Epilogue: When Everything Comes to an End

At that moment, a resounding OOOHHHH!!… echoed throughout the academy.

Everyone had worked together, pouring everything they had into suppressing the giant.

Suddenly, it lost its strength, ceasing all activity…

Its massive form slowly… crumbled into particles of light… dissolving into a mist of mana and vanishing.

“We won… Did we win…? Huh…? Is it over…?”

Everyone present, unable to comprehend what had just happened, could only stare in stunned silence at the gradually disappearing giant.

Amidst this, Albert lowered the magic staff he had been holding and glanced up at the sky.

“Hmph… How long are you going to keep me waiting?”

No one heard his cold, dismissive murmur.

The flow of time, slowed by the extreme tension, returned to its normal pace.

Glenn.

And the Demon.

The two stood face-to-face at point-blank range, their gun barrel and hand-blade crossed, glaring at each other.

As everyone watched with bated breath—

“…Phew.”

The first to exhale and break the silence was Glenn.

And then—

‘Impossible…’

The Demon slowly… lowered the hand-blade that had failed to reach Glenn.

Step by step, it staggered backward.

‘…Impossible… Impossible…’

The Demon’s voice trembled as it muttered, retreating further.

Glenn kept his gun trained on the Demon, never breaking his steady gaze.

‘Your attack… didn’t even leave a single scratch on me…!’

The Demon clutched its chest, continuing to back away.

Its body, forged of divine steel… As the Demon claimed, the spots where Glenn’s bullets had struck bore not a single hole, scratch, or even a dent.

Indeed, Glenn’s bullets had passed through the Demon as if it were a ghost.

‘Divine steel is an indestructible metal… the supreme metal of the gods… nothing in this world can destroy it… And yet… And yet…!?’

The Demon looked at its own hands.

Its hands… little by little, were crumbling into particles of black light… disintegrating.

‘Why am I perishing!? Why must I perish!? Glenn Radars… What in the world did you do!?’

To the Demon, roaring in disbelief—

“…Nothing special? I didn’t do anything that impressive.”

Twirling his pistol playfully with his finger, Glenn spoke.

“‘Eve Kaiser’s Elixir.’ It activates my Original Magic [Penetrator]… A spell that imbues a bullet with my magical trait [Stagnation of Change・Halt] and fires it.”

‘What… did you say…?’

“The bullet fired with this magical elixir ‘halts all physical energy changes’ and simultaneously brings ‘stagnation of destruction’ to all spiritual elements.”

‘No… It can’t be…!?’

“That’s right. Since the bullet’s physical energy doesn’t change, it passes through any material mass without causing any physical effect… But it tears spiritual entities to shreds.”

‘—!?’

“No matter how indestructible or invincible your divine steel body is, it doesn’t matter… My bullet pierced straight through your defenseless spiritual form—your soul itself.”

The physical body and spiritual form are layered together.

Thus, if the physical body cannot be harmed, the spiritual form overlapping it cannot be touched either. Normally, piercing only the soul of an opponent made of indestructible divine steel would be impossible.

But—Glenn’s [Penetrator] made it possible.

“However, once this magic bullet is fired and exposed to the outside world, its effect fades rapidly in an instant. It’s completely useless for long-range sniping.

…You get it, right? This bullet can only be used in close-quarters, zero-distance shooting.”

At that moment, the Demon fully realized it had been completely outplayed by Glenn.

If Glenn had aimed for a zero-distance shot from the start, even the Demon would have sensed something was amiss and grown wary. It would never have taken such a shot head-on. It would have dodged without fail.

But Glenn deliberately fired meaningless long-range shots first—making the Demon believe that even his trump card, the magic bullet, was utterly ineffective against its divine steel body.

That lured the Demon into Glenn’s range—and led to this outcome.

‘Impossible… This… cannot be…!?’

‘I’ll say it as many times as it takes.’

Nameless spoke coldly to the Demon.

‘You underestimated humans far too much.’

And then…

‘Impossible… For me, Accelo Iero, to perish… No, wait… Glenn Radars… I remember now… You were… back then…!?’

