ADDHP 09

Chapter – 09

The Sky Roars

(…I’m sorry, Father.)

I apologized silently to the father who wasn’t here.

At the same time, I focused my magical power on my forehead.

That was where Father had placed a spell to restrict my magic.

“Just as a precaution,” Master Caleb had said as he taught me how to remove it.

“If it’s ever an emergency, release the seal and use your magic.”

(Maybe… Master Caleb foresaw this.)

That a monster would attack.

(No. This isn’t the time for that.)

(Right now, I only need to defeat the enemy in front of me!)

It didn’t matter what the monster was.

Why it had come.

Or how it had invaded the mansion.

Our lives were in danger.

That was all that mattered.

I concentrated once more on the spell covering my forehead.

The method for breaking it was simple.

Destroy it…

With magical power stronger than the spell itself.

(Imagine your magic becoming thin… hard… and razor-sharp.)

I pictured a needle of magical power piercing through the seal.

A moment later—

Snap.

The invisible membrane surrounding my body shattered.

(I did it!)

Now…

I was free to use magic.

(I’ve learned the theory…)

(I can do this!)

Master Caleb’s lessons had consisted almost entirely of lectures.

Before anything else, he’d taught me how magic should properly be used.

Compared to the days when I’d relied only on instinct and observation…

Over the past few weeks I’d learned to control magical power at an astonishing pace.

(First… knead the magic.)

I gathered the magical power condensed inside the jewel within my chest and expanded it inside my abdomen.

The training I’d been practicing all this time…

Was called kneading magical power.

It meant shaping one’s magic into the form best suited for the spell being cast.

I imagined a hard…

Razor-sharp spear.

And kneaded my magic into that image.

Then…

I released it outside my body.

Only about three seconds had passed since I’d broken Father’s seal.

Naturally…

The monster hadn’t even realized I was preparing to attack.

That carelessness…

Would cost it dearly.

Whoooosh!!

The magical power bursting from my body transformed into an invisible spear.

I couldn’t see the enemy in the darkness.

But I knew exactly where it was.

The densest concentration of that evil magical power.

Without hesitation…

I launched the spear.

“Ggh!”

A direct hit.

The monster let out a pained growl.

At the same moment, glass shattered.

Its evil magical presence retreated rapidly.

Far beyond the garden…

Something crashed heavily into the ground.

Apparently I’d blasted it all the way to the rose garden.

“Al.”

“Listen carefully.”

“Okay.”

“Right now, the mansion is under a spell that steals light.”

As I spoke, I squeezed his hand tightly.

“And despite all this commotion…”

“No one’s waking up.”

The mansion remained eerily silent.

At first I’d assumed nobody had noticed…

Or that the darkness was preventing people from moving.

But after this much evil magical power…

And all this noise…

The complete lack of reaction was unnatural.

“I think…”

“Everyone except us has been put to sleep by magic.”

Which meant—

“No one’s coming to save us.”

I heard Al swallow.

“We have to handle this ourselves.”

Still holding his hand…

I stood up.

(Maybe that’s too much to ask of a three-year-old boy.)

(…If he can’t stand, I’ll leave him here.)

Even if I had to face the monster alone…

I couldn’t blame him.

He was just a child.

But—

“…Got it.”

Al immediately stood.

His voice trembled.

I could feel how stiff his body had become with fear.

Even so…

The hand gripping mine remained firm.

“What do you want me to do?”

He really was a clever boy.

He must have had countless questions.

Wondering why I knew all this.

Wanting to demand explanations.

Yet he swallowed every one of them…

And focused only on what needed to be done.

“First, we leave the mansion.”

“…Then I need you to stand in front of the monster.”

As I spoke…

I used magic to pull the fireplace poker toward me.

Then I pressed it into Al’s hands.

“So…”

“I’m the decoy.”

“…Fine.”

“But if I get hurt…”

“You’ll spend the rest of your life making it up to me.”

Though I couldn’t see him…

I was certain he was wearing that cocky grin again.

