Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
With Kiki perched on his head, Will dashed alongside Wignall through the dungeon labyrinth.
Both still riding the high of their recent victory, neither was willing to waste another second. They were eager to regroup with their companions and get out of here.
The elf called out without breaking stride.
"Will, around that bend! I'm picking up some mages!"
"Got it!" Will replied, veering left at an impossibly smooth angle.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The darkness peeled away to reveal an open chamber just ahead. The moment it did, both Will and Wignall skidded to a halt, eyes wide in disbelief.
Flames blanketed the ground. A red-haired mage stood atop a mountain of corpses, wand in hand.
All the bodies belonged to a group of evil sentinels. Ten-credit monsters.
"Sion?!" Will shouted, drawing the attention of their companion.
As Sion turned to face them, Wignall's heart nearly stopped. He could feel the magical pressure pouring off the Ulster heir like heat from an open furnace.
Th-there are traces everywhere... don't tell me he beat them all by himself—
Baam.
Thankfully for Wignall's sanity, that wasn't the case.
From the pile of bodies, a familiar mess of icy blue hair—once pristine, now completely disheveled—poked out.
Dry blood trickled from Julius' forehead as he stumbled to his feet.
"It wasn't just him! I helped!" he barked, as if solving Wignall's unspoken doubts.
"Psh." Sion clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed, while Julius stomped his feet like a child in protest.
"Don't get so cocky just 'cause your magic's improved! Do you have any idea how many clones I sacrificed?!"
Veins popped across his flushed face. "How dare you treat Lady Elfaria's secret magic like that—"
Sion ignored him entirely, hopping down from the corpse pile with his hands tucked in his pockets.
He walked past Will, addressing him without so much as a glance.
"I see you're alive, flunkee."
Will smiled. "Yup! Good to see you're okay too, Sion."
Dark red eyes slowly scanned him.
"Your hair's greying again. Looks like you've run your pathetic excuse for a body dry—again."
"Hah?!"
Will reached up, yanking out a few strands.
Sure enough, several had turned white. He sweatdropped.
This was a long-standing problem for Will. His hair turned white whenever he pushed not just his body, but his mind too hard.
Essentially, if he thought too much, it showed.
It had always been another reason for mockery.
The so-called Book-learner, reduced to grey hairs from thinking.
Many students—Sion included—had ridiculed him for it, saying even thinking was too much for someone like him. That at this rate, he'd graduate as a wrinkled old man.
The tower wouldn't welcome him.
Seriously, why does this always happen to me…?
Will muttered inwardly, confusion pressing down like a weight.
Just another reminder that his body was different. Defective.
Even his Shishō and the Dwarves had never seen nor experienced anything like it.
Still, he didn't feel as upset this time.
Although Sion's words were harsh as ever, Will could sense something different—concern—beneath his ki. His smile softened.
"I'll be alright, Sion. No need to worry!"
Sion snorted, expression darkening.
"Hmph. Who's worrying about you?!"
He averted his gaze, and something about it reminded Will of Mrs. Silva whenever Shishō teased her.
Will Serfort was very confused.
Luckily—or unluckily—Wignall interrupted the spiraling thoughts with a question directed at Julius.
"The girls aren't with you?"
Still seated atop the mound of corpses, Julius wiped blood from his face and shook his head.
"No, it's just us. We figured they'd be with you—"
Kyahh!
All four boys snapped their heads toward the tunnel.
A girlish scream echoed down the corridor.
None of them waited. No glances, no words. Just motion.
All four sprinted in that direction, Will taking the lead.
Lihanna… Colette!!!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
A Few Moments Earlier:
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Colette turned with a spark of joy.
Yes! Finally someone's found us—
Her thoughts froze. So did her body.
Lihanna had grabbed her hand from behind.
Colette looked back in confusion. Her stomach dropped as she noticed sweat trickling down the team leader's chin.
"Wait, Colette... something feels off here..." Lihanna warned, voice low.
Anxiety rushed through both of them as the footsteps drew closer.
Then, from the darkness, a figure emerged.
A light-brown-haired man.
Someone they knew.
Someone who was usually so kind, his presence always made them feel safe.
But now, he looked wrong. Gloomy. Off.
"P-Professor Bruno...?" Colette called hesitantly.
She didn't like the way he was staring at them.
And his outfit—completely unlike his usual robes.
Strange garments. A large, circular disk with a single eye dangled from his neck.
Before either girl could voice their confusion, it happened.
Without a sound, without a warning, his head simply fell off.
It hit the floor with a dull thud, like it was nothing but a dropped object.
"Eek?!"
Colette recoiled in horror, flinching as Lihanna caught her.
