Chapter 7: Fierce Battle, The Fool and the Star Back-to-Back

“Fuhahahahahahahahaha! Kuhahahahahahahahahaha!?”

Burks’s maniacal laughter echoed through the dimly lit ritual chamber.

“Incredible… This is beyond incredible… Far exceeding my expectations!”

Unable to contain his excitement at the unexpectedly favorable results of the makeshift experiment, Burks trembled with fervor.

“If this is the case… it will succeed…! It will succeed! ‘Project: Revive Life’ will be realized once more—by none other than me, Burks Blaumohn!”

Then, Burks turned his bloodshot, madness-filled eyes toward Rumia.

“Hah! You, a ‘Sympathetic Amplifier’!? What kind of joke is that!? A ‘Sympathetic Amplifier’ like you!? You’re a bona fide monster! Fuha, fuhahahahahahahaha!”

“…!?”

Rumia couldn’t help but grimace at the overwhelming madness and malice in his gaze.

The clinking of chains resounded.

Rumia remained bound, her hands shackled with chained cuffs, suspended so her toes barely grazed the floor. Her vest, skirt, and other clothing had been forcibly torn, and intricate runes and patterns were meticulously drawn across her exposed arms, legs, abdomen, chest, and cheeks using a dye mixed with mithril powder. The tattered remnants of her clothes, barely clinging to her shoulders, and her undergarments were the last bastion preserving her dignity as a woman.

Despite enduring such humiliating circumstances, there was no fear in Rumia’s eyes. She continued to glare directly at Burks, as if pleading or defying him with unyielding resolve.

“Tch…”

Truthfully, Burks found Rumia’s gaze irritating.

Those clear, resolute eyes, burning with an indomitable will that bowed to no one—

For a mere insignificant girl to dare direct such impudent, brazen eyes at him—a great magician destined to leave his mark on history—was the height of arrogance.

He wanted to crush her with violence, but the jeopardy of interference that could affect his main goal, ‘Project: Revive Life,’ would be pointless. Besides, Eleanor, who inexplicably sided with the princess, was present.

While someone like Eleanor was no threat to him if he got serious, causing a rift with her now would be inconvenient.

‘Educating’ this girl would be a pleasure for later.

Burks averted his gaze from Rumia and addressed Eleanor, who stood in the corner of the room.

“Hmph, Eleanor-dono. Inform the organization’s executives. Tell them to prepare a seat for me, Burks Blaumohn.”

“Understood, Burks-sama. Please leave it to me.”

Eleanor responded with an elegant curtsy.

“However… it is intriguing. That mage who supposedly fought on equal terms with a magician of your caliber, Eleanor-dono… To think the Imperial Court Mage Corps is already making moves.”

“Oh? Could it be that even someone as great as Burks-sama is feeling intimidated?”

“Hmph, don’t be absurd.”

Burks spat the words with palpable disgust.

“What ‘mage’…? Those shallow scum who can only use the art of magic—meant to reach the abyss of truth—for war are no match for a true ‘magician’ like me.”

“As expected of Burks-sama. Truly dependable.”

“Besides, no matter how much those mutts sniff around, they’ll never find this place. It’s designed that way. Everything is proceeding flawlessly. Heh heh heh… It’s almost unnerving how perfectly it’s all going. Though, of course—”

Burks paused, as if recalling something.

“This isn’t solely my achievement… Indeed, it’s also thanks to your efforts.”

He then addressed the blue-haired young man standing deferentially behind Eleanor.

“You brought one of the enemy mages to our side, swiftly procured that ‘Sympathetic Amplifier imitation,’ and even prepared all three essential components for the project… The ‘Gene Code’ for the synthesized base body, the ‘Alter Ether’ as a substitute soul, and the critical ‘Astral Code’… To have everything ready is impressive. You’re quite capable. Once I secure my position in the organization, I might consider taking you on as my assistant.”

“…Thank you.”

The blue-haired youth, clad in a white lab coat-style robe, smiled humbly.

“However…”

Burks glanced toward the corner of the room, a hint of dissatisfaction in his expression.

There stood three pillar-like objects covered with cloths. Inside, sealed within massive crystal pillars, were the artificial base bodies for ‘Project: Revive Life’—currently mere flesh puppets—brought by the young man.

Burks had lifted the covers earlier to inspect their contents, but…

“I’m grateful for providing such high-quality base bodies. But… what’s the meaning of that? What kind of joke is it? Why do they look like that…?”

“Haha, no particular reason. If I had to say, it’s just a matter of taste.”

The young man responded with a cheerful laugh.

“…Hmph? Fine. As long as ‘Project: Revive Life’ succeeds, I don’t care. Now, let’s begin preparing for the ritual. You, assist me.”

“Understood, Burks-san.”

With that, Burks and his group began operating the monolith-shaped magical calculators connected by spiritual pathways extending from the ritual magic circle beneath Rumia’s feet. As they worked, mana surged, and glowing runes and formulas raced across the glossy black surfaces of the monoliths.

Rumia, observing the scene as if it were from another world, suddenly shifted her gaze sideways.

Her eyes fell on Re=L, who stood just outside the magic circle surrounding her.

Re=L faced away from Rumia, utterly motionless.

Learning that Burks was connected to the Researchers of Divine Wisdom was shocking, but Re=L’s betrayal struck Rumia even harder.

“Hey, Re=L… Have you really become our enemy…?”

Rumia asked the figure’s back, her voice tinged with sorrow and disbelief.

She couldn’t believe—didn’t want to believe—that Re=L had turned against them, that Re=L had killed Glenn.

“Re=L was a bit of an odd girl… but Sistie and I were genuinely happy to have met you…”

“……”

“It was hard to understand what you were thinking at first… but little by little, I started to get you… Spending every day with you was so much fun…”

“……”

“I thought maybe, just maybe, you enjoyed being with us too… That made me so happy… But… was it all just my misunderstanding…?”

For a while, Re=L remained silent.

“…Sorry.”

She murmured softly, almost inaudibly.

“…I’m really sorry.”

“…Re=L?”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen. I… probably didn’t want this. …But I had to… I have to live for Brother…”

Hesitant. Uncertain.

“I… don’t even know what I’m living for…”

Her words carried her usual flat, emotionless tone.

Yet, they held the faint echo of a lost child, adrift without a path.

Faced with such a Re=L,

Rumia found herself at a loss for words.

…………

……

It was sometime, somewhere.

 

Two years ago, that moment.

It felt like some desolate, abandoned village.

A forsaken village ruin, nestled as if hidden among the low mountains.

The sun had already set, and the surroundings were pitch black.

A ferocious blizzard raged mercilessly, its biting cold threatening to freeze to the core.

The deafening roar of the wind, like an explosion, assaulted the eardrums. Ears numbed, losing all sensation to the cold.

Wrapped in a black cloak, Glenn moved through the dark night, blending into the shadows, trudging silently through the village… crunch, crunch, stepping firmly on the snow, unyielding.

Then, faintly, a dim light appeared ahead.

It was the sole tavern in this abandoned village… a faint glow leaking through the gaps in the building.

Glenn continued walking steadily toward it, stopping before the tavern’s entrance.

“……”

After briefly scanning for any presence, Glenn steeled himself and gently pushed open the door, stepping inside.

Creeak… The sound of rusty hinges and aged wood groaning.

For a moment, snow swept in with a blast of frigid air—

Slam. The door shut behind him, forced closed by the wind’s pressure.

Naturally, the tavern was empty—no customers, not even a barkeep.

Save for the howling blizzard outside, the place was deathly silent.

A lone lantern, lit as if out of obligation, barely illuminated the counter and tables, pulling them from the suffocating darkness.

And then.

“Glenn-san, ‘The Fool’… correct?”

At the far end of the counter, a single figure sat with their back defenselessly turned to Glenn.

The lantern’s light faintly revealed their distinctive features.

A young man with striking, fiery red hair.

“Welcome.”

“…Sion, right?”

Click.

A dry metallic sound echoed in the chilly tavern.

Glenn had conjured a percussion-style revolver in his hand, its muzzle trained on the red-haired youth’s vulnerable back.

“Don’t try anything funny, Sion. My comrade outside—the empire’s top magical sniper—has you in their sights. Whether you’re inside this building or out in that blizzard… if they want, they’ll pierce your heart without fail.”

“……”

“I’m also warning you that any magical traps are useless. …I won’t say why.”

In Glenn’s left hand, unnoticed until now, was the Arcane of The Fool.

“……”

“……”

Silence.

The roaring tempest outside felt like another world, distant and unreal.

Then—

“…I have no intention of resisting or trapping you.”

A wry, almost amused air emanated from the youth, still facing away from Glenn.

“I’m not a magician skilled in combat to begin with—and besides, there’s something I’d like you to see.”

“…?”

“May I raise my left hand… in front of you?”

“…Fine. But slowly. …Raise it slowly.”

Glenn, peering through the revolver’s sights, issued the command firmly, his vigilance unwavering.

Following Glenn’s order, the youth—Sion—slowly raised his left hand.

“!”

Etched on the back of his hand was a single rune.

A magical seal enchantment, Black Magic [Spell Seal].

Mana flowed through it, the spell’s effect already active.

It was a gesture to show he harbored no hostility—Sion had preemptively sealed his own magic.

“…Does this earn me a bit of your trust?”

“For now.”

Glenn lowered the gun aimed at Sion’s back.

“Haha, good. This wasn’t easy, you know… Deceiving the organization’s eyes to make contact with you. If I’d been killed without striking a deal, I wouldn’t rest in peace.”

Clack, clack, clack.

Glenn’s footsteps echoed coldly as he approached the counter and sat beside Sion.

On the counter was a small alcohol stove, its tiny flame flickering as if about to die, warming a metal pot set atop it.

The pot likely contained brandy. Heated, it released a rich, aromatic fragrance that filled the air.

“It’s cold outside, isn’t it? I’ve warmed some brandy. Care for a drink?”

Sion grasped the pot’s handle through a napkin and poured the brandy into two ceramic tumblers prepared in advance.

Amber liquid trickled thinly into the tumblers.

A faint wisp of steam rose.

“…Which one?”

“The right.”

“Then I’ll take this one.”

Sion picked up the left tumbler, unhesitatingly bringing it to his lips and taking a sip.

“Phew… Warms you up. Nothing beats this in the cold, right?”

“……”

Glenn sharply scrutinized the tumbler placed before him.

Of course, the possibility of poison or some specialized drug lingered. Sion drinking first didn’t eliminate the risk—there were countless ways to bypass such precautions.

But the purpose of this meeting was a ‘deal.’

If Sion’s proposed ‘deal’ succeeded, the benefits to the empire would be immeasurable.

Above all, trust was crucial for a ‘deal.’

Sion had let Glenn choose his glass first, drank from his own without hesitation, and even downed its contents. He was clearly desperate to build trust. At the same time, he was likely gauging whether Glenn was trustworthy, assessing if he was worth the risk.

No reward without risk.

After checking the glass’s rim for any signs of applied substances, Glenn, as a gesture of trust, picked up the tumbler and took a small sip.

