Chapter 5: The Demon of Stories

Beneath a starlit sky that seemed on the verge of falling.

As I dashed through the unending trail of the《Corridor of Stars》stretching into eternity—I found myself thinking of a certain person.

That person was the current me.

…………

…The joyful days spent with Glenn have transformed me.

Thanks to them, even someone as heartless as I once was has managed to reclaim a bit of humanity, I think.

There were twists and turns along the way… but I truly cherish the time I now spend with Glenn.

However.

The ‘inner voice’ echoing from the depths of my being… that mysterious mission continued to torment me.

—Is this really the time to be playing at a happy family?

—Don’t you, don’t we, have something we must accomplish?

—Fulfill your mission—fulfill it as soon as possible—fulfill your mission—

As always, I couldn’t recall the true nature of this mission.

But more than that, the longer these happy moments stretched on—

Drop by drop… a poison seemed to slowly erode me from within.

I had—somehow, unknowingly—contracted an ‘illness.’

It was something I could never have imagined back when I was alone.

The old me, cloaked in a façade of strength, would have laughed it off without a second thought.

No, I probably wouldn’t have even fallen prey to such an ‘illness’ in the first place.

Now—this ‘illness’ was agonizing, all the more so because my senses had awakened—

—And so.

“I… have to move forward…!”

While running, I lifted my downturned face and looked ahead.

Far in the distance, I could faintly see a glowing door, identical to the one I had passed through when I first entered this space.

“…Glenn…”

Don’t go. Come back. The desperate cry of my beloved disciple from earlier suddenly echoed in my ears.

“…I’m sorry.”

The glowing door… the exit of this 《Corridor of Stars》… grew larger and larger…

And then.

“Even so, I—”

No longer hesitating, I passed through that glowing door—toward the nostalgic world beyond—

At nearly the same moment Celica exited the corridor.

In the deepest chamber of the Taum Astronomical Temple, within the great planetarium hall.

Glenn, with Rumia’s assistance, activated Black Magic [Function Analyze].

(Tch… what the hell is this…? Just a planetarium device, my ass!)

Glenn, drenched in cold sweat and reeling with shock, stared at the intricate array of magical formulas hidden behind the planetarium device—formulas that had been completely undetectable until now.

The formulas, constructed in a magical language (runes) similar yet distinct from the one used by Glenn and his companions—

(If we call the runes of modern magic ‘Low Runes’… then these would be ‘High Runes,’ wouldn’t they…?)

That was the rough impression he had, and it felt oddly accurate. The grammar and vocabulary of these ‘High Runes’ seemed to possess something that the ‘Low Runes’ lacked.

Regardless, this was a historic moment. The mysterious ‘magic’ of ancient sorcery (Ancient Magic), which lacked visible formulas, had just been reduced to mere ‘magic’ by Rumia’s ability.

If he published a paper on this, it would shake the magical academic world to its core—a groundbreaking discovery.

(Not that I have the slightest intention of doing that…)

To do so would mean exposing Rumia’s existence and abilities to the world—an impossibility. Attempting it would likely bring assassins from the imperial government to silence him.

In any case, from a cursory glance at the formulas, the planetarium device seemed to house a mountain of incomprehensible functions… but there was no time to analyze them one by one, nor could he, as it would likely take years. He couldn’t afford to waste time on that.

Based on Sistine and Rumia’s accounts, Glenn mechanically operated the monolith, opening a glowing door just as before.

What lay beyond the door, what awaited them, was unknown. Thus, Glenn and his group, laden with backpacks stuffed with tools and survival supplies, cautiously stepped through the glowing door.

What greeted them was—an infinite expanse of twinkling stars shimmering in the abyssal darkness.

A mystical, fantastical, boundless cosmic space.

A corridor made of light, identical to the door, stretched endlessly toward a vanishing point.

One misstep off the corridor, and they’d likely plummet forever into the vast sea of stars.

(I see… back then, I think Celica muttered something about the 《Corridor of Stars》… what a fitting name for this place…)

Glenn and his group pressed forward through the 《Corridor of Stars》, which Celica had likely traversed earlier—

They conquered what seemed like an endless journey—

And then—

After Glenn and his group traversed the 《Corridor of Stars》 and passed through the glowing door.

“Wha…”

Glenn could only stand dumbfounded at the scene unfolding before him.

Beside the vanishing door behind them stood a small monolith, strikingly similar to the one in the planetarium hall. Ensuring their escape route was Glenn’s top priority, so he needed to investigate it first.

But the sheer abnormality of the place made even that critical task slip from his mind.

Scattered everywhere were desiccated corpses—countless mummies.

Each one, without exception, bore expressions of terror and regret frozen on their faces—

“Eek—!?”

Noticing the mummies, Sistine let out a small scream and clung to Glenn’s arm.

But Glenn lacked the mental composure to comfort the trembling Sistine.

“…What… what is this place…?”

Clutching his pounding heart, Glenn surveyed his surroundings once more.

They stood at the center of a T-shaped intersection, with ceilings, floors, and walls all made of stone. The structure, built from stacked stone blocks, was clearly not part of the Taum Astronomical Temple.

Hesitantly, Glenn examined a mummy at his feet.

Judging by its tattered, distinctive clothing and the staff it clutched…

“…These guys… were they mages…? All of them…? But these wounds…?”

Without exception, the mysterious mummies bore severe external injuries—burns, missing limbs. These wounds had likely claimed their lives.

In other words, it was clear that…

(…They were killed? By whom? What the hell happened here? Judging by the state of these mummies… it’s been a long time since they were killed…)

At that moment.

“…Ugh.”

A sudden wave of dizziness and nausea forced Glenn to drop to one knee, clutching his head.

He felt ill. The air was foul. The thick stench of ‘death’ hung in the air. Merely standing here seemed to sap the warmth from his spine… as if his sanity, his very life, was being chipped away…

This level was filled with something malevolent—

“Damn it…”

He couldn’t deny it—he was terrified. His trembling wouldn’t stop.

