Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter 47

Forty-Seventh Chapter 

The Young Girl in the World of Dreams 

Tesfia and Alice dropped to the ground and onto their knees, coughing repeatedly. 

The two students were covered in wounds and had been on the verge of death, but Elise simply stared at them. The only thing on her mind was how her Walpinos had been broken. 

So space itself was cut, huh. The very structure of her spell, including its fixed coordinates, must have been torn apart. Since the bubbles were made from magic, they shouldn’t have been able to be cut through by physical means, so he had done the impossible. And Elise had definitely seen the torn air absorb some water. 

That was unknown magic that she had no memories of. If it was able to cut through space or dimensions itself, then no magic would be able to protect against it. The fact that he’d gone out of his way to show it to her was probably meant as a warning. 

In an instant, dense mana flowed out of Elise’s body at an explosive rate. In Kurama, nobody picked a straight-up fight against her. Even Hazan only gave her lip and never seriously tried to fight her. 

You brat... Very well. Let’s see what power you have, No. 1, Alus Reigin. Elise raised an arm towards Alus, bending the fingers of her hand hidden in her sleeve. 

Alus glared her way, realizing he would have to take her up on her provocation. After all, that was why she’d used a spell that put Tesfia’s and Alice’s lives in danger. He didn’t know what she would’ve done if he hadn’t shown up. 

In the worst case, the audience and even the campus festival visitors might end up as casualties. That said, if the visitors found out about it, there would be mass panic on the Institute’s grounds and everything would be out of control. 

Moreover, Alus himself didn’t want to make a big deal about it for personal reasons. His inner sense of judgment and feelings meant more than some haphazard cause or idea of justice. That was part of what made him so unusual. 

With a stern expression, he gave Felinella some instructions. “Feli, report this to the principal, and then gather the personnel to pursue her.” 

“O-Okay!!” 

“And take care of treating Fia and Alice. Turn off the damage exchange system for the training grounds, and max out the strength of the barrier to keep the audience from harm.” 

Felinella listened carefully, nodding at his rapid orders. Having seen the match just now, she understood that the girl was in a completely different league than Tesfia and Alice. 

It was similar to the overwhelming disparity that was the reason for Felinella’s respect for Alus, so she acknowledged his precautions. He’d said in so many words that the girl in the red robe was that strong. Not to mention that he said pursue, not capture. It seemed he had no intention of restraining her here. 

Or maybe... he was saying that he couldn’t. After a single glance at Alus’ serious face, Felinella prepared to move out. She didn’t need to ask anything else. 

Right now, Alus wasn’t an Institute student, but Alpha’s ranked No. 1. He had a hunch of who the girl was and decided there was a need to pursue her even if she escaped. 

Felinella called out to Delca. Faced with her intense gaze, he vaguely understood her intentions, even if he didn’t fully understand the situation. 

Alus started heading for the match area. “It is the campus festival, after all. I’ll try not to stir things up too much.” 

He removed his security armband as he said this, causing Felinella to smile for a moment before putting on a serious expression again. Even now, Alus was being mindful of appearances. He might have the confidence to get things done on his own, but he also took her efforts in the background into consideration as well. 

Which meant that she would also do her utmost. She would do what she could as the management committee chair to ensure that Alus could focus on fighting. And so, she replied in a reverent tone of voice as if to convey her feelings, “Yes!!” 

A short distance away, Loki stood at attention. 

“Loki, keep watch on the outside, there’s no guarantee she doesn’t have allies with her, and we still don’t know what she’s after.” 

“If I confirm any enemies intervening...” 

“Then you immediately eliminate them. Once the military Magicmasters arrive, you join the pursuit team.” 

“Understood,” Loki said with a blank expression and lowered her head. She wished him good luck in her mind but knew he would understand without her saying it for everyone to hear. 

If Alus was right, then the campus festival was the least of their concerns, but at the moment there were no reports from other security teams. Seeing as how the red-robed girl had seemingly joined in spontaneously it was likely that this farce was done at her own accord, but there was nothing to lose in staying on guard against others. 

The barrier around the training ground match areas disappeared, and all ongoing matches, as well as those waiting to start after them, were canceled. Felinella made the announcement to the venue, as Alus’ lips curled up into a smile at her swift work. 

“To everyone in the arena, the two competitors who were injured before are fine, so please don’t worry. I also have another announcement. The mock battle between the student considered to be the strongest in the Second Magical Institute, Alus Reigin, and a challenger from Alpha’s military is about to begin. The challenger’s name will be withheld due to certain circumstances, and their power is unknown, so the entire training grounds will be opened up for their match.” 

Alus’ cheek twitched at the introduction, but it was something he wouldn’t be able to keep hidden in this match—his capability. Felinella had taken that possibility into account when she introduced him. 

For the students of the Institute, this was the first they’d heard of it. So they probably interpreted the announcement as Felinella’s acknowledgment of him. 

Alus passed by the two girls being carried out on stretchers, and quietly said to them, “Good match.” It was surely a huge learning experience for both of them. Though the last spell had been cast just to force him onto the stage... having to go along with it, despite realizing what the robed girl was doing, grated on his nerves. 

Students and challengers alike all cleared out from the training grounds, so someone who was walking against the crowd would stand out. Delca found it strange, so he ran up to Felinella to ask what was going on. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to talk down to her as her senior, but taking her rank and his status as nobility into consideration, he managed to restrain any hasty feelings as he spoke. It was still an abnormal situation, and being the supervisor, he was on pins and needles. 

However, Felinella’s answer was calm. “Let’s leave this to Mr. Alus, and try to keep the festival going. So, please work with me.” 

This was the first time Felinella had bowed so politely to Delca, who wasn’t fully convinced, but he stopped to think for a moment. He hadn’t participated in the tournament. As an excellent third-year student, he was already destined to join the military, and his rookie training with a squad had already begun. He could, of course, have received permission to participate if he’d requested it, but as someone looking to officially serve in the military, he knew what he should prioritize. 

That’s why he knew that Alus had taken part in the tournament, but he hadn’t witnessed his strength for himself. So he had no choice but to make an assumption based on the information he had at hand. But he wasn’t sure he could leave an opponent who’d put two students on the verge of death to someone like that. Being a model student, as well as an upperclassman and a noble, Delca felt he had a duty and made his decision. “No, I think I’ll handle this.” 

He reached for his sword AWR, but Felinella stopped him. “You won’t be enough. Besides, this is an order. Not from me... but from him.” 

Delca followed Felinella’s gaze. When he spotted Alus, he drew in his breath in realization. Having already spent a little time in the military, he found it hard to believe, but there was nobody in the military who didn’t know Lord Vizaist’s daughter. There could be no doubting it if she declared it, but the unease was still there. 

Words alone wouldn’t be enough. Sensing this, Felinella continued, “We will have to support him so that he can fight without concern. Not to mention that you’ll find out soon enough.” 

Seeing how excited she looked, Delca furrowed his brows and sighed at how improper it was. If she was going to say that much, he had to believe her, but with his sense of responsibility he was ready to step in himself if something happened. 

“I have a message for the principal, so I have to hurry now.” 

“I think I will do that instead. You’re better off staying here than me.” 

This was something Alus had directly entrusted to Felinella. It wasn’t something she could leave to someone else. But Delca’s expression said he wouldn’t budge. He must have wanted to verify the truth. He’d especially want proof now that he’d gotten a sense of Alus’ identity. 

And so, Felinella felt that she had no choice but to give in. If not, then Delca might intervene in the fight after she left to deliver the message. It was definitely a possibility if he didn’t know who Alus was. Considering his strong sense of responsibility, she wouldn’t be able to blame him if he did. 

She absolutely wanted to avoid getting in Alus’ way. He’d even asked her to prepare the stage. So it was only natural that she would prioritize the best choice, given her promise and the current situation. “I understand. The principal should be in the auditorium or her office. The message is, ‘Please prepare a team to pursue that girl.’ I believe Mr. Alus is planning on capturing her outside of the Institute.” 

“What?!” Delca started to wonder just who this girl was that he’d allowed to participate if she required that much consideration. Clearly, her military position had been faked, and she was no ordinary person. 

The message to the principal also bothered him. Even though it had the appearance of a request, it went beyond a proposal and was closer to an order. 

Finally, Delca was convinced. Alus was part of the military and apparently had a rank close to the principal’s. His astonishment lasted for only a moment as, realizing the importance of the situation, he took off running. 

That commotion aside, most of the audience had calmed down a little. Thanks to Felinella’s announcement, they interpreted what happened before as an accident, as the competitors just getting too heated with each other. 

The announcement of a new match eased their confusion and helped spark their enthusiasm again. Of course, nobody in the audience knew of Alus’ true power, only recognizing him as the strongest student mentioned in the introduction. So naturally they could expect a higher-level battle than before. 

A new barrier was raised that covered the entire training grounds, which was enough to fire up the audience, and they eagerly awaited the beginning of the match as Alus stepped up. The crowd shouted loudly, stomping their feet on the ground in a beat. 

As he got close enough, Alus made a lighthearted remark. “Talk about being indirect. Even if you’re in your rebellious phase, you’re going too far...” 

Nobody expected that she’d show up here. Looking things over, he could once again affirm... this girl was dangerous. At the same time, it also meant that the audience, as well as tens of thousands of campus festival visitors, were all potential hostages. 

“Hehe, you don’t have to look so threatening, kid. I was only playing around with the brats. It’s just hard to hold back, you know?” 

“You call me a kid, looking like that?” 

Elise’s expression turned to displeasure at Alus’ provocation. She hated it when people pointed out her appearance to her. The same applied to her age. She wasn’t as short-tempered as Hazan, but when she couldn’t suppress her anger, she showed no mercy. 

She pushed those feelings back for now and instead referred to her spell being broken. “It seems you use some interesting spells... you cut through space itself, didn’t you?” 

“Hmph. I see you have a good eye,” Alus said. He added, “That goes for both of us.” 

The last spell she’d used, Walpinos, was a rather old spell that was created when humanity was first making breakthroughs in magic. When the concept of magic development was in its early stages, many spells were developed that easily killed humans and similar creatures en masse, as they lacked information on what Fiends really were. 

Because of that, much of the magic created back then focused on being fatal. Walpinos, in particular, was created to drown people. The original intent was to fire the water outward, but it ended up being turned into a spell that trapped its target instead. 

It had undergone a unique process in its development. It was fatal for humans, but wasn’t very effective against Fiends, so almost nobody used it nowadays. It was also one of the spells banned at the Friendship Magical Tournament. 

However, Alus had no idea what the spell with the four black tails was, the one that destroyed Tesfia’s and Alice’s spells. He imagined it was either a special ability or a completely original spell. But in that one instant, he was able to discern that it wasn’t a summoning spell. The fact that they were shaped as tails attached to her made him suspect they were connected to her nervous system in some way. 

In addition to being able to freely move them, she was probably able to successively rewrite the spell’s structure to change their shape and allow for more complicated movements. Or maybe it was an even simpler principle. At any rate, they shouldn’t be able to move independently of her body. 

“I’m sure there’s a lot going on in your mind, but nothing beats practice. I will personally instruct you. You’re stronger than those students from before, aren’t you?” Elise said, as if to tease Alus. 

Those words were, of course, disingenuous. She was convinced that he didn’t know her identity. But it didn’t take long for the mask to come off. 

“Oh? I see it’s true that you get senile with age.” 

“—!!” Elise’s eyes narrowed in a chilling glare. 

But before she could open her mouth, Alus followed up with even more provocative words. “Minalis Folce Quartz.” 

“How... how the hell do you know that name?!” Elise ground her teeth. 

“Hm, thought as much.” Alus had said the name without much conviction. There’d been a time when he’d researched Kurama once for a mission. Although not everybody’s identities were known, there weren’t many who could rival Singles either in the underworld or in the public eye. And the older generation of Magicmasters mostly died in the Outer World. 

Alus made his painstaking way through the investigation, but when it came to confidential documents on Alpha, he could more or less peruse them through Berwick. But even given his knowledge and that information, he couldn’t get a perfect grasp on the past. So it was only by coincidence that he’d noticed the unnaturalness of the information about this person. 

Minalis Folce Quartz. Back then, she’d been the ranked No. 2, the strongest in Alpha. Most Single Digit Magicmasters—including her—had lost their lives during the appearance of an SS-class Fiend, now referred to as the calamity. Almost no Magicmasters who fought back then were alive today. 

Alus had noted an unusual cause of death recorded on the list of the deceased. It was just too vague and unclear. Even though she was supposed to have fought the SS-class Fiend Cronus, nobody knew how Minalis had died. It didn’t even look like she’d gone missing in battle. 

That caught his interest, and Alus asked for more information on her, but there wasn’t much left. It was as if it had been deliberately erased by someone. 

Meanwhile, around the same time, he came across some data on illegal research that the top brass had been working on in secret. Among the data was information on immortality. At the time, Alus thought of it as nothing more than an impracticable theory. Even if the aging process could be slowed, it wasn’t possible to extend someone’s life expectancy by very much. That was just common sense. 

However, there were no records on Minalis’ characteristics or appearance. Not to mention that the noble Quartz family mansion had burned down in the past for some reason. 

So Alus bringing up that name here was just to squash a last possibility. Even if it was a lie that she was in Alpha’s military, he figured that there was some truth to it. Then there was the old-fashioned lethal magic she’d used. All in all, this was the result of him somewhat forcing together pieces of a puzzle using what information he had on Kurama. 

But he’d never imagined that an old-style Magicmaster like this was alive, especially not someone who’d fought Cronus. 

During the Demi Azur incident, Jean had fought two executives from Kurama. Assuming that Kurama had members originating from Alpha only made sense. Magicmasters were trained to serve in the military after all, and Alpha had long been renowned as a magical powerhouse. 

Moreover, according to Jean’s report, one of the two was skilled with the water attribute. That was why Alus made that assumption, but even he was surprised that he got it right. 

It was like looking at a ghost. With that in mind, he spoke up again. “And here I was thinking there were some insane kids out there. You really let someone like Jean get too much information on you, granny. Is that big one that was with you not here today?” 

“If he was, this institute would be covered in blood by now.” 

“I bet.” 

Elise was annoyed and tried to stay calm. There was something more important than Hazan, and that was... only she needed to know her secret. “You really are a frightening brat, Alus Reigin... I was only going to see how strong you were. But now there’s a change of plans. I’ll kill you right here.” 

The overly dense mana began to turn to liquid. Elise hadn’t really confirmed anything, but based on her attitude, Alus was convinced and decided there was no more use in arguing. 

