Rose: WhWhat are you saying, Igni?! I could never fire my spell at you!!

Kurara: ......yes..and..arent you..supposed to be...my bodyguard.?

Igni: I dont care! Just shoot those spells at me!

Kurara, Rose, and Floria didnt know how to interpret Ignis action and terminated their spell initiation.

Floria: Lady Rose, is Sir Igni that kind of person?

Rose: What do you mean that kind?! Ignis just trying to stop us from fighting and placed himself in the middle! Your interpretation is very insulting! Apologize to him now!!

Floria: .......Im sorry.

Its just the four of them in the main street, but its still lively as ever.

Kurara: ......we'll.yes...thats one way..to resolve this...but..isnt that too dangerous?

Igni: I cant bear to see girls get hurt instead.

Popularity Etiquette No. 4A man should always be a gentleman.

Rose: Awwww!! Hes so cool!!! Thats my Igni!!

The comment struck the heart of one girl in particular.

And of course, that would be Rose.

Rose: ......but we cant do that, Igni.

And she immediately cooled down and changed her composure.

Rose: You cant be with anyone else.

Magic surges and swirls around Rose.

Rose: But I guess thats only natural that other women catch your eyes. So Ill help you forget them. [Saintly Restraints] {Holy Bind}.

Igni: ...?!

Igni immediately evades Roses spell.

Rose: Why did you avoid that, Igni?!

Igni: Rather than be caught by girls, Id rather do the catching.

Igni couldnt help but show a wide grin when making the remark.

Rose: HHes so amazing

Roses eyes transform into hearts as she admires Igni with glee.

But Kurara and Floria are observing with cool, calculating eyes.

Kurara: Miss [Saint].....what will you do.? Will you come to.Alelimenia? Or...will you not?

Hyu! (sfx sound of something cutting through the wind)

And Kuraras sword was now pointed at Igni.

Floria: Thats below the line, Kurara! You cant take the students as hostages!!

Floria yells her protest.

Igni: (Im a hostage?)

Igni: (Whats going on..??)

Igni, who is not quite following the situation tilts his head to the side.

Igni: Hey, Kurara, whats happening here?

Kurara: .....oh, thats right..we havent discussed..any of this..yet,

Even with a sword pointed at him, Igni is carrying on a conversation with Kurara as if nothings happened.

In fact, he is not bothered one bit by the sword.

His gut instinct is telling him that Kurara would never kill him.

And he is right.

Kurara herself realizes that the [Saint] would never come to Alelimenia if she kills Igni. So this is just her bluff.

Kurara: Igni...what is..the [Saint]s magic trait..?

Igni: Shes a [Holy] type and.?

Kurara: Yes...that is.the only type..that can cleanse...and purify.the [Demon Kings Realm].....

Igni: Oh yeah. Theres that too

Igni lived far too long inside the [Demon Kings Realm] that he almost forgot the obvious.

Normally, <it is impossible to live inside the [Demon Kings Realm]>.

100 years after the death of the Demon King, inside the [Demon Kings Realm], not only has the local fauna drastically mutated due to the overwhelming amount of magic pouring out from the Demon Kings corpse, but the Monsters that live there are several times stronger than usual.

And on top of that, the left-over remains of the former Demon Kings Army roam around the area.

Floria: Sir Igni. Have you forgotten? ...the [Demon Kings Realm] will infect and swallow its neighboring regions. Hence, if you do not take any measures against it, all of the lands will become part of the [Demon Kings Realm].

Igni: ........oh yeah. I remember now.

With Florias words, Igni is reminded of another important characteristic of the [Demon Kings Realm].

Kurara: And..the one..who can stop it.are the [Saint]s.

Igni: Thats why countries are tasked with protecting the [Saint], huh

Igni mumbled as he reminisced on the many fairy tales and stories he read long ago as a child.

Kurara: .......yes. Thats how..it is

Igni: And Kurara, you want to take Rose back to your country in order to expand the Elves lands?

Kurara: .........yes.

The Principality is surrounded completely by uninfected lands, so it has no use for the [Saint].

But, starting with the Kingdom and Empire, many countries have at least one border that is adjacent to the [Demon Kings Realm]. Then it is only a matter of time before their country is swallowed up by the former Demon King's territory.

Kurara: It is rare..for someone...to be born with..the Upper-Tier...Magic Trait of [Water], [Holy]......and the current [Saint].....was born with [Holy] : [S]. Its like...she was blessed...by God

Floria: Its not just like she was blessed. She was truly blessed by God!

The two [Extreme]s glare at each other.

And Igni stepped in between them.

Igni: But.it should be Rose who gets to decide where she should go.

A slight breeze blows at Igni and the groups feet.

Igni: This isnt something we should decide for her.

