"It's a pleasure to meet you, Great Contractor Sage Sarmaer."
Lunan slapped his palm to his fist, closing it and bowing quickly. The old man stared at him pretty blankly. Sighing quietly.
Lunan continued.
"You know, I think you're a pretty efficient spirit contractor. That fire spirit you contracted with. That's what you've told everyone, right? That it's a fire spirit that you've contracted with? Forcing you to only be able to use [Casts] in relation to fire, heat, all of that?"
The old man's expression changed ever so slightly. He went from being straight-faced and calm to being a little concerned but intrigued at the same time.
"It's not a fire spirit. Everyone always wonders, 'How is Sarmaer Mistesta able to live so long despite being a human?!' It's simple. After seeing you once in battle, maybe the reason nobody's figured out yet is because you conceal it pretty well, or everyone who's figured out about it is dead. The spirit you're contracted with, it's a-"
"You've talked enough, elf boy."
[Spirit Cast: Blaze Bullet]
He pointed the tip of his finger at Lunan, a ball of ignited flesh ejecting out at high speeds.
Fyeom!
Lunan turned his head to the side, dodging the bullet. It smashed against a tree, exploding into a large ball of fire, strange flesh flying everywhere.
Lunan's body leaned down, dropping into a sprint. While running toward Sarmaer, he reached into his backpack.
The large man pulled out a large sword from the sheath that hung from his waist. A sword that was about 3/4ths of his height, and 1/3 as wide as him.
From Lunan's bag, he pulled out a pair of daggers.
[Spirit Cast: Blink Step]
Although he was already very close to Sarmaer, he used the [Cast] to get even closer.
— One of the great contractor sages? What a shame. He's unlikely to be paired against me. Since, after all, I am the one and only-
Crsh!
The huge explosion coming from Oscar's area overtook the entire forest.
[Cast: Shield]
Lunan barely managed to react in time, casting a protective shield to cover just his area.
Crk!
A crack formed in the shield.
He continued to fortify the shield with mana.
— What the hell... where did all of this mana come from!?
.
.
.
The energy fizzled out.
"Hehe..."
A sinister laugh escaped Oscar's lips.
"Did I lose the gamble... or win it? I wonder..~"
An unfamiliar chill was set across the battlefield, one that had not been present before.
Rosi was held unconscious, Oscar keeping hold of her by the collar, dragging her as he walked toward the others.
Taerys, Ireciez, Sarmaer, and Lunan had all stopped their fighting, quickly forming a shield to block the mana.
"Is that... still Oscar?" Ireciez wondered.
It was Oscar, anyone could tell that. But he was paler. Heavy eyebags seemed to be sown in his skin. His expression was nothing like the ambitious Oscar that they had seen before. It had grown more scary.
He threw Rosi to the side.
[Cast: Flashstep]
When his foot left the spot beneath him, cracks formed in the ground.
In an instant, the several meters between Sarmaer and Oscar were cleared. It was so fast that Sarmaer did not even react to it. His eyes were still on Rosi.
Oscar swung, that crooked smile stuck on his face.
Clang!
His blade clashed with Taerys claws.
"..." His smile dropped.
[Cast: Verglas Shooting Pillar]
Firm pillars of ice shot from the sides, striking Taerys in the back, and sending her flying into the distance. They were fast. She couldn't have reacted to such speed.
His arm jutted out beside him, below his waist, his fingers wriggling.
[Cast: Thorned Chains of Frost]
The chains shot out, wrapping around Sarmaer. Tightening, once they fully wrapped around him.
"Kch..!" Sarmaer grumbled in pain, feeling the thorny chains dig into his skin. He struggled, trying to escape the chains, preparing to cast.
"Not so fast, oh so great contractor."
Oscar swiped quickly, his swing penetrating through Sarmaer's tough muscle, slicing his hand off his wrist.
Sarmaer's eyes widened, but no sound left his mouth.
"I'm causing pain to remove clarity. Smart, right? I'll stop playing around, though. And actually finish you off-"
Oscar was sent flying into a tree, suddenly. He didn't know where the strike had come from. All he knew was that it hurt.
A man stood behind Sarmaer. He grabbed the chains with a hand covered in mana, shattering it.
"Get up, Sarmaer."
"M-My lord!" Sarmaer said suddenly, still wincing in pain.
The man was a pale elf, with long white hair and sunken light orange eyes that seemed to stare down at the ground at all times. His expression was sullen and soft.
— By the looks of that strange black crown that was said to bestow power onto its user, that must've been Elouan Nynsta, the king of Sar.
Ireciez stared from a distance.
Oscar was finally starting to recover, rubbing his head. Wings of ice began to form on his back.
"Rude prick. Who the hell are you, anyway?!" Oscar yelled out, irritated.
The wings enhanced his speed.
[Cast: Flashstep]
Kchk!
He reached the king, grabbing him by the neck. But the man didn't budge. He grabbed Oscar by the wrist.
[???]
The paleness of his skin dissipated, along with the ice in his hair. The wings that formed at his back shattered and fell, melting into water. Oscar fainted.
"Taerys. Rosi. Sarmaer. Are you trying to waste time? The fact that we're still on this island is shameful. Don't focus on small battles like this. Focus on progression."
He walked toward the discarded Rosi, throwing her over his shoulder.
"I can't believe I had to look for you guys. Don't let a foolish mistake like that happen again."
He snapped.
[???]
In an instant, the four of them disappeared, leaving Oscar unconscious on the ground, and Ireciez and Lunan stunned, unable to speak.
Their eyes lingered on where the strange man had previously stood.