With technologies such as AWRs and the like, modern magic was far more advanced than in the past. As a researcher, he was sure of it. So as the current ranked No. 1, if he used his power, he should be able to handle Minalis, a survivor of the calamity. 

“Try it.” He raised his hand, beckoning her over with his index finger. 

The next moment, Alus’ mana overflowed like a muddy stream, blowing away Elise’s mana that had filled their surroundings. 

*** 

Even though a gag order was imposed to prevent an increase of hostages at the training grounds, rumors spread like wildfire. 

The fact that Tesfia and Alice lost to their opponent spawned all kinds of theories among the students. It must’ve meant that a high-ranking Magicmaster had appeared and was taking part in the mock battles. 

Eventually, the gossip shifted away from those two and onto the Magicmaster’s next opponent, Alus. Any first-year student had heard that name at least once, be it in a good sense or bad sense. He was treated with great caution, but nobody approached him, and so the rumors about him took on a life of their own. The only thing agreed upon was the perception that they didn’t understand him. 

A handful of girls, though, had heard about Alus from Tesfia and Alice, so they had a better impression of him than the male students. And now he would fight the opponent they’d lost against. 

Everyone believed it was a chance to see Alus’ true worth that had been hidden behind a veil of mystery. At the very least, since he was always with Loki, who was second in the Institute after Felinella, he might have power on par with Tesfia and Alice. That’s what most thought, and now they’d have a chance to find out. 

Their expectations were even higher after hearing the rumor that Felinella called him the “number one” in the Institute. That was saying he was stronger than her, which was certainly controversial, so the best solution was to go see for themselves. 

And so, some students abandoned their stalls to hurry over to the training grounds. As a result, the training grounds that were already at capacity were filled with a new wave of students. 

Among them was the blonde transfer student that had enrolled after the tournament. Alus clearly remembered this noble girl, Lilisha Ron de Rimfuge Frusevan, as someone to keep a watch out for. 

“I guess it can’t be helped. They’ve gotten this close, so I will have to step in too.” Unlike the other female students who were giddy with curiosity, Lilisha was biting her lip and furrowing her brows. “This throws a wrench into my plans,” she muttered to herself, before raising her head. 

By then her expression was back to that of a normal student, an innocent student that didn’t know anything. And in a very blatant tone of voice, she said, “Speaking of all this... I remember hearing rumors that the ranked No. 1 is still young...” 

“Wait!!” “Where did you hear that?!” “How old are they?!” The girls around Lilisha immediately asked for more. 

“Oh, it’s just something I overheard someone say...” Lilisha vaguely said. She glanced over at a male student who was heading for the training grounds. And everyone around her followed suit. 

*** 

A little while before the students began gathering, and a couple of minutes before Alus’ and Elise’s match began... 

The barriers dividing up the training grounds were released, and everyone eagerly awaited the match that would take up the training grounds in their entirety. 

Normally, the grounds were split into four arenas, so this felt rather large to Alus. He was reminded of when he’d lightly raked Tesfia over the coals when she’d haughtily challenged him. That aside, despite the field being so large, it felt small. It was proof of how capable his opponent was. 

In the case that Elise—Minalis—were to go on a rampage, the strength of the barrier around the training grounds had been raised to the maximum level to prevent any casualties, but it wasn’t something that could be fully relied on. 

Alus’ duty here was to settle everything peacefully. The idea wasn’t to overwhelm Elise but rather to render her harmless by removing her fangs and will to fight. 

The best thing would be to turn her away without any casualties to the crowd. It seemed like a simple thing to do. But his opponent wasn’t a normal magic criminal. She was in a league of her own, which was common ground they both shared. 

At present, the audience and visitors to the festival were all hostages, and the risk was too big to make any careless moves. He understood he was asking the impossible of Sisty. Alus was the only Magicmaster who could deal with her without causing any more trouble. But that also meant shifting locations and relying on a number of military personnel. 

Meanwhile, he also had an investment in this. He couldn’t afford to lose his established place in the Institute, however noisy things were right now. Moreover, he wanted to avoid ruining the campus festival that Felinella was managing with a violent incident. It could very well turn into the site of a historical disaster. 

For the time being, he would make this look like just another event at the festival. Since she hadn’t brought that battle-crazed giant of a man with her, and he could feel that she wasn’t looking for simple carnage, that seemed appropriate. 

Moving locations was reasonable, but Elise had no reason to go along with it. ... It’ll probably be tricky. It appeared that she knew Alus was hiding his power for some reason. She’d probably chosen the mock battles as a means to guarantee he couldn’t run or hide, and using Tesfia and Alice as bait to provoke and lure him out was also meant to show her intentions. 

Irritating as it was, his body had moved on its own back then. He couldn’t stay detached and overlook it. He did think her act was in poor taste, but there was no point in lamenting something that had already happened. 

Alus sighed, but not even he knew why. Now that it had come to this, he’d have to do what he could. He wouldn’t be able to get away with cutting corners. 

He’d had the damage exchange system turned off so that Elise could experience his power firsthand, but also so he could focus on the battle. When it came to actual combat, the exchange system only got in the way of casting spells. And those black tails in particular would require him to sharpen his senses to their limit. That was what Alus thought to himself, as he waited for the buzzer to ring out. 

Elise was following the rules and holding off on her attacks as well. That was one of the reasons behind his decision. If she wasn’t willing to perform needless carnage, then there was still hope. If she came out of the match in one piece, she’d probably just leave. 

Of course, it was still unclear how far she would go; and there was no denying there was some wishful thinking mixed in on his part. 

Eventually, the buzzer rang out, interrupting his pointless thoughts. 

He wasn’t sure what to do. Even if she’d declared she would kill him, she wouldn’t be able to. Something he could do was to give her a display of his power and let her know she was no match for him. 

Alus knew he wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything with half-baked measures, and it wasn’t necessarily a good idea to just corner her here. This’ll be a pain. First, I should find out how much the barrier around the training grounds can take, he thought to himself.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, brat,” Elise said with a joyful smile, as she thrust out her hand, bending her fingers in one at a time starting from her pinkie. Once closed, she opened her fist up to Alus. At the same time, a massive amount of water overflowed from her sleeve. 

“‹‹Aqua Dragon››” 

Alus furrowed his brows at her words. This meant another bothersome spell was coming. “Just where did you learn about this?” 

When it came to summoning spells, manifesting power as a coiling dragon was an expert-level spell. Dragons were nonexistent, so that presented a problem when it came to imagining and constructing the information. Yet Elise was using Aqua Dragon as if to test the waters, so she wasn’t cutting Alus any slack. 

The audience stirred immediately. The water dragon that appeared was easily taller than the third floor of the audience seats. 

However, it seemed more like it had been a magic trick, as in the next moment it was surrounded by invisible walls and disappeared. 

“As I thought, you can directly interfere with space,” Elise said with a laugh, as she looked at Alus, who’d brought his hands together to temper his mana. 

“...” He’d known she was just testing him, but to think that was her intention... “You sure get right to the heart of the matter. I have things I want to hide too, you know.” As Alus said this, the supposedly crushed Aqua Dragon reformed itself at a high speed. 

That meant his spell before had been meaningless, but he wasn’t particularly surprised. He’d wanted to show that he could deal with the water dragon even if it meant risking his space manipulation magic getting found out. If possible, he hoped to not only keep her in check but to limit her options. 

An indeterminate form of summons was troublesome enough. Since physical attacks wouldn’t work, they needed to be hit with magic that exceeded their strength, not to mention that someone from the audience could sneak in a move as well. 

Even so, the reformed Aqua Dragon still needed to be dealt with. Now reborn, it opened its mouth wide and flew at Alus. 

He jumped back to gain some distance, but— 

The dragon missed him, but as its jaw smashed into the ground and burst, it sent out large amounts of water that changed direction in midair and assaulted Alus. It even accelerated, as if it had only bounced off of the ground to gain momentum. 

Alus ended up getting targeted in midair, but for him it wasn’t an opening. He drew Night Mist as if he’d expected it. And with the satisfying sound of its chain rattling, he passed mana through it. Against any respectable magic, a physical defense wouldn’t amount to much. 

When it came to the water attribute, it was standard to fight back with the lightning attribute, but it was hard to believe his opponent wouldn’t take such a commonplace measure into account. He messed with spells himself, after all. A summoned beast had a core that supplied it with mana, so in a sense, a summon with an indeterminate form would be indestructible so long as the core was protected. 

In particular, the core of the water dragon could be freely controlled by its user. Even the Dimension Thrust he’d used to save Tesfia and Alice would be pointless if it didn’t hit the core. That’s why he instead chose a different spell. 

“‹‹Mistlotein››” By constructing and then canceling Niflheim in its initial stage in his mind, he transformed mana into liquid nitrogen. He then sprayed the massive amounts of crystallized liquid nitrogen from his blade as if it was mist. 

It seemed rather chancy with a huge water dragon weighing far more than him closing in. Even as he swung his AWR in a cross, the pure white mist would only block the dragon’s vision. 

But Mistlotein’s true value hadn’t shown itself yet. It would appear when the crystallized form came in contact with an object. And just as the water dragon was about to swallow Alus whole, it flew into the curtain of mist, which froze at an explosive rate, freezing the entire dragon. 

Meanwhile, Elise calmly watched it happen. Indeed, she couldn’t have him fall to a mere Aqua Dragon. If that was all he could handle, there would have been no reason to come. 

She smiled as she stared at her completely frozen water dragon. “That’s my first time seeing that spell. It’s similar to Niflheim, but in the end, it’s...!!” Her eyes narrowed, as she watched Alus land on the tip of the water dragon’s frozen nose. 

“It’s been a while since I last used it, but it went pretty well. This spell doesn’t end here.” Mistlotein eroded the mana that composed spells itself. It spread explosively, enveloping mana in crystals. As such, it was extremely effective against spells that used mana as a catalyst. 

Alus immediately got to work constructing an elaborate new spell and cast it on the water dragon. He used not only the eroded mana of the dragon’s core, but also infused it with even more mana. After his battle with Demi Azur, his stores of mana easily surpassed twice what he had before. So there was a need even to expel this excess mana. Even though he’d grown accustomed to it, having overwhelmingly large amounts of mana was still unstable. 

“Now it’s my turn to put on a show... Rebirthing flames, ‹‹Phoenix››” The frozen water dragon flashed red before the ice burst, evaporating in midair before returning to mana particles. 

Alus’ summoning spell was gleaned from a Lost Spell using technology of the old world. It was a spell nobody but him could reproduce, and it wasn’t recorded in the spell encyclopedia either. 

The phoenix, spreading its wings, glowed with red-hot flames. As its caster, Alus wasn’t affected by the fire, but if a barrier hadn’t surrounded the training grounds, the audience would’ve received more than just simple burns. 

Elise was no exception. However, she’d already taken measures to avoid the magical heat. She covered herself in a film of mana, and the mana she’d thrown off to enhance her water attribute spells remained airborne to protect her. She might feel the heat but was taking next to no damage. 

She was fascinated by the sublime sight for a moment. Then she started laughing. “Hehe, extraordinary, heretical, ingenious, monstrous... all of them are too weak to describe you! You’re far beyond any measuring standards... but I won’t fall behind to a brat who’s only been alive for some 15 years. I gave up my own humanity a long time ago.” 

Elise ripped the bandage from her arm with her teeth. From the glimpses Alus could see between the gaps, he realized his prediction had been spot on. She has magic formulas carved directly into her arm. 

It was theoretically possible, certainly. In fact, it would be the most effective method. But it should have been a pointless act. Carving formulas directly into the skin wouldn’t do much, as it would peel off within a few days and be replaced with a new layer of skin. 

Not to mention that the skin would slacken over the years, losing its elasticity. So the magic formula’s composition would also loosen, which would affect the details—a fatal flaw for something that required delicate precision. 

But for some reason, that didn’t seem to apply to Elise. The magic formulas on her arm were functioning just fine. That much was clear from her fighting so far. They also didn’t appear to be freshly carved, as the way she handled her magic spoke volumes of her experience in fighting with them. Even as Alus watched, the magic formula glowed a pale blue color. 

“Thank you for the gift you’ve given me in return. I think it’s only fair that I respond to a summon with another summon... It might get a little tight in here, but you don’t mind, do you?” 

As Elise finished speaking, a massive round film of water appeared behind her. Even though it only occupied a very thin area of space, its surface shimmered endlessly in black and deep blue colors, as if it was a mirror reflecting the depths of the sea. At the same time, it also seemed like a massive opening that was connected to the ocean itself. 

With a fearless smile, she thrust her hand forward and loudly shouted, “Fulfill your mission of slaughtering anyone who stands in my way, king of the abyss and demon of the distant seas, be unleashed upon all... ‹‹Leviathan››” 

“—!!” Suddenly, Alus saw something stir in the film of water. It was tremendous... at the same time, the film’s surface was violently disturbed, and a deep heavy echo shook the atmosphere. 

The loud vibrating sound reverberated within the depths of one’s body. The audience held their collective breath as they gazed at the film that seemed like a gate to the seas. Some nearly choked from the ominous foreboding energy, but no one could take their eyes off of it. 

It felt like a long time passed, but in reality, it was only two or three seconds. And when it appeared from the film, everyone forgot to breathe. The unrealistic sight looked like something from a fairy tale or myth. 

Answering Elise’s call was a legendary creature. Breaking through the film, the wicked face came into the open. Rumor had it that ancient monsters still lurked beneath the seas, and its appearance certainly lent credibility to the rumors. What came from the depths had a horrible otherworldly visage, but in a different sense from a Fiend. 

The first thing that stood out was a sharp horn. Following that were countless sharp teeth in disarray, reflecting silvery light like polished blades. It had no eyes, and its face was that of an ugly, distorted, and deformed water dragon. 

Two arms forcibly thrust out of the membrane, as if tearing through the edges of the hole. Sickle-like protrusions on the arms pierced deeply into the ground to help it crawl out. Each time it wriggled to pull its body out, the ground shook. 

Everyone in the audience watched with bated breath as the full extent of the giant monster was revealed. It was so large it even dwarfed the Phoenix. Like Elise said, it was as if it was too big to fit within the training grounds. 

Alus had no knowledge of this spell, or rather this monstrous being, but faced with its size, he felt impatience. The audience probably didn’t doubt they were safe, but if the Phoenix and Leviathan were to seriously clash, the training grounds—and maybe even the entire Institute—would be in danger. He might have been the one to pull the trigger, but... Tsk, I underestimated her! To think a summoned creature that exceeded the Phoenix would appear... 

