The four 33 Stars and their minions faced Hikma. Strangely enough, it was Hikma De Darwin — the prince of defense — who kicked the battle.

[Paradiso] + [Necta Floral]

Hikma threw the [Conceptual Seal] into the sky. The circle of True Magic bloomed into a flower which scattered the dust of vitality into the burnt forest, rejuvenating the damage and curing injuries caused by Amitate’s flames. The flowers then sprouted translucent roots which emitted a dome of energy, locking the 33 Stars inside with Hikma.

Magnolia took the first moves with confusion.

“A barrier and a healing?”

Hikma shrugged.

“I need to perform first aid to remedy the damage you cause. Can’t have our battle bother someone else.”

Amitate giggled.

“Wow! You realize you are imprisoning yourself together with us on purpose, right? Unbelievable. A bucket-head with nothing to your name actually have an audacity to care about surrounding trashes while being outnumbered.”

Emily added.

“Fool.”

Artos Sevar tried a more diplomatic approach. If that man could nail A-rank magical beast and extinguishing Amitate’s [Devil Flame], fighting him would be too risky. Only two types of people locked themselves in a hopeless cage match; suicidally foolish or overwhelmingly confident. Sevar didn’t know which category did Hikma De Darwin fell under.

Magnolia wasn’t that analytic.

“Why are you fighting us? Don’t tell me it is for the critters in the forest?”

Hikma sensed some recovering animals gazing worriedly at him. He waved. It was a massage telling them he would be fine.

“Yeah, now that you mention it, I rarely ever fight for my sake. Technically, I am sent here to stop you from killing each other. Guess that mission succeeds. If you want to leave peacefully, then feel free. Everyone can walk out of this unharmed.”

“Your naivety is disgusting.”

Magnolia Drakokia was angry.

“This conflict is inevitable. As long as the Demonic Continent exists, they will pose a threat to Phantasia. Suppressing those beasts and lording over them is a divine tradition of Lightwell, started by Mia Alusto herself. Generation of elves have bled to fulfill the Ancestral decree. Who are you to interfere?” 

Hikma’s answers were short and concise.

“A person who can’t stand and watch innocent blood shed to appease a decree that morally bankrupt.”

Magnolia stood stiffly.

“Morally bankrupt?” the elf’s voice was dangerously low. “You call our pride a moral degeneracy.”

Winds raged and swirled, forming a massive lion of grey storms behind her. The lion's green eyes flashed with murderous intent trickled from its partner.

“Kill him, Ourinaros!”

The lion roared, unleashing the blast with the force of Tornado with its breadth.

The power of storm collided with Hikma, releasing a massive gale inside the [Paradiso] cage. Several elves underlings were blown into the wall of [Paradiso] with a painful thump. Emily Aztellic cast a wall of white ice protecting her and Amitate. Artos Sevar summoned his water deer to conjure the wall of water protecting the troops behind him. Cloud of dust filled the translucent cage.

“Dammit, 25h is pissed,” Amitate yelled. “Stupid shmuck triggers the brat to open with Ourinaros. No one could tank a blast from a S-rank spirit!”

Artos Sevar grimaced. Although he ranked 2 seats higher than Magnolia, most of that was because of his mastery with blades and two A-rank spirits with army support. However, in raw destructive potential, Magnolia trumped him by a league with 4 specialized combat spirits. She even contracted advance spirit like Ourinaros, which boasted the potential to destroy an army.

“Fool,” Emily Aztellic sighed. “Death is a mercy.”

Then what was totally obvious to anyone who watched anime happened.

“Wow,” Hikma walked out of the dust like he owned the entire wood. “There goes my doubt. Temperament aside, you share her ‘attack-with-overwhelming-power’ approaches to problem-solving. A friendly advice, plan before letting emotion took the reign. Unrestraint rage might get you kill, and your sister will give me an earful if that happens.”

Magnolia froze as everyone watched the impossible happened.

“What? My sister?”

Hikma knew he planted doubt in Magnolia’s head. It was a trick he learned from Rem. Slipped the enemy a personal, sensitive but easily misdirected information to keep them off-kilter.

“Oh nothing,” Hikma brushed. “I know Luxinna. We often chat about random staff. Lux talks about you a lot. In fact, I kinda expecting someone cuter.”

“Wait,” Amitate smirked at the new information. “Magnolia has a sister.”

“Unbelievable,” Emily Aztellic stoically stated.

Magnolia clenched her fist.

“Luxinna is supposed to be in the Lightwell forest,” Magnolia growled. “That is her sentence.”

“Her sentence is exile. She can leave anytime and she did way back.”

“You are lying,” Magnolia refused to believe the dreaded reality.

“I am not,” Hikma answered honestly. “No need to worry about your heiress position. Your sister long found a purpose — a noble one — to live beyond your clan. She found another home.”

“That is ridiculous!” Magnolia shouted in denial. “Luxinna belong to Lightwell! You are a fucking lair.”

“You guys exiled her, right?” Hikma read Magnolia’s emotion with [Tenshou]. “Booted her away with only clothes on her back, even.”