A fiery heat, like a blazing ember, slid down his throat and settled warmly in his stomach.

The brandy’s fragrance pierced his nose. Its deep flavor tingled his tongue, a faint sweetness in the liquor sharpening his senses as it coursed through his mind.

His body, chilled to the core by the frigid air outside, and his numbed extremities gradually felt alive again.

…Delicious.

Even if this were cheap or poisoned liquor, in this fleeting moment, this single sip was undeniably the finest drink in the world.

“…Let’s hear it.”

Setting the tumbler on the counter, Glenn asked flatly.

“As I’ve mentioned before, in exchange for all the information I have on the organization, I want your help defecting to the empire. That’s all.”

“…That’s a tall order. It’s not something I can decide on my own.”

“Of course, not immediately. Defection requires preparation and coordination on both sides. For today, let’s confirm future contact methods and get acquainted… that’s the idea.”

“Let me be clear… Even if you defect to the empire, your fate won’t be pleasant.”

Glenn deliberately threw cold water on the conversation.

“Even if you were forced to act under the organization’s orders… you’ve committed too many sins. ‘Project: Revive Life’… By meddling again in the darkest depths of the empire’s magical world, the imperial government will show you no mercy.”

“……”

“They’ll find some excuse to sentence you to indefinite sealing. …Are you still willing to defect to the empire?”

“I understand I’ll face judgment.”

Sion’s profile, as he answered so readily, seemed unlike that of a member of that vile organization… He bore the air of a saint prepared for martyrdom.

“Yes, I know. Sins must be judged. I have no intention of making excuses now.”

“Then why?”

“There are two people I want to save. They’re like me, ensnared by the organization, mere low-ranking members.”

“……”

“They’re family to me, people I’ve shared joys and hardships with since childhood. But if they remain with the organization… their fate will surely be tragic.”

“……”

“I want those two… in my place, to live freely and happily. I won’t say they’re entirely blameless. But it’s also true they had to commit sins to survive within the organization… So, I’ll bear their sins as well. I beg you… show them mercy.”

With that,

Sion gazed earnestly at Glenn’s profile, his expression sincere.

“This… is the kind of ‘deal’ I’m proposing.”

“…For family, huh.”

At that moment,

The stern crease between Glenn’s brows softened, if only slightly.

“…Alright, let’s hear their names. …The names of those two.”

Sion gave a faint smile and said,

“Their names are—”

…………

……

……

…………

…His eyes opened.

“…Ugh.”

A lethargy gnawed at his entire body, a heaviness that made even breathing feel burdensome.

Yet, the urgency and sense of duty—that he had something to do, something he must do—forced Glenn’s eyes open.

“…A dream…?”

His hazy vision revealed the ceiling of the student dormitory. He was lying in a bed.

“Where… am I…? Guh…!?”

Struggling to shake off the suffocating fatigue that clung to him like thick mud, he forcibly sat up, only for a sharp, tearing pain to shoot from his chest to his back.

“Tch… It hurts…!”

Looking down, he realized he was shirtless, his chest wrapped in bandages.

“…Hmph, so you’ve come back to life, huh?”

Suddenly, a voice laced with irritation and displeasure cuts through the air like a sideways blow.

“As always, you’re annoyingly tenacious, aren’t you?”

When Glenn turns his gaze toward the voice, he sees Albert leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. His brow is furrowed, making no effort to hide his foul mood.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Sounds like you’re indirectly telling me to drop dead.”

“That’d make things a lot simpler for me, personally.”

Albert’s cold manner of speaking is nothing new. Glenn recalls their days in the Imperial Court Mage Corps, and despite the dire situation, he can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia.

But now’s not the time to indulge in such sentiments. Glenn shifts his focus.

“I… got slashed by that idiot Re=L… So, you’re the one who saved me, huh…”

That moment had truly felt like the end. He’d been dealt a fatal wound, thrown into the sea, and to top it all off, his one and only means of turning the tables—magic—had been sealed by his own Original Magic.

What a pathetic blunder. That move had completely backfired.

Surviving this was nothing short of dumb luck.

“If you want to thank someone, thank Fibel over there.”

With a slight tilt of his chin, Albert continues in his usual detached tone.

Looking over, Glenn sees Sistine, utterly exhausted, slumped against his bed, breathing softly in her sleep.

“If it weren’t for that girl, even my White Magic Ritual [Reviver] wouldn’t have succeeded.”

“What!? [Reviver]!? Even for someone like you, a massive magical ritual like [Reviver] would require way more mana than you could… Oh, I get it. That’s where she comes in.”

For a moment, Glenn seems to understand, glancing at Sistine’s sleeping face…

“…No, wait, Albert. That still doesn’t add up. Even with White Cat’s mana, it’d be like a drop in the bucket, wouldn’t it? That ritual normally takes multiple people to pull off…”

“Haven’t you noticed? The amount of mana this girl can consciously access right now might not be all that impressive… but her latent mana capacity is probably greater than mine.”

“W-What!? Greater than yours!?”

“Her sensitivity to mana control is also exceptional… likely an innate gift. She’s still developing, but a talent like hers doesn’t exist even among the current Imperial Court Mage Corps.”

“S-Seriously…?”

Albert isn’t the type to spout nonsense or empty flattery.

If he says it, it’s undoubtedly true.

“Well, I mean, I kinda had a hunch she was something special… White Cat… you’re really something else, aren’t you? Cocky, but still…”

“There’s a reason you’ve taken a special interest in her. I see now—she’s got the potential to become a real asset if properly trained… maybe even as a force to protect the princess.”

Albert is likely referring to the secret training Glenn has been conducting with Sistine.

But—

“You idiot… that’s not what this is about…”

For a moment, Glenn gazes at Sistine’s sleeping face with a complicated expression.

The word “asset,” coming from Albert—a top-tier mage who’s survived countless battles—carries an immense weight that presses heavily on Glenn’s heart.

Glenn gets out of bed, gently lifts Sistine—who’s been sleeping propped against it—into his arms, and carefully lays her down on the bed.

And then.

After a brief silence.

“Can you… fill me in on the situation?”

Seeming to have sorted his emotions, Glenn looks up and fixes his gaze on Albert.

“Fine.”

With that, the conversation shifts to the main issue.

“That said, the situation isn’t all that complicated. Re=L betrayed the Imperial Court Mage Corps and attacked you. While I was held up by Eleanor Chalet, that heretic mage from The Researchers of Divine Wisdom, Re=L kidnapped Rumia and vanished. That’s the gist of it.”

It’s more or less what Glenn had expected. Given that the organization was pulling strings behind the scenes, and with Sistine alone in the room and Rumia nowhere to be seen, the situation was easy enough to piece together.

Still, Eleanor… that former aide to the queen he’d heard about from the previous incident. The fact that she’s involved again… it gives him an uneasy feeling.

“…Where did that idiot Re=L take Rumia?”

“I lost track of her, unfortunately.”

Albert responds matter-of-factly.

“As you know, the far-seeing magic—Black Magic [Accurate Scope]—is a technique that manipulates light for remote viewing. It bends light from a designated coordinate to the caster’s vision. Since it’s a coordinate-based spell, not a target-based one, once you lose sight of the target, reacquiring them is extremely difficult.”

“Yeah, it’s basically like looking through a telescope. You can’t see anything hidden in a blind spot with a telescope.”

“Moreover, if the light from the observation point can’t reach the caster—no matter how it’s bent—like in complete darkness or inside a structure that fully blocks light, remote viewing becomes impossible. There are also many spells designed to counter this technique. In any case, reacquiring Re=L with far-seeing magic is likely impossible. …Now, let me ask you something.”

“…What?”

“Re=L. Why did she betray us?”

“…‘Big brother.’”

Glenn mutters softly.

“If I said, ‘Her big brother showed up,’ you’d understand, right?”

“I see. So, as expected, the consequences of you putting off dealing with that issue have finally caught up.”

At Albert’s accusatory tone, Glenn awkwardly averts his gaze.

“That’s why I told you to be cautious with that girl… Re=L. You should’ve known from the moment you took her in two years ago that this could happen.”

“Damn it, I’ve got no excuse… But hold on. The way you’re talking, it sounds like you knew from the start that they might pull something during this ‘Field Study Expedition’!?”

“…”

Albert falls silent for a moment before continuing in his usual calm tone.

“According to a classified internal investigation from the Imperial Security Bureau’s Intelligence Division, there was a slight irregularity in the funding flow related to the Platinum Magic Research Institute. They’ve done a good job covering their tracks, but by following those subtle discrepancies and thoroughly investigating the connections, we uncovered a possibility—however slim—that Burks Blaumohn, the director of the Platinum Magic Research Institute, is secretly linked to The Researchers of Divine Wisdom. Initially, it was an almost negligible possibility… but bad premonitions have a way of coming true.”

“Burks Blaumohn!? Seriously!?”

It was a shocking revelation. To think that kindly old man had been involved in something like this behind the scenes.

“…Hey, you bastard… If that’s the case, why didn’t you tell me about Burks’ potential connection to the organization when you contacted me in Seahawk!?”

Glenn glares at Albert, his eyes burning with anger.

“If Burks is guilty, then using Rumia as bait during this ‘Field Study Expedition’ would’ve prompted them to make a move through Burks. And if that’s the case, they’d have no reason not to use Re=L, who’s close to Rumia… So that’s why you said ‘be careful.’ Is that it?”

“Exactly.”

“So this whole incident… for the military, it wasn’t just a fishing expedition hoping to catch something. It was a calculated operation with a high degree of certainty, wasn’t it!?”

“That’s correct. …However, because you deliberately falsified Re=L’s true nature in your reports, the military higher-ups—who knew nothing—likely didn’t anticipate her betrayal.”

At Albert’s pointed words, Glenn bitterly gritted his teeth.

The plan was to use Rumia as bait, lure Burks into making a reckless move, and have Albert and Re=L take him down… That’s what the military had envisioned.

But the higher-ups didn’t know about the ticking time bomb that was Re=L. They saw her as just a former mage held by the organization, now fully under the Imperial Court Mage Corps’ control—a mere pawn. Her track record of dealing significant blows to the organization had been too impressive for them to suspect her betrayal.

“Damn it… Why didn’t you stop it, Albert!?”

Even knowing it was deflecting blame, Glenn couldn’t help but ask.

“I don’t need to tell you that I repeatedly proposed changing the personnel assigned to this operation. But do you think the military brass would overturn a decision once it’s made?”

“…That’s…”

“Besides, if I’d exposed the truth about Re=L that only you and I know, she’d either be sentenced to indefinite sealing or used as a test subject for magical experiments. Would that have been acceptable?”

“…Of course not…!”

Glenn clutches his head, eyes shut tight, tormented by his own powerlessness.

“…One last thing. Let me ask you…”

“What?”

“…This calculated ‘fishing’ operation… There’s no way it was under Queen Alicia’s orders, right? Was it the military’s call?”

“Spot on.”

“—Don’t screw with me!!”

