Astraea: The Journey of Magic

While a great battle was happening between the various forces over at Azralia, Akano and Tamaki were in a different, nearby forest. Both of them were adventurers to support themselves, and while Granny did leave him quite a bit, he knew they needed to make money to survive. As such, the two boys were now out in the woods, gathering herbs and supplies, and occasionally fighting goblins. It seemed Tamaki had no issues fighting monsters typically, since apparently they did not register as animals to him. The exception was the horned rabbits, and things that just were too similar. Horned Rabbits looked almost exactly like the rabbits their elementary school had raised, and as the one who looked after them the most, he had issues with them. So Akano decided they should sidestep the plains completely and focus on the forest.

Incidentally, Tamaki was F-Rank as well. When he registered, three rough looking adventurers picked a fight with him, and that while he dealt with the first two, the last one who managed to get behind him had apparently been taken out by Bastian. The small looking corgi was also with them, and it was quickly apparent there was no way this was a normal dog, even for this world. Granny had confirmed that much with Akano.

Bastian was able to shoot fireballs somehow, was incredibly intelligent and able to understand even complex commands, and was possibly the strongest one on their team. Tamaki was equipped with a long dagger. Well, it was either a long dagger, or a very short shortsword. He also had a bow with him. But Tamaki's real talent was how he could get the aid of animals. Birds would let them know when danger approached, squirrels would help them gather up some spare seeds and nuts that were valuable, and normal wolves left them alone entirely.

The two of them currently had an arrangement similar to Juno and Reiji, although they alternated between which one of them did laundry...usually. It depended on how much slobber Tamaki's clothes had on him. Even if they had quite some savings left to Akano by granny, they had to be incredibly careful. They were just two kids, neither of them even high school age (although Akano would be next year). While kids seemed to handle far more responsibility and work in this world, they were unused to that, and they quickly learned just how much they had taken for granted. Akano personally wanted to curse out every single isekai he had read where a protagonist had it easy and just got everything handed to them, as living in this world for not even two weeks yet had made him realize just how trash they were. He would have preferred more like this, since he could use them as reference to know how to handle this new reality they found themselves in. Of course, there were people who actually lived with similar conditions or even worse, since that was how it actually was during those ages, so perhaps history would have served him better as well.

Tamaki reminded Akano of his own younger brother. Akano was a middle child, with a younger brother who was a fifth grader in elementary school, and an older sister who was in her second year of high school. Granny mentioned that if she ever heard anything from any of her friends or contacts, she would let him know, but until then, he needed to focus on himself and those he could find. The Starfallen had scattered across the world after all. There was no guarantee they landed in the same continent, let alone the same kingdom.

That said, she seemed pretty sure that they could rule out three continents. The Cursed Continent as they called it was the homeland of Demons and Devils apparently, and was hostile land. Then there was the Dark Continent, which rumor had it once held the most advanced and powerful civilization that ever rose in this world, until the First Great Demon King destroyed it. And then finally, there was the Wild Continent, which while had some settlements by one of the shores, was filled with monsters that were generally all C-Rank or above, and had more high ranked adventurers stationed there then any other location. Apparently, the guild tried to have them cycled in and out with most S-Rank or above adventurers being stationed there for at least a few years of their lives, and if they lived long enough, every few decades or so.

That apparently left only about five remaining, so it cut down over a third of potential land. Apparently, Starfallen never appeared on those three continents, probably since it invalidated the requirement the Starfall process had to give them a start that gave them some chance to live.

That was still a lot of ground however, and if they wanted to find their families and friends, Akano and Tamaki had to get stronger. They needed to adapt to this world and get used to it. Its culture, its dangers, and its power.

However, as they made it through the forest, something weird happened.

"Akano, we should head back" Tamaki said, as he stopped and looked around.

"What is it?"

"The birds...they are gone. Squirrels too".

"Gone?"

"I can't hear any of them. They are all gone Akano. Or rather, they have been chased off. I spotted a bird's nest here or there, but no birds. They had to abandon their nests..."

Akano tensed up.

"We got a good enough haul for today. We are pulling back out".

