A fierce storm, as if gathering all the winds of the world, swept over the Floating Fortress. It was powerful wind pressure enough to tear off the deck. At the very least, Shei's Cheonak had dominion over the wind, so they could endure it, but it was as clear as a candle flame before the wind that this wouldn't last long.
I screamed inwardly without even letting out a sound.
One-Way Traffic? That's a crazy broken Unique Magic Path.
Unique Magic Paths were originally irrational and unfair abilities. But the Unique Magic Path called One-Way Traffic was a violent and one-sided force befitting its name. Attacks from here to there are impossible, but attacks from there to here are possible?
Above all, the combination of White Magic and Unique Magic Path was too destructive. Even though it was merely condensing air, its power surpassed strategic-grade magic... it was war-grade magic. A power that, merely by existing, could stop a war—or become the reason to start one.
Only those who go beyond simply wielding a Unique Magic Path and amplify its power through White Magic earn the title of 'Magos.'
And though I had forgotten, Rankart, standing before overwhelming and irrational violence, was also a Magos.
"Hey. Aren't you getting too worked up over something meaningless?"
Rankart inserted a packet into his bio-terminal. Then thick gloves rose up, generating alchemical light, and enveloped his hands.
It was a magic tool created by modifying the Military Nation's clothing packet into a gauntlet. Magic circles were drawn on the pure white gloves, and with gems embedded in each finger joint, the gloves looked just like knuckledusters.
"Set, Li."
Rankart had learned the Military Nation's regulation magic. However, while regulation magic that uses one's own body as a medium was fast and convenient, it fell short in the grade and power of magic. To use higher-grade magic, gems and magic circles were essential.
Then wouldn't it be fine to just take the advantages of both and use them?
So Rankart combined White Magic and regulation magic to create his own magic tool.
Rankart folded his fingers. Thumb raised upward, index and middle fingers extended, ring finger half-folded, and pinky bent at 90 degrees. His own White Magic that substituted fingers for rune language. Rankart formed hand seals to accomplish magic.
"Eye of the Storm."
What Rankart created was a slight low pressure. But in the world of the Right-Handed, even that becomes a storm.
The erupting wind was sucked into the world of the Right-Handed. The vortex that swallowed the wind with terrifying momentum guided the torrent of its power upward.
If the Green Tower Master's Unique Magic Path was One-Way Traffic, then Rankart's Unique Magic Path was Vortex. It trapped the force blasted out in a straight line within the vortex. Though it was a storm that could weather even stones into sand, Rankart standing in its very center was unperturbed.
"It won't work. Your Unique Magic Path and my Unique Magic Path are in different realms. You're one of the few Right-Handed I acknowledge, but... a Right-Handed is still a Right-Handed."
Any force goes astray before Rankart. In the world of the Right-Handed, the rules of the right hand lose their power.
The only existence that can destroy that world is a Left-Handed.
I keenly realized anew how cowardly a power Unique Magic Paths were. The Green Tower Master felt the same.
"Rankart... as expected, your Mental Image doesn't match mine..."
"I don't particularly have any feelings toward you. How about you stop being stubborn and step aside? This is getting tedious."
"I cannot do that."
Clicking her tongue, the Green Tower Master folded her umbrella again and slammed it down onto the Floating Fortress. Just when Rankart, thinking it was over, tried to walk away nonchalantly. A magic circle rose beneath his feet.
The magic circle spread extensively across the entire Floating Fortress. Rankart was appalled by the magical power surging beneath his feet.
"Huh?"
"The role of the Green Tower is defense. It is my duty to protect magic and knowledge from all harm. To Rankart Spendray, the Federal Investigator who not only illegally intruded upon the Floating Fortress but also refused rightful judgment and counterattacked. I, Green Tower Master Eliot, will execute immediate punishment by my own authority."
"Hey. That's foul play! The power of Cheonchu is...!"
The Floating Fortress's magic was apparently threatening even to Rankart, as his expression changed. Quickly grasping the magic circle, Rankart tried to escape from the position before the magic was completed.
But he was one step too late. Right before Rankart could escape, the magic circle was completed, and emitting light, it activated the magic inscribed on the Floating Fortress.
The Green Tower Master slightly twisted the umbrella planted on the ground and said.
"Please leave, Investigator."
Cheonchu shook, and the Floating Fortress's magic 'launched' Rankart.
Even Rankart, who controlled the 'rotation' around him, could not cancel the change in gravity pushing him away. His body was expelled from this Floating Fortress faster than anyone.
Dumbfounded by such an absurdly futile exit, I muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"...No, what's he doing? For someone who acted so cool, he exited way too quickly!"
The Green Tower Master, having deactivated the magic circle, answered.
"It is your foolishness for believing in such a thing and illegally intruding."
"I didn't particularly believe it! I just came along like riding a carriage because he said he'd bring me! Who knew he'd bring me so confidently only to exit in a few minutes!"
"...Hmm. I suppose. If you're foolish commoners, you wouldn't know anything. You foolish commoners who came relying only on Rankart might feel aggrieved."
Was it because I sincerely insulted Rankart? The Green Tower Master spoke calmly with a noticeably softened attitude.
"However, whatever the circumstances, it is also true that you foolish commoners violated Federal law. By the authority of the Green Tower Master, I will temporarily detain you foolish commoners. Please come along quietly."
Huh? It ends with detention? Phew, I thought it would be expulsion. That's fine then.
I was about to agree and step forward, but then Shei burst out in anger.
"What? You attacked us indiscriminately, and now you say detention? Do you think we'd accept that?!"
...Why, why. It'd be good to accept it, wouldn't it? We're already low on energy, isn't it better to rest here for a bit before going?
