Chapter 247 : Chapter 247

Chapter 247

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Walker Guild Bacardi.

In ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍an office at the place where all information from the continent's center converged, a man was examining an enormous amount of information.

'Something ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍unusual is happening.'

Among ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the countless pieces of information, what interested him was information about the Empire.

What ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍he had previously given Orchid Owl was only a portion of the information he possessed. Nothing was more foolish than handing over all of one's information.

'Does ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the emperor intend to destroy the world or something?'

Even within the Empire, the most secret information concerned the emperor.

Chief among it was that he had reincarnated.

"......"

He looked through the early information on the emperor.

The emperor Ganicus Heinrich, known as the War Monarch, had many children.

Among them, Prince Pergius Heinrich had been too weak even to be mentioned as a candidate in the competition for the throne, only to suddenly become a real power.

Behind him stood the two Magic Tower Lords. The Magic Tower Lords, who had each supported different princes, had changed course overnight.

To others, it was strange.

But despite seeming strange, it proved highly effective.

Pergius Heinrich, who became emperor, became an 8-Star knight.

At some point, he became one of the foremost knights on the continent.

The nobles said that the two Magic Tower Lords had recognized the true sun and changed masters.

Emperor Pergius, who had reached 8-Star following in the footsteps of his predecessor, inspired fear in many.

First, he started countless wars.

It was conduct as violent as that of his predecessor, who had called himself the Conquering Monarch. Blood flowed throughout the continent from his advance, which even made the Holy Nation cower.

And in his later years, rumors spread that the emperor had reached the end of the sword.

9-Star.

The final realm humans could reach, and the realm only Edan Eurasia had officially attained.

The rumor was true.

'The emperor definitely attained the rank of 9-Star.'

He had learned about the emperor's reincarnation relatively recently.

He could know because he, too, was a Superhuman called a Night Walker.

If the realm of 8-Star could be passed down so easily, the continent would have been full of them by now.

To inhabit a young body while retaining one's memories and experience.

It was a truly absurd formula.

And recently, he learned that the emperor needed vast amounts of blood to reincarnate.

The competition for the throne, which had been no different from consuming his own flesh.

Only now did the Empire's countless wars with unclear purposes make sense.

Ganicus Heinrich had reincarnated into the body of Pergius Heinrich and attained 9-Star.

'Pergius Heinrich intends to reincarnate once again into the body of Crusty Heinrich and master 9-Star.'

An unprecedented being who attained 9-Star as both a knight and a mage.

"......"

Lick.

As he examined the documents, a lizard suddenly appeared beside him, flicking out its tongue.

A turquoise lizard smaller and quicker than an ordinary lizard.

A creature one might see only in a marsh crawled across the floor without the slightest incongruity.

Tial crooked a finger.

The moment the lizard crawled up and touched his body—

SHWISH.

The lizard turned into turquoise mana and disappeared.

"......"

Tial Salamander quietly closed his eyes.

The records stored within the lizard flowed into his mind.

He could gather information using lizards.

It made use of his own formula, honed by training his sense of smell to its limit, and he knew it was an ability similar to the characteristic of mana possessed by those who reached 8-Star.

Tial's ability was a major reason Bacardi could maintain its influence amid the fierce competition of the continent's center.

But since it was not a technique learned after he reached complete 8-Star, it was not without weaknesses.

The lizards were destroyed when they directly touched Superhuman-class mana.

Several people had noticed his ability so far, but all of them had been silenced by his sword.

It did not take Tial long to receive the new memories.

The lizard had been in the White Magic Tower.

"How are you even cleaning this place?!"

"It was destroyed after touching an Arch Mage's mana."

Judging by it, the contact seemed accidental rather than deliberate.

The lizard's final memory was of a mage releasing pure white mana irritably.

It was far from the serenity characteristic of an Arch Mage.

The reason was probably the Superhumans created by the White Magic Tower's experiments just before.

The White Magic Tower and the Black Magic Tower.

The two Magic Towers the Empire prided itself on housed countless Arch Mages.

Among them, a substantial number had reached the realm of Arch Mage through experiments.

"The number of fakes has increased."

The number he had roughly identified already exceeded two hundred.

Considering that a Superhuman belonging to a single nation usually did not exceed ten, it was an overwhelming number.

'The Black Magic Tower possesses a similar number of mages as well.'

The Black Magic Tower had yet to choose a new master.

'Still no information on the Magic Tower Lords?'

Several of the mages belonging to it were steadily selling information, but there were limits to that.

He intended to send in lizards again soon.

Then another lizard approached.

"......"

SHWISH.

The lizard vanished, transmitting its memories.

It was a lizard he had planted in the Lion's Mane Mercenary Corps.

The Mercenary King and a mercenary were deploying domains in the colosseum.

Carpe Illusion.

A domain in which knights who had reached Superhuman rank manifested their Mind Images.

'It seems it touched the Mercenary King's mana.'

Mercenary King Babato and Vice Commander Bibi.

After the lizards came into contact with them, he had sent replacements several times.

Babato was someone he had been watching for a long time.

The former royal dreamed of a kingdom of mercenaries. And he had the ability to make it happen. He would likely reach 8-Star before long.

So Tial thought Babato had easily beaten the opposing mercenary and taken him into his Mercenary Corps.

But that was not the case.

The power that had made his lizard disappear did not belong to Babato.

It belonged to a mercenary named Agnil.

