Chapter 4: The Battle Over 1000 Meters

—Meanwhile.

Far from the ancient ruin city of Mares, at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

Within its infirmary—

“…Phew.”

Wendy, her hands pressed against the mana remote supply array constructed on the infirmary floor, was tirelessly channeling her mana into Re=L.

But, feeling a sudden dizziness, she paused her mana transfer and lifted her head. Looking around, she saw her fellow second-year Class Two students similarly gathered around the array, hands on the floor, sending mana.

“…Alright.”

Seeing her classmates’ efforts, Wendy shook her head to refocus, steeling herself to resume channeling mana into the array…

“No, Wendy. You need to rest.”

…but was stopped by Teresa, standing beside her.

“You’ve been supplying mana since this afternoon, haven’t you? No matter how great your mana capacity is, you’re nearing mana depletion. Even for Re=L’s sake, it’d be counterproductive if you collapsed too. So, take a break.”

To her friend’s gentle admonishment, Wendy opened her mouth as if to protest but fell silent…

“…You’re right…”

With a heavy sigh, she sank powerlessly onto the nearby bed.

When Wendy lifted her heavy head, she saw Celica and Cecilia in front of the monolith-shaped magical calculator, connected to the floor’s array via mana lines, engaged in ceaseless discussion.

The monolith’s surface displayed a flood of glowing runic characters. They seemed to represent Re=L’s vital signs, transmitted remotely through pseudo-spiritual pathways.

Judging by the pained expressions on Celica and Cecilia’s faces… Re=L’s condition was far from favorable.

“…Will Re=L… truly return to us…?”

Thus, even the usually bold Wendy couldn’t help but let such a complaint slip.

“It still doesn’t feel real… Re=L… is she already…?”

But as Wendy began to falter, Teresa gently chided her.

“Let’s believe in our teachers.”

“!”

“Besides… if we, who hold Re=L’s lifeline here, don’t believe… then Re=L will surely lose her way, not knowing where to return to.”

“…”

Wendy remained silent, weighed down by the gravity of the moment.

“…You’re right.”

Eventually, she lifted her face, shaking off her weakness, and nodded firmly.

“We’ll do everything we can with all our strength.”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

It wasn’t just Wendy and Teresa.

Kash, Gibul, Cecil, Lynn, Kai, Rodd, and the others.

All the remaining students believed in Glenn and the others.

They continued to pray fervently, sustaining Re=L’s life—

—.

“…Total annihilation…?”

—Inside the tent at the subjugation team’s stronghold, built at the southern edge of Mares.

Receiving Glenn’s report, Cyrus couldn’t hide his shock.

“Yeah. Words like ‘valiant effort’ or ‘close fight’ would be too generous… It was a crushing defeat. We were utterly demolished by Albert alone.”

Glenn shrugged wearily.

“The three idiots we recovered and the regular mages are alive, but their injuries won’t heal in a day or two, even with healing spells. And those three idiots? Their spiritual pathways—the third Sefirot—were pierced with terrifying precision. As mages, they’re done for.”

To achieve such overwhelming results against the elite of the Imperial Court Mage Corps, single-handedly.

And Albert, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill when necessary but avoided unnecessary bloodshed, had spared those three because they “weren’t worth killing.”

Glenn could only sigh at his former partner’s extraordinary nature.

“…So? What now?”

“Good heavens… Albert《The Star》… I’d heard of his exceptional valor through data and rumors, but to think it was to this extent…”

Cyrus, his expression darkening, pressed a hand to his face, groaning.

“That bastard Albert is still holed up in that temple,” Glenn said. “What’s with that guy? It doesn’t feel like he’s ‘fighting to fend us off’ so much as ‘protecting the temple from us’… Or am I imagining things?”

Glenn, piecing together the situation, was starting to sense something unnatural.

Thus, his probing question touched on what he believed to be the core of this incident.

Naturally, Cyrus didn’t answer, his momentary flicker of emotion quickly masked. He resumed his usual composed, affable demeanor and turned to Glenn.

“My, my, what a predicament. But my judgment was correct. Bringing you along was truly the right call, Glenn《The Fool》-san.”

“…”

“At this point, you’re the only one we can rely on to deal with Albert. You’ll take care of him, won’t you?”

“…Are you insane? You think I can do it? Even your precious three idiots couldn’t lay a finger on him!”

Glenn could only respond with exasperated disbelief.

“I suggest a retreat. This subjugation mission is a failure. We should fall back to the capital, reorganize the unit—”

“Unacceptable.”

But Glenn’s perfectly reasonable proposal was swiftly rejected.

“We must defeat Albert in this subjugation, no matter what. Failure is not an option.”

“…”

“You have no choice but to do it… For Re=L’s sake. Isn’t that right?”

Glenn, hesitating, glanced at Re=L, lying on a cot in the corner of the tent, still as death.

And Albert’s words—“Heaven’s Cross”—stuck in Glenn’s mind, jarring against the current situation.

“Is that alright? Re=L likely won’t hold out much longer, you know? Right, Illia?”

“Y-Yes…”

To Cyrus’ question, Illia, tending to Re=L, responded with a pained expression.

“Re=L’s vital signs are gradually weakening.”

“Seriously, Illia…?”

Unable to hide his agitation, Glenn pressed further as Illia nodded apologetically.

“Yes. The ether dissociation syndrome is progressing, and the mana we’re supplying can’t keep up with what’s being lost.”

“Damn it! What else? I’ve heard ether dissociation can trigger other magical ailments! Any abnormalities in her soul? Anything, no matter how small, that you’ve noticed!?”

“No, nothing so far. But we need to perform spiritual surgery as soon as possible…!”

Then, Illia glared at Cyrus with anger and shouted.

“Chief Cyrus! Enough already! Holding Re=L hostage against Senpai like this—we don’t have time for such leisurely tactics! Re=L is our comrade, isn’t she!? Please, the Sefirot Map—!”

