Chapter 3: A Deeper Darkness Swirls Yet Again

“Oooooooohhhhhhh!”

“You did it, Sistine!”

“Congratulations on advancing to the finals!!”

After the match against the Land of the Rising Sun concluded, Sistine and her team returned to the athletes’ waiting room at the Celica-Elliot Grand Stadium, where Kash, Wendy, and the cheering squad welcomed them with jubilant cheers.

“Sistiiiine! I’m so glad you did it!!”

As Sistine blinked in surprise, Ellen rushed forward and hugged her tightly with a thud!

“Well, you all did splendidly. …I’ll give you my praise.”

“Yeah. Everyone was super cool.”

“Haha… If I didn’t have my military duties, I would’ve loved to stand on the world stage myself…”

Eve, Re=L, and Elsa each offered their words of admiration to the athletes.

“Ehehe! Rumia-senpai, did you see how awesome I was?!”

Despite the match having just ended, Maria was bursting with energy, darting over to Rumia.

“Yup, I saw it all! You worked really hard, Maria.”

“Hehe… Right? Right?”

“Well, your performance was the lamest, though.”

“Gibul-senpai, you’re so mean!”

Maria teared up and sulked at Gibul’s teasing jab.

The group burst into laughter at the scene unfolding before them—

Colette, Francine, and Ginny too.

Jaill, Rize, and Heinkel as well.

And Kash, Wendy, Teresa, Cecil, Lynn, and the rest of the cheering squad.

Everyone wore genuine smiles, celebrating the Alzano Empire’s victory.

“…”

Perhaps caught in the lingering euphoria of the match, Sistine gazed absently at the scene, her mind elsewhere.

“…White Cat.”

“Ah… Sensei…”

Glenn approached Sistine with a sly grin.

“Nice work. Well done.”

He thrust out his fist toward her.

“…Ah… Um… Well…”

Suddenly, Sistine recalled the embarrassingly heartfelt encouragement Glenn had given her during the match.

She remembered the feelings she’d realized at that moment.

Unable to meet Glenn’s eyes, she blushed and looked down…

But soon, Sistine flashed a bold, sun-like grin to match Glenn’s.

Silently, she bumped her fist against his with a thud.

…And at that moment.

“…Excuse me.”

Someone entered the Alzano Empire’s waiting room quietly.

“You two are…”

It was Sakuya and Shigure.

They seemed to have received medical treatment after the match. Though their faces were pale and some wounds remained unhealed, both appeared recovered enough to walk and talk.

“Uh… What brings you two here?”

Sistine tilted her head curiously, addressing the unexpected visitors.

Suddenly, Shigure stepped forward, straightened his posture, and bowed deeply before Sistine.

“…I’m truly… so sorry…!”

“!?”

The imperial group blinked in confusion.

Only a few, like Glenn and Eve, who seemed to grasp the situation, narrowed their eyes.

“I… Even if it was for my country, I did something truly awful to you, Sistine-han…! I know an apology doesn’t make up for it, but please let me say it… I’m so sorry…”

Rize, puzzled, questioned Shigure.

“Apologize? What exactly did you do?”

“…That’s… Well, actually… I, to Sistine-han…”

As Shigure began to confess something,

“Stop!”

Sistine interrupted him.

“Shigure-san, I don’t know what you did, and I don’t want to hear it.”

“B-but…”

“Even if you did something to me… it was within the bounds of a fair and square magical battle, wasn’t it?”

“…!”

Shigure met Sistine’s gaze.

The sharp-witted Sistine seemed to have pieced everything together.

Yet, she was choosing to let it go.

“So, this conversation is over. …Got it?”

At Sistine’s words,

“Ha… Haha… I’ll never match you, will I? Total defeat…”

Shigure looked up at the ceiling and exhaled, as if releasing a burden.

“…Let me also apologize again, Sistine-san.”

“Sakuya-san.”

“And with that, allow me to offer these words: Congratulations on reaching the finals. Our dream… we entrust it to you, the Empire.”

“That’s kind of you to say, but… um, Sakuya-san… are you okay?”

Sistine knew the burdens and circumstances Sakuya carried.

In this battle, Sistine had stayed true to herself and knocked Sakuya down.

Thinking of the hardships Sakuya would likely face ahead, Sistine couldn’t fully rejoice.

But—

“I’m fine, Sistine-san.”

—Sakuya smiled brightly and sincerely.

“I’m still alive. As long as I’m alive… I can keep moving forward. It’s a shame I couldn’t gain honor from this battle, but… as long as I’m alive, I can search for other paths. I can move forward. A way to overcome my illness… someday, surely…”

Sakuya glanced at Shigure.

Leave it to me. Someday, absolutely… Shigure nodded silently, as if conveying that promise.

“So, don’t worry about me, Sistine-san. Walk the path you believe in, the path you seek, with unwavering resolve. That’s… your duty, as the one who defeated us.”

“I understand. Meeting you both… it was truly wonderful for me.”

“For us as well… it was a battle that taught us so much.”

“…Yes, for me too.”

Truly, she had gained so much.

Her path forward, her resolve. It was a chance to reflect deeply on herself. And—

Sistine stole a glance at Glenn.

As for Glenn himself—

“Daaahhh!? You guys, get off me, you’re heavy! Hey, Re=L!? That hurts! It hurts, I said! Gah!?”