Unable to contain his rage any longer, Glenn grabs Albert by the collar and roars.

“Don’t drag them into your damn schemes! If you’d just shared that tiny possibility, none of this would’ve—!”

“Shut up. I don’t like this approach any more than you do.”

Albert’s terrifying expression makes Glenn flinch involuntarily.

“The military brass giving these orders are scum. And I, silently following them, am no better. I won’t deny it.”

His anger wasn’t directed outward.

It was inward—a seething fury at his own inadequacy, masked by a stoic face.

“But the fact is, that organization’s influence grows every year. The government’s at a standstill. That utterly depraved, heretical group must be crushed at all costs, no matter the sacrifice—for the empire, for the future of its people. Even if history brands me a villain, I won’t compromise.”

That was right, Glenn thought, clicking his tongue.

Albert is a man who pursues an unrelenting, unrewarded sense of justice and conviction above all else.

A saint who walks a thorny path, knowing full well his soul is bound for hell, yet never faltering.

He sacrifices one to save nine. Unlike Glenn, who could never fully accept that during his mage days, Albert embraces it without justifying it as good or hiding behind hypocritical platitudes. He upholds necessary evil, bearing the weight of his sacrifices and guilt with unwavering resolve. His stance is stubbornly consistent, fundamentally different from someone like Glenn, who crumbled under the pressure and drifted aimlessly.

In the first place, Glenn, who abandoned his comrades and fled, has no right to judge Albert, who continues to fight without running. The only time Glenn might’ve had that right was back when he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Albert on the front lines.

“…Damn it!”

Thus, Glenn can only shove Albert away and spit venom.

“Now, back to the matter at hand.”

Adjusting his disheveled collar with an impassive face, Albert continues calmly.

“I’ve got a lead on their hideout. They probably think they’re untouchable, but they’re wrong.”

“…Tch. As sharp as ever. You’re a real piece of work.”

“I’m heading out to rescue the princess, but I’ll likely have to face Re=L.”

At the mention of Re=L, Glenn’s brow twitches.

“At this point, I won’t hold back. If Re=L stands in my way, I’ll eliminate her with force… No, that’s too soft. I’ll kill her.”

“…Hold on.”

Glenn glares at Albert with fiery eyes, his voice firm.

“What?”

Albert’s demeanor suggests he expected this.

“Take me with you. Let me talk to her first.”

“…”

“She’s just… misunderstood something. She got carried away and made a mistake. I’ll set her straight and bring her back. …That’s my responsibility, since I’m the one who took her in two years ago. Right?”

“Hmph. Her ‘brother’ showed up, didn’t he? You think she’ll listen to you now?”

“I’ll make her listen! I’ll knock some sense into her, even if I have to force it! Otherwise… she’s just too pitiful…!”

Albert snorts at Glenn’s words, wrung from the depths of his throat.

“You’re still taking their side? How long are you going to keep playing ‘heroic mage’?”

“…!?”

“I have a hunch why you left the Imperial Court Mage Corps. You understood reality but couldn’t abandon your ideals, even extending a hand to enemies. It was obvious you’d break in that world eventually.”

“Tch… I’m sorry, okay…?”

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not criticizing you. In a world where everyone grows jaded and wears down their hearts under the weight of magic’s reality, having one stubborn mage like you isn’t a bad thing. To someone like me, who gave up early, your gritty way of living was both irritating and, frankly, dazzling. But…”

After a brief pause, Albert pierces Glenn with the sharp gaze of a predatory bird.

“You ran.”

“!”

“For your own selfish reasons, you abandoned your comrades who fought beside you, without a single word. Re=L’s betrayal is, indirectly, a result of you fleeing the military. And let’s not forget—you hid critical information for your own self-satisfied conscience. Am I wrong?”

“Tch… That’s…”

“Do you, of all people, have the right to influence my strategy in a way that disadvantages me? Do you have the qualifications to save Re=L now? Answer me, Glenn Radars.”

“I don’t. I’ve got no right or qualifications.”

Albert’s eyebrow twitches slightly at Glenn’s defiant, almost reckless response.

“Yeah, you’re absolutely right. It’s pure logic, you damn bastard! So this is entirely my own selfish whim. If you don’t like it, punch me or kill me, do whatever you want. But even so, I’m not abandoning Re=L…!”

“…This is pointless. Are you a child?”

“Fine, call me a child! She… Re=L can still come back! I’m not going to be some ‘smart’ adult who cuts off possibilities just because they’re slim! And besides…”

A scene flashes through Glenn’s mind like a carousel of memories.

The lively classroom, chaotic ever since Re=L arrived.

That scorching beach under the blazing sun, where the usually aloof Re=L played ball games with the class.

That moonlit sea, where through a window made by her fingers, he saw Re=L, Rumia, and Sistine—three girls playing innocently together.

“She’s not someone we can just cut loose anymore.”

“…”

“Thanks to your stupid schemes, mixing Re=L in with them… she’s become someone they need. And now you’re going to take her away? Force them to accept something that cruel? Don’t mess with me…!”

Glenn unleashes his words at Albert with the ferocity of someone about to grab him.

“I won’t forgive anyone who makes them cry. The empire’s future? The mission? Hah… Who cares, you idiot! Rights or qualifications? I don’t give a damn. This is about my pride! The cheesy dream of being a ‘heroic mage’ shattered long ago, but even without that, there are things I won’t compromise on!”

“Hmph. Who do you think you are?”

“I’m their teacher!”

Albert falls silent at Glenn’s particularly forceful shout.

“Re=L… she’s my student now…! So…!”

A heavy silence blankets the room for a moment.

But brushing off Glenn’s biting gaze, Albert responds coldly.

“I see. You haven’t changed. I thought getting your heart broken might’ve made you face reality, but at your core, you’re still the same. What an infuriating story.”

And then—

“But maybe that’s exactly why… I put my hopes in you.”

Suddenly, Albert moves like a spring uncoiling, slamming his fist into Glenn’s cheek.

The storm-like force of Albert’s merciless punch echoes through the room with a dull thud.

“Gah!?”

The impact sends Glenn crashing into the wall behind him, collapsing to the floor.

“That’s for leaving the Imperial Court Mage Corps without a word.”

Albert glares down at Glenn, sprawled on the floor, with an utterly cold and ruthless gaze. He reaches into his pocket, pulls something out, and tosses it beside Glenn.

It lands with a clatter—a gleaming black revolver, an old-fashioned percussion-cap model. Runes are etched into its barrel.

“This gun… [The Penetrator]…!?”

It’s unmistakably the magical gun Glenn used during his mage days.

Why is it here?

As Glenn stares at the gun in a daze, unable to grasp Albert’s intentions, Albert speaks.

“Two conditions.”

His tone is as detached and businesslike as ever.

“One: My top priority is rescuing the princess. I’m not soft enough to prioritize a traitor over the mission. Two: If the situation demands Re=L’s elimination, I’ll kill her without hesitation. And I won’t hear any complaints.”

“…Albert?”

“As long as you don’t interfere with those two points, I’ll leave Re=L to you.”

With that unilateral declaration, Albert turns his back on Glenn.

“…”

For a moment, silence lingers between them.

Albert’s words, at first glance, sound like the cold, callous rhetoric of someone who puts the mission above all else.

But—

“…Hah.”

Suddenly, Glenn wipes the blood from the corner of his mouth and lets out a chuckle.

He knows. Albert’s words are…

“Haha, hahaha! That’s right, you’re that kind of guy, aren’t you…”

Picking up the gun, Glenn flashes a fearless grin and staggers to his feet.

“So, deep down, you’re worried about Re=L too, huh? Well, of course. You’re merciless to enemies, not showing a shred of compassion, but when it comes to someone you’ve accepted as a comrade, you’re pretty loyal, aren’t you…”

“…”

“Testing me like that, keeping quiet about Re=L’s truth to the higher-ups… For a mission-obsessed guy like you to go this far… Man, you should be a bit more honest. Mission, mission, mission—doesn’t that get suffocating?”

“Shut up. Even if she’s a problem child, losing Re=L as an ‘asset’ would be a loss for the imperial military. That’s my judgment. Nothing more.”

Leaving those cold words behind, Albert exits the room, ignoring Glenn.

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Let’s go with that. Geez, what a complicated guy…”

Muttering complaints, Glenn slips his arms into the sleeves of a shirt draped over a chair by the bed, reties his cravat, and throws on his robe. He checks the gun’s condition, tucks it into his belt at his back, and confirms he has The Fool’s Arcane Tarot.

Every movement made the scar on his chest ache, but not enough to hinder him—thanks to Albert’s magical skill and the massive amount of mana Sistine had supplied.

“You saved me again, huh… Thanks, Sistine.”

Glenn ruffles Sistine’s hair as she sleeps, gazing at her with gentle eyes.

Then.

Perhaps sensing his gaze and touch unconsciously.

Or maybe her sleep was shallow.

Or perhaps, just by chance.

“…Sen… sei…”

Sistine stirs slightly…

“…Ru… mia… save her… please…”

She mumbles those words in her sleep.

Seeing the glimmer in the corner of Sistine’s eyes, Glenn’s expression turned unusually earnest and serious… and then—

“…Leave it to me.”

With that single, resolute statement,

Glenn turns on his heel and strides out of the room with determined steps.

Passing through the entrance hall, he steps out from the main entrance of the inn.

The cool night air greeted him.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m ready.”

He called out to Albert, who stood with his arms crossed in a corner of the courtyard.

Then.

“Don’t you have anything to say to them?”

Albert lightly jerked his chin, pointing in a certain direction.

In that direction, a little ways off…

“…”

Several students from Glenn’s class had gathered, watching anxiously.

“You guys…”

His voice caught in his throat as Glenn walked toward the students.

“…Tch, what are you all doing out here this late? Hurry up and get back to your rooms to sleep.”

But his words couldn’t fool them—

“H-Hey… Sensei… where are you going…? What’s going on…?”

Kash, standing at the front of the group, asked in a stiff voice.

“Re=L-chan hasn’t come back… Rumia’s gone too… Sistine’s room was all messed up… and you were half-dead earlier, Sensei…”

They were at a sensitive age. There was no way they wouldn’t notice the ominous atmosphere hanging in the air.

“That long-haired, scary guy… he’s your friend, right, Sensei? He told us to ‘stay out of it,’ so… we don’t know what’s going on, but… something’s happened, hasn’t it…?”

The students averted their eyes, uneasy.

Glenn gave them a faint smile.

“Hey, you guys. What do you think of Re=L?”

“…Huh?”

In stark contrast to their heavy mood, Glenn was acting as casual as ever.

The students exchanged puzzled glances.

“…What do you mean…?”

“You haven’t known Re=L for long, but in that short time… what did you think of her?”

“Well…”

After a moment of hesitation, the students began to put their thoughts into words, bit by bit.

“At first… I thought she was kinda weird…”

“I… I was… a little scared… maybe…”

“That first day, right? Man, I was freaked out too. Like, ‘Whoa, we got a real wild one here.’”

