Chapter 161: The Inquisitor of the Sun God and the Mage from the Mage Tower (8)

Their journey continued onward. Several days passed, bringing them close to their destination.

It was then that Baker abruptly addressed Ketal. "Spar with me."

"A spar?" Ketal paused, looking surprised.

"What?" Aquaz echoed, equally taken aback by the sudden proposal.

Baker met their gazes, his eyes somber.

"We will arrive at our destination soon," he stated. "There, we'll investigate the situation and undoubtedly need to take action to resolve the problem."

He alluded to the likely conflict awaiting them, mentioning the potential involvement of primates from the Demon Realm.

"We have no way of knowing how strong those entities truly are,” Baker continued.

The fact that all contact with the City of Merfolk had been severed strongly suggested the presence of a force powerful enough to control an entire settlement. Confronting such an enemy would almost certainly require strength at the Transcendent level, or possibly even higher.

Baker continued, framing his challenge carefully, "We appreciate you joining us to help, Ketal... but from this point forward, we may not be able to guarantee your safety."

Therefore, Baker asserted, it was necessary to ascertain Ketal's true capabilities.

"Prove it to me now," he declared, his voice low and intense. "Prove that you are strong enough to stand on your own, that you have no need for our protection."

Aquaz, who had initially moved as if to intervene, closed her mouth and remained silent. She recognized the logic underpinning Baker’s stated justification. Although she had witnessed Ketal’s power firsthand, Baker had not.

Given the unknown dangers that lay ahead, understanding the nature and extent of their companion’s abilities was indeed a prudent measure. The reasoning Baker presented was sound, providing ample pretext for the challenge.

"So, what will you do?" Baker asked Ketal, a dark, humorless smile touching his lips. While the reasons he had articulated were partially true, his primary motivation for proposing the spar lay elsewhere.

He desperately wanted to see the barbarian flustered or afraid. He yearned to witness Ketal’s usual unflappable expression crumble, to hear him stammer and hesitate.

Baker entertained absolutely no thought of losing the match himself. He was, after all, a Transcendent mage. The possibility of defeat at the hands of a barbarian incapable of wielding Myst simply did not exist in his mind.

Even accounting for Ketal’s ability to use holy power through the relic, Baker dismissed it as insignificant at such a rudimentary level. He felt utterly confident that he could toy with Ketal from beginning to end, even if the spar commenced at close quarters.

Admittedly, numerous strange inconsistencies surrounding Ketal made it difficult to simply label him a weak barbarian ignorant of Myst. However, Baker, currently consumed by his obsessive need to find fault and assert his dominance, lacked the clarity to dwell on these contradictions. His mind was singularly focused on somehow diminishing Ketal.

Even I can recognize how disgustingly petty this is,

Baker thought, a bitter grimace twisting his features.

As a mage, supposedly devoted to objective reasoning, he was acutely aware of the dishonorable nature of his actions. Yet, stopping himself felt immensely difficult. He felt an overwhelming compulsion to confirm, by any means necessary, that he was superior to this infuriating barbarian.

"You are free to refuse, of course," Baker offered, projecting an air of magnanimity while fully expecting Ketal to decline. "If you do, we will simply exclude you from any combat situations. It would not be a bad outcome for you, ensuring your safety."

Baker believed Ketal would never logically accept such a disadvantageous challenge. He anticipated being satisfied merely by witnessing the barbarian's anticipated refusal and resulting unease, which would serve as confirmation that Ketal was not, in fact, a perfect being. This desire to expose a flaw was the true core reason for issuing the challenge.

However, from Ketal’s perspective, there was absolutely no reason to refuse.

"A spar, you say? That sounds excellent! I accept!" Ketal exclaimed.

"Huh...?" The entirely unexpected response left Baker momentarily speechless. His somber expression shattered, replaced by visible confusion and shock. "Y-you accept?"

