To Fly the Soaring Tides

“M-Mistress—” The light behind her gaze threatened to fade away as her skin grew pale alarmingly fast.

“O… Oliander…?” Nanri went stiff, her blood ran cold. Then the air trembled. “What… what have you done?!”

There was a man standing behind the maid with dark horns which twisted out from his skull, blond hair and a predatory smile on his face. Nanri had finished her domain, and the mana in her hands felt more natural than ever. This was the first time in weeks she wasn’t bound in something made to actively suppress her magic. It felt like dropping weights from her wrists, but she didn’t have time to worry about whether her attacks would go unnoticed. She could only try.

“Titan Witch… What a delight it is to see you here. Such low-hanging fruit for such delectable blood—guh—” Ten titanium stakes reached his vitals, joints, and skull.

“Oli!” Nanri grabbed the maid and clutched her in her arms, tears falling unchecked down her face and onto the black and white uniform the woman wore. “You… you can’t die…”

Golden light wisped from the poor Oliander’s wounds, but it was faint and weak. It came in inconsistent waves that Nanri just couldn’t get to steady. She spent hours healing Lomp, but the wound was far too severe to afford that kind of time today. Still, Nanri just couldn’t draw upon the holy light like Cira could.

“Damn you, incomprehensible one! Whatever you are!” Nanri, as a born witch, knew the constellation Vercephus to be a power which existed entirely outside of witchcraft, but she couldn’t afford to be bound by such notions as a puddle of blood grew at her knees. The witch’s shackles were perhaps more difficult to shed than she thought. “Give me power! Bathe Oliander in your healing light… Please!”

Silver hair matted on her face as tears stained her cheeks. Her voice was hoarse and distraught as she pleaded—no, demanded whatever power up there provide her mana.

Nanri could only copy Cira’s ludicrous holy demands, despite the fact they made no sense to her. Regardless, she put her entire heart and will into these faux-prayers. Hoping beyond hope that her wish would be granted. But to see the light surrounding Oli’s wounds flare up in golden flames as her skin regained its color—somehow, it was the last thing Nanri expected.

Wait… I didn’t do this… This is… it’s coming from somewhere else.

Nanri realized that within a battle, space was like a pincushion of aethereal channels poking in different directions. There was a flow to one commanding mana of a specific element, and it created ripples in the surface. Within and all around any given conjuration was a unique phenomenon, no matter how repeated. Like ripples in a pond.

This particular trail was difficult to pick up, as if it was intentionally hidden. Nevertheless, Nanri’s eyes eventually landed on Eliza, who materialized in an iron maiden of light. They made eye contact as the woman smirked.

No way… Why would she—

“Nanri, dear…” Eliza chuckled into her mind, “Or should I say Sorcerer Nanri, I would hate to leave a bad impression on you. Your maid shall live, I assure y—”

Spears of light swarmed the Silver Witch from every direction, but all turned to dust in an instant. Suddenly, her mother was directly behind Eliza with her hand sticking out of her chest.

“This ends now—”

“Ahahah,” Eliza’s voice rang out as space shuddered, and her form melted into globs of blood. In seconds, the mage had reformed to the side, “I just saw this trick recently and was dying to try it out.”

The sky’s ambient light all turned silver again as the sun seemed to eclipse, but it was more like a silver crown in the sky, gleaming with fury. Suddenly Eliza’s light all disappeared in one go, and she was forced to heal herself with holy magic alone as she flew backwards.

“You think you have the luxury to ignore me—” A man’s voice from behind Nanri was quickly cut off when the air ruffled and tore apart. Titanium blades formed an ‘X’ that cut through the air and even the surrounding space. Nanri was taken by surprise at how effective the aethereal domain was—not even she could sense the blades until they appeared. This was all new to her and felt very precarious. That meant she absolutely could not let this draw out any longer than it needed to.

The man who earlier impaled Oliander apparently had similar tricks to the woman who inexplicably deigned to heal her. No matter how thoroughly he could regenerate himself though, it would not be so easy to escape punishment today.

