Chapter 243: Velbrok Subjugation (11)
All of the monsters swept up in her attack were torn into pieces of flesh, scattering across the island. Once again, the sky became visible.
Lucy looked up at the sky, her eyes clouded with haze. She was on the verge of losing consciousness, but at least she had managed to land a decent attack on Velbrok.
There were very few people throughout history who were capable of using Ultimate Elemental Magic.
Most of them required several days and nights of preparation just to cast it.
So, to cast such a massive spell by herself on the fly… That was a feat that seemed to deny the very logic of magic itself.
However, Velbrok didn't fall.
Velbrok's scales possessed an enormous amount of magic resistance against every kind of magic… Its scales alone were able to negate even Ultimate Magic, which was said to go beyond comprehension.
However, with Lucy using all of her power to cast that Ultimate Elemental Magic, even Velbrok couldn't help but scream in pain. But that was all. It had merely felt pain.
The countless monsters that had filled the sky also disappeared for a moment… But it didn't take long for Velbrok to summon more monsters.
Even though it was an attack that had used all of her strength, her efforts became meaningless in an instant.
The Great Sage Silvenia stood upright atop the broken spire in the commercial district's square.
She lifted her large wand and, with a single swipe, cast the Advanced Celestial Magic, Spatial Curtain.
It was a Celestial Magic spell that twisted space itself. It transcended nearly all laws of physics, creating a space that temporarily negated any attack.
The downside was its long casting time and short range. Since you were also trapped within the fractured space, it became difficult to judge the situation outside. In other words, it was like hiding in an invincible place with your eyes closed. However, the moment the magic was dispelled, you became vulnerable to attack.
Nevertheless, it was an absolute defensive spell that negated any form of attack—which was enough to offset its shortcomings.
She had survived Lucy's magic, which destroyed everything in its path, without a single scratch. No matter how powerful Lucy's attack was, it had been completely meaningless.
She looked down at Lucy from the top of the broken spire.
Lucy's white blouse was completely soaked red, drenched in blood. Only the ends of her sleeves and the hem of her dress, which had been curled into a skirt, still retained traces of white.
The ends of her skirt were torn, and her white knee socks were barely holding their original shape.
From her usually absent-minded eyes, a sense of hostility began to emerge.
She looked up at Silvenia with fierce determination.
Lucy, who was always disinterested in everything and spent her days sleeping in a corner of the island, was now looking up at Silvenia and saying, "The speed at which you convert your magic power."
Lucy had been born with extraordinary senses—sharp enough to grasp what Silvenia had just done.
Silvenia Robester was a pioneer of Celestial Magic. A genius who had achieved magical feats that no one else could compare to.
The same held true in combat magic. Her innate magic power, rapid calculations, and flawless judgment…
In terms of combat magic, she possessed the ability to surpass even some of the greatest warriors in history… It was difficult for Lucy, who was already exhausted, to contend with her.
However, normal magic power was fundamentally different from Celestial Magic power.
To use elemental magic, one needed to gather regular magic power. However, to gather Celestial Magic power, one first had to expel all regular magic power. It was an extremely inefficient process.
For that reason, it was incredibly difficult to use Celestial Magic and regular magic simultaneously.
The difference in speed compared to a normal magician might seem negligible, but against another magician who was among the greatest of all time, that subtle delay could become decisive.
It was only a tiny flaw—something one would normally only notice after dozens or even hundreds of exchanges—but… Lucy Mayreel had realized it after just a few.
Silvenia Robester's Celestial Magic seemed overwhelmingly powerful, ignoring all rules and surpassing logic itself to defeat her enemies… However, it wasn't without its flaws.
Lucy realized that she might have a chance to win if she used elemental magic, which Silvenia found difficult to handle. Once Silvenia was forced to cast defensive magic, she would need to begin gathering Celestial Magic again. In the brief moment required to switch between magic powers—if Lucy could land an attack, she might win.
During that period when Silvenia had been switching between regular and Celestial Magic before, Ed had managed to drive a dagger straight into her shoulder.
In terms of brute force, Lucy had no chance of victory.
All she could rely on were her skills and senses.
Lucy Mayreel had been born with the blessing of the stars. She existed in a realm far beyond ordinary people in both skill and perception. After quickly devising a strategy to defeat Silvenia, she began gathering magic power within her body.
However, there was very little magic power left.
After trading several blows with Silvenia, she had already exhausted herself, using most of her magic to temporarily neutralize Velbrok.
Even attempting to cast an intermediate spell—let alone an advanced one—made her head throb painfully.
At her peak, she could cast dozens of advanced magic circles as easily as breathing. Realizing how cornered she had become, she frowned.
The shadow of death slowly crept up Lucy's back.
The end of her life.
If she wanted to survive by running away, this was her last chance.
Continuing to fight Silvenia beyond this point truly meant risking her life.
A life-threatening crisis.
A phrase that had never applied to someone as powerful as Lucy Mayreel.
However, it felt as though that blond fallen nobleman was standing upon her shoulders. Lucy could imagine the shadow of that man on her back—someone who was constantly on the brink of death, yet continued to clench his fists and move forward.
It wasn't that she couldn't run away. She had never cared about pride or honor.
However, to run away at that moment… It wouldn't be polite to him. And so, Lucy Mayreel never even considered it.
She would continue fighting, relying solely on her skills and senses, gathering every last drop of magic power while clenching her teeth.
Six or seven beginner wind magic Wind Blades flew toward Silvenia.
Silvenia scoffed as she swung her staff, instantly negating them all.
It would take at least an advanced spell for Silvenia to even consider dodging. Beginner magic would never reach her body.
Lucy didn't care. She continued swinging her arms, casting the beginner fire magic Ignite.
The flames obscured her vision. She then quickly cast the beginner earth magic Earth Wall, hiding herself behind the rising barriers.
That was when Silvenia noticed.
Lucy no longer had any magic power left. Even intermediate magic—which she had once cast effortlessly—now had to be used sparingly.
The constant use of beginner magic proved it. Lucy Mayreel, of all people, was resorting to beginner spells. It was like wielding a giant ballista only to fire the smallest crossbow bolts.
Lucy ran behind the walls she had created, thinking:
I can't win.
I will probably die here.
If that was the case, then she needed to bring Silvenia down with her.
Ed Rothstaylor had said that he would find a way to stop the great calamity in the sky—Velbrok.
However, she had never heard anything from him regarding Silvenia Robester. It seemed that the resurrection of the Great Sage was entirely outside of Ed Rothstaylor's calculations.
Magic duels were usually decided by firepower. However, there were many other factors that needed to be considered.
One of the fundamentals of combat was prioritizing one's own safety.
Charging headfirst into battle with the intention of throwing your life away placed you in a completely different realm—one your opponent wouldn't anticipate.
In other words, it was the perfect way to leave your enemy dumbfounded.
But only once.
If she could create an opening by wagering her own life…
If she could land a blow to Silvenia's vitals in the process… Then she could at least eliminate that disaster. The cost would be her own life.
Velbrok would have to be dealt with by someone else, but…
Lucy never doubted Ed's words. He would find a way. That was enough to define her role.
"Euk… Keuk… Keuuuuk… Heuk…"
Silvenia landed from the spire into the square, her expression hovering between laughter and tears.
Now that she knew Lucy Mayreel no longer had the power to fight back, there was no reason to hold back.
The mud walls lay scattered about, tangled like a maze.
They were meant to confuse an opponent—but they would never work against the truly strong.
Boom!!
With a mere release of her magic power, the walls formed from beginner magic crumbled apart.
Lucy's labyrinth—constructed through layers of Earth Wall and Ignite—was instantly neutralized. Silvenia quickly spotted Lucy, limping away while drenched in blood.
Silvenia raised her arms, casting ice magic for the finishing blow. Lucy no longer had the power to resist.
And at the moment the ice spear was about to pierce Lucy's body—
Her form shattered into pieces and vanished.
"...?"
Humans were supposed to bleed, their organs spilling out when struck by an ice spear. They weren't meant to break apart like mechanical constructs.
It was an illusion.
And Silvenia—renowned as a genius—should never have fallen for such a simple trick.
However, Silvenia had lost her reason, consumed by madness. She was focused solely on destroying everything before her, failing to consider Lucy's speed and improvisational skill.
The walls and flames had only been used to buy time—to set traps.
Lucy had cast the beginner ice magic Ice Blade along the ground. Upon its surface, she had layered a hallucinatory spell.
Lucy didn't have enough magic power left to cast advanced illusion magic. All she could do was create small pieces of bait—mere tricks.
In fact, advanced illusions might have been less effective against someone like Silvenia anyway, as powerful magicians could detect them through the sheer volume of magic involved.
So Lucy had chosen deception through subtlety, gathering every last fragment of magic she had left.
This was the fighting style of an underdog.
Tricking the opponent, running away, throwing sand in their eyes, grabbing hair, digging in nails, biting—
A battle that relied on ingenuity to overcome an overwhelming difference in power. It was something Lucy had never experienced before.
That was because Lucy Mayreel had always lived as one of the strongest, crushing her enemies with raw power.
