Chapter 5: The Fool and the Black Reaper

“All set, then.”

Glenn kept a cautious eye on the unconscious Jin, waiting for the effect of his area-sealing magic to wear off. He bound Jin’s limbs with [Magic Rope], enchanted a [Spell Seal] to block Jin’s magic, and layered on [Sleep Sound] for good measure. Then, he stripped Jin bare, tied him up in an intricate tortoise-shell pattern, scrawled humiliating graffiti all over his body, and, as a final touch, slapped a paper labeled “Impotent” across his groin.

“Phew, that’s him completely neutralized. Man, dealing with captured mages is such a hassle.”

Sistine, however, couldn’t help but wonder, what the point of going that far. As she pondered, a man’s shirt was suddenly draped over her shoulders with a soft rustle.

“Sensei…?”

Turning, she saw Glenn, now in a tank top, pointedly looking off in another direction to avoid her disheveled state.

“That must’ve been scary. You hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine… thanks to you, Sensei.”

“Good. Glad I made it in time. Hold on, I’ll undo that [Magic Rope] for you.”

Glenn chanted the spell for Black Magic [Dispel Force], nullifying the [Magic Rope] and [Spell Seal] enchantments binding Sistine.

With her arms free, Sistine slipped into Glenn’s shirt, buttoning it up.

Glenn purposefully avoided meeting her eyes.

“S-Sensei… you…”

Unable to bear the awkward silence, Sistine tried to speak.

“Don’t ask. Please.”

Glenn brushed her off, looking embarrassed.

“I knew it all along… I’m not cut out to teach anyone. My hands are too dirty to guide or lead anybody…”

“No, that’s not what I meant… um, Sensei—your pants are falling down.”

“Gah!?”

Apparently, the buckle of his belt had snapped during that last roundhouse kick. Glenn’s pants had slipped down to his knees, leaving his underwear fully exposed.

“Ugh, damn it! This is why cheap stuff sucks!”

“Sensei, you’re such a mess…”

Faced with Glenn’s comical struggle to yank his pants back up, Sistine could only sigh in exasperation.

“But… I’m glad you’re alive…”

“Hm? You say something?”

“Nothing.”

Sistine turned away with a huff, her expression tinged with irritation.

“…? Whatever. Anyway, fill me in, White Cat. What the hell’s going on here?”

“Oh… right…”

Sistine recounted the events: two mages claiming to be terrorists had stormed the classroom, restraining and locking up the students. Glenn seemed momentarily relieved that no students had been harmed yet, but—

“They took Rumia?”

“…Yes.”

Sistine’s eyes dropped, filled with regret and sorrow.

“Why her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Got it… maybe I acted too rashly, then?”

“Sensei?”

“No, forget it. My call saved you, so I’ll say it was the right one.”

Just then—

A sharp, metallic resonance echoed through the air, like steel striking steel.

As Sistine tensed, Glenn, brow furrowed, pulled a cracked gem from his pocket and held it to his ear.

“You, Celica!? You’re late! What the hell were you doing, you idiot!”

“Sorry, I was in the middle of a lecture. Had my notifications off.”

Celica’s voice came through the gem, distant from Fejite, all the way from the imperial capital.

“This is no time for that!”

“…Something happened, didn’t it?”

The voice from the gem grew serious.

“Yeah, listen up…”

…………

……

“Is that for real?”

“You think I’d joke about this? It’s not funny.”

Glenn ruffled his hair, rattling off details.

“Point is, the culprits are the Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom. They’ve seized control of the barrier, completely locking down the academy. No one’s getting in or out. About fifty students are being held hostage, neutralized and locked in a classroom. One’s been rescued, but another was taken to the mastermind.”

“The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, huh… those heartless bastards are making a move…”

“I’ve confirmed three enemies so far, with at least one more unaccounted for. Two of the three are down, but the rest are likely bad news. Given the situation, they’re probably not weaker than the two I took out.”

“Even your Original Magic [The Fool’s World] won’t cut it?”

“My Original works best as a surprise attack. The enemy’s not dumb enough to fall for it a third time.”

“Fair point.”

“And here’s the kicker: I know how tight the academy’s magical security is. For them to hijack it this cleanly… there’s a traitor inside, Celica.”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same.”

“Celica, any professors or lecturers over there acting suspicious or missing? Especially high-ranking ones or those with equivalent skills.”

“No clue. It’s not a group event here. I can’t check right away.”

“Tch… explain the situation and figure it out! Then pull strings to get the Imperial Court Mage Corps moving!”

“Not possible. You know how the academy’s a mess of governmental egos and turf wars. Even if I call for help, it won’t be quick.”

“Are you kidding me!? Students’ lives are on the line! Use your authority or something!”

“I’m just a civilian mage now. If people could throw around old titles, the country’d be a mess.”

“Then get your ass back here! There’s a teleportation array in the academy, right!?”

“Calm down. You think enemies this thorough would leave the teleportation array active? I’d smash it first thing. I’ll try, but don’t hold your breath.”

“Ugh…”

She was right. The teleportation array was both an entry and exit point for long-distance magic. If the array linking the capital and the academy was intact, they’d be vulnerable to invasion from the capital. Destroying the array first was standard for a barricaded terrorist attack.

Glenn clutched his head, letting out a frustrated sigh.

“…Sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“People don’t change, huh? You’re still you. Anyway, I’ll handle things here. You stay safe and hide with the student you saved.”

“Got it.”

“I’m hanging up now. …Don’t die, okay?”

