In the seconds leading up to the fall, various emotions and subconscious desires flooded Ilyce's chest - just like a runner.
　But once he landed, as if it were a lie, the thoughts faded away and were replaced with cold-hearted things to fight.

　I found myself repeating my breathing on my shoulder. If she only looked at physical fatigue, Ars would still have the advantage. However, in her brain, the winner was already never in her mind.

　Of course, it could be said that he had done his best under the circumstances. In the presence of so many ordinary people, that's the best he could do, like a hero.
　Even knowing that, Ilyce can still show off his victory. Life for the victors and death for the vanquished, this is the order of the world.
　He knows that, so he should be praised for it. He did what he could.
　It does not make him less of a magician any more.
　It does not make him less of a hero, less worthy of the glory of being the highest-ranking mage you could ever aspire to.

"That is the limit of human nature.

　Euphoric, self-absorbed, Ilyce lifted his thin arms and spread his fingers out to cover his face with his eyes, affirming.
　As long as you are human, as long as you are bound as a magician, you cannot escape the karma.
　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be buried in the middle of nowhere. She knows firsthand that she no longer has constraints to protect and things to defend, and she knows firsthand that the difference is a great fetter in battle.


　Slowly lifted up, Ilyce's face made a clean smile.

''The Four Tails (Tartarus) of the Black Tower Glazing Wave can't be broken.
I don't know.

　Eyes scrutinized to see if they still sounded strong under the circumstances.
　Ilyce's four tails pointed their sharp tips at Ars.

''--!

　However, he showed no pretense of fighting. Although it could not be taken as a carelessness, Ars held up one finger as if to cross his arms and pointed to the sky above.

(The Frozen Prison 《Despire Excute》 is all...!

　As if being followed - no, looking up to the heavens with a momentary sense of unease as if my gaze was guided and I couldn't resist - then I realized.

(Idiot!)

　A huge magic circle had been constructed at the innermost part of the dome-shaped protective wall that had unfolded. A brilliant pentagram. But when Ilyce saw it, he knew that he had been mistaken.

　A circle of ice, with water, wood, fire, lightning and wind drawing a line through it to create a pentagram. That was definitely supposed to be a magic to kill himself. It was inevitable that the composition was so complete that even she couldn't help but be fascinated by it.
　It is theoretically impossible for more than three systems of magic to be expressed simultaneously because of conflicts. Of course, it is possible to change the nature itself to prevent lightning, which is the weakness of water itself.

　In the systematic correlation diagram, synergistic effects can be created depending on the affinity. That's just the story of events combining together as separate magic. And yet the magic circle of the pentagram that developed overhead included all the strains except for the elements.

　All of the systems are always superior or inferior, that's why it was beautiful. It drew a circle and everything showed a state of equilibrium. Ilyce was not admired by the magic circle, but her eyes were captivated by the impossible scene, the perfect harmony.

　What instantly played out in his brain was that this was as far as his calculations went.
　And Ars was a person who could kill himself even in front of such a large audience.
　It means that he was using another magic to hide it further up in the frozen prison 《Despire Excute》.

''If I use this kind of magic here...!

　Yes, the damage is enormous ... but she saw a reason why it wouldn't be.
　A person who poured enormous magical power to weave a barrier outside the protective barrier - just one person, but it felt like its strength had nearly doubled.

(Witch--!!!)

　Known as a witch, she was one of the driving forces behind Alpha's rise to prominence. He is a specialist in defensive magic whose name is not unknown to anyone in the seven countries, although I never met him directly.

　With the intervention of the witch Sisti, everything comes to a head.
　And then Ilyce learned that it was all too late. Can they still escape if they can move to the same place as Ars, who is supposed to be in a safe zone within this training ground?

(Escape!　(Me?)

　The fact that I intuitively judged that was all a lured thought.
　There's no way that the four tails (Tartaros) of the Kurorou Wave, which has absolute pride, can be broken...........Even if I thought that, I instinctively twisted my body to choose evasion with my energy.

''All systems combined magic, kukk........then let's try it!

