Salamandra

 

"You're saying that's a lizard?"

I said.

"That thing that looks like it could swallow a house?"

— From Sylvia's journal

 

"'Scuse me, coming through. Out of the way, Ara."

A pair of rugged gauntlets flew through the air, parting the students, and a sofa drifted after them, floating along the path they opened. Both were magitech devices Innis had created.

She had named the gauntlets Transparent Butler, and the sofa Innis' Lovely Chaise Longue. The names were of her own decision.

"What… do you want, Innis?"

Ara, frosted white in spots, glared at her as if baring his fangs. In his second bout, he had been taking hits from clumps of cold while somehow enduring Jack Frost's attacks.

"You've got no chance if you keep going like that. Just fall back."

Transparent Butler grabbed Ara by the scruff, hefted his large frame with ease, and hurled him away.

"Kya— Innis, that's dangerous!"

Mel happened to be where Ara landed and let out a small scream. A human might have been badly hurt by that, but Mel was also a quadruped, solidly built, and wrapped in fluffy wool; she didn't seem much the worse for wear.

Jack Frost acknowledged Innis as his new opponent and turned toward her. Innis pushed herself up on the sofa and casually tossed away something like a small board.

"Deploy."

In response to the brief spell, the board transformed into a massive wall, cutting between Innis and Jack Frost.

"Butler, if you would."

At her voice, Transparent Butler split left and right to sandwich Jack Frost. He tried to intercept with a blast of blizzard, but the little gauntlets danced nimbly through the air, slipping past it.

Despite the name, there wasn't anything invisible actually moving the gauntlets. They themselves were enchanted and moved according to Innis's will. Their motion was so smooth and humanlike that everyone hallucinated an unseen butler. Even Jack Frost seemed to, because his aim drifted just off the gauntlets, targeting the nonexistent butler.

"Deploy."

Small boards fired from the gauntlet palms, enclosing Jack Frost on three sides in a U-shape.

"Aand, done. Deploy."

At the same time, Innis's Lovely Chaise Longue flipped as if doing a somersault to take the position over Jack Frost's head, and layers of wall formed behind and above him.

"And now—combine."

At the next incantation, the walls joined, fitting together seamlessly without a gap.

At her deft work, the courtyard fell silent.

"Seal complete."

"… Splendid."

I couldn't help but applaud as Innis lay back down on the sofa and yawned.

"You've made excellent use of one-word activation—an enchantment style that fully invokes a spell with a single term. You've read your opponent well, too. Jack Frost can conjure a furious blizzard, but his physical attack power is low. Box him in with stone walls like this and he's stuck."

"Eh, something like that."

As listless as ever, Innis still sounded a little proud. At that moment, a sharp crack resounded.

"Well — that is if your opponent were an ordinary spirit."

As if answering my words, the stone-walled seal Innis had made exploded. Jack Frost could generate infinite ice and snow. He filled the enclosure with ice and blew it apart.

"W-what!?"

Innis jerked upright on the sofa and shouted. I'd never seen her move so quickly.

"Hey, hey — Mentor, can Mel try too?"

Mel raised her hand and bounced on her hooves. She often did that sort of thing, and every time her chest wobbled tremendously. I wonder if she realizes how people either avert their eyes or stare openly… For the record, I'm the former, and Rin is the latter.

"Sure. Challenges are welcome."

"Yay!"

Overjoyed, Mel ran — past Jack Frost and straight to me.

"Uh, Mel…?"

She pressed up against me, and I worried she hadn't actually grasped the point.

"O fire. O red and blazing, scorching one— I grant you name and form—"

She had understood. Probably better than anyone here.

"Flame lizard, Salamander— show yourself before me…"

"H-hey, wait—"

I felt something being drawn out. Before I could stop her, Mel yanked it free—

"Eat it!"

What emerged was a fire lizard so huge it filled the courtyard. It opened its great jaws and swallowed the little snowman in a single bite.

… I see. If people can't beat spirits, set a spirit on them instead.

That's one answer, too—if you look away from the possibility that the spirit you summoned to stop a rampage will itself rampage and make things worse.

"For now, Mel, could you dismiss this one?"

"Okay. Thanks, Salamander, you can—"

"Wait!"

A voice stopped Mel as she called to the spirit. It was Ara.

"Mentor… please give me just one more chance!"

