chapter 26
The eyeball started drawing mana from the surroundings rapidly.
The spell was near completion.
A huge semicircle had already formed, and they could hear the sky rumbling as lightning flashed.
Somewhere on the outskirts of Zenya Dukedom, a girl jolted awake from sleep and looked toward the window in the academy's direction.
"What are you feeling, Robian?"
Robin turned toward the corner. A black shadow could be seen.
"The final spell has been triggered," she replied.
"Hmmm. Someone managed to reach the core. I thought it would still take time for them to discover it, but they sure are fast. I guess Theodore has really put his back into it."
The voice resounded mechanically throughout the room.
"But it is very unfortunate. Now they will have to give up at least a limb to preserve the academy."
He retreated into the shadows.
Robian looked again toward the academy. She could feel the spell being written at a rapid pace and waited with bated breath.
…
Azek gasped. It had taken all of his mana reserves to cast the spell, and he had reached his limit.
The only other way was to gather surrounding mana. Although it was far beyond what he should attempt, he saw no other choice.
What should I do?
His head filled with multiple scenarios, each ending in failure.
Out of countless possibilities, there was only one path left—and it was a gamble. He didn't know what would happen to his already drained mana core if he attempted it.
The worst-case scenario would leave him magically crippled for the rest of his life.
He looked toward the sky, which flashed threateningly, ready to devour everything once the spell was completed.
Should he stand and watch people die miserably?
No.
He had to do it.
Before his mana beads ran out.
Before that abomination struck them.
A hand supported his back.
He looked—Sevile was standing behind him.
With pleading eyes, Azek said, "My mana has run out. I need external mana reserves."
Sevile simply nodded, and mana began gathering around him.
Then a simple spell was cast.
"Gather mana around Azek."
His voice reached every corner.
People hesitated. If it had been a professor or a prodigy, they would have immediately followed the command. But Azek was only a new student in the academy—their hesitation was understandable.
Albert immediately followed Sevile's direction.
Theodore, who had been in the middle of casting a spell, canceled it and channeled mana toward Azek as well.
"Hurry up," he commanded in a heavy voice.
Mana started gathering—at first slowly, then rapidly.
Azek looked toward the eyeball.
The circle was almost complete.
He took a deep breath and imagined the final structure of the spell, writing it in his mind while his fingers traced the movements physically.
He channeled a small mana thread and began commanding the surrounding mana.
A resonance spell formed on a scale far larger than anything he had ever attempted before.
His mana core shrieked under the burden, and the poison core thrashed violently—but he endured.
He wrote a small circle in front of him and connected it to another. One became two. Two became many.
By the end of the sequence, nearly twenty circles had formed, creating a massive layered cone-shaped shield of mana.
His blood ran cold. His fingertips trembled. His legs threatened to give out, warning him not to proceed—but he ignored them.
Just before the eyeball released its spell, he slowly lifted his finger and sent a single excited mana bead into the first circle.
Mana rotated and surged into it.
A ripple spread.
The circle crumbled.
From its collapse, two mana beads burst forth in brilliant light and shot into the next circle.
Then the next.
The chain reaction occurred in a flash—
But to Azek, it unfolded in slow motion.
Blood streamed from his eyes and ears. His body trembled violently. The flesh on his legs split open under the strain.
By the time the final circle completed the chain, he collapsed to the ground.
Sevile caught him.
A blinding light erupted as the shield clashed with the spell cast by the eyeball.
It was so bright that everyone covered their eyes—yet no sound followed.
The light slowly faded.
When they looked again, a massive pool of blood covered the ground.
But the eyeball still stood in the center—unscathed.
Before despair could descend—
Crack.
A crumbling sound echoed.
Crack. Crack.
The sound intensified, and the eyeball split apart, toppling into the blood pool in two pieces.
"Finish it… before it regenerates," Azek whispered, gripping Sevile's shoulder weakly.
Sevile immediately laid him down and cast a large spell.
Water mana sickles sliced cleanly through the two halves.
"Burn it before it regenerates!" he roared.
Magnus, who had stood in the corner looking devastated, raised trembling fingers.
He canceled the holy mana barrier protecting the academy and poured all his remaining power into one final spell.
Albert and the fire magic class had already begun incinerating the blood and torn remains.
Theodore channeled his last mana strands; thorny veins erupted and pierced the floating fragments.
It was now or never.
The realization was instant—and so were their actions.
When Magnus cast his holy fire, the pieces finally crumbled into ash.
He lost his footing after the spell, and the bishops rushed to support him before laying him down.
A distress signal shot from Magnus's robe into the sky.
By the time the battle ended, the tree dome was riddled with openings.
Through blurred vision, Azek saw it all.
Then he finally let go of his last strand of consciousness.
He could rest now.
…