Chapter 5: Celica

“…”

Glenn’s consciousness, which had been wandering in a daydream, suddenly snapped back to reality.

Before he realized it, Glenn was running.

And this place was the interior of the《Tower of Lament》, which he had just entered.

He couldn’t help but marvel at himself for not tripping until now.

“Sensei… are you okay? You seemed kind of out of it just now…”

Sistine, running to Glenn’s right, looked up at him with concern.

“Get it together. This is enemy territory, you know? No room for carelessness.”

Nameless, running to Glenn’s left, grumbled in exasperation.

For a while, Glenn remained silent, ruminating over the contents of the dream he had just glimpsed.

Finally, he muttered softly.

“I think… I’ve got a hunch about what these dreams I keep seeing are about.”

As he said this, Glenn glanced at Nameless.

“…Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Let’s hurry.”

With that, Glenn picked up his pace.

At last, Glenn had pursued Celica and infiltrated the《Tower of Lament》.

However, traversing it was surprisingly easy, almost anticlimactic.

The first to ninth floors:《The Journey to Awakening》.

The tenth to forty-ninth floors:《The Trial of the Fool》.

Glenn and his group had breezed through both in just a few hours.

Originally,《The Trial of the Fool》was a complex, otherworldly labyrinth that automatically regenerated periodically, filled with terrifying traps, guardians, and zero-mana zones that blocked the way, plunging intruders into the depths of despair and lamentation—

“…I told you, didn’t I? During the last incursion, Sora destroyed the core of its defense mechanisms. It’ll take centuries for it to fully repair itself and start repelling intruders again… but for now, it’s a free pass.”

Even though Nameless had explained this beforehand, Glenn still couldn’t quite believe it.

The《Gatekeeper’s Station》from the fiftieth floor onward. In the end, the intricate labyrinth had become a shadow of its former self, reduced to a nearly straight path.

“Still… so this is the《Gatekeeper’s Station》… the second capital where the ruling-class mages live.”

Glenn muttered as he surveyed his surroundings.

“…This is grim.”

“Yeah…”

Sistine grimaced in agreement.

From the fiftieth floor, despite being inside the tower, the outer perimeter opened into an infinite sky, forming a city-like district… but all that met the eye was—

Corpses. Corpses. Corpses. Corpses. Corpses. Corpses…

The bodies of mages, long dead and barely recognizable, were strewn everywhere.

There were traces of attempts to clear the bodies, but it was like pouring water on a burning stone—far too many remained exposed.

The faces of the fortunate few corpses that still had them bore expressions of despair and resentment without exception.

“…These are the casualties from Sora’s last assault.”

Nameless said this flatly, without a hint of emotion.

“…Every single one of them seems to have spat out a top-tier curse in their final moments. Idiots… their souls are bound to this place, doomed to wander here meaninglessly forever. This is what happens when mages don’t respect the weight of their own words and carelessly spew out incantations.”

“S-Sensei… this is…”

“…Yeah.”

Glenn nodded to the paling Sistine.

This place… it was familiar to him.

Piece by piece, the puzzle was coming together. The picture of truth was taking shape.

But there was no time to dwell on it now.

Rumble…!

At that moment, a deafening roar echoed through the area.

The ground trembled beneath their feet, dust fell in small cascades, and the air vibrated with a buzzing intensity.

The sound seemed to come from the lower floors.

“…W-What was that…?”

“She’s fighting.”

Glenn nodded at Sistine’s murmur.

“…I don’t know why, but… it feels strangely nostalgic. All of it.”

The past. And the future.

Amid the strange confluence of coincidences and the twists of fate, Glenn felt a sense of reflection but no hesitation.

“…Let’s go, White Cat.”

“Y-Yes!”

With Sistine responding solemnly, Glenn hurried deeper into the tower, toward the lower floors—

——

Running. Running. Running.

They dashed through the city district within the tower, circling the outer perimeter, descending stairs, and plunging deeper into the lower floors.

The sound of their footsteps echoed intermittently through the corridors.

The clamor of battle, the explosive sounds of magic, grew closer and closer.

“It’s close…”

Glenn and his group were now moving through a corridor stretching straight ahead.

