Chapter 1474: The First and Final Trial
The Wilton students were caught off guard when the announcement was made. Their time had come sooner than expected. For a moment, silence fell among them, the realization sinking in that their group battle was beginning now.
They had all half-expected BIMM Academy to pull out, just as they had before. Raze, however, believed it had been the only logical choice. BIMM’s withdrawal wasn’t cowardice , it was strategy. The Central Academy’s last match had been too decisive, too overwhelming. Their strength had been displayed so casually, so brutally, that there had been no trouble for them to hide behind.
It was Lee Roy’s decision in the end. Competitive to the core, he would rather forfeit entirely than lead his students into a fight they could not win. For him, fighting without the intent to win was meaningless. And that was what he feared: if they fought at their hardest and still fell short, the backlash would be worse than simply stepping aside.
The other mages of BIMM trusted Lee Roy above all else. If he said retreat was the wisest move, then they would follow without hesitation. After all, it was only thanks to his leadership that they had made it this far in the first place.
Because of all this, one truth now stared Wilton in the face. This would be their first, and their last, match as a group. There would be no easing into things. They had to give everything from the very beginning.
“I can’t lie,” Chiba admitted, her breathing shallow, trying to steady herself as she rolled her shoulders. “I’m nervous. I would’ve liked at least one warm-up match before this.”
“Don’t be nervous,” Yolden reassured, though his own hands flexed tensely at his sides. “Besides, remember who we’re fighting. These are the ones who hurt Moze and Piba. We owe them payback. We can’t let that slide.”
Moze and Piba’s expressions confirmed Yolden’s words. Determination burned in their eyes. They weren’t afraid , they were eager. Londo, however, stood with his usual detached demeanor, his face calm, his presence unreadable.
Raze’s voice cut through the moment. “We will still aid you in the fight,” he reminded them. “Otherwise it would be ten against five, and no matter how much spirit you have, that would be nearly impossible. We’ll help, but we won’t carry the fight for you. This is your battle to fight , your chance to grow.”
The reminder settled something inside the Wilton students. This wasn’t just about survival or victory anymore. It was about standing as equals in a war of mages, proving that Wilton’s name deserved to stand beside , or above , the Central Academy.
For Raze, however, another layer of tension lingered beneath his calm voice. He knew the truth. There were now only two opportunities left to deal with Ibarin. Either after they won this match, when the Grand Magus might finally act and step down onto the field… or tomorrow, during the teachers’ event, when Raze would be forced to play his final card. No more time could be wasted.
The platform rumbled beneath their feet as it rose, carrying all ten Wilton students into the open arena together. It was the first time they had stepped out as a complete unit, side by side. The sight alone stirred excitement in the audience.
“Don’t worry,” Londo said quietly, his tone firm, his eyes forward. “I’ll make sure no harm comes to you.”
Liam gave a short laugh as they walked. “I think you should worry more about yourself than anyone else. Although, with how Raze has performed, they might all try to jump him the second the match starts.”
The cheers hit them like a wave as the stadium erupted. The sound was deafening, alive with anticipation. This was the final student event of the exchange, and after everything , the upsets, the rivalries, the sudden bursts of overwhelming power , the crowd was desperate to see how it would end.
Many in the audience now believed Wilton would emerge as the victors. But few thought it would be a clean sweep. Central Academy wasn’t made of ordinary students. Nearly every one of them was rumored to possess a unique affinity or a rare trait. Even those without such gifts were masters of specialized skills. Their reputation had been built over years of dominance.
By contrast, Wilton’s roster looked deceptively plain. Only a handful had shown extraordinary abilities so far. The mystery of their hidden talents only fueled the crowd’s speculation further.
Both groups spread out as they reached the battlefield, giving themselves room to maneuver. It was a natural tactic, to avoid being trapped by wide-range spells and to maximize their casting angles. The tension crackled, magical energy already gathering in the air, and then the signal came.
“The group match… begins now!” the announcer bellowed.
