Chapter 6: The Secret Tome of A

A fateful survival battle was well underway—one that would determine the future of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

Unexpectedly, it proceeded with the overwhelming dominance of Glenn’s Class 2.

The students of Class 2 were elated by the tangible sense of victory.

But at that moment—an incident occurred.

 

“Your rampage ends here, white-haired girl…!”

In the central corridor of a certain crossroad on the third level of the Hidden Academy.

Sistine Fibel was surrounded by four students from the Model Class, approaching from the corridors in all directions.

“Heh heh heh… don’t take it personally, alright? Using every advantage in the situation… that’s what this survival battle is all about.”

One of them, Zack, declared to Sistine.

Just moments ago, Zack had been effortlessly crushed by Gibul and barely escaped with his life.

Having regrouped with his comrades, he devised a plan to take down Sistine, who was currently wreaking the most havoc, as their top priority.

“Haha, even you can’t do much in a situation like this, can you?”

Another student from the Model Class, Noisch, approached from the right corridor, speaking with triumphant confidence.

The male student coming from the left corridor and the female student closing in from behind… they no longer had any doubt in their victory.

“If we can just take you down, it’s as good as our win… so die already!”

“…Is that so?”

Yet Sistine remained unfazed, poised with serene readiness, prepared to respond to any move.

In her sharp, intelligent eyes, there wasn’t the slightest trace of despair or resignation to defeat.

That composure only served to irritate the Model Class students further.

“Tch, what an annoying girl… the only cute thing about her is her face…!”

“Enough already! Let’s take her out!”

The Model Class students raised their left hands toward Sistine, beginning to chant their spells—

It was at that very moment.

 

“Uwaaaaaaahhhhhhh—!”

 

A blood-curdling scream echoed from somewhere within the Hidden Academy, reverberating through the air multiple times.

Judging by the nature of the echo, the source wasn’t far from their location.

“—!?”

Including Sistine, everyone present froze involuntarily.

That scream—it was anything but ordinary.

It didn’t sound like the mere cry of frustration or pain from someone defeated in this survival battle.

It was as if some incomprehensible injustice, unimaginable terror, or sanity-shattering force had been encountered—an outcry born from the shattering of rationality, the sound of a soul breaking apart.

“W-Wait a second… that scream… isn’t it just too strange, no matter how you look at it?”

Suppressing the cold, clammy sweat that prickled across her body, Sistine spoke.

“…Huh? We’re in the middle of a survival battle, you know? Y-You’re just making excuses to escape, aren’t you…?”

Zack spat out the words defiantly, but even he stood as still as a statue, unable to move.

After a moment.

Zoruri.

In the silence that dominated the space, a peculiar sound… echoed.

Zoruri. Zoruri. Zoruri…

That strange sound approached simultaneously from the depths of the right, left, and rear corridors, as seen from Sistine’s perspective.

“W-What…?”

Straining their eyes.

From the depths of the corridors, shrouded in thick darkness.

Something clad in even denser darkness was slowly… ever so slowly, drawing nearer.

And then.

The faint, flickering light of a lantern hanging on the wall of the crossroad corridor.

That dim flame revealed the true nature of the something approaching from the darkness to everyone present—

“W-What…!?”

No one—could move.

Everyone—was struck speechless.

Even Sistine, who had survived countless life-or-death situations, was no exception.

The reason being—

The something that appeared was a being so far beyond human comprehension.

That something—at a glance, it vaguely resembled a human shape.

Judging by the lines of its body, draped in an almost translucent garment, it was likely a female entity.

But every other feature was utterly inhuman.

Its slender, feminine limbs seemed to be composed of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of thin, paper-like sheets layered together, as if sliced by a thousand blades.

With every movement, those limbs rustled and writhed like a swarm of insects, and as the edges peeled back, the cross-sections revealed sinister, crawling runes densely inscribed, resembling a centipede. The sight was as if its limbs were fashioned to mimic a book.

Its head was a mass of torn book pages layered and writhing like a serpent.

From a single gap between those pages, a lone eyeball glared out, gleaming ominously in the darkness with a cold, azure iris that seemed to freeze the surrounding air.

Averting one’s gaze from this grotesque form, one would notice a pungent… sour stench of ink polluting the air.

The foul, almost putrid odor twisted the stomach, forcing a sharp, acidic burn to rise in the throat, stinging the tongue.

Merely looking at it felt like thick darkness was seeping into the depths of one’s eyes.

It clawed directly at the mind, eroding sanity—a being impossible to behold.

What stood before Sistine and the others was the embodiment of supreme madness and blasphemy—

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh—!?”

The same kind of scream as before erupted from Zack and the others, who had just encountered this unknown abomination.

The book-like monster—perhaps that was the only way to describe it.

The creature dragged its page-composed feet with a zoruri, zoruri sound, extending its page-made hands as it advanced.

There were three of them in total.

Suddenly, the three monsters moved with explosive speed.

Like ravenous beasts, they lunged at the nearest Model Class students.

“Hiiiieeee—!?”

Surprisingly, the monsters didn’t devour the students they seized.

They merely touched the Model Class students with their strange, page-like hands.

But—the anomaly occurred immediately.

“U-Uwaaaah—!? M-My hands… my body—!?”

The bodies of the students touched by the monsters… from their fingertips, from their toes, began to transform into book pages, unraveling as if sliced by a thousand blades.

And those scattered pages began to flutter and swirl through the air.

“No, nooo—!?”

“H-Help—!”

In no time, the students were completely broken down into countless pages.

The fluttering pages gathered on their own… bound by a cover…

And then.

Thud. Thud…

They fell to the floor as books.

The three books that landed on the floor were the pitiful remains of the three Model Class students.

“…W-What… is this?”

Coming to her senses, Sistine muttered softly.

She desperately scolded her frozen heart, striving to break the chains of fear binding her actions.

“I-I don’t know—!?”

Zack, trembling as he backed away, recoiled from the nightmarish reality.

The three book monsters, perhaps now targeting Sistine and Zack as their next prey, slowly crept closer—

“《O fierce Thunder Emperor・with the spear of aurora・pierce and strike》—!”

There was no time to worry about rule violations.

Without hesitation, Sistine unleashed Black Magic [Lightning Pierce]—a military-grade offensive spell.

A high-output, high-power bolt of lightning struck the book monster fiercely, but—

(—No way!? It’s not working at all!?)

Even after being hit by the lightning, the monster showed no sign of stopping.

It wasn’t even scorched on its surface.

“Stay back… stay back—! 《O crimson flame array》—!”

Unable to bear the terror, Zack chanted the spell for Black Magic [Fire Wall].

“—!? N-No! You can’t use fire spells here—!?”

Sistine issued a warning, but it was too late.

“Burn to ashes, you book monster—!”

Boom!

A wall of flames erupted, spreading out and engulfing the approaching book monsters.

“KISHAAAAAAAA—!?”

Instantly, the monsters swallowed by the flames let out spine-chilling screeches, writhing in agony. Their page-like limbs caught fire, rapidly turning to ash.

As their flammable appearance suggested, they were apparently weak to fire.

“Hya, hyahahahaha—! What’s that, not so tough after all—!”

Zack laughed loudly, as if to drown out the fear consuming him, but—

 

—Guilty.

 

A woman’s voice seemed to whisper suddenly in Zack’s ear.

A change began to overtake Zack’s body—

“Aaaahhh—!? M-My body… my body—!?”

Suddenly, Zack’s body, starting from his fingertips and toes, began to unravel into book pages.

But unlike the three students before him, something different happened.

From somewhere, a massive pair of scissors came flying through the air—

 

“No, stop—!? Please, stop—!? D-Don’t… don’t cut me—!?”

The scissors, moving on their own, began to slice Zack’s page-transformed body into pieces.

And then—

In no time, Zack’s entire body was reduced to pages, finely shredded—

The mysterious scissors flew off somewhere, vanishing from sight—

Where Zack had stood, there was now only a small pile of paper scraps, no longer even a book.

—Death.

The scene carried an overwhelming, undeniable conviction of finality.

“Wha…”

Even Sistine… was utterly paralyzed.

The sheer shock of the event completely froze her thoughts.

Deep in her heart, she urged herself to move, to chant a spell, but her body refused to obey.

The monsters, now charred and half-ashed from Zack’s spell, crept closer to Sistine.

Their even more grotesque forms, worsened by their charred state, advanced.