The arched entrance in the distance gradually drew nearer.

And as they passed through that arch…

What spread out before Glenn was a vast arena-like plaza.

Flames blazed fiercely across the circular field.

Far across the field from Glenn’s group, a massive gate stood tall, its dark maw gaping open, brimming with an ominous blackness.

Yes, the gate that had been firmly sealed in the future world he had seen was now unlocked.

And in front of that gate—

“Hmph—!”

Celica was battling a horde of mages.

Likely, the surviving mages of the《Tower of Lament》had chosen this place as their final stand.

A multitude of mages gathered, desperately unleashing magic at Celica.

But—the tide of battle was clear.

“《《《Begone》》》!”

With a single incantation, Black Magic [Plasma Cannon], [Inferno Flare], and [Freezing Hell]—high-grade B-class assault spells—were activated.

A massive bolt of converging lightning, a tsunami of seething flames, and a barrier of absolute-zero frost decimated the mages facing Celica, destroying them utterly.

“…Weaklings.”

Having regained her memories, Celica’s skill had reached a divine level, and even Modern Magic became godlike in her hands.

“Haaaaaaah—!”

A dragon girl darted forward, weaving through the gaps in Celica’s destruction, raising her right hand.

As she plunged into the crowd of mages and swung her slender arm, they were torn apart, scattering like petals.

“Gyaaaaah—!? Gah…!”

“You… you traitor…!”

“No, I don’t want to die… I don’t want…”

“《Shut up・Die》.”

Celica unleashed further destruction on the mages writhing pathetically.

Amid the dance of falling lightning, screams mingled with the acrid stench of burning flesh.

Standing alone in the maelstrom of destruction, with all others crushed beneath her, Celica’s absolute, solitary figure was like that of a Demon King.

Glenn gazed at her with a solemn expression.

Slowly, he descended the stairs.

He walked toward the central circular field.

Sistine and Nameless exchanged glances and followed him.

And by the time Glenn reached the field… the battle was over.

Boom!

With a towering pillar of superheated flame, the mages who had been begging for their lives were incinerated, leaving not even ash behind.

“…Haa… haa…! Haa… haa…!”

Glenn approached Celica, who stood panting in the center of the field.

“S-Sensei…”

“Sora…”

“Ah, you guys…!?”

Sistine, Nameless, and the dragon girl stood silently at a distance, watching.

Finally, Glenn stood behind Celica and spoke softly.

“…Feels kinda nostalgic, doesn’t it?”

Glenn gave a wry smile.

“Haha… come to think of it, we’ve been through something like this before, haven’t we?”

He said this while looking up at the massive, gleaming black gate.

Then.

Naturally, Celica had noticed Glenn’s approach long ago.

“…Yeah.”

She responded quietly without turning to face him.

“Why… did you come here?” She asked

“To drag back my stupid, stubborn master who never learns, no matter how many times I tell her.”

“Why did you come?”

“Does family need a reason to save each other?”

“…”

For a moment, Celica remained silent.

“Idiot. Go home.”

She spat the words, brushing Glenn off.

“Yeah… damn, I get it… the singularity’s causality isn’t fixed, so we can’t return to our time yet, huh? Fine, then I’ll make sure to settle this properly, so wait for me at the Taum Celestial Temple. I’ll—”

Without ever turning to face Glenn, Celica began walking toward the gate.

“…Hold on, not so fast.”

Glenn grabbed Celica’s shoulder from behind.

“Let go.”

Celica tried to shake off his grip.

But—Glenn held on tightly, refusing to let go.

“Let go.”

“No way.”

“I said, let go.”

“And I said no way!”

“Let go, I said!”

“I said I’m not letting go, damn it!”

Silence…

The intensity of their exchange hushed the area.

“…You… even now, you’re being so stubborn…”

Celica muttered, trembling.

“You already know who I really am, don’t you?”

“Yeah… I do.”

Glenn let out a deep breath, reaffirming the now-obvious truth.

“Celica… you’re the ‘Mage of Justice,’ aren’t you?”

“…”

“It’s kinda strange, you know…”

Glenn said with a sense of wonder.

“Once upon a time, you saved me… and I wanted to become an amazing mage like you… so I looked up to the ‘Mage of Justice’ from the fairy tales.