Instantly, an array of spells lit up the field. Bolts of flame, shards of ice, whipping currents of wind , attacks launched from all directions, colliding in a dazzling storm of light and sound.
Londo reacted first, slamming his hands to the ground as walls of earth surged upward, absorbing the brunt of the assault. Beatrix was beside him in an instant, her own spells intercepting attacks that threatened to curve around the defenses.
Further back, Dame and Liam moved with calm precision, channeling their Qi like threads of wind to deflect incoming projectiles. Their movements were sharp, efficient , warriors adapting magecraft into their own unique rhythm.
The Wilton students didn’t remain passive. They were setting up countermeasures of their own. Chiba chanted swiftly, water pooling and then bursting forth in heavy, rapid streams. At her side, Yolden added her wind magic, compressing the torrents into high-pressure jets that cut across the battlefield like slicing blades.
The combined spell was breathtaking , raw power shaped into precision. But it was George who stepped forward to meet it. With both hands raised, flames roared outward in a massive wall. Fire and water clashed violently, steam erupting across the field.
The Central Academy students shifted their strategy. They began to break apart, no longer fighting as a single front. Individually, each of them was a weapon honed to perfection. If they could isolate Wilton’s fighters, overwhelm them one by one, victory would come quickly.
Raze’s eyes narrowed. He could already see the shape of their plan.
’I see… They haven’t used the pills yet. They’re holding back. But if things turn against them, they’ll use them. I need to keep watch for that moment.’
The battle was only beginning, but already the pieces were in motion.
****
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Chapter 1475: The Weight of Rivalries
Ibarin’s warning still rang in the minds of the Central Academy students. He had made it clear, again and again: failure was not an option. The memory of their last meeting with him was enough to make their blood run cold. In that moment, every one of them had believed they were on the verge of being expelled , stripped of their prestige, their titles, their path forward.
They had always considered themselves untouchable, the best of the best, chosen from noble and powerful families across Alterian society. They were heirs to names that commanded respect, families who had influence woven into the bones of the empire. But standing before a Grand Magus had reminded them of an uncomfortable truth. Prestige meant nothing compared to raw power. Their family names could not shield them from Ibarin’s wrath.
What they didn’t know was that their fears had been tame compared to reality. Ibarin had already resolved that if they failed him, if they truly disappointed him again, he would not simply strip them of status. He would erase them entirely. Their families, their lineages, every thread that connected them to society , gone. No witnesses, no loose ends. Even Alen, who had dared recommend Wilton’s mysterious students, would be silenced once Ibarin learned the truth.
It was this silent threat that weighed on the students now. It was why none of them had dared to use the pills yet. They all knew the pills were their trump card, their last resort. To reveal them too soon would be reckless. And besides, they were Central Academy’s finest. They still believed they could win on their own merit.
As the match began, the battlefield erupted into chaos. Spells shot across the field, carving lines into the earth, filling the air with heat and light. Kelly moved swiftly, her wind magic cutting across the ground like invisible blades, forcing Wilton’s students to keep moving.
From the opposite side, Londo surged forward. Sparks of lightning danced across his hands and then exploded down into the earth as he ran. With a powerful sweep of his arm, he shattered Kelly’s winds, tearing them apart with pure force. Lightning hissed across the ground, scorching lines into the soil as he advanced.
Kelly’s lips curved upward in the faintest of smiles. This was exactly what she had hoped for. “Good,” she thought. “I needed someone to clash with. This way, no one questions where I was or what I was doing. But… maybe I’ll push myself a little harder. I didn’t claw my way here just to stand still.”
She raised her hands again, wind gathering in swirling currents. She would put on a convincing fight , for herself, for Raze, and to keep suspicion away from her true intentions.
Elsewhere, the battle lines were forming. Two Central Academy mages had zeroed in on Liam, deciding that the swordsman was too dangerous to face alone. They came at him with coordinated fire and ice, their magic tearing up the battlefield. Liam, however, merely lifted his wand. Lightning burst forth, his strikes faster and heavier than they expected. Their confident smiles faltered as they realized they had underestimated him.
