Justastherestofinstructorsweredebatingwhethertheyshouldsimultaneouslycharge,allthealchemistssuddenlysprayedbottlesofpotionsandpoisonsontheirrades。
Notexpegattacksfromwithintheirownrank,theunitsquicklyfellintodisarray,andonebyoheinstructorsloststrengthduetovarioustypesofahetidpoison。Astheycollapsedtotheground,vihathadbeenlyinginwaitjustunderhthesurfacesoiltookholdofthem,andpiercedthemwiththornstodrainthemoftheirvigor。
Yayoitinuedlookingathernailsasifsheborenoresponsibilityfortheotion。
TheFiveasdedKageyama,andorderedeveryoopresentthemselvesintotalsurrender。
Arashiheardnewsfromthetownsfolkthattheyhadheardfighting,andaskedacarriagetotakehertoKageyamaasquicklyaspossible。Whenshearrivedatthefootofthemountain,allfightinghadceased;theteagstaffhadallbeentransportedasprisooHimeyamaviamagicmatrices。
Arashiclimbedupthepath,andwhenshereachedtheacademy,thelastfewstudentswereingoutofthecafeteriatooffertheirtotalsurrender。
ThedoorsofPhoenixHallsuddenlyopened,andArashisawKagamirushtowardtheFive。HorrifiedthatKagamiwasabouttoitrasha,ArashicalledouttoKagami,“Kagami,stop!No!”
Yukariturnedslowly,andKagamisloweddown,andstood。
Yukarislightlyarchedherlefteyebrow。Shekneasstandinginfrontofher。
Kagamikdown,placedherhandsonthegroundinfrontofherself,andbowedherheadtotheground。ArashithoughtKagamiwasabouttooffersurrender,butKagamistraightenedherbackagain,sittinginaquitedignifiedmannerontheground。
“Yhness”,Kagamispokeslowlyandclearly,“MayIpleasesubmitarequestfortheprivilegeofmakingafewinquiriesingthesituation?”
PleasedwithKagami’sformallanguage,Yukarinodded,gracefullyallowingKagamitopresentherplea。
“MayIhumblyinquireabouttheultimategoalofYhness?”
“Ishallreignoverallpeopleandovereveryland。”
“Thoughunworthytobeholdtheanswer,IasktobeenlightenedonthevirtuesthatwouldsupportYhness’sclaimtobetherightfulruleroverall。”
“Mysupremestrengthinmagicshallattest。”
“PercethereexistsahigherphtierthanYhness,wouldYhnessdesiretotakepossessionofit?”
“Withoutadoubt。”
“IexpressmysinceregratitudeforYhness’patienenduringmymultitudeofbothersomequestions。”KagamistoodupandlookedatYukariwithfirmnessandresolve,“Inthatcase,‘PHOSHILARON’。。。”
Kagamihadbeenpovertheforbiddentitlesforthepastmonths,andhadfoundvariouswaystooffersacrificetoforcemagiakeanappearahepricerequiredwassistentlyhigherthanthereward,andmanyintationsweresupplementedwithentsontheirinsistes。
UponhearingthearrivaloftheFive,Kagamiquicklyclosedthebookinfrontofher,anddecidedtotrytheintationwiththehighestceforsuccess,whilepromisingthegreatestpower。
Kagamiotanintationthatonlytherecipient,thepowerbeingdesired,knew,andwouldbereceivingsupremepowerafter。
“PhosHilaron”
Withthesewords,Kagamiheldupherhandsbeforeherchest。Herlefthandatthebottom,palmfagup,withthetipsofthumb,indexfinger,andmiddlefingergatheredatasinglepoint。Herrighthaedaboveit,theindexfingerpointingtowardthesky,themiddlefingerslightlycurved,andthethumbrestingontheringfinger。
Asinglespeckoflightstartedtoglhtoverherleftthumb。
Kagamihadsucceeded。
Encedbythesightofthislight,KagamibegantotPhosHilaron,theoldestsurvivingChristianhymn,initsearliestsurvivingGreeklyric,sunginitsoldestsurvivingSyriae。
Witheachword,Kagami’sbodybegantoglow,andbecamesemitransparent,startingwithherfeet。Shimmeringlightfloateduplikedustoflight,andgatheredintoathincloudofglisteninggoldaboveKagami’shead。
Thetreacheditslastnote,butKagamididn’tstop。ShetinuedwiththeLatinlyricofthesame,thistimeinByzantinet。Mlimmersoflightfloatedup,butKagami’ssemitransparentbodystarteddisappearing。Bytheendofthesedrenditionofthet,onlyKagami’sspiritremained,andnophysicaltraceofherbodywasleft。
Thecloudoflightdensed,anddarkcloudsformedtoblockoutthesky。Eventually,thelighttookontheshapesofanenormousswordthatreachedallthewaytothedarkcloud,amirror,andajewel。
EverysooftelineofKagami’sspiritbodycouldstillbeseen,andtheswordrestedoverherhead,themirroroverherleftshoulder,andthejeweloverherrightshoulder。
Theremainingdustoflightdispersethemselvesalloverthesky,andeachmorphedintoaglowingswordoflight。