In the middle of the night, as the date had already changed, there was a persistent knocking on the front door. Throwing on a cardigan over my pajamas, I made my way to the entrance. A familiar male voice was calling my name.
Having someone visit at such an hour was a first. The urgency in the muffled voice made me respond through the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Iriya . From the Merchants’ Guild…”
“The Guildmaster!”
He was an ordinarily sensible gentleman, so for him to visit at this hour, it must be something urgent.
On the other side of the door stood the Guildmaster, looking unusually unsettled and burdened with worry.
“My apologies for disturbing you at this late hour. We’ve received an emergency report—our defensive city has been attacked by a large-scale magic assault, a wide-area attack spell cast by a mage. Both the head mage and the commander are away from the city, leaving things in chaos. There’s likely a severe shortage of mana potions. We need to get some there as soon as possible. Do you have any in stock?”
“If that’s the case, I’ll deliver them myself. I have plenty of high-grade mana potions. But… why would the mages do this?”
“It’s still unclear. There was no warning, and it happened so suddenly. Many have been injured, but that’s all the information we have so far…”
This situation was dire. Time was of the essence.
“This is serious. I must go immediately.”
“No, you can’t!!”
Suddenly, Ekvar’s voice rang out from behind me.
“But I’m worried. I—”
“It’s about you! If they timed this attack knowing the top two leaders were away, there’s likely an insider working with them. This isn’t just some random incident—it’s a coordinated act, probably a military operation. They might declare war at dawn and deploy their forces. If so, the insider could lower the drawbridge, turning this into a full-scale urban battle. The mages’ attack might be a diversion, meant to create chaos and deplete supplies, while serving as an excuse for the main operation. If they attacked without warning, neighboring countries would condemn them, so they need to create a pretext.”
Ekvar’s reasoning seemed well thought out.
“That’s all the more reason for me to go!”
“Why?! What can you possibly do? Do you plan to kill them all with your magic?”
Ekvar’s roar was deafening. While I could use wide-area offensive spells, I wasn’t confident I could wipe out an entire army.
“He’s right, Iriya . You can’t act recklessly. This is our duty, not yours,” the Guildmaster added, shaking his head. He suggested I simply provide the mana potions to be delivered as support supplies.
“It seems there’s a misunderstanding. Ekvar, Master intends to deliver the supplies she crafted herself and support the mages with her abilities. She’s not planning on engaging with the military.”
The commotion had woken Sebirino, who joined the conversation.
“But at dawn, the military—”
“I intend to offer support before morning.”
“That’s the issue. Your arrival would coincide with enemy forces! It’s too dangerous!”
“There seems to be a discrepancy here. I can fly faster than a wyvern, and even I can’t keep up with Master’s flight speed. The defensive city isn’t far. By dawn, we’ll have finished what needs to be done.”
“…What? That fast?”
Ekvar seemed to have assumed that we’d reach the city near dawn and run into a massive enemy force. Knowing my flight capabilities, Sebirino naturally drew different conclusions.
“Ekvar, mages in military or organizational settings rarely fly at full speed. Doing so reveals their maximum range, which can be calculated. For operations like this, the head mage likely won’t return until the magic attack concludes. Hence, they’ve probably planned around that assumption. Normally, mages fly at about 80% of their speed to conserve mana. But I fly at less than 60%, and Master doesn’t even use half her full speed.”
Sebirino explained meticulously, leaving Ekvar and the Guildmaster stunned.
“Fine, then! I’m going! If you’re coming too, Ekvar, take this whistle. It’ll summon my wyvern. I’ll leave as soon as I change. Sebirino?”
“Of course, I’ll accompany you.”
Sebirino placed a hand on his chest and bowed his head—awkwardly, given he was still in pajamas.
“Guildmaster, we’ll take our leave now.”
Ignoring the frozen Ekvar, I quickly changed and prepared to depart. Belial, who had been quietly observing, was already set to go.
“By the way, who’s that man calling you Master?”
“Ah, him. Please keep it confidential… He’s one of our country’s esteemed mages, though it’s a bit embarrassing to admit.”
I flew at maximum speed toward the defensive city with Belial, the cold biting due to the sheer velocity. Along the way, I overtook the city’s head mage, Baraha, who had left earlier, as well as Sebirino, who had departed before me. The towering city walls came into view.