“…But, well, she doesn’t seem that bad, actually…”

“If anything, once you talk to her, she’s pretty honest and sweet.”

“She’s a bit… no, actually super blunt and standoffish, though…”

As they spoke, they gradually recalled Re=L’s usual eccentricities, becoming more talkative.

“But if you talk to her, she’ll respond properly.”

“Yeah, with stuff like ‘Mm’ or ‘Okay’… super short answers, though!”

“She’s always sleepy and expressionless, but once you get used to it, you start noticing she’s kinda expressive in her own way.”

“When I taught her card games, she kept that sleepy face, but she got really into it.”

“Yeah, her eyes were… kinda sparkling, I think… even though she still looked half-asleep…”

“Come to think of it, during beach volleyball, she was way more into it than usual for her!”

“Haha… but those killer spikes of hers? Yeah, I could’ve done without those…”

Remembering yesterday’s events, the students started to chuckle.

Then.

Glenn glanced to the side.

“…”

In the direction of his gaze, a little apart from the group, stood Gibul.

He didn’t try to join Kash and the others. Arms crossed, leaning against a tree trunk, he furrowed his brow and glared at Glenn with an expression that seemed to say something was on his mind.

For some reason, Glenn spoke up.

“…Alright, that’s enough.”

He suddenly said it.

“Huh?”

“Enough to risk my life for, I mean.”

“…What? Sensei, what did you just—”

“Oops, nothing. Kids should get to bed.”

Glenn spun on his heel, turning his back to the students.

“Don’t worry. By tomorrow, everything’ll be back to normal. …Trust me.”

Over his shoulder, Glenn flashed a confident smile at the students.

Leaving them with stunned expressions, he returned to Albert.

“I’m good to go.”

“Hmph…”

The two began walking side by side.

“…You’re surprisingly doing a decent job as a teacher.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that I was worried about the future of the kids stuck learning from you.”

“…That’s harsh, man. Can’t exactly argue, though.”

As they walked through the now-dark, deserted streets, the two traded unfiltered jabs.

Just like when Glenn was still a mage.

“…Still, it’s been a while since we teamed up like this, huh?”

“Hmph. I’d rather not work with you ever again. Every time we do, it’s nothing but trouble.”

Before long, they reached the outskirts of the city.

Before them stretched a dense, sprawling forest.

Unlike the tourist-friendly areas, this was uncharted territory.

“…Shall we? I’m counting on you, partner.”

“Tch, who’re you calling partner? Save that nonsense for your dreams.”

Albert took off like the wind, leaving Glenn behind.

Glenn kicked off the ground and followed.

Leaving the northeastern coastal town, Glenn raced through the dense forest toward the heart of Saineria Island, guided by Albert.

“What’s wrong? You’re slowing down, Glenn.”

“Shut up! I’m still recovering, you jerk!”

Glenn was slightly winded and lagging, but to an onlooker, their movements were breathtaking. They wove through the uneven terrain and dense trees with agile, nimble grace.

They moved like a gust of wind slicing through the forest.

“Hey, Albert, where are we headed?”

As he ran, Glenn called out to Albert’s back.

“If Burks is the mastermind, shouldn’t we be storming the Platinum Magic Research Institute?”

He glanced around while running.

The towering trees stretched endlessly, their gaps filled with darkness that seemed to lead into an abyss. A faint mist hung in the air, making it heavy and damp. The sharp, green scent grew stronger with every step—

“This route feels a bit off… and why take this pathless route when we don’t have to?”

“Idiot. The Platinum Magic Research Institute is a public imperial facility. If they brought a kidnapped princess there, it’d be exposed immediately.”

“Tch… Yeah, yeah, I know! I was just saying!”

“Sure you were.”

Glenn clicked his tongue and pressed further.

“More importantly, you said you know where Rumia is. How?”

“Simple. I enchanted the princess with a spell to emit a magical signal in case I needed to track her. I wove in a powerful concealment formula to mask it.”

“When did you—oh, that time.”

Glenn recalled when Albert, disguised as a flirtatious guy in town, approached Rumia and the others.

“Got it. So we just follow the signal from Rumia—”

“Fool. The enemy’s already detected and dispelled it.”

“Wait, what!? Then we’re screwed!”

Glenn nearly tripped.

“Obviously. Any competent kidnapper would ensure their target can’t be traced magically. That was just a decoy.”

“…Decoy?”

Confused by Albert’s words, Glenn parroted back.

“The real target is Eleanor Charlet.”

“…Eleanor? The one from the Magic Tournament mess… and the one who stalled you earlier, right?”

“Exactly. I planned to take her out then, but she’s no slouch. She got the better of me.”

Albert grimaced in frustration.

“But I didn’t let it end there. During the chaos of that fight, I enchanted her with an even stronger concealment spell than the one on the princess.”

“Damn… You’re thorough.”

The kidnappers must have been smug after detecting and dispelling Rumia’s subtle magical signal. That false sense of security made them less vigilant, a natural human flaw.

“If the signal had only been on Eleanor, or if her hideout was under the organization’s control, it wouldn’t have worked. But Eleanor’s current hideout is unfamiliar territory for her. That makes her guard less absolute. And letting her think she outsmarted me? That played a big part.”

“Wait, you planned this whole thing from the start?”

“Hardly. I just prepare for every possibility and lay multiple contingencies. One happened to pay off. That’s all.”

“…But it still basically went according to your plan, right? You fought Eleanor intending to take her down, while setting up double and triple fail-safes… Man, I never want you as an enemy…”

Glenn’s face twitched with a mix of awe and exasperation.

“So, Rumia’s at the place you’re heading to? What kind of place is it?”

“I had a hunch from tracking discrepancies in the Platinum Magic Research Institute’s funding. It seems they’ve secretly built an underground lab. The signal from Eleanor is coming from underground.”

“Underground!? Even if we know the location, how do we get in!? Don’t tell me we’re searching for an entrance in this forest!? That’s insane!”

Glenn’s voice rose in alarm.

“You really only think clearly when you’re cornered.”

Albert’s eyebrow twitched in exasperation.

“Use your head. You know Burks’ research requires a specific environment, right?”

“Y-Yeah… Like other institutes, it needs ley lines, but platinum alchemy especially needs water, so the institute is full of waterways… Wait, that’s it!”

“Finally caught up? Given the nature of his research, Burks’ secret lab must have underground waterways. We don’t need to politely enter through some heavily guarded, magically hidden entrance in the forest. We can infiltrate via the waterways connected to the lab. With a rough location, a large enough waterway, elevation differences, and ley line conditions, the entry point narrows down naturally.”

At that moment.

The dense forest blocking their path ended, and their view opened wide.

Before them lay a vast lake, surrounded by deep green trees and mountains. Its clear, cold water reflected the silver moon faintly on its mirror-like surface. If it were daytime, the lakeshore would be perfect for fishing or a picnic, but now wasn’t the time.

The two stopped at the shore.

“There should be an entrance to the underground waterway connected to Burks’ secret lab in the southwest of this lake. Following unnatural water currents should lead us to it easily.”

“Alright, guess it’s time for a not-so-romantic lake dip for two guys… Well, lake, not sea.”

They chanted the spell Black Magic [Air Screen].

A spherical membrane of compressed air formed around them. As they stepped into the lake, the water parted around the sphere.

Protected by the air membrane, they vanished into the lake.

After silently exploring the lakebed for a while, Glenn and Albert soon found a horizontal tunnel with unnatural water currents flowing in and out.

With confidence, they proceeded through the rocky tunnel.

They advanced through pitch darkness, guided only by the magical light at their fingertips.

…How long had they walked?

Eventually, they emerged into an unnaturally open underwater space. The surrounding walls were clearly man-made, built with stone blocks. Looking up, they saw the rippling water surface and faint light filtering through.

Adjusting their [Air Screen] spell, they floated up from the lakebed.

“Here we go.”

Emerging from the water, Glenn and Albert leapt onto a nearby walkway.

Looking around, they found themselves in a reservoir-like area. The large pool they’d emerged from was at the center, connected by a maze of waterways and walkways linking various pools of different sizes. Water-loving trees stood here and there, and glowing moss grew in clusters, making the place eerily similar to the Platinum Magic Research Institute.

“…Jackpot.”

“Yeah.”

Now, what to do next?

As Glenn turned to speak with Albert—

“《Heed my call・sharp-eyed and valiant-winged ally》”

Albert was chanting Summoning [Call Familiar].

A hawk appeared from a gate in the void, spreading its wings and perching on Albert’s shoulder.

“I’ll send it ahead as our ‘eyes’—”

Suddenly, Albert fell silent.

“What? What’s wrong?”

As Glenn questioned Albert’s behavior—

“…It’s coming.”

“Huh?”

All of a sudden, a massive surge of water shot toward the ceiling from the waterway ahead, forming a towering column.

“Whoa—!? What the—!?”

Glenn braced himself in a panic, while Albert swiftly leapt back with agile movements.

From the water column emerged a massive, hard silhouette, looming before Glenn.

In a word, it was a crab.

A ridiculously enormous crab, twice the height of a person.

Unlike normal crabs found by rivers or shores, which have a single pair of claws, this monstrous crab had three pairs of vicious-looking claws.

“What is this creature, completely ignoring the structural evolution of biology!?”

With agility that belied its size, the crab swung all its claws down in unison.

“Whoa—!? That was close!”

On the narrow walkway, Glenn cartwheeled, leapt, and darted across the limited footing with precise, agile movements, dodging the crab’s relentless claw strikes.

“Tch!”

Kicking off the walkway to gain distance, Glenn drew the gun from his back as he landed.

With a lightning-fast draw, the gun barrel spun like a whirlwind.

In an instant, a roaring gunshot rang out.

The sharp line of fire zeroed in on the crab’s joint with pinpoint accuracy—

Clang.

A comically metallic sound echoed.

“Yeah, figured. Regular bullets, huh?”

Staring at the unscathed crab, Glenn sighed, eyeing the smoking gun.

He was grateful for the magic gun Penetrator, but he wished they’d brought Eve Kaiser’s special alchemical ammunition. Without that magical gunpowder, this was just a clunky antique gun that took forever to reload.

But—

“Get back, Glenn!”

“Got it!”

At Albert’s shout, Glenn leapt back, as if it had been coordinated.

A claw slammed down where Glenn had been, shattering the stone walkway—

“《Roar, flame lion》!”

Albert chanted Black Magic [Blaze Burst] with a single rune.

A fireball hurled from Albert’s left hand struck the crab.

Swirling flames engulfed it, a pillar of fire scorching the ceiling.

When the flames died down, a perfectly roasted crab remained.

“Whoa, hitting it at point-blank range without catching me in the blast… Your spell control’s as insane as ever.”

“Hmph. And your gun skills haven’t rusted. Good to know.”

“Ha, please. If The Hermit saw me, he’d say a fly could land on my barrel.”

“Maybe. …But your reaction to that surprise attack was definitely slow. Against a real threat, you’d be dead twice over. You’ve gone soft.”