He raised his caution of Elise to the maximum. The ability of Singles was rewritten with every generation. It was generally accepted that Singles of the past were inferior to even the Doubles of today, but that was largely because knowledge and technology concerning magic had seen dramatic development. 

But it was clear that this summoning spell, and the monster it brought forth, wasn’t something so easily opposed even by a Single. If anything—Is there anyone in the military today that would stand a chance against this aside from Lettie or me? ... No. Alus couldn’t help but conclude this upon seeing Elise’s display of force. Kurama executives were said to be on par with Single Digit Magicmasters, but it appeared that wasn’t enough to describe her. 

He’d hoped that she would go wild in some other nation and not here, but nothing would come from complaining about it. Leviathan was a trump card that exceeded the realm of summoning magic. Stunned or not, Alus carefully observed its construction, or rather he sensed it. Considering the scale of the summon, it should take quite a bit of time to complete. 

Now’s my chance...! Before Leviathan had fully appeared, Alus built an extra program into Phoenix. The next moment, with a high-pitched screech, the divine bird flapped its wings of flame, sending a heat wave sweeping over the training grounds. 

Flying over to Leviathan, it swooped down fast, hoping to slam its massive body into the ground. Flapping its wings, it scorched the air, accelerating downward. As it aimed, it crashed into Leviathan from above. A pillar of fire rose like a volcano erupting. At the same time, a large amount of steam filled the arena. 

“Hmm, I was almost there, but it’s already over.” From the steam came Elise’s disappointed voice. “Now then, next is...” 

“I have no intentions of playing along with your games!” Alus’ voice sounded out, as if to erase Elise’s mutterings. 

She glanced behind her, in the direction the voice had come from, as she bent down. “—!!” Night Mist soared above her head, cutting through the steam. “I’m not all that fond of close combat, you see,” she grumbled, as she instantly created a blade of water in her right hand, slashing behind her. However, there was no response. 

“I see. It seems you’re not lying,” Alus’ ridiculing voice came from the side this time. 

Elise remained expressionless, creating another blade of water in her left hand to slash with that as well. Yet she only cut through air once more. Sensing she was at a disadvantage while being unable to see from all the steam, she unleashed a burst of mana into the ground. With her in the center, the steam disappeared in a circle around her. 

However... “—!!” Alus was nowhere to be found. A chill ran down her spine as she sensed a presence from above, and her vision darkened for a moment. 

She instinctively turned her head up and clicked her tongue at the weapon that was right upon her and intercepted it with her blade of water. Then, recalling how Alus had cut through space itself, she realized her mistake. But thanks to her experience, she was able to react immediately. 

She wouldn’t be able to block Alus’ Night Mist with her water blade. So she instantly canceled her spell and kicked off the ground, while twisting her body diagonally upwards to avoid a fatal blow. Even Elise felt a cold sweat as she heard the strange sound emitted by Night Mist as it passed by her side. 

After landing on a knee, she reaffirmed that dodging had been the right choice. She took a closer look at the area where Alus’ slash had passed through. It was hard to believe what she was seeing. It appeared that space itself had been displaced along the trajectory that Night Mist traveled, though it soon reversed and healed itself. “I see. So this is a Single in this day and age.” 

Alus’ close combat skills and magic techniques were far above the Singles that Elise knew. But that wasn’t all. Taking the audience hostage was working in her favor, as Alus didn’t seem intent on completely cornering her, but even so—that attack was unexpected. 

In other words... he was coldhearted and ruthless. It certainly wasn’t intended to be a finishing blow. But Elise knew that he’d have been fine if she’d failed to dodge it and had died. 

She’d thought that modern Magicmasters were soft, so knowing that the ranked No. 1, standing at the top of them all, wouldn’t hesitate to kill, was a pleasant miscalculation. She had killed more people than she could count... the result of her becoming a criminal and seeking revenge. Meanwhile, the Magicmasters that walked the path of light would hesitate the moment before they killed, even if they were Single Digits. 

So each was beyond what the other expected. Nevertheless, Elise glanced down at herself and sighed. “I really can’t say I’m good with close combat.” 

She had a small body with short limbs, which was part of it, but more than anything, she didn’t have an AWR, leaving her with only magic to protect herself. Then again, against the ability to cut through space itself, not even an AWR would help. 

Elise’s tactics typically consisted of fighting at medium to long range, keeping the enemy from getting too close. However, that was only practical against a weaker opponent, or at worst an opponent of equal strength. So clashing against someone that might be superior to her brought about a sense of urgency for the first time in decades. 

“This’ll be rough. Talk about an annoying spell... rendering defense useless in close combat.” Ignoring her rush of emotions, Elise calmly analyzed the sticky situation she was in, as if she was talking about someone else. “However—that’s all there is to it!” 

She looked to be distancing herself at first but stepped forward towards Alus as she spoke. At the same time, she pulled her arms behind her as if to hide the water blades in her hands. Realizing her disadvantage, she chose to push against it, challenging him to close combat of her own accord. 

Surprised by the unexpected move, Alus’ reaction was slightly delayed. He’d taken her specialty into consideration and been on guard against a long-range magic battle, so Elise had outwitted him. For the time being, he too moved forward to throw off her timing. As a result, they closed in on each other in an instant. 

He blocked Elise’s blade of water, repelling it. As it was made from magic, it was open to be transformed or altered through other forms of trickery when they clashed. 

He felt a heavy impact, like metal clashing against metal. But that wasn’t all. Without delay, the second attack came flying from Elise’s other hand. 

Even against two blades, Alus wasn’t going to fall behind with Night Mist. As a result of his blocking the first attack, the chain flew in the air. Against the second attack, he stretched the chain out to shield him. 

The chain in the air became a sturdy shield to protect him from Elise’s attack... or so it should have. But as the chain and the water blade were about to connect, Elise flicked her wrist. 

Tsk! Alus clicked his tongue in his mind, as the shape of the water blade was undone before it touched the chain. It became liquid water and harmlessly passed through the chain wall. Shortly thereafter the liquid burst, turning into multiple water bullets that attacked Alus. 

Elise had flicked her wrist like a whip to change her water blade and to give the water bullets speed. The water bullets were coated in a thin layer of mana. Fortunately, the water blade had been moving in a sweeping motion, so they flew in a straight line. 

Alus bent over and dodged them. Naturally, he was vigilant against the water blade. Since she wasn’t using an enchantment but instead created the blade through magic, she was rather skilled. At the same time, it was easy to change, and he knew this kind of change was possible, which was why the water bullets were within expectations. 

But against this opponent, he didn’t want to be on the defensive. He removed the chain’s fixed coordinates he’d set to create the shield and made use of his bent-over posture to kick up against his opponent’s face. 

Close combat was a battle of reading the other’s intentions. The point was to corner the opponent so they couldn’t evade. And it all started with overcoming the opponent’s expectations. 

Alus saw the hem of a red robe at the top of his vision. At the top of his vision... meaning that his kick hadn’t connected. 

Jumping and dodging the attack, Elise twisted her hip and rotated to give Alus a kick in return from the air. Repeatedly, at that. One blow, two blows... Alus crossed his arms to protect himself and felt heavy impacts striking them. Through a gap between his arms, he could see Elise’s robe tossing about in a torrent of red, as she changed her posture in midair and unleashed a third kick below his crossed arms. 

“Tsk...” Alus was sent flying. But he recovered his form and kicked the ground once to kill the momentum, landing without any panic in his expression. 

He’d thrown his right palm in the way of the last kick, so the damage he took was relatively small. At the very least it cushioned the attack, but even now his hand was still numb. 

During the exchange, Alus became convinced that she understood Dimension Thrust’s drawbacks. Like Elise said, Dimension Thrust was impossible to defend against in close combat. However, the spell called for precise compositional requirements, plus an understanding of space itself, so it took some work. Meaning that it wasn’t something that could be built up in an instant. So while he could use it for attacking, Alus couldn’t use Dimension Thrust for defense, where decisions needed to be made in the blink of an eye. 

It wasn’t something that could be fixed by pouring more mana into it. And missing his target was something he needed to be careful about. This wasn’t some slow-moving floating ball of water or sluggish Fiend. 

But more importantly... A line of blood ran down from the edge of his mouth. “Now you’ve done it, granny. Not good at it?” Indeed, when it came to close combat, Elise was one step above. 

“I just don’t like using unintelligent moves. I never said I was bad at it, brat.” Lifting the corners of her mouth, Elise smiled wickedly. 

*** 

The students forgot to breathe as they watched the battle, and they were forced to recognize that in the end, rumors were just rumors. 

The battle far exceeded expectations. Those who were inexperienced would struggle to even pick up any details. They had difficulty telling what the two combatants were even doing. The novice and intermediate spells they knew were no comparison for what they were seeing. 

It was only natural that they’d imagine this was the kind of battle they would see with two Single Digits fighting. In fact, most students had never seen a Single Digit Magicmaster fight before. At most, they could only compare it to the fighting styles of the best Magicmasters they knew. The back and forth was so high level, the magic so diverse. 

Suddenly, one of the female students in a group spoke up. “This is inhuman.” 

Meanwhile, Delca Base, who’d been sent out in Felinella’s place to deliver Alus’ message, stood stiffly with a tense face as he saluted the principal, who had her back to him. 

When he’d knocked and stepped inside the principal’s office, she already had her staff in hand and was in the middle of doing something. The room, which doubled as an office, was filled with an unusual amount of mana. Perhaps because of that pressure, Delca felt like his clothes were heavy, as if they were soaked. 

Seeing the clothing she wore made Delca swallow by reflex. She was already wearing the combat outfit she’d worn when she was still in active duty. 

“Delca, Alus is fighting at the training grounds right now, isn’t he?” Her back still faced the door, as she looked out the window. 

“Y-Yes, I have a message from him.” Having waited for the right moment, Delca finally got the chance to convey it. However, he couldn’t leave the room until he received either permission or new instructions. That was something taught to him during his time in the military. Or rather, as nobility, it was something he already knew. 

Considering the fact that she wore her combat clothing, the principal probably understood the situation better than him. She was muttering to herself, but he was able to pick up what she was saying. “Preparations will take a little more time. Why did it have to happen now? ...Knowing him, there’s some idea behind it. But the barrier around the training grounds probably won’t last...” 

Delta figured she’d probably already sent a report to the military. Next would be telling the Governor-General about the additional personnel to capture the intruder that Alus had requested. “Once she’s this close, there’s nothing we can do. It’s not like she’d be happy to leave if asked... this is nothing but trouble.” It appeared the principal was irritated enough to be grinding her teeth. 

It was the first time Delca had seen the principal like this, though he realized this was an emergency. She seemed to be on the verge of erupting, but when she turned to Delca, she’d calmed down a bit. 

A male teacher stood next to Delca. He was the spokesperson for the Institute’s public event briefing, and he was waiting impatiently. But the briefing would likely be canceled. 

The principal turned to the teacher first, prioritizing the most important matter. It was for times like these that the faculty existed. They could all use magic to some degree. If all it took was intelligence, a non-Magicmaster would have worked fine as well. “Gather as much of the faculty as you can and bring them to the training grounds.” 

“Yes. So what should we do?” 

“Raise an anti-magic barrier, of course. With everyone there, you should be able to last until I can make it over there.” 

“Of course. But is the mock battle that problematic?” 

“Just get going already!” 

The teacher ran out of the office in a hurry. Using his license, it would be possible to make an emergency call to the Institute’s entire faculty. They’d probably also make a call over the broadcast system using a channel the students had no access to. Though there were plenty of students already at the training grounds. 

After that, the principal turned her gaze back to Delca. He froze, as if stared down by a deadly serpent. “Positioning any more guards outside will be difficult. It’ll still be a while before the military Magicmasters arrive. Did Alus say something about that?” 

Loki was already on guard at Alus’ orders, but Delca didn’t know that. He shook his head, as he only had the bare minimum of information. Felinella had been asked to deliver the message herself, so it couldn’t be helped. “I’m sorry.” 

After hearing Delca deliver the message, Sisty began to guess at what Alus was thinking and what he would do in this situation. Moreover, what was the intention behind the message he left? 

It turned out just like she feared. She’s always been soft when it comes to Alus. Well, it’s not like I can’t understand. Sisty thought back to her subordinate, who’d encountered a suspicious intruder beforehand. She’d been unconscious for a while, and when she came to, she immediately contacted Sisty. In addition to informing Sisty of the situation, she also raised the Institute’s alert level to the max and urged Sisty to make her move. 

The subordinate had also mentioned Alus for some reason. She always worried about him on some subconscious level, having a motherly side to her, even though she’d only been on a few missions with Alus in the past. 

After hearing the report, Sisty had begun to prepare, but it seemed she was running behind. For the time being, she returned to trying to figure out the intention behind Alus’ message. 

The problem was that Alus wanted her captured outside the Institute. Of course, under normal circumstances, it should have been easy for him to capture anyone. And here was an opponent he couldn’t... 

There didn’t seem to be anything to doubt about the information, but it didn’t feel fully accurate either. “I would have wanted more details in this message.” 

“Excuse me?” 

Sisty, noticing that she’d voiced her internal complaint out loud, waved her hand at Delca as if saying not to worry about it. “Ms. Felinella asked you to let the match continue, didn’t she?” 

“Yes. I believe she wanted the festival to go on. If the crowd gets aggravated and starts to panic, it would be yet another disaster.” 

Of course, it must have been a decision based on Alus’ thoughts. And Sisty had hoped to glean a little more of his intentions from that. He must not want the festival stopped for some reason. For the time being, the faculty would go and raise a barrier and prevent casualties, and Sisty herself would leave here once her preparations were done. 

And if Alus wanted the festival to continue on, Sisty would abide by his decision. She trusted the current ranked No. 1. Like Delca said, cracking down on the intruder in front of the public wasn’t a wise idea. In that sense, there was little they could’ve done until she herself had been notified and could get involved. 

For starters, the training grounds would have to be isolated to stop even more people from gathering there. And there was only one person in the Institute who could pull that off flawlessly. 

Of course, Alus would want to get the intruder to leave the training grounds, so Sisty would take that into account. However, it seemed this intruder was quite the powerhouse. So even Alus would need to do some heavy lifting. 

“Delca, return to the training grounds for now and support Ms. Felinella.” 

“U-Understood. And what about...” He couldn’t help but wonder what the principal—the top authority in the Institute and a former Single—would do. 

