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    <03/16/1972 – 08:15 | Eldora Tower Fl. 950, Eldora City, Junon, Sprawn Valley>


    "You all did a very brave thing going out there to calm the situation."


    Those were Danton''s words, and they showed almost no signs of regret. Cleo felt his body become tenser, his frustration growing inside him, but there was no reason to hold anything back now. Danton put himself and other elites, including Jane''s team in grave danger. "You should have sent members of the General Army instead. Jane is far too important to risk in front of the Scarlet leaders!"


    Danton turned around, noticing the tension in his allies. After having not been there himself, it was understandable that he was left away from the stress of the horrible attack on Gross City. However... "Lance is not the leader of the Scarlet Cult, even if he thinks he is."


    "And what proof do we have that Kite and Gleeon are behind all this?"


    Cleo made his question valid given the details. Nobody had ever sighted Gleeon or Kite in the flesh since they fled Eldora Tower a decade ago. Still, this is the kind of stunt they would pull, a well thought-out plan. "Because this is exactly the sort of thing they would do. As I just heard from the report, there were only two injuries to random civilians in the area, whom of which are being treated for non-life threatening wounds. In all of this, no other damage was done. Doesn''t that seem suspicious enough to prove that Eldora Tower is the real target?"


    Danton might be right on one thing, but putting other people in danger doesn''t justify any means!


    Danny wasn''t surprised that the attack on Gross City seemed too random and lightly orchestrated, but there were obviously details that were left out by Danton. This was his first time hearing about Gleeon and Kite. So, Danton and Mainne had to yet again break the explanation down further, as shortly summarized as it could be. The time this took was long enough to calm the others down. By the time Danny and his friends understood the explanation, Danny went ahead to continue guessing why the Scarlet Syndicate would target Gross City at such a random time.


    "So then, it really was a test."


    "A test?" Danton didn''t fully understand why the Scarlets would need to test his own personal response to a dire situation. Gleeon and Kite already know the potential security of Eldora Tower. "No, they were only attempting to unevenly divide our military powers during the attack. If I sent the entire General Army out to Gross City in a panic, it would have left this tower''s crystal core nearly defenseless. Gleeon and Kite are people that Mainne and I can handle alone, just barely. But after all this time, they''d likely bring additional reinforcements to help them break into the tower. I can''t take the risk of leaving this place vulnerable."


    "So you sent children to fight them instead?" Cleo wasn''t accepting this kind of outcome. Even if his life was in danger without team JDT, they''re still too young to be involved with this.


    "Children," Danton repeated. "I do believe that Jane and her friends are of legal age to live on their own in Sprawn Valley. Isn''t that right?"


    While Danton was looking to Jane to answer that question, her face suddenly displayed minor shame to her reply. "Well... In a few months they will be."


    "You see?" Cleo adjusted. "If they get injured or killed out there fighting your own battle for you, I might have to think about having you removed from this situation altogether. Don''t think I won''t take something like this personally."


    "Cleo, I fully understand the situation. You''re not the first person to threaten my life on behalf of Danny and Taylor, believe it or not."


    "Danton!" Danny had to project his voice louder, as he tried to get them to stop arguing and stay on topic for the sake of their investigations. "The fact that Eldora Tower wasn''t hit because you played things safe doesn''t mean that the Scarlet Cult isn''t testing our defenses. The last time we all left Eldora Tower, it was to stop Alpha Zero from destroying everything. The Scarlets didn''t learn about it until much later, but I bet they were rather surprised by your decision to evacuate the tower. If I were them, I would have used the attack on Gross City to double check and confirm what your reaction and decision to the situation would have been, and then act on that decision if it played into their favor." Danny expected validation from Danton, but suddenly, everyone was silent... What''s so farfetched about the idea?


    Mainne had to be the one to give him the compliment by the benefit of the doubt. "I have to say. For people Cleo calls children, you''re rather smart to think of that on your own."


    Taylor smiled and nudged Danny while explaining to Mainne that this happens more often than not. "Danny''s doing that thing again."


    "What thing?" Danny turned around, noticing that Jane and Taylor had this look on their faces, like they''re impressed that he thought of anything. How low did they think of him before now?


    "I''ll at least agree that I''m interested," Danton added. He floated his thoughts back to the primary subject, trying to make sure everyone is on the same page. "But let''s not get ahead of ourselves. Test or not, these Scarlets will just continue to create chaos and panic in the streets. They''ve stepped up their game over the last year, and that can only mean that Kite has made his decision to put the pressure on all of us until a vulnerability is revealed. It also means that he has some kind of plan up his sleeve, thinking he can outsmart me."


    "I wouldn''t put it past him," Cleo stated. "They almost outsmarted you before, and they can do it again."


    Enough with the insults Cleo! "Look, the point is that we need to find their hideout as soon as possible and arrest all of their leaders. If we don''t, we''re only going to end up with more losses in the near future."


    Mainne took over Danton''s next decree, as it had already been made twenty-four hours before now without an official announcement. "That''s why effective right now, Danton has the council''s permission to suspend all public activity to the tower for forty days. We don''t have to worry about having our time consumed by our regular duties. All we have to do is hunt the Scarlet scum down before that time passes."


    With the acknowledgement of the team, Danton brought their conversation back to the same circle. "Okay, you all gave me a summary of your report, but I have to ask this at least once. Lance. We don''t know much about him or his real name. He could be anyone from the woodworks of criminal dark magic activists that Kite hired to do work for him. But seeing as you three all had trouble against him and his men, it leaves me to believe that this target is either highly skilled, or has been given special equipment that might be unusual to our knowledge. We know that Kite and Gleeon both have post-elite level skills that would easily enable them to train their own units over time even in the arts of dark magic. But, I need to hear it from you."


    Brock thought back to that moment. Surely, there were a lot of weird things about that guy. He held a bladed lance, probably to add luster to his call sign. "Lance was using a special kind of gauntlet for a weapon instead of the bladed lance he held back. The gauntlet is special because we were able to confirm that he could use it to amplify his magic powers using the machine as it had active pure crystals attached. This enabled him with the ability to amplify all magic including dark magic, which he used against us. He wouldn''t go down easy even after Jane arrived."


    "That does speak a lot about his activities, and that for the rest of the group."


    Krysta figured she understood the connection by now, and wanted to test to see if she was right. "So then, all of these thefts of crystal shards from the vaults were used to create those pure crystals?"


    "Yes," Danton confirmed. "But we don''t have a clear idea why."


    "Danton?" Danny questioned. "How much is the public allowed to know regarding these kinds of crystals?"


    "Limited data only." Danton knew where these crystals really come from, but it wouldn''t matter in the current situation. He''s jumping to conclusions now. "While it''s certain that everyone can easily find out that the crystal shards we produce are turned into Leray gems or crystals used to store large amounts of Leray energy from the veil, it isn''t public knowledge that these same shards can be assembled into pure crystals or dark crystals. If you assemble the crystal shards using special magical mage skills, you can make a crystal unique only to dark magic essence, meaning it would only hold and contain dark magic energy, and thus be capable of projecting that power outwards in the form of a field, also known as an artificial dark zone. The crystal we destroyed in Alpha Zero is a unique example of what we''re talking about here."


    "So then, there''s no other way for Kite to know about this?"


    Danton nodded his head at Danny, yielding to him the real scenario. "Not true. While Kite and Gleeon were here trying to find out the tower''s secrets, they would have held exclusive access as elites to read archived data on our network about the assembly of crystal shards, since it''s something all official council mages are supposed to know how to do. They would have been able to learn that - assembling crystal fragments could be done in one of three ways. Leray stones, dark energy stones, and pure stones. Now, Kite and Gleeon were completely blind to the fact that lunar energy can technically be used by individuals at the cost of user''s lives, as well as the fact that the crystal core processes pure lunar energy as it converts it into a safe Leray kind of environment. The existence of the Alpha Zero for example wasn''t the generation of an artificial veil using dark magic based off the design of our crystal core, but rather a primitive gem stone set up to project with a long range by using a rare, high quality stone with the best powers of a mage, Brightworth. This means that while pure lunar crystals do have an extra advantage, it''s impossible that Kite and Gleeon would actually understand this advantage."