But their terror had only just begun.
The headless body bowed to them—politely, like a gentleman.
Only then did they notice what he held in his left hand.
Another head.
Another professor. Dangling by the hair.
A chilling glow—blackish-purple—formed at the tip of the headless man's finger.
He scrawled glowing words in the air. Messy. Unstable.
A voice echoed around them, impossible to place.
"What lovely young ladies. How do you do?"
Neither girl answered. Neither wanted to.
From the shadows, another figure stepped out.
Marze.
He scoffed, clearly annoyed, eyes scanning them with cold indifference.
"Cut the fancy talk, moron," he muttered.
"You were supposed to take care of things on the upper floors. How'd these brats get down here?"
Headless didn't respond.
Instead, it did something utterly disgusting.
It took the head in its hand—Professor Oliver's—and twisted it onto its barren neck like a lightbulb.
Splurt!
Blood and grime squeezed out from the seams, nearly making both Lihanna and Colette vomit on the spot.
Tears welled up in Colette's eyes.
Then, Headless spoke.
But it wasn't its own voice.
It was Oliver's.
Twisted. Wrong. Corrupted with something dark and evil.
"Looks like the Duke wasn't able to finish 'em off," the voice said casually.
Oliver's glassy pupils turned cross-eyed, like a lifeless puppet, as his mouth twisted into a grim smile.
"Maybe they busted a hole in the floor and fell down here?"
Marze threw him an empty glance.
"Headless, you talk like this isn't your problem. We were supposed to do things quietly. But thanks to you and your games, our cover's blown to hell and back."
Headless spread his arms in a casual shrug.
A nothing I can do kind of gesture. Completely calm. Totally unbothered.
"Aww, don't be mad, Marze."
Colette couldn't stay silent any longer.
The way these two monsters talked—like they were responsible for everything that had gone wrong during the field intensive—it made her blood run cold.
"W-what…?"
She called out, drawing their attention.
"T-those… those are our professors' heads… Did you… kill them…?"
Her voice cracked. Choked. Broken.
"Who are you people?!"
Tears spilled from her eyes.
Behind her, Lihanna stood frozen, pupils wide and unblinking.
She was clearly just as disturbed.
Silence stretched for a moment.
Neither Marze nor Headless replied.
Then, without a word, Headless reached for Oliver's head—still resting on his neck.
At first, it looked like he was just running a hand through the professor's hair.
But then, veins bulged in his arm. His grip tightened.
Krkk.
Krkk.
Krkk.
Krkk.
Lihanna and Colette stared, paralyzed in horror.
Oliver's head began to swell. Balloon grotesquely.
Blood poured from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears—until it exploded.
Plop.
Eyeballs, brain matter, teeth, blood, membrane, and tissue splattered everywhere.
Lihanna and Colette's minds went blank.
And casually—like it meant nothing—Headless wrote in the air again.
"Just your average baddies."
The sheer casualness of it all left both girls unable to move.
No fear response. No screams. Just shock.
Headless continued without pause.
No shame. No secrets.
"We want to bust through the 'fake sky'."
Both girls' eyes widened.
Fake sky?
They can't mean the Magia Vander's Barrier?!
What are they saying?
If the barrier falls… the Calamity will begin!
As focus left them, neither girl noticed Headless reach for his wand—
—until it was too late.
"Well, since you're here… mind if I take your heads?"
With a swiping motion, a deep black arc of dark magic slashed toward them.
It was a low-level spell, but in the hands of a high mage—which he clearly was—paired with the girls' drained bodies and exhausted minds, it was a death sentence.
"Bye-bye."
Headless had no face, but if he did, he'd definitely be smiling.
Lihanna reached for her wand.
Too slow. No time to cast anything strong enough to stop it.
But then—
BOOOOM!
The wall behind them shattered.
A blur shot past.
The dark spell was cleaved apart.
As the smoke cleared, Will stood before them, sword gripped tight in both hands.
Behind him, Wignall, Julius, and Sion flanked the girls, wands raised and pointed forward.
Will looked over his shoulder.
"Sorry we took so long! Are you two alright?!"
Colette nearly broke down on the spot.
"Everyone! H-how did you find us?"
"Kiki's nose and the ore trail you left behind led us straight here—"
"Never mind that!"
Sion cut Will off sharply, eyes fixed on the two enemies with clear tension.
"Who are these guys?"
The question brought everyone back to the threat at hand.
"He… has no head…"
Julius said the obvious.
But no one blamed him.
It was creepy.
The black gas of dark magic fluttering over Headless' neck—like a flame, or a trapped soul—spiked larger.