　Ilyce poured a magical power that was close to everything into the four tails. The black liquid turned jet black with reddish-black spots.
　He looked up hatefully at the heavens and took a step.......and changed his stance.......!

　It was right after the magic circle had sounded in response. Ilyce's body didn't move even a twitch. The four tails also feel dull, as if they were weighed down by a heavy stone.

''--Xamak!　You've fixed the coordinates of everything directly below the magic circle!

　He turned his gaze only to Ars.

'I told you, I'm not going to go out with you.

　Ars tells him nonchalantly with a blank expression. I put out a handful of moves to see what was going on and make him aware of it. It would have been best if he gave up with the Frozen Prison 《Despire Excute》. But he also decided that was the borderline. Ilyce stepped into our ring, but that was only the first time. It was Ars who was made to understand by that summoning magic.

　If you don't go in with the intention of killing him, nothing will start. Otherwise, over time - with the passage of the match, the disadvantage would be Ars's, and the damage would not be limited to him alone.

　That's why I'm going to use my all-system compound magic, which is the ultimate in precision and delicacy, with the intention of killing it. This is a magic that can disintegrate those four tails under a variety of conditions.

　It fixes all coordinates within the magic circle. You can't escape the situation where you can't move a single stone. You'll need to alter the information in the surrounding space itself. I'm sure she can do it in a few seconds.
　Even though Ars also has plenty of magic power, the amount of magic power it consumes is just barely enough because it is a strain that is not suited for him. This was unexpected. If the chancellor hadn't rushed in, the situation might have turned out to be one-sided. In any case, he wouldn't have thought to deploy magic beyond the highest level behind the Frozen Prison 《Despire Excute》.

　He raised his knife and pointed the tip of the blade vigorously at Ilyce.

''Are you ready for this?　

　A strange sound, like a screaming substance within the area of effect, wood spirit.
　Such a ringing that disturbed the senses drove Ilyce's fear and shook her confidence. Magic she had never seen or heard of was the most alarming thing she had ever experienced.

　It would be too. There had never been a mage in the past who could not only use all the strains, but combine them. That's why the effects and phenomena brought about by all the strains are not even predictable.
　But there is no way to escape the situation - the freedom of the body was unlocked by incorporating information into the magic power released into the surroundings and overwriting the fixed coordinates, but it was already too late.

　In an instant, the wall of light that covered the surroundings was so dense that it was impossible to even see through to the other side. Ilyce was already running out of life as a person. I'm not going to get attached to living now.
　But perhaps her refusal to do so is proof that she is still human enough.

'If you destroy the magic circle, I win!　The Four Tails of the Black Towering Wave (Tartarus)!

　The four tails meet as one above his head, covering his entire body. At the same time as the light became stronger and poured over Ilyce's head, it stretched straight up into the sky with its overwhelming strength and speed.

　The four tails of the Kurorou Glazed Wave (Tartarus) should be no match for any magic, no matter what kind of magic it is.......it should be.
　But for the first time, Ilyce agonizes over the pain of a torn nerve. The tail, which is the strongest contraption and shield in the world, is connected to its own nerves.

　That nerve feels as if it is being broken - or, if you prefer, shaved off, and he let out an agonizing cry.

''Aaaaah!

　It's not an antagonism. She would certainly see the evidence of this. Although her own feet still had a foothold, there was a large mouthful of darkness around her.
　All but Ilyce, who is within the area of effect, has disappeared.

(Right!　(Will it decompose matter, objects, organic and inorganic, all...!

　Magic to return to the beginning, that's what happens when you combine all the strains used by Ars. Everything comes to nothing.
　This kind of magic can only be used by Ars, or more precisely, Ars couldn't use it either. It was only because of his current amount of magic power.

''.........''

　Ilyce pulled her tail back. The tail, nearly half disintegrated, wrapped around her, blocking out the light.

　Turning into a jet black cocoon, Ilyce just waited patiently for everything to pass.
　If only the witch Sisti hadn't shown up, he would have definitely won... no, even that was his power.
　He just had what he didn't have, that's all.

(Oh, well I'm sure everything is different.)

