Rei approached Colt, a calm smile on his face. "Thank you, Colt. If you ever need anything, just tell me."
Colt waved him off with a casual grin. "Don't worry about it. All in a day's work."
Rei nodded. "Thanks, I appr—"
Before he could finish his sentence, his legs gave out beneath him. Rei collapsed.
"Rei!" Emilia cried out as she rushed to him, catching his body before it hit the ground. She knelt beside him, her hands trembling slightly as she checked his pulse. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. "He's just unconscious."
Colt knelt beside them, his expression grim. "His soul has taken too much damage. He needs time to recover."
Levi stepped forward and gently lifted Rei into his arms. "We'll take him back to the mansion. Thanks again for everything, Colt."
Colt gave a short nod. "Don't mention it."
The party left the volcanic forge, returning to the mansion under the soft amber light of dusk. Once there, they carefully placed Rei in his room, closing the door behind them to let him rest.
The next morning, faint sunlight filtered through the curtains as Rei stirred. He groaned, rubbing his head. "Ugh, what happened?"
Levi, who had been sitting by his bedside, immediately perked up. "Rei, you're awake! Thank goodness. We thought it might take days for you to regain consciousness."
Rei sat up slowly, still groggy but recovering quickly. "Where are the others?"
"Ben and Emilia are out with Luc. Arizona and Alya went back home for now."
Suddenly, Rei's expression shifted. "Oh, right, I have to make a magic formation for Arizona. I'll be in my room working on it."
Levi nodded, not bothering to argue. "Sure, take your time."
Rei returned to his room, determination gleaming in his eyes. He sat at his desk, spreading out parchment and drawing runes with practiced ease. What he was attempting was unthinkable to most: creating a magic formation that could replicate the destructive force of a nuclear explosion. While such a feat in the old world required uranium, fusion, and scientific precision, Rei had something that world lacked—magic.
His approach was unconventional. Instead of sourcing radioactive elements, he manipulated pressure, power balance, and energy to simulate nuclear reactions within a sealed formation. Attempt after attempt failed. The formation would either fizzle or collapse entirely.
Still, Rei continued. On his thirteenth trial, As Levi used his magic on the formation, the runes flickered and went out, just like the others. He sighed, sweat forming at his brow.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, Emilia, Ben, and Luc had arrived at an auction house. They were there for something special—the Distant Land cloak. Unlike Rei's Whispering Cloak, which looked like a long azure coat, this new cloak was sleeveless, connecting at the neck with a jeweled clasp. Deep shades of purple and violet shimmered across the fabric, and a regal hood rested neatly behind it. It was a rare artifact, said to boost the wearer's ability to traverse unknown terrain and withstand magical interference.
The bidding was fierce, but Luc managed to outmaneuver the competition with calculated precision. When the final gavel fell, the cloak was theirs.
Back at the mansion, Rei sat staring at his fourteenth diagram, brows furrowed in thought.
Just then, the front door opened.
"Hey, Levi!" Emilia's cheerful voice rang out. "Is Rei awake?"
Levi looked up from the stairway. "Yeah, he's awake. Still in his room, though."
Emilia walked to the bottom of the stairs and called out, "Rei! Would you come out? We brought something for you!"
Rei, curious, stepped out of his room and made his way down. "Yeah? What did you bring me?"
Emilia grinned and held up the cloak.
Rei blinked. "A cloak?"
"Your Whispering Cloak is cool and all," Emilia said, "but it doesn't quite scream 'intellectual prodigy.' This one suits you better."
Rei chuckled and removed his Whispering Cloak. He took the Distant Land cloak and put it on, adjusting the clasp around his neck.
"How does it look?" he asked.
Emilia beamed. "It matches you perfectly."
Levi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, even I'm surprised how well it suits you."
Rei smiled, feeling a sense of pride. "Well, let's live up to it then."
He returned to his desk, picked up the parchment, and resumed drawing.
Emilia raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing now?"
"Creating a new element," Rei said simply.
She blinked. "I know you're strong, Rei. But there are some things even you can't do."
He didn't answer. Instead, he stood and walked toward the mansion's yard, parchment in hand.
"Levi," Rei called, "I need you to activate this."
Levi took the paper, glanced at the complex design, and nodded. The others gathered around curiously.
Levi infused the diagram with mana. The moment he did, a brilliant flash of light erupted, followed by a shockwave. The very air vibrated, and a deafening roar echoed as the explosion simulated the might of a nuclear blast, contained within a magically compressed space.
Everyone stood frozen, wide-eyed.
Ben gaped. "That... that was an explosion! But it did not look like fire? what was that?!"
Rei exhaled deeply, finally allowing himself a smile. "I call it the Nuclear Element."
Ben shook his head in disbelief. "But how did you create it? That's not something you can just... do."
Rei shrugged. "It's easy if you focus."
Ben groaned. "For you, yeah. Not for the rest of us."
Emilia walked closer, still stunned. "Well, whatever the method, we can finally recruit Arizona and Alya."
Rei nodded. "Yeah. But remember... this is just the beginning."
The next day, Rei went towards the place where Arizona and Alya usually stay and saw Arizona working.
"Arizona, I made it," Rei called. Arizona saw Rei and asked, "Made what?" Rei said, "I made a magic formation that contains a new element now, as per our agreement, you are going to join my team in exchange for it." Arizona, who was surprised "Wait, what?"