Imagine two wizards playing tag. Who has the advantage, the pursuer or the fugitive?

The answer is the one who is fleeing. In a wizard duel, the side that has even a little more time to prepare always holds the upper hand.

The fugitive has several options. They can choose the battlefield they desire, attempt to shake off their pursuer, or—

“Stop.”

“I-I said stop…!”

I slammed on the brakes and threw a stone against the wall at the corner.

Whooosh—! Boom—!

Then, a magic circle that had been hidden away erupted in a burst of red light, spewing forth a volley of flames. The wall facing us exploded, creating a large hole.

I swung my cloak to clear the black smoke and leaped forward again.

“To set a magical trap in such a short time…”

“It seems like he realized he was being pursued long ago, and he’s the aggressive type. Even while being chased, he might counterattack, so be careful.”

I could hear Selvia swallow hard.

She looked quite tense, but I wasn’t worried about her freezing up and becoming a burden during the fight. She was a diligent and perceptive wizard.

If I create an opportunity, she would surely shine beyond expectations.

“⋯⋯Aren’t you nervous, Professor?”

“Me? Not really.”

I wasn’t that tense.

I had confidence in winning, confidence in escaping; I had both. Even in the worst-case scenario, I could preserve my life. The equation for victory was clear before my eyes—how could I be nervous?

After dismantling two more magical traps, I finally caught up to the target.

The target, a figure of some sort, stood idly in a small open space, waiting for us.

His hair was disheveled, and his beard was unkempt. He wore a tattered red robe of the Mage Tower. With no care for his appearance, if he were crouched on the street hiding his gaze, one might mistake him for a beggar.

Yes, his gaze. He had eyes that burned with some kind of fervent desire.

“Are you wizards from the Red Tower? Have you come to kill me?”

“⋯⋯Yes. I am Selvia, a wizard of the Red Tower, and I have come here to execute you.”

“That’s what they say. You’ve done many wicked things, haven’t you? The karmic retribution always comes back around. It seems that time is now for you.”

“Huh…?”

Swoosh.

Something resembling a regular octahedron appeared and vanished around him, shimmering faintly. I felt a strange familiarity, as if I were seeing a part of my own body. That’s it.

It’s one of the modules scattered across the world.

Looking at it orbiting around the target, it seemed to acknowledge that thing as its master now. This is rather fortuitous.

What if the artifact I trusted was hacked and turned against me? It would surely be a significant ambush.

I cautiously flicked my finger to send a faint signal. I transmitted a command to the module. Your true master has arrived here, so cease your infidelity and gradually return here.

[External administrator code verification, connecting…].

While I whispered to the module, the target asked Selbier with a spoonful of longing.

“… Is Lord Aetap well? Is he perhaps suffering from an illness? Still beautiful and noble, I hope.”

“What? Why are you asking that all of a sudden…? You were excommunicated.”

“It’s not an excommunication. I merely tried to become someone worthy of Lord Aetap. Out of envy for that effort, those ignorant fools conspired against me and drove me away.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The records from that time are intact, and it has been verified that you ambushed and killed your fellow mages!”

Kre… paused for a moment, then muttered as if reflecting on the past.

“… They blocked me, not knowing their place. I only said I would burn people for more power. Buying worthless slaves in bulk to burn them wouldn’t even violate imperial law.”

“That’s human sacrifice! You openly said you would use black magic?!”

“No, it’s different. It’s clearly different. I don’t touch souls.”

“That makes no sense…”

Selbier shook off the notion as if he had heard something insane. The moment you say you would burn people for fuel, you’re not normal. You would be no different from a dark mage.

It seems he doesn’t think so.

This makes it easier to understand why Kre… burned down the dark mages’ base and seized my fragment. The city is in a state of indifference, under the power of the module.

Even if dozens or hundreds of citizens were sacrificed, no one would care. It’s a well-set table for feasting. He was waiting for the right moment for mass destruction.

Fwoosh──!!

Flames erupted violently around Kre…, swirling together into a single point and beginning to take shape. With a sharp snout and teeth, a long, elongated body, the flames eventually transformed into a massive serpent that appeared to be alive.

“Metamorphosis – ‘Flame of Desire.'”

The head of the fire serpent was human-sized, and its total length seemed to exceed ten meters. Where the serpent passed, soot was left behind, but the fire did not spread. The flames were purely condensed.

Is that the secret to controlling flames?

“I nurtured my flames while working as a mercenary. I will consume until the serpent becomes the sun, and then, I will offer this sun to Lord Aetap…”

“………”

The flickering desire in the eyes of that thing is unsettling. He has spared no means or methods to achieve the ambition of the Red Tower, and it seems he has ultimately been driven away.

[Connection complete.]

Good, the communication came through at just the right time.

Module, unleash a mental attack on that thing. Then, I will shoot the flame spear hidden in my sleeve at the right moment!

[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]

“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”

[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]

No way, you b*stard.

[The connection validity has expired. Please re-authenticate your certificate.]

Even at this timing, you’re slacking off!

No, it can’t be?