“…Whatever. I’m not a born soldier like you.”

The two traded sharp banter.

But they hadn’t noticed.

Glenn as the vanguard, Albert as the rear guard. Glenn drawing the enemy’s attention, Albert finishing it with a powerful spell… This was the teamwork they’d honed as mages.

Despite a year-long gap, without any discussion, they’d naturally fallen back into that rhythm—and they hadn’t even realized it.

“Anyway…”

Holstering his gun, Glenn looked at the giant crab’s remains.

“What the heck is this thing? A magical beast… but even for one, it defies biological structure too much… which means, as expected…”

“It’s probably a synthetic magical beast—a chimera—once researched for military use. That kind of research has long since been frozen and banned… but either remnants of it remain, or Burks Blaumohn has continued the forbidden chimera weapon research…”

Albert cast an icy glance at the crab’s remains, his eyes devoid of any sentiment.

“Either way, it seems this sector is a disposal site for obsolete chimeras.”

“So, that Burks guy… he’s shadier than we thought, huh?”

At that moment.

Water pillars erupted all over the sector where Glenn and the others stood.

It wasn’t just crabs. Giant squids, fishman-like monstrosities, jelly-like amorphous creatures… a variety of monsters began to appear one after another. Every single one was somehow distorted, a flawed creation.

“Ugh… here comes the whole party…”

With a weary sigh, Glenn eyed the monsters creeping closer.

It seems they’ve pegged Glenn and the others as prey.

“We’re breaking through.”

“Tch, fine, no choice then!”

The two start chanting spells rapidly and dash down the corridor.

“…Kuh… aaah… ngh!?”

Rumia’s pained, feverish cries echo in the laboratory.

Bound by chained shackles, her body is wracked by immense magical energy coursing through her, following the runes of a magical formula. The intense pain torments her relentlessly.

At this moment, Rumia is being forcibly integrated into part of the ‘Project: Revive Life’ ritual, her abilities being used against her will.

“Fwah, fwahaha! Yes… yes, perfect!?”

But Burks, utterly indifferent to Rumia’s suffering, is engrossed in analyzing the flood of data streaming through the spiritual connection to the monolith-shaped magical processor.

“It’s happening! It’s happening! ‘Project: Revive Life’ will be realized today, here, by my hand… Burks Blaumohn’s hand… fwahahahahaha!”

At Rumia’s feet, a magic circle connects directly to another massive one.

At the center, three humanoid figures sealed in ice-crystal pillars stood at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. Countless glowing runes raced across the pillars, obscuring their contents, though faint shadows hinted the figures were girls.

The integration of the humanoid figures, ‘Alter Ether,’ and ‘Astral Code’—theoretically impossible to synthesize—had just been completed. All that remained was fine-tuning the figures and awakening their consciousness.

“As expected of Burks-san, your skill is remarkable.”

The blue-haired young man praised Burks outwardly, but inwardly, he was cold as ice.

(Hmph. I handed him the entire formula I created… of course he’d pull this off, yet he’s acting so smug…)

The young man glances around at the equipment, lost in thought.

(Well, fine… the ritual equipment needed for ‘Project: Revive Life’ is indeed his. I’ll make full use of it… he’s just a stepping stone for me anyway. Let him bask in his victory for now…)

Then, the young man turns his gaze to Re=L.

Re=L stands in a corner, her back to Rumia. Her small hands and shoulders tremble faintly, clenched tightly. Each time Rumia lets out a pained cry, her fragile frame flinches. She refuses to even glance at the ritual.

“Re=L… you okay?”

The young man offers words of concern.

“…”

But Re=L remains silent, ignoring him.

(Tch, what a pain… this works in my favor for now, but if she stays like this, I don’t know how useful she’ll be moving forward… my ‘little sister,’ so pathetic…)

With a light sigh, the young man turns back to the ritual’s center.

There, the three humanoid figures, now sealed in crystal pillars, stand completed.

He gazes at them with a tender, almost loving expression.

(But that’ll be resolved soon. Just a little longer, and my own ‘power’ will be mine… I won’t let Burks take the credit!)

A faint, twisted smirk curls at the corner of the young man’s lips… when suddenly.

A distant rumble, like an earthquake, reverberates through the facility.

“What’s that!?”

Burks halts his work, roaring in anger.

At that moment, Eleanor appears at the entrance to the ritual chamber.

“I just confirmed with farsight magic… intruders.”

“What!? Impossible! How did they find this place!? It can’t be—”

“…Hm?”

For some reason, Eleanor begins running her fingers over her body.

When her fingers reach her cheek, she pauses.

“Oh my… was it during that close-quarters fight when I got punched…? I let my guard down.”

With a soft chuckle, Eleanor gives a radiant smile.

“As expected of Albert-sama, ace of the Imperial Court Mage Corps’ Special Missions Annex [Star]… I thought I’d outsmarted him, but it seems I was the one outplayed. Well done.”

Her expression is bitter, yet tinged with a hint of delight as she murmurs.

“W-What does that mean, Eleanor-dono!?”

“Who knows? Regardless, the enemy force consists of two: Albert-sama, the ace of the Imperial Court Mage Corps’ Special Missions Annex, and Glenn-sama, a magic instructor at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.”

“…!?”

“…Sen…sei…?”

“Glenn…? No way, he’s still alive…?”

Re=L, Rumia, and the blue-haired young man react to Glenn’s name.

“…Sensei…! Thank goodness! I knew—”

Rumia’s expression, previously shadowed with despair, brightens instantly. Her face glows with hope, as if everything has been saved, despite her dire situation.

In contrast, Eleanor and Burks’ expressions grow increasingly grim.

“The ritual still needs time to complete. If they reach this room before then, they could ruin everything. What shall we do?”

“Kuh… damn those government dogs…!”

Trembling with rage, Burks clings to the monolith processor, chanting spells and manipulating it with swift finger movements.

Runes race across the stone tablet’s surface…

“Fine! According to the data, they’re still in the fourth sector, far from this central control room. That makes it easy to deal with them! My creations will tear them apart!”

Burks rapidly etches runes onto the monolith’s surface.

Triggered by the glowing runes, countless others flood the surface, streaming frantically from top to bottom, left to right.

“Creations?”

“Heh heh, that sector holds countless chimeras I’ve created, all sealed away. I’ll release their seals and sic them on those intruders!”

With a twisted sneer, Burks makes his final adjustments.

“There… go, my masterpieces…!”

Even Eleanor lets out a small sigh at Burks’ unwavering confidence in his victory.

“If I may be so bold, I highly doubt those things can stop those two… especially Albert-sama.”

“Those things, you say…?”

Burks’ face flushes with anger.

“Eleanor-dono… are you doubting my chimera-crafting skills?”

“No, not at all… But Albert-sama is the ace of the Imperial Court Mage Corps—the highest-class mage in the imperial army. And even Glenn-sama is a former mage…”

“Hmph. What’s a mage? Mages are just brainless fools who only use magic for war. They’re no match for a true sage and magician like me.”

“…”

“Just watch.”

“Very well… I’ll observe leisurely then.”

With a bright smile.

Eleanor beams innocently, as if watching a spectacle.

They’re coming.

—Closing in.

“ROOOOAAAAAR!”

A wide, high-ceilinged corridor stretches endlessly ahead.

From its depths, a massive lion with bat-like wings charges at Glenn and Albert with ferocious killing intent.

Its sleek muscles brim with overwhelming power. Its physical abilities, dynamic vision, and reflexes far surpass human limits, an utterly abnormal existence—

Yet Glenn and Albert don’t slow their fierce sprint.

They race toward it, the distance shrinking exponentially.

A few seconds until contact—

At that moment, Albert chants.

“《O lightning spear》!”

A piercing bolt of lightning—Black Magic [Lightning Pierce].

Two streaks of lightning, cast with Double Cast, tear through the air, aimed straight at the lion monster.

But the enemy is no slouch.

The lion dodges the first bolt aimed at its feet with a leap, then kicks off the wall to evade the second bolt aimed at its jump—

And in one fluid motion, it pounces at Albert from midair.

Still, Albert doesn’t stop running, even as sharp claws and fangs close in—

“《O fierce thunder emperor・with aurora’s piercing spear・strike through》—!”

Glenn’s [Lightning Pierce], completed late due to its three-phrase chant.

A bolt of lightning from Glenn’s fingertip pierces the monster’s forehead midair.

“—GAH!”

With a heavy thud.

The monster slams into the floor with tremendous force, bouncing.

Glenn and Albert nimbly leap over the monster’s tumbling body, continuing their sprint.

Their speed doesn’t falter for a moment. They don’t even glance back.

“Man, it’s been one big show after another… how many of these things do we have to take down…?”

“Quit yapping. Thirty paces ahead, thirty behind. Four each. They’re coming.”

The instant Albert’s sharp warning rings out.

The walls ahead and behind the two running down the corridor suddenly open like doors, and something emerges in droves.

Humanoid creatures made of leaves and vines—plant-like monsters.

As announced, four ahead, four behind. A pincer attack.

“…”

Albert silently turns to face the rear—

“Alright, here we go—”

Leaving Albert behind, Glenn charges forward, chanting.

“《I・from the yoke of time・shall be freed》”

Black Magic [Time Accelerate].

An instant enchantment that accelerates the user’s personal flow of time, explosively boosting their movement speed.

With Glenn’s skill, he can only maintain it for two or three seconds—

But with a sudden lurch, Glenn’s form blurs, accelerating so fast he seems to vanish.

He plunges straight into the midst of the vine monsters.

The vine creatures frantically extend their tendrils to seize Glenn—

“Too slow—!”

To Glenn, the tendrils, whipping toward him from all directions with guttural groans, seem painfully sluggish.

In a monochrome world—color drained by the enchantment’s side effect—Glenn twists to dodge the creeping tendrils, leaps to avoid them, evading every single one.

“RAAAAAAAH—!”

He lands a left jab followed by a right straight, blasting the vine humanoid in front of him away.

He counters a vine humanoid lunging from the right with a left high spinning kick.

He grabs a vine humanoid lunging from the left, trips it, and hurls it into the one behind—

But none of these are decisive blows.

The vine humanoids quickly recover and close in on Glenn—

“—Ngh…”

Time’s up. The enchantment’s effect expires.

As Glenn’s speed returns to normal—no, slows drastically—the vine humanoids’ movements become too fast for his eyes to track.

Black Magic [Time Accelerate] creates a contradiction between the world’s time and Glenn’s, and per the Second Law of Magic, his time must now slow to balance the accelerated period.

Naturally, this creates a fatal opening—

“SHAAAAA—!”

The vine humanoids now attack at speeds Glenn can no longer follow.

Glenn’s Mana Biorhythm, thrown into chaos by the spell, leaves him defenseless—

But.

With a deafening roar.

A wall of flame with overwhelming heat surges along the floor, shielding Glenn from the vine humanoids.

The ferocious blaze scorches the ceiling.

The vine humanoids, charging into the searing wall of fire, are incinerated to ash in an instant.

Black Magic [Flare Cliff].