    Now it makes sense. So either those stones Lance was using are unique to dark magic stones, allowing him to amplify his powers, or Danton is wrong about what his enemies know. "So then, the stones Lance used were dark magic crystals?"


    "That isn''t true." Krysta was certain of what she said. No matter how similar these stones look, they all have a distinctive hue, shape, and luster to them, shining or not. "I was there, and I got a close look at those stones. Lance was using pure lunar crystals with dark magic whether he knew it or not."


    "Okay," Danton processed. "So that means the Scarlet Cult does have the skill-set and materials needed to make pure lunar crystals, but you said that Lance was still using dark magic through the crystals. It still means they don''t know about the potential use of pure lunar magic."


    "How can you be so sure?" Taylor tested.


    "Because with pure lunar crystals, you can actually store and project any energy type you want, hints the name pure energy crystal. These crystals when assembled are rare, and that''s because you can store Leray energy or dark energy into them. Only one form at a time will fit, but all you have to do is drain the magic of whichever type has been stored, and store a different kind of magic into the gem instead. These crystals can also store and project pure lunar magic as well, which is highly destructive if released from that same form."


    "Can a person convert stored lunar energy into Leray or dark magic energy on the fly using a charged lunar gem as a source?"


    "Of course they can, but not just anyone can do it. Only well-trained mages who understand such conversion are capable of this trick. Kite and Gleeon were never even informed that this was ever a possibility, thus they and their subordinates are not trained on this special practice. That means that it''s only likely that Lance was using pure lunar crystals, while only storing and using dark magic energy from their power source."


    "Okay, I''ve got a question for you," Danny presented. By now, talking about the same thing over and over was surely going to annoy some of the elites in this room, but there is a huge flaw in Danton''s thinking. "You claim that Kite and Gleeon have no knowledge of harnessing lunar magic in a way that would be safe for the user and controllable on some level, and that''s probably the case during the time they betrayed you... But then, explain this symbol on Jane''s hand. We know that some branch of the Scarlet Cult created that thing in their experiments, and that Geiger took their only chance to test it away from them. I''m convinced that Jane is using pure lunar magic with the assistance of her symbol. After all, you were the one who said that only lunar magic could be used outside of a Leray veil in another country. If that''s true, it means that Jane''s symbol gives her the ability to use lunar magic without causing harm to herself."


    Though Cleo and Brock were gasping for guesses, Danton soon shut down Danny''s notion, even though that deduction only made it seem more possible. "But you also reported over the phone that Jane was having problems afterwards, that she became sick or ill, and that her hands were sparking up an electrical storm. Frankly, I''m surprised she''s even still alive."


    "But Jane''s back to normal now! She even got to use her symbol again in Gross City!" Mainne had to vouch for Danny and Jane on this one, and that''s because Danny is telling the truth this time. Jane''s symbol gives her the power to safely use lunar magic!


    "It''s true," Jane confide. "I did get sick earlier, but the moment I felt the veil hit me again, it was like I got better all at once. It felt amazing to be back in Sprawn Valley again."


    "Then that would..." Danton cut himself off, immediately debunking his next explanation... Danny is right; this is a weird situation. Coming back to Sprawn Valley for a Leray veil wouldn''t cure somebody of a disease or damage caused by using lunar magic in the first place. That symbol might have made it easier for Jane, perhaps given her more of an endurance when using lunar magic, but she should still be sick right now, if that''s the case.


    Danny noticed the hesitation in Danton, and pressed his idea further. "See? Isn''t it strange that the Scarlet Cult would invent something that would enable them to use lunar magic outside of the veil and still survive? I don''t think you gave any secrets away to Kite and Gleeon. But after ten years, they''ve probably figured out what lunar magic is and what it''s really for."


    "But that''s impossible!" he denied. "They would only have mere speculation to go on. Nobody was ever allowed into the crystal core for non-essential purposes over all this time. We''ve updated our security, and there wouldn''t be a way of spying on our vault system without the same person being noticed."


    "I think they were noticed," Danny reminded. "I think that''s exactly the point. Or did you seriously forget about Yuel Biion?"


    "What?!" "What is he talking about?" Taylor and Jane weren''t given any hints that Danny would even try to go there. In fact, the matter with Nyar''s sorrows were thought to be put on hold. But right now, Danton''s current clueless reaction told him that Danny must be tugging at random strings.


    "I don''t recognize the name or your intension bringing up such a name."


    Danny figured as much. "It was seven years ago. She lived in Eldora City, and died on your own property." Danny was close to yelling, pointing at Danton''s face as if to accuse him of violent crimes. "Don''t tell me you don''t remember covering up the reports. Nyar was well acquainted with her, and one day, Yuel found out the secrets of your tower on her own."


    What is the young man going on about? Danton did vaguely recall covering up the death of a young maiden found killed by dark magic just outside of Eldora Tower. That was the whole reason for covering it up, but what would that name have to do with lunar magic? "There is no way for an outsider especially to learn the secrets about Eldora Tower. Our government covered up the investigation temporarily as a means of giving the unknown suspect no ability to keep up with us."


    "So you do remember!"


    "I won''t repeat myself again Danny. Even though the crystal core obtains light from outside at the very top of this tower, the outer layers of the building are especially designed with materials using separately stored magic that render all view into the tower from the outside invisible. From the crystal core vault, you can see the sky and the stars. But from the outside, you wouldn''t know what''s on the other side, nor would anything seem suspicious, even if you got up there and bumped into the camouflage system."


    "Well one way or another, Yuel figured it out somehow." Danton is too stubborn to understand where any of this is going, but Danny didn''t give up. The camouflage system must not be entirely perfect if Yuel discovered the truth. "And you''re lucky that I didn''t accuse you of being her murderer. Naturally, Nyar doesn''t trust you at all."


    "Well I can''t give him much assurance. I mean, it''s not as if we ever found out the identity of the suspect anyway. He left no trace to follow."


    "So then chew on this," Danny offered. "What if the killer was there at the same time and place, attempting to learn the exact same thing that Yuel had already figured out? Collateral damage might be of concern to that suspect, but not if he could use that situation to his own advantage. I wouldn''t put it past Yuel''s killer to try and force her to give up what she knew and how she found out what she learned, just before taking her life."


    "We have no evidence of that happening one way or another."


    Cleo shouted an interruption, already impressed enough to let Danny continue his what-if scenario. "Danton! Shut up and let Danny speak his mind. You might actually learn something."


    Danny continued despite Danton''s inability to understand the situation. At least there were others in the room listening to it all. "If what I''m thinking is true, and the murderer also happened to be working with the Scarlet Cult, or became a member later with the secrets kept in memory, that would mean that Kite and Gleeon already knew all about the secrets of lunar magic, since seven years ago. And while you already know that Yuel was murdered by someone with dark magic, this situation became the perfect diversion to cover for the murderer''s real intentions. After all, he had just learned the secrets of lunar magic, without having to infiltrate your security as you say. You might suspect Yuel of doing the same, but since she was killed, that would automatically clear her as that suspect. At the same time this guy learned about the secrets of lunar magic, the murder he made also covered for what he had learned. This means that you wouldn''t have known that your secrets were already compromised, as you so proudly claimed earlier."


