Episode 17: Because I’m the Strongest

Psychokinesis fundamentally consists of two opposing forces.

The force that pulls objects inward – attraction, and the force that pushes them outward – repulsion.

Whether you call it gravity or universal gravitation, they’re all just different names for attraction and repulsion.

Anyway, by skillfully utilizing this psychokinesis, one can create semi-transparent energy blocks like I demonstrated before, fire massive energy beams, or even create portals that allow spatial leaps.

‘There’s a theory that most supernatural abilities ultimately originate from psychokinesis.’

However, despite being at the root of all supernatural abilities, psychokinesis is ironically often overlooked. When asked why, most people simply say “it’s not cool enough.”

‘Admittedly, when building a character, the psychokinesis skill tree isn’t usually prioritized.’

A typical ability with a high floor but low ceiling – reliable but unspectacular.

However, there is a way to push psychokinesis beyond its usual limits.

If one could somehow combine attraction and repulsion – two forces as incompatible as the N and S poles of a magnet.

Using the overwhelming magical power contained in Mephisto’s fragment embedded in my eye, I forcibly make these two opposing forces coexist.

Naturally, these two diametrically opposed forces bound together by overwhelming magic… when this forced coexistence breaks, an enormous amount of energy will be released. This creates the “destructive power” that psychokinesis always desired.

-KUGWAAAAAAH!!

The white sphere and black sphere perfectly merge, completing the formation of an ashen orb.

It somewhat resembles the Domain Expansion technique used by that eyepatch-wearing guy from a certain manga who keeps getting bisected… but let’s not dwell on the details.

Void.

An ultimate attack similar to what Yun Se-ah could unleash during her boss battle.

Memories come flooding back of how many times I had to retry and die to that attack while trying to recruit Yun Se-ah as a heroine.

It took considerable time to prepare since I haven’t fully mastered Yun Se-ah’s techniques yet…

‘But it doesn’t matter since I’ve completely restrained Shena’s movements with [Hypnotic Evil Eye].’

Really, you should have entered the Gate during our fight to kill me and retrieve Mephisto’s remains instead.

‘A shame… I probably won’t find any clues from Shena’s remains to enhance my [Hypnotic Evil Eye].’

But what can I do? If I get too greedy, I’ll die. Better cut my losses quickly.

‘It’s been a while since I used this magic.’

The mana consumption is quite heavy… but it’s worth the price. Thanks to Mephisto’s remains, my nearly unlimited mana allows me to decisively eliminate this variable called Shena.

‘Void alone should be enough… but I don’t want to leave any flags unburned.’

Given how these guys can come back to life anytime someone says “Did we get them?”, I need to use every means available to burn away the life of this detestable Archdemon.

First, I float the ashen orb I created into the air, then draw in massive amounts of mana from within my body to amplify my magical power.

‘Time remaining… about 10 seconds. Tight, but doable.’

In an instant, a night sky as dark as space begins to unfold.

“Shining stars, paint your beautiful forms across this sky.”

As I make this declaration, white lines begin appearing in the dark space, radiating outward from me.

Like the game board of a constellation-drawing game.

“H-how… how do you know that technique…!!!”

‘How? I’ve used it countless times during the story, so of course I know it well.’

Stellar Position Magic.

In the third-year Europe episode, you can acquire a magic tome containing Stellar Position Magic by entering ancient ruins, allowing you to learn this magic.

With its setting of borrowing power from stars, it’s one of those specialized magics particularly effective against monsters, especially Archdemons.

However, all Archdemon-related episodes conclude around the second year.

‘After all, the final boss battle against Mephisto is a second-year late-game event.’

The third year is more like DLC content – raising heroines’ affection, traveling and exploring – so there’s hardly any use for Stellar Position Magic even if you acquire it in third year.

With the final boss already defeated, what Archdemon would require Stellar Position Magic? It’s much better to spend that time improving other magic skills.

Does this mean Stellar Position Magic is useless? Unfortunately, not at all.

Because there’s one loophole in Stellar Position Magic.

‘If you can manually draw the constellation for the Stellar Position Magic with your magic power, “theoretically” you can use it even with F-rank magic power.’

Of course, to stably draw constellations, you need at least A+ rank magic power.

Even if you somehow manage to draw one, without formally learning Stellar Position Magic, it becomes a one-time use spell – so much so that not even the protagonist with S+ rank magic power in third year can use it consecutively…

Still, since it contains many skills that dramatically reduce story difficulty, most players memorized constellation patterns in advance.