This place was hell. A cursed space saturated with resentment and the defilement of death.

Surely, no living human was meant to set foot here.

This place was seriously bad… they shouldn’t have come.

Despite his rationality, an overwhelming sense of regret swirled within Glenn—

“S-Sensei…”

(That’s right… I can’t let these kids see their teacher lose his nerve…!)

Facing his anxious students (though one remained as stoic as ever), Glenn forcibly clenched his trembling fist and steeled himself.

“Alright, let’s move, you lot! We’ll find Celica quick and get the hell out of this dreary dump!”

Just as Glenn forced a cheerful tone to rally them—

A slithering sound, like something crawling, echoed from behind.

“—!?”

Reacting to the noise, the group spun around in unison.

Glenn directed the magical light at his fingertips toward the source of the sound.

From around a corner, a woman with long blonde hair crawled into view.

“Celica!? Oi, what’s wrong!? Hang in—“

Glenn rushed toward her—but stopped after a few steps.

It wasn’t Celica.

Slither.

The woman… was missing her left arm.

Slither, slither…

More than that, she had no lower body, dragging her desiccated entrails behind her.

Slither, slither, slither…

She crawled closer to Glenn and the others, who stood frozen like statues. From between her disheveled hair, she glared at them with resentment…

Her eye sockets held no eyeballs, only an endless darkness…

“Kyaaaaaaaah—!?”

Sistine’s scream was the trigger.

Rustle-rustle-rustle-rustle—!

The woman moved her single right arm with terrifying speed, scuttling toward them with the erratic quickness of a cockroach.

As Glenn stood paralyzed, she leaped at him with her lone arm—

‘I hate you—I hate you—I HATE YOUUUU—! AAAAAAAAH—!’

Letting out a screech like wind howling through a hollow tree, she lunged at Glenn.

“Guh—!?”

Her hair stretched like a living thing, instantly gagging Glenn’s mouth and strangling his neck.

Her gaunt, withered face turned toward him—

‘If only that woman wasn’t here—! If only that traitor wasn’t here—!’

Blood tears streamed from her empty sockets as she rambled incoherently, clinging to Glenn.

(Crap, this is bad… I can’t chant a spell like this…! And this strength…!)

The hair coiling around his neck was unnaturally strong. His neck felt like it might snap.

“Get away from Glenn!”

Re=L instantly raised her greatsword to cut the woman down—

But suddenly, countless hands sprouted from the nearby wall, ensnaring Re=L’s body—

With tremendous force, the hands yanked her back, slamming her against the wall.

“Ah—guh…!?”

The overwhelming strength of the hands pinned Re=L to the wall.

Her body creaked under the immense pressure.

“It… hurts…! Let… go…”

“Sensei!? Re=L!? Damn it… 《Let there be light・purge the defilement—》”

Sistine hurriedly began chanting a purification spell to exorcise the evil.

But suddenly, the mummies at her feet stirred, swiftly grabbing her legs and clinging to her back—

“—!? Kyaaaaaaaah—!?”

The visceral disgust of being touched by the dead shattered her focus, canceling her spell.

“No! Nooo—! Let go! Let goooo—!”

Sistine fell into a panic.

In this state, the delicate focus and mana control required for magic were impossible.

Meanwhile, the surrounding mummies began to stir, rising one after another—

(Damn it, this is bad—! At this rate—! But what do I do—!?)

Despair began to grip Glenn’s heart—when suddenly.

《Let there be light・purge and cleanse the defilement》

A clear, resonant chant—a purification spell, White Magic [Purify Light].

(—Rumia!?)

Rumia stood with her hands clasped in prayer, having completed the spell.

Even she was being clung to by spirits that had appeared from nowhere.

(She managed to finish the chant in a situation like that!? What incredible nerve—)

As Glenn gaped in astonishment.

A divine light burst from Rumia’s raised left hand, illuminating the surroundings—

GYAAAAAAAHHHH—!?

The mummies and spirits recoiled, writhing in agony.

Shaking off the clinging spirits, Rumia pulled a small vial of fragrant oil from her pocket—

《O guiding flame・lead them to the underworld・light their path》

As she sprinkled the oil, it suddenly ignited, and bright orange holy flames roared to life, swirling fiercely.

These were flames of purification, meant to cleanse only the dead and malevolent spirits.

The raging firestorm spared Glenn and the others, leaving not a single burn…

KISHAAAAAAA—!?

…AAAAAAA…

It consumed only the dead, purifying and annihilating them.

And then… silence fell.

Every mummy and spirit in the area had vanished, and the cursed miasma had been cleansed.

“Everyone… are you okay?”

“…Th-thank you… Rumia…”

“Mm. You saved us.”

Sistine and Re=L thanked Rumia.

“I’m… stunned… White Magic [Saint Fire]… You can use a high-level purification spell like that, one only high-ranking priests can manage…?”

Glenn stared at Rumia, wide-eyed.

“Yes… I learned it long ago from my mother as part of my royal education…”

Rumia showed Glenn the vial of fragrant oil, clutching it tenderly.

“Though, with my skill, I can’t cast it without using this oil as a catalyst…”

Allensia’s fragrant oil. A precious oil refined from white funeral flowers offered to the dead.

“Rumia, that oil… isn’t that the precious keepsake you received from Her Majesty—your real mother—as a protective charm…?”

“It’s okay. It was to save everyone. I’m sure Mother would understand.”

Rumia smiled gently at Sistine’s concern.

Turning to Glenn, she spoke firmly.

“Come on, Sensei. Let’s hurry and find Professor Arfonia.”

“…You’re reliable, aren’t you?”

Glenn placed a hand on Rumia’s head, ruffling her hair.

“Sorry. Honestly, the creepy vibe here got to me. But I won’t let that happen again… You can count on me.”

“Yes… I trust you.”

The two shared a warm smile.

Meanwhile.

“I… feel kind of useless… like the gap between us is just getting wider…”

Sistine muttered, sweating nervously with a deadpan stare, while Re=L tilted her head in confusion.

