"Loki, I know you're not the joking type, but what you just said is a bit much."
Finn trusted that Loki had some basis for her claim, but it still pushed the limits of what he could believe.
"Loki, you haven't forgotten the pressure we were under against those two, have you? If 'Gluttony' and 'Silence' hadn't gone easy on us, almost none of us would have survived the Great War."
Even now, Riveria could recall—eyes closed—the crushing pressure "Silence" had brought upon her. A casual greeting from that foe could have erased her. If those two hadn't used them as a springboard to leave Orario with a sliver of hope, three years ago would have ended in total victory for the Dark Faction.
Riveria looked at the boy Loki had brought with open doubt. It was hard to imagine him growing to a height that even those two couldn't surpass.
'Gluttony, Silence… those sound like epithets.'
Tsunayoshi listened quietly and filed the fragmented information away.
'Three years ago there was a "Great War"—clearly a major incident. And those two held back on purpose. So Gluttony and Silence weren't pure villains, just people who made certain choices that put them on the other side.'
'So even a swords-and-magic world is complicated.'
A hand hooked over his shoulder gave him a shove. Tsunayoshi blinked and looked over to see Loki wearing a helpless expression.
"It's time for you to show what you can do."
"…Loki-sama, I get that I need to demonstrate my ability. But how am I supposed to show something that matches what you just claimed? I don't even know how strong those two were."
Whoops—she'd forgotten. Loki smacked her forehead. In her excitement, she'd overlooked that he'd just arrived in this world and knew next to nothing about it.
What to do…? She tapped her chin, thought for a moment, then her gaze settled on Riveria. A smile tugged at her lips.
"Tsunayoshi, can you create a monster that absorbs mana?"
"A monster that absorbs the energy called 'mana'? I can."
"Then do that—and aim it at Riveria and Finn."
No amount of flowery language could really convey Gluttony and Silence's power. Better to let her three children experience Tsunayoshi's ability firsthand.
Tsunayoshi glanced at the trio opposite him. He didn't know exactly what mana was, but it was probably similar to the Dying Will Flames in essence—just a different form of energy. In that case, there was no real difference.
He pictured a mana-absorbing monster in his mind and gave the idea a quick polish.
A clot of "material" bloomed in the air, rapidly condensing and taking shape into a floating disk—an Aether Eater.
It didn't move otherwise. There was no obvious pull, no violent suction—just an invisible ripple that locked onto the two and began rapidly drawing out the energy in their bodies.
Even at a distance, their energy was being siphoned at speed.
"!?"
Finn felt a sudden dizziness. The scene before him wavered; his eyelids grew heavy.
"This is…"
As a mage whose specialty was mana, Riveria felt it most keenly. The mana bleeding from her body was shockingly fast—nearly a tenth gone in mere moments.
It's really devouring mana… She stared, stunned, at the round sphere hovering in the air.
What kind of creature is that? For all her knowledge, Riveria's mind went blank. She couldn't recall any creature that could eat mana—much less at such a terrifying rate.
Finn, less adept with mana, already felt his condition deteriorating—that was the telltale sign of forced mana depletion. The amount he'd lost was enough to impair him.
He snatched a pen from the table and flicked it at the Aether Eater.
"Thwip!"
The pen lanced through the floating monster in an instant and buried itself in the wall behind it.
So fast! Tsunayoshi's eyes widened at where the eater vanished.
All he'd seen was a blur—and the eater was gone. The pen that pierced it had sunk into the wall, spiderweb cracks radiating from the point of impact.
One could easily imagine the speed and force behind that throw.
"Phew—"
With the eater gone, the sensation of pouring mana stopped.
Finn's dizziness faded, but the lingering drain left him uncomfortable. After steadying himself, he looked back at Tsunayoshi.
"So that's his ability?"
Even though he'd stood still on purpose—no dodging, no guard—he hadn't expected to lose so much mana in just a few seconds.
Riveria didn't look any better. From the corner of his eye, Finn noticed how pale she was; clearly, she'd endured the same thing.
"Heh heh~ That's right. That's his power," Loki said, amused by Finn and Riveria's shock. "He can create all kinds of monsters with nothing but imagination. You've just felt firsthand how that one impacts mages."
"This is Tsunayoshi's strength. And this is why I said he could stand against those two."
Unlike abilities that "play fair," this one simply didn't.
A power to create monsters—each with specific abilities—through sheer imagination.
Which meant that, given enough intel, Sawada Tsunayoshi could always fight from an absolute advantage that targeted an opponent's biggest weakness.
(End of Chapter)
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