Chapter 3: The Eve of Each Battle
The long night had finally broken into early morning.
At the medical ward of the main building of Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.
“…There we go.”
A delicate, ethereal-looking girl—Cecilia Hestia, the academy’s forensic physician—let out a relieved sigh.
Just now, the forensic ritual magic had concluded.
“How are you feeling? I should have perfectly reconnected all the nerves and spiritual pathways.”
Cecilia released the arm of the red-haired girl lying limply on the bed and asked.
The red-haired girl—Eve—slowly raised her left arm… clenching and unclenching her hand. It moved so freely that it was hard to believe Jatice had severed it from the elbow down. Not even a scar remained, making it feel like it had all been a bad dream.
“How is it? Any difficulty moving it or lack of strength?”
“No… it moves fine. If anything, it feels better than before…”
Eve responded in a listless, subdued tone.
“I was certain it’d leave a severe disability… Cecilia Hestia… you’ve got some serious skill. There aren’t many in the military’s forensic division who could match you.”
“N-no way… I’m still far from my mother’s level… haha…”
Cecilia laughed, a bit embarrassed.
“More importantly, even if movement is fine, how’s the flow of mana?”
“…”
Prompted by Cecilia, Eve steadied her breathing and tried to channel mana into magic within her body.
For Eve, who had been raised to be a mage since childhood, this was as natural as breathing. She’d always thought her talent for mana manipulation was, if she did say so herself, genius-level.
But.
No matter how much Eve tried to channel magic as she always had… the magic she conjured wouldn’t flow beyond her left elbow. In other words, she couldn’t perform magic with her left hand, the one closest to her heart, where a mage’s strongest magic is typically channeled.
“No good… the magic won’t flow past my left hand… It’s fine for daily life, but… hah… as a mage of the Ignite family, I’m as good as dead.”
“W-what!? That can’t be…!?”
Cecilia paled and hurriedly grabbed Eve’s left hand, inspecting it closely.
“That’s strange… I reconnected all the spiritual pathways perfectly… Even now, with my spiritual vision, I can see the pathways in your arm are alive and functioning…!?”
Eve had no intention of doubting Cecilia’s skill or words now. Given Cecilia’s ability, it was undoubtedly true that she’d performed the procedure and treatment flawlessly.
If there was a problem, then…
“I’m sorry, Eve-san! It’s because I’m still inexperienced… I’ll perform the psychic surgery again right now! I’ll definitely fix your left hand…”
“…That’s enough.”
Eve brushed off Cecilia’s hand, slipping her mage’s ceremonial robe over her bare upper body and threading her arm through the sleeve.
“It’s not your fault. This is probably my own issue… something mental.”
“B-but…”
“I said it’s fine. I’m okay now. Besides, you don’t have time to waste fussing over a useless person like me, do you?”
“!”
“…There were a lot of injuries at the academy, right? They still need you. Go do what you’re meant to do first.”
Cecilia fell silent for a moment…
“…Understood. I’ll continue treating the others first!”
“That’s right. That’s far more useful.”
“But I’ll definitely check on you again later, Eve-san! Please wait for me!”
With that, Cecilia left the medical ward, heading toward the grand lecture hall where many injured people were being urgently housed… her steps somewhat unsteady and frail.
(She’s pushing herself too hard… treating all the injured nonstop without sleep, utterly exhausted… she looks like she could collapse any moment… and she’s never been particularly robust to begin with…)
Eve watched Cecilia go with cold, detached eyes.
(That girl… why does she go so far, even at the cost of herself…? Hah… a foolish question, isn’t it…)
To heal others, no matter what. Even if it meant burning her own life away.
That was likely what Cecilia saw as her purpose, her conviction as a mage.
To the current Eve, Cecilia’s figure was dazzling.
(…Why… why was I even a mage…? For the Ignite family? Was that really it? I don’t even know anymore…)
I wanted to be a mage like this… As a child, she felt she’d proudly resolved to pursue something noble and radiant… but what that was, she couldn’t recall at all now.
No, perhaps she was intentionally sealing it away, refusing to remember.
(…Glenn…)
Suddenly, she thought of her former subordinate.
A man she couldn’t quite get along with, who always rubbed her the wrong way.
Every time they met, for some reason, she’d lash out at him harshly, and it always escalated into arguments and provocations. Then, the late Sera would step in to calm them both down… that had been their daily routine back then.
She didn’t even know why she kept picking fights with Glenn.
Just…
(Glenn… you’re probably still charging forward, unwavering in what you believe you must do… no matter how difficult, disregarding status or honor… just pressing straight ahead, aren’t you?)
Picturing Glenn’s figure in her mind’s eye, Eve felt an indescribable irritation… and, at the same time, an inexplicable longing that tormented her.
She was too stubborn to realize that this feeling was envy.
(I’ve become like this… what should I do…? What do I do from now on…? Help me, Glenn… you’re my subordinate, aren’t you…? sniff… ugh…)
To hide her fragile heart, Eve pulled the blanket over her head, quietly shedding tears in secret.
“…What’s wrong, Sensei?”
Sistine asked as Glenn suddenly glanced behind him.
“…Huh? Nothing… I just felt like someone called me for a second… probably my imagination.”
Shrugging with a “yare yare,” Glenn turned forward again.
They were in the underground section of Alzano Imperial Magic Academy’s campus, deep within a room known as the “forbidden chamber.”
The stone room’s ceiling, floor, and walls were covered with countless overlapping magical arrays, glowing faintly with mana as they pulsed in the darkness.
At the far end stood a stone pyramidal structure with a double door at its front. The door was inscribed with various inscriptions, incantations, and arrays, radiating some kind of power.
This was the entrance to the ancient ruin, the “Underground Labyrinth.”
Beyond the doors of this pyramidal structure, a staircase led down to the vast “Underground Labyrinth” sprawling beneath the academy.
“Alright… shall we get going?”
“Yes!”
With a nod to Sistine, Glenn operated a monolith-shaped magical calculator beside the door… and with a low rumble, the doors slowly parted to either side.
“…Sistie… Sensei… please be careful.”
“Don’t worry, leave it to me! I’ll keep a close eye on Sensei to make sure he doesn’t do anything weird!”
“Really… don’t push yourselves, okay? It’s very dangerous, isn’t it?”
To Rumia’s worried words, Sistine replied with a laugh.
“I said it’s fine! We’re not diving as deep as Professor Arfonia couldn’t handle! We’ll just go a little past the first to ninth floors, the ‘Journey to Awakening’… to the thirteenth floor of the ‘Trial of the Fool’ from floors ten to forty-nine, to a room called the ‘Fool’s Graveyard.’ Just a quick trip, right, Sensei?”
Perhaps excited about exploring the ruins, Sistine was a bit upbeat, and Glenn nodded.
“Yeah. The material I need to craft my final trump card against that demon… ‘Eve Kaiser’s Elixir’… is probably only obtainable there now.”
“What a pain, though,” Glenn added with a sigh.
“Glenn. I’m coming with you.”
As Re=L tried to volunteer, Glenn lightly flicked her forehead.
“Ow. …What was that for, Glenn?”
“Don’t worry about it. Focus on healing that injury properly.”
Re=L still had bandages on her arm. Though Cecilia’s forensic treatment and her naturally high self-healing ability had helped her recover significantly, she was far from fully healed.
“Tomorrow’s battle will rely on you, you know?”
“…Got it. I’ll wait.”
Seemingly satisfied, Re=L backed down obediently.
At that moment.
“…Sensei… are you really okay?”
Rumia murmured.
“Hah… you’re such a worrier. I told you, didn’t I? I’m fully prepared! With White Cat here, there’s no way I’d fall behind in this underground labyrinth—”
As expected, Glenn tried to brush it off with a jest, but…
“Ever since yesterday’s meeting when it was decided you’d use ‘Eve Kaiser’s Elixir’… your expression has been off.”
Rumia voiced her concern.
“…!?”
Glenn fell silent involuntarily.
“Huh? Really?”
“?”
Sistine and Re=L peered at Glenn’s face, as if noticing for the first time.
“…My expression’s off? …Is it?”
“Nah, Glenn looks normal to me.”
The two, unable to spot any difference, tilted their heads in confusion.
“…”
But Rumia just gazed at Glenn with a solemn expression.
“…Idiot. Don’t worry.”
Smiling, Glenn placed a hand on Rumia’s head.
“I’m fine. No problems at all. I’m not the same as I was back then. I’ve got you all with me now.”
With those words, he turned.
“Alright, White Cat. I’m counting on you for support and navigation, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. Can’t be helped… Sensei, you’re totally useless without me.”
Trading light banter, the two, laden with backpacks full of exploration gear, stepped into the Underground Labyrinth.
“…Rumia?”
While Re=L looked up at her curiously, Rumia, with a solemn expression, watched the backs of Glenn and Sistine as they walked away together.
…
“Tch… damn it! Persistent bastard!”
Clad in a mage’s ceremonial robe, that person ran through the deep, dark forest swallowed by the night, carrying a trembling young me on their back.
Breathing heavily like a flame, they ran tirelessly.
To protect me from the enemy’s grasp.