    Danton needed more time to process it all visually in his head. It was hard enough getting over the shock that the case that was left cold seven years ago had anything to do with Nyar or people linked to him in any particular way. These kids have some natural misfortune that keeps throwing them in the path of the Scarlet Syndicate, one way or another. But to think that Danny would even come to such an elaborate conclusion based on so little amount of data... Is this what Mainne meant earlier, when she said that Danny has his own special skills? No, it''s more like, Danny has this complex manner of thinking that allows him to make deductions normally thought to be impossible by normal people, but his logic in itself is somehow familiar.


    Without that explanation, events that happen over all these years seem so random, but what if every single thing the Scarlet Syndicate has ever done was done for a purpose? Every single thing has a reason one way or another. If by the impossible chance that Danny is right about Kite and Gleeon already knowing about lunar magic, then it would automatically validate their attempt to utilize such power, like in the experiment that accidentally ended up on Jane... Does that mean it works? Is Jane capable of using lunar magic at will without costing herself? If that is true, why did she get sick after using it? What else does this kid know? After standing with his head down to contemplate everything twice, Danton finally gave Danny additional credibility. "Alright... Maybe I have been several steps behind these guys for more than seven years. I''m willing to accept the possibility, even though it makes our situation far worse than I would have ever feared." Danton noticed Krysta, Cleo, and Brock all exhale, their bodies easing up from stiffness. They must be okay with the answer even knowing how bad the results are. "We need to prioritize finding and stopping Kite and Gleeon before they hatch whatever plan they''re going for. I''m still going to assume full protection of this tower either way. Those two are not getting to the core."


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Stay With Me ~ Pika [feat. Nickie Minshall] (Jeremy Vancaulart)</a>


    <center><iframe title="Stay With Me" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nkyj5XneP9I" width="240" height="120" frameborder="0"></iframe></center>


    <hr>


    "There''s one more thing you should know about Lance," Krysta spoke up. All eyes were on her, and with Danton''s permission to submit any potentially helpful detail, she brought up Lance''s odd beliefs from before. "When Lance was starting to escape, he kept going off about how his plan had something to do with becoming, no - summoning the god of the world. It was all a bunch of religious nonsense, but he adamantly seemed to believe that this Zantos would grant them what they wanted. I don''t know if that''s significant, but..."


    A god of magic? Danny held back the urge to laugh. The only thing that news proves is that Lance is either crazy, or he wants everyone to believe that he is crazy.


    "Zantos?" Danton firmly repeated. Even in his voice, it soon felt like he was going to make a joke about it too. "Come on. How can that be of any significance? This only means that Lance probably doesn''t realize the secrets that Kite and Gleeon do. They''re probably still planning to try what they''re planning by themselves. For them, these Scarlet followers are just disposable pawns to them. Think nothing of it Krysta. Zantos has been dead for over eight hundred years. Nothing is going to change that."


    A moment passed, to which everyone else in the room shouted their outbursts of surprise. Danton was initially confused, but Jane soon let him know why.


    "Zantos is a real - thing?"


    Looking around, everyone had the same kind of expression, but Danton became defensive and quickly cast away any doubt towards him. "Okay, this one''s not on me! Information pertaining to the legend of Zantos is on the public domain. The legend of Zantos was never kept from disclosure all those years ago, so there''s no reason to hide a currently insignificant story."


    "So what was it about?"


    Naturally, even Danny would be curious. Danton answered as lax as he wanted to. "Even I don''t know if the legend is true, but eight hundred years ago, it was said that a creature of unimaginable power, born from the dispersion of pure energy crystals that were improperly destroyed in an accidental chain reaction, yielded the results of a magical mutation. Call it what you want. Zantos is said to be the very first creature either affected by or generated by magic. We all know what these are today as summons. But without a master, Zantos brought destruction and terror to the lands of Sprawn Valley. So a bunch of elite mages trying to prove their worth and further validate the use for magic - went to fight the creature using magic of their own. Zantos was then slain, and buried in a special temple constructed only to seal away the magical essence of Zantos for all eternity."


    Cleo, calm from Danton''s earlier understanding of their current situation commented on the summary, and if Danton really learned this from the public domain, then nobody was trying to hide it. That only makes it less plausible. "Sounds like lunacy to me. Of course, the common knowledge doesn''t know anything about lunar magic and its power to kill those who use it. They''ve all forgotten their long history."


    "Precisely," Danton revealed. "There''s so many holes in the story of Zantos, I''d rather call it a conspiracy theory and leave it at that. For that long time ago, the people didn''t have access to Leray magic or knowledge of conversion methods. So any group of people who went to slay a summon would only get a couple of invocations to do anything before falling dead. If that''s not enough, we all know that summons disappear from the physical dimension we can see when their HP drops to zero. Even if you to actually kill a summon, there wouldn''t be a need to bury the summon''s body or essence afterwards in a long abandoned temple. And thirdly, in all the years we''ve lived in Sprawn Valley, nobody has ever reported any ancient temple anywhere on our known map. We have - after all explored just about everywhere in the country."


    Danny felt a sense of appraisal after debunking the ridiculous claim. Danton is right. There are too many holes for that to make sense and be real.


    Danton was glad nobody argued with him this time. Even Danny seemed to be on the same level. "I guess that means on top of having to face Kite and Gleeon, we also have to deal with the lunacy of their subjugates as well."


    "Now that that''s out of the way," Cleo channeled, "I think we should all try and figure out what this symbol on Jane is really capable of. I''m particularly interested in the idea that Jane unlike others can use dark magic at will without feeling the effects of the lure."


    "The lure?"


    Is he serious?! Why would Cleo suspect that Jane can use dark magic with... That''s right, Jane was using dark magic in Alpha Zero. Every elite used it at least once or twice, except for Danton himself. He had never to this day experienced the lure of dark magic. But Cleo, Krysta, even Mainne came to him shortly after Jane''s departure from Junon airport about the matter. "Cleo is talking about the powerful lure of dark magic. If an ordinary person uses dark magic, even by accident, it can create this powerful mental fog in your mind, sort of a withdraw effect. We think it has something to do with the chemistry of the human body, and that dark magic can sort of act like a drug, something that increases the power of our hidden magical circuits to create a conduit for dark magical usage after a first or second use. As you know, some of us had to resort to using dark magic in Alpha Zero, and we were all examined afterwards to make sure we were okay. Kite and Gleeon I would surmise did their initial dark magic experiments in secret. It could be that they lost their minds after becoming addicted to dark magic, following the lure. Or perhaps they really were evil to begin with. But we never did ask Jane how she felt after it, beyond just asking."


    "That''s not what I meant," Cleo suggested. "I mean, sure, Jane used dark magic too in Alpha Zero, but she also used it by accident during our match. I believe the spell was Dark Lite. She claimed that outside of a general practice for the spell, that invocation was her first time using it on another person. Danton? I imagine you at least heard about it."


    "I don''t believe so..."


    "Hang on a sec," Danny intruded. "What about Star of Darkness? I thought that spell used dark magic."


    "It uses a controlled form of dark magic that has no lure, no harmful effects, and no risks. The only reason it falls into the category is because the spell in question is still a force negating the veil, while also remaining harmless. If somebody used that spell trying to cause harm, they would be unable to do so, even without the protective effects of the veil. It only drains energy and stamina."


    "Oh." So Star of Darkness really is benign.


    "As I was saying," Cleo returned, "Don''t you think it''s rather odd that Jane must have used dark magic at least three times as often and suffered no harmful effects, not even from a lure?"


    "I guess so..." Cleo can''t be serious! "You think that Jane''s symbol is protecting her from the lure."


    Cleo couldn''t disagree, since that is the conclusion he was going for. "On the off chance that Danny did jump to a rash conclusion, it might be possible that the E-7 spell bomb was specifically designed to filter dark magic in a different way that would allow users bearing the symbol to use dark magic without suffering themselves."


