A falling bloody dagger, its dry sound echoing through the compartment.
　Ars holds his right wrist and sits back, looking unusually tired.

'Al, give me your hand...'
Sorry.
'Not at all. It's because of Mr. Flynn, isn't it? Otherwise, I won't forgive you.

　He was wounded because he could heal quickly. Since it was tantamount to a self-inflicted wound, it was still not something that could be forgiven from Loki's point of view. However, Ars remained silent in response to Loki's question. Because, as the words said, he felt sorry.

　He slowly let his fist open as he clenched the wound. Loki sighs as he sees the blood pouring out of the cracked wound. He seems to know everything about him, but he's still far away.

　I couldn't read his mind, even though he's so close to me, I couldn't read his mind. That was a little frustrating, and more importantly, I was ashamed of myself for thinking I was a god. I wanted to understand, I wanted to understand, but it was an insurmountable wall that separated us both.

　Is it impossible to get through it, or is it something I shouldn't do? We may not be able to understand everything. But it's not hard to know.
　That's why we use words. The wall of words is much flatter than the wall of the mind.

'Al, you went a little too deep. It's down to the bone. And ... please tell me properly. Otherwise I wouldn't know.
Are you sure about that?
.........?

　With his usual gentle smile pasted on his mouth, Ars looked over his shoulder at Loki's face as he held his hand.

　It's always easy to think that face is sly. We can't give him any insight into what's going on here, but he can see right through us. But Loki wasn't going to let that stop us today. But I'm sure a momentary pause has come down.

'Normally you would have interrupted me, right?　Even though it's a training ground, it's still a good place to be taken by surprise.

　It wasn't about being sly or cunning or anything like that. Ars kept his cheeks up to see what was so funny. 'I wish I could be the one to worry,' said Loki, puffing out his cheeks in musing at the inaccurate reply.

'Sort of, you see. She's trapped in the rightness of normal. That's why she's killing herself.
Is that what's wrong with AWR's magic formula?

　Kokri and Ars nodded back.
　Ars thought about explaining the two figures of Tesfia and Alice coming towards us together in view. But Tesfia's expression was unusually hard to read. Her face was a mixture of various emotions, and she looked like she had too much to say.

　Alice, on the other hand, just has a powerful expression that asserts her absolute right. She is ready to ask the reason for Ars's words and actions at all costs. It's even as if the two usual people have switched places.

　Ars had them bring Fiona's AWR that had fallen while they were coming towards him.

　He takes it silently and turns his attention to the dagger, the one that isn't stained with blood.

''Same, it's a magical formula. Or should I say the foundation of the magical formula. It's a fine one for a personal AWR, but it's a cheap one. It's not even a systematic formula. Is it any wonder you guys didn't notice it? Somehow, this AWR is only inscribed with the root of what makes up magic, a defective product that isn't even an AWR. I'm sure she knew that too.
So the physical damage is done but it's not the first time Fiona has trained for it either.

　It was Alice who was the first to question Ars's analysis.
　It was Alice who was relatively more likely to take care of Fiona, even though she would unravel to the underclassmen. They should have been composing magic then, even if it was late.

'Even the basics can constitute magic. You don't need to have AWR in the first place to compose magic. Likewise, her magic can be made up until she grants it.
'But the magic covering the AWR is deteriorating fast.

　After getting Loki's supplementary information, Ars affirmed that it was. However, the main reason for this is not to the AWR, but to herself. Magic power is a person's information that is richly colored within her. Hence, the reason for her severe deterioration is because of her problems.

　What is the cause of her being taught by Alice? If you think of this as a matter of chance, Ars shouldn't regret his actions. As far as he knows, the walls that hinder his growth are high enough for him to overcome. Otherwise, it's not even a wall, it's the road itself is dead.

To be honest, I don't want to be a part of it anymore," he said, "because there's nothing more I can do. There's nothing more I can do about it. It would be easy to tell you what I know, but it won't solve anything. If you still want to be convinced, then so be it. Alice, do you know what Fiona's lineage is?
'Yeah, we trained together and Fiona is a wind strain.
Well I'll tell you something. Fiona's lineage is not wind.
What?

　Leaving Alice with a shocked expression on her face, Tesfia crowded in a lot.

'Hey! What's going on?　Why does Fiona have to do that? You want to be a magician, so why would you polish it up if it's not in your lineage...

　The devilish look on his face gradually activated his thought process and sank deeper. He found himself saying it out loud. When the words that Ars released to Fiona came back to his mind, Tesfia's mouth slurred as he remembered.