Baraha, startled by my speed, shouted, “Iriya ?! What’s going on? You’re way too fast!”
No one approached as I landed in a passageway—vigilance against anything other than the enemy seemed lax. The city’s defenses were down, despite the evident magical buildup outside. People were moving frantically, giving orders amidst injuries and confusion.
“Who are you? How did you—”
“Um, I’m… Baraha’s—”
I hadn’t thought through how to introduce myself. Flustered, I stammered, until a mage appeared behind the soldier who’d addressed me.
“You must be the one who taught Baraha magic! Thank you for your guidance. However, now is not the time—”
“Indeed. I came after hearing the emergency message. Let’s discuss details later. First, I’ll set up defensive magic.”
“That would be a tremendous help. We’ll assist you—”
“No need. I can handle it alone.”
Heading toward the likely origin of the incoming magic, I chanted a light-based defensive spell.
“By the sacred name, Agra, who sees all from above, grant us your authority. Shield us with the aurora against unseen threats. Magie Défense!“
The enemy spell was a blizzard-based wide-area attack, “Gros Tourbillon de Neige.” Interestingly, it was a spell I had used in the past to fend off a monster horde near this city, so they might have chosen it knowing that.
The defense held perfectly, preventing what would have been countless deaths from frostbite. This should serve as a deterrent to the enemy—despite their damage so far, their magic now had no effect.
“Remarkable… as expected!”
A mage named Ignaz, assisting Baraha, introduced himself. He explained the enemy forces included a single visible mage at the front and separate units flanking the city.
After casting a wide-area healing spell to stabilize the wounded, I prepared to confront the mage leading the attack. As Belial and I took off, Ignaz called out, urging me to retreat if things turned dangerous.
Flying toward the lone figure beyond the archers’ range, I heard the enemy mage muttering, “What’s going on? My spells were effective before! To be completely blocked like this… Could the head mage have returned already?”
“No, Baraha hasn’t returned yet.”
“A woman?! You were the one who set up that defensive spell?”
A little ways off, I landed with Belial and began observing the man.
It didn’t seem like anyone else was nearby. The detached unit was far enough that they’d only hear me if I shouted instructions. Mages and soldiers were hidden among the trees, but they showed no signs of taking action at this moment.
There were signs of a battle—shadows of bodies collapsed along the roadside, and some of the grass was trampled.
“That’s correct. Why are you attacking the defensive city?”
“I enjoy researching magic. This is the perfect practical stage for me, isn’t it? I’m not done playing yet!”
Playing? You call harming people and even taking lives a game!?
“Then, I will be your opponent. One-on-one, let’s have a thrilling duel.”
“Confident, aren’t you? Fine, I’ll take you on. But I won’t guarantee your life.”
“…Let me ask one thing. Will this turn into a war?”
“War? Of course not. This has nothing to do with any nation or military.”
He said it. That’s what I wanted him to say.
The man, unaware of the implications of his own words, smiled smugly. As Ekvar had suspected, he wanted to emphasize his lack of connection to the military. I had simply turned that to my advantage.
“…This is not war. Thank you for your response. Sir Belial! In accordance with our contract, I consent. Please handle the eastern side!”
“Fufufu… At last, it’s my turn! You’ve kept me waiting too long, little girl!”
“There’s an order to things.”
Belial floated slowly into the air, leaving behind a red afterglow as he disappeared toward the enemy’s detached unit on the eastern side. That unit likely consisted of military personnel, which was why they were staying hidden. Perhaps they were also monitoring this man.
The reason I wanted him to declare this wasn’t a war was so we could confront this detached unit.
Now, it was just the two of us here. Finally grasping the situation, the man’s face twisted in astonishment.
“That… that thing—is it a demon!? Damn it! Deploying a demon of a duke’s rank or higher in war violates the summoner’s code…! That means it must be… a demon with a rank above duke!? That’s impossible… impossible!!”
To prevent a final war between angels and demons from breaking out on Earth, the use of second-ranking angels and demons of duke rank or higher in wars is prohibited by the code. This is to prevent them from being pitted against each other.
If beings of such high rank were involved, they could potentially carry out one-sided massacres.