“Shut up!”

“Magnolia! Calm down! He is trying to distract you.”

In Hikma’s head, Rem’s voice spoke.

Thanks for the read, Hikma. Now, follow my instruction.

The surrounding fighters noticed the helmet man cocked his head to the side as if listening to a voice.

“Sorry,” Hikma refocused on the battle. “A friend just contact me. Oh, he left a message for you, Magnolia.”

Hikma recited accordingly.

“If you believe the pipe-dream, you can smooth-talk daddy into giving your long-gone elder sister a tiny space in the servant quarter by being his favorite doll, think again. We don’t have ten years to suck that ass-hat’s ego. He is a dick and emulating his example won’t change that reality.”

Hikma watched the verbal axe chopped the root of Magnolia’s motivational foundation.

“Shut up,” Magnolia was on the verge of tears. “You don’t know us.”

Hikma felt the desperation in her voice. The desperation of a long-term life-goal being dashed against an ice-berg.

“I can’t imagine the effort you went to appease you father’s sensibilities, but sorry, your older sister isn’t waiting for your father's acceptance anymore. The Luxinna I know would die fighting your father than following your clan into degeneracy.”

“You don’t know Luxinna!”

“And you do? It is 3 years since you met. Do you know the current Lux? I don’t normally do crass, but the thought of my friend returning as your trophy makes me threw up in my mouth.”

Magnolia stood like concrete. Her face downcast.

“Ampule, Frost Thorn, Wood Wick, Ourinaros.”

Magnolia screamed. 3 more spirits emerged around her; a mermaid, one gigantic green porcupine, and a snowflake ice sculpture joined the storm lions at their mistress’ behest.

At the other end, Hikma completed the preparation he set up for a solid minute.

“KIL—”

[Geo Lorde]

The ground beneath Magnolia vanished, dropping her into pit Hikma prepared since the first attack. After his battle with Orwell and the brief skirmish with Arden Christy, Hikma spent his times creating new [Conceptual Constructs] and mastering new Primal Arcane. With weeks stretched into years under Horizon Dawn’s DIY hyperbolic time-chamber, Hikma De Darwin officially became the best caster in the Dawn. Even top league 33 Stars couldn’t come close to Hikma.

Among the new additional trick was the [Conceptual Construct: Terraforma]. A deployable enchantment that directly seized the control of the ground, channeling it directly to Hikma for manipulation and rapid [Conceptual Seal] deployment.

Ourinaros’s first windblast created the smoke screen for Hikma to deploy [Terraforma] and slanted the field-advantage to him. The clash wasn’t even fair. Hikma was an unknown element — a vague myth — to the 33 Stars. They got no data on him. Meanwhile, Magnolia was Luxinna’s sister, a person the Dawn prepared to confront one day. Hikma was multi-tasking the entire conversation, preparing the perfect pit-fall trap to remove Magnolia.

Gravity dragged Magnolia down into the two-meter-deep pit. Before Magnolia could free herself, several earthen bars slid to seal the hole. The elf can only gape as the wall enclosing her lighted with excessive numbers of glowing seals.

[Electro Gift]

The entire wall transformed into an electric cage, shocking Magnolia Drakokia with the very element her father exiled from Lightwell.

[Paradiso]

The electrocuted Magnolia felt the barrier closing in, sealing the connection with her spirits.

[Pyro Gift]

The temperature of the pit rose to a super sauna height. The electrocuted elf gasped a mouthful of hot air as her body temperature reached beyond what homeostasis could handle.

Magnolia swayed in the dark and fainted with a thump.

Shock was an understatement. Amitate’s ever flapping mouth hung, unmoving. Avar almost dropped his sword. Emily Aztellic got it worst. She possessed the 2nd greatest magical sensory after the unconscious Magnolia, so she received details of how her rivaled got smacked.

“Four spells stack and deliver in less than a second,” Emily’s cold exterior utterly cracked in face of unprecedented threat. Her one-word routine broke to pieces. “You also enchanted the ground with no Mana leakage and created the barrier which seal communication with spirit. How? Just what are you?”

Artos Sevar — the proud user of spirit — felt his heart dropped to the planetary core. His entourage seemed to age a decade in seconds.

The elves’s insurmountable advantage was their overwhelming contract with spirits of nature, opening access to elemental power beyond ordinary spells and techniques. It was their entire species’ greatest pride.

How would the elves reacted before a man with abilities to disable their entire culture.

First, it was denial.

“Magnolia, speak up,” Artos yelled. “Emily Aztellic lost it. Shout anything. Don’t tell me you lost before the fight even started!”

Then anger.

“Fine,” Artos yelled. “I will do this myself.”

Artos Sevar rushed toward the Chronicler.

“Stop it, Sevar!” Emily Aztellic completely abandoned her character and screamed. “We need to work together! Sevar — motherfucker — get back here!”

Amitate’s brain hit the halt button.

