Chapter 13: Crack (3)

Hundreds of years had passed.

The existence of the Conclave.
Forgotten names.
And the rift.

All of these things, buried in the annals of history, had finally become reality, manifesting as a disaster at the Eterna Academy.

“Everyone, move to the lecture building!”
“Follow me in an orderly manner.”
“Why is A Building lacking people?!”

The central boulevard of the academy was crowded with students rushing out and professors guiding them.
With the academy headmaster Stella absent, the atmosphere at the academy was nothing short of a state of emergency.

Louise, the S-Class homeroom teacher, also rushed out of bed to check on her assigned students.

But she soon realized one critical fact:
Luke Richter, the disciplinary committee member, was nowhere to be seen.

That peculiar student didn’t seem like the type to get himself into trouble, but as a teacher, she couldn’t help but worry about her student.

“Aisha! Have you seen Luke Richter since class ended?”
“…No, I don’t think I’ve seen him since the class.”

She asked Aisha, who often stuck around Luke, but to no avail.

“This is serious.”

Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have been too worried.
After all, Luke Richter was far from a typical freshman—he was undeniably strong.

Louise recalled the first time she saw a particular video.
At first, it was mere curiosity.

A student who received a perfect score of 30 from the notoriously strict Ophelia Lui?
Who wouldn’t be intrigued?

But when she saw the recorded footage, Louise was astounded.
A mere freshman had flawlessly cast the 6-star magic spell [Cosmic Rage] to near perfection.

Yes, with that level of power, he wouldn’t be easily defeated no matter what situation he was in.
But this time, it was different.

‘This is dangerous.’

Every professor at the academy could sense it.
The overwhelming, unidentifiable surge of magical energy emanating from beyond the rift.

‘Even I can’t handle that.’

This was entirely beyond her expectations.
Even as a master-level mage, the sheer pressure made her skin tingle, so how could a mere student withstand it?

Louise let out a sigh and shook her head.

“Louise, have you found the student named Luke Richter?”
“No, I haven’t located him yet.”
“…This is a major problem.”

In the current situation, the worst-case scenario was clear.

Casualties.

That was the one outcome they absolutely had to prevent.

“Let’s head to the site for now.”
“Understood.”
“To think we’d be dealing with this in the middle of the night…”

They murmured complaints but didn’t stop.
They dashed towards the source of the ominous aura with all their might.

Tap, tap, tap—
Louise also infused her feet with mana, kicking off the ground.

As they approached, the thickening density of magical energy made it increasingly hard to breathe.

While enveloping her entire body in mana and moving swiftly, it happened.

Woo-woo-woo-woo-woong—!!

The world lost its darkness.
A blinding light covered the sky, causing all the professors to instinctively look up.

“It feels like the end of the world…”

One professor muttered, and the others nodded.

The world, now entirely dyed in white, felt utterly foreign.
A ringing sound lingered in their ears, and a sense of helplessness spread as if they were losing their senses.
It was an experience they had never encountered before.

“…Let’s keep moving.”

Was Luke Richter okay?
The answer came sooner than expected.

“What on earth…”

The back garden of the academy’s rear gate.
A gigantic, towering white sphere dominated their vision.

And the undulating waves of overwhelming magical energy.
Nothing was visible inside, but their instincts screamed that something was happening within.

[4-star Magic: Detect]

A blue magical glow flickered in Louise’s eyes.
She turned her head, scanning her surroundings.

The remnants of magic scattered in all directions.

This was definitely…

Luke Richter… and someone of unknown identity.

Did a battle take place here?
What in the world is this incomprehensible trace of magical power?

Just in case, I checked the surroundings again, but all that remained were marks likely caused by an explosion.
There were no signs of blood, no battle marks—nothing.

The traces of magic also abruptly ended in front of that white sphere.

Then what on earth happened inside that sphere?
My mind was completely consumed with questions when suddenly—

Kugu-gu-gu-gu—

A massive wave of magic swept through the area, centered around the once-quiet white sphere.
It was a grim, oppressive force, as if it were slicing through every nerve.

“…This isn’t good.”

A prelude to an enormous explosion.

Was there any way to stop it? There was no room for such doubts.

I am a professor.
It is my duty to protect the students.

Wooong—

Louise pushed her magical output to the maximum.
Just as she was preparing to deploy a spell—

“Move. You’re in the way.”
A cold, piercing voice echoed through the air.

When she looked up, a familiar figure wearing a witch’s hat came into view.

“Principal Stella?”

When did she return?
She had said it would take several days.

Before she could even process her surprise, a massive spell unfolded in the sky.
Bluish flashes radiated from Stella’s outstretched hand.

