Chương 3: Those Who Fell From the Sky
Elefseria's POV
I sighed as I reentered the desolate guild hall, my footsteps echoing in the silence. Magia Dragon—a place where once wizards of all strengths and paths united under one banner—now stood abandoned, with only me to frequent its hollowed halls. You lot are the final hope. I reflected on the words I left the fairies with as they departed for Erminia, setting their sights on Mercphobia. Their journey would begin soon, with the hope of finally ending this century-long commission.
Those youngsters... their ambition and fire were infectious, reminding me of a youth that feels like it existed lifetimes ago. And considering they were the ones who ended Acnologia's reign of terror, I should have faith in them. I should have hope. But over the course of this long century, I've seen too many awe-inspiring mages fail to seal away those five. Why should I place my trust in a group that needed to rally the power of an entire continent just to take down one of equal might?
Hope so often goes unanswered, leading only to disappointment and a vicious cycle of despair. I've witnessed friends devoured by Mercphobia, trampled by Aldoron, burned alive by Ignia, and tortured by Selene. Despite spending my life amassing powerful magic to rid Guiltina of their evil, my greatest achievement was reducing six gods to five, slaying the weakest. A hollow victory at best.
My Law Dragon Slayer Magic allows me to process the world's knowledge, granting insight into the roots and stories of these fairies. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. Few mages I've met have endured as many trials as they have and emerged victorious. The fire boy even managed to defeat the black mage, cursed by Ankhseram and wielding infinite magic—a feat I doubt I could replicate.
Yet their power comes from their bonds, their unity. But against gods, that won't be enough. Gods view everything below them as ants. That is why I am alone now. Unless Natsu's companions can rise to a similar level, they won't even serve as proper support, let alone stand beside him in battle. And can the adopted son of the Fire Dragon King truly surpass his father's flesh and blood?
It's paradoxical. Statistically, Team Natsu is by far the most capable group for this task. So why, then, do I feel so little confidence in them?
Is it their inconsistency? Time and again, they've been bested by those of lesser strength, opponents they should have easily defeated, only to return later and claim victory. But can the same be said against gods? You don't test gods—you don't offend gods. Just challenging one is sacrilege enough. There will be no second chances. If Ankhseram is any example, gods are unforgiving. The dragon gods will toy with them, and finish them off when they've had their fun—except maybe Ignia, who might spare Natsu. But Natsu alone.
Even if by some miracle they survive the dragon gods, the movements of Diablos are unsettling, as is the threat of Gold Owl. And then there's the Rebellious and other stray White Magic cults. This quest will be harder than ever, with more competitors, each driven by equally sinister goals. At least the dragons act on instinct. Except for Ignia, none of them seem to have grand ambitions—they're content to wreak havoc across Guiltina. But the humans... humans are far more devious. That's why the fairies must not only seal the dragons but ensure that none lurking in the shadows claim their powers.
My fists clenched as memories of Athena's failure surfaced. If only I hadn't been so greedy... I spent years trying to find a way to counter White Magic but never prevailed. Enchantments were only a temporary measure. Maybe alchemy, something I have no aptitude for, holds the key to opposing whiteout. If I had known then what I know now, I would have eliminated those cultists long ago.
I raised my head, my gaze passing through the weathered ceiling to the endless sky above. Perhaps they need help. Although commissioning the same quest to multiple parties is considered in poor taste among mages, when the fate of Earthland is at stake, exceptions must be made.
Just as I pondered reaching out to other mages, my eyes widened as the sky tore apart. A rift opened in space. The foreign ethernano was unmistakable—outsiders. I'm no stranger to other worlds. Edolas and Elentear are well documented in my mental library. But the question remained: why?
It couldn't be Edolas—that world has been stripped of magic. Elentear, perhaps? Selene's boredom wouldn't explain this anomaly. No, the only other possibility was an undiscovered world. And the malevolent aura from that gate confirmed that these newcomers did not come in peace.
"Dammit. It's always something," I muttered. With a tap of my staff, I blinked into the sky, positioning myself in front of the gate. The gravity might have pulled others in, but for me, it was a mere nuisance. I hovered in place, watching as life signatures barreled toward me at breakneck speed.
I prepared a spell to stop them, but something made me hesitate. They weren't coming here willingly. I saw three unconscious figures hurtling through the gate like cannonballs, crashing through the roof of my guild and smashing into the stone floor below, creating a wide crater.
I blinked back inside, studying their broken forms as they bled out. The first was a girl with silver hair and pink eyes, a water attribute flowing through her veins. The second was a tall, handsome boy with black hair and golden eyes, possessing dual attributes of wind and perhaps starlight. Then there was the third—a muscular, short-statured boy. An enigma. His green eyes held no magic energy whatsoever. In Earthland, everyone has magic, even if they can't use it. But this boy had none. Yet, despite his lack of magic, the pitch-black arm he wielded radiated danger.
I stood at a crossroads. Should I finish them off and end their suffering, or take a leap of faith and heal them, unsure of their intentions? My eyes fell on the strange, archaic books they carried. After a moment, I sighed and bathed them in ethereal magic. The two wizards' wounds healed rapidly, but the short one's arm blocked much of the spell's effects. Nullification magic? I frowned, isolating the arm in a barrier to save his life.