Suddenly, Bastian began to bark. Akano also sensed danger, and quickly dodged as two crude arrows whooshed by where he used to be. He looked towards the darkened forest, and saw several pairs of hungry and depraved eyes looking at them.

Many, many pairs.

"Goblins...Tamaki, run!"

"Bastian, we need to get out of here!"

The two boys and one dog(?) immediately went to flee, but Goblins were racing on either side, swinging from tree to tree while also chasing from behind as well. It looked like they intended to encircle and surround them, but there were many more goblins together then there should be. It should only be groups of three or so, but this was at least twelve or thirteen and the number looked like it was only increasing. Bastian shot a fireball at one of them as they ran, but clearly something was off.

So they kept running, hoping for something to help them out. Little did they know that the events of Azralia would end up effecting them here as well.

Back with Kuroki's group, they were facing against the armored Hobgoblin. While all Hobgoblins had some level of armor, this one was far more armored then the others. If Kuroki had to guess, this was what was known as a Goblin Knight. It was a type of Hobgoblin. Apparently, those that earned power and strength were prioritized armor, since it meant the stronger goblins would continue to serve for longer. When they gained enough essence, the Evil God set it up so Goblins would evolve into Hobs, although there were other paths that could be taken as well. Some developed magical abilities, and others developed agility. Those were the types that often ended up becoming Lords and Kings as well, although Hobs could also achieve the role.

And right now, they were facing off against one of those dangerous knights.

Kuroki quickly tried to freeze the ground, but it seemed to have almost no effect on the Goblin Knight. He shot lightning at him, figuring his metal armor would make it even more effective, but he seemed to cut through the attacks with his sword, somehow cutting through the spell and making it fizzle out.

"This thing...is strong".

A few other adventurers rallied with them, but everyone could instinctively feel it. This Knight was unusually strong. He was barely affected by Kuroki's magic, and the moment Kaede tried to dart into a blind spot, it turned to face her or just straight up attacked. Even Ryuu's Heroic Aura seemed to do nothing against it.

"This thing is B-Rank at least" one of the older adventurers said. "I was just barely able to deflect a blow, and it took a lot out of me. Even a C-Rank threat shouldn't be able to do that to me, even if I am just a D-Rank".

D-Rank was considered among the general adventurer forces. Probably about fifty or sixty percent of adventurers never made it past D Rank once reaching it. And about twenty to thirty percent never made it past C-Rank. That meant that of those who actually made it to D-Rank, only around twenty percent ever got any higher. And this included posthumous promotions. Apparently fifteen of that twenty capped at B-Rank, and keep in mind, this was only counting those who made it to D-Rank in the first place. These were also rough numbers, and Kuroki was told there was a chance they had been rounded down for morale reasons.

Suffice it to say, B-Ranks were rare. Kuroki considered trying to call out to Kylia, who was hopefully still nearby. He was B-Rank after all. That said...

"We have at least twenty people here. We should be able to beat him. And yet, he seems unusually strong and durable. Most people who attack fall quickly".

"Wait, what did you say?" Kuroki asked, before turning to Riku. "Riku, can you sense it from here?"

"Yeah...that guy is wearing cursed armor" Riku confirmed, causing everyone to become concerned.

"Cursed armor huh..." an E-Rank said. "Thats bad. Depending on what it is, it might actually be A-Rank Danger level".

Everyone braced themselves. That said, rank was not all important. They all knew that, but it was still something to be wary of. The fact the system still existed and was used around the world showed it was at least somewhat reliable.

Kuroki quickly used magic to enhance his voice again.

"We have a potential A-Rank threat over here! Support needed ASAP!"

The moment he did that, the Goblin Knight moved. It was fast, faster then Kuroki expected a Hobgoblin to be, and was now standing right in front of him with his sword swinging down. As it did however, another sword matched it. The blade itself was covered in cloth so aside from the fact it was large, no one actually could see any details about it. And yet it seemed to not dilute the sharpness at all.

The person wielding it was also hiding their identity. They were only a bit taller than Kuroki, but their head was wrapped in cloth preventing identification. The clothes and armor they were wearing also looked a bit big on them, but that didn't seem to interfere with their swordwork. They deftly deflected the blade, pushing it back and even cutting its left arm, making it bleed.