“Like I’d die in a place like this.”

Cutting the communication spell, Glenn shoved the gem back into his pocket.

“…What’s up?”

Noticing Sistine’s gaze, Glenn spoke up.

“Nothing… just… surprised, is all…”

“Huh?”

“I thought you were… colder, Sensei…”

Glenn looked away, as if it didn’t matter.

“That was Professor Arfonia, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Can she get help?”

“You heard that and thought help’s coming?”

Sistine’s shoulders slumped, her face falling in disappointment.

Then, as if resolving herself, she lifted her head, turned on her heel, and started for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going, White Cat?”

Glenn grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“I’m going to save Rumia.”

“Stop it. You’ll just get yourself killed.”

“But… but Rumia… she protected me…”

“What can you do alone? You know that, don’t you? Stay put.”

“But… but…!”

“Stay. Put.”

Glenn’s words were cold, unyielding.

Sistine’s shoulders began to tremble. The soft sound of teardrops hitting the floor echoed faintly.

“I… I’m so frustrated… because…”

“H-Hey, White Cat…?”

“It’s just… hic… waaah…!”

All the emotions she’d bottled up must have burst free in that moment of relief. In front of a speechless Glenn, Sistine sobbed like a child, her eyes red and swollen.

“You were right, Sensei! Magic’s no good! Because of this… because of magic, Rumia… Rumia… hic… ugh…”

“…Stop crying, idiot.”

With a gentle pat, Glenn placed his hand on Sistine’s head.

“Sensei…?”

“As long as magic exists in this world, wishing it didn’t is pointless. What matters is figuring out what to do about it… or so I’ve heard. That’s your best friend’s line, isn’t it? Man, I’ve been stuck in my own head for way too long. Getting rusty, huh?”

Glenn’s face, usually so cynical and lazy, was unexpectedly calm, leaving Sistine bewildered by this new side of him.

“That Rumia girl wants to become someone who can guide magic in the future to prevent incidents like this from happening. Pretty foolish, huh? But it’s admirable.”

“She… said that?”

“Yeah, we can’t let her die… no way in hell we’ll let that happen.”

Determination burned in Glenn’s eyes as he declared,

“I’ll handle it. I’ll assume there are two enemies left and take them out. Assassination’s the only way.”

Assassination. The word slipped so easily from Glenn’s lips that Sistine felt a chill of fear. But more than that, she felt a pang of sadness. His eyes were cold, resolved to kill… yet somehow, they looked so pained.

“Kuh… kuhahaha…”

A dry, hollow laugh suddenly filled the room.

“…Assassination, huh? Heh, didn’t expect that word to come up so casually… I knew you weren’t ordinary, but what’s this? You’re one of us, aren’t you? Kuhaha…”

Jin, sprawled on the floor, had regained consciousness. Apparently, the [Sleep Sound] hadn’t been strong enough. Glenn clicked his tongue, glancing at him.

“I won’t deny it. I’m just scum, after all.”

“Oh? Then why not kill me? Or can’t you do it in front of your cute little student?”

“Don’t lump Sensei in with you!”

Unable to stand Jin’s taunts, Sistine shouted, shoulders shaking with anger.

“Sensei’s nothing like you! You kill people like they’re trash, without a second thought—”

“Kuhaha! What do you know about him? He’s just some part-time lecturer who showed up recently, right?”

“Tch, that’s…”

Sistine faltered. She’d only known Glenn for about twenty days. A mysterious lecturer brought by Celica. She knew nothing about his past.

“I’ll say it straight: that guy’s no good. He’s killed plenty… just like us. A monster. I can tell. Those eyes—he’s one of us.”

Sistine desperately wanted Glenn to deny it, to say it wasn’t true.

But Glenn stayed silent—a silence that felt painfully close to confirmation.

Then, abruptly, a resonant hum of magical energy filled the air, and the space around them rippled like water.

“What—!?”

From the rippling space, countless figures emerged.

Skeletons. Standing on two legs, armed with swords and shields. Dozens of them. And their numbers kept growing—

“Finally, you show up! Nice one, Reik-nii!”

Jin cheered.

In an instant, Glenn and Sistine were surrounded by a horde of skeletons.

“S-Sensei… what are these—”

“Damn it, Bone Golems!? And these things are alchemically forged from dragon fangs!? Talk about going all out!”

Summoning [Call Familiar]. Normally, this basic summoning spell called small creatures like animals to serve as familiars. But this caster was doing something terrifyingly advanced—summoning self-made golems remotely and continuously. And these golems, made from dragon fangs, boasted incredible strength, agility, durability, and resistance to the three primary magical elements. They were far too dangerous for an average warrior or mage to handle.

“What’s with this ridiculous multi-tasking!? This isn’t human!”

There was no time to marvel at the caster’s skill.

One Bone Golem raised its sword and lunged at Sistine.

“Kyaa!?”

“Stay back!”

Glenn darted in front, deflecting the sword’s flat with the back of his left hand, then slamming a full-force right straight into the golem’s head—but,

“Tch, too hard!?”

The golem staggered slightly, but that was it. Not a single crack.

Regaining its stance, the golem swung its sword again—

“These guys drank too much milk, damn it! Go chug some soda water!”

Physical attacks barely scratched dragon-fang golems. Punches, kicks, even basic offensive spells of fire, ice, or lightning—the three core elements—were useless.

To destroy these golems, direct magical interference was needed.

([Weapon Enchant]! Damn, will I make it in time!?)