“We’ll leave the pursuit to the military reinforcements like Alus said, but I’m confident in my defensive magic. I’ll get to the training grounds as soon as I can.” 

The former Single, once known as one of the Three Pillars, was finally stepping onto the battlefield. Despite Delca’s excitement over her magnificent appearance, he kept his composure and responded with a clear voice, “Understood!!” He turned on his heel and headed out the door. 

Once he reached the training grounds, the battle Delca saw taking place there blew his mind. It was enough to end his elated mood in an instant. He now knew how a mere first-year student could give orders to the principal, who was a former Single Digit Magicmaster. 

At the same time, his eyes met with Felinella’s. She was in the commentator booth on the second floor. He gave her a look that said he’d delivered the message. Of course, commentating on every move in a battle of this level was impossible; she was just there in case an announcement needed to be made. 

After that, Delca, watching the battle, unconsciously let some words slip out. “He really is...” 

*** 

After some exchanges, Alus was starting to feel a little impatient in spite of his initial confidence. 

Even after going this far, Elise showed no signs of backing down. During their moves back and forth, he’d fought in a way that told her that she couldn’t kill him, but she’d brushed it off and continued to fight. 

At this point, intermediate or advanced magic wasn’t going to cut it. No matter how refined Alus’ magic might be, with the opponent being in the same realm as him, they were stuck in a stalemate. 

However, Elise likely wouldn’t use summoning magic anymore. Leviathan, which must have been her biggest trump card, was troublesome to deal with. It almost resulted in a ton of casualties, but now that it had been cut down, she would probably avoid wasting any more mana. 

Moreover, Alus’ message to the principal should have reached her by now. Until Sisty made her move, he’d need the training grounds barrier to last, meaning he couldn’t afford to let any of his powerful magic hit the barrier. If possible, he also wanted to cancel out his opponent’s spells. 

Space manipulation magic would also be tricky to use. It took a lot of mana, not to mention that the arena was once again starting to fill with Elise’s dense mana, which made it difficult to accurately construct—or rather, the distortion itself had become more difficult to perform. 

He also realized that Elise understood how it worked and had seen through its weakness. Guess I’ll have to avoid using magic as much as possible. Anything above intermediate and advanced magic would have too large of an effect on the barrier. 

Alus could use all the attributes, but in return he lacked precise control of them, a drawback that was coming back to bite him now. It was actually a side effect originally from having too much power. 

That meant his tactics were limited. Close combat is the only way to go... but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re getting nowhere. 

Alus pulled his chain and began casting a spell he wasn’t overly familiar with. The magic formula on the chain belonged to the wind attribute, a type he rarely used. The basics aside, wind attribute spells weren’t as simple as they looked. Few of the spells could be used just by studying and training. Put another way, they were spells that relied heavily on intuition. Consciously controlling wind required more than just knowledge of wind speed and other factors. It was something you had to get a feel for. 

Because of that, he couldn’t use wind riding, which was common among its users. And surprisingly enough, he couldn’t use the mana sonar that Loki did, or Force, which converted mana into electricity inside the body. Those types of spells required a proper affinity for them. 

Which was why the spell Alus was going to use was something rarely used for its original purpose and didn’t rely on senses. It was a spell that could be cast simply by going through the proper process. 

He designated coordinates and envisioned a sphere, the wind inside spinning around in a chaotic manner, without direction. 

“‹‹Ashird››” 

The sphere appeared in the air, and inside was a tornado of mana, trapped inside of a round shell. It used its rotational speed to suck in everything, even mana. Moreover, the sphere grew bigger the more mass and mana it took in, increasing its suction power. It was a spell that grew on its own, but it affected even its caster. 

Skilled as she was, Elise was very familiar with this spell, and she held down her hair and robe as she read Alus’ intentions... No, there was no need for that. This was a spell a Magicmaster who preferred hand to hand combat would use. In other words, it was a sign that he was coming in for close combat. 

Ashird was annoying for Magicmasters that preferred long-range combat because of its mana-absorbing property. Just using magic while under the influence of this special tornado would suck some of your mana out. 

Also, the powerful suction distorted the mana, making it difficult to designate and maintain magic coordinates. This meant that spells wouldn’t last while the tornado was around. It also meant that Elise filling the area with her mana to keep Alus from using his space manipulation magic was meaningless. 

Then there was the aforementioned growth of the sphere, making magic more and more difficult the longer the fight lasted. So the ones that preferred close combat would gradually obtain more of an advantage. 

Despite all of that, Elise’s mouth twisted in amusement and turned to a sadistic smile. You’re too soft. Not being able to use magic goes both ways... also, Ashird’s structure is weak. So that tornado will go away just by hitting it with a strong spell. Did you think I’d just go along with your game? 

Shortly thereafter, Elise’s footing turned muddy. She’d transformed her mana into water, and it came up from the ground. Next, two water tornadoes rose up into the air. 

The moment everyone in the audience saw that— 

The water tornadoes burst, and unable to maintain their form, they returned to mana and were sucked up by Ashird. 

Elise’s goal was to have Ashird absorb water mana and disrupt its structure from the inside. Then she saw a flash of lightning coming in from the corner of her eye. In the moment she was focused on Ashird, Alus had come up right next to her, pressing in on her with Night Mist. 

“...!” Lightning was exceedingly effective against water. However, any skilled Magicmaster would have countermeasures prepared and could make up for any weakness by adding in extra factors while constructing their spell. That said, it would only compensate for it, and most of the time it wasn’t enough to overcome a poor match-up. 

“I’ve gone out of my way to use wind magic. I can’t let you destroy it so easily,” Alus said, as he transformed the mana coating Night Mist into electricity. 

Lightning Blade electricity covered Night Mist, preventing the energy from spontaneously discharging and dispersing. If it was discharged in extreme situations, the electricity could be sent out following an attack like a shockwave. Being able to cover short distances as well as long distances was one of Lightning Blade’s advantages. Moreover, it was possible to adjust the power by changing the amount of electricity. 

The sound of electricity crackling through the air pierced the ears of the audience. Elise tried to step back to get away, but Alus moved in even faster, closing the distance. 

In the midst of jumping backwards, Elise calmly crossed her arms. Like before, twin tornadoes of water rose in conjunction with her arm movements and expanded outward, trying to take Alus with them. 

However—with a thunderclap, the tops of the tornadoes burst. 

Elise huffed in exasperation, glaring at Alus. She should have expected as much. Not only was there the attribute match-up, but Ashird was also sucking up the mana, creating openings for both of them. 

Alus’ spell was equally fragile. Immediately, a torrent of water overflowed from Elise’s surroundings, creating a massive water tornado in an instant. She then seemed to disappear into the center of it. 

Alus expressionlessly slashed at the tornado with Night Mist, splitting it in half. When the tornado dispersed, Elise was gone, as he’d expected. She’d used the tornado to gain footing and to buy time, as she’d escaped up into the air again. 

But her disadvantage wasn’t reversed. In this situation, she was limited in her moves against Alus since his Lightning Blade could be shot out faster than anything she could do. And he wasn’t going to give her the time needed to resist the lightning attribute. So no matter what she did... 

Alus braced himself a little, but when he saw Elise wasn’t doing anything in the air, he gave her a suspicious look. True, it was pointless to try and do anything by now. But she shouldn’t be the kind of person that would accept that. And she should have a card or two she could still play. 

So he decided to make the first move, aiming for the moment she landed. 

Elise, on the other hand, didn’t even look shocked, as she remained motionless upon landing and stared at Alus. 

Alus moved in, and in reaction she spread her arms. Not as a means to oppose him, but seemingly as if accepting her fate. 

He wasn’t going to stop. He swung down Lightning Blade at Elise. With deafening thunder, the diagonally swung blade was sucked into her chest. “—!!” 

There was no resistance whatsoever. He didn’t feel like he’d cut into a person at all. It was like hitting nothing but air. He also saw transparent liquid shoot out from the cut, rather than blood. 

Elise’s hand firmly grabbed his wrist. She then showed an eerie smile, her face seeming to melt and fall off. 

“Tsk—!!” The audience was breathless at the grotesque sight, the only sound in the arena being Alus clicking his tongue. By the time he realized he’d fallen into a trap, it was too late. 

The fake Elise made from water transformed, shifting from human to amoeba, with a tentacle-like appendage still holding onto Alus’ wrist. Mana running through it or not, it was hard to believe it was originally made from water when it was this strong. If he tried to brute-force it, he’d probably lose. 

In a pinch, Alus looked at Ashird still spinning around in the air. It was still functioning, but Elise’s water tornadoes had slowed down its growth. At this moment it wouldn’t be able to absorb all of the mana around it. 

A strange mud-like sludge began bubbling and rippling as if something was pushing up from below. The next moment, sharp water spikes shot up from the sludge. 

There was no time to be picky about what spell to use. Alus constructed a certain spell and released it in front of him, stabbing Night Mist into the sludge. 

An explosion occurred. He’d cast a small-scale Detonation from inside of the eerie sludge. The shockwave also sent Alus flying, but he recovered in midair and landed on his feet. 

Eventually, the steam that filled the area cleared up to reveal an expressionless Alus and a small figure in a robe. The real Elise, who had hidden herself somewhere, stood there with her eyes wide open—but in the next moment she smiled. 

“Ahahaha, hehe... Ah, sorry, I guess that scared you. You used a pretty exaggerated spell, but it wasn’t all that dangerous.” Considering the situation, the way her laugh shook her whole body, as she stood with her arms around her stomach, was inappropriate... but coupled with her small frame and girly appearance, she looked the picture of innocence. 

Immediately, an electric shock shot out as if in response to her ridicule, but Elise easily blocked the attack that Alus had silently let loose. A tail suddenly appeared from her back and quickly swept it away as if barely paying attention to it. She must have cast it while Alus was dealing with her fake. At the same time, the other tails rose up into the air and snapped like whips, cutting Ashird in half. 

A strong wind blew down on the training grounds from Ashird, along with the mana it contained. 

Alus pursed his lips, irritated, as he gazed at Elise, who had four massive tails hanging in the air. He didn’t want to let her use that spell. Looking at them properly now, he could tell they were so overwhelmingly powerful that they were beyond the expert-level category. 

Incidentally, the reason he’d used slightly excessive firepower to escape the trap was because it was his first time seeing that type of spell. Holding back against an unknown spell could very quickly lead to death. And it couldn’t be helped that his arm ended up slightly toasty in the process. 

The same applied in the Outer World. Nothing bad could come from being cautious, especially when the spell was cast by someone on the level of a Single Digit Magicmaster. 

However, Alus soon figured out when she’d traded places with her copy. He’d never taken his eyes off of her, aside from when the twin water tornadoes appeared. It was only in that moment that his focus shifted away from her. It was the only time she could have switched places. 

Alus assumed she must have left her copy behind, and then moved to some blind spot while blending in with the tornadoes. Creating a stand-in using magic wasn’t impossible. Those with an earth affinity could use a spell that created an exact lookalike of themselves. 

Sensing what was going on in Alus’ mind, Elise maintained a creepy, superior smile. The massive black tails rising up from her lower back covered all of the space above her tiny body and slowly swayed as if to tease Alus. 

But behind her fearless attitude, she felt a cold tingle at Alus’ sharp stare. I guess he’ll find out if I use it anymore, she thought to herself. She narrowed her eyes, a sense of impatience welling up. 

For the time being, Elise took deep breaths and restored her disturbed flow of mana. Still, how long had it been since she’d felt irritated like this? Trying to hide her slight unrest, she opened her mouth to speak, as if saying her superiority was eternal and she could kill Alus any time she wanted. “So, are you done already?” 

Just as she said that, the barrier around the training grounds became sturdier. She quickly guessed from the mana that more than twenty rather skilled people were lined up and reinforcing the barrier. They were probably the Institute’s faculty members. 

There were some in the audience who looked confused, but the staff ignored them and continued to pour mana into the barrier. 

At the same time, an announcement was made. “Attention. As the battle heats up, we are reinforcing the barrier just in case.” 

In addition to Felinella’s notification, the crowd’s attention was drawn to the large four-sided screen that came down from the ceiling. Restrictions had already been put in place, but nobody in the audience knew what was going on. They were all totally absorbed in the mock battle. 

What would they do next? What would they show them? How great would their next feats of magic be? The existence of countless Fiends in the Outer World got pushed to a corner of their minds. They couldn’t take their eyes off of the two on the training grounds. 

Some unintentionally crushed their cups in their hands, soaking their clothing. A boy with his parents stared at the two Magicmasters with admiration in his eyes. But it wasn’t just him. Everyone was passionately watching the match. 

Even the students shared the sentiment. “That’s really Alus, isn’t it...?” a female classmate of Alus’ asked her friend next to her, without taking her eyes off the match. 

“Y-Yeah...” 

“No way, Alus just did average on the exams, didn’t he?” 

“Yeah. But to fight like this, you’d have to be...” Even though the girl wasn’t drinking anything, she unconsciously gulped. 

All of the Institute’s students probably shared the same feeling. They thought that this match rivaled what Single Digit Magicmasters could do. Though that was only natural, since the highest measure they knew were Singles. 

The students tended to overestimate things based on their narrow perspective, but this time they were right on the mark. In fact, it was a match that even went beyond the limits of imagination. 

At the same time, they thought back to the rumors of Alpha’s ranked No. 1 that they heard the other day. Meaning that their thoughts couldn’t help but drift in that direction, despite the lack of any proof. 

They had only one unshakable belief. And that was that the title of the strongest one, the one who stood at the top of all Magicmasters, the one who was above more than 100,000 others, the No. 1 they dreamed about...could be whoever was left standing at the end of this match... Those who thought that way were looking at Alus and Elise with admiration. 

Just which of them was the rumored ranked No. 1...? 

However, the female students were more inclined to believe it was the familiar and mysterious Alus rather than the intruder Elise they were seeing for the first time. It was an unconscious bias, but the girls were too fixated on the match to notice. 

*** 

Meanwhile, Alus was unaware that his secret was at risk of being exposed and instead was considering whether he should go along with Elise’s obvious provocation. 

At any rate, he had no intention of haphazardly cornering her. While he didn’t let it show on his face to keep her from catching on, the thing he wanted to avoid at all costs was the audience getting caught up in her self-destruction or indiscriminate slaughter. He was playing along with the farce because he wanted to let her realize her disadvantage and just flee the scene. 

Yet... in the midst of battle, Alus could no longer deny the joy he was feeling as a Magicmaster. Even Elise’s provocations sounded like the drum beats to war, stirring up his will to fight. 

