Late at night, Arlen—who had been meditating on the bed—suddenly opened his eyes.
Within his magic perception, he had witnessed something that filled him with uncontrollable rage.
At the very top floor of the Magic Development Bureau, a young girl—delicate and adorable—was suspended in midair by more than a dozen wire-like cables. Endless currents surged through those wires, pouring into her body.
The girl hung there, struggling, screaming in agony. Her eyes were filled with terror, her face twisted by the pain of the electric shocks. When the current finally subsided, steam rose from her body—yet she hung motionless, whether unconscious… or dead, it was impossible to tell.
"These bastards… using children for experiments. I knew it—this place is rotten to the core. Not a single one of them is innocent. Damn them all!"
Arlen's face darkened with fury as his magic power surged uncontrollably.
"Good thing I tested whether I could use magic to probe this place… otherwise I would never have discovered this. That Brian probably never imagined someone would dare to do this. Then again, if I hadn't coincidentally stayed here tonight, no one else would've entered—let alone investigated with magic."
"Scum… prepare to be judged."
With anger burning in his chest, Arlen leapt off the bed, threw on his cloak, and stepped toward the door.
Shing!
Alaya-vijñāna left its sheath. Several icy-blue flashes cut through the air—the door shattered into pieces.
The moment Arlen stepped out, alarms blared throughout the entire facility.
With blade in hand and magic perception guiding him, Arlen began freeing the imprisoned children. Any guards or researchers he encountered along the way were cut down without hesitation.
Before long, aside from the girl on the top floor, all the rescued children had gathered before him.
"You're safe now," Arlen said calmly. "Go outside and wait. Stay far away from this place—the farther, the better."
He didn't want the coming battle to harm these already exhausted children.
"Big brother, be careful… those bad people are really strong," a few of the older children said obediently, quickly leading the others out of the facility.
"Heh… trash like you. The show begins now."
With a cold laugh, Arlen activated Gravity Magic. His body rose into the air.
At the same time, Alaya-vijñāna shifted—its blade turning a deep indigo, arcs of azure lightning dancing along its edge.
Arlen swung upward.
A crescent-shaped slash of crackling lightning, nearly five meters long, tore through the ceiling, splitting it open.
Layer by layer, he ascended—each slash breaking through another floor. Anyone who tried to stop him was cut down in a single strike.
Soon, he reached the top.
The uppermost floor was vast. Strange runes and decorations covered the surrounding structures, and above, the ceiling resembled an abstract sun.
At its center—
The girl.
Suspended once more by black cable-like bindings. Short black hair, pale skin, a pink dress.
Arlen flew straight to her side. With a few swift slashes, the cables were severed.
He caught her gently with his left arm.
For a brief moment, the girl stirred awake. She looked at the silver-haired boy holding her—her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out before she fell unconscious again.
Arlen didn't notice.
He used teleportation magic to send her safely outside the facility, then turned back—his gaze turning ice-cold as it fell upon the trembling researchers.
"Heh… greetings, you pieces of trash."
His voice was freezing.
"A-Arlen Viviamilio… don't meddle in this! Leave now, or when our Director returns, he won't let you off!" one female researcher stammered, trying to sound threatening despite her fear.
"Oh? So Brian isn't here," Arlen sneered. "No matter. I'll deal with you first… then wait for him to come kill me."
"Run! He's a monster—we can't fight him!"
One researcher broke down completely, screaming as he fled. The rest scattered in panic.
Arlen watched coldly, his expression devoid of emotion—only killing intent remained.
Standing atop the shattered roof, overlooking the grotesque "moon," he released his full magic power.
The entire facility trembled.
Holding Alaya-vijñāna horizontally before him—
A massive azure dragon, formed of pure magic and stretching dozens of meters, appeared behind him with a thunderous roar. Blue lightning crackled around his body.
Arlen drove his blade into the ground and spoke in a low voice:
"Azure Dragon Break."
The dragon soared skyward, roaring once before diving down—
Transforming into a colossal sphere of azure lightning that engulfed the entire Magic Development Bureau.
In an instant—
Everything was annihilated.
The facility, the researchers, the guards—all were reduced to nothing under the overwhelming storm of lightning.
Moments later, the lightning gathered once more into the form of the azure dragon. It twisted its body, let out one final roar, then dissipated into flickering arcs before vanishing into the silent night.
Arlen stood atop the ruins, sheathing his blade.
He lifted his gaze to the starry sky, saying nothing as the cold wind swept through his silver hair, revealing the crescent mark on his forehead. His gray cloak fluttered wildly behind him.
Then—
As if sensing something, he turned his head.
Not far away, the girl had awakened.
She stood there, staring at him in a daze.
Arlen spoke softly:
"You're awake. Your name?"
"…Ultear. Ultear Milkovich," the girl replied in a faint, childish voice.
"Ultear… I see."
Arlen withdrew his gaze and looked back at the night sky.
Moonlight bathed the ruins—and the silver-haired boy standing upon them.
To Ultear, he looked like a beam of warm, radiant light breaking through endless darkness—dispelling the shadows in her heart and rescuing her from a cursed abyss.
I want… I want to follow him.
To follow the light that saved me.
Her eyes filled with determination, never leaving the figure of the boy standing amidst the ruins.
And in that moment—
She made her decision.