But I was the type who was extremely shy and hated stepping forward, so I couldn't intervene. The Green Tower Master answered Shei's words.
"This is not a request. It's a notification. You foolish commoners will have to accept it."
"On whose authority!"
"My authority."
The Green Tower Master created water with magic without even a chant. Lightly scattering the water gathered at the tip of her umbrella, she activated her Unique Magic Path.
"Don't be mistaken. You foolish commoners cannot request anything of us, the chosen people."
The reason fluid flows is that each and every water particle is a moving object. Even if they appear stationary on the outside, water particles are moving at quite high speeds every moment.
The power of One-Way Traffic forced all that movement in one direction.
"You probably don't know the mystery contained in these water bullets either."
The moment it touched the power of One-Way Traffic, the scattered water droplets accelerated in one direction. Water stream bullets shot around me and Shei. I, who was far from the attack range to begin with, barely dodged, but Shei had to swing Cheonak to block.
"You!"
Swinging Cheonak wide to block and launching her body, Shei reached near the Green Tower Master in an instant. Perhaps judging the opponent as an enemy, she swung the Qi-coated blade without a sliver of hesitation.
However, the Unique Magic Path of One-Way Traffic was, strictly speaking, closer to defensive than offensive.
Cheonak was futilely blocked by the Green Tower Master's barrier. Shei, whose stamina had waned from the long battle, almost lost her grip on the sword from the recoil.
"Lowly and foolish commoners cannot request anything of the chosen people. How can an ant understand a human's perspective? And how can a human make an ant understand their knowledge?"
One couldn't even dare to approach. As if it were an obvious result, the Green Tower Master spoke arrogantly without even batting an eyebrow.
Shei bit her lip and shouted.
"Tch...! If only I had Stair Step, this kind of thing...!?"
Shei, who had shouted reflexively, suddenly stopped her body with a jolt.
'Huh? Wait a minute. Stair Step? What's that? Why did it suddenly pop into my head?'
Are you seriously getting dementia? Did you regress so much you got amnesia? Ugh, that low-rank idiot. How would you overcome One-Way Traffic's Unique Magic Path with Stair Step? That's not something Qi can handle.
'This isn't the time. Random thoughts later! Focus on the battle now!'
If a strike fails against a magician, one should retreat. Shei tried to faithfully follow that doctrine. Just as she was about to kick off the ground and retreat, Shei stumbled and slipped. At the moment of falling, Shei intuitively realized that something had interfered beneath her feet.
'With One-Way Traffic, she misaligned my footing...!'
If her stamina hadn't waned, she would have reacted, but Shei didn't even have that much leeway. Over Shei, who had slipped on a foothold where even Qi couldn't penetrate, the magic of other magicians was shot. Ropes imbued with lightning wrapped around Shei's body.
"Kuuugh...!"
She was using Qi to protect her body from the electric shock, but the lightning-imbued ropes stuck and tangled together, hindering Shei's movements. Walking in front of Shei, who couldn't move an inch, the Green Tower Master raised her head arrogantly and said.
"Now, do you understand?"
"Yes! I understand! I will follow the wise decision of the Green Tower Master!"
I raised my hand high and jumped out in front of the Green Tower Master.
I was going to stay quiet. But I needed to take action before Shei struggled any more. It wasn't like I could beat the Green Tower Master here, and even if I could, I couldn't fight against the entire Floating Fortress, could I?
For now, let's obediently bow and submit. If I submit, Shei will at least stay quiet for now.
"A foolish commoner who can at least communicate. Please accept your restraint obediently."
"If it's not too much trouble, could you use ropes that don't conduct electricity for me? I'm not very fond of static electricity."
"Of course. I don't treat even foolish commoners who know their place harshly."
A Unique Magic Path reflects its user's Mental Image. And ideology is also part of the Mental Image.
The Green Tower Master named One-Way Traffic was literally one-way traffic. She will influence others but doesn't want to receive influence. In times like this, you should obediently follow that one-way traffic. You might gradually coax and change direction, but if you resist, you'll end up clashing head-on.
"I can tie my own hands by myself! Give me the rope!"
"...I don't think that's necessary."
Oops, was that too much? But it's fine. You can overdo it when flattering.
This is my way of surviving in this harsh world with this frail body.
'You're going to let yourself be caught? Wouldn't it be better to escape?'
Escape when? It's better to stay in the Floating Fortress eating bean rice than out there. I looked toward Shei and sent desperate signals with my eyes. As if she didn't like it, Shei, who had been standing sullenly, blushed and slightly lowered her gaze at my continued eye signals.
Something's weird... Anyway, Shei must have also obediently accepted the restraints. Having finished checking, the Green Tower Master was about to give the departure order but suddenly looked at me and furrowed her brow.
'...Wait. What did that man do?'
Why again. What's wrong.
'I definitely shot water bullets at that man? How did he respond without even raising his magic power...?'
Well, that was. I was lucky.
If I read her thoughts, I could guess the domain of One-Way Traffic, and I could also dodge from its trajectory. And I could slightly... twist it too.
"...You seem to be a quite skilled Qi Engineer. I warn you, I hope you follow my instructions obediently. Foolish commoners with only brute strength are dangerous individuals that even the Floating Fortress keeps an eye on."
"Hmph. It's fine as long as you don't act arbitrarily."
The Green Tower Master wondered why Shei was answering, but since Shei was also clearly a skilled Qi Engineer, she didn't bother correcting it much.
"Let's depart. Open the Magic Tower."
It wasn't exactly the form I had wanted, but that's how we ended up entering the Floating Fortress.