He was being swarmed by Maria, Colette, and Francine, who clung to him playfully.

Re=L, looking somewhat annoyed, was roughly trying to pry the girls off Glenn, inadvertently choking him in the process.

Sistine watched Glenn’s utterly uncool predicament.

She recalled the words he’d given her during the match.

Her face flushed, and her heart raced… but it was a pleasant sensation.

So, Sistine could no longer deny what she’d come to realize.

She’d realized it.

(Ahh… I really… I’m hopelessly in love with Sensei, aren’t I?)

She wanted Glenn to see her walking her path with conviction.

She wanted Glenn, who was still lost on his own path, to see her forging ahead.

That desire probably had two meanings… and she likely wanted both.

That’s how much she loved Glenn—

Noticing Sistine’s gaze fixed on Glenn,

Sakuya smiled knowingly.

“Hehe, good luck, Sistine-san.”

“Eh!? What are you talking about!?”

And, true to her timid nature, Sistine flushed bright red, scrambling to deflect.

As the group savored this warm moment,

“Oh, right! Everyone, I’ve got something awesome!”

Maria suddenly let out an excited shout, clapping her hands and rummaging through her belongings in the corner of the waiting room. As everyone watched curiously, Maria pulled out a large box-like device—

“Ta-da! My projector!”

It was a device that captured images by imprinting scenes onto a plate coated with a special silver reagent.

“…Oi, Maria. Why the heck did you bring something so bulky…?”

“Well, I thought I’d capture the majestic cathedrals here in Milano as a memento!”

“So you’re totally in tourist mode, huh!? What did you even come here for!?”

“Owowowow!? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

Maria yelped in tears as Glenn ground his knuckles into her temples.

“Anyway! Since we’ve all made it this far together, how about we take a group photo to commemorate it!? Come on!”

It was a perfectly carefree idea, classic Maria.

“Jeez, the tournament’s not even over yet… We’re just getting started, and you’re already jumping the gun, huh?”

“…Well, it’s not a bad idea, Sensei. I think it’s a lovely thought.”

“As expected of Rumia-senpai, you get it!”

Maria squealed with delight at Rumia’s approval.

Glenn glanced at Eve for permission, and she shrugged with an exasperated do what you want expression.

“Oh, oh! Since we’re doing this, how about Sakuya-san and her team join us!?”

“Eh!? Us too…?”

“N-no, we’re outsiders…”

“Come on, no need to be shy! We fought tooth and nail against each other, didn’t we? Yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend! Come on, come on!”

When it came to moments like this, the friendly and charismatic Maria was in her element.

Sakuya and her team were swept up in the momentum, roped into joining.

“My, my. We came to congratulate the Empire on reaching the finals, but it seems things have gotten quite lively, haven’t they?”

“Oh!? Adil-san and the others!? When did you get here!?”

Adil and Elseed, representatives of Harasa from the first round, appeared.

“By the way, about that group photo… mind if we join in?”

“Of course, you’re totally welcome!”

“Hey, Adil… Don’t just decide for us… I’m not exactly—”

“Oh, come on, relax. These things are all about having fun.”

Adil soothed the reluctant Elseed.

“Alright, everyone, let’s head outside!”

At Maria’s lead, the group began filing out of the room.

“Hmph. What a bunch of carefree, idle fools.”

“Come on, Eve-san, let’s go!”

“Yeah, it’s a rare chance!”

“Wha—!? Hey, wait, don’t drag me—!”

Naturally, Eve, who had intended to stay behind, was forcibly dragged along by Kash and Wendy.

Glenn, Sistine, and Rumia exchanged glances and shared wry smiles.

Re=L blinked in confusion.

And then—

“Alright, here we go! Everyone, get closer!”

In the grand plaza in front of the Celica-Elliot Grand Stadium,

With the stadium’s majestic white structure bathed in dazzling sunlight as the backdrop,

Everyone struck their own poses, standing as they pleased.

Some wore bright smiles.

Others kept cool, composed expressions.

A few looked exasperated.

At the center of the group were a reluctant Glenn, a grumpy Eve, a cheerful Rumia, a slightly embarrassed Sistine, and Re=L, as sleepy and expressionless as ever.

“Okay, setup complete!”

Maria, having adjusted the spring-loaded automatic shutter on the projector mounted on a tripod, hurriedly dashed back to the group…

“Here I go!”

“Wah!? Hey, Maria—!”

Forcing her way between Sistine and Glenn at just the right moment—

—Click.

…

This lighthearted event, sparked by Maria’s whimsy,

This snapshot capturing a single page of their youth,

Would become an irreplaceable treasure for them all—

…

That night,

In a forest on the outskirts of Milano,

“Trash cleanup~♪ Trash cleanup~♪ ~Tch!”

A cheerful girl’s voice rang out, jarringly out of place in the pitch-black darkness.

A girl with a swaying ponytail walked through the forest.

Her steps, crunching lightly on fallen leaves, showed no trace of hesitation or fear.

The girl strolled down the unlit animal trail, singing merrily.

“Work~♪ Work~♪ Trash cleanup~ work~♪”

The name of this peculiar girl was—Illia Irouge.

Once, she had posed as Number 18 《The Moon》of the Imperial Court Mage Corps’ Special Missions Annex, a master illusionist of unparalleled skill.