“Unacceptable.”

But Cyrus coldly dismissed Illia’s plea.

“Oh, and just so we’re clear: killing me here to get the Sefirot Map? That’s a no-go. Harm me, and you’ll never get the Sefirot Map—ever. I’ll leave the details at that… Care to test it?”

“…!”

Gritting his teeth, Glenn clenched his fists so tightly it seemed his bones might snap.

“Don’t glare at me like that. If you defeat Albert, I’ll hand over the Sefirot Map—that’s our deal. Let’s both honor our promises, Glenn-san. That’s what trust is about.”

The situation was hopeless. Glenn was tumbling toward a fatal outcome.

But—

(Though faintly, I’m starting to see something…)

Why was Albert stubbornly stationed at the temple? Why was Re=L brought along? Why did Cyrus have Re=L’s Sefirot Map? Why was Cyrus so insistent on defeating Albert in this expedition?

And, combined with that, the greatest mystery of this incident.

(If my guess is right… there’s a breakthrough in this mess!)

If so.

It all came down to whether Glenn could defeat Albert.

Glenn looked at Re=L once more, her soft breathing barely audible.

“Gle…nn… every…one…”

Perhaps seeing a pleasant dream, Re=L seemed relatively peaceful for now.

Glenn thought of Sistine and Rumia, who surrounded Re=L with care.

He thought of the faces of Class Two’s students, who genuinely cared for Re=L.

—Please… at least let that girl… live a happy life…

He recalled the sorrowful siblings who had entrusted their wishes to him long ago.

If you truly want to protect what’s precious… you must resolve yourself.

His former partner’s words oddly echoed in his mind.

(Either way… I’ve got no choice but to do it.)

Doing nothing meant losing everything.

So, he had to choose and seize something.

To protect that gentle, sunlit world that now brightly illuminated him.

“Heh heh… Finally getting serious, are we?”

Ignoring Cyrus’ words.

“Illia… I’m counting on you to keep looking after Re=L, alright?”

“Y-Yes… Leave it to me! I’ll protect Re=L no matter what! Senpai… may fortune be with you!”

With that, Glenn left the tent…

Glenn walked through the cold, windswept night of the ruin city.

He moved through a world of shadows, woven by the countless structures’ silhouettes, like a shadow puppet play.

Now clad in a mage’s ceremonial robe, Glenn was fully armed, his body equipped with weapons and magical tools.

Wary of long-range magical sniping, Glenn carefully navigated the desolate, narrow back alleys, staying out of sightlines.

Eventually…

(…This is the deadline, huh.)

He reached a point where advancing further would trigger Albert’s attack.

Then, Glenn deliberately pulled a halved gem—a communication magical device—from his pocket and activated a secure channel. With the mages annihilated, there was no longer any need to worry about interception.

“…Can you hear me, Eve?”

He asked in a hushed voice, and after a brief silence…

‘…Yes, I hear you, Glenn.’

Eve’s voice came through the communication device pressed to his ear.

“First, straight to the point. What’s the result?”

‘…Bingo. Everything was exactly as you said.’

Instantly, Glenn’s lips curled into a bitter yet defiant smirk.

“I see. So that’s what Albert was getting at.”

‘Honestly… when you sent that military code signal through the sound of your teeth chattering, giving those strange covert instructions… I thought you’d finally lost your mind.’

“Heh. Looks like I’ve finally found the breakthrough to save Re=L. That bastard Cyrus—his target isn’t Albert. Taking Albert down for glory? That’s a blatant lie. If Rumia and White Cat weren’t here, we’d have been completely screwed. Tell them thanks for me.”

When Glenn said this, Eve replied with exasperation.

‘Still, to pick up on this with so little circumstantial evidence—not quite seeing through it, but sensing it? Honestly, Glenn, even now, I can’t believe this. A mage capable of such a thing… do they really exist?’

“I told you, didn’t I? It’s theoretically possible. So, no matter how difficult, it’s not impossible in practice.”

‘…It defies common sense. Both this caster and your magical knowledge and ingenuity.’

Eve’s voice, a mix of admiration and frustration at being outdone by Glenn, leaked through the device.

‘You’re usually so dense… but when it comes to the critical moment, you’re unbelievably sharp.’

“What, I didn’t notice a thing. I was completely fooled. But…”

Glenn narrowed his eyes, clenching his fist tightly.

“That guy crossed a line he absolutely shouldn’t have. I can’t let that slide.”

‘…’

Eve fell silent for a moment before continuing, as if to caution him.

‘…Don’t get too heated. Stay calm.’

“I know. Unfortunately, making that bastard pay isn’t my role. But you—don’t slip up. Even if we’ve seen through his hand, he’s bound to be tough.”

‘…Hmph. Who do you think you’re talking to?’

“Alright, I’ve found the breakthrough. Now it’s just a matter of whether I can beat Albert…”

‘That’s the most critical part. …You do realize that, right?’

Eve’s exasperated tone struck Glenn’s ears like a scolding.

‘If you lose and get taken down—’

She began to say something but hesitated.

“Yeah, if I can’t take Albert out, Cyrus won’t budge. Naturally, you guys can’t move either. That means we can’t save Re=L or Albert. That stubborn Albert wouldn’t listen to my persuasion anyway. So… it all hinges on my victory. …Hah, I’ll do it, even if it means going down with him. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Glenn declared with a face set in resolve and determination.

But.

‘…Idiot, that’s not what I meant.’

“Huh? Not that? Then what?”

‘…’

When Glenn pressed, Eve’s silence carried a distinctly displeased air.

“…Wait, hold on. Are you… worried about me—?”

As Glenn casually started to ask.

Click! The communication cut off abruptly, without warning.

“Tch, what’s her deal? …Whatever.”

Pocketing the communication device, Glenn began some light stretching on the spot.

Once his body was warmed up.

“Alright… time to move.”

Glenn quietly fixed his gaze on the distant temple through the darkness.

