Chapter 64: Aerial Combat (3)
Just like Sercia, Calix too had received a weapon-type artifact from Elwin as a joining gift—one most suited to and needed by him.
A weapon capable of shifting forms freely, according to its wielder’s will.
—Form-Transforming Weapon, Arma Immutatio.
Calix Tutatio Zahardt was the second son of the swordsmanship house Zahardt, but he was also deeply versed in spear techniques.
The Zahardt family was not only a world-renowned school of swordsmanship but also a prestigious knightly household that had produced generations of famous knights.
"Did you think I only knew how to use a sword? That’s a shame."
Knights often rode horses, and atop a fierce steed, stabbing weapons were far more practical than slashing ones.
That’s why, while swordsmanship was Zahardt’s focus, they had also diligently honed their spear skills.
"I wouldn’t say I’m a master or anything… but I think I can still give you lot a painful taste."
Calix smirked as he took his stance. He hadn’t forgotten his main task—protecting Aajen Clover.
He wasn’t foolish enough to charge off in bloodlust and separate from the person he was supposed to guard.
"I’ll show you something fun."
So, the best move he could make was to stand in front of Aajen Clover and throw his spear—knocking down the enemies from a distance!
And in spear-throwing contests, Calix had always scored perfect tens.
"Haaah!"
With a spirited shout, Calix hurled the spear with all his strength. It tore through the wind and pierced an enemy’s heart.
A clean, satisfying strike.
"…Ha, hahaha!"
But one assassin burst out laughing with delight. Calix asked,
"What’s so funny?"
"Of course it’s funny! You’re strong! You took one of my comrades out in an instant. That refined technique and your precision—clearly a cut above us grunts. But…"
Twisting his lips into a sneer, the assassins spread out, forming a threatening formation around Calix and Aajen.
"Did you get cocky? Or were you just ashamed of being chased by bottom-rung trash like us?"
Then the Depicio assassins readied their weapons—bows, arrows, and long spears—perfectly suited for swift attacks.
"Whatever the case! You’ve lost your only weapon! One life? Ha! That’s a trade worth making!"
"Mr. Calix…!"
Aajen called out in a pleading voice.
It was a cry asking whether there was any way out of this mess—but Calix, unfazed, didn’t even glance at him.
"Look behind you."
Instead, he stepped forward and said calmly.
"You. Don’t try anything funny!"
"Such tricks won’t work on us!"
The assassins growled. There was no need to listen to the soon-to-be prey's final rambling.
"I was trying to show a little mercy."
But Calix remained composed, answering coolly.
"Better to die knowing why than not knowing at all."
"You arrogant bastard!"
One assassin’s face twisted with rage at Calix’s confident words.
"I’ll kill y—!"
Just as he lunged forward with his weapon—!
Fshshshshsh!
A chilling noise filled the air.
When the assassin turned his gaze in alarm, his eyes went wide in shock.
"W-what is that…?!"
Calix’s spear had split into dozens of copies—and all of them were embedded in the assassins’ bodies!
"Argh! So cold… I’m going to freeze!"
"Where the spears hit, it’s freezing up. And the affected area is… expanding?"
"Anyone here have fire magic?! We need heat!"
Amid the groans, Calix casually retrieved his weapon.
Of course, he hadn’t moved to pick it up himself.
Pop! Puff—!
All the multiplied spears vanished like illusions, leaving only one—which returned to its owner as if that were natural.
"Told you to watch the rear."
Calix chuckled, grasping his weapon.
To the assassins, it was an unbearably smug sight.
"What kind of trick is this? Magic? Curses? Or is he from a mutant bloodline?!"
"Who knows. I don’t owe you an explanation. Why don’t you take a guess?"
And again, Calix threw his spear.
The weapon Elwin had gifted him—Arma Immutatio, or "AIM" for short—was enchanted to return automatically when distant from its wielder.
And when used as a projectile weapon—arrow, spear, or boomerang—it came with an extra function:
Division.
More precisely, it could generate replicas. And those replicas could be freely controlled by the user’s will.
At the cost of some of the wielder’s mana.
‘For someone like me, a close-range swordsman, gaining mid- and long-range capabilities… that’s a huge advantage.’
Moreover, Calix possessed a unique trait that set him apart from others.
Most humans were born with only one mana attribute.
But in rare cases, a person could be born with two or more—and Calix Tutatio Zahardt was one such exceptional case.
His innate mana attributes were Water and Ice.
"There’s no better pairing with a spear than ice!"
Fwoooosh!
A frosty blue aura burst from Calix’s entire body. It quickly coalesced into long, pointed shapes.
