Carisia’s primary magic attribute is light.
A mage chooses the path of magic based on their affinity for their attribute.
Sometimes, there are those who lack talent in any attribute or those who have talent across all attributes. Naturally, there are also prodigies specialized in a single attribute.
Considering Carisia’s background, she seems like someone who would only show talent in the light attribute. However, in reality, Carisia’s affinity encompasses all ten attributes defined by the Mage King.
However, her light attribute affinity is so overwhelming that it hinders her from using other attributes.
This is why no one, including Blasphemia, doubts that she is a monster born from white light.
Now, at this very point.
Carisia is a mage whose specialty is light magic. At the same time, she has a very, very aggressive nature.
The destructive image associated with “light” is limited.
Healing wounds or driving away darkness makes her somewhat similar to a priest, a nemesis of unholy beings like the undead.
Or one could imagine a laser, like a lightsaber from a far-off galactic knights.
Outside of being a dark adversary or excluding the Death Beam, the destructive aspect of light is considerably diminished.
Have you ever been kicked with the speed of light and ended up in a brutal close-quarters scrap? Well… let’s just say physical magic isn’t the mainstream of this world.
Phenomena associated with the brightness of light, like “lightning” or “flames,” are classified as independent attributes, so they aren’t addressed as part of the light attribute.
Generally, a regular beam attack can satisfy the aggressiveness of an average mage.
However, if we limit it to aggressiveness, isn’t my employer someone who could compete with the Mage King and the greatest throughout history? The sort of person who would rather die than settle for second place and bring the world halfway to apocalypse, truly a polite temperament.
Naturally, a Death Beam wouldn’t satisfy Carisia’s aggressiveness.
…As a result, this bizarre light attribute magic I’ve just witnessed has come to fruition.
Atomic Fist.
Golden magic power surged along the grooves carved into Carisia’s gauntlet. She nonchalantly walked, raising her fist.
Then, with a light tap rather than a strike, she struck as if merely brushing against it.
And then.
“I’m right behind you.”
A protective barrier unfolded, starting from Carisia and enveloping me from behind. The next moment, the door touched by the tip of Carisia’s fingers began to glow white hot.
What was clearly solid metal started to melt away, its original properties lost as it vaporized, leaving only light. Plasma.
The terrifying heat condensed in the plasma instantly invaded the space. Carisia twisted her wrist as if plucking an apple from a tree.
The radiant light that seemed to illuminate the surroundings converged into a single point, then transformed into a sphere of light compressed to its extreme. The fist enclosed in the gauntlet suddenly clenched.
The sphere of light exploded. Everywhere the light touched, matter seemed to devour and vanish.
This mad magic developed by Carisia was a spell that interfered with matter at the atomic level. The name “fist that collides with atoms” accurately reflected its performance without an ounce of exaggeration.
How ridiculous it was to hear praises that I couldn’t have created this if it weren’t for me.
It’s true I asked if there wasn’t any magic using radiation, but let’s be real, that was just a joke because there were too many people chasing us.
Beyond the frenzied burst of light, the same priest looked at us with a vacant stare.
“You…?”
I clicked my tongue.
“I warned you.”
*
The biological entity was bewildered. As it felt a massive magic power throbbing right in front of its lodging, it stood up only to see one side of the assigned building melting away.
Gradually revealing faces behind the vanished wall. Isn’t that Orthes and that mage I met at the social gathering?
‘They haven’t done anything yet?’
The mage marked by the biological entity shines her eyes brightly. It could be seen that pure and high-grade magic power flowed through her physical body.
Oh wait. Hold on.
Quickly transferring magic power to the backup bodies. The moment I witnessed that, a peculiar spell seemed to activate. Was it a curse of some sort?
One of the bodies closer to Carisia crumbled and fell apart. The biological entity immediately grasped the situation.
The brain was baked.
‘What the hell…?’
The intelligence bestowed by the creator of the biological entity interpreted the magic. Light, maximizing the output of visible light, turned the very scenery witnessed into an attack.