    "That literally makes no sense." Danton denied the claim immediately. "I watched their minds become twisted before me. Kite and Gleeon had a scattered worldview after messing with the stuff. Any of their subjects following them use dark magic as well, people they gained long before this symbol was invented as an untested prototype. If becoming addicted to dark magic only makes the resolve of that person align closer to Kite and Gleeon, there would be no reason to construct a symbol for that exact purpose. We can say that Jane may be immune to the side effects of dark magic and possibly lunar magic simply as a benign result, some way the symbol helps her process all forms of magic, but that''s all we can say." Cleo didn''t seem happy getting shut down like that, but at least now he understood the feeling. "I don''t like to be wrong either, especially after all this time, but the more I think about the considerations, the more I find Danny''s theory to bear more sense than anything we knew before now."


    Jane glanced down at her hand. "So I can use dark magic any time I want and never suffer the side effects from it?"


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    Danton quickly interjected to help Jane figure this out properly, but Danny did so before he could get more than one word out. "Even if you can Jane, you should try to avoid doing so as much as possible. There''s still too much about that symbol that we don''t know. I''d rather trust Leray magic to get us through this far more than anything else."


    "Yes, and on that note," Mainne stood between everyone holding her opposing upper arms. Jane in particular should pay the most attention to this news, but everyone else still seems to be clueless. "You said that your hands were sparking magic after your magic usage in New York?"


    Why return back to the same thing? Jane answered Mainne humbly anyway, figuring it may lead somewhere. "Yes, they were. I felt horrible and couldn''t use magic more during that time. It was only when I returned to Sprawn Valley when I went back to normal. It wasn''t instant, but it still happened fast."


    "Right," Mainne conceded. "And shortly after you used the E-7 mark 64 spell bomb on yourself, did similar symptoms occur?"


    Danny and Taylor both winced that Mainne figured that out without Jane telling her, but Taylor still confirmed the details with a swift response. "Yes! How did you know?"


    "It''s just as I thought. Jane was in fact using lunar energy during her incident in America, but that isn''t the reason she got sick shortly afterwards."


    "Mainne? What are you saying?"


    Answering Danton''s dull understanding of what''s going on with Jane, Mainne stepped in to recap and break it all down again. "The results on Jane''s symbol regarding the genetic scan have been fully complete and analyzed thoroughly."


    Following the gasps of shock from everyone other than Mainne and Danton, Brock threw out a sharp question. "When did this happen?"


    "It was shortly after Jane''s last phone call with Danton ended with her still residing in America. It was hard for me to understand at first, and I have reason to believe that Danton didn''t get it at all."


    "Please tell us what it is," Danny begged.


    "I really need to know!"


    Jane and her friends are desperate for answers. They should know the whole truth at this point. "The reason I asked if Jane had sickening symptoms of unusual matters shortly after you said she was blasted by moonlight, is because I needed to test a theory of how this symbol works. We now know what it is, but there is still a lot of data undiscovered on the entry. The reason that blast of moonlight didn''t outright kill Jane is still a mystery to me."


    They were quiet, patiently waiting to hear as many details as possible. Mainne needed a short breath, since trying to organize her words wasn''t going to be easy. There''s so much to this that everyone missed before. "There is a reason why lunar magic kills the people who uses it shortly after. It''s all a matter of vessel capacity, and the limits of human beings. Everyone in here knows that lunar magic kills, but we never thought to ask why."


    Danton cleared his throat to interject, admitting to the possibility of omitting information he obtained earlier. "Sirus told me a long time ago that it had something to do with ME levels per person, and that nobody has the amount needed to properly use or filter lunar magic through their body."


    Mainne simply picked up where Danton left off. "Before the very first moment you enter the Sprawn Valley veil, your natural ME levels are estimated to be somewhere between one and twenty-five. That alone isn''t enough to use even the easiest Leray spells without the assistance of some kind of energizing veil, nor is it safe and healthy. But when you try, even upon failure, ME levels in that person slowly rise above the previously recorded maximum level. Eventually, as long as you have a magic source, you can make at least something happen. But when you enter the source of our veil, all of that changes."


    With another breath, Mainne continued. "Your ME levels, no matter how low quickly shoot up over the first several hours you first enter the veil, ranging between four hundred and eleven hundred. Even then, it''s not enough for people to use any spell they want, but the veil''s process does this in order to protect their bodies on a constant level, giving them the protection from unnatural causes of death. Such people as a result of rising ME levels experience side effects such as the forced capacity to stay awake for longer periods of time without slower accumulations of fatigue."


    "I still don''t get what any of this has to do with my symbol." Jane knew she was sounding impatient, but after everything that has ever happened to her, what does ME have to do with the symbol? The symbol increased her ME capacity fairly high, but so what?


    "I''m getting to that part. Without doing anything extra from that moment on, the magic assimilation in a person entering Sprawn Valley eventually stops at their minimum level. From that moment on, your ME levels can''t go any higher unless you begin to practice and succeed in channeling a form of magical energy through your body. In doing so, the ME from there slowly goes up over time. The higher it gets, the longer your MP reserves will last. The MP cost for spells doesn''t change very much over time, and it can only be slightly reduced when you''ve used the same spell for hundreds or thousands of times. The reason the same spell seems to use less energy as you get stronger isn''t because the cost is different, it''s because your magical essence capacity gets higher; you have a lot more to spend from the start. MP is represented in energy scopes as a proportionate capacity, not as a numerical value, and HP sort of works the same way."


    "Mainne," Danton called. "This is basic stuff that every wielder should know, but I''m to assume you''re going somewhere with this, so please continue."


    "We don''t know much about dark magic to this day. It''s hard to study what''s too unethical to use. But we''ve estimated that having a value between the ranges of 21,000 and 35,000 ME points in a person''s capacity, makes the use and integration with dark magic become possible. With that much magical essence in your control, you could virtually shift the energy pattern before and after it flows through you from the veil. Of course, as that number gets even higher, so does your handle on dark magic and its subjective power level."


    "Does..." Jane didn''t understand one of the smaller details. Maybe it isn''t important, but just to be sure... "Does channeling more and more ME into a particular spell, either Leray or dark magic change its power level?"


    "You only get about 10% wiggle room for common spells in doing that. Try to go even higher, then you overcharge the spell and everything backfires. Nothing can change that equation. But just as Leray magic and dark magic all require a minimum level of ME capacity to be used, it also suggests that pure lunar magic needs a minimum level of ME to be used properly as well."


    So that''s where she''s going with this. Danton felt stupid for not noticing it earlier. That must be why Mainne wanted to explain it in person.


    "We''ve always thought that, in order to use lunar magic anyway you want without any side effects, the ME capacity per person should be somewhere right up at 100,000 ME. If you fall short of that value and try to use lunar magic, you suffer the side effects of its harm. Because our bodies don''t have the necessary energy to support what we''re channeling through our magic circuits, the most natural thing that could result from trying is serious damage to our internal organs and biological structure. Leray and dark magic invocation attempts are exempt from these specific side effects because of the natural protective effects from the veil."


    "A hundred thousand ME?" It sounds high in Danny''s ears... But what if it''s not? "Wait, what if someone were to simply just practice until reaching that point?"


    Having figured most of this out, Danton finally assisted Mainne in her argument, answering Danny''s question. The rest had no choice but to listen carefully. "Even if that were possible, if you train yourself to get to that ME level, then the use of lunar magic safely should be child''s play. However, such a thing has never happened before. As Mainne suggested earlier, humans are fragile beings, and can only handle a certain amount of ME levels before it can become dangerous to the body. The use of lunar energy is quite like channeling an electric current through your body outside the safety of the veil. Just instead of electricity, think ionizing radiation instead. Victims of lunar magic tend to present symptoms quite similar in their structural damage, causes of death tending to be severe genetic mutations and cancer in seventy percent of the cases from the report so long ago. What Mainne is saying is that while that level may seem obtainable if you try hard enough, it simply is not. For example, I checked my own ME levels recently using deep scan equipment which is now widely available in Sprawn Valley..." Don''t all speak up at once to ask... "My ME capacity is 59,700 points, roughly."