"Who are you, where did you come from?"

They shook their head, not speaking. However, they then looked over at another threat. There were now four additional knights coming to assist. Not human, but Goblin. The figure looked over at them, before swing her sword across the air in the direction of the knight they were fighting. The knight quickly raised its blade to defend against the attack, but part of its large sword broke and it was clearly winded. The figure then ran across the battlefield, engaging the four knights and pushing them back into the forest.

Now out of sight, their savior had left them with a weakened Goblin Knight. Their situation had improved, but...

Who the hell was that person?!

It was such an odd thing that happened. The way they covered their face and sword, were they some sort of spy or shadow operative? It was so sudden and random that Kuroki was puzzled, but he didn't have the time to think about it. At the moment, he had to focus on the situation in front of him. Now that it was wounded and its weapon damaged, they had a much better chance.

"Archers, pin it down!" one of the D-Rank said, taking command. The archers let loose their arrows, but either he blocked or dodged them, and the few that hit him either bounced off the armor or didn't show any signs of damaging him. Meanwhile, the mages began to bombard it with all sorts of different attacks, figuring it couldn't deflect or withstand all of them. Kuroki decided to join in as well, but not in a typical way.

"This is exactly the type of situation for the spell Master taught me..." he declared, as magical equations formed around him. A huge spell array appeared under his feet, expanding across the entire battlefield against the Goblin Knight.

"Regido. Markia. Savado".

These three terms triggered magical energy to surge forth.

"Mazia. Fragia. Telesu!"

From this, the world itself almost felt like it was twisting. Kuroki felt his body at his limit. Formulas appeared not just around him, but on his very body. It almost looked like they were engraving themselves into his skin, and it was clear he was in pain. Whatever this spell was, it wasn't normal. This was no simple water or storm spell.

"I call upon the chrono leylines, the threads that travel through the timelines! These golden threads link across all of existence, to the eternal infinity of reality! We link forward, we link backwards. Let us repeat our moves, double our attacks. With no cost to us, and all cost to them. A doubled effort, a grand symphony. Show them our unity, our doubled army! Offense Duplication!"

Kuroki finished incanting, before yelling out in pain. His body fixed in place, in agonizing pain but he couldn't move. This spell required the caster to be completely still, but he was suffering all over. His body ached, his brain cried out. Even his very soul was strained by these acts. It was clear to anyone who knew of magic that this was a spell he was not ready for. But he was just barely able to cast it and keep it maintained, and its effect was obvious.

Every attack launched at the Knight was launched twice. For every arrow loosed, a second would follow without anyone having fired again. For every spell slung, an identical spell would follow. Kuroki had created a localized warp in reality itself, causing all attacks by allies to be duplicated. The Goblin Knight realized the threat, and charged right towards Kuroki, having identified him as the caster. As expected, even the knight understood it would die if this spell continued on, as it effectively doubled the number of attackers. They already had twenty or thirty people, so to go to forty to sixty? The Goblin Knight was already wounded, it doubted it could win against the normal number. But it wouldn't even be able to kill anyone if this kept up.

Still, it had a rather dependable blocker to deal with.

"Flare Enchant: Incendia! Brilliant Flash!"

Riku unleashed his attack against the desperate Knight. Normally, it would have blocked or deflected easily, but in this situation, it had to deal with the projectiles as well. As it tried to sidestep the attack, Riku pivoted and cut right through its right arm, having targeted the spot where it was already wounded. Even Riku was surprised by the events, but those from behind saw it clearly. For a moment, there was an echo. An afterimage of Riku that had attacked as well. Offense Duplication did not just duplicate ranged attacks, but close quarter attacks as well. What had been one strike instead was two.

That said, the fact that Riku was able to hit the wounded spot was still rather surprising as well.

Still, the Knight didn't let that go unanswered, and had tripped Riku up, as he was unable to stop his own momentum. This let him charge towards Kuroki. Kaede however appeared behind him, stabbing him in both legs. She had tried to go for the neck, but it reacted too fast so she changed her targets instantly. A quick and precise reaction, but it was also strange. She didn't have enough experience or precision yet to be capable of that much.