The air touching the gauntlet, wrapped in golden magic, disintegrated and headed toward the light. The Atomic Fist had not yet been released.
Following the wavering arm, the air melted away. The dissociated air transformed into light.
The biological entity moved another body to assess the situation.
If it looks, it dies.
If it touches, it dies.
Escape?
The biological entity had no attachment to its physical body. While it had been finely tuned for a long time, it was at a level where it could be replaced as long as there was enough time.
It didn’t know the reason for the ambush. Perhaps it was the doing of its kin, who suspected it of being a competitor.
The one using the name Orthes seemed to have built a notable friendship with Carisia as a sacrifice. It sensed the desire to covet Carisia’s physical body and launched a preemptive attack to ensure it couldn’t function in Algoth City.
Even now, it must be observing from behind the sacrifice with a smile, as if everything is going according to its plan.
Given everything, it could tell the difference in power by now, sensing the urge to retreat peacefully.
‘Now is the time to withdraw…’
However, if it had invested most of its abilities into one physical body, it had distributed its capabilities across many.
The display of force through Carisia warned that if it approached any further, it would not even recoup its losses, sort of like a stop-loss threat.
But the biological entity had no intention of yielding to such threats. Just as Orthes coveted, no other body could exist that surpassed Carisia.
Following the instinct planted by the creator of the biological entity since ancient times, it refused to give up. The moment it laid eyes on Carisia, it summoned extra bodies, willing to part with at least these two.
*
My employer had instructed me in advance, so I had been keeping my eyes wider than usual.
“Was it Argyrion?”
Carisia asked me only after confirming that the two corpses had melted away. I shook my head.
“I’m pretty sure it’s a different guy. Speaking of which, isn’t this a bit too much for you, boss?”
“What does it matter? If I directly intervened in the competition, it would be problematic, but this is a dispute between sponsors, not a candidate. Even if the organizers have something to say, I can get away with it.”
Well, indeed. From the beginning, Carisia had delicately orchestrated this ambush so that the faction leader of Lebrake City wouldn’t be hurt at all.
‘If this can be called delicate…’
Carisia shook off the gauntlet, which was stained with no blood. Just like the wall of the vanished building, the two humans that were filled with the biological entity vanished.
“Not even Argyrion, and you’re saying you have no intention of targeting me?”
I nodded in agreement. Just to be safe, I checked once more. The faction leader of Lebrake City, whom I’d poisoned with sleeping toxin ahead of time, still laid in deep slumber. Unaware of their sponsor’s disappearance (literally), they’d remain fast asleep until the next morning.
When they wake up, they may find themselves behind bars. After all, with the building blown to bits, Panoptes would arrive before the night had passed.
Given Panoptes’ investigative abilities, they would soon realize it was an induced sleep due to external factors, so the chance of being treated as a potential witness rather than a defendant is high.
“Then, they should understand it like this. Let’s move on to the next.”
Was Carisia planning to send all those marked as suspicious by Argyrion’s list to the underworld?
Seemingly reading my thoughts, Carisia defensively responded with a sly look.
“…I went all out because it looked dangerous. It’s better than holding back and getting counterattacked.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. You’ve handled the most dangerous thing first, so let’s proceed as originally planned and split up from here.”
Pouting her lips a bit, Carisia followed my words and exited.
As agreed upon in advance, I headed in a different direction from Carisia.
In truth, it was different from the agreement. I was moving toward a different physical body of the mental parasitic entity rather than another Argyrion candidate.
True, it wasn’t Argyrion nor was it targeting me.
But I wondered where my employer was.
*
Kaduk.
A blade pierced my neck. Not a beheading, but a clean puncturing of the cervical spine.
Slowly, the nerves disconnected. The sensation of standing on my feet faded away, and the salty taste mixed with the breeze scattered. The rotten stench of the alleyway that lingered on the tip of my nose dulled, and the darkened alley was completely shrouded in darkness.
Finally, I heard a sound.
“How many are left now?”