‘Back then… The one who destroyed me… Gahhh—!’

Raising a death cry, the Demon’s body was enveloped in a blinding black explosion, shattering into pieces—

And with that, it vanished anticlimactically.

…

…Silence.

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L.

Unable to believe it was truly over, they remained frozen in tension and silence.

“This [Penetrator] was designed for assassinations… Pre-activated in the gun, it’s used after sealing the enemy’s magic with [Fool’s World]. No matter how sturdy their magical defenses, it kills them without fail… It’s a spell born from my malice and murderous intent.”

Glenn muttered, his back still turned to the three.

“Sensei…”

The name itself was laced with irony.

The thoughtless strike of a fool’s knife can sometimes pierce through all the wisdom of a sage.

A spell designed to kill mages.

What Glenn had been thinking when he named it was beyond imagination.

As the three girls hesitated, unsure of what to say—

“…But you know what!”

Suddenly, Glenn stretched with a loud nnn and turned to face the three.

“Rumia, I protected you! That’s enough, right!?”

The Glenn who turned around seemed to have completely moved on.

He was smiling, utterly refreshed.

Holstering his pistol, he walked over to Rumia… and flicked her forehead.

“Ah…!”

“Geez… You went way too far…”

Glenn sighed, exasperated yet gentle.

“Back then… I heard your wish. And the things that you’ve been secretly holding in your heart.”

“Ah… Uu…”

“Man, I’m a failure of a teacher. I was too caught up in my own petty issues to notice your struggles…”

“That’s… That’s not true…! It’s just…!”

“…I’m sorry. You’ve always acted so strong… But deep down, you were carrying so much on your own… Giving up… Suffering in silence.”

“…Sensei… Sensei…”

“You pushed yourself to the limit, stretched yourself thin, forced yourself to endure… to be the good girl. It’s enough, Rumia. You don’t have to force yourself anymore. You don’t have to shoulder burdens or give up on anything. You don’t have to be the obedient, perfect girl. It’s okay to be a little selfish.”

“U… Uuu… Uu…”

And then,

Glenn gently patted Rumia’s head and said,

“…Let’s go home, yeah? Back to our academy. And let’s figure it out together—how you can find happiness in this world. Not just us, but everyone.

Even a filthy, bloodstained assassin like me was accepted by this world… by people who took me in. And now, I’ve moved past it and overcome it.

So there’s no way this world wouldn’t accept you… No way you can’t overcome this. Right? So…”

Pausing for a breath, he looked straight at Rumia, his gaze kind and unwavering.

“Come on, let’s go home. Together.”

“Sensei… sniff… hic… Uu… Waaaaahhh!”

Rumia clung to Glenn, sobbing like a child. For the first time, she was finally free from the chains that had bound her heart since she was a young girl.

“Rumia…”

“…Mm. I don’t really get it, but… I’m glad.”

Sistine and Re=L watched Glenn and Rumia, their eyes brimming with tears.

And… as this was happening, the《Ship of Flames》began to tremble violently.

Here and there, it started dissolving into particles of light, beginning to collapse.

With the Demon, its mana source, destroyed, the《Ship of Flames》could no longer maintain its existence.

“Tch… Of course, the cliché final twist had to show up…”

Glenn gave a wry, annoyed smile.

“Ugh, what are you even saying!? We need to escape, now!”

“Mm. Glenn, you’re slow.”

“Hey, wait! Don’t leave me behind, you heartless brats!”

Sistine and Re=L had already bolted toward the exit.

Pulling Rumia, who was wiping her tears, Glenn hurriedly started to run.

“Oi, Nameless! You’re coming too—”

At the last moment, Glenn turned to call for Nameless.

“…Nameless?”

But Nameless had already vanished from the scene without a trace.

“Tch… That guy’s the same as ever… Well, whatever.”

They’d meet again someday.

For now—let’s go home.

To our irreplaceable place—

…

The Austras Mountain Range, north of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

Near the summit of one of its many peaks.

