[If you're finding this note, I am dead. I'm sorry I lied to you, Sable. I promised to never touch that Grimoire again, but I was motivated to give rise to magic once more, and overthrow Polymethis. Do what I couldn't, and take the Book of Spells—only you can hold it after my death. It will guide you to your destination to complete it, and fulfill every sorcerer's dream.]
That was the note my father left behind after his death, tucked away inside the Book of Spells.
He was aware that he was going to die at the hands of the Ordo Genesis, and that's what saddened me the most.
The Ordo Genesis origins trace back to an ancient collective of enlightened minds, once revered philosophers, defected mages, rogue scientists, and radical scholars, who came together under one belief: magic is not mystical; it is misunderstood science.
It was originally founded as an underground movement seeking to liberate humanity from the erratic tyranny of traditional sorcery, they sought to strip magic of its religious, chaotic, and ritualistic baggage. They saw the Wizard Association as archaic gatekeepers, clinging to mystery and myth. Where others invoked spells, the Ordo deconstructed magic into its raw elements.
Over time, however, the Ordo Genesis evolved, or rather devolved, into something far more controlling. Their noble pursuit of rationalized magic was consumed by authoritarianism, secrecy, and ideological purity. Now, the Ordo no longer sees itself as a faction of magic-users, but as engineers of the future, tasked with bringing order to a world ruled by outdated mysticism.
To them, "sorcery" is a dirty word, instead, they wield "Enlightened Arcana." Their devices, formulas, and constructs are not spells, but systems backed by mathematics, logic, and science. They reject the idea of imagination powering magic. Instead, they argue that their breakthroughs work because they are provable, replicable, and universal.
While the Ordo Genesis may have no one who can wield magic, they rely on other methods, like Hypertech; a dangerous, unstable prototype of reality-bending machinery, alchemical formulas, and metaphysical hacking tools. To sorcerers, we see it as magic, but to them, it's science not yet understood.
With their hyper technology, they created the Metahumans, naturally born to be a sorcerer's weakness.
They hated my father the most out of any sorcerer. He found the key to overthrow science and their technology, but he didn't get the chance to finish it… until I came along.
It was up to me to stop the Ordo Genesis and change the world. It sounds like a lot, right? That's a big responsibility, especially for a 5'8, 18 year old who doesn't even know the basics of magic.
But it's not like me to give up, so… I'm going to keep trying, until the very end.
+
Standing outside on the deck, Adelheid was waiting for something… or rather someone. She stood there with her arms behind her back, until she heard the footsteps of someone behind her.
"Ah, there you are."
"…You knew I would come?" Standing behind her was a shirtless guy, wielding a halberd in his hand with red hair and red eyes filled with fury, he frowned.
"Of course I did. You're little Scotty, right?"
He jabbed the end of his halberd into the deck, stepping forward.
"Don't call me that!! You don't have the right for what you did, you bitch!!" He pointed his weapon at her, his legs trembling.
"Hmm?" Adelheid nonchalantly turned around, tilting her head to the side with her usual, sly smile. "You've come to get revenge, yet your legs are shaking as if you've seen a ghost."
"You killed my brother… he was a good man! He didn't deserve to die that way, you freak!!"
Adelheid's grin widened.
"Rule #302. Those who harm another candidate without reason will be disqualified."
"To hell with the rules! I joined the Sorcerer Exams to avenge Bento! I've trained every day, and every night, imagining each and every scenario of killing you! This will be your grave, Adelheid!"
She shrugged, shaking her head back and forth.
"I'm legally obliged to protect myself if you attack me."
"Hraaaaaahhhhh!" Scott rushed forward, holding his halberd with both hands.
Rage fueled every inch of his movement, but his footing, aim, and even the way he gripped the weapon, were wild and erratic.
It was a mess of grief and fury barely holding itself together.
Adelheid didn't flinch or show a reaction.
The moment he was within striking distance, she took a stance. One foot slid back before she intercepted him.
Clang!!
Her palms met the flat side of the halberd's shaft with impossible movement.
"Huh??"
The weapon was stopped mid-swing, caught in place. Sparks flew as if steel had struck steel, though she had used nothing but her bare hands.
Scott's eyes widened.
"W-What…? How?"
Adelheid tilted her head again, almost pitying him.
"You seriously believed a barbaric attack like that was enough to cut me down?"
She snapped her wrist, bending the halberd like a ribbon of copper.
The shaft bent unnaturally under the pressure of her grip, and with a flick of her wrist, the weapon flew from Scott's hands, sliding across the deck before clanking near the railing.
Scott stumbled back, clenching his palms in disbelief.
"No way… that wasn't even magic… that was pure strength…!?"
Before he could finish, Adelheid appeared before him with a move so fluid, it looked as if she teleported.
Cocking her hand back with that same droopy expression, Scott stumbled backward.
