Her Battle

The moment she saw her, Fren was so shocked she lost the ability to speak.

Bloom, her entire body dyed an unbelievable shade of red, staggered toward her.

Her silver hair and face were covered in blood.

Cuts and wounds marked her clothing everywhere.

Her steps were so unsteady it seemed she might collapse at any moment.

"… … Bloom-san?"

Fren called out in a daze.

Bloom's vacant eyes turned toward her.

A faint light slowly returned to those eyes that had seemed almost unconscious.

"Fren, thank goodness…"

"Why are you covered in blood like this…? L-let me see your wounds, quickly!"

Fren rushed over, trying to examine Bloom's injuries.

But with her entire body drenched in blood, Fren couldn't carelessly touch her.

If she accidentally touched a wound, it would only cause Bloom more pain.

For now, she should call Laura and have her use healing magic.

Having barely reached that conclusion in her panicked state, Fren was about to do just that.

As if to reassure the worried girl, Bloom spoke in an unusually gentle voice.

"It's fine. This isn't my blood."

Even so… even so, of course Fren was worried.

She screamed internally and clenched her teeth in frustration.

Bloom clearly showed signs of having been in combat. She looked weaker than ever.

She was always so careless about herself. Yet she was always the first to lend a hand when others were in trouble.

Fren felt she had every right to be angry.

While she was lost in these thoughts, Bloom suddenly went limp as if her strings had been cut and collapsed on the spot.

"Bloom-san!?"

Fren's heart nearly stopped.

She rushed over and cradled Bloom in her arms.

A chill ran through her at how terribly cold Bloom's body was. She seemed even smaller and more fragile than usual.

Afterward, Laura came running when she heard the commotion at the inn's entrance and cast healing magic.

Though Bloom didn't wake immediately, Fren could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

"Honestly, you said you wouldn't do anything dangerous. Honestly…" Fren muttered while watching Bloom's sleeping face.

Bloom's wounds had been healed by Laura's magic, but she still hadn't awakened.

According to Gil, Bloom's condition was "soul exhaustion."

A temporary comatose state seen in those who had overused their Soullight.

He explained it was something like a hibernation caused by running out of energy.

However, the time until awakening varied from person to person, and even the experienced Gil couldn't say how long it would be.

As a result, Fren ended up watching over Bloom, not knowing when she might wake.

"Fren, I brought some apples."

Rio entered the room carrying a small plate.

He and Laura regularly came to visit Bloom with food like this.

"I thought maybe she'd be awake by now, but… still sleeping, huh?"

"Yes. Bloom is quite the sleepyhead."

Fren laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

Then, with a nostalgic expression, she gazed down at Bloom's face.

"… It's actually quite rare for Bloom-san to show me her sleeping face like this."

"Really? But didn't you say you used to live together with Bloom?"

"Yes. Even then, I hardly ever saw her sleeping. She would stay up late into the night doing work for the Adventurers' Guild. Her work was often more convenient to do at night."

Most of the jobs Bloom regularly took on were bounty requests from the Adventurers' Guild for hunting dangerous criminals.

She always said, "This is what I'm best at," but such requests were often physically and mentally demanding.

Hunting humans wasn't like hunting monsters that appeared at predictable times and places.

Sometimes it took nearly a week just to track down the target.

"Once, I made a request… I told her if taking care of me was becoming a burden, she didn't have to worry about me."

For Fren, who had lost her parents, Bloom was like family, like a parent.

She didn't want to be separated from her.

But she didn't want to see Bloom suffer either. So she proposed that they part ways.

"So, what did she say?"

"'Watching a soul's radiance grow is my hobby. Don't worry about it.' That's what she told me. I still don't understand what Bloom-san means by 'a soul's radiance.' … In the end, she left without a word anyway."

"A soul's radiance."

Rio had heard Bloom use that phrase before too.

In meaning, it seemed close to "Soullight."

But what she referred to seemed less about the power output of one's Soullight and more about something deeper, more internal.

Those cryptic words Bloom often spoke. Neither of them ever imagined it was something she said when she wanted to deflect.

"I don't know what those words mean, but I'm sure Bloom was just worried about you, Fren."

"… Yes, I'm sure you're right. Thank you."

They hadn't caught on that "a soul's radiance" was Bloom's way of deflecting, but they had understood her true feelings.

Fren looked at Bloom's sleeping face once more.

Bloom, breathing softly in her sleep, even looked somewhat happy.

She was probably having some pleasant dream.

"Well, I need to do the cleaning Laura asked me to."