In a desolate spot, where eternal snow blanketed the rugged rock face—

‘Ha…! Ha…! Ha…!’

The Demon—Lazare—lay collapsed, still alive, not yet destroyed.

‘That was close…!’

Glenn’s magic bullet had torn through the Demon’s soul, triggering a cascading collapse.

For a Demon, a being more spiritual than human, that bullet was unexpectedly far more lethal than it would be to a human—truly a poison to its kind.

Its destruction should have been inevitable.

‘But… I made it…!’

At that moment, the Demon had re-spiritualized its body, excising and discarding vast portions of its soul corrupted by the bullet’s poison. It then reclaimed the mana it had been pouring into the《Ship of Flames》—using it to replenish its lost soul and barely maintain its existence.

(That was too close… If the《Ship of Flames》hadn’t been there… If Glenn Radars had whimsically fired a second shot… I would’ve been obliterated without question…!)

The Demon struggled to its feet, swaying unsteadily.

Its re-materialized body was in terrible condition.

But it could still hold itself together. It could move.

‘It’s not over… I’m not done yet…! I must find undeniable proof of a “god” in this world…!’

Lazare and the Demon General Star《Iron Cavalry General》Accelo Iero were fused, but the descent of a Demon General Star typically leaned toward a more human-like existence.

Thus, Lazare, the Demon, reflected on the ancient memories of his human past.

Those memories—of events two hundred years ago.

The Great Magic War, where he fought alongside the Six Heroes against an outer cosmic evil god.

‘That’s right… In that war, I lost the master I served… the god I believed in…’

Originally, Lazare had been a devout follower of the Church of St. Elizares.

He believed in the existence of the Lord, in salvation, in justice under the Lord—and had risen to become a supreme Temple Knight.

To dedicate his life to the Lord’s grace and virtue, to protect the powerless believers who shared his faith in the same god—that was his conviction, his very way of being.

But in the war two hundred years ago—the Great Magic War—Lazare had learned the truth.

He discovered what kind of beings the gods of this world truly were.

Indeed, there were great beings—gods—in this world.

But they were not the sublime entities Lazare had believed in, granting grace, gospel, and salvation to all who followed them—

They were embodiments of unfathomable malice and incomprehensible evil—the very enemies of humanity.

…It was a brutal war.

Many, like Lazare, believed in a god of salvation.

But they were all slaughtered like garbage by the evil gods… Lazare’s beloved wife and child included… despite being true, devout apostles of their god.

No matter how nobly they held to their faith until the end, no matter how many times they chanted the name of their god,

The evil gods trampled their prayers with mocking disdain… and the god they prayed to offered no response.

In this world—there was no god.

No. There were gods, but they were not the gods they had believed in.

Gods were merely beings filled with evil and malice, beyond human understanding—

‘In the final battle two hundred years ago, I lost everything… On the brink of death, I lost my faith… I hated the Lord I had believed in since childhood… I cursed Him…’

But just as Lazare’s life was about to end—that was the moment.

That person—the Grandmaster—appeared before Lazare and showed him the path.

‘…The《Akashic Records》… I touched a fragment of its power… I glimpsed the truth…’

According to the teachings of the Church of St. Elizares… the Lord is one and all, all and one—an omniscient, omnipotent being.

If omniscience and omnipotence define a god,

Then surely the《Akashic Records》, the embodiment of omniscient and omnipotent truth, must be that god.

A being without good or evil, truly colorless and pure.

A perfect being—truly, a god.

The god he should serve—the god he should believe in—was the《Akashic Records》.

Understanding everything, Lazare accepted the ‘key’ from the Grandmaster… and joined the《Heavens Order》as a Demon General Star.

‘That’s right… That’s why I must offer the《Akashic Records》to the Grandmaster…! The priestess serving the perfect, omniscient, and omnipotent Lord must also be perfect…! That’s why the imperfect Rumia Tingel must be killed…! I…!’

Only by reclaiming his god and faith could he, for the first time, sincerely pray for the repose of those who had died so tragically… for his beloved ones.

As Lazare, filled with resolve, was about to declare this—

“…But that’s nothing but an illusion.”