　Ilyce felt a sense of resignation as she shut herself in her shell.
　Everything was different, everything had been set in stone since he was born. There was no crossroads prepared for them. It wasn't something that could be changed through hard work or the help of others. I knew I wasn't wrong after all...I squinted at the light leaking out of the gap in the disintegrating four tails.

　Pish!

　The sound of such a collapse rang far overhead.
　The light stopped and Ilyce opened her eyelids, feeling nothing for the fact that she was still breathing.

　It had been a given all along. Everything was doomed to fall into the situation Ilyce was in now, as well as to be alive.
　So there's no point in resisting from the beginning if the effort is also vain and can't be resisted.

　Just knowing this is a harvest.




　I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say.
　It's still imperfect magic. No, imperfect might be the perfect state.

　The point is that there is a time limit.

　And the four tails that crumble away have not retained their original form. The tail, which looks as if it was made of ashes, would crumble away even with a gentle breeze.
　The interior of the building jumped into view through a small opening.

　My momentary astonishment was understood by squinting my eyes.
　I killed it, or so I thought, but Ilyce is indeed alive - no, she's come back to life.

　The water made up for the half part of her body that she had lost in an instant in the four tails, and she was back to normal.
　However, the exhaustion was commensurate with her exhaustion.

　The four tails disintegrated into existence itself, exposing Ilyce.
　She was left plopped in the center of the donut-shaped empty ground.

'It's not normal after all.'

　Ars uttered to Ilyce, who slouched his head in a paragraph.
　It's best in the end. It's a bet that was planned, but there was no way to be sure.
　It's not just the fact that you can't get away with it, it's also the fact that you didn't have to kill in public, but it's also the fact that you're still worried about what's going on with you. It's too unstable a life.
　It's a good thing that they're able to get away with this.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time with us. In the midst of the fight, it occurred to Arus that he was in the middle of a battle. I'm not going to be the only one who is going to be able to do that. It's a good idea to wipe them out so they don't get in the way.

　That much shouldn't be out of the ordinary, and it will give you the best chance of winning. She's not oblivious to that.

　The tail rained down ashy scraps. After a beat, Ilyce raised her body vigorously and looked up, warping as it was.
　The face that was slowly brought back closed both eyes.


　In terms of magic power, Ars has more left over and is still capable of fighting. However, Ilyce did not have enough magic power left to fight the same fight again.
　Still, it was uncanny to Ars.

''Ars Reagin, you have been blessed by the times.
--!

　A cold chill ran down Ars's spine. Because I saw the thinly opened eyes of Ilyce - the formula engraved on that one eye.

(Demon eyes ... that's with a ship's eye, too.)

''It's something I didn't have in my time. How much better it would have been if it had only been too strong, or if I had even crushed this...

　The eyes, which opened so slightly that only Ars could see them, were as clear as azure.
　Ilyce closed his normal eye to emphasize his own eye.

'But it didn't make sense. It will be restored soon, this is a curse. Those pigs who wanted this ability easily cut me off... haha.

　A mocking smile forms a lonely mouth.
　The expression filled with emptiness does not allow for any changes in his expression. Despite the black, empty face, those eyes were more beautiful than anything else.

'I was born in a bad time.'
You're an idiot...
--!
'That's what happens when you cling to this country. Why don't you go to another country? We don't need a ranking.
It's a technicality. You still occupy that position in the pecking order it's that kind of fight.

　Ars is in first place, but the fight is for the sake of it. He chose not to involve the spectators. That's the action of someone who values rank above all else.
　But--

'Hmph, I'll give it back to you as soon as this country lets go of the reins.

　In the end, this too, is just a superficial way of putting things. If you don't have any substance, you won't be able to convince the other person or even convey your own will.

'That's why I hate kids ... there are some things you can't change just by trying. There are some things that can't be reversed. You'll have to live another twenty years before you can say that.
You just didn't get it right.
''You don't understand, if you have that much power, that ranking is understandable. But there is a definite difference between you and me. Right from the start, it was too dazzling for me, an utopia. My illusions were awakened by being stripped of my wings.

