Chapter 22

The sun filters in through the tall crystalline windows of the Universal Guard's planning chamber. Kalt XVIII stands slightly off to the side, arms crossed, watching as Celeste adjusts the floating musical runes above the central strategy table.

Kalt XVIII
(quietly, to Asche)
Who… is she?
The blonde woman. Diminuendo.

Asche
(not looking away from the runes)
Celeste Diminuendo.
Captain of the Arcana Sound and Support Guard.
Alto’s cousin.
The strongest one here physically, by a ridiculous margin.

Kalt XVIII
(blinks)
Wait—strongest physically?
I thought that would be Berwick or even Shizuku—

Asche
Berwick would agree with you.
Right up until she flicks him halfway across the continent for talking too loud.
She doesn't even train for raw strength. That’s just her natural baseline.

Kalt XVIII
Then why isn’t she on the frontlines?

Asche
That’s the catch.
Sound affinity—especially her strain—scales inversely with proximity.
The closer she is to her target, the more her resonance-based spells lose coherence.
It’s like… trying to conduct a full orchestra from inside a single violin.

Kalt XVIII
So if she’s far away—

Asche
She’s a symphonic war god.
If she’s too close…
Well, then she has to physically kick you through a wall.
Which, as we’ve seen, works just fine too.

Celeste
(overhearing, spinning around midair)
Are we gossiping about me?
Flattered. Really. Want me to break another window?

Kalt XVIII
(half amused, half terrified)
Not necessary.
...Duly noted.

Welcome to the team.