This is common knowledge among properly trained summoners. However, since summoning such high-ranked beings is extremely difficult, the rule is rarely given much thought.
While there are no penalties for violating the code, if it becomes known that someone has actively involved such beings in warfare, their reputation as a summoner would plummet, and they’d be branded as a dangerous individual.
In the past, there were cases where kings forced summoners in their service to summon high-ranking demons for war, but those incidents never ended well.
Few summoners contracted to a nation have agreements with demons ranked duke or higher, not just because such contracts are hard to secure, but also to avoid being dragged into wars once their contract becomes known.
While there are demons like Belial who enjoy battle, they generally don’t distinguish between friend and foe among humans.
“Then, let’s begin the game on my side. Are you ready?”
“…Ugh…! What a terrifying woman…! I can’t stay here—better finish this quickly and run!”
He has no right to talk, given that he’s trying to incite war.
The man hastily began chanting a spell. This one would call down lightning—a powerful offensive magic.
“Clouds, stain yourselves in vivid darkness. Gather thickly and forge a radiant weapon. Thunder, roar mightily and proclaim victory. Strike as a manifestation of bold wrath! Yagrush, descend like a hawk! Shut Tufudur!”
Dark clouds gathered low in the sky, and the lightning illuminated the darkness with white flashes. A low rumbling sound accompanied the thickening clouds, crafting lightning into a weapon.
“Let the flickering lights scatter like petals. Winds, rise and scatter the clouds. Clear skies shall prevail. The storm has passed; distant thunder echoes afar. Beau Temps Ciel!”
A gust of wind blew through the heavens, scattering the gathered clouds into mist. The lightning magic didn’t even activate. This was a specialized defensive spell against lightning magic. It consumed more mana than standard defensive spells but canceled the activation of the offensive spell entirely.
“Impossible! Impossible!! Why does my magic vanish…!? I’ve never heard of a defensive spell like this!”
“For someone who claims to love research, you are quite ignorant. …Now it’s my turn.”
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, El Shaddai! In joy, I call upon Your name. Let the light that pierces the clouds appear. Sharpen its radiance and pass judgment on any evil. Bring forth the light of judgment from heaven…!”
“Could it be… she perfected that spell!? How am I supposed to defend against this!? And the magic feels far stronger than the power described! My only hope is Protection…!”
The man muttered to himself in panic as he loudly debated his options. In the end, he decided to chant a standard Protection spell. It defends against both physical and magical attacks. However, in this case, focusing entirely on magical defense might have been wiser, but he seemed too flustered.
“Oh star that guides the lost in the wilderness, descend. Wield your sharpened crescent spear, and protect me from evil and calamity that threaten me. Protection!”
“Ciel Judgment!!”
A beam of white light descended like a spotlight, illuminating the man. A massive explosion followed, accompanied by a thunderous roar, as the ground was gouged out and soil scattered. The explosion burst with white and yellow light, and anguished screams emanated from within the smoke.
The defensive magic shattered in an instant, and the agonized cries gradually ceased.
“…This is completely different from the version Lady Pavari demonstrated…”
I thought I understood that I was skilled with light attributes, but I didn’t expect this much power. Pavari was a capable spellcaster herself, so I assumed my spell would be 10–20% stronger than hers.
But this was far beyond that… This wasn’t something meant to be directed at an individual.
At the bottom of the massive crater, I could hear the man groaning and saw his body barely moving. Nearby were a broken staff and three shattered talismans.
Good, he’s alive!!
It seemed Belial had finished on his side as well. Despite the faint traces of magic usage, as expected of a king of hell, he bore not a single wound or speck of dirt.
The western detached unit remained, but… Hmm, what should I do? Perhaps I should return to the defensive city for now. Should I take this man with me? I hesitated, contemplating my options, when Belial suddenly landed gracefully beside me, his cloak fluttering.
I thought he wouldn’t come, given the abundance of holy energy in the area.
“…Shall we carry that one?”
“That’s probably for the best. But it’s the central area. Don’t you find it unpleasant?”
“It can’t be helped. Why would anyone choose such a spell…?”
Muttering to himself, he picked up the man and carried him off. I had worried the western detached unit might attack, but they seemed to be observing quietly. For now, we returned to the city’s outer walls.
The night was still far from over. It was a long, dark night.