The difficulty difference between players who could use Stellar Position Magic in the final boss battle and those who couldn’t was literally night and day – that fact was well known.

‘Most people memorized the Big Dipper since it’s easy to draw and offers the best effect-to-drawing-time ratio.’

But the Big Dipper alone isn’t enough.

As someone who’s cleared the game dozens, hundreds of times to see all endings, I know that fact all too well.

So I recalled focusing on drawing countless constellations with even greater concentration than when taking college entrance exams.

‘My family saw me filling up about four boxes of A4 paper (around 1000 sheets) with constellation drawings and asked “Are you trying to get a job at an observatory?” If I’d studied that hard for real, I might have actually become an astronomer…’

In this full-dive game where you must personally draw constellations with your magic power to activate them – one of the most demanding activation conditions – my countless hours of practice allow me to deploy constellations even with C~B rank magic power.

‘Of course, being a bootleg version of Stellar Position Magic means it causes considerable internal damage and can’t deliver full performance… which is why I just focused on quickly raising my magic power instead.’

Now that I’m overflowing with S+ rank magic power, let’s do this properly.

Among hundreds, thousands of Stellar Position Magic spells, certain constellations possess particularly powerful effects.

For example, Ursa Major – an upgraded version of the Big Dipper… or Orion, or the Zodiac constellations are the most notable ones.

Anyway, today I’ll use a constellation that grants the “Guaranteed Hit” effect – ignoring all providence and physical laws to ensure my attack hits its target.

“Great Archer (Sagittarius) who shot down stars, grant me the power to pierce through the source of all enemies.”

-FAAAAAAH!!!

Purple dots begin appearing on the previously blank white lines, connecting to form patterns.

“N-no…!! My body, I can’t move?!”

“I told you not to move, Shena.”

The completed constellation begins transforming into the figure of an archer drawing a massive bow aimed at Shena.

‘Naturally, I’ll apply Sagittarius’s effect to Void.’

The ashen orb slowly rises toward Sagittarius’s drawn bowstring.

-ZIIIIING!!

“AAAAAAAH! Me, one of the seven greatest Archdemons, Shena!!”

“You picked the wrong opponent. The person using this magic against Archdemons like you… is the strongest.”

The energy that was once an orb has long since transformed into an arrow.

The arrow on Sagittarius’s bowstring precisely targets Shena’s heart – more accurately, the “origin” of Shena’s being.

“I-I can’t end like this. L-look. Name your price, I’ll give you anything, just spare me ple……”

“Then die!”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

I release the Void arrow empowered by Sagittarius’s Guaranteed Hit authority.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘no’?”

-SNAP!

With a light flick of my finger.

-KUGWAAAAAH!!

The ashen arrow that literally erases space begins consuming Shena.

…

…

…

-THUD!

“……Shena was probably planning to eat with family after this fight ended. Traveling many places. Since she even screamed that there’s no way she’d die here, she’ll definitely survive somewhere in some corner.”

Great, I’ve firmly planted the death flag.

-GULP

“Ugh…..”

Damn, I got too caught up in the emotion of drawing Sagittarius after so long and used power for a bit over 20 seconds. My body’s more immobile than I imagined…

“Ugh, BLEEEH..!!”

Black masses begin forcing their way out of my body – probably an effect of using Mephisto’s remains.

Struggling to walk toward Eve who collapsed after vomiting, I see she’s still breathing.

‘………At least she blocked it successfully.’

Having confirmed Eve’s survival, my eyelids suddenly grow heavy.

“Can’t collapse h…”

-THUD!

Looking at my hand through barely open eyes, I see my fingers turning pale as vitality drains from them.

‘Mana exhaustion… using it for over 20 seconds consumes more mana than I thought….’

Well, I did use Stellar Position Magic in an unfamiliar place with almost no practice.

The difficulty of drawing Sagittarius that grants the Guaranteed Hit effect is naturally among the highest in Stellar Position Magic. I must have made some mistakes while drawing.

‘Since the protagonist becomes a second-year when I become a third-year….’

Once I become a third-year, I should immediately go to Europe to properly learn Stellar Position Magic…

Through my fading vision, an A-rank monster charges to take my head.

‘…..Ah, no energy to move.’

Wondering how long I can last with Recovery(S)’s regeneration effect, in that split second-

-SLASH!

The A-rank monster charging at me is instantly bisected.

“…..Hey there, kid. You okay?!”

‘……..Thank goodness, Eve must have contacted them.’

The moment I recognize the owner of that voice, I can relax and close my eyes.