    Danny couldn''t draw the reference for comparison. Danton is the champion of Leray magic, so it makes sense that his would be high. The elites in the room all sounded so impressed, but aren''t their levels close to the same? What would Danny''s ME levels read out to, even by an estimate?


    "It''s a very high value," Mainne iterated. "The average Leray wielder for the experience level that people like Danny and Taylor would have, (and I''m choosing close to level-five training), would be around nineteen or twenty thousand ME points. Danton only has his as high as he does because he''s had so many years of training. Even if you are more skilled in combining spells or contain better fighting skills, ME levels would still differ as they only rely and focus on how often and how long you use and rely on magical abilities to train and fight. In addition to this, it becomes exponentially more difficult to raise your maximum ME levels the higher they rise in us."


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Moments of Silence ~ Sean Hayman</a>


    <center><iframe title="Moment of Silence" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nZvTjaybX68" width="240" height="120" frameborder="0"></iframe></center>


    <hr>


    "Mainne!" Jane felt she could understand what Mainne was getting at now. She understood one of the side effects of this spell bomb, something Jane never actually told Mainne before now, nor Danton for the matter. "Days after I first arrived in Lennith City, I took advantage of a deep scanner myself. I was curious about something I needed to check, and found out that my symbol dramatically boosted my ME levels. At the time, they were in the lower fifty thousands."


    "Bullshit," Krysta denied. "Fifty thousand ME points? After all this time, that would make you stronger than Danton. It isn''t possible."


    Jane retorted Krysta''s blasted remark, "Are you forgetting that I defeated Danton all by myself earlier?"


    "With the cheating assistance of your symbol!"


    "The symbol, guys!" Mainne couldn''t believe they would still be willing to argue even now. "It is completely unnatural for someone of Jane''s short term training to be able to invoke such powerful spells and skills. I''m willing to bet she didn''t have to train very long to learn such spells after obtaining her symbol. Whatever that blast did to Jane, the entire main purpose of this spell bomb was always to forcefully increase the target''s base ME levels far above what should be normal for a human. And I bet from the moment of the symbol''s activation, the ME levels continue to rise on a gradual, though much faster than normal pace."


    "So then that''s all it does?" Jane was only putting it together right now... But if her ME levels are that high, they could have already risen up to 100,000 points. If that''s true, Jane would be able to handle the flow of lunar magic... Jane felt dizzy just considering it, that the symbol on her hand literally pushes the weight of everything on her shoulders. The color began to drain from her face after hearing Mainne''s explanation.


    "Aren''t we missing something?" Danton knew he at least told Mainne what happens to those unfortunate enough to try and boost their ME levels. Sirus said it wasn''t possible to do, but he was obviously wrong. Still, Sirus argued that, "Whenever you forcefully increase a person''s ME levels over a short period dramatically, they''re supposed to suffer serious side effects and critical damage, quite the same in nature to just using lunar magic. It would have killed Jane outright."


    "But that''s precisely what happened." Everyone went quiet, forcing Mainne to immediately elaborate her memory. "No, Jane didn''t die, but she did get sick shortly after being afflicted with the symbol. Her friends confirmed it with us. She passed out and had trouble staying conscious. When time passed, she wasn''t feeling well, presented by sparking symptoms on her hands, and was unable to invoke any magical power of any kind for a period of time."


    That''s right! So all of that getting sick was a process of Jane''s ME shooting up way too high too fast. But Jane didn''t die? To think the spell bomb could have killed her...


    "Initially, Jane''s symptoms were caused by a sudden overload of magic forcefully shoved and channeled through her body. Whether she was aware of it or not, the initial steps to having that symbol fused to her hand must have involved a process requiring pure lunar infusion. And what kind of weather did we see reported in Blue Port Town on that same date and time?"


    Danton couldn''t forget. Shortly after seeing that report, he thought the people there must have been afflicted by a spell of hallucination. "The day turned into night, then shifted to a strange weather pattern resembling a thunderstorm."


    "It wasn''t just an illusion of magic that hit Jane that night. It was literally a concentrated form of moonlight, a direct source of lunar energy unusable to anyone else. But after Jane''s overload subsided, the massive draw to power the rest of the process, despite her growing ME levels must have left her entire MP levels drained past their normal points..." Do they not comprehend? "Jane wasn''t able to use magic because she was being drained of her energy faster than the veil here was capable of regenerating it passively. When that happens, it causes your magical circuits to become unstable."


    "I didn''t know any of that could happen in Sprawn Valley."


    Mainne knew she was speaking to everyone and not just Cleo when she tried to paraphrase in every way she could. "The ME that people have is a maximum capacity, and the MP is their current potential level out of that capacity usable. The veil that encases this entire country regenerates lost MP levels over time. That regeneration speed is specifically set by defined rules to increase for those with higher ME levels. But even then, there is a cutoff point. The veil is only powerful enough to regenerate used ME at a certain maximum level. After that, the regenerative rate doesn''t go any higher."


    "Okay?"


    "So imagine for a moment, someone''s ME points suddenly surge through the roof. At first, she''s overcharged because the blast of moonlight that hit Jane jacked up the charged ME levels along with the ME capacity, making it dangerous on its own. But then the ME rate of progression slows down, though still far elevated above an average level, and at this point already far beyond the set regeneration rate''s maximum potential. Now imagine a large battery pack slowly increasing in both size and capacity. As it sits in a charger, the charge rate or time doesn''t change, but because the capacity is changing and growing constantly, you''re still accumulating energy. However, the energy proportion is decreasing because the charge rate is too slow. During the time of her illness, Jane''s MP percentage would have slowly been going down instead of going up."


    It''s a loaded way to try and imagine it, but at last, Danny figured out the use of each analogy and combined them together for a general understanding. "I see. Jane was suffering even after we thought she would recover, all because her energy was being drained by proportion instead of capacity."


    "Yes," she answered. "Based on the preset rules we have in the veil set up for fair battling practices, the amount of stamina drain a person will experience is always based on their capacity by proportion, not by ME capacity. This means that if you have one person with a low ME, and another with a high ME, both of them suffer the same exact sensation of a stamina drain when both of their MP levels are at say, five percent. But with HP, we don''t define those rules because life energy isn''t set by the veil. That is set by nature. Two people with differing HP endurance levels with the same proportion may still behave differently."


    "I get it then. I understand what Mainne is talking about."


    But Mainne was hardly finished, and she continued to explain it for them anyway. "Intrusive rejection, that symptom you see when Jane''s hands seem to glow while preventing her from using magic isn''t actually unheard of. It occurs in one of two situations. In Jane''s initial situation, her magical rejection was triggered by the noticeable decline in her magical capacity. Her MP was slowly draining, failing to increase where it should have, and the veil can only try its best to regenerate her powers. Even with ME ignored in that scenario, if you''re MP is already low in proportion, and it isn''t able to climb, you experience this phenomenon, regardless of whether or not you have a symbol. At some point, I imagine that Jane''s ME growth rate slowly declined due to the factor of negative exponential expansion, eventually slowing down just enough for the veil to properly affect her again. As a result, her symptoms subsided and she was able to use magic again. It may not have worked as she was used to it, but that''s why it went away."


    Naturally, Brock asked, "And the other scenario?"


