On the sidelines, Ultear was caught off guard by how things were unfolding. She stood there, a bit flustered, unsure of her next move.
What now? I was planning to step in and help this ice-making kid, but the other side's not even trying to stop the ritual. Did I show up for nothing? Should I just leave? Or maybe test this Kira guy? He seems to know something—should I stick around and see what's up?
As she hesitated, a voice broke through. "So, how'd you pull that off? How are you converting the moon's power without anyone performing the ritual?"
It was Gray, asking the question.
Ultear smirked, a hint of pride in her voice. "Simple. I just altered the time of the moonlight."
Everyone except Kira, who'd heard this before, looked utterly confused.
"Time?" Gray echoed.
"Heh, that's right," Ultear said, chuckling. "My magic, Arc of Time, lets me manipulate the time of objects. I just sped up the moonlight's conversion process. At this rate, the moon's power will be ready in an hour or two."
Still basking in her smugness, Ultear didn't notice Kira's deliberately "quiet" but perfectly audible comment.
"Listen up, Cana, Loke, Gray—take note! When fighting a wizard, never let them know your full arsenal! This person's a perfect example of what not to do. A couple of sentences, and I tricked her into spilling her magic's secrets. Honestly, rookie mistake."
Ultear: "…"
"Oh, Gray and Loke, this might not apply to you—your magic's pretty set and obvious. But Cana, your card magic's different. Sure, it relies on your deck, but it's versatile. Even if someone knows you're a card magic wizard, they won't know what cards you're holding. In a fight, you've gotta pick your cards based on the situation—time, place, your opponent's magic, their personality. Never get stuck in one fighting style."
We're at this point, and if I don't show off a bit, people might think this S-Class wizard's all talk! Kira thought. With some time left before the Absolute Freeze was undone, and seeing the group looking a bit bored, he decided to turn this into a teaching moment.
Of course, Kira didn't see this as showing off. He'd promised this mission would show them the gap between them and an S-Class wizard. The key was getting them to do something. If there's no opening, you make one!
Knowing your weaknesses is the first step to growth. Like Cana—you're missing my brand-new deck of cards! 500,000 jewels, and it's mine!
Kira played the wise mentor, guiding them along. "Take this mystery figure here. Her magic controls the time of objects. So, how do you counter someone like that?"
"Unlike your usual brawls where you just charge in recklessly, becoming an S-Class wizard isn't just about raw power. You need insight, intel analysis, quick thinking, and combat smarts."
Gray, thinking back to the ice that vanished earlier, asked, "But how do we even handle that?"
Nice teamwork, kid. These students are really giving their teacher some face, Kira thought, pleased. He put on a serious analysis face. "Think about it. She can manipulate the time of objects, so why not mess with the Absolute Freeze directly? Why not age us with her magic? That proves two things: one, her magic has limits; two, it doesn't work on living beings—or at least not on humans."
Ultear felt a sting of offense but laughed it off. "Impressive, 'Sage.' You figured that out quick. But so what? Knowing doesn't change anything."
"Oh, it changes plenty," Kira shot back. "If it doesn't work on people, you get in close and take her down with your fists!"
Loke grinned. "Oh, hand-to-hand? That's our specialty!"
"But how do you even get close to me?" Ultear taunted.
She cast a spell on the ground. The earth collapsed, then reformed, rising up before shattering into floating stone fragments, frozen as if time had stopped. Then, at a speed barely visible, the stones spun around Kira in a 360-degree whirlwind.
Her seamless control left everyone stunned. The transitions were so smooth, with no hint of magical lag, it almost looked like earth magic. Except for Kira, everyone's faces grew serious—especially Lyon, who started wondering why someone this powerful would join his team. He didn't buy that she was here just to revive Deliora with the Moon Drip. Her words about melting ice meant his magic would be completely countered by hers. Was I too cocky saying I'd take her down?
"You can't even get near—" Ultear began, but Kira cut her off.
Everyone had the same thought: This guy loves interrupting people, doesn't he?
"Swift!" "Heavy Strike!"
Instant casting!
Two status effects layered onto Kira's hands and feet. In a flash, he raised his right hand, striking a Superman pose, and blasted through the stone array, charging at Ultear with blinding speed!
"Nani?!" Ultear hadn't expected this. Caught off guard, she flailed her hands to block.
Kira's fist loomed larger, stopping just five centimeters from her face!
The force of his punch sent her hair and clothes fluttering, but it didn't land. Phew, he's just using my magic for a lesson or showing off. He's not serious, she thought, relieved. "Not bad—"
WHAM!
Before she could finish, Ultear was staring at the starry sky and the eerie purple moonlight.
What a beautiful night… shame my face hurts like hell.
Kira blew on his fist, turning to his stunned companions. "See that? That's how it's done! Don't get locked into one fighting style. Catch them off guard, strike when they least expect it, and take them out in one hit!"
Breaking the usual turn-based combat rules, striking while they're explaining or thinking—that's why you're an S-Class wizard, huh?
If Kira knew what they were thinking, he'd nod without hesitation: Damn right!
"I thought your Word Magic was just for summoning weapons, but you can add status effects too?" Gray asked, amazed.
Ultear, still sprawled on the ground, muttered, "Summoning… status effects…"
"Summoning's just the basics!" Kira said proudly. "The real essence of Word Magic is mastering language and text. Remember how I talked about crafting magic items? This is how I infuse them with effects."