After inspecting the small monolith in the area, Glenn confirmed that with Rumia’s power, they could reopen the glowing door to return anytime.

Cautiously, Glenn and the group ventured deeper into the passage.

Fortunately, they didn’t lose their way. Fresh footprints, likely Celica’s, stood out against the dusty corridor. They followed the path, passing through what seemed like rooms, navigating a labyrinth of complex passages, and eventually descending a staircase…

(…But seriously, where the hell is Celica going?)

As Glenn followed her footprints, a question nagged at him.

Celica’s steps showed no hesitation.

It was as if… she knew this place intimately.

That wasn’t the only mystery.

The structure they were in seemed to be a tower-like edifice, composed of countless circular levels stacked vertically, like coins piled high…

As they reached the outer edge of a level and stepped onto a terrace, they caught a glimpse of the outside.

A cold wind whistled through the terrace.

Unnoticed until now, the sun had set—a boundless night sky stretched before them.

Above, a massive, bone-white moon loomed like a skull.

“…Where are we…?”

The ground far below was too distant, swallowed by the abyss.

They had apparently been transported to an extraordinary place.

“Just what kind of facility is this ‘tower,’ anyway…?”

Glenn had no answer to Rumia’s simple question.

Indeed, the tower’s structure seemed designed to repel intruders, with its labyrinthine complexity… yet it also contained numerous rooms and sections resembling living quarters. The various traces left behind made it clear that people had once lived here, without a doubt.

A labyrinth, yet also a city—the thoughts of ancient people remain as incomprehensible as ever.

And then—

“…Ugh…”

As always, mummified corpses of mages lay scattered and piled across rooms and corridors, each one severely damaged by external causes, without exception.

And those mummies would occasionally stir, triggering restless spirits to rise in sync, attacking Glenn and his group—hardly a pleasant situation.

However—

“Eeeeeyaaaaahhhhh—!”

Re=L’s sword—

“《Stand firm and block・O wall of storms・Grant peace to their limbs》—Rumia, now!”

Sistine’s magic—

“Got it! 《O guiding flame・Lead them to the underworld・Light their path》!”

Rumia’s purification spell—swept through the mummies, scattering them one by one.

While Re=L’s sword sent the mummies flying in a literal sense, Sistine sealed their movements with a wind spell, and Rumia infused the gusts with sacred oil, igniting purifying flames.

Fanned by the tempest, the holy fire roared, gently enveloping the mummies clogging the corridor, purifying them, purifying them, purifying them completely.

Even the relentless march of mummies and spirits, overwhelming in number, stood no chance against this.

Those clinging to the mortal realm even in death were buried, one after another, by the girls’ hands.

“Man… you guys are something else…”

Rumia’s courage was truly awe-inspiring, no other word for it. Her technique was still rough, but to calmly cast spells even with death staring her down—that unshakable mental fortitude was rare, even among seasoned soldiers.

Sistine, on the other hand, was still green when it came to mental resilience, but her flexible spellcasting, adapting to the situation, had saved the group from crisis time and again. Her technical prowess showed an unmatched genius.

And the one who surprised Glenn the most was Re=L.

Back when she was a mage, Re=L fought selfishly, charging headlong with reckless abandon, all power and no finesse.

But now, Re=L moved in step with Glenn, protecting Rumia and Sistine, buying time for their spellcasting… She seemed to prioritize coordination with those around her. It was progress unthinkable for the old Re=L.

Ever since they arrived at this ‘Tower,’ chasing after Celica, they had ventured deep inside.

There was no denying the truth: Glenn alone could never have made it this far.

(Guess the day I’m out of a job might be closer than I thought…)

With a faint, wry smile, Glenn led his students onward…

How long had they walked?

They had walked so long that their sense of time grew hazy.

Suddenly, a low, rumbling roar, like an earthquake, echoed from the depths of the straight corridor ahead.

“!”

Beyond lay an arched entrance, brimming with infinite darkness.

“Sensei!? That sound just now…!?”

“…Yeah, probably Celica’s magic… Is she fighting?”

“We need to hurry, Sensei!”

From the traces of Celica’s path, there was no doubt she was somewhere beyond that corridor.

Glenn and the others broke into a run all at once.

And as they passed through the arched entrance—

“Wha—!?”

Before Glenn’s eyes stretched a vast circular arena, like a coliseum.

Flames blazed fiercely in patches across the circular field.

Far across the field from where Glenn’s group stood, a massive gate, sealed with glossy black stone, towered high.

And before that gate—

“Haaaaaahhhhh—!”

Celica was locked in battle with a countless horde of restless spirits and undead.

How much resentment and obsession must have lingered in that place?

The miasma permeating the arena was on a level far beyond anything Glenn’s group had encountered on their journey thus far.

Mummified undead and malevolent spirits surged endlessly, attacking Celica in waves. It was a crucible of the dead.

Yet—Celica didn’t let the tsunami of undead come anywhere near her.

Wielding a sword in her right hand and magic in her left, Celica fought.

“Hmph—!”

In a fleeting instant, dozens of sword strikes slashed through the mummies lunging at her, tearing them apart—

“—《《《Begone》》》!”

With a single-word incantation, she unleashed Black Magic [Plasma Cannon], [Inferno Flare], and [Freezing Hell]—high-tier B-class military offensive spells that unleashed their devastating might.

A massive, concentrated lightning barrage, a tidal wave of searing hellfire, and an absolute-zero freezing barrier obliterated the undead horde charging at Celica, destroying them, destroying them, destroying them utterly with raw physical force.

Triple Spell.

One of the peerless techniques that made Celica Arfonia the Celica Arfonia.

Standing alone, unyielding, amidst a maelstrom that obliterated all, forcing all to kneel—her absolute presence was like that of a demon king.

“A-Amazing…”

“Th-This… is Professor Arfonia’s… way of fighting…?”

“…!”

Even Rumia, Sistine, and Re=L, witnessing Celica’s inhuman combat, swallowed hard, stunned into silence.

