"The land of fairies... I don't even know if this is luck or misfortune."
As the massive black hounds surged forth, a breathtaking emerald gate appeared several hundred meters ahead of the castle. It was a gateway to the realm of the fairies.
The unexpected manifestation of this gate was the result of the castle's own magic workshop, the ritual El-Melloi II had performed, and the binding spell cast by Ruri Akano, combining into an unforeseen outcome: the materialization of the fairy realm. And its sole purpose was to take Wills, the man with the Fairy Eyes.
"I'll take care of Reines. The rest is up to you."
As she spoke, countless ribbons shot from Ruri Akano's sleeves, reinforcing and sealing the entire castle. Then she and Reines stood by a second-story window, watching as the others prepared to face the incoming black hounds. There was no way El-Melloi II would just hand over Wills.
"There sure are a lot of them."
Drawing modern runes into the air, Daniel unleashed spell after spell on the incoming hounds. Though these weren't Primordial Runes, even modern runes were fearsome in his hands.
Standing behind the group, El-Melloi II launched magical bullets occasionally. Luvia and Rin flanked him, both unleashing magic—Luvia her gemstones, and Rin her Yin Spirit Bullets. While Rin had brought gems, she saved them for when they were absolutely necessary. Thanks to Daniel's training and her family's Crest, Rin was now strong enough to rapid-fire basic spells like a magical machine gun.
At the front, Gray swung her scythe, cutting down any beast that approached. Flanking her were Wills, dual daggers in hand, and Kairi Shishigou with his sawed-off shotgun.
"Lord El-Melloi, can I bill the Clock Tower for this?"
Firing as he spoke, Shishigou asked the question half-jokingly. His mystic codes—ammunition, grenades—weren't cheap.
"Send it to the Policies Department," El-Melloi II replied irritably. His investigation had revealed that half of this incident was the department's fault.
"Great!"
With official approval, Shishigou held nothing back. Three shotgun blasts took down three hounds, followed by a heart grenade that wiped out five more.
His necromancy-based bullets and grenades were crafted from human organs, far deadlier than normal weaponry.
"Take a breather. The next wave's coming."
Despite the last wave being wiped out, the gate remained open—and more would come.
"Careful. Incoming!"
A second wave burst from the gate—twice as many beasts and larger than before.
"You've got to be kidding me... Lord El-Melloi, you got a plan?"
"Gray."
"Yes, Master."
At his call, Gray began chanting.
"Grayness, exultation, the longing for ruin—engraved within me, a grave dug for you..."
"Cover her!"
The hounds sensed danger and broke formation, charging straight for Gray as she gathered mana. Immobile while charging her Noble Phantasm, she became their prime target.
"On it!"
Luvia, Rin, and Shishigou moved in unison. Shishigou threw two more heart grenades, while Luvia and Rin hurled gemstones. Despite her frugality, Rin knew when to spend them.
"Simulated persona offline. Mana output exceeding limits. Secondary stage limit release: Holy Lance, Anchored and Shining at the End."
A golden lance lit the skies, vaporizing the hounds and piercing through the gate ahead.
El-Melloi II's aim had never been the beasts—it was the fairy gate itself.
"It actually exists..."
Kairi Shishigou stared at the golden light in awe. On this land where King Arthur once walked, no magus could be unaware of the Lance's legend.
Not only were all the hounds obliterated, but the storm dissipated as well. Yet, when the light faded, the fairy gate still stood.
"Too late... Trevor's ritual was completed after all."
El-Melloi II sighed. He'd figured things out, but not in time to prevent this.
"There's still a way: gouge out Wills's eyes and dismantle the workshop."
Stepping out with Reines, Ruri Akano offered her solution without hesitation.
"You stayed behind just to avoid the rain, didn't you?" Daniel muttered dryly.
"The ritual's already complete. Forcibly dismantling it will cause a leyline eruption."
"You'd need months to take it apart piece by piece," Shishigou added. He might be a freelancer, but he understood magecraft better than most magi.
This wasn't a normal workshop. With the gate open and connected to another realm, it had become part of an otherworldly system. Destroying it through brute force—like with Gray's Holy Lance—simply wasn't enough.
"There's another way."
Wills, silent until now, tossed his twin daggers aside and walked toward the gate. His intentions were clear.
"Wills, wait! There must be another way!"
But El-Melloi II knew what he meant. The fairy only wanted Wills. If he went with her, the gate would close.
