Only With Initial Resolve

"It seemed we wouldn't reach an agreement," Morton said slowly. "Then let's see what kind of people this weakling's school can produce."

As soon as Morton finished speaking, the black-cloaked men moved as one. They weren't proper mages. They relied more on their own physical strength than on alchemical tools or the simple ability to gather mana.

Helise and Hubert, on the other hand, were proper mages. As the black-cloaked men began to move, they started chanting. Fatenai could see mana flowing toward them, though the response wasn't very strong—perhaps because they were both still students.

Between the two of them, Helise's chanting was more successful.

Fireballs and lightning surged from their hands. As their chanting ended, the spells shot toward the charging black cloaks. The black-cloaked men were so fast that the two mages couldn't chant long enough to gather much power. It was the same in every world: using mana required chanting, and the longer the chant continued, the more energy it produced.

Unable to use mana, Fatenai pulled a plant from beneath her cloak. She couldn't use the summoner skills from her summoning system right now, because she couldn't be sure what effect interrupting the flow of mana would have on Helise and Hubert.

After all, the black-cloaked men didn't rely entirely on mana to fight. They also had knives and swords.

So did Fatenai.

Taking a deep breath, Fatenai hurled the plant. The Black Demon Vine coiled around one of the black-cloaked men's feet, binding both legs in an instant. He immediately tried to cut through it with his sword, but Fatenai was already in front of him. Her blade flashed in a graceful flourish.

There was less showmanship in Fatenai's swordwork now. It no longer looked like the swordplay of a noble.

Fatenai struck the black-cloaked man's hand with her sword. His weapon fell to the ground as he screamed. She didn't stop, driving her blade toward his legs. Blood sprayed. When it splashed across her skin, Fatenai felt it grow hot. Thankfully, it was night. If she could have clearly seen everything before her, she might have lost her nerve.

Wounded in the legs, the black-cloaked man lost his balance and toppled sideways. Fatenai saw the sword he swung just before he fell, its path clear in her eyes. She stepped lightly—not forward, but back. Gripping the hilt with both hands, she used all her strength to drive her sword into his chest. At first, she felt his armor resist her. She hesitated for a moment, then gave a low shout and pushed harder.

Only a month ago, she had been a girl who followed the rules of noble etiquette every day. Now she had killed someone.

The black-cloaked man fell to the side. Fatenai was dazed until the light of Helise's fireball, thrown to hold back a black-cloaked man closing in on her, brought her to her senses.

"Are you all right? I know this is hard to accept, but you have to," Helise said, looking at Fatenai with concern. Fatenai reminded her of herself long ago. "Sorry, that sounded a little cold."

Fatenai shook her head reassuringly, then glanced at Morton, who looked completely at ease. "Sorry. I was too weak."

They didn't know who Fatenai really was, but she knew perfectly well that these mages seemed to be striving to "resist" the nobles—and she was one of them.

She couldn't afford to be weak now.

Although Fatenai had defeated one of the black-cloaked men, the battle was going badly. Against their experienced opponents, even the two mages' considerable potential wasn't enough to turn the tide. Helise glanced anxiously at the battle as she fended off the black cloaks' relentless attacks. She struggled to keep up her chanting.

Just as she was about to finish, an enemy suddenly closed in and interrupted her.

"Hubert?" Helise stared in shock as Hubert appeared in front of her. The dagger the black-cloaked man had swung at her had been about to strike, but now it was embedded in Hubert's shoulder.

"Focus!" Hubert shouted. Helise immediately came to her senses and struck back with a spell.

They were at a disadvantage, steadily driven backward.

Fatenai could tell that Helise and Hubert were inexperienced mages, and now they had to face black-cloaked men who were fast and hit hard. Besides the one Fatenai had killed, the black cloaks had lost only four men, but Hubert had nearly been rendered unable to fight. Bright red blood continued to pour from his shoulder.

Helise and Fatenai were wounded too, but the worst problem wasn't their injuries. As women, their stamina was limited—and Fatenai was a girl who fought with a sword.

"Fatenai, you've exceeded my expectations." The three of them had been driven back to a huge beech tree. Morton looked at Fatenai and beckoned, his voice unexpectedly gentle, as if he were looking at a beloved little sister. The black-cloaked men understood his meaning and merely surrounded them, not attacking further.