From this point to the temple where Albert was stationed, the straight-line distance was about 1000 meters.

But this distance was a deadly one, where Albert could snipe with any trick in the book, even if his target hid behind cover.

The key to this battle was how to close that distance to zero.

“Back in our military days… what was our record in mock magic battles? How many fights, how many losses… I don’t think I ever beat you once, did I…?”

Recalling the past, Glenn took a slow, deep breath.

“So, it’s about time I took a win, Albert!”

With a fierce shout, brimming with resolve.

Glenn dashed into the night’s darkness like a gale.

Meanwhile—atop the temple.

Albert, his body battered by the raging night wind, surveyed the dark city, as deep as the ocean’s depths, with sharp eyes, awaiting Glenn.

Naturally, Glenn was cloaked in concealment magic against detection barriers.

From such a distance, Albert shouldn’t have been able to track Glenn’s movements.

But he knew. Albert knew.

Perhaps because of the years spent surviving countless battlefields together—Albert felt, not with reason but with his soul, that Glenn had begun his move to defeat him, that the battle’s curtain had been raised.

“…Come, Glenn.”

Staring into the darkness, Albert muttered to the void.

Here and now, a midnight deathmatch began—

—Distance: 1000 meters.

“Ha…! Ha…! Ha…!”

Running. Running. Glenn raced through the ancient city’s night.

To his left and right stood ancient structures, so decayed they seemed ready to collapse.

Through the narrow, obstructed alleys, kicking off the ground, vaulting over crumbled walls, Glenn dashed with agile grace.

As the scenery streamed past like a torrent, Glenn’s mind raced.

He visualized the map of this city ruin, etched into his memory, and strategized.

(This vast city ruin—at its very center lies the “temple” where Albert is stationed. The straight-line distance to it is about 1000 meters…)

Under normal circumstances, Glenn would have no chance of winning.

Albert was a master of magical sniping.

No matter how much Glenn closed the distance, Albert could simply relocate, securing new sniping points while picking Glenn off. He could keep playing hit-and-run. That’s all it would take.

(But—he “can’t move from the temple”! Because he’s not fleeing… he’s “protecting the temple from Cyrus”!)

This was deduced from Cyrus’ behavior and Albert’s actions in the previous battle.

If he could wipe out a mage squad and three skilled operatives so effortlessly, he could’ve acted sooner. So why delay his response, letting them approach the temple?

It was to keep his combat zone within a range that covered the temple.

To be safe, suspecting a feint from Albert, Glenn had contacted Sistine to gather certain information about the ruin city of Mares.

The result confirmed it—nine times out of ten, Albert was guarding the temple.

Albert wouldn’t move from the temple. He couldn’t. In that case—

(Then—I have a chance!)

But if visible, Albert’s static target accuracy exceeded 4000 meters. At 2000 meters, even a rapidly, erratically moving target would almost certainly be shot through.

After all, this was a man capable of piercing the gaps in a barrier’s reconfiguration with godlike precision.

To expose oneself and approach such a monster directly was the height of folly.

(If that’s the case, I’ve got no choice but to slip through these tangled alleyways, keeping myself hidden while closing the distance!)

Stealthy maneuvering—it’s a long detour, but there’s no helping it.

(My Original Magic [Fool’s World] —its effective range is a 50-meter radius! If I can catch that guy within that range, I’ll finally have a shot at winning!)

Even someone like Albert can’t resist [Fool’s World] ; it completely shuts down their magic. Precisely because Albert is a textbook-perfect magician, [Fool’s World] is overwhelmingly effective against him.

(Which means—this battle between you and me is a contest of who can control the distance!)

Whoosh! Kicking up a gust, Glenn turned left at the T-junction ahead.

The paths Glenn chose were always ones shielded from the temple’s line of sight, hidden by buildings or walls.

(Don’t take it personally, alright!? I’m gonna use this terrain to close the distance to the temple in one go!)

—.

(—That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?)

Meanwhile, Albert gazed down at the cityscape below, lost in thought.

(…I see. Impressive as always. I can’t spot you at all. Even I can’t take a shot like this.)

Hmph.

A smirk tugged at Albert’s lips.

(But—I already predicted you’d try something like this.)

The very moment Albert thought this—

At two o’clock, roughly 900 meters away.

A massive explosion of flames suddenly erupted beside a particularly tall building, shaking the night sky.

(I’ve rigged countless magical traps along the routes you’re likely to take. I don’t expect a trap to kill you—but I’ve pinpointed your location. It’s over.)

Albert muttered a spell under his breath, activating Black Magic [Accurate Scope] —switching the far-seeing magic from wide-area vision mode to long-range point mode.

He directed the magic’s “eye” toward the explosion point at high speed.

Within 1,000 meters, Albert could bend his line of fire, shooting past obstacles.

The moment that “eye” locked onto Glenn—Glenn was finished.

But—

(…He’s not there?)

—At the 900-meter mark.

(…Heh! I knew you’d have traps set up!)

Glenn was sprinting through an entirely different alley, far from the point Albert’s “eye” was probing.

In his right hand, he toyed with a fist-sized stone, running like the wind.

Soon, Glenn reached another T-junction and swiftly turned right.

At the same time, he flicked the stone backward toward the left path with a casual toss.

His shoulder, enhanced by White Magic [Physical Boost], sent the stone soaring an unbelievable distance horizontally—

And the moment the stone passed a certain point on that straight road—

Red-glowing magical circles flashed on the walls and ground, triggering a fierce explosion. The magical trap’s activation obliterated that section, collapsing it into rubble.

Leaving the distant sound of destruction behind, Glenn kept running, relentlessly running—

(Who do you think’s been at this sabotage game with you the longest!? I’ve got your magical trap setups, hiding spots, tricks, and patterns all figured out!)

A grin spread across Glenn’s face as he dashed through the alley.

(Sorry, pal… but all those magical traps you so kindly set up along the way? I’m gonna make full use of ’em! Keep probing the wrong spots with that “eye” of yours!)