    "When Jane was in New York and used lunar magic, that event must have quickly drained all of her magical points. We do know for certain that the use of lunar magic compared to Leray magic will without a doubt drain your MP so much faster than normal spells, even with a really high ME level. In this case, there wasn''t a veil in place to regenerate Jane''s lost energy. Magic or not, people all have an ME, even just a small amount to live. When you use magic, you drain this ME very quickly. Leaving Sprawn Valley doesn''t shorten or change you ME, but in exiting from a veil, your ME levels stop climbing and charging, and so does your MP capacity. You don''t regenerate any energy from your expended ME points."


    To try and prevent improper speculation, Mainne reworded her statement. "It isn''t said to be possible to use lunar magic outside of a veil, and normally, it''s not. The only reason the initial researchers of magic got anywhere is because they forced dangerous amounts of magic through their systems, and shot up their ME levels in dangerous ways with no control in such experiments. It''s the same reason they died. You can actually use lunar magic successfully if you force it with the aid of a power source. If your ME is around 100 when you try it, it will kill you instantly. If your ME is around 2000 when you try it, it will kill you a little slower through an illness; assuming jacking up the ME that fast doesn''t do it already. But Jane''s situation is unique. She had a lot of ME points to channel magic without any side effects because the symbol integrated with her binded with her DNA successfully. Even still, when you use magic, you have to recharge it afterwards. In New York without a power source, Jane ended up with no growing or shrinking ME capacity, though a completely drained MP level. Your fatigue wasn''t induced by a veil. It was caused because when you arrived in New York, you already had a complete charge to your energy, and then during your incident, you shorted everything out."


    Mainne can be a real nerd sometimes... Though everything here is still speculation and science. It''s still believable too, and she seems to understand it well. "I''m surprised you''re suddenly an expert in the subject. But am I to believe in part of this explanation, that Jane was very close to dying in New York, not because she used magic, but because she drained herself doing it?"


    "No," Mainne shook her head. "Jane was never in danger of being killed by using lunar magic, and that''s because her ME levels now support it. When you drain your MP energy in a veil, you only suffer a certain amount of fatigue, but if somehow you''re able to do it outside of a veil, you suffer all kinds of horrible side effects and even a few temporary illnesses. Because you''re not being recharged, you''d quickly enter a state of intrusive rejection from the sudden drain, but that alone can''t kill you. It sounds unique to Jane, but that''s only because without a veil or power source, it isn''t normally possible to drain any points from your preset ME level. When you use lunar magic, you do just that; you drain all of your ME and suffer the consequences if you don''t have a veil to help you recover or pass off those effects. We just don''t notice this in other people, because they would first be killed by the very usage of lunar magic and the toxic after effects. So now, mix that with the harmful part of using lunar energy without a proper ME level, and it creates a very painful and nasty moment before dying. But in Jane''s case, she only got the non-lethal side effects. Needless to say, she would have only recovered slightly if Jane had not returned to Sprawn Valley''s veil. Calling her back here was the right decision to make."


    So all that time, Jane wasn''t dying? She was just drained of her energy and her body had trouble keeping up? Still, Taylor knew she was trying not to make it sound bad in her mind. Jane wasn''t having any fun at all during those symptoms. If she never returned to Sprawn Valley, she would have stayed sick forever!


    Jane knew everyone was building questions, but she had some of her own, urgent for Mainne. "You said genetic binding to my DNA? I think Danton used the same term before you took a sample."


    "You give me too much credit," Danton replied. "I told you we were going to analyze a sample of your blood and scan your body on a molecular DNA level to make sure we don''t miss anything. Nobody was expecting to find out that in the process of increasing your cell''s ME levels, that symbol on your hand created a genetic mutation, one very slight and almost unnoticeable, but a mutation all the same."


    Mainne picked up where Danton left off. "This kind of mutation is probably what''s allowing your body to handle all of the ME you''re storing up right now. I think that this symbol was designed with a lot of intelligence. The scientist who developed it knew what would happen to a user of the spell bomb if ME levels simply were driven past their normal level. But if you can simultaneously mutate a person''s DNA to a specific sub-set of alterations, it might then be possible for the bio-mechanism to handle different amounts of ME bursts, a burst being what happened to you in Blue Port Town. That bio-mechanism is now you."


    Jane lost all her breath trying to understand, shortening her vocal intensity. "Are you trying to tell me that I''m no longer human?"


    "I wouldn''t put it like that." Jane is being too literal about this. She doesn''t understand what a wonderful opportunity has been given to her! "You''re just different now. You''re able to channel pure lunar energy through your body without sustaining any damage to yourself. I believe in this case, the mutation more specifically allows the symbol on your hand to fully assimilate all of its energy through each and every new cell made inside of your body. I bet the reason it can disappear from view has to do with an advanced hibernation mode that also only works because of the adaption to your cells the symbol has developed."


    "You sound a little too excited about this news."


    Excited? Does Danton not understand what this means? "Excited? I know the inventor would be anyway. You realize how much went into developing this one prototype? Every calculation would have to be precise and perfect. The understanding of human biology would have to be deeper than anything! Because Jane hijacked the thing, she has the power to go anywhere in the world she wants to and use a type of magic fatal to anyone else! And if that weren''t enough, just by being here in Sprawn Valley under a veil, relying on only Leray energy, Jane''s MP levels can last longer than anyone else, and even manipulate patterns of conservation to give her other powers from Leray magic, like those power shields we''ve all seen her use." Mainne tried to listen to herself... Danton was right. It is exciting! "The potentials of Jane and that symbol are limitless Danton."


    Jane certainly doesn''t feel your passion. Mainne won''t even look at her right now and realize how worse she''s making everyone feel. To have all of this happen at the age of sixteen? No wonder Jane took off on a suicide mission to the dark zone without her friends. No wonder she challenged the champion to try and reach the Den of Purity. Mage Brightworth, now criminal in lockdown was said to have been able to use his powers to remove permanent spell bombs, even symbols people attach to themselves. No wonder Jane went crazy trying to remove that thing from her arm! "Perhaps." Danton knew that now is not the time to indulge them. If what Mainne is saying is true, it''s horrible news. The only good thing that ever came of it is one idea: better Jane than some crook who would have and could have used it for something bad. "But Jane never asked to be branded. She never wanted to be that powerful."


    "Huh?" Mainne glanced at Jane, who was still staring into her hand. Her face was sunk and her eyes were drained of their usual luster. It was only now when Mainne realized how much of a choice Jane never had in this... She doesn''t want that symbol on her hand. "Oh. I''m sorry Jane. I didn''t mean to..." She didn''t know how to finish that sentence. She couldn''t just praise what happened. This kind of science might be amazing, but it''s also highly illegal as well.


    "We all know you didn''t mean to," Danton progressed with his agitated voice. "But next time try and think of other people''s feeling before you project heavy subjects onto them like that."


    "But—"


    "Try to imagine how she feels!" Danton bellowed. "From day one of this incident, she had to hide that symbol from the others, less she be imprisoned falsely for being marked, or perhaps destroyed in an act of fear. She probably prayed a thank you to God upon discovery that she could just hide her symbol from complete and total view. If that weren''t enough, Jane likely suffered all sorts of unusual effects trying to desperately figure it out; her one and only hope, the Den of Purity. Little did she know upon arrival to Lennith City what the state became of the precious Outback, and the rouge agent who was the only one capable of removing her cursed powers."


    "I..." Mainne never thought about it through Jane''s eyes, but the way Danton was describing it was both accurate and horrifying.


    Danton calmed his tone as he continued. His anger wasn''t directed towards Mainne, even if she''s the one who failed to understand. Nobody is quick to pick up on these things. "And that''s just one way of looking at it. Even if Jane''s symbol is hidden from view, the obvious rise to her ME levels won''t ever change. That means she will always have a serious unfair advantage over any opponent she chooses to battle. It''s the reason she defeated me, and the reason I was immediately suspicious of Jane cheating the system in one way or another. Hell, she even tried at least once to leave her friends behind for their safety, but also in fear they would despise her upon discovering she was marked."