Being limited to three-phrase chants was a real bottleneck in moments like this. Snap reactions were nearly impossible.

Bracing to take a few hits, Glenn began chanting—

“《Let light dwell in that blade!》”

Sistine completed Black Magic [Weapon Enchant] with a single-phrase chant.

Glenn’s fists glowed white for a moment, enchanted with magical power.

“Sensei!”

“Thanks, you saved me!”

With a quick thank-you, Glenn sprang into action.

Three flashing strikes. The skulls of the golems attacking from the front and sides shattered.

“《O mighty wind!》”

Sistine followed with the chant for Black Magic [Gale Blow].

A ferocious gust tore through, blowing away the golems blocking the doorway, door and all.

It wouldn’t deal damage, but it cleared a path to the exit.

“Nice one! Run, White Cat!”

“Y-Yes!”

Sistine bolted toward the path leading out of the lab.

Instantly, golems from both sides lunged at her.

“Not on my watch!”

Glenn, covering her rear, smashed and swept the golems aside with fists and kicks.

They barely escaped the lab.

Without pause, the two sprinted down the corridor.

“Sensei, where do we escape to!?”

“Hell if I know!”

Then—

“Gyaaah—!?”

A scream echoed from behind.

“W-Wait!? Why me too… aaaaaaah—!?”

The sound of something sharp and hard piercing soft flesh rang out repeatedly, accompanied by agonized screams. Sistine paled, pressing a hand to her mouth in nausea.

“No reason to save him, and no time either.”

Glenn spoke coldly, as if convincing himself.

“Worry about us first. Here they come.”

The golems, having apparently finished off Jin, poured out of the room, chasing after them—

“—Hah!”

Glenn’s right straight flashed.

The skull of a blocking Bone Golem shattered.

“《O mighty wind!》”

Sistine chanted [Gale Blow].

A gust from her hands scattered the golems closing in from behind.

“This way!”

“Right!”

Reaching the corridor’s end, they raced up the connecting staircase.

The horde of Bone Golems relentlessly pursued.

“Damn, we’re losing ground…”

Glenn’s magically enhanced fists couldn’t handle the sheer number of enemies. Sistine’s magic could buy time, but it couldn’t land a decisive blow.

For now, their only option was to keep running.

Sistine’s magic isn’t infinite. She’s been casting spells nonstop for a while now. Though she’s too proud to let it show on her face, she must be utterly exhausted. According to her magical aptitude evaluation, Sistine’s mana capacity is exceptional by birth, but continuous casting has to be grueling.

“Sensei! Golems are categorized as magical creatures, right!?”

Sistine, trailing behind Glenn, gasped out, barely catching her breath.

“Can’t you do something with that Original Magic of yours!?”

“No way!”

Glenn shot back instantly.

“My [Fool’s World] only shuts down the activation of magic itself! It’s useless against magic that’s already been cast and manifested, like those things!”

Glenn threw an irritated glance at the Bone Golems chasing them from behind.

“If you want to deal with them, you’d need [Dispel Force]—a spell that cancels out mana.”

“I can use that! Should I try it!?”

“Wait, what!? You can!? That’s a pretty advanced spell!”

“Yes. I didn’t learn it at the academy, but from my father…”

“You really are a prodigy, huh… But it’s pointless. Don’t bother.”

“Why not!?”

“Even if you dispel them, they’ll just revert to dragon fangs—their base material. The caster can just pour mana into them again, and they’ll come back as golems to attack us. It’s a waste of mana.”

“—!?”

“Plus, the mana needed for [Dispel Force] scales with the latent mana in the target. Those things have mana amplification circuits for semi-autonomous movement. If you try dispelling them one by one, you’ll burn out in no time. Right now, we need your magic for support.”

“Then you, Sensei, you still have mana to spare—use [Dispel Force]—”

“If I did it, it’d be even more wasteful. Chanting a long-winded spell, burning tons of mana, just to take out one at a time? Pointless. It’s faster to smash them with a mana-enhanced fist. That way, I can also prevent them from being reused!”

“But at this rate—”

The two reached the top of the stairs, emerging back into a corridor.

“Sensei!? Up ahead is—”

“Yeah, a dead end.”

As Sistine realized, the corridor stretching endlessly straight ahead led to a cul-de-sac.

“W-What do we do!?”

“I’ll hold them off here. You go deeper in… and modify a spell on the fly.”

“Huh!?”

“The spell to modify is your specialty, [Gale Blow]. Lower its power, make it cover a wide area, and extend its duration. Keep the chant to three verses max. When it’s ready, signal me. I’ll handle the rest.”

“B-But…”

Sistine anxiously glanced at Glenn’s profile as he ran beside her.

“I-I don’t know if I can pull off something that advanced…”

“You’ll be fine.”

Glenn’s reply carried an unshakable confidence.

“You’re a cocky brat, but you’re definitely talented. Cocky, though.”

“Stop emphasizing the cocky part!”

“If you’ve understood what I’ve taught you lately, you can do this. No, you will do it. Fail, and I’ll flunk you.”

“T-that’s so unfair…”

But even in this dire situation, Glenn’s usual teasing tone somehow eased Sistine’s tension, if only a little. Whether he was doing it on purpose or just being himself was anyone’s guess.

“…Fine. I’ll try.”

“Good. Now go!”

“Right!”

Glenn stopped, turned on his heel, and faced the oncoming horde of Bone Golems.

Sistine kept running, leaving Glenn behind.

“Raaagh—!”