She hadn't realized it herself—but she was now fighting like the weak.
Clang!!
Bleeding heavily, Lucy hid herself with camouflage magic and slowly stood behind Silvenia.
Startled, Silvenia unleashed her magic power behind her—but it struck only another illusion carved into an Ice Blade.
Lucy was floating above Silvenia's head, concealed within the rising smoke.
She looked like a corpse—her body soaked in blood—but she was alive.
Lucy extended her hand through the smoke, gathering every scrap of magic power she could muster.
On the trees in the camp, on the cabin roof, on the altar atop Right Mountain, within the Rothstaylor Estate, on countless battlefields…
She had always sat absent-mindedly, watching that man fight from above.
At some point, it had all become etched into her vision.
Her eyes shone brightly, as though filled with stars.
This wasn't the honorable duel Glockt had taught her as a child.
Nor was it the etiquette-bound contest between Magic Tower magicians.
Lucy Mayreel had always been strong.
But Ed Rothstaylor had always lived as an underdog.
They were complete opposites. Their ways of living—and fighting—should have been incompatible.
And yet—
Against the Great Sage Silvenia, Lucy had become the underdog herself.
Exhausted and cornered, she finally understood what it meant to be crushed by overwhelming power.
However, nothing was ever certain.
Perhaps the greatest thing about life was that it was filled with unknown variables—you never knew how things would turn out.
Glockt's back as he sat in his armchair, warming himself by the fire.
Her decision to nap in the North Forest, only to stumble upon a wooden shelter by chance.
Those coincidences—and the relationships born from them—had shaped Lucy Mayreel.
Feeling a strange sense of irony, Lucy gathered her magic power.
Whooosh!
Silvenia spun around, frowning. She raised her wand, noticing the dark red energy gathering around Lucy's arm.
Celestial Magic Power.
She still had one final trick.
Celestial Magic consumed far more mental energy than normal magic. The fact that Lucy was gathering it now meant she intended to end the battle.
Since Lucy was already at her limit, using Celestial Magic was nearly suicidal. Silvenia could never have imagined Lucy attempting it at this stage.
Was she casting Time Prison? To subdue Silvenia in a single strike, Lucy would need a suppression-type spell.
But that only worked against those who couldn't use Celestial Magic themselves.
Trying to fight Silvenia with Celestial Magic was absurd.
Silvenia could simply gather her own, disperse the attack instantly—and Lucy, left defenseless, would die.
And just as Silvenia began gathering her own Celestial Magic—
Whooooooooooosh!
The reddish energy around Lucy's hands vanished.
Immediately afterward, Lucy began gathering elemental magic.
"What…?"
Silvenia doubted her eyes.
Converting Celestial Magic back into regular magic required discarding the previously accumulated power—a highly inefficient process.
Even at the pinnacle of magic, such a conversion would still create a brief opening.
In battles between extremes, even half a second was fatal.
Lucy's strategy—forcing hesitation and exploiting it—was eerily similar to Ed Rothstaylor's.
Still, how had Lucy converted her magic without any downtime?
Even Silvenia herself couldn't manage such a feat.
But when Silvenia noticed Lucy's arm, she froze.
Lucy had never gathered Celestial Magic.
She had only gathered regular magic power all along.
The dark red glow had never been magic.
Lucy had simply cast Ignite—setting her own arm ablaze to create the illusion.
She had burned her own flesh for the sake of deception.
Silvenia noticed the scar forming on Lucy's arm. It would likely never fade. The pain must have been unbearable.
Two layers of deception, combined with illusion magic, had forced Silvenia into a reckless decision.
Lucy instantly formed three ice spears with the magic she had gathered.
Though the strategy resembled Ed's methods, only Lucy's innate resonance allowed her to cast intermediate magic in mere seconds.
Silvenia had no time.
Misled by Lucy's bluff, she had already expended her Celestial Magic. She had less than a second to gather more.
The amount she could accumulate was limited.
Still, if she could defend against the ice spears, she would survive.
Even without advanced Celestial spells, the power she had gathered could be released as a protective force.
Booooooom!
All of this happened in less than a second.
Lucy's ice spears crashed into the square, sending clouds of dust into the air.
***
"K-Keuk…"
Lucy's final attempt—using every means available to her.
Her last attack, for which she had been willing to burn her own arm…
It missed.
"Cough… Cough…"
Silvenia frowned, holding her breath.
The ice spear nearest to her had been forcibly pushed aside by Celestial Magic, piercing the ground beside her.
Had Silvenia made even the slightest mistake, it would have gone straight through her head.
In the end, Lucy's attack failed.
The final variable Lucy hadn't accounted for was luck.
To maximize her chances, Lucy had created three ice spears—but Silvenia twisted space itself, forcibly altering their trajectories.
Lucy collapsed to the ground, drenched in blood.
Silvenia stared down at her.
Silvenia surpassed Lucy in magic power, control, and strength.
But in extreme battles, quick thinking and improvisation could sometimes overturn even overwhelming odds.
A fighting style that chased victory with only a 0.1% chance.
That wasn't something a magician could be taught.
Silvenia shook her head and aimed her wand at Lucy's prone form.
She could not be allowed to live.
At that moment, Lucy's bloodshot eyes snapped open.
Lucy glared at Silvenia, clenching her teeth as she tried to gather magic once more. Only a pitiful amount responded—barely worthy of being called magic.
Still, she used it to push herself upright.
Lucy struggled to lift her head, her school uniform in tatters. Her heavy breathing radiated fighting spirit.
Lucy thought:
Even with death right in front of him, he never ran.
Even as death crawled across his battered body, that man always stood tall.
And so would she.
She had received a life from him.
Now, it was her turn to give one back.
Even ten seconds—no, even one more second—stalling Silvenia would increase his survival chance by 0.1%.
She was willing to throw her life away without hesitation.
That resolve never wavered.
Even as Silvenia gathered her magic, Lucy stood firm, unshaking.
She wondered if there was any way left to fight.
There wasn't.
Lucy gently closed her eyes as a brilliant light bloomed from Silvenia's magic.
The warmth of a campfire.
She finally understood Glockt, whom she had once watched from beneath a blanket.
At the end of his life, he had thought it meaningless—
Yet he was glad he had lived.
The ability to say that proved how meaningful his life truly was.
She had met a man—and was dying for him.
How meaningful must her life have been, to allow that?
Lucy smiled faintly.
And her vision faded.
***
Boooooom!
When Lucy opened her eyes, she wasn't in the afterlife.
She saw people bleeding, clenching their teeth as they fought to survive.
"Listen, Lucy."
Amid the wreckage of the fallen spire, she realized she was being held by a man as injured as herself. Both of them were barely conscious.
Even through the overpowering stench of blood, she recognized his scent.
Grass.
It calmed her.
"No matter what happens… you can never die…"
Silvenia's magic had been temporarily neutralized by Yennekar Palerover's elementalism. Because it was an emergency spell, Yennekar was clenching her teeth just to maintain it.
When Lucy fully opened her eyes, she saw Ed collapsing beside her, having run to her side. Beyond him were the others, fighting Silvenia.
It was the same group that had escaped the royal residence.
"You held on, Lucy… You really did… You did great… Thank you… But…"
Ed, drenched in blood, held Lucy tightly.
It was a miracle they were both alive—but somehow, they had endured.
"Whatever it takes… don't die… No matter what… You can't die…"
Lucy looked at Ed.
Despite his injuries, he supported her, helping her stand.
"We need to retreat to Ophelis Hall… Reinforcements will gather there…"
He clenched his teeth as he spoke, barely able to hold her up.
Lucy looked at him and burst into tears.
Relief at seeing him alive.
Relief at surviving.
Perhaps both.
As her consciousness faded again, Lucy stopped crying.
Though her face was smeared with tears and blood, Ed gently wiped her tears away.
-x-X-x-
All-out war.
A situation in which victory could only be achieved by using every means available.
All of my efforts over the past couple of years had been solely to overcome that ordeal.
Watching the monsters swarm Acken Island as if the world were coming to an end… I hugged Lucy tightly.
Lucy let out a groan of pain, likely from the injuries covering her body. My condition was no different; I was injured all over as well. At that moment, I was forcing my body to move despite having already reached my limit.
Still, I needed to grab Lucy and take her to safety immediately.
"Run."
After saying that to Lucy, who was in my arms, I ran into an alleyway between several buildings in the commercial district.
Silvenia's main target was Lucy Mayreel.
That was because she believed Lucy was the sole person blocking Velbrok. If she could eliminate Lucy, the Holy Blue Dragon—currently bound by chains—would be able to wreak havoc freely.
That was why the immediate priority was to get Lucy, who was no longer capable of fighting, away from the battlefield.
Princess Penia and Yennekar weren't enough to face Silvenia alone. However, it was possible for them to buy enough time for us to escape.
Silvenia was an enemy that even Lucy Mayreel could only fight by using her full power.
However, she couldn't. That was because she had already been trying to hold back the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok when the Great Sage Silvenia appeared.
"We're heading straight for Ophelis Hall. Then, we'll have to take on that mad magician on our own. Taylee is going to deal with Velbrok."