    He summed it up well somehow, though Jane did tell him everything about it, bits and pieces over the time before and after fixing the Outback. "Danton..."


    Danton addressed Jane immediately, who was probably about to tell him that he doesn''t need to be getting upset about something that happened only to her, but she couldn''t be more wrong. "I know now Jane. Before I knew who you were, I was no better than the rest of the world who judged those that were marked. I assumed something was off when I lost to someone younger than any contestant. On top of that, I didn''t want to step down as champion given that I still have a war to fight against Kite and Gleeon. But during that time, I never once considered how messed up things were for you. I never stopped to think whether or not I was thinking the right way, or too broken by my past to make any functional decisions. Consider this my apology, and not just to Jane." Danton paused, zoning his view towards Krysta, Brock, and especially Cleo. "But to all of you. You honestly think word doesn''t fly to my ears Cleo? Of course I understand the risks we''re all taking. Even though I''m in charge, I have to second guess every decision I make, because one wrong move will kill us all!"


    Jane shied away from Danton a little, never expecting him to be so dramatic about everything... But he''s suffering too. Kite and Gleeon, they must really be dangerous. Danton is never this upset about anything, but to say everyone would be dead... Kite and Gleeon must be worse than any nightmare Jane alone ever faced. After all, they proved their own threat by killing Vanoss Highdrow.


    "Danton." Cleo needed a minute to recompose his words. After everything that''s happened... Danton is really this scared? He''s never shown any hint of fear over what''s been going on for years, not ever since the incident happened ten years ago. He''s been burying himself ever since. Now that the threat of dying is evermore real, he''s finally showing who he really is. And all I''ve done was mock his decisions. "Danton, I know it must not be easy staying in charge of decisions like this, even the split-second moments, like how you sent the vulnerable JDT unit straight to a hot zone without even informing us."


    "There wasn''t time to inform you—"


    Cleo cut the man off quickly. "That''s not the point! We''re all in this mess together. The least you can do is include us in everything. Instead of keeping bits of information to yourself, share a little with the group. Instead of sharing such a dangerous responsibility to yourself, let us make group decisions from now on. At least ask us what we think of our next options!"


    Cleo... He''s right. Danton never felt so ashamed of himself then now. Cleo, Brock, and Krysta have all change so much over all the years; they''ve become very refined individuals. After finally realizing the additional mistakes he could have made, even right now, his entire team is still willing to trust him. They were literally brought here to fight this war alongside Danton, not for him. "Very well. Moving forward, every decision, situation, and tactical briefing will be shared among the five of us." Danton peered to his right, where Jane, Danny, and Taylor stood, their faces wary. "Or eight of us."


    "Thank you." Cleo tried to think back to all his years of training, and all of that time he spent in front of Danton. This might be the first time he''s ever thanked Danton for anything.


    "Where is Sirus? Isn''t he involved too?"


    Answering Brock''s concern, Danton revealed another decision he already made earlier today. "I sent him on an errand for now. But while he''s here, Sirus is the official gatekeeper of the core. He''ll be here in any event that we all have to leave the tower, just in case."


    "And that errand is?"


    Right, they want no more secrets. Danton replied hesitantly with no choice but to oblige. "He''s gathering a bit of intelligence for me on a potential lead that could be used to point in the direction of the Scarlet Cult''s hide out."


    Cleo tsked his teeth, a small mist of spit shooting out. "At least now, you''re playing your chess game without any intention to keep us in the dark. When will this lead prove anything useful?"


    "Patience is what we need for this one Cleo." Danton shouldn''t have to remind him how critical it is that the Scarlet Cult are not scared into believing the team is onto them. If they move their secret base, this will all be for nothing, but it makes sense that everyone is getting restless. Nobody wants to live in fear of being attacked for so many years. It''s not natural.


    "And Mainne," Danton shifted. "I wasn''t expecting you to be such an expert in symbol analysis. I''m impressed."


    Mainne lifted her left foot up behind her right leg, uncertain of how to respond to Danton''s compliment; it''s too much credit. "No, it was easy once I compared Jane''s symbol situation to the symbol that the ancients tried to use a few times during the war of mages."


    What is she talking about now? "Are you referring to the war of symbols? We also consider that the Avion Wars to avoid confusion. I have to ask since the very first magic war had nothing to do with symbols."


    "Yes, I am referring to that. It turns out we''re not really the first of our kind to figure out that lunastasis is possible."


    "Lunastasis?" Danton had to repeat that term carefully. It was new to him. The more interesting question is, would Sirus know?


    "Lunastasis. It''s a symbol design that is virtually the same one on Jane''s body. The symbol appearance, shape, size, it''s all the same, but the data is in old scriptures that are only held in the tower''s book of archives. That was the reason the data wasn''t digitally archived. It wasn''t easy to read either."


    "You''re saying that this symbol I have actually does exist? It has a name?"


    It was normal for Jane to get excited about that, but Mainne had to deliver the only truth that makes sense. "Sort of. During the time of the war, some of the most intelligent mages got together and designed a symbol that would inherently allow its wielders to maintain much higher levels of ME. As a result of this, and their existing knowledge that lunar magic is only usable by those who can wield higher ME levels, they tried to get everything the same way. The symbol design matched what they wanted, and the idea behind it was lunastasis. A person with lunastasis would have the capacity to store, channel, and release lunar energy through their magic circuits without any harmful side effects."


    "Well it never lasted, and nobody heard about it," Danton pointed out. "So something went wrong."


    "Yeah, they never got it to work. The symbol infusion went as well as any ordinary symbol needed to, but during their experiments, while they did manage to get people''s ME levels much higher like Jane has hers, the result ended up killing or disabling their subjects. For those who weren''t disabled immediately, they tried to test the symbols by using lunar magic. They didn''t last long either. The idea was eventually dropped and abandoned as the war needed more reliable symbols. Lunastasis became nothing but a pipe dream, and I guess our mages didn''t fully understand what the scriptures were about. After all, the council still knows nothing about lunar magic or the crystal core."


    "I guess that makes sense," Danton concluded. "We keep the council in the dark, which inherently means that all knowledge related to lunastasis was kept secret as well by coincidental accident. Still, the Scarlet Cult must have in one way or another learned about the previous experiments involving lunastasis, and got some interesting ideas on how to make it work. In their favor, they''d become unstoppable if they could use lunar magic whenever and wherever they wanted to without side effects, but they needed some way of merging that symbol with active genetic material in order to bypass the factor of death from the ME burst. That must be why in all unlikelihood, Jane didn''t die."


    "So then," Jane presented her hand, despite having the symbol inert, "what I have here isn''t just a fancy prototype? It''s exactly the same as lunastasis?"


    Danton corrected the girl again. "No, the symbol has been modified to better use the process of lunastasis. To be more exact, your passive ability from your symbol is perfect lunastasis. However, the symbol itself still isn''t exactly the same. It''s running on a different process; your body the host."


    "Lunastasis." Jane had to repeat to herself at least a thousand times. She searched so hard just to name this stupid thing, and it had a name all this time. Everyone keeping secrets from everyone made it much harder to figure out what was really going on. "Lunastasis," she repeated, looking down at her right wrist below her face.


    "Jane." Danton had to get her attention for this. "I know this has been rough on you. I promise that we''re still looking into methods of symbol removal as best as we can, but right now, these Scarlet scum are focusing our resources and attentions to what''s most important here. It would normally go against everything in my honor to even consider letting someone of your age get involved in this situation, but if I''m able to get a sense for how you feel, I bet you consider yourself far too involved in this to ever take yourself off of it."


    What? Cleo ingested what Danton was about to ask before he could ask again. "You''re going to try and recruit them again?"