(Incredible… Celica’s just incredible… No matter how many lifetimes I live—hell, five or six—I’d never reach her level… But…)

Swallowing hard, Glenn furrowed his brow at a sudden sense of unease.

(…What’s got her so frantic…)

True, Celica excelled at unleashing spells of overwhelming destructive power.

But her destruction always carried a certain beauty—a flair.

It was like watching a masterful display of artisan fireworks, a perfected art of destruction that captivated the heart with its elegance.

Yet, Celica’s magic now lacked that flair.

Her current form, rampaging like a war god with brute force, was simply terrifying.

This was Celica as the rumors and legends described her—the Witch of Ash.

Celica glared at the spirits closing in on her with half-lidded eyes.

“Hateful…! You’re so hateful…!”

“Because of you…! Because of you…!”

“You stole everything! You destroyed everything! Our shining glory, our prosperity, our peace—everything, everything, everything, everything! It was you…!”

“We’ll never forgive you, traitor…! Be cursed! May you be cursed…!”

The sheer hatred and resentment directed at Celica were so intense that a normal person would have had their sanity shattered just by being exposed to it.

Yet, faced with a torrent of curses so potent they seemed ready to crush her—

“《Noisy》! 《Shut up》! 《I don’t care》—!”

“GAAAAAAHHHHHHHH—!”

Celica’s destructive spells raged, repelling and overpowering even that.

The explosive flames erupted into pillars of fire that scorched the ceiling, incinerating the undead along with their resentment.

“I’ve told you a thousand times! I don’t know you! Get out of my way already!”

But no matter how unreachable she was, their hatred seemed inexhaustible.

The undead and spirits kept surging, blocking Celica’s path.

It was as if they were declaring, You won’t take a single step further…

“Tch, clinging to the mortal world with such pathetic lingering regrets… Fine, fall to hell, you small fry.”

As if to say, I’m done dealing with you,

Celica cast a scornful glance and snapped her fingers with a sharp click.

And then—

When had she even constructed it?

Shimmering black lines of magical energy streaked freely, connecting countless spiritual nodes scattered across the field, instantly forming a hexagram array.

The entire field was dyed in an abyssal hue—a spiritual abyss began to take shape.

“Hmph… A one-way ticket to oblivion. Take it, you rabble.”

The spell’s name was Summoning Ritual [Gehenna Gate].

A forbidden art that mercilessly dragged spiritual entities with no ties to the mortal world into the void of oblivion.

Originally devised as a countermeasure against undead, much like White Magic [Saint Fire] and other purification spells, its utterly ruthless concept had earned it the designation of a forbidden spell.

Unlike purification spells, which guide wandering souls back to the cycle of providence for salvation,

This spell offered the dead only one thing—eternal nothingness.

“No! Nooooo—!”

“Save us! We don’t want to fall! Not there, not there—!”

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHH—!”

It was a scene straight out of a hellish nightmare.

The inexhaustible resentment and hatred were now swiftly overtaken by terror and despair.

The undead, powerless, were unilaterally sucked into the void’s abyss, falling one after another.

The lingering grudges, the attachments to the mortal world, the ingrained resentment—none of it mattered anymore.

The abyssal barrier swallowed everything, absorbing it all.

A merciless punishment, whipping the dead…

And then,

In the eerie silence that descended like a lie,

“Hmph… That’s what you get for getting in my way…”

Celica stood alone, clicking her tongue in irritation.

No trace remained of the overwhelming hatred, the maddening resentment, or the obsession.

Only colorless void dominated the scene.

Having eradicated the undead entirely, Celica stood dazed in the aftermath.

“Celica!”

Glenn and the others rushed toward her.

“…Glenn…?”

Slowly, with sluggish movements, Celica turned to face them.

Her somber expression lacked its usual vigor.

“…Why are you here…?”

“That’s my line! Why the hell did you come to a place like this all by yourself!?”

Grabbing Celica’s collar, Glenn shouted, his voice thick with anger.

“I’m not worried about you or anything, but everyone else was freaking out about you! Not me, though!”

“S-Sensei… You don’t need to say it twice…”

Rumia gave a wry smile, trying to calm the fuming Glenn.

“Anyway, we’re getting out of here. …Tch, making me go through all this trouble…”

Though he looked thoroughly annoyed, Glenn’s expression carried a hint of relief.

“Hey, Glenn! Listen! I finally… finally found it!”

Suddenly, Celica’s face lit up, her voice brimming with joy.

…But it was an oddly forced, mechanical expression.

“Huh…? Found what?”

Glenn, eager to leave the ‘Tower’ as soon as possible, responded with clear reluctance.

“A clue to my lost past!”

“…What?”

Celica’s unexpected words left Glenn frozen.

“I remembered… At the deepest part of that ‘Taum Astronomical Temple,’ in the grand planetarium chamber, when that radiant door appeared… I recalled just a little…”

Celica closed in on Glenn, her cheeks flushed as she spoke.

“Long ago… I passed through that door… through the Corridor of Stars! I’m sure of it! I vaguely remember!”

“Wha…”

“For the first time in four hundred years, when I couldn’t recall a single thing, this happened!”

Spreading her arms wide, she spun around, looking positively delighted.

“And guess what, Glenn! Do you know where this place is!?”

“Where…? Some kind of ‘Tower,’ right…?”

“Heh, this is actually… the underground labyrinth of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy!”

“…Huh?”

Underground labyrinth… Underground?

Glenn’s mental processing struggled to keep up with Celica’s rapid-fire explanation.

“And this is the 89th floor underground… I confirmed the location and coordinates with Black Magic [Coordinate Detection], so there’s no mistake!”

Leaving Glenn in the dust, Celica continued, her excitement palpable.

“Get it!? I’ve easily surpassed the 10th to 49th floors underground—the layers known as the Trial of the Fool—which I could never overcome before!”

Celica’s elation was understandable.

She had repeatedly challenged the underground labyrinth.