Meanwhile, many eyes kept flicking toward Raze. They noticed something strange. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t casting spells. He stood calmly at the back, arms loose, eyes sharp. His presence was unsettling , like a blade still sheathed, promising disaster if drawn. The Central Academy students quickly realized that Raze was only responding when provoked. If they didn’t attack him, he would remain still.
For Kayzel, this was unbearable. His tongue clicked in frustration. Part of him ached to go after Raze, to test himself even without the pill, to see if he could match that power. But instinct, and strategy, told him otherwise. Raze standing idle was a gift. Why waste their strength challenging him directly? Better to eliminate the rest first, then overwhelm him with numbers.
Yet when Kayzel drifted closer to Raze, something unexpected happened. His body shivered. A tremor ran through him before he could stop it. And then, from the corner of his eye, he caught a blinding streak of lightning ripping toward his face.
Kayzel’s reflexes saved him. Mana surged through him as he twisted, his own control bending the spell just enough to fling it upward into the sky. But even with his speed, the force of the strike pushed him back across the ground, his boots scraping furrows into the dirt.
“Kayzel, careful!” a voice called out. Bones had stepped forward, his eyes locked on Raze. “Looks like these two have a grudge against us.”
Standing before them were Piba and Bones, faces set with grim determination. They hadn’t forgotten. They had been waiting for this moment. Now, it was their chance for payback.
The battlefield spread wider. Safa stayed near the rear, her role not to attack but to guide. Her god eyes shimmered, tracking movements invisible to others.
“Behind you!” she shouted.
Chiba spun on her heel, wind surging from her palms. A second blast of wind collided with hers, and fire flared between the currents. For a split second, a figure’s outline shimmered into view , Nannan. Her invisibility had been pierced, her ambush spoiled. Safa’s sight had unmasked her.
Beatrix, meanwhile, played the part of shield. She intercepted spells meant for her allies, her timing precise, her magic firm. She wasn’t seeking glory, but her presence kept the formation intact.
And then there was Dame. He stood calmly, hands loose, facing George.
George smirked, confidence blazing in his eyes. “Hah! My gravity magic may not have worked on the last one, but you’re no different. Let’s see how you handle this!” His hand swept downward, and invisible pressure slammed toward Dame.
But Dame didn’t budge. He stood unmoving, completely unaffected. It was as if George’s gravity hadn’t existed at all.
“…Hey,” Dame said, tilting his head with mild annoyance. “This is getting irritating. If you don’t stop, I’m going to whack you on the head.”
****
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Chapter 1476: Breaking the Illusion
At first glance, the audience was pleased, more than pleased, in fact. The fight unfolding before their eyes had the perfect balance they craved. One side was not completely overwhelming the other. For a final event, domination could be exciting, but what they truly wanted was a clash, a struggle where spells flew in every direction and mages were pushed to their very limits. That was what made for a spectacle worth remembering.
And, somehow, Wilton was giving them exactly that.
Still, the sharpest eyes in the crowd noticed things. The lack of involvement from the white-haired mage, Raze. The swordsman who hadn’t once drawn his blade, fighting without showing his true weapon. And perhaps most curious of all, the girl with the godly gaze, Safa, who had yet to use her healing magic on her injured companions. A few bruises, a few burns, a few cracked ribs… all left unattended. To the average spectator it was thrilling enough, but to the watchful few, these omissions stood out like warning bells.
Despite these mysteries, the battle raged on, and fighters like Liam held their ground. He was fending off two mages at once, their combined assault relentless. Spells burst like fireworks around him, some he had never even seen before.
One mage unleashed a strange substance, almost like a sticky cloud, that drifted through the air with unnatural weight. Liam’s instincts screamed at him, and he twisted aside just in time. The substance landed on the ground, clinging to the stone and spreading across it like tar. Liam narrowed his eyes. That wasn’t ordinary fire, water, or wind. It had to be a special affinity, something rare.