Holding Lucy tightly, I ran as fast as I could. Blood poured from both of us, leaving a trail down the alleyway.
"What… a relief…"
"…What is?"
I was confused by Lucy's sudden remark as I ran.
"That you're alive."
Lucy rarely spoke much. She was a girl who showed very few emotions.
Perhaps because she had just seen her life flash before her eyes, her emotions were beginning to surface. She continued bleeding as she struggled to speak.
"I wouldn't know what to do if you died."
"You should know better."
After hearing Lucy's worries, I tried to reassure her.
"Whatever it takes, surviving is my specialty."
Hearing that, Lucy took a deep breath. That was something she already knew.
One way or another, I always survived. Because she knew that, she had tried to hold Silvenia back for even one second longer.
"E-Euk… K-Keuk…!"
Suddenly, Lucy began coughing up blood. I frowned and laid her gently against the wall of a nearby building.
Lucy was in pain. I brushed aside the blood-soaked hair stuck to her cheek and checked her condition once more.
Because of the urgency of the situation, I realized it too late. One of her hands was completely burned. Not only that, but her body was covered in cuts, gashes, and other scars from magic power bullets.
Countless injuries were visible through the tears in her uniform. But upon closer inspection, I realized her condition was far worse than it appeared.
She was also suffering from severe body aches and a high fever. Occasionally, she would nod off or wave her hand in the air as if hallucinating.
I knew exactly what state she was in. It was the same condition I had experienced after exhausting myself from overworking.
It happened when I twisted the flow of magic power in my body by repeatedly drawing on more magic power than I could handle. When the magic power was completely depleted and couldn't be restored, the original flow within the body became impossible to locate.
Back then, I had been bedridden for several days. Lucy had used her own magic power to sever the twisted flow within my body.
It was a harsh treatment, but it had been effective.
"H-Heuk… Cough…"
Lucy leaned against the wall, coughing in pain. I drew out the tiny amount of magic power still left in my body.
Closing my eyes, I placed my finger beneath Lucy's chin and concentrated. I could feel the flow of her magic power.
After being completely drained, her body was trying to restore it by finding its original flow. However, unable to locate it, the magic power had become tangled throughout her body.
The cause was the lack of harmony between her body's recovery system and her magic power recovery system. Regardless, I needed to untangle her magic power.
Clenching my teeth, I gathered what remained of my magic power. Just as Lucy had done for me, I began untangling the twisted flow within her body.
Given my own condition, it wasn't the time to worry about someone else's physical state.
However, if I left Lucy alone, she would certainly die.
I poured my magic power into restoring her flow.
She had only just begun recovering, so she was still weak. However, because it was Lucy's magic power, its amount and potency were extraordinary. I had to use nearly all the energy left in my body just to untwist and sever that tangled flow.
"Heuk… heuk…"
I was completely exhausted, barely able to keep my eyes open.
However, Lucy's breathing began to stabilize. She no longer coughed up blood, and her lungs expanded and contracted at a steady rhythm.
With that, we somehow overcame a major crisis.
The next issue was the large burn on one of Lucy's arms. The red scar was shaped like a flame.
It must have been agonizing. Although the pain hadn't fully subsided, it was necessary to cool the remaining heat. The scar would likely last a lifetime, but if treated properly, she wouldn't lose her hand.
Ideally, I would have used ice magic, but that was beyond my capabilities. Instead, I used wind magic to cool the surface of her arm. At the same time, I placed my hand on her forehead to lower her fever.
Gradually, Lucy's breathing stabilized further. Her condition was slowly improving.
Boom! Boooooom!
I could hear Silvenia casting elemental magic at the entrance square.
I had told Yennekar to buy us as much time as possible and then escape, though it didn't seem like it would be easy.
Silvenia had already allowed Yennekar to escape once. I doubted she would permit it again.
However, if Yennekar truly committed to fleeing, even Silvenia would struggle to capture her. She would first need to subdue the countless spirits that would flood the area, buying us valuable time.
Once Lucy's condition stabilized, we would need to move again.
Grab.
Lucy slowly opened her eyes and raised her unburned hand, grasping mine.
She pulled my hand down and pressed it against her cheek, as if confirming the warmth of my palm.
Then, in a blank voice, she spoke softly.
"It's not a dream."
"..."
"I wondered if you surviving was just a dream… or if I was simply seeing my life flash before my eyes. I was worried…"
"You don't have to worry anymore. I'm still alive."
"Yeah. Thank you for staying alive."
I was about to ask why she was saying things so unlike her usual self, but she answered before I could.
"I was planning on dying."
"Why would you do something so stupid?"
"I didn't think we could stop her unless I risked my life. So I tried to die without regrets."
Lucy Mayreel had intended to die alongside Silvenia.
She didn't know whether sacrificing her life would actually defeat Silvenia, but it was the best option she had.
"You're the one who gave meaning to my empty, meaningless life."
"..."
"So even if I died, if it saved you… wouldn't that make my life meaningful? Wouldn't I be able to say I lived a fulfilling life? I had thoughts like that… So even when I was about to die, I wasn't afraid."
Lucy spoke while guiding my hand along her cheek. Despite her face being covered in blood and scratches, she closed her eyes gently, as if at ease.
"It was a strange feeling."
"If you say something so ridiculous again, I'll get angry. Listen carefully."
I lifted my hand from her cheek and reached into my pocket, pulling out the phoenix ring. I carefully placed it on her finger.
Lucy, who had once descended into the Soul Library, knew exactly what that ring was.
"Don't ever think about dying for my sake. You need to live for my sake."
"..."
"Whatever it takes, you need to survive. You can never accept death. Do whatever it takes to live for me. That's what it means to live a meaningful life. Please—no matter what—you must survive. If you die, the loss and sadness I'll feel will be unbearable."
Ideally, Lucy would be the one to possess Professor Glast's Phoenix Ring. However, her magic power flow was completely twisted, and her condition was poor. It would be difficult for her to use it properly without time to recover.
So, while we waited, I made sure she understood not to harbor useless thoughts of sacrificing herself for me.
"You need to live for me."
Hearing those words, Lucy's eyes widened, completely unlike her usual self.
As I placed the ring on her finger, her face flushed red. It would shock anyone to see Lucy Mayreel wearing such an expression.
As if she couldn't believe what she was hearing, she stared at the ring in disbelief… then looked up at me with wide eyes.
"It may be hard for you to move right now, but once your magic power recovers even a little, this ring will help you a lot. So hold onto it. My body isn't in good condition either… I don't think we can run much farther. Rest here while I think of another plan."
"But… this ring is your secret weapon…"
"I already told you. Do I need to say it again?"
Lucy looked down at the ring. Her face remained red, but she nodded.
After a while, her dazed eyes regained some clarity. She quietly replied, "Alright."
Using a small amount of recovered magic power, she stopped her bleeding. Then she clenched her lips before saying, "I'll live for you."
"Good."
I stroked Lucy's head and forced myself to stand, despite the pain.
Once I managed to stand, I looked down at Lucy, who was in terrible condition.
She was a rare genius magician destined to go down in history. Yet leaning against the wall, she looked like a small, fragile child. Her petite body and thin limbs seemed as if they might break at any moment.
In the end, everyone was weak.
When pushed to their limits and faced with death, people could only struggle with everything they had to survive. That was what it meant to be human.
I slowly turned back toward the entrance square, where Silvenia and Yennekar were facing each other.
The madwoman, Silvenia.
She was an enemy who couldn't be handled one-on-one. The only way to subjugate her was to unite every available force.
Like a raid, the more people we had, the higher our chances of victory. I wanted to gather as many allies as possible, but… there was a limit.
Boom! Booooom! Boooom!
We had been trying to escape toward Ophelis Hall together.
Suddenly, the sky—once filled with monsters—was dyed in a dark red magic circle.
It was different from Lucy's. Unfamiliar, yet the shape felt strangely familiar.
As I quietly looked up at the sky, realization struck me.
In that moment, I couldn't help but run toward the entrance square, frowning.
***
"Ahhhhhhh! Kyaaaaaah!"
"Save me! Deputy Director! My… arm… my arm…!"
"The store entrance has been breached! Half the mercenaries are dead! At this rate…!"
Lortel Kehelland rushed through the corridors of the Elte Store, voices echoing around her. Were they cries of agony, or reports?
As she ran, a window shattered from a Gremlin's magic power, and a grotesque monster leapt inside.
Lortel instantly used ice and gravity magic to kill it, then rushed into her office and shut the door. Secretary Lienna followed, drenched in cold sweat. She looked up at Lortel, who hadn't shed a single drop of sweat.
"Close the window and pull the curtain, Secretary Lienna."
"Y-Yes!"
Shaken, Secretary Lienna quickly closed the window and drew the curtains.
After a while, the screams outside subsided. Occasional explosions and tremors still shook the building, conveying the chaos beyond.
Lortel, having just joined the battle, placed the letter she received from Yennekar's spirit on her desk and sat down, taking deep breaths.
"D-Deputy Director…"
Secretary Lienna called out in a trembling voice, but Lortel didn't respond.