That said, he remained calm. He wasn’t the type to be moved by emotions. If he had to describe his situation, he’d say he was happy to have met a worthy opponent... finally. He was finally able to compete with a person and not a Fiend, using the power that he’d trained up. 

The fact that the barrier was being reinforced by the teachers also added to his quiet elation. Sensing that the risk to the audience was now reduced, Alus disengaged some of his self-imposed limitations on his power. However, even so, he couldn’t exactly use expert-level spells like Niflheim that rewrote the laws of the world. But lifting the restriction on several spells at least was a welcome thing. 

“No, I’m only getting started,” Alus bluntly answered Elise’s question. The fearless smile on his face wasn’t that of a student but of the ranked No. 1, backed by everything he’d experienced in the Outer World and the military. 

Right now, Alus’ brain was working at high speed. There were no problems. His atmosphere was mysteriously calm, his mind clear. You’ve taken me for a ride so far, but it’s time for me to show what I have up my sleeve... First, I’ll need to figure out exactly how that spell works. 

Sirislate, the spell Alice used in her battle against Elise, was faster than a human’s reaction time. She might still be inexperienced, but even a Double would struggle to do more than just barely dodge it. 

Not even Alus would have time to prepare a spell if he lost the initiative. But the fact that Elise could lose the momentum but still easily crush spells meant that those tails probably moved at extreme speeds. Even he would have a hard time catching them. 

Suddenly, he pointed the tip of Night Mist at Elise and spoke. “How about this?” And the space around them twisted as countless swords made from mana appeared. 

“That’s my first time seeing that. Interesting, give it your best shot.” The four tails swishing through the air resembled a dog wagging its tail out of happiness. 

There were close to 200 short swords around Alus, hanging in the air and waiting for the moment of their release. It was a spell composed of the essence of space manipulation magic. 

“‹‹Oboro Hien››” 

The moment he spoke the spell name, the jet-black Night Mist clones shot out all at once. They were all aimed at Elise, and even if the target tried to dodge, they would follow. 

Yet Elise didn’t take a single step, as if she didn’t even feel the need to dodge. 

Alus expected as much. His spell was intended to test the limits of her tails. 

Elise bent forward and focused on her tails. Each tail moved independently and smashed the short swords. Though it would be more accurate to say they were being crushed. The tails didn’t let a single one through as they pulverized the constructs themselves. 

CLANG. One of the swords touched a tail, and a shrill, metallic sound rang out. 

Elise had assumed they were all made from mana, so when she heard the sound her expression froze over with surprise. As she smashed the other swords, she looked over in the direction of where the metallic sound had come from. 

The real Night Mist was responsible for the sound. An infernal fireball was birthing from its center. 

“‹‹Astral Sun››” 

“You little...!” Elise sent one of her tails over to the spell that was about to be completed. In the blink of an eye, the growing fireball was cut in half. Then it exploded. 

Using one massive tail as a shield, she protected herself from the explosion, then used the tail as a spring to get out of the smoke. Having escaped into the air, Elise gave the pursuing short swords an annoyed glance and continued to smash them with her tails. “You really can’t be underestimated... just how many attributes can you use?” she muttered, glaring down at Alus on the ground. But the only thing she got back was an ominous smile. 

Elise became serious and paid close attention to the movement of Alus’ lips. It would be difficult to pick up what he said in the middle of an explosion. But it was easy to read his lips. 

“‹‹Fall››” 

“—!!” Whether she understood what he meant or not, Elise spun around in the air and stretched out her tails in every direction as if spinning a web. Two of them stuck into the walls around the training grounds, creating large holes, but fortunately they were between the second and third floors. 

The next thing she knew, there were sharp edges in front of her. A massive number of icicles stretched down from the ceiling. If she’d continued escaping towards the roof, she’d have been impaled. 

“Despair Execute, is it?!” Alus had predicted her movements and cast spells in rapid succession. Elise realized that she’d been led that way and became enraged. 

But her anger wasn’t over the fact that she’d been outwitted. It was at the spell itself. That he thought she could be defeated by a spell of that level was the most infuriating thing. Even though there was no way he’d hear her, she clicked her tongue and spat out, “Don’t underestimate me, brat!” 

Alus swung his arm, and the icicles in the ceiling fell down. 

In order to get away from the icicles, Elise used her tails to send her body down towards the ground with tremendous speed, flying faster than Despair Execute’s icicles. During her brief moments of falling, the tails swung in all directions, destroying the icicles coming down like rain. 

Elise suddenly furrowed her brows. There was no problem with her mana, but the tails that were temporarily connected to her nervous system in order to move freely were slowing down from fatigue. As expected, the problem was stamina. She was also being pulled around by her tails, but there was no point in complaining about that now. 

Her opponent had already gone this far. So he’d probably played all of his cards. But even so, his abilities far exceeded those of the first-rate Magicmasters she knew of. And when it came to mana stores, he had even more than her. 

She reaffirmed that his No. 1 rank wasn’t just for show. She hadn’t been able to confirm everything, but it couldn’t be helped in the current situation. 

He was the ranked No. 1. Taking pride in that also meant his way of fighting was limited. In reality, she’d only taken the audience hostage to draw him out. She had no interest in slaughtering them indiscriminately. 

Though Alus had caught on to that, he couldn’t disregard the possibility. He wasn’t like a criminal who had nothing left to lose. That’s why he had to fight with that in mind. In the end, he chose to wear the shackles of honor by remaining No. 1. His inability to go all out here was proof of that. 

If only he could ignore the casualties... Even though it was more convenient for her, Elise unconsciously ground her teeth. She tried to dismiss the strange sensation to think things through calmly. In the end, he just wasn’t a match for her. She should be happy that someone was even able to put up that much of a fight. It was the first time she’d even been this cornered. Thinking about it in that way, she felt refreshed and satisfied. 

The icicles sparkled as they rained down transparent mana particles. 

As she fell and flipped her body around, she gave Alus, who was standing still and watching her, a boastful smile in her mind. 

She had surpassed the ranked No. 1. 

She had been a proud Magicmaster in the past, before becoming a criminal. She had been proud to stand with the heroes that would save humanity. As a result of competing with others, she’d admired that glorious rank. She’d desperately wanted to stand at the top. 

Back then, she was genuinely satisfied with battling Fiends. She was suddenly nostalgic for those days. She missed them. Perhaps it was the cheers of the innocent public that made her feel so melancholic. 

But it was fine. It had been a long time since she felt that way. However... indeed, however... Things are different now... nobody will ever acknowledge me... Her achievements had faded and been buried in darkness. 

Why did it turn out like this? Why was she doing this? She already knew the answer but couldn’t stop herself from asking. After all, there was somebody who had taken the spot she once admired right in front of her. No matter how much she wished for it, no matter how far she reached, she would never touch it. 

It was the path of light, the opposite of the darkness she was in. The light was too bright and gentle... it was like an illusion, she couldn’t look directly at it, nor reach out and touch it. 

In her few seconds of falling, all kinds of emotions and unconscious desires flooded Elise’s mind. Landing with a heavy sound, she stood back up as if nothing had happened and smashed the final, extra-large icicle falling down from above. 

Once she landed, her mind immediately shifted to battle, as if everything before had been a lie. She was breathing heavily. Indeed, she was exhausted. When it came to stamina, Alus had the advantage. But in her mind she had already won. Of course, he’d done his best under the circumstances. In the presence of such a large crowd, he’d given it his all. 

Which was why she could take pride in her perfect victory. Life to the victor, death to the loser... that was the rule of this world. 

Keeping this up any further would just disgrace him. It would cast a shadow on his position, on the honor of the highest position for Magicmasters. 

“That’s the limit of the human body,” Elise declared. She was euphoric, yet wore a sorrowful expression as she raised her slender arms and spread her fingers. As long as he was human, as long as he was bound to being a Magicmaster, his was an inescapable destiny. If he was going to throw in his lot with the boring masses, his strength would always come with responsibility, and he’d always be expected to carry out his duty. 

Meanwhile, she no longer had any oaths or limitations she needed to obey, and she knew that difference created a large gap in battle. 

Elise slowly raised her head. Now there was a refreshing smile on her face. The four massive tails turned sharper and pointed towards Alus. It would end in an instant. She had no interest in prolonging something already decided. She would separate his head from his body or pierce his heart to finish it. 

However, that was when Alus looked at her and smiled as if scoffing at her. 

“You can’t break Tartarus.” 

“We’ll see about that.” His eyes narrowed, as if he was still trying to play strong under the circumstances. 

Yet... he showed no signs of putting up a fight. He could just be bluffing. While Elise looked at him with a quizzical expression, he folded his arms, then pointed one finger upwards. 

A faint unease flashed through her. Despair Execute was everything...!! Elise glanced up as if unable to resist, and that was when she realized. Impossible! 

A massive magic circle had appeared on the ceiling of the barrier. It had six sharp angles and vivid characters in its formula. When she saw that, Elise knew she’d had the wrong idea. 

At the six angles were magic formulas for earth, water, ice, fire, lightning, and wind, each with complex lines making up the magic circle in its entirety. It wasn’t something she was familiar with, but without a doubt it should be a spell meant to kill her. 

Despite knowing that, she couldn’t help but admire its perfect beauty and flawless construction. She gazed at it instinctively. Magic had affinities and conflicts. It was possible to combine two attributes and cast a spell with synergistic properties. 

But it was limited to two. When three or more were used at the same time, there would inevitably be a conflict that would heavily interfere with any spell, so using three attributes at the same time was theoretically impossible. 

Water was weak to lightning, and it was possible to alter its nature slightly to get them to work together, but even then, it was difficult to overturn the general principle. 

Yet the magic circle Elise saw incorporated all attributes aside from the two elements, light and dark. All attributes had affinities that were superior or inferior. That was why this shape was so beautiful. It was an ideal of dreams... as symbolized by the circle, it transcended reason and showed everything in equilibrium. 

Elise wasn’t entranced by the magic circle itself. She was charmed by a spell that was in perfect harmony, overcoming any conflicts. 

She understood in an instant that Alus had planned it all. Even with such a big audience, they were less of a shackle and more a factor needed to consider in order to accomplish his objective. 

The spell he cast carried a clear message that engraved itself into Elise’s heart with its cruel beauty. It was him saying he could kill her whenever he wanted.

“B-But if you use that spell here...!!” The damage would be terrible... even with the teachers reinforcing the barrier, the previous spell he used already put the barrier’s strength at risk. A spell at an even greater level than that would inevitably... no, she could clearly sense the presence of someone that could negate that possibility. 

A person with vast amounts of mana had joined the group outside the barrier at some point. The overwhelming mana poured into the barrier made it far stronger. Even though it was only one, the other teachers couldn’t compare. 

The Witch—!! She was one of the key players in Alpha’s rise to power. Elise had never met her directly, but everyone in the seven nations knew of the specialist in defensive magic. 

With the appearance of Witch Sisty, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. That brat, he was waiting for this...! Anger boiled inside of her, and she raised her eyebrows. “Don’t get in the way! You’re a mere witch!!” 

An especially large tail wrapped around Elise’s small body. After a moment’s pause, she spun her body around, and her four tails swung open like a creepy black flower, making their way towards the new layer of the barrier. She hoped to gain an advantage by destroying or weakening the barrier. This spell composed of all attributes was being used because the Witch could keep it contained. 

Elise’s sharp stare turned to a corner of the second floor of the audience seats. There she was. She had the appearance of a typical witch, wearing a large pointy hat swaying in the air. 

However, she was equally angry. In fact, she was sending death glares at the insolent intruder. “There’s a limit to how far you can go! How dare you play around with my Institute!” Her words weren’t likely to reach Elise, but she couldn’t keep herself from saying them. 

In a show of fury, Sisty threw off her black robe and held out her staff. Holding her hand over the magic stone at the tip, she poured all of her mana into it. She’d used a little of her mana stores during Godma Barhong’s attack on the Institute, but she gathered the remaining mana now. 

The four tails repeatedly struck at the new barrier, as if trying to dig their way through. Sisty put her full focus into opposing her. A huge amount of mana blew through the audience seats as a gust of wind. 

A couple of seconds had passed since Elise began her attack on the barrier. But Sisty couldn’t even count how many spins and blows had hit the barrier in those seconds. The attacks—so fast they couldn’t be seen—rained down on the barrier like a storm. 

Sisty’s mana was being consumed at a frightening pace, like water in a bucket pouring out of a large crack. Even if she opposed her with all of her power, it was only a matter of time before the barrier was broken. “Hey, what are you doing?!” she called out to Alus, panicking a bit. She might specialize in defense, but even she had her limits. Continuing to block this rush of attacks was going to be impossible. 

It wasn’t in response to Sisty’s voice, but in the next moment, the magic circle above Elise shone especially bright. The time limit had been reached. 

Elise bit her lip fiercely. With a flood of emotions rushing into her, she realized it was too late for anything. Run away?! Me? 

With the identity of the composite spell still unknown, she could say the match hadn’t been decided yet. She had absolute confidence in her Tartarus. That’s why she forced her body that was instinctively trying to get away to stay through sheer willpower. 

“A composite spell of all attributes. Hehe, interesting, then I’ll just take it head-on!!” Elise poured almost all of her mana into her four tails. The black liquid that made them up turned a solid jet black with no dark red spots remaining. 

She looked up at the ceiling with hatred and tried taking a step to change her posture... but! As if answering her fighting spirit, the magic circle had begun to rumble. And Elise noticed her body wouldn’t budge. 

Even her four tails had their movements restrained, as if weights were attached to them. How much force did it take to make such powerful tails stop moving? No, it wasn’t just force... 

“—You son of a bitch!!” Elise screamed out, realizing the cause for the change. “You completely fixed all coordinates below the magic circle!!” She turned her glare on Alus. 

“Like I said, I have no intention of playing along with your games,” Alus bluntly said, with an expressionless face. The time for observing her had passed. He’d taken the measures needed to make her understand their difference in ability and have her retreat on her own accord. 

The best outcome would’ve been if Despair Execute got her to give up. But he’d also decided that it was the last attempt. Alus had gone along with Elise at first, making it look like they were on the same playing field. But only in the beginning. 

It was Alus who’d been shown his place when she summoned Leviathan. And he understood then that he’d have to go at her with the intent to kill. If he didn’t, then his disadvantage would only get worse the longer the fight went on, and in the worst case, he might not be the only casualty. 

That’s why he used the all-attribute composite spell. No matter the circumstances, the spell would certainly destroy the four tails. 

