I have been pondering how to utilize Moon Magic all this time.

In this world overflowing with magic, how to overwhelm the magicians and even face the players.

This magic has endless possibilities.

Through Magic Manipulation, I can alter the trajectory of bullets.

By manipulating the direction of magic, I can increase or decrease the weight of objects.

I can also gather surrounding magic like a magnet.

However, due to the limited amount of magic I could handle, I was restricted in its use.

But now, that’s a thing of the past.

Through daily training, I have become proficient in magic and can handle increasingly larger amounts of magic.

I approached those who were completely overwhelmed by ‘Wrath’.

“The only way out of this barrier is to destroy the magic formula from within.”

If I had enough skill, there was something I wanted to attempt with Moon Magic.

“And to destroy a barrier of this scale, a considerable amount of magic is required.”

Moon Magic is a magic that utilizes surrounding magic. In other words, it is the power to manipulate magic itself.

Then, can’t Moon Magic also manipulate ‘others’ magic’?

I focused my mind and sensed the magic.

I recognized the magic flowing within their bodies.

The fresh magic continuously surging from the hearts of four people.

I grasped it.

“…?!”

At that moment, the students simultaneously held their breath.

They looked at each other with faces that couldn’t comprehend the situation.

They felt the sensation of their magic being sucked away somewhere. It was as if a hole had been pierced in their hearts, and magic was leaking out.

I showed them the ring, completely overwhelmed by ‘Wrath’.

“This ring is a unique artifact that can absorb others’ magic. I will gather magic here and destroy the magic formula.”

Of course, the ring doesn’t have such an ability.

It’s just something that ignites fire and stores magic. But I had to bluff a bit because if they noticed my magic, it would be troublesome.

“Th-this is impossible…”

And they had no choice but to believe me.

Even now, their magic was being absorbed by the ring.

They must have never experienced it before. The feeling of having their magic forcibly taken away. The feeling of having a hole pierced in their heart while still alive.

Unable to endure, a male student shouted.

“P-please stop!”

“Thank you.”

I spoke while suppressing my emotions as much as possible.

“Thanks to you conserving your magic, I can now escape this place.”

“…!”

The smoothly flowing magic hesitated.

The frightened students must have started resisting to prevent their magic from being taken away.

But it was futile.

They were already trampled by my ‘Wrath’. They could no longer resist my magic.

I tried increasing the output a bit more as a test.

“Ugh…!”

The male student grabbed his head and collapsed.

His bloodshot eyes looked like they were about to pop out.

“Strange. Why hesitate?”

“…S-stop.”

“If you want to escape, quickly hand over your magic.”

At that moment, I didn’t know what face I was making, but the students who saw me were filled with terror.

It was the fear of ‘Death’.

They realized that their lives were entirely in my hands. And that I was not at all favorable towards them.

“Fine. Then let me help you a bit.”

I increased the intensity of absorbing magic.

No, at this point, it wasn’t just absorbing but tearing it away.

It must feel like having your heart ripped out while still alive.

“…Ugh!”

Unable to endure, one female student vomited.

Having her magic taken away in an instant, she started feeling nauseous.

I felt no sympathy seeing her collapse in the mud, vomiting what was inside her.

The female student pleaded with me.

“I can’t take it anymore! It’s too much!”

“Then endure it.”

Just like my Wendy did.

Just like she tried to protect you.

“Chairman…!”

Feeling the crisis, another female student who was vomiting in the mud shouted.

“Please! I-I’m going to die!”

“Die? No. That will never happen.”

“W-what?”

“You are students under my protection. I won’t let you die.”

Actually, I was adjusting the output to a barely tolerable level when taking their magic.

But the students who had their magic taken were all rolling in the mud, suffering.

I just looked down at that hellish scene with an expressionless face.

Seeing that, one female student shouted.

“Y-you’re not even human…! Don’t you feel anything seeing the students suffer?”

“Of course, I’m suffering too.”

I brushed off the mud splattered on my pants and spoke.

“It’s painful for me too, having to save the lives of you who tried to use a 12-year-old child as a shield to survive.”

“…!”

“So, bugs should enjoy their barely surviving lives in the mud.”

“Please save me! S-save me…!”

With those final words, I mercilessly took their magic.

The ring’s capacity was beyond expectations.

Seeing that it still had room even after absorbing so much, Albert must have been confident.