Once they were stabilized, I warped their unconscious bodies to rest in the medical ward that hadn't seen use in a century. As I blinked back to the roof to repair the damage, I muttered softly, "Well, Elefseria, you asked for help. Maybe if no one in Earthland can handle this, it's time to look beyond—to add a few new variables to the equation."
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Asta's POV
"Gah!" I bolted upright, gasping for breath, my body drenched in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest like I'd just run a marathon. Panic surged through me as I tried to make sense of where I was. The dim, dusty walls surrounding me were far from familiar—so grimy that they'd make the Black Bull's hideout look pristine. My eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of danger, before landing on the two figures sleeping soundly in beds beside mine.
Yuno and Noelle. Relief washed over me like a wave. They were safe, wrapped in blankets, their breathing steady. But the pounding in my head only intensified as memories started to flood back—memories of the spell, the gate...and Liebe.
Liebe! A surge of panic hit me again as I frantically searched for him. My eyes found my grimoire, lying nearby. Through our contract, I could feel his presence within, alive and intact. I exhaled in deep relief, my heart finally slowing.
"Asta, thank god, you're okay! I was so worried about you..." Liebe's voice echoed in my mind, his concern palpable. Even though I couldn't see him, his warmth reached me, easing the tension in my chest.
"Me too, buddy, me too," I replied inwardly, trying to reassure both of us. "Stay in the grimoire, okay? Don't make any moves. We don't know where we are or what's going on." Whoever had brought us here was kind enough to leave our grimoires untouched, but if they spotted a devil, things might change quickly.
"Got it..." Liebe's voice was calmer now, but he understood the gravity of the situation. We both did.
My mind raced, trying to piece together what little I knew. The fact that our grimoires had been left out in the open was strange, especially considering they'd clearly been inspected. That meant whoever brought us here had time to look through them—and yet they hadn't taken them away. That left me with three possibilities: One, whoever did this was ridiculously kind, which felt too good to be true. Two, they didn't understand what the grimoires represented. Or three… they knew exactly what they were dealing with and just didn't care.
I had little faith in option one. No one's that nice, right? The second possibility was unsettling because it suggested we might not be in the Clover Kingdom—or any of the four kingdoms—anymore. And the third? Well, if they knew what the five-leaf clover symbolized and weren't afraid, that meant they were either devil worshipers, devil hosts themselves, or they were so excruciatingly powerful that a devil like Liebe didn't even scare them.
I pushed down the rising panic. There wasn't time for that. I needed to think clearly. Assessing my body, I realized I felt completely fine—almost too fine. Either I had been out for a very long time, or whoever had treated us could bypass the curse in my arm. Both options made me uneasy.
Suddenly, I heard a groan from my side. Yuno and Noelle were stirring, slowly waking up. I moved quickly to their bedsides, my hands on their shoulders, shushing them before they could panic or speak. We didn't know who might be listening, and we couldn't afford to give anything away. They caught on quickly—smart as they were—taking in the situation with sharp eyes. We didn't need words to understand each other. They knew something was wrong.
Just as we were about to quietly strategize, I felt a shift in the air—a presence. My senses, finely tuned to Ki, picked it up instantly. Yuno's mana sense must have alerted him at the same time because both of us jerked our heads in the same direction. Noelle was a second slower, her instincts kicking in as her gaze locked onto the figure standing in the far corner of the room.
It was an old man, his face lined with age, his long white-gray hair flowing past his shoulders. He wore an archaic magician's robe and a wizard's hat that looked like it belonged to a different era altogether. His expression was unreadable, eyes cold and calculating as they swept over us.
I couldn't sense any magic, but something in my gut told me this man was immensely powerful. The way Yuno and Noelle's eyes widened, their bodies tensing, confirmed my suspicions. They were seeing something I couldn't—something that filled them with a mix of fear and awe. My instincts screamed at me to stay on guard, even if his Ki didn't radiate malice. Trusting Ki alone would be foolish in a situation like this.
"Who are you?!" Noelle demanded, stepping in front of me and Yuno protectively, her wand already in hand, her grimoire floating beside her, flipping rapidly to one of her signature spells. Always the fighter, she was ready for battle in an instant.
But it wasn't Noelle's reaction that made my heart sink. It was the way the old man looked at her grimoire—with fascination and surprise. His eyes lingered on it as if recognizing something. Damn it... we're a long way from home, aren't we?
I clenched my fists, bitter realization sinking in. We weren't in the Clover Kingdom anymore—maybe not even in the same world. I didn't need Ki to sense the same dread settling over Yuno and Noelle. It was written plainly on their faces, a mix of fear and resignation.
Sensing the heavy tension in the air, the old man's face softened slightly, and he forced a smile. His staff tapped the ground lightly, and the oppressive silence finally broke.
"Greetings, young ones," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle but carrying the weight of centuries. "I am Elefseria, one of the oldest mages in this world. I am the founder and guild master of Magia Dragon, Earthland's first guild... and the Dragon of Law."
I felt a chill run down my spine. Earthland? So we were in another world. But what hit me harder was that title—Dragon of Law. This wasn't some ordinary mage. This man was something far more dangerous.
"We have much to discuss," he continued, his eyes narrowing as they swept over us again. "Visitors... from another world."
His words hung in the air like a heavy storm cloud. Visitors. From another world. That was us—Yuno, Noelle, and me. But why had we been brought here? And more importantly, what did this ancient mage want from us?
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