According to the information, Agnil was acquainted with Sharle Cornelia. And this time, he had been hired by Eurasia.

The two members of the Black Dragon Mercenary Corps were presumed to be Superhumans. Beyond that, there was no information on the mercenaries Agnil and Hazard.

Agnil was stronger than Babato.

He was likely the only one among the mercenaries in the colosseum who realized that.

'Could Killian Eurasia have drawn in even Babato?'

Killian Eurasia was dangerous in many ways.

He had subdued Crimson Wolf and Orchid Owl, Night Walkers.

Their levels were clearly below Tial's, but they were still among the top twenty Walkers on the continent.

'I must be cautious in dealing with him.'

And yet—

Too easily.

"I accept your offer."

Tial had ended up clasping Killian Eurasia's hand.

"......"

It was a condition he could not refuse.

'What Killian Eurasia wants is information about the Empire, and above all, the emperor.'

He knew well that Killian was the one who had cut down Pergius Heinrich.

Taking into account the information he had failed to obtain.

"I must take Killian Eurasia's hand."

The Empire that had reigned for a thousand years.

Its current was now changing.

***

The Cornelia main estate.

Sharle stood at the center of a broad training hall, gathering mana.

Violet mana flowing around her began to enshroud her body like a transparent veil.

Opposite her, Hegel formed a magic circle and watched her.

Just as the tension between the two began to pull taut enough to tear the air—

"Are you ready?"

Hegel asked in a low voice.

"Of course."

Sharle smiled and nodded.

The crystal pattern engraved on her forehead emitted faint mana.

FWOOSH!

Hegel, wrapped in blazing violet mana, moved first.

For a moment, a magic circle formed beneath his feet.

"Hell Breath."

A breath of flame poured from his outstretched hand.

It was the magic that had been his mainstay when he was 7-Star.

The flames he produced made the temperature in the area rapidly rise.

SWISH.

Sharle warped out of Hegel's sight and gathered a handful of violet mana in her hand.

She scattered mana into the air.

"Subside."

FWOOSHHHH.

The flames touched by her mana shook violently and began to go out.

SNAP.

But when Hegel snapped his fingers, the flames transformed into blades. He had changed the form of the mana without an incantation.

The floating blades in the air surged toward Sharle.

SHHHHH.

Sharle raised her hand and modified the magic circle beneath her feet.

"A Web That Does Not Burn."

In an instant, a violet skein of thread burst from beneath her feet.

When they clung to the flame blades, the flames subsided and vanished.

Hegel paused for a moment and stared at her.

"I thought reaching 7-Star alone was remarkable, but to think it would be this much."

"You may be more intense."

"Is that so?"

CLENCH.

Hegel raised his clenched fist.

Hot heat spread from his fingertips.

Energy that made even the air tremble condensed into a magic circle and formed a tiny sun over his head.

"Solaris."

The foundation of Sun Magic, with the power of dozens of 7-Star spells compressed into it.

FWOOSH.

The tiny sun began moving toward Sharle.

Her body became drenched in streaming sweat.

Before, she would not have been able to stop it even by synchronizing with the Magic Tower.

But not now.

"Creatio."

SHHHHH.

A sword appeared in her hand.

Aether, the sword used by Eurasia's Annihilation Squad.

THUD.

"Carpe Illusion."

She manifested her Mind Image by driving Aether into the floor.

"Violet Magic Tower."

Violet mana surged up from beneath her feet, manifesting a structure.

She was imitating Killian Eurasia's technique.

DING.

[Sharle Cornelia synchronizes with the Violet Magic Tower.]

The familiar message appeared.

She had synchronized with the Magic Tower even without a pendant. It was something no direct descendant of Cornelia had done.

Intense light and heat poured down upon Sharle.

What Sharle chose was not defense.

She aimed her sword at the sun approaching her.

"Dragon That Devours the Sun."

ROOOOAR.

The mana flowing along the sword rose and intertwined in complex patterns.

A violet-scaled dragon opened its mouth and devoured the sun.

CRASH—!

Sun Magic and Creation Magic collided and caused a massive explosion.

The training hall instantly filled with thick dust and traces of mana.

"Hah..."

Hegel swallowed a breath with an expression of disbelief.

"For a 7-Star to break an 8-Star spell... I cannot believe it even seeing it with my own eyes."

His gaze turned to the crystal pattern on Sharle's forehead.

"Is this the power you accepted through the Seed?"

Sharle touched her forehead with her fingertips.

"I have only accepted a portion of it yet."

The 7-Star magic she used while synchronized with the Magic Tower was equal to 8-Star magic. She could even use 8-Star magic in the Mind Image World.

The fact that she had sealed a god's fragment and a fragment of Grotesquery was proof of that.

Curiosity appeared in Hegel's eyes.

"What in the world happened there? And why did the ancestor...?"

After a brief silence, Sharle shook her head.

"Many things happened."

Her voice was calm, but the weight within it stirred Hegel's heart.

With a disappointed look, Hegel fell silent.

But Sharle could not tell him everything.

It was courtesy to the Violet Magic Tower, Adamas, and the people who had protected her.

Slowly taking her stance, Sharle spoke.

"This time, it is my turn."

Mana burst explosively from her hand.

"Aether Channeling."

An enormous figure was shaped from her mana and began to take over the training hall.

'Sir Kiel.'

Hegel watched the sight blankly and thought,

'I think I can close my eyes peacefully now.'

Sharle's magic shone, casting a violet radiance over the training hall.