But to think… that the ‘Mage of Justice’ from those stories was actually you… it’s really incredible…”

“…It’s not that grand.”

Celica muttered weakly.

“I’m not the kind of ‘Mage of Justice’ you admire, who waves a wand and makes everyone happy… I’m just an ugly, irredeemable demon.

I didn’t want to protect anyone. I was robbed of everything by the Demon King, killed… and even in death, I couldn’t rest… I just had to kill the Demon King with my own hands to satisfy myself… I’m nothing but a long-dead corpse.”

“…”

“To kill the Demon King… that’s all I lived for, sacrificing everyone and everything… even those who admired and believed in me… I sacrificed them all.

My hands are already stained with the blood of countless people. I’m not the kind of grand figure you could admire…”

“…Revenge, huh?”

Glenn replied softly.

“Is that… the mission you forgot?”

“Yes.”

“So… you returned to this era to fulfill that revenge?”

“…That’s right—”

“—That’s not true!”

Glenn’s roar cut off Celica’s attempt to agree.

“There’s no way the you of now would come back to this era, abandoning us, for some petty reason like that! How many years have we been together?

You came back… for us, didn’t you? To protect our future, you returned to this era… didn’t you!?”

“—!?”

At Glenn’s shout, Nameless and the dragon girl were the ones left speechless.

They stared at the silent Celica with eyes that seemed to witness something unbelievable.

“That’s right… in our time, ‘the Demon King was defeated’! That means you have to return and defeat the Demon King, or the causality will collapse!

If you don’t do it, who knows what’ll happen to our time? In the worst case, the moment you decide ‘not to go,’ our world could vanish! That’s why—”

“…Yeah. You’re right.”

Celica’s lips twisted slightly in a self-deprecating smile.

“To be honest… once I regained my memories and my old magic, I did have the option to ‘do nothing’…”

“…Celica…?”

“In a limited way, I could have cut off the small world surrounding me from the Dimensional Tree… from causality, and created a tiny, boxed-off world with no future, going nowhere… where I could live happily with you all, forever dreaming…”

A closed-off, box-garden world with no future.

Hearing this, Glenn recalled the week that repeated endlessly during the Alzano Empire’s representative selection tournament—the world where the future was sealed by the Le Kill Clock.

“…But… that’d be pretty lame, wouldn’t it? That’s not something the ‘Mage of Justice’ you admired would do, right…?”

“…”

“I made a promise to you… back in those snowy mountains… I said I’d become a ‘Mage of Justice’ so cool that you’d never catch up to me, no matter how long you tried… I promised, didn’t I?”

“…”

“So, leave it to me and go home.”

Still facing away from Glenn, Celica spoke in a bright tone.

“It’s fine. You’re a cheeky little brat, but you get me, don’t you? I didn’t come here recklessly. Sure, it’d be a lie to say I don’t want revenge against that damn Demon King… but like you said, I came here to protect your future. Haha, how’s that? Pretty cool, right? Me…”

Nameless and the dragon girl now wore clear expressions of shock.

To think that Celica would say such a thing… their faces seemed to scream disbelief as Celica continued calmly.

“So… leave the rest to me. Go home. I’ll take care of it… I’ll definitely defeat the Demon King. I’ll protect your future. So…”

Celica spoke gently, as if reasoning with Glenn.

But—

“…”

Glenn didn’t let go of Celica’s shoulder.

“…Why are you so stubborn, kid?”

Celica gave a wry smile.

Glenn sharply asked.

“You… you’re not planning to come back, are you?”

Those words left even Sistine, who had been silently watching, stunned.

“…”

Celica remained silent.

It was a silence that spoke more eloquently of affirmation than anything else.

“You plan to die protecting our future… don’t you?”

To Glenn’s question,

“…A hundred years.”

Celica murmured weakly.

“That day, when I made a contract with La’tirika, I spent a hundred years honing my power as a mage. It was a bit premature, but—when I first challenged the Demon King, my power as a mage had undoubtedly reached the absolute limit of what a human could achieve… At least, back then, there was no higher rank I could have attained…”

“…”

“And yet—I lost to the Demon King.”