Suddenly, that man… appeared.

“Lazare. You’re fundamentally mistaken… The existence of a god isn’t something you seek outside yourself… It’s something you find within.”

‘What… did you say…!?’

Lazare’s eyes widened.

A man who shouldn’t be here, who couldn’t be here—was standing before him.

“‘When you are lost, listen to the words of your conscience. That is the voice of the Lord.’ ‘The Lord always speaks to you through your conscience.’ …Elizares Scripture, Chapter Three, ‘Gospel of the Apostles,’ Verses Forty-Seven and Forty-Eight…”

‘Impossible… Why…?’

“Lazare, your sin… is that you couldn’t believe in the god within yourself. You sought a false god outside yourself. You—are weak.”

‘Jatice Lowfan!? Why are you alive—!?’

There stood Jatice, whom Lazare was certain he had killed with his own hands.

“…I’m an alchemist, you know? Creating a duplicate of my body is child’s play.”

‘Impossible! The body is one thing, but what about the mind and soul!? How did you manage that!? Could it be, ‘Project: Revive Life’—!?’

“Now that’s absurd. That would create an essentially different person… Don’t lump me in with such shoddy work. I am, without a doubt, the genuine Jatice Lowfan…”

Jatice said playfully.

“Yes… I split my very existence… my soul into two and divided them between two bodies. That’s all. It was simply necessary to kill you, so I had no choice.”

Lazare was momentarily speechless.

‘What, you madman…!? You split your existence in two!? What does that do to your identity!? To divide the singular, unique self in this world into two… Even if you did, both would equally be you…! Yet how could one entrust everything to the other and allow itself to be killed by me!? It’s impossible! It can’t be possible! And yet, why—’

“Because that is ‘justice.’”

Jatice said with a laugh, unwavering.

“Yes, I died… But I live to enact ‘justice’…! My will, my own will, destroys evil! What’s the problem with that!?”

‘You think there’s no price for such blasphemy against the laws of life…!?’

“I know full well—this forbidden art deals immense damage to the soul… My lifespan is probably five or six years at most… And it’ll likely shorten further… But that’s enough.”

Jatice mocked the flustered Lazare.

“With that much time… I can execute ‘justice’ against you true evils… I can seize the《Akashic Records》and annihilate all the wickedness in this world… That’s more than enough… Heh heh heh…”

Lazare felt the same discomfort, revulsion, and fear he had faced two hundred years ago against the evil god.

“Now, heretic Lazare, it’s time for your inquisition. The verdict is death. Atone for your sin of disbelief with your life.”

Like a judge in a courtroom, Jatice declared sonorously, raising his left hand toward Lazare.

‘Don’t underestimate me, mere human!’

Lazare charges at Jatice with divine speed. The divine steel hand-blade tears through the vacuum—and with a fleeting pass, severs Jatice’s left arm from the elbow.

“Hmph?”

Scattering blood, Jatice leaps back with leisurely grace, giving a chilling smile.

“You think you can win!? Even if I was wounded by Glenn Radars’ magic bullet, this divine steel body remains intact! Against the likes of you—”

“…Haven’t you figured it out yet? You’re no longer my enemy.”

The moment Jatice boldly declares this.

Lazare’s left hand—the one previously stained with Jatice’s blood—begins to glow ominously red, the stain radiating a sinister light.

“W-What…!? What in the world is happening…!?”

Then, against Lazare’s will, his divine steel left hand begins to dissolve, turning into particles… carried by the wind… converging toward Jatice.

And—in place of Jatice’s severed left arm, the divine steel particles gather… forming a new left arm.

“Oh? So this is the mystery of ancient civilization… divine steel, huh… Heh heh heh, this seems quite useful.”

“What did you DOOOOOO!?”

To Lazare’s scream.

“So noisy. I just got my hands on a fine toy… All I did was seize control of your left hand’s authority… with a curse I cast on it at the cost of my life.”

“Wha…”

“Divine steel or not, it’s just metal… There’s no reason an alchemist like me couldn’t dominate it. Though, by my calculations, even staking my life, the success rate was less than ten percent.