"Of course!" Ketal replied enthusiastically. The chance to spar with a Transcendent mage from the Mage Tower was a welcome opportunity, something he had secretly hoped for. He felt almost grateful to Baker for suggesting it himself.

"Alright then, what about the rules?" Ketal asked him eagerly. "Do we fight until one of us is defeated?"

"Uh, yes," Baker stammered, still reeling.

"Great! Let's get ready immediately, then," Ketal declared, already turning away. "I saw a suitable clearing along the path we just took. That place should work perfectly."

Beaming with anticipation, he headed off to prepare.

Baker stared blankly at Ketal's retreating back, muttering foolishly to himself, "Huh?"

***

Ketal and Baker positioned themselves across the clearing from each other. Baker struggled to regain his composure, gathering his mana.

A-alright,

Baker thought, trying to steady himself.

This development deviated significantly from his expectations, but it wasn't necessarily bad. He simply needed to showcase his overwhelming power and compel Ketal to acknowledge defeat.

Aquaz approached Baker, her expression laced with worry. "Um, Baker. Are you sure about this?"

Baker managed a confident smile. "Don't worry, Aquaz. I'll be careful to control my strength."

No...

Aquaz thought silently.

It's you I'm worried about.

She swallowed the unspoken words, let out a tiny sigh, and retreated to a safe distance after stating the rule, "The rule is simple: whoever believes they have lost must declare their defeat. The battle will cease immediately upon declaration."

"Understood," Ketal affirmed readily.

"Are you really doing this? I-I'm serious, we're really doing this!" Baker stammered, still slightly incredulous.

"I said I understand," Ketal replied, grinning broadly. His face showed absolutely no trace of anxiety or tension.

Baker found this utter lack of concern deeply unsettling; Ketal certainly didn't seem like a fool, ignorant of the vast power difference between them. A sliver of doubt began to creep into Baker's mind, wondering if Ketal possessed some hidden technique or strategy. His unease grew.

Aquaz gave the signal. "Then, you may begin."

Baker thrust his hands forward violently. His Startail School studied the stars, a category that inherently included this very planet.

Trees lining the edge of the clearing were abruptly torn from the earth. Massive trunks flew through the air directly toward Ketal.

Ketal simply clenched his fist.

"Grant me a barrier of light," he intoned briefly.

Instantly, a radiant golden barrier materialized around him, a potent shield of divine energy designed to block external attacks. The sight of this sacred defense manifesting at a barbarian's call was jarring.

Baker sneered, "That won't be enough!"

The immense trees slammed savagely against the golden barrier. Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface almost immediately, and unable to withstand the assault, the divine shield shattered.

Ketal leaped back, narrowly avoiding the debris. Baker gestured again, and the uprooted trees slammed down, cutting off Ketal's potential escape routes.

Without pause, Baker stomped his foot firmly on the ground. The earth beneath Ketal began to churn and collapse inward, threatening to swallow him whole like a treacherous sinkhole.

A confident smirk spread across Baker's face. As expected, the barbarian's power wasn't truly significant. He knew he didn’t need to worry.

Ketal was already sinking, his lower body disappearing beneath the churning soil. Baker planned to display his superiority a little longer before halting the spar; his objective was merely to demonstrate the undeniable gap in their abilities, not to inflict actual injury.

"Hmm," Ketal murmured thoughtfully, then clenched his fist once more. "It seems holy power granted by a relic truly isn't sufficient to block a Transcendent's attacks."

He brought his fist down, punching directly into the collapsing earth beneath him.

A deafening explosion erupted, sending soil and debris flying violently in all directions. Baker yelped in alarm, hastily erecting a magical shield to protect himself.

As the dust began to settle, Baker stared at the revealed scene, scarcely believing his eyes. Where Ketal had stood, a massive crater now dominated the landscape, far larger and deeper than the pit Baker had created—it was sizable enough to be called a small pond.

"You wield some interesting powers," Ketal remarked, standing casually within the crater and smiling broadly at Baker.