That said, it didn't slow him down much, and he still charged towards Kuroki. Ryuu came forward next, and unleashed his Heroic Aura. This time, he was able to direct it right at the Goblin Knight. This gave even the knight pause, which made him a sitting duck for several spells that went off. Still, he endured, although his armor was quickly becoming tattered and he was losing a lot of blood.

But he knew he had to kill Kuroki. Now, before it was too late.

And yet, the moment it took a step forward in front of Kuroki, an ice spike shot from the ground and skewered him, delivering a lethal blow as he was trapped there. His strength gone, and unable to attack, he just wailed as he began to die, slowly and painfully.

"...h..how..." it managed to speak in the common tongue.

Kuroki deactivated his spell the moment the D-Ranks told him it was safe. "Simple. I cast that trap in advance. I figured if you targeted me, you would charge forward, so I placed a trap ahead of time. You would get reckless with each attempted attack from my defenders, and more desperate and sure you would make it".

Kuroki walked by him, giving him a look.

"In the end, no matter how strong and brutish you are, intelligence and strategy will always win. You cannot punch your way out of every situation. You need brains, not fists".

His words felt almost like he was scorning someone else, not the Goblin Knight, but no one felt the need to bring that up. That said, Kuroki was clearly weakened. He took out a potion and chugged it down.

"Oi, is that okay?" a D-Rank asked.

"Yeah...that spell took a lot out of me. Sorry guys, I know we came to relieve you, but can you hold here until the next group comes? I need to recover a bit, and then report back to command about these knights with Cursed Armor".

"Sure. You took quite a bit of recoil from that spell huh? I think you might want to wait until you are at least C-Rank to use it, honestly. That thing was absurd".

"Hahaha....well, it was an emergency. But thanks" Kuroki said, as Riku came over and supported his right, while Kaede got his left. "Stay safe".

"I think we should be the ones saying that, but yes. Make sure you survive. We can't risk losing such talented adventurers so easily after all".

Kuroki needed time to rest and heal after pulling such a stunt, which he didn't even maintain for thirty seconds. It was clear he wasn't ready for a spell on that level yet, however there was another takeaway from that the adventurers did notice.

To think at that age, he was able to pull off the spell at all...what talent. I wasn't even able to really register even until I was fourteen, and I only made it to G-Rank just before my sixteenth birthday. That kid...no, all of those kids have serious potential.

While they might not possess the abilities to fight dragons or change the topography of the region with a single attack, each one of them had potential. Even before coming to this world, and gaining the power they held, all of them had potential. The Starfall had simply given them the power to utilize it, and the mental reinforcement the power to adapt quicker. But for these adventurers, who thought defeat was certain, or that if they tried to attack the knight head on, had frozen in place, while those younger then them, one not even double digits in age, had charged forward.

Perhaps...perhaps I have been too complacent about my rank. If children that young can do it, then I should give it my all as well.

And so, the D-Rank Adventurer...no, Reveris, the D-Rank Adventurer, decided he would give it his all, and aim for the better heights he felt like he should have obtained long ago.

Psychology can be so fickle sometimes.

It was at this time that a group of others began to make their moves. Watching from the shadows, a few knights began to follow the group, a sinister plot unfolding. Watching in a way that kept them out of focus yet not strange or out of place, they moved towards the children with dark intentions, their gazes as dark as the moonless night. They moved forward with their scheme, as Ozlo was busy up in the sky with wyverns and the ground was dealing with the wargs. While they were isolated was the time to strike.

They unsheathed their blades, coated in a special toxin that would leave them paralyzed. There was a risk of nerve damage and it lasting forever, but that was hardly a concern for Valiance. It might even make it easier on him down the road. And with the mage out of play, it would be their easiest moment to strike. The father had already called dibs upon Kuroki and Kaede, but the others were still on the table, and they could probably share them.

And yet as they moved within the grass to strike, a thread encircled the neck of the leader of an instant. This was no normal thread however, but the thread of a yo-yo.