But, well… If I couldn’t pull off something like this, I’d never catch up to Glenn, would I? For Glenn, ten percent is practically the same as a hundred percent.”

What?

What in the world is this man?

To wager half his soul on a gamble with less than a one-in-ten chance, without a shred of hesitation?

It’s absurd, no matter how you look at it—he’s no longer human.

By now, this man, Jatice, was some kind of phenomenon.

“Now… Get ready, Lazare. It’s time for your sentence.”

Jatice freely morphs the left hand constructed from divine steel.

From the back of that hand, a black sword extends.

“Don’t give me any whining about ‘if I were in perfect condition’ or whatever, okay?”

“Ugh… Ahh…!? S-Stay back…!?”

Jatice, wielding the black sword, walks slowly toward the demon without a trace of hesitation.

“My goddess… 《Justia’s Scales》 has calculated it with absolute certainty… Even if you were in perfect condition… at this moment, my victory rate is—one hundred percent.”

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!”

Raising his remaining divine steel right arm, Lazare charges at Jatice.

In response, Jatice steps forward in a single breath, swinging the divine steel black sword.

With a howling wind-cutting sound, Lazare and Jatice pass each other in an instant—

“…Impossible…”

Lazare’s body is cleaved cleanly in two from top to bottom…

And with that, his body evaporates into a black mist, vanishing into the void.

“…Justice, execution complete.”

Jatice’s chilling murmur echoes softly across the scene.

“But… as expected, Glenn… you’re truly remarkable.”

Returning the arm that had become a black sword to normal… Jatice leaves the scene, suddenly muttering to himself.

“Just when I think I’ve caught up to you, you immediately leap ahead… Honestly, I’m frustrated… How can I ever reach you? Heh heh heh…”

While descending the desolate mountain with light steps, Jatice laughs.

With his Original Magic, he had “foreseen” that Glenn would somehow manage to keep Rumia alive.

What Jatice feels for Glenn is unreserved admiration and a burning envy that sears his soul.

“Well… I’ve still got a long way to go.”

Regaining his composure, Jatice lets his thoughts drift to his future actions.

“Now… with this incident, The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom’s Radical Faction, who were targeting Rumia, have been nearly wiped out… For a while, peace will return to the academy… Enjoy this brief moment of tranquility, Glenn. Heh… We’ll meet again. Someday soon… in the near future.”

With those words.

Jatice departs alone, to parts unknown.

…His destination, no one knew.

Riding Celica-Dragon, they leave behind 《Ship of Flames》, collapsing and vanishing into another dimension.

Soaring through the sky, tearing through clouds, cutting through the wind—toward the ground, toward the ground.

Below stretches the beautiful townscape of Fejite, glowing in the burning sunset.

At first, it looked like a miniature, but gradually it grows larger, gaining texture—

“…Hm?”

As the academy building comes clearly into view, something suddenly reaches their ears.

It was—

“Glenn-sensei—!”

“Rumia—!”

“Sistine—!”

“Re=L—!”

“Everyone, welcome back—!”

—The resounding cheers of the academy’s students. Every one of them, gathered in the courtyard, on the rooftops, leaning out of windows, awaited Glenn and the others’ return with raised hands.

The deafening enthusiasm and cheers knew no bounds.

The closer Glenn and the others get, the louder it grows, without limit.

Eventually…

Celica-Dragon flaps its wings and lands gently in the courtyard.

As Glenn and the others leap from its back.

““““OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO—!””””

Glenn’s class surges toward them en masse—

“Sensei! You finally did it!”

“Rumia, thank you!”

“Sistine, Re=L, you fought so hard!”

“Thanks to Sensei and the others, we—”

“Idiot, that’s not it! This is our victory, all of us!”

“Yeah, our victory! We all won together!”

““““Banzai—!””””

Kash, Cecil, Wendy, Teresa, Lynn, Kai, and Rodd.

Alf, Bix, Cycer, and even Gibul.

…For once, even Gibul joins in.

