ITYVA 25

Chapter 25

Cough!

Blood spilled from Dante’s mouth.

Sitting upright to complete the ritual, Dante clutched his chest with a face gone pale.

His insides felt like they were burning to ash.

…But with this, all the necessary ritual tools are finally complete.

Two ritual tools had been planned.

And, just in case, he had hastily created one additional tool.

Just then, with a knock, the door opened.

The person who entered was the Grand Duke Baharman’s aide.

“Ritualist, have you completed the ritual tools?”

Dante wiped the blood on his lips with a handkerchief, then rose to his feet.

“Yes. What of the assassins?”

“We specially hired one SS-rank, and the rest were carefully chosen from among S-rank.”

“Understood. Thank you for informing me.”

A bit of color returned to Dante’s wan face.

After the aide bowed and left, Dante collapsed back into the chair.

“Please… let it end here…”

This was already the second attempt.

If this one failed as well, the next would mean facing Grand Duke Serenia in earnest battle.

Even if she looks like a child, it’s best to avoid a direct clash with Serenia.

Of course, he had made sure that this time, she wouldn’t be able to undo the ritual with something as simple as a strand of his hair.

Still, remembering how she had defeated A-rank assassins in that child’s form—there was no room for carelessness.

This time… I absolutely will not die.

To survive, he would use every bit of the future knowledge he possessed.

Dante’s violet eyes gleamed as he clenched his fist.

One death, one failure—that was more than enough.

 5. Realization

I went on a walk with As.

As knew a lot about flowers, and explained each one to me.

Excited, I asked about every flower I saw—its name, its meaning.

It didn’t feel like I had already experienced all of this once before.

Then suddenly, a bluish-purple flower caught my eye.

What kind of flower is this?

I asked, and As calmly replied:

“Delphinium.”

What a pretty name. What does it mean?

I asked as casually as I had about the other flowers.

But unlike before, As didn’t answer right away.

After a pause, the child slowly turned to me.

And the one who turned to look wasn’t As—it was Aces.

“Why is it that you do not love me?”

As he whispered to me, my whole body stiffened, heart dropping with a heavy thud.

And then I snapped awake.

“—Hah!”

Moonlight streamed into the same bedroom I had seen every night for the past five years.

It was a dream.

…Just a dream.

I muttered that to myself as I slowly sat up.

It seemed I had dreamt about the walk I took earlier with As.

Though the latter part had gotten strangely mixed up.

My throat was dry.

I hesitated, then sighed and turned my body to get up for water.

But I froze.

Just now—did something move past the window?

A chill swept over me from head to toe.

…Still, I have to check, don’t I…?

Yes. I was the head of the household, after all…!

Though my body felt weak, I forced strength into my legs to rise—

Only to be pulled back down by a strong grip at my side.

“Don’t move.”

A child’s low voice came from beside me.

I nearly screamed, but stopped short and turned.

As was checking the pendant at his neck, then shifted his gaze to me.

“As…?”

“There’s an intruder. Einra, can you summon a spirit?”

“Y-Yes!”

The thought that As was calmer than most adults never even crossed my mind.

Nodding frantically, I spread my hand to summon the high-rank water spirit, Eldimir.

“Ugh—”

But the attempt was blocked by an oppressive, formless force that filled the air.

Even when I tried drawing on my healing powers, it was like every vein in my body was clogged with stone—I couldn’t move a thing.

This was an entirely different level of suppression than when As had been kidnapped before.

N-No…

My mind went blank with panic.

With Harnen gone, I was the only one left to protect As.

But if spirit arts were blocked, it was as if my arms and legs had all been cut off.

Desperately, I tried to summon even Quiel, straining to break through the blockage.

Blood-tinged bile rose in my throat from the effort.

Seeing me, As grabbed my arm.

“It’s okay even if you can’t summon.”

“N-No… I’ll keep trying.”

If I failed, we would die.

I remembered the moment a dagger pierced As’s back—the small body crumpling before my eyes.

I will never… go through that again.

If I failed, we would die.

That meant I had to succeed.

I gathered every last scrap of affinity with nature within me, and forced it against the blockade.

But then—a sigh, and with it, a flow of foreign energy scattered my gathered affinity apart.

…Huh?

I froze.

The force that disrupted me—was that mana?

And not just any mana. Of the three types of mana, it was one I had never encountered before.

The only type I had never experienced was aura.

Even before the thought could form fully—

As rose to his feet.

At that same moment, the door burst open.

“Ah, I meant to surprise you.”

A tall man in a black hood strode in.

As stepped in front of me with a hardened face. I just sat stunned, staring at the approaching figure.

…That voice.

“As expected, Einra, you never fail to exceed my expectations.”

The lower half of his face twisted into a sneer.

I flinched at the contempt written there.

“It’s been a while, Einra.”

The man pulled down his hood.

Black hair spilled free, and red eyes, cold as ice, locked on me.

A face I had longed to see, yet lacked the courage to face, appeared before me.

“…”

My fingers trembled, crumpling the bedsheet beneath them.

Those familiar, yet unbearably distant, crimson eyes curved at me without warmth.

“I can’t say I missed you.”

After five long years, I was face-to-face with Aces again—

Exactly in the nightmare I had feared most.

“Einra, are you alright?”

A gentle child’s voice brushed my ears.

I startled and focused again, finding As beside me, face hardened in cold determination.

I forced myself to nod.

“Y-Yeah. I’m fine.”

I was fine. I really was fine…

“Don’t listen to a word he says. He’s not worth it.”

As muttered fiercely.

I reflexively murmured “Okay,” but my hands clutched the sheets tighter.

Somehow, I couldn’t bring myself to look Aces in the eye.

“How cold, Einra. Do you refuse to even acknowledge me now?”

Feigning a wounded expression, Aces reached toward me—only to pull back quickly, sensing a powerful formless strike.

With a crash, the door and wall behind him exploded apart.

He glanced at As, who glared daggers at him, and smiled.

“So the little one is quite skilled.”

“Get out. Now.”

“Oh no, that won’t do. Your big brother has much to discuss with your dear sister.”

At his signal, two masked figures entered through the shattered doorway.

Clad head to toe in black—robes, gloves, masks—they looked almost identical to the ones who had kidnapped As before.

I froze in shock.

Wait… those assassins before… was that Aces who sent them?

The realization slammed into me, stealing my breath.

I couldn’t even move a finger.

While I sat paralyzed, Aces’s cold voice rang out:

“Little one, why don’t you play with them for a while.”