To prepare for it, he crippled Elise’s movements. He fixed the coordinates of everything within the magic circle’s area of influence and wouldn’t allow so much as a pebble to move. It was checkmate. Even if Elise wanted to bring the audience into the chaos, it was impossible now. To undo it, all information in the surrounding space would need to be altered. She might be able to do something and regain a degree of freedom, but she wouldn’t be able to fully break free before it was too late. 

Of course, no matter how much mana he might have to spare, it took a big bite out of Alus as well. Although he could handle all attributes, Alus himself was attribute-less. That meant he had no affinities and using spells required far more mana that way, and even making adjustments to advanced spells became more difficult. 

Moreover, fixing space itself was pretty much a deciding move on its own. Though the situation could have been much worse if Sisty hadn’t made it here. He never expected he would be forced to use an ultimate-level spell, which was why he would pay her the utmost respect. 

Alus raised Night Mist and quickly pointed its tip towards Elise. “Have you said your prayers? Minalis Folce Quartz... you’re the one who’s going to die. ‹‹Temple Fall››!” 

A strange sound echoed throughout the training grounds, as if all matter within range was screaming. The ringing affected all five senses, stirring up Elise’s sense of fear and shaking the core of her soul. 

It was a spell she’d never seen or heard of... something she should have been on high guard against. But what was happening around her right now was beyond imagination. No Magicmaster in history had been able to not only use all the attributes, but also cast a spell composed of all of them. Which was why she couldn’t even guess at what it would do. 

However, there was no escaping the situation. She’d overwritten the coordinates fixing her in place, but there wasn’t anything else she could do. A wall of light filled her surroundings, so bright it was impossible to see beyond it. 

Elise had already given up on herself. She could abandon any attachment to life. But the fact that she refused to give in to this was proof—maybe—that she could still be human. 

... If I can destroy that magic circle, I still have a chance! “‹‹Tartarus››!!” Elise shouted. She’d freed her body as well as her four tails. And they wrapped around her as they gathered together as one and shot for the ceiling. 

The light grew stronger as the tails formed a black spear and soared up. They were overwhelmingly fast and strong. Indeed, not a single spell could so much as scratch Tartarus... or should have been able to. 

But the next moment, Elise groaned from the first pain she’d felt since the start of the battle. It was a sharp pain as if a nerve had been torn. Her tails were the strongest shield and spear rolled into one, but they were connected to her nervous system, and now she could feel them being cut away one by one, starting from their ends. 

Cries of pain escaped her mouth. “Aaaahhhh?!” It was then that she understood the true ability of the composite spell. It wasn’t an equilibrium of all attributes. Instead, she witnessed a darkness. And before she knew it, her footing disappeared into a large black maw. 

It was as if the concept of time was lost. Everything disappeared into it, aside from Elise. So it decomposes all matter, organic or inorganic... it returned all to their origins. It was a phenomenon that happened in the bringing together of all attributes. Everything was literally returned to nothing. 

This was a spell only Alus could use. Or more accurately, not even he could use it, save for the mana he had now. 

“...” Elise wordlessly pulled her tails back. The partly broken-down tails cut off the light where they wrapped around her. She enshrouded herself in a jet-black cocoon, waiting for everything to pass. 

She had some lingering regrets... She believed she would’ve won if the Witch hadn’t appeared. But no, even that was part of his power. It might not have been something as special as a bond, but he had allies. Something she didn’t. That was all there was to it. 

Oh, I see... it’s all different. Elise, locked inside her cocoon, was deeply moved by feelings of resignation and reminiscence. 

Everything was different. It had all been decided since birth. She didn’t have anything like a better choice to make. There was nothing that could’ve been changed through her own efforts or help from others. That’s why the path she took hadn’t been wrong. It was the only one she had... 

Elise squinted as the light pierced her cocoon that was breaking down. 

Crash! A collapsing sound rang out. 

The light faded, and she realized she was still breathing but just closed her eyes. Everything had been determined from the start. It was all preordained, even her fall, and the path of sin she’d traveled down. 

So even the effort was wasted. In the end, it was impossible to resist the cold logic of life and death. Resisting was pointless. But just knowing that made the fight worthwhile. 

Alus glanced up at the magic circle on the ceiling and sighed. It was still an incomplete spell. But considering its overly specific composition, perhaps its incompleteness was its true state. The point was that there was a limit to how long it could remain manifested in the world. 

Meanwhile, Elise’s cocoon made from her four tails was gradually crumbling away. Their shape was no longer recognizable. The surface faded, as if it was made from ash, with cracks running through it here and there. A gust of wind would be enough to make it all fall apart. 

Alus caught a glimpse of what happened inside. “—!” 

He was astonished for a moment, before understanding everything. He’d thought there would be nothing left of her after the attack... but it seemed she’d survived. Or perhaps been brought back to life was more accurate. 

The cocoon made from the four tails was like a womb. In the cracked cocoon, he could see the collapsed inner wall transform into a healing water that filled the inside, regenerating the half of Elise’s body that had been destroyed. 

Eventually, when her body had been completely regenerated, the four tails disintegrated, having exhausted their power, revealing a curled-up Elise. There was a big donut-shaped hole in the ground, and she’d been left in the center of it. 

“... I see. No wonder I thought she was abnormal,” Alus muttered, staring at Elise, who seemed to have lost consciousness. “I suppose this was the best possible outcome.” 

This had begun as planned, but there’d been some unexpected factors in the final stages. And the sight before him was one such thing. Not killing in public sounded great and all, but he couldn’t help but frown at how inexplicable her very existence was. 

She had an intellectual side that he hadn’t expected from an executive of a criminal organization, and it also seemed she had some lingering attachment to the mundane world. If she really was after Alus’ life, she wouldn’t have gone through such a farce. There were plenty of other opportunities, and even if she had her reasons for doing it during the campus festival, she still could’ve killed everyone in the Institute. That way Sisty wouldn’t have come running. 

Considering Elise’s skill, it wouldn’t be hard to do, and it would’ve been the most effective way to secure victory. There was no way she wouldn’t realize that. 

While Alus pondered this, Elise slowly woke up. She looked up at the ceiling, then closed her eyes again. 

Alus still had mana left over and could put up a fight. However, Elise didn’t have enough mana left herself. Despite that, he remained vigilant, watching her without lowering his guard. 

That’s when she spoke up. “Alus Reigin, you were blessed by this era.” 

“...!” A small chill ran down Alus’ spine. He narrowed his eyes. 

She had gradually opened her eyes. An unfamiliar formula was engraved in one of them. 

“A magic eye.” And the One Eye at that. 

“Creepy, isn’t it? But I guess you’ve already surmised how it works. Your skills, theories, none of that existed in my time. If only I had just been too strong... I once crushed this eye, wishing I’d never gotten it.” 

Elise’s eyes were just slightly open. She closed her normal eye to emphasize her magic eye. “But it was pointless. It was reconstructed right away. This is a curse. Those fucking pigs were after this power and they treated me like some fucking toy... but once things started to come out in public, they cut me off without hesitation. Ha ha. Talk about messing with me.” Her tone was self-ridiculing, and a twisted smile appeared on her lonely face. It was a hollow expression. Yet, in contrast to that, her eye was beautiful. “I was born in the wrong age.” 

“Are you stupid...?” 

“—!!” 

“This is what you get for being so attached to this nation. You could have just given it all up and gone to another nation. You didn’t need a rank.” 

“That’s just sophistry. You’re still seated at your rank, you’re still not letting go of your own rank, are you?” 

Alus had some knowledge of Minalis’ past. Like how she’d been a Magicmaster and how her feelings back then were probably pure. The information he had didn’t tell the whole story, but by shining a light on her past, present, and that eye, there was one truth he could intuit. And he spoke up with that in mind. 

Fighting Alus because he was the ranked No. 1. Choosing not to get the audience involved. These were the actions of someone who valued the meaning and pride of rank above all else. However— 

“Hmph. I’d give it all back in a heartbeat if this nation would let go of the reins.” But that too was just a superficial point. Hollow words wouldn’t convince the other party, and nor did they properly convey his own meaning. 

“That’s why I hate brats... there are things you can’t change with just effort. There are things that can’t be made right again. Come back when you’ve lived another twenty years.” 

“You just didn’t do it right. That’s all.” 

“You wouldn’t have a clue. Your rank makes sense with your power. But there’s a fundamental difference between you and me. That ideal was too bright for me. And I sobered up from that dream the day they ripped my wings off.” 

Elise expressed what she’d felt for so long, as if venting her pent-up frustrations. She knew it was foolish, but she couldn’t stop herself. A torrent of emotions flooded through her, and at the bottom was a child-like envy, wishing she was in his position. She became emotional as a pain she’d forgotten squeezed her chest. 

She was surprised at how much she wanted to be in his place. However, putting it into words convinced her. When she was in front of him, she felt all kinds of emotions. Envy, jealousy, and other complicated feelings she couldn’t describe, all swirled around inside her. 

Why did she have to suffer from that curse? There was no limit to her grudge... her hatred was like a black sludge welling up from within. 

Elise embraced herself with her arms, trying to keep her body from shaking. “It’s all too complicated... I give up. It’s too late for me, too late to think or worry about it.” With a lifeless expression, she covered her magic eye on the left with her small hand, then slowly opened her normal right eye and stared at Alus. But her eye was vacant and unfocused. 

“A reflection of a bottomless dark, shadowy, cloudy, black deep sea... ‹‹Abyss››” 

She slid her hand off of her face and opened her magic eye. In the bottom of her eye engraved with a magic formula was an indefinable darkness, with countless black bubbles floating around. The ephemeral illusion her magic eye saw was linked with the reality her normal eye saw. Nobody knew how long the bubbles had been there. By the time anyone noticed, they were already there. 

However, Alus didn’t move. No matter what kind of spell she would use, he wasn’t going to panic as long as it was magic. 

It seemed her spell manifested in the gaps of his consciousness, as the bubbles appeared around him. He glanced at the bubbles floating around the area... and in that moment a darkness filled the entire training grounds. 

“See ya, brat.” Abyss was a spell that projected the water pressure of the deep sea into reality, a spell made possible by her accursed magic eye. Any breathing creature would find its body crushed by the water pressure as soon as the spell manifested. Lungs and organs crumpled; bones shattered. There were no creatures on land that could withstand it. 

The spell was designated as a taboo, and it was something Elise had gotten as a result of accepting the curse... it was a reflection of her anger, instantly killing anyone she targeted, crushing their very shape. She felt as if it was a power she’d gotten to kill people, as if to affirm the very curse she’d received. 

This is for the best... like it should be. Elise wore a crooked smile, as she watched Alus being swallowed by the dark abyss. It wasn’t from joy, nor relief from having won. She simply maintained the smile to try to tell herself she’d made the right choice. When the spell would be released, only a crushed corpse that didn’t even look human would remain, so she put a hand on her hood, readying herself to get out of here fast before the commotion started. 

“There’s only one difference between us...” 

“—!!” 

That’s when a voice reached her ears. Swinging his hand to the side as if opening a curtain, Alus appeared, banishing the darkness. He casually walked up as if nothing had happened. 

Elise took a step back at the unbelievable sight, before remembering her back was against the wall. There was nowhere to step back to. Her legs got entangled as she stared at the inexplicable, and she ended up stepping on the hem of her robe, ruining her balance. “Impossible!! What did you...” 

Taking advantage of the opening, Alus released a very sinister mana. It was only for an instant, and it was likely only Elise who noticed. To the audience, it looked like the darkness was removing itself, as color began to return to the surroundings. The audience seemed to think that she’d released the spell herself. 

Abyss was devoured... It felt similar to when Hazan’s final attack in the long-range engagement outside Balmes had disappeared. Elise was rendered speechless from surprise and paused to catch her breath. 

“The difference between us is simple. You just didn’t do it right...!” Alus stared straight at her, as if looking into her soul. 

Elise’s heart suddenly leaped. She now understood the meaning of his words. Indeed... like her, he had a special ability that would make others avoid him. 

When she realized that, her heart finally stopped resisting. There was probably a small difference in their circumstances, but it wasn’t enough. He’d started under the same circumstances as her, yet made a name for himself. If so... 

That’s what Alus meant. And it was what Elise finally acknowledged. She was the one who had chosen the present. She’d been the one who hadn’t moved to prevent it from happening. 

It was true she hadn’t asked anyone for help, nor did she use everything in her power to help herself. Somewhere deep down inside she’d given up, letting herself wallow in anguish... she’d closed herself in without trying to get out. 

“Hehe, ha ha ha ha... Aahh, what a fool. What was I even doing...? I see, so I was wrong all along...” 

She must’ve found something funny, as she spread her right hand and covered both eyes with her left, as she cackled. She laughed it all off, and Alus felt some pity as he looked at her. 

When he’d guessed Minalis’ name, he’d understood that there was nothing left of her past. And when he’d exchanged words with her during the fight, he’d felt something as well. She had probably loved something too much. Perhaps it was the nation of Alpha. Or maybe it had been the brief moment in time when she walked in the light as a young Magicmaster full of ideals. 

With a dry laugh, decades of regret condensed into drops as clear as fresh water poured out from Elise’s normal eye. They were clearly different from tears of anger or hate. 

After laughing, Elise took a deep breath. Her tiny body shook, and she tasted air fresher than anything she’d ever tasted before. With a satisfied exhale, she pulled her hood down over her eyes. 

*** 

The audience had been glued to the scene in front of them. What unfolded before them was completely unprecedented, and many even forgot to blink. It wasn’t long ago that the place had been filled with throat-crushing cheers. But now it was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. They even kept their breathing quiet by reflex. The infinite possibilities of magic had been shown to them. 

Only the people on the third floor of the audience seats could see the bottom of the hole in the training grounds, and even then, they had to lean over. 

The match had given them hope for raising the flag of humanity’s counterattack high. It had been a century since the Fiends had appeared... and it had been the same amount of time since humanity had to live with the thought of their own demise constantly in the back of their minds. 

That threat was still just as real. The memory of humanity being reduced down to seven nations and crammed into a birdcage was still fresh in their memories. 

But they had a hunch that the ones on the training grounds right now were the saviors that would fulfill humanity’s dearest wish. This battle convinced them that humanity wouldn’t fall behind, no matter what the Fiend. 

They would pay the Fiends back for the hundred years of pent-up bitterness... Excitement gradually filled the audience’s hearts, and their shoulders and lips started trembling. Not a single person considered it a student’s mock battle anymore. It was a demonstration of the best Alpha had to offer. 