But thanks to his system, almost no attacks managed to land on him. His lightning shielded him, his reflexes sharpened, and he fought back with bursts of electricity that kept both opponents at bay. This time, unlike his usual reckless charges, he was doing exactly as Raze had asked, holding his ground, controlling the field, and keeping pressure on multiple enemies at once.
Because Liam was handling two opponents, space opened up for others. Chiba and Yolden pressed forward together, focusing their spells on a single mage. Chiba’s sharp mind and quick reactions allowed her to adapt to each counter, while Yolden’s magic compressed and sharpened her attacks. Together, their combined power created streams of water and wind that tore through the battlefield. Their opponent staggered under the assault, barely keeping up.
Every so often, though, danger crept in from another angle. Nannan, cloaked in invisibility, would attempt a sneak attack. Each time, Safa’s god eyes flared with light. She would call out warnings, her calm voice guiding her teammates out of danger. She never joined fully, never cast her strongest spells, but her presence was constant, her guidance saving lives again and again.
Still, it was Dame who was drawing the crowd’s attention. He faced George, one of the strongest mages Central Academy had to offer.
“How… how is this possible?” George gasped, sweat beading on his forehead. His voice cracked with disbelief. “How are you still standing against my gravity magic?”
To George, it was unthinkable. No one had withstood his crushing spells without collapsing, and yet here Dame was, seemingly unaffected. Even worse, Dame wasn’t struggling. His arms were folded casually across his chest. He looked as though he were watching a performance rather than fighting for his life.
“Hey, are you even listening to me?” Dame called out. His tone was mocking, sharp with irritation. “I already told you, point that useless magic somewhere else!”
The pressure of George’s spell was like a hand pressing down on Dame’s skull, trying to drive him into the dirt. Dame clenched his jaw, his patience snapping. Enough was enough.
With a roar, he kicked off the ground, blasting forward. His Qi surged through his body, propelling him with terrifying force. His fist swung in a wide arc, sparks of lightning trailing off the gauntlets that wrapped his hands. The punch landed squarely against George’s face with a sickening crack.
The impact lifted George off his feet and hurled him across the battlefield. He slammed into the stone wall with a thunderous crash, debris raining down around him, before slumping to the ground, limp and motionless.
The audience erupted. Dust clouded the air, and when it finally began to settle, they saw it, Dame’s gauntlets glowing faintly, arcs of lightning dancing along his arms. His body shimmered with energy, sparks flashing across his shoulders and chest.
’That was too close,’ Dame thought grimly. He had used Qi, raw Pagna strength, to fuel the strike. It hadn’t looked like magic at all. At the last moment, he had activated the gauntlets, channeling lightning through them to disguise the true source of his power. To the audience, it would appear as if he had simply unleashed an advanced lightning technique. At least, he hoped so.
Part of him wondered why they bothered hiding it anymore. The truth was balanced on the edge of a knife. If the illusion shattered, the whole world would know. But then he reminded himself: this wasn’t their world. In a place where only magic existed, if someone saw something strange, their first thought would never be “Qi.” They would assume it was just another kind of spell, or a trick they didn’t yet understand. The laws of the world were defined by the knowledge of those who lived in it.
As the dust cleared fully, Dame strode toward George’s crumpled body. “Come on,” he muttered under his breath. “Don’t be knocked out. Not yet. If you faint, this whole thing gets worse for me.”
There was the faintest groan. George stirred, his body trembling, forcing himself to rise. Relief flickered in Dame’s chest.
“Ah, great, great!” Dame said, his mocking smile returning. “Still alive, huh? That’s good. We should keep going, don’t you think? Better to show the audience everything we’ve got. Or, if you’re not up for it, maybe try one of the others for practice?”
George swayed on his feet, his vision swimming. Pain radiated through his body, every nerve screaming. Something about these Wilton students was wrong, impossibly wrong. They weren’t fighting like mages. Their movements, their resilience, their power… they were something else entirely.
The words of the Grand Magus echoed in his mind. Failure was not an option. Not now. Not ever. His family, his academy, his future, all of it rested on victory.