“Work with an elf!” the demon stared at his twin sister. “Are you crazy? That is Artos fucking Sevar. The court will—”

“Fuck the court! That guy just beat Magnolia without trying and stack four spells faster that I can react. Screw what you feel about elves. We need Sevar!”

Amitate refused to believe that until he heard the clang.

Hikma unfolded the PACIFIST to duel Artos.

Artos ranked as 23rd in the list of 33 Stars, but his flexibility with spirit and decorated family history were only half of his qualification. The other half was his transcendent skill at combining said spirit’s power with his sword. Many counted Sevar among the best magic swordman of the generation. Among 33 Stars, his swordmanship trumped the 8th — Telos Alma Elyptus Ui Lunaris — and 9th—Thalia Holyworth. Drew with the 4th — Alaysha Grantessa Lightwell Sonya — and only beaten by Tai Hua Tianshang herself.

Amitate and Emily Aztellic knew Artos’ pedigree in swordsmanship. Thus, found the fact presented before them tasted bitter than car tires.

The bucket-head appearing from nowhere was dueling Artos Sevar to a standstill.

Artos Sevar’s bladework was the pinnacle of the elf’s inheritance in elegance and refinery. A light sword-play comprising fast flicks and sharp jabs amplified by momentous footwork. Artos even modified his style to add some power-blow enhanced by a mixture of water and holy power. The elf was an elite duelist; faster and more precise than most human master, reigning superior among the elves.

Sevar put up an amazing, well-thought barrages of offences. His foot stood amidst a whirlpool of water to prevent the same pit-fall trap trick that eliminated Magnolia. Combination of arrow traced with holy light flew around the two duelists as Artos tried to probe Hikma’s defense. The first clashes confirmed Sevar was better than Rem, and maybe even Melody, in raw talent with blades. However, he was no Luxinna. The Knight of Glass was the fastest and the most devastating duelist, capable of chaining attack and maneuvers at supersonic speed. Her talent allowed her to master all three Rays Horizon Dawn invented. There are weight class difference in the two.

Hikma got 10 years-worth of experience dealing with Luxinna Lathoria in mentally simulated duels. More impressively, the score was about equal. Hikma might be below Melody, but his dedication to defensive combat made him downright unbeaten in duels — even against Luxinna.

Avar ended up like Orwell Mehest. He hit the wall.

The pool of water beneath his feet failed to penetrate [Trinity] Hikma placed. Two shields of [Trinity] flew, intercepting the arrows of water raining around them. Artos tried jabbing, flicking, and feinting. Still his thin enchanted blade always got intercepted the shield of flourishing cane, masterfully spun so tight around Hikma not even a fly could penetrate.

The Aztellic watched as the mysterious mage fought the elite swordman of the generation to a draw. But the difference was clear, Sevar was losing. His face scrunched in frustration as patience evaporated with each parried blow. The helmet-man was totally relaxing into a Zen-like contentment to defend for all eternity at the expense of the increasingly angry Sevar.

“Impossible,” one elf watched the development in awe.

“What are you doing? Help him!” An elf ordered his comrades to rush at the two duelists.

Hikma was waiting for this, and so was Amitate Aztellic.

[Devil Flame]

Amitate launched a black fireball.

[Geo Genesis]

Hikma put Sevar into the blade-lock, exploiting the silver of distraction from Sevar who sensed the change in the battlefield. The intervention of the elves was something they expected. All three realized they need to capitalize on that golden instance. However, Hikma’s blade-lock and its timing surprised Sevar. The elf never fought those who trained against Rem in distraction or had reflexes to contend with Luxinna, thus Artos got his counter interrupted by a superior multitasker.

Wave of earth rose, scooping Artos in a rocky Tsunami which continued to swallow the entire charging a squadron of elves. The stone rearrange into a wall decorated with stuck elves — a distasteful display of modern art.

The giant fireball of [Devil Flame] arrived but Hikma learned enough about fire from Melody. Without raising another Arcane, Hikma slashed with his cane, bisecting the house size fireball. [Devil Flame] may be an inextinguishable fire, but Hikma’s response was designed against Rem’s superior metaphysical ability.

[Pyro Lorde] + [Pyro Genesis]

Hikma conjured [Surtr] that absorbed Amitate’s [Devil Flame]. The sphere spun, releasing hundreds of fiery wasps produced from [Pyro Genesis] and sent them flying toward the twins.

Amitate’s heart sank. The bastard’s attack and defense speed were too absurd. Amitate got many tricks up his sleeves but none could defeat his opponent's ability to nullify his fires or stopped that insect swarms. Amitate drifted to the possibility of overwhelming Hikma hand-to-hand. No. That guy defeated Artos Sevar in melee — something Amitate couldn’t dream of doing.

Then something shielded him, and all insects stopped.

Emily Aztellic shielded her baby brother from the swarm of fiery creatures capable of stinging them to death.

“I surrender,” she stared, trying to suppress the overwhelming fear. “Just let him go.”

Hikma raised eyebrows behind that helmet.

“No need. I never plan to kill you. In fact, I am sent here to make sure no one fucking dies.”