Glenn’s fist shattered the lead Bone Golem.

The Bone Golems surged toward Glenn with relentless momentum.

(I can do this. I figured it out when they went after that punk first—they’re programmed with simple orders to prioritize the closest target. As long as I stay alive and hold my ground here, they won’t go after White Cat. I’m the only wall she needs.)

Glenn deftly dodged the countless swords of the golems, retreating slightly as he wove through their attacks.

Slipping through the gaps in their onslaught, he landed punches, destroying golems one by one.

But he was outnumbered. The blades he couldn’t evade began to carve into his body, bit by bit.

(Tch… Keep the dodges to a minimum—just enough to avoid fatal hits or being incapacitated… Hold out as long as possible to buy time… I’m counting on you, White Cat.)

Reaching the corridor’s deepest point, Sistine steadied her breathing and immediately began recalling the magical formula and chant for Black Magic [Gale Blow], diving into modifying the spell.

Far down the corridor, Glenn fought with the ferocity of a lion.

“《Wind—calm and serene—》 No, that won’t do. The power’s too—” 《Storm—wild and free—》

Using the magical grammar and formulas Glenn had taught her, she calculated the deep subconscious changes triggered by the runes, gradually shaping the spell toward her goal.

Meanwhile, Glenn was being worn down, cut by cut. Each time a splash of crimson danced through the air, Sistine’s heart burned with panic. Each time Glenn stumbled, failing to dodge an attack, her chest tightened. He didn’t look like he could hold out much longer. The pressure on her shoulders made her want to clutch her head and collapse.

“《Wind that obstructs—wind that repels—wall of wind》? To extend the duration—”

Yet Glenn never turned his back on the enemy. To buy as much time as possible, he darted left and right, parrying the relentless assault.

Sistine realized something. That unyielding resolve, that relentless maneuvering—it was only possible because Glenn believed in her completely. Sure, his mouth spewed sarcasm and jabs, but he trusted her.

The sight of Glenn fighting on against despair gave Sistine courage.

She couldn’t betray that trust.

“Chant speed reduced to twenty-two… Tension at forty-five should…”

Sistine wasn’t strong. She always put on a brave face to live up to her prestigious family name, but deep down, she was more cowardly and fragile than anyone. She knew it herself.

(Just for now… I need the strength Rumia showed, never flinching before the enemy… The strength Sensei has…!)

Rumia and Glenn had saved her. Without them, she wouldn’t be standing here now. She’d be dead—or her spirit would’ve shattered.

(So this time—I’ll save them!)

Sistine wrested control of her fragile heart, teetering on the edge of panic from fear and desperation.

And then—

With a sudden flash of clarity, she selected the final rune, completing the spell modification.

“Sensei, it’s done!”

The moment Sistine shouted, Glenn spun around as if he’d been waiting for it and sprinted toward her.

Naturally, the horde of Bone Golems chased after him.

“How many verses!?”

“Three!”

“Got it! Start chanting on my signal! Blast it at them!”

Glenn ran. And ran.

The golems closed in—closer… and closer.

“Now, do it!”

“《Repel and obstruct—》”

The distance between Glenn and Sistine shrank, and shrank.

“《—Wall of storm—》”

Their distance—ten paces, five paces, three—

“—Grant peace to their limbs》—!”

Glenn leaped, rolling past Sistine’s side.

At that moment, the spell was complete. A tremendous gust erupted from Sistine’s hands.

It wasn’t the concentrated burst of Black Magic [Gale Blow]. It was a directed storm, sweeping across the entire corridor, a wide-ranging tempest.

If it had a name, it’d be Black Magic Modified [Storm Wall]. The wall of wind racing from Sistine toward the far end of the corridor drastically slowed the golems’ advance.

But—

“N-No… I can’t stop them completely… I’m sorry, Sensei…!”

Perhaps the improvised spell lacked power. The golems pushed against the airflow, inching closer. It was only a matter of time before they reached them. Cold sweat dripped from Sistine’s brow.

“No, it’s perfect. You saved us.”

Glenn stood, breathing heavily.

With a flick of his thumb, he sent a small crystal-like object into the air, catching it with a sideways swipe of his left hand as it fell.

Then, he clapped his right palm against his left fist, gripping the crystal.

“The spell I’m about to cast can’t be done while multitasking… Hold that spell as long as you can.”

After a brief pause, Glenn closed his eyes and began chanting.

“《I am the one who slays gods—》”

Slowly.

“《I am the knower of the primal ancestor and the end—》”

Deliberately, slowly.

Glenn heightened his mana, focusing his mind, weaving the chant word by word.

As he chanted, three ring-shaped magic arrays formed around his left fist—vertical, horizontal, and level—interlocking and gradually accelerating as they spun.

“…Huh? No way…?”

Sistine realized what spell Glenn was casting.

“That spell is…”

“《Return to the cycle of providence・What is formed of the five elements returns to the five elements・The bonds weaving form and reason shall diverge・Let all phenomena of creation scatter here—》”

And then.

Glenn stepped forward, in front of a stunned Sistine.

“—To the distant end of nothingness》—!”

The seven-verse, all-out grand spell was complete.

“Take this, you rabble! Black Magic Modified [Extinction Ray]—!”

Glenn thrust his left palm forward.

The ring-shaped arrays, spinning at high speed around his palm, expanded and spread forward.

In the next instant, a massive shockwave of light burst from his palm, piercing through the center of the three aligned rings, tearing straight down the corridor.

