Author: Thank you for reading.

All I will say is that this wasn’t a last minute thought, the information is there, you can also wait for the conclusion of this segment. Just know that everything ties into the story and isn’t just jumbled in for a random fight. You will just have to see for yourself if you don't believe me (‘Most’ everything I put is for a reason). =P

{} - means mental communication.

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I started charging at the two mages as waiting for them to cast spells is foolhardy. Puerial Shiro and Belle followed closely behind as they started channeling their mana. Even if Puerial is a mage, she needs to make sure she stays out of danger to cast, so she practised her ability to move around and has made some good progress with incorporating her movement technique to make her a very difficult target as she casts her magic.

{Sister, are you still in a foul mood? So what if your spell was broken. You can just get the answer how he did it after we take care of them.} (Tony)

{*Sigh* it's not just the spell. It's the fact that our identities was exposed even though so much work went into hiding.} (Tilly)

{It's fine, it's fine, it's not like we can't make new ones when we are done here.} (Tony)

{Tch, if it wasn’t for our alert wards, we would have been caught off guard. What will the order do now that we were exposed?} (Tilly)

{What can they say, it's not like we knew he would be capable of severing our control over the other ones sister.} (Tony)

{You know they hate exposure no matter what the reason.} (Tilly)

{Hmph, as long as the witnesses die, they can't complain. Hahaha, besides, I'd rather make a more direct approach than hide around and act like a tool...like THIS!} (Tony)

“***[Tempest Burst]!” (Tony)

I gaze at the wind magic cast by Tony with concern as my group was prevented from advancing to the two mages. It’s strength is far more potent than what I can produce at the moment and is seemingly meant for both attack and defense. The winds prevent our approach as sharp winds jettison toward us at unpredictable intervals and mind boggling speeds.

Since become minced meat didn’t seem appealing I used earth magic to shift the ground into a wall while lowering us into a small ditch that's easy to jump out of.

“Illis, stay close to your mother and use the magic I taught you to protect her! Shirley use your water magic as well! Layla stay close to them and help out with their defense!” (Kuro)

“Y-Yes!” (Illis)

“Of course!” (Shirley)

“I...Okay!” (Layla)

As the winds rage we couldn’t help calling loudly between us. I gazed at Illis who is wearing a bear suit, a function of the huge stuffed animal I made her, that can compare to my own armor and Shirley who is grasping the wand I gave her. Both have always set time aside to practice their magic diligently and made a lot of progress. Illis even more so. Layla however seemed reluctant to stand back in the rear, but she has the least fighting experience and needs to stay out of the way.

While we all readied ourselves to counter Tony’s attack as the earth wall crumbles to dust I directed Puerial to ready various AOE magics to seize control of the situation. At my signal, Shiro and Belle prepared to dash through the opening I planned to create.

Beth and Tammy went into defensive positions to guard Layla, Shirley, and Illis from anything unexpected.

It was then that Tilly took action.

“*[Earth Conglomeration]” (Tilly)

Her chant was far shorter than her brother’s. At her call, dozens of figures of humanoid shapes crawled out of the earth wielding earthen weapons. Steadily they walked toward me and the other’s. If it stays like this, we will be easily overwhelmed. Even more so, since I sent the guards to retrieve the unconscious villagers.

Many of them received large amounts of damage, but managed to pull through with their single minded objective not to engage the mages as that was where the magic was concentrated. One by one the villagers were pulled to a safe distance while I focused on countering the wind magic Tony was channeling by altering the trajectory of his attacks against the guards carrying people away.

Focusing my mana I caste [Gale] in the opposite direction of the tornado. This is very tricky and has a high probability of failure, but all I need to do is destabilize it’s current flow of wind mana to make this magic fall apart. As I have experimented with mana previously, it isn’t impossible to disrupt magic with a similar attribute if the effects don't coincide. Merely that there are a lot of factors that can make it a futile act.

Using other types would simply be like clashing two forces together, and I’d rather not contend my magic against someone who had practiced for a larger amount of time.

“Hoh, your as tricky as always. To bad this is something any real mage learns to counter.” (Tony)

Immediately, my magic was consumed by his turbulent wave and was redirected toward me. I grit my teeth as I cast another [Gale] of similar strength to cancel the two altogether. The amount of mana he has is ridiculous.

Moments after I repelled his counter, more wind blades charged toward my direction.