[8-Star Magic: Prism Cube]

Fragments of light filled the sky, aligning themselves as if they had a will of their own.
The lights connected to form lines, and the lines joined to create planes.

In an instant, a cube that emitted a radiant glow every few seconds enclosed the white sphere.
At the same time, the oppressive magical pressure that had been suffocating them disappeared completely.

The sky, which had been swallowed by the white light, returned to its original state.
It was as if the cube had severed the space inside from reality itself.

And then, a moment later—
The white sphere finally exploded.

Kuuuuung—!!

The more intense the explosion became, the larger the radiant cube surrounding it grew.

There was no physical impact, but as time passed, the cube’s glow became increasingly blinding.

Zzzzzt—!!
When the impact reached its limit, cracks began to appear on the surface of the Prism Cube.

Before long, the cube shattered like broken glass with a deafening explosion.

Witnessing the overwhelming power before them, the professors collectively swallowed their breath.

“Are any students injured?”
Stella’s icy voice cut through the air.
Without hesitation, Louise replied.

“None, so far.”
“So far?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean? Explain properly.”

There were no injured students.
But the problem was…

“One student is missing.”
“What? Who?”
“Luke Richter…”

Gulp—
Louise’s throat tightened.

“We’ve lost track of him in this area. We need to send a search team immediately…”
“Oh, Luke Richter? Don’t worry about him.”

What? Don’t worry about him?
What does that even mean…

“What do you mean, don’t worry? That sounds…”
“He won’t die. Just forget about it.”

Louise clenched her trembling fist.
She knew Stella was cold-hearted, but she never thought she’d be this indifferent.
Opening her mouth to protest, Louise tried to speak up.

“That’s such a reckless statement…”
“Stop blocking my way and move aside.”

Stella cut her off abruptly and walked forward.
Naturally, Louise’s gaze followed Stella’s path.

“…?”

Lying on the ground where the explosion had taken place was someone—completely still.

Since when had that person been there?
Could they have been caught in the explosion?

Due to the mask covering the face, it was impossible to tell who it was.
To make matters worse, the figure’s entire body seemed hazy, almost like vapor.

“What in the world…”
“Forget it, I’m leaving first.”

Stella pulled her witch hat down and picked up the man lying on the ground, holding him in her arms.
Then, she flew into the sky, leaving the place in an instant.

“No way…”
Louise muttered blankly, still processing what had just happened.

---

Once again, I saw that familiar ceiling.

Here again?
At this point, it wasn’t even surprising anymore.

“Finally awake, Luke Richter?”

Following the familiar ceiling came a familiar voice.

As expected.

I turned my head, only to be met with Stella’s sharp gaze.

“Alright, now explain yourself.”
“…”

Let’s recap the situation.

I’m alive.
Which means… I managed to clear the first main episode successfully?

“What happened to the demon?”
“Hah! After using such a crazy spell, you think it could survive? It’s dead—vanished without a trace.”

What kind of spell did I use for even Stella to call it crazy?
I wanted to ask immediately, but I held back.
Her expression was rather fierce.

“To think that those filthy creatures from the Conclave would move again…”
Stella muttered under her breath, almost chewing her words.
I just remained silent.

“Spit it out. How much do you know?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“Think about it. If even you don’t know, how would a mere student like me know anything?”

Suspicion flooded Stella’s eyes.

Her doubts were justified.
If I were the principal, I would have suspected me as well.

But I couldn’t just reveal everything.
The reason was simple.

Even if I laid out the entire story, there was no guarantee Stella would believe me.
And knowing her personality, who knows what reckless thing she might do.

To ensure a stable strategy, it was crucial to minimize variables.

“So, you’re planning to keep playing dumb, huh?”
Stella frowned.

Damn, is she planning to squeeze me again?
The horrifying pain from that day flashed through my mind.

…Should I just spill everything?

Just as I was struggling with that thought—

“Fine, get out.”
“…Excuse me?”

She’s not going to press me for more?
Is this really the Stella I know?

“At least I’ll give you credit for doing your best to hide your identity.”

I turned to where she pointed.
There, on the desk, lay the disguise mask I had crafted.

“I’ll take care of the rest. Just stay put. And don’t cause any more trouble.”
“Understood.”
“If something happens, just come to me. I’ll believe you… within reason.”
“I’ll… try.”

Tsk.
Stella clicked her tongue, clearly not fully satisfied.

“And… one more thing.”

Her next words came out in a quiet, almost reluctant voice.

“…Thank you.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, thank you!!!”

Suddenly, my body lifted off the ground.
I floated gently and began moving toward the door on my own.

“Whoa, hey?!”
“Get out!!!”

Bang!
The door slammed shut with a loud thud.

What a witch.
Her temper’s as bad as ever.