Half the island burned, half lay frozen. The two had been fighting almost nonstop for the better part of a day, as though they were the only beings left in the world.
The once-bright morning sun had already dipped far beyond the horizon, and a deep red twilight painted the sky in sweeping hues.
Throughout the battle, Hugo closely observed Leonardo’s momentum. As time went on, signs of fatigue became increasingly evident. His movements were still fast, but noticeably slower compared to the beginning.
Leonardo wielded immense mana and speed. Among all the fire mages Hugo had faced, he ranked as the strongest. But he had one clear weakness—stamina.
One of the reasons Hugo was hailed as the finest ice mage was his exceptional endurance and physical strength. If Leonardo had been up against anyone else, his stamina might not have been such a flaw. But Hugo was not anyone else.
Powerful mages typically had a physique that matched their mana output. Leonardo, however, had a relatively light frame for the energy he commanded, and his build wasn’t large either.
As a result, the gap in physical strength and mass between him and Hugo was impossible to ignore. Leonardo was compensating with sheer speed—but naturally, that meant his stamina burned out faster.
And so, as the battle dragged on, his control and focus began to slip. His precise, intricate attacks became fewer and shallower.
What Hugo found peculiar, though, was that Leonardo’s mana seemed to fluctuate—surging and receding—as if affected by his growing fatigue.
As if aware of Hugo’s keen eye, Leonardo abruptly widened the distance between them.
Hugo studied him, silhouetted in the vast twilight, then briefly glanced back at the blinding sun sinking behind the horizon. The sky was darkening fast. For now, he chose to set aside the questions stirring in his mind.
He smiled faintly.
“Let’s wrap this up. I’m not exactly the patient type.”
At that, Leonardo let out a dry laugh and shot back,
“That’s my line.”
Shards of ice gathered in Hugo’s hand, shaping into another massive sword. Leonardo flinched at the cold—the intensity far beyond anything he had felt before—but once again, flames surged in his palms. Black sparks crackled wildly around him.
Hugo exhaled a breath of disbelief. Even now, the mana was formidable. Though it seemed Leonardo had reached his limit, the energy focused in his hands made it impossible to know for sure.
Watching his golden hair ripple against the backlight and his golden eyes burn with intensity, Hugo thought:
If I take a hit, I’m dead.
But knowing that only thrilled him more.
“Let’s end this.”
At Hugo’s signal, they charged once again.
As the sword of blazing flame and the sword of frigid wind clashed, the air between them ignited into a shockwave. The fierce explosion tore the space apart as Hugo fought to block and counter, looking for the slightest opening.
Leonardo was growing desperate. He had never faced such an unrelenting foe.
The man before him didn’t falter. Cold and immovable like the deep ocean, Hugo was slowly dragging him into a frozen tide meant to drown him.
Hugo knew Leonardo was close to exhaustion, but surprisingly, even as his attacks diminished, his defenses remained nearly flawless.
Just when Hugo thought he had found a gap, Leonardo would counter with deadly precision, pushing searing red flame right in his face. Was it sheer instinct? Or was this man born for battle, with both explosive mana and innate combat sense?
Still... I have a job to finish.
Sensing urgency, Leonardo narrowed the distance. Once the sun fully set, the cold air would give Hugo the advantage. His position would become vulnerable. He had no choice but to hurry.
Hugo leaned in with his weight, pressing down hard. Leonardo, lighter in frame, was forced backward. Gritting his teeth, he shifted his center of gravity and pushed back to stay upright.
And in that moment, Hugo felt the subtle slack in their locked blades. The corner of his mouth curled.
Leonardo saw the smile and instantly tried to retreat—but he was already within range.
With one hand, Hugo held the retreating blade at bay. With the other, he pulled out the Council’s specially-crafted dragon capture gun, given to him by Commander Halipe.
Leonardo saw it only as the bullet disintegrated midair—and a net burst forth.
He tried to slash it with his sword, but the moment his mana blade made contact, he felt his energy drain away. The net coiled tightly around him, and with the strength gone from his body, he plummeted to the ground.
Even as he fell, Leonardo glared upward at Agrizendro and snarled, “You bastard!”
The curses scattered into the air just as a heavy thud echoed from the darkness below.
****
Hugo exhaled sharply as he watched the smoke rise from Leonardo’s crash site.
His left arm, used to hold the guy still for the shot, was numb with strain. Clenching and unclenching his fist a few times, he began descending the slope toward the crater.
A hoarse panting echoed from the center of the dust cloud. As he approached, Hugo saw Leonardo writhing within the net.
Night had fallen completely. Hugo summoned a gust of wind to scatter the dust, then conjured a floating light orb to illuminate the scene.
The light drifted closer. Leonardo squinted at it, wincing. He squirmed a few more times, then gave up, visibly drained.