She simply closed her eyes, contemplating the letter.
Please come to Ophelis Hall and help.
The Great Sage Silvenia has been resurrected and is murdering all powerful individuals within the school.
We need help to defeat Velbrok.
It was brief and written in haste, conveying only what was essential. He was calling for everyone to gather to subjugate Velbrok. Yet what confused Lortel most was Silvenia's resurrection.
The handwriting was unmistakably Ed Rothstaylor's. Because of that, she knew trusting him was the right decision.
The Elte Company's Silvenia Branch was in complete chaos.
Yet even in the midst of hell, Lortel remained calm.
Her ability to maintain reason regardless of circumstances was her defining trait.
"If we go to Ophelis Hall, we'll have to abandon the building."
The store would likely be destroyed, and all assets—including the warehouse inventory—would be lost.
While countless merchants had already died, the valuables stored there were worth far more than hundreds of thousands of gold coins.
Even abandoning the store offered no guarantee she would reach Ophelis Hall safely. It was a dangerous gamble.
Still, Lortel intended to go.
Defending the building alone wouldn't solve anything.
The true threat was Velbrok. And if Ed Rothstaylor had devised a plan… then it was a gamble worth taking.
Closing her eyes, she thought of the blond-haired man.
That strange sense of dissonance she felt whenever she thought of him… It was as if he stood on a completely different stage.
Ever since Ed Rothstaylor began shaping his own life at Silvenia Academy, Lortel had remained by his side.
She tried to walk alongside him, following his path as best she could, yet at crucial moments, a strange unease always surfaced.
Though it felt like they were walking together, Ed always seemed to be looking elsewhere.
Sometimes it felt as though an invisible screen separated them.
According to the main scenario, Lortel Kehelland belonged to the protagonist's generation.
Ed Rothstaylor was merely an extra beneath the stage, never meant to be seen.
Sometimes the gap between them felt insignificant. Other times, insurmountable.
Lortel didn't know the details, but her intuition was sharp.
At times, fleeting visions appeared before her eyes, stirring unease.
Was it a dream? Or a hallucination?
Taylee McLaure stepped forward.
He gripped his sword tightly, determination etched on his face.
Beside him walked his companion and lover, Ayla. Behind them were Princess Penia, who had hardened her resolve; Ziggs, who had adapted to civilization; Clevius, who had overcome his cowardice; and Elvira, who had learned to understand others.
The protagonist generation had endured hardships, overcome trials, and grown.
That was why they continued down the heroic path, bathed in praise and applause.
Far behind them walked Lortel Kehelland.
And Ed Rothstaylor passed her by.
He walked in the opposite direction—hands in his pockets, eyes trembling with anxiety. There was no glory, no spotlight, no applause.
Following him were Yennekar Palerover, Lucy Mayreel, Clarice, Daike Elpelan, Selah Einer Kroel, Trayciana Bloomriver…
The extras who had stepped off the stage.
Watching them fade into the distance, Lortel realized—
They stood on different stages.
The road filled with praise, happy endings, and fulfilled dreams…
Did not include Ed Rothstaylor.
"Deputy Director!"
Secretary Lienna's sudden shout snapped her back to reality.
She would never interrupt Lortel's thoughts without reason.
Lortel looked at her, startled.
Outside the window loomed a massive shadow.
A dark red magic circle blanketed the sky.
She instantly recognized that shadow.
She had seen it once before—only partially.
This was its complete form.
Even Lortel couldn't hide her shock.
***
Yennekar Palerover was a girl who had once collapsed from failure.
Loved by many, burdened by expectations, she had worked tirelessly—only to fail.
Crushed by frustration and despair, she drifted helplessly until graduation… quietly discarded.
That fate was one Silvenia had observed across countless futures.
Yennekar's failure wasn't something her temperament alone could overcome.
Yet the colossal shadow rising before Silvenia's eyes denied that fate.
The dark red magic circle covering the sky was the same summoning circle Yennekar had created while under Velosper's control.
Yennekar lacked the capacity to complete it. To do so, she had to be prepared to burn every ounce of magic power within her body.
Even at the peak of elementalism, she had to risk her life.
Even if she survived, she risked losing her sanity.
But its power surpassed any other elemental spirit.
The shadow twisted and expanded, forming a demon of immense scale.
Yennekar knelt, gripping her wand tightly, layering magic circles atop one another as she stared up at Silvenia.
Silvenia had never seen a future like this.
Yet here it was.
Yennekar had resolved to protect Acken Island by any means necessary.
For her, that meant committing the most reckless act imaginable.
The trauma of her past failure clawed at her mind as she met Silvenia's gaze with unwavering strength.
Half of her pink hair had turned pure white.
Dark engravings crawled across her skin.
Yet her will was not consumed.
She wasn't drawn in or devoured by the dark spirit.
Though the darkness gnawed at her thoughts, Yennekar endured, fully subduing it—without the Phoenix Ring.
Her magic power burned, devouring her body from within.
It felt like being cast into a pit of fire.
Still, her resolve never wavered.
The sky darkened.
A devil towered over the square, taller than the spire itself.
Darkness.
The primal fear Silvenia had always feared.
And Yennekar Palerover stood, having conquered it.
The Ultimate Dark Spirit of the Mythic Ages—
Glasskan.
Its roar echoed across the commercial district.
***
At the summit of Right Mountain stood the Substitute Altar.
In ancient times, the Great Sage Silvenia had created it to act as a substitute for her magic power.
A man knelt before it.
Cold sweat dripped as he poured immense magic power into the engraved altar.
Wrinkles and short hair peeked out beneath his robe.
Swallowing dry saliva, he continued.
Chains of magic bound his arms.
Monster corpses surrounded him, and his clothes were soaked in blood.
Without lowering his hands, he persisted.
But he was reaching his limit.
His vision dimmed.
Clenching his teeth, he fought to retain consciousness.
The last headmaster of Silvenia Academy—
Obel Forsyth—
looked up at the dying sky.
-x-X-x-
A drop of blue paint falling into a cup of lukewarm water.
That simple drop of paint that fell into the water only left a small trace behind at first.
However, it would gradually spread throughout the cup until eventually, the entire cup was dyed blue.
A little drop. At first, that was all it was. But by the end, the world inside the cup would have completely changed into a different landscape.
No one knew how the swaying water in the cup would fluctuate, or how that simple drop of paint would manage to spread.
However, the result was always the same. That small drop of paint changed the entire world. That one small variable created a butterfly effect that completely altered the distant future.
"I've been researching ways to create this paint-like entity at the Imperial Research Laboratory, Prince Lienfell."
The words of the Great Sage, Silvenia.
Prince Lienfell had been seriously injured by Silvenia's research. In return, he had asked her what she was researching and what she had been observing.
However, the answer Silvenia gave him was a future that would one day end without any notice.
The eternal darkness that couldn't be observed. The 'Cliff Point.'
A promised darkness that would devour the world no matter what was done. The moment where all possible futures came to an end.
Observing that nightmare alongside Silvenia, Prince Lienfell couldn't help but swallow his dry saliva.
"No matter what I observe, the future never changes. I locked myself inside the imperial laboratory of Lily Palace to figure out how we can escape from that eternal darkness, but I can't even begin to guess what the cause might be."
Prince Lienfell spoke, his voice trembling.
"Then… did you figure out a way to prevent it?"
"No."
Hearing that, Prince Lienfell swallowed again.
"However, I've put together a number of possible hypotheses. The conclusion I reached is that the world we currently live in is a closed one. A world in which, no matter how things play out, we will always reach the same ending."
"Even if you say that, I still can't believe it…"
"I don't expect you to. However, if I am correct… there is also a way for us to fight back. If we can't overcome the Cliff Point using all means available to us within this world, then we will have to bring in an outsider who will act as a new variable. A person from a world that has nothing to do with the flow of this one."
Silvenia closed her eyes.
Through Celestial Magic, which she had studied her entire life… she could clearly feel the existence of another world beyond the distant stars of their own.
"I don't know how I would go about doing it. And since no one has ever tried, I can't say for sure how it will turn out. After all, we would be bringing someone who is not connected to our world into ours."
"…Then I will help you with anything you need."
"Thank you, Crown Prince. However, there are very few things I can be certain of."
Celestial Magic was a field that remained largely unknown.
Silvenia might have been the pioneer and lead researcher of Celestial Magic, but there was still far too much she had yet to explore.
"It will require an immense amount of time to gather the tremendous magic power necessary. There are also countless spells I still need to research. Even if I succeed, I can't be certain that they will be summoned into our current era. Whether they will arrive of their own will, or be summoned into the body of someone else in this world… whether they will appear here and now, or in a distant future… there are too many unknowns. And even then, I can't guarantee I'll find any answers. Since Celestial Magic manipulates space and time, it is inherently uncontrollable…"
A magic that challenged the very laws of the world. One no one had ever attempted.
An area of research that remained completely uncharted.
"And even if I succeed… I can't say for sure that they will be able to make any meaningful difference in our world."
"Then… there's nothing you're certain of…! How can you plan to solve an issue of this magnitude like that?!"