As if it had been fed.
Filled with joy. Life. Glee.
Clap!
He gave the children a single, slow clap. Then spread his arms wide, like a conductor preparing to begin a concert.
"Look at all these cute little heads. ☜(⌒▽⌒)☞."
The students stiffened.
A thin black circle began to float above Headless.
Will acted first.
He bent his knees, ready to move.
"I'll keep them here! Meanwhile, you guys—"
His ki flared. Without thinking, he slashed his sword to the left.
BOOM!
He stumbled back slightly.
A rocky wall nearby exploded, reduced to rubble—he had redirected a massive beam of darkness.
"LOL. LOL. LOL. LOL. LOL."
Headless laughed in a bizarre, rhythmic tone.
"Not bad. Not bad."
"I didn't even manage to knock you down. You're already better than those teachers of yours."
He scanned the rest of the group with his non-existent eyes.
"Now let's see if your friends are as good as you… honestly, I'm getting chills =^_^=."
The students all shivered.
Gulped.
"I really like you guys," Headless went on, voice chipper.
"Teachers are so overrated, but kiddies? So fun. We're going to be the best of friends. I just can't wait to add your head to my collec—"
Yank.
A hand grabbed him by the back of the collar and dragged him away mid-sentence.
Marze looked down at his companion, face blank.
"Time's up. Some troublesome company is on the way. Let's go get the goods."
He wasn't asking—and Headless didn't argue—but still, he groaned and whined like a child denied sweets.
"Aww, no fun…"
Fortunately for the students, he gave in.
Unfortunately, not before leaving a parting gift.
"Fine…" Headless pointed his wand skyward. "Then kill them all, Duke."
If he couldn't have them, there was no reason to let them live.
Intricate magical circles began to light up overhead—one after another—layering into a vast spell etched into the ceiling.
Triangles. Diamonds. Stars. Pentagrams. Hexagrams. Eyes. Celestial bodies.
Runes and symbols beyond mortal comprehension.
Each shape locked together in a perfect nightmare of geometry and madness.
None of the students could decipher it—but they recognized it.
"What?!" Julius' eyes widened.
Lihanna gasped. "A-a gate?! That's the Mage Queen's secret teleportation spell!"
How could these goons possibly possess it—let alone use it?!
As something began to emerge from the gate, despair overtook them.
"N-no… it can't be…" Sion tensed, face pale.
Colette's knees buckled. "No, please…" she whispered to the gods.
Wignall clutched his arm as it throbbed with phantom pain.
"That demon… it's back…"
The same monster that had thrown them from the tenth floor to this hellish eleventh.
A creature that looked as if it had clawed its way out of the abyss itself.
Gargantuan in size.
Ominous in presence.
An aura so thick with darkness it could crush a man's will—and it had.
A living nightmare.
A 270-credit monster.
One of the highest-ranked demons in the Evil family.
An Evil Grand Duke… had descended right in front of a group of academy students.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
There's something known as the 1/1000 rule.
The Tower uses credits to measure a mage's ability. In monster classification, each credit assigned to a creature equals 1,000 mage credits.
Which meant the behemoth standing before them… was worth about 270,000 credits.
Their entire party combined? Roughly 53,000.
By that math, they'd need at least five of themselves just to stand a chance.
Of course, such a raw numerical conversion was foolish. That wasn't how parties worked.
The point of forming a team wasn't just adding numbers together, but multiplying their value by complementing each other's strengths.
Still…
They were vastly outmatched. And so, there was only one logical choice.
"RUNNN!!! GET OUT OF THE WAY!!" Will shouted as the Duke reared back, dark mana swirling in its gargantuan maw.
A deep purple glow flooded the chamber.
Then came the sound—a terrible, bellowing screech, like a roar crossed with a banshee's cry.
"Aaaaiyyyy!!!"
The dungeon floor shattered. Bits of stone and wall exploded into dust as the blast tore through the room.
The students dove. Rolled. Ducking behind rubble, each barely surviving on instinct alone.
Smoke flooded the air, giving them a moment of cover.
Will's eyes scanned in overdrive, heart hammering—until he spotted it.
A corridor. Across the chamber.
Too narrow for the Duke's massive frame.
He turned. "Lihanna! Fall back! There's still a path we can use!"
"!!!"
Lihanna's head snapped up. She saw it, too.
"Guys, this way!" she yelled.
They didn't need to be told twice.
Their legs screamed. Their lungs burned. But they forced themselves to move.
Pain, fear, exhaustion—none of it mattered.
Survival demanded they run faster than ever before.
Wignall, bringing up the rear, glanced over his shoulder—
The Duke was turning.
His heart seized.