Within seconds, dozens of ice spears floated behind him.
"Say it again. Who’s the fool now?"
With Calix grinning murderously, the Depicio assassins trembled without meaning to.
All at once, they thought the same thing:
‘We can’t escape.’
That man would chase them to the ends of the earth and kill them without leaving a trace.
Whether by stabbing—or freezing.
***
Meanwhile, Sercia was readying the final spell she had stored in her orb.
She gathered mana in both hands as if to forcefully push something out from the magic circle and shouted,
"Come forth, Fire Horn!"
The first and second magic circles merged into the third, doubling its size.
From within the vortex of magic, something emerged.
Bwooooom—!
A pure white bull—wreathed in blue flames.
It was relatively small in size—
But the massive, almost towering horns atop its head looked fierce enough to pierce the heavens.
Unlike the previously summoned flame serpent, Echidna, this bull was not a sentient magical beast.
—Flame Form Magic: Fire Horn.
Form magic referred to spells shaped like animals, borrowing their natural strengths.
And since Sercia’s primary attribute was fire, the flame-based form was the most stable to manifest.
Perhaps because of that, Fire Horn was also among the most lethal of form spells.
Especially the horns, which were charged with explosive mana—burning, breaking, and blowing away anything they touched.
Snort—snort—!
The bull pawed at the air, waiting for its master’s command.
Sercia pointed with her finger and gave that command.
"Attack!"
The bull charged at the Depicio assassins trapped inside the flames with ferocious momentum.
Its sharp, murderous horns looked as if they would rip through anything in its path.
"Now, Echidna!"
Before the bull collided with the serpent’s body, Sercia’s voice reached Echidna—who quickly slithered away.
Shaaa—!
Left behind were only the Depicio assassins—who hadn’t seen what was coming due to the wall of flame.
"Damn."
Kartke, seeing the bull charging in, let out a bitter laugh.
Then muttered quietly to herself.
"Is this what they call… a life flashing before your eyes…?"
That was when she remembered—the symbol on the mage’s cloak.
A dazzling golden cloak—with a roaring dragon etched across it.
"The Top Hunter of Yellow has moved…"
From the beginning, this mission was doomed to fail. No, it wasn’t just the mission.
"Will we—Depicio—even survive this?"
She had realized it far too late.
"Ah… Boss, please… at least you must—"
BOOOOOOOM!
Fwoooshhhhhh!
A cataclysmic explosion erupted, rocking heaven and earth. The assassins of Depicio, once human-shaped, were now nothing but ashes.
Whooooo—
They were scattered on the wind, carried away into the unknown.
"Phew."
Sercia, sensing no more enemy presence, sighed in relief.
As the tension drained from her, her body wobbled.
"You alright?"
"…Mr. Calix?"
The one who caught her was Calix. Beside him, Aajen—his expression calm once more.
She could tell that Calix had finished his part.
"Ah. You’re both safe. No injuries?"
"As you can see."
"I’m fine too!"
The three had survived Depicio’s ambush!
After a brief rest, they agreed to head once more toward their destination.
"Shall we go down now? Looks like… um, Mr. Lewin and Mr. Gale will join us later."
The two men nodded in agreement at Sercia’s words.
"Alright!"
"Let’s move."
But just then—Sercia suddenly stopped mid-descent, glancing around.
"…Hmm?"
"What’s wrong?"
She cupped her ear, listening closely to the air, and tilted her head with a hand to her cheek.
"Isn’t there… some kind of strange sound? Like screaming…?"
"Screaming?"
Calix and Aajen both strained their ears—but shook their heads.
They heard nothing.
"Really? I must’ve misheard. Sorry. Let’s get mov—"
But then!
"YAAAAAAARGH!"
There it was!
Just like Sercia said—a desperate, blood-curdling scream!
And yet… Why did it sound so familiar?
"……"
"……"
"……"
The three exchanged looks—and turned toward a single direction.
CRAAAAASH!
Nevera Valley had a massive waterfall—it was a valley, after all.
—Nelly Falls.
The scream had come from up there—and it was getting closer!
"WHYYYYYYYYY—?!"
Nervously, the trio tilted their heads upward—looking toward the white frothing crest.
"SOOOOOOOOOMEBOOOOODY—!"
And before long, the source of the scream appeared—flailing wildly as he was swept away by the raging current, arms flapping like a limp balloon.
"HEEEEEEELP MEEEEEEEEE—!"
Then he vanished beneath the crashing flow…
The three stood frozen for a moment—then all reacted at once with dismay.
"Gah!"
"Oh my god…"
"That idiot!"
The screaming man—
Was none other than Gale Garav!