    "They''re already on our team," Danton clarified. "Jane? I know that if you were to continue assisting me in capturing these criminals, your friends would never allow you to do it without their specific support, since you three all care for each other and everything. Now that we understand what this symbol is, I would like to formally request that you assist us in our current investigation and mission, even if that means using your power of lunastasis to get the upper hand on our targets." Jane has already been doing that all this time, but Danton figured it must hurt Jane each time she uses that symbol. Every time that thing activates and lights up, it''s just another painful reminder of the past mistakes she has made. Nobody can force her to relive that for the sake of the greater good. "At the same time, you should know that you and your friends have absolute choice in your involvement with us. You don''t have to fight anyone or endanger your friends while we work things out. I''ve already pardoned you for being marked officially. I''m also prepared to offer you protective care for the duration this investigation lasts."


    Danton is so considerate. Jane could feel Danny and Taylor eyeing her from behind, trying to read her thoughts, but this decision is easy to make. A safe house of high-class furniture and food might sound nice to an average person, but if Jane doesn''t offer any help, Danton''s team will do this themselves. The fact that Danton is asking for Jane to lend them the support of herself and her lunastasis, only proves their fear and lack of confidence that things will somehow work out, and that''s not fair to leave alone. "I''m assisting you all the way."


    "Don''t make that choice without thinking it through."


    Jane expected Danton to say that before Cleo did, but she answered the same anyway. "I''ve had a long time to think it through. I made up my mind the same day I decided to recruit the champion for help that day I got back to Lennith City. Even if things are more dangerous now, it won''t change how I feel. I don''t wish the man ill will, but Geiger put a weapon of mass destruction into my hands without telling me what it was or what it was for. I can''t completely blame him for that; after all, I''m the one who used it on myself to test it, but all of this misery has been caused one way or another by the same enemies. The Scarlet Syndicate want to change the world for the worst. They want to take the very magic I''ve been living for, and turn it inside out. They ruined my life, they ruined my reputation, threatened to kill my family, succeeded in killing a distant relative of Danny''s family, they attacked my friends, they killed your friend, and turned their backs on Leray magic."


    "So I take that to mean, there''s no chance in hell you''re getting yourself out of this until I''ve arrested Kite and Gleeon?"


    Jane answered Danton''s question with a simple remark. "Anyone who considers themself to be a member of the Scarlet Cult, or who embraces dark magic, or turns their back on Leray magic and our ways of life here in Sprawn Valley, they''ve not seen the last of me. I''m going to make sure all of them pay with due justice, me and my friends, and I won''t let them die in the process. It''s a promise I already made to them and to myself. We all protect each other. Wherever I go, they go, or the other way around. If I work with you on this, Danny and Taylor are never to be separated from me on any mission you assign us. If that is okay with you, then I''m ready to start helping immediately."


    "Very well." Danton couldn''t feel any sense of accomplishment. Cleo has a good heart, but Jane won''t stop fighting these enemies even if she were kicked off the team and forced into that safe house. It''s probably not even safe anyway, considering that failure will also result in an evil change in Sprawn Valley, one the world would never recover from. After all, this is war. The time to fight fairly has long since been over... It''s like Jane said. Those murderers killed Vanoss, whom wanted nothing more than the same thing Jane wants now. She and her friends can be trusted. As for Kite and Gleeon, those two are finished. They may have done a lot of damage to this world in the last ten years, but they''ve also just given Jane a key to the weapon they needed to succeed, as well as a motive for Jane to oppose the purpose of its original use. "Your first assignment will be simple and easy, but consider reconnaissance in the back of your minds while you work on this quest. In the meantime, we''ll be gathering more intelligence and developing a plan to find the Scarlet hideout."


    Jane and her friends got themselves prepared on the spot with their supply spheres and equipment gathering, while Danton continued to psych himself up for this pending showdown. It might be as simple as showing up to the enemy doorstep and using teargas to achieve the desired results. Or those blokes might be more intelligent than originally perceived. This all proves that any outcome is possible. Kite and Gleeon better not oppose or resist their arrest this time. Because if they do... I''ll kill them myself. They''ve already killed Vanoss, and what''s one eye for another? They can try and outsmart Danton, but there are eight great minds and wonderful people in this elite unit. The outcome might as well already be decided!


    "Something wrong?" Mainne could see that look on Danton''s face. He''s serious about this, worried perhaps? Did something get overlooked?


    "Nothing is wrong," Danton reported. "We are Sprawn Valley''s guardians. I know I must have said this before, but this time I know what I mean. We represent the people in Sprawn Valley who know how to properly use magic, and the will of the people is far stronger than anything Kite or Gleeon would ever hope to achieve. They''re not going to win, because we''re not going to let them win. They think they know how powerful magic can be, but they''ve obviously overlooked what we''re all fighting for, and how powerful our resolves are combined. I just want everyone to know that I have no problem fighting against any former acquaintance or friend who has been forever lost to the dark side of magic. If you ever find yourself cornered by them, you are fully authorized to use lethal force for defense. That includes the use of dark magic if need be."


    "Are you sure that''s safe?"


    "No doubt the lure could be an issue afterwards, but we all know ways of resisting that at least a couple of times. I am not losing another friend to these freaks. So you better make sure you''re prepared to do what needs to be done, if the circumstances call for it."


    Brock huddled in with everyone else, as JDT pressed their distance to prepare their gear for their next outing, as Danton already gave them their mission, but Brock''s focus was on their newest recruits. "Are you sure they''ll be safe?"


    Danton had to make sure he felt as realistic as he could while answering Brock''s concern. "I''m sure enough. Jane is safe because of her lunastasis. Taylor and Danny have both been personally trained by Jane, so they''re tough even without the power of symbols, and Danny seems to have his wits about him." Danton raised his voice over them though, after considering a small yet important detail. "That is, after all three of you get one good night''s rest!" The teens grumbled when hearing that, but they had to be tired deep down. There cannot be any room for error.


    "Yes," Brock remembered. "You know, Danny kind of reminds me more of yourself. Kind of..." There isn''t much of a visual resemblance Brock saw between Danny and Danton, but the way Danny was talking about things earlier, it''s like he was completely logical and his sentences well thought out. Hard to believe a boy that age is so smart, but according to the personal stories he''s heard from Danton''s late childhood, they''re almost one and the same. Danton doesn''t have the same mindset for deductive reasoning like Danny does... But sometimes, Danton will still talk the same way, trying not to show any emotion though still making complete sense in a logical manner. Wonder which one is smarter?


    "Come on," Danton argued. "He isn''t that much like me."


    Mainne couldn''t be sure herself after hearing Brock say it at least once. Everyone is really in danger, not just Jane or her team. If the Scarlet Cult successfully invented lunastasis, it won''t be long before they come looking for their precious experiment. They can''t use it now that it''s attached to Jane, but it does mean they might still try to come after her. It''s fine now since Mainne knew she would be warping in near them to check-in every so often, but surely lunastasis isn''t the only secret Kite is hiding. Kite and Danton have been rivals for years, and there is bound to be countermeasures set up for finding their hide out. Danton''s right to be careful. One false move could end everything.


    The passive danger wasn''t new for anyone, and Mainne felt like standing here planning out their next move could also be her very last moment alive. The importance of it all, the significance only makes time feel like it''s completely stopped. Mainne could still hear it inside her head; the orchestra of silence trapped in considerations synchronized with her worries, unlimited to perpetual infinity. This moment can''t last forever. Magic might have the potential to cut two ways, but Kite is going to be against the will of the people and everyone who wants to use magic for good. Either way, that balance is going to have to shift one way or another, and it won''t be long now until the real powers of Leray magic are demonstrated for all the world to see. This is war, a war between the broken minds of a power struggle, and those who have strong hearts and minds. And as always, every war will have a heavy cost.


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    To be continued...


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