He skidded to a stop.
"Go on ahead!" he barked, catching Colette's eyes as she looked back in panic.
Will faltered, feet hesitating.
Wignall turned to face the demon. Its red eyes bored into him like twin executioner's blades.
He raised his wand—steadying his breath.
Stay calm.
"Hear my call!"
"Come forth!"
"Grow!"
"Alfs Ringhul!"
From the ground, great wooden beams erupted, thick and twisting—grasping at the demon like the limbs of a living forest.
"Wignall, hurry!" Will shouted, already pivoting to run back toward him.
"I know—"
KRACK!
Wignall's eyes widened in horror.
The illusion of control shattered.
The Duke ripped through the wooden prison like tissue.
And then—
It charged up another beam.
This one aimed directly at Wignall.
Time slowed.
He saw white. His life flashed before his eyes.
Then—
Wham!
A body crashed into him, knocking him sideways.
Will tackled him out of the blast's path, the two of them tumbling into the corridor just in time.
For good measure, Wignall, Colette, and Julius all pointed their wands at the passage behind them.
With a coordinated effort, a barrier sealed the entrance.
Wooden trees burst upward.
Rock-hard walls folded into place.
And a glacial sheet of ice slammed down to reinforce it.
None of them believed it would hold. Not if the Duke decided to pursue.
So they ran.
And ran.
Through narrow paths and winding tunnels.
Through holes large and small, ducking, sliding, scrambling.
Deeper into the labyrinth, with no clue where they were headed—
Even if it meant getting further from the 10th floor's known paths, they didn't care.
They just wanted to be anywhere else.
Each silently prayed that Will and his familiar weren't leading them in a circle…
That this wasn't going to end back at their tomb.
Thankfully, it didn't.
At last, they stumbled onto a ledge—a cliff overlooking a chamber below.
And there was no monster in sight.
Will moved to the edge, peering down, his jaw clenched tight.
They had escaped one hell… only to fall into another.
Before he could speak, Colette's voice broke behind him—small, shaken.
"T-this can't be happening… What even is that thing?" she whispered.
Will turned to her.
"An Evil Grand Duke. A high-ranking demon of the Evil Family. It normally spawns on the 25th floor."
Julius nearly buckled.
"What the hell is something like that doing up here?"
This wasn't just one floor above where it belonged.
Even if a monster from the Danger Zone ever broke into academy territory, it might've come from the Nightmare's Maw.
Floors 11 through 15.
But this?
This thing had come from ten floors beneath that.
It was unheard of.
Lihanna voiced what they were all thinking.
"Those mages… they have the gate."
If that was true, then theoretically they could summon monsters from anywhere. Even from the 50th floor straight to the surface.
Theoretically.
No one had ever reached that far.
Not since the Mage Queen and her disciples.
Not even the current King of Magia Vander.
The silence grew suffocating—until Sion stepped in, trying to anchor the group before their panic could take over.
"…Did we lose it?" he asked, his voice low.
He looked to Will instinctively.
Will raised his goggles.
Then slowly shook his head, his eyes locked below.
"No… it's searching for us."
The others crept to the cliff's edge—and finally saw what he had seen.
The entire floor beneath them was teeming with movement.
Evil Guards.
Evil Sentinels.
Dozens—maybe hundreds—all scouring the area below like a hive of wasps sniffing for prey.
For a moment, there was silence.
The students stood behind Will, frozen stiff.
Then Lihanna collapsed to one knee, her body giving out from a mix of exhaustion and despair.
"The Grand Duke must've ordered them to find us…" she murmured.
In the Evil family hierarchy, demons ranked Baron and higher could command lesser demons.
It was a simple fact.
One they all remembered now.
And with that realization, Julius cracked.
His voice rose—raw, not quite a scream, but close.
"D-doesn't that mean we're trapped here?! Surrounded by monsters, stuck on this floor—just waiting to die?"
He threw his arms wide, desperate.
Looking at each of them, pleading for someone—anyone—to contradict him.
"A-are we just supposed to stay here and get picked off?!"
Lihanna's fists clenched at her sides.
She could see it—how their shoulders drooped, their gazes sank, how even Sion's lips trembled.
No good…
We're already exhausted, hungry, wounded. Now panic's setting in.
If this keeps up, we won't even be able to fight back.
Then—
"Enough."
The word sliced through the air like a blade.
Everyone froze.
Even Wignall flinched, recognizing that cold, biting tone.
Slowly, all eyes turned toward the cliff's edge.
Will stood there. Upright.
Expression flat. Gaze sharp.
No warmth. No fear.
Only a calm, clinical detachment.