Currently listed as missing by the imperial military, she was wandering this forest at this hour, seemingly enjoying herself.

“Geez, Archbishop Archibald’s faction sure is sneaky~ Hiding the assassins meant to kill Bishop Fais and Pope Funeral in such a remote place?”

Though she wore a playful smile, Illia’s eyes coldly scanned her surroundings.

With the spiritual vision of a mage of her caliber, she could tell.

The area was layered with multiple, intricately woven warding and concealment barriers.

Barriers so advanced that even a top-tier mage would struggle to detect them, yet Illia bypassed them effortlessly, slipping deeper into the forest without so much as touching their spellwork.

“Oh my… These are the kinds of spell systems those high-ranking heretic mages from The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom love to use, aren’t they? Pfft, Archibald, you’re so guilty♪”

Zigzagging through the trees, Illia moved forward.

“Well, these concealment spells are pretty impressive… but they’re still not enough to fool an illusionist of my caliber~”

Eventually… a mansion came into view through the trees.

A faint light leaked from its windows.

“Alright, time to start cleaning! If those filthy monks get assassinated now and spark a war between the Empire and the Kingdom, my beloved Lord would be in quite a pickle~”

—At that moment,

Illia stopped in her tracks.

“…Huh?”

She sensed it.

The smell of blood… likely emanating from inside the mansion.

Looking closely, the mansion’s front door, which should have been tightly shut, was ajar.

“…”

Gone was her earlier playful demeanor. With the icy, sharp focus of a seasoned mage, Illia cautiously approached the door.

Instantly, the stench of blood grew overwhelming.

(What in the world…?)

Bracing herself, Illia carefully opened the mansion door.

The scene unfolding before Illia’s eyes in the entrance hall was—

“Hey, I’ve been waiting for you… Illia Irouge…”

A young man sat elegantly at the top of the staircase in the depths of the hall, legs crossed, leaning on a cane.

And—scattered across the hall’s floor were blood, corpses, blood, corpses, blood, corpses, blood—

What greeted Illia with a touch of flair was a gruesome hellscape.

“You’re… Jatice…! Jatice Lowfan, former Special Missions Annex Executive Officer Number 11, 《The Justice》…!?”

“Oh? You know of me? Haha, that makes things easier. You see, I’ve been wanting to have a nice, long chat with you… what do you say, Lord Ignite’s lapdog?”

The young man—Jatice—adjusted his top hat, stood with a flourish of his frock coat, and spread his arms wide in welcome.

Illia, caught off guard by this unexpected opponent, stiffened slightly…

But soon enough.

“Haaa… What a hassle…”

She let out an exaggerated sigh.

“I’ve got nothing to talk about with a lunatic like you. The only thing that matters to me is that you’re a dangerous person my beloved Lord considers a threat.”

“Oh my, am I that disliked? Lord Ignite used to hold me in pretty high regard, you know? All it took was a little mud on his face, and now this.”

“…My Lord’s enemies are my enemies. So, change of plans—I’ll clean you up instead of those assassins, Jatice-san.”

Illia said this casually, with a cheerful smile.

“Hehe, as thanks for taking care of those assassins, I’ll make sure to kill you painlessly, okay?”

“Kukuku…”

Then.

Jatice began to laugh, as if amused.

“…What’s so funny?”

“I’m telling you, don’t bother.”

Illia narrowed her eyes at Jatice’s condescending, mocking words.

“Your Original Magic… oh, what was it again? [Moon Cradle], right? An illusion spell that manipulates world alteration and absolute mental domination…”

“Oh my, oh my! You know a lot, don’t you? Are you a stalker? Scary!”

“It seems like an invincible spell at first glance, but it’s not as all-powerful as it appears. That spell… it won’t work on me.”

“!”

For a moment, Illia’s eyes sharpened, and Jatice, smugly, began to explain.

“First, world alteration… even an amateur could tell you that deceiving the world and twisting facts devours an obscene amount of your deep subconscious field and magical power. While maintaining world alteration, you’re constantly burning through mana like water, and it puts immense pressure on your deep subconscious field. The more the altered facts diverge from reality, the worse it gets. In that state, you can barely manage any real combat actions… You’ve been clever at hiding it so far, though.”

Magic, as a fundamental principle, operates under the First Law of Magic:《Law of Equivalent Exchange》.

Through the chained associations of incantations, a magical formula is activated, altering the caster’s deep subconscious field. As a result, it intervenes in the corresponding laws of the world, bringing about changes… That’s the essence of magical technology.

If the deep subconscious field required for self-transformation through incantations is insufficient, naturally, the magic becomes unusable.

“Next, absolute mental domination… That one’s a bit trickier, isn’t it? You yourself may be weak, but depending on how you use it, it could work even against stronger opponents. Still, against me, it’s meaningless.”

Then.

“Pfft… Hahaha… Ahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Illia, listening to Jatice’s know-it-all explanation, burst into laughter.

She laughed heartily, as if it were genuinely hilarious.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing… Just, you’re not as scary as the military makes you out to be, Jatice-san.”

Wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, Illia continued.

“Everyone was saying how terrifying and dangerous you are, with these super intense faces, so I thought you’d be some kind of monster… Pfft, but this is your level? If you’re picking a fight, you should choose your opponent more carefully, you know?”