A chill ran down Baker’s spine. He reacted instantly, thrusting his hands out again. "Source of the stars sleeping deep within the earth! Arise!"

Metallic elements, buried deep below, ripped through the ground, surfacing as gleaming tendrils. They compressed, forming wire-like bonds that shot towards Ketal, aiming to ensnare his entire body.

"Oh! This is possible too?" Ketal exclaimed with genuine curiosity. He swung his arm casually, and the metallic wires shattered like dry twigs upon impact.

"W-what?" Baker shouted.

Frustrated and increasingly desperate, Baker continued his assault, attempting various ways to overpower Ketal. However, every spell, every intricate magical effort, was effortlessly nullified or destroyed by Ketal’s simple, direct punches.

Aquaz watched with an expression that clearly indicated she had expected this outcome. Having witnessed Ketal overwhelm even that powerful demon previously, she knew these relatively straightforward attacks stood no chance against him.

Baker felt on the verge of losing his sanity as his magnificent magic crumbled uselessly before the barbarian’s raw power. After effortlessly dispersing a barrage of conjured wind bullets, Ketal waved a hand dismissively.

"Hmm, is this all you've got?" Ketal asked him, looking directly at Baker.

In that moment, Baker felt a profound, instinctual threat, like a ravenous beast drooling right before him.

Panic overriding reason, Baker roared a powerful incantation, "Stars beyond! I open a space here, that your domain may take root!"

"What?" Aquaz, who had been watching quietly, gasped in horror.

Immense power surged around Baker, far exceeding the bounds of a simple sparring match. This was clearly something else entirely.

"Wait!" she cried out, attempting to intervene, but Baker was too caught up in his spellcasting to heed her warning.

"Environment of Frigid Cold! Descend upon this star!" Baker screamed, completing the incantation.

Space itself seemed to tear open with a sickening crackle. The air around the rift began to freeze solid. Frost crystallized on thin air, and pellets of frozen wind dropped to the ground.

An aura of extreme cold radiated outwards—a chill nearing absolute zero, the very environment of some distant, frozen star summoned across the void to assail Ketal.

"This is bad!" Aquaz realized with alarm. Even someone as powerful as Ketal could be in serious danger from a direct hit by such overwhelming energy. She hastily reached for her mace, preparing to forcefully stop the spell.

"Magnificent!" Ketal, however, merely laughed and stepped forward boldly. He channeled power into his arm and swung his fist in a wide arc.

A tremendous shockwave of pure force blasted outwards from his punch. It slammed into the encroaching arctic environment imported from the stars beyond, violently and utterly dispersing the frigid cold.

"Huh?" Aquaz’s eyes went wide.

"Ah?" Baker uttered a sound of dumbfounded disbelief.

In that same instant, Ketal’s hand shot out, grabbing Baker by the head.

Ketal slammed Baker’s body face-first into the earth.

Aquaz cried out in shock. "K-Ketal!"

"Hm?" Ketal looked up, appearing genuinely surprised by the outcome. "Why couldn't the mage dodge that?"

In his experience, all the mages he had encountered previously could react to movements of that speed. He didn't understand that their reactions were typically due to pre-set defensive spells, not personal agility, making Baker's inability to dodge baffling from his perspective.

Fortunately, Ketal had reflexively adjusted his strength at the last moment, ensuring Baker was merely knocked unconscious rather than seriously injured.

Aquaz breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the spar had concluded without severe harm. "It appears to be your victory, Ketal."

"Um, sorry about that," Ketal apologized again, still slightly perplexed. "I honestly didn't expect him to just stand there."

"I doubt many mages could react to that speed...," Aquaz murmured gently, "but thankfully, his injuries don't seem serious. We can wait for him to wake up. It looks like we will have to spend the night here."

They set about tidying the heavily damaged clearing and arranging their sleeping gear.

