Meanwhile, Yua and Seiya engaged Selena.

Yua was fully concentrated on Selena, but Seiya was wary of his surroundings. By tying down Mona and Aishi, they successfully isolated Selena.

「This is dangerous」

Faced with this situation, Selena muttered while sweating profusely. After Aishi’s defeat, Mona was at a considerable disadvantage.

Mona performs as a support most of the time, she isn’t suited for close combat. That’s why her current circumstances weren’t favorable in the slightest.

Selena tried to cast a spell to change the current situation, but Yua didn’t give her any time. In a normal fight, Selena should have been able to chant while fighting. However, she didn’t have such a leeway against Yua.

She was that quick.

「Mona!」
「Yeah, I agree」

The two confirmed with an eye contact. That was their last plan, in case they were forced into a corner. However, that plan required Aishi’s participation. Fortunately, Aishi didn’t retire yet.

In other words, there was a possibility of Aishi’s revival. The two gambled on that possibility.

「Operation Delta」
「Operation Delta」
「……………」

Toward Mona’s and Selena’s words, everyone expressed their vigilance. Seiya cast『Mantle of Light』, just in case of emergency. Yua readied the Yuriel and Lily joined Seiya and Yua.

「What will happen?」
「No idea……」
「Seems dangerous」

The three further increased their vigilance upon witnessing Selena gathering her mana.

Mana gathered in the center of her body and she leaped in the air with full force. That being said, she only leaped three meters high.

However, it was enough.

After she leaped in the air, Mona hugged her from behind. Mona gathered all of the wind she could and flew into the sky. That being said, her flying capability was limited. [¹]

However, even like that, it was enough for the Operation Delta. Selena left her body to Mona and started chanting.

「Yurial」
「Water Laser」

Against Mona and Selena floating in the air, Yua, with the Yurial, and Lily, with water laser, launched a powerful assault. However, the two’s attacks were dodged by Mona.

「Fire of will, light of heart, maiden’s sentiments, dragonfly’s proof, shrine maiden of the flame dragon『Guardian Dragon of the Shrine Maiden of the Fire Dragon Kagutsuchi』」[²]

Selena put all of her mana into the magic guns and pulled the triggers. The magic stones shined brightly and fired the red mana.

And the mana swiftly changed its appearance.

The two fire dragons were revealed. The dragons descended from the sky while eyeing Seiya’s group.

「Lily and I will take one each, Yua is a support」
「Understood……」
「Roger」

The three immediately acted.

Using『Mantle of Light』and Limit Break Seiya faced one of the dragons. However, it didn’t seem to receive any damage no matter how he cut it.

「Damn, it does look like I lack the power」

Just as he thought, the Hollins was just too small to inflict serious damage. He was able to scratch it but didn’t even come close to the finishing blow.

With the dark magic, he would have been able to easily annihilate it, but, once again, he couldn’t use it.

「Then let’s use that approach. Yua! 」

Seiya thought of an idea and called out to Yua.

「Wha…..?」
「Yua, rise my next spell as much as you can」
「Rise….? All right…」

Yua had no idea what he was about to do, but she had a firm belief in her fiancé.

「With this, I will put an end to this」

Following those words, Seiya switched the mana around the Hollins. The Hollins was wrapped in the water-attributed mana.

Seiya swung the water mana-wrapped Hollins and released a strike towards the fire dragon. Then, he shouted towards Yua.

「Now, Yua」
「All right…..」

As she was told, she launched her own light-attributed mana with Seiya’s spell as its target.

The change happened abruptly. Yua’s light-attributed mana wrapped around Seiya’s water-attributed mana. Then, enhanced calming effect assaulted the fire dragon.

And at almost the same time, Lily’s Gedo-chan attacked another dragon.

The dragons were defeated almost simultaneously. However, the flames from the dragons gathered together on the ground without being extinguished.

「This is……Yua, Lily, come here」

Seeing the fire’s behavior, he immediately summoned Yua and Lily. Feeling the unusual impatience in his voice, they quickly rushed to his side.

Once he confirmed their arrival, he immediately cast triple『Wall of Light』in the shape of a dome.

「Seiya…..?」
「Seiya-kun!?」

The two were surprised at an unexpected usage of defensive magic.

「Yua, two more『Wall of Light』, Lily, coat the walls with water. The dragons are planning to suicide」

Seiya briefly ordered and the two moved into action.

「All right…….『Wall of Light』」
「Roger that. Oh, water」

By coating the five-layered light wall with water, its resistance to fire was increased.

The three were convinced that it was enough to deal with the shockwave.

However, Mona and Selena in the sky smiled at their behavior. Everything was going as planned. The rest depended on the last piece of the Operation Delta, Aishi.

They had no choice other than to leave the rest to Aishi. For Mona and Selena, who didn’t have any mana left, that was their only hope.

Aishi, who had her body affected and lost consciousness, woke up upon flames gathering on the ground. However, her body still refused to listen to her.

Seeing the clumps of fire and Mona flying in the sky, she immediately understood. They truly initiated the final stage of the final plan, Operation Delta.

「Who would have thought」

Who would usually believe into an unconscious person, thought Aishi. But more than that, she was happy that the two relied on her to such extent.

That’s why, even though she wasn’t able to move, she started chanting. At that time, for the first time in her life, Aishi desired to win from the bottom of her heart. [³]

Aishi Absona was a genius from birth. Since she was birthed in an advanced magician family, she was educated regarding magic from early days.

With her talent, she obtained enough strength to not put anyone of the same generation in her eyes. However, her enthusiasm and desire for victory slowly wore down.

When she entered the academy, she very soon tasted defeat at the hands of a person of the same generation. Her opponent was Selena Fenix, who was one year older that her. [⁴]

Even though she lost by a small margin, she wasn’t frustrated. That didn’t change even when she decided to attend the Leiria Magic Tournament.

She participated in the last Leiria Magic Tournament with Mona and Selena.

They thought that they had a chance to win, but were immediately eliminated. Their opponents at that time were from Senabia Magic Academy.

Mona and Selena cried in frustration, but Aishi was thinking that the representatives of Senabia Magic Academy were just too strong, so she didn’t cry.

However, now was different. Right now, I want to win for the sake of my friend who believed in me. That feeling was never present in Aishi until now.

That’s precisely why I will absolutely complete this spell. Aishi swore in her heart.

「………de……snow…………cover……」

Right when she started to chant, the flames exploded.

Zudoooooooon.

The explosion fueled by Selena’s full power turned the arena into a burning hell.

The soil, that was damp after Lily’s attacks, immediately dried up. The air violently fluctuated under the high heat.

It was able to destroy three layers of walls that protected Seiya and the others.

Moreover, one of the remaining two was in tatters, so it wasn’t wrong to disregard it.

If they didn’t fortify the wall beforehand, they would have already become the ashes.

The unprecedented battle in the history of Arsenia Magic Academy reached its climax.