Their page-like hands slowly reached for Sistine’s face—

“…Ah…”

Sistine could only stare in a daze, unable to act—

“—《O great wind》!”

Suddenly, a girl’s clear voice rang out, and a ferocious gust swept through the area.

The hammer-like force of the wind blasted the book monster about to touch Sistine, shoving it back down the corridor.

“IYAAAAAAAA—!”

In the next instant, a blue shockwave charged into the scene.

A greatsword, swung with raw power, unleashed a storm that struck the remaining book monsters—

Blowing them back down the corridor as well.

“Sistie! Pull yourself together! Stay focused!”

“Sistine. Don’t zone out.”

The ones who rushed in were—Rumia and Re=L.

“…Hah!?”

Finally snapping back to reality, Sistine exhaled sharply, as if remembering to breathe.

Air flowed through her fear-clogged lungs, oxygen reached her brain, and her thoughts began to move again.

“S-Sorry! T… Thank you…!”

Sistine hurriedly readied herself.

“But what are those monsters…!?”

“I don’t know… they suddenly appeared in front of us… attacking everyone from Class 2 and the Model Class indiscriminately, turning them into books…”

“Turning people into books… what kind of mechanism is that!? That’s impossible, isn’t it!?”

“Hm… those weird monsters. No matter how much I cut them, they don’t die… troublesome.”

At that moment.

Clang, clang, clang! A shrill metallic sound rang out among the three.

The gem-shaped communication devices they carried had received a transmission.

“White Cat, Rumia, Re=L! Can you hear me!?”

Glenn’s urgent shout burst into their ears.

“Se-Sensei!? A-Actually, we’re… being attacked by strange monsters right now—!”

“I know! We’ve got a handle on it! Right now, those weird monsters are popping up out of nowhere all over the Hidden Academy’s buildings, and they’ve already taken out a bunch of people!”

“N-No way…”

Sistine felt as if the ground beneath her was crumbling.

“We can’t stay in this damn place for another second! The survival battle is canceled! Head to the grand lecture hall in the center of the second level! We’re gathering all the survivors there to get the hell out of here! Got it? The route from your position is—…”

Glenn quickly relayed the route to Sistine and the others.

“G-Got it…!”

“Be careful! Those monsters aren’t that tough, but if they touch you, you’ll get turned into a book for some reason! And… you probably already know, but absolutely do not use fire! There’s some kind of weird ‘rule’ in this Hidden Academy!”

“Y-Yes…!”

With that, Glenn cut the communication, likely to give instructions to the next group of students.

“Rumia, Re=L, you heard him? Let’s go.”

“Yeah, got it.”

“Hm.”

The three girls exchanged nods.

As if mocking them, however.

Zoruri, zoruri… New book monsters emerged from the darkness, drawing closer…

“…I-I’m scared, but… we’re breaking through!”

“Yeah!”

Sistine and Rumia raised their left hands, readying themselves—

“IYAAAAAAAA—!”

Despite the dire situation, Re=L, like a fish in water, brandished her greatsword and charged at the monsters.

 

“Damn it! What the hell is going on here!?”

Having finished issuing orders to the students via the emergency channel, Glenn spat out in frustration.

In a corner of the hall,

“No, it’s not me… I didn’t know about this! It’s not my fault…!”

Maxim, clutching his head, trembled pale-faced, muttering excuses.

“You idiot! Is this really the time for that!?”

Barely suppressing the urge to punch him, Glenn looked up at the space above.

There, countless projections displayed scenes of chaos and screams.

Every image showed book monsters and students fleeing in panic.

Since earlier, Glenn had been directing students to rendezvous with those nearest to them, guiding them along escape routes to minimize casualties.

Fortunately, the monsters’ combat abilities didn’t seem particularly high. They were only impervious to attacks, not an overwhelming threat—but several students had already been turned into books by the monsters.

That included some of Glenn’s students.

Damn it, screwing around like this…!

As Glenn’s anger nearly boiled over—at that moment.

“Calm down, Glenn.”

Sensing his inner turmoil, Eve spoke coldly, arms crossed.

“There’s some kind of intent behind this ‘turning into books’ thing. It’s likely not about killing. Nine times out of ten, they’re not dead yet. There has to be a way to save them.”

“…Yeah, I know!”

If so, the priority now is to evacuate as many unharmed students as possible from this ‘Hidden Academy’.

To save the students who’ve been turned into books, Glenn can’t afford to lose his composure and charge in recklessly.

He desperately suppresses the urge to rush out of this room and head to their aid.

Just as Glenn prepares to issue evacuation orders again, looking up at the projected images and pulling out the gem-shaped communication magic device—that’s when it happens.

Pop, pop, pop… The projected images floating above begin to vanish one by one.

This makes evacuation guidance impossible.

“Oi!? What’s this nonsense!? Cut it out, you bastard!”

Glenn roars at Maxim, who’s cowering in the corner of the hall, as if he could devour him.

“N-no, it’s not me! It’s not me, I swear—!”

Maxim shakes his head frantically, his face twisted in terror.

“W-what the hell is going on!? What’s happening!? This kind of anomaly—it’s not written anywhere in this journal—!”

With trembling hands, Maxim flips through [Memoirs of Alicia III].

The pages, which until moments ago were filled with meticulous records—construction logs of the Hidden Academy, daily musings, and descriptions of the magical formulas controlling the academy—are now completely gone.

Instead, scrawled in thick, bloody letters—

 

—Kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me kill me KILL ME KILL ME KILL ME KILL ME KILLME KILLME KILLME KILLKILLKILLKILL—

 

“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh—!?”

Overwhelmed by a chilling dread, Maxim drops the journal.

The moment it hits the floor, the journal disintegrates into scattered pages… and with a flutter, they take to the air.

“W… what the hell is this? What’s happening?”

Before the stunned Glenn and the others, the drifting pages begin to writhe and move as if alive, gathering together… forming a humanoid shape.

The paper’s texture transforms, as if by magic—

And soon, a woman stands before Glenn and the others.

A middle-aged woman with long blonde hair tied up.

She wears an opulent dress, as if befitting royalty.

Though past her prime, she exudes an eerie beauty and allure.

Her blue eyes alone move sharply in the darkness, gleaming with a fierce intensity.

At the sudden appearance of this mysterious woman, Maxim lets out a scream and collapses, his legs giving out.

Even Eve, a seasoned veteran, is left speechless, frozen in shock.

“W… who the hell are you…?”

To Glenn’s question, which slips out instinctively, the woman smiles and responds.

“I am Alicia… Alicia III, the thirteenth queen of the Alzano Empire and the first headmaster of this academy… kufu, kufufufufu…!”

Her body trembles, and she lets out a low, eerie laugh, her broken smile unmistakable.

It’s clear at a glance that she’s utterly insane.

“Now, Lord Maxim. Thank you ever so much for using me to come to this academy. Thanks to you, I can fulfill my mission.”

“Hiiiii—!?”

Maxim, on the verge of fainting, has no composure to respond to the woman’s graceful curtsy.

“And welcome to my true academy. You, too, shall become one of my ‘books’… forever a part of my power… Now—!”

With a rustling sound, the woman’s hands unravel like the pages of a book.

Those grotesque arms reach toward Maxim, writhing and creeping closer.

“N-no… stop…!? D-don’t come near me…!?”

Paralyzed by fear, Maxim can’t move a muscle.

The woman’s arms are about to envelop him—

—At that very moment.

Gunshots—gunshot after gunshot after gunshot after gunshot—

With flashes of muzzle fire, the woman’s body is blown backward.

In a single breath, Glenn empties the entire magazine of his pistol in a full-burst sweep.

Certain that this woman is dangerous, Glenn instinctively fires, aiming for every vital point on her body without hesitation.

—Got her.

As seasoned mages, Glenn and Eve know exactly what it takes to kill a human, and they reflexively believe they’ve succeeded—

“—Kufu. Hihihi…”

But the woman rises, unscathed.

Not a single wound mars her body.

“What… the hell…!?”

“This woman… she’s like those book monsters…!?”

“Ahaha, ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”

With gleaming eyes wide open, the woman now lunges at Glenn with ferocious speed.

“Glenn!?”

“Tch—!?”

Having mistakenly believed they’d finished her, Glenn and Eve’s reactions are delayed.

The woman’s arms close in on Glenn, mere inches from his face—at that moment.

Bang! A single, crisp gunshot.

