Chapter 87: Realize

Mikoto walked through the remnants of what once was a bustling city, his footsteps echoing softly on the cracked cobblestones. Tall, skeletal remains of buildings jutted out like broken teeth, their wooden frames charred, and stone foundations crumbled. The air was thick with the scent of ash and decay, mingling with the faint, lingering smell of incense from the many chapels and churches that once stood proudly.

To his right, the remains of a grand cathedral loomed, its stained glass windows shattered, the vibrant shards strewn across the ground like shattered glass. The spire, a beacon of faith, lay toppled, its pinnacle embedded in the earth. Statues of saints and Gods, now headless and armless, watched over the devastation with silent sorrow.

Mikoto paused in front of a small chapel, its roof caved in and walls scorched. The door hung ajar, creaking on its hinges. He could almost hear the faint echoes of hymns sung within its walls, the voices of a congregation now long gone. He closed his eyes and took a deep sigh , feeling the weight of the destruction around him.

"This is partially your fault, you know?" Mikoto resisted the urge to sigh at Lyra's voice.

"Yeah, you already said that." Emberreach was naturally the closest city to his battle with Selwyn and it took the full brunt of it.

"Your destruction is befitting of a battle between two great beasts." Lyra mused. "I do not think one of the seven divine beasts or a single Inheritor alone could have caused this much destruction by merely trading blows."

"Noted, now shut up for a sec."

Mikoto simply raised his hand and focused and expanded his mana, and the effect was immediate and in a way breathtaking. The shattered windows of a cathedral began to reassemble themselves, shards of colored glass lifting from the ground and slotting back into place with a musical chime. A fallen spire rose from the earth, its stones knitting together seamlessly as it ascended to its rightful place atop the cathedral. The statues of saints and Gods regained their lost limbs and heads, their features restored to their former glory.

Mikoto turned his attention to the small chapel. The caved-in roof lifted and reformed, the wooden beams straightening and the thatch weaving itself back together. The scorched walls became whole once more, their surfaces smooth and unblemished. The door swung shut with a gentle click, and the faint scent of incense filled the air anew.

He moved through the city, his magic working tirelessly. Chapels, buildings, and churches sprang back to life around him, their bells tolling once more in a seemingly joyous celebration. A fountain in the town square, dry and cracked, gushed forth clear water, its marble statues gleaming in the restored sunlight. Streets that had been choked with rubble cleared themselves, the cobblestones fitting back together with precise clicks.

As Mikoto walked, flowers bloomed in window boxes, vibrant and fragrant. Market stalls, once overturned and empty, stood upright and laden with fresh produce and wares. The city was alive despite the lack of people again.

He reached the center of the city, where a grand basilica stood. It had suffered the worst of the destruction, its massive dome collapsed and its columns reduced to rubble. Mikoto raised his hand once more. The air around him shimmered with raw mana, and he focused on reconstructing rather than destruction.

The ground trembled as the columns rose from the dust, their marble surfaces gleaming white in the sunlight. The dome lifted piece by piece, each segment sliding into place with a resonant thrum. The frescoes inside, once marred by soot and cracks, were restored to their vivid brilliance, depicting scenes of divine grace and celestial majesty.

There was still some work left to do, but for the most part, the city around him was whole once more, a shining gem of architecture and faith like it used to be. The people would return, life would flourish, and the echoes of hymns and prayers would fill the air once more or whatever else they did.

"Restoration? No, just simple reconstruction." Lyra looked at him, impressed. "You simply rebuilt everything from memory. You just keep getting interesting."

"I'm flattered." Mikoto flatly replied.

"You don't sound flattered." She noted. He resisted the minuscule urge to roll his eyes at her oh so astute observation. "You are quite the forward child."

"Sure, now what are you buzzing around me for anyway?" Mikoto questioned as he turned to the woman. "You're a court mage, right? You no doubt have more important stuff to be doing."

"I've already told you." She stated with a shrug. "You're an interesting specimen, I can't dissect you so I'd like to observe you."

"You're a woman of science, right?" Mikoto suddenly asked.

"I like to think so."

"What do you think about alternative realities or world travel?" Mikoto's question elicited a raised brow from the woman and a pondering look adorned her features.

"What a peculiar subject, world travel, hm?" Lyra smiled as she contemplated the subject. "My specialty does lie in biology, but that does not mean I lack knowledge in other fronts. Let's see, there is no clear spell that could manage that. At least in the tiers of magic a normal person is capable of."

"I'm guessing there are hypotheses and theories, right?" Mikoto surmised as he folded his arms.

"There are many, but magic such as world travel is mostly seen as obscene and useless, so most records of it are just abolished." Lyra informed, but she smirked as she tapped her temple. "But I've all said knowledge right here." She crossed her arms under her well-endowed chest as she continued. "But why are you interested in a subject such as world travel?"

"Can't a guy be curious?" Mikoto rolled his shoulders. "Anyway, what do you want in exchange for those world travel theories and hypotheses?" Lyra opened her mouth to speak, but Mikoto quickly interrupted. "And no dissecting." She promptly closed her mouth as she began to ponder.

"A look at your face." She stated after a few seconds passed. Mikoto frowned as she continued. "You expanded an enormous amount of mana; usually your mana would be hidden as it is now. You are no doubt reining in your reserves and using illusions to alter and decrease your overall mana flow, making it dull and minuscule. But mana residuals do not lie, and from what I've observed, those residuals were mighty familiar."

("Well, it's my own fault really. I haven't been paying much attention. While fighting Selwyn, I let loose too much. Usually, I'd cloak any mana residuals with illusion magic so it would differ from my usual signature, which is identical to Lucinda's.") Mikoto heaved a sigh but did not want to jump to any conclusions. "What are you getting at?" In response to his question, Lyra raised her right palm.

In existence came a bright, blinding orb of blazing red. Its light engulfed the entire area, and power was basically pulsating from it.

"That's-!"

"My kind has a unique magic talent called [Leach]. We are able to feed off the mana and physical energy of others under certain circumstances." Mikoto's eyes narrowed as she continued. "Naturally, I am able to reign in mana from mere residuals; it's what I did to all the residuals left in that battlefield. This is only a small portion of said mana." She gave a humorless chuckle as the orb of mana dissipated. "A small portion, but it would dwarf the reserves of the average sorcerer."

"..."

"And the most surprising of all, it is identical to the spawn of Octavia's mana signature." Lyra stated as she rubbed her chin in thought, almost mockingly. "But said spawn was here in Emberreach; her signature in this city was constant. So how is it that a similar signature found its way into that destroyed battlefield?"

"Cloning?" Mikoto offered. She had all the facts, but she was not stating anything just yet. It would be unwise just to admit to something.

"Impossible. See, I've studied the spawn of Octavia extensively." Lyra quickly denied. "I know of every single minute spell she is capable of."

("A bluff.") Mikoto noted, but her expression did not change. ("Maybe I could turn this around.")

"How about a deal?" Mikoto spoke. "I want a detailed report on world travel, a thesis, a hypothesis, and theories. Do that, and I'll satiate your curiosity."

"Deal!" The woman exclaimed all too happily. And in the next instance, a large circular red glyph came into existence beneath them. "Teleportation, the location is my laboratory back in the capital city."

"Why the hell are we going that far?" He questioned.

"So I can record your information." She stated with a small smirk. "Don't be nervous now."

"Whatever. Do note if this teleportation is rigged, I can kill you easily." She just nodded wordlessly.

At least if anything, then this will be beneficial. The two then vanished in a flash of red.