"You do have the potential to become stronger," she said, almost kindly. "But grief makes you stupid, and prevents that."
Smack!!
Her fist collided with his face in a deadly blow, lifting him off his feet and knocking him back.
It wasn't hard enough to kill him, but just enough to draw blood… and humiliate the vengeful boy.
"Ghnnn!" Scott tried rising to his feet with his lips trembling; from both pain and failure. "How… am I not strong enough? I've trained for three years… I should be able to… beat you!" He dropped to his knees and lowered his head.
"You didn't even ask why your brother died," she murmured, walking past him. "You just assumed I was the villain of your story. But that's the problem with people like you."
She departed from him, her heels echoing down the deck.
"You never stopped to question the narrative. You just want someone to blame."
Scott remained there, panting, and ashamed, alone under the stars.
Adelheid hadn't used any magic circles, nor mana. Not even a visible artifact. She was just skillful and outclassed him in close combat with terrifying control.
"Why??" Scott mumbled, tears falling down his cheeks. "Why won't you kill me, like you killed my brother?" Slamming his fist into the deck, he gritted his teeth and wiped his tears with his forearm. "You think I'm weak, is that it?!" He stood up, his legs no longer trembling. "You spared me last time because you said I was weak, and not worth your time!!"
He remembered it as clear as day.
Those three years ago—when Adelheid killed his brother—he was spared for being feeble. He wasn't worth her time then, and he's still not worth her time now.
"My training was rigorous! I traveled the world to learn martial arts… how to wield a halberd! How to… how to avenge Bento!!" He lifted his hands, staring at them with rage-induced eyes. "I won't let it end here… you won't humiliate me again, and walk away unscathed!!" He curled his fingers into fists.
Scott's tears vanished as his expression was now overcome with determination.
Adelheid merely watched his rambling with her usual, droopy eyes, and that mischievous smile.
It got on his nerves.
"So, are you asking me to put you down like an injured pup. Is that what you desire?" She asked, turning to face him. "You aren't proficient in the arts of magic. You're more of a warrior than a sorcerer, yet you cannot even match me in physical combat." She closed her eyes, snorting as she shook her head in disappointment. "Tsk tsk tsk, oh whatever shall you do?"
Scott's fists clenched so tightly as blood welled beneath his fingernails.
Adelheid's voice was condescending, piercing deeper than her earlier blow.
Her words didn't just bruise his pride, they also shattered what little self-worth he had left.
"Shut up…" he muttered, shaking his head back and forth.
Adelheid didn't even blink, she only snickered.
"I said shut up!!" He roared even louder before lunging again.
Scott tackled her midsection, shoulder-first, trying to throw her off balance.
Managing to collide his body with hers, she slid back a few inches on the deck, and for the first time, her eyes widened, just slightly.
"Grrrghhhh!" Scott gritted his teeth, trying to overpower her with all his weight. "You think just because you're strong, you get to decide who lives and who dies?! You think you're above everyone else?!"
Adelheid didn't answer, only closing her eyes.
Lifting her hand, she suddenly flicked his forehead.
It was like being punched by a warhammer—
"Ngaaaahhh!" Scott was launched backward, landing hard against the deck railing as he coughed from the pain shooting through his spine. "D-Damnit… all…" He gasped, spitting up a bit of blood before slumping to the floor with his arms limp at his sides.
Adelheid casually walked over to him.
"You're quite brave," she said. "But bravery without strategy is just stupidity. What you call strength, I call idiocy."
Scott groaned, forcing himself upright on one knee, his breath was now ragged.
"Just kill me… if you're going to mock me… finish what you started three years ago!"
"Ufufu!" She snickered. "Oh no… that would be far too merciful."
Scott glanced up at her with trembling lips.
His vision blurred from the pain and the burning behind his eyes.
He expected another strike, maybe a finishing blow; anything but what came next.
Adelheid crouched down to his level, leaning in until their faces were only inches apart.
"You think death is the worst thing I can do to you?" She whispered.
Scott swallowed hard, still scowling at her.
Adelheid couldn't help but smile at his helplessness.
It was the smile of a cat toying with an injured mouse.
"No, little Scotty. I want you to live. I want you to sit here on this deck with your broken pride, your empty hands, and your shattered ideals. I want you to remember that you failed. Not once… but twice."
She stood, slowly and deliberately, standing over him.
"You threw your whole life into avenging a man who wasn't worth the blood you spilled. And now?" She looked out at the horizon. "You're left with nothing. Not even a purpose."
Scott gritted his teeth so hard they ached, and his fingers had even dug into the wood of the deck.
"I hate you…" He mumbled.
Adelheid turned around, chuckling to herself.
"You'll learn that hate is easy, but living with yourself? That's much harder."
She then walked away, leaving Scott to wallow in his failure.