“Magic… is over.”
Mutins Kratz.
Born and raised in Arilleia, he lived with fierce pride in being one of its people.
What he had seen from the time he was very young was the figure of his father, who lived every day mad for magic from the moment he woke until the moment he fell asleep.
No, it was not only his father.
All Arilleians were much the same.
To reclaim magic and revive it once more.
That was the dream of all Arilleia, and its goal as well.
“This is madness! It’s impossible!”
But one day, when he saw his father suddenly hurl away the magic tomes packed densely atop his desk.
When he saw him fall into emptiness, having lost the goal of his life.
Before the grave of the father who had lived and died that way, Mutins made a vow.
As he wiped away the thick, pale dust that had settled on the desk, he realized it.
“Magic is over.”
Mutins Kratz.
He was human.
In Arilleia, where most were elves and half-elves, he was one of the few remaining pure-blooded humans.
An ordinary human.
And so, unlike the other elves, he was not so lacking in emotional change, nor did he cling his entire life to something impossible.
He had actively argued that they should acknowledge the loss of magic and move forward in another direction.
And the results began to show, little by little.
For even among the elves, some had begun to grow weary of endless failure.
He could only become even more certain.
Magic was something that could no longer exist.
This world had lost it completely.
“I am the last mage remaining in this world.”
And yet, what was that arrogant declaration?
That great staff he brandished, as though he truly had become one of the great mages from the tales of the distant past.
That fleeting look of pity in his eyes, as if he knew everything.
“Hio Pavlenko.”
Pouring down behind him was a cluster of light so radiant it seemed it might blind them.
Slowly revealing themselves as they parted the distant clouds were sacred swords of light.
Even one alone would have been disastrous, and yet dozens of them seized the entire sky, appearing as they cleaved through the heavens.
“What in the world is that……”
Everyone stared at it in a daze.
Not only those inside the conference hall, but everyone in Arilleia looked up at it as though their souls had left their bodies.
In other words, Hio Pavlenko was now claiming that thing was magic.
Utter nonsense.
How could something of that scale be performed with magic?
Even if it were a skill… he had never heard of any such skill.
If someone capable of that existed, they would already have been counted among the strongest on the continent……
“…The Emperor’s Guardian Knight.”
That was right. That man was the one who had ascended to the seat of Guardian Knight, said to be the strongest in the Empire.
His mind snapped awake.
He must not be bewitched.
Had he not vowed it? Had he not been certain?
In his father’s ruined room. Before that desk piled thick with dust, had he not glared with eyes wide open and clenched his fist?
Magic was impossible.
That must simply be his skill, which he claimed was magic.
He had likely been overwhelmed by that overwhelming sight, by that power.
Because one so powerful claimed it was magic, the people of the continent may have simply nodded along, but here in Arilleia, where magic was preserved and the dragon was protected, such lies would not work.
And once again, Mutins’s expectation missed the mark spectacularly.
“Indeed. So this is what you call your magic.”
The reason was that Regarda, the great guardian of Arilleia, nodded.
Even before the oppressive sight of the sky being seized, Regarda merely stood with his arms folded, his expression silent.
He remained composed even before the form of those sacred swords, that enormous power comparable to his ultimate weapon, the Dutchman.
From Regarda’s perspective, it was only natural.
For he had immediately grasped that it was merely an illusion. And because of that, he instead accepted that it was magic.
After all, there was no way Hio Pavlenko, who possessed power great enough to face him, would have such a bluff-filled skill.
There was no reason for him to.
Moreover, Hio Pavlenko was someone who knew Kreutzwald.
To Regarda, who understood that fact, Hio Pavlenko was, in short, a mage.
With even the slightest proof, he accepted it easily.
“Magic… Magic can’t be possible……”
Yet Mutins muttered, his eyes filled with the swords in the sky.
Magic had been completely lost. That had already become a law of this world.
He had certainly been convinced of that… so why?
Why on earth?
“I see. Hio Pavlenko, I understand what you wish to show us.”
Even the noblest elf was nodding?
What did he understand?
Mutins understood nothing.
How such power could be possible from the body of a mere human.
Why the great guardian and the noblest elf were acknowledging that thing as magic.
What Hio Pavlenko’s true identity was.
Because he knew nothing, he could only fall into confusion.
And while Mutins, as a pure-blooded human, reacted most fiercely, most of those present were in no less confusion than he.
It was already confusing enough that someone who had appeared out of nowhere claimed to be a mage, but on top of that came a sight that overwhelmed the eyes, as well as Regarda and Isidore’s acknowledgment.
Savoring their reactions, Hio smiled faintly.
‘Illusion - God’s Judge’ was a skill that used illusion magic.
In other words, the sight they were seeing was based in magic, but it was certainly a skill.
It meant that it was not magic, but a skill.
‘Well, as long as the point gets across.’
What did that matter?
If he called it magic, then it was magic.
Because there would be no one here who could distinguish between magic and skills.
- …Isn’t this fraud?
He lightly ignored the second master’s grumbling complaint.
What mattered was proving magic. And planting hope once more in their hearts.
A small hope planted.