But the impossibly long journey, the endlessly spawning, overwhelmingly powerful guardians, and the countless deadly traps woven throughout had continually blocked her path.

Worse, the labyrinth’s structure and trap locations inexplicably shifted periodically, rendering all her painstakingly crafted maps and teleporters useless each time. The layers, dubbed the Trial of the Fool, seemed designed solely to thwart intruders, their intent undeniable.

Thwarted by such infuriatingly troublesome traits, Celica had never managed to progress beyond the 49th floor, no matter how many times she tried.

At times, she’d even been forced to retreat as early as the 15th floor.

“The 49th floor… If I could just break through that infuriating Trial of the Fool, the rest is mine! Rejoice, Glenn! I’m finally… finally going to unravel the mystery of this underground labyrinth!”

Celica’s words barely registered with Glenn. There was too much for him to process.

This was the underground labyrinth? Underground?

From the outer terrace earlier, he’d clearly seen the sky, hadn’t he? And yet, underground?

How was the Taum Astronomical Temple connected to the Academy’s underground labyrinth in the first place?

What was the true nature of that planetarium device?

What was this Corridor of Stars that Celica claimed to have traversed long ago?

Why was Celica so obsessed with this underground labyrinth?

No.

More fundamentally—who was Celica?

(…But right now, none of that matters.)

Glenn had something far more urgent to prioritize.

That was—

“…As I thought… My past… my lost mission… and the mystery of my immortality… they’re all here in this underground labyrinth… Just as the ‘voice’ said…”

Muttering incomprehensible things like a delirious fever dream,

“Yes… I vaguely… remember… That’s it… That ‘gate’…”

As if drawn by an unseen force, Celica began walking toward the massive gate at the far end of the arena…

“Beyond that door, surely… everything about me lies… Finally… Finally…”

“No way.”

To reach out, grab her hand, and stop her.

“…Glenn…?”

Celica, her hand caught by Glenn, turned to him with a puzzled expression.

“…We’re going back, Celica.”

“Wh-Why…? I might finally find out who I am!”

To the flustered Celica,

“I don’t get why you think your past is beyond that ‘gate,’ but…”

For a fleeting moment, Glenn hesitated, torn between speaking or staying silent…

“I’ll say it straight. Celica… Your lost past… it’s probably something really messed up.”

Glenn locked eyes with her, his expression earnest as he spoke.

“When we got here, the things in this place were filled with intense hatred toward someone. I wondered who they were hating, but watching you fight just now, I’m certain. They were hating you.”

“…!?”

“You heard their voices too, didn’t you? What the hell did you do to make them hate you this much…? I can’t even imagine…”

“G-Glenn…”

“But that doesn’t matter. I don’t care how much these damned spirits hate or resent you. You’re my… master. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“B-But… But, Glenn! I… I…”

Celica fell silent, her gaze dropping to the floor.

“Come on, Celica. Let’s go home. Who cares about your past? Just forget it. No matter who you are, I…”

Cutting off Glenn’s words,

“No…”

Celica trembled, rejecting him like a stubborn child.

“No…! Because… Because if I don’t, I’ll always… be alone…”

Starting to say something, she bit it back…

And suddenly, Celica shook off Glenn’s hand and sprinted toward the gate.

“Hey! Wait, Celica!?”

Receiving Glenn’s shout at her back, Celica heads straight for the gate—

(That gate…! Beyond that gate, surely, lies everything I seek…!)

As she runs, Celica sinks into thought.

“《It shall return to the cycle of providence・—”

These four hundred years of days.

The long, painful, bitter days.

The countless footsteps of anguish, each one tempting her to end it all.

“《The five elements to the five elements・—”

The ‘inner voice’ that has driven Celica forward for these four hundred years.

At some point… that voice, which had only ever urged her to fulfill her mission, to complete her duty, to do what must be done… suddenly changed.

She’ll never forget. It was about ten years ago, when she whimsically took in Glenn and began teaching at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy to support him.

The moment she stepped into the academy’s underground labyrinth for a certain job.

—Aim for the deepest part of this underground labyrinth—

—Your mission lies in the deepest part of this underground labyrinth—

From then on, Celica became almost obsessively devoted to exploring the academy’s underground labyrinth.

Seeking the truth behind the mysterious sense of mission that had tormented her for four hundred years—

That was the primal reason Celica Arfonia became fixated on the underground labyrinth.

“—・the bonds weaving form and reason shall diverge》—!”

But.

If she’s being honest.

…The current Celica no longer cares about her true identity, her past, or her mission.

Even without memories. Even without a past. Even if she can’t recall her mission.

The Celica of now isn’t alone. She has Glenn.

She can walk alongside someone.

There’s no need to seek her reason for existing or her foundation in her past or mission.

There’s no need to feel anxious or frustrated about not understanding.

And so.

What she sought was—something so absurdly simple it was almost laughable.

“Here goes—!”

And then, Celica’s modified Black Magic [Extinction Ray] activates.

From her outstretched left hand, a massive shockwave of light that obliterates everything is unleashed—

The raging torrent of light slams directly into the gate blocking Celica’s path—

The world incandesces—

Her vision is dyed white, pure white—

………….

Eventually, all the light fades—

—Silence.

“…W-What… the hell…?”

Celica stares in stunned disbelief.

As if mocking her comical state, as if rejecting her… the gate stands before her, unyielding, not a single scratch upon it.

“Why!? Why isn’t it broken!? Damn it! This means I can’t get past this gate!”

Celica approaches the gate, pounding it with her fists in frustration.

“…It’s useless. Not like you to forget about etheric coating, Celica. Ancient structures are impossible to destroy, both physically and magically.”

Glenn, catching up, grabs Celica’s hand from behind as she continues to strike the gate.

Then, Glenn looks up at the towering gate before them.

A gate made of pitch-black stone, standing like a wall.

Its surface is intricately carved with ancient script, mysterious emblems, designs, and geometric patterns… Glenn can’t even begin to imagine what it would take to open it.