Celica’s shoulders began to tremble.

“That’s right… For a hundred years, day and night, I thought of nothing but killing the Demon King, dedicating myself entirely to that goal… and still, I couldn’t reach him…”

“…”

“And now, this is my second chance. My power now… it’s nowhere near what it once was. It’s weakened beyond comparison… It’s impossible… There’s no way I can win like this… I… I can’t afford to lose again…! And yet, I know I’ll lose…!”

“…”

“If that’s the case—then all I can do is stake my life on it, right!? I have to at least take him down with me, don’t I!?”

And then, at last—

“No, I don’t want this! I don’t want this! I want to go back! I want to go back to that era with you! I want to stay with you in that time! I finally found a place where I could find peace, so why… why do I have to do this…!?

But… if I don’t fight, the era we lived in together, it’ll be as if it never existed… The happy times we spent together, they’ll be gone… So… so…!”

Tears streamed down Celica’s cheeks, dripping onto the ground.

“…Celica…!”

“Shut up! Get lost, you stupid disciple!” Celica childishly  rejected Glenn’s call.

“Don’t you get why I left you behind and came back to this shitty era?! If I saw you, my resolve would’ve crumbled for sure! I’d want to throw everything away, no question! And yet, you—damn it, you chased after me anyway, you idiot…! You absolute moron…!”

“…!”

“We’ve been together long enough! You should know by now, right?! I’m not strong, I’m weak! Demon King? Heroic Mage of Justice? I don’t give a damn about any of that! I’m just a frail woman who can barely walk straight without someone supporting her—don’t shove that crap on me! Stop screwing around, just stop it! Aaaah—! Waaaah—!”

As if unloading everything pent up in her heart, Celica sobbed uncontrollably.

Eventually… Celica wiped her eyes roughly and muttered faintly.

“Sniff… Even so… hic… this… is the fairy tale I started writing…”

“…”

“I have to… finish it properly… for the readers—the world—don’t I?”

“So, please… Glenn… let me go…”

Celica gently placed her hand on Glenn’s, which gripped her shoulder.

At that, Glenn let go smoothly.

“…Good boy.”

Celica gave a faint smile.

“It’ll be fine… I’ll definitely connect this causality… I’ll protect your future… So—”

And so,

Without ever looking back at Glenn,

Celica began to walk toward the gate… at that moment.

Whoosh!

Glenn spun his arms, firmly grasping Celica’s shoulders—and forcefully turned her to face him.

“…Ah…”

Celica’s red eyes, swollen and messy with tears, widened as they finally met Glenn’s face.

In that instant, more tears welled up… and Celica’s head drooped weakly.

“…Why… why, Glenn…? I… I’m already…”

“If that’s the case—then let me help write your fairy tale with you.”

“…!?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? A collaboration between master and disciple. Sure, the plot might get a bit messy, but…”

“Y-you idiot…!”

Celica glared at Glenn through her tear-streaked face.

“What… what are you saying, you idiot!?”

“…I’m dead serious, you know.”

“You!? Against that Demon King!? With your pathetic magic!? A third-rate mage like you, against the King of Magic!? Are you out of your mind…!?”

“…”

“You… you can say that because you don’t know the Demon King! He’s insanely strong! He’s terrifying! Even I don’t want to face him again! What could someone like you possibly do against him!?”

“…I can do it. If I’m with you, Celica…!”

Celica faltered at Glenn’s words.

“It’s not just me! There’s White Cat, Nameless, too! And I’m here carrying the hopes of all the students at the academy who pushed me forward…! They’re all trying to help you…!

You’re not alone! You’re never alone!

If you can’t do it alone, we’ll do it together! If two isn’t enough, we’ll all bear it together! We’ll all become mages of justice together! That’s all there is to it…!”

“G-Glenn…”

“Why… why do you always try to carry everything alone…!? Why don’t you ever learn…!? I’ve told you so many times before…!”

“But… but this time… I can’t drag you into this… There’s no guarantee we’ll return to our era… The odds of winning are next to nothing… And yet, I have to fight… I have to connect the causality…

Who could I possibly drag into a fight like that…? Who could I rely on…? It’s painful for me too… It’s been so painful…”

“Even so… when you left me behind and went off on your own… I was in so much pain, I wanted to scream and cry…!”