"Even so, it's not as if I can simply sit back and do nothing."
Weren't you supposed to try every possibility, even when it felt like grasping at straws?
Life was precious.
She couldn't accept death like that.
She couldn't accept the end of the world without doing anything. She had no intention of submitting to such a fate.
Silvenia Robester had no doubt that humanity could escape its fated end.
Not by running away in fear. Not by crying or lamenting.
Even when the fear of darkness tried to consume her mind, she would shake it off and ignore it.
She would stand before the public with a smile, insisting that nothing would happen. She believed the age of peace and prosperity would continue.
Nevertheless, she continued researching how to fight back against the fate of the world.
Unbeknownst to the public, she continued to receive support from Crown Prince Lienfell. She locked herself in the laboratory, calculating endlessly day after day.
She hiked through the Lamelin Mountain Range, observed the stars from its peaks, and calculated the flow of magic power.
At times, she used Celestial Magic to observe other worlds, or to confirm the promised end of her own once more.
A long time passed before she finally completed a summoning circle meant to bring someone from another world. However, even after doing so, the future did not change. It still led toward a cliff of endless darkness.
Nevertheless, Silvenia did not give up. She refined the summoning circle and continued researching, repeating the process again and again. Still, the future refused to change.
Eventually, it was Crown Prince Lienfell who lost patience first.
"No matter how many times you try… nothing ever works! It's meaningless! It was foolish to think we could resist the fate of our world!"
"Crown Prince…"
"It's useless! Useless! All of it is useless…!"
Prince Lienfell slammed his fist against the desk in frustration.
He swept away books and research papers, ripping at his hair as he shouted.
"I never doubted that you would be the savior of our world! You were the only one who could stop this fated end! But even you…! No matter what we do, we can't escape it! This is the end!"
Silvenia couldn't say a word as she watched the Crown Prince pull at his hair.
It wasn't that she didn't understand his despair and fear.
The only reason Crown Prince Lienfell was still able to maintain his sanity was because the end of the world was far in the future. They both knew their own lives would end long before that point.
That knowledge had allowed them to continue working with purpose.
If the end had been right before them, he would likely have locked himself away, trembling in fear.
But even with time left, there was still nothing he could do.
As the years passed, emptiness gnawed at him. He slowly lost the will to live, believing that no matter how he lived or struggled, everything would ultimately be swallowed by darkness.
And so, Silvenia was exiled from the imperial household.
Prince Lienfell lost all desire to become emperor and gradually faded from history.
When Silvenia was exiled, rumors spread throughout the capital.
Even the Great Sage Silvenia was not exempt from accusations of harming the Crown Prince.
People whispered as they watched her depart for Acken Island. However, she could endure that much.
Silvenia never bothered to explain the truth.
Instead, she smiled brightly as she left for Acken Island.
The distant future she had observed countless times always converged into endless darkness.
Yet she never grew frustrated while witnessing those countless futures.
Because she wanted someone to remember her.
***
—Whoosh—
The Great Sage Silvenia gripped her wand as her eyes widened.
The moment it appeared, a massive giant of darkness swung its arm toward the entrance plaza of the commercial district. A pitch-black blade of darkness flew toward Silvenia, who barely managed to block it with defensive magic.
Claaaaaang!
Glasskan lifted its enormous body upright. Silvenia stared at the massive demon-shaped shadow.
It wasn't an illusion. It truly existed before her.
Yennekar Palerover had overcome her trauma and manifested the ultimate dark spirit with her own strength.
Dark magic slammed into Silvenia, sending her flying off the spire and crashing into a small shop in the square.
Boom!
Silvenia struggled to stand amid the rising dust, her eyes filled with shock.
A demon of that scale should never have existed.
Dell Heim's Hourglass, created by Philona Bloomriver, was never supposed to see the light of day.
Lucy Mayreel, who was never meant to understand the fighting style of the weak, should have fallen beneath overwhelming power.
Yennekar Palerover, who should have been crushed by her past failure.
Locked away in Lily Palace, Silvenia had peered into countless futures through Celestial Magic.
Yet the paths unfolding before her now were ones she had never observed.
Silvenia rose from the rubble, her expression unsettled.
Too many things were wrong.
She shook her head as darkness seeped back into her thoughts, her eyes trembling.
And yet, the strangest thing of all—
Was the blond-haired man leaning against the ruined outer wall of Trix Hall, staring at her.
The determination in his eyes carved itself into her consciousness.
As madness surged back up, she gathered her magic power and rose into the sky.
She looked down at Yennekar Palerover, seated within a magic circle, clutching her wand.
The girl's once gentle eyes burned with hostility.
Her hair had turned white, dark markings spreading across her skin… yet her resolve remained.
Silvenia unleashed advanced elemental magic—fire, wind, water, earth—sending it all toward Glasskan.
Dark magic neutralized most of it. Only a few attacks landed, erupting in massive explosions.
Yet Glasskan was an ultimate elemental spirit.
Such attacks meant little.
Dark-red flames surged forth, engulfing the square.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Black flames—Glasskan's signature—burned matter and magic alike.
Still, they were insufficient against Celestial Magic.
Silvenia emerged from a hastily cast Spatial Curtain, returning to the spire unharmed.
Defeating the giant would take effort, especially against a dark spirit.
But it was still possible.
Or so she thought.
Water had flooded the entire plaza.
She noticed too late.
As though a deluge had arrived, water poured across the square.
Spiritual Skill—Manifestation of a Water Source.
The scale dwarfed anything before it.
Wherever it appeared, it became a sea.
The Ultimate Water Spirit—Friede.
Last time Yennekar summoned it, she had nearly died.
Yet now, gripping her wand, Yennekar accomplished the impossible.
Blood poured from her body as she concentrated.
A colossal whale burst from the ground, eclipsing the sky.
Spirits filled the air like a fleet guarding a mothership.
Reality blurred.
Velbrok roared as monsters were swept away.
Silvenia stood frozen on the spire.
Yennekar bowed her head, bleeding, burning, yet unbroken.
She endured for one reason alone.
To protect something.
Friede roared as Glasskan unleashed darkness.
Silvenia gathered Celestial Magic.
Ultimate Celestial Magic—Nothingness.
Power spread across Acken Island.
She raised her wand, smiling eerily.
But—
Whoooooooosh!
Boooom!
A greater Celestial Magic crushed her own.
Silvenia's eyes widened.
Lucy Mayreel stood atop a ruined building, blood-soaked, Phoenix Ring glowing in her hand.
A future Silvenia had never seen.
Lucy gathered years of magic power from the future.
Cracks spread across the ring.
Still, Lucy gathered more.
Friede cried. Velbrok roared.
Lucy vanished—
And appeared before Silvenia.
"There was something that old man always used to say."
"I met the absolute worst teacher there was."
Boooom!
Celestial magic struck Silvenia.
Memories surged.
Regret. Struggle. Hope.
And then—
Boom!
From the rubble, Ed Rothstaylor stood, bloodied but resolute.
Holding his dagger, he stared forward.
Even now—
His will had never once broken.
-x-X-x-
Late at night, in a simple laboratory setup on Acken Island, Silvenia Robester opened a book.
It was a collection of her life's research on Celestial magic. She was about to finish writing the Sage's Seal, which would go on to become a major subject of research.
Soon, she would use Time Prison on herself to go and see the dark future that awaited her world with her own eyes.
Although it would be a long battle against darkness, she encouraged herself, certain that she would somehow be able to get through it.
She had tried to summon a being who might be able to create a new path within a closed future. She pursued that slim possibility as if grasping at straws. She lived her whole life studying Celestial magic in order to summon a man who suffered in his loneliness, in a world beyond the most distant stars of her own.
However, she could never confirm the results of her efforts.
Whether the man would arrive in her world, when he would arrive, or if it would even lead to any meaningful results… she couldn't confirm anything.
She was simply doing all she could in her current position.
She only knew fragments of information about the man she had observed from a world far beyond the most distant stars of her own.
He lived in a world full of tall buildings that reached high into the sky and various machines. He always managed to survive despite his life constantly being at risk.
Despite the deaths of his many colleagues, he never let go of his own life. Even after experiencing several tragedies that left him drowning in grief and sorrow, he always ended up trying to make the most of the life he was given.
A person who continued to survive until the very end, despite the hardships and despair he faced.
So, even if Silvenia couldn't observe him…
She knew that if he ever came to her world one day, he would surely survive and stand on that final stage.
[The Sage's Seal, Preface.]
At the beginning of the book that contained her life's work, she slowly began writing words addressed to him.
[To you who survived.]
***
Ed Rothstaylor stood up from the rubble, letting out a loud cry. In order to control his body, already covered in blood, he had to clench his teeth hard.
Even in great despair, his will lived on. With an army of spirits filling the sky behind him, that third-rate extra—neither a main character nor anything of the sort—stood up on his own two feet.
***
[At the end of that long journey, where your life was at risk every moment, it may be very different from what you thought it would be.]
***
Ed Rothstaylor gathered all the magic power he had left, once again manifesting the high-ranking wind spirit Merilda. He coughed up blood as a streak of blood trickled from his ears.