But—that’s fine, he thinks.

“Let go! Let me go, Glenn! I’m—”

Celica flails her bloodied fists, throwing a childish tantrum, but Glenn presses her against the gate, pinning her. Without magic, Celica is just a woman. She can’t overpower Glenn’s strength and is easily restrained.

“…Give up. Just give up.”

At a distance where they can feel each other’s breath, Glenn speaks gently, as if reasoning with her.

“…What the hell are you so dissatisfied with, Celica!?”

“…!”

At Glenn’s accusing question, Celica lowers her head, her expression unimaginably frail compared to her usual transcendent demeanor… and then.

‘Do not touch that sacred gate, you lowly curs.’

A voice, resonant as if echoing from the depths of hell, reverberates through the air…

‘Fools and gatekeepers cannot pass this gate. Only the people of the earth and the heavenly ones may—You lack the qualifications.’

“What…?”

Everyone’s eyes widen in shock.

Suddenly, as if seeping out of the darkness, it appears in the center of the arena.

A mysterious figure cloaked entirely in a scarlet robe. The robe is long, its hood concealing an infinite abyss and its face impossible to discern. Not a single glint of eyes is visible.

A dark, ominous aura rises from its entire being.

It’s as if darkness itself donned a robe and took human form—a demonic entity.

(Tch… This is bad…!)

The moment Glenn lays eyes on the demon, he feels his heart scream in terror.

“Hii…!?”

“Sensei…! That person…!”

Sistine and Rumia seem to sense the demon’s otherworldly nature as well.

Even Re=L, ever vigilant, crouches low, her sword tip trembling with raw tension.

(Damn… Damn, damn, damn…! That thing—it’s trouble!)

Just looking at it sends shivers down his spine.

He can feel it—the fundamental difference in their existence, their very being.

It’s like an ordinary citizen, ignorant of magic, facing a malevolent, all-powerful magician… That’s the kind of despair this demon evokes.

Glenn’s instincts, honed from surviving countless battles against stronger foes as a former mage, scream at him.

Before this demon, their magic—Celica’s included—is likely no more than child’s play.

Most likely, the rules governing them and this demon are entirely different.

“…Hah! Who are you…?”

Ironically, Celica seems different.

She doesn’t seem to grasp just how formidable the demon before them is.

With the gate she’s obsessed with right in front of her… Celica has clearly lost her usual composure.

“Whatever. You seem like someone who can talk, so that’s convenient. Hey, you. Know how to open this gate? If you do, tell me. Or I’ll blast you to bits.”

‘…You are…’

The demon, seemingly recognizing Celica, suddenly softens its oppressive aura.

‘…You’ve finally returned, Celica. One worthy of being my master.’

“…Huh?”

Celica is taken aback, stunned by the sudden mention of her name.

‘But… Your decline is unimaginable compared to what you once were… You, as you are now, lack the qualifications to pass through that gate… Therefore, begone…’

“What… What are you talking about!? Do you know me!?”

‘Leave. You are of no use now.’

Completely ignoring Celica, the demon turns to face the bewildered Glenn and the others.

At some point, it had drawn two blades—one in each hand.

A crimson demonic sword in its left and a jet-black demonic sword in its right.

Both blades brim with malevolent curses and magic, unmistakably sinister.

‘People of the fools, think not that you can trespass this sanctuary and leave alive… You shall become rust upon my twin blades. Turn to wraiths and wander this [Tower of Lament] for eternity—’

A clear wave of hostility and killing intent slams into Glenn and the others.

The overwhelming presence, rushing toward them like a flood, engulfs them in an instant—

“Hii…!?”

Sistine, terrified, clings to Glenn.

“…Ugh… Ah…!?”

Even the steadfast Rumia turns pale, trembling and frozen in place.

“Haa—…! Haa—…! Haa—…”

Even Re=L, usually expressionless, pales and breathes heavily, almost hyperventilating.

(Haha… This is no joke, I’m not dealing with this!)

Retreat. Glenn decides instantly.

(—Celica! You and I—)

He signals to Celica, hoping to create an opening for the students to escape, but—

“Listen… when someone’s talking to you!”

Oblivious to his signal, Celica charges at the demon, eyes blazing.

“Fine! If you won’t talk, I’ll force it out of you!”

“Wha—!? Stop, Celica—!”

Ignoring Glenn’s plea, Celica shouts her incantation at the top of her lungs.

“《Drop dead》!”

The Black Magic [Prominence Pillar] activates.

A blazing column of superheated crimson flames, shining scarlet, engulfs the demon in an instant—

‘…Utter child’s play.’

The demon leisurely swings its left-hand demonic sword, slicing through Celica’s magic—and dispelling it.

‘To rely on such feeble fangs of a fool—what weakness. Where is the sword of the king you once boasted? Is the you of old already dead?’

(What—!? What did it just do!?)

Glenn’s eyes widen at the sight.

On the surface, it merely negated Celica’s offensive spell with a banish… That’s all.

But Glenn’s instincts, forged from surviving countless battles against stronger foes, scream that it’s not that simple.

Ignoring Glenn, Celica closes in on the demon with godlike speed—

“—Hah! Not bad at counterspells, huh!?”

“No, Celica! Don’t you get it!?”

Exactly. Black Magic [Prominence Pillar] is a B-class military spell.

In modern military magic, B-class spells can’t be banished—they can only be defended against.

Offensive spells exceeding a certain power threshold are impossible to banish.

So—

“That wasn’t a counterspell or anything like it! It’s something entirely different—!”

But Celica, blood rushing to her head and unable to think clearly, doesn’t hear him—

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

Celica raises her mithril sword and leaps into the demon’s range in a single bound.

Having activated [Load Experience], she channels the swordsmanship of the legendary hero once hailed as the “Sword Princess,” transforming into an unparalleled swordmaster.

In close combat, no one in this world could possibly match her now.

“I’ll lop off that smug head of yours! I’ll get the answers I want straight from it!”