"You should leave those kids alone. Adults should settle things with other adults, not minors" a young and childish voice said, belonging to someone who was a minor himself. He looked about the same age as those four, but these people were professionals in the underworld. They knew how ages could be deceiving, especially with Riza involved, and they could feel a sense of the supposed boy's aura.

This foxkin boy was no child, the professionals knew that in an instant. The others who turned to look at him saw his gaze, and they were not the innocent eyes of a child, who was unburdened by the world and therefore was free to think and create in ways adults never could, ignorant of how it worked. No, these were the eyes of someone who had witnessed the darkness, and faced it head on. The light from them pierced through their shadowy veil, and they felt naked before his gaze.

"...what are you, some sort of detective?"

"Got it in one guess. Impressive" the boy said. "Meanwhile, your eyes reflect your darkest nature. Loyal to cash and desire, unbothered by darkness, and also see anyone and everyone as a price tag. Tell me, what price tag do you make out for me?"

The man had no words to respond. Or rather, he couldn't respond. He had appraised many things, and especially many people. He could roughly tell who was the most valuable, whose personality traits would go for the most, whose appearance would especially stroke the desires of the depraved.

But the boy in front of him, every instinct told him that unlike those four, he was not for sale. Or rather, that he couldn't be bought or sold. Too dangerous. Too unpredictable. Too cunning. Adorable, but the way he moves shows he likely already knows how to use that. He seemed unusued to his small frame, so he used to be bigger, but does that mean shapeshifting? His eyes could see through deception, and likely trying to imprison him would potentially be futile without lots of money poured into it. Enough that they would lose money on the transaction.

In short, this boy was too dangerous to be used as goods.

There were only three people who had ever given off an impression of "No Sale" to the man, that he had appraised himself. The Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild. Sebas, the leader of the Mage's Guild branch of this city. And Amyris, the Magician of the Silver Hour. He was actually able to put a price on Riza, however...antagonizing him meant bringing not just the cost of money of going after him, but of everyone in the Brigade of the Silver Wind. And that was more trouble than it's worth.

Incidentally, he had never even tried to appriase Ozlo. Supposedly, the last five people that tried were never heard from again, except for one who just went insane. He had always been mentally fragile though. So he never even so much as looked at Ozlo, since if he even so much as did so instinctively...it might end up with him disappearing.

The boy wasn't as strong as any of those people, he could tell. Unlike the four mentioned, it wasn't his power or strength that was the threat. But something else about him. Something else about him gave this man that feeling. In truth, he suspected it might actually be similar to Ozlo. He was someone who should not be appraised, as he felt this instinctive panic and fear.

"I see you refuse to answer. Then perhaps I will have to arrest you all...err, capture you all, and bring you back to the Commander. After all, I did find you out of position. DId you purposefully pull back in order to draw their group here, to get them to exhaust themselves against the Knights, and then planned to ambush them as they returned to report the situation to command? I must say, that's rather clever".

A chill ran down his spine. The boy...no, the person right there had figured out their plan in an instant. He knew right here, if he didn't end him now, not a single one of them would be able to escape. The man whose neck was encircled by string tried to make a move for him, but the string tightened suddenly and he found himself gasping for air. He still tried to draw his blade to attack, which caused the boy to frown as the string snapped his neck and then returned, a Yo-Yo at the end of it.

The boy was wearing short pants that ended about halfway between the knee and the ankle, and rainboots which covered his ankles. Despite the rainboots, he seemed to be able to move in them perfectly fine.

"I, the E-Rank Adventurer Zak, will be your opponent today" the boy declared. Suddenly he slung the Yo-Yo out, and the end grew in size, becoming about as large as a car wheel. It impacted one of them, knocking them to the ground in pain, as he recalled it. "As expected, it's hard to get used to a strange new weapon. I made sure to acquire something omnipurpose and useful, but it looks like I need to train better. I was going for a size bigger than that. The string too, I really wanted to restrain his neck and body, but it seems that I have a lot to learn".

"Who...who are you?!?"

"Someone who was powerless to do anything before. Someone who wanted a second chance to do things the right way. Someone who has endured time and time again".

This time, when he took a step forward, the men felt the ground under them begin to liquify.

