I–impossible.

The Red Tower Master, Talosa, swallowed hard at the sight before him.

This can’t be real!

The phoenix conjured by the combined power of the Red Tower mages had stopped mid-flight toward Yuru—or rather,

Fwoosh!

—it had been bitten at the neck by a fire dragon Yuru herself had summoned.

“How…!”

It wasn’t the creation of the fire dragon that shocked him—an Origin could easily form magic into solid shape.

What stunned him was that she had stopped a phoenix born from the combined mana of dozens of Red Tower mages. That was a different level entirely.

Yuru looked at his aghast expression and smirked.

“You’ll want to save your surprise for later.”

Fwoooosh!

The fire dragon’s flames surged, forcing the phoenix back toward the Red Tower mages. Talosa barked an urgent order.

“M-more mana! Don’t let it push through!”

The phoenix had been designed as a detonation summon—meant to ram into Yuru and explode. If it was driven back and detonated in their midst, the disaster would be unimaginable.

Kyaaaagh!

Reinforced with fresh mana, the phoenix shrieked and shook itself free from the dragon’s jaws, then slammed into it bodily.

Kwooooom!

The impact sent a firestorm washing over the area, scorching the surrounding trees to ash. Even the Red Tower mages who had created the phoenix staggered under the sheer heat.

“Not bad.”

Yuru’s voice was almost admiring.

“Without fire resistance, they’d melt in seconds.”

Unlike the other mages, straining and groaning as they poured out their mana, she looked perfectly composed.

So this… is Origin?

Talosa could only grimace.

The combined mana of all of us isn’t enough to overwhelm her…!

In many-on-few battles, the key was exploiting the few’s weaknesses. Instead, she had chosen a pure mana contest—summoning a fire dragon of the same element to clash with their phoenix.

By rights, she should have been unable to push the phoenix back. However powerful she was, there was a limit to the amount of mana one person could wield.

And yet, the impossible was happening before his eyes.

No.

Still, he refused to collapse here.

It’s a trick.

She couldn’t simply overpower them with mana alone. Whatever the limits of an Origin’s mana pool, the Red Tower mages gathered here were all elites.

“Don’t lose focus!” he shouted.

“There’s a limit somewhere! Keep pressing her!”

Roused by his command, the mages redoubled their efforts. The phoenix, as if bolstered by a mighty ally, drove the dragon back, the sound of their clashes booming overhead.

At last, the phoenix pushed the dragon to within striking distance of Yuru herself.

“Now!” Talosa raised his hand.

“Now!”

Perfect range. Even without direct contact, the blast radius would be lethal.

“Detonate it!”

The Red Tower mages redirected their mana. The phoenix shrieked, releasing an even more intense burst of flame.

“Let’s see you block—”

FWUMP!

Just as the phoenix exploded, the fire dragon unfurled a massive barrier.

“What—?”

Before Talosa could finish, the blast rebounded from the barrier—straight into the Red Tower mages.

“Kyaaaagh!”

Those without shields went up in flames, screaming as they fell. Others were hurled back even through their defenses.

Talosa himself had to press flat against the ground, bracing under the shockwave.

“Ghhhaaa!”

The heat battered even the protective wards draped over his body.

Yuru, watching from beyond the flames, looked utterly unbothered—like a bystander to someone else’s misfortune.

“Yuruuuuu!”

As soon as the blast’s aftershocks faded, Talosa staggered to his feet and stomped toward her, thrusting out his hand.

“Flemma!”

A flame blossomed before her—

—and exploded.

It was a strike aimed to catch her off guard. But—

Grrrrrr.

The fire dragon’s tail swept in front of her, shielding her from the blast.

“…Ah.”

Talosa’s throat went dry. The dragon looked down at him with molten-gold eyes—alive, intelligent.

“No… it can’t be.”

Only now did he realize why the fire dragon had been able to overpower their phoenix.

“Yeah. I summoned it.”

Ignis Syl.

The legendary being said to appear before the mightiest flame—more than mere fire, a living entity that would serve only a master worthy of its rank.

“T-that’s—”

Talosa finally understood the scope of her power. She had reached the peak even in the element the Red Tower prided itself on most.

“Even the Red Tower’s past archmages couldn’t summon one…”

The entire premise of this battle had been flawed. If they had known she possessed Ignis Syl, they would never have fought this way. She held the supreme species of flame itself.

“How arrogant we’ve been.”

Yuru looked at him and spoke.

“Right?”

She was right. He glanced around—only a handful of Red Tower mages were still able to stand.