And—annihilation. Everything in its path, from the horde of Bone Golems to the ceiling and walls, was consumed by the wave of light, obliterated into dust in an instant.

Slowly, the blinding light that had seared their vision faded.

Silence. Stillness. Nothing moved before them anymore.

“…Huh?”

Sistine stood frozen at the anticlimactic end. The ceiling was completely gone, revealing the floor above. The right wall had vanished, exposing the outside. It was as if a massive cylinder had been carved out of the corridor. Only the wind blew through the now-open space.

“A-Amazing… Such an advanced spell…”

Black Magic Modified [Extinction Ray]. A spell that unconditionally breaks down and annihilates its target to its primal elements. Among spells cast by individuals, it boasts the highest destructive power. Two hundred years ago, during the “Magic War,” Celica Arfonia devised this near-Original Magic to slay the minions of an evil god.

Glenn seemed to have used some kind of magical catalyst to cast it… but even so, the fact that he could chant it at all deserved unreserved awe and praise.

“Kinda overkill, but it’s all I’ve got… Urgh…!”

At that moment, Glenn coughed up blood and collapsed.

“Sensei!?”

Noticing Glenn’s condition, Sistine rushed to his side, touching his body. His skin was drenched in cold sweat, chillingly cold to the touch.

“This is… Mana Deficiency!?”

Mana Deficiency is a shock condition caused by extreme mana depletion. Mana, the source of magic, stems from the body’s life force. Rapidly exhausting it naturally endangers one’s life. Magic is a double-edged sword wielded at the cost of one’s own vitality.

“Well… I forced a spell way beyond my means with a little trick…”

Gone was his usual flippant tone, replaced by a grimace of pain twisting his face.

Even setting aside the Mana Deficiency, Glenn’s condition was dire. His body was covered in wounds, soaked in blood. None were fatal, but there were so many. Losing blood like this was—bad.

“A-Are you okay!?”

“If this looks okay to you, go see a doctor…”

Even his sarcasm lacked its usual bite.

“《O merciful angel・Grant him peace・Extend your hand of salvation》”

Sistine tried to heal Glenn’s wounds with White Magic [Life Up]. But while she excelled at Black Magic, which manipulates motion and energy, or Alchemy, which handles matter and elements, she wasn’t as skilled with White Magic, which deals with body and spirit. She had no idea how much time or mana it would take to heal wounds this severe.

“Idiot, this isn’t the time…”

Wiping the blood from his mouth, Glenn forced himself to stand. His knees trembled.

“We need to get out of here now… Hurry and find somewhere to hide…”

Mid-sentence, Glenn’s face twisted bitterly.

“No way they’re nice enough to let us off that easy… Damn it.”

Clack.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the scarred corridor.

“To think you could even use [Extinction Ray]. I underestimated you.”

Emerging from the other end of the corridor was—

The man in the dark coat—Reik, as he’d been called.

“—!?”

Sistine’s breath caught in her throat.

The worst possible timing. Glenn was already battered and broken.

Behind Reik floated five swords. They were likely his magical artifacts. Since they were already activated and deployed, Glenn’s [Fool’s World] would be useless.

“Ugh, just seeing floating swords gives me a bad vibe… Bet those things move freely by the caster’s will or have the skills of a master swordsman programmed into them, huh? Damn it.”

“Glenn Radars. My intel pegged you as a third-rate mage, barely third-tier… I never imagined you’d take down two of us. A miscalculation.”

“Don’t give me that. You’re the one who finished off one of them. Don’t pin it on me.”

“He disobeyed orders. Abandoned the mission and acted on his own. I’m no saint to show mercy to a disobedient dog.”

“Oh, is that so? Harsh.”

Glenn whispered to Sistine.

“Hey, White Cat. Got any mana left? Can you dispel those swords?”

Sistine eyed the swords floating behind Reik. Even at a glance, she could tell they brimmed with immense mana. Naturally, they’d have mana amplification circuits built in.

“Even if I used all my remaining mana, it probably wouldn’t be enough… And I doubt he’d give me the chance to chant [Dispel Force] anyway…”

“Alright, then.”

Suddenly, Glenn shoved Sistine sideways.

“…Huh?”

Sistine stumbled into the space opened on the right by Glenn’s [Extinction Ray]—outside the building.

“W—Kyaaaaaa—!?”

Enveloped by weightlessness, Sistine plummeted from the fourth floor.

Mid-fall, she must have chanted [Gale Blow] to counter her descent. The sound of a gust roared from outside.

“Hmph. You let her escape.”

“Yeah, well. Protecting her while facing you seems like a tall order. So, what’s with those blatant sword artifacts? Countermeasures for me?”

“Obviously. You have a spell that can seal the activation of magic, don’t you?”

“Oh… Busted, huh?”

He didn’t bother asking how Reik knew. Far-seeing magic, vision-sharing with familiars, reading residual thoughts—mages had countless ways to gather information.

“It’s the only explanation for Jin being taken down so one-sidedly without a fight. Yet you didn’t use that strange spell against the Bone Golems. So, it’s a specialized spell that only seals magic activation. If I keep my spells active from the start, there’s no issue… Here I come.”

Reik snapped his fingers, and the floating swords all pointed their tips at Glenn.

They shot toward him, lunging straight ahead—

“Yeah, figured—!?”

Glenn, pushing his battered body to the limit, desperately dodged the oncoming blades.

“Ow… Ouch… What the heck was that guy thinking!?”

Sistine, sprawled on all fours in the school courtyard where she’d landed, muttered to herself.

