He stared at Kayneth, now sealed inside a seamless sphere of mercury. The flames licked helplessly at the surface, unable to penetrate even a fraction of the Volumen Hydrargyrum.
However...
Standing within the heart of the fire, Shiomi folded his arms and watched the mercury sphere intently.
Mercury was inherently toxic. For Kayneth to use it in a Mystic Code, he must have suppressed its poison with mana, or perhaps relied on his Magic Crest to mitigate the risk.
Under normal conditions, the danger posed by Volumen Hydrargyrum could be safely ignored.
But what if it was subjected to sustained heat from a fire-based Grand Magecraft?
Shiomi didn't know the answer. Carefully, he stayed alert for any signs of mercury vapor leaking into the air, waiting for Kayneth's reaction.
Using fire to counter ice was a risky move for any Magus. If one's control wasn't strong enough, it would only backfire.
Suddenly, the hotel's fire alarm began to blare. Shiomi blinked, then let out a silent sigh.
At this rate, the fire department—and probably the police—would be arriving soon.
With a flick of his index finger, he traced a symbol in the air.
The seventh of the Primordial Runes—the Rune of Fire Suppression.
It diminished and restrained flames through incantation. Extinguishing fire was just its most basic application.
At the same time, the mercury sphere surrounding Kayneth began to crack open slightly.
"Wind…"
Kayneth was about to invoke wind magecraft when his breath caught—and then he started coughing violently.
He clutched his mouth, hacking repeatedly. When he pulled his hand away, his once-white glove was stained with blood. A wave of soreness crashed over his body, hitting his head and abdomen with sharp, inexplicable pain despite no external injuries.
"Mercury... poisoning..." Kayneth realized immediately.
Volumen Hydrargyrum was, without question, a masterwork of offensive and defensive design—one he had always taken immense pride and confidence in.
But today, he had miscalculated.
He hadn't anticipated that Tenkei Shiomi would ignore the elemental disadvantage and retaliate with flame magecraft. In the heat of the moment, he had instinctively thrown up a defense—but even Volumen Hydrargyrum couldn't fully resist the spell. Vaporization had begun.
Just moments ago, Kayneth had been engulfed in a high-concentration cloud of mercury vapor—completely unprotected.
"I thought you'd know better than to overlook something like this." Shiomi couldn't help but mutter.
As expected from an academic—once they step out of their study rooms and lecture halls, they fail to account for the ever-changing conditions of the battlefield.
After a brief internal grumble, he slowly raised his right hand.
"Panta Rhei."
Gale winds turned into blades, converging from all directions as they tore toward Kayneth.
"...Verteidigung!" Kayneth rasped hoarsely, gasping for air.
Volumen Hydrargyrum spun rapidly, deflecting the incoming wind blades, but Kayneth couldn't manage his mana efficiently. Cracks began to form on the mercury's surface under the strain, sealing only slowly after each strike.
It was only a matter of time. Kayneth wouldn't be able to sustain the mana needed to maintain the shape of Volumen Hydrargyrum. His defenses were crumbling under the pressure of the storm.
The mercury squirmed sluggishly along the floor, gathering like slime, awaiting its next command.
Dark circles formed beneath Kayneth's eyes. He felt his focus slipping, his physical coordination faltering.
Someone... someone, please... help me...
His survival instincts kicked in, pushing him to desperately seek aid.
As if his plea had reached the heavens, a hand gently rested on his back.
"What a useless man, cornered by his own Mystic Code," Sola-Ui said coldly, though her hands were already casting healing magic.
Shiomi stood silently, watching the pair. He knew they were engaged.
And yet, nothing about them resembled the bond between fiancés. It was cold—clinical—a partnership between Magi, nothing more.
He couldn't help but glance toward Morgan, who stood in the shadows.
Morgan looked away with a face that clearly said, "Don't look at me. I'm not like that."
It was true. Even if she was just toying with him, the warmth Morgan showed in her words and actions toward Shiomi was something completely absent between Kayneth and Sola-Ui.
How could this be...?
A Servant and Master who had only met three days ago were more in sync than an engaged couple bound by vows?
Shiomi felt his heartbeat spike. A wave of breathlessness surged through his head. For a moment, he thought he was affected by mercury vapor and quickly activated his mana to shield himself.
But no...
He had already used the second of the Primordial Runes for personal protection. This level of environmental degradation couldn't affect him.
"What are you doing?! Get back to the room, Sola-Ui!" Kayneth wailed in panic. "You'll get yourself killed out here!"
"What are you talking about? You're the one who fought poorly. If you die, do you think I'll be safe?" Sola-Ui replied flatly.
The man who had been boasting only moments ago now looked utterly pitiful. Sola-Ui found herself increasingly disgusted with Kayneth.
If not for the fact that Lancer would withdraw if Kayneth died, she wouldn't have lifted a finger. At the very least... she needed to get her hands on those Command Spells.
Shiomi watched them with a cold gaze. A strange pity welled up inside him. He slowly raised his hand.
A red spear materialized in his grasp.
"The spear is me, and I am the spear..."
Kayneth, still receiving treatment, felt the surge of mana from Shiomi's weapon. He immediately realized Shiomi wouldn't let him recover quietly.
That red spear—so similar in appearance to Lancer's Noble Phantasm—radiated danger. His instincts as a Magus screamed at him.
No... it wasn't just similar. It was a Noble Phantasm, wielded by a living being.
"Certain kill. Soaring Spear of Piercing Death—Gae Bolg Alternative!"
"Danger, Sola-Ui! Vollständige Verteidigung!"
It was too late.
Kayneth shoved Sola-Ui aside and forced his mana to reanimate Volumen Hydrargyrum into a shield, trying to block the red spear.
Pointless.
The mercury that should've been as sturdy as castle walls was pierced like jelly, sliced through with a crisp, clean sound.
The red spear shot from Shiomi's hand.
Kayneth was hurled backward, flying past the stunned Sola-Ui and pinned to the wall behind her.
The heart—always the target. Once launched, it could not miss.
"...It... it's actually..."
Staring at the spear embedded in his chest, eyes filled with disbelief, Kayneth finally understood the weapon's true name. But he was too late to speak it. His breathing stopped.
Shiomi turned away slowly as the Soaring Spear of Piercing Death retracted. Kayneth's body slid from the wall and crumpled to the floor.
Since Kayneth had tried to kill him, there was no need to hold back. He'd gladly take his head.
Whether one lived or died now depended on their own strength.
Behind him, Sola-Ui finally processed what had happened. Staring at her fiancé's lifeless body, she let out a raw, anguished cry.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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