''Intentional........stop the academy.......''

　But since we lack one more piece of information to draw conclusions from, we can't get to it except for Ars here.
　Saying that would be like telling her the answer, and it wouldn't solve anything. There are many reasons to become a mage, especially in a case like hers, but if you don't choose it yourself, it's meaningless.

　She deliberately trains outside of her lineage, and she scrambles doggedly and stubbornly to keep her feet on the ground. And the reason Ars told her to quit the academy was not because she was emotional, of course. Rather the opposite, he knows that Fiona will regret it if she doesn't quit the academy.

''You guys are meddling when I tell you that you shouldn't do anything extra. So if you're going to do anything, yes. Alice you'll have to listen to me.
'Hey, what about me?'
I don't know you. Fear pulls people down too far. People like that often unintentionally guide the other person's decisions. This time, refrain from it, it's one of your good points, but it's also one of your bad points. Rest assured, it's a virtue that's unique to you.
''........Hmmm. That's how you can fool me. It's okay, I'll convince you of that this time. But how do you explain it over there?

　Tesfia turned away and pointed to the figure beyond. Slenderly, the finger pointed to where Flynn had just finished wiping his forehead and healing. But Tesfia would be the main thing she wanted to say.

'I'm a man. You don't complain. I don't know if I overdid it. You're healed, so that's good.

　It seemed to reach Flynn's ears as he came toward us, and it wasn't my imagination that the sound of his footsteps seemed to express Flynn's emotions. When he came to his side, he wrinkled his brow and bent forward, thrusting a finger at the tip of Ars's nose as he sat down.

'That said, your arm needs to be immobilized and rested for a few days, though!　That, and he's out cold, so we'll have to get him carried out later.

　Seeing Ars's hand as Loki administered simple first aid, or rather, stopped the bleeding, Flynn felt a small tremble in the area of the commissary.

'What, you didn't make a full recovery?
'Please don't do this with Grandma. I'm still in training.
'However, enough is enough. Next time you see them both, I'll be the last.
'Of course!　Do you want to go to the trouble of getting hurt or do you really want me to heal you so badly!
'It's certainly a skill I'm in love with. I've always wanted to see it up close, so it's just perfect.
Oh, I don't know!

　Flynn turned away from Ars, who snickered with a joke mixed in with the joke, as if to push him away. Then he immediately began to heal Tesfia.

　In the meantime, Alice moved to the front of Ars, who had lowered his waist directly to the ground, and looked at the wound on his hand for once.

'Hey Al, how can I help Fiona?'
What, don't you want to help me?
It's not that I'm not, it's just that Al is more...

　I want to help Fiona. As an upperclassman, yes, and not a stranger to each other. But whether that was the best way to do it, Alice couldn't quite pinpoint it now.

I've told you, I've done most of what I can do. The rest is up to you. I'm not sure everyone can become a mage, like you guys. And even if you don't become a mage, you'll still be happy with your life. That's why you have to decide for yourself.

　Alice's expression gradually softened under Ars's strangely masterful eloquence and became gentle in her nature.

　Loki, who was listening to it next to her, also wanted to say something, I wonder.

So why did Al go to such lengths to get her to...

　Then Ars lifted the corner of his mouth so high that he could see over his shoulder.

'That's because it's interesting,' he said, 'and because it's definitely a waste of time for Fiona. That and the fact that it would be a waste of time for Fiona. I know that, and it makes me question my sanity. I'm surprised that she is resisting, above all else. It's not like the world's normal isn't right. That's the difference in perception, the feud, between those who know the outside world and those who only know the inside. You guys know that. As much as you don't need to know, it's easy to lose sight of the essence of it. Depending on which side of the fence she wants to be on, that perception and standard can easily change. That's about as far as it goes, if you put it that way.

　In other words, she wants to be inside. Ars felt like an expression of that. That's why she rejects magic.

　-- maybe that's the karma of being an elemental.

　Alice tilts her head slightly and Loki somehow guesses what Ars wants to say.


　Furthermore, in the back of the room, Tesfia was being healed with her back to us.
　''Is this going to be a scar?'' Flynn assures him emphatically of the prying question.

'Don't worry. I'll fix you up nicely, even if I have to put my pride on the line.'
Uh, yeah, uh, thanks.

　Ars's voice echoed so that the two men who were exchanging such biting exchanges could hear it.

It's a good thing. It's a good thing that you're not going to have to pay attention to them. We're going to continue our training on our own. When you start to get used to today's training then the next step is the outside world.
"..........!