In his hazy consciousness, Jerome recalled his childhood. As a child, he had once asked his mentor:
"Why does our Magic Tower hide its identity and name?"
Despite living in secrecy, the tower used the fake name "Magic Tower of Dawn."
His mentor stroked his beard and replied.
"Well, it's just how it's always been, long before my time."
"But, it's a Magic Tower! Isn't there at least some kind of record?"
"I don't know either. It's just been passed down orally. But…"
"But what?"
"The founder of the tower supposedly made some kind of mistake during an ancient war. Or maybe it was an accident? I don't really remember. Something happened, anyway."
"What kind of mistake? What kind of accident?"
"I don't know that either. I think that's just how the story goes."
"Then what do you know, teacher?"
Thunk!
"Ow!"
After flicking Jerome's forehead, the mentor clicked his tongue and continued.
"Hmph, since you brought it up, I'll tell you an interesting story. You're old enough to hear it now."
"Yes!"
"Long, long ago, there was a great war in this world. Terrifying monsters appeared and threatened everything."
The tale his mentor shared was a common legend.
Long ago, darkness had engulfed the world, and a hero rose to fight it.
Of course, the story ended with the hero vanquishing the darkness. It sounded no different from the fairy tales everyone knew.
The only difference was that the Magic Tower was said to be part of that story.
"The founder of our Magic Tower was a companion of that hero."
"Wow."
The mentor spoke with pride, and young Jerome listened with awe.
The battle to drive away the darkness had been arduous, requiring great sacrifices. Though the darkness was eventually driven out, the founder of the Magic Tower believed it wasn't truly over.
"They called the one leading the darkness 'The Adversary of the Goddesses.' The founder believed that the Adversary would return someday."
"How did they know? Wasn't it defeated?"
"Who knows? According to the story, the founder could see the future."
"The future?"
"Yes, well... something like that…"
The mentor tilted his head, unsure. Over time, the details of the story had likely been distorted.
He hesitated to pass on something that might not be accurate.
But he couldn't change what had been passed down, so he spoke honestly.
"To be frank, the founder of the Magic Tower was said to be a little strange. They claimed to have visions of the future, said someone from the future had possessed them, and even talked about results changing causes."
"That's ridiculous! Results can't change causes. How can the future affect the past? That doesn't make sense!"
"Ahem, that's why I said they were strange. Besides, this is all a story from long ago. The details might not be accurate."
"That makes sense. It's a really old story, after all."
"Exactly. Magic tends to drive people a bit… unbalanced… Anyway, the founder must have been uneasy, so they devoted themselves to creating a new spell."
"What kind of spell?"
The mentor grinned.
"A spell to confront the Adversary if they ever returned. They spent their entire life developing it. That's how the Magic Tower began, passing the spell down in secret."
"Wow! That must be an incredible spell! What's its name?"
"It doesn't have one."
"Huh?"
"There's no name. It's just been called the Final Spell of the Tower. Since no one ever named it, I made up one myself."
"What is it?"
"I'll tell you later."
"Ugh, why so secretive over a name?"
The mentor chuckled at Jerome's reaction before continuing.
"From the formula, it looks like an insanely powerful spell. I've never used it myself, though."
To young Jerome, it all sounded so cool. He couldn't wait to learn it.
When Jerome begged to learn it immediately, the mentor spoke seriously.
"Of course, you'll learn it once you're more advanced. But this spell is dangerous. You must only use it if the Adversary appears. That's the reason our Magic Tower exists and our duty."
"What if the Adversary never shows up?"
"Then you pass it on to your disciple and live a life of leisure, like me."
"I hope it never shows up."
"Ha ha ha! It's just a legend. If the world gets chaotic, you just go out, help people, and come back."
Helping those in need was also part of the Tower's duty. Jerome's mentor had wandered through battlefields in his youth, aiding people in need.
In their hidden way, they upheld justice.
That's why choosing an disciple was such a careful process. Talent and character both mattered.
"Anyway, if the world falls into chaos and the Adversary reappears, then… we must confront them and fulfill our duty. Whether the story is true or not."
"Hmm… I don't want to fight…"
"Even if you don't want to, if they appear, you'll have to fight. When the Adversary appears, use the Final Spell. They say it'll bring true light…"
"I don't get it."
"Neither do I. Anyway, when that time comes, we can reveal our true name."
Jerome nodded. It all seemed muddled, and his mentor didn't seem to know much more.
Still, the spell's existence suggested the story wasn't entirely baseless.
Curious, Jerome asked:
"How powerful is the Final Spell?"
The mentor smirked and replied immediately.
"For the moment that spell is cast… there will be no being stronger than you in the world."
That meant it was an unimaginably powerful spell. His mentor repeatedly warned Jerome never to use it until he reached the 9th circle.
Even then, it was a spell that required him to risk his life.
It was solely for confronting the Adversary.
Reaching the 9th circle wasn't easy. Jerome pouted and asked:
"What if the Adversary shows up before I reach the 9th circle?"
