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    <12/30/1962 – 20:01 | Eldora Tower Fl. 950, Eldora City, Junon, Sprawn Valley>


    There is only one thing that must never change in Eldora Tower, one important piece of sacred structures within the champion chambers. Danton made sure to add upgrades around this area over the following week, but not to remove the only thing creating a sense of serenity and peace; the tall water fountain splashing fresh fluid into several tiers of well-crafted basins. The constant noise it generates up close is soothing to the ears and to the mind, and that''s just the noise. The visual attraction of this small waterfall allowed Danton to easily get lost in thought.


    This kind of serenity felt needed after all that''s happened in the past seven days. Everybody continued fighting bravely as the Eldora Tower events resumed into the next weekend, giving everybody the chance to train rigorously by themselves, and today, felt like any other despite the knowledge of last week drilling deeper into Danton''s skull. The sun should already be setting outside at this hour, and all of the upkeeping tasks have been completed for now, but so much still felt wrong. Danton couldn''t shake the feeling of imminent dread everywhere he went. The most likely cause must be the truth about the crystal core, and the dangers of lunar magic if ever used on the general public. How much more does Sirus know? It''s hard to trust that guy given how long he''s been employed here at Eldora Tower.


    Twenty-seven years! Mage Sirus has his entire identity shielded as well. Full name is classified in the official records, as is much of his past, but there are still traces and crumbs indicating what schools he graduated from, and where his previous residence used to reside. How could a man who knows this much have stayed so sane for nearly three decades? Something just doesn''t feel right, but on any day, Danton felt comfort knowing that Mainne was on his side with this situation. He could trust Mainne far more than Sirus. Gleeon, Kite, and Vanoss are still blissfully unaware. Is there even a good moment to give them this kind of clarity? Is it even the right thing to do?


    Those three must love Leray magic just as much as the rest of the wielders in Sprawn Valley do. Maybe it would be best if... No! I can''t make that choice for them! Danton had to be brave. Withholding such important information from a single one of them just isn''t right. It wouldn''t be fair!


    "There you are."


    Danton twitched as he shifted to turn around, taken surprise since his focus was all in his thoughts. Kite''s sudden entrance broke a total silence and peace he already had. Shouldn''t a person at least make some noise before getting this close?!


    "Sorry, didn''t mean to spook you."


    This is just Kite, and he''s either here for one of two reasons. He wants another sparring match, or he wants more information on whatever secrets Eldora Tower is hiding from him. If it''s the sparring match, that''s too bad. Danton already exhausted a lot of his energy today on Mainne. He had plans earlier to train with everyone in the same night, but Mainne really gets into it sometimes, and she is developing a new strategy based on ice and wind elements. The results: highly effective.


    Then again, Kite has been uptight about making sure everyone here in Eldora Tower is safe from government conspiracies. The truth is, nobody is safe anymore. "It''s fine Kite. I''ve exhausted much of my energy today in training."


    "Yeah," Kite easily agreed. "I did hear that normal tower operations resume again tomorrow, though they''ve postponed the battle events to the afternoon."


    "I don''t suppose I''d have to worry about your ability to keep your position here in the elite chain. We''ve already proven this from last week''s results." In those battles, very few challengers managed to get past Vanoss, and nobody scored any victories in the Catalyst Grove.


    "True... But I''ve just discovered a way to make my magical abilities and myself far more powerful. In fact, this neat trick isn''t limited just to myself. Anyone can do it with practice."


    With a slightly delayed surprise on Danton''s face, he speculated. "Make your abilities more powerful? What exactly do you mean?" It can''t mean the worst possible scenario, right? Kite would never resort to using lunar magic! No, that can''t be true. If he practiced that at all, he wouldn''t even be alive right now to have this discussion. Maybe he''s just figured out some new trick with Molecular Boost, or something similar. It has to be a new spell combo. "Okay. I''m curious Kite."


    "Ha!" he grunted. "I knew you would be. I''m going to show you a demonstration of course. Enable your Siriean dome."


    "What?" A Siriean dome now? He can''t be serious. "I''m not having a full Leray match to test this, man."


    "I wasn''t asking you to." Danton can be so foolish sometimes. "I want to make sure that I can properly demonstrate this new power to you. When you see it for yourself, I know you''ll agree that we can all become powerful protectors of Eldora Tower."


    "Protectors?"


    "Well, mainly of the people we''re technically supporting. I still don''t trust that idiot mage you''ve been talking to."


    Danton sighed slightly, ashamed that he felt a secondary disposition for nothing. "That makes two of us." What did mage Sirus even tell Kite if anything?


    "That''s why I''m a bit more excited today. I know that we''re defiantly onto something here." Kite paused for a second, making sure Danton was still awake in there. "Danton? Do you remember the promise that you and I made a while ago?"