Celica closes in on the demon like a gale—

‘Daring to flaunt borrowed skills and a sword—know your shame.’

The demon swings its left-hand demonic sword, stepping sharply toward Celica—

KIIIIIIIIN!

With a shrill clash, Celica’s sword and the demon’s blade collide, and the two pass each other—

“Wha—”

Suddenly, Celica falters, visibly shaken.

“What… What’s happening…?”

Though rattled, she turns and raises her sword toward the demon.

But her stance lacks the supreme confidence of the ultimate swordmaster she embodied moments ago.

“W-Why… was my spell dispelled…? What just…?”

‘…In front of my left crimson magic sword, Wi Zaya, the Mage Slayer… Such petty tricks won’t work on me…’

Turning to face Celica, the demon declares resoundingly.

‘I pay respect to the true master of that sword. In that single exchange, I understood. The master of that sword… a now-departed, unknown child of fools… For a mere human to have honed their craft to such a realm…’

Drawing a circle with its blade, the demon offers a prayer to someone absent.

‘Even I, seated at the Throne of Heaven, cannot help but feel reverence for the skill within that sword…’

And then… the demon slowly raises its twin blades toward the shaken Celica—

‘…Which is why I cannot forgive this blasphemy, Celica…! How far you have fallen! I cannot contain my disappointment and rage toward you…!’

“Damn it…! 《O warhammer of the thunder god》—!”

Leaping back instinctively, Celica aims her left hand at the demon, chanting Black Magic [Plasma Cannon]—

‘Child’s play, as expected.’

As the demon swings its left-hand demonic sword, the converging lightning strike aimed at it dissipates harmlessly—

In that instant, the demon’s form blurs, leaving an afterimage.

Instantly circling behind Celica, the demon swings its right-hand demonic sword down like lightning.

“Tch—!?”

Reacting just in time, Celica rolls away, dodging the slash—

But the demon’s blade grazes her back, leaving a faint scratch.

“…Ah…!?”

The next moment, a sensation like her soul being ripped out overtakes Celica’s entire body.

Trying to regain her footing from the roll, she finds her body won’t respond.

Celica collapses, limbs splayed, in an utterly disgraceful heap.

“What…? What’s… happening…? My strength…?”

‘…With my black magic sword, Soul-Eater… You, who have been touched by my blade, are finished…’

Approaching the defenseless Celica, the demon presses its right-handed demonic sword against her neck.

In contrast to Celica, who has lost all strength, the dark aura surrounding the demon has grown noticeably stronger, visibly brimming with power.

“…Ugh… Ah…”

Celica trembles at the cold sensation of the blade against her neck.

Unable to move even a finger, she is utterly helpless.

‘It seems I was mistaken… You, as you are now, lack the qualifications to be my master… Meet your end with dignity.’

“…!?”

Celica stares blankly at the blade inches from her neck.

A slight pull from the demon, and her head would roll off cleanly.

…It’s over.

Exhausted by her overly long life, the end she had once so desperately longed for is now before her.

But.

Facing death, the only things flashing through Celica’s mind are the trivial, carefree moments she spent with Glenn over the past decade or so.

“…Ah.”

In all her four hundred years, she had never once thought of such things. She’d thought the opposite countless times, but why, at this moment, does she feel this way?

Namely—

“…I don’t… want to die…”

The moment she consciously realizes it, tears spill from Celica’s eyes, falling in streams.

“…No… Not yet… I…”

If she’s going to die in a place like this, for something like this.

Then what was the point of it all—

‘How pathetic.’

Dismissing Celica’s feeble murmurs, the demon begins to draw its blade—

(…Help me… Glenn…!)

Celica, unable to stop herself from thinking it, squeezes her eyes shut—

As the cold blade grazes her neck—

At that very moment.

“Don’t you dare, you bastard—!”

Accompanied by a roar and six rapid gunshots, six streaks of fire tear through the air.

Glenn’s quick-draw and rapid-fire fanning shots.

“Ngh—!?”

The surprise attack paid off, and the first bullet pierced straight through the demon’s heart—

In that instant, twin blades spun at godlike speed, five streaks of swordlight dancing through the air.

It was a superhuman reaction, a peerless technique as swift as lightning. The demon instantly deflected all five remaining bullets, then leaped high toward the ceiling, retreating a great distance from Glenn.

“Are you okay, Celica!?”

Seizing the moment, Glenn positioned himself to shield the collapsed Celica, facing off against the demon.

There was no response from Celica. It seemed she had fallen unconscious.

“What are those strange weapons…?”

The demon, now wary of Glenn, cautiously raised its blades.

“A magical device that fires lead bullets with explosive magic? How quaint… Don’t think it’ll work twice…”

The demon was unscathed, exuding an air of complete invulnerability.

“Damn it, why won’t you go down!? I shot right through your heart!”

Driven by burning impatience, Glenn yanked out the barrel wedge of his empty revolver, separating the grip and barrel, dropping the spent cylinder, and reaching for a spare—

But, of course, the demon wouldn’t politely wait for Glenn to reload.

“Very well! Let’s see how far you can resist with the fangs of a fool!”

At a speed that tore through the very vacuum, the demon closed the distance to Glenn in a single stride—

(Crap…!?)

There was no time to reload the revolver.

The demon had already trapped Glenn within the reach of its dual magic blades.

Glenn was about to be mercilessly carved into chunks of flesh—

At that moment.

“Sistie!”

“《Gather, tempest・become a warhammer・and strike true》—!”

Sistine shouted her incantation with rapid precision.

Beside her, Rumia stood close, her hand gently resting on Sistine’s left arm.

Sistine’s Black Magic [Blast Blow], amplified by Rumia’s Sympathetic Amplifier ability, roared toward the demon closing in on Glenn.

The power of the wind warhammer, enhanced by Rumia’s ability, was nothing short of cataclysmic.

Scattering devastating shockwaves in all directions, the wind warhammer surged ferociously toward the demon—

But—

“…Child’s play.”