Occasionally glancing back… desperately, no matter what.
“No good… I can’t shake them…”
Eventually, the person paused, hiding behind the shadow of a giant tree and setting me down.
“…Looks like I’ll have to take them out here.”
I felt a chilling terror at their words, spoken with dark, heavy eyes.
“…Eve Kaiser… good thing I kept one dose left… I’ll show that bastard what’s what…”
The person pulled a small vial from their pocket.
They poured the powder from the vial directly into the chamber of a revolver’s cylinder… spat out the spherical bullet they’d been holding in their mouth, blowing it into the chamber… and folded the loading lever under the barrel to reload the bullet.
As they prepared to attach a primer to the rear of the cylinder, which held just one bullet… in that fleeting moment.
“…”
The person hesitated, their face etched with anguish… before resolving themselves and attaching the primer.
“《Zero’s Focus》…”
Muttering that incantation, they cocked the hammer with a click, infusing the gun with a dark, murderous intent.
For an instant, an unsettling, indescribable mana pulsed within the gun.
“…I’ll take care of it. Stay here.”
With a voice as cold as ice, they said this.
Pulling The Fool’s Arcane Tarot from their pocket, they leapt out from the tree’s shadow—
…
“Rumia? What’s wrong? You’re… acting kinda weird.”
Startled by Re=L’s sudden quiet voice, Rumia snapped back to the present from her wandering memories of the past.
After parting with Glenn and the others, Rumia and Re=L had left the underground section of the academy and were walking together through the corridors of the school building, heading to their next task.
“I was just… spacing out a bit. Things have gotten pretty intense, haven’t they…?”
“…Rumia.”
“It’s okay. We’ll figure it out. After all, we’ve got Sistie, Re=L… and Sensei.”
“Yeah. I’ll protect you, Rumia.”
Re=L nodded firmly at the slightly downcast Rumia… when suddenly.
“…Rumia… it’s because of her…”
“What’s with this ‘angel’ nonsense… she’s a walking disaster…”
“Tch… if it weren’t for her…”
Such whispers came from all directions.
“!”
Looking around, Rumia saw students passing by or gathered in the corridors, glancing at them and murmuring under their breath.
“…”
With a resigned sigh, Rumia looked down.
Those who knew Rumia’s character well or were close to her rarely blamed her. They understood, calmly, that Rumia was merely a victim, caught up in an unwanted misfortune.
But not all the academy’s students felt that way. Even knowing the situation, many couldn’t help but think that their current suffering was Rumia’s fault.
Not every human can be strong or noble.
It couldn’t be helped… Rumia accepted it with resignation.
“Hey! Rumia Tingel! Hold it right there!”
Two students blocked Rumia’s path.
“You two are…”
Rumia recognized them.
They were from Halley’s class, second-year Class 1: Kreiss Eins and Ena Uno.
Kreiss was a male student who had once clashed with Kash over practice space during the Magic Tournament, and Ena was a female student who, alongside Kreiss and Heinkel, had represented Class 1 against Sistine’s Class 2 in the tournament’s Duel Battle finals.
“There’s something we need to say to you… listen up, Rumia.”
“…What is it?”
“Why… why didn’t you leave this academy?”
At Kreiss’s accusation, Rumia closed her eyes, as if she’d expected it.
As if she’d known this was coming.
“I don’t care if you’re an Ability User or being targeted by The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom… but if that’s the case, shouldn’t you have left before dragging everyone else into your mess?”
Ena’s harsh words cut into Rumia.
Immediately, a few of the onlookers began to murmur in agreement—well said, that’s right—their silent, venomous emotions spreading like poison.
“It’s your fault…! What are you gonna do about it!? Because of the academy’s emergency lockdown order, we can’t even escape anymore!”
“Exactly…! Because you were here… because of you, we’re…!”
Irritation, anxiety, fear… and the visible, unknown threat looming in the sky.
At first glance, Kreiss and Ena’s words seemed heartless and selfish… but for ordinary teenagers living in an ordinary world, perhaps this was a natural expression of their emotions.
“…I’m sorry…”
So, all Rumia could do was apologize.
“You think an apology fixes this!? Because of you, we’re—”
Taking advantage of her meekness, Kreiss grabbed Rumia by the collar, shouting.
Rumia simply stood there, unresisting, ready to accept it…
“Stop.”
Re=L stepped in.
“What’s that, shorty!?”
Re=L positioned herself between Rumia and Kreiss, spreading her arms to shield Rumia, her sleepy eyes fixed on Kreiss.
“Rumia’s not bad.”
“Huh!?”
“…Um… I can’t explain it well, but… the ones who are really bad are probably bad people and important people?”
“That makes no sense…”
Ena muttered in frustration at Re=L’s vague words.
Truthfully, Re=L herself probably didn’t fully understand. Frowning in thought, she struggled to string her words together.
“So… yeah… Rumia’s been struggling too… so you guys can’t say that.”
“…That’s what I’m saying, it doesn’t make sense!”
“Um… what I mean is… uh… the bad ones are you guys. …Because you’re weak.”
“What, you tryin’ to pick a fight, huh!?”
Kreiss, bristling with anger, grabs Re=L by the collar and yanks her up.
Re=L, in contrast, merely gazes at Kreiss silently. Her calmness is almost unbelievable, a stark contrast to the reckless fury she once unleashed on anyone who directed malice her way.
“Think it through more carefully… I don’t really get it myself, but…”
“Shut up! Just keep your mouth shut, you little runt!”
Driven by rage, Kreiss raises his hand against the unresisting Re=L…
“Re=L!? Please, Kreiss-kun, stop it!”
Rumia, her face etched with anguish, moves to intervene… but at that moment…
“Ho ho ho… Now, now, children, let’s put an end to this fighting.”
A gentle yet strangely authoritative voice halts the three of them in their tracks.
Standing there is an elderly man with a plump, age-appropriate build, smiling serenely.
“Headmaster Rick!?”
Rumia can’t hide her surprise at the unexpected arrival.
“I’ve heard the situation. Allow me to clarify. Rumia-kun didn’t choose not to disappear… she couldn’t. I can’t go into details, but it was due to decisions made by the upper echelons of the government.”
Rumia, an ability user targeted by The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, is under surveillance by the imperial government, used as bait to catch the organization’s tail. Politically, she was forced to remain enrolled at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy. Leaving the academy on her own was simply not an option.
“As you all know, Rumia-kun is a very kind girl. She’s been tormented by this for a long time… isn’t that right, Re=L-kun?”
At that, Re=L nods vigorously, as if Rick’s words perfectly capture her thoughts.
“In any case, blaming her is misguided. If you want to complain about this situation, direct it at us incompetent adults who used her as bait… and above all, at the root of all evil, The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom.”
“Hah!? What’s that supposed to mean!? Like that’s gonna satisfy me!”
“One more thing. Regrettably, in times of crisis, it’s a clear obligation for students enrolled at the academy to offer their strength as mages in public service. This is explicitly stated in the academy’s regulations and the empire’s wartime laws. In a situation like this, having students on emergency standby is only natural…”
Headmaster Rick speaks with a hint of regret but with unwavering resolve.
“Because you are, after all, part of the empire’s ‘military strength.’ As mages, a privileged class, we aren’t allowed to flee like ordinary citizens. I know it’s frightening… but as mages, I ask you to lend us your power.”
“T-that’s…! It might be true, but…!”
“B-but, we… we’re just…!”
Unconvinced, feeling the unfairness, wondering why it had to be like this…
A mix of directionless anxiety and fear torments Kreiss and Ena.
“Hmm… If I recall, you two are from Class 1… Halley-kun’s students, correct?”
Headmaster Rick shifts the conversation abruptly.
“…So what, Headmaster?”
“Well, to be honest, I’ve always found your homeroom teacher, Halley-kun, rather difficult to deal with.”
The sudden change in topic makes Kreiss and Ena furrow their brows.
“He’s the quintessential old-school mage—his teaching style is rigid, steeped in tradition and formality, authoritarian, arrogant, and stubborn… He ignores struggling students and looks down on those he deems beneath him. Quite an unapproachable fellow, isn’t he?”
“…”
“But through this incident, I realized something. Despite his personal flaws, Halley-kun is, without a doubt, a true mage.”
“Huh?”
The unexpected turn in the conversation leaves Kreiss stunned, his voice dazed.
“Halley-kun fought that demon head-on, didn’t he? Of course, knowing him, it was likely for his own sake rather than for the students… but he never fled. Even though he probably knew he had no chance of winning, even though no one would have blamed him for running.”
“…That’s… true, I guess…”
In Kreiss’s eyes, in Ena’s eyes, the image of Halley unleashing his transcendent magical techniques without hesitation, fighting to the end despite his wounds, is seared into their memories.
“To fight for something you refuse to compromise on, for your convictions, staking your life on it… That’s nothing less than a true mage, wouldn’t you agree?”
“…”
“Even now, Halley-kun is doing everything he can for this academy, for himself. He hasn’t uttered a single complaint about Rumia-kun’s involvement or the unfairness of the situation.”