Rose: IIgni! Look, Floria! Look at how cool Igni is!!

Floria: .......Sir Igni. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

Floria ignores Rose and informs Igni.

Igni steps in front of Kurara and faces Floria.

Igni: What..do you mean?

Floria: Lady Roses schedule for the next 40 years has already been determined.

Igni: Thats..

Floria: .......this is already something that has been determined. By the coalition of countries who abide by the [Saints Agreement], the order of the countries the [Saint] will visit has already been determined long before the [Saint] was born.

Igni: Then.Roses life is already.

Floria: Yes. Every single day has all been determined.

Igni looks at Rose.

Igni: Rose.are you okay with this?

Rose: Yes, I am.

She quietly laughs.

Rose: That is.the mission, the ultimate goal of being a [Saint].

Igni: ...........

Igni bit down on the next words that almost came out.

Calling out a girl who has chosen her own path in life would be dishonorable as a man.

Igni: But..really...are you really okay with that?!

Rose is only silent to Ignis question.

Already coming to terms with this fate, she just continues smiling.

But it was Kurara who broke the following silence.

Kurara: .......being tied down..all your life...how could you...ever be.happy.?

The wind blows harder, and Kuraras bangs float up revealing the bandage covering both her eyes.

Kurara: You are...far too youngand foolish.to already...determine your...whole life.

Rose: Is it really? I can look back and be proud of my choices in life.

Kurara: .......I...understand. If you..come to Alelimenia.then, I will.guarantee.your freedom

Rose: Ummm...thats a really appealing offer, but I have to decline.

Kurara: You can...have Igni.as a bonus.

Rose: When do we leave?

Floria: Lady Rose!!

Igni: (Im just a bonus prize...)

Igni: (But its all girls here so I guess thats okay.)

Kurara: You...are getting.in the way.Floria.

Floria: Im in the way? You just have to keep your hands off Lady Rose, Kurara.

The two face each other once again

Floria: {Water Whip}!!

Kurara: .....fuh

GIGIGIGIGIIINN!! (sfx: metal clashing with metal)

The next moment, the sound of dull metal connecting with spells rings through the air!!

The air explodes outward and pushes everything around the collision point outwards!!

Rose: Floria! Wait!

Floria: If she was someone reasonable whom we could talk this through, we wouldnt be in this position in the first place.

Floria creates vines of magical water whips - a total of 15 whips slices through the air.

Igni: Kurara!!

Kurara: Do not.worry.I will not..take her life..

And with just a single sword, Kurara blocks all incoming attacks even while being blind.

But the wheels of fate already began to turn at that instant.

The ground below Roses feet <MELTED>.

Igni: ROSE!!

And <discovering this faster than anyone else>, Igni kicks the ground hard, leaping towards Rose with his hand outstretched.

Floria realized what was happening a moment later and stretched her water whip towards Rose as she sunk quickly into the ground.

But countless [Earth] {Tetsura Bullets} showered towards both of them and stopped them in their path!!

Igni: [Shoot Down] {Fire}!

As soon as Igni takes out all the [Earth] {Tetsura Bullets} coming towards him, Rose completely disappears into the ground.

Floria: IImpossible!!

Floria screams, and Igni agrees with her assessment.

Floria: How did they use a Spell without stirring Magic?!

Kurara: ........how?

Kurara is also equally confused as Floria continues to scream.

A Spell begins with the stirring, manipulation, or ignition of Magic.

In other words, you cannot perform a Spell without touching Magic in some form or fashion.

Thats why for Wizards who have mastered their spells, they can detect Spells by seeing magic being agitated and respond accordingly.

Hence, what happened to Rose just now was well beyond anything Igni or the others could have ever expected.

Igni! That way!!

Another party intruded into the fray.

Igni: Alicia, is that you?!

IIm here too!

Behind the girl on the broom soaring in the sky was a boy who most definitely looked like a girl no matter what angle you saw him.

Alicia: She was carried that way!

And Alicia pointed to a direction outside the Principality of Lyheria.

Igni: [Equip Flame Engine] {Accel Boot}!!

Igni explodes a {Fireball} beneath him and rises up immediately to Alicias height off the ground.

Alicia: Igni! You need to get the [Saint] back, or its going to be bad!

Igni: What do you mean bad?!

Igni skips over any explanations of why theyre here to not waste any more time.

Alicia: Ive seen that exact same spell on the battlefield! That spell was cast by the Marionette Ruler -- the [Original] Magic Trait Wizard!!

Igni: An [Original] Wizard.!

Igni roars.

Floria grits her teeth, and Kurara stabs the ground with her sword to begin her tracking Spells.

Igni: Ill go after her! Alicia, follow me!

Alicia: Understood!

And at that moment, on that day, the [War for the Saint] commenced.