deserve no mercy and should have every trace eliminated."
--Wrong. One thing you'll come to learn is that witches are not inherently evil.--
"Preposterous. This house had skulls lined around it." Naya waved her arm toward the home and the second mound, then continued, "The Dwarven witch was drinking the blood of her brethren when I killed her."
--Because the Devil's temptations are hard to resist. --
"That doesn't mean an-"
Lia's tone turned solemn. --Nayalisia, do not treat the dead with such scorn. Witches are victims too, led astray by the chance for power and taken advantage of by the Devils... And at the very least, Aleria herself does not take kindly to disrespecting the deceased.--
Naya was taken aback by Lia's tone, but her words froze her.
She hadn't considered that before, but she had to admit Lia was right. She felt ashamed for forgetting Aleria's teachings, something she was proud to remember even in foreign lands.
While she couldn't fully believe Witches were innocent and that even contracting a Devil in the first place deserved death, it wasn't unlikely that some were victims of circumstance.
She heard Lia's sigh. --Remember, Witches have a Null Core, too, except they don't have someone to guard them like you did.--
Once again, Naya wanted to retort but found nothing came to her mind.
When she first found out she had a Null Core and wouldn't be able to gather Arcana into her own Refined Arcana, she despaired. Prior to her banishment, that time would easily take the spot as the most miserable time in her life, as short-lived as it was. She can't imagine what life would have been like as the only Elf in Aleria unable to use magic if her mother hadn't had as much influence as she did.
She broke from her thoughts and stared at the tombstone, her emotions complicated. It was hard for her to link the Witches to the same thing that allowed her current powers.
--All I ask is that you just remember that. In fact, I'm sure you'll encounter some Witches who try to resist the evil ways of their Devil.--
Naya didn't respond.
A short time passed while she solemnly stared at the tombstone. She pondered Lia's words. Naya's mission was specific: kill all witches.
She never considered their nature and assumed all were evil; the two she encountered further proved that.
Finally, Naya looked away from the tombstone. She wanted to get on with it and not dwell on topics to which she couldn't find a good answer. "Where can we find the tower?"
--We know the Witch should only be able to warp reality within the tower, not outside of it. It's just invisible, but it would have to use a monstrous amount of Arcana.--
"Would she really do something that impractical?"
--She has no choice; that tower is her sword, and it's easy to spot. 3rd circle or not, there are plenty of people who'd be able to kill her, Sophia included. --
"Sophia." Naya had a realization. "She'd be able to tell us where the tower is."
--True. But someone, in her arrogance, thought she had something to prove. I wonder~?--
Naya's ears twitched. "I do not need a human. Is there anything --we --can do?"
After Lia was done chortling at Naya's expense, she said. --I would have stopped you if I didn't have anything in mind.--
Naya's ears perked up, "Oh? What is it?"
--The trees here are unusually tall... My dear Elf, first, I need you to climb the tallest one you can find.--
Naya's ears drooped in disappointment. "That... that makes sense."
Obviously, the tower would displace the area around it, and there'd be an empty spot in the forest without even a blade of grass.
--Haha~ Sometimes, the most straightforward plans are the best ones. And while I do have some other tricks up my sleeve, I'd rather not use them so soon.--
Naya walked to one of the trees. "Why would you tell me that?"
--To keep you interested, darling~--
Naya cringed. "Disgusting."
--Ouch.--
Naya observed the trees for a moment before deciding on one to climb. It brought her back to her childhood when she'd attempted to climb the roots of Aleria, much to her mother's dismay.
She shook her head and began climbing.
--For the record, Madam Elf, many people would view this activity as demeaning.--
Naya was nimble, quickly jumping from part to part as she dug her nails to pierce the wood and keep steady. "Shut..." a light grunt as she jumped higher, "...up."
The higher she got, the more she felt the pleasant wind hit her body and the more excited she became.
It reminded her of better times, and her somber mood shattered in a moment of delightful respite.
For the first time in over a year, she felt a genuine smile on her face as she propelled herself up the tall tree.
She even caught herself releasing a laugh.
"This is fun!" She yelled as she finally saw the clear blue sky above.
--That's the Nayalisia that I- --Lia's voice was barely audible, and Naya didn't make out the last part.
Still smiling, she yelled, "Don't call me that!" this time jokingly.
Finally, she pierced the last part of the trees and arrived atop clouds of green leaves, an ocean of green visible as far as she could see.