Lihanna, Sion, and Colette stared—startled.
They had never seen him like this.
Even Julius took a second to process it before snapping back, his nerves fraying.
"What did you just say, Learner—?"
"Silence."
Will didn't raise his voice.
But the weight behind the word shut Julius down.
His eyes—cold and unwavering—locked onto the ice-mage.
And Julius, despite himself, felt his throat tighten.
He nearly gulped.
Will looked over his companions and gave a small nod.
"Good. Now we only have one choice."
He paused.
"We fight."
The others blinked.
Colette, nervous—spurred on by worry and something deeper—spoke up hesitantly.
"W-Will… the way we are now, we can't face all these monsters… let alone clear a path…"
She voiced what everyone was thinking.
But Will's reply stopped them cold.
"When did I say anything about fighting them?"
He jerked his head toward the mass of Evil Sentinels and Guards below.
Huh? (x5)
Then—
"We're going to fight the Duke."
HUH?! (x5)
Their eyes widened. Pupils dilated.
Sion and Julius looked ready to explode.
But before they could say a word—
"Quiet."
Will raised a finger to his lips, silencing them with a single motion.
His voice turned sharp, cold.
"Use your heads before you speak."
They flinched.
Even Kiki, uneasy, curled into a ball at his feet.
Only then did Will continue, calm but focused.
"These monsters are here because he ordered them. Demons are territorial by nature—even with their own kind. The lesser ones down there? Barely sentient. Barely coordinated."
He gripped his sheathed sword.
"If we take out the Duke, they'll either scatter… or tear each other apart. Either way, they stop looking for us."
"And if we do encounter them again, it'll be one or two strays—nothing we can't handle."
Julius gritted his teeth. His fists clenched.
"Are you insane?!"
He glanced around at the others for support.
"That's a Floor 25 monster! Stronger than all of those grunts put together! Even if we win—by some miracle—we'll be so wrecked a goblin could finish us off!"
Will cut him off before anyone else could speak.
"You're underestimating just how many of those guards are down there. Or how many more the Duke could summon."
He stepped forward, his tone unrelenting.
"There are times when quantity does beat quality. This is one of them."
"We fight the Duke, and maybe we die—or come out broken."
"But if we take on the swarm, we will die."
"The moment we engage, they'll alert him. And then we face both."
He looked each of them in the eye.
"I believe the logical choice is clear."
That shut everyone up.
No one had a response.
The truth was too plain.
The grunts below weren't there to fight.
They were a wall. A tide. Meant to delay and bleed them until the Duke arrived.
By then, they'd be too spent to lift a wand.
But if they took the fight to the Duke—if they struck first—they'd only have to face it.
The Duke wouldn't call for backup. Not immediately.
For one, it was too arrogant. Confident.
Second, the way it fought would kill its own minions if they got in the way.
Third… they were too far.
They couldn't kill hundreds before the Duke found them.
But they might be able to bring one monster down—
Before help could arrive.
Maybe it wouldn't even call for help. Not until it was too late.
Lihanna's eyes sparked faintly.
Her mind raced as a sliver of strategy formed.
"E-even if we can't beat it," she said, "we could at least disrupt the chain of command. Stop it from rallying more demons—just long enough for rescue to reach us."
Will gave her a slow, approving nod.
That was enough to stir the others.
Sion, Wignall, Colette… each slipped into quiet thought.
Weighing it.
Everyone… except Julius.
"Are you lot clinically insane?! That's a Floor 25 monster—mmph!"
His rant ended abruptly.
Will was in front of him—hand clamped over his mouth.
No-Talent—what are you doing?! Julius screamed inwardly.
But Will, ignoring everyone's startled reactions, read the anger in Julius' ki like an open book and answered flatly:
"I'm not in the mood."
"This is our only shot. We're doing this."
He narrowed his eyes.
"And you're coming with us."
Then he turned to the rest of them.
"Any other objections?"
It didn't sound like a question.
Lihanna, Sion, and Colette froze.
Wignall clenched his arm, exhaled softly, and raised his voice with a wry and shaky grin.
"None."
The others blinked in surprise as the elf turned toward Lihanna with a warm smile.
"Lihanna… I let him touch me."
He nodded toward Will.
"I acknowledge him."
Lihanna was still for a moment… then returned the smile and nodded to Will.
"If Wignall has faith in you… then I have no reason not to."
Colette flushed.
"M-me too! Will knows more about the dungeon than anyone!"
Sion grumbled, arms crossed, his usual frown deepening—
In a way that, to Will, once again eerily echoed Mrs. Silva scolding her husband.
"Hmph. If we try to run, we will get cornered. It's just common sense to fight on our own terms…"
He clicked his tongue.