    "A promise..." Danton had to try harder to remember. He and Kite have been through a lot in just two months, but it was mostly rivalry. "Yeah. Course I remember. I want to become a Leray master, and you want to become the strongest Leray wielder in Sprawn Valley. Side by side, they''re technically the same goals."


    "Then you do understand what it means to be strong."


    "Of course I do Kite. Technically, I''ve already become the strongest Leray wielder in Sprawn Valley, if you count this championship thing to be a win."


    "Maybe. After all, I was once a champion just over a month ago."


    "That is true. Okay, so we''ve both accomplished our goals. You did prevent having me the chance and honor of defeating Lawrence Citrin, but then I was able to make up for that by defeating you instead, somebody far more powerful than Lawrence ever was. Even in our last match, your ability to self-improve proved astonishing."


    "Training hard to learn new spells and find better combinations, and improve reaction time is the typical way a man improves on the battlefield. But that also takes a lot of time. With what I''m talking about, this is both a time-saver and a breakthrough for all Leray battles."


    A breakthrough for all Leray battles? What sort of new trick did Kite really discover that can be so epic? "And now I''m skeptical. Okay, fine. I''ll give you a chance to show me, but I really just want you to spit it out." Danton immediately invoked the energy needed to create an artificial Siriean dome, the kind used for area protection instead of official Leray battles. There was no visual difference whatsoever. "Go ahead and get this great new power a test."


    "On you? Yeah right. I need a bigger more powerful target first."


    Danton nearly clenched at that half-insult. How much power is he putting into a single spell? "Level with me here Kite. What sort of thing are you trying to do? And where are you going to find a target stronger than me?"


    Kite kept his swords holstered, since he would only need his hands for the job. "It''s better if I show you. Just bring out your special summon and we''ll both be able to demonstrate just how powerful this energy spell is."


    Entiene?! He wants to use Entiene as a test target for some new spell? Kite actually has a good idea for one instance though. Entiene is incredibly powerful on his own, and highly resistant to a lot of damage types, except for spiritual elements. So Kite must really be trying to learn what Entiene is weak against. That''s fair, since Danton still feels overpowered by his own summon Entiene. Might as well be good practice for finding out how to properly tame Entiene completely.


    "Okay." Danton nodded in approval, blinking to Kite in his serious test. "I''ll summon Entiene. He''ll have a ton of HP endurance, so you should be able to get away with whatever you want here."


    "Excellent."


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Unidentified Track PS</a>


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    Danton watched Kite wait for approval, then whipped out his Mega-Staff, charging MP energy into the device. It would be interesting to find out what other new spells are out there which could potentially knock Entiene out for the fight. Kite must think that it''s possible to one-shot this summon and be done with it. He couldn''t be more wrong. But let''s find out! "The shadows of your past is your essence, and the truth in my magic will light your spirit! Earth and fire be my blade. The spirits of us all be our eyes. Synchronize with me into this world! Entiene!"


    Kite momentarily felt a cringy vibe from such a long chant. Does it have to be so dramatic to summon Entiene?


    In moments, the massive yellow glyphring Danton created appeared at the top of the room, reminding Kite that he better step back as far as possible, less he be stomped on by a giant ghostly dragon by accident, but the timing was good enough for both of them. Danton''s Mega-Staff lit up at the crystal sphere with a bright radiance, bringing millions of tiny luminescent particles together at its center. When all of the particles merged, the light blasted everywhere, following the sudden formation and appearance of the mighty Entiene.


    Kite needed another moment to reset himself. Entiene is so big and massive! This has to be the largest summon anyone has ever seen! That summon alone is extra-powerful... But Entiene is still based on the same thing. "Okay Danton. Hold your pet still while I concentrate!"


    It was annoying hearing Kite shout to Danton about Entiene being just a house pet. Entiene is far greater than any domesticated animal... But Danton was still too curious to disobey. He synchronized his thoughts with Entiene again, which was getting easier each time he tried it. With his eye color shifting to yellow, Danton held the flooding mental command in his thoughts, Take no action.


    Kite found his chance, and he already started charging MP energy into his right hand and wrist. He chose to aim at Entiene first, since this could take a long time due to incredible need for focus this involved. This skill worked before. It should work again. "It''s time to invoke, Divine Wrath." Kite kept his voice low for now, needing no more than his complete attention on the spell in front of him. Quickly after his invocation began, Kite''s right wrist became surrounded in a familiar disk. A glyphring, all dark grey in color surrounded his wrist in its rotational spin while the magic buildup continued to grow throughout Kite''s personal aura, which was invisible to the eyes.


    A frequency embellished while a phasing hissing sound began to surge from the glyphring itself for several more seconds. This spell was taking Kite a long time to invoke. He had to get the energy signature and the pattern of dispersal just right. When the MP energy was charged to the peak level for this spell, Kite finally unleashed the payload.