I couldn't help but glance at Yuuka.

"If I can defeat this fire lizard… will you let me join your lab too!?"

Isn't that a bit much? I looked back at the fire lizard. Compared to Jack Frost, who was about child-sized, the lizard before us was far too big. What's more, the aged Jack Frost had been holding back, but this fire lizard had just been born. I couldn't imagine it doing anything that delicate.

In the end I looked to Yuuka and then indicated the fire lizard with my chin. She gave a little nod.

"… Very well. If your resolve is that firm, I can't refuse."

I sighed and said:

"If you fight, you may not come out unscathed. Will you still challenge it?"

"Yes!"

Ara answered without a trace of hesitation.

"Anyone besides Ara who will challenge this fire lizard?"

I glanced around, but no one raised a hand.

"Good. O fire lizard — my breath, kin sprung from my belly — Salamandra!"

At my renaming, the fire lizard's back split. A pair of wings spread from within.

Its hind legs swelled thick and powerful, its neck stretched long, and horns sprouted from the back of its head with a creaking sound. A once-vague outline took on sharp definition—

It was the spitting image of me as a dragon. Not good. I'd thought it would be fine if I just wrested control since Mel had called it forth, but it powered up this much.

"Thou art me and I am thee, shadow-double — gather upon my body and become my strength!"

While the other students screamed and fled, Ara raised one arm and shouted. The shadow cast by Salamandra swelled, wrapped around Ara, and became a full set of arms and armor.

"Stretch, my shadow!"

The jet-black spear he swung extended and thrust up into Salamandra's palate. A thrust meant nothing to formless flame, however, and it slid its body aside to bring a foreleg crashing down at Ara. He dodged quickly, but the impact scattered fire in all directions, scorching everything around. A reckless attack.

"Deploy!"

The spread stone walls blocked the flames, and Transparent Butler hoisted Ara's body up.

"You're pushing yourself too hard!"

Innis griped from atop her flying sofa.

"Jack Frost, please!"

Spirits don't die when they're erased. Mel summoned Jack Frost again to keep Salamandra in check. This wasn't the development I had in mind.

"Stop! This is my fight!"

"If you die, it means nothing."

With an exasperated face, Innis plopped Ara onto the backrest area of the sofa.

"That said—ugh, what a pain. Mel, think you can manage?"

"Might be impossible…"

Under Mel's control, Jack Frost blew his blizzard for all he was worth, but against the blazing Salamandra it was — quite literally — a drop of water on a hot stone. The heat it poured out melted the snowman spirit to drooping. Then, the stone walls Innis had set up melted as Salamandra's foreleg crushed them.

"Ah, we're dead."

"Run!"

Salamandra lashed out its tongue toward the sofa flying through the air. Innis muttered with odd calm, and Ara spread his arms to shield her, bracing on the sofa with all four limbs.

… Guess it's time, then.

"Yuuka."

"Okaaay!"

Almost before I'd even finished saying her name, Yuuka leapt in and swung her sword. The dragon of flame — supposedly immune to physical attacks — was cleaved cleanly in two and vanished.

… If she can do that, she can slice real fire too, can't she? I have no idea how that's even possible. Anyway, one more task.

"Ara."

To Ara, stunned at the spirit's disappearance by an outside cut, I spoke gently.

"You weren't able to win."

"… Yes."

He sank to his knees, his fur singed and curled by the heat, and dropped his head.

"Innis, Mel — you too. Of those here, the only one who could beat that spirit was probably Yuuka."

As for Rin — well. I have a feeling she'd manage somehow with a method I can't imagine.

"But even when you realized you couldn't win, you didn't run. You kept fighting to the end. More than clever tricks, that courage is the rarest quality you need when facing spirits."

Startled, Ara looked up at me.

"Ara. Innis. Mel. You have it. Learn under me how to actually fight spirits, and, just as important, when to withdraw."

"— Yes!"

Overcome with emotion, Ara bowed deeply. That should make it presentable enough. Honestly, if they're that motivated I don't have much reason to refuse them, but if I approve them too easily it won't set a good example for the other students. When Innis and Mel jumped in to help right when I was about to ask Yuuka to end it, I wasn't sure what to do — but it worked out somehow.

"… Huh? I'm included too!? In something that dangerous!?"

Only then did Innis realize and start making a fuss, but I pretended not to hear.