The day after Kakine Teitoku's attack on Talent Workshop—
Academy City made an official announcement.
The CAD devices required for Modern Magic…
Were now available for public purchase.
Anyone who had undergone esper development and possessed the necessary aptitude—
Could simply present identification and buy a CAD.
And it didn't stop there.
Across the world, CAD devices began appearing on shelves almost overnight.
Alongside them—
Were simplified spell programs and pharmaceuticals required for developing Modern Magic.
Even ordinary people—
As long as they were tested and found compatible—
Could purchase a CAD and use magic.
Though the spells were basic—
They were still magic.
And that alone was enough.
The entire world erupted.
The Magic Side—
Was too late to stop it.
Aleister Crowley had been preparing this for a long time.
Everything had been carried out in secret.
Even when Modern Magic was first announced, the Magic Side had only grown cautious—
Suspicious.
But now—
With actual sales beginning worldwide—
Their interests had been directly threatened.
Panic spread among magicians.
Somewhere—
Fiamma of the Right slammed his fist onto the table, his expression twisted with fury.
"Damn it!!"
"The Science Side… are you trying to start a war?!"
It wasn't just him.
The other members of God's Right Seat were equally enraged.
This move—
Was pushing the Magic Side to the brink.
Even within the Anglican Church—
The atmosphere turned grim.
Academy City's sudden action had caught them completely off guard.
There had been no time to react.
Modern Magic had already spread across the globe.
And they understood what it was.
Though it was called "magic"—
It was fundamentally different from their own.
The power of mystery—
Was being torn apart by science.
Exposed.
Systematized.
Made accessible to everyone.
At the head of the room—
Laura Stuart sat silently.
No one could read her expression.
While others raged—
She simply thought.
After a long pause, she finally spoke:
"…Has Index and Kanzaki entered Academy City?"
A subordinate immediately responded.
"Yes, Archbishop."
"Should we recall them?"
Now that the Science Side had effectively declared hostility—
War seemed inevitable.
Retrieving the Index Librorum Prohibitorum was an obvious consideration.
But Laura shook her head.
"It's too late."
"Once she's there… Index won't be coming back."
Her voice turned cold.
"Contact Kanzaki Kaori and Stiyl Magnus."
"And reach out to our agents within Academy City."
"Find out who created this so-called Modern Magic."
If mystery were to disappear from the world—
Then so too would the foundation of their power.
This—
Was unacceptable.
Orders were swiftly carried out.
Silence filled the room.
Everyone understood—
A crisis was coming.
If Modern Magic continued to develop—
Then one day—
True magic would vanish.
Replaced entirely.
The world, still in an uproar—
Began to shift beneath the surface.
Some factions attempted to ban the sale of CAD devices within their territories.
But it was useless.
The bans failed—
And only sparked unrest.
And the one responsible for all of this—
Izumi—
Was currently crouching at the entrance of Talent Workshop.
Staring at—
An unconscious nun lying on the ground.
"…So, Aleister."
"You're just handing her over to me?"
As he spoke—
A cleaning robot rolled over.
From within it—
Came Aleister's voice.
"You know who she is."
"She contains one hundred thousand grimoires."
"If you study her…"
"You may gain something unexpected."
Izumi clicked his tongue.
"That's a pain, you know?"
"The basic magic we've released is already enough."
"I've got stronger spells too—but those aren't for ordinary people."
He knew exactly what Aleister wanted.
Give him Index—
Have him analyze her—
Then reproduce those spells using Modern Magic.
If that succeeded—
The Magic Side would lose everything.
The robot shook slightly, as if Aleister were shaking his head.
"That's not enough."
"We need to accelerate."
"Only then can we eradicate mystery."
Izumi chuckled.
"So you're finally ready for war?"
"If you go that far, the Magic Gods will personally step in."
"That's the whole world as your enemy."
"You sure about this?"
There was a strange amusement in his tone.
Aleister…
Was far more impatient than expected.
"Preparation?"
Aleister's voice echoed calmly.
"I've been prepared since the day I built Academy City."
"Even if the Magic Gods attack now—I won't fear them."
"And besides…"
A faint pause.
"If I fail… you'll act, won't you?"
"After all, your goal is the entire world."
Izumi fell silent for a moment.
…This guy really was shameless.
He poked the unconscious girl's cheek lightly.
"…Fine."
"But using Modern Magic to replicate Index's spells?"
"Too troublesome."
"There's a simpler way."
He stood up slowly.
"Takitsubo Rikou's recent breakthrough gave Asagi some new insights."
"We've made progress in studying the AIM Diffusion Field."
"We can install AIM diffusion systems into the CADs."
"If every CAD emits an AIM field…"
He smiled.
"Then the entire world becomes covered in it."
"That should achieve your goal, right?"
Inside the Windowless Building—
Aleister's eyes snapped open.
"…You've already reached that stage?"
A faint smile formed.
"Indeed… that would be far more efficient."
"CADs are already distributed worldwide."
"If they can generate AIM Diffusion Fields…"
"Then…"