Have you ever wondered why certain magics became “Lost” through time?
Of course, Ancient Magics are simply so old that their records have mostly been forgotten; it makes sense that few people use them today, considering how grueling they were to master. But that isn’t the case with Lost Magics. They are considerably easy to learn, so long as you have a teacher or a guide. The problem is… Lost Magic is overwhelmingly strong. And if power can be acquired too easily, too many people become impossible to control.
What I’m telling you is that the magics deemed “Lost” were intentionally purged from general knowledge—not out of greed, or some government scheme to keep the public weak… But out of fear.
Fear of what a world overrun with monsters would look like.
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“I-I swear I don’t know anything else! Please let me go, I’ll never steal again!” A man bundled in heavy winter gear screamed at the girl gripping his collar, her free fist wreathed in twisting black mist at the ready.
Surrounding the two, roughly a dozen more hoodlums lay scattered across the snow—some clutching their wounds and groaning, others either unconscious or dead.
Hun had a few arrows stuck in her body, an expression filled more with irritation than pain plastered across her face. Her scowl did ease slightly— after she bashed the bandit’s skull in with her shadow-cloaked fist.
“So… a red-haired girl walking around throwing fireballs everywhere. Not very—ngh! Argh… useful…” She yanked the arrows out one by one. Fortunately, the coat Ragna had given her turned out to be fairly high-grade leather armor—at the very least, far better than anything these poor sods were wearing.
Hun scanned the white landscape a few times before fixing her gaze on a particularly tall peak, setting off on a long trek upward. “At least I can start searching with an actual lead.”
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“Urgh, can’t see much through this blizzard… Is the island trying to counterbalance this flame-throwing girl?” Although the high vantage point was useful, it didn’t help mu— Never mind. That is way too much red glow to be normal.
Hun did a long jump in the red’s general direction and began running straight towards it. The blizzard seemed to turn darker as snow was replaced with ashes, the temperature visibly rising until she finally stared face-to-face with a red-haired girl in winter clothes— in her hands, magic circles flashed in bright orange and red, at their center something like a flickering circle of flame.
Hun bounded forward in a long leap toward the crimson light and broke into a sprint. The blizzard seemed to darken as falling snow gave way to drifting ash, the air growing noticeably warmer until she came face-to-face with a red-haired girl in winter gear. Swirling around the stranger’s hands were bright orange and red magic circles, each housing a symbol flickering ring of searing flame at its center.
“Argh, you found me already? Doesn’t matter! I’m gonna send you back to Ravenna as a pile of ashes!” Without giving Hun a chance to speak, the fiery girl thrust both hands forward, unleashing a roaring torrent of fire straight at the shadow user.
Hun easily ducked the beam of flames while advancing forward in a low dash— within a brief moment, the distance was closed, and she capitalized on it; Switching into an Iai stance, Hun’s red eyes flashed in a void-like black, staring at the fire-mage’s own glowing reds as she drew the blade.
Hun easily ducked beneath the beam of flames while surging ahead in a low dash. Within a heartbeat, she closed the gap and capitalized on the opening. Dropping into an Iai stance, Hun’s red eyes flashed a void-like black, locking onto the fire mage’s own glowing crimson gaze as she drew her blade.
A wide slash of black and red tore across the mage’s chest. Yet the girl didn’t scream in pain—instead, her magic coalesced violently at her core before detonating outward in a scorching shockwave of fire that engulfed the clearing.
Hun stood her ground, though much of her right side now sported second degree burns, she drew the blade one more time, which the redhead backstepped— A feint. Ducking low, the momentum carried Hun in a skidding spin across the snowy ground, a magic circle of shadow revealing itself where her back once stood, a tendril of shadow shot forward and stabbed the fire mage through the right shoulder.
Hun stood her ground despite taking heavy second-degree burns all along her right side. She lunged forward as if to strike again, prompting the redhead to backstep—a feint. Ducking low, Hun rode her momentum into a skidding spin across the snow. A magic circle of shadow flared from where her back had once been, firing a sharp black tendril that impaled the fire mage straight through her right shoulder.
Capitalizing on the stagger, Hun launched herself forward with every ounce of momentum she had left. Her sword clattered onto the snow as her fist connected with the other girl’s jaw in a vicious crunch—easily enough force to floor her, had the shadow tentacle coiled around her arm not yanked her upright in place.
Hun followed up with a brutal hook to the mage’s stomach. The girl shrieked in agony as towering pillars of fire erupted all around them, swallowing Hun whole in blinding flames.
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The two lay sprawled in the snow not far from a cliff edge. Hun’s coat had been reduced to charred tatters, the exposed patches of skin showing nasty second- and third-degree burns—though somehow, deep down, she felt like it wasn’t all that bad.
The redhead somehow looked worse off: Her shoulder which had bled profusely was now burnt closed, her puffer jacket had been torn to pieces around the stomach and right arm, revealing frost-bitten, discolored skin, her cheek swollen and bottom lip cut
The redhead looked noticeably worse off. Her bleeding shoulder had since been burnt closed, and her puffer jacket was shredded around her stomach and right arm, exposing frostbitten, discolored skin beneath a swollen cheek and split lip.
Hun lifted herself off the floor, staring at the beaten-up mage with a curious gaze. “So… Why were you melting the island?”
“What…? Either I’m stupid, or you actually don’t know what I’m talking about… Fine, I’ll play along—and call me Iris, not ‘you.’” Iris finally pushed herself upright, wincing as she accidentally put weight on her injured shoulder. “I used to live on Ravenna with my father until about a month ago, when the soldiers arrested him.”
Hun glanced upward for a moment as a few stray snowflakes melted against her warm skin. “Why?”
“They wouldn’t tell me.” Iris shrugged with her good arm, staring down at her gloved hands. “We were just blacksmiths.” She let out a long sigh, looking back toward the scorched clearing where her flames had long since died out. “After that, I left the island. I’ve been trying to sabotage the Ravenna Realm any way I can. Since this place flies Ravenna banners… you can guess the rest.”
Hun nodded slowly. She could understand wandering without a clear purpose; after all, nearly everything she’d done lately was simply because someone else asked her to…
“Now it’s my turn to ask questions. Who are you, and why did you stop me?” Iris’s eyes sharpened, though they lacked the lethal edge from when they first clashed.
“I’m Hun. Hun Kyrschiev. I just help people.” There was a slight hesitation in her voice, though genuine determination still shone through.
“So, just playing hero, huh? Hun… I don’t have anything against the people here. I was just trying to get back at their kingdom.” Iris looked thoroughly deflated now, slumped in the snow. Did losing the fight really make her this gloomy?
“Mhm. What will you do now?” Hun stood up, dark tendrils of shadow magic weaving over the burned holes in her clothes like makeshift fabric.
“I think I’m gonna try to find out why they captured him…” Iris tried to stand as well, only to collapse back down with a pained grunt as her legs gave out. “Damn it… It must be for some secret reason if they wouldn’t tell anyone.”
“Well, I’ll help you out! I’m out of things to do anyway now that I’ve stopped the island from melting.” Hun extended a hand toward Iris, a bright grin plastered across her face.
Iris’s expression twisted into a mix of confusion and astonishment. After a few seconds of incredulous staring, she let out a defeated sigh. “Haah… You’re impossible.” Reaching out, she took Hun’s hand and let herself be pulled to her feet.
“It’s quite a walk back down to the village—hope ya don’t make me carry you, aye?” Hun teased, slinging Iris’s good arm over her shoulders to steady her after scooping up her fallen katana.
And together, they walked.