Thanks to chanting Black Magic [Gale Blow] to slow her fall, it felt like jumping down five or six steps… but still.

“This is how you treat a girl!? What if I hadn’t chanted in time!? Honestly!”

She shouted, but her heart quickly sank.

On reflection, she understood Glenn had protected her.

The dark-coated man had demonstrated terrifying skill: multitasking a horde of Bone Golems, using ultra-advanced remote serial summoning techniques, and wielding those sword artifacts. Compared to that punk from earlier, he was on another level. The odds of Sistine dying if she’d stayed in that fight versus falling to her death from the building? It was laughable to even compare.

In that situation, Glenn pushing her without warning showed he trusted her to handle it… She got that, but…

“In the end, I’m just… a burden, aren’t I?”

Sure, Glenn had said he needed her magical support.

But wasn’t that only because he had to protect her? Dodging attacks, casting spells, shielding Sistine. If he only had to do two of those instead of three… wouldn’t Glenn have been fine? If he’d been alone, couldn’t he have handled that desperate situation earlier?

Why had they been chased by such a massive swarm of Bone Golems in the first place?

What had triggered their encounter with the dark-coated man?

Wasn’t it because Glenn had saved Sistine?

And because of that, his trump card, his Original Magic [Fool’s World], had likely been exposed to the enemy. All of it—her fault.

“—!?”

A clash of something against something else echoed from above. The battle had begun.

At this point, there was nothing more Sistine could do.

“All I can do is follow Sensei’s orders…”

Her shoulders slumped, and she hung her head, crushed by her own powerlessness, her vision darkening.

But then, something clicked.

“…Follow his orders?”

There was something off about those words.

Sistine vaguely pondered the source of that unease.

From the left, from the right, from straight ahead, blades closed in—closed in… and closed in.

Slicing through the air, tearing through the vacuum, the tips of the blades bore down—

“Haa—!”

Glenn deflected them with his left fist, struck them down with his right, and dodged with deft footwork.

The three swords slashing at Glenn from three directions moved with the speed and precision rivaling a master’s skill, intent on carving him to pieces.

But their movements were monotonous, mechanical. Because of that, dealing with them was just barely possible—

Suddenly, two more swords struck from above and behind Glenn.

They were organic, precise attacks, perfectly timed to exploit the end of Glenn’s movements.

Twisting his body on instinct, Glenn couldn’t fully evade the two swords, which carved into his back.

“Gah—!”

Crimson splattered. Thanks to his quick reaction, the wounds weren’t deep. But they were far from shallow.

“Tch—!”

Glenn leaped back, pressing himself against the wall to brace for the next attack.

The swords wavered, their tips pointed at Glenn, encircling him.

“What a pain… you bastard… both types, huh?”

Exactly. The five swords controlled by the man—Reik—consisted of two that moved freely under the caster’s will and three that automatically targeted enemies, imbued with the recorded techniques of a skilled swordsman.

“Correct. Automated sword techniques, no matter how much they mimic a master’s skill, are lifeless. Even with five, they wouldn’t faze a true master. But if I controlled all five myself, I’m just a mage—still no match for a true master. I’ve assassinated dozens of knights and mages, and I’ve concluded that the combination of three automated swords and two manual ones is the strongest.”

“Damn you…”

The truth was, Glenn was completely pinned down. The situation was overwhelmingly against him.

Indeed, if all five swords were automated or all five were manually controlled, dealing with them would’ve been easier. But the automated and manual swords compensated for each other’s weaknesses, leaving no openings whatsoever.

“Still, you don’t fight like a typical mage.”

The movements of the manual swords weren’t those of an amateur. They weren’t superhuman, but they were top-tier swordsmanship. To achieve such precision through remote control meant this man himself was likely a formidable swordsman. If he wielded a sword in person, an average swordsman would be cut down in an instant.

Mages often looked down on skills honed through physical training, placing them beneath the mental discipline of magic. In that sense, this man was an outlier among mages, just like Glenn, but in a different way.

“Enough idle talk.”

Reik swung his arm.

In response, the two manual swords closed in first. Their sharpness was slightly inferior to the automated ones, but their organic, adaptive movements, shifting with the situation, toyed with Glenn.

And then—at the edge of his vision, three new flashes of silver gleamed.

“Tch—!”

The automated swords, monotonous but unmatched in speed and precision, struck from Glenn’s blind spots.

Reacting on reflex, Glenn knocked two swords aside with the backs of his hands.

Dodging only the fatal blows, he leaped sideways, breaking out of the three swords’ encirclement. The glancing blades left slash marks across his body.

Glenn seemed to judge this attack’s end as one of his few opportunities.

“《O crimson lion, in your wrath—”

Landing, Glenn raised his left hand and began chanting a spell.

The chosen spell was Black Magic [Blaze Burst]. It unleashed a sphere of concentrated thermal energy, engulfing the impact point in explosive flames and pressure—a powerful military assault spell.

Caught in [Blaze Burst]’s flames, not even ashes would remain.

In this cramped space, evading the blast would be nearly impossible.

“—roar—”

But before Glenn could complete his three-verse chant—

“《Dissipate》”

Reik’s fingers moved, completing a single-verse chant.

In that instant, the fireball forming in Glenn’s left palm burst with a pop, scattering as residual magical energy into the air.

Black Magic [Tri-Banish]. A counter-spell that forcibly returned the three elemental energies—fire, cold, and lightning—present in the space to a zero-base state, neutralizing them.

“Too slow, magic instructor.”

