The next day…
The sun had barely risen on the horizon when training resumed at full intensity.
Mio and Maria were already in their individual morning sessions, separated into different areas of the vast plain created by Alear.
Mio faced several imitations of high-level warriors artificially created by him. Her body moved with far more fluidity than a week ago, while blackish-blue lightning coursed through her arms and legs with increasing concentration and precision. At the same time, she attempted to integrate [Gravity Magic] into her attacks, distorting the weight and trajectory of blows during combat. Whenever she lost control of the magic or made a mistake, she was brutally struck by the imitations and thrown to the ground. Even so, she immediately stood back up, teeth clenched and pink eyes burning with stubborn determination.
Maria, on the other hand, trained her [Succubus Form] in a true hellish obstacle course. She ran, jumped, and destroyed moving targets at extreme speed while trying to maintain the transformation for as long as possible without unnecessarily wasting [Demonic Power]. Her voluptuous body glistened with sweat under the morning sun, her movements appearing both sensual and deadly, while she quietly cursed every time she noticed her [Demonic Power] reserves dropping too quickly.
Meanwhile, in an isolated area surrounded by enormous volcanic stone mountains, Alear trained directly with Ravel.
Ravel flew through the skies with her flaming wings fully spread, her face covered in sweat and completely focused as she unleashed an unrelenting barrage of golden flames at him.
Alear, however, remained standing in the center of a circle of partially melted stones, barely moving.
Around his body, a thin invisible layer of energy subtly distorted space whenever magical attacks struck him. Any spell cast against him was dissipated before it could even complete contact, as if it simply unraveled in midair. He had finally managed to reconstruct in this world one of his favorite spells, something that had required a considerable amount of time to recreate due to its complexity.
It was a technique created in his past life with the objective of simulating the absurd magical resistance possessed by certain high-level Servants. Its foundation came from [Kabbalah] Magecraft, a magical system derived from the Jewish mystical tradition whose name means "to receive." One of the most influential foundations of modern magic, Kabbalah served as the basis for various theories and systems developed within the Clock Tower itself.
To construct this spell, he primarily used [Numerology], a branch of Kabbalah that assigns hidden meanings to numbers and allows the manipulation of information and phenomena through them. Through this system, he inserted "commands" directly into a [Delimited Field] surrounding his body. This field functioned as a magical processing layer: the moment it came into contact with enemy magic, it automatically analyzed its structure, flow, and composition, using information previously recorded by Numerology to deconstruct and dissipate it before it could take effect. In essence, it was like turning his own body into an automatic system of magical negation.
Previously, countless spells and formulas had already been recorded within the [Delimited Field], a process that required weeks of preparation in that world and was precisely the reason for its delayed reconstruction. This allowed [Magic Nullification] to react automatically to most known spells without requiring conscious intervention. However, against a completely unknown spell, the behavior changed drastically.
In those situations, he had to rely directly on his [Mystic Eyes], his cerebral processing capacity, and his reaction speed to analyze the structure of the spell in real time, manually inserting the necessary information into the anti-magic field. Only after this process could the magic be properly nullified and dissipated.
And that was precisely the main weakness of [Magic Nullification].
Despite being extremely powerful, it was not an absolute defense. Unknown magic, conceptually complex phenomena, or overly fast attacks could still bypass it before he completed the analysis and information insertion into the delimited field.
Even so, with the level of magical knowledge he possessed, it was extremely difficult to find anyone capable of exploiting that flaw.
Most magical systems, formulas, and conceptual structures had already been studied, analyzed, or at least comprehended by him at some point in his past life. Even when something new appeared, his absurd analytical speed was usually enough to decipher its structure almost instantly and adapt [Magic Nullification] in real time.
In practice, this made his defense appear virtually absolute against the vast majority of magic users.
After all, to breach that barrier, one would need not only an unknown spell, but also casting speed sufficient to prevent his analysis before full activation…
"Faster!" Alear ordered, his firm voice echoing across the volcanic region. "Your flames are still too slow. Don't think of 'casting' fire… make it instinctive. Your body must act before your mind can even catch up."
