Arizona hadn't expected it. Not in the slightest.
He had asked Rei for a new magic formation only as a form of polite deflection, a way to delay his inevitable refusal to join Rei's team. In his mind, creating a new element was an impossible feat—something no sane magician would even attempt, much less succeed at. But now, standing there in the aftermath of a nuclear-level detonation, the air still humming with invisible radiation and magic, he could hardly believe what he had witnessed.
Rei stood before him, calm and composed, his new violet and purple Distant Land cloak fluttering lightly in the wind. His gaze held none of the typical gentleness Arizona associated with the boy; instead, his eyes carried the sharpness of someone who had long stopped being underestimated.
"I hope you won't back away from your promise now," Rei said, voice firm.
Arizona shifted uneasily. "Actually, I was hoping—"
"You won't back away, right?" Rei said again, this time with authority, almost like a command. The firmness in his tone left no room for negotiation.
Arizona gritted his teeth, knowing he'd been cornered. In truth, he wasn't angry—he was awestruck. But pride had a way of tightening his jaw even in moments of admiration.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'm ready to join your team."
Rei offered a faint smile and handed him a sealed scroll etched with violet runes and gold thread. "This is the nuclear element. It's one of the strongest elements in existence. Even after it hits its target, it leaves behind a corrupted after-effect—lingering, festering energy. It's not something to play around with."
Arizona carefully unrolled the scroll, and as the magic formation revealed itself, a cold shiver ran down his spine. He could feel it. The power within the formation trembled through the very air, humming against his fingers like an untamed beast. "A new element," he thought, heart racing. "He actually made it... Nuclear magic? The implications... This changes everything."
Still in awe, Arizona couldn't help but feel a twinge of frustration. "Now I really have no choice but to join. And it's my own fault…"
Rei turned to Alya next. "And you? Will you join us?"
Alya smiled slightly and tilted her head toward Arizona. "Well, now that he's joining, I was kind of hoping to as well."
Rei nodded. "Then come with me."
Together, the trio made their way back to the mansion. As they stepped through the grand entrance, Rei's voice rang out through the hall.
"Hey, everyone! I finally recruited them!"
Ben stood up from the sofa with a grin. "It'll be nice to work with you both."
Levi, standing by the window with his arms crossed, turned and said, "So looks like our next destination is Betal Town."
Arizona raised an eyebrow. "Betal Town? Why there?"
Luc, ever efficient, stepped forward with a map rolled out in his hands. He pointed to a central region. "Look here. Betal Town connects directly to all major trade and military routes. If we establish our base there, we'll have access to everything. It's strategically perfect—and far from the eyes of the Mystic Church."
But Arizona's expression turned grim. "Actually… Betal Town was recently destroyed in a stampede."
The room went still.
Rei's brow furrowed. "Stampede?"
Everyone knew what that word meant: a catastrophic outpouring of monsters from a labyrinth, surging forth like a tidal wave and leveling everything in their path.
Luc hesitated, then asked, "What should we do now, Rei?"
Rei's gaze turned serious. "We go to Betal Town."
Arizona blinked. "You… didn't hear me? The town's destroyed."
"That's exactly why we should go," Rei replied.
Luc's eyes lit up with understanding. "You want to use the chaos to our advantage. No one will be watching a destroyed town. It's a perfect cover."
"Exactly," Rei said. "We can take root in a place no one expects. Once we rebuild and invest in the infrastructure, we'll become the dominant force there. We'll rise from the ashes."
Ben, always the pragmatic one, nodded slowly. "There are risks. But the rewards… Yeah. The rewards are worth it. I'm in."
Arizona hesitated only briefly before sighing. "Fine. Betal Town it is."
"Good," Rei said, "We leave in three days. Levi's people will arrive by then to take care of this place in our absence. Prepare whatever you need and meet us at the town square."
"Understood," Arizona replied, and Alya nodded beside him.
The next three days passed quickly. Arizona and Alya packed their belongings, made arrangements with their contacts, and arrived promptly at the square as promised. But what greeted them was something entirely unexpected.
There, waiting in the square, was a cart unlike any other. It gleamed with metallic plating, its structure robust and oddly elegant. It had wheels, yes—but no horses or reins.
Rei opened the door with a flourish. "Welcome to Midgard. Come in."
They stepped inside, jaws dropping. Soft lighting bathed a control panel, comfortable seating, and a small resting area.
Levi stood at the front, gripping the wheel-like apparatus with one hand. Rei turned to Arizona with a smirk. "Looks like I need to renovate Midgard. Or maybe it's time to create Asgard."
Levi chuckled. "Alright, starting up."
Levi activated the internal mechanism with a subtle gesture and a surge of wind magic. The gears turned, the ground beneath trembled slightly, and the cart lurched forward, moving on its own, propelled by arcane engineering.
Alya's eyes sparkled. "A self-moving cart? What's next?"
Arizona stared in disbelief. "How did you even build this?"
Rei leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. "Just a little something using the knowledge."
And with that, Midgard rolled down the road, heading straight for the ruins of Betal Town.
A group of men were watching as the cart was going. A man went to a paladin and said, "They went out of the town."
The paladin said, "Good, I am going to show those good-for-nothing what a paladin from the Mystic church can do if he is provoked"