The moment the demon’s left blade touched it, the spell dissipated into nothing—leaving only a strong breeze that merely ruffled the demon’s robe.

“No way!? Even with Rumia’s power, it didn’t work!?”

Sistine let out a despairing cry, but—

“No problem—Here I gooooooo!”

Seizing the opening, Re=L charged at the demon like a gale, her full-force slash closing in.

Yet the demon’s reaction was faster than a soaring bolt of lightning.

It blocked Re=L’s strike with its left magic blade, swinging the right to cut her down—

“Ngh—!?”

Re=L’s sword suddenly crumbled into fragments, scattering through the air and momentarily obscuring the demon’s vision.

Re=L’s greatsword, forged through alchemy from rocks outside the ruins, was no match for the demon’s power.

The demon’s left blade nullified any magic it touched—

Somehow sensing this, Re=L instinctively turned it to her advantage.

The scattered rock fragments blocked the demon’s vision for just a fleeting moment—but a moment nonetheless.

Re=L’s true strike came next—

“Yaaaaaaaah—!”

As she dashed past, she snatched up a mithril sword from beside the fallen Celica.

Gripping it in a reverse hold, she poured every ounce of her small frame’s strength into the swing, slashing upward.

Spinning like a tornado, she carved the demon from right hip to left shoulder—cleanly.

“Nguh—!?”

Re=L’s critical hit sliced deep into the demon’s body, sending it flying backward.

A half-second later, the sword’s pressure wave roared through the surroundings with a whoosh.

…Under normal circumstances, that would’ve been the end.

No one could survive such a ferocious slash. It was instant death.

But—as expected—

“—Impressive.”

With a soft whoosh,

The demon landed gracefully in a spot far from Glenn and the others.

“To think that mere fools would land two blows on me… It seems I am still lacking…”

The demon raised its twin blades once more, advancing step by step toward Glenn and the others…

Its movements showed no sign of injury. No trace of damage at all.

“You’re working a bit too hard, aren’t you…? Why don’t you take a break already…?”

Having finally reloaded his revolver, Glenn raised it with a cocky quip, masking his fear.

Cold sweat poured down his body like a waterfall as he mentally pieced together the demon’s abilities.

The demon’s left magic blade seemed to nullify any magic it touched, rendering magical countermeasures utterly useless.

The demon’s right magic blade could incapacitate with the slightest scratch, likely interfering with the soul itself. Simple yet overwhelmingly powerful, it was a nightmare to deal with.

Combined with the demon’s apparent immortality—surviving even fatal wounds—and its overwhelming martial prowess, the two blades’ abilities were pushed to their absolute limit.

(In short… this thing is the ultimate mage killer…!)

It was too strong. Flawless in both offense and defense.

Especially against Glenn, it was a terrible matchup. He couldn’t see any way to win.

“…Here I come, children of fools. Try to withstand my onslaught… 《■■■—》…”

And then… what kind of spell was that?

As the demon muttered words with an unfamiliar ring, a blazing orb, like a miniature sun, formed above its head, illuminating the area as brightly and dazzlingly as daylight—

The sheer heat sealed within that orb was palpable. It was like a scorching sun, far surpassing even Celica’s signature high-powered spell, Black Magic [Inferno Flare]—

“No way… Where the hell are you pulling that kind of mana from…!?”

Glenn stood dumbfounded. The demon was a formidable foe, but this spell was beyond reason.

(This guy can use some kind of unknown magic too—cheating bastard!)

In that moment, Glenn reached for The Fool’s Arcane Tarot—but then hesitated.

The demon’s spell was still in the mana-manipulation phase… likely not yet activated.

If so, there was still time. Glenn’s Original Magic [Fool’s World] could seal it.

(But—if I seal it now, then what? What comes next!?)

Their remaining forces were Glenn’s fists and gun, and Re=L’s swordsmanship. That was it.

If Glenn used [Fool’s World], they’d all lose their magic, and Rumia’s ability would become useless.

They might survive this moment, but their combat strength would plummet—either way, they were doomed.

That brief hesitation over using [Fool’s World]—

“《—■■■■》… Die.”

In that split second, the demon’s mysterious spell completed.

“Damn—!”

Flash! The sun above the demon’s head flared even brighter.

A searing aurora scorched Glenn and the others’ vision, threatening to engulf and incinerate everything—

……….

“…Huh?”

Just as it was about to burn them to ash.

…Somehow, the world had lost all sound and color, turning monochromatic.

The demon, and even the sun above its head… were frozen in place.

In a silent, gray world, only Glenn and his companions retained sound and color.

“W-What is this…?”

“Sensei…? W-What’s happening…? What’s going on…?”

As they grappled with the bizarre phenomenon, bewildered—

“You all. Over here. Hurry.”

A voice suddenly echoed from behind, prompting Glenn and the others to turn as one.

And they all gasped.

“Wha—!”

“This state won’t last long. We need to leave this place now.”

Standing there—was a girl.

Her hair was as white as burnt ash, her eyes a dark, murky red coral. She wore an impossibly thin garment.

And sprouting from her back—wings so alien they seemed not of this world.

“What are you staring at? Hurry. That thing won’t forgive fools who’ve trespassed in this sanctuary. It’ll chase you to the ends of hell. So—”

“Y-You—!?”

Glenn recognized her.

“The girl from the First Ritual Chamber, at the Taum Statue of The Heavenly Twins—weren’t you just a hallucination!?”

“…Hmph. Humans are truly ignorant. When faced with something that doesn’t add up, you trick yourselves into dismissing it, refusing to see reality for what it is… How foolish.”

The girl glared at Glenn with dark, scornful eyes, letting out a derisive snort.

“H-Hey… Who… are you…?”

Sistine, trembling, questioned the girl.

“What’s… going on…? Why… do you look like that…!?”

It wasn’t just Sistine’s question.

Everyone present shared the same thought.

“Why… Why do you have the same face as Rumia…!?”

Sistine trembled as she pointed out that—

The alien girl’s face—was identical to Rumia’s.