Fatenai said nothing. Her vision was going dark.

"I've had enough of this game," Morton said suddenly, his gentle tone turning icy.

Sorry about that. Ed and Morton really are brothers... Fatenai thought, but didn't show it. She had no strength to spare. Bracing herself against the beech tree, she suddenly spoke.

"You don't need to apologize..." Helise said, supporting Hubert. She thought Fatenai was talking to her. "Just stay alive for now."

Fatenai didn't correct the misunderstanding. Only then did Helise notice that Fatenai was looking toward an empty space. Morton watched her too, unable to tell why the girl was staring at nothing as she spoke.

"It seems you can't hold out any longer. Then let's end this." As Morton spoke, the black-cloaked men advanced step by step.

The tension was so heavy that the descent of a blade over an execution block seemed to slow down a thousandfold.

Fatenai's expression seemed to show that she was calmly facing death. In truth, it was only that no one else could see "him."

"As a summoner, I was created to 'serve my master.' Being able to explore this world to my heart's content has already brought me great joy," said an elderly man with white hair, visible to Fatenai. His voice was calm. "I believe you can handle everything that remains. Until we meet again, Lonai."

Fatenai's lips curved slightly, and she slowly reached out her hand.

Darwin's figure gradually faded. The old man, who had never stopped exploring, wore a contented smile. Fatenai felt a sense of closeness toward Hermes, while her admiration for Darwin had always been there—and would only grow stronger.

"All right, Morton. Let's talk this over properly." Seeing Fatenai inexplicably raise her hand, Morton said nothing. Then she spoke.

At the sound of her voice, the forest echoed with the footsteps of a beast. In the distance, a glowing figure came running toward them—undoubtedly one of the forest's sacred creatures.

It was a unicorn. Its pure white coat illuminated the area, stirring a sense of the sacred in everyone's hearts.

But to the black cloaks, a unicorn was no gentle, sacred creature. It was a powerful warrior of the forest. When it charged into the crowd, they scattered, allowing it to reach Fatenai and the others without difficulty. At the same time, Helise and Hubert felt a gentle force lift them onto the unicorn's back.

"Stop them!" Morton realized what the unicorn's arrival meant and shouted.

But the black cloaks couldn't stop it. The unicorn whinnied and stamped its front hooves, sending a gust of wind crashing into them. Then it raced into the forest!

"Go!" Fatenai saw Morton's expression darken further and shouted to the unicorn.

"What are you saying? What about you?" Helise quickly understood and turned to look at her.

"Go!" Fatenai repeated. This time, her voice carried an unquestionable authority.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. Morton's expression turned grim. He said nothing, spreading his fingers. Fatenai could see mana gathering rapidly, its intense reaction accompanied by a surge of powerful energy.

But his chant was interrupted. Vines burst from beneath the ground and dragged Morton violently into the air, leaving him hanging!

Morton snorted. The black cloaks rushed forward and cut the vines. He dropped lightly to the ground, and then one of the black-cloaked men seized Fatenai's hands.

"Kill her," Morton said.

"Heh." To their irritation, a gentle voice rang out. Morton and the black cloaks immediately turned and saw that, at some point, a man had appeared atop a boulder in the clearing.

Fatenai was surprised too.

"Who are you?" Morton asked, watching him warily.

The man had long, lake-blue hair and wore a white robe like that of an ascetic. His eyes were blue gems, clear and crystalline, reflecting every person's image. Hearing Morton's question, he replied gently, "I am Merlin."

They were astonished, but Fatenai was even more so. She had dismissed Darwin and summoned another summoner, putting everything on the line.

But she had never expected it to be this person.

Merlin, Arthur's mentor—perhaps because he was a legendary mage, he could even appear before people.

"Perhaps you haven't heard of me, but it doesn't matter," Merlin said softly, slowly rising to his feet. Though he didn't look threatening at all, Fatenai could see the mana gathering had suddenly taken on a wondrous quality. It didn't spiral toward Merlin; instead, it danced like fairies, following his will. "So, what do you say, girl as unyielding as Arthur?"