While continuing to stare straight at Silvenia despite his vision growing blurry, the giant wolf stood up.
Silvenia swallowed as she realized that, for some reason, the wolf seemed familiar to her.
***
[But what does not change is the fact that after bearing through that difficult journey, at the end of the day you are able to stand proudly.]
***
Silvenia stumbled backward in shock. Normally, she would have quickly gathered her magic power, but that moment of shock prevented her brain from functioning properly.
Ed Rothstaylor then cast elemental magic. The beginner elemental spell Wind Blade struck Silvenia's right arm. A single drop of blood flew through the air.
Silvenia couldn't believe she had just allowed beginner magic of all things to wound her. She quickly covered the injury on her right hand.
Even the most powerful advanced spells couldn't land a scratch on her, but looking straight at the man standing upright… Silvenia couldn't stop her eyes from trembling.
The one who stood at the center of the change in the future… perhaps it was none other than that man, Ed Rothstaylor.
***
[Were you happy to have survived?]
***
The memory of writing the preface back on Acken Island, looking out the window at the starry sky.
***
[Or are you afraid of continuing to live a life of pain and anguish?]
***
The memory of those days when she fell asleep believing that someday, that man would come and somehow find a way to break through the future.
***
[Have you found a reason for living?]
[Was it a life worth living?]
[What did you gain and what did you lose?]
[Where did you succeed and where did you fail?]
[How did those moments of joy and despair shape you?]
***
The contents of the letter she wrote to that man in the distant future, who would somehow survive to the end, were engraved in her mind.
The man survived.
He survived and reached the final stage. The journey was long, arduous, and difficult. Nevertheless, he never once accepted his death.
***
[Why are we so obsessed with continuing to live our lives when we know it'll all be futile in the end?]
***
Taylee, Ayla, and Ziggs grabbed Elvira and left Ophelis Hall.
They were running toward the square, where Friede was flying through the sky and Velbrok was running rampant.
The supporting character Bell Maya sent them off, thinking to herself, Please let them be safe. Please help them somehow survive until the very end and end that calamity.
***
[What is the reason to needlessly try to change one's journey, which already has a predetermined ending?]
***
The Blade Demon Clevius slashed through the monsters and arrived at the square. After slaughtering hundreds of monsters alone, he had become drunk on blood. He rushed into the plaza, engulfed in madness.
Daike followed after him with his fists clenched. The other combat department students followed behind them, running toward the battlefield. They subdued the monsters Clevius hadn't taken care of.
***
[Why do we struggle unnecessarily just to survive?]
***
Lortel Kehelland joined the battlefield alongside the other merchants and mercenaries. She cut through the monsters flying around, making her way to the square with her magic power.
When they ran into a group of knights from Saint Clarice's Cathedral Garrison coming from the other side, they simply nodded to each other and joined forces, running toward the square.
***
[This book is an agonizing record of that answer.]
***
Princess Penia and Princess Selah had been separated.
Penia was looking up at Velbrok, while Selah was busy supporting the emperor.
One was working toward ending the situation. One was working to protect the emperor's safety.
Despite their completely different values, it was impossible to say that either of them was incorrect.
People were different.
Some took leading roles, while others provided support.
Some people stood proudly under the spotlight on the stage, while others lived their lives to the fullest in the dark.
Even if the spotlight never fell on them, they were definitely there.
Tanya Rothstaylor was making her way into the square. Professor Kaleid cleared a path by killing countless monsters to protect the students. Obel Forsyth was stuck at the Substitute Altar, maintaining the last piece of the seal. Trayciana Bloomriver was protecting the magic department students.
All of them looked up at the sky, which was filled with spirits and celestial magic.
At some point, they stopped being afraid of Velbrok's roar.
They were fighting back with nothing but their will to survive.
***
Boom!
Silvenia quickly responded to Merilda's wind magic.
For some unknown reason, she had been shocked, allowing an attack to hit her. However, she wasn't so distracted that she would allow a follow-up attack to land.
She raised her wand to gather more Celestial Magic Power, but Lucy quickly jumped down from the spire and landed on the floor. She then cast the advanced lightning magic Divine Judgment.
Booooooom!
Before the lightning even disappeared, the spiritual skill Dark Blade rose from the ground, trying to cut Silvenia.
However, Silvenia quickly cast defensive magic, deflecting the attack with reaction speed that exceeded human limits.
Yennekar was completely exhausted, yet she still stood tall. As if she had already lost her vision, she stared into the air with empty eyes. She simply felt the flow of magic power.
She had already figured out where Silvenia was.
Silvenia flew into the sky to try to get out of Ed's spiritual skill's range, but when she gathered her Celestial Magic Power to leap into space…
Once again, Lucy completely canceled the spell through her overwhelming magic power.
"Where are you going?"
Even with blood flowing down her face and covering her eyes, her voice was eerily calm.
Leaning forward and barely standing, she looked as if she were nearly unconscious. Nevertheless, she still radiated hostility.
She was on the verge of losing consciousness after drawing so much of her future magic power. Even so, she remained standing, determined to defeat Silvenia.
Silvenia let out a deep breath as she raised her wand once more.
First, she needed to somehow subdue Lucy without using Celestial Magic Power. After all, Lucy was the only one who could actually suppress Silvenia's Celestial Magic Power.
However, Lucy was in critical condition. Just one direct hit from elemental magic would be enough to defeat her.
The moment Silvenia was about to gather regular magic power…
Whoosh.
At the moment Yennekar was busy fending off monsters and Lucy had just blocked Silvenia's Celestial Magic Power…
There was only one person left who could gather Celestial Magic Power.
Ed Rothstaylor forced himself to gather every scrap of Celestial Magic Power he could and quickly cast Forced Collection.
Celestial magic could only be countered by Celestial Magic. However, Silvenia's Celestial Magic was being completely canceled out by Lucy, who was on the verge of losing consciousness.
Silvenia's body was quickly pulled toward Ed Rothstaylor. Forcibly dragging her into his range, he thrust his dagger into her shoulder once again.
"K-Keuk…!"
Ed put the weight of his body behind the dagger, not even giving her a chance to scream.
With little strength left in his body, the only way he could land a meaningful attack was by using his weight against her.
"H-Heuk…"
Silvenia's mind was flooded with pain as the dagger pierced her shoulder.
As blood gushed from the wound, Ed attacked Silvenia once more, climbing on top of her before she could gather more magic power.
"K-Kahak…!"
Stabbed by his dagger, she rolled on the floor. A groan of pain escaped Silvenia as the wound tore wider.
After pulling the dagger from her shoulder, Ed gathered all the strength left in his body and raised it with both hands, bringing it down once more.
But at that moment…
Clang!
Ed's dagger was blocked by the wand Silvenia barely managed to lift.
Silvenia was trembling from the wound Ed had inflicted. Ed had already pushed his body past its limit, so he couldn't put any more strength behind his attack either.
The dagger could not be forced any lower because of the strangely even balance between them. Aimed at her forehead, it trembled as it wavered up and down.
Ed's blood dripped onto her face.
Through his bangs, she could see Ed's eyes, still filled with the will to survive.
With the trembling dagger between them, the two pushed against each other for a long moment.
It was clear that if she weakened her arms even slightly to gather magic power, the dagger would come down and kill her.
Silvenia barely managed to hold it back, enduring the pain radiating from her shoulder.
However, Ed clenched his teeth and continued pushing down with his battered, weakened body.
Silvenia recognized that look.
The memories of the man she had observed in the distant past slowly began to seep into her mind.
***
The man was a soldier who wandered across battlefields.
In places where bullets flew, he met many people.
He met people of different nationalities and with different goals in life. They laughed together, sometimes fought, and reconciled again. They were more than just comrades; they were like family.
And every single one of them ended up dying.
In the middle of a battlefield where blood flowed like a river, the man trembled amid the gunfire, clutching his head.
The friend he had shared bread with now lay with his head rolling on the ground, a bullet piercing it. A locket containing a family photograph he treasured was buried in the mud.
A female officer he had feelings for was killed by a grenade fragment while shielding him in the grass.
Thanks to her sacrifice, the man and another comrade survived by hiding there. However, that comrade was seriously injured and unable to move. The man carried him through a forest, desperately trying to save him, but eventually the comrade died from excessive bleeding on the man's back.
The man no longer had comrades. Nor did he have a family.
Living an empty life, he put a gun to his head. Continuing to live felt pointless and painful.
Yet he clenched his teeth, shook his head, and lowered the muzzle. Somehow, he survived the battlefield and returned to his unit.
He was sent to another battlefield, met new allies, formed new bonds, and once again watched them die.
Sometimes he could save his comrades; other times, he couldn't. Some died, and some lived.
Living constantly on the border between life and death, the man continued to survive.
And in that way, he eventually endured the waves of war.
He earned a brilliant record and high praise for his service, but the thigh struck by a bullet never regained feeling.
Returning to society as a wounded soldier, he was ordered to spend the rest of his life in the arms of his peaceful homeland.
After growing accustomed to a life filled with flying bullets, he couldn't adjust to a city of towering buildings and people intoxicated by peace.
