| A Jade Parade for the Undaunted Part 2

Arc 1 | A Detectives End

Phase 2 | Pursuit of the Seven Wonders

In the dimly lit chamber beneath Lord Armand's palace, Tsubasa found herself teetering on the brink of becoming a lifeless statue. It was a dire situation, and panic clawed at the edges of her consciousness. What was thought to have the unfortunate destiny of being encroached on by the jaded curse But just when it seemed that all hope was lost...

A radiant light was glowing from the amulet that Tsubasa hung around her neck. She had disrupted the jade curse that would spell her doom as a statue. The jade curse that threatened to turn her into stone was halted in its tracks, its sinister power disrupted by the amulet's radiant energy.

The chamber filled with gasps of surprise from the onlookers, their eyes wide with astonishment as they witnessed the miraculous intervention. Tsubasa herself knew the reason why she hadn't succumbed to the colossal man's power.

It was the amulet, a precious gift from an old hag she had encountered during her last celebration of the Dragon Festival.

With a gasp, Tsubasa pushed herself up from the cold, stone floor as Lord Armand, who had been pressing his foot onto her to ensure her transformation, hastily withdrew it. The sense of relief was overwhelming, but Tsubasa knew that she couldn't afford to waste any time. She had to act quickly to turn the tide in her favor.

With determination burning in her eyes, Tsubasa reached for one of the magic cards she always kept close. She tossed it skillfully, aiming it directly at the colossal man who had nearly claimed her as another victim of his jade curse.

However, to her surprise and dismay, the card had no effect on him. The flames forthcoming from her card were clearly displayed using her aptitude reserve. She had gotten a bit more education on reserving magic from Carol and Gilbert.

But although she had known this information for a short period; she hadn't trained to use that reserve skill vigorously. In fact, she was relieved that her magic card worked without straining herself from her body where mana is supposedly drawn into and converted into magical energy.

The card wasn't at maximum effect, but Tsubasa deducted that it was enough to light up an entire building. Yet this colossal creature treated her attack no less than how a child playing with fireworks. It did not stutter him at all.

Tsubasa's heart sank for a moment, but she refused to give in to despair. With her amulet's protective light still shimmering around her, she knew that she had a fighting chance. Now that she's got the culprit standing before her, It was a matter of what to do next.

Yes, she had the resolve to venture into the palace and find the culprit. But what she didn't account for was how she and her friends were going to deal with him. With Gaius knocked out unconscious, Tsubasa was in a pickle.

It was a fight-or-flight situation. Escaping on her own was possible. But with Gaius in the enemy's clutches, escaping with him was not a foreseeable outcome. Milica would never forgive Tsubasa for leaving him there, and running away was against Tsubasa's principles too.

"No, you are not her."

The colossal man had decided to crush Tsubasa since turning her into a statue was no longer valid. Tsubasa tucked and rolled herself, dodging the man's thick arms from grabbing her.

Lord Armand stood back in the room, still having a shocked expression as he just witnessed a defile against his wicked friend's power. "I'm so going to regret this!"

Tsubasa bellowed as the circumstances for her and Gaius seemed to worsen. She unleashed her aptitude from her body, incanting the phrase Flower of Summer Marigold in her head.

In a matter of seconds, the room fell into a disarray of flames. Lord Armand and the colossal man faltered, trying to prevent themselves from inhaling the smoke as a residue byproduct from Tsubasa's flames.

While they were distracted, she hurriedly grabbed Gaius by the foot and dragged him out. Tsubasa was prepared to use every ounce of muscle she could muster, acting like this was the last time she could run, but...

Gaius was surprisingly light and easy to drag around. Although he may be taller than Tsubasa, his weight was disproportionate to that. This gave Tsubasa the confidence to escape.

They couldn't come back out the way they came in. The vent was in the ceiling. Fortunately, the doors were unlocked, and the two of them dashed through.

Not knowing where the exit was or where Luna and Milica were, Tsubasa took another gamble and kept going straight forward, with not a single gaze peeping behind her. She was met with a door with subtle lights flowing out of it.

"Grr, come on!" Tsubasa was getting fatigued, and her nostrils were also affected by the smoke she produced, but that did not stop her. Exhaling. Inhaling. Exhaling. Inhaling...

Finally, they burst through the door and emerged on the other side. There, to Tsubasa's astonishment and relief, stood Luna, Milica, and an unknown man.

However, their joyous reunion was overshadowed by a chilling sight – a horde of jade statues filling the room, their lifeless forms that still needed to be saved...if there was a way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Luna and Milica's expressions were etched with worry and fear as Tsubasa and Gaius burst into the room, escaping from the smoky chaos left behind in the chamber.