With trembling fingers, George reached into his robes. He pulled out a small pill, its surface gleaming faintly with magical energy. His jaw tightened. There was no choice left.
Without hesitation, he raised it to his lips and swallowed.
****
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Chapter 1477: Desperation Ignited
Among all the duels raging across the battlefield, there was one fight in particular that drew the eyes of both the spectators and the students alike , the confrontation between Kayzel and Bones on one side, and Piba and Moze on the other.
Bones, with his dark sneer and unrelenting aggression, had long since revealed his specialty in lightning magic. But his gift was not ordinary. Unlike most who conjured fleeting bolts or jagged arcs, Bones possessed the unnerving ability to hold lightning in a solid form, molding it into whatever weapon he desired. At this moment, the air sizzled with two vicious whips of crackling electricity, each one snapping through the air with thunderous cracks. Sparks leapt off them like angry serpents, and the acrid scent of ozone burned in the nose of anyone standing too close.
With a brutal downward swing, Bones lashed both whips toward his opponents. The raw energy split the air, promising devastation if they landed.
Moze, however, was ready. Planting his feet and thrusting his glowing hands upward, he summoned a shockwave of energy that erupted like a dome above him. His arms glowed faintly silver, for Piba had reached out and infused him with the quiet strength of moon magic, enhancing his spellcasting. The empowered barrier clashed with the lightning whips, sparks scattering wildly as the two forces strained against one another.
But the danger was not over. From another angle, Kayzel unleashed a barrage of spells. The air filled with the hiss of fireballs streaking through the sky and the roar of compressed energy bursts. Piba, sweat already forming at his brow, spread his hands wide and summoned fierce gusts of wind, desperately weaving barriers to intercept the attacks.
Even with his moon affinity boosting his control, Piba’s defenses faltered. One fireball was blocked, dissipating in a shower of sparks. But the next volley slipped through , several burning orbs blazing a direct path toward both him and Moze.
The crowd gasped. It seemed the two were about to be engulfed.
And then, the very ground betrayed expectation. The stone beneath their feet shifted like a living thing, tilting and sliding them across the field just before the fireballs struck. The projectiles roared past harmlessly, crashing into the empty ground behind them.
Piba’s eyes widened. He snapped his head to the side and spotted her , Beatrix. Calm, steady, staff in hand.
“This is how she’s been helping…” Piba realized, his chest tightening with relief.
Beatrix had barely participated in the earlier events. She had kept herself quiet, unobtrusive, a shadow among her peers. Most opponents ignored her completely, assuming she was irrelevant. Even now, three Central Academy students were dogpiling Liam, convinced he was the true threat, leaving Beatrix free to act from the sidelines. She chose her moments with surgical precision, observing carefully, shifting the terrain just enough to tilt the balance.
“What are the other idiots doing?!” Bones roared in fury. His whips cracked again, tearing through the air in an electrified frenzy, sending arcs bursting both above and below the battlefield.
Beside him, Kayzel raised his hands, gathering a storm of mana between his palms. Energy swirled violently, coalescing into the form of an enormous lightning bolt, far larger and more dangerous than anything he had unleashed before.
Seeing the danger, Piba pressed his palm against Moze’s arm again, pouring his power into him with frantic determination. “Use your earth magic! It’s our best chance,” he urged. His voice trembled but carried resolve. “We knew this was never going to be easy. But we need to pay them back!”
Obeying, Moze slammed his palms onto the stone floor. Tremors rippled outward, and thick walls of earth rose one after another. The lightning bolt tore forward, colliding with the barriers. The first wall crumbled instantly, sparks exploding across the shattered rock. The second followed, then the third, each one obliterated under the violent force. But the fourth wall held. Stone cracked, groaned, and burned, yet it endured long enough to halt the attack’s advance.
The audience erupted in cheers , a clash of raw power against desperate defense.
But the tide shifted again. Before Bones or Kayzel could react, the ground shifted beneath their feet, repositioning them into an exposed angle. Now the Central Academy duo found themselves flanked, Piba and Moze standing on either side, fire magic already glowing dangerously in their palms.