The absorption of magic continued even after the students fainted.

Finally, when I felt enough magic had been gathered, I noticed a very faint magic flowing from their hearts and stopped the absorption.

“Done…”

Now, the preparation is complete.

I placed my hand on the ground.

Myohail said this place is like a living magic formula itself. Based on that, I visualized the magic formula here.

Then, a familiar message appeared before my eyes.

[Connecting to the ancient magic formula ‘Jörmungandr’.]

It seemed the magic formula of this world was translated for my convenience. Simultaneously, my vision changed.

“…!”

I discovered a swarm of snakes crawling on the ground. Large and small snakes filled my vision.

The horrifying sight made me freeze. But only for a moment; upon closer look, they weren’t snakes.

They were sentences made of an unknown language. And I intuitively realized they were the magic formulas forming Jörmungandr.

The world made of magic formulas was beautiful and mysterious.

To the point of being momentarily mesmerized by the spectacle of colorful snakes moving around.

But there wasn’t much time.

Regaining my senses, I immediately grabbed one of the wriggling magic formulas.

It started coiling around my hand like a real snake.

I infused it with magic. Magic that reacts to fire.

Then, the brightly patterned snake started turning black.

“Good…”

Just as I thought.

I released the magic formula that had turned like it was infected by a virus.

Then, black ink-like substances started sticking wherever the infected magic formula passed.

But this alone wasn’t enough.

I quickly repeated the same process with the surrounding magic formulas.

I caught, infected, and released the magic formulas several times.

By the time the vast amount of magic was nearly depleted, my vision was filled with large and small black snakes.

Not only that, but they were also gradually expanding their territory, leaving black traces.

“Phew…”

Finally, the last step.

I touched the ring on my finger.

What I created with the remaining magic was a small spark.

I dropped the spark that would engulf and burn Jörmungandr onto the black snakes.

Whoosh.

Flames erupted.

*

“Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you.”

At that moment, Helga was growling, grabbing Ariel by the collar.

“Do you know what kind of place that is and send the Count alone? Are you sane? Do you have no brain?”

“Let go… I have nothing to say to you.”

Ariel, with her magic depleted, could only mutter weakly.

When Helga brought the healers, Tristan had already disappeared into the barrier.

Having lost her master, Helga interrogated Ariel, who had let him into the barrier.

“Answer my question. If anything happens to the Count, I’ll tear you apart alive first.”

“That sounds exciting…”

“Should I tear you in half now then?”

Saying so, Helga roughly pulled Ariel’s collar.

At that moment, the badge on Ariel’s collar flashed. Recognizing the familiar emblem, Helga frowned.

“You… are from the Liszet family? Whatever grudge your family holds against the Count-.”

“Hahaha… That’s funny.”

“…Are you joking?”

Seeing Ariel laugh out of nowhere, Helga’s grip tightened.

As if she could tear her apart at any moment.

But Ariel wasn’t afraid.

“Grudge, you said? Yes. It’s a deeply personal grudge, but I really hate that man… the Count. To the point of wanting to kill him. But it’s funny that his loyal servant trusts him less than I do.”

“…What?”

“I believe. Your master will definitely return.”

Ariel’s eyes were serious as she spoke.

Helga couldn’t understand how to interpret the eyes filled with both hatred and trust towards Tristan.

“You…”

Just as Helga was about to say something.

“Fire!”

“Fi-fire!”

Shouts echoed through the arena.

At the sound, everyone’s gaze turned in one direction.

“What…?”

Indeed.

The barrier was burning.

The professors around tried to extinguish it with water magic, but the flames were fierce.

No, the speed at which the fire spread was unbelievably fast.

“Tch!”

If Helga, near the barrier, hadn’t quickly supported Ariel and stepped back, they would have been burned by the flames.

The flames rapidly consumed the barrier.

‘Who on earth…’

Helga, keeping her distance, thought.

That must be a fire created by magic.

Meaning, someone set it to destroy the barrier.

Anxious, Helga bit her lip.

“Count…”

Helga, looking at the hopelessly burning barrier, heard Ariel’s voice.

“…See. What did I tell you.”

“…?”

Ariel spoke in a weak but clear voice.

“He said he would return.”

No way…?!

Quickly scanning the barrier, Helga’s eyes widened.

The arena was ablaze.

Helga found four students lying unconscious within the burning barrier.

And behind them, a black noble holding a small girl.