“…”
“Kreiss-kun, Ena-kun. Having been taught by such an incredible teacher, having seen his example… don’t you feel anything? Are you just going to keep pointing fingers, blaming someone for this unavoidable crisis, crying and screaming? Can you face Halley-kun with pride if that’s all you do?”
“That’s not fair…!”
Kreiss, stung by Headmaster Rick’s words, shouts as if wringing out his voice.
“What are we supposed to do!? We’re just powerless kids!”
“Exactly! If we had strength like Halley-sensei, then maybe we could—!”
But…
“A mage’s strength doesn’t come from the cards they hold. It comes from how they play them.”
Headmaster Rick gently but firmly dismisses their excuses.
“Think. Even in a situation like this, there’s something you can do. You’re mages too.”
“…!?”
“To be blunt… you’re just scared. And you don’t want to admit how cowardly and weak you are. So you blame someone else, convincing yourself it’s not your fault, seeking comfort. If you keep doing that every time you face hardship, you’ll never become a true mage.”
This time, Kreiss and Ena are left speechless.
As if moved by the headmaster’s words, the hostile glares from the surrounding students, who had been watching from a distance, begin to soften.
“Mm. Yeah, that’s it… That’s about right.”
Re=L, looking somewhat smug, nods repeatedly at Rick’s words.
After Kreiss and Ena trudge away…
“Headmaster Rick… um… thank you so much…”
Rumia bows deeply to Rick.
“No need for thanks. This whole situation is the result of us adults’ incompetence. You don’t owe me any gratitude, Rumia-kun.”
“But… even so, I’m still the cause of all this…”
As Rumia lowers her eyes in pain once more…
“Don’t take it too hard, Rumia-kun.”
Rick speaks to her kindly, as always.
“Headmaster…?”
“It’s true that some people, faced with this overwhelming hardship and injustice, might want to vent their directionless anxiety on you. But there are others who don’t feel that way. There are people who want to support you, who’ll reach out to help. Don’t let your worries make you forget that.”
“Y-yes… I understand… Thank you… so much…”
Encouraged by Rick’s words, Rumia bows again.
…Later.
Parting ways with Re=L, who suddenly left to do some training…
Rumia returns to the classroom of Year 2, Class 2.
As she reaches for the door to enter…
“W-what!? Soldiers, are you serious!?”
Kash’s abrupt shout from inside the classroom makes her hand freeze.
Peering through the crack in the door, Rumia cautiously observes the scene.
“Indeed. For tomorrow’s strategy to conquer the《Ship of Flames》… Glenn Radars, Sistine Fibel, Rumia Tingel, Re=L Rayford, and Celica Arfonia—these five will form the demon-slaying team to storm the《Ship of Flames》.”
Bernard stands at the podium, addressing a large group of students, including those from Class 2. A special meeting, organized by the student council led by Rize to relay instructions and preparations, has just begun, rotating through several classes.
“Celica-chan, who holds the trump card to tackle the《Ship of Flames》; Rumia-chan, who can break through the distorted space within the ship; Re=L-chan, who’ll clear out enemy forces inside; Glenn-boy, who currently possesses the only effective means of attacking that demon; and White Cat-chan, who’ll assist Glenn-boy and excels in magical archaeology… After extensive deliberation, primarily regarding force allocation, this was deemed the best lineup.”
“…Force allocation?”
As the students tilt their heads, Bernard continues his explanation.
“Yes, let me explain. Right now, the academy’s magic instructor, Halley-dono, and Christoph Fraur of the Imperial Court Mage Corps—oops, I mean Christoph—are leading every available mage in a rushed effort to construct a barrier to protect Fejite’s skies from [Megiddo’s Flame].”
“Seriously!?”
“Man, Halley-sensei’s actually kinda amazing…”
“However, once [Megiddo’s Flame] is blocked, the enemy will surely deploy forces from within the《Ship of Flames》to destroy the barrier, targeting the academy as its anchor point. That’s when Glenn-boy and the others will strike the now-vulnerable《Ship of Flames》and take down the demon. That’s the plan in a nutshell.”
“So… because we need to focus on defense, our offensive forces are limited, right?”
“You catch on quick. We need to hold this academy and maintain the barrier until Glenn-boy and the others defeat the demon. If the barrier falls, it’s game over. But we’re critically short on manpower.”
Bernard scans the students, then bows his head.
“We need personnel to maintain the barrier, intercept enemy forces, and tend to the wounded. No amount of hands is enough. Please, lend us your strength. You’ve all sworn loyalty to Her Majesty as mages and have undergone combat training in your regular curriculum for emergencies like this. It’s not an impossible task.”
Bernard’s solemn words envelop the classroom in an indescribable silence. Some students might recall the magical corps battle exercise during Sistine’s marriage fiasco.
“Naturally, the Imperial Army and the academy’s instructors will take the front lines. Your role as students will be strictly support and assistance. However, being called to the battlefield means the risk of injury or death is unavoidable. To be blunt, it’s extremely dangerous. But the more of you who lend your strength, the greater our chances of saving Fejite from ruin.”
“I could issue an A-Class Emergency Order under the authority of Centurion Eve Ignite and ‘command’ you, but I don’t believe that’s right. I want to respect your free will.”
“…”
“Of course, none of you are obligated to step forward. Even if I’m alone, I swear as an Imperial Army mage to protect you all and fight to the end. That’s an adult’s duty.”
For a while, the room remains deathly silent…
“…I… I’m in.”
Finally, a voice filled with resolve rises from the students.
It’s Kash.
“H-hey, Kash…!?”
“Are you serious!? It’s dangerous…!”
Kai, Rodd, and others turn to Kash with worried expressions.
“If we do nothing… if we lose… Fejite’s done for, right? Then we’ve got no choice but to act! To do what we can!”
Kash’s plea silences the surrounding students.
“Besides… the teachers are risking their lives to board that sky ship and fight that insanely strong demon, all for us! And we’re just supposed to sit back in safety, trembling, leaving everything to them? No way I’m doing something that lame!”
“It’s annoying, but… I completely agree.”
Gibul snorts, adjusting his glasses as he speaks.
“If we do nothing and leave it all to the teachers, when this is over, that good-for-nothing will lord it over us with the smuggest face imaginable. I’d rather die than endure that humiliation.”
“U-ugh… It’s scary… so scary… But…!”
Wendy, trembling, rises to her feet.
“But… it’s a noble’s duty to fight for the weak! Even I…!”
“It’s okay, Wendy. I won’t let you face that fear alone. I’ve got your back…”
Teresa encourages Wendy with those words.
“She’s right… Up until now, we’ve always been protected by Sensei…”
“This time, we need to do something…!”
Kai and Rodd stand as well.
“I-I’m not good at fighting… but if it’s tending to everyone’s injuries, I can help…”
Even the shy, timid Lynn joins in.
Faced with this unprecedented crisis threatening the academy, everyone, one by one, rises with the resolve to do what they can.
“I salute the courage you’ve shown.”
Bernard narrows his eyes, gazing at the students as if witnessing something sacred.
“Understood. I’ll now instruct you on tactics. It may seem hopeless, but we have the geographical advantage, making defense relatively easy. If you fight as I direct, we can minimize casualties to the absolute limit. Please, follow my lead.”
““““Yes, sir!””””
“And now, I’ll train you to fight on the front lines. Let’s start with how to use this staff…”
With that, Bernard produces a single staff.
It’s a sword-like staff with a swept hilt resembling a rapier.
“This ‘Mage’s Staff’ is a magical tool, stockpiled in great numbers at the academy for emergencies. It can transform you, mere mage apprentices, into full-fledged magical soldiers. Normally, using it without Her Majesty’s permission is strictly forbidden… but let’s not sweat the small stuff. It’s an emergency, and I’m sure Alicia-chan will forgive us. Now, listen up—this staff works like this…”
The students begin listening intently to Bernard’s instructions.
(Everyone…)
Rumia watches quietly through the crack in the door.
(They could’ve blamed me, cursed me, said it’s all my fault… There are surely plenty of students at the academy who feel that way. But even so… they’re…)
It’s not contradictory. It’s perfectly natural.
In the face of overwhelming hardship and fear, humans can sometimes show cowardice, pettiness, or ugliness… but they can also display bravery, nobility, and beauty.
That’s what it means to be human. Headmaster Rick was right.
(I’m so glad I met all of you… Even though I dragged everyone into this mess because of me… Even so, I…)
In that moment, Rumia feels fulfilled. Satisfied.
She has no regrets, no lingering attachments—none at all.
And so—
(…I’ll protect everyone… I swear it, even if it costs me my life…!)
Rumia silently solidifies her resolve.
—Are you prepared to sacrifice your life?
The words Nameless whispered to her last night echo in her mind.
Around the same time…
Glenn and Sistine were steadily progressing through the underground labyrinth.
The section from the 1st to the 9th floor, known as the “Journey to Awakening,” posed no issues whatsoever.
This area is low in exploration difficulty, often used for the academy’s students’ ruin-exploration training. The map has already been fully charted.
By taking the shortest route, the two cleared the 9th floor quickly and with ease.