    Danton was ready for anything, except for the interesting spell cast that happened with Kite''s glyphring. At first, it seemed as if nothing was happening at all, but Danton could hear a special sound above him. The noise imitated a breeze of wind blasting by one''s ear at light speed though distant and muffled. Danton glanced behind him, turning his head up with an altering expression. Several additional dark colored glyphrings began to surround the air space where Entiene was stationed. First there were a few of them, then there were just over thirty glyphrings, mainly from Entiene''s left and right sides, all high up in the air though angled separately towards the center of their target, which is Danton''s active summon.


    Danton didn''t hear Kite chant the name of this spell, but it was already impressive and surprising. But come on Kite! This power level would have to far exceed Entiene''s endurance to... Wait, swords?


    Danton noticed phantom images, see-through objects coming from all of the glyphrings, all of which resembled the same kind of blade. The material was however non-existent. The shape was a sword, but the weapons themselves were nothing but impressive glows of light, all crimson in color while they drifted out from the glyphring. Then, they went from drifting to shooting! Each and every glyphring surrounding Entiene shot their magic swords out as if they were incredible energy projectiles. The phantom swords became red beams of light with the speed they shot to, instantly drilling through Entiene''s essence. There was defiantly a reaction for Entiene, a reaction from getting impaled with the dozens of magic blades. The dragon roared in a fury of pain, confused for why it was allowed to take such punishment. When Danton read the energy scope, he too was surprised by the results.


    It did that much damage?! What kind of spell can knock down this much of Entiene''s health in one mode? There has to be a reason, a catch! Was that spell infused with spirit elemental energy? That''s the only thing that could explain this. Wait, Kite doesn''t have his energy scope engaged. How much did he use on MP to make this work?


    "Excellent!" Kite jumped. "Such amazing results! What power to put behind a spell. I knew this wasn''t all smoke and mirrors!"


    So excited over one spell? Each and every Leray spell is usually ineffective against something. "How much energy did that use?"


    Kite could hear Danton calling out to him, and it was a valid question. If that used double the amount of MP energy, it wouldn''t have been worth the damage ratio at all. "I only used thirty-nine percent MP." The same as last time. There is no need to check the scope for that.


    Danton knew there was a reason Kite wanted to try this. Well, Entiene was calming down a bit now, but that spell didn''t one-shot Entiene. On top of that, Kite spent a heavy price to make that spell work. It''s a good skill, but ultimately useless on its own for those reasons.


    "Now throw one at me!"


    "Is he serious?!" Danton could tell Kite was becoming more excited. This wasn''t about showing off just one spell. He actually believes he can single handedly defeat Entiene, possibly without taking damage, but almost nothing is effective in blocking Entiene''s special attacks. What can Kite really do from over there? An attack? Okay, "Let''s go with Stinger!"


    Entiene''s reaction to Danton''s command only had a 1.5 second delay, proving to them both that their synchronicity has much more room for improvement, but that much time wasn''t a lot for Kite to disable Entiene''s effective spell. The last time Kite faced off against this specific attack from Entiene, he used both of his steel blades to block, and it didn''t work.


    "Raaaaagh!" Requiring a lot more concentration than before, due to the speed at which Kite needed to invoke his next spell, he managed to charge the energy and disperse it before being hit with the traveling voltage of high-tier electrical energy. Kite''s invocation lifted an artificial boulder of rock from the ground, towering to the size of five meters with sharp jagged edges pointed forward. It''s the same spell as Earth Glave, only Kite managed to slow down its rate of advance to a near crawl, preventing its movement to act as a type of shield between himself and this imminent thunderbolt.


    Danton figured this easily calculated attempt to make a rocky defensive wall would fail. Normally, Earth Glave is a good defensive spell against a lot of things. Even when using pure electrical elemental magic, Entiene''s attack power levels could easily break holes through solid metal.


    Kite noticed the sudden flash of light striking against the rock he generated, fading shortly after. The concentration on this Earth Glave was also effectively high, but the spell uses so much less energy in return. And it worked!


    "It worked?!" Danton calculated otherwise, that the Stinger coming from Entiene would have defiantly broken through the rocky Earth Glave and sap Kite''s energy down. Could that have been an ordinary Earth Glave? Wait, what is that thin red aura around the boulder? Danton didn''t understand what was going on. He defiantly heard Kite scream, likely for concentration. But he didn''t actually chant the word Earth Glave. Plus, Earth Glaves don''t come with their own personal auras! Was that a combo performed so quickly and at the exact same time?


    Kite dropped the Earth Glave, causing it to disappear, but he felt a little drained from before. Using these kinds of spells were not new to him, not today anyway, but this is still hard to master effectively. It gets twice as hard when he has to conduct these spells with such speed and precision. "I''m getting all of this from the same source Danton. And now it''s time I defeat your Entiene with one more spell."


    "One more spell?" Danton crossed his arms in disbelief. Kite is sure to go ahead and try. But his last attack spell didn''t bring Entiene''s health down to fifty percent exactly, and that means there shouldn''t be anything else... Unless he isn''t using one spell at a time. Didn''t Kite say that this was all thanks to one single new trick? It has to be a trick! This is something beyond simple spell casting. He''s up to some kind of (outside of the box) thinking, but what exactly is going on? He''s charging more energy right now.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I''m going to finish this with Photon Wave!"


