"Now… it's your turn to resist."
At the exact moment Leon activated the [Eye of Desire], the situation on the battlefield was completely reversed, as if the world itself had been turned upside down. In an instant, the distance that separated everyone—that invisible barrier sustained by magical power—simply ceased to exist.
The corners of Leon's lips curved slightly into an inevitable smile.
Before him, those who had once been arrogant were now in absolute panic.
Their faces, once filled with pride and contempt, now resembled desperate rats deprived of their winter food. The shock and disbelief on their expressions bordered on the absurd.
"M-My… my magic is gone!"
"What is happening?! How is this possible?!"
"Prince Leon, what did you do?!"
"No! This can't be real!"
"Give it back! Give me back my magic!"
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, and the fear they felt came from the depths of their souls.
To them, magic was not just a tool.
It was their identity.
It was proof of their superiority.
It was a "gift from the gods," something that set them apart from ordinary people and justified their arrogance, their luxury, and their tyranny.
The title of nobility existed because of that power.
Without magic… they were nothing.
And now—
Leon had stripped it away from them.
Within the area of effect of the [Eye of Desire], no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't gather even the faintest trace of magical energy.
It was as if someone had torn away one of their most essential senses.
Like a person who suddenly loses their sight or hearing—
Panic was inevitable.
Leon, however, completely ignored the screams and despair.
Turning calmly, he looked at the civilians behind him—people who, just moments ago, had been consumed by fear and hopelessness.
"What are you waiting for?"
His voice echoed firmly.
"Stand up."
"Even in times of rebellion… no one fights on their knees."
For a brief moment—
Silence.
Then—
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
A deafening roar swept through the city.
The people of Sumeru, who had been on the verge of collapse, erupted with emotion. It was as if oil had been poured onto a dying flame.
They were ignited—motivated and furious.
A wave of burning emotion erased every trace of hesitation.
Under Leon's leadership and influence, there was only one thought in their minds:
Overthrow the Grand Sage.
Cleanse Sumeru.
End the corruption that was rotting the kingdom from within.
Leon had become the backbone of those people.
As long as he stood there—
They believed they would never be defeated.
On the other side, observing everything as if it were a spectacle—
"Yes… not bad. Everything is proceeding exactly as planned. No deviations."
Leon smiled faintly, satisfied.
With a casual motion, he stored the [Eye of Desire] and began walking leisurely through the City of Sumeru, now transformed into a true battlefield.
His posture was relaxed and carefree, like someone taking a stroll after a meal.
Naturally, no one dared to attack him.
He simply walked straight ahead, heading toward the Akademiya headquarters.
And in truth—
The battle had already been decided.
"DIE!!"
"SUFFER!"
"N-No… don't come closer!"
"I surrender! Please don't kill me!"
The mercenaries and Disciplinary Officers, now deprived of magic, were like tigers without fangs or claws.
No—
Even comparing them to tigers was far too generous.
They were nothing more than prey waiting to be slaughtered.
"The combat performance is excellent… I should thank the Cult of Diablos for providing me with this sacred relic."
Leon murmured thoughtfully.
"Even without the [Eye of Desire], I could create something similar…"
He paused briefly, analyzing the results in his mind.
"But like this… the data collection is practically complete."
"With a few adjustments, this can serve as the core of the final plan."
"There's no need for further testing now."
He stored the relic with satisfaction.
Taking advantage of that rare opportunity, he had turned Sumeru into a testing ground for his enhanced artifact.
And the results were perfect.
The [Eye of Desire] had reached a terrifying level.
Enough to become the centerpiece of a far greater plan.
A plan to control all magical power in the world.
For now, its range was limited to a single city.
But in the future—
The fear of losing magic would spread across the entire world.
And the so-called end of the Age of Magic would be initiated by him.
Meanwhile, screams and the sounds of battle echoed throughout the city.
Sumeru, the kingdom of knowledge and wisdom, was now engulfed in a violent internal war.
But in reality, it was a one-sided massacre.
The aggressors, now stripped of their greatest advantage, were completely incapable of resisting—even against untrained civilians.
In such a state, they couldn't even defeat a swarm of rats.
Leon found it… amusing.
All it took was removing their magic—
And everything collapsed.
Strength.
Pride.
Dignity.
Even their false elegance.
Everything vanished.
It was the first time he had seen nobles kneeling, begging for mercy from the very people they once despised.
And it was so absurd… that it became comical.
"Well… it's almost time for the main course."
Leon lifted his gaze toward the Akademiya.
At the very top—
He spotted the Grand Sage.
Even from a distance, his condition was clear: stripped of magic, consumed by panic, completely lost.
From the shadows, the members of Night Raid and Charlotte, who had been observing the entire scene, were deeply shocked.
They had witnessed extraordinary things before.
But this was different.
With a single move, Leon had brought down an entire kingdom.
Without fighting directly.
Without using brute force.
He made the people of Sumeru destroy the very system that oppressed them.
And even as a foreigner, they followed him like fanatical believers.
Leon, however, maintained a calm smile.
A smile as pure as an angel's—
And at the same time, as cunning as a demon's.
Meanwhile, the girls of Night Raid also sprang into action.
As Leon's subordinates, they could still use magic within that restricted area.
In other words—
They held absolute power.
Taking advantage of the chaos, they moved through the shadows.
Silently eliminating those who could become obstacles in the future.
To them, it was merely a trivial task.
None of those targets posed any threat to their lord.
Even so, they acted.
Because they wanted to clear the path for him.
"These people… have no value."
They wanted to prepare the perfect path.
A red carpet.
Free of obstacles and imperfections.
Even the smallest "stones" were removed.
Because for Leon, they would do anything.
At the same time, they protected women and children, guiding them away from the battlefield.
After all, the city had become a war zone.
An entire kingdom—
Was now under Leon's control.
And as he calmly walked toward his final destination, Leon smiled faintly.
"The Grand Sage is there, isn't he?"
His voice carried an almost playful tone.
"I came to play with you."
---
(End of Chapter)