Glenn’s students surround the bewildered group, bursting with excitement.

“Haha… No need to worry about a thing.”

“Yes…”

To Glenn’s words, Rumia smiles gently.

And then.

“Man, you really pulled it off, Glenn. I’ll give you some praise.”

Suddenly, Glenn’s shoulder is tapped from behind. It was Celica’s voice.

“What’s that, Celica? You’re already back to your original form… Wait—”

“I always believed in you. You’re a kid who can do it when you try…”

“—Put some clothes on—!?”

“…Oh? Forgot about that.”

Having undone her transformation, Celica appears in her transcendent, bewitching nude form—like a goddess of beauty—shamelessly exposed to all, causing an uproar in the area.

Amid the students gathered in the courtyard, reveling in the sweet wine of victory.

“Case closed… huh.”

“Hmph…”

Rize lets out a sigh of relief, while Jaill snorts and turns on his heel.

“…Oh? Leaving already, Jaill-san?”

“I’ve repaid my debt. Besides… Tch… I’m not good with this kind of atmosphere.”

“…Heh, such an awkward guy.”

Quietly, Rize watches Jaill’s retreating back with a smile.

“Phew… That was exhausting…”

“Good work today, everyone.”

“Damn it… The post-incident cleanup starting tomorrow… It’s giving me a headache…”

“Fuhahahaha—! But we got some great data—!”

Baron Zest, Headmaster Rick, Halley, and the other academy instructors, relieved at the situation’s resolution, pat each other’s shoulders in celebration.

“What do we do!? What can we do!? Especially with how to handle Rumia Tingel—!?”

“There’s nothing to do.”

As Halley damages his precious hair follicles, Baron Zest speaks solemnly.

“…Look.”

There, Rumia is surrounded by a crowd of students, smiling from the heart.

“We let her attend this academy as if it’s the most natural thing. We provide her with an ordinary daily life. We protect that smile… It’s simple. That’s our duty as adults, isn’t it?”

With a gentle, sincere smile, Baron Zest gazes at the precious scene.

“…Your real thoughts?”

“Not protecting a beautiful girl like Rumia-chan!? That’s not something I, the honorary chairman of the National Association for Admiring Beautiful Girls and Lolitas, would ever do—!”

“Headmaster! Fire this guy already!”

“…I’m starting to think we need to seriously consider it.”

And then.

“Everyone!”

Cecilia comes running, waving her hand.

“Oh, Cecilia-sensei… How… is it?”

To Headmaster Rick’s cautious question.

“…Yes, it’s fine.”

Cecilia answers with a bright smile.

“Some are seriously injured and will need recovery time… but there are no fatalities.”

A collective sigh of relief escapes those present.

“A miracle… After such a fierce battle…”

“…Thanks to the strategy of the Special Missions Annex…”

“And thanks to Cecilia-sensei’s efforts.”

“No, that’s not true.”

Cecilia smiles like a sunflower—

“The instructors, the students… Everyone gathered here today made this possible—BGOOOHAAA!”

The moment she tries to say this, Cecilia, still smiling, spews blood dramatically and collapses.

“Cecilia-sensei—!?”

“The super frail Cecilia-sensei has reached her limit—!?”

“Ha… ha… Grandma… It’s been a while…”

“This is bad! At this rate, she’ll be the first casualty of this incident—!”

In the end, the academy instructors are swept up in a whirlwind of chaos—

“Phew! This time was seriously tough!”

Bernard sits cross-legged in a corner of the courtyard, watching the commotion among the academy folks from afar.

“Yeah, no kidding… But it’s good no one was hurt.”

Christoph chuckles.

“…I just heard that Fejite’s isolation barrier has been lifted, and a unit from the imperial army is heading here to handle the situation.”

“…Which means our work is just beginning.”

“Ughhh—! Give me a break already—!”

Ignoring the banter between Christoph, Albert, and Bernard.

“…”

Leaning against the school building’s wall with arms crossed, Eve stands lost in thought.