    Photon Wave? If Kite is really relying on Photon Wave, even when combined with a Molecular Boost glyphring, it won''t work. Non-elemental magic appears to be one of Entiene''s many natural resistances for damage. He must really just be grasping at straws, and getting lucky while doing it.


    Kite held his wrist out strong, creating the blue glyphring around him while energy charged into the spell. But as Kite increased his focus and concentration on the energy signature, he managed to get the process going correctly. Suddenly, the glyphring in front of him shifted in color from blue to a pulsing blood red color, and with the MP charging now complete, Kite fired the payload. Sixteen medium sized photons of red light condensing while shooting through the air all shifted in direction, homing in on the large target in front of them.


    Danton felt confused and defeated again! He knew what spell Photon Wave is, and this isn''t it. It''s a close imitation, but something is still going on. Photon Wave shoots out small dark colored photons of energy, kind of like the ones traveling now. Except, that energy is nearly transparent and hard to see. There are sixteen in total, the same as this spell, but every photon traveling towards Entiene isn''t dark or transparent. They''re all bright red in color, and very easy to see. Not only that, but the glyphring color doesn''t match either. Is that a fire element?


    In another moment, Entiene was bombarded by all sixteen energy spheres, each bringing Entiene''s HP down by a huge level. The phantom dragon wailed in the pain it was suffering from the severe damages, while Danton was too stunned and shocked to do anything about it. It was over in two more seconds, when the last photon dropped Entiene''s HP all the way down to zero percent, causing the summon to suddenly collapse into millions of tiny bright particles of light, the same material it formed out of. The particles of light were all sucked back into the Mega-Staff Danton was holding, Entiene''s energy scope already faded from view. And then, there was silence.


    It felt to Danton like his whole world just turned upside down. How was Kite already this powerful? What would have been the difference if he took the damage for Entiene instead?


    Kite leveled his breathing while the Siriean dome faded away. He knew that at least half of his MP reserves were exhausted, but there was more than this reason for feeling a bit winded. Still, such a wonderful demonstration turned out to be true and effective, one hundred percent of the time. "It looks like it worked."


    "What on Earth was that Kite? I don''t have any idea what that was."


    "It''s not too complicated to understand," he explained. "I''ve learned of a way to amplify my powers. You can use this trick to increase the power level of all Leray spells. And I mean, all of them."


    So it was power amplification? Even so, Photon Wave barely has a power level of nine, and only when you''ve mastered it for more than a year. This isn''t some cheap secret that everyone would know.


    "This proved to be far more effective than Leray magic. I was right after all!"


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    Chapter Theme Shift: 10 Inch Nails · D&B Mix ~ Dinletir Paul</a>


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    Even with Kite''s excitement, Danton''s heart sank with just the few words in that sentence. More effective than Leray magic? What does he mean by that? Is Kite not using normal Leray magic? No, he couldn''t have used pure lunar energy. That would have destroyed this entire room, and killed him in the process. But there''s only... Wait, the red aura around the boulder, and the red coloration to Photon Wave... Kite said those were amplifications made to ordinary Leray spells, and all without using Leray magic. There''s only one other form of magic that can be this kind of derivative! Danton thought fast, lifting his Mega-Staff and expelling magic all around him. In the process, he created four connective Fire Walls that each entrapped him in a protective field of fire, all without the magic moving from position. Danton could see a confused reaction from Kite all the way from here, but could the fool really go this far?! "You complete idiot! You were using dark magic!"


    What? Danton figured it out that fast? How does he know what dark magic looks like? "I was using dark magic," Kite admitted, "and I''m not a fool for doing so."


    Danton took aim with his staff at Kite, uncertain of what was happening, but this situation is critical! "It''s illegal to use that kind of magic! And Sirus warned me just how dangerous it could be." Why Kite? Why step so deep into the box of evil?


    Sirus told him? So then, all of this time... "Then you knew!" That cheating rotten liar! "You knew this entire time what kind of secrets they were hiding in Eldora Tower, and you kept it from me?! I had to learn about this the hard way!"


    "Who taught you how to invoke such an evil format of magic like that?" Danton demanded an answer, but his threat didn''t seem to lessen Kite as a potential threat.


    "I taught myself, you fool!" How is he surprised by this? If Danton knew about dark magic this whole time, and learned how it could be invoked by one of Eldora Tower''s top officials, then why hide it from everyone?! The cap that has been placed on the Leray veil, Danton and the others knew about it this whole time! Such an unnatural modification to magic should not be limited to the wielders of Sprawn Valley. "Only now did I prove to you that this wasn''t just an old rumor. And I didn''t die from using it!"