Her mocking attitude seemed to get under Jatice’s skin.

“Hmph, you little brat… You’re just a third-rate nobody, but you’ve got a sharp tongue.”

Suddenly, Jatice’s demeanor shifted, his tone dripping with irritation.

“Fine! I’ll teach you the difference in our levels!”

“Ugh, lame! That’s a death flag, you know!”

In an instant.

A palpable killing intent filled the space between them—and erupted.

“A kid who doesn’t know how to speak to her seniors needs reeducation… Take this!”

Jatice abruptly swept both hands outward.

From his gloves, pseudo-etheric particle powder scattered into the air, and in response, a swarm of artificial angels—Tulpas—were summoned, surrounding Illia.

“Hyahahaha! Dieeeeeeeeee!”

Jatice raised his hand, giving the command.

The false angels, wielding spears and swords, lunged at Illia from all directions in unison.

There was no escape. Illia would surely be skewered—

But at that moment, ignoring Jatice in front of her, Illia spun around and pointed at the empty space behind her.

“Alright, [Moon Cradle]! All done!”

A white light flared at Illia’s fingertip—

And in that instant, every single tulpa froze in midair.

Even Jatice, standing directly in front of Illia, stopped moving.

“~~~ !?”

“Geez, I told you so.”

Illia snapped her fingers.

At that moment, Black Magic [Dispel Force], a spell that nullifies magical power, activated.

In the empty space Illia’s glowing finger pointed to, a figure that had been secretly hiding appeared.

That figure was—

“N-no way…!? H-how… How did you know…!?”

Jatice’s eyes widened in shock, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Illia’s [Moon Cradle] had perfectly executed its absolute mental domination, and Jatice, now unable to move a single finger, stood frozen in a pathetic, foolish pose.

“A Tulpa, right? The Jatice-san I was talking to just now.”

“—!?”

As if to prove her words, the Jatice who had been conversing with Illia in front of her stood motionless, like a lifeless doll.

“Plus, you can predict actions almost like foresight, can’t you? But didn’t it ever occur to you that the outcomes you predicted might themselves be illusions created by my spell?”

“Wha—!?”

Jatice’s face visibly paled.

“N-no way…!? World alteration!? You rewrote my perception with an illusion!? Your spell can do that…!?”

“Hehe, alright, just relax for a bit, okay~?”

Illia drew a dagger and began walking toward Jatice with a playful skip.

“Let’s see, there’s one here, and here, and here too, right? Invisible blades.”

“…Guh!?”

Jatice’s final defense—[Scotoma Saber], the invisible swords positioned in the air—Illia dodged them effortlessly, closing in on him.

And then, standing directly in front of the immobilized Jatice—

“See ya, Jatice-san. This’ll sting a bit, so bear with it~”

With a smile, she raised her dagger—

“I-impossible… Me, in a place like this…!? Me!?”

Jatice, utterly helpless, let out a scream of despair—

Illia swung her dagger down toward Jatice’s heart.

Splatter!

Blood sprayed.

“…Huh?”

…From Illia’s body, which stood there, stunned.

“…Huh? W-what… is this…?”

Illia’s knees buckled, and the dagger slipped from her grasp.

Her chest had been deeply slashed horizontally.

Before she realized it, Jatice—who should have been immobilized—had drawn a rapier from his cane, striking with a refined, almost theatrical flourish, and now stood in an exaggerated finishing pose.

“…And that’s how far I read you.”

With a flick, Jatice shook the blood from the blade and sheathed it back into his cane.

“So, how was it? My lowlife act just now… I think it rivaled even Albert’s performance, don’t you? You know, I took a side gig with a theater troupe to earn some travel money recently. There’s no treasure greater than experience, as they say… Man, it was a great learning opportunity.”

Smirking, Jatice looked down at Illia, who crouched, bloodied.

“And this iaido slash, was it? I practiced it a ton, and it paid off. Eastern swordsmanship is so elegant and cool… I nailed it, and I’m thrilled… Kukuku… Oh, did you know? With iaido, if you’re not used to it, you often cut the base of your thumb. Look, I’ve got scars from it!”

As Jatice rambled on about trivial nonsense, Illia, in disbelief, stammered.

“Guh… cough… W-why…?”

Her expression screamed incredulity as she asked, trembling.

“N-no way… This can’t be… My [Moon Cradle] definitely had you…! From the moment I entered this mansion…!”

“…”

“So why…? Why didn’t it work…!?”

To Illia’s near-screaming words, Jatice responded.

“I told you from the start, didn’t I? It won’t work on me.”

Jatice shrugged with a “yare yare” gesture.

“Original Magic [Justia’s Scales]… My eyes perceive every phenomenon in this world as numbers and equations.”

In Jatice’s eyes, gazing down at Illia, numbers danced like a flood.

“What I see isn’t this world. It’s the numbers that compose it. Illusions can’t affect me. Numbers don’t lie… The falsehoods and deceptions you create with your illusions are obvious to me at a glance. If I can see them, I can ignore them… Even mental domination.”

“Ugh… Aaaah…”

“In other words… I’m your natural enemy.”

Illia trembled violently.

Her body wouldn’t respond. She was completely defeated.

She had misjudged. The one who had been overconfident… was her.

She should have fled like a rabbit. She never should have faced a monster like this.