As Hugo stepped in and reached to turn Leonardo’s netted body toward him, a sudden burst of flame flared around the man—then vanished.
Hugo blinked, then muttered,
“You still have the strength to resist. Impressive.”
The net was specially engineered to capture dragons—interlaced with magic stones at every joint, each stone’s energy permeating the threads. It was designed to suppress mana entirely. Even the strongest beasts couldn't easily move once entangled.
Yet Leonardo had conjured fire, even briefly. Hugo had assumed the battle had drained him completely. Clearly, he’d been wrong.
Leonardo, still panting heavily, raised his head when Hugo spoke. Then, exhaling hard, he dropped back, gazing up at the sky.
His chest heaved beneath the bindings. Despite his ragged breaths, the defiance in his eyes hadn't dimmed.
“You’re a damn coward. And you call yourselves the Council?”
Hugo’s brow furrowed. He wasn’t used to hearing such vulgarity hurled so directly at him.
“...Your mouth’s pretty foul.”
“Damn this mutt-snare of a net!”
“The small weights? All mana stones. The more you thrash, the more mana you’ll lose. Best keep still.”
Though he offered the warning calmly, Hugo’s eyes studied the man’s face under the orb’s glow. The face matched the photos—but the photos didn’t do him justice.
He’d seen Leonardo’s image many times. Had even caught fleeting glimpses from afar. Others who’d met him described him endlessly.
And they all agreed: Leonardo Blaine is stunning.
Even now, covered in dust, his golden hair and eyes shimmered faintly.
Seeing him up close for the first time, Hugo had to admit—no praise had been exaggerated. Dirtied as he was, Leonardo’s rare, perfect golden hair, flawless skin, and long lashes upended every stereotype Hugo had about fire mages.
Typically, fire mages were rough—tanned skin, often shirtless, brimming with heat. But this... this was something else. A beautiful man housing monstrous mana.
Leonardo glared up at him, then squeezed his eyes shut, face twisting in pain.
Hugo didn’t move. He was drained himself, and though Leonardo was bound, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t strike again.
The signal from the net would have alerted headquarters. Reinforcements were likely already closing in. It was best to wait.
Hugo sighed and sat beside the bound man.
“You’ve been running for a while. If you’d just reported to the Council like you were told, things might’ve been easier for both of us.”
Leonardo cracked one eye open and glared at him like he’d said something absurd.
“Ha. Report? And then what? Do you even know what you’d do to me?”
“...So you did get the summons.”
“They plastered it everywhere. People’s homes, newspapers, city walls, even warships. What, are you guys stalkers?”
Hugo chuckled.
“You’re laughing?”
Leonardo scowled, baffled by the amusement. But Hugo didn’t mind.
Instead, the past three years played through his mind like a reel—the Council’s desperate attempts to track this man down. Now, having finally captured him, the moment felt strangely surreal.
As Leonardo said, for the first year, the Council had sent formal summons to every property under his name. The notice had been printed in newspapers, broadcast across cities, and hung on massive banners, demanding Leonardo Blaine appear before the Council.
Hugo had once worried the guy wouldn’t see any of it. But clearly, Leonardo had seen it all—and simply ignored them.
They hadn’t clashed directly for long, but after this half-day of battle, Hugo realized something: the man was stronger than he’d imagined. More beautiful, more human.
Perhaps it was because of his appearance, but there was a distinct gap between the villain of legend and the man lying beside him.
Before the mission, Hugo held no fondness for Leonardo. He had no intention of changing his mind about the “concept” Abraham Langaster had warned him about.
But now, Hugo felt... a spark.
Is it because he’s stronger than expected? Because I’m enjoying this?
If Hugo weren’t the Council’s Commander, he might have discarded the capture rounds and fought him to the bitter end. But duty came first. He knew the weight of his position.
Abandoning the cold edge in his voice, Hugo softened. Gently, almost like ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ scolding a child, he spoke.
“We want to assess your mana not just to protect society, but to protect you—as an imperial mage. To measure its level, identify risks of outbursts, understand its nature... and provide proper support. There’s no need for paranoia.”
He wasn’t lying. The Council’s mage registry wasn’t just about control—it was also about ensuring mages could operate safely and receive protection.
In Leonardo’s case, his power made him both coveted and feared. And that made him a target.
Leonardo scoffed.
“Bullshit.”
Hugo didn’t bother replying.
Leonardo wasn’t done.
“You can’t trust any government office.”
The words hit sharp. Hugo turned his head. The cold winds of the wasteland swept past them.
Staring toward the dark horizon, Hugo spoke—his voice steady, resigned.
“Well, even if you don’t trust us... there’s no changing it. If you live here, you have to cooperate.”