Everyone was at a loss for words, unsure of how to praise them. That’s why silence dominated the training grounds for a few moments. They were probably waiting for the signal that the battle had ended. For the signal that would pull them back to reality. 

As all watched, Elise covered her magic eye with her hand again. But not to attack. When she lowered her hand, her eye was back to its usual amber color. It had probably been camouflaged by a film of water, but Alus didn’t even bother getting back into a stance. 

Elise jumped off of the island in the middle of the large hole and gracefully landed on the other side. “Will you chase me down, Alus?” she asked with a teasing tone. 

But Alus just shrugged. Then, as if to indicate he was tired, he put an arm on the opposite shoulder and started rubbing it. “No, I still have work left to do for the campus festival. Besides, this was just a mock battle, wasn’t it?” 

“—!! Hehe, I see... then I have my duties as the loser to fulfill.” Talk about messing around. Elise was exasperated. But she wasn’t overly displeased. If anything, she was in a bright mood and felt an unbearable amusement well up. I pray your softness won’t come back to bite you. Or maybe you already know what I’ll do? 

Alus looked at her as if wondering if she still wanted to fight, but she simply brushed it off. As the loser, she would obey the victor. She grabbed hold of the edge of her hood and pulled it down further. Then she slowly raised one of her hands. “I give up,” she said in a clear voice. 

In that instant, the audience stood up before the result was even confirmed on the big screens. “OOOOOHHHH!!” They erupted into cheers and applause so loud they drowned out the buzzer. Even if their words were impossible to distinguish, they still screamed out their praise. And they continued even after their voices were hoarse. 

The booming cheers pierced the barrier, and Elise was stunned. She gazed around the massive audience. Ahhh, how long it’s been... The earth-shaking cheers celebrating the glory and pride of a Magicmaster. She was reminded of her past when she’d polished her skills for humanity’s sake, a past she’d been proud of. Even her attachment for that rank, which she thought she’d never reach, was drifting away in the aftermath of the battle. 

Collecting herself, Elise raised her chin and hid her eyes beneath the hood. Her mouth was closed tight. A moment later, she could see Alus move on the opposite side of the hole. 

Alus purposely put on an act, waving to the audience. There was no reason for him to go to such lengths just to make the audience believe the battle was only a match. But right now, he didn’t feel particularly bashful about it. It was trivial when compared to Elise’s many years of anguish. 

Straightening his posture, he put a hand over his chest and elegantly bowed to the audience. The audience responded with even louder cheers. 

Then... he quickly swung his arm to point at Elise. 

Huh?! The gesture was completely unexpected and confused her. However, a wave of applause washed over her, regardless of how she felt. For just that moment, the thundering applause felt good. 

In response, she slowly raised her slender arm. Repressing a bitter expression, Elise waved to the audience and forced a smile. 

She understood Alus’ intentions and that she should follow them. However... she was bewildered by her feeling of embarrassment and sharply stared at the young man who’d put her in this predicament. But Alus was still bowing, not looking her way, so her wordless complaint missed its mark. 

As a seemingly unending storm of applause washed over them, Alus and Elise walked towards the exit. Elise was slightly ahead of him, and as he looked at her small back, he couldn’t help but let a wry smile show at his unusual behavior. 

Suddenly, the red-robed girl spun around just before the exit. “Just so you don’t get it wrong, my name is Elise now, not Minalis. And as thanks...” 

She continued to speak. In a few seconds she said some words that seemed significant, just between the two of them. 

“...” When Alus heard what she had to say, he stiffened slightly. However, his expression remained unchanged. He narrowed his eyes as he pondered how to take Elise’s information.

After a short sigh, he waved his hand as if shooing away a cat or dog. Normally, he’d be disciplined for letting Elise go. But he still went ahead with it. 

Or perhaps it was his way of repaying the favor for what she’d just told him. He also threw in some extra words as a bonus. “... The army will send pursuers after you. I imagine it’ll be a couple of Doubles. So just lose them, and don’t misstep again.” 

If Sisty made proper arrangements, the pursuit would begin the moment Elise stepped out. But now that Alus knew her skills, any haphazard pursuit would be meaningless. It would be simple for her to outrun them. If anything, he wanted to prevent any casualties on the military side. 

Which was why—“I’ll take care of the rest... so don’t kill anyone in vain anymore.” 

Elise put on a twisted smile and lightly nodded. 

Alus shrugged, shaking his head at Sisty, who was trying to appeal to him about something with her eyes. He was indicating to her that pursuing Elise was pointless and for the Institute to keep their hands out of it. 

Sisty seemed to understand but gave him a suspicious stare. She also kept her guard high as she stared at the dangerous little girl leaving. But Alus brushed it off, reaffirming that they shouldn’t do anything more. 

So Sisty shook her head in resignation, and once the barrier was gone, Alus walked from the exit to the connecting passage. When he did, a hint of exhaustion mixed in with his expressionless face. 

Elise was already long gone. Her presence had suddenly cut off, as expected from an executive of a criminal organization. He could understand why it was so hard to find any leads on them. And with her speed and martial arts skills, the military’s pursuit would be fruitless. 

Meanwhile, the cheers that reached all the way to him were still as passionate as before. Geez, I guess it turned out just like Tesfia said. While it was unavoidable, his relatively calm Institute life would without a doubt come to an end now. 

Looking towards the end of the aisle leading to the audience seats, Alus could see students blocking the aisle all jumbled together. Of course, not many of them were familiar to him. With his exit blocked, he looked up in the seats to Sisty for rescue. 

Sisty sighed exaggeratedly, but she was still the Institute principal. Her body softly floated up and landed next to him. As such, Alus was able to view her entire body and couldn’t help but say something unnecessary. “Don’t you think that outfit is just too outdated?” 

“How rude! I always wore this when I was in active duty... well, I’m still active duty in a sense.” 

That’s why he called it outdated. Then again, it did fit Sisty’s nickname. She wore a jet-black robe and wielded a high-spec staff with a wood grain pattern on its white surface. The staff had a magic stone on its tip. 

But if it was just the props, Alus wouldn’t have said anything. It was the pointy hat that was the deciding factor. Seeing how she’d been a big help with the barrier, it was clear that this was her combat outfit, but it felt out of place. 

Did she pick that outfit after being nicknamed the Witch, or did she get the nickname for her outfit...? It didn’t really matter, but he did wonder as he looked at it with a cold gaze. 

However, Sisty didn’t seem to mind. “Now then, Alus, let’s have a nice long talk about this in the principal’s office,” she said with a wide smile, though she looked exhausted. Her tone made it clear he had no choice. 

“...” She was stretching her joints, so maybe she was hinting for a massage. Then again, that would be a cheap price to pay, but... Alus smiled stiffly. 

Meanwhile, beyond Sisty’s contrived smile, he saw her eyes twitching, and he sighed inwardly and braced himself. He could come up with all kinds of reasons for why he let Elise go, but truth be told, he didn’t really understand it himself... at any rate, there was no escape. 

“With this, the special mock battle has come to an end. The remaining matches will be played once the training grounds have been repaired, so we ask for your patience.” 

The heated audience slowly cooled off thanks to Felinella’s announcement. But as they calmed down, they started looking in Alus’ direction, which he didn’t enjoy. He could also hear all kinds of whispered rumors, whether he liked it or not. 

Civilians limited their impressions to just the mock battle. However, the Institute students took it one step further, as they actively exchanged thoughts and speculations. 

Right now, the students freely made their guesses regardless of their class year. They’d even blocked his way as they stared at him in a fluster. However, nobody had the courage to ask Alus directly... as a result, they were simply a disorderly mob that did nothing more than stare. 

But it wasn’t the usual gaze they had for him, the one that told him he didn’t belong. Instead, their looks were filled with enthusiasm and admiration. 

With a dumbfounded expression, Sisty walked forward with Alus. As she approached, the crowd parted to let them through. 

“Mr. Alus!” The first to call out to them was Felinella, who’d been helping out on the announcements. 

Wary of others that might be listening in, Alus quietly asked her for another favor. “Feli, good work. I’d also like to ask if you could call Loki over.” 

“Ah, y-yes! ...So where should I send her?” 

“I sent her out on personal business, but I was hoping to have her participate in the upcoming mock battles.” 

It was an excuse to get Loki off of the pointless pursuit, but for a moment Felinella looked stunned. The match he’d just been in was on another level, and she knew their lives had been at risk. Yet Alus made it sound like it was just another campus festival event. Of course, she’d already heard it but was still baffled. “I-I understand... uhm!” 

“Hm?” 

“No... never mind.” Felinella stumbled for words, but ended up saying nothing, shaking her head. It wasn’t something to discuss here. But her consideration for their surroundings wasn’t the only reason she was so vague. She ultimately decided she should keep it to herself. 

She’d been the only one in the commentator’s seat at the time. It was normally not used, but she needed to stay near it to make announcements when necessary. So what happened was simply inevitable. 

Back then, she hadn’t realized that she’d accidentally turned on the listening device that picked up the sound on the training grounds. Then again, if she’d turned it off the moment she did, there wouldn’t have been any problem. 

However, when she heard that voice, she couldn’t bring herself to turn it off, even though she knew eavesdropping was wrong. She didn’t regret it, but it sprouted a seed of anxiety. It was the words Elise told Alus as a sign of her gratitude. 

Felinella didn’t fully understand it, and she was sure Alus would be fine even if danger was approaching... but she still couldn’t help but feel worried. 

Once the two were out of sight, she let out a heavy sigh. I have to do something... 

Despite her frustration, she first had to do as Alus asked and call Loki back, who was on guard for any further intruders coming from the outside. She figured making an announcement would be faster and turned to go back to the training grounds. It was a short distance, but she met with an unexpected delay. 

“Socalent...!” 

She tilted her head, as she felt an intense stare pointed her way. The person used her last name, so it felt a little formal. Upper-class rules were a tricky thing, and though it could be overlooked between two women, when it came to the opposite sex appearances were important. 

As a result, she noticed that she spoke to the other party, Delca Base, in a stronger tone than usual. It was understandable after watching a match like that. “What is it, Mr. Base?” 

“... You knew from the start, didn’t you?” 

“What might you be referring to...?” 

Delca looked at Felinella with suspicion but shrugged and gave up in the end. “Alright, I’ll leave it at that. But are you sure? If you’re not careful around him, even you might not get away with it.” 

Single Digit Magicmasters were valued far more highly than the average noble for their abilities and rarity. And in the military, they were the equivalent of a general in rank. In that sense, Delca’s worries were partly correct. Singles were indeed in a position where they could decide the fate of nobles, depending on the circumstances. 

He couldn’t be blamed for his concerns, but that was only because he didn’t know what kind of a person he was. Felinella, on the other hand, knew... he was unsociable, but he wasn’t the kind of person to flaunt and abuse authority. Though that was mostly because he had no interest in it... and the fact that she knew his character made her feel somewhat happy. 

“Mr. Alus isn’t the kind of person who would get angry over trivial things like that,” she told Delca, putting a hand over her mouth to hide a smile. 

Seeing Felinella like that made relief wash over Delca, as he crossed his arms. “I see, if you say so... in reality, I was scared I might have done something to him in the past,” he added in a whisper. He then continued, “I think this might be too much for the campus festival.” 

“Yes, maybe so,” Felinella replied with a wry smile. She agreed with him. How she dealt with the gossip spreading through the campus would be a true test of her skills. She wanted to suppress the rumors and bring things back to the state they were in before. 

Alus paid a hefty price this time. At this rate, the time he intended to spend his own way would without a doubt be greatly reduced. From here on, she would have her own fight as the management committee chairperson. “Now, please return to your work. I will call Ms. Loki back.” 

“Y-Yeah... but what do we do about this?” Delca asked, as he stared into a seemingly bottomless hole. If he didn’t close that up, there wasn’t going to be a next mock battle. 

“Hmm, that is a problem... Well, why not have our teachers give us a hand?” Felinella said with yet another wry smile, as she smoothed her long, black hair with her hand. 

*** 

As he hid his exhaustion from overusing his mana, Alus quietly went with Sisty to her office. He’d suspected he might get surrounded by students on their way there, but fortunately they made it there safely. It seemed a large number of visitors and students had gone to the training grounds, leaving the campus somewhat deserted. 

There were so many things to think about that he honestly didn’t want to have to explain the situation to the principal or deal with any other unnecessary hassle. Then again, some of what he had to think about included things he’d need to explain to Sisty, so he’d still have to do it. 

Sisty got the ball rolling. “You’re as extraordinary as ever,” she said in an exasperated tone. 

Alus paused for a moment, thinking of how to reply to this. “... Thank you very much.” 

“Is that sarcastic?” 

“What else would you like me to say?” 

“Well, you could say something like, ‘I’m still no match for you.’” 

“Do you really want me to say that?” 

“... Now that would be sarcastic. But—” 

Alus had a good idea of what she was thinking, and politely said, “Yes, indeed. If you hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have been able to use that spell.” 

“So you do get it! From now on, I’d like you to make sure that information is properly conveyed, not leaving things out for your own convenience.” 

“Even if you say that, I didn’t think it’d go that far...” He’d read Jean’s report after his battle with Elise, but she was even stronger than described in the report. 

Alus’ expression turned serious, and he confirmed there was nobody outside the door before he spoke. “Principal, she was a wielder of a magic eye... and the One Eye of Salem at that.” 

“—!! So it exists. Well, if the Eye of Providence exists, I suppose it’s believable.” 

“However, she seemed to have complete control over it. Still, you don’t look too surprised.” 

“I am quite surprised. But there are a lot of gruesome records from the past that can’t be revealed about magic eyes, so I don’t know much about them myself. To think, though, that one is in the hands of someone opposing Alpha,” Sisty said, taking off her pointy hat and putting it down on a nearby sofa. 

She then sat down in her chair. “Shall we get to the main topic, then?” she said, looking directly at Alus. “First, why did you let her escape? You would’ve been able to handle it, no? And you know who she is, don’t you?” 

Alus didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he sat down on the sofa across from her. The pointy hat had been placed in the closest seat, so he sat down in the opposite seat. He didn’t have to answer her questions. Though, since he’d asked Sisty for reinforcements, he felt he should explain the bare minimum at least. “Simply put, it’s just a hunch.” 

Sisty slammed the table in response. She was being strangely intense. Her expression was grim, a far throw from her usual aloof look. “Just a hunch? Handling the culprit of this incident goes beyond your discretion. And mine too, of course.” 