Jatice’s gaze, as if looking at trash, peered down at her.

She was going to die.

She would die here, without fulfilling her purpose—

(…What? I’m going to die? Here? Then… what was the point of everything I’ve done until now…?)

Overwhelmed by terror and despair, Illia couldn’t bear it any longer.

“No… Nooooo! No, no, no…!”

Collapsing, Illia sobbed, shaking her head frantically, pleading.

“P-please…! Save me… Spare my life…! I’ll do anything, anything…!”

Clasping her hands as if in prayer, she begged Jatice desperately.

She knew this man wouldn’t grant such mercy… but she couldn’t stop herself from pleading.

She couldn’t die here. Not yet—

But… surprisingly.

“Oh my, looks like I scared you a little too much, huh?”

Kukuku, Jatice shrugged playfully.

“I don’t have any intention of doing anything to you.”

“…Huh…?”

“I said it at the start, didn’t I? I wanted to talk with you. All that talk of killing or whatever, you just got carried away on your own, didn’t you? Am I wrong?”

“…Ah… Uh…”

“So, I took a good look at you, running around as Lord Ignite’s lapdog… and, well, you’re interesting. Not as much as Glenn, but still. Heh, I don’t hate that.”

With that, Jatice patted the trembling Illia’s shoulder and turned to leave, heading out through the mansion’s entrance.

“So today, as your senior, I came to give you some encouragement. I’m rooting for you, Illia. People’s desires are power. If you believe strongly and charge straight ahead… your wishes will surely come true someday.”

Leaving those words behind, Jatice truly departed from the scene—

“…”

For a while, Illia stared blankly in the direction Jatice had gone.

Then, suddenly, as if snapping back to reality, she pounded the floor with her fist.

“…That lunatic…!? What do you know about me…!? Damn it!”

Chewing on her humiliation and misery, Illia let tears stream down her face…

“…Nee-sama… I… I…!”

No one was there to hear Illia’s laments and wails…

“…I’m back, you two.”

Jatice, strolling through the dark forest as if it were his garden, paused.

Ahead stood two figures.

A girl in white battle garb, like an angel, and a young man in a dark coat… Luna and Chase.

“You really are the absolute worst kind of scum, Jatice.”

Luna opened with a cold, disdainful glare, as if looking at filth.

“Oh my, how harsh… I just stopped by to give a junior some greetings and encouragement while on the job.”

“Hmph… So you’re just going to use that girl for your own goals, like always?”

“What! Do I seem like such a cruel guy to you? That’s so sad.”

Luna’s expression was practically volcanic at his audacity.

“Jatice Lowfan. I have a few questions.”

Chase cut in, cooling the heated atmosphere with his calm voice.

“What exactly are you planning? Weren’t you Archibald’s ally? Weren’t you working to achieve Archibald’s goals? …Why did you kill Archibald’s trained assassins?”

“They weren’t his. They were from The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom… so, it’s all according to plan.”

Jatice shrugged in response.

“We’re cutting ties with them here. For appearances, it’ll look like some mysterious third party interfered with Archibald and the organization’s plans. We’re outsmarting even that organization… Kukuku… If you want, you can ask Archibald directly.”

Chase, his eyes brimming with suspicion, pressed on.

“Second. That girl… Illia, was it? Why did you let her go? If your existence leaks to the Empire’s people…”

“Relax. She’ll definitely keep my involvement a secret when reporting to Lord Ignite. For her own goals, she’ll claim the results of that fight as her own. She has no choice. She can’t afford to show weakness to Lord Ignite—she has to be perfect. I’ve read her.”

“…”

With Jatice’s confident response, Chase voiced his final question.

“Third. The Alzano Empire’s representative team. If you wanted to achieve your goals, you could’ve had the Empire lose to the Land of the Rising Sun in today’s match, without waiting for tomorrow’s summit. Why didn’t you use me or Luna to sabotage the Empire?”

“Huh? Why…?”

Jatice blinked, as if genuinely surprised.

“You and Luna swore to Glenn that you’d back off from interfering with the match, didn’t you? I couldn’t possibly make you go back on that.”

“…!”

It was no use. They couldn’t understand.

Neither Chase nor Luna could fathom Jatice. He was incomprehensible.

The darkness Jatice carried was far too deep.

“Relax… Everything’s going according to plan.”

Toying with them, Jatice smirked and walked deeper into the forest.

“Let’s get started… Tomorrow’s the big day. The climax begins here. Now, who’ll have the last laugh?”

In the darkness, the man—darker than the dark itself—laughed with grim amusement.

That night, after the fierce battle with the Land of the Rising Sun.

At the luxurious, castle-like hotel where the Alzano Empire’s representative team was staying.

This hotel, astonishingly, drew hot spring water from a nearby source through its plumbing, a truly extravagant feature, with a grand bathhouse on the premises.

And currently, this high-end hotel was exclusively reserved for the Alzano Empire.

—Which meant.

“Seriously, no matter how many times I see it, it’s amazing!”

To soothe the fatigue of the match, the women, stripped bare, had made their way to this grand bathhouse.

The sight before them was a vast open-air bath, crafted with marble floors and dazzling sculptures. This extravagant bath, occupying a portion of the hotel’s grounds, was as wide as an ocean.