Memories flash by. There was a time when the news of Pingvalez’s coma triggered the ‘Psychopath Module’, and I had once crushed it to forcibly stop the module.

Did you harbor resentment against me back then…? And now, independent from me, you’re going to show your displeasure at this crucial moment?

“Hey, what the hell are you doing, you crazy b*stard!”

“⋯⋯You’re noisy, and speaking incomprehensibly. I’ll use you as firewood first.”

That thing pointed at me with a finger.

Whoosh, sssssssssss──!!

And then, a massive flame serpent rushed forward, leaving a trail of soot swirling on the ground. Even if I try to evade in advance, I will still get hit. I must dodge at a razor-sharp timing when the serpent’s trajectory cannot be altered.

Right now…!

“『Propulsion』.”

Just a beat faster than my attempt to leap, flames erupted from the entire body of the flame serpent, accelerating like a rocket.

I also used my magic to accelerate, but I couldn’t completely evade it, and thus.

Screeeech──!!

“Krraaahk-!”

“Pro, Professor?!”

My left arm was instantly burned away and scattered to ashes.

I rolled on the ground, screaming. The rising pain left me defenseless. With one of my limbs gone, the efficiency of forming seals or drawing magic circles drastically decreased.

If it had been a slightly bolder creature, it might have been different, but a pathetic one that couldn’t even chant due to pain would have no chance to counterattack. I was effectively neutralized.

⋯⋯That’s what you must be thinking!

My arm didn’t burn. It’s completely fine. I ‘stored’ it inside before the flame serpent could bite it off.

I’m not human anymore. I was an information lifeform. I evaded by retracting my arms like a cat sheathing its claws, pushing them into my torso as data.

And naturally, I set up a deception. After all, the smoke was my home ground.

Noticing the situation, it worked. Who would think, “That guy must have the ability to retract his arms; I should be cautious”?

With this, it was as good as getting a surprise free pass.

Now it’s your turn, Selvier! I’ll strike with an unexpected blow, so you just need to distract him a bit…!

“Ah, ahh…”

Ah.

My act even shattered Selvier’s mental state.

If it were Yuna and Yuri, they would have caught on. They know what kind of person I am and how I fight. They would have quickly followed my lead.

But Selvier doesn’t know me. What she knows is the past me. The difference in perception led to a different outcome. I made a mistake.

Then I’ll change the plan. Since she’s already in shock.

“…Selvier, run away! I’ll be fine!”

“……!!”

I give more.

Take it all in.

I’ll become the heroine in crisis.

If I can turn Selvier into a metaphor right here, wouldn’t we win…!

This isn’t a gamble. This is a probability worth taking. I’ve watched her growth closely, so I was 90% sure. She’s standing right at the door.

Absorb the emotions, face yourself.

And bloom!

——–

Over Selvier’s eyes, images of the past overlap with the present.

He always stepped forward for Selvier. Even when he was beaten by the village elders, or when he faced the crisis of being sold off somewhere.

Even now.

“…You’re annoyingly quick, even after losing an arm.”

“You’re the slow one! You can’t finish off a single exhausted wizard with a metaphor like this? There’s a reason you were expelled from the enemy tower!”

“I’ll take my time and kill you.”

Struggle.

As the mad wizard fires a flame spear from his sleeve, the fire serpent moves its tail to block the attack aimed at its master. The weak fire is absorbed by the strong fire, leaving no trace behind.

From noble mtl dot come

And as the serpent writhes and opens its mouth wide to strike, the mad wizard throws himself desperately, barely managing to evade.

Kravellin Render’s metaphor is a fusion of offense and defense. Especially the property of absorbing fire magic made him a counter to the enemy tower. Yet, despite that.

The childhood friend was fighting even after losing an arm.

“Stay away from him…! ‘The Fierce Breath of the Flame Spirit’!”

Selbier unleashed a barrage of fire magic to help him, but every time the fire serpent writhed, it was all erased. Futilely.

“‘Flame Spear,’ ‘Spiral Explosion’…!!”

All the magical power she could muster, packed tightly into spells born from her efforts, still did not reach the result of helping him. The situation continued to worsen.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably. What should she do if the magic she had studied her whole life was ineffective? How could she possibly—

Fear surged within her.

Was she really going to lose her childhood friend forever? Finally, at long last, she had met him. Just a little more until she could reunite with the one from her memories…

Fwoosh──!!

“Ugh…?!”

“How long do you plan to hold out? You’re not even trying to escape. Is it to protect that woman? If so, would you give up if I turned that side into firewood first?”

Kravellin Render’s gaze turned toward Selbier. And a massive serpent opened its jaws wide, rushing toward her.

She couldn’t read its trajectory. It appeared to move in a straight line, but the body of the fire serpent was constantly undulating. Even if she dodged to the side, it would instantly change its course. And the heat and pressure were palpable.

Her childhood friend, who had evaded such attacks until now, was a monster.

Just before Selbier was swallowed whole.

Boom-!

“──Selbier!”

Crackling-!

With the explosion, her childhood friend flew toward her, rolling as he embraced her body. The fire serpent scraped the ground as it passed by them. Just that was enough to make her skin burn.