“We need to thank her for this opportunity,” Piba said under his breath, already channeling power.
Indeed, only the first wall had been Moze’s creation. The others had been summoned by Beatrix, her staff glowing as she worked quietly, guiding her teammates with subtle adjustments. She had seen the bigger picture, manipulated the field, and now placed her allies in the perfect position.
’I know how much you wanted this,’ Beatrix thought, watching them with sharp eyes. ’You never expected to win outright. You only wanted payback, to land a clean strike. So this is my gift to you.’
Twin infernos burst forth, fire spells roaring like dragons from Piba and Moze. Bones and Kayzel barely had a second to raise their defenses, conjuring shields in a rush. The flames collided, exploding in a massive shockwave that rattled the arena. Smoke engulfed the field, hiding all within it.
The crowd leaned forward in tense silence. Slowly, the smoke dispersed, swept away by stray gusts of magic.
Kayzel and Bones staggered into view. Their uniforms were scorched, their faces marked with burns and soot. They had been hit , not critically, but enough to sting their pride.
Moze grinned fiercely. “Hah! I really like the look on their faces right now.”
But their triumph was fleeting. Kayzel’s expression darkened, and the next instant his body blurred. He vanished, reappearing an instant later, then again, then again , moving at superhuman speeds, circling like a predator.
Moze’s heart pounded. His breath caught as a figure appeared in front of him, a lightning-charged hand streaking toward his face. He braced himself for impact. But then, just as suddenly, the figure vanished again. Kayzel reappeared elsewhere, darting endlessly, restless and uncertain.
’What’s wrong with me?’ Kayzel thought, frustration gnawing at him. His hands trembled as he sped across the battlefield. His eyes, unwillingly, kept drifting to one figure standing motionless at the edge.
Raze.
The white-haired mage had not moved a muscle. He had cast no spell, lifted no weapon, yet his mere presence pressed on Kayzel like an iron weight. He watched, calm and unreadable, as though the battle were nothing more than a staged performance for his amusement.
Kayzel’s heart raced. When he tried to strike, his mind faltered, as if a barrier within him refused to let him act.
’I understand now,’ Kayzel realized grimly. ’The reason you’re not getting involved is because you don’t need to. At any moment, you could end this fight. You’re just using us… as practice for the others.’
He clenched his teeth. His fists shook. ’If I don’t do something now, I’ll never have the chance.’
Without hesitation, Kayzel pulled a small pill from his robe. He swallowed it in one motion, the bitter taste burning his throat.
And he was not alone. Across the battlefield, one by one, the other Central Academy students followed his lead. Desperation gleamed in their eyes as they consumed the forbidden pills.
****
****
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Chapter 1478: Bodies of Mana
With the constant losses the Central Academy had suffered, and with the crushing pressure of Ibarin’s expectations hanging over them like a blade, the students’ backs were against the wall. Failure was no longer an option. They all felt it, the suffocating threat that if they disappointed him again, the consequences would be unbearable.
And so, almost in unison, they reached for the same desperate measure.
One after another, the students consumed the pills. It was not coincidence. The moment the first pill was swallowed, the change was undeniable. A violent spike of mana erupted outward from the student’s body, spreading in all directions like a shockwave. It was the kind of sudden flare only seen when a mage achieved a breakthrough into a new star level, the kind of energy burst that made everyone nearby instantly aware.
The others, upon sensing it, knew.
If one of them had gained such a terrifying surge of strength, then the rest could not afford to fall behind. Within seconds, nearly all of them had swallowed their own pills, each body trembling as the forbidden energy ignited inside. Only Kelly refrained, watching the others with a calculating calm.
The battlefield shuddered as wave after wave of mana burst outward. The Wilton students, unprepared for the sheer pressure, were driven back. Liam in particular felt the weight slam into him, forcing his knees to buckle until his hands braced against the ground. Even with the natural strength of his Pagna-trained body, the force was overwhelming. He knew that if he had not been reinforcing himself with Qi, the mana alone might have crushed him.