A military-grade offensive-defensive spell that deploys a freely manipulable wall of flame.

Naturally, it’s Albert’s magic.

“Let’s go.”

Albert, catching up from behind, overtakes Glenn and presses forward.

Behind him, as expected, lie four piles of incinerated ash.

Glenn, his time balance restored, chases after Albert.

“You idiot! Your follow-up was way too slow! Trying to get me killed!?”

That’s Glenn’s first remark as he catches up to Albert.

“You’re the one who rushed too far ahead. If you want to die, do it on your own.”

Albert’s response is predictably icy.

The corridor ends at a T-junction.

Albert veers right without hesitation, and Glenn follows silently.

“To begin with, only an idiot like you in the entire imperial army would willingly use a suicidal spell like [Time Accelerate]. Spare a thought for me, having to keep up with you.”

“What’s the big deal? If you time it right, it’s pretty handy and strong, isn’t it?”

“Hmph… why are you always so compatible with these unnecessarily quirky spells?”

“What’s that supposed to mean…?”

“You can barely handle the standard three elemental assault spells properly, yet here you are. It’s baffling.”

Albert sighs in exasperation, his expression stern.

Perhaps he’s recalling old times.

“How should I know! I’d rather have learned easier, more straightforward spells myself!”

As they bicker, a massive gelatinous inorganic creature, large enough to fill the corridor, forms a wall with its body and advances toward them.

Inside its translucent form are human skeletons—likely victims or prey—embedded in droves.

“It’s because you’re such a heretic that I’m always the one suffering.”

Albert curses Glenn while activating Black Magic [Ice Blizzard], pre-chanted and stored.

A freezing blizzard roars through the corridor, instantly encasing the gelatinous creature in ice.

And—

“Oh, is that so? My bad—”

At the same time, Glenn grumbles, casually drawing his gun, aiming, and pulling the trigger.

With the gunshot, a fiery streak flashes.

The bullet embeds in the frozen gelatinous creature with a crack.

In the next instant, the frozen creature shatters like glass, breaking apart.

Glenn and Albert leap over the fragments, speeding through without slowing—as if the creature were beneath their notice.

More magical beasts’ presences close in.

But—

“They’re not stopping, are they?”

At Eleanor’s teasing words, Burks trembles with clenched fists.

“Damn those guys…!”

The monolith processor’s surface streams with data on the dismal combat results of his prized chimeras.

Witnessing this, Burks slams his fist against the monolith in frustration.

“Fine… that was just a warm-up! If they fell to that, it wouldn’t be any fun for us! Time to greet them with my true masterpieces…!”

With bloodshot eyes, Burks manipulates the monolith processor—

“Fuh, fwahaha! This one’s incredible!? A gem beast crafted from gathered magical ores! No three-element assault spell can touch it, nor can any weapon harm it—unless it’s mithril or orichalcum! Fwahahahaha—!”

Eleanor watches Burks with evident amusement.

“Th-This one… might be a bit heavy, huh?”

Glenn mutters, his cheek twitching involuntarily.

As Glenn and his group break through the corridor and enter the large chamber, what awaits them is —

“UOOOOOOOOOON…”

A colossal turtle-like monster—so massive they had to look up to take in its full form.

Most of its body was composed of translucent, gem-like material.

“A Gem Beast, huh? I’d heard that, in the past, the Empire secretly conducted research on synthetic magical beasts—Chimeras—and this was theoretically designed as their ultimate masterpiece…”

“What’s its deal?”

“Most offensive spells—Assault Spells—barely work on it. Plus, it’s insanely tough.”

“…That’s a royal pain in the ass, isn’t it?”

At that moment.

“UOOOOOOOOOON…”

The giant turtle reared up on its hind legs and swung its mighty arm down toward Glenn and Albert as if collapsing forward.

“Whoa—!?”

“…Tch.”

In an instant, Glenn and Albert split left and right.

A split second later, the turtle’s arm slammed into the spot where they’d been standing, shaking the entire facility.

“UOOOOOOOOOO—!”

As the turtle let out a roar, the gems embedded in its body began to crackle with intense electricity.

Seeing the turtle generate lightning right before his eyes, Glenn paled.

“Oh, crap—”

Panicking, Glenn dashed toward Albert.

“《O Wall of Light》”

In a calm, composed tone, Albert chanted the Black Magic [Force Shield] spell.

A magical barrier adorned with a honeycomb pattern of glowing hexagons instantly deployed in front of Albert.

The next moment.

A deafening thunderclap erupted, and countless bolts of blinding lightning danced chaotically through the room, overwhelming their vision.

Yet, Albert’s barrier effortlessly blocked the lightning—

“Hyaaa—! That was close! Made it just in time!”

Sliding in behind Albert with a skid, Glenn wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“UOOOOOOOOOO—!”

Once again, the turtle unleashed a barrage of lightning.

“Tch—”

Albert clicked his tongue softly, maintaining the barrier and continuing to block the lightning.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!”

Flashing auroras. Exploding auroras. Raging auroras.

The turtle kept firing lightning—again and again, relentlessly.

In response, Albert poured more mana into the barrier, reinforcing it further.

“H-Hey… you holding up okay?”

“It’s stronger than expected. I can’t keep taking hits like this. [Force Shield] consumes a lot of mana, so we’ll eventually be overwhelmed. That said, [Tri-Resist] wouldn’t withstand this kind of power either—well, then.”

Despite the seemingly dire situation, with them on the defensive, Albert’s tone remained calm, as if he were playing a game of chess with a clear path to victory.

“Do it, Glenn.”

“Yeah, I get it, but…”

Glenn replied with a grimace.

“If I pull that off, I won’t have much left in the tank…”

“No need to worry. Just do it.”

Albert stated matter-of-factly.

“!”

For a moment, Glenn blinked in surprise.

“…Got it.”

Then, with a sly grin, he nodded.

Glenn had no idea what Albert was thinking.

But if Albert said there was no need to worry…

Then that’s how it’d be.

(Sure, he’s a smug bastard, but this guy’s never been wrong about stuff like this…)

Steeling himself, Glenn reached into his pocket and pulled out a certain item—

Meanwhile, Burks’ excitement was at its peak as he watched the scene unfold on the crystal wall displaying the room.

“Fuhahahaha! Look at that pathetic, one-sided defense!”

As Burks boasted, the magical beast’s presence was utterly overwhelming.

The storm of lightning seemed limitless, as if it could reduce Glenn and Albert to ash in mere moments.

“Sensei…”

“Glenn…”

Rumia and Re=L stared intently at Glenn and Albert’s struggle.

“See that, Eleanor?! This is the power of my magic!”

Burks turned to Eleanor, brimming with pride.

Eleanor simply smiled serenely—

“《I am the one who slays gods—》…”

Glenn flicked a small crystal upward, catching it in his left hand before clapping his right palm against his left fist.

“《I am the one who knows the origin and the end—》…”

Slowly—deliberately slowly—

Glenn focused his mana, concentrating deeply, weaving each phrase of the incantation with care.

As he chanted, three ring-shaped magic circles formed around his left fist—vertical, horizontal, and diagonal—interlocking like gears, gradually accelerating as they spun—

“《Return to the cycle of providence—》…”

At that moment.

“—OOOOOOO…”

Perhaps sensing a threat to its life instinctively,

the Gem Beast abandoned its pattern of recklessly firing lightning and began lumbering toward Glenn, the ground trembling with each step.

But then—

“《Roar sharply, O Flame Lion》—《Roar》! 《Roar》!”

An improvised spell modification.

Albert cast Black Magic [Blaze Burst], channeling its explosive force in a single direction and chaining the spell several times.

Three fireballs shot toward the turtle’s feet, detonating on impact.

The damage was negligible, but the concentrated physical shockwave, focused in one direction, gradually pushed the massive turtle backward—

“Stay back, monster. Just stand there and recite some holy verses or something.”

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!”

Infuriated by the interference, the turtle roared and unleashed another wave of lightning.

“Hmph. A one-trick pony. Just a beast, after all—《O Wall of Light》.”

Albert swiftly raised his arm, deploying another barrier.

The lightning and shockwaves clashed against the barrier, the blinding light flickering across the room—

All the while,

“《That which is formed of the five elements shall return to the five elements・the bonds weaving form and reason shall diverge—》”

Glenn’s incantation continued to build.

“《All phenomena of creation must scatter and perish—》”

And then—

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

The incantation was complete.

In that instant, the three rapidly spinning ring-shaped magic circles around Glenn’s outstretched left palm expanded and spread forward.

At the same time.

“…Hmph.”

With a soft flutter,

Albert had somehow landed behind Glenn—

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!”

The turtle charged toward Glenn, its body crackling with intense electricity as it prepared to unleash another lightning strike—

“Get lost, you worthless trash.”

In the next moment, a massive shockwave of light shot forward, piercing through the center of the three aligned ring-shaped magic circles.

The beam of light struck true, engulfing the Gem Beast—

Within the overwhelming torrent of light, the beast’s form gradually blurred—

Like a sandcastle washed away by a river’s current, it crumbled backward—

—Annihilation. Silence.

As the blinding light that had seared their vision slowly faded,

the Gem Beast’s massive body was left with a gaping, spherical chunk carved out, forcing it to cease all activity—

“…It seems they’ve broken through.”

 

Eleanor let out a soft chuckle, directed at a stunned Burks.

“…N-No… That’s impossible!”

Burks’ face flushed red, trembling at the unbelievable sight before him.

“Modified Black Magic [Extinction Ray]—!? That’s a spell created by that wretch Celica Arfonia decades ago, practically an Original Magic! I’ve never heard of anyone else wielding it! Just who is that man!?”

“Please calm yourself, Burks-sama. For a mage, hiding a trump card is the most basic tactic. If anything, forcing Glenn-sama to use such a terrifying spell could be seen as a victory in itself.”

Eleanor spoke in a composed tone, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice.

“More importantly, Burks-sama, what shall we do? Now that they’ve breached that section, the central control room is just a stone’s throw away. We must act swiftly.”

“I know that already!”

Irritated, Burks turned to the blue-haired youth.

“Hey, you there!”

“…Yes? Do you need something from me?”

“I’m leaving the fine-tuning of the remaining ritual to you! Even you should be able to handle that much, right?”

“I can, but… what are you going to do, Burks-san?”

“Hmph! I’ll personally crush those government war dogs. I’ll teach those talentless fools who only use magic for war the true power of a mage! Eleanor, you’re coming with me!”

“As you command, Burks-sama.”

With that, Burks stormed out of the room, shoulders tense with rage, Eleanor in tow.

Left behind were the blue-haired youth, Re=L, and Rumia.

“Well, then… I guess I’d better get serious…”

A sinister smile crept across the youth’s face.

…

……

“Tch. Those damned government dogs… How dare they set foot in my castle…! Infuriating!”

Burks stormed through the dim corridor, visibly seething.

Behind him,

(…Now, what should I do?)

Eleanor mused quietly behind her icy smile.

If things continued this way, she’d have to face both Albert and Glenn—two formidable mages.

