The Revelation of Armin's Power

"For now, have some tea. It's not the best, but my wife has a special recipe, so it should suit your taste."

"Ah, thank you."

Shirone and his companions politely accepted the tea cups.

Even though he had transitioned into a painter, Armin was once a prodigy in magic, displaying extraordinary talent for over twenty years. They could blame fate for his misfortunes, but as aspiring magicians, none of them dared to underestimate him.

Returning to his canvas, Armin gestured to the seats behind him.

"Well then, I need to get back to work. Would you all mind waiting here for a bit?"

"Of course."

Shirone and the others, holding their tea, awkwardly found their seats.

As Shina adjusted herself on the bed, Naid hesitated before asking cautiously.

"Umm… About what I heard earlier, 'You're not wearing anything today?' What did that mean? If this is a nude painting, I think we should…"

"Hahaha! I may be blind, but there's no way I'd make such a request to my sister. Now that I think about it, I can see how that might have been misunderstood. Shina, could you bring it out?"

Shina pulled a silver-coated coat from the wardrobe. The sunlight reflected off it so intensely that it was hard to even look at.

"That's incredibly bright."

"I can't see objects precisely with just Spirit Zone alone. By covering people and objects in luminous material, I can sense the light they emit. In that sense, this silver-coated coat is a very useful tool."

"I see… To draw by feeling light instead of seeing it."

"Losing my sight allowed me to create things that other painters never could. But today is the last time I'll be painting Shina. A generous patron has appeared, and we'll be moving soon. That's why I wanted to capture her as she is, without any interference. The coat diminishes her natural beauty."

Shina blushed.

"Geez, brother… You say such embarrassing things."

"Hahaha! What's wrong with that? In my memories, you're still that little nine-year-old girl."

"Fine, fine. Just hurry up and paint before Ms. Keira comes back and interrupts your work."

Shirone and his friends felt a strange, ticklish sensation in the air, wriggling their fingers and toes at the sibling-like closeness between them. They were certainly close, but not bound by blood. Perhaps Shina had reacted so strongly to the word 'adultery' earlier because some lingering feelings remained for Armin.

"Alright, let's begin. I'll draw based on feeling, so I should finish earlier than usual."

As Shina gracefully took her pose, Armin picked up a charcoal stick and began outlining her form.

As the sketch gradually took shape, Shirone and the others were amazed.

"Whoa, he's really fast."

"Shh."

Iluki hushed them.

Being blind was a severe handicap for a painter, requiring an extreme level of focus. That much was understandable, but Shirone found something about this scene deeply unsettling.

'This is strange. Really strange.'

Even without the luminous material, Armin was capturing Shina's features in intricate detail.

'How is this possible? Is his Spirit Zone really that precise? Even so, this level of detail…'

If the density and reach of the Spirit Zone were increased, then synesthetic perception could allow for such precision. But capturing the emotions behind an expression? That was another matter entirely.

The painting grew even more lifelike, and Shina wore a radiant smile unlike any Shirone had ever seen at school. Then, using a piece of bread as an eraser, Armin refined her smile to perfection.

That was when Shirone became certain.

'This… This shouldn't be possible.'

One of the most difficult aspects of portraiture was the corners of the mouth. A minuscule change in angle could alter the entire impression.

"Excuse me, Armin."

"…Yes?"

Armin turned slightly, still smiling, as Shirone hesitated, debating whether he should even ask. If he was wrong, it would be an immense insult.

But he had to ask.

"Armin… Can you see?"

Silence.

Armin's hand, mid-stroke, suddenly stopped.

Placing the charcoal down, he turned fully toward them.

"Yes. I can see."

Shirone was speechless.

So he could see? Then why had Shina been unaware all this time?

"I'm sure you have questions. Allow me to show you directly."

Turning completely toward Shirone, Armin slowly removed the cloth covering his eyes.

Around his closed eyelids, numerous scars were etched deep into his skin.

'There's no doubt he was injured… But then how is he seeing? No, more than that… He's been covering his eyes the entire time! And yet…'

At that moment, Armin slowly opened his eyelids, and Shirone felt his heart stop.

There were no eyeballs.

Instead, his empty sockets were filled with pure light.

"N-Naid. Can you see that?"

Shirone, in shock, instinctively smacked Naid's thigh.

But something felt off. His hand met something unnaturally solid—like metal.

Turning to his friends, his eyes widened in horror.

Naid sat completely still, his eyelids frozen mid-blink. Iluki, leaning on his chin, and even Shina, smiling on the bed, were like wax figures, unmoving.

A chill ran down Shirone's spine as Armin stepped closer.

"It's been a while since I've had visitors in my room."

"No way… Is this?"

"Yes. It's magic. A spell called 'Stop.'"

Shirone turned back to Armin, his expression blank with disbelief.

'Stop' was a spell achievable only by magicians who had mastered the speed of light—one of the most elusive and legendary abilities in history. Only a handful had ever reached this level.

In short, he was now experiencing the absolute pinnacle of time magic.

"Sit down. Let's talk calmly. After all, we have all the time in the world."

Shirone let out an awkward chuckle.

It was true—if time had truly stopped, then in theory, they had eternity.