“Damn—!”

As Glenn leaped back, gnashing his teeth, the five swords swooped down from above, stabbing into the floor one after another, pursuing him.

“In a spell-casting duel, a three-verse chant can’t possibly beat a single-verse one. This is how you cast [Blaze Burst]—”

With cold, ruthless eyes tracking Glenn as he dodged the five swords, Reik began his chant.

“《O flame lion—”

A super-fast activation of Black Magic [Blaze Burst] via a single-verse chant. Mastering this high-level technique was said to allow a single mage to take on an entire army.

Having already seen through Glenn’s inability to cast spells faster than three verses, Reik was half-certain this move would end the fight—

But then.

“!”

Incredibly, as Reik began his single-verse chant, Glenn made a motion as if pulling something from his pocket and charged straight at Reik—

“《O fierce thunder emperor, with auroral lances—”

He began a three-verse chant that absolutely shouldn’t have had time to complete.

Casting a spell with more verses than the opponent’s after falling behind was a reckless move that defied the fundamentals of magical combat.

But—

“Tch—”

Reik’s razor-sharp instincts as a killer instantly saw through Glenn’s intent.

He canceled the [Blaze Burst] he’d begun casting and leaped back.

“—pierce through》—!”

As if seizing that exact moment, Glenn’s chant completed.

Black Magic [Lightning Pierce]. A bolt of lightning shot from Glenn’s fingertips, aimed straight at the center of Reik’s body.

But—Reik’s two manually controlled swords barely managed to intercept, crossing in front of him to deflect the bolt.

“Tch—didn’t get through, huh?”

Glenn clicked his tongue.

Without missing a beat, Reik snapped his fingers to command the automated swords.

The three swords, still embedded in the floor, were yanked into the air and lunged at Glenn.

Rolling sideways and leaping back, Glenn evaded their relentless pursuit.

“Those swords are even enchanted with [Tri-Resist], huh? Man, you’re thorough. I thought I’d at least take out one.”

“…You.”

Inwardly, Reik was astonished by Glenn’s tactics.

There’s a concept called Mana Biorhythm, an indicator of a human’s mana state. The normal, uncontrolled, and undisturbed state is Neutral. A controlled state is Low. An uncontrolled, chaotic state is Chaos.

To cast magic, one must use mental focus or breathing techniques to shift the Mana Biorhythm from Neutral to Low. Casting a spell then sends the Low-state Mana Biorhythm past Neutral into Chaos. The degree of Chaos depends on the spell’s scale, but all spells inevitably tip the balance toward Chaos.

In a Chaos state, even the most skilled mage cannot cast magic.

This is an absolute law of magic.

Glenn’s recent maneuver—that reckless [Lightning Pierce] chant—was likely a trap. If Reik had completed [Blaze Burst] to outpace it, Glenn would’ve likely used that mysterious sealing spell without hesitation, nullifying Reik’s spell.

That would’ve left Reik’s swords momentarily immobile, their magical mechanisms disrupted by a Chaos-state Mana Biorhythm without casting a spell. In that instant, with Glenn’s exceptional close-combat skills, he could’ve closed the distance—

But if Reik, wary of the sealing spell, tried to counter Glenn with the swords, Glenn’s [Lightning Pierce] would’ve struck him. In hindsight, that clumsy three-verse [Blaze Burst] Glenn chanted earlier was probably a setup to lure Reik into this trap.

To present such a deadly dilemma in that split second, reading even the fluctuations of the opponent’s Mana Biorhythm. To execute it with such boldness and judgment, despite the risk of being cornered if the timing was even slightly off—

“Glenn, was it? Just who are you?”

This was no longer the work of a mere magic instructor—it was the prowess of a battle-hardened mage.

Reik had no choice but to discard his initial assessment of Glenn as a third-rate mage with average mana capacity and a minimum three-verse chant speed. While it was true Glenn was third-rate as a mage, he was a formidable enemy who could turn the tables if Reik wasn’t careful.

In fact, if those swords hadn’t been enchanted with [Tri-Resist]—Glenn’s [Lightning Pierce] would’ve easily pierced them, and Reik would be dead.

“Just a magic instructor. Part-time, though.”

“Is that so? Well, fine. Being able to choose when to seal spell activation is a bit troublesome, I’ll admit.”

“How’s that? Since you don’t know when I’ll seal your spells, why not mix in some bold assault spells? Military-grade ones are highly recommended.”

“Don’t mock me. I acknowledge your skill, but that trick won’t work twice.”

“Damn, totally saw through me, huh? Man, I hate you.”

Glenn pouted, while Reik let a frigid smile curl his lips.

“On the contrary, I respect you. You’re the first to hold your own against me this well.”

No surprise there, Glenn thought.

It was precisely because Reik was facing Glenn, wary of his sealing spell, that he couldn’t fight at full strength. Against anyone else, Reik could’ve summoned a Bone Golem early on, attacked with these five swords, and layered on assault spells in a relentless barrage. Who knew what other trump cards Reik was still hiding? If this man could freely cast spells, who could possibly stand against him? Glenn knew his share of monstrous fighters, but he couldn’t picture any of them beating this guy.

(Seriously, is Celica the only one who could take this guy for real?)

In other words, he was up against a truly monstrous opponent.

(This is bad… what do I do?)