"Hehe. Yes, thank you for the apples."

Rio hurried off with that.

Left alone, a negative thought suddenly crossed Fren's mind.

… I've received so much, yet I haven't been able to give anything back.

This thought gripped Fren as she watched Bloom sleep.

Bloom had taught Fren so much.

Fren, who at first couldn't even manage to shop on her own, was only here now because of Bloom. She truly believed that.

That's why she wanted to repay her. She didn't mind that Bloom, consumed by revenge, paid her little attention. She just wanted to help make Bloom's life a little easier.

But reality was far from ideal.

Bloom had been hurt, and Fren had been unable to do anything.

It had been the same when they fought the Black Priest Hunter. One well-timed strike had incapacitated Fren so easily. In the end, Bloom had saved her. It was the same as it had always been.

Unable to do anything, always being saved by Bloom.

"…"

This time, she wanted to be of help to her. Looking at Bloom asleep in the bed, Fren renewed her resolve.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

Before the raid operation, Criminal was making her final report to the Archbishop.

Milady, visible through the crystal ball, listened to Criminal's report with apparent boredom.

The positioning of Criminal's pawns, the criminal syndicate "Black Serpent of Depravity," was complete. They had identified the target's living area. All that remained was to execute the plan.

"The 'White Fog Death' should be unable to fight for a while. Engage them now and lure them to the Holy Kingdom. Once they're inside our borders, I'll handle the rest."

"Ooh, as expected of the Archbishop-sama. Real accommodating… By the way, what happened to your right arm?"

"—Silence."

Even through the crystal ball, the tremendous fury was palpable, and Criminal held her tongue.

Even Criminal, who had survived countless bloodbaths, felt a chill run through her entire body.

She vowed never to mention the missing arm again.

Milady continued, clearly displeased.

"No more unnecessary remarks. Focus on your mission. Fail me, and I'll kill you."

The connection was cut one-sidedly.

Criminal let out a small sigh and stared at the ceiling.

"What a scary person."

 

＊　＊　＊

 

The sun dipped low, painting the streets in orange.

The main streets of the Imperial Capital grew crowded as evening approached.

Workers returning from their jobs headed home, and the shops were bustling.

If you want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest.

The more people there were, the easier it became to blend in among them.

The Black Priest "Criminal" was a professional who knew such things well.

She concealed herself in the crowd and observed her target: the inn.

"As expected, dusk is the prime time to strike. At this hour, the target always passes by."

Their greatest combat asset, the "White Fog Death," was currently incapacitated.

There would be no better opportunity.

The target—she would abduct that mage, Fren, and lure the other targets to the Holy Kingdom.

She targeted Fren first because she wasn't one of the Archbishop's primary objectives.

In other words, it wouldn't matter much if she accidentally killed her.

In Criminal's assessment, the biggest risk of failure was accidentally killing the wrong person.

Neutralizing someone with Soullight took some effort. Accidentally killing them was the greatest concern.

Kidnap Fren, who could be handled roughly without issue, and draw in her companions.

Even if she accidentally killed Fren, there was a chance they would pursue her for revenge.

To lure "Time Reversal," the "Awakened One," and the "White Fog Death" to the Holy Kingdom, this was the optimal approach.

"… There she is."

Criminal grinned when she spotted Fren. Her return from evening shopping was exactly as the intel indicated.

Concealing her presence, Criminal approached Fren.

She showed no signs of noticing. This was her chance.

Criminal drew the poisoned knife hidden at her side and thrust it toward Fren's stomach—

"—!"

Just before the knife connected, Fren quickly stepped backward.

She had sensed Criminal's presence at the last moment.

Criminal clicked her tongue but maintained her stance with the knife ready.

Fren kept her guard up as she asked.

"And who might you be? What business do you have with me?"

"Oh, y'know. Running errands for the scary, scary Archbishop-sama… She told me to snatch someone."

"Who is your target?"

Fren's eyes narrowed.

"Huh? Oh, what was it again. Some wimpy-looking brat, some girl who looks like his whore, and a gross white-haired kid."

"—I see."

At the vulgar words, Fren quietly let her anger show.

Dense magical energy began swirling around her.

"So first, I'll take you down and use you as bait."

Criminal focused her consciousness on her Soullight and activated her power.

Several people from the crowd approached, knives in hand.

All of them had vacant eyes, clearly not in their right minds.

"… …'Brainwashing' Soullight, I presume? What a distasteful ability."

"Good guess, little miss proper."