Naya took a deep breath of the clean air and felt a tear drip from her eyes.
When she was a child, climbing trees was something she and her friends would often do. When they weren't in school, they'd play many games involving them in some way.
Yet those memories were immediately drowned out, and her heart sank when the faces of those same friends flashed in her mind, looking at her as if she were a monster as she was dragged away from her home in chains.
--Nayalisia...--
"I'm fine." Her smile was once again gone, and her face returned to a blank expression.
--A pity.-- Lia's tone was sad, but there wasn't anything she could do.
She wiped her wet eyes and looked around the sea of green. It was amusing how easily she spotted a massive flat ground very close to where they were. In fact, so close she didn't think she'd even needed to climb the tree. She'd have found it with a bit of exploring, and she wished she had.
It was shocking how easily her mood turned sour, and she wanted nothing more than to vent on the Witch.
She remembered what Lia had said moments ago.
"You said not all witches are evil. Tell me, what has this one done?"
--Naya... --Lia sighed. --You don't get to 3rd circle by sitting around meditating. You get there by doing whatever vile things the Devil wants for his power.--
"Good."
Naya jumped with the wind, launching herself from tree to tree as she approached the invisible tower.
It's a large circular patch of dirt without a single flower or blade of grass. While massive, it's not large enough to make it a hassle for Naya.
She started climbing down a tree just outside the tower radius.
--Remember, the inside is likely warped into something completely different.--
"Right."
Naya stepped forward to the border of the dirt patch. No reaction came from the tower, even with Naya directly in front of it.
She reached her hand out and touched it.
A blinding purple flash came from her hand at once as a purple vortex formed in her palms.
The sound of rushing wind filled Naya's ears, and Arcana flew toward her at lightning speeds. As the transparent Arcana flowed quickly into her palm, the tall tower became visible from the top up.
Naya analyzed it as she absorbed Arcana. The rush of power was a great feeling; it made her feel like a real mage.
The entire tower was colored a deep black and had a single window at the top with a pointed roof. Near the middle, a veranda circled the tower with another door. Finally, a rectangular room jutted out in front of her, where an arched doorway led to the inside.
Naya's looked down at her hands, where lines formed rapidly, sprouting from her fingertips and making their way up to her biceps.
The bottom of her hair already purple hair began to glow, and her violet eyes turned a darker purple shade as they also shone with a purple light.
However, contrary to what she expected, the lines stopped extending, and no other changes occurred. "Why?"
--Interesting. So that's how your power works. --
"What?" Naya felt the changes in her body and the Arcana in her core. This was enough for her to fight, but she wanted more.
--You don't touch and absorb. You touch, shatter, [then ]absorb. That means you break the Wild Arcana from containment, and it spills out. When Arcana spills out, it naturally dissipates... meaning you're competing with the natural world to absorb it.--
Naya didn't know that, but another thought struck her. "Doesn't that-"
--Yup, you're a being that goes against our world's natural laws.--
"Aleria-"
--Probably wouldn't care; otherwise, you wouldn't exist in the first place.--
"I hope so..." Though she said that, Naya couldn't help but worry. Her teachers told her that going against the natural order would result in her being thrown out of Aleria's grace.
Still, she found comfort since she would be doing a deed far more significant than any had ever done before by killing devils, so Aleria should forgive her. [At least, I hope so...]
--Well, no surprise attacks. --Lia changed the subject.-- But in the worst-case scenario, you only have to last until Sophia comes after you; she shouldn't be long, given her abilities.--
"I will kill her myself." Failing wasn't a possibility. She had absolute confidence in her abilities and was tired of not only Sophia but also Lia underestimating her.
--That's not- --Lia stopped. --I know you're strong, ridiculously so. But the witches can't all be beaten with brute strength. --
"I know." Naya didn't say anything more, and Lia didn't either as Naya gently pushed the door to the tower open.
What immediately greeted her wasn't anything like she thought it would be, and she was left breathless.
Rather than the dark, twisted atmosphere she expected, the inside was a vibrant, colorful, neverending field of flowers that covered rolling hills. It even had a beautiful, cloudless sky with a sun shining down. In the distance, a massive tree jutted out and pierced the sky, reaching further than Naya could see with its roots stretching across the land.
--I have no idea what to expect, but be careful; I expect strong defenses on each floor.--
"I know that, and I'm ready."
With that, she resolutely marched forward.