Splash! Suddenly, a black, ink-like stain blooms across the woman’s torso.

No, it’s actual ink.

The sour, oily smell of ink spreads through the air.

And then.

“…I made it in time.”

Near the passage leading to the hall, a girl stands, holding a flintlock pistol.

Fresh gunsmoke rises from its barrel.

“You—Mabel!?”

The moment Glenn recognizes the girl.

The ink-stained woman lets out a blood-curdling scream, writhing in agony.

Her body begins to unravel from her limbs and fingertips, dissolving into countless book pages.

The pages scattering around are so smeared with ink that the text is illegible.

“W-what’s going on? Did we… defeat her? How…?”

“She could no longer maintain her form as a ‘book.’”

Mabel explains to Glenn, who stares in stunned silence.

“Huh? A ‘book’?”

“Explanations later. We need to leave this place quickly… They’re coming.”

Slither, slither, slither…

A sound… It echoes from the depths of the corridor leading to the hall.

The sound, like something crawling, is unmistakably that of the book monsters.

“Tch, damn it! I don’t get what’s going on, but…”

“For now, it seems we have no choice but to follow her.”

Following Mabel’s lead,

Glenn and Eve, supporting the unconscious Maxim on either side, leave the hall behind.

 

The second level of the Hidden Academy, the southern grand lecture hall.

Glenn had judged this location and its structure to be the most suitable for evacuating the students scattered throughout the Hidden Academy.

In this room, with stone desks arranged in tiers, the evacuated students are now gathering one after another.

“…It’s rudimentary, but I’ve set up a barrier. This should keep those book monsters out for a while.”

Mabel murmurs, pasting what looks like book pages, pulled from somewhere, near the three entrances to the grand lecture hall.

Glenn clicks his tongue and surveys the surroundings.

There…

“Phew, that was close…”

“Yeah, it really was.”

“Mm, it’s fine. I’ll protect Sistine and Rumia.”

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L, who somehow made it here safely.

“Damn… looks like we’ve been dragged into some insane mess again…”

“Seems like it. No idea how this’ll turn out…”

And Kash, Gibul, Wendy, Teresa, Cecil, Lynn, and the other students of Class 2.

“Hiii… W-what the hell… what are those things…!?”

“No, no, no… Please, someone help me…!”

And then, there’s Maxim’s model class, huddling together, trembling, and clutching their heads in fear.

In the end, the total number of students who made it here is just under thirty. More than half of the students were touched by the book monsters and turned into books before reaching this point.

Both Class 2 and the model class have suffered heavy losses… but the survivors are overwhelmingly from Class 2, at a ratio of about four to one.

In the end, the real combat experience gained from surviving life-or-death situations in previous incidents made a stark difference in their composure and ability to respond under pressure.

(Damn, what do I do?)

Glenn ponders, bearing the weight of the students’ anxious, pleading gazes.

(…The plan was to gather the survivors in this large space, use Maxim’s [Memoirs of Alicia III] to open a ‘gate’ back to the surface academy, and escape. But… that journal turned into some bizarre monster and was lost… We’ve got no way out… What now…?)

As Glenn clutches his aching head in this hopeless situation,

“I… knew this would happen.”

Mabel approaches him.

“That’s why I wanted you all to stay out of this survival game in the Hidden Academy. I even warned you in writing. At least, until I could settle things with her…”

“Oi, you. Start talking. Everything you know. All of it.”

Naturally, Glenn questions Mabel warily.

“Who are you? What are those monsters? What is this Hidden Academy?”

“Let’s see… Where should I begin? Perhaps with my true identity?”

Mabel pauses for a breath and says…

“I am not the fake [Memoirs of Alicia III] that Maxim was tricked with… I am the real one.”

…Something utterly incomprehensible.

“Oi, you idiot. This isn’t the time for jokes!”

“I’m not joking.”

Brushing off Glenn’s anger, Mabel rolls up her left sleeve.

Then, with her right hand, she flicks her left hand.

Flip, flip, flip… Her left hand turns like the pages of a book.

“—!?”

Shock and unease ripple through everyone present who witnesses it.

“Do you understand now? I am not human. I am a ‘book.’”

Mabel continues, addressing Glenn, who’s frozen with cold sweat on his forehead.

“My creator… my author, as the title suggests, is Alicia III. To be precise, I am a sort of magical tome, a copy of Alicia III’s personality and memories. That’s me, Mabel.

During her lifetime, Alicia III hid me away in the sealed archive of the academy’s library, preparing for a time like this.

Normally, I exist as a journal, but in times of crisis, I take the form of Alicia III in her youth to act and resolve the situation, as per my programming.

This Hidden Academy is the site of a certain sinister magical ritual. I exist to prevent that ritual from being completed—”

“Hold on a second.”

Glenn cuts her off, his wariness plain.

“Your story’s already falling apart. Alicia III prepared you for this situation? Wasn’t it Alicia III who created this damned Hidden Academy in the first place!?”

“Please, hear me out to the end, Glenn-sensei.”

Mabel narrows her eyes and continues.

“She… Alicia III, suffered from dissociative identity disorder.”

“What…?”

“While researching [Magical Archaeology], Alicia III seems to have stumbled upon ‘some kind of truth.’ That drove her to madness, splitting her personality. In her later years, she had two personas: one consumed by madness and one still clinging to sanity.”

“So… the one who created this [Hidden Academy] was…?”

“Yes, the mad Alicia III. And the one who left me behind was the Alicia III who barely held onto her sanity.

The mad one tried to carry out a deranged ritual using the [Hidden Academy], while the sane one left me to stop it.

She was caught in a complete self-contradiction, her two personas acting against each other.”

“…”

“It’s… a bit of a long story. Please, listen.”

And so, Mabel… [Memoirs of Alicia III], begins to speak, bit by bit.

It’s the entire truth of this situation, as recorded within her, a book.

Alicia III, the great queen and educator.

In her later years, she became obsessed with [Magical Archaeology] and, one day, abruptly lost her mind.

“The reason is unknown. Even I, with all that’s written in me, don’t know why. But in the course of her research into [Magical Archaeology], she uncovered ‘some kind of truth’… and it terrified her. She began seeking power to oppose it, whatever it was.”

“What was this power to oppose it?”

“That… I only know it by the name [Akashic Records].”

That name again.

Glenn’s face sours at the term that seems to pop up at every troublesome turn.

“The mad Alicia aimed to create a book called [Secret Tome of A], something that came infinitely close to the [Akashic Records]. The reference material needed to create this book… was humans.”

“Oi, don’t tell me…?”

“Yes. The mad Alicia planned to create [Secret Tome of A] based on her personality and memories, then absorb countless humans, turned into books, to complete it. She believed that within the vast information that makes up humans, there was a path to the [Akashic Records].”

Mabel glances around as she speaks.

“This Hidden Academy is a massive magical ritual site for that purpose. Are you familiar with the [Special Law Barrier]? It’s a spell that governs an otherworldly space with rules different from the normal world. That’s why supernatural phenomena, like turning humans into books and converting them into information, can occur here.

In this world, anyone touched by a fragment of [Secret Tome of A]—those book monsters—has their body transformed into a book.”

“…”

“But her mad plan fell apart.

Before she could sacrifice the students, the sane Alicia stopped her at the last moment.

The sane Alicia wrote me, based on her personality, then sealed [Secret Tome of A] in the deepest part of the [Hidden Academy]… and sealed the [Hidden Academy] itself.

And then… she took her own life. With this gun.”

Mabel shows the flintlock pistol that saved Glenn earlier.

(Alicia III’s death was attributed to illness, assassination, or accident, depending on the account… but suicide, huh…?)

Glenn can only stare bitterly at the weathered gun.

“Thus, [Secret Tome of A] was sealed within the [Hidden Academy], and the [Hidden Academy] was completely isolated from the surface academy… but recently, a crack appeared in that boundary.”

“Don’t tell me… the damage to the academy building from that earlier incident?”

“Yes. The surface and Underground Academies are closely linked in a dimensional phase. When the surface academy was destroyed to an unprecedented degree, it created a tiny gap between dimensions, allowing [Secret Tome of A]—the mad Alicia III—to interfere with the surface academy.

And [Secret Tome of A] used that gap to pass a fragment of itself to Maxim… to open the entrance to the [Hidden Academy] from the outside and lure people in.”

“I see. That fragment was the [Memoirs of Alicia III] Maxim brought, huh?”