"I know you guys are fast, so let's keep this here shall we?" he started, walking across the ground perfectly while they slowly sank into it. No one was even sure when he cast the spell either.

If Kuroki and the others were here, they would be surprised too. After all, he seemed weirdly skilled for a Starfallen. His magic and physical abilities seemed normal, but his talent and experience were on another level. His gear was also surprisingly high quality, although it did seem a bit mismatched.

"While those kids go and deal with that, we shall handle business here like adults" he reported, with chills running down their spines as he approached them.

At the same time, flying out in the skies above, a different battle was going on. Ozlo was engaged in a dogfight, only instead of fighter planes it was dragons and wyverns, and his magic. As his dragon twisted around, he shot several rapid fireballs from his hand, which impacted several Wyverns. Two were turned to ash, but one was able to get away with just being a little scorched.

Another flock of Wyverns meanwhile flew right past him, heading for the armies.

"Gate, Open! Go after those wyverns, don't let a single one strike the army!"

He stretched out his arm, and two gates made of magical energy appeared, forming from magic arrays he created with his mana. As they flew out, another huge growl was heard, and he looked over to its source in a panic. Several larger wyverns were emerging from the forest.

"Shit. Larger Wyverns? The A-Ranks should be engaging them soon, but that many..."

He stretched his arm out again, and repeated the process of forming the gate and sending out his draconic familiars. He then had to hold on tight as his dragon spun around to avoid incoming attacks, which he responded to with a burst of fireballs and his dragon utilized its lightning breath to take down a few others.

If that was it, perhaps things would have been fine. But then he saw a Tyrant Dragon emerge from the woods. That was incredibly bad timing, and Ozlo was sure it was intentional. Tyrant Dragons had no wings and small arms, but they had rough skulls, powerful teeth and tails, and strong and durable legs and bodies.

Since it was on the ground, B-Ranks would be able to handle them better, but it was still dangerous. Once again, Ozlo stretched out his hand to summon more dragons.

And then, he felt someone grab him from behind.

"Well now, don't you think you are interfering a bit too much, brat?"

"So the mastermind finally appears".

"Oh, aren't you a cool customer. I wonder what is in that head of yours".

"You won't ever find out!"

Ozlo jumped upwards and backwards off his dragon's back as it spun around, sending them both into a freefall. Ozlo used that to twist around and hit her at point blank range with a fireball, but she just seemed to eat the fire magic. However, in that next moment she got zapped.

"What the..."

"Oh come now, disguising one spell as another is one of the most basic tricks of magic you know?"

He was able to get free out of her grip, as a dozen fireballs and lightning bolts appeared around him and bombarded her. She created a barrier to deflect them and went after him.

"It seems you really are after my mind. Unfortunately for you, my mental defenses are far better than anyone you have ever dealt with before".

"Oh? I will look forward to shocking you then".

As the two fell, tendrils of shadows reached out from her back and tried to enclose upon Ozlo. Ozlo however, was having none of that as he continued to create fireballs to defend as he chanted.

"I call upon the draconic flame. The warmth of all dragons, the love of all dragons. The courage of all dragons, the might of all dragons. Let loose your draconic light upon the world at large. Create our never ending world of dragons. Let us show our majesty, our light. Let us show our desire, our might. Dragon's Essence!"

The parts of his exposed arms suddenly became scaley, and markings appeared across his body, forming all sorts of lines and shapes. Furthermore, flames seemed to errupt from his hand, creating a light that repelled the darkness and burned away all. Even the curses that existed within her spell were burned away.

"You saw them coming".

"You really didn't think you would be able to use the same trick twice now did you?"

"No. But perhaps this was all a trick".

Suddenly, she was behind him, her previous self-dissolving into a vapor before disappearing. An illusion!

He tried to turn around, but she placed her hand on the back of his neck.

"Now then! Mindscape Delve!"

The moment she said that, she became certain of her victory. She then found herself in what appeared to be a classic, sterotypical dungeon room of a dungeon, with old stone walls and floors everywhere. Parts were moving back and forth even, as if the place was constantly shifting. It was kind of freaky to be honest, and the whole place looked like it was made of perfect stone cube blocks. There were passages in the ceiling, on the walls, and even one in the floor.