The exploration took a dramatic turn when they reached the 10th floor—the domain known as the [Trial of the Fool].
This area, with its mysterious mechanism that periodically reshuffles its internal structure for reasons unknown, naturally lacks a map.
The number of malicious traps and mechanisms increases, and ferocious guardians and magical beasts begin to roam… The danger level skyrockets, making it feel like an entirely different world.
Moreover, the deeper the floor, the larger and more challenging the area becomes, with no apparent limit. Even Celica, with thorough preparation, could only reach the 44th floor.
Previously, Glenn and his team had used a certain trick to explore the section from the 50th to the 89th floor, known as the “Gatekeeper’s Post.” Strangely, that area had a simpler labyrinth structure, fewer troublesome traps, and was easier to navigate.
According to ancient texts, beyond the 90th floor lies a section called the “City of the Earth’s People,” but since no one has ever reached it, its contents remain unknown.
“Goddamn… Who would’ve thought getting from the 10th to the 11th floor would be this much of a pain…”
Glenn, lying sprawled within a sanctuary barrier built near the staircase they just descended, groans.
“Ugh, pull yourself together, Sensei!”
Sistine is boiling water on a portable alcohol stove from their exploration gear, brewing tea with herbs that alleviate fatigue.
They’ve fought several battles against magical beasts and guardians to get here, and exhaustion is starting to pile up.
For now, they’re taking a short break.
“At this rate, reaching the 13th floor’s [Fool’s Graveyard] is going to take forever! Each floor’s area gets progressively larger the deeper we go! If you’re like this already, I’m worried about what’s ahead!”
Sistine hands Glenn a steel cup filled with tea.
“Tch… Why the hell did they design it to be so damn sadistic…? Come out here, you bastard architect…”
Glenn takes the steaming cup of tea and sips it.
He tears open the wrapper of a portable ration—a block of ground grains baked into a solid form—and starts gnawing on it. Despite its unappealing appearance, the ration provides ample energy… but it’s shockingly bland.
“Actually, there’s a theory that this underground labyrinth… was originally the interior of a massive tetrahedral structure.”
Sistine, sitting on the staircase and sipping her own tea, begins speaking with enthusiasm.
It seems her archaeology nerd soul has been ignited.
“Huh? This is inside a building?”
“Yes. The theory goes that this tetrahedral megastructure sank deep into the earth due to tectonic shifts, becoming what we now call the ‘underground labyrinth.’ Remember? The entrance we used was part of a tetrahedral structure, right? That’s supposedly the apex of this massive building.”
“…That’s too huge to even wrap my head around.”
“There’s also other evidence that this [Underground Labyrinth] was originally a massive structure standing above ground. For instance, according to subterranean chronological mana analysis—(omitted)—when comparing the crustal movements of the surrounding strata and the magical spatial distortions with the ley lines, using macro-expansion methods to account for discrepancies—(omitted)—however, affirming theories like the ones above inevitably raises issues with the area from the 50th to the 89th underground floors, often referred to as the [Gatekeeper’s Checkpoint]. That section clearly has a tower-like structure, and the fact that the sky was visible there—(omitted)—in other words, according to ancient texts, this underground labyrinth was apparently called 《The Tower of Lament》, suggesting its original function was—(omitted)—the space is warped! This is the work of demons! It’s a conspiracy! So—(omitted)—(omitted)—(omitted)—in short, God is dead!? Or rather, I am God!? Do you get it!?”
“Uh-huh, cool. That’s wild.”
Glenn, clearly not listening, zones out as Sistine rants with feverish eyes and wild gestures.
(Still… [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir]… huh…)
While Sistine continues her passionate monologue, Glenn sips his warm tea, lost in thought.
(To think I’d have to concoct that stuff again…)
That elixir is absolutely necessary for this battle.
…He knows.
During last night’s meeting, when Glenn explained the principles and effects of [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] as a countermeasure against the demon, everyone agreed it was the only viable option against it—even Halley, who despises Glenn.
So, he knows.
Glenn has to recreate [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] once again.
(I get it, but—)
A dark, cold memory from his military days, one he’d rather keep sealed, flickers in Glenn’s mind—
—
“Ah… ahh… aahhh…”
In the deepest chamber of a temple belonging to an ancient, corrupt cult that had spread through a remote fishing village.
That day, Glenn… assassinated the cult’s leader.
Using the very first [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] he had researched, developed, and created.
“…Ahh… ahhh…”
Thud. The Fool’s Arcane Tarot slips from his left hand.
The pistol in his right hand, still aimed forward, trembles violently, faint wisps of gunsmoke rising from its barrel, still warm from firing.
At Glenn’s feet lies the cult leader, long since dead, collapsed on the ground.
The first victim of the [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] Glenn created.
“Ugh… ah…”
That leader was truly irredeemable. He abducted women and children from nearby villages and towns, defiling them to sate his vile desires, offering them as sacrifices in magical rituals, and using them as living breeding grounds for bizarre monstrosities—a madman leading a depraved religious movement.
The number of victims caused by his self-righteous dogma was immeasurable. Considering the sheer weight of his sins, he was an utterly deplorable wretch, deserving of death.
He had to be killed. Someone had to do it.
Evil has its own justice, and humans have no right to judge other humans—such pretentious understanding was far too lukewarm. Killing was the only undeniable, unmistakable justice.
So surely—Glenn had done the right thing.
Yet—
“Ahh… aahhh… ah… ugh…”
At that moment, Glenn couldn’t stop trembling. He was terrified of what he had done… of the unfathomable, pitch-black malice and murderous intent hidden within [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir].
Looking back.
The Original Magic《Fool’s World》—its origin lay under the will of noble light.
It was born from his search for his own way of being a Mage of Justice.
Though it was now primarily used as a tool for assassination, he had once saved an irreplaceable friend named Nina from evil with this power… a memory he held with pride.
But [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir]—it was different.
As his heart wore down as a military mage, he began to feel the limitations of《Fool’s World》… no, he thought that with《Fool’s World》, he could kill more efficiently and reliably.
Born from Glenn’s own undeniable, pitch-black murderous intent… a cursed power. It was the crystallization of his filthy, dark side.
Foolishly enough.
Until he used [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] to actually kill someone, Glenn hadn’t even noticed the dark side lurking behind his facade of justice.
“W-What… have I… created!?”
On this day, the Mage of Justice he had admired and aspired to be as a child completely died.
The moment he completed such a spell with bottomless malice and killed someone, he had fallen into being nothing more than a filthy, bloodstained murderer.
By using such a thing, even《Fool’s World》, the last refuge of his heart, had now been completely tainted with blood.
“Ugh, ughhh—blegh!?”
He vomited. Even after emptying his stomach, sweating and crying profusely—the discomfort, dizziness, headache, and nausea showed no signs of stopping.
“Gehogobo!? Aaaaaaahhh—!? Uwaaaaaaahhh—!? Oaaaaaahhh—!?”
Clutching his head, his heart shattering into pieces, Glenn howled in a frenzied state—that was when it happened.
Someone with beautiful, flowing white hair rushed toward Glenn from behind—
“Glenn-kun!”
They desperately embraced Glenn from behind.
—It was Sera.
“Sera… Sera—!? I-I… I—!?”
“It’s okay! It’s okay, please, Glenn-kun, calm down!”
“Aaaagh—! I, I’ve already changed—cough, hack!?”
“You haven’t changed! You haven’t changed at all, Glenn-kun!”
Sera held Glenn tightly, gently, as if he might shatter into pieces at any moment.
She didn’t care in the slightest that her body was being soiled by Glenn’s vomit—she just held him.
“Because they were saved! Thanks to you, all those people who were captured earlier are safe now! It’s all because of you, Glenn-kun…!”
“Ahh… aahhh…”
“…It’s okay… it’s okay… you haven’t changed, Glenn-kun… it’s okay… I’m here with you… I’ll always be by your side… so… okay?”
Whispering gently like that.
Sera kept holding Glenn until he calmed down—
—.
“Hey, Sensei! Are you even listening to me!?”
“!”
Suddenly, Sistine’s face appeared up close, and Glenn snapped back to reality with a jolt.
The teacup he’d been sipping from had long gone cold.
“Ugh! I was kindly and carefully explaining the mythological system of the ancient civilization—Taum Celestial Temple—in a way even a cat could understand!”
“O-Oh… sorry… I wasn’t listening at all…”
Facing a pouting Sistine, Glenn awkwardly downed the cold tea in one gulp.
Then.
“…Sensei?”
Sistine looked at Glenn’s face with concern.
“W-What is it?”
“Um… are you okay? You look… really pale…”
“!”
Startled, Glenn touched his face.
“Are you… feeling sick? Come to think of it, Rumia said something like that too…”
“N-No… it’s not that.”
“W-Wait, could it be… you hated listening to me that much…?”
Sistine glared at him with teary, narrowed eyes.
“I said it’s not that! I was just a bit tired, that’s all!”
“Is that really it? Your face doesn’t look like it’s just that level…”
“Look, let’s get going! We need to gather the materials and get back by today!”
Saying that to brush it off.
Glenn began cleaning up.
Soon after, Glenn and the others resumed their exploration.