“…Yes.”

“It all makes sense now. Of course, a lock sealed from the outside can only be opened from the outside. Maxim was completely played.”

“[Secret Tome of A] will continue to interfere with the surface academy through various means, luring people in and feeding on them. As its power grows, the [Special Law Barrier] will eventually encroach on the surface academy, turning it into her feeding ground. At this point, she’s no longer driven by purpose—she’s become a mere disaster, obsessed with increasing her own power.”

“Got it.”

Glenn shrugs and lets out a sigh.

“Well, in short, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, huh? My [Copy Doll] was a bust, too… Man, what a harsh world…”

“[Copy Doll]? What’s that, Sensei?”

“N-nothing! It’s nothing at all! Ahahaha—!”

Glenn hurriedly backpedals as Sistine raises an eyebrow.

Eve shrugs, exasperated by Glenn’s antics.

“Anyway, I get the situation. The real question is… can we escape from here? And the ones turned into books… can we turn them back?”

To Glenn’s tense question,

“Right now, [Secret Tome of A]—the mad Alicia III—holds supreme authority over the [Hidden Academy]’s functions and the [Special Law Barrier].”

“Oh? So?”

“If we can make her disappear, the barrier will collapse, and you can use my functions to escape the [Hidden Academy]. The students will return to their original forms… but…”

For once, the usually composed Mabel hesitates.

“…except for those subjected to the [Punishment of Shredding].”

“…!?”

Glenn’s mind flashes back to that nauseating scene.

Class 2 was fine, as Glenn had strictly forbidden the use of fire-based magic in advance… but when the book monsters appeared, some of Maxim’s students, in desperation, used fire-based magic and were ‘punished’… with the [Punishment of Shredding].

“[Secret Tome of A] was designed to be invincible to all physical and magical attacks. But every boon comes with a cost—that’s the nature of magic. To grant such an absurd trait, it became extremely vulnerable to fire, a weakness inherent to its nature as a book.”

“So, to compensate for that weakness, she created the ‘no fire’ rule, huh?”

“Yes. Anyone who breaks this rule within the [Hidden Academy] is unconditionally turned into a book… and shredded. The rules of the [Special Law Barrier] are absolute, especially in such specific circumstances. No one in this [Hidden Academy] can escape this rule.”

“…”

Death. The word silences Glenn.

The students mercilessly shredded were all from the model class. To Glenn, they were nothing but arrogant outsiders. How many times had he wanted to punch them?

But when faced with the reality of that death once more, truly grappling with it…

I couldn’t help but wonder if, perhaps, I could have saved them if I’d handled things better…

“S-sensei…?”

“Um… are you okay?”

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L peered at me with worried expressions, their voices filled with concern.

“Yeah… I’m fine.”

Glenn shook his head vigorously, slapped both cheeks with his hands, and pulled himself together.

“No point wallowing now. For now, we focus on saving those who can still be saved. Overthinking can wait.”

“…”

Eve watched Glenn’s back silently, her gaze somehow dazzled by him.

“Oi! Mayb—… er, I suppose I should call you Queen Alicia III, huh?”

“Mabel’s fine.”

“Got it. Then, Mabel! Time for the old book cleanup! You know where the main body of the《Secret Tome of A》is, right? Lead the way, quick!”

At that, Mabel showed a faint trace of surprise before speaking.

“You’re… willing to cooperate?”

“Tch, like I’ve got a choice.”

Glenn responded to Mabel’s offbeat question with a scowl.

“We gotta escape this place, I can’t just abandon my students who’ve been turned into books, and as much of a pain as those model class brats are, leaving them to die would leave a bad taste in my mouth.”

“…”

“Besides, if we let this slide, those old books and this Hidden Academy will keep causing trouble for the surface world, right? No way I’m letting something that dangerous run loose!”

“You… aren’t angry? At Alicia III… at us…?”

“Of course I’m pissed, you idiot!”

Glenn snapped at Mabel fiercely.

“You went and made a total mess of things! But that’s for later—later!”

Then, with a huff, Glenn turned away, sulking.

Mabel gazed at him, her eyes holding a certain depth.

“…That’s just the kind of person he is, Your Majesty,”

Sistine said with a wry smile.

“His strength, his anger—he wields them for the things he truly cares about. Though sometimes, he veers way off course.”

“…I see. He truly cares for his students, doesn’t he?”

Mabel murmured, letting out a sigh.

“If only I… if only Alicia III had even a tenth of Glenn-sensei’s care for her students, things wouldn’t have come to this.

Even though I was lost in madness, to think I’d create a rule like ‘No Playing with Fire,’ one that would kill students… I was utterly unfit as a teacher, wasn’t I…?”

Mabel’s profile, as she whispered to no one in particular, looked profoundly lonely.

 

“Now… we’re about to start the book cleanup operation…”

Glenn surveyed the group gathered around him, strategizing.

The enemy’s quality wasn’t impressive, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.

(On my own, or even with Eve, we’d be stretched too thin. We need numbers on our side…)

From a purely tactical standpoint, Glenn reached that conclusion.

“Obviously, we’re coming with you, Sensei!”

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L stepped forward in front of Glenn.

“Your fighting style’s so reckless, you need someone to watch your back, don’t you?”

“We won’t hold you back, Sensei. Please, let us come with you…”

“Mm. I’m Glenn’s sword.”

At the dependable words of the three girls, Glenn couldn’t help but let a smile tug at his cheeks.

“Heh! No way we’re getting left out at this point, Sensei!”

“Hmph, let’s put an end to this ridiculous mess already.”

“Indeed! We shall lend you our strength, Sensei!”

Kash, Gibul, Wendy, and the other Class 2 students gathered around Glenn one after another.

“Obviously, we’re leaving behind someone like Lynn who’s not great at fighting, but… there’s a ton of enemies, right? Come on, Sensei, let us come too!”

“Even we can at least clear the way for you, Sensei!”

“This might sound cocky, but… without us, won’t the fighting be tougher?”

Kash, Wendy, and Gibul pleaded with Glenn, clinging to their resolve.

Despite facing such terror, none of the students were broken.

Just as Glenn had taught them, they assessed the situation calmly and objectively, determined what they needed to do, and resolved to do what they could, their eyes blazing with determination.

Controlling their emotions with reason, always maintaining sharp, clear thinking—they were already splendid mages.

(Tch… those greenhorns have gotten pretty damn reliable without me noticing…)

Glenn muttered to himself with a wry smile.

“Alright, got it. Actually, I’m the one asking—lend me your strength this time.”

“Hell yeahhhhh!”

The Class 2 students erupted in joy at being acknowledged and entrusted by Glenn.

 

“I-I’m not going!”

A shout cut through the excitement, dousing the moment.

“Facing those insane things… that’s madness!”

It was Maxim. His eyes were bloodshot, cold sweat poured down his face like a waterfall, and his hyperventilation was so severe it was painful to watch. He was on the verge of a mental collapse.

Looking around,

“Someone help… someone help… someone help…”

“No, no… I don’t want to be turned into a book… no…”

The model class students around him were similarly consumed by fear.

They had all been overwhelmed by that madness, their sanity and spirits worn down, their hearts broken.

“W-We’re done for… there’s no way we can beat those monsters… we’ll all be turned into books… no… if I’m going to be a book, I’d rather…”

“Oi, get a grip, you idiot! Now’s not the time for pathetic whining!”

Glenn spat at Maxim, exasperated and irritated.

“S-Shut up! Why—why can you face that kind of terror!? How can you challenge something so nauseatingly horrifying, so utterly insane!?”

To Maxim’s desperate question,

“Shut up, that’s because I’m a teacher!”

Glenn answered firmly.

“Sure, I’d rather not deal with those abominations either! But I’m a teacher! I’ve gotta protect my students… and more than that, my students are watching my back! They’re looking to me to show them what a true mage is!”

“—!?”

“So… you think I can act pathetic here? What a pain in the ass.”

With that, Glenn turned away sharply.

Maxim could only stare at him, stunned and defeated.

—And so,

Leaving behind Lynn and other students unsuited for combat, as well as Maxim and the broken model class students, in the safety of a warded lecture hall,

Glenn led a group of willing students, guided by Mabel, through the Hidden Academy.

A group of over a dozen headed toward the section where the《Secret Tome of A》was said to be hiding, navigating the school building.

Perhaps the mastermind had noticed Glenn’s group’s resolve and was preparing for the coming battle.