"Not agreeing with the flunkee. Just stating my own opinion."
Will's lips twitched into a faint, brief smile.
Then he turned back to Julius—still silent, still tense—and let go of his mouth.
Only to grab him again—this time by the collar—and yank him down.
"H-hey—!"
Will's voice dropped low, urgent.
"I have a plan. But it depends on you."
Julius blinked.
"W-what?"
Will's eyes locked on his, steady and unwavering.
"I'm going to teach you a trick to…"
He paused.
"One of Elfie's spells."
Julius stiffened.
Finally… he was listening.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
A Couple Minutes Later:
Sniff.
The Grand Duke's nostrils twitched.
Still standing in the chamber where its prey had vanished, it lifted its massive head.
And then—its gaze jerked upward.
There, on a ledge above, stood one of them.
Blue hair.
Human.
Insect.
Target.
Its forelimbs slammed to the floor.
And then it charged—on all fours, like a beast.
Julius swallowed hard, took a sharp breath.
It worked.
The bait had been taken.
He lifted his wand overhead, voice steady despite the horror barreling toward him.
Eyes fixed on the approaching monster, he began to chant.
"Cage of frozen earth. Hail that rends the skies—"
BOOM.
A claw lunged forward. Pierced straight through his torso.
Only—
No blood.
No screams.
No flesh.
Just shards.
The Grand Duke's claw tore through a statue of ice.
Cracks echoed as the fake Julius crumbled, pieces glimmering in the dim light.
Smoke hissed from the demon's mouth like steam from a forge.
Its molten eyes narrowed in confusion.
Then—
A flick of instinct.
Its head whipped around, back toward the direction it came.
There.
Not one.
Four.
Four blue-haired insects.
Each standing on different ledges.
Each with a wand raised.
Each chanting in unison.
"Far into eternity…"
"The fleeting moment fades…"
"A harp of tears…"
"An icy blue melody…"
"All within suspended stillness."
Their voices overlapped like the weave of a spell.
The Duke hesitated.
Just for a second.
It was a small fortune for the students.
One of Julius' clones almost smirked as the Grand Duke charged again.
The demon was falling for it—again.
His mind flashed back to the conversation he had with Will.
A trick to one of her spells?!
Yeah. Elfie's Ars Weiss clones can take over incantations.
What does that mean?
Normally, if your chant is interrupted, the spell fizzles or misfires. But Ars Weiss lets her clones inherit and continue an incantation—even if one gets destroyed or distracted.
With it, you can finish long, advanced spells in battle. Even when time's working against you.
"O love, depart. O affection, begone—"
"I have severed all attachment—"
"Offer up the blood, swear to the cadaver—"
The Grand Duke struck again—obliterating another clone.
But the chant didn't stop.
Another stepped forward, picking up the spell without pause.
One by one, they fell.
And yet, one by one, they spoke.
A chorus of Julius' voices, each continuing the other's words.
Until at last—only the real one remained.
He was crouched behind a gnarled, pulsing pillar—one that looked eerily like veins wrapped in muscle.
He peeked out, face slick with sweat, gritting his teeth.
Stupid No-Talent... like hell it's that easy to use Ars Weiss!
You think I can just use an advanced-class spell on top of it like it's a grocery list?!
But the moment was now.
The spell had to be finished.
The chain couldn't break.
He bolted from behind cover and skidded to a stop at a raised outcropping, wand aimed down at the Grand Duke.
Voice sharp.
Clear.
"I am the guardian!"
"Keeper of the tomb of Narcia!"
As the Duke locked onto Julius again, Will—racing along the far side—narrowed his eyes and shouted to his teammates.
"Distract it! Low-level spells are fine—just slow it down and keep it away from Julius!"
The Duke, moments from lunging, halted mid-step. A spike of magical energy surged behind it.
Colette, Sion, and Wignall stood a good distance away, wands raised, magical arrays spinning to life around them—orange-brown, crimson-red, and light-green light swirling in complex circles.
With synchronized cries they cast:
"Frubas Julier!"
"Ignis Rooks!"
"Verdes Lana!"
Their spells launched in a coordinated barrage—jagged rocks, spiraling fire, and slicing gusts of wind—all aimed at the demon's massive back.
But the Duke didn't dodge. It didn't even flinch.
Its wings snapped open—iron-forged pinions acting as a shield.
The spells struck and bounced away like rubber balls, ricocheting off the feathered walls and drilling harmless holes into the dungeon walls around them.
As the smoke cleared, the Duke stood unharmed—smirking.
The mages, though unsurprised, still felt a pang of frustration.