The passages, constructed from stone blocks, stretched endlessly, twisting and turning in complex patterns.
Despite there being no clear way back—guardians and magical beasts would occasionally appear out of nowhere, making things unbearable.
Basically, they had no choice but to fight their way through.
“UOOOOOHHH—!”
Glenn charged forward.
From the other side of the passage, guardians—stone puppets built like stacked bricks—approached in formation. Glenn aimed a sharp thrust at the leading guardian.
His hand, infused with the offensive magic of Black Magic [Weapon Enchant], surged with power—piercing the guardian’s chest and destroying its core.
The guardian, its core shattered, crumbled into pieces—
“HAAAA—!”
Glenn continued, dodging the attacks of the other guardians rushing at him with raised limbs, parrying with fists and feet, and holding back their advance.
A guardian’s powerful arm swung over his ducked head, and another’s leg grazed his twisted body.
“White Cat!”
“Yes! I’m ready!”
Sistine, who had taken a moment to gather mana due to the enemies’ toughness and numbers, responded.
“Hmph—”
As Glenn kicked the ground and swiftly retreated to Sistine’s side—
“《Gather, tempest, become a warhammer, and strike true》—!”
Sistine chanted Black Magic [Blast Blow], unleashing immense magical power at the perfect moment.
In the next instant, a massive warhammer of compressed air filled the passage, hurtling forward at high speed.
With a sound like a point-blank cannon blast, it pulverized the entire group of guardians.
The shattered fragments were swept away to the end of the passage.
“Phew! Well, that’s about it, right?”
Sistine struck a small victory pose.
Having grown through battles with Jatice and Jin, enemies of this level no longer posed any pressure to her—not out of arrogance or carelessness.
“White Cat… you’ve really gotten strong…”
Glenn muttered, genuinely impressed.
“Ehehe, right? Can you finally trust me to watch your back a little?”
“Yeah.”
“…Huh?”
Expecting some sarcastic remark, Sistine was startled by his straightforward affirmation.
“It’s… kinda like having Sera at my back. That kind of reassurance.”
The words that followed were a faint murmur, barely audible unless you were listening closely. Glenn didn’t seem to intend for Sistine to hear them.
“!”
But Sistine caught it by chance.
(Sera-san… Sensei’s comrade from his military days… now passed away… I think they said she looked like me…)
From what Glenn had previously shared about Sera… she was probably the woman he loved, in a romantic sense.
“Man, bringing you along was the right call, White Cat. With your skills in surveying, scouting, and combat, this exploration is way more efficient… Hey, what’s wrong? White Cat, let’s move on.”
“…”
Suddenly quiet, Sistine was prompted by Glenn as he moved forward.
Progressing smoothly through the labyrinth, Glenn and the others eventually reached the 13th underground floor, The Fool’s Graveyard.
It was a large chamber lined with rows of conspicuous stone coffins.
“R-Really… is there actually a material for [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] in a place like this?”
The ominous atmosphere of the room made Sistine visibly uneasy.
“Yeah… we need ‘the dust of a tomb where a body has been buried for over two hundred years’. That kind of dust holds a certain supernatural power, making it a natural magical material… It’s pretty rare. In our current situation, this is probably the only place we can get it…”
Glenn, too, seemed hesitant.
“Y-Yeah, you’re right… no choice, huh…”
“Alright then! White Cat! I’m leaving the dust collection entirely to you—”
“You coward!”
And so.
The two began cautiously opening the coffin lids to collect dust (while trying not to look at the contents).
“According to Celica’s research… this place, in ancient times, was where the ruling powers executed rebellious citizens as an example, then preserved their bodies… And with magic, they manipulated those corpses to fight other rebellious citizens… Haha, what a brutal story, right?”
“Why are you telling me this here and now!?”
“It’s unfair if I’m the only one who knows and gets scared!”
Shrieking and bickering, the two hurriedly collected the dust.
They wanted to get out of that room as quickly as possible.
Strangely, the scenario they were bracing for—corpses rising to attack—never happened.
““S-Sorry for disturbing you!””
Having gathered the materials, the two fled the room as if their lives depended on it.
In truth, that room had once been a vile, impure place, filled with souls bound by centuries of resentment and rage.
But thanks to Celica’s purification ritual, it had long been cleansed… Now, it was a serene, safe space where the dead rested peacefully—a fact the two were completely unaware of.
This was due to Celica, ever the prankster, deliberately withholding that information.
“Ugh, that was terrifying…”
“Yare yare…”
Having collected the materials, the two began their return journey, retracing their steps.
The way back was easy.
After all, they had a map of the route, and most of the enemies had already been dealt with.
The labyrinth’s structure and enemy placements only reset at the start of the month, so there was no worry about that.
Compared to the grueling journey in, the return was almost laughably simple.
“At this pace, we’ll make it back with plenty of time to spare.”
Glenn muttered, glancing at the map Sistine had drawn on the way in.
“Hehe… now all that’s left is to concoct [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir], right?”
“…Yeah, that’s right.”
Sistine didn’t notice the brief pause in Glenn’s response.
And so, the two continued their trek back.
Relying on the faint light of mana at their fingertips, they walked through the dimly lit passages, their footsteps echoing softly.
Perhaps it was the monotony of the journey that prompted it.
“Hey, Sensei… what kind of person was Sera-san?”
Sistine asked, out of the blue.
“…Hm? That’s sudden. What’s up?”
“Eh!? W-Wait, what!?”
Sistine didn’t even know why she’d asked. Before, when Glenn had mentioned Sera, she’d only thought, “Oh, so there was someone important who looked like me, huh?” and left it at that.
But now, ever since Glenn mentioned Sera’s name earlier, she couldn’t stop thinking about this woman, for some reason.
—Oh, I see. You’re in love with Glenn, aren’t you?
For some reason, Eve’s words resurfaced in Sistine’s mind…
“N-No way! I don’t like Sensei or anything! Don’t get the wrong idea!”
“Whoa!?”
Glenn jumped as Sistine suddenly shouted, her face bright red.
“What the heck, all of a sudden!? I know that already! Don’t yell like that in a cramped place—my ears hurt!”
“Eep!? W-What did I just—!?”
Realizing what she’d shouted, Sistine’s head practically boiled over.
“A-Ah, w-w-w… that was nothing! Forget I said anything!”
Feeling unbearably awkward, Sistine suddenly bolted forward.
As if trying to outrun the hot, ticklish emotions swirling in her head, she dashed ahead and turned right at the T-junction.
“!? Hey, you idiot! White Cat, not that way! That’s—!”
“Just leave me alone!”
Ignoring Glenn’s panicked attempt to stop her, desperate to get away from him—
“…Huh?”
All of a sudden.
Sistine felt weightlessness in her body.
Before she knew it, the floor that had been solidly beneath her feet a moment ago—was gone.
A labyrinth trap—a pitfall.
“—KYAAAAAAAAAA—!?”
“White Cat—!?”
As she plummeted into the dark abyss, Glenn’s voice grew fainter and fainter.
“—Tch!?”
Her body toyed with by weightlessness, her rationality teetering on panic, she forced herself to stay calm—
“《The law of the three realms, the balance of scales, the plate of order shall tilt to port》!”
Black Magic [Gravity Control]—a spell to manipulate gravity.
Sistine’s spell took effect instantly, drastically slowing her fall.
Eventually… Sistine landed gently at the bottom of the pitfall.
She looked up. The hole she’d fallen through had already sealed shut, as if it had never existed.
She looked around. A far more intricate and complex labyrinth structure than before stretched out in every direction.
(No way… I’ve been dropped to the 14th floor…!)
The realization sent a shiver of dread through Sistine.
In the underground labyrinth, each floor deeper increased the number and strength of wandering guardians, the scale of the maze, and the deadliness of traps. Celica had said before they left, “Well, up to the 13th floor, you two should be fine… but the 14th floor? No way.”
Even on the 13th floor, their exploration with Glenn had been fraught with tense moments.
And now—the 14th floor. Alone.
As Sistine trembled with a cold fear unlike before.
‘Hey, White Cat!? Are you okay!? Answer me! Hey!’
Glenn’s frantic voice echoed from the gem-shaped communication device linked directly to him.
Sistine held the gem to her ear, forcing a calm tone as she responded.
“I’m fine. No injuries.”
‘Phew… good. Don’t scare me like that, you idiot…’
“…More importantly… it looks like I’ve been dropped to the 14th floor.”
‘Tch… damn, I figured… Hang on, White Cat. I’m coming to you… Wait, this pitfall doesn’t trigger again!? It’s a trap meant to split the party!? What a nasty… Then I’ll just…’
Glenn immediately began planning Sistine’s rescue, but.
“…Sensei, you can’t come.”
Swallowing her desperate urge to scream for help, Sistine spoke.
And calmly chose the right course of action for herself.
‘Huh!? Don’t be stupid! I’m figuring out a way to get down there…’
“Please calm down. The ritual for concocting [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] has a specific time window. You have to return to the academy before then. We don’t even know where on the 14th floor I am… If you waste time on me, it’ll cause a massive delay. You might not make it in time.”