    What? Is the man completely confused? "There is nobody in this entire city who uses dark magic, not ever!" Of course he didn''t die. Kite must be confusing two rumors into one, believing that the use of dark magic is the one that kills the user. But he''s wrong. He''s very wrong!


    "Even if that is true, that just makes all of them weak and pitiful!" Kite knew this was true all along. Dark magic is far more powerful than Leray magic, but the ban on this energy signature is completely worthless.


    This is bad! This is bad! Kite now thinks it''s okay to use dark magic, all because he confused it with lunar energy. Is there even enough time to tell him the truth? Is that even safe?!


    Danton''s demeanor is so useless right now. With a single pinch, Kite could easily stop him. "What did you think I meant when I kept my promise to become the most powerful Leray warrior in Sprawn Valley?"


    "Did you forget about the fact that dark magic kills the people you use it on? The energy signature rejects the immediate effects of the veil per target! You can''t use that magic on people Kite!"


    "And why not?"


    Danton gasped, repeating the question in his head to double-check that he heard Kite correctly. What does he mean why not? Is this man not even troubled by the documented fact that dark magic kills people? Does he not care about the lives around him? He can''t seriously care only about becoming all mighty and powerful. "Listen to me Kite. There''s more to this tower than you''ve looked into. You don''t understand what you''re getting involved with here!"


    "Go ahead then. Indulge me with the rest of the tower''s secrets." Kite crossed his arms, ready for an explanation.


    Danton was about to tell Kite about the crystal core, and the link between normal magic and pure lunar magic. But instead, he froze, and a lump entered his throat before he could say anything else. Kite yelled from across the room again to coax this special truth out of Danton, but the situation was already different from before. Danton knew what lunar energy is, and how much more powerful it is. Sirus said himself that lunar magic is completely dominant over both Leray magic and dark magic power levels, combined! If there is even a remote chance that Kite would take the truth of information, and use it only to his advantage to try and become even more powerful as a mage, it would be disastrous. Kite would end up destroying himself with his own magic, the same destructive lunar energy that really does kill the user involved. "First, I want you to never invoke that kind of energy ever again."


    What is he, stalling? Kite wisped his arms behind him while shouting a rebuttal through the quiet air of the room. "That''s never going to happen Danton!" Kite tried to calm himself down a little, attempting to bring the truth to his eyes. "You can stall all you''d like, but using dark magic as a threat to kill people is exactly the point! It''s the meaning behind being strong!"


    "What?!" This is utter nonsense. "Has using dark magic already twisted that screwed up head of yours?"


    He can''t even grasp the concept behind such a vision. "Think about it. In a normal Leray match where both contestants know they are safe from harm, nothing amazing ever happens. I''ve realized that there are certain exceptions to the rule, exceptions like yourself. You become stronger in battle by training, but you fight as if you would die should you fail!"


    "I fight because I want to win that badly."


    "What''s the difference? Look around you, look to everybody else who conducts their battles in Sprawn Valley, and then think back to all of those times you''ve had the most underwhelming, most pitiful matchups of all time. You''ve got idiots waving around lights in their hands thinking they''re special, but their lack of fear to lose gives them an excuse never to try their best. I couldn''t have been more disappointed in this week''s contestants. Less than half of them are brave, and even then are they unwilling to grow stronger since you''ve allowed the veil to be topped off with an inhibitor."


    Danton suddenly felt a heavy burden of guilt. So long has he tried to understand what kind of a person Kite is... But he never once asked about Kite''s personal background. Where is he from? What messed up things did he go through to become so tough in the first place? Kite did try and learn how to increase his skills the hard way, but before Danton met the guy, he refused to behave in such that way. His history is as dark as his heart is right now. There''s no telling what Kite has been feeling this whole time, and defiantly no way to sense what kind of dark thoughts are looming in his mind. "Not everyone wants to become the best Kite. That''s just the way things are."


    "Then those people shouldn''t get the right to choose Leray wielding as their careers! Magic battling should be about dominance, about proving which one of the other is stronger! And what better motivator to fight at your absolute best, a test more worthy than a battle to the death?"


    "So you would have people running around, killing each other just to prove which one of them is stronger?" Danton couldn''t hear any more of this. His head was going to explode trying to justify a single word coming out of this mad man''s mouth. "Are you listening to yourself Kite? You''ve completely lost your mind! I''m going to use force if you don''t shut up right now and surrender yourself!"


    So Danton is still threatening him... "You realize, the only reason I asked to test these powers on Entiene is because I didn''t want to do you the dishonor of killing you. If you and I had a battle to the death, it would have to be on even open terms of full informed consent. Is it really so evil for people to kill each other when they know the risks?!"


    "It''s far worse than that. We already have a safe system that prevents people from being blown to bits by their own spells! And you want to take it away from everyone!" No, Kite''s mind is defiantly twisted, but he is still in there somewhere. The man is far craftier than he looks. There is no way that using Entiene as a guinea pig had just that one advantage. Kite doesn''t understand the value of human life at all.