Albert, the ace of the Imperial Court Mage Corps, [The Star].

And Glenn, a former Imperial Court Mage, [The Fool].

…Honestly, a troublesome duo.

Their individual skills were impressive enough, but their coordination was almost too perfect.

(On our side, we have myself and—)

She glanced briefly at the figure ahead.

“What even is that Glenn Radars guy!? A measly third-rank, third-rate mage…!? To think a sublime mage, a seeker of wisdom, would use something as crude and vile as a gun—a toy! He’s a disgrace to mages! I can’t let him live! [Fool’s World]? [Extinction Ray]? Getting cocky with such trash-tier spells…!”

(…Sigh. Honestly, he’s beyond reasoning with…)

Eleanor could only offer a wry smile.

Albert was strong.

But Eleanor felt Glenn was the more troublesome of the two.

(That trap I once set for the queen… He neutralized it with that Original Magic, [Fool’s World]… I still haven’t grasped its full nature, but…)

Most likely, her magic was a terrible match against Glenn’s in a direct confrontation.

As a mage, Glenn seemed far beneath her level—but there was always that slim chance… that “what if.”

(…That what if is quite the problem.)

For the sake of the organization… for the sake of the Grandmaster, she’d spare nothing, not even her life. If the Grandmaster ordered her to die, she’d do so gladly. That was Eleanor’s pride.

(…Hehe, after all, I already died back then…)

But Eleanor hadn’t yet fulfilled her purpose here at the institute.

Thus, she needed to remain here a bit longer.

She couldn’t afford to die, not even by that slim chance… for the sake of her beloved Grandmaster.

So, what to do?

(No choice, then… It may be a tad premature, but…)

Quietly,

Eleanor pointed at Burks’ back as he walked ahead—

And softly chanted a spell.

……

…

“Haa… haa… haa…”

Struggling against the intense exhaustion and weakness from the spell’s aftereffects, Glenn breathed heavily.

“Ugh…”

His hands trembled. His body felt frozen. Nauseating sweat poured like a waterfall.

Naturally, it was mana deficiency from overconsuming his magical reserves.

Glenn couldn’t fully control the Modified Black Magic [Extinction Ray]. He was merely using a trick Celica had taught him—a faint glimmer of the spell’s true power, like light leaking from a sheathed blade.

As Glenn fought the soul-draining emptiness left after casting the spell,

“Good work, Glenn.”

Albert tossed something to him with a curt gesture.

“…What’s this?”

Catching it and examining it closely, Glenn’s eyes widened.

A magic crystal—a gem filled with reserve mana.

“Use it. My mana isn’t compatible with yours, but resting a bit should help.”

For a mage living by combat, a magic crystal filled with their own reserve mana was a lifeline. Storing mana in a crystal was a time-consuming and laborious task, even for top-tier mages.

The fact that Albert would casually toss one to someone else left Glenn stunned—

(…Can’t exactly hide my surprise. Oh, right, this guy’s always been like that.)

Glenn tightly gripped the magic crystal.

(He acts like a cold-blooded efficiency freak, but he’s got this weird sense of loyalty… What a strange guy…)

As the mana from the crystal flowed into him, the agony of mana deficiency began to ease.

“…I’ll take it with thanks.”

“Say that before you use it.”

With their usual banter, Glenn shakily stood up.

“…Haa… haa… So, are we out of enemies for now?”

“Looks like it.”

Albert scanned their surroundings warily, waiting for Glenn’s breathing to stabilize.

And then.

“…Let’s move.”

“Yeah.”

The two exited the room through the far door, heading down a dark, narrow corridor.

After walking for a while, I suddenly emerged into an open space.

“What is this place…?”

It seemed like some sort of storage facility.

The vast, dimly lit room resembled a grand hall. The crystal-shaped light sources—magical illumination devices—installed sporadically on the floor, walls, and high ceiling were heavily dimmed, making it hard to see the ground beneath my feet. Countless glass cylinders filled with a mysterious liquid stood in orderly rows, stretching endlessly.

Each glass cylinder was connected by cords to what looked like heaps of junk-like magical devices scattered around the room, and those devices were currently humming with a low, continuous sound as they operated.

“…What the heck is this?”

Suddenly, Glenn noticed something spherical floating inside one of the glass cylinders.

The dim surroundings made it difficult to discern the contents of the cylinder clearly.

Casually, Glenn approached the cylinder and peered inside—

—and in that instant, he regretted it deeply, wishing he had never looked.

“This is…!?”

He instinctively pressed a hand to his mouth, suppressing the nausea that surged within him.

A chilling dread made his spine crawl, and a wave of clammy, sickening sweat broke out across his entire body.

“…!”

Even Albert’s expression hardened, growing more stern than usual.

Floating in the mysterious liquid inside the glass cylinder… was a human brain.

“W-What the hell is this!?”

Upon closer inspection, the neighboring cylinder was the same. The one next to it, too. And the one next to that as well.

Human brains, extracted and displayed like specimens, lined up endlessly—

—No, these were indeed specimens.

Human specimens. A grotesque, blasphemous act that was horrifying to behold or even hear of.

While Glenn stood stunned and speechless before them, Albert paid him no mind.

“…‘Sympathetic Amplifier’… ‘Bioelectric Ability User’… ‘Pyrokinetic Ability User’…”

Albert walked past the rows of glass cylinders, his footsteps echoing softly, reading the labels attached to each one in a detached, monotonous tone.

“…Every cylinder is labeled with an ability name. Additionally, there’s a subject number and some basic ability data… In other words, these are the remains of ‘Ability Users,’ aren’t they?”

Saying this, Albert stopped and cast a sharp gaze at the rows of glass cylinders.

“It seems that far more horrific experiments have been conducted here than we could have imagined.”

“What the—Burks, that bastard, is pure evil, isn’t he!? Is this something a human would do!?”

As Glenn trembled with fists clenched in rage, his insides boiling with fury, Albert spoke.

“Most likely, he doesn’t consider Ability Users to be human.”

“What!?”

Glenn turned back to Albert in shock at his calm, cold words.

“In public, he never showed the slightest hint of such an attitude… but according to internal investigations, Burks Blaumohn is a vehement ‘Ability Hater’… a textbook Ability Discriminator.”

Abilities.

A term referring to the rare, innate superpowers some individuals are born with.

Unlike magic, which anyone can learn through study, Abilities can only be used by those born as Ability Users—many of which possess powers that modern magic cannot replicate.

Whether out of envy or jealousy toward powers they can never possess, many magicians harbor hatred for Ability Users. Many ordinary people, out of ignorance, also shun them.

“Don’t screw with me…! Magic and Abilities are pretty much the same thing, aren’t they!?”

“…No need to shout now. Traditionally, in this country, for some reason, magic is an object of ‘awe’—while Abilities are an object of ‘disgust.’ They may seem similar, but their meanings are entirely different. The former can serve as a shield, securing a firm social status, while the latter is always a target of discrimination and persecution.”

Glenn suddenly recalled Rumia.

Rumia was an Ability User known as a ‘Sympathetic Amplifier,’ and for that reason alone, she had been hysterically erased from existence by the royal family.

“Thanks to Queen Alicia VII’s consciousness reform policies, attitudes among the younger generation are starting to shift… but fundamentally, that’s the deep-rooted, widespread belief among the empire’s citizens. Admittedly, it’s an extremely warped, unnatural, and utterly infuriating state of affairs.”

Albert, usually as cool as ice, spoke with a rare hint of irritation.

“As you said, to the untrained eye, magic and Abilities don’t seem all that different. A layman wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Yet, for some reason, that’s how it is in this country. In local spirit worship or indigenous religions, Ability Users are sometimes even revered as objects of faith. So, is there a reason for this—or did someone orchestrate it to be this way?”

“Tch… That doesn’t matter right now!”

Glenn scanned his surroundings, his expression wavering between desperate hope and silent prayer.

Then.

Glenn suddenly noticed ‘it.’

‘It’ was at the very back of the rows of glass cylinders.

Suspended in a liquid-filled cylinder, ‘it’ still retained a human shape—

Driven by impulse, Glenn sprinted toward ‘it.’

“Albert, look! She’s still alive! We have to help her—quick!”

But abruptly, Glenn halted his steps and swallowed the words he was about to say.

The ‘it’ floating in the glass cylinder was a young girl, barely older than a child. Her age didn’t seem much different from the students in Glenn’s class.

However, her arms and legs had been severed, her body connected to countless tubes, magically kept ‘alive.’ She had been completely stripped of the ability to survive independently as a living being. If released from this device, she wouldn’t last a few minutes.

This girl was, in every sense, ‘finished.’ She no longer functioned as a biological entity. Her body merely showed faint signs of life… but she had long since ‘died.’

(…This is cruel. How could something like this…!)

Overwhelmed by unbearable sadness and anger, Glenn clenched his fists so tightly it felt like his bones might shatter.

Glenn had let his guard down. The peaceful days with his students at the magic academy had been so comforting, he’d forgotten—

That’s right—magic could sometimes be this cruel, this barbaric, capable of such atrocities without a second thought. That’s why he had grown disillusioned with magic and—

“…………”

Even in this state, the girl seemed to retain a faint trace of consciousness, as she stirred slightly.

Her vacant eyes met Glenn’s, who stood frozen in shock.

The girl’s lips moved weakly.

K-I-L-L M-E. Though Glenn wasn’t confident in his lip-reading skills, he understood this unfamiliar girl’s wish with perfect clarity.

At that moment.

“‘Let it be inscribed, I am the one who speaks the will of the great Lord’”

Albert’s resonant voice shattered the silence.

“‘Thou shalt heed the Lord’s will through my words and entrust thy spirit to the Lord. Thus, thou shalt find eternal peace…’”

Albert approached slowly, forming a holy sign before him and chanting sacred verses.

“H-Hey… Albert…?”

“‘Fear not death, for death is not the end but the cry that heralds the birth of the beginning. This world is but a fleeting dream within the cycle, and thou need only call the Lord’s name thrice. Thus, thou shalt be freed from the heavy yoke of burdens, thy sins accumulated in life forgiven and cleansed under the Lord’s name—’”

Standing before the girl, Albert pointed at her with his left hand.

“‘Now, thy spirit shall gain wings of freedom to embark on the journey of reincarnation, and the gate to eternal tranquility shall open equally before thy heart—may blessings be upon thy soul’”

Though a mage, Albert was, for some reason, also a certified priest.

Glenn understood what Albert was about to do.

But he didn’t stop him. He couldn’t stop him.

Even if he stopped him, what could he do? What salvation could he possibly offer this girl?

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he mastered magic, no matter how desperately he reached out… there were those who would slip through his fingers, those he couldn’t save.

…It was hopeless. Utterly hopeless.

“‘Fua Lan (Truly, may it be thus….)’”

With the final holy verse, Albert activated a pre-chanted [Lightning Pierce].

A bolt of lightning flashed through the darkness, piercing the girl’s heart with unerring precision through the glass cylinder—

—snuffing out the pitiful girl’s life in an instant, without even giving her time to feel pain.