"We didn't even graze it!"
"Damn it!"
"It's just like Will said—Iron Curtain Wings!"
Thump. Thump.
The Duke took a slow step forward, grinning wide at the trio—completely unaware of the soft footsteps from the ledge behind.
Too late.
Will leapt from above, plunging downward like a missile, sword raised and glinting.
BOOM!
His Moria Blade struck the top of the Duke's wings, slamming the colossal beast to its knees. The dungeon floor cracked and cratered under the force.
The Grand Duke snarled and immediately retaliated, swinging a massive arm upward and swatting Will midair like a gnat.
But Will wasn't fazed.
Even in mid-flight, he hurled a grappling hook—its cord tied tightly around the Duke's thick shoulder—and yanked himself back down.
Textbooks say the Grand Duke's wings are like iron curtains. We'll never pierce them head-on with spells…
Will didn't bother trying.
Instead, he landed, hit the ground running, and sprinted in a wide arc—grappling cord in hand, dragging the snarling Duke behind him like a chained beast.
"Gahh!"
The Duke snarled, visibly agitated.
That damned black insect—despite its human form—possessed unnatural strength. It had managed to loop the rope around the Duke's wings and shoulders and was now yanking it around like some captured beast.
No matter how hard it tried, the Duke couldn't break free. Swiping, shaking, clawing—none of it worked.
The rope was made of some absurdly durable material, and worse, the insect kept shifting angles, never allowing a clean slash with its razor-sharp claws.
Finally, the Duke's wings curled completely backward, forced into full defense.
Julius didn't wait a second longer. He stopped playing with his timing. He took the opening.
"Forge the blue-steel coffin!"
"Be a garden in the frozen wastes!"
"Armenta Auliscas!"
He shouted the name of the strongest spell he'd ever cast.
Gargantuan icicles manifested around the Grand Duke—hovering in a perfect ring—then came crashing down like a hailstorm from hell.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The impact rocked the floor. Glaciers exploded on contact, flooding the area in icy mist and frost. The dungeon itself began to freeze.
Huff.
Huff.
Julius collapsed to one knee, gasping for air, drained of every drop of mana.
The others stood frozen, eyes wide, holding their breath as they stared into the rising fog.
Will skidded to a halt, safely out of the blast radius, heart sinking.
He felt it.
The ki hadn't faded.
As the mist cleared, their worst fear took shape: the Grand Duke still stood.
Encased in thick glaciers, frost crawling along its limbs, its towering form was locked in ice—but hardly damaged. No major wounds, no bleeding, not even a broken scale.
It had curled itself into a dome at the last second—its iron-like wings forming a perfect barrier.
Their hopes plummeted.
But only slightly.
Because now… they could move onto phase two.
The Duke was frozen in place—a sitting duck.
And they were the elites of the world's premier magical academy. Second only to the Tower's upper institute.
They weren't fools.
They'd never stake everything on one spell.
They had a backup plan.
Fzzzz.
Fzzzz.
From another ledge, Lihanna stood calm and focused, yellow lightning crackling across her body.
She invoked one of her family's secret arts.
Owen Sique… Lisolde Dua!
A spell created by her ancestor—one of the bravest knights in recorded history.
Algiz!
She layered it with a divine enchantment, her figure blurring as she shot forward like a streak of thunder. Lightning encased her wand, warping it into a blade of raw current.
One moment she was standing on the cliff.
The next, she was on the Duke.
"AHHHHHH!!!"
She launched upward, blade raised, aiming for a precise and lethal strike—straight through the creature's heart.
The Duke was helpless.
Its arms couldn't move. Legs, frozen. It didn't have time to charge a beam, and couldn't defend itself in time.
This should have been it.
But it wasn't.
Because Will had made one critical miscalculation.
They weren't facing just a wild Grand Duke…
They were facing a summoned one.
A weapon controlled by other humans.
And those humans had left behind their own precautions.
As Lihanna drove the electric blade forward like a rapier—
BZZT!
Her weapon rebounded off an invisible wall of magic.
A magical array—blackish ink scrawled in unnatural glyphs—flared to life across the demon's chest.
The same markings used by the Headless.
A protective barrier.
A remote defense circle.
Lihanna's pupils widened in horror.
—A remote circle?! It has an automatic defense spell?! Those mages from before—
She never finished the thought.
The shield deflected her with a violent pulse, and she was sent flying—falling through the air.
Like a death sentence, the Duke opened its malevolent maw wide, revealing an elongated, quivering tongue.
Particles of corrupted, violet mana gathered at its throat.
Magical circles—twisting with demonic glyphs—floated into place as the creature bent backward almost ninety degrees.