Glenn locked eyes with Celica, staring straight at her from close range.

“It’s not about logic, family isn’t like that! You don’t just become family or stop being family every time we face hardship, depending on whether you think you can overcome it!

When you regained your memories… you should’ve just told me everything honestly and said one thing: ‘Help me.’”

“…!?”

“Sure, we don’t know if we can win! But… at the very least, I wouldn’t let you bear all that pain alone! Whether we live or die, I’m with you! I can carry even a fraction of your burden… Let me carry it…! Not being able to share your burden here—that’s what’s truly painful for me…!”

To Glenn’s plea,

“…H…elp…”

Celica…

“H…elp…”

Finally…

“…Help me… Please, help me…”

Sobbing, she clung to Glenn.

“…You idiot… You should’ve just said that from the start, you big idiot…”

With tears welling in his eyes, Glenn embraced Celica tightly—

——

Some time later,

“…I’ve gained an extra burden.”

Having calmed down, Celica, her eyes red and swollen, faced away with a sullen expression, grumbling in annoyance.

“On top of that, everyone saw me in such an embarrassing state.”

“Shut up, don’t say it. I’m already regretting it a bit.”

When Glenn glanced sideways,

Sistine, Nameless, and the dragon girl averted their eyes awkwardly.

As Glenn scratched his head, wondering how to handle the atmosphere,

“Glenn…”

Suddenly, the dragon girl spoke to him.

“You… saved us back then…”

“I don’t quite get what you mean by ‘back then,’ but… I’m Le Silva, Sora’s servant.”

Smiling faintly, the girl—Le Silva—said,

“Thank you, Glenn. You’ve become the sun that stays by the side of the lonely Sora.”

“Shut up. Don’t say it so poetically, it’s embarrassing.”

Le Silva chuckled softly.

“I see… In the midst of this vortex of singularities, where causality remains uncertain… the future is unknown. But… if Sora—wins, a good future will be woven… Seeing you, I’m certain of it.”

“You’re giving me too much credit. Even in the future, humans are still fools, repeating the same mistakes over and over without learning.”

“Even so… there’s hope. That’s what I believe.”

“Good grief… That’s a heavy burden.”

Shrugging, Glenn called out to Celica.

“So, what’s the plan, Celica? We’re running out of time…”

“We move forward, obviously.”

Having cried her heart out and seemingly resolved something, Celica spoke firmly.

“But… it’s not out of reckless vengeance or a sense of duty. I’ll fight for your future. I’ll defeat the Demon King… That’s all.”

Glenn grinned at Celica’s answer.

“Then let’s go. To the other side of that《Gate of Wisdom》—”

“Y-Yes!”

Sistine hurriedly agreed, while Nameless and Le Silva nodded.

‘I see… So that’s your choice, Sora…’

A thick darkness coiled around the area… forming a single shadow before the gate upholstered gate.

Clad in a scarlet robe, the depths of the hood held an infinite abyss, its expression hidden. Not a single glint of eyes could be seen.

In its left hand, a crimson demonic blade. In its right, a jet-black demonic blade.

The dark aura rising from its entire being,

As if the darkness itself had donned a robe and taken human form—a demonic figure.

“Tch… That’s right… You were guarding the gate…! I killed you three times, and you still come crawling back…!”

Celica clicked her tongue in frustration, glaring at the demonic figure.

Glenn, too, was all too familiar with this figure.

“No way…《Demon Blade General》Al-Khan…! You’re showing up here!?”

“No…!”

Sistine, Nameless, and Le Silva froze, their expressions hardening.

Al-Khan was one of the Demon King’s Demon Generals.

For some reason, the magical power surging from this demonic figure was several times greater than before.

Perhaps the passage of thousands of years had weakened it back then…

Or maybe there was another reason.

Glenn didn’t know, but one thing was certain: the battle against this gate’s guardian would be a fight to the death beyond imagination.

(Damn… We’re short on time, and the Demon King’s still waiting…!)

As Glenn gritted his teeth and braced himself,

“…?”

Suddenly, Glenn noticed something odd.