“Ha!” (Puerial)

To Tony’s annoyance, Puerial cast an AOE spell that completely changed the landscape to have various solid earthen walls all over the place. One conveniently spawned in front of me and completely blocked the wind blades with manageable damage to its integrity as Puerial's magic is the strongest among us.

Shiro and Belle wasted no time to use the cover to advance closer to the pair of mages as they destroyed Tilly’s constructs. I myself also charged forward as Tilly already started to destroy the barriers as we advanced.

The distance between us slowly decreased as Tilly began calling out more constructs and shooting out earth spikes to halt our advance as we ducked for cover. Tony began focusing the air away from the area making it harder to breath as Tilly manipulated her creations to surround us.

Puerial took action to suck all of the constructs to the floor by turning the ground into something similar to quicksand, but far more easy to sink in. In retaliation, Tilly created large fissures all across the ground as spikes poured out from beneath us.

I clad myself in earth mana as I use the same technique my father used to chatter the ground during our fight.

Mana surged through the ground severing the connection Tilly held and stopped her magics advancement. Beth and the others would have been in serious danger if it reached their location.

“Tch.” (Tilly)

Clicking her tongue Tilly called forth more constructs that started hurling boulders. Illis and Shirley worked together to shield themselves along with Beth and Tammy, as they sent whatever cover fire they could to assist my group.

{Sister, you think we can get these guys to teach us chantless magic when we finish the fight. Their quick counters are rather annoying.} (Tony)

{Agreed, Kuro is impossible to control, but maybe the others can be manipulated after we kill him.} (Tilly)

{Haha, well then, let’s get a little more serious.} (Tony)

Gazing at Tony and Tilly, slight mana traces would surge between them. Given their history it wouldn’t be strange for them not to have a method to communicate with mana. Something I find very interesting as records of such a skill was nowhere to be seen in my search for magic.

“Hahaha, ***[Aero Discharge]!” (Tony)

The area fell into chaos at his call. Electricity surged and struck down upon us as the air became even more difficult to breath.

He is most likely using advanced wind magic to produce electricity. I always figured it was possible since electrical storms are caused by rising air currents. Fortunately he can't seem to control the electricity itself.

If I’m right, to counter this I would only need to stop the shifting currents. The only question is whether I can prevent Tony from hijacking my magic.

Gazing around, everyone is having a hard time coping. Fortunately Shirley is using the conductive properties of water to prevent the electricity of injuring the ones around her as best she can. Some of the constructs already reached them and are being fended off by Beth and Tammy while Illis halts their movements.

Belle is having the hardest time defending herself from the rain of electricity and the ever encroaching constructs. Though she still seemed capable enough to take down the ones that got too close to Puerial. Even if she wants revenge, she still understands the necessity of teamwork.

Puerial began casting water magic to gather electricity and fire it back at Tony similar to how Shirley used it for defense. Tilly however seemed to block her attempts at every turn. The two seem to have fallen into their own personal match to prove who is the better caster.

“Shiro, get behind me and get ready to use this.” (Kuro)

“Got it.” (Shiro)

Grabbing hold of the items I passed to her, Shiro prepares to charge at my command after destroying two more of Tilly’s constructs.

I focus heavily on channeling wind mana and shoot out my most concentrated version of wind magic known as [Aero Cutter] a stronger version of the beginner [Wind Cutter]. My target was right at the focus of the storm.

As I sensed the mana around me, I dodge most of the electrical storm as I was able and shot my spell. The flow of the air currents were heavily disrupted causing the spell to go haywire and returning the air levels to normalcy. It being advanced magic made pulling it back under control very difficult for Tony as invoking it and fixing it are two different scenarios to handle.

“Damn it!” (Tony)

*Fzzzt! Boom!*

The spell surged out in all directions in a rampant display of destruction. Beth’s group cried out behind me, but I can't go check up on them right now and sent a few [Healing Ray] projectile variants toward them for quick assistance. They will have to cope on their own using the training they practiced to support themselves. My skill indicates they aren’t in too much trouble at least. Though their injuries have piled up from the brief moment I saw them.

As instructed, Shiro charged forward and reached Tony in moments as out of everyone here, she is the fastest in a direct approach. With quick movements she threw one of my latest product that exploded into a deep blue mist as she placed sharp metal protrusions all around Tony’s vicinity.

Unlike the one from before, this version was designed specifically for people who rely on magic. I didn’t think it would be used so soon as I only came across the ingredients recently in my father’s treasury along with the ingredients for the other one, but it really came in handy.

