The individual who had made Lune’s Formulae Magic had supposedly also made a formula that could repair clothes indefinitely.

Nosebleed trickled over his lips. Darkness shrouded his vision.

A sudden surge of weakness overwhelmed Ray; it was as if his strength had been drained out of his body. The pouring rain now felt like a pushing force that brought him closer to the flooded ground.

Normally, he would be panicking over these sudden effects, would think that this was caused by his opponent: perhaps magic, maybe poison, or possibly other means. However, in this situation, he did not panic; Ray knew full well on what was causing these negative effects he was experiencing.

This is…

***

‘It’s a side-effect,’ she said.

At the time, the skies of Lune were still clear, and the grass of sanctum’s open field were still dry. Ray was wiping his nosebleed with a handkerchief whilst listening to Ignes.

‘Poor mana manipulation caused you to run out of mana.’

‘I wasn’t manipulating mana though.’ Ray was aware of it, was never taught it, and couldn’t have used it.

‘… Your talent precedes you,’ she said, her tone a grim warning. ‘You must’ve used it subconsciously. We’re lucky that you’re only suffering a nosebleed.

‘I’ve seen effects far more… severe…

‘Ray, you’re banned from further training. I fear that you’ll use mana manipulation unwillingly in fights and that would spell trouble. To-morrow, I’ll teach you the basics and I promise we’ll safely get you to master mana manipulation.’

Ray opened his mouth, wanted to ask, but didn’t: What if I’m forced into a fight before that?

***

Through the shroud of darkness, Ray could see a dim light:

The glow of an ellipse, monstrous eyes, staring at him with killing intent.

I was so close to winning…

The leader of monster worshippers leapt toward Ray, winding his monstrous arm for a horizontal swing: an attack that he wouldn’t be able to avoid in his current state. In this instance that stretched to a standstill, Ray cursed his weakness and was frustrated of himself.

Ray had strength, that was obvious upon looking on how adept he was. However, it seemed that he was never able to get a good grasp on how to utilize his strength. His strength was wasted on him—he wasted it, and it became a weakness.

His imminent defeat frustrated him; even more so considering that his defeat would have consequences. Had this been a one-on-one battle, where his loss would mean his loss and his death his death, then he wouldn’t be so hard on himself.

If I lose here, Elaine will too. His defeat would have consequences. Elaine couldn’t win against the leader of monster worshippers alone. She would then be unable to cancel the negation magic in Lune’s alleyway. By now, who could tell for sure what the monster worshippers were truly doing? What kind of chaos could they bring if their plan came to fruition? It’ll all be my fault, for being… weak…

Ray was going to lose in a battle that would matter.

How could I become a king when I’m like this?

As he was falling, as his opponent neared, Ray—closed his eyes; he stared at the darkness that he let himself be swallowed into. He couldn’t see a way out of this situation. Unfortunately, this would be it for him—

In that darkness, he saw despair, then he heard…

‘You’re weak not because you are, but because you can’t control your strength.’

‘Mana manipulation has the capability to dispel magic.’

‘I can cut with a blunt weapon, and I can make the sharpest of swords blunt if I want.’

… He heard hope.

Ray opened his eyes, meeting the opponent’s murderous stare with a gaze that had been lit with fire.

If I’m going to die anyway…

… I’ll bring him down with me.

Ray had a way out of the worst-case scenario that he had envisioned. It would be by using a possibility that he had before considered.

I’ll use Bloodline Magic. The raindrops surrounding him boiled into vapor, causing the air to warp. The problem with using his Bloodline Magic now, was that he would burn Elaine along with the leader of monster worshippers, and that defeated the whole point. However, that was only if he couldn’t control the output. And I’ll use mana manipulation to restrain it.

Feeling was needed to get a handle of mana manipulation, and Ray believed he had with him hints about it.

“Blunt” all over my body. “Sharp” on the blade.