The [Weapon Enchant] Sistine had cast on his fists was starting to wear off. It was that enchantment that let him parry the storm of blades with his fists. Once it was gone, he’d be overwhelmed in an instant. He could try having Sistine reapply the enchantment, but there was no way Reik would give him the opening to chant a three-verse spell now. That all-or-nothing [Lightning Pierce] failing to land was a painful blow—

(Or rather, the fact that Sistine’s [Weapon Enchant] is still holding up at all is a threat in itself… that white cat’s really something. Cocky, but damn talented.)

She was born with something Glenn lacked. Immature as she was, Sistine Fibel was undeniably a genius.

(Guess it’s time to make up my mind…)

Glenn took a deep breath and raised his fists in his usual boxing stance.

“Hmph. Planning something, are you?”

Sensing from the tension in the air that the next exchange would be the last, Reik braced himself, fully alert.

As Reik raised his hand, the five swords pointed their tips at Glenn in response.

A sharp tension cut through the air.

It was as if the temperature had plummeted below freezing in an instant.

The silence was infinite, yet fleeting.

And then—

“—Die!”

Reik unleashed the five swords—

“《~~ —!”

And at the same moment, Glenn covered his mouth with one hand, beginning to chant some spell.

“Fool! Even if that’s a single-verse chant, I’m faster!”

As Reik declared, it was true.

Glenn’s spell, always bound by three verses, had no chance of keeping up.

The five swords soared like flashes of light.

And then, the sound of sharp metal piercing flesh rang out five times.

The swords stabbed deep into Glenn’s chest, abdomen, shoulder, leg, and arm. In the instant they struck, Glenn barely managed to twist his body, avoiding vital points—but the fight was decided.

Or so it seemed.

“—Maintain balance and return to zero》!”

Even as the swords pierced his body, blood and bile spilling from his mouth, Glenn completed his spell.

The spell was—

“What!? [Dispel Force]!?”

Glenn had activated [Dispel Force], a spell that erased and nullified the magical energy of its target.

The swords piercing Glenn’s body clashed with [Dispel Force], glowing white-hot—

“True, if that worked, my swords would temporarily become mere blades, but—”

It was a bad move. The mana required for [Dispel Force] scaled with the target’s magical energy. This spell was meant for dispelling simple enchantments. To dispel the mana flowing through magical devices with built-in amplification circuits would require an astronomical amount of mana, enough to drain the caster instantly. In magical combat, using [Dispel Force] to counter an opponent’s magical device was common knowledge as a terrible mistake.

As expected, Glenn’s [Dispel Force] couldn’t fully neutralize the swords’ mana. It diminished their power slightly, but that was all. Their remote control was barely affected.

Pulling the manual swords from Glenn’s body and slashing his neck with the return stroke—that would end it.

“Your struggle ends here. Die—”

Reik raised his hand—and in that instant—

“《Let power return to nothing》—!”

From an entirely unexpected direction, a single-verse chant rang out.

“What—!?”

Far down the corridor behind him, a familiar figure stood.

Sistine. Unbeknownst to Reik, Sistine was there, timing her [Dispel Force] with Glenn’s, pouring every ounce of her mana into it.

Reik had miscalculated twice. Knowing Sistine’s timid nature, he’d assumed she’d fled and failed to consider the possibility of her returning. And he also hadn’t realized Sistine possessed such skill and mana capacity.

With Glenn and Sistine’s [Dispel Force] combined, the five swords tormenting Glenn became, in that moment, mere blades—

“Ooooohhh—!”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Glenn, still impaled by the swords, charged at Reik.

“Tch—《Awaken, blades—”

“Too slow!”

Before Reik could channel mana to reactivate the floating swords, Glenn drew The Fool’s Arcane.

Glenn’s Original Magic [Fool’s World] activated a fraction of a second faster.

All magical activation in the area was sealed.

“Uoooohhh—!”

Glenn tossed the Arcane aside, yanked the sword piercing his shoulder—

—And then.

“…”

Silence. The sword Glenn thrust forward had completely pierced Reik’s left chest—his vital point.

A scarlet drop fell, splashing against the floor.

“…Hmph. Well done.”

Reik didn’t flinch. Standing motionless, he offered praise to the one who’d impaled him.

He wouldn’t stoop to calling a sneak attack cowardly. Mages weren’t knights. In a mage’s battle, whether one against two or three, the one who used every means and scheme to outwit and stand last was the just and the strong.

“Tch… making me do something so damn disgusting…”

With no trace of victory’s thrill or excitement, Glenn grimaced, with a bitter aftertaste.

“I see… The Fool, huh. I understand now.”

Glancing at The Fool’s Arcane on the floor, Reik muttered as if something had clicked.

“Until recently, there was a master mage-killer in the Imperial Court Mage Corps. I don’t know what principles they used, but with a spell that sealed magic, they unilaterally hunted down antisocial rogue mages—an assassin kept by the Empire.”

“…”

“Active for about three years. In that time, they took down twenty-four master-level rogue mages, as far as is known. Each one was a prodigy unimaginable to defeat. Feared by all underground mages, the mage-killer, codenamed—‘The Fool.’”

“What… are you getting at?”

To Glenn’s cold, dark-eyed question, Reik grinned fiercely, the corner of his mouth twisting upward.

“Who knows?”

With those final words—

Reik collapsed, as if crumbling. He was no longer breathing.

“Well… then…”

Confirming Reik’s death, Glenn slumped against the wall, collapsing.

“This is… my limit… huh…”

He was truly at his end. Feeling the sound of footsteps running toward him and someone calling his name in his fading consciousness—

“What… a shitty… life…”

Glenn’s consciousness sank into darkness—