Ravel bit her lower lip and immediately increased the intensity of her flames. Her flaming wings expanded behind her as she spun rapidly through the sky, concentrating a massive amount of golden fire around her body. In the next moment, she released a gigantic wave of phoenix-shaped flames that descended like a flaming meteor.
Alear did not even attempt to dodge.
He remained in place as the fire engulfed him completely.
However, the instant the flames touched the invisible barrier around his body, all magic began to dissipate naturally, fragmenting into luminous particles before it could truly reach him.
Seeing her attack fail, Ravel immediately dove toward him, enveloping her fists and legs in golden flames as she attempted close-quarters combat.
Alear evaded all her strikes using only minimal movements.
Sometimes he slightly tilted his head.
Other times he took a short step to the side.
Even so, none of Ravel's attacks could land.
And whenever an opening appeared, he counterattacked instantly.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Seemingly light strikes hit Ravel's shoulders, ribs, and thighs at extremely precise points. Despite the controlled force, each impact burned like red-hot iron, violently destabilizing her energy flow.
He was forcing her body to learn.
Forcing her instincts to adapt in the middle of combat.
"Don't flee from pain!" Alear declared coldly.
In the next instant, one of Ravel's attacks was completely neutralized.
BOOOOM!!
She was violently thrown into one of the nearby volcanic mountains, carving a small crater into the dark rock.
Rocks scattered in all directions.
For a few seconds, only dust and smoke remained in the air.
Then—
Ravel stood back up almost immediately.
She coughed a few times, tears of strain gathering at the corners of her eyes from pain and extreme exhaustion. Even so, her blue gaze still burned with stubborn determination.
"One more time, Alear-sama…!"
Alear raised his hand, interrupting her next attack before she could even complete the movement.
"Pause."
Ravel immediately halted. The golden flames around her arms flickered and gradually faded. Still panting from the intense training, she blinked a few times, clearly confused by the sudden interruption.
Alear calmly walked toward her and stopped a few meters away.
"You've already reached the necessary level of control…" he said, his voice firm yet carrying a faint tone of approval. "Your [Demonic Power] flow is much more stable now, and your precision has improved significantly. What you lack is the ability to imagine the process. I think I can give you a real push now…"
"How do you mean, Alear-sama?" Ravel asked, her blue eyes shining with expectation as she adjusted her posture in the air.
Alear gave a faint, amused smile.
"It'll be easier to show you."
He slowly raised his right hand and gently touched her forehead with two fingers.
At the same instant, a soft pink light flared at the point of contact.
Ravel's eyes widened slightly as a massive flood of images, sensations, and concepts poured directly into her mind. It was highly detailed information about flame compression, [Demonic Power] circulation, temperature amplification, and more efficient methods of intensifying and controlling her demonic fire without wasting energy.
"Don't think only about 'producing' more heat…" Alear explained calmly as he transmitted the knowledge directly into her mind. "Think in terms of efficiency. The more perfect the combustion of your Demonic Power, the more destructive the flame becomes. Reduce energy waste, concentrate everything into a smaller point, and drastically increase thermal density…"
Ravel closed her eyes, absorbing every image, sensation, and concept. When Alear finally withdrew his fingers from her forehead, she remained motionless for several seconds, organizing everything internally.
Then, slowly, she raised her right hand.
A normal golden flame appeared above her palm… but it began to change almost immediately.
Its color deepened until it transformed into a vivid, intense blue.
Instead of dispersing energy like a normal flame, she compressed a far greater amount of thermal energy into a much smaller space, drastically reducing combustion loss. The result was a denser, more efficient flame whose temperature far surpassed her usual flames. The blue coloration reflected this state: a more complete and extreme combustion. The air around it began to distort under the intense heat, while nearby rock slowly melted from sheer thermal radiation.
Ravel's eyes widened in shock.
"This… this is incredible…" she murmured, staring at the blue flame in pure excitement.
Alear nodded slightly, satisfied.
"This is only the beginning." He crossed his arms while observing the stabilization of the flames. "If you want to evolve further, start studying science. The clearer your understanding of fire-related processes, the more precise your visualization becomes."