Criminal's Soullight, "Brainwashing," was the power to make several people under her spell move according to her commands.

Its weakness was that it had almost no effect on those who possessed Soullight.

"Brainwashing" was a forbidden art that tampered with the target's soul and invaded their mind.

If the target's soul's radiance was too strong, the grasp of "Brainwashing" would be repelled.

That's why, when Criminal wanted to make a Soullight user into a pawn, she first broke their spirit.

She would kill their loved ones before their eyes, tear off their nails, whip them, violate them, and make them submit.

Once she had broken them, she would use those Soullight users as pawns to attack the next target.

The massive criminal organization "Black Serpent of Depravity" had expanded its forces through such a cycle.

"Now, begin the attack."

The first to charge was a large man with a knife.

From a frame nearly one and a half times Fren's size, a thrust was launched.

"'Ice!'"

The moment Fren chanted, an arrow of ice shot out and sent the man flying.

Her reaction was fast—almost no lag between incantation and execution.

"Tch, this doesn't match the reports. Wasn't she supposed to be some sluggish little girl?"

She was stronger than expected.

However, Criminal still didn't doubt her own victory.

The advantage of "Brainwashing" was the ability to prepare multiple disposable pawns.

She just had to overwhelm her with numbers.

"Go! All of you, rush her at once!"

The knife-wielding men slowly closed in on Fren.

They were probably nothing more than victims.

Ordinary people brainwashed by Criminal and used as convenient pawns.

Such thoughts crossed Fren's mind.

For a moment, she hesitated to harm them.

In that opening, one of the approaching men swung his knife.

Criminal's smile deepened—

"—No. This won't do."

The next instant, the knife was blocked by a wall of ice that had materialized in front of Fren.

"I am no longer the person who can only be protected."

When Fren raised her hand, the man with the knife was violently thrown back.

She had already shaken off her hesitation.

For Fren, who strived to be pure and righteous, raising a hand against innocent people was painful.

—But if Fren were hurt here, Bloom would surely try to protect her again.

That wouldn't do.

She couldn't remain someone who only needed protection from that small girl carrying such a great burden on her shoulders.

She couldn't keep being someone who received so much yet couldn't give anything in return. That self had to end.

That day, when she found Bloom collapsed and covered in wounds, Fren had made a vow.

No longer the self who could only be protected—she would become someone who could protect her.

"'Ice Age.'"

Fren's new spell activated.

A blizzard raged outward, centered on her.

Fren's newly mastered spell—a fierce storm where each shard of ice could slice through skin.

"Wha… Impossible! There's no way she can cast a spell of this scale without a magic circle…!"

Criminal hastily retreated.

Magic of this power couldn't be blocked by the human shields she had "Brainwashed."

With the general populace having fled, Criminal's only option was retreat.

"I am no longer the person who can only be protected. So that I can be a noble my father and mother would be proud of, I will fulfill a noble's duty—noblesse oblige."

Striking down evil was the duty of those born with power as nobles.

At least, that was what Fren now believed.

Beings like Criminal who harmed the innocent—she would strike them down herself.

So that no one else would lose someone precious the way she had.

The blizzard intensified, and the "Brainwashed" men were instantly frozen solid.

Even though the opponents were just controlled pawns, it was a merciless attack.

However, the frozen people were completely unharmed.

Though "Ice Age" attacked a wide area, Fren's precise magical control allowed her to restrain targets without killing them.

Criminal clicked her tongue in frustration at this completely unexpected development. As things stood, attacking Fren was essentially impossible.

Normally, a spell of this scale required extensive preparation—multiple casters chanting together or elaborate magic circles.

What she hadn't accounted for was Fren's unexpected growth.

"Can't be helped, I guess."

But if that was the case, Criminal would simply change her approach.

Criminal wasn't some noble knight striving for honorable victory. She was a professional who would accomplish her mission by any means necessary.

She signaled to her subordinates who had been waiting, and they brought out a woman.

Seeing this, Fren's face twisted with revulsion.

"… To think you would stoop to such despicable measures."

"Hey mage! You see this?!"

Criminal had someone restrained.

A knife pressed firmly to her throat, holding her so she couldn't escape.

"Stop that magic right now and surrender! Otherwise I'll kill her!"

Fren recognized the woman being held at knifepoint.

"Katarina…"

It was the clerk from the clothing shop Fren frequented.

She had an endearing, friendly smile and was always dedicated to her work. Fren had consulted her many times about fashion.

She was one of the precious people who made up Fren's daily life.

Her face was pale as she stared at the weapon pressed against her.