It was true. [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] could only be concocted during a specific time. Attempting it outside that window wouldn’t produce the elixir.
“Besides… the 13th floor was already a handful for us. The 14th floor is simply too dangerous. Right now, you’re Fejite’s hope. We absolutely can’t risk anything happening to you.”
‘Even so—’
“Please, Sensei, don’t worry about me and head straight for the surface! You have the map I made, so if you follow it, you can get back easily on your own!”
‘You idiot! Sure, I might be fine, but what about you!?’
“I… I’ll figure something out on my own… If I can just find the stairs and reach the 13th floor…”
‘Don’t talk nonsense! You really think you can pull that off!?’
Glenn clung to her stubbornly, refusing to back down.
“Shut up already! This is my own mess! So just don’t worry about it, Sensei! I—I’ll handle it myself!”
’Huh!? Zzzt—H-Hey—Wait—Zzzzt—W-What’s—Zzzzt—The connection’s—Zzzzt—going bad—Zzzzt—!’
“Huh…? S-Sensei…?”
She pressed the magical communication device to her ear, but the connection had inexplicably cut off completely.
A crushing silence seized Sistine, heavy enough to squeeze her heart.
The bravado she’d mustered moments ago fizzled out in an instant.
And then, Sistine noticed something strange happening to her body.
A sensation of mana draining rapidly from her—
“Ugh… No way… Is this place…!?”
A Zero Mana Zone. This underground labyrinth occasionally had such regions.
As the name implied, these were areas where the ambient mana was zero. Anyone who stepped into one would feel their mana drain at an alarming rate, leading to rapid exhaustion.
Even Celica had warned her with uncharacteristic seriousness, “Be careful of Zero Mana Zones. They’re seriously dangerous.”
The sudden failure of the gem-shaped magical communicator was likely due to this. The mana stored within the gem for communication had been sapped in an instant.
(…If this keeps up, I’ll… I’ll run dry in no time, and I won’t be able to use magic…)
Was this some kind of joke? In the depths of such a perilous labyrinth? To lose the magic she relied on?
—Death.
That single word flashed unbidden in her mind, searing itself into Sistine’s consciousness and gripping her heart.
Her pulse raced, her breaths turned shallow and frantic, and the color drained from her body.
“…No way I’m giving up…!”
Scolding herself for her fleeting weakness, Sistine steeled her resolve and began to move forward.
What she’d said earlier was partly bravado, but it was also the truth.
She couldn’t expect Glenn’s help here. She shouldn’t.
Right now, Glenn was Fejite’s hope. Surely, he’d prioritize his own return over rescuing her. One person’s life couldn’t compare to the fate of Fejite.
So, she truly had to overcome this crisis with her own strength alone—
Sistine resolved to break through the 14th floor on her own.
But now, she was painfully aware of how much she’d underestimated the 14th floor.
“《Gather, tempest, become a warhammer, and strike true》—!”
How many battles had it been by now?
Facing a giant Guardian three times the normal size, Sistine unleashed [Blast Blow] with all her might. The raging wind’s battering ram slammed into the stone giant’s chest, gouging and shattering it, forcing the creature to reel back—but.
“GOOOOAAAAA—!”
Unfazed, the stone giant swung both arms with surprising speed, lunging at Sistine.
“Kuh—《O gale》!”
To counter the looming colossus, Sistine activated [Storm].
Enveloped in fierce winds, she leaped backward, kicking off walls and ceilings to gain more distance—
“《Gather, tempest, become a warhammer, and strike true》—《Zwei》! 《Drei》!”
She unleashed [Blast Blow] again—this time a rapid-fire triple cast with her left hand, right hand, then left again.
“GAAAAA—!”
Struck by the relentless triple assault, the stone giant finally crumbled into pieces, scattering across the floor.
But—
Thud… Thud… Thud… The heavy sound of approaching footsteps.
The presence of more stone giants—reinforcements—echoed from the depths of the labyrinth, beyond the darkness of the corridor.
“…Tch…”
Before the new enemies could spot her, Sistine hurriedly fled the scene.
“Cough… Haa… Haa… Haa…”
Occasionally pausing to lean against a wall for rest, Sistine pressed on through the labyrinth.
(This… This is… so different? It’s like a completely different world…!)
The 14th floor was unmistakably leagues more dangerous than the 13th.
She had no idea when she’d escape the Zero Mana Zone, and the location of the stairs to the upper floors remained unknown.
In that case, conserving stamina and mana for a prolonged battle… Such naive tactics were utterly impossible on this floor.
Every encounter with an enemy demanded her full magical power, or she’d be obliterated in an instant.
She had to constantly use detection magic for traps, or she’d be ensnared by lethal mechanisms in no time.
And then there was the labyrinth’s maddeningly complex structure, with no end in sight.
Worst of all was the endless Zero Mana Zone, siphoning her mana with every passing moment.
It was, quite simply, hopeless.
“Haa… Haa… I won’t give up… I refuse to give up… I’m not… the same crybaby I used to be…! Haa… Haa…!”
Wiping the tears welling at the corners of her eyes and gritting her teeth, she pressed forward without surrender.
But—
Death. Death. Death.
That word kept flickering in her mind—
“I… I can’t die… Not in a place like this… I won’t…!”
Mobilizing every ounce of her skill and knowledge, Sistine desperately headed toward the direction most likely to lead to the stairs to the upper floors.
…But.
The journey was far too treacherous. The battles far too grueling.
“Kuh… 《O crimson lion, in thy fury, roar and rage》—!”
“GOAAAAA—!”
Her fatigue piled up relentlessly, her mana drained away rapidly—
And then.
—After countless battles and an arduous trek.
“Zee… Zee… Haa… Haa… Ah… Guh… Cough…!”
Sistine collapsed against a wall, sliding to the ground.
She’d reached her limit. No matter how much her mind urged her on, her body and spirit refused to move. She couldn’t take another step.
As she sank into the depths of despair, another blow came—
Thud… Thud… Thud…
From the darkness beyond, the footsteps of stone giants drew closer.
There weren’t just one or two—it sounded like a horde.
(No… No way… Am I really… going to die in a place like this…!?)
The thick shadow of death loomed before her, wringing her heart like a rag and screaming in terror. Fear and exhaustion spun her head, the world swayed, and she could no longer form a single coherent thought.
And then.
“Ah…”
Sistine found herself surrounded by a pack of stone giants closing in from both ends of the corridor.
One of the giants towering before her raised its rock-like fist—
“H-Help…”
The words she’d desperately held back, endured until this very moment—
“Help me, Sensei—!”
Burst from Sistine’s lips—and in that instant.
“Yo!”
A carefree voice zipped past Sistine like a gust of wind.
“Huh?”
Someone dashed by, snatching Sistine up and carrying her in their arms, sprinting forward like a gale—and in that split second.
A deafening crash echoed through the labyrinth as the stone giant’s fist slammed into the spot where Sistine had been just half a moment before.
“S-Sensei!?”
“Ora ora ora! Outta the way, outta the way, OUTTA THE WAAAAAAY—!”
The one who’d saved Sistine at the last second—Glenn—carried her in his arms, weaving through the stone giants’ legs with masterful agility.
Naturally, the stone giants swung their fists and feet at Glenn.
“WOOOOOOOOOOO—!”
But Glenn, amplifying his physical abilities with magic, twisted his body, kicked off the giants’ legs to leap, and dodged their barrage of blows left and right, charging through—
“DORYAAAAAAAAAAAA—!”
With lightning-fast skill, he slipped through the horde of stone giants.
“Phew… Made it in time…”
Without slowing his pace, Glenn raced straight down the corridor.
“Sensei!? Why are you here!?”
Sistine blinked in shock at Glenn’s completely unexpected appearance.
“I found another pitfall and dropped down to this floor,” Glenn said, sounding mildly annoyed.
“If I used a pitfall relatively close to the one you fell through, I figured I’d land near you. …Took a while to catch up, though.”
“…”
“Geez, don’t you know the common sense of staying put if you get lost? Wandering around on your own like that…”
Then.
“Why… did you come?”
Sistine’s voice trembled as she murmured.
“If even you end up stuck on the 14th floor… What happens if you can’t make it back? What if you don’t make it in time?”
“…”
She’d dragged Glenn down with her again. Overwhelmed by shame and frustration, Sistine’s eyes welled with tears as she pleaded with Glenn, who carried her while running.
“It’s… It’s my fault…! So, Sensei, just leave me—”
At that moment.
Thunk!
“Ow!? W-What was that!?”
Glenn had headbutted Sistine.
“Geez, you… Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re a kid or an adult.”
He sighed, exasperated.
“…That’s not the right line, is it?”
“!”
Sistine froze, stunned, then went quiet for a moment…
“…Th-Thank you… so much…”
“That’s the one.”
Glenn grinned with satisfaction at her words.
“That’s all a student needs to say to a teacher who’s helped them out.”
Smiling with a mix of relief and faint irony, Glenn’s expression softened.
Unable to meet his gaze, Sistine could only look down.
…Her cheeks felt inexplicably hot.
In the end… things went surprisingly smoothly from there.
