ASAHI NO NISHISEI - Rising Sun Goes West (2)

End of the Legend and a Dream

July 2

Inside the ancient ruins in the rainforest area, Arabanne Empire

The legendary Sword of Tyrfing is about to awaken from its 500-year slumber in the Chamber of Seals, an ancient ruin located in the interior of an equally ancient empire.

'Did that magic work on the elven girl...? Normally, her race, which detests conflict, rarely engages in fighting... so her fighting prowess is unknown...'

Hassamud, flying through the air on his staff and looking down on those fighting over the sword, could not hide his curiosity about the tragedy that was about to happen. In contrast to them, Jindo's group, whose friend had been mind-controlled, were caught in a state of bewilderment and turmoil.

"Lily, it's me! Jakyu! Answer me if you can hear me!"

"........."

Lily did not respond to Jindo's desperate call. She only turned her vacant eyes toward Jindo and the others.

"Hey, Lugh! Explain to me what's going on!"

Jindo demanded Eslugh, a magic researcher, about the current situation. He was lying on the edge of the rock pedestal, wounded and pondering the magic that was now being cast on Lily.

"Manipulation magic...? No... she showed no sign of resistance to the manipulation of her body. Is this... darkfield magic!?"

"Darkfield magic...?"

From Lily's appearance, Eslugh realized the true nature of the magic that was being cast on her. He explained the magic to the Japanese with question marks above their heads.

"In this world, there is magic to control people... However, the manipulation magic can only control a person's body... but cannot take over their mind. It is even possible to resist manipulation even when magic is cast on you. There is a type of magic that works on a person's mind called mental interference magic, but it can only send one's thoughts into another person's mind, and it is far from being called magic that can manipulate the mind..."

The manipulation magic that controls the body is the same magic used by the Altian Empire's military, which once fought against the Self-Defense Forces, to control the sea serpent, and the mental interference magic that affects the human brain is the same magic used by the Apostle of God Geral Gartrona to issue warnings to the resource survey team heading for the Rotom Subcontinent. These two types of magic affect the bodies of others, but neither is truly magic that can fully control humans.

"However, this darkfield magic can put another person's magic power itself under the control of the caster... I have never seen this magic before, but it was born suddenly in ancient times, and then suddenly ceased to exist... For the people of this world, magic power is tied to life itself... do you know what it means to have it under someone's control...!?"

"...!"

It did not take long for Jindo and the others to realize the seriousness of the situation after hearing Eslugh's explanation, even though they were not familiar with magic. Lily was now under the thrall of a sword that enslaved everything of her.

"Gh...! Then all we have to do is aim at him!" Hiraide exclaimed, and he turned to aim the Beretta 92 in his right hand at Awad, who was standing on a rock.

At the same time, Saikawa also readied his Type 89 rifle. However, a moment later, "something" flew from the side and pierced their right hands, blowing away the Beretta and the Type 89 rifle.

"...Agh!"

"...GAAAH!"

With an expression of anguish on their faces and holding their bloodied right hands, Hiraide and Saikawa looked in the direction from which the projectile had come. There, they saw Lily pointing a finger gun formed with her right hand toward them. From the tip of her index finger, a white smoke, similar to gunpowder smoke, was wafting faintly.