    On the surface, Kite is completely innocent right now. After all, all magic summons including Entiene are immune from death. They live on through the veil of magic. No matter how you deplete their HP, they still exist, and even with dark magic, perhaps even with lunar magic, it would still be impossible to permanently destroy an entity without a tie to life and death. But there''s also one more thing about summons, something that Kite knows, but won''t mention because it might expose his evil agenda. It''s the constant rule that all summons whose HP drops to zero percent will be unreachable for two whole hours, no exceptions. Kite was smart about this, because now, Danton doesn''t have any personal protection. No guards are in this room if Kite wants to make another move with dark magic. Using Entiene won''t be possible either, not for another two hours, but is Kite trying to kill him, or convert him?


    "The very idea of being killed when your HP drops to zero, all while having no pain absorber from the veil instills fear into those who don''t know what it''s like to be a leader, and it brings out only the toughest opponents who don''t fear death at all. Such a system would make for the ultimate filter. Facing such bravery is what it takes to be a true warrior. It''s the meaning behind real strength!"


    "No!" Danton retorted. "Punishing or killing people for failing in a single magic battle? How can people grow to better themselves if they don''t live long enough to try? You''re not arching for some new anti-Leray system of magic fights. You just want to separate the strong from the weak, and rule with absolute power and fear. That''s not the way of a Leray wielder. And I beckon; it''s hardly capable of possessing the title of warrior, strong or otherwise."


    "So then you don''t understand the meaning behind dark magic?"


    Why would he ever think that? This guy is far worse in the head than Danton could ever realize. The way he fights with his blades instead of magic should have been one red flag. The guy battles with such animosity, Danton mistook it for a will to win. No, Kite never wanted that. He wants battles between everyone to be far too intense and real for ordinary people to handle. He wants everyone to feel like their life is on the line the moment they enter a magic battle. "But that''s not what this nation is built on. We''ve come a long way to further the advance of magic, to use it in a safe environment, to create a Leray energy veil that prevents people from paying their ultimate price for their fun, and their freedom to use magic however they want. And I do understand that it is possible for just about anyone to pick up on dark magic, given enough practice." Something Kite must have been getting for himself for at least a week in secret, perhaps less time than that. "But the invocation of dark magic, even if used for good intentions is highly illegal and immoral! As a real protector of Eldora Tower, no, of all Leray magic in this country, I will not tolerate this coming from you! Kite!" He''s just standing there, like a little kid who doesn''t know how to cry or pout. "This is not the promise I made with you! Understand that right now!"


    The moron is stressed and upset. "We both made the same promise, but now we have different methods of reaching our new heights. Which one of us do you think would be stronger in a real magic battle? You want to give these new powers a shot?"


    "You will swear an oath to me right now." Please Kite, please still be in there. Don''t let the temptation of this new power eat you whole! "From this moment forward, you are going to stop using dark magic. I want you never to invoke its energy signature again! You will stick to Leray magic only, because that is what works in this world. I am your friend," Danton retried. "And this is the only last offer I can give to you. I won''t charge you with anything if you simply stop this madness right now. We can even forget this ever happened."


    "Let me think about that." Kite''s tone was mildly sarcastic, and his real decision had long already come to be. "Let''s try to have a dark magic battle instead? If you win, I''m no longer your problem!"


    That does it then. That man is no longer Kite Fargenst. Danton quickly reached for a small pocket button hidden in the side pocket of his pants, and applied pressure from the outside to trigger the tiny device. In an instant, the lights coming from the very top of the room all shifted color to red, flashing at intervals every two seconds. At the same time, the tower''s alarm system blasted the noise to every single floor. Kite probably wasn''t expecting this, and now, it should only be seconds before the entire security team shows up to this chamber. Danton is powerless against dark magic, especially without Entiene here to help him. Kite must now be detained because he wishes to become a threat to society.


    Kite however thought this was funny, and he laughed for a brief moment. "So you do want to provide me with tonight''s entertainment. I''ll start off small then. Sylph Wave!"


    It didn''t take long for Kite to create another dark magic spell. This time, Danton didn''t even recognize the language. How far gone did Kite throw himself to this new force of evil energy? The advancing wave itself was dark in color, almost black though surrounded by a red aura, and shaped to seem like a near 2-D warped triangle, if viewed from the sides. To Danton, it appeared to look more like a black and red line getting closer, appearing larger as time went by. The advancing wave of energy didn''t move along the ground, only in the air. With this speed, Danton only had the time to try and deflect the dangerous dark magic spell using his Mega-Staff. He simply swiped it in front of himself, as though the device would shield him from danger. Against a dark magic spell, he knew he would have no chance.


    But then the spell dispersed and faded away quickly, the moment Danton''s Mega-Staff wisped into the dark aura. With a surprise following the both of them, Danton realized that his staff, all on its own did actually deflect the dark magic spell sent to destroy him. Either Kite''s power level was slipping, or dark magic has at least one weakness. Even so, the force this created knocked Danton off his feet and onto the floor, a sensation similar to experiencing a Push Wave.