Faced with Sisty’s anger, Alus calmly averted his gaze and said, “True, letting her go was my own decision. But I have no reason to be that devoted to this nation. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m only a member of the military for now. I’m ready to drop this title at any moment.” 

Sisty sighed. “You never change. I mean that in a bad way. But that aside, the sparks will be hitting us too.” She looked at Alus’ indifferent attitude with exasperation. It hadn’t even been a year since he enrolled at the Institute, but that feeling that he’d changed must have been her imagination. 

“Principal, can you listen until I’m done speaking?” 

“Yes, yes. Then please give me an acceptable explanation.” 

“But before that, I have a request.” 

Again? Sisty thought, and she had a reluctant look, but Alus ignored her. 

He raised a finger and explained himself. “Could you alter part of your report to the top brass? ...No, I guess that’s the wrong way of saying it. I don’t mind you calling it my fault, but I want you to leave a certain part out. More specifically, I want you to leave out the intruder’s magic eye... its name to be exact.” 

“You don’t mind if I decide after hearing your explanation, do you?” Sisty, of course, had a sullen look on her face. After all, he was asking her to get involved in his personal circumstances. 

Alus saw that she was suppressing anger and decided this was a decent middle ground. He nodded. 

Sisty then gestured with her hand for him to begin. 

He chuckled to himself in his mind. He was always being taken advantage of, so it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy this a little. “The name of the opponent I fought this time is Minalis Folce Quartz, a former Magicmaster of Alpha’s military. She’s calling herself Elise nowadays, though... Have you heard of her?” 

Sisty shook her head, not seeming to have any idea of who she was. 

Seeing that, Alus told her. “She’s a former Single Digit Magicmaster from over 50 years ago.” 

“Ah! Huh?! Uhm?” Of course it sounded ridiculous. Even if she’d reached the position of Single in her teens like Alus, she still would be considerably old today. But to anyone present, the intruder had looked like a young girl. 

“The magic eye plays a key part in that. It’s probably a side effect from the eye. She doesn’t age.” It would have been fine if that was all. Alus had a hypothesis that Minalis—Elise—could restore her body by using mana as a source to power her magic eye as a medium for her special ability. Considering what he saw in the cocoon, he was all but convinced of it. In fact, she’d never shed a drop of blood during the entire battle. 

“... And what proof do you have?” 

“I saw a glimpse of that power. She also hinted at something like it in a roundabout way.” 

It was hard to believe, but if she really was as old as she said, it was extraordinary that she was able to put up a fight like that. But still... For the time being, Sisty pushed that doubt into a corner of her mind and changed gears. But Alus looked like he still had more to say. 

“Minalis, no, Elise... is currently a member of Kurama.” 

“—!! T-Then—!” 

Alus thrust out his hand, interrupting Sisty. “Don’t jump to conclusions. We probably can’t disregard the reason why she is with them. I once came across some top secret military document from the past. It included a plan for some illegal research, and it probably concerned Elise, seeing as how it mentioned immortality.” 

“W-Wait a second! You mean that a group in the upper brass selected a Single to be a test subject for their illegal research? And that was this Minalis?” Sisty asked, hoping that it really was just a small group in the military. She was relieved to see him nod his head and waited for his next words. 

“That’s right. She was a successful example in controlling the One Eye of Salem. I think that’s why almost all public information on her was erased. That’s why I need you to fulfill my request from before.” 

Sisty quickly caught on to what he meant. “You mean it would be bad if she was captured and that was made public?” 

“Well, Alpha would lose authority on a global scale. It’s beyond what they can handle internally. They used a valuable Single for cruel experiments that caused massive troubles, losing her in the process. Moreover, their handling of the situation most likely pushed her towards becoming a member of a criminal organization.” 

Alus bluntly continued, “If Alpha still had her, they probably would’ve had fewer casualties during that massive attack the Three Pillars were sent out on. A lot of people died, after all... you could say what the military did in the past was an act of treason against all humanity.” 

Sisty bit her nail, racking her brain. But it was useless to think about it. If the public found out, it wouldn’t be strange for the entire military top brass to be replaced. It was even possible that Alpha’s military itself could be torn apart. 

Seeing her nervous gesture, Alus followed up with a final attack. “I believe you saw it for yourself, but Elise’s summoning magic is too dangerous. If that thing got summoned in its full form, this nation might be ruined. But if you’re fine with that, I can go out and join the chase now... though you’ll probably have to find a place to pile up the bodies.” 

“... You bully.” 

“What?” 

“You brute! You know I don’t have the authority to do that! And even if I did, I couldn’t make that kind of decision...” Sisty sniffed. 

Seeing her eyes moisten, Alus’ face twitched a little, as he felt that he’d pushed a little too hard. He wasn’t the kind of person to hold back because an older woman cried in front of him, but maybe he’d been a little too mean. “Sorry, I said too much. But you understand now, don’t you?” 

“That’s true. Then there’s nothing that can be done. I didn’t know anything, okay? Only the one who fought her in person could possibly know the details, okay?” 

“...” 

Sisty’s expression had changed like she’d flipped a switch, and she nonchalantly put a finger on her chin as she spoke. Even though she’d been in tears moments ago. 

She got me. Alus didn’t know exactly how she’d gotten him, but he had a vague feeling like he’d lost, even though he had said she could put all the blame on him. 

Once she saw the bitter look on his face, Sisty’s expression turned a little serious again. “Publicly is one thing, but we can’t just let her be.” 

“I know that. And this is just another hunch, but she might leave Kurama soon. At the very least her position and state of mind should be a little different from before. And it’s not like I don’t have any ideas about what might happen next.” 

“Like what?” 

“That’s a secret. But it should work out nicely both for Alpha and for her.” 

Sisty doubted that such a perfect solution actually existed. But seeing how Alus seemed sure of it, she had no choice but to accept it. “Those stubborn old men in the top brass aside, you should at least tell Governor-General Berwick. Just in case something happens.” 

“I thought of that too, but let’s keep quiet about it. In case something does happen, there’s a difference in responsibility between him knowing and covering it up, and not knowing at all.” 

“You sure are being soft on the Governor-General... I wish you would direct some of that kindness my way.” 

“... I did say that you can just blame everything on me while you didn’t know anything about Elise, didn’t I? How much more reverence can I show?” 

“Not reverence. Kindness! I’m not old enough to be shown reverence!! How rude.” Sisty puffed up her cheeks, and that gesture was only acceptable when looking at her appearance. If you took her actual age into account, it became extremely hard to mentally accept it. 

“If there’s a plan to eliminate Elise, I won’t take part in it. I’m pretty exhausted after that battle, after all. Not to mention the poor match-up between fire and water would make it difficult to send Lettie out. So I think it’s best to just watch over it for now.” 

“I don’t want it to turn into a big deal, okay?” 

“It already is. But if she does leave Kurama, it might only be a matter of time before it breaks apart.” 

“She’s that important?” 

“Did you see the last spell she used?” 

“Y-Yes.” 

“I believe that spell was a result of her magic eye combined with a vast amount of mana. She called it Abyss, but she would’ve been able to use it on the entire training grounds and crush the audience flat... that’s how troublesome she is. To be honest, I don’t know how well even high-ranking Magicmasters would fare against her. Even with countermeasures, it would be a fifty-fifty chance if the ranked Nos. 2 and 3 fought her together. And that’s if it’s only a match... if they’re trying to kill each other, it would be zero.” 

“Is that opinion really accurate?” 

“It’s only based on my own battle with her, and I don’t know everything about her magic eye. So I’m really only half-sure.” He’d talked about Kurama falling apart, but that was just simple guesswork. He thought back to the long-distance battle near the deposit in the Outer World. There was no doubt that the opponent Jean fought back then was Elise. He could also estimate the strength of the big man that Rinne had seen, but he wasn’t that much of a threat. And Alus wouldn’t fall behind in a one-on-one battle. 

He still didn’t have all the information on the other members, but he found it hard to believe they’d have other monsters like Elise. As long as that was the case, a few Singles would be enough to destroy them. 

The reason Elise had even shown up like she did was almost certainly because Alus had been marked. In the past, he’d been sent out on a secret mission to kill someone suspected to be a Kurama executive. 

Then again, sending in the other nations’ Singles would be unrealistic unless the Kurama threat was on the same scale as a Devourer. So going after Alus—an overwhelming asset and threat—was an effective strategy. 

But if Kurama were to lose Elise in the future, they would lose one of their major trump cards. And when that happened, an opportunity to crush them would arise. 

It would, of course, depend on what Elise did with the information she got, but Alus had a feeling she would share it with the other executives. Judging from Elise’s words and actions regarding that big man and how she had appeared here on her own, it was clear that Kurama wasn’t a monolith. 

Not being able to come out swinging themselves was frustrating, but they should be fine just staying prepared for any eventuality. 

Still, to think a properly controlled magic eye would be so troublesome. As a researcher, Alus’ interest in magic eyes was insatiable. He recalled the promise he’d made with Rinne about his research. It was bound to be a blissful time full of intellectual excitement and the joy of new discoveries. 

Alus was enjoying his thoughts, as Sisty’s voice brought him back to reality. “I understand. Leave the reporting to me. But I will make full use of your permission to blame you to avoid any suspicion. We’ll also need to improve the Institute’s security.” 

“That’s fine. Thanks. But shouldn’t you be chasing me out of here?” Alus thought he might be doing that, if he were in her position. Elise was a bit of an eccentric, so things had ended up in a farce today, but if she got serious about killing Alus she had plenty of ways of going about it. 

“I’d prefer it if Kurama didn’t attack. But you’re a student of this Institute. You really are a handful, but it’s my job to protect this place and its students. Not to mention I’m sure they’ve learned a lesson or two after my grand showing.” 

It was hard to tell if she was being serious or joking from her tone, but with such a bright smile on her face, Alus could only smile back wryly. 

“Well, the campus festival can go on, so it’s all good. Besides, if something does happen, you’ll help out, won’t you?” Sisty said with a mischievous smile. 

But Alus accepted with a serious expression. “Of course. It seems they’re after me, so I’ll take care of it before it becomes a big deal. I’m not good at being on the defensive.” 

Eventually, Alus left the principal’s office, and Sisty received a report that the target had escaped. 

*** 

Having safely made it through the first day of the campus festival, Alus made his way home with Loki after checking in on Tesfia and Alice. 

Of course, he told them there wouldn’t be any training during the festival. Though he could tell that they’d be fine after a short rest. He also thought it would be a good idea to keep a video of their fight for reference in their training, but it seemed it was still too early for that. At the very least, it would have to wait until they’d gotten back in form. 

With the exciting day over, the Institute turned so silent in the evening that it seemed like a tranquil illusion. 

The students were returning to their rooms after completing their preparations for tomorrow, but there were still quite a few students that weren’t finished. With those students in the background, Alus turned his attention behind him, but without looking back. 

Loki silently followed one step behind him. If he had any hesitations, it was about this relationship. He already had an idea of what she’d say when he spoke in a tone like he was talking to himself. “Say, Loki. How far are you going to follow me?” 

He wasn’t referring to distance. He really didn’t know what would happen to him going forward. Something awful could happen that brought misfortune or ruin. 

Loki quickened her pace and reached Alus’ side. She gave an immediate answer that indicated her acceptance of everything. “Anywhere, of course.” 

“Even if I’m not the ranked No. 1?” 

“A foolish question.” 

“Even if I’m not a Magicmaster?” 

Loki looked confused by Alus’ repeated questions, but her attitude remained unchanged. “Foolish questions. I will follow you personally wherever you go, Sir Alus.” 

“Foolish, huh.” 

“Yes.” 

Hearing her unhesitating answer, Alus strengthened his resolve. “Things are going to get busy from now on, Loki.” 

“Is it related to that Elise girl?” 

“You could say that it is, and that it is not.” 

She looked a little displeased at his playful answer. “Then let me hear it when we get back to the lab.” She bent forward and looked up at his face. “I would also like you to explain who you spent such a long time talking to today... and what you were doing with Felinella.” 

“...” Alus glanced at her like he’d feared this would come. The waves of mana he’d felt while guiding Noir and having lunch with Felinella must have been Loki’s. But it wasn’t until now that he’d realized it was meant for him. 

It would also mean she’d played dumb when they met up at the training grounds. Perhaps she had been letting him run free. But as he was racking his brain for excuses, he couldn’t help but remember Elise’s last words. 

Kurama will make a move, huh. And to give that information to me... 

Kurama, the criminal organization rivaling Singles. They’d clashed with Alpha’s military in the shadows before, but it seemed they were finally going to make their move. 

They would need to be on guard for Single Digit Magicmasters, so it wasn’t wrong to go after Alus first like Elise did. He then thought back to the rest of what Elise left him with. 

“It was the sweet whispers of the dead that led me here” ...was it... 

“What an ill-natured riddle to leave me with,” Alus grumbled to himself. Supposedly a third party had been the instigator. Perhaps that would be the key to the events to come. 

Kurama and the military were two opposing organizations. Yet Elise had pointed to a third’s existence. And not knowing its affiliation was even more discomforting. If they had brought Elise in, then it would make sense that they were on her side, but from her tone it sounded like she shunned their existence. 

Then there was her method of forcing her way into the mock battles. If that hadn’t been of her own accord but at the behest of someone else, then they must really like making bad jokes. 

“This is going to get messy.” 

“I believe running away would be acceptable,” Loki suggested with a straight face. 

She gazed into his eyes as if to say that it would be perfectly justifiable. She firmly believed that Alus had the right to stay out of trouble. And she also knew he wouldn’t make that decision. 

“I’d love nothing more, but the balance of the seven nations is in a precarious situation right now. If something bad happens, then everything I’ve done to make life easier and training them will have been for nothing.” 

Alus thought to himself that he really was just making up excuses. No matter what he might say, from an outsider’s perspective, he looked like he was unexpectedly having fun. 

“I thought you would say that, Sir Alus,” Loki said calmly. 

He had been sure she would pout, so it was a bit anticlimactic. At the same time, he felt like he’d lost a bet he had no control over. It was as if she knew everything. 

Meanwhile, Loki’s resolve secretly strengthened. She didn’t know anything about where the world’s greatest Magicmaster, Alus, would go from here. But what of it? She would simply follow this boy no matter what happened. Anywhere and everywhere, no matter what path he took. 

With that, Loki gazed up at him and broke into a smile. 

“Then I suppose I should work a little more, so that I can take it easy.” 

Alus’ words strongly resonated with Loki, as they walked together in the setting sun.