Despite the overwhelming magical power emanating from Al-Khan, the violent killing intent and pressure from before were completely absent.

‘…’

Al-Khan, seemingly uninterested in anyone but Celica, didn’t spare Glenn or the others a single glance, staring solely at her.

Deciding it was best not to interfere, Glenn chose to silently observe Celica and Al-Khan’s movements.

“…Hmph. So? Are we fighting again?”

Celica said provocatively as she walked toward the gate.

“Fine by me. If you won’t stay dead no matter how many times I kill you, I’ll just keep killing you until you do.”

But—

‘I have no intention of fighting you now. If it were the old you, I’d have cut you down without mercy.’

Al-Khan said plainly.

“…? What do you mean? You’re one of the Demon King’s Demon Generals, aren’t you?”

‘Indeed. But more than that, I seek a master worthy of wielding me.’

“Huh…?”

‘For that purpose, I made a deal with the《Maiden of the Night Sky》and gained thirteen lives, taking on a “human form”…’

Glenn had no idea what the demonic figure was talking about.

He didn’t understand, but for now, he could only watch.

‘Sora. I seek a true master worthy of wielding me.’

“…?”

‘Titus Cruo… In this branched world, he was the only one who could have been my master, however imperfectly. But… Sora, in the radiance of your resolve to challenge him, I see your potential… You may be the one worthy of being my true master.’

“…Huh?”

‘Do you not understand? The unfathomable evil that humanity must truly confront. The《Pure Darkness》that mocks all from the vortex of darkness, emerging and crawling forth from the abyss. Do you not understand?’

“Al-Khan… what are you talking about…?”

‘The time is not yet ripe. Fear the darkness, but do not be afraid. Only the will of humanity can become the blade to strike down that evil—’

With that,

The demonic figure, without so much as a glance at Glenn and the others,

Slowly melted into the darkness…

‘My “true form” awaits beyond this sacred《Gate》… When the time comes… I pray that you, Sora, will be the one to become my master…’

With those final words,

The demonic figure… its presence… vanished completely.

“W-What was that guy…!? I mean, he said some weird stuff when we fought before, but…”

The tension eased, and Glenn let out a deep sigh as he muttered.

“The Demon King’s subordinates—the Demon Generals. They joined his ranks for various reasons, becoming his most powerful mages,” Sistine explained, wiping cold sweat from her brow.

“Their reasons and motivations vary, but they’re generally extensions of human desires… not entirely incomprehensible.”

For example, wealth, power, knowledge, strength, or conflict…

Or perhaps believing that serving the Demon King is what’s best for the world.

While not agreeable, their motivations are understandable… that’s generally how it is with the Demon Generals.

“But…《Demon Blade General》Al-Khan… his motivations were never clear, even until the end… According to Loran Ertoria, the author of ‘The Magician of Melgalius’, he struggled with Al-Khan’s characterization, forcing the role of a ‘wandering warrior seeking a true master’ onto him…”

“Well, it’s not entirely off the mark, but… in the end, he remains a mysterious figure, huh?”

Glenn scratched his head, muttering.

“…Well, it works out for us.”

Celica began walking toward the gate.

“I don’t quite get it, but… being able to pass through the《Gate of Wisdom》without fighting Al-Khan is a stroke of luck. He wore us down a lot here the first time…”

“Celica…”

“Let’s go, Glenn.”

Celica turned to him and said,

“I’ll definitely defeat the Demon King and connect the causality of the past and future. I’ll protect your future… So… lend me your strength.”

“Yeah, of course. Let’s finish this.”

Nodding firmly, Glenn followed Celica.

Thus,

The group slowly entered the《Gate of Wisdom》.

—The final battle was near.

Yet, strangely—Glenn didn’t feel like they would lose.

That’s right. Fighting alongside the very Mage of Justice he once admired—the real deal—what was there to fear? If anything, he felt exhilarated.

To think that he would stand at such a pivotal moment in history.

Even if he died in this battle… he probably wouldn’t have any regrets.

——

Perhaps because he was caught up in the moment,

Glenn failed to notice until the very end.

…Celica’s words.

“Connect the causality”

“Protect the future”

That’s all she said—

She never said,

“Return to the future world with Glenn and the others”