He turned left at another dead-end corner—800 meters to go.

(I’m closing in fast—!)

Glenn poured even more mana into [Physical Boost] —enhancing his physical abilities to gain speed… when it happened.

A chill.

A sensation like an icy blade ran up Glenn’s spine.

It was the instinct honed from surviving countless battlefields as an imperial soldier—a sixth sense for the approaching “death.”

He’d thought he’d lost it long ago, but in this desperate moment, that old instinct had apparently resurfaced.

Trusting that gut feeling, Glenn halted his advance and dove into a side alley on reflex.

—At that exact moment.

Half a heartbeat earlier, where Glenn had been standing, bolts of lightning rained down from the sky like a storm, piercing the ground with ferocious strikes.

“Wha—!?”

Glenn scrambled to his feet, quickly leaping back from the spot.

That attack was, of course, Albert’s sniper shot.

If Glenn’s evasion had been even a fraction slower, he’d have been killed—

“No way!? Are you kidding me!? He locked onto me!?”

As Glenn reeled in shock—

Countless lightning bolts streaked through the sky, chasing him like hounds.

—.

(Hmph. Who do you think’s been backing you up in battle the longest?)

Albert pointed at a single point in the ruined city below, firing off [Lightning Pierce] one after another, lost in thought.

(Your tactics, your ideas, your escape routes, your physical capabilities, your habits… I’ve got them all figured out.)

And Albert—his eyes were closed.

He was firing lightning spears into the dark void without looking.

(Even if I can’t see you—you’re there, aren’t you?)

—He fired.

A single bolt of purple lightning shot from Albert’s finger, slicing through the night with merciless precision—

—At the 800-meter mark.

“Damn it! He’s tracking me this accurately just by predicting how I’d dodge his traps!? Is that guy insane—!?”

Glenn cursed as he fled through another detour alley.

As expected, Albert couldn’t keep tracking Glenn’s position with predictions alone, and the pursuit ceased after a while… but Glenn couldn’t help but be reminded of Albert’s monstrous skill.

“But don’t think your wild guesses are gonna work forever!”

Swallowing his panic, Glenn regained his composure.

He hadn’t been spotted by that “eye” and targeted.

That last attack was just Albert turning Glenn’s trap-dodging and deception tactics against him. Predictions were just predictions—if Albert was anticipating his movements, Glenn just had to move unpredictably.

Knowing that trick existed meant he could find ways to counter it.

“Nothing’s changed! I’ll break through Albert’s traps and close the distance—that’s all there is to it!”

Whoosh! Glenn pressed his back against the corner of a building where the alley ended, cautiously scanning his surroundings.

He sensed two magical traps set up ahead—

“Alright, the next feint should be something even he can’t predict…”

Glenn pulled a magical scroll from his pocket, unfurled it, and tore it apart.

He quickly folded the pieces into a paper doll.

Infusing it with a spell…

“Heh… a makeshift familiar… Go.”

Even Albert couldn’t possibly predict the movements of a disposable artificial familiar crafted on the spot.

Using it as a decoy, Glenn planned to outsmart him.

Just as Glenn was about to release the familiar toward the traps blocking his path…

“…Hm? What’s that?”

Glenn noticed something and looked up.

Before him loomed the wall of a tall, half-collapsed building.

A section of that wall had transformed into something strange.

“Is that—a mirror? Why’s something like that there…?”

—A mirror.

That word echoed in Glenn’s mind for a split second, triggered by the out-of-place object.

“Oh, crap—!”

At the last possible moment, realizing the mortal danger, Glenn let out a scream, spun on his heel, and sprinted back down the alley he’d come from—

Hot on his heels, lightning bolts streaked from the sky, reflecting off the mirror to strike at his back.

“Wooaaahhh—!”

The barrage of lightning bolts grazed Glenn’s cheeks and body as he fled.

Tumbling, scrambling to his feet and dodging the bolts by the skin of his teeth, Glenn desperately retreated in a pathetic scramble—

“…Did you think I only had one ‘eye’?”

Albert paused his attacks, glaring sharply toward where Glenn likely was, and muttered.

Indeed.

Scattered throughout this city ruin, mirrors had been created on walls using Alchemy [Material Transmutation] and [Elemental Reconfiguration], turning surfaces into reflective panels.

Black Magic [Accurate Scope] manipulates light emitted by a target to bring it into the caster’s vision—a far-seeing spell. Seeing past obstacles requires bending that light multiple times, which places immense magical and temporal strain on the caster.

But mirrors change everything. By using them as relay points for bending light, the caster’s burden is drastically reduced, and blind spots can be covered extensively.

What’s more, coating those mirrors with mana allows [Lightning Pierce] to reflect off them, vastly expanding the range of possible shots.

No special magic was used—just techniques anyone could learn. Yet Albert had created a wide-area killing field with them. That was the kind of magician he was.

“—That said, your reactions are as sharp as ever, Glenn.”

As Albert muttered this—

Crash, crash… crash…

The faint sound of breaking mirrors echoed in the distance—

—.

“Damn it…! That jerk set up a ton of these annoying things!”

Hidden in the shadows, Glenn was reloading his revolver’s bullets.

“Tch! I’ve been cornered in an area crawling with mirrors… I can barely move.”

For someone as skilled as Glenn, swapping a cylinder took seconds, but he was saving his usual spare cylinder.

Here, he opted for the slower manual reloading method. His current strategy required both range and power, so adjusting the propellant amount made this approach ideal.

“But still…”

Glenn poured propellant from a portable powder flask into the six chambers of the percussion revolver’s cylinder, arranged in a circular pattern, adding more than usual.

He took a spherical bullet from his mouth, blew it into the propellant-filled chamber with a puff, then folded the loading lever under the barrel to press the bullet deep inside. He attached the percussion cap.

Having finished reloading, Glenn quietly chanted a spell.