...I suddenly thought of that [Lucky Bastard] passive skill and stopped thinking about this entirely. The coincidence of this is too blaring, and I’d rather ignore such a thing.

“Aaaaah! What is this!” (Tony)

“Tony!” (Tilly)

“So, you can still speak, it's too late to help him though.” (Kuro)

“What did you do!” (Tilly)

“Why does everyone always ask such a stupid question.” (Kuro)

At my reply Tilly’s face warped and she focused her magical assault on me while her brother started writhing on the floor. Shiro already distanced herself to avoid breathing in the concoction that is rendering Tony immobile.

It’s quite an interesting thing. Once it enters the victim, it targets their mana and disperses it from the host. The process of why and how still elude me and need to be researched, but it is very dangerous for mages with no fighting ability. Plus, it is a rather painful experience from what I can observe from Tony.

As Shiro had placed metal bits around Tony. Him writhing around in pain has subjected him to receive further damage externally. I judge him incapable of continuing this fight.

“Die! *[Geo Fall]!” (Tilly)

Crap, I didn’t expect Tilly, who has kept a cool facade all this time, to cast such a spell. She is dragging everything in the surroundings underground. How the hell did these two hide so much mana in the first place.

While casting fire magic toward Tilly, I gazed around and see everyone has long since run out of energy to continue the fight, let alone escape. Puerial is being supported by Shiro who is trying to keep them both above ground with Belles help. Beth’s group seems to have retreated as Tony was no longer around to stop them from running.

Constantly casting so much magic along with our increasing injuries has severely weakened everyone.

I myself am extremely fatigued as injuries litter my body from the various attacks. In this condition, reaching Tilly would be impossible as the ground increasingly crumbles and cascades.

Her earth control allowed her to create an annoying distance between us making it impossible to reach her with our current selves. However, I still have my trump cards [Acolytes Disposition] and [Blood Surge].

Activating the skills, energy fills my veins as my blood boils producing a red mist around me. My vision tints in red as I charge toward Tilly with enhanced vigor. Her shock at my sudden burst in strength was quickly suppressed as she poured more mana into her spell.

I jumped from rock to rock as wind mana cladded my legs. [Bloodwake Step] burst forth making the distance between me and Tilly seem trivial. In moments I was in front of her as my flame charged fist smashed against her body. My blade became impossible to wield due to all the electricity and had to be abandoned.

My armor seemed to be slightly resistant to the electricity, but wasn’t a perfect defense by far. The areas I was struck are charred black, the same can be said about the others. I can only think the temperature resistance is the cause, as it prevented the cloth from becoming super-heated from the electricity. Though the metal lowered this aspect as it conducted the magic due to its properties.

All the more reason to find better metals to work with.

I gazed down toward Tilly as she coughed out blood on the floor. Her magic broke down and is no longer active since she isn’t funneling magic to control the phenomenon. There are many things she needs to answer for, so I plan on using something I’ve been thinking of trying for a long time.

After collecting Tony, the two were bound and enslaved. Even in their disheveled states, they glare menacingly at me and the rest of us.

Gazing around, half of the village has fallen into the ground, and the once level fields are now an an uneven mess. It will take a lot of time to fix, that is, if people are still willing to live here. I can just make this place an outpost if they don't.

Everyone in my group gathered around the two. I had to keep Belle from killing them outright as her emotions became chaotic again at the perpetrators.

“*Cough* So...the hero overcame the villains. Hahaha.” (Tony)

“*Heavy breathing*...You won't get anything from us.” (Tilly)

Something is not right about these two. I can't help but feel that this whole situation...is wrong. Why didn’t they just run away. What was the point of having the villagers gather and then try to kill them when I arrived. Other than a distraction, I can't see why they would go through all the trouble.

“I don't need you two to tell me anything. I just take the information I want.” (Kuro)

“...” (Tony and Tilly)

At my words I extend one hand at Tony as he has no mana to resist what I’m about to do. Their pitiful and haggard appearances, seemingly become more terrible to look at as I grew close.

If I can enter the souls of people I’m connected to, why wouldn’t it be possible to force a connection with other people. As the connections are formed with [Magic Hands] and the recipient being willing to form the connection as proven by my fairy Cyanin and confirmed by Amare afterwards. Making a connection without consent should at least be possible if I force it.

Placing my hand on his chest I begin the experiment.

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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.