Boom!
The beams shot upward, arcing through the air before hurtling down—straight at Lihanna.
She was still midair.
Until Will tackled her out of the sky.
They plummeted together, spiraling downward, the beams homing in like cursed missiles.
Both braced for impact, eyes shutting tight.
"KIKI!"
Will's shout echoed—sharp, urgent.
The Carbuncle, bounding across dungeon pillars, leapt to intercept, gem on its forehead flaring with light.
A shield spell—Crystal Guard—ignited between them and the attack.
But this time… it wasn't enough.
The blast shattered the barrier like brittle glass.
Death had come for them.
Then—
A flash.
A silver-gray light burst from Will's finger.
The ring—Noelle's ring—flared to life.
A magical array unfurled in front of them, elegant and alien.
It didn't resemble any known sigils or formations.
Not even Will recognized it.
It wasn't like the Mage Queen's magic either.
It was... something else entirely.
The violet beams slammed into the array—
—and didn't explode.
They vanished into it.
"Huh?!"
Six simultaneous gasps.
Then the pentagram at the center of the array turned, like the hand of a clock.
Tick.
With a pulse, the array fired.
All of the beams—condensed, merged, then multiplied—blasted back out.
The magic had been amplified.
Twice as large.
Twice as fast.
Twice as lethal.
"HUH?!"
Their jaws dropped in unison.
There was no time to process it.
The redirected blast collided with the Duke.
Its protective remote circle—so resilient just moments ago—shattered like glass.
BOOM!
The Duke was flung backward, crashing through the frozen remains of Julius' earlier spell.
It slammed into the far wall, howling in agony.
"AUGHHHH!!!"
Chunks of rock cracked and fell from the ceiling.
The ice broke apart completely.
And where the blast had landed—a hideous wound.
A blackened, ruptured crater in the demon's abdomen, writhing with torn veins and bubbling flesh as it tried to stitch itself back together.
Although stunned, the students were moments away from cheering—ready to swarm the wounded beast and end it.
But they never got the chance.
"RAAAWWWRR!!!"
The Duke let out another monstrous roar, this time of pure agony.
Wild beams of corrupted magic exploded from its body in erratic, chaotic bursts.
The students scattered, ducking behind rubble and pillars as the dungeon lit up with death.
In the air, Will, Lihanna, and Kiki were still falling.
Will twisted his body mid-descent with inhuman precision, barely managing to shift their trajectory and avoid the blast aimed their way—
—but not without cost.
Whip!
A stray beam grazed the side of his head.
Wham!
They crashed downward—but not before Will saw it.
His goggles.
The ones Elfie gave him six years ago.
His first real gift from her. His only memento.
His source of courage and confidence.
They flew from his head in the blast's shockwave—
—and shattered against the stone below like brittle glass.
His breath caught.
His magenta eyes widened. Trembled.
His heart seized.
The world around him roared with chaos.
But all he could hear was silence.
The sound of something precious breaking.
Not just the glass.
But something deeper.
Inside.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
A Few Moments Ago:
Marze and Headless stood motionless at the far end of floor 11.
Well, Marze did. Headless, with no head, couldn't be said to have any expression.
The two surveyed the figure before them.
A woman.
Strikingly beautiful. Silver hair. Pink eyes.
She simply stood there, silent and still.
Without a word, Headless moved first, conjuring dark, ink-like magic in the air, scribbling something legible only to itself.
"And who might you be, Lovely?"
The woman didn't respond. But Marze did.
"Definitely not a student. No faction symbols from the Tower either... Maybe a professor?"
He was fishing for a reaction, but the woman remained eerily silent, her gaze sweeping over them without a flicker of emotion.
No Rigarden sigils. No identifying marks to hint at her allegiance.
Marze exchanged a strange look with Headless, who, in turn, scratched its barren neck with its gloved hand, shrugging slightly before writing again in midair.
Its words were accompanied by a voice—an eerie, unsettling sound.
"Marze, didn't you say we're in a rush?"
Before Marze could respond, the woman spoke.
"Gohtia."
Both of them froze. They swore they misheard her.
She smiled, a small curve of lips that didn't seem to reach her eyes.
"The two of you are from Gohtia, right?"
No, they hadn't misheard.
Without hesitation, they pointed their wands at her, a surge of dark magic blasting from their tips.
Beams of concentrated energy shot toward her, engulfing the woman in an instant.
Boom!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Author's Notes:
[1] Sorry that I haven't uploaded in a while, I've just been so busy, and feeling sick, tired, and lazy on top of it.
[2] Feel free to join the discord: https://discord.gg/s3MME8X8ar