The appearances of the book monsters had completely ceased for the time being.

“Tch, Maxim and his lot… this is exactly the time for so-called combat specialists to step up.”

“Expecting anything from those empty shells is asking too much.”

Eve responded curtly to Glenn’s exasperated mutter as she walked beside him.

“Speaking of which,”

Glenn suddenly realized something and called out to Mabel, who was leading the way.

“I’ve got a question. You knew the truth about this incident all along—why’d you stay quiet until now? If you’d gone public sooner—”

“This is my… Alicia III’s failure. I intended to settle it alone… and more than that, making it public was impossible.”

Mabel answered calmly.

“…What do you mean?”

“I was written by the sane Alicia III, but I was also censored by the mad Alicia III. Without my knowledge, my behavioral programming was altered, restricting me from interfering with the《Secret Tome of A》’s actions.

All I could manage was to disguise myself as one of Maxim’s students using suggestion magic and monitor his actions. It wasn’t until I infiltrated this ‘Hidden Academy,’ restructured myself with ‘ink,’ and restored my original programming that I could finally tell you the truth.”

“Ink? Restructuring? …What’s that about?”

Mabel pulled a small ink bottle from her pocket.

“Ink is the special magical ink Alicia III used to write me and the《Secret Tome of A》during her lifetime. Its creation method is a completely lost mystic art known only to her.”

A spark of realization flashed in Glenn’s mind.

“Wait… the bullet that took down that weird woman in the hall earlier…?”

“Yes, it was made from this ink. In this space where flames are sealed, this ink is the only means to harm the《Secret Tome of A》. I’ll entrust it to you… along with this gun.”

Mabel handed Glenn a single-shot flintlock pistol and the ink bottle.

“You sure?”

“It’s fine. I’m not particularly skilled with guns… and besides, that gun only holds bad memories for me. After all, it’s the one that killed me.”

Glenn opened the ink bottle, revealing several spherical ink pellets inside.

Touching them, he found the small, marble-sized ink balls to be soft and elastic, yet they didn’t lose their shape. They seemed adaptable to any gun caliber.

“Don’t waste the ink. I used a significant amount to restructure myself, so this is all that’s left. If it runs out… it’s over.”

“…Got it.”

Glenn promptly began loading the ink pellets into the empty chambers of his familiar percussion revolver with practiced ease.

 

 

 

…Eventually,

“This is it. At the deepest part of this room lies the《Secret Tome of A》… the mad Alicia III, the other me.”

The place Mabel led them to—

“I see… a library, huh. Fitting, I suppose.”

“A library?”

As they passed through the grand doors and entered the room, Sistine tilted her head at Glenn’s murmur.

A relatively wide corridor stretched endlessly toward a vanishing point.

In the center of the corridor, desks and chairs for reading were lined up at equal intervals, extending toward that same distant point.

On both sides of the corridor, countless bookshelves towered like walls, packed tightly with ancient tomes. Each bookshelf was so tall that its top vanished into the thick darkness above, impossible to see.

“No way this is just a library… it’s more like a grand archive…”

“Shh, they’re coming.”

At Mabel’s warning, the group tensed, their expressions hardening.

Then…

Scrape, scrape, scrape…

From the shadows of the bookshelves, from the side paths branching off,

The book monsters swarmed out, one after another, like a writhing mass.

Flap… thud, thud…

Books fell from the shelves on their own, transforming into those very monsters.

In an instant, Glenn’s group’s path was blocked by a wall of overlapping book monsters—

“Tch… what a ridiculous number…”

Glenn cast Black Magic [Weapon Enchant], infusing his fists with surging magical energy.

The mana in his fists sparked like purple lightning, briefly cutting through the surrounding darkness.

“…Alright, you lot, this is the critical moment… I’m counting on you!”

At Glenn’s shout,

“Yes! Leave your back to us!”

“We’ll provide support!”

“Mm. I’ll charge through.”

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L responded,

“Argh, fine! Let’s do this!”

“…Hmph. Let’s end this quickly.”

“I-I’m not scared!”

Kash, Gibul, and Wendy followed,

“I-I need to make sure I don’t drag them down…”

“Right. We have to do what we can…”

Cecil and Teresa added.

All the students following Glenn nodded firmly, readying themselves.

“Oi, Eve.”

“…What?”

Glenn didn’t glance at Eve standing beside him, only tossing words her way.

“Just so you know… I don’t like you.”

“Funny, same here.”

“But just this once, lend me your strength. Not for me—for the students. Please!”

With that one-sided declaration,

Glenn raised his fists and charged toward the swarm of book monsters.

“…Hmph, selfish jerk.”

Eve glared at Glenn’s back with irritation, but—

“Fine. Consider this a huge favor—you’ll be paying it back for the rest of your life!”

She shouted,

Raising her right hand, she began chanting a support spell.

Immense magical energy surged in her hand, crackling with purple lightning—

 

 

 

—Run. Run. Run.

Through the endless corridor of bookshelves,

Glenn led the group of students, sprinting desperately.

Blocking their path was a relentless wave of countless book monsters.

“KISHAAAAAAA—!”

They extended their page-like arms, attacking from all directions like living zombies.

But the tsunami of book monsters—

“RAAAAAAAAGH!”

Glenn smashed through them with his mana-charged fists,

“HYAAAAAAA!”

Re=L’s greatsword swung like a whirlwind, cutting a bloody path.

When the monsters attacked sporadically, it was manageable, but when dozens surged at once—

“Sistie!”

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

Boosted by Rumia’s《Ars Magna》, Sistine’s Black Magic [Blast Blow] unleashed a colossal wind hammer, spiraling violently and blasting the book monsters skyward.

As a rain of book monsters fell in pieces—

“《O great wind》—!”

“《O great wind》—!”

Wendy, Teresa, and the other students chanted [Gale Blow], unleashing a barrage of gusts to push back the book monsters creeping from the shadows of the shelves on either side.

The swarm of book monsters approached from behind—

“《Gather and rise・born of earth・foolish giant》—!”

Gibul’s Summoning [Call Elemental] brought forth an Earth Elemental—a giant of soil that spread its massive arms, grabbing and halting the monsters’ advance.

And—

For the book monsters that slipped through Glenn’s group’s attacks—

“《Silver ice spirit・play the winter waltz・offer silence》—!”

A gleaming laser beam sliced through the darkness, striking with precision.

The high-speed laser moved like a living creature, arcing through the space in a frenzied dance, avoiding Glenn’s group while targeting only the book monsters, striking them one after another.

The countless ricocheting beams fragmented the group’s vision for a moment.

And in the next instant,

Only the book monsters hit by the laser were encased in massive ice pillars, silenced.

Black Magic [Icicle Coffin].

A B-class military spell that froze its target down to their blood.

Naturally, the only one capable of such a feat was—

“Eve!?”

“Hmph.”

Serving as the rear guard, she raised her right index finger, calmly and methodically carrying out her task.

“You! So it’s not just flame magic you’re good at, huh!?”

While punching down a book monster charging from the front, Glenn shouted.

“Huh? I’m an elite, you know? I can do anything. …It’s just that flames are my specialty.”

Responding with a scowl, she activated the pre-chanted black magic [Ice Storm] with a delayed trigger.

The swirling storm of freezing air and ice shards pushed back, swept away, and froze the approaching book monsters.

Thus, while handling the unkillable book monsters without direct contact, the group silently raced through the labyrinthine library, following Mabel’s guidance—

“Man, the fact that we can’t kill these things is such a pain! It’s like the enemy just keeps multiplying!”

Though they were managing to fend off the swarm of enemies for now, more book monsters kept emerging from the shelves, closing in on Glenn and the others—

“Wouldn’t Sensei’s [Extinction Ray] work on them?”

“…Worth a shot.”

At Sistine’s question, Glenn pulled out a hollow stone from his pocket—the activation catalyst for the modified black magic [Extinction Ray]—

“Stop it!”

Sensing his movement, Eve, while sweeping away book monsters with a spell, issued a sharp warning.

“That spell is a composite of fire, ice, and lightning attributes, isn’t it!? There’s no guarantee it won’t violate the ‘no fireplay’ rule, nor that it’ll even work on these things!”

“—!?”

“Don’t underestimate this unique law-bound barrier space! Your gun was lucky to be technically safe, but it was already a close call! Right now, your gun skills and ink bullets are our only trump card! Don’t forget that!”