By now, Ray should have been enveloped with flames and burst blazes as bright and harsh as the sun, burning everyone and everything within his near surroundings. However, that did not happen. Instead, the water boiling and the air warping had been scaled down to areas surrounding the blade of his sword, and the flames he generated had been concentrated fully there.

He had succeeded in controlling the output of his Bloodline Magic.

The leader of the monster worshipper, feeling the presence of a dangerous threat, aborted his attack and used his monstrous right arm to protect himself.

Ray gripped the hilt of his sword tight and stepped forward toward his opponent.

The darkness in his vision crept further inward, now clouded with crimson. His eyes were bloodshot red, his skin had gone pale, and all he could feel was an unshakeable cold.

Despite all that, he swung his sword.

Swish!

The blade sliced through the monstrous, metal-like arm without resistance. His opponent’s defense had meant nothing against Ray’s offense, and his slash had sliced the leader of monster worshippers clean into two parts.

I… managed to… control it… Ray smiled, proud.

He then fell and splashed toward the flooded ground.

***

Elaine immediately ran to Ray; she fully understood what had happened.

‘You!’ she said as she knelt down, flipping Ray around so that he wouldn’t drown in the ankle-height flood. ‘Do you have a death wish?!’

His complexion was horrible. His eyes were bloodshot; dripping with a streak of thick blood, his lips had lost its color; replaced with a lifeless gray, and his skin was pale white; cold to the touch. This was the side-effects of running out of mana. He was dying.

I have to—

‘Don’t…’ Ray managed to utter. He moved his head pathetically, weakly shaking it to show disagreement. ‘Instead… cancel… negate…’

‘!’

Ray was right. Elaine had to cancel the negation magic that was plaguing Lune’s Formulae Magic. The monster worshippers were intent on strengthening the skystorm and Elaine could think of two reasons: either they wanted to destroy Lune, or they planned to use the skystorm as an energy source to power a wicked magic. Regardless on what the actual reason was, Elaine had to weaken the skystorm. Perhaps, in Lune, she was the only one who could foil the monster worshippers’ plan.

However, that would mean that she had to leave Ray behind. To leave this man she very much hated to die, as per his own wish.

‘…’ She stared at him.

‘Go…’ he uttered.

‘… Oh, shut up.’ Faced with difficult options, Elaine had made her choice: she would save Ray. It wasn’t the most rational choice to make, but she couldn’t leave him to die. ‘I owe you a favor, remember?’

I’ll use forbidden magic to share my mana with him. That’s the only way to save him.

Ray could no longer shake his head; as she pressed her hand on his chest to start her magic, she could see his eyes begging for her to stop, asking her to abandon him and cancel the negation instead. In her most soothing voice, a tone that the loud wind and rain couldn’t diminish, she said, ‘Everything will be fine.’

Elaine was absolutely sure that there were two ways to foil the monster worshippers’ plan: one would be to cancel the negation magic, another would be to reclaim the sanctum—which was the center control of the large-scaled Formulae Magic—and prevent whatever it was they were doing there.

‘I saw her heading toward the sanctum when I was falling.’

Elaine, instead of choosing to save either Ray or Lune, had chosen to take a risk to save both: by passing this matter toward capable hands.

‘We can count on her.’

***

Little did Elaine know: the condition of the sanctum wasn’t as bright and hopeful as she had thought it was. Inside the sanctum’s hall, only one person remained standing, and it wasn’t from her side. It was none other than the immortal who couldn’t be killed.

The head of the sanctum, Ignes, had been defeated by a spear-wielder and was now lying on the ground. The previous sword saint’s son, Vod, had been defeated by the immortal, had lost an arm, and remained fallen. Lastly, the current sword saint, Elaine’s hope, Freya, had been rendered unconscious and was now seated with her back leaning on a wall.

If Elaine were to somehow have a look at this scene, to somehow see that the person she was counting on was unconscious, then perhaps she would be forced to make the hard choice and abandon Ray.

If, somehow, she could and were to have a longer look, however, the key part of this scene would be visible: Freya, though unconscious, was still holding the hilt of her sword.

And that same hand which held it twitched.