[???]
Victoria exhaled softly, her expression unreadable, before issuing her orders.
"Adrian, Lukas. You two will stay behind and engage the girl." Her voice was steady. "Be wary—she's a lieutenant. That means she isn't just skilled; she's dangerous. There's a possibility she possesses an ability akin to Grimm's. I'm collecting data on her as we speak, but until I have more, do not go all out. Pace yourselves. Test the waters before committing."
A sharp pair of confirmations came through the magical link—
["Understood."] Adrian's voice was calm.
["Alright, fine."] Lukas, by contrast, sounded almost annoyed, but Victoria knew he would listen.
She allowed herself a brief moment to process their compliance before shifting her attention back to the ever-shifting map. A new disturbance caught her eye.
Her gaze sharpened. "Hm… It seems Mikoto has already eliminated the three Inheritors." Her lips barely twitched, but there was a flicker of satisfaction in her tone. "As expected."
Without wasting a second, she turned her focus to another sector of the battlefield. "Astrid, you're with General Mai again. We cannot afford to waste any time. North of your current position, there are two Von Auerswald's." She tapped a glowing marker on the map, isolating the two signals. "The probability of one of them being Selwyn is low, but not impossible. If it is him, do not engage—retreat immediately. However, it is far more likely to be Emilia and Amaury Von Auerswald. The two were practically inseparable in the Colosseum."
Astrid's confirmation came immediately.
Victoria wasted no time moving forward.
"Agatha, you're paired with Mirabella." She murmured. "Your fighting styles complement one another—use that to your advantage. Should you come across a formidable opponent, do not resort to Arcane Ascendance immediately. Agatha, you'll take point on defense. Mirabella, you'll be the spear."
Predictably, Mirabella's voice came through the link with an exaggerated groan. ["Great. I'm with blondie."]
["Stop whining."] Agatha's retort was curt.
Victoria ignored them and turned her attention to the last unaccounted member.
"And Lucinda—you'll have to move alone for now. With the exception of Mikoto and Guinevere, you're our strongest asset. No immediate threats have honed in on you yet, so hold your position. I'll find an opponent worthy of you soon enough."
Lucinda's response was instant. ["Got it!"]
With her commands set, Victoria finally allowed herself a breath.
Beside her, Fiona remained silent, her eyes locked onto the map's shifting brilliance. "Seems your plan worked."
Victoria arched a delicate brow at the remark but did not respond immediately.
Fiona elaborated. "Grimm is facing off against three Inheritors now. It played out even better than expected. Either those three get eliminated, or they take out a wildcard."
Victoria's lips curved ever so slightly. "Exactly." She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers, summoning a floating Zephyra Illusora—the enchanted screen shimmering into existence midair. A new image materialized upon it, displaying the towering form of Grimm.
Fiona's brows lifted slightly as she observed the unfolding clash.
A column of searing white flames erupted from the sky at Grimm's command, consuming everything in its path. Even through the projection, the intensity of it was palpable. Fiona narrowed her eyes. "Is that… his ability?"
Victoria's tone was composed, "Yes. Though what you're seeing now is an older showing. I've been using the planet's decaying leylines to compile and record data from across the battlefield." She exhaled. "Grimm's dominion isn't over simple fire or wind. He controls the very foundation of existence—the purest form of 'elements.' Not just the classical ones, but anything that falls under that classification. He's much more dangerous than I initially thought."
Fiona remained silent, eyes still fixed on the screen.
Victoria tapped another section of the map. "Ah. It seems Dante has successfully eliminated an opponent." Her voice held a note of intrigue. "Though… it seems he's immediately attracted another. Hm. It's progressing well. Everything is proceeding exactly as planned. The only variable now is—"
She clicked her tongue.
"Tch. Still no trace of Mikoto."
Fiona sighed. "That's because he's hiding his mana."
Victoria gave a pointed look. "Of course, he is. The little menace is practically allergic to letting me track him properly."
Fiona let out a quiet chuckle. "He's probably searching for Selwyn. Knowing Mikoto, he's too stubborn to let him be. Honestly, I wish he would learn to pace himself. He's reckless—he's already faced three Inheritors. If he goes after Selwyn after that…" She exhaled heavily, shaking her head. "It's too much."
Victoria observed her closely, a slow smirk creeping onto her lips. "You sound like a worried wife."
Fiona froze.
"No, I don't!" She whirled on Victoria, her face turning an immediate shade of red. "My relationship with Mikoto isn't like that!"
Victoria hummed, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh? You two are awfully close. I'm jealous."
Fiona crossed her arms, glaring. "I have noticed, but you seem quite infatuated with Mikoto yourself." Her voice was accusatory, but there was curiosity beneath it. "I know he healed your mother, but… it seems like more than that."
Victoria paused. Then, slowly, her expression softened.