“Tch… What a pain…”

Glenn reluctantly put the hollow stone away.

“Hey, Mabel! Are we still not at the place where that the《Secret Tome of A》or whatever is!?”

Dodging the page-like tentacles reaching for him, he slammed a counterpunch into a book monster.

“I’m sorry… Not yet…!”

“Ugh, fine!”

Meanwhile, the enemy’s assault grew fiercer with each passing moment.

(Sure, these book monsters aren’t that tough. They’re not exactly fast, and we can knock them back easily. Even the students could handle this level. But…)

The immortality granted by this unique law-bound barrier space, where nothing but flames or special ink bullets could defeat them.

And the relentless, bottomless numbers of book monsters that kept increasing.

These were gradually eating away at Glenn’s composure, filling him with growing impatience…

 

Glenn’s concerns were slowly becoming reality—

 

…How much time had passed since Glenn and the others stormed into the library?

How far had they been running tirelessly?

“Damn iiiit—!? There’s way too many of these things! Are they cockroaches or what!?”

By now, left, right, front, and back were all packed with a phalanx of book monsters.

Dozens, hundreds of them overlapped, like a tsunami.

They surged forward, ready to swallow Glenn and the others in one fell swoop.

“Kuh—!”

“《Deny and obstruct・Wall of Storms・Grant peace to their limbs》—!”

With Rumia’s ability amplifying her, Sistine cast a modified black magic [Storm Wall], creating a barrier of wind to slow the enemy—

“Leave it to me! Haa—!”

Re=L swung her greatsword to push them back.

The students coordinated, desperately maintaining a barrage of gusts.

“Gah! This is bad…”

“Kash!?”

The students’ mana was starting to run dry, and symptoms of mana depletion were beginning to show.

As expected, the spell barrage holding back the book monsters’ advance began to weaken.

“《O silver ice spirit・Play the waltz of winter・Offer silence》—!”

Eve filled the gap, but even that had its limits.

“Hey, are we there yet, Mabel!?”

“J-Just a little more…! Almost there…!”

Even Mabel, sweat dripping from her forehead, was desperate.

And Glenn himself was starting to breathe heavily.

“Haa… Haa… Damn it… What do we do…!?”

At that moment.

Perhaps due to fatigue, Glenn, who had been leading the charge, tripped over something.

His body lurched, stumbling forward.

“C-Crap…!?”

Seizing the opportunity, the book monsters swarmed toward the off-balance Glenn—

“S-Sensei!?”

Everyone was too busy with the enemies in front of them to cover him.

“Damn—!”

The book monsters’ page-like tentacles reached for Glenn, about to touch him—

At that very moment.

“Uoooohhhhhhh—!”

With a spirited cry, Kash, enhanced by [Physical Boost], charged forward with amplified physical prowess… and tackled the monsters reaching for Glenn.

“Kash!?”

In that opening, Glenn quickly regained his balance—

“…Heh, Sensei… Looks like this is as far as I go.”

Kash was surrounded by book monsters, left alone in their midst.

“Damn it, I’m coming! Hold on!”

Glenn stopped running and turned back, trying to reach Kash.

“Idiot!”

Eve grabbed Glenn by the collar, dragging him away.

“Hey! Let go! Don’t mess around, Kash is—!”

“Shut up! The way to honor that kid’s resolve—the way to save him—!”

Whoosh!

While running, Eve used Imperial Military Combat Technique to skillfully hoist Glenn onto her shoulder, then spun and threw him forward… forcing him to stand.

“—Is to win this fight!”

“—!?”

At Eve’s rebuke, Glenn’s expression twisted.

“Senseiiii—!”

From behind, Kash, surrounded by book monsters, raised his voice.

“I believe in you! I know you’ll pull through like you always do! So—!”

Having been told that, Glenn could no longer look back.

“Damn it! Kash, I’m sorry! Just wait there!”

Gritting his teeth, Glenn had no choice but to press forward.

“Eve-senseiii—! Take care of Glenn-sensei—!”

And then, Kash’s voice, swallowed by the monsters, suddenly cut off.

“……………”

Even Eve, who always maintained a cold, disdainful expression…

In that moment, her face, unbeknownst to others, faintly contorted.

 

—And so.

Perhaps Kash’s fall was the beginning.

The students, pushing toward the library as a group, began to drop one by one, exhausted and suffering from mana depletion.

All of them sacrificed themselves to let Glenn move forward—

 

“…Ugh… I’m so scared… It’s terrifying…”

“It’s okay, Wendy.”

Left behind in the swarm of book monsters, Wendy sat trembling on the ground.

Teresa gently embraced her from the side.

“Let’s believe in Glenn-sensei here… He and the others will surely…”

“Ugh… Glenn-sensei… Eve-sensei… Please…”

And so, they vanished into the swarm of book monsters—

 

“Haa…! Haa…! To end up like this… Damn it! I’m still not good enough…”

“Gibul… But, well, I guess I did pretty well for me, huh…?”

Left behind in the swarm of book monsters, Gibul and Cecil panted heavily.

“Sensei! I can’t let it end here! I want to aim higher! So—!”

“Yeah, Glenn-sensei! Eve-sensei! We’re counting on you—!”

And so, they too vanished into the swarm of book monsters—

 

One by one, the students fell.

None of them harbored resentment, anger, or sadness.

They simply believed in Glenn, sending him forward.

…Before they knew it.

The group, which had started with nearly twenty people, was now down to just six: Glenn, Sistine, Rumia, Re=L, Mabel, and Eve.

“Damn it!”

While running, Glenn furiously punched a bookshelf.

“Calm down.”

Running alongside him, Eve pierced him with a cold voice.

“Those kids aren’t dead. If we can just deal with ‘Secret Tome of A,’ they’ll be fine…”

“I know! I get it, damn it!”

Without even glancing at Eve, Glenn roared.

“But—I can’t stay as calm as you!”

“…Hmph.”

Eve scoffed at Glenn’s outburst.

(Calm? Me, calm? I look calm? Really…)

It might have been the first time in Eve’s life she felt this way… her insides boiling, burning with such intensity.

Thinking of the students who entrusted everything to them, believing in them as they turned into books one by one.

Reflecting on the two weeks spent with them, the strength in her clenched fists felt uncontainable. Her bones seemed ready to shatter.

(To let my heart be shaken like this… That’s why I’m a failure as an Ignite…!)

But.

For now.

She wanted to surrender to that passion, to wield her strength driven by that passion.

…That was the mood she was in.

 

And—at the end of what seemed like an endless journey.

Glenn and the others finally reached their destination.

 

“Hah—!”

The moment they stepped into the area.

Suddenly, Mabel grabbed her right arm with her left hand—and tore it off from the elbow.

The severed right hand disintegrated into countless pages, scattering and arranging themselves in the space behind Glenn and the others, forming a pentagram magic circle in the void—constructing a barrier.

The swarm of book monsters chasing them was blocked by the barrier, unable to move.

“Hey, Mabel!? What the hell—!?”

“Don’t worry, Glenn-sensei. I may look human, but I’m just a ‘book’ in the end. This won’t kill me.”

Indeed, there was no blood from Mabel’s severed arm, only the fluttering edges of pages at the cross-section. It was a gruesome sight, nonetheless.

But, paying it no mind, Mabel fixed her gaze forward.

“More importantly… It’s time.”

“!”

It was an open, hall-like space.

Surrounded 360 degrees by towering bookshelves, it was a grand room made of books.

The ceiling was swallowed by thick darkness, impossible to see.

At the far end of the space stood an old desk piled with countless books. A woman sat at the desk, writing silently with a quill pen under the light of a lamp.

Eventually, perhaps reaching a stopping point in her work.

The woman abruptly set her quill in the inkpot, removed her glasses… and stood, looking at Glenn and the others with a gentle smile.

“Welcome, everyone from the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.”

Her appearance was familiar.

She was the spitting image of the woman who had emerged from the notebook and attacked Maxim in the hall earlier.

Likely taking the form of Alicia III just before her death, this woman was surely—

“You’re… the main body of that the《Secret Tome of A》or whatever, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I am the one who carries on Alicia III’s will… You could say I am Alicia III herself.”

“Hmph, don’t make me laugh.”

Mabel snorted dismissively.

“She… Alicia III is long dead. You and I are nothing but the pitiful remnants of a madwoman. We’re not even human, just fragments of a book. We have no right to threaten the living. It’s time to return to the earth. Yes, you… and me.”