The overwhelming heat rising from the brimming water, the steam clouding their vision in white, created a fantastical scene beneath the starry night sky—

“Mmm… Nothing beats a bath after a match!”

“Hehe, good work, Sistie.”

Sistine, stretching as she sank into the water, earned a gentle smile from Rumia.

“Mm.”

“Hey, no swimming, Re=L…”

Elsa, with a wry smile, chided Re=L, who was dog-paddling in the middle of the bath.

“I’ll scrub your back, Rize-neesan!”

“And I’ll take care of your hair!”

“Oh my, well then… shall I leave it to you two?”

Colette, Francine, and Rize too.

“…Hehe, hehehe… Sistie’s skin is so fair and beautiful, isn’t it…?”

“H-Hey, Ellen!? You’ve been weirdly close since earlier, haven’t you!?”

Ellen, exuding a somewhat dreamy and alluring aura.

“The hot spring feels amazing, but… um, is it… really okay for us to be here too…?”

“It does feel a bit awkward, doesn’t it? We’re just the support team, after all.”

“No need to worry about it. We were invited, so let’s enjoy ourselves.”

Lynn, Teresa, and Wendy as well.

“Exactly! If you overthink it, you lose, you know, dear students of the magic academy… bloop bloop bloop.”

A little distance away, Ginny, submerged in the water up to the lower half of her face.

“Haa… Whatever, it’s too late to care now. Might as well let it all hang out.”

Even Eve, dragged here by force and now throwing caution to the wind.

Everyone, with their uniquely captivating figures and glossy, radiant skin, basked freely in the steamy hot spring, reveling in its warmth.

It was truly a paradise, an Eden.

A mystical and artistic world woven from the interplay of steam, soft skin tones, and the enchanting beauty of feminine forms.

Amid the lively, vibrant scene of everyone chattering and laughing boisterously…

As Rumia leisurely soaked in the hot spring…

“Great work today, Rumia-san!”

Maria, having just finished washing herself, plopped down next to Rumia.

Staring unabashedly at the generous curves of Rumia’s chest, she said with a mix of envy and admiration:

“Wow~! As expected, Rumia-san’s chest is just incredible~ ~! I’m so jealous~~ ! Gimme some of that! Share a bit with poor, flat me, please!”

“C-Come on, Maria…”

Rumia gave a wry smile, flustered by Maria’s usual high-energy clinginess.

“Huh?”

Rumia suddenly noticed something.

“Is something wrong, Rumia-san?”

“Um, well… Maria’s shoulder…?”

“Oh, you mean this weird mark?”

Maria glanced at her slender left shoulder, where a strange pattern resembling a Z scribbled over itself multiple times faintly appeared.

“For some reason, it shows up vaguely whenever I warm up my body or channel a lot of mana… It doesn’t hurt or itch, so I don’t really mind it.”

“……”

It was… just a vague feeling.

For some reason, Rumia felt an ominous premonition about the pattern’s shape and turned to consult Sistine about it.

But then…

“W-Wait—Ellen!? That’s really just a massage, right!?”

“It’s a massage, I promise~ I’ll make sure to relieve all of Sistie’s tension, okay?”

At some point, Sistine had climbed out of the hot spring, her face flushed bright red, lying face-down on a mat spread over the marble floor.

Beside her, Ellen sat daintily, holding a bottle of oil, her hands—moving with an almost suggestive wiggle—coated generously with the slick liquid.

“I-I think you’re using way too much oil!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“H-Hold on, Ellen!? Why are you slathering so much oil on yourself too!? What’s the point of that!?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine! That’s definitely something else entirely—!”

Sensing something amiss, Sistine tried to scramble away in a panic.

But before she could, Ellen swiftly draped herself over Sistine’s back…

“Kyaaaaaaaahhh!? Somebody, help meeeeee!?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine… This is just a massage… a massage, okay…?”

Watching her boisterous friend’s predicament…

“…Maybe later, then.”

Rumia could only offer a wry smile and keep watching.

—Meanwhile, at the same time…

“……”

“……”

“……”

In the hotel’s lounge…

An odd silence hung over the male members of the Alzano Empire group.

Some read books, others sprawled on sofas, each trying to relax… but clearly restless.

The lounge wasn’t too far from the open-air hot spring, and through the open terrace, the faint, tantalizing clamor of the women’s lively voices tickled their ears.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Silence, silence, and more peculiar silence.

Finally, what seemed like an eternity of quiet was broken…

“…I’m going.”

Crash! Kash abruptly stood up, shattering the stillness.

“I can guess what you’re thinking, but you’d better not,” Gibul warned, shooting him a sharp look.

“No, I have to go…”

With the resolute expression of a soldier heading to the front lines, Kash declared:

“Think about it. The lineup gathered in that hot spring right now—nothing short of a miraculous assembly of breathtakingly beautiful girls from across our proud Alzano Empire! A divine prank in the long history of our empire… Do you think a miracle like this, a paradise like this, will ever happen again after this moment? If we don’t sneak a peek now, when will we ever get the chance…!?”

“But—at the same time, it’s an undeniable hell,” Gibul countered, suppressing a shiver.

“Do a quick calculation of the combat strength gathered in that hot spring right now… Honestly, it’s nothing short of a nightmare. A death trap. I’d rather face an eldritch god from outer space than deal with that. I’m not interested in peeking, but purely from a survival instinct, I want no part of it.”