"Y'know what's true about clothing shops, mage? It's delicate work. Sewing clothes and all that fiddly stuff… So, for example, if her fingers were gone, that'd be a real problem, wouldn't it?"

Criminal, wearing a vulgar smile, ran the knife along the hostage's fingers.

Blood dripped from Katarina's fingers as she gasped in terror.

For her, the art of sewing was the very proof of her existence.

The ten fingers that performed such delicate work were her most precious treasure. The fear of losing them made her stop breathing.

Criminal wore a wicked smile.

The moment of plunging others into despair was what Criminal loved the most.

"Watch closely, mage! First, I'll give you a thumb as a present!"

With a sadistic grin, Criminal pressed down on the knife.

"—Stop."

—Criminal was still underestimating Fren.

Fren had tasted defeat many times.

The battle with the Black Priest Hunter.

She had been easily incapacitated by a surprise attack and had been unable to help.

The fight against the Black Priest Wall.

Against his invincible barrier, her magic could only manage to slow him down.

And behind the scenes of that battle, in places she couldn't see, Bloom had been getting hurt.

Powerlessness. Disappointment in herself. The pain of watching her companions get injured.

Those experiences had wounded Fren's heart—her very soul.

As a result, she had grown stronger.

She wanted to become strong enough to protect what was precious to her.

That wish was what had forged her Soullight.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

A tremendous cold assaulted Criminal as she held the knife to her hostage.

Fren had activated a new spell at a speed too fast for Criminal to even react to.

"—'Ice Coffin.'"

It was a cold more violent than even the blizzard before.

It condensed around Criminal and struck.

There wasn't even time to be shocked.

Criminal was frozen solid in an instant.

Her wicked smile was fixed in place like a statue.

Having taken a hostage, she had thought her enemy couldn't easily attack. She had been completely unprepared for this magic.

The shop clerk Katarina, who had been beside Criminal as a hostage, was frozen along with her.

However, unlike Criminal's ice, Katarina's melted in an instant.

Released without a single scratch, she stared at her own body in disbelief.

Her ace in the hole, the hostage, was freed without so much as a struggle.

Criminal could only watch from within the ice in stunned disbelief.

"Why do you involve innocent people?"

Fren quietly approached the frozen Criminal.

"The men you used as tools, the woman whose fingers you tried to cut off for show—they all had irreplaceable lives of their own. Do you not understand that?"

Criminal couldn't even open her mouth to respond.

"No, I'm sure saying this to someone like you is pointless. In that case, I will not ask questions. I will not give warnings. I will make a declaration."

Fren's ideals hadn't changed since that day.

"As long as I, Fren Crael, have eyes to see—I will stop all evil. I will not permit a world where the strong plunder and kill as they please."

That was the conclusion she had reached after her parents had been unjustly taken from her.

 

＊　＊　＊

 

Rio and the other two only realized what had happened after everything was settled.

"Fren! Are you okay!?"

Laura was the first to rush to Fren's side. Fren wore a brave smile.

"Yes. I'm uninjured. Thank you for your concern."

"Really?"

Laura examined Fren carefully and eventually let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness… First Bloom-chan comes back covered in blood, and if you were too, Fren-chan, I wouldn't know what to do!"

"I'm fine, really. More importantly, please check on those people who were being controlled over there. I tried to hold back, but I still hit them with my magic."

"Got it! Leave it to me!"

Laura rushed off energetically. Rio followed to assist her.

Gil, who had been watching silently, approached Fren.

"Good job."

"Wh-what's this, all of a sudden?"

"Your hands. They're still shaking."

At Gil's words, Fren finally noticed that her hands were trembling slightly.

Seeing the unusual warmth in Gil's eyes, Fren realized there was no point in putting on a brave front now.

"… I was scared. Not of being hurt myself, but of seeing someone precious get hurt. I only realized it after the battle was over—just how frightened I really was."

The moment of her parents' death was still seared into Fren's mind. Overlapping that was the image of Bloom returning covered in blood.

She never wanted to feel that way again. That's why she chose to stand and fight.

But the fear deep in her heart hadn't completely disappeared.

"Pathetic, isn't it."

"… Not really."

Hearing Fren's weak words, Gil spoke quietly.

"Even experienced veterans hide fear deep in their hearts. What matters is the will to face it anyway. The spirit to resist. I respect those who have that."

Having said something uncharacteristic, Gil gave a self-deprecating laugh and walked away to help Laura.

"—Thank you."

Even if Fren's words reached his back, he pretended not to hear.