“《Be silent・Be still・Thou art a soundless fairy》”

Black Magic [Noise Cut] —a sound-dampening spell cast on the revolver.

This would silence the gunshot—

“You might think sniping’s your exclusive domain…”

Still hidden in the shadows, Glenn carefully extended the muzzle—

“But I got plenty of training from that old geezer too, y’know?”

He peeked out just enough to take in the layout of the buildings and terrain, committing them to memory.

Using White Magic [Brain Abacus] —a parallel processing spell—he calculated trajectories and angles like a billiards game in his mind, carefully tilting the barrel and pulling the trigger.

Pshh.

The muzzle flashed, silently spitting out a bullet.

The bullet ricocheted off the ground and walls, zigzagging in a perfectly calculated path—

And struck dead center on a mirror 100 meters away in a completely different direction, shattering it.

“How’s that? See that, genius sniper? If a regular guy like me busts his gut practicing, he can pull off tricks like this. …Don’t underestimate us mortals.”

Cautiously watching his surroundings, Glenn quickly began to move.

(Good. This way, even Albert’ll have a hard time pinning down my exact position, huh?)

As he moved, he reloaded the revolver in the same manner—

(First, I’ll take out his “eyes”! Then we’ll talk!)

—.

“Heh… As expected of Glenn. Nicely done.”

Albert, gazing down at the city below, muttered in admiration.

Across the ruined city, his secondary “eyes” were being destroyed one by one.

Yet, for someone usually stone-faced, a rare faint smile played on his lips.

“…I knew it. You’d be the greatest obstacle to my top-secret mission—defending this temple.”

The distance between them was still vast.

They couldn’t even see each other’s faces directly.

All they could feel was the presence of an enemy to defeat in this sprawling battlefield.

The magic they used was utterly ordinary, the kind you’d find in any textbook.

No time-stopping, space-warping, incinerating-at-a-glance, or god-slaying super-powered spells. No esoteric arts twisting fate or causality.

But this was a magical battle.

A genuine, no-holds-barred magical battle.

(Yes, I knew… it would come to this.)

So, during their earlier clash, when he faced Glenn head-on, should he have anticipated this outcome and finished him off? Rendered him incapable of fighting back?

From Albert’s cold, calculating perspective, Glenn had been wavering back then.

It wasn’t clear if he’d truly become an enemy.

So, he let him go. Unnecessary killing wasn’t Albert’s way.

But was that decision truly born of cold calculation?

He had something he could never compromise on. That’s why he wouldn’t back down.

Glenn, too, had something he wouldn’t yield. That’s why he wouldn’t retreat.

If so, wasn’t this clash inevitable? He’d known it from the start.

Yet, back then, alongside the three from the Special Missions Annex, why hadn’t he taken Glenn out?

(…Sentimentality. And hypocrisy. I’m still too soft, aren’t I?)

For a fleeting moment, memories of racing across battlefields with Glenn flashed through Albert’s mind.

He’d thought he’d killed every shred of his heart and emotions for the empire’s future, so he was genuinely surprised to find even a faint trace of such human feelings lingering.

But while he might feel a twinge of nostalgia as a person, as a magician and an imperial soldier, he wouldn’t cling to those remnants or hesitate.

Doing so would save nothing—and he’d never reach that “man” he swore to make pay with his own hands.

Since Glenn was coming at him like this, Albert would ignore their past as comrades and fight.

And no matter what anyone said, Glenn wasn’t someone Albert could afford to hold back against—going easy could get him killed instead.

Thus, he’d face him with lethal intent… That was all.

(Come on, Glenn. I’ll sacrifice one to save nine. If you object—then defeat me. Prove your resolve.)

Albert stared into the darkness below, as if locking eyes with his former comrade lurking in the shadows.

—.

(—Tch. I bet he’s thinking his usual crap, like sacrificing one to save nine… or bearing all the sin and pain alone, enduring it… That damn idiot.)

Having destroyed most of the nearby mirrors, Glenn darted through the alleys, moving swiftly from blind spot to blind spot, running relentlessly.

The distance to the temple—700 meters.

Still impossibly far. The magical traps slowing him down and the detours to avoid sniper shots made the mere 1,000 meters feel like an infinite chasm.

Even so, he ran. Ran. Kept running—

(But I’ve got a hunch. That attempted assassination of Queen Alicia VII you pulled… I’m starting to figure out what it was for, what it means. …Man, the higher-ups sure love their complicated games.)

Well, at least it seems you haven’t fallen to being some vile scumbag, which is a relief…

He thought it but didn’t let the words form, even in his mind. He was too stubborn for that.

(But it pisses me off. That guy… with all this power—)

Suddenly, the void flickered.

A lightning spear shot through the narrow gap between buildings and windows, threading the needle with deadly precision.

Glenn instinctively twisted his body, spinning and leaping. The spear grazed his cheek—and in the same motion, he dove into a narrow alley, a blind spot.

His heart screamed under the crushing tension of narrowly escaping death.

He had no idea how that strike had pinpointed his position.

“Albert would definitely aim for that gap between the windows”—it was pure experience and instinct that prompted his reflexive dodge, and by sheer luck, it was the right call.

If he’d hesitated for even a moment, he’d be dead.

Incredible. Too incredible. What an unbelievable guy his partner was.

And yet—

(—With all this power, why do you always rush to cut one, even if it hurts you!? Show some greed for once, you damn fool!)

Back in their military days, when Glenn first met Albert, he thought he was a cold, mechanical human. A heartless, merciless machine who’d do anything for efficiency, for numbers, without a shred of emotion.

(But I was wrong. You’re just suppressing it, but you’re a man of feeling. You grieve when comrades fall, you mourn when you can’t save people… You’re a normal human. Not some painless automaton. You’re just a man strong enough to bear the pain of loss!)

Glenn glared into the darkness—toward where Albert was likely staring back at him.

Even in this battlefield where they couldn’t see each other, they could feel each other’s presence.