Tsubasa quickly recounted the harrowing events that had unfolded, explaining how she had narrowly avoided being turned into a jade statue thanks to the protective amulet she wore, and how she had used her magic to create a fiery diversion to escape with Gaius.

However, Gaius remained unconscious, and the sense of urgency hung heavily in the air.

Luna, with her natural aptitude for healing magic, wasted no time. She approached Tsubasa and placed her hands on her shoulders, channeling soothing waves of magic to restore Tsubasa's vitality and banish the fatigue that had settled in her bones.

It was a gesture of both gratitude and concern. Milica, on the other hand, was far more outraged than anyone in the room. She was ready to storm back to the chamber where Tsubasa and Gaius had almost died.

The man with them held her back, advising that it was not a smart idea. Milica could only resign herself as she punched the marble floor in a fit of rage.

As Tsubasa regained some of her strength, she turned her attention to the unknown man who had been with Luna and Milica. He seemed to radiate an air of authority and experience. With a nod of acknowledgment, he introduced himself.

"I am Yohito Cheliyan," he said, his voice steady and composed despite the chaos that had unfolded. His presence in the room added an intriguing layer to the unfolding events, and Tsubasa couldn't help but wonder about his role in this mysterious ordeal.

With the initial shock and danger somewhat behind them, the group now faced a daunting challenge: understanding the nature of the curse that had turned so many into jade statues, uncovering the truth behind Lord Armand's involvement, and, most importantly, finding a way to free those who had fallen victim to this malevolent power.

Yohito Cheliyan, with a stern and composed demeanor, began to share with Tsubasa what he had already discussed with Luna and Milica about his involvement in taking down Lord Armand. He spoke with a measured tone, his words carrying the weight of experience and determination.

"I've been tracking Lord Armand's activities for some time now," Yohito began. "I had my suspicions about his involvement in these cursed statues and the disappearances of royals. My family, too, fell victim to this malevolent curse."

As he recounted his personal stake in this perilous game, Tsubasa could sense the determination in Yohito's eyes. He continued, "I've infiltrated this palace to gather evidence and expose Lord Armand's true nature. The curse, the statues—it's all tied to a dark and forbidden magic that he wields."

With their goals now aligned and a common enemy in their sights, Tsubasa couldn't help but feel a spark of hope. She knew that they needed a plan, a counterattack. To put an end to this charade once and for all. Her determination burned bright as she said, "I may have a plan to end this charade tonight."

The group huddled together, their minds working in unison as they began to devise a strategy to deal with the dire situation at hand. The room was filled with tense energy as they exchanged ideas and considerations, each member contributing their insights and skills to the plan.

However, as Tsubasa unveiled her audacious plan, Yohito couldn't help but voice his concern. "That's insane"

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Time was precious, and now that Tsubasa and Gaius confirmed their suspicions, there was no way Lord Armand and the colossal man would do nothing about it. Tsubasa had thought of a plan for their counterattack.

A strategic basis of rigorous efforts was required for them to prevail. "And that's the plan, everyone following?"

Everyone fell silent; it was clear from their expressions that the plan came out as deranged. But no one made a rebuttal.

"Are you sure this will work? That's an insane way of going about things, even for me". Milica questioned Tsubasa. She was confident her plan would work.

"After your last encounter, you guys barely escaped, right?" Yohito was concerned for Tsubasa, as she would be putting her life on the line once more.

"Last time I wasn't prepared enough. I am now; there's a trick to his power that I noticed. I'm certain that his power to transform people into jade isn't coming from himself. Rather, he is using some sort of object that does his dirty work."

Tsubasa could vividly recall the events where the colossal man directed that power against her. When using magic, the principles needed to invoke it or bring it to reality always involve some contact with the user.

Whether it was a physical attribute or through the dispersion of mana, There is always some connection when one uses magic.

Every time Tsubasa used hers, it felt like a life force was taken from within her and shot out throughout her body. But she saw none of that when it came to the colossal man. But it wasn't that clear how his object exactly worked.

Gilbert had told Tsubasa that non-alive objects can't use their powers without complementary assistance from the user. The colossal man does have an ability that enables him to use the object.

Part of Tsubasa's plan was to disassociate him from the object. She assumes that the reason she survived earlier was either because her amulet, given by the hag, was alive, or because it responded to the energies of the colossal man.

The most important part of her plan was to free everyone who had been turned into an undaunted corpse. It was another gamble that needed to be taken with caution. Assuming she had solved what kind of ability the colossal man has.

"By the way, Luna, if you were to freeze someone, how would you unfreeze them?"