(This incident… No matter how you look at it, I won’t escape harsh scrutiny from the higher-ups…)

Her father will, of course, seize the chance to cut her off completely.

It’ll all be framed as Eve’s reckless, unilateral actions driven by ambition.

(…I’d better prepare myself… for a lot of things…)

But somehow, she feels indifferent. She’s just so tired.

(That’s right… Someone as incompetent as me… I was never fit to be head of the division… My left-hand magic ability won’t return… Haha… Whatever happens, happens…)

As Eve sinks into despair.

“Um…”

Two female students quietly approach her—Wendy and Teresa, from the unit Eve commanded.

“What? Here to complain now? About what a useless, incompetent commander I am—”

Eve tries to brush them off irritably without looking at their faces.

“Thank you so much!”

The two girls bow deeply to Eve.

“Wha…?”

“Thank you for saving us back then.”

“We’re so sorry for badmouthing you, saying you were unreliable. You’re a model soldier. Please keep up the good work.”

“…”

A pang.

The pure trust of these girls stirs something in Eve—something she forgot long ago, something she was forced to forget, something that briefly flickers back to life.

“Hmph… It’s… not a big deal or anything…”

As expected, she mutters curtly, turning away.

On her cheeks… a faint blush.

And then—

Amid the still-unfading joy and fervor swirling through the academy—

“Hah! When it comes to the great Glenn Radars, super-sensei-sama, saving Fejite is like a walk in the park! Gyahahahaha—! From now on, you lot better revere me as your savior with utmost devotion—!”

Surrounded by students, Glenn remains in high spirits.

(((Ugh, so annoying…)))

Though their faces show joy, the students’ hearts gradually align in their thoughts.

“That’s right! Hey, let’s all toss up the greatest hero of this battle, Glenn Radars, super-sensei-sama! Right!?”

At Kash’s sly suggestion, the students nod with equally mischievous grins…

“Oh? That’s quite the commendable attitude, you lot. Heh, fine, I’ll grant you the privilege of tossing me up. Now, reverently…”

Glenn, with a smug look, entrusts himself to the students swarming to lift him.

But all at once, the students quietly begin chanting a spell…

“W-Wait…? You guys… Why are you all suddenly casting a physical enhancement spell…? Uh, hold on, stop—”

““““Here we go! Heave-ho—!””””

“—Tchhhhaaaaaaa—!?”

With the students’ full-force toss, a teary-eyed Glenn is launched vertically into the sky—

Watching this scene.

“…It’s over, huh.”

“Yeah.”

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L look on.

“Glenn looks like he’s having fun… I want to do that too.”

Re=L toddles off toward Glenn and the others…

“Hey, Sistie… Thank you.”

Suddenly, Rumia speaks to Sistine.

“Don’t be silly. There’s no need to thank me… We’re family.”

Sistine replies with a smile.

Then.

“But… There’s one thing… I want to apologize to you for.”

Suddenly, Rumia says this with a gentle smile.

“Hm? What?”

“I’ve decided… to be a bit more honest with my feelings… So… I don’t want to give up on Sensei after all.”

“Eh?”

Rumia’s sudden, earth-shattering confession leaves Sistine’s mind blank for a moment.

To the stunned Sistine, Rumia directs a straightforward smile and says,

“Hehe… We’re rivals now, you and I.”

“W-w-what… What does that even mean!?”

As Sistine flounders in a panic, Rumia smiles with unshakable calm.

“…It’s okay. I won’t pull any sneaky moves. I’ll wait until you’ve sorted out your feelings, Sistie…”

Then, with light footsteps, Rumia dashes toward Glenn and the other students making a commotion… before spinning around to look back at Sistine.

“So, when the time comes… let’s have a fair and square showdown, okay? …Got it?”

Rumia’s mischievous, joyful smile sparkles…

A radiant smile, dazzling like a sunflower in midsummer…

“W-well, I don’t really know what you’re talking about!”

Sistine shrugs, feigning nonchalance, and follows after Rumia.

For some reason, her cheeks burn as if they’re on fire…

And her heart pounds so fiercely, it feels like it might burst—