The stairs connecting the 13th and 14th floors were, naturally, in an unexplored area of the 13th floor. Combining that fact with Sistine’s exploration of the 14th floor, they could roughly predict the stairs’ location.
Zero Mana Zones affected those with larger mana capacities more severely and those with smaller ones less so, meaning it wasn’t as deadly for Glenn as it was for Sistine.
It also helped that, during his military days, Glenn had undergone extensive training to close his spiritual pathways and minimize mana dissipation in Zero Mana Zones.
Prioritizing efficiency and evasion, they patiently searched for the way back…
And finally, the two discovered the stairs leading to the 13th floor.
From there, they swiftly ascended to the 12th, 11th, and 10th floors.
From the 9th floor, they sprinted the shortest route upward—
“…Well, cutting it close, huh?”
Reaching the top of the final staircase, Glenn let out a relieved breath and opened the last door.
Beyond it lay the underground section of the academy’s school building—the “Sealed Room.”
They had finally returned to the starting point.
“Phew… Man, that was exhausting…”
“Um… Sensei…?”
Behind him was Sistine, who had been carried on Glenn’s back the entire time.
She poked at his back hesitantly.
“What’s up, White Cat?”
“Uh… Well… I think I’m probably okay now… I can walk on my own…”
At her prompting, Glenn set Sistine down from his back.
“Ah…”
Sistine wobbled unsteadily. Her stamina and mana hadn’t fully recovered, but she seemed capable of walking on her own, albeit barely.
The two left the underground section of the academy and walked side by side through the school building.
In the half-day they’d been gone, the academy’s interior had transformed dramatically.
Every corridor, classroom, wall, and ceiling was covered with hastily drawn magical arrays, like murals painted in a rush.
These were preparations for tomorrow’s decisive battle.
It seemed that while they were exploring the labyrinth, everything had been set up perfectly.
Outside the windows, the world was pitch black—the cold night air ruled the midnight hours.
The late hour left the school eerily silent, though the classrooms, serving as makeshift dorms, buzzed with the restless energy of students unable to sleep.
“Alright… Time for my final big job.”
“The compounding of [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir], right?”
“…Yeah.”
At Sistine’s confirmation, Glenn paused for a breath before nodding solemnly.
For Glenn, the task ahead was likely far more daunting than gathering the materials.
“…Sensei? …Is something wrong?”
Noticing Glenn’s unusual demeanor, Sistine looked up at his profile.
“…Nah, it’s nothing. Wonder if I’ll get overtime pay for this? Heh.”
Feigning his usual nonchalance, Glenn shrugged and played it off with a joke.
“Ugh! You’re joking at a time like this!? Do you even get it!? The only way we might defeat that demon is with your [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir]! If you mess up and go, ‘Oops, I failed~!’ that’s not gonna cut it!”
“…I know.”
“…?”
Sistine frowned, sensing something off about Glenn’s uncharacteristically subdued demeanor.
“Um… Sensei… Should I… help? You seem kinda…”
“…”
Glenn studied Sistine’s face with a sidelong glance for a moment.
“…Nah, I’m good. This is my fight. There’s nothing you can do. But I’ll take the sentiment.”
With that, Glenn turned his back on Sistine and headed toward the academy’s magical compounding room.
“Heh… You should get some sleep. Gotta be in top shape by noon tomorrow, right?”
“Y-Yes… Um… Understood…”
“Thanks for today. You helped a ton… even if the end was, well, that.”
“Ugh… I-I’m sorry… for dragging you down…”
“Don’t sweat it. Even factoring in that delay, I wouldn’t have made it in time without you. I’m only able to compound [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] because of you. …I won’t let it go to waste.”
With a faint smile, Glenn glanced back at Sistine.
Then he started walking again.
“Good luck, Sensei…”
Parting ways with Glenn, Sistine watched his retreating figure.
For some reason, his back seemed… smaller than usual.
After parting with Sistine, Glenn immediately holed up in the magical compounding room and began preparing.
He arranged various materials and tools on the compounding table.
Lighting a candle, he used its faint glow as his only light and began to meditate.
The flickering, fragile flame cast eerie, monstrous shadows that writhed across the room.
At the center of it all, Glenn waited, calming his mind, for the moment to come.
Slowly… ever so slowly… time ticked by…
The pocket watch placed on the table ticks quietly, its sound echoing through the silent room, marking the passage of time.
And then… that moment… arrives.
“…The compounding process begins.”
Opening his eyes, Glenn immediately sets to work on compounding [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir].
“‘The seventh day is Battle Heaven. The appointed hour is two o’clock… presided over by Ysiel.’”
Glenn picks up a mortar and pestle inscribed with special runes.
“‘Three parts dust from a tomb where bodies have been buried for over two hundred years, two parts pulverized amaranth, one part crushed ivy leaves, one part fine-grained salt. These are to be mixed on Ysiel’s day, at Ysiel’s appointed hour. Over the compounded powder, form the seal of Val, then seal it in a lead box engraved with the symbol of Sys—’”
Humming the compounding formula, now etched so deeply into his mind that he could never forget it, Glenn begins the task methodically.
He pinches the ingredients with ritualistic precision, adding them little by little to the mortar, grinding them with the pestle in the prescribed motions and number of strokes, then gradually incorporating more materials.
His movements are practiced. There’s no hesitation in the compounding steps. He must be thoroughly accustomed to this process.
Shari, shari, shari… The steady sound of his work reverberates through the compounding room.
Occasionally, the flickering candlelight casts shadows that dance across the room like spectral beasts.
“‘—For one part of the compounded powder, add three parts white flame cotton, and ice crystal water—’”
The compounding proceeds smoothly, without the slightest hitch.
But—it was at that moment.
Suddenly, Glenn—realizes.
“—!?”
His hands. Both of his hands.
At some point—they had become completely stained with blood.
“U-uwahhhhhhhhh!?”
Unable to hold back a scream, he leaps back from the spot.
“Ha… ha… ha…!?”
Cold sweat pours from his body, his heart pounds as if it might burst, and his consciousness teeters on the edge of hyperventilation.
Suppressing these sensations, he holds his hands up to the candlelight once more to inspect them closely…
“…”
They’re perfectly normal. Not a single drop of blood stains either hand.
“…Just an illusion, huh, damn it…”
Glenn lets out a sigh and mutters a curse.
Unfortunately, this compounding attempt is a failure. His hands faltered completely. [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] is an extremely delicate reagent, requiring precise control over the number of stirs and even the force applied until the compounding is complete. At this point, there’s no choice but to start over from the beginning.
“Haa…”
With a heavy sigh, Glenn stands before the compounding table once more, his mood grim.
(Can I… really compound Eve Kaiser’s Elixir?)
Suddenly, that doubt gnaws at him.
—By creating and using such a power, I can never go back… Someday, I’ll surely stray and fall into depravity—
To the version of himself who once agonized over such thoughts,
—No matter what power you use, Glenn-kun, you won’t stray. And if you ever seem like you might… I’ll definitely bring you back—
The person who said those words… is no longer here.
(Damn it… Why am I getting all mopey…!? Right now, this shitty powder is the only way to counter that demon! No time to wallow! Do it! Just do it! Make it! There’s no other way!)
Slapping his cheeks with a smack to psych himself up,
Glenn begins the compounding process anew.
“‘The seventh day is Battle Heaven. The appointed hour is two o’clock… presided over by Ysiel…’”
…
…
Glenn continues the compounding with desperate focus.
He grits his teeth, steels himself, and at times even pricks the space between his nails with a needle to stay sharp.
But… no matter what, it’s no good.
Midway through the compounding, his hands inevitably begin to tremble.
And that’s not all—strange illusions and auditory hallucinations plague him.
From the corner of the room, in the darkness, vengeful eyes drenched in blood seem to stare at him.
You killed me… A resentful whisper suddenly echoes in his ear.
Beyond the window, a horde of ghouls seems to cling, trying to force their way in.
Abruptly, he feels the sensation of a bony hand grabbing his ankle.
Each time, his hands falter, and the compounding fails miserably.
Time and materials… are wasted in vain.
“Uoooohhh—! Stay away from meeee—!”
And when the cult leader—the first victim of [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir]—appears before Glenn as a rotting corpse,
Glenn can no longer endure it. He grabs the mortar and hurls it at the apparition.
Naturally, the phantom vanishes like mist in the next instant… leaving only the hollow sound of the mortar shattering against the wall.
“Damn…! Damn, damn, damn…!”
Clutching his head, Glenn slumps into a chair.
…He feels utterly incapable of completing the compounding process.
“There’s no time…! No materials…! What the hell am I doing…!?”
His anguished cry echoes through the compounding room.
“You’re supposed to protect those students, right!? Didn’t you decide you’d do anything for that!? Why are you still dragging this out!? Get it together, you pathetic coward!”
With a tragic expression, Glenn staggers to his feet… and prepares a new mortar.
“Ha… ha… Here we go… With the time limit and the remaining materials… this is probably my last chance… my final shot…”
With trembling hands, Glenn takes his stance…
“‘The seventh day is Battle Heaven. The appointed hour is two o’clock… presided over by Ysiel…’!”