(And someone like you… even if it’s unavoidable, even if it’s to save nine… there’s no way cutting Re=L wouldn’t hurt you!)

It might be impossible, but should he go all out to save all ten?

Or, to reliably save nine, should he cut one?

Which was right—the debate remained unresolved.

In their military missions and battles, sometimes Glenn’s approach worked, and sometimes Albert’s was the right call.

(…I don’t care. Nobody but a god could say which is right. But—I’m greedy.)

Glenn ran. Channeling mana into his legs, stronger, more powerfully.

(You’re the kind of guy who’d sacrifice yourself or Re=L without hesitation if it meant achieving your goal, aren’t you? Too bad for you, I have no intention of sacrificing myself, and I’ll protect Re=L too. Of course, that includes you as well… Got it, Albert? This battle—)

—is a clash of our stubborn wills—

With that conviction burning in his chest, Glenn continues to run beneath the pale, glowing moon.

The distance between them, roughly 600 meters… the battle still has a long way to go—

—.

“Glenn《The Fool》… to think he’d be this formidable.”

In the outskirts—at the base of the subjugation team.

A mage clad in the formal attire of the Special Missions Annex nodded in admiration.

“Fifteen elite mages and three top operatives from the Special Missions Annex, all lined up like ducks in a row, couldn’t even lay a finger on Albert. Yet Glenn’s holding his own against him, evenly matched… Unbelievable.”

“…So, how’s it looking?”

Cyrus quietly posed the question to the mage.

“It’s fine. Albert’s focus on us has completely shifted. He had no choice but to take his eyes off us to deal with Glenn… that’s probably the more accurate way to put it.”

“In other words, you can finally use your magic… and we can make our move.”

“Yes, exactly. If he’s not paying attention to us, slipping my secret technique past him is child’s play. Especially with the moon shining so brightly tonight—”

The mage glanced up at the sky and nodded to a relieved-looking Cyrus.

There, in the sky, hung the moon—a silver moon glowing eerily, faintly illuminating the surroundings with its pale light—

“Alright, then. Shall we get moving… for the sake of our true objective?”

Cyrus scooped up the “cargo” at his feet, cradling it under his arm.

It was Re=L, her hands and feet bound, lost in a deep slumber.

“…And what about Illia?”

When Cyrus asked, the mage jerked his chin.

In that direction stood the tent where Re=L had been held… now containing only an empty cot and, beside it, Illia’s motionless form, collapsed as if dead.

“I see. Haha, well, all I can say is she really did us a great service.”

Confirming the scene inside the tent, Cyrus flashed a cruel smile—

“…Alright, let’s go. First, we’ll close the distance to the temple.”

Together with the mage, he began to move stealthily through the ruins of the ancient city under the cover of night.

Meanwhile, at that same moment—

“…Finally, Cyrus and his group have started moving with Re=L.”

In the northern district of the city, atop the crumbling midsection of an ancient tower.

Eve, who had been secretly camped out there on standby, muttered under her breath.

She had been observing the outside through a collapsed arch window using far-seeing magic.

“How’s the fight between Glenn and Albert going?”

“…For now, they’re evenly matched.”

Sistine and Rumia, who were also watching the battle through far-seeing magic, spoke with visibly anxious expressions.

“But… as expected, Albert-san seems to have the upper hand…”

“Because of Albert-san’s sniping skills and those meticulously laid magical traps, Sensei can’t quite close the distance… If this keeps up, he’s going to be worn down!”

“Well, of course. His opponent is Albert《The Star》, after all.”

Eve switched her far-seeing magic’s perspective to check on Glenn.

“Even I wouldn’t lose to Albert in close-range magical combat… but at that distance, there’s nothing I can do. For that man to be holding his own with every trick in the book… it’s only possible because he knows Albert’s personality and fighting style inside and out.”

Letting out a sigh, Eve muttered.

“…As much as I hate to admit it, Cyrus made a brilliant call. There’s likely no one in this world better suited to face Albert than Glenn. And the reverse is true as well.”

“W-Will he be okay…? Can Sensei win…?”

Sistine and Rumia clung to their unease.

At that moment, their emotions were overwhelmingly complex.

They didn’t want Glenn to die—that went without saying. Glenn had taught and guided them, and the debt they owed him was so immense they weren’t sure a lifetime would be enough to repay it.

But at the same time—they didn’t want Albert to die either. Compared to Glenn, their time with Albert was short, but he had done them great favors as well. He was a benefactor who had risked his life for them and their friends.

They couldn’t bear to watch these two, both so dear to them, try to kill each other—

To the two girls lost in such thoughts, Eve snorted and said,

“Who knows? But that man said he’d handle it himself and entrusted us with a plan that assumes his victory. All we can do is believe in him, right? As much as I hate it… Well, all I can say is, do your best.”

“…Y-You’re right…”

“Besides, that guy hasn’t given up at all. …What a ridiculously stubborn man.”

Turning her back on the anxious Sistine and Rumia, Eve started walking toward the stairs leading down.

“Anyway, from what I can see, the odds are heavily against him, but assuming Glenn wins, we’ll move according to plan.”

“Y-Yes!”

Thinking of Glenn, Sistine and Rumia followed Eve and began to move.

“Timing is critical from here on out. Too early or too late, and it’s over. …Swiftly and precisely. Got it? You follow my orders to the letter, understand?”

“Understood!”

And so,

Carrying the burden Glenn had entrusted to them, Eve, Sistine, and Rumia set into motion—

——.

It was a quiet, cold night.

Yet it was also a fierce, heated night.

Moments of silence, silence, silence, punctuated by sudden shocks and flashes of light.

Far in the distance, unheard and unnoticed by anyone, were the sounds of breathing, the fire of fighting spirit, and the relentless pounding of boots racing through the vast city.

Beyond the darkness, far in the distance, a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes tracked their target.

A shadow slipped through, evading those eyes, moving stealthily through the dark.