And then came the true transformation.
When the Wilton students raised their eyes again, their opponents no longer looked entirely human. The students of Central Academy now glowed with an eerie orange radiance, their bodies shimmering as though they were no longer flesh and blood but vessels sculpted from raw energy itself. Their skin blurred, their outlines flickered, and the glow rippled like firelight dancing across a molten surface.
“This… this isn’t just a breakthrough,” Raze thought, his sharp gaze narrowing as he studied them. His mind pieced through everything he knew. “No… it’s different. This isn’t the pill that simply forces a new star level. This is something more. It feels like their entire bodies are encased in mana, like an outer shell… why can I feel so much of it bleeding into the air?”
His instincts screamed danger.
“Safa!” Raze called, his voice steady but urgent.
She came quickly to his side, her golden irises shimmering as she activated her God Eyes. The glow reflected the truth that ordinary vision could not perceive.
“What do you see?” Raze pressed.
Safa focused, her expression growing tense. “I… I can’t see their mana cores anymore. Not at all. In fact, I can’t see the flow of mana within their bodies either. It’s almost as if their entire bodies have become the mana core itself.”
Her words hung heavy in the air.
Raze’s fears deepened. The mana core was not merely a reservoir of energy. It was intimately bound to life itself, to a mage’s very existence. To alter it, to tamper with it in such a way, was to meddle with the foundation of both power and survival.
“There must be a cost,” Raze muttered under his breath. “There has to be a backlash. The Grand Magus wouldn’t experiment like this unless the price was buried deep.”
But the immediate danger left no room to consider long-term consequences. Already, the transformed students were unleashing their newfound strength.
From Bones’s hands, from Kayzel’s fists, from the others all around, golden beams of condensed mana burst forth, tearing through the battlefield. The attacks weren’t shaped spells or elemental constructs, they were raw power, condensed into streams of destructive light.
Piba and Moze, standing shoulder to shoulder, tried to resist. Moze conjured roaring fire while Piba enhanced it with a surge of moon magic and reinforced it with slicing wind. The two spells fused, streaking forward to meet the beam head-on.
The result was devastating.
The fire and wind shattered like fragile glass against the orange beam, consumed instantly as though they had never existed. The attack plowed through without slowing. Only Beatrix’s quick reaction saved them. She slammed her staff into the ground, shifting the terrain beneath her allies’ feet. The earth lurched violently, sliding Piba and Moze out of the beam’s trajectory just in time. The scorching blast carved a burning trench where they had stood moments before.
All across the battlefield, similar struggles played out. Chiba and Yolden combined their magic, summoning a flame tornado that twisted upward with furious heat. It crashed into one of the transformed students, striking directly against their body.
And yet, nothing.
The flames vanished as they touched, smothered into nothingness. It wasn’t resistance. It wasn’t defense. It was as though the mana making up their bodies simply erased the magic itself. Another spell, aimed at their arms, slipped straight through them, leaving no mark, no injury. The crowd gasped.
“This is incredible!” a spectator shouted.
“What are we even seeing? Mages whose bodies can erase spells?” another cried out.
“It must be some kind of breakthrough technique,” a third speculated. “No… no, look! They’re all glowing the same way. This has to be a special training method, something only the Grand Magus could have devised!”
“A new technique of magic, unveiled right before our eyes!”
The audience erupted with awe and excitement, blind to the truth. To them, it was spectacle, entertainment. They believed they were witnessing history, a new era of magic being born.
But to the students themselves, the ones who had consumed the pills, the truth was far less clear. They felt the overwhelming power coursing through them, yes, but they did not understand it. They could not see the hidden chains that came with their transformation.
Only one among them did not share in their ignorance.
Kelly stood quietly apart, her lips curling in a small, knowing smile. Her hand rested casually at her side while the others blazed with dangerous energy.
“Well,” she chuckled softly, “I suppose it’s a bit obvious that I haven’t used the pill.”
****
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For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below.
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P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga
When news of MVS, MWS or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.
