Lowegar Kingdom.

Second Era, Year 306, January 1.

It was a new year; people kept watch till dawn, like candles guarding a threshold.

The small port town gathered as one, like a hearth drawing every hand.

The tavern at night hit a roaring peak, a kettle of voices boiling.

Chasing luck, the owner hired a proper band, strings and pipes dancing like sparrows.

They sang merry little tunes, words like clouds, melody like sunlight on water.

Cups met with clinks, laughter spilled like wine, blessings tumbled without pause.

Lucimia and Rexi sat on the roof, above the bustle like cranes on a ridge.

In the distant port square, rows of stools spread like tiles, a crowd waiting like a tide held by the moon.

Lucimia looked farther, eyes like oars pushing into night.

Ships floated near the harbor, several dark silhouettes like leaves on ink.

Each deck held a small mage team, five or so, busy as bees around honey.

Those mages set up gleaming Magic Arrays, sigils like frost catching moonlight.

"What are they doing?" Rexi asked, curiosity fluttering like a moth to flame.

"They’re probably arranging a magic firework show," Lucimia judged after two heartbeats, her voice like a soft bell.

"Fireworks... I haven't seen them. No—my old self must have. Anyway, this me hasn't," she babbled, thoughts like kites tugging.

Lucimia smiled at her, a crescent like a boat on night water.

"Then let's watch. I haven't in a long while," she said, ease like wind over grass.

She let one leg dangle like a pendulum, bent the other, arms folded like a shawl, waiting for the first bloom.

Hoooo— A ship blew a horn, a whale-call rolling over black water.

Mages took their places, stances set like stones, and began to cast.

With their chants and the flow of mana, the arrays lit up, like stars catching fire—then—

Whoosh! The central ship launched a point of light, an ember with a red comet-tail climbing.

Boom! A heartbeat later, scarlet burst, a giant blossom opening in the dark.

As the flower faded, sparks crackled like rain on leaves, budding into smaller blooms.

With the first flower, the rest leapt skyward together, like a flock taking off.

Each firework moved like an artist’s brush, painting the night in a thousand colors.

They traced graceful arcs, then drifted apart, like a river of dreams sliding past.

Their glow washed over faces, sowing smiles and gasps, fixing this instant like amber.

In that light, Lucimia saw—

She saw Anliena in the front row with her father, laughing like bells under the falling stars.

She saw the old granny from her voyage to the Lowegar Kingdom, joy bright on her face like dawn.

The granny sat with her son a little farther back, pointing at a favorite bloom like a child.

She saw Oli, the one she saved with Reversion, arm around his wife, watching in quiet bloom.

She saw Roen and the hotheaded punk she’d pulled back, cups knocking like swords, drinking and laughing.

She saw Luwens of the law squad, arms folded like a shield, keeping order with his team.

Now and then he glanced up, a smile flickering like a match at each burst.

She saw merchants and servers, dockworkers and drifters, a hundred faces like a woven river.

And she saw Rexi... staring fixedly at her, gaze like a tether.

"Why are you looking at me? Weren’t you watching the fireworks?" Lucimia finally noticed, her tone like a flicked fan.

Rexi blinked, then smiled, spring-soft. "I think you, lost in fireworks, look better than the fireworks."

"..."

Lucimia fell silent, breath held like a lake.

"..."

She stayed silent again, pause hanging like mist.

"...Uh."

Rexi felt the awkwardness, a thorn under silk.

Lucimia shot her a look. "Where did you learn lines like that?"

"Books taught me..." Rexi scratched her cheek, guilty like a cat with feathers.

Lucimia’s head swam; irritation sparked like flint. "I told you to read less of that stuff!"

Rexi scratched harder, awkwardness rustling like dry grass.

Lucimia blinked, held it a beat, then snorted a laugh. "Forget it. It’s kind of funny."

"Right? I knew it," Rexi chirped, delight bubbling like a spring.

"Mhm."

Silence fell again, soft as snow.

After a while, Rexi spoke. "Lucimia, what do you want to do first?"

She meant the plan to drive out the Dark Deities, words like a map unrolled.

In Olivya’s design, Lucimia must keep Devouring Dark Deities, until she Devours Devouring itself.

She would become a god of concept—or a Dark Deity, a crown woven from shadows.

Lucimia thought for a moment, mind like a whetstone. "I’ll Devour Auril’s [Duel] Authority Power first."

"Eh... why? Because he’s close?" Rexi asked, doubt like a tilted cup.

"No." Lucimia shook her head, the motion cutting like a blade. "Why did Olivya leave [Duel] behind?"

"She foresaw that, during the plan, many forces would likely attack at once."

"Then [Duel] matters. No matter how many come, they must face me one on one."

"Oh, I get it," Rexi nodded, understanding settling like dust. "What about him? Want me to call him out?"

"...Do it," Lucimia hesitated, then agreed, the word like a quiet hinge.

"Okay." Rexi snapped her fingers, crisp as ice, and poured a message into Auril’s mind:

Come here. Lucimia plans to eat you.

The instant she finished, Auril appeared by Lucimia’s side, a shadow stepping from a wall.

He wore the same cold face, eyes on the distant fireworks, voice cool as steel. "Have you decided?"

"Yeah," Lucimia answered softly, like ash falling. "Fine. Devour my Authority Power."

"Mm..."

They didn’t look at each other, only watched the far-off blooms, like two stones in a stream.

Shadows slipped from Lucimia like smoke, drift and coil, then dove toward Auril.

They coursed over him like ink across silk, then surged back into Lucimia.

At the same moment, a thought rang in her mind—[Duel].

Auril didn’t flinch as the Authority Power left, his calm like still iron.

He said, clean and to the point, "The Bloodkin Progenitor holds an Authority called [Probe]."

"It can help you find where every Authority Power resides."

"In the Empire you met a Bloodkin named Bevi. The intel Blessing he uses comes from [Probe]."

"Thank you," Lucimia said, her thanks soft as a lantern.

"...I should thank you," Auril glanced back at her, eyes like winter stars. "The plan to drive out the Dark Deities, I entrust to you."

Lucimia didn’t answer. She stood as if she hadn’t heard, dusting off her clothes like wings.

"Let’s go, Rexi."

"Eh? Oh." Rexi looked at Auril once, then let it go, like a leaf on water.

Lucimia took her wrist and cast Teleportation Magic, light curling like a door.

Auril watched the two girls vanish and let out a heavy sigh, fogging the cold like a cloud.

"May everything go well..." he murmured, a wish cast like a coin into the dark.