Magician in Type-Moon

Page 546

It wasn't the magic of nature, but rather like the "primordial source" overflowing from the depths of the earth.

Secondly, there are strange streaks of light that repeatedly sweep across the ground.

Those bands of light are not physical entities, yet they are more tangible than any physical entity.

Some flowed solemnly and steadily like murals in a temple, while others resembled disordered meridians, throbbing, trembling, and intertwining haphazardly on the ground.

They flowed in droves toward a distant place unseen by others, some crossing the ground, some tearing through the treetops, flashing streaks of light that disappeared only briefly.

That stream of light constitutes the true "lifeblood" of this ruin. And its appearance evokes a kind of almost illusory sense of intimacy...

—Just like the magic circuits within every magician, operating on the scale of this world.

Yvette murmured softly, almost to herself:

"...This is the Great Magic Circuit."

The moment the words left her lips, her gaze was no longer focused on reality, but seemed to sink into an ancient dream along the trajectory of those streaks of light.

That was not a scene she could easily explain or understand.

The light bands, like nerves, weave through the strata, seemingly connecting the entire world into a massive corpse, while magic, like blood, stubbornly flows through its veins.

"Even though the dragon is dead, its magic circuits are still alive."

Furu's voice was calm yet respectful: "That is a mystery passed down from the age of mythology, and it is also the root of Albion's existence."

Therefore, this place is called the Grand Thaumaturgical Circuit, also known as the 'Odobena' (Vein Corridor).

Yvette did not respond immediately. She continued to gaze at the stream of light, as if trying to overlap herself with the pulsating band of light, even if only for a moment.

Beside her, Matou Ike finally spoke, her tone tinged with a doubt even more rare than usual:

"...If that's the case...could it be that these bands of light still contain the true ether from the mythical era?"

“Hmm, perhaps so.” Furu nodded, but quickly denied it, “But in any case—no magician can damage this magic circuit.”

He glanced at Yvette and said, "You should have already noticed. What we are walking on now is not ordinary soil—but the veins left by a dragon."

"Is this strange ecosystem around us also a product of the influence of magic circuits?" Matou Ike asked.

“That’s certainly part of the reason,” Furu admitted.

"But don't fall into the trap of causal determinism. Every confluence point in Albion is completely different. As long as the times change, even stable areas can suddenly collapse. No one can predict what will happen next."

As soon as he finished speaking, as if to bear witness to it, the slowly flowing band of light in front of him suddenly changed color—

The gentle blue turned into a scorching red, then quickly slid into emerald green, like blood swelling and boiling when emotions are running high.

"There!"

Furu suddenly shouted, almost simultaneously with the change in color.

A shadow that should have been completely eliminated by the reconnaissance technique suddenly rose up from among the ferns.

Its outline was initially just a two-dimensional shadow as thin as a sheet of paper, lying flat on the ground, as untouchable as a painting.

But the next instant, the shadow suddenly rose—

It has "grown thicker".

The shadow tore reality apart from the two-dimensional plane, twisting into three dimensions—like a monster leaping from some low-dimensional stealth state into physical space, expanding from the ground into a materialized form with a teeth-grinding squeezing sound.

That thing looks like a snake.

However, there is no doubt that it is not a real snake.

The being that tore through the shadows of the earth—the Shadow Serpent—appeared as a mere outline, a shape like a sketch, but in mid-air it instantly materialized into a body covered in purple spots, and then suddenly released a bolt of purple lightning mixed with a hissing sound, rushing towards Yvette.

“──!”

She barely had time to react as the lightning struck.

"Miss Yvette!"

A low shout rang out, and the dagger held by Furu transformed into a silver light, precisely piercing through the Shadow Serpent's skull—ending its movement half a second before its fangs were about to fall.

The snake twitched twice in the air before its dull body crashed heavily to the ground, slamming into the ferns.

“…Be careful,” Furu said calmly, putting away the dagger that still carried residual magic.

“The Shadow Serpent from before was the same.” He looked up at the direction where the light band was still flashing. “The fantasy species that inhabit the Grand Magic Circuit are no longer simply creatures—in a sense, they are more like the embodiment of the domain itself.”

"You mean, they... are close to magic?" Yvette blinked in confusion.

Furu nodded.

"Yes. The term 'fantasy species' itself has multiple meanings. Most fantasy species in the modern world are simply alien creatures that have undergone independent evolution, and ultimately still belong to the realm of nature. But those beings born in the mythical era, or in abandoned spirit tombs like Albion—they have long transcended the definition of a biological species."

"What they carry is not bloodline or instinct, but an extraordinary realm that nature cannot tolerate. It is a fragment of mystery itself, a power that has been materialized."

“The innate domain,” Matou Ike added, “is the most dangerous characteristic of these fantasy species. They influence reality simply by their existence, without chanting, relying on knowledge or will. Just like the lightning you just saw—that wasn’t magic, but the natural law that ‘lightning is born from shadow.’”