Ravel blinked a few times.
"Science…?"
"Our magic based on [Demonic Power] works together with imagination," Alear replied calmly. "But imagination without understanding is limited. The more knowledge you possess, the more 'real' your visualization becomes… and the more the world accepts the result."
He pointed at the blue flame.
"When you can't advance your imagination further, there are usually only two problems: lack of control, or insufficient energy to sustain the result."
The blue flame flickered slightly as she listened attentively.
"That's why you must continue refining your control over [Demonic Power] and constantly increase your reserves. The greater your mastery of both, the closer your flames will become to what you truly imagine. Your training over the past week was entirely focused on this, which is why you achieved this blue fire… but—"
At that exact moment, the blue flame in her hand flickered violently.
Fssshhh…
It extinguished suddenly, as if blown out by an invisible wind. Ravel's eyes widened in surprise. She had been so focused on his explanation that she had not noticed how rapidly her [Demonic Power] was being consumed to maintain the high-density flame.
Her body tilted forward, her legs suddenly losing strength.
"Kyaa—!"
Before she could fall, Alear stepped forward and caught her by the waist with a firm arm, pulling her against his chest to stabilize her.
Ravel froze completely for a second, her face pressed against his torso. The residual heat of her body mixed with his subtle scent made her cheeks instantly flush deep red.
"A-Alear-sama…!" she murmured, voice trembling with embarrassment.
He held her gently, looking down with a calm expression.
"Are you alright?"
Ravel nodded quickly, still unable to lift her face, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
"Yes… I'm fine. I just… ran out of Demonic Power suddenly. I was so focused on your explanation that I didn't notice how much I was using…"
Alear kept his arm around her waist for a few more seconds to ensure she was steady, then slowly released her.
"That's normal…" he said without reprimand. "You were trying to maintain a high-density flame while listening to me. That magic consumes energy far faster than you think…"
After he finished speaking, Ravel's blue eyes shone with a mixture of admiration, gratitude, and something deeper.
"Alear-sama… you are truly incredible…" she murmured softly. "In such a short time, you taught me something I could never have achieved alone. Thank you… for being so patient with me. For guiding me like this. I… I feel very fortunate to be your fiancée."
Her words carried genuine emotion. Her face was still flushed from exertion and closeness. Her fingers lightly held the front of his clothing, as if unwilling to let go.
Alear looked at her silently for a few seconds. The warm volcanic breeze passed between them, making strands of her blonde hair sway across her face. He slowly raised his hand and tucked a strand behind her ear, the gesture unexpectedly gentle.
"You are working hard…" he replied in a low, calm voice. "It is only natural that I guide you. Besides, you are my fiancée… my future wife."
Those simple words made her heart leap violently. Ravel felt her face grow even hotter. Her blue eyes locked onto his, and for a brief moment the world around them seemed to vanish. There was only the two of them, the lingering heat of flames, and the growing, delicate tension in the air.
She bit her lower lip, clearly struggling against her shyness. Her fingers tightened slightly on his clothes.
Finally, embarrassment won. Ravel lowered her gaze quickly, ears red, and took a small step back, though she remained quite close.
"And… that blue flame…" she murmured, trying to change the subject. "What is the name of that magic, Alear-sama?"
Alear watched her reaction for another moment, a faint amused smile forming at the corner of his lips. He slowly shook his head.
"It doesn't have a name yet. You can name it whatever you want."
Ravel blinked in surprise, then a shy, happy smile appeared on her face.
"Then… I'll think of a beautiful name for it…" she said softly, almost like a promise.
The moment gradually faded, but the atmosphere between them remained lighter and more intimate than before. Ravel stepped back again, regaining her posture with difficulty, while Alear returned to his instructor stance.
"Rest for a while, then try again once you recover your [Demonic Power]. I want to see you sustain that blue flame for longer next time."
"Yes, Alear-sama!"
Ravel replied with determination, though her heart was still racing from their previous closeness. She then moved a few meters away and sat down to rest…
__________________
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