Investigation

The day after the joint training, the alliance forces conducted an investigation. They set out to examine the area affected by the magical catastrophe.

That land was uninhabited—no nation claimed it.

Although its impact hadn’t been fully felt yet, leaving a magical catastrophe unattended was a grave mistake.
They didn’t want that mistake to become fatal, which was why they aimed to take action before the damage could spread further.

They didn’t want to regret it later.
Upon arrival at the site of the magical catastrophe, the area appeared unusually neat. The only apparent effect was the strong winds now brushing against them.
They also smelled dust in the air. But when they used detection magic, they sensed something strange—an energy. A residue of Manneon particles—a magical vector too structured to be natural.

Dion, who was part of the investigation team, attempted to detect using magic.
He observed the devastation of the land—it was too orderly.

Too structured for a magical catastrophe that supposedly happened naturally.
A magic circle formed in the air.

Its pattern was very simple: a circle with five small stars connected to one large star. The magic circle was blue, as blue as a hibiscus flower.

Something strange entered the energy structure of his magic.
The magic circle kept changing continuously and naturally—

No.
It was too orderly to be a natural transformation.

Dion tried to trace the source to the best of his ability.

There was no response from the circle, as if it were trying to convince Dion that its change was natural.

"What is it, Dion?" asked Arjuna.

"I sense something strange," Dion replied.

"What is it?" Arjuna asked.

"The change in my magic circle is too neat, but it's pretending to be natural," Dion replied.

"I feel something odd here too," added one of the allied knights. Judging from the symbol on his head—a horse standing on a star—he was from the Kingdom of Raschgud.

"My father’s report also stated the magical catastrophe was unnatural and planned," Prince Dein continued.

"Then where is your father now?" asked Arga.

"My father, along with some knights from Duke Sumarji Olton, should still be far from here," Prince Dein replied.

"Will he be okay?" asked William.

"My father is also a Shadow Exister. His power and knowledge surpass mine," Dein explained.

They continued their journey. Pushing through the dust in the air that invaded their nostrils. If they stopped and turned back, the magical catastrophe would spread.

Relying solely on King Eldwäs and the Kingdom of Rosmer would not be enough.
Their only option was to resolve it now. There was no such thing as "later" in their lexicon. Nor was there room for regret.
One of the allied soldiers noticed something wrong.

He seemed to see a magic circle.
But it wasn’t very clear.

"Everyone, be alert!" ordered the soldier who saw the magic circle.

"What is it?" the others turned toward him.

"I sense active magic," the soldier replied.

Hundreds of crescent-shaped blades launched toward them.

"Everyone, duck!" Arga commanded.

They all obeyed.

They ducked and hoped the blades wouldn’t hit them.

Only Arga did not duck.

Because he possessed a non-magical wind-related ability. He alone could reduce the attack's impact.

He stomped the ground and clapped his hands forcefully.

Wind blew in the opposite direction. Deflecting some of the blades.

"Arjuna," Arga looked at Arjuna.

Arjuna understood Arga’s intent and nodded in response.

He raised his hand, intending to use 'Indra's Bow'.

But the wind seemed to know what Arjuna wanted to do. Its force intensified until Indra's Bow dissolved into drifting dust.

"Looks like there's no other choice," Arjuna prepared a magic circle.

It formed beneath his feet.

"Sukmo rekso lan rupo kan asmo," he chanted.

Arjuna transformed, his body resembling an eagle with a human upper torso.

He flapped his wings.

The feathers that shed turned into arrows.

They shot forward.

Nothing happened at first. But then—
Three seconds later, fire surged toward them.

"Can anyone achieve a high probability in water magic?" asked King Donov.

Water magic was a rare element with few who could wield it reliably. That’s why King Donov asked.

One of the allied members began forming a magic circle.

Before it fully materialized—
Water erupted from below, extinguishing the approaching fire.

"Water magic? This must be an enemy!" Prince Dein drew his sword.

The water continued to surge.

Dion activated a detection magic circle.
He aimed to detect the energy from the erupting water.

The circle formed on the ground, and Dion chanted.

The circle didn’t change.

"No. That water is not from magic," Dion confirmed, looking at the circle.

Prince Dein calmed down and sheathed his sword.

The water spray intensified, taking on a humanoid shape.

Once the water fully took form, the alliance soldiers saw the being.

Its ears were human-like, but with a different hue.

Its other features: long, flowing hair as blue as the sea, scales, and skin of a greenish-blue shade resembling the ocean.

The figure turned to face the alliance.

Its face was humanoid, colored in greenish-blue like the sea. Its eyes were serpent-like but radiated elegance and calm.

Seeing the figure before him, Arjuna recalled something. The being reminded him of a race.

A race that lived in the deep sea, rarely surfacing.

Antasen—that was the name that came to his mind.

From books he had read, the Antasen race possessed the ability to transform into water. They could also enter the earth and pass through walls.

William, who didn’t know about the race, assumed it was some kind of reptilian race like the lizardmen or dragonoids.

"Is this some kind of snake-human race?" William remarked.

Hearing that, the Antasen became furious. He felt insulted. The Antasen despised being compared to reptilian races. They did not see themselves as reptilian.

The Antasen turned his arm into liquid.
It formed into an ice sword shaped like a crescent moon.

He dashed toward William, intending to kill him.

Seeing the situation turning dire, Arga stomped the ground.

A strong wind blew and repelled the Antasen.

"Don’t stop me!" the Antasen shouted.
"We still need him for now," Arga replied.
"If you kill him, you’ll also ruin the plan I prepared to prevent myself from losing existence," Sudirja added.

"Why did the Antasen come to land? Isn’t your country under the sea?" Arjuna asked.

"The undersea nation is unstable. That’s why I came here," the Antasen stood up.

"What’s your name?" Prince Dein asked.

"I am Randiman Rogobanyu, crown prince of the Kingdom of Rogobanyu," the Antasen replied.