“You might be right…”

Kash lowered his head, but then—snap!—he jerked it back up and shouted:

“But even so, there are times when a man has to fight! Isn’t that right!?”

“!?”

“If I back down here, I’ll spend my whole life making excuses to run away… I can feel it. No way… That’s absolutely unacceptable! I can’t run away! I won’t run away from myself!”

“Kash…”

“Fighting against yourself… challenging the impossible—that’s what makes a true magician, isn’t it!? Am I wrong!?”

To Kash, burning with fiery passion…

“You’re an idiot,” Gibul muttered, returning to his book without interest, while Heinkel did the same. Jaill, lounging on the sofa, rolled over, unwilling to engage, and Cecil just fidgeted nervously.

But—

“No, you’re absolutely right.”

—Levin alone stood up with commanding presence.

“Levin… You…!?”

“Indeed… I thought it was impossible too. Moving now would be the act of a fool. Resigning oneself to wisdom is the mark of a mage. But that…”

Clench. Levin tightened his fist, spitting out his words with bitter regret:

“That means I’ve already surrendered mentally. Me, bearing the name of Kleitos, admitting defeat without a fight…! That’s unacceptable… For the pride of the Kleitos name…!”

“Levin!”

“Exactly! Without challenging the impossible, what kind of magician are we!? What kind of Kleitos am I!? Thank you, Kash-kun. I was about to fall into the trap of a defeated coward.”

Smoothly, Levin extended his hand toward Kash.

“Rather than settling for the wisdom of a defeated coward, I’ll gladly become a fool aiming for victory.”

“…Yeah! Me too!”

Clasp! Kash gripped Levin’s hand firmly, their handshake sealing their bond.

In that moment, a fiery friendship stronger than blood was born—

(…What are these guys on about?) Jaill thought, half-lidding his eyes.

Before him, Kash and Levin marched out onto the terrace with bold determination…

Heading toward a corner of the grounds where the open-air hot spring was located—

“Hmph, don’t hold me back, alright?”

“Heh… I’ll make up for any shortcomings with grit and passion.”

And so…

Their relentless, passionate challenge against the impossible—and their deadly struggle—began.

——

Well, the outcome was as expected.

The impossible is called impossible for a reason.

BOOM! CRASH! ZZZAP!

““GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!?””

The sounds of magical explosions and the screams of two boys echoed across the hotel grounds.

“…Hm? What was that?”

Hearing the faint commotion from outside, Glenn, holed up in his room, tilted his head.

“…Must be my imagination. Oh well.”

Spread across his desk were documents detailing tomorrow’s opponents—the representative team from the Rezalia Kingdom.

Glenn pored over them carefully, mulling over strategies.

“As expected, this Markov Dragunov guy is insanely overpowered… Between Adil, Sakuya, and now him… This tournament is a real talent showcase.”

Tomorrow’s match would likely hinge on Sistine, as expected.

As Glenn pondered this…

Thud thud thud thud…

The sound of someone running down the corridor outside his room reached his ears…

BAM! Suddenly, the door to Glenn’s room was forcefully kicked open.

“Glenn-sensei!!”

“…Ugh. Fossil… You’re still alive, huh…?”

Bursting in, out of breath, was Fossil Lefoy Ertoria, the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy’s professor of magical archaeology, who had been incommunicado since arriving in Milano.

“What are you dawdling for!? Come on, let’s go!”

Fossil strode in without hesitation, grabbed Glenn by the back of his collar, and started dragging him out.

“Gah!? What the—!? What’s your deal!?”

“Isn’t it obvious!? I’m saying I need your help! Come on!”

“Huh!? Why the hell!?”

With an exasperated sigh, Fossil pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and thrust it rudely in front of Glenn’s face.

Drawn on the paper was a pattern, seemingly copied from something—a strange design resembling a Z scribbled over itself multiple times.

“Now do you get it? Let’s go!”

“Get lost, I don’t understand a damn thing! Besides, I’ve got stuff to do right now! I don’t have the slightest bit of time to deal with you—!”

“Hmph! Do you think I’m the kind of decent person who cares about other people’s schedules!? Your business doesn’t matter! As long as my business is taken care of, that’s all that counts!”

“Shut up, you insufferable jerk!!”

“Gwaaaaahhh!?”

Glenn spun around, breaking free of Fossil’s grip, and in one fluid motion, threw him against the wall with a thud.

—Ten minutes later…

“…So, let me get this straight. You found an incredible, unexplored ruin in this city, and you want me to come with you to explore it right now? That’s the deal?”

Having calmed down and heard the explanation, Glenn let out a heavy sigh.

“Exactly. Good things come to those who act swiftly, and soldiers value speed. Common sense, no?”

Boom. Fossil crossed his arms and puffed out his chest proudly, as if there could be no other answer.

“Between the magic tournament and exploring ruins, even you should know which is more important, right?”

“Yeah, I get called a good-for-nothing all the time, but even I can figure that one out.”

“See? Then get ready! We’re leaving immediately!”

“Arghhh!? How does that logic even work!? What’s going on in that head of yours!?”

Glenn and Fossil continued their heated argument, voices rising in a clamor.

“Gods, you’re such a selfish brat! So immature!”

“Who’re you calling immature, you thirty-seven-year-old!?”