His jaw tightened. However hopeless it looked, he had no intention of ending it here.

“That power, and all you do with it is help the Demon King?!”

“Funny to hear that from the ones who came swarming just to get rid of me.”

“I can’t listen to this any longer!”

Talosa’s eyes flashed.

“I’d intended to end this with my own hands, but at this point, we’ll have to commit everything we have!”

Yuru’s gaze shifted as more figures in robes of various colors appeared—mages from the other Towers.

“When Clay was being executed, maybe you should’ve gathered like this to voice some opposition,” she said with a dry laugh, “Then maybe this wouldn’t be happening now.”

“Don’t talk as if you bear no responsibility, Yuru!” Talosa snapped, “You were the hero Clay’s comrade! You could have kept him from going down that path! You chose not to move at his execution! You kept that last shred of conscience!”

“Shut up.” Yuru’s expression went cold, “Stop putting Clay’s name in your mouth.”

She raised her arm toward the fire dragon—Ignis Syl.

“Do it. However you like.”

The dragon dipped its head and advanced toward Talosa and his mages. In response, the other Towers’ mages cast water and wind magic to hold it back.

“Mm. Go away.”

Yuru snapped her fingers, and the ground split open. Earthen golems rose from the cracks, charging straight at the mages.

They destroyed the golems with magic, but for every one that fell, another rose to take its place.

Before long, the air was filled with the screams of mages. Some even tried to rush Yuru directly, but—

Crunch! Crack! Slash!

—arms, legs, and even heads were severed by her conjured blades.

The carnage left the remaining mages hesitating in shock. Yuru’s voice cut through them, cold and sharp.

“If you came to kill, you should’ve been ready to die.”

Moving in step with her summoned creatures, she tore through the mages as if she intended to leave none alive.

“M-monster!”

“I—I don’t want to die!”

Watching their comrades drop like butchered meat, fear finally gripped them.

“Hold the line!”

“Don’t break formation!”

But a few mages, ignoring the shouts of those still holding on, broke ranks and fled.

With the encirclement broken, and Yuru—whom no one could match one-on-one—still standing before them, the outcome was sealed. She kept walking forward, a faint smile on her lips.

“That’s mages for you. Acting like they’re something special, when they’ve never really bled in a real fight.”

Her lips curled upward.

“All your talk of higher purpose is just that—talk. Why else do you think you came here in droves? You were excited at the thought of pinning one person down and throwing magic at them. You thought you couldn’t lose.”

She shrugged.

“How’s that feel now that you’re the ones about to die?”

Among the silent, panting survivors, her gaze found Talosa, now barely able to stand.

“Not so easy to just die when it’s your turn, is it?”

That was humanity.

And yet Clay had simply accepted his death—something that now seemed almost impossibly admirable.

“So maybe you and I should stop pretending we’re anything great.”

The truly great one had been someone else entirely.

Yuru raised her hand toward the terrified mages.

“Go on ahead. I’ve got a bit more to do before I join you.”

Her finger snapped—like cutting the rope at a guillotine.

♧

“It’ll be over soon.”

The eastern Kratan defense line had collapsed completely. While the Darkmoon Knights hunted down and executed the officers hiding in the barracks, Cardin reported to Clay.

“With respect, I’d say we’ve won.”

Victory.

The Demon King’s Army was wiping out the last scattered pockets of Kratan soldiers. Their cheers rang in Clay’s ears.

“I see.”

Losses had been minimal. Led by the Four Generals, they’d smashed through the defense lines, and fear had broken the enemy.

That fear had made them prey for the Demon King’s Army, which now tore into them for their flesh and blood.

It was revenge—for all the oppressions the demons had suffered. Their exultation seeped into Clay’s own veins.

“They’re all praising you, my lord,” Cardin said.

This was vengeance. The disgrace heaped on those who had once stood against the former Demon King’s destruction was now being repaid.

“All thanks to you for being our rallying point.”

Clay’s lips moved slightly.

“A rallying point, hm.”

Humans had once had one, too. He hadn’t thought it was him then—there had been countless people in the world.

But now he knew. Most had been hypocrites, or simply powerless.

“Not yet.”

Clay’s eyes gleamed.

“It’s not enough yet.”

They still had to be taught, clearly, what a true catastrophe was—what it meant when there was no one left willing to protect them.

And that the means to fight back were gone because they had cast them away themselves, and would have to bear the sin of it.

“This is only the beginning.”

Clay fixed his gaze on the path ahead.

(End of Chapter)

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