　Ilyce was releasing the accumulated depression. Even though she knew it, she couldn't stop it. She wished she was there now.
　He couldn't help but envy her. Ilyce himself was surprised that he wanted it so badly. But only when he said it out loud did he become convinced. In front of him, she felt all sorts of emotions, envy swirling around her like a dam. She couldn't hold a grudge against him, wondering why this curse had to be her.

'Everything bothers me already I'm done. It's too late for me, it's all too late for me to think and worry about it all.'

　With a lifeless face, Ilyce blocked the magic eye in his left eye with a small hand.
　She slowly opened the other one and stared at Ars. Only an empty eye was turned on, as if he had no fixed point of view.

''The reflection is dark and dusky, dark and black, transfer it with an abyss deeper than the bottom...[Abyssal Abyssal Sea]''

　She opened her magic eye and shifted her hand that was blocking it.
　A scene of blackened fist-sized water bubbles floating everywhere was spreading out to her now. Exposing the demon eye, the illusion of bubbles seen by the demon eye and the reality seen by normal eyes are linked.

　No one noticed, and how long it had been there.
　By the time I noticed, I was floating.

　Ars didn't budge or get upset by any magic. That was all that mattered as long as it turned out to be magic.
　I don't know when it manifested, but it crept into the crevices of my consciousness as if it had been there all along.
　A blister that fluttered around the surroundings.......Immediately after realizing this, a dim darkness spread through the training grounds.

'Jana boy.

　The Abyssal Deep Sea 《Abyss》 projects the water pressure of the deep sea into reality. This is the magic that can be created by this curse.
　If you are a breathing creature, the water pressure will crush you when you exercise your magic. Lungs and internal organs will be crushed and bones will crumble.

　
　It felt to her as if it was given to her to kill humans. It was as if she was affirming the very curse.

(This is fine ... this is how it's always been.)

　Ilyce had a distorted smile on his face as he looked at Ars, who had been swallowed up by the darkness. She wasn't happy, she wasn't elated that she had won, she was just smiling to remind herself that somehow this was the right thing to do.

　When the magic is broken, there's only a corpse that doesn't even form a human form, and she puts her hand on her hood to leave before the commotion gets too loud.

'There's one difference between you and me...'
--!

　As if to open a curtain, Ars paid with one hand, clad in darkness.

　He took a step back at the impossible sight and remembered that he had been trapped on a cliff. There was no place to go back to in the beginning. Ilyce crumbles over the edge with his heel as if he were looking at some unearthly object.

'Fool!　What are you....

　In response, Ars released a devastating magical power. It took a moment - perhaps only Ilyce would have noticed it.
　It's as if the blackness was pushed aside and regained its color, so it must have appeared as if she had broken the spell.

　I let out a breath of air and let our gazes meet as if to indicate with our eyes.

(The Abyssal Deep Sea 《Abyss》 was eaten...)

'The difference between you and me is simple. You just didn't do well!

　His heart jumped at the powerful eyes that shot straight through him in a foolish way. Ilyce understood the meaning of the words. For he too has the same repugnant qualities as she does.
　Her mind has already discarded enough material to argue with him.

　Something must be a little different. Still, there is no definitive difference. Depending on how he acted, another path should have been prepared for Ilyce.
　Ars showed that.

　The one who chose it was himself. The person who could not move to prevent that from happening was himself.

''Kukuk, hahahahahahahahaha.........................Ahhhh, I'm a terrible clown. What the hell was I doing? Oh right, so I was wrong........

　What tugged at her heartstrings, Ilyce spread one hand out to cover her face and smiled vaguely.
　Somehow, Ars can guess the reason why she laughs, the reason why she wants to laugh, with a touch of pity. They fought, they dodged words, and surely it felt like that...that she liked the Alpha too much, that she loved him too much.

　Decades of regret, colored by her anger, trickled from the gap between her fingers - her normal eyes - in drops.

　With a quick laugh, Ilyce repeats her big breath. Her tiny shoulders pumped fresh air into her lungs.
　Huh, and with one last satisfied exhale, Ilyce puts the hood back on even more deeply in her eyes.