When he fell asleep in the quiet city, the faces of his dead comrades appeared behind his closed eyelids.
Waking in the middle of the night, he would stumble to the living room, drink cold water, and endure the nausea rising within him.
For a time, he suffered from hallucinations, yet he somehow managed to survive those long, dark nights.
Enduring them, the morning sun would eventually rise.
Light would pour through the window of the small building where he lived.
Even if the night was long, morning always came.
The man would read a book.
Sit by the window and listen to music.
Drink coffee.
Have pleasant conversations with comrades who had survived.
Do rehabilitation exercises.
Clean his room.
Play a game.
Open the window to ventilate the room.
Feed the dogs he raised.
Shower.
Change clothes.
Assemble new furniture.
Repair a broken vacuum.
Check his mail.
Eat a meal he cooked.
Occasionally, he remembered the moment he put a gun to his head while running through the forest.
Recalling the gun he struggled to lower, the man fell into contemplation. He didn't know why, but he hadn't ended his life back then, even though he saw no reason to continue living.
Since then, nothing particularly major had changed in his life.
His life hadn't turned upside down, nor had his ongoing troubles—such as his chronic illness—disappeared.
He simply continued to live.
He continued living a life that went on and on.
Then the man realized it.
Peace had felt uncomfortable at first, like wearing clothes that didn't fit. But over time, he grew accustomed to it and began to enjoy it.
Even in a place where he wouldn't hear a single gunshot all day, he could sleep soundly.
Even his dead comrades, who once haunted him when he closed his eyes, were smiling back at him.
It wasn't something that changed overnight. But at some point, it felt as though he had suddenly come to his senses.
That was what it meant to live.
***
Slash!
Pwsh!
Ed Rothstaylor's dagger cut into Silvenia's opposite shoulder.
Even though Ed Rothstaylor was in critical condition, it wasn't easy for Silvenia, with her petite stature, to block the dagger being forced down by his weight.
As the dagger slowly pushed deeper into her shoulder… Silvenia slowly opened her mouth.
"You know."
Ed's eyes widened at the unexpectedly calm voice. He looked at Silvenia.
Since when?
In her eyes, once filled with madness, a sense of reason had returned. Ed's blood dripped down her pale cheeks before falling to the floor.
While trapped in darkness, there was a question she had asked herself countless times during her long journey.
She had always been afraid to hear the answer. But at that moment, she calmly asked Ed, "Did I live a worthwhile life?"
Even when everyone else lowered their heads and called it a meaningless struggle, she had held her head high until the very end. Was such a life worth it?
Ed Rothstaylor lowered his gaze, thinking about how to answer.
No matter what he said, once spoken, it would sound like mere kindness.
Ed Rothstaylor was neither smiling nor crying. As always, he was expressionless.
He simply nodded slowly.
At that small affirmation, Silvenia Robester closed her eyes and wept.
Ed released his grip on the dagger.
Slowly, Ed began to lose consciousness.
Velbrok let out another thunderous roar across the skies above the island. The magic power carried in its roar soon spread across Acken Island.
It reached the western coastline, completely restoring it… and the aftermath surged toward the entrance plaza, where the battle continued.
Ed was nearly swept away by the shockwave when a surge of magic suddenly enveloped both him and Silvenia.
The two were instantly covered by the advanced Celestial Magic Spatial Curtain and safely shielded from the impact.
-x-X-x-
No matter what the people off the stage were doing, the story on the main stage had to go on.
The moment Ed Rothstaylor and Silvenia disappeared into the Spatial Curtain, the battlefield quickly fell into a lull.
Yennekar, completely exhausted, collapsed onto the floor as the spirits she had manifested in the sky slowly disappeared one by one.
Lucy was the same. The ring on her hand shattered, unable to withstand the astronomical amount of magic power she had gathered. She staggered toward the direction Ed Rothstaylor had disappeared in before collapsing.
Now, there was no one left to stop the monsters filling the sky.
Velbrok's monsters quickly covered the skies of Acken Island once more. There seemed to be no end to them. Even after countless numbers were slain, they continued to pour forth.
However, the humans never gave up fighting back.
The knights of the cathedral, led by Saint Clarice, and the mercenaries under Elte Company's deputy director, Lortel…
The blood-crazed Blade Demon Clevius, the combat department students following Daike's lead, and the student council members led by Tanya Rothstaylor…
They all arrived one after another, joining the battle.
Cutting down the monsters as they advanced, they made their way toward the center of the square. Enduring Velbrok's magic-laden roar and fending off the monsters' spells, they pressed onward toward the heart of the battlefield.
The first to arrive was Elte Company's deputy director, Lortel Kehelland.
Lortel quickly noticed the pool of blood surrounding the collapsed spire. She could sense the lingering form of Ed's magic from when he had used Elementalism, and then she spotted the unconscious Yennekar and Lucy.
She quickly gathered her thoughts and issued orders to the mercenaries to tend to the two of them.
The countless spirits she had witnessed earlier and the residual traces of Celestial Magic made it clear that a fierce battle had just taken place.
Right there, Yennekar and Lucy must have fought to the brink of death to support Ed.
But it was not a battle fought on the stage, beneath the spotlight.
It was a battle beneath the stage, known only to those involved. Nevertheless, it was an intensity that could not be compared to anything else.
Lortel belonged to the generation of the shining protagonist.
Therefore, this was not her stage.
She silently lifted her gaze to the sky.
Velbrok was still bound in chains, struggling to break free. That massive Holy Blue Dragon was undoubtedly the final enemy the long-awaited hero was meant to defeat.
Walking the hero's path was the correct choice. Steadily advancing along that open road, a bright and beautiful ending awaited her.
However, those who stood beside Ed Rothstaylor were all people who belonged beneath the stage.
She looked down at Yennekar and Lucy, both in terrible condition.
Despite fighting a desperate and grueling battle, they had remained by that man's side until the very end.
That was the decisive difference between Lortel and the two of them.
Standing on a different stage created a strange disconnect at the most important point.
She was not used to feeling so disconnected from him. A faint sense of loneliness welled up in her heart, but…
Then she slowly smiled.
"I'm sorry, but I've never once lived by the right answer."
She thought of Ed Rothstaylor, who was obsessed with gradation, focusing solely on survival until he reached that point. Wasn't it Lortel herself who had once shown him an alluring smile, declaring that she would take him before that time came?
Her dream of wealth had begun when the poor told her she would never succeed. And yet, she had become one of the wealthiest people in the Empire. Lortel Kehelland was accustomed to defying what others called fate and destiny.
The final stage was just around the corner. After coming this far, was she really going to end things in a way that disappointed herself?
Lortel lowered her head beneath her hood, a smile on her lips, and continued helping Yennekar and Lucy recover.
The Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok.
It was the enormous obstacle standing between her stage and the one Ed Rothstaylor stood upon. All she needed to do was remove it.
A stage ended when the curtain fell.
When the stage was over, the brilliant main characters stepped down as well.
Looking toward the stairs leading off the stage, Lortel smiled alluringly.
The stage Ed Rothstaylor had set was nearing its conclusion.
Once it was over, she only needed to descend those steps and slowly enter the world that man lived in.
Shortly after, the Velbrok Subjugation Squad led by Taylee reached the square. Everyone had gathered in one place.
Taylee McLaure, Ayla Triss, Penia Elias Kroel, Lortel Kehelland, Ziggs Eiffelstein, Clevius Nortondale, Elvira Aniston.
The protagonist generation. Characters burdened with their own circumstances stood together, gazing up at Velbrok as it roared.
The final curtain was slowly rising.
Taylee McLaure would win.
He was the protagonist.
***
When I opened my eyes and my blurred vision cleared, I found myself in a pure white space.
I had completely lost consciousness. Looking around, I felt momentarily disoriented. As pain surged through my body, I frowned but endured it.
There was nothing in sight.
I was sitting on a small wooden chair in an entirely white void.
Seated across from me was a girl I recognized.
Like me, she was covered in blood. Even her luxurious magician's robes were stained red.
The white-haired girl, her hair falling neatly down her back, was none other than the Great Sage Silvenia Robester.
When she realized I had woken up, she closed her eyes as if pondering what to say.
I spoke first.
"When did you get it together?"
Facing the unknown horrors of the abyss for what must have felt like eternity could not have been easy. That was why I had never criticized her.
"From around the time I saw Glasskan."
Silvenia's voice was softer than I had expected.
It was nothing like when madness had consumed her. She kept her gaze lowered, her expression dark, lacking any sense of imposing authority.
"But even before that, I felt something was wrong. After being slowly devoured in the abyss, I must have started thinking my life was nothing more than a series of useless struggles."
"That's understandable."
I sympathized with her, but I did not try to comfort her.
After all, the only one who could comfort her was herself.
Completely drained, I leaned back against the chair.
"This is…"
"We're in a gap in space. By hiding within the Spatial Curtain, we're completely isolated from the outside world—free from all damage and influence."
"This is quite the experience."
I leaned forward, bracing my back as pain flared again. Resting my elbows on my thighs, I buried my face in my hands.