Sitting on her bedroll, Aquaz regarded Ketal with eyes full of awe. "You truly are strong."

It had been a foregone conclusion in her mind that Ketal, capable of overwhelming powerful demons, would defeat Baker. Witnessing his power again, however, still left her astonished. She found herself wondering about the true limits of this barbarian's strength.

Meanwhile, Ketal was experiencing his own surprise, directed at Baker’s magic. "The Startail School, was it? Does their magic require such extensive preparation for chanting?"

"Yes," Aquaz confirmed. "Drawing power from external stars necessitates lengthy preparations for their spells. However, the resulting magic is typically very wide-ranging and undeniably powerful."

"External stars," Ketal repeated, his expression intrigued.

He understood now: Baker’s final spell had literally torn open space to summon the environmental conditions of a star located somewhere else in the vast cosmos.

Is such a thing really possible?

Ketal, possessing knowledge from a modern world, grasped the incredible implications of manipulating interstellar environments.

He pondered the fundamental nature of magic, its potential, and its boundaries. A keen curiosity sparked within him, a strong desire to learn more about this fascinating power.

Perhaps I should visit the Mage Tower next time,

he mused, recalling that his artifact supposedly allowed him to wield magic. A wide grin spread across his face; this world truly never failed to entertain him.

Looking at the unconscious Baker, Aquaz spoke softly to Ketal. “I feel somewhat responsible for this. Please, try not to dislike him too much. I suspect his actions were motivated by wanting to impress me.”

"I see no reason to dislike him," Ketal said.

He found the spectacle of a sheltered mage, experiencing love for the first time and acting rashly to impress his object, rather amusing.

Having never encountered such a situation before, he found it more interesting than offensive; from his perspective, Baker's behavior was almost endearing.

"Love is always a part of stories, isn't it?" Ketal remarked thoughtfully. "To be the main character of such fervent emotions... You must feel pleased, Aquaz."

"While I appreciate his favorable feelings towards me, I cannot accept them." Aquaz sighed. It wasn't a matter of personal preference. "I am a follower of the Sun God. My remaining life belongs entirely to Him."

Love and affection held no value for her in comparison to her devotion.

Ketal observed her with a peculiar expression. "So, you have dedicated the rest of your life to the Sun God."

"Yes," Aquaz affirmed calmly. "I am the property of the Sun God. My own feelings or thoughts are entirely unimportant."

"Is that so?" Ketal smiled faintly, noticing a subtle contradiction in her words or perhaps her demeanor, but he chose not to comment on it.

"It is best to believe whatever brings you comfort," he said mildly. He filed away this interaction as yet another fascinating element of this world, another source of potential entertainment.

Several hours later, Baker finally regained consciousness, sitting up with a dazed and bewildered expression. Ketal offered another apology. "Sorry about that. I failed to control my strength properly."

"Did I lose?" Baker asked him weakly, the reality slowly sinking in.

"You did," Ketal confirmed gently.

"I see." Baker lowered his head, his shoulders slumping in dejection.

***

After that crushing defeat, Baker seemed to shrink into himself completely. He trailed behind Ketal and Aquaz silently, his face perpetually gloomy. Aquaz often glanced back at him with a pitying look.

The remainder of their journey proceeded without any further notable incidents. Baker remained quiet, seemingly having finally acknowledged Ketal's superiority, or perhaps simply too demoralized to cause further trouble.

And at long last, they arrived at the coastal city.

"Whoa." Ketal breathed out, impressed. Before them stretched the vast, expansive ocean, reaching endlessly toward the distant horizon. It was a truly magnificent sight.

Yet, the sea itself was unnervingly silent. Despite the sun hanging high in the midday sky, not a single ship sailed upon the waters, nor was there any sign of fish near the surface. Looking towards the distant docks, only a few small, simple rowboats were visible.

A breathtaking vista of a fantasy ocean lay spread before him, shrouded in an unnatural, profound silence.