Yvette looked thoughtful.

“I see, I understand now... This is truly an eye-opening place.”

She patted her dress, which was damp with heat and dust, took a few steps, and then spoke again:

"Is everyone's destination the ancient heart?"

“That’s right.” Matou Ike nodded.

That is the deepest part of Albion, the tomb of the dead, and the center of the vortex of London's mystical powers.

Meanwhile, the ceremony that Hatteres was about to hold was also chosen to be located in an area adjacent to the "Crown Decree"—the very location of the clock tower, a symbol of supreme power. This could hardly be a coincidence.

“He deliberately chose a place close to the Grand Rank… In other words, he wanted his technique to resonate with the entire London magic system,” Matou Ike murmured.

“Hartles’ goal is to bring the god Ikenda back here,” Yvette continued.

"A magic technique that uses the body of a god to bring back the mythical era... If everyone hadn't seen the spell he prepared with their own eyes, I would never have believed that anyone would actually take this path."

She paused, looking down at the still pulsating band of light beneath her feet, as if gazing at some unseen torrent.

"But thinking about it carefully, if magic in the mythological era can directly connect with the power of the gods, then... doesn't that also mean that we can touch that ultimate mystery without going to the source?"

Matouike stopped and turned to ask her:

"...Do you also want to follow him?"

Yvette laughed, a gentle laugh tinged with a deep irony.

“No, I don’t want to,” she said. “However, I think it’s a beautiful dream.”

A detached, cold tenderness surfaced in her eyes.

"Instead of forcing magicians to exhaust their lives chasing after that unattainable 'root,' it's better to give them a sweet dream. A kind of anesthetic that makes them believe that 'even without fulfilling their wishes, they can still find meaning'—"

"...As a means of escaping the pain of reality, there is probably no sweeter poison than this."

She spoke softly, as if talking to herself, yet it also sounded like a deep-seated belief that should not be easily mocked.

“Then, I’d like to hear the opinions of experienced veterans,” Matou Ike suddenly said.

"Didn't you say that the first shortcut was nearby?"

"Yes, we'll be there soon," Furu replied briefly.

After walking for another ten minutes or so, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.

The plants on the ground were gone—no more entwined ferns, no more intricate tendrils, only a desolate, slippery black earth remained.

Immediately afterwards, a pungent smell rose in the air, carrying the acrid taste of burning metal, making one want to take a few steps back.

The source of the odor soon became apparent.

A river lay before them.

It was no ordinary river. It was a colossal torrent of black water, unlike anything else on the earth.

At a glance, the distance to the other side is more than 100 meters.

Even if one could briefly levitate or glide using magic, it would be absolutely impossible to cross directly.

Tiny glimmers of light rippled across the surface of the river.

The dragon's magic circuits glowed underwater, intertwining into a net-like totem pattern that made the entire river surface shimmer with a ghostly blue, silver, and purple light, like some kind of otherworldly starry sky.

“…It’s so beautiful,” Yvette murmured. But soon, she saw another sight.

"That is……?"

A boulder the size of a human head rolled off the bank and, upon hitting the river's surface, did not sink to the bottom. Instead, it quickly dissolved after emitting a few short bursts of bubbles.

In less than three seconds, only a wisp of foul-smelling mist remained.

“…Acid River,” Yvette exclaimed.

Her voice sounded like she was swallowing a mouthful of cold air.

This isn't a warning concocted by a magician; it's a real boundary of death. Even the hardest rock wouldn't last more than a few breaths here. If it were a human, even the bones would likely be instantly dissolved into a pool of black mud.

The acid's erosion of the surrounding land seemed to be contained within certain limits. The soil edges remained clean, as if some invisible barrier had pinned the torrent to its spot.

“…It’s the dragon’s magic circuit,” Matou Ike said softly. “The light underwater is not just decoration.”

“That’s right. Only the Great Magic Circuit can withstand this level of acid corrosion.” Furu said, looking at the river.

"On another note, the river might be so wide because the acid slowly engulfed the surrounding land and was stopped by the magic circuit."

His tone wasn't relaxed, but it carried an indescribable air of normalcy.

"This is... the so-called first shortcut?" Yvette frowned, looking at the Black River on the other side, where there wasn't even a single piece of driftwood.

"That was relatively easy," Furu said, pointing to the ground. "It won't be so easy from here on out."

“This doesn’t seem like the ‘shortcut’ you’re talking about.” Yvette raised an eyebrow.

"Don't rush. I just scattered some sachets by the roadside," Furu replied casually, then closed one eye and tapped his temple a couple of times with his finger. "Let's wait a little longer, we should be there soon."

“…A sachet?” Yvette repeated, clearly not understanding the connection between this and desperately crossing the acidic river.

His response was not an explanation, but a sudden tremor.

It wasn't the ground shaking, but rather—the wind.

The air surged violently as if it were being torn apart, first with a short, sharp whistle, then with a series of overwhelming flapping sounds that rushed from the other side of the river.