“No, you’re wrong. Completing me— the《Secret Tome of A》—is Alicia III’s… my true desire. The proof is that I exist here and now.”

“That’s not what she wanted. She didn’t want a forbidden power that sacrifices others.”

“No, she did want it. To prepare for the threat that will come from the sky, she craved power. The fact that I wasn’t burned and exist here is proof of that.”

“You’re wrong. Her madness had already split her personality in two…! The real Alicia III would never sacrifice her students…!”

“If that’s the case… then the mad one is you… kusu kusu kusu…”

The darkness—thick, maddening darkness—rose from the gently smiling ‘Secret Tome of A.’

The illusory darkness seemed to draw in the souls of those who gazed upon it.

Her radiant eyes, glowing fiercely in the dark, tore at the exposed minds of those who met her gaze—

“Don’t interfere with me, my other self… I must bring myself closer to the ultimate existence—the [Akashic Records]… That is… That is the only meaning of my existence…!”

The moment the woman— the《Secret Tome of A》—Alicia III—spread her arms wide.

Countless book monsters appeared around her, as if to protect her.

“Don’t worry! I won’t kill you! I’ll make you all my materials! You’ll become references to complete me! I’ll catalog you and store you carefully! Aha, ahahahahahahahaha—!”

In response to her cackling, a mass of books floated into the air, orbiting around her.

“There’s still this many of them!?”

Facing the newly appeared book monsters, Glenn shouted in frustration.

“…I knew it would come to this, but there’s no use talking, Glenn-sensei.”

Mabel braced herself as she spoke.

“Erase her existence with the ‘ink.’ It’s the only way.”

“Yeah, got it!”

Glenn drew his revolver, loaded with the special ink bullets he’d been saving.

“Sistine, Rumia, Re=L! Get ready! Cover Glenn!”

Eve activated a pre-chanted spell with a delayed trigger, gathering freezing air in her right hand while barking orders.

Sistine and Rumia began chanting spells, and Re=L raised her greatsword, charging forward.

Now, the final battle was beginning—

 

“Iyaaaaaaaah—!”

Re=L swept through the phalanx of book monsters filling the passage.

Her greatsword roared like a storm, a whirlwind of destruction.

With each swing, several monsters were sent flying, crashing into bookshelves or bouncing off the floor.

For Re=L《The Chariot》, enemies of this level were, quite literally, no match.

“《Gather, tempest・become a warhammer・and strike with force》──!”

Sistine’s chanted Black Magic [Blast Blow]──a battering ram of raging winds blows away the horde of book monsters forming a wall before Alicia III in one fell swoop.

“《O vile witch・with your cursed arms・embrace that one》──!”

Rumia thrusts both hands forward, chanting White Magic [Hold Motion]──a spell of binding telekinetic force that momentarily halts the movements of the book monsters still closing in despite everything.

“《O azure-silver ice spirit・play the winter’s rondo・and offer silence》──!”

Eve’s chanted Black Magic [Icicle Coffin]──a freezing laser dances wildly through the air, slicing through space──encasing every floating book protecting Alicia III in ice.

For good measure, it also freezes the ground beneath Alicia III, sealing her movements.

“Glenn!”

“Got it! Oooohhhhhhh──!”

Without missing a beat, Glenn draws his gun in a swift quick-draw.

The rapidly spinning muzzle spits out an ink bullet.

A fiery streak cuts through the darkness, aimed straight at the immobilized Alicia III.

With all her defenses stripped away, it was a lethal strike.

…Under normal circumstances, this would have settled it.

In that state, in that situation, there was no way anyone could dodge Glenn’s Bernard-honed marksmanship.

But──

From a nearby bookshelf, a book slips out on its own, flying at high speed──

Splat!

It throws itself in the bullet’s path, shielding Alicia III from the ink.

The book, now drenched and stained with ink, falls to the floor as if drained of all strength.

“Oh my, oh my… dirtying another precious book like this… such ill-mannered children.”

“Tch──!?”

No matter how many times they try, no matter how perfectly they coordinate──this is the result.

Stripping away all her defenses for a killing blow?

Utter nonsense.

Her true defense was every single book in this library.

Even with Mabel’s barrier, thrown up at the cost of her own body, dividing the battlefield to some extent… this area still holds an overwhelming number of books.

Looking up at the shelves nearby, the ceiling is nowhere in sight──and every single shelf is packed to the brim with books, an exasperating, endless supply.

“Damn it, what do we do!?”

“Glenn!”

At Eve’s warning, Glenn snaps back to reality.

From the surrounding shelves, a swarm of books dislodges, hurtling toward Glenn at the speed of loosed arrows.

“Ugh, whoa──!?”

Glenn can only cross his arms in a defensive stance.

“《O barrier of light》──!”

Eve, in a split-second reaction, chants Black Magic [Force Shield].

A shimmering magical barrier of light unfurls before Glenn, and with a thunderous crash, countless books slam into it with tremendous force.

Had he taken that barrage head-on, every bone in his body would’ve been shattered.

“Don’t just stand there!”

“S-sorry… but…!”

Each individual enemy isn’t much of a threat, as long as they avoid the book-based attacks.

Alicia III herself doesn’t seem to possess any notable combat ability either.

But this astronomical quantity of books forms an insurmountable wall standing before Glenn and his allies.

And even in those fleeting moments of opportunity, when Glenn fires an ink bullet, the sheer overwhelming volume of books blocks every shot──steadily depleting their limited supply.

“Don’t panic! Stay calm! There’s got to be an even better chance waiting! For now, we have to endure and keep fending off their assault!”

“Tchiiii──!”

From then on, Glenn and the others fought desperately, seeking a path to victory in the jaws of death.

Glenn, with fists aglow with magical light, punches book monsters into the air.

Sistine uses wind spells to blast away incoming books.

Rumia binds the book monsters’ movements with her paralyzing spells.

Re=L swings her greatsword, cleaving through the tsunami of enemies.

Eve employs every magical technique at her disposal, trying to create an opening against Alicia III.

Meanwhile, Mabel tears and rips her own body apart, desperately holding back the flood of book monsters surging from behind with increasing ferocity.

Again and again, they try to sink their fangs into Alicia III.

But.

No matter how many times they try.

No matter how they vary their tactics, no matter how they catch her off guard.

In the end──Alicia III’s overwhelming numerical advantage thwarts them every time.

Slowly, steadily.

A shadow of impatience and despair begins to creep into Glenn and his allies’ hearts──

 

And then──at the climax of their desperate struggle.

“Oooohhhhhhh──!”

Seizing a fleeting opportunity, Glenn manipulates gravity with Black Magic [Gravity Control].

Kicking off a bookshelf, he leaps high into the air──

“《O mighty wind》──!”

Sistine’s [Gale Blow] propels Glenn even higher into the sky.

In an instant, he claims the space above Alicia III’s head.

The one blind spot in her defenses, surrounded by book monsters and floating tomes──directly overhead.

After a grueling battle that shaved away at their very beings, they finally grasp the greatest opportunity yet.

In the upside-down world of his vision, Glenn aims his pistol──

“End this──!”

──and pulls the trigger.

Once more, an ink bullet fires from the muzzle.

But, like a meteor falling from the sky, it──

Splat!

“…How unfortunate.”

Instead of hitting Alicia III, it splatters spectacularly across a book on her desk.

“N-no way!? Sensei──missed!?”

Sistine’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“No, it was deflected!”

Eve clicks her tongue, looking up at Glenn.

And there it is.

“──Gah… ugh…”

A book, launched from somewhere, is lodged deep in Glenn’s side while he’s still in midair.

The impact threw off his aim.

And as if to pile on,──

A swarm of books, like a meteor shower, converges on Glenn, pummeling him ferociously.

“Gaaahhhhh──!?”

The impact sends Glenn arcing through the air, plummeting into the sea of book monsters reaching out for him──

“S-Sensei──!”

As Sistine lets out a scream, unable to hold back.

“《O unseen hand》!”

Rumia, calmly assessing the battlefield, shouts a White Magic [Psy Telekinesis] spell while extending her left hand toward Glenn.

The telekinetic wave grabs Glenn’s body──and pulls him back to Rumia’s side.

Naturally, the flying books pursue Glenn, chasing him down──

“I won’t let you interfere!”