“Of course!”

Grabbing his hand…

I ran.

We leaped through the shattered bedroom window into the garden.

Sight was useless in the darkness.

Only my hearing…

My sense of smell…

And the sensation against my skin could be trusted.

I poured magical power into those senses.

Using memory to recreate the garden inside my mind.

As long as I could imagine it…

I didn’t need to see.

I sprinted straight toward the monster.

“Oh?”

“You managed to run through this darkness.”

The monster sounded impressed.

“So…”

“Lord Noctifilis truly was correct.”

Its raspy voice made me smile.

(…This monster is small fry.)

It had just mentioned another monster—

Lord Noctifilis.

Which meant…

It had come here under someone else’s orders.

Given the situation…

The monster casting the spell that stole the light was probably Noctifilis.

Which meant—

(This monster can’t see us either!)

If so…

We had a real chance.

“Al.”

“When I give the signal…”

“Move.”

“Three steps to your right.”

“Then three straight ahead.”

“Rush out all at once.”

I whispered.

I sensed him nod.

Once more…

I kneaded my magical power.

This time…

I imagined cold…

Pure water…

And the frozen lands of the far north.

The monster also began gathering magic.

But mine finished first.

An arrow of ice shot through the darkness.

“Gh…!”

Another hit.

(Just as I thought!)

Like me…

It was sensing magical power.

But my spell had been much faster than it expected.

It hadn’t dodged in time.

“At your age…”

“And with such speed…”

“And not merely Direct Magic…”

“You can even use Alteration Magic.”

“Impressive.”

Magic came in many forms.

Direct Magic involved releasing one’s kneaded magical power directly—

Moving objects…

Or striking enemies with raw magical force.

Anyone possessing magical power and imagination could use it.

It was comparatively simple.

Alteration Magic, however…

Used magical power to alter the properties of existing matter.

Just now…

I’d transformed moisture in the air into arrows of ice.

“State your name.”

The monster spoke arrogantly.

Even now…

It still looked down on me.

“You first.”

At my reply…

The monster chuckled.

“Very well.”

“My name is Glauros.”

“The one who shall kill you.”

“Engrave it upon your soul.”

“Lilietta Rosenford.”

“You don’t need to remember mine.”

“Because you’re going to die here.”

As I spoke my name…

I kneaded magical power once more.

This time…

Glauros wasn’t careless.

Both of us gathered power at nearly the same speed.

“Die!”

Glauros moved first.

Exactly as I’d expected.

Instantly…

I changed the shape of my magical power.

A shield formed before me.

“Fool!”

“You think something like that can stop my darkness?!”

Its magic slammed into my shield.

Direct Magic.

(Dark magical power itself!)

The dark magic possessed by certain high-ranking monsters…

Was deadly all by itself.

Merely touching it could burn flesh…

And rot living tissue.

That terrifying power slowly began eating away at my shield.

My feet slid backward.

“Die!”

The monster poured even more magic into its attack.

That too…

Was expected.

“Al!”

Until that moment…

The monster had completely forgotten him.

The tiny boy rushed past the edge of my shield—

And charged straight toward the enemy.

“What?!”

I felt Glauros’ surprise.

I didn’t let the opportunity escape.

Redirecting the magic sustaining my shield into my legs…

I launched myself high into the air.

Below me…

Al stood facing the monster.

Fire poker in hand.

Using only magical senses…

I pictured him in my mind.

(What beautiful form…)

His back was perfectly straight.

The tip of the poker pointed directly at Glauros’ throat.

Even though…

He couldn’t see anything either.

More than that…

He had trusted me enough to charge forward.

He was only…

Three years old.

The word “brave” wasn’t nearly enough.

He would surely…

(Become someone truly extraordinary.)

Thinking that…

I poured every last ounce of strength into kneading my magic.

I pictured…

The spell I’d witnessed on that unforgettable day.

The spell Father had used.

Crackle…

The sky roared.

The next instant—

A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens.

And struck Glauros squarely on the head.