"Despite what you may think, I'm not madly in love or anything." Her voice was quiet, yet there was sincerity to it. "But I do owe Mikoto a debt for saving my mother's life. That's why I'm here. I want to support him in any way I can, though he's making that awfully difficult."
For once, she looked almost… wistful.
"It's strange." Her blue eyes gleamed. "In the past, I never cared to repay debts. It always felt meaningless. But now? Now, I want to do everything in my power to help him. Whether it's a sense of duty or something more…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter."
Fiona observed her for a long moment.
"Seems you're set on that," she murmured.
Victoria chuckled, her expression returning to its usual smugness. "Oh, who knows? Maybe I will fall for him when he gets older."
Fiona scowled. "You just had to ruin the moment, huh?"
Victoria smirked. "Of course."
Fiona groaned, rubbing her temples. "You're impossible."
Victoria simply laughed, though her sapphire eyes remained locked onto the glowing three-dimensional map as an anomaly caught her attention—one of the blips was moving, but unlike the others, this one wasn't meandering through the battlefield or converging with any squad. No, this one was hurtling toward their location at an increasingly alarming speed, as if zeroing in on them.
Yet, she remained entirely unbothered.
She exhaled through her nose, her expression calm, almost bored, as she shifted her gaze toward Fiona. She turned her head slightly, brushing a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear, she murmured.
"Fiona, carry me real quick."
The Solkari girl blinked, her sharp eyes narrowing in confusion.
"…Excuse me?"
Victoria didn't elaborate, didn't even lift her eyes from the map. She simply snapped her fingers, dismissing the glowing projections as they flickered out of existence. Her hand reached out expectantly toward Fiona as if this was the most natural thing in the world.
A deafening, high-pitched screech echoed across the sky.
Fiona's head jerked up just in time to witness a monstrous shape cutting through the air, streaking toward them with terrifying velocity. A hulking, black metal behemoth, sleek, a fusion of magitech and something else.
Its frame was forged from a black alloy, smooth yet unnervingly organic in its construction, as if the metal was alive, shifting subtly with unnatural fluidity. It was massive, towering well over twenty meters, yet it moved as though it was weightless. The core of its structure pulsed with ominous red energy, its entire body adorned in red filaments that slithered like veins beneath the surface.
Its head was, with a visor-like faceplate devoid of features, save for two elongated slits of searing red light. The elongated helm extended into horn-like protrusions, sharp and asymmetrical.
Its arms were overengineered, built for annihilation. Broad, segmented plating overlapped like armor, hiding within them an array of integrated weaponry—cannon apertures, retractable blades, and sigil emitters lined its forearms, suggesting a level of versatility far beyond mere brute force. Its fingers were razor-tipped claws, each digit seemingly capable of rending through even the strongest of defenses.
The back of the mech bore an array of bladed wings, not mechanical in the traditional sense, but rather floating constructs, shifting and readjusting dynamically in real-time, forming a hovering crest of red and black energy.
Then, with a sudden snap, the mech's serrated wings folded inward, its colossal form diving straight toward them like a descending predator.
Fiona's breath hitched as the air around them distorted.
"Shit—"
Before she could curse further, Victoria simply tilted her head, her hand still outstretched.
"Fiona."
The ground rumbled beneath them as the mechanical beast roared downward, closing in. With an irritated tch, Fiona didn't waste another second. Her body moved on instinct.
With one swift motion, she scooped Victoria into her arms, effortlessly lifting her into a princess carry, and with an explosive leap, she shot off the edge of the cliff just as the mech made impact.
The moment they were airborne, the cliffside behind them detonated. The shockwave tore through the air, sending shards of obliterated rock and debris falling like a meteor shower. The force of the impact annihilated the entire cliffside.
Fiona landed with grace, her sabatons hitting the ground with a sharp thud as she crouched low to absorb the impact. The moment they touched down, she loosened her grip—only for Victoria to smirk knowingly, arms still draped over Fiona's shoulders, making no effort to move.
Fiona immediately scowled. "You can get down now."
Victoria's lips curled, her sapphire eyes gleaming. "Why? You're quite strong. Maybe I should let you carry me around more often."
Fiona immediately dropped her.
Victoria landed gracefully on her feet, dusting off her armor with a soft chuckle. "So rude."
Fiona crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "So annoying."
But before either could throw another quip, the air shuddered once more.
The mechanical colossus rose from the smoke and destruction, its hulking form perfectly intact, standing against the landscape.
And atop its enormous shoulder, standing without a care in the world, was Anuran Von Auerswald. Third in line for the Vel'ryr throne. Her black dress billowed in the wind, her red eyes gleamed and her lips curled into a razor-edged smirk.
"Well, well, well," she mused, her voice dripping with condescension. "A lovely encounter, isn't it? I was getting bored, so I figured I'd drop in."
Fiona's expression soured immediately as she took a step forward. Her distaste was palpable.
"I hate magitech."