Re=L leaps into the air, swinging her greatsword like a storm, repelling every last one.

“Sensei!? Are you okay!?”

“Tch… sorry… I screwed up again…! Cough!”

As blood trickles from the corner of his mouth, Rumia hurriedly casts White Magic [Life Up]──a healing spell──on Glenn.

“Damn it! This doesn’t work, that doesn’t work… what the hell are we supposed to do!?”

The sound of Glenn slamming his fist against the floor echoes coldly through the area.

“…Glenn-sensei. I’m… almost at my limit… we need to end this… soon…”

Looking over.

Mabel has been reduced to a pitiful state.

Continuously tearing herself apart to maintain the barrier has left her in tatters.

There isn’t a single part of Mabel where the edges of her pages aren’t exposed. The loss of so many pages seems to have impaired her linguistic functions as well.

What now?

What now?

…What now?

As everyone desperately racks their brains, drowning in a whirlpool of thoughts──

“…You’ve already dirtied so many precious books with ink…”

Alicia III lets out a regretful sigh… and then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, claps her hands together.

“That’s it! Those who dirty books with ink shall face the [Punishment of Shredding]!”

“──!?”

Her words freeze everyone in place.

“Yes, that’s what we’ll do! Those who defile precious books deserve such a penalty. Let’s make that rule right away…”

Saying this.

Alicia III sits at her desk and begins writing something with a quill pen.

“She’s… planning to create new rules for this Hidden Academy… if this continues… we won’t even be able to use ink anymore…”

“Seriously…!?”

If that happens… it’s over. There’s no way out.

Mabel’s words send a dizzying wave of despair crashing over Glenn and the others.

“S-Sensei… what do we do…? What can we do…?”

Sistine, blocking the monsters’ advance with [Storm Wall], speaks in a trembling voice.

“That’s…!”

At Sistine’s anxious words, Glenn falls silent.

…The truth is.

…To be honest.

There was one──just one──strategy.

He’d known it from the start.

A strategy so simple and clear it was almost laughable. After all, the enemy had gone out of their way to forbid it, which meant it was undoubtedly an incredibly effective method.

Glenn glances briefly at Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L, who look at him with pleading eyes.

For a moment, he gazes at them, lost in thought.

“Hey, Eve.”

“What?”

Finally, Glenn thrusts the grip of the ink-bullet-loaded pistol toward Eve.

“You… you can handle a gun, right?”

“…What’s your plan?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m──going to use flame magic.”

At Glenn’s resolute words, everyone gasps, eyes widening.

“The root of this hopeless situation is that their forces never dwindle. So, I’ll go all out with flame magic and reduce their numbers! It’s the only way!”

“N-no, you can’t, Sensei!”

“Exactly! If you do that, the [Punishment of Shredding] will──!?”

In Sistine’s mind, the horrific memory resurfaces──a student, helpless, turned into a book and shredded before her eyes.

“Idiot! If we keep going like this, we’re all done for! It’s all or nothing now!”

“But that means you’ll definitely die, Sensei!”

“Yeah, there’s got to be another way──”

“──There isn’t! There might be, but we don’t have time to figure it out!”

Glenn declares, shoving the pistol into Eve’s hands.

“Eve! I’m counting on you! Take care of them… the students!”

Glenn’s determined gaze pierces straight through Eve.

And then.

“…Fine, alright.”

With a smirk.

Eve flashes her usual fearless grin, reaching for the offered gun──

“Leave it to me──”

In that instant, flashing through her mind──

 

──Eve-senseiiii──! Please, save Glenn-sensei──

──Ugh… Glenn-Sensei… Eve-sensei… please…

──That’s right, Glenn-Sensei! Eve-sensei! We’re counting on you──

 

“Yes, I’m an Ignite. I’ll handle this perfectly──”

Her thoughts are consumed by the Class 2 students she’s spent these past two weeks with──

 

──P-please, do your best, Eve-sensei!

──Yes! We’re getting stronger, aren’t we!?

──Yeah, thanks to Glenn-Sensei and Eve-sensei, right!?

──Thank you so much, Eve-sensei!

 

“Yes, rest assured and leave it to me. But──”

Eve’s hand, reaching for the gun Glenn offers… passes by him.

“…Huh?”

Leaving Glenn’s stunned murmur behind.

Eve gracefully slips past Glenn, and on her outstretched palm──

Whoosh!

A flame ignites with a sound.

“──This is the way.”

“Eve!?”

Before the stunned Glenn and the others.

With a confident smile, the flame on Eve’s palm swirls into a blazing inferno.

The dazzling light of the flames dispels the darkness, and the searing heat stings Glenn and the others’ cheeks.

“You idiot!? What are you doing──!?”

“Hah… I must be getting soft… To think I’d want to stand tall as a teacher for those kids… Honestly, what a fool.”

“Hey, stop it, Eve! Put out the flames!? If you don’t──”

 

──Guilty.

 

It was already too late.

Looking closely, the transformation of Eve’s limbs into books had already begun.

“Shut up. Your pathetic flame spells wouldn’t break through this dead-end situation, would they? Right person, right job──this is where Ignite, the master of flame magic, steps in. Besides…”

Eve turns back to Glenn… smiling wistfully.

“Those kids still need you.”

“Wha…!?”

“If that’s the case, then someone as worthless as me…”

And, as if shaking something off, Eve turns to face forward──

“Eve…! Hey, stop it──!”

Ignoring Glenn’s desperate cries to stop.

Eve unleashed her full magical power, chanting a spell as naturally as breathing.

 

“《O Crimson Flame Emperor, raise the banner of apocalyptic fire, ravage all in scarlet》—!”

 

Black Magic [Inferno Flare].

A scorching inferno of unparalleled heat surged like a tsunami, consuming and incinerating everything in its path—a B-rank military assault spell.

Centered on Eve, pillars of flame roared upward, dyeing the library in vivid crimson.

“Haaaaaa—!”

As pages crumbled from her body, Eve swung her arm, and the flames erupted at ferocious speed.

The floor, the bookshelves, the ceiling.

The relentless blaze licked and spread across every surface except where Glenn and the others stood, mercilessly engulfing all else.

Everything was stained red, red, red—books, book monsters, shelves.

It was the very embodiment of a searing hell.

Every trace of Alicia III’s protection was obliterated, leaving not even ashes behind.

“N-no… such a thing… my books… aaaaaaahhh!?”

Faced with the unbelievable sight, Alicia III let out a scream that seemed to shatter her soul.

“You… how dare you… how dare you!?”

As if in retaliation toward Eve, whose body was unraveling into pages, transforming into a book. Countless scissors appeared from nowhere, swarming and—slicing the pages that were once Eve into tattered fragments.

“N-nooo!? Stop, please!?”

Sistine cried out in despair at the horrific scene.

“Eve-san… no… it can’t be…!?”

Rumia stood frozen, her expression tinged with sorrow.

“Eve… no… it’s not true…?”

Re=L stood dumbfounded, rooted to the spot.

Feeling the gazes of the three girls,

Eve, her consciousness fading, let her thoughts wander.

(For someone like me… to end up like this, in such a pathetic way… haha… I don’t even have tears left…)

A failure of an Ignite.

With such incompetence, it was only natural she’d been disowned.

Yet, even so, Eve suddenly recalled the events of the past two weeks.

The faces of Class 2’s students flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

For some reason, those students had looked up to her, grown fond of her, despite her uselessness.

And now, seeing Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L shedding tears for someone as worthless as her, whom no one else had ever acknowledged,

she thought…

(…Ah… not bad… this doesn’t feel so bad at all…)

And then, just before her existence sank into the pitch-black darkness, the last thing that surfaced in her mind—was the smug, infuriating face of her former colleague, with whom she never got along.

(……Glenn…… Despite everything, the truth is… I really… about you……──)

Snap.

With that, Eve’s consciousness vanished completely into the darkness.

 

—There, a pitiful pile of shredded paper had formed—

 

And amidst the catastrophic scene of everything burning to ruin,

Thud!

The dull sound of someone leaping fiercely onto a desk echoed through the air.

“Eve. Despite everything, The truth is, I really—”

Glenn, one foot planted on the desk, pressed the barrel of his gun against the forehead of the petrified Alicia III.

“—didn’t hate you.”

“Hii!? S-stop—!”

Ignoring her plea, he mercilessly pulled the trigger.

 

A single gunshot—

—echoed hollowly amidst the sea of roaring flames.