Around that shadow, others began to move in secret.

No roars, no clamor.

Only the occasional earth-shaking roar, like the city itself stirring, or the sound of fragile buildings collapsing, piercing the night sky.

It was, in a sense, a silent battlefield.

—The battle continued.

At the bottom of the ancient city, deep as the ocean’s depths.

The quiet war between former comrades pressed on.

The moon in the night sky reached its zenith, then began to tilt—

And still, the silent, fervent, unyielding battle raged on—

—And then.

Distance—400 meters.

“…Damn it… huff… huff… that bastard… is he finally getting impatient!?”

Hidden in the shadow of a crumbling domed building, Glenn was at his wit’s end.

“…No way… did he actually bring that!?”

He cautiously peeked out to survey the situation.

The temple was now much closer.

Its massive silhouette was visible to the naked eye, looming large.

But.

A point near the top of the temple intermittently flashed with a brilliant Crack!—

For a moment, that point of light grew slowly, expanding—

Until it burst, and from it, a thick, azure beam of light shot forth, slicing through the darkness of the ancient city in a straight line.

The laser struck an old building about 50 meters east of Glenn, shattering it to dust.

It had likely pierced the building’s critical support with pinpoint accuracy. The structure sank into the ground, collapsing completely without a trace.

That overwhelming, ultra-powerful auroral lightning cannon was unmistakable.

(The magic staff《Blue Lightning》—! Damn it, what kind of weapon did he drag out!?)

Resembling a rifle, that staff wasn’t designed for anti-personnel use but for destroying objects.

Its magical function was simple: it amplified the power of magical sniping spells to their absolute limit.

Thus, if it struck the core of a structure, it could bring it down in a single blow, as it just had.

(For a mere fugitive heavy criminal to get his hands on something that requires such a tedious approval process… that means—)

Glenn grew more certain that his suspicions were correct.

(But what’s going on…?)

For Albert, who favored precise, accurate sniping and despised wasteful shots—this was sloppy.

For a while now, he’d been destroying buildings completely unrelated to Glenn’s hiding spot.

At this rate, Albert still hadn’t locked onto Glenn’s position.

(Is he getting desperate and shooting blindly? No, that’s impossible…)

It wasn’t like him.

In this situation, the odds of hitting Glenn by chance were laughably low.

The magic staff《Blue Lightning》was notorious for consuming obscene amounts of mana.

Moreover, the way Albert was slowly charging light at the staff’s tip suggested he was using his own mana for these “raw shots.” He’d likely already exhausted the staff’s reserve mana crystals, its equivalent of specialized ammunition. At this rate, Albert’s mana would run dry long before he accidentally hit Glenn.

Sure, its power was awe-inspiring… but in this situation, it actually worked in Glenn’s favor.

The longer he waited, the more Albert’s mana would deplete, tilting the battle in Glenn’s favor.

(But would that guy really take such a sloppy gamble…?)

As Glenn pondered, buildings entirely unrelated to his hiding spot continued to be sniped by《Blue Lightning》, collapsing one after another—again and again.

——.

—But then.

Glenn realized. He saw it.

He understood his huge mistake.

(Damn it! So that’s what’s going on!? He got me…!)

Glenn frantically recalled the mental map in his head.

To reach the central temple while staying completely hidden from Albert, there were six back-alley routes: east, west, south, north, northwest, and southeast.

Any other route would force him onto open main streets with clear lines of sight and no cover, making him an easy target for Albert’s magical sniping. It’d be game over.

(But—now all six of those routes have been blocked by collapsed buildings!)

Of course, he could use physical enhancement magic to force his way over the debris… but doing so would inevitably expose him to Albert’s line of sight.

Just six routes. And now, every single one was a perfect sniping position.

Albert wouldn’t miss a shot like that.

When Albert started his indiscriminate sniping with《Blue Lightning》, Glenn should’ve avoided going into hiding.

He should’ve immediately taken the risk and charged down one of those six routes before they were blocked.

Albert had created a “wall without walls” within a 400-meter radius around himself—

(Damn it, I screwed up…! I can’t move now…!)

The temple was just 400 meters away. But those 400 meters felt impossibly far—

(What do I do…? What do I do…? —What do I do?)

Glenn’s mind raced at a fever pitch, trying to find a way out of this checkmate. He scoured the mental map of the ancient city he’d burned into his memory for any possible route.

Should he abandon the surface and take the underground waterways to sneak to the temple?

(No, we ruled that out from the start! There’s no way Albert wouldn’t anticipate that! The underground is probably an even worse trap-filled death zone than the surface! It’s impossible…!)

Then, should he layer defensive spells on himself and make a desperate charge?

(It’s 400 meters in a straight line! There’s no way I can withstand his spell attacks for 400 meters…! He’d break through my defenses for sure…!)

So, what then? What—

He thought. And thought. His brain screamed with pain from the overload, but he kept thinking.

Time slipped by aimlessly—

Unlike the earlier moments when the roar of collapsing buildings echoed, now only a suffocating silence hung in the air.

—.

And then—

(There…! There’s one route…!)

Like a bolt of lightning, Glenn pinpointed a single route.

But that route…

(…It’s reckless! But it’s my only shot…!)

For Re=L, for Sistine, for Rumia, for his students.

And above all, for himself.

Glenn steeled himself once more to cross the line between life and death—

—Atop the central temple.

“Haa… haa…”

As the night breeze whipped through his hair and coat, Albert let out ragged breaths.

He tossed the now-useless magic staff onto the pile of countless empty reserve mana crystals scattered at his feet.

Then, calming his breathing, he surveyed the scene below with a piercing gaze.

Even though it was to block Glenn’s routes, he’d fired a considerable number of “raw shots” with《Blue Lightning》. Even for someone like Albert, the toll was not insignificant.

(The six advance routes… I blocked them all… I had no choice but to block them…)

That, in itself, was proof that Albert was being pushed into a corner.

This tactic, with its extreme mana consumption, had been his last resort.