“Fine… If that’s how it’s gonna be, let’s make a deal.”

“…A deal?”

Bracing himself for yet another ridiculous scheme, Glenn narrowed his eyes as Fossil continued:

“That ‘Memoirs of Alicia III’ you entrusted to me—the copy, remember?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“I’ve finished deciphering it. Did it on the side while investigating the ruins here in Milano.”

“…What?”

“Heh. If you help me out, I’ll teach you how to read it. Actually, I’m pretty sure that was our deal to begin with, wasn’t it?”

For a moment…

Glenn could only blink in stunned silence…

“What!?”

A delayed, dumbfounded shout finally escaped him.

“Seriously!? No way! Really!?”

His mind flashed back to the words spoken by Mabel—Alicia III—in the hidden school building of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

—Glenn-sensei. This world… this country… will one day face ruin.

—If you intend to stand against the coming destruction… you must draw closer to the “truth”…

—The origins of this country, the secrets of the royal bloodline, the [Melgalius’s Sky Castle] floating above Fejite, and the [Akashic Records]. In her lifetime, Alicia III recorded fragments of her efforts to approach these truths in what I am… ‘Memoirs of Alicia III.’

“No way… seriously…?”

Glenn’s throat tightened with a gulp.

Ever since he became an instructor at the magic academy, so many inexplicable things had happened.

Rumia’s unique ability.

The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom obsessively targeting Rumia.

[Project: Revive Life].

Ancient ruins, Demon Generals, the [Ship of Flames], the Silver Dragon, the legend of the righteous magician—the list went on and on.

And—the [Akashic Records].

Though each seemed unrelated, when considered together, it was easy to imagine they all stemmed from something utterly horrifying.

Now, the prospect of unraveling even a piece of those mysteries sent a strange mix of excitement and dread coursing through Glenn.

“Fine, I’ll help you… damn it. But can we do the exploration after tomorrow’s final match?”

“Hm? Why? I’m ready to go right now! Let’s move!”

“Idiot, it’s an unexplored section of ancient ruins, right? If we don’t prepare properly, no amount of lives will be enough. Even a moron like you should get that. You can’t write papers if you’re dead.”

“……”

Even Fossil, it seemed, couldn’t argue with that logic.

“I see, you’ve got a point. Heh… I got a bit too eager in the face of unknown mysteries.”

He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Glenn.

Written on it was…

“…A magic formula? What’s this?”

“I told you, I’d teach you how to read the journal. You’re a trustworthy guy, so I’ll give you this upfront as a bonus.”

Fossil grinned at Glenn’s reaction.

“The secret cipher technique passed down in my Ertoria family is on a whole different level from ordinary codes. Normal ciphers merely hide the information written by the author.”

“Obviously. What’s your point?”

“But the Ertoria family’s cipher outputs and conceals everything—the author’s emotions, memories, their entire being—constructing a miniature world within the encrypted text. In other words, deciphering it allows you to literally relive the author’s life.”

“Huh?”

“Thus! Deciphering an Ertoria cipher is about deducing and constructing the key formula to access this memory world. …Well, it requires the Ertoria family’s secret know-how, so I doubt anyone else could do it! Hahaha!”

“No way…”

Glenn pulled the original copy of ‘Memoirs of Alicia III’ from his pocket and stared at it.

“As you can probably guess, only the original can let you relive its contents. A copy can only get you as far as creating the key formula. In other words, even I don’t know what’s written in it yet. I’m very curious to find out… and why someone like Alicia III knew our family’s cipher.”

“……”

“Come on, hurry up and read it. Read it and tell me what it says. Huh? Me? Heh… don’t worry about it! If it’s safe after you read it, I’ll take my time with it later!”

“…T-this guy…”

Glenn narrowed his eyes at Fossil’s unwavering confidence.

That said, there was no other option here but to read it.

(Maybe… just maybe, I’m standing at the precipice of a historic moment right now.)

With that quiet surge of excitement and awe, Glenn began to unfold the magical key formula Fossil had handed him into his deep subconscious field, opening Memoirs of Alicia III…

And then, he started chanting the spell.

“《Open・Open・The Gate of Truth・──》”

As his mana surged, intricate magical patterns layered themselves upon the journal’s cover, shimmering into existence─

“《Before me・Reveal the Truth──》”

Just as Glenn was about to complete the chant…

“──Wait, Glenn! It’s a trap!?”

A sudden, desperate cry from a girl’s voice struck Glenn’s soul like a taut string snapping.

(──Nameless!?)

He froze… but it was already far too late.

“《──Show it》”

By the time he thought to stop the spell, he had already finished chanting.

In that instant.

Piiiiii! A strange warning sound blared through Glenn’s mind.

[System Error・Error・Error・Error・Error]

[Censored by Third Party・Unauthorized Access Detected・Access Denied]

[Due to Forced Intrusion・Level One Classified Mode Forcibly Activated]

A flat, emotionless female voice hammered through Glenn’s head─

“Wha─!?”

The journal erupted in a blinding light, pulling Glenn’s mind into its depths.

“Ugh, a, aaaaaaaaah!?”

His consciousness was being dragged somewhere… an utterly unfamiliar sensation. Enveloped by instinctual terror and a ghastly sense of weightlessness─

Helplessly, Glenn’s awareness faded into the searing white light─

────.