    Kite felt disappointed that he must have missed, since that blast didn''t appear to hurt Danton that much at all. Maybe the adjustment to dark magic was off... Despite all of the alarm lights and sirens going off in the tower, Kite expected to have a little bit more time before anyone would intervene, but the distraction soon ruined his chances to prove to Danton just how powerful dark magic really is.


    About thirty meters away from both Danton and Kite to an area within the arena circle, a large decorated holographic symbol suddenly drew itself on the floor of the room. Shortly after, a surge of light formed in the center, dying down to reveal the culprit of the magic. That''s teleportation magic, unique only to mages with special access and a few trusted Leray agents.


    Danton had never seen actual teleportation like this so close, but it was suddenly so easy and willing to accept this sight before him now with all of the circumstances changed. Danton stood back up, beaconing the mage to his location as quickly as he could. "Mage Sirus!"


    Mage Sirus left the teleportation symbol, causing it to shut and collapse, now awake to the interesting situation in the room. Danton and Kite. They appear to be at an average distance for battling or training, but they must know something about this alarm. It''s coming from Danton''s personal safety switch, and is likely just an accidental trigger. "We received your page Sir Danton. Might this be a false alarm?"


    As if... Good, Kite is still too confused to figure out how Danton was able to call security up to this room. He probably wasn''t expecting such a fast response, one made from direct teleportation. Danton pointed in Kite''s direction, summarizing the situation as best as he could. "Kite Fargenst is a dark magic user! Detain him!"


    What?! Sirus reacted immediately, even without understanding the situation. It takes too long to get the full story, and with dark magic, people can end up dead in seconds. "Very well. Don''t move Kite Fargenst!"


    "Oh, you''ve got to be kidding me." Kite crossed his arms, unwilling to fight such low class scum. "You''re the cavalry that was sent up here?" Kite''s words betrayed him only two seconds later, when smaller teleportation symbols suddenly appeared all over the floor of the room. Men with metallic armor and special oracle wands all appeared and surrounded Kite''s position.


    Sirus blocked, "Me, and the army of Danton''s personal security team. Danton has just accused you of a serious crime, and I''m taking you in for questioning on behalf of the mage council. Kite Fargenst? You are under arrest. Surrender immediately, or I will be forced to kill you."


    "You what?! You don''t have to use lethal force!" Danton could barely hold it together. Sirus and his men might actually be serious about killing Kite if he breathes the wrong way. Can Leray magic be used to kill? It''s not likely!


    They can''t be serious, right? Kite felt uneasy all the sudden. It''s only natural that Danton wouldn''t want to kill one of his lost sheep friends... But then these guys may actually be no stranger to dark magic themselves. Danton did say the tower was full of surprises... "It seems I''m left with no choice. I surrender."


    Sirus almost dropped sweat from the tension this situation created. "Take him to the isolation chamber, room 950-F!"


    Danton watched in question as Sirus''s henchmen captured Kite''s wrists, and installed some kind of luminescent device on him. They appeared to be some kind of bright, energized handcuffs. The other part of the team moved Kite while the rest surrounded him from a distance, making sure there was no room for error. "Nine fifty-F?" The meaning of the isolation chamber soon became clear, as the team made their way to the west end of the room, activating a hidden sliding door at the edge of the wall that opened up into a large cubical space, containing nothing but a standard chair. It was hard to make out from this distance Danton stood at, but it was obviously an isolation room designed specifically for special council interrogation, hidden right inside of the champion chambers... How many secrets does this tower really have?


    Mage Sirus approached Danton to make sure he was okay physically, but he seemed to be taking this harshly, on a psychological level. The man was dazed, trapped in his own mental prison of thoughts. He must be feeling a great amount of betrayal. "Sir Danton? Are you alright?"


    Danton threw the Mega-Staff to the ground, finally coming to his senses, but he had every right to be angry about this. Contrary to his destructive mood, the Mega-Staff bounced off the floor using its own kind of magic repulsion. "Damn this Sirus! Kite already figured out how to use dark magic! He did it all on his own!"


    "It isn''t possible to learn dark magic that quickly all on your own."


    Danton sank to the ground, keeping close to the indestructible staff that belongs to him now. "He was investigating the tower''s secrets, right around the same time I started to."


    Sirus nearly panicked on the spot, pressing Danton for details. "He doesn''t know about the core, does he?"


    "Of course not. But he ended up mistaking our secret lunar magic for dark magic in the process anyway, and now I can''t get him back. Kite isn''t Kite anymore Sirus! I thought you told me dark magic doesn''t twist people''s mind so easily!"


    "It depends on the person."


    Sirus spoke in such a casual way, Danton wanted to stand up and punch him, but he had two mysteries he was solving in his head at the same time, blocking his immediate rage.