Had he flown here propelled by explosion magic?

Even in his blood- and sweat-soaked, utterly exhausted state, her childhood friend managed to squeeze out a light smile.

“…Leave this to me and go ahead. I’ll draw their attention. I have a plan.”

“What about you, what about you…?!”

“If you run first, I can find my way out too. Do you trust me?”

A lie.

If there were such a method, he should just use it now.

Her childhood friend staggered as he rose to his feet. Then, as if to tell her to focus on herself, he deliberately shot out magic and stepped forward. The sight of him seemed like it would vanish like a mirage, making her dizzy.

“…….”

Even in this dangerous situation, her heart raced uncontrollably.

It was then that Selbier realized. He had lost his memories, but the parts he loved about her had not changed at all.

He was always him. The one watching from afar was Selvia.

It was Selvia who stubbornly denied that he was not her childhood friend.

Was it greed?

Was it not that Selvia wanted to reclaim her childhood friend, but rather… that she wished he would look at her?

There were two competitors. They were people so far away that she could hardly keep up. Perhaps she wanted to stand beside him, even if it meant borrowing the power of memories.

She didn’t want to remain just a student in his eyes.

Did she wait until he would acknowledge her as his ‘childhood friend’?

“…pathetic.”

Pathetic.

…If they were to reunite, there were so many things she wanted to do. After waiting like this. For ten years, she had lived like a sunflower, longing for sunlight.

To talk about old memories from their hometown, to receive praise for the efforts she had made to find him, to ask him to pat her head, to hold hands together.

As they chatted and the evening glow faded into a starry night, she wanted to express the precious feelings she hadn’t been able to convey before, carried away by the flowing breeze.

She had hoped that in doing so, she could finally fill the unerasable loneliness.

But because of greed, she couldn’t even convey her feelings. Would he disappear, dying just like this?

No.

She didn’t want this ending.

Even if her childhood friend couldn’t remember her, and her love went unreturned, it was a hundred, a thousand times better than him dying.

In truth, what Selvia truly wished for was──

“…”

Tap. Drip.

As tears flowed down her cheeks, she realized it was rain falling from the sky.

Regret is too late.

Selvia staggered to her feet. She had to do something. Anything.

At the very end, the outline of her heart began to take shape.

What she had longed to emulate in her childhood friend.

He had helped others.

But conversely, there was no one to help him.

So…

She wanted to be the one person who would help him.

Selvia wanted to be the sun that illuminated her childhood friend.

So.

——–

Pitter-patter. Swoosh──!

It’s raining. The droplets falling from the sky fiercely beat against the ground. Some touch the surface of the fiery serpent, turning into steam and rising back up to the sky.

Even in this downpour, there’s no sign of weakening. I let out a deep sigh. It seems I need to tear this apart.

Instead of retrieving that piece of data orbiting around, I’m thinking of self-destructing it. That should definitely create an opportunity to escape.

How nice it would have been if you returned while I was still speaking nicely. When I pretended to stagger and tried to input the command, “Self-destruct, Siri.”

Pitter, patter.

Cutting through the rain, Selvier slowly walked over.

There was no sign of confusion or fear. In her eyes shone a definite resolve. Selvier took a deep breath for a moment, looked straight at me, and spoke.

“If I say that I’ll burn for you alone, would that sound a bit strange?”

“……It’s quite sudden, but to be honest, I’m glad. It’s a grateful thing when someone does something for me.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Thank you for thinking so.”

Then…… has it bloomed?

Hiding my inner fluttering heart, I looked at Selvier. With a somewhat smug expression, she spoke as if boasting to her brother about her high test scores.

“Now, I don’t need the Krabellin Render or the ‘Gateway to Promotion.’ I don’t have to cling to such trivial means── it’s already certain that I’ll become the disciple of the Lord of the Tower of Enemies. And.”

“And?”

“Actually, I don’t need the wish right anymore.”

“………..?”

I was briefly taken aback by Selvier’s declaration that her life goal had vanished. Has she undergone a dark evolution instead of a fable? No, her expression isn’t that gloomy……

Selvier stood in front of me protectively, leaving me behind with a questioning look on my face. She spoke confidently.

“I’ll return tenfold what I took from my childhood friend. Krabellin Render.”

“What can a powerless being who did nothing in the corner while your companion suffered do now? I’m really curious.”

“……This time, I’ll be the one protecting, so just watch from there. Brother.”

Szzzzzz──

Flames and light emanated from Selvier’s body. Then a beam shot from her chest, connecting to my heart.

I could feel her emotions. It seemed she wanted to protect me. Somehow, that made me feel incredibly proud, and I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

I instinctively understood. Selvier’s fable is a fable for me.

Her ability is exceptionally outstanding, but it has the limitation that it can only be activated when I’m by her side. Is this how she expresses her desire to be close to her childhood friend?

Selvier’s entire body ignited like the sun. And above her head, there was a halo.

The figure resembled an angel remarkably. Thus.

Metamorphosis, “Flame Angel.”