Nanri realized that the nature of her array being built upon base geometric structures meant it could easily be tweaked at a moment’s notice. There were certain vertices of concentrated earth mana and her authority lay within the pattern through which they all connected. If it were truly to be called a domain, shouldn’t she have authority over all within it? This included earth, water, fire, flesh, and blood. Why shouldn’t it? At the very least, all was within her reach.

“You will regret crossing a sorcerer of Breeze Haven.” There was nowhere else in mind to claim as to the roots of her sorcerous will. “Whoever you are, I will show you how the weak feel when you trample them.”

Bright blonde hair glowed in the sun as his horns pointed menacingly in favor of his feverish eyes. In the next moment, the man’s flesh and bone deconstructed into a fine powder while his blood turned into silver dust.

More specifically, titanium dust. The metal was hardy in a physical sense, but as that great sorcerer seemed to like it great deal, it had to be more remarkable than even she herself realized. The effects of her domain only backed Nanri’s new understanding up. Whether the Silver Witch had been so wise, or a sorcerer’s imagination was just that effective, the bloody titanium dust coagulated into a series of misshapen lumps that gently orbited Nanri. This could almost be said to be one half of the technique used to transport herself up to the deck, but the interloper would not be going anywhere.

“U-Uriel!” A balding man appeared from nowhere in a panic, right in front of Nanri. He started frantically sucking up the man’s bone dust into a leather pouch, “You moron!”

“Have you come to die as well?” Nanri asked, shabby prison robes blowing in the wind atop the warship’s deck. The midday sun lit up her little domain even brighter than the sky her mother currently presided over. The two were still locked in battle with Eliza gradually on the losing end. They both healed their own wounds, but one was faster. Nanri only had a split second to check though as this man before her exuded a threat on par with, or much greater than Lyren. “I will arrange it.”

He had remained completely undetected until he needed to collect that Uriel’s fellow’s remains. He was clearly dangerous, but now Nanri could see him clearly. A shroud of space surrounded him, and Nanri sliced it into a few pieces with sudden mana-engulfed blades from the aethereal plane.

“Wh-what—” His voice trailed off in a gurgle of blood as golden light shined from his neck, slowly regrowing his torso, “Eliza, help!”

His voice was cut off as metal manifested around him and tightened in the shape of a sphere. Once it was a little smaller than Nanri’s head, it joined one of the many blood orbs trailing a circle around her.

No one else is within my domain, but that is not to say more aren’t coming. This has to end quickly. And I need more power… immediately.

Nanri was feeling reckless as she furious mana pulsed from the orbs she formed out of Oli’s attempted killer. I can use this… can’t I?

They started glowing as one at a time latched onto her and slowly melted. She felt the surge of energy flood her aura, almost painfully.

If Cira can bear the pain of an entire island, than surely I can endure this much.

Nanri wanted more time but needed to close in on Eliza. It seemed her mother was in gridlock, silver blades against tendrils of blood that never ceased.

Suddenly, a titanium puppet formed from precipitous mana and Nanri appeared between the Silver Witch and the mysterious Eliza.

“This has gone on long enough.” She eyed her mother as the next orb of metallicized blood flattened against her chest and forced its way into her aura. The air pressurized enough to make the two reel back for a brief moment. Then Nanri glared at Eliza as a single orb—the one containing the other man who appeared—floated her way. “You have your treasure. I destroyed one of your friends, but I suggest you leave before I change my mind about the other.”

Eliza’s eyes grew wide as she received her fallen comrade, staring at Nanri with her mouth agape. “You… Did you truly defeat Uriel?” A slight grin didn’t escape the sorcerer’s notice as mana flashed over the scene.

“And I intend to keep him.” Three more orbs of bloody titanium melded with Nanri’s skin as mana turned flame burned in her eyes. Gravity increased within her domain as the earthen density multiplied by orders of magnitude in the blink of an eye. Were it not for her control, the servants would have been crushed. The Silver Witch gawked at her daughter with disbelief as she stared down the Third Order’s arbiter. “Now leave before I’m forced to rethink my terms.”