    "We know nothing about Kite or his background. Normally, people have some sort of background, especially if they''ve graduated from a Leray school. However, we don''t know the extent to Kite''s personal experience with Leray magic, and now have reason to believe he may have been troubled in the past."


    "What do you mean, now?" If Sirus kept more information from him—


    "I mean stuff we literally learned an hour ago. I never saw this as important since the guy appeared to be so focused on demonstrating such raw skill, but as it turns out, his Leray license was revoked several years ago."


    Danton suddenly looked up towards Sirus, confused and disoriented. "That can''t be possible. I''ve seen his license working in action. He wouldn''t make it to Eldora Tower without one."


    "He does indeed have one. The revocation was removed six months after... But removing a temporary ban on your license is something very rare. When it happens, all of those processes are channeled strictly through the mage council and other connected legal parties. Then, that action is archived in our records for filing. However, we show no such archives, time stamps, or valid entries made to remove this ban. Despite that, the license functions just fine."


    "What?"


    "I''m sure there is at least one error in this story, but there may be reason to believe that Kite is not fit for Leray battling. Somebody reset his license, and they didn''t do it legally. Despite that, the license system has no way of understanding that a fraudulent wielder is back into play."


    "So the man I knew was never someone I knew at all."


    "At least his name is real. Social identities check out. Even with all of that, we could never charge him without more to add to a thorough investigation... But this..."


    "He used dark magic against me."


    "You should have been on guard, and used Entiene to help you."


    "The hell did you think happened? Kite disabled Entiene for two hours! The man knew what he was doing."


    "This is very bad news Danton. I don''t like learning that one of our own newest elite members is a dark magic convert!"


    "What, you think this is my fault?!" Danton stood up, aggravated as before and with the staff back in his arms. "And what the hell is the deal with this staff? It completely deflected one of his dark magic attacks without any infusion from my aura. I mean, this is dark magic! These weapons are supposed to break on contact!"


    It''s another proven fact about dark magic, one Danton already assumed to be true since it makes logical sense. Even ordinary Leray magic has the power to destroy inanimate objects. You could break open a tree in the wild, or collapse an entire building with any form of magic. But these days, important material objects are designed specially with Leray infused properties. During the crafting process, all weapons, clothing, shields, and structures are imbued with a magical essence, an aura of energy invisible to the eye, and provided a constant source solely by the existence of the Leray veil. In return, Leray magic cannot break, damage, or destroy these special objects, but dark magic is different. It rejects the effects of the veil for anything it strikes as a target, including rejecting the item synthesis protection. For people, this means damage to their bodies, and possible death. For objects, even those imbued with protective Leray energy, it means this protection becomes effectively useless. If you use dark magic on an object, it should break, or at least take some damage. You could even destroy a person''s best sword in their hands, or blast holes into the tops of their shoes. It doesn''t matter; nothing that is hit with dark magic survives.


    Danton remembered blocking Kite''s last dark magic attack with pure instinct. At the very least, the Mega-Staff should have taken the damage and shattered. Sirus understood Danton''s current mentality, and tried to refresh his memory from before. "I told you before. That is no ordinary Leray weapon. It wasn''t crafted using the binding energy of Leray magic, but by lunar magic itself."


    "Lunar magic?"


    "Yes. The inventors ended up dying of cancer just to finish the generation of that staff, which is the reason that your Mega-Staff is unique, in that it can store lunar energy within its core if need be, but this also means that your Mega-Staff is not protected by the power source of the Leray veil. Rather, it is protected by the chronic existence of lunar energy cast down from the moon, a cosmic ray that penetrates this building during nightfall, and other buildings like it. You cannot break or damage the Mega-Staff. It might as well be indestructible." Danton was finally stopping himself. He held his head in distress, showing how shaken he was by all of this. Sirus had to take over from here. Danton could have simply been lying about Kite using dark magic, but it isn''t likely at all. "I told you, you would be better protected wielding that Mega-Staff at all times."


    "So what happens now? I didn''t even know we had a room like this."


    "Convenient for emergency criminal holding protocols. But I''m still disturbed to see that room open."


    "Room 950-F? Will they torture him to learn more?"


    "No, that''s actually the job of an official mage. I''m going to go bring one here to properly observe the situation. I want you to wait until I return in a few minutes before you set foot into that room."


    "How long?"


    "What was that?"


    Danton repeated with clarity. "How long has it been since that room has been accessed?"


    "It hasn''t been opened in over fifty years."


    Fifty years? So stuff like this really doesn''t happen every day. Danton did as he was instructed, waiting on Mage Sirus to use his teleportation trick to exit from the champion chamber of the room. In a moment, he would bring back another mage. For what, nobody really knows, but Kite is an enemy now. Even if he swears never to use dark magic again, that oath means nothing to these people, nor should it. Kite has always wanted raw power, raw dominance over other people. He just never understood what worse things there could be... No, Kite still believes he''s right somehow. That''s the real scare.