In the worst possible mood, with a sense of despair that success is impossible, Glenn prepares to face his final attempt at compounding… when it happens.
“Who’s there!?”
Sensing a presence, Glenn spins around.
“…Sensei…”
Standing beyond the open door is Sistine.
Glenn hurriedly composes himself and turns to face her.
“…H-hey, what’s this…? You’re still awake? Idiot, kids should be in bed…”
“I’m sorry… I… I’ve been watching you for a while… your condition…”
“…”
“I didn’t mean to spy… I just thought I’d bring you a late-night snack.”
In Sistine’s hands is a tray with sandwiches and tea.
“…Won’t you… talk to me?”
At Sistine’s gentle, caring words,
Glenn, as if resigning himself, invites her into the room, sinks deeply into a chair, and confesses.
“To be blunt… it’s pathetic, but I’m scared… of compounding this powder.”
To Sistine, who listens quietly across from him, Glenn explains.
What [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] means to him.
“This thing… it’s a symbol of the dark side of my military days… born from a murderous intent and malice I didn’t even realize I had… an irredeemable negative legacy…”
Once, when Albert brought his favorite gun, Glenn had thought, If you’re bringing that, why not bring Eve Kaiser’s Elixir too? What a hollow boast that had been.
Surely, Albert had foreseen this and deliberately brought only the gun. It was his clumsy way of showing consideration.
“Using this… it feels like I’ll never be able to come back… like I’ll fatally stray from the path I’m walking. I know it’s just paranoia, but…”
And then,
The person who promised to guide him back if he strayed… is no longer here.
“Hah… laugh at me… I’m acting like a kid…”
Glenn lets out a self-deprecating mutter, his shoulders slumping weakly… when it happens.
“You’re right. Sensei, you really act like a kid sometimes.”
Sistine cuts him down far more bluntly than he expected.
It’s the undeniable truth, so Glenn can only hang his head in defeat.
But—
“But… this time, it’s my turn to help.”
Sistine says this, drawing closer to Glenn…
“Teach me the compounding steps… Let’s do it together, okay?”
Taking Glenn’s hand, she looks straight into his eyes and smiles gently.
“Don’t worry. I’m watching. …It’s okay. No matter what, Sensei, you won’t stray. You’re our proud teacher, after all.”
“…”
“If you ever seem like you’re about to stray… I’ll take your hand and bring you back. We’ll guide you to the right path… so…”
Glenn gazes at Sistine’s radiant smile as if it is something dazzling.
Her smile powerfully evokes the image of Sera from days long gone—
“Y-yeah…”
Before he realizes it, Glenn nods with surprising honesty.
“‘Three parts dust from a tomb where bodies have been buried for over two hundred years, two parts pulverized amaranth, one part crushed ivy leaves, one part fine-grained salt. These are to be mixed on Ysiel’s day, at Ysiel’s appointed hour. Over the compounded powder, form the seal of Val, then seal it in a lead box engraved with the symbol of Sys—’” With the last remaining time and materials, Glenn compounds [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir].
Naturally, Glenn is the one primarily handling the task.
Sistine merely stands close by his side, watching his movements.
“‘—For one part of the compounded powder, add three parts white flame cotton, and ice crystal water—’ …Kuh!?”
At times, Glenn’s hands begin to tremble, threatening to throw off his work.
But each time—
“…It’s okay, it’s okay, Sensei.”
Sistine gently places her hand over his trembling one. Careful not to interfere with his compounding, she touches him lightly, as if placing a feather, conveying her warmth to Glenn.
Eventually, when Glenn’s trembling subsides,
“…‘…Add three parts white flame cotton, one part ice crystal water, and mix with a verdigris-covered knife as if cutting. Do this four times each. Draw the rune of Yot—’”
Glenn takes a deep breath and resumes the compounding.
Perhaps due to the warmth radiating from Sistine’s body, pressed close to his.
The strange hallucinations and auditory illusions vanish as if they were lies.
The anxious feeling of walking blindfolded along the edge of a crumbling cliff is gone.
From there, the complex and bizarre compounding steps proceed smoothly…
And then…
“‘—Thus, with three, three, and three steps, Eve Kaiser’s Elixir is complete.’”
As if the earlier struggle was a lie, Glenn completes the compounding process.
“Phew~~~”
“Good work, Sensei.”
Before the small rune-inscribed vial filled with [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir],
Glenn lets out a long breath, wiping sweat from his brow, while Sistine smiles and praises him.
“I… I’m saved… Seriously saved… Thanks to you, White Cat…”
“Hehe… You’re really such a handful.”
Sistine’s expression as she speaks is endlessly gentle.
Her usual preachy demeanor, with furrowed brows, seems like a complete lie.
“…W-what? Is there something on my face?”
Noticing Glenn staring at her in the dim light, Sistine fidgets awkwardly.
“…No, just… I was thinking you really do resemble Sera.”
“Eh!?”
The unexpected topic makes Sistine jump.
“…Sorry if that upset you. I know full well you and Sera are different people. Your surface personalities and speech are practically opposites. But… somehow… you and Sera are fundamentally alike, you know?”
“L-like what…?”
“You’re both kind-hearted, meddlesome, and preachy. Plus, you’re both just a tad careless at critical moments, a bit clumsy, so I can’t take my eyes off you… like during today’s ruin exploration.”
“Ugh…!?”
Sistine bristles with irritation but can’t muster a rebuttal.
“But… you’re both really dependable. Just having her by my side put me at ease.”
“!”
“My relationship with her… it was kind of give-and-take… Well, we made a pretty good team, didn’t we? If Albert was the annoying but reliable older brother… Sera was like an older sister who was younger than me, someone I couldn’t leave alone.”
“Sensei…?”
“Yeah… back then… it was tough all the time… but even so…”
Sistine falls silent as Glenn gazes distantly, lost in nostalgia.
What is Glenn seeing right now?
His expression is calm but somehow lonely… and she doesn’t know what to say.
Eventually, Glenn gives a soft chuckle and stands.
“…Thanks, Sistine. …I feel like I’ve broken through something. [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir] is, without a doubt, a bloodstained power for me… I thought using it in a world where she (Sera) isn’t watching was unthinkable… But…”
“But?”
“Thanks to you, I remembered… You, Rumia, Re=L… and all the students… There are actually a ton of people watching me in this world, aren’t there?”
“…”
“I won’t waver anymore. I’ll use [Eve Kaiser’s Elixir]. With this power… I’ll take down that demon. And I’ll protect Fejite… and all of you. …That’s the right thing, isn’t it?”
At Glenn’s gentle words and gaze, Sistine feels a sweet, soaring ache in her chest.
What is this emotion?
It feels like the answer is almost clear, but this is the first time in her life she’s felt this way—a sensation she never even experienced when she admired Leos as a child.
She wants to take her time, to slowly confirm its true nature… that’s what she thinks.
(Did Sera-san… feel this way too…?)
Sistine feels a strange sense of kinship with a woman she’s never met.
“Alright… now that I’m feeling at ease, I’m starving~~~”
Suddenly, such a tactless, deflating line.
The sweet mood vanishes in an instant.
“Honestly… ugh~… Like I said earlier, I brought a late-night snack… Want to eat it now?”
“Oh, hell yeah, I’m eating! Thanks, White Cat-chan!”
And so,
The two sit at the table, starting a very late-night meal.
Glenn devours the homemade sandwiches without restraint.
Sistine sits across from him, propping her cheeks with both hands, calmly watching Glenn with a gentle gaze.
Outside the room, separated from Glenn and Sistine by a single door,
(…I’m glad, Sistie…)
Rumia, who had been leaning against the door, quietly slips away without making a sound.
(Glenn-sensei… yeah… with Sistie by his side, he’ll be fine now…)
Somewhere… deep in her heart, there’s a faint pang… but it must be her imagination.
(Yeah… they’re perfect… those two are really perfect together…)
This was the outcome Rumia had hoped for, after all.
So, that pain is just an illusion. It’s all in her head.
(Is there… really nothing left that I regret…?)
Glenn’s odd behavior during the day had worried her, but that’s resolved now.
All that’s left… is for her to make her decision.
(No more… I won’t let Sensei, Sistie, Re=L… or everyone… suffer any more pain… I’ll protect them… I’ll save them…!)
Steeling her resolve,
Rumia leaves the school building, walking north across the dark academy grounds.
With unwavering determination, she presses forward… until she reaches the entrance to the dense, dark, and overgrown Forest of the Lost in the north.
Facing a world dominated by chilling, serene silence,
“…You came.”
Her awaited contact is there, standing quietly beside a tree.
“Nameless-san…”
Last night, Rumia had received a secret message from Nameless.
…Come here when you’ve steeled all your resolve.
“So? Are you ready to stop being human?”
With a firm voice, Nameless questions Rumia’s resolve.
“Yes.”
“Are you ready to sacrifice your life for everyone?”
“…Yes.”
“I see.”
At Rumia’s unwavering response, Nameless quietly approaches her.
“Then—”
Nameless extends a hand toward Rumia.
And then—
…