"No. I've made up my mind. I fell for her the first time I saw her. Being with her is enough for me. Thank you, Lord El-Melloi—for helping me understand my heart."
Wills approached the gate. After exchanging a few words with the fairy at its edge, he turned, smiled, and waved to them all. Together, they stepped into the gate.
It vanished behind them, and with it, the crisis ended.
Had the gate remained, a war between the Clock Tower and the Fairy Realm would have been inevitable.
"Wills..."
El-Melloi II let out a long sigh. Wills had been one of the few lecturers he truly respected at the Clock Tower. Who'd have thought his father had planned to sacrifice him from childhood?
The values of magi were incomprehensible to most. They would sacrifice anything for their craft—even family—if it meant a path to the Root.
It wasn't the first time El-Melloi II had seen it. The recent Celestial Bodies case involved a man attempting to achieve immortality through death. His daughter knew the ritual was flawed—and said nothing.
Indeed, the students El-Melloi had taught were impressive in every way.
"Let the Policies Department handle the cleanup."
Though the threat was over, issues remained—chiefly, inheritance. With the entire family dead, the scramble for their assets would be... lively.
"You're coming too?"
Back in their car, El-Melloi turned to Shishigou, puzzled.
"You promised reimbursement."
"...Fine. File an itemized report. But don't get carried away."
As a Lord, El-Melloi could authorize compensation. Solving a crisis like this? Worth it.
"Don't worry. I won't ask for much."
Shishigou grinned. Of course, he would exaggerate. Rarely did one get a chance to expense things to the Clock Tower—he planned to inflate the bill.
"Fairy Realm, Reverse Side of the World, Outside the World..."
Daniel sat silently, eyes closed, pondering the fairy gate. He could have destroyed it himself—but after seeing the twisted 'paternal love' of the magi involved, he'd rather not interfere.
Still, the Fairy Realm intrigued him. The gods of this world hadn't died—they had simply moved to the Reverse Side, beyond the veil of the mortal world. Legend said that the great underground tomb beneath the Clock Tower, Albion, contained a path to it.
"Wasn't there an 'Awakened One' who eventually left this world...?"
"You don't have any friends, do you?"
"Dear brother, are you trying to hurt me?"
In El-Melloi's study, Reines's smile froze after his jab. But a moment later, his smile faded too—they'd both hit a nerve. In the Clock Tower, neither had many friends.
"You should talk to Gray. Not me."
"...Then I'll be blunt. I'm borrowing your cute little apprentice."
Reines planned to bring Gray to a debut ball hosted by the Izelurma family for their twin princesses of gold and silver. Initially, she asked Daniel to escort her—these events were full of uncertainties, and she needed a strong bodyguard. But Daniel suggested she bring Gray along too—for her to gain social experience.
"Hard to believe they still do this stuff."
In a horse-drawn carriage en route, Daniel peered out the window, shaking his head. He hadn't expected such old-world tradition. But in England, this was still considered noble decorum.
"Illusions... No, actual magecraft. No wonder it's the Department of Creation."
After stepping out, a servant used a spell to shrink the coach and horses into toys. Daniel raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Reines, of course, remained unfazed.
Only she among their group had real experience dealing with nobility. Daniel, Rin, and Gray were all new to this.
Even if Daniel was the Grand Diviner of Qin and Emperor of Tang, he didn't bother with such aristocratic games. He'd transcended them. For the truly powerful, appearances didn't matter—what people called 'humility' in the rich was often just image management.
Their host, Byron, head of the Izelurma family, greeted them personally. Reines stepped forward to exchange formalities—noble etiquette demanded it.
"You're finally here."
The moment they entered the hall, Luvia approached. As the heir of the Edelfelt family, she had also been invited.
"Is it true a Grand will be here tonight?"
"That's the rumor. But which one, I can't say."
Reines's intel was better than most, but even she didn't know which Grand-ranked magus would appear. Over the centuries, the Clock Tower had produced only a handful.
"Just as I thought. Let's go that way—"
A commotion erupted in the grand hall—mages arguing, naturally. Reines barely flinched. Every large Clock Tower event had this 'tradition,' especially when the three major factions gathered.
She avoided it, of course. Fortunately, it was resolved quickly.
Then, under Byron's formal announcement, the golden and silver princesses appeared from the second-floor balcony.
The entire hall fell silent.
Everyone—man or woman—was struck dumb by their beauty. The sound of wine glasses shattering rang out, but none turned to look.
"Beauty... truly is a kind of magecraft."
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