“…Hmph, what a priest I turned out to be.”

Albert muttered with a hint of self-mockery.

“…Do you scorn me?”

As he stood before the leaking cylinder, offering a silent prayer, Albert asked Glenn in his usual unchanging tone.

“…Don’t get me wrong. I feel bad for dumping such a nasty role on you… I mean… there’s no way I could’ve done it myself…”

“…………”

A helpless sentiment hung between the two… when suddenly.

“You bastards!? What have you done to my precious experimental materials!?”

An out-of-place, indignant shout echoed through the room.

“Burks Blaumohn!”

There, at the entrance on the far side of the cylinder rows, Burks had appeared.

“You wretches! Do you even comprehend how magically valuable the sample you just destroyed was!? You ignorant mutts! I’ll never forgive you!”

“Hey, you…”

Glenn glanced at Burks with a ghostly expression.

“I know it’s probably pointless to ask, but… what do you think of the people you’ve carved up and turned into specimens? Don’t you feel even a shred of guilt?”

“Hah? Guilt? What nonsense.”

Burks looked at Glenn as if he were an utter fool.

“They had the privilege of sacrificing themselves for me, a great magician! They should be grateful. Honestly, most of them were utterly useless… but!”

Burks shamelessly declared, then began trembling with rage.

“Just when I thought I’d found a sample that might actually be useful, you lot ruined it… Enough is enough! You fools who can’t even grasp a fragment of magic’s sublime nature… To hell with you!”

“Oh, yeah, I get it now. You’re the real deal.”

Glenn was calmly seething with rage. He wanted to punch his past self a million times for ever thinking, even briefly, that this guy was a decent person.

“A genuine piece of scum—”

Acting on impulse, Glenn reached for the gun hidden behind his back—

“Wait, Glenn. I’ll handle this guy.”

Albert grabbed Glenn’s shoulder, stopping him. Though his usual icy calm remained, the hand gripping Glenn’s shoulder held an unusual strength.

“…Albert?”

Albert’s gaze, fixed on Burks, was sharper than ever, chilling even to Glenn.

“You’re going to convince Re=L, right? We don’t know what lies ahead. Save your gun and Original Magic, and move forward.”

“That’s not like you. ‘Avoid one-on-one magic battles whenever possible, always outnumber the enemy’—your words, right?”

“Exactly. But the situation’s changed.”

Albert’s tone was as flat as ever.

“With Eleanor Charlet on the enemy’s side, they already know about your Original Magic. For him to face us alone like this, he must be confident. A prolonged fight with Burks is inevitable.”

“Then all the more—”

“Time’s precious. It’s unlikely, but we can’t rule out the possibility that, right now, the princess is being turned into something like that.”

“!”

The gruesome images of the Ability Users turned into specimens flashed through Glenn’s mind.

“The princess’s life is our top priority, above even our own. Besides, you’re likely the best match against Eleanor. Since Re=L isn’t here, this setup is ironclad. No objections.”

“I’m counting on your support.”

The moment Glenn responded to Albert’s words, he bolted.

His target: the room’s exit behind Burks.

Without a trace of hesitation or doubt, he ran straight ahead—

“Fool! You make a perfect target! 《Fierce Thunder Emperor—”

“《Nobly roar, Flame Lion》!”

Before Burks could finish chanting a spell to intercept Glenn, Albert had already cast Black Magic [Blaze Burst] with a two-rune incantation.

“—!? Impossible!? [Blaze Burst] from that position!? Are you trying to hit your own ally—!?”

Panicking at the incoming fireball, Burks hurriedly cast Black Magic [Force Shield].

Glenn, unperturbed by the fireball closing in from behind, kept running without slowing—

The fireball struck the floor and exploded.

In an instant, a storm of flames swirled, engulfing Burks and Glenn.

“—Gaaahhh!?”

No. The spreading flames swallowed only Burks.

The raging inferno inexplicably parted around Glenn with precise calculation, surging wildly.

Ignoring Burks, trapped behind a magical barrier, Glenn leisurely reached the room’s exit and vanished in an instant.

Eventually, the pillar of flame scorching the ceiling subsided as if it had never been—

“Ho… To perfectly control an indiscriminate high-power spell with just a single improvised rune addition… Not bad for a mutt.”

Canceling Black Magic [Force Shield], Burks smirked arrogantly.

“…………”

Albert glared at Burks with the piercing eyes of a hawk targeting its prey.

The battlefield had shifted to a one-on-one standoff between Burks and Albert.

“But you must be overestimating your own power… In the end, a war dog’s shallow tricks are mere child’s play before the true mysteries wielded by a real magician.”

“—《Thunder Spear》”

As if to say he had no time for Burks’ nonsense, Albert pointed at him and cast Black Magic [Lightning Pierce].

“Hmph, how crude… 《Dissipate》!”

Burks instantly countered, casting Black Magic [Tri-Banish].

The bolt of lightning speeding toward him was nullified in the void, its magical remnants scattering like petals.

At the same time.

With a thud, Burks plunged a metal syringe he’d somehow produced into his neck. Before anyone could stop him, he pressed the plunger down.

“…?”

Albert braced himself, wary of Burks’ strange action, as Burks spoke.

“Curious? Heh, this is… a product of mysteries beyond the comprehension of dogs like you, who can only use magic for destruction.”

At that moment, a change overtook Burks’ body.

Suddenly, his muscles began to bulge. The already robust physique of the middle-aged Burks swelled unnaturally, his body visibly brimming with overwhelming power—

“…!”

Seeing Albert stiffen slightly with widened eyes, Burks let out an intoxicated, triumphant laugh.

“Fuhahaha! Can you grasp the magnificence of this!? Do you understand what’s happening to me right now? If I presented this discovery to the magical society—”

“Noisy. Shut up.”

Albert activated a pre-chanted [Lightning Pierce] with a double cast.

Two flashes of lightning tore through the darkness.

In an instant, they struck Burks’ head and heart with unerring precision.

—But.

“It doesn’t work, it doesn’t work…”

Burks merely staggered back slightly.

The holes in his head and chest began to close with a creaking sound.

“《Roar, Flame Lion》!”

Witnessing this, Albert leaped backward while chanting another spell.

Flames erupted. A whirlwind of explosive force. A raging wave of heat.

This time, Burks’ left arm was blown off—

“What… Did you do something?”

But even that regenerated at an unbelievable speed, bones forming, flesh growing, knitting back together.

Then, without chanting a spell, Burks let out a focused grunt.

“—!”

His right arm suddenly burst into fierce flames.

(—A pre-chanted fire-based assault spell?)

But there had been no setup for such a spell activation.

Albert began to cast Black Magic [Tri-Banish] to nullify it—(No, that’s not it. This heat—)

In that instant, a band of fire surged from Burks’ arm, rushing toward Albert—

(Far beyond what a C-rank pre-chanted spell could produce. Likely a B-rank spell class—)

Clicking his tongue, Albert canceled the Black Magic [Tri-Banish] he’d started.

If his reading was correct, this flame couldn’t be nullified.

(Will I make it—)

Albert rapidly chanted another spell—

And at the same time, the raging inferno swallowed him whole.

A pillar of fire rose. The surrounding glass cylinders melted under the violent roar of heat.

Burks’ overwhelming firepower turned the area into a sea of flames in an instant—

“Ho? You withstood it?”

Spotting a shadow within the raging inferno, Burks snorted in displeasure.

“Tch… You war dogs are always so good at petty tricks.”

“…………”

Albert’s figure stood beyond a magical barrier shaped in a hexagonal honeycomb pattern.

Black Magic [Force Shield]. This barrier blocked all external attacks.

“But I can do this too, you know?”

Burks glared at Albert and raised his hand.

Then.

The flames that had been raging so fiercely around Albert vanished in an instant…

Seeing this, Albert shouted a spell in a split-second reaction.

“《O raging winds》!”

The spell Black Magic [Gale Blow], which unleashed a localized burst of wind, slammed into the floor.

The ferocious power of the tempestuous gust sent Albert’s body hurtling backward.

In the next moment—

With a sharp crack, the space where Albert had been just half an instant earlier shattered with a sound like breaking glass, plunging to subzero temperatures in a fleeting moment.

The floor was coated in frost, and the half-melted glass cylinder was completely frozen solid.

While the surrounding area still burned like a blazing inferno, that single spot was frozen like an icy hell. If Albert had remained within the magical barrier, the blood in his veins would have turned to ice.

“Tch—”

Meanwhile, Albert, who had propelled himself backward, twisted his body to land, sliding back several meters from the momentum while glaring at Burks.

“‘Regeneration,’ ‘Pyrokinesis,’ and now ‘Cryokinesis’… You, could it be…?”

“Hmph, as expected, even a dull-witted mage like you has figured it out.”

Burks declared with a smug grin.

“You see… in my quest to unravel the mysteries of life, I’ve studied and researched countless ability users. In the process, I succeeded in extracting their powers and synthesizing a drug that allows me to intentionally trigger those abilities as my own… Fuhahahahaha!”

“…!”

Albert’s sharp gaze grew even more piercing.

“In the end, abilities are nothing special! They’re innate, unusable by mages? They’re mysteries that surpass magic? Don’t make me laugh! To a true mage, abilities are merely tools to be wielded! And behold this overwhelming power! It easily surpasses the petty skills you war dogs have painstakingly honed. This is the perfect, ultimate power—the true strength of a mage!”

“…”

“For now, the abilities I can use are still limited, but as my research progresses, I’ll make every ability my own! With this power, I’ll climb to the Third Order [Heavens Order] in no time! Bwahahahahaha! I’m incredible!”

In stark contrast to Burks, who was practically delirious with excitement, Albert remained silent. Utterly, resolutely silent.

The surrounding glass cylinders, perhaps filled with flammable liquid, were shattered and engulfed in flames.

Albert gazed at them one by one, his eyes hollow.

Among them was the one that had once contained the girl from earlier—

“What’s wrong, war dog? Scared stiff? Heh heh heh, it’s about time I disposed of this garbage anyway. While I’m at it, I’ll dispose of you too…”

And then, at that moment.

“Scum.”

Suddenly, Albert spat the word at Burks, his voice sharp and cold, as if laced with disdain.

“…Huh?”

“Not just scum, but a pathetic, insignificant small fry. Compared to Eleanor Charlet’s immortality or the true wielders of abilities, your tricks are nothing but child’s play—”

“Wha…!? S-small fry…!? Child’s play…!?”

“Those ability users, killed for such a pitiful parlor trick, can’t even rest in peace.”

“P-pitiful… parlor trick…!?”

Albert’s merciless words seemed to have struck a nerve, igniting Burks’ fury.

“M-m-my, my power! A p-parlor, parlor trick—!?”

To Burks, whose face was now flushed crimson with rage, Albert coolly retorted.

“Fine, come at me, you filthy heretic. I’ll teach you what a real battle looks like.”

His blade-sharp eyes pierced through Burks—

Albert pointed the fingers of his left hand at him.