(I’ve reached the limit of using《Blue Lightning》… any more, and I won’t hold up. Damn you, Glenn, forcing me to use this card. …But what now?)

In his mind, Albert directed the question to his former partner, whose figure remained unseen.

And at that moment—

(!)

Albert’s eyes widened slightly.

His magical “eye” had finally caught Glenn. Standing boldly in the middle of the wide, open southern street—Glenn was staring straight at him.

Reckless. Suicidal. Had he finally given up?

An ordinary person might think so, but—

(…Heh. I knew you’d come at me like this.)

Albert, perched atop the central temple, and Glenn, standing 400 meters to the south.

Between them ran an aqueduct stretching east to west.

The distance from Glenn to the aqueduct was about 100 meters.

If he could cross the aqueduct and advance 50 meters east along its bank—he’d reach a shadowed alley tunnel, completely obscured from Albert’s “eye.”

From there, the terrain offered a series of alleys impossible to snipe, leading straight to the temple—a route as delicate as a spider’s thread.

A 100-meter sprint plus 50 meters—a total of 150 meters. If Glenn could survive that stretch, victory was his.

(But don’t you realize I deliberately left that route open for you?)

Albert narrowed his eyes and slowly raised his left hand, fingers poised.

The stance for magical sniping.

Not the quick, half-hearted shots he’d fired while triggering magical traps.

Modified Black Magic [Hawk Eye・Pierce].

It required intense mana control, demanding his full focus on the shot alone, but its range and bullet speed were Albert at his absolute peak—a light-speed snipe.

He’d already pre-chanted four shots, stocked to the limit in his consciousness field.

Yes, Albert had left that route open intentionally—because he was certain that 150-meter stretch would be a fatal, despairing wall for Glenn.

Those 150 meters were Glenn’s death zone.

(Come on, Glenn. Your heart—I’ll be taking it.)

(Come and try it! I’ll dodge every last one of your attacks!)

Glenn smirked, the corner of his mouth curling up, as he maxed out his physical enhancement spell.

“Oooooooohhhhhhh—!”

With a primal roar, he took off like a gust of wind.

(I’m already caught in his “eye”! What matters now is crossing this death zone as fast as possible, even by a fraction of a second—!)

The surrounding scenery blurred past like a raging torrent.

The aqueduct loomed closer and closer in Glenn’s vision.

And, as expected, a flash of light tore through his chaotic field of view—

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh—!”

He couldn’t afford to track it. He couldn’t track it.

Dodging Albert’s full-power, fastest snipe would require moving faster than light.

An impossible feat for a human.

But Glenn, relying solely on instinct and rhythm—“Albert would shoot at this timing, from that angle, with this trajectory”—dodged it based on the image burned into his mind countless times.

A lightning flash grazed past Glenn’s chest as he twisted mid-sprint, the sound ripping through the air—

“—!?”

—Glenn sensed that, somewhere in the darkness beyond, even Albert’s expression likely faltered for a moment.

But there’d be no second chance.

Albert’s next shot would surely surpass Glenn’s imagination.

This trick of dodging by instinct alone—it wouldn’t work again.

In the fleeting instant when Albert hesitated, stunned by Glenn’s miraculous dodge,

Glenn seized that moment, closing the distance to the aqueduct in a single bound and leaping—

Leaping over the irrigation channel, he swiftly veered eastward.

Remaining distance—50 meters.

(No matter if I cry or laugh, this is the turning point! Right here! This is where I settle it!)

Here, Glenn played his final trump card.

“《I shall be freed from the yoke of time》—!”

The chanted spell—Black Magic [Time Accelerate].

A momentary enchantment that completely detaches oneself from the world’s physical laws, hyper-accelerating the flow of time within oneself. However, once the spell’s effect ends, the accelerated time decelerates in equal measure, forcibly aligning the user’s time with the world’s—a double-edged sword.

But—

(I can see it—I can see it!)

Glenn dodged the second lightning bolt aimed at his legs with a light hop, then evaded the third bolt targeting his head by tilting his neck.

Hyper-accelerating one’s own time means, relatively speaking, the world’s time slows to an extreme degree.

Even within this alternate axis of time, Albert’s sniper shots were fast—but in this time frame, Glenn could just barely perceive and dodge them.

Albert couldn’t fully adapt to Glenn’s sudden hyper-acceleration that warped time itself.

There was no way he could.

The hyper-acceleration of Glenn’s spell lasted roughly two seconds.

But that was more than enough to cover the remaining 50 meters with ease.

The subsequent reconciliation of time—the two seconds of hyper-deceleration—was daunting, but if he could just reach the tunnel to escape Albert’s “eyes,” he’d manage somehow.

“Oooooooohhhhhhhhhhh—!”

In the accelerated time and thought, Glenn ran, ran, ran—

Albert’s sniping couldn’t keep up, couldn’t catch him.

Even Albert’s shots couldn’t pin down Glenn in this moment.

Naturally. For these mere two seconds, Glenn could outpace even light itself.

Before he knew it, the tunnel entrance was just a few meters away.

(My victoryyyyyyyyyy—!)

Glenn shouted in his heart—at that very moment.

Thud!

A sharply fired lightning bolt—pierced Glenn’s left chest.

“…Wha…!? The hell…!?”

Glenn’s eyes widened at the sudden searing sensation and impact that pierced his heart.

The force of the blow sent Glenn’s body flying, lifted off the ground.

No way… why? Why was I hit? Unbelievable…

With such emotions frozen on his face.

Glenn was blown back… slowly… slowly…

“Sorry, Glenn. All my shots until now were just a feint. That move… I saw through it.”

Coincidentally, at that very moment, Albert muttered expressionlessly from afar.

A massive pillar of water erupted.

Struck with a fatal wound, Glenn was slammed into the irrigation channel brimming with water—

Glenn and Albert.

The duel of pride between《The Fool》and《The Star》had now reached its conclusion.