After a moment of thought, the mentor's face hardened.
"If that ever happens… use it. Even if it kills you."
"Use it?"
"Yes. It's the only way to prevent the destruction of humanity."
***
'Teacher…'
The Final Spell, created to prepare for the Adversary.
A spell that must not be used unless the Adversary appeared.
At first, Jerome had wondered if Gartros, leader of the Salvation Church, might be the Adversary.
Seeing his godlike form made that seem plausible.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
Gartros was powerful, but he lacked the essence of the legendary Adversary.
Even so, Jerome decided to cast the Final Spell.
'I'm sorry, teacher.'
Jerome closed his eyes tightly. A single tear fell.
He couldn't stand by and let all those people die in front of him. He believed in his friends.
'Ghislain, Yulian.'
Beyond them, many superhumans fought for the allied forces.
Even if the true Adversary appeared, they would find a way to stop it together. Jerome trusted that.
So, he would…
Save the people here.
End the war.
And die.
FLASH!
When Jerome reopened his eyes, a final light radiated from them.
WHOOSH…
As the meteor of light appeared, its radiance spread in all directions, illuminating the battlefield.
Dawn, the faint light of a rising day.
Because they waited for the right time, they called themselves Dawn, harboring hope.
Now, that light, through Jerome, had transformed into something brilliant and beautiful—dazzling radiance.
The name they could reclaim once this spell destroyed the Adversary.
The Magic Tower of Radiance.
This was the true name of Jerome's Magic Tower.
BOOOOM!
The meteor of light descended slowly, heavily. But Gartros couldn't avoid it, even as he watched it approach.
"O, Ooooh, Ooooooh!"
Even before the meteor touched him, the spreading light alone was dissolving his energy.
This wasn't holy power. Yet, the principles contained within the light refused to coexist with his energy.
"What kind of spell is this!"
It defied all logic. Even Gartros, with his vast knowledge of secrets and legends, couldn't comprehend it.
CRACKLE!
A tremendous pressure bore down on him. His energy couldn't move, trapped in place. His power was rapidly dissipating.
But that wasn't all.
"My, my soul…"
The light was burning his soul. No, burning wasn't quite the right word.
Some kind of unknown energy was interfering, slowly purging the sticky, deeply ingrained taint clinging to his soul.
What kind of spell could produce such a bizarre effect?
"No! No, no, no!"
If his soul was cleansed, he wouldn't be himself anymore. He would forget his mission. Everything he had worked for would be for nothing.
His soul would ascend to the heavens, leaving everything behind.
Salvation.
This was another form of salvation.
But it was salvation he absolutely did not want.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Gartros screamed as he desperately drew in more energy. He absorbed all the black mist around him.
But even that black energy was powerless against the light. It simply burned and vanished.
And within that energy, another being was screaming.
'What the hell! What is this! I'm gonna die…!'
Dark, hidden within the black mist, disintegrated before the light even touched him.
He had been lurking in the mist during the battle, unnoticed even by Gartros.
Small and oddly merged with the energy, Dark had thought he was safe.
But the light was terrifyingly powerful. If not for his separated consciousness, he would have vanished instantly.
RUMBLE…
Finally, the meteor of light reached Gartros's massive form.
The black energy burned madly, drawn into the meteor. Everywhere the light touched, it consumed.
Gartros was slowly dying.
Unable to resist.
'To think I would die even with this power… What kind of spell is this…?'
As fear gripped his soul and he abandoned all hope, the bracelet on Gartros's true body suddenly shone.
FLASH!
The Saintess's Bracelet.
It unleashed an immense holy power, pushing back against the meteor of light.
Jerome, already nearing death, looked on in despair.
'Why?'
Why was holy power blocking this light?
Why was it protecting that demon?
CRACK!
The meteor of light began to crack. Even the magic circles in the sky fractured.
If Jerome had reached the 9th circle, he could have completed the spell despite the interference.
But now, he was barely holding the spell together.
The holy power's interference made it impossible to sustain the magic any longer.
"Ugh…!"
Jerome clenched his teeth, trying desperately to maintain the spell. He wanted to annihilate Gartros and the Artrode Army in one blow.
BOOOM!
But the holy power surged even stronger, spreading outward.
A portion of that holy power touched Jerome.
In that moment, he felt something. No voice spoke to him, but the will contained in the holy power conveyed its message.
"I see…"
There was no evidence, but Jerome somehow understood.
He realized he wasn't supposed to use this spell yet.
And that if he stopped now, there was still a chance he might survive.
"I… I can't keep going anyway…"
Jerome chuckled bitterly and let go of the spell.
CRACKLE!
The meteor of light and the magic circles shattered completely.
Countless points of light scattered like stars in every direction. They resembled the Milky Way in the night sky.
Even the golden fragments of light that had adorned the air like threads soon disappeared.
At the same time, Jerome began to fall from the sky.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]