It was a bluff of sorts as this woman’s power truly was a mystery, but she had everything she needed. Why would she keep fighting? That was what Nanri hoped she was thinking.

The orb which contained Eliza’s unnamed companion landed directly before her. She clutched it with trepidation, trying not to take her eyes off the Silver Witch.

“N-Nanri, what are you talking about?!” She shouted, “What happened to the other arbiters? I know the cockroach Roman is hiding around here and didn’t that Uriel bastard just kill Oliander?!” She cast her eyes at the unconscious servant on the deck, encompassed in holy flames. “I… I can’t just let her leave with that tablet!”

Blades of silver formed behind Eliza and turned a slightly different shade before disappearing.

“Mother, who cares about the tablet? There’s more of them aren’t there?” Nanri’s voice took a dispassionate tone. “She has already earned this one. Who knows how this fight ends. How much more are you willing to lose? The answer for me is none.”

Blood stained the deck and the hull was splintered with multiple holes and gashes rent through it. Were it not for Nanri’s domain, it would struggle to stay afloat with such torn sails. A glint of gold flashed in the sun as yet another ancient treasure spilled out, never to be seen again beneath the cloudy abyss.

The Silver Witch groaned with a harsh expression, frustrated beyond belief.

“I… I can beat her. She’s not stronger than me!” Mana fluctuated in the air and silver tried to manifest, but Nanri quelled it promptly. “And now you’re here—"

“That’s not the point. This is over.” Her eyes shot daggers into Eliza again. “Am I understood?”

Her eyes flickered between Nanri and the Silver Witch before they started to sparkle. Her lips raised slightly despite her tired expression. “I was never one to outwear my welcome.”

In that instant, Eliza and the ball of titanium containing her friend disappeared as if they were no more than illusions. The Silver Witch held out her hand to do something about it but was disarmed by Nanri’s narrowed gaze.

“Repair the ship so I can dispel my sorcery.” Nanri turned to dust as she reappeared on deck, holding the bloodied woman in her arms. “Oliander… Oli, please tell me you’re okay.”

She admittedly shouldn’t shake a wounded loved one, but it was almost reflexive. Even though her own body and soul felt sore from a battle beyond her means, could not rest until she knew.

The Silver Witch was completely dumbfounded as she witnessed this tender moment, and slowly floated down.

“Young… Mistress…?” Oli opened her eyes slowly, unable to stifle a yawn, “Where are we? Why do you—”

Nanri’s expression crumbled joyously as she pulled the woman into a tight hug, silencing her with a harsh embrace.

“Oli… I thought I lost you.” Her voice was broken up between sobs, “I—I’m so glad you’re okay…”

Oliander’s face was frozen in shock, blindsided by Nanri’s reaction as she slowly remembered what was happening. How she ended up there. The blade which pierced through her body and out the other side. Tears fell from her own eyes as she collapsed into Nanri’s embrace and wept, only to be startled frozen as she met the Silver Witch’s gaze behind her back.

“N-Nanri…” her mother called. “How did you—”

She broke out of the embrace and looked her former master in the eyes, “I told you, didn’t I? I’m a sorcerer.” Nanri absorbed the last mysterious blood orb into her body and her aura throbbed. She felt it threaten to break, hairline cracks forming. She likened it to tearing a muscle slightly to facilitate growth. There was nothing wrong so long as her aura didn’t disperse, and she wouldn’t pass up a chance like this to get stronger. The man who strove to kill her dear Oliander couldn’t have met a better fate.

“You… What are you planning?” Silver blades came into focus across the deck and Nanri somehow felt a piece of her heart she didn’t realize still existed shatter.

“How pitiful, that you should point your blades at me, Mother.” Nanri let go of Oli and stood up to face the great witch. There was a complicated expression on her face, unsure of how she felt, but she refused to let her composure fall at someone else’s hand. “Make no mistake. I am your prisoner. Now take me to Porta Bora already.”

Nanri turned away and reappeared in the rubble of her cell in the belly of the adjutant’s warship and tended to her bleeding aura. The second step on the path to sorcery was within her grasp, she was sure of it.