They appeared both ancient and new, set and yet in motion. It was a myriad of complex contradictions, as if someone had rewritten the rules halfway. Without a doubt, it was a complex construct, and she had landed right in the middle of it.

And she was rather surprised by all this.

"What the hell is this?!"

"My mind, of course. Or at least the outer defensive layer of my spell that is around it" a voice said, when several dozen fireballs came from above. She took several direct hits, and saw Ozlo, swinging his legs back and forth, kicking the air as he sat one an upper platform that had a perfect view of the entire room.

"Impossible! What did..."

"...I do? I used your own power against you. It really baffled me you know? Why did you think you could go up against a skilled curse expert and win, and furthermore you actually did. You bypassed Anna's defenses as well, despite some of them being from her being a Starfallen, making them both abnormal and quite robust. There was no way one could just get such power without there being some sort of limit, but then I realized. YOu must possess some sort of rare or unique special ability or attribute. And that was when it hit me...your magic, instead of being weakened by resistances and immunities, is actually strengthened by it. The stronger the resistance, the stronger your magic becomes. An inversion based ability".

That was why Anna did what she did. And why the Guildmaster was unable to break it completely.

"However, it looks like it still requires you to physically touch a target. If I had to guess, their head. Furthermore, you cant do it immediately upon meeting them. Otherwise you would have used it on me the moment you retrained me. If I had to guess, you have to be near the target for a good bit before you can use it on them. Then it lets you invade their mind, mess with their heads, and plant your curse. Is that correct?"

Chianthias grit her teeth. As expected, this brat is just too smart. I need to end him now.

"What the hell is this?"

"Ah, this space? This is my ultimate mind defense magic, Infinite Mental Labyrinth. See, since your inversion makes your spell more effective, I figured I would actually be able to pull you inside without you meaning to. In other words, use your own ability against you. This let me trap you inside of here, where your power wont do you much good, and where I can utilize a few tricks I cant in the outside world".

"So the spell I tried the other day at range..."

"Mhm. If it didn't run out of mana by now, it's still running around lost in here. In order to reach my mind, my memories, you will need to both navigate...and survive...this place".

"Survive?"

At those words, a giant sword nearly took her head off. She just barely dodged in time, but when she looked, she saw someone she never thought she would see again. A girl whose very existence seemed absurd, who was carefree and idiotic and yet smart and a hard worker at the same time.

Someone who the High Council decided would one day grow into an overhwelming threat, who had various prophecies of catastrophe made by the Dark Oracle.

Anna stood there, smiling.

"You can consider this our revenge match".

"How...this is no illusion, but you can't be free".

"Indeed. She is still very much trapped in that statue. But, for the briefest of moments, for this singular battle, I have made it so she has gotten a temporary reprieve from that. After all, her mind was freed long ago. And unfortunately for you, thanks to the decades spent removing that first curse, she has an incredibly high tolerance for your magic" Ozlo explained, as Anna readied her sword and pointed it at the devil.

"In other words, I am the very worst possible matchup for you".

Ozlo hopped down, and then the two high fived each other with both hands while going "Yay!"

Ozlo then turned towards Chianthias.

"So you see..."

"...this was our plot" Anna finished. The Devil grit her teeth in frusteration and annoyance.

"You think you can outplot me? Do you think you have the mental capacity to spare on me?"

"I trust in my fellow adventurers, and in the Starfallen".

At those words, Chianthias' lips formed into a smile.

"Oh, but are you sure you counted all the Starfallen? I will let you in on a secret. The number was far more then whatever those kids told you".

Ozlo narrowed his eyes. He could tell she wasn't lying, and he didn't like it.

"What do you mean?"

"You should have been wary the moment you realized...this Starfall was not like any others before it".

Ozlo and Anna grit their teeth.

"Sorry Anna, but can you end her as fast as possible. Until her spell ends, I can't leave this place".

"Right, got it. Dontcha worry, I want to help protect my new juniors as well!"

The two nodded, as she radiated a brilliant aura.

And so, a revenge match several decades in the making occurred inside of Ozlo's mind, or rather, his mental defense layer.