"Your life wasn't meaningless. Because I'm here."
I wasn't trying to console her. I was simply stating a fact.
"I am proof of that."
I felt no loyalty toward her, yet the words still came.
Even as the Great Sage, she was human in the end.
All she wanted was to see it with her own eyes. That was all.
Silvenia lowered her wand and slowly nodded. She seemed to be holding it together, but tears eventually fell onto her hands.
She had lived her entire life trying to save the world—failing, losing herself to madness, and making countless mistakes.
Yet she had finally reached the end. She had found a future that extended beyond the Cliff Point.
The one who reached the end of the journey wasn't me. It was her—Silvenia Robester.
Thinking that, I nodded.
"Now it's time to finish things. Actually… I think it's about time for my end as well. I'm glad you came to this world."
"What do you mean, your end?"
"The provinces of the world aren't something that can be tampered with freely. The total number of souls permitted in a world is fixed. If a soul from another world enters, an equivalent weight of souls must disappear. There's a limit to how much humanity can twist the provinces."
Permanent extinction through Celestial Magic. By altering the provinces themselves, she could erase something from existence entirely.
Silvenia spoke while gathering Celestial Magic Power.
"Many people died because of my mistakes."
She had lived her entire life for the sake of saving the world. Yet that noble goal could not justify her own sacrifice. She was too great a person for that.
"I'll eliminate Velbrok and leave this world. The space I leave behind will be yours."
Silvenia stood as she spoke to me.
"Thank you for coming here. And for surviving."
"..."
"I'll take care of the rest. I just wanted to say thank you for surviving. You clenched your teeth until the very end and endured everything… That's why… I'm grateful to you…"
After saying that, she slowly turned away.
Perhaps she intended to end the calamity herself—to defeat Velbrok and entrust the world with the hope of overcoming the Cliff Point.
There was no place left for Silvenia. All that remained was to save the world.
Just knowing her life hadn't been meaningless was enough to bring a smile to her face.
"Hey."
Of course, I wasn't okay with ending things like that.
Barely able to stand, I called out to her with what little strength I could muster.
"...?"
"I understand how you feel. To save your world, you summoned me and forced me to endure countless hardships. I get that."
She had done everything for the sake of survival. Summoning me was just one part of that desperation.
I understood her position and her reasons.
But there were still things I couldn't accept.
"What about the world I came from?"
"Huh?"
"You said the provinces would be twisted if the balance of souls was broken. Who's maintaining the balance of the world I left behind? How are you planning to fill the space I left?"
I closed my eyes.
The friends I had left behind still lingered vividly in my mind.
"I didn't have many friends, and it was a hard world to live in… but it was still my home. A place I can't help but feel attached to. That's why… since I protected your world, you need to protect mine."
"Th-That…"
"If I need to exist here as a variable to save this world, then isn't it only fair that you ensure the world I came from doesn't collapse?"
I knew how many spirits had been sacrificed for me to arrive here.
But none of that mattered to me.
Which was why there was only one thing I could ask.
"I'll take responsibility for your world. So you take responsibility for mine. Don't try to run away by dying."
"You want me to go to your world? In your place?"
"You summoned me here. That means going there shouldn't be impossible."
"But… I've never tried before…"
"Then try."
My reaction clearly caught her off guard. Silvenia stared at me with wide eyes.
Still, my reasoning was sound.
Since arriving here, I had endured countless hardships. Yet there had been moments worth cherishing. Even so, that didn't mean I had stopped loving my own world.
I didn't want anything bad to happen to it.
"But… Velbrok…"
"You need to trust your world. The Taylee I know will defeat Velbrok, even with its seal fully undone. We have more allies now than ever. We won't lose."
The stage was already set.
Everything I had endured had led to this point. As long as the result was good, nothing else mattered.
"Don't waste your Celestial Magic Power saving this world. I'll save it for you."
It was a simple deal.
There was nothing more to think about. I had no intention of backing down.
Silvenia stared at me in silence, then smiled. Closing her eyes, she laughed softly for a while before finally responding.
"Yeah. You're right."
She nodded, gathering Celestial Magic Power throughout her body.
Dark red magic flooded the space. The once pure-white void became saturated with Celestial Magic, as though we were deep underground.
She had gathered far more power than when she used Ultimate Celestial Magic. Just witnessing it was enough to make my head ache.
It was power sufficient to reach beyond the furthest stars—to another world.
She had used this magic many times before to summon Ed Rothstaylor.
But now, it was meant to send herself elsewhere.
Something resembling a massive iron gate formed from the magic.
"Honestly, I don't know what will happen. It's been a long time since I first summoned you, and things have become unstable. I might have to drift through time and space for a long while. I could end up far in the future… or even deep in the past."
"Still better than you dying here."
"That's true. And like you said, I need to take responsibility—just like you."
Silvenia looked back at me with a faint smile.
Her lips moved as if she were saying something, but the swirling magic drowned out her voice. It looked like a final thank-you.
So I waved back, letting her know it would be fine.
All I had ever done was struggle to survive each moment. I never had some grand ambition to save the world.
In our own ways, we had both survived to the end.
And that was enough.
Silvenia's Celestial Magic Spatial Curtain closed.
I watched as she passed through the open gate, then closed my eyes.
I never got the chance to say goodbye.
But as long as we both survived, I believed we might meet again someday.
***
No matter how long the night, morning eventually came.
Even that night in the forest, when I pressed a gun to my head, the sun eventually rose after the darkness passed.
The same was true on Acken Island, where Velbrok and countless monsters had rampaged.
As the Velbrok Subjugation Squad regrouped and Taylee soared through the sky with his sword, the morning sun rose.
The monsters threatening to overrun the continent were eventually halted by the arriving Imperial Army.
Led by Princess Persica, the army spread along the coastline, blocking the hordes and preventing them from reaching the mainland.
Princess Penia escorted Taylee and led the group. Ziggs cleared a path to Velbrok's heart. Clevius deflected its attacks with all his might. Elvira minimized the damage from its magic. Lortel calculated the optimal approach without pause. And at the center of it all stood Taylee and Ayla, never losing heart.
Everyone fought to survive.
On that rainy battlefield day in the forest, I remembered leaning against a tree stump and lowering the gun.
I remembered the squirrels fleeing, ants crawling through the soil, and birds perched in the trees.
Each of them lived their own lives. All of them were alive.
That truth was etched into my heart. I knew I would never forget it.
When I opened my eyes, I was lying amid the rubble of a collapsed building.
Yennekar and Lucy, battered and exhausted, lay beside me. They clung to me tightly, arms wrapped around me like kittens. Seeing them, I almost laughed.
Neither was awake. They must have stayed with me until they passed out.
The sky was clear. At some point, it had become morning.
Sunlight poured over the ruins.
Velbrok no longer filled the sky.
I tried to stand, but pain surged through my body.
"Did you have a good dream?"
Lortel looked down at me.
She sat atop the rubble beside us, just as bloodied as we were.
It was proof of a fierce battle—but now, everything was over. She simply smiled.
"The final stage has ended."
She didn't speak much about that long night.
But around us, survivors rested amid the rubble—members of the subjugation squad and others caught in the aftermath. All were injured, catching their breath while awaiting rescue.
No one feared the Holy Blue Dragon anymore.
Only a warm breeze passed through our hair.
Lortel had stepped off the stage at last. Despite her injuries, she smiled and closed her eyes.
"Good work."
Those two words pierced straight through my chest.
I lay there, staring up at the sky.
Just like when I paused reading a book to glance out an open window…
It was a bright, blue morning sky.
***
Drip. Drip.
The sound of water dripping from a sink woke the girl.
A dark room. A messy blanket. Clothes strewn about. A computer screen glowing softly.
A train rumbled past outside. Cicadas cried. A gentle breeze from the open window flipped the pages of a notebook on the desk.
The girl opened her eyes and sat up abruptly.
She looked around in confusion. Cutlery lay scattered across the floor, as if she had been overwhelmed and tried to end her life—just like Ed Rothstaylor once had.
Her gaze landed on a small mirror near the desk. The sight of a small girl with dark hair and glasses staring back startled her.
She ran a hand through her tangled hair and flipped through the open notebook. It was filled with drawings.
Character illustrations—likely her own work. They were detailed, like game concept art. Perhaps that was her dream. Books on art, scenario writing, and game programming filled the shelves.
There was no magic in this world. No matter how she tried to gather power, nothing responded.
Fragmented memories throbbed in her head. She recalled frustration, despair, and the vague sense of having nearly ended her life—but nothing more.
The world was full of unknowns.
Still, the girl stood up.
She stared blankly at the monitor, listening to the computer's cooling fan hum.
She was starving. It felt as if she hadn't eaten in days. If she didn't want to die, she needed food—now.
She staggered toward the kitchen.
The computer screen went dark. Just before it shut off, a username briefly appeared.
'PepperoPepe'.
The name of the chocolate cookie she often bought.
The screen turned off completely. Only the sound of the refrigerator opening echoed through the room.
She had to eat to survive.
As long as she was alive, she had to keep living.
Just like always.