In the end, it would become a great tree and fill the future with green.
‘If you’ve got complaints, come out and debate magic with me.’
Behind Hio’s back, the swords of golden radiance were falling toward Arilleia.
He raised his staff once more.
A light twirl of his hand.
「Skill - ‘Illusion - God’s Judge’ has been deactivated.」
With that single gesture, the swords of God that had been descending as though to drive themselves into all of Arilleia vanished without a trace.
The light disappeared in an instant.
They had appeared with one swing of his staff, and with that same single swing vanished like a dream.
“…Magic……”
What word other than magic could explain this phenomenon?
And so, silence settled over the hall.
Filling that silence was soundless confusion.
Amid it all, only three people maintained their composure.
The ever-gentle, noblest elf. Isidore.
The guardian of Arilleia, who recognized Hio Pavlenko as a mage. Regarda.
And.
『Eh? (｡・ω・｡)?』
Freyja, tilting her head.
* * *
The Adventurers’ Guild headquarters.
This place could be called the most powerful organization among the groups of possessed ones revealed to the public.
Rank 1, the Supreme Heavenly Demon, acted alone.
Rank 2 was building up his position within the Imperial Castle.
Rank 3, Airights, had gone silent at the same time as the fall of Black Fang.
Rank 5, Sirvert, had worked as an academy professor and dipped his feet into politics, but with Sylvia Verden ascending the imperial throne, that had lost much of its meaning.
In this world, the possessed ones had gathered in the Adventurers’ Guild with Daphne as their center.
In the outside world, they were Awakened who received the highest treatment from their respective nations, but in this world, they operated under Daphne.
Yet almost none of them held much dissatisfaction with that.
Being beneath Daphne in this world did not spread into the outside world.
What mattered was honor and power in the outside world—that is, on Earth.
Rather than going out of their way to form another group here and compete with Daphne, joining her was beneficial in many ways, and convenient besides.
Because of such factors, the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters had been able to gather top-tier Awakened renowned in their respective nations.
They, too, had recognized the seriousness of the current situation and gathered to hold a meeting.
The entrances to the Abyss that had appeared all over the world now that it had become the 51st floor.
The Abyss, which had entered its middle stages overnight.
Knowing well just how difficult it was, they had gathered swiftly.
The conference room of the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters where such people had assembled.
At its center lay a single top-grade projection stone, and light was pouring out of it.
Among the projection stones that could be purchased from the point shop, it was the most expensive, a top-grade projection stone.
It was a mysterious stone that conveyed not only visual effects, but everything contained within it.
An artifact that let one experience a vivid sense of presence surpassing even a modern 4DX theater.
Whoooosh—
And so the conference room was now in the middle of the boundless sea.
Crashing waves, violent wind and rain, the fishy smell of salt.
KRAAANG!
Even the rumbling thunder could be vividly felt in the western sea.
Deep within that sea.
What could be seen there was a clash of nature so immense it was difficult to believe even while watching it.
The sea overturned, and lightning became rain as it stood against it.
Rumble— Though the sky trembled with ceaseless thunder, the infinite sea paid it no heed and surged toward him.
A sea dragon roared upon the sea, and at the gesture of the man riding atop it, the ocean moved.
At the sea dragon’s movement, raindrops changed direction, soon becoming blades that surged endlessly toward a single person.
The breath of the sea dragon contained thunderbolts, yet the man who faced it remained at ease.
“…The Supreme Heavenly Demon.”
Along with someone’s murmur, the footage raced toward its end.
Blue flames spread wide, blocking the great sea, while thunderbolts gathered together to form a massive spear.
Beneath the storming sky.
What should one call the one who looked down upon the sea while holding lightning?
And what should one call the one who, without the slightest hesitation, tried to face that spear of lightning dreadful just to look at?
A bright yellow aura resembling a dragon burst forth from the spear.
And along with a flash of lightning, the tips of those two spears collided.
KWAAAAAANG!
With a roar that seemed to tear the eardrums, intense light seized their vision.
A massive shockwave swept through, the ship overturned, and along with the sensation that the world itself had been inverted—
“Haaah……!”
Only then did the footage finally end.
Before they knew it, it was no longer a storming sea, but the dim conference room of the guild.
“This is the most recent record we obtained of Hio Pavlenko’s movements. As you saw, he headed for Arilleia, and it has been confirmed that a battle broke out with the ruler of the western sea.”
Those gathered here were rankers at least within the top 100. At the same time, they were figures evaluated as the highest combat forces in their respective nations.
They were not limited to their in-game rankings, but had continued to develop and were revered as heroes.
In other words, they were people who had to share important information and discuss countermeasures.
“So that is the Supreme Heavenly Demon, who took the position of Guardian Knight of the Empire……”
Because the footage had been so vivid and magnificent, the muscles that had been tense finally loosened.
It was a battle that even Awakened called national heroes could not help but be overwhelmed by.
“To think he fought on equal footing with Regarda, who was regarded as one of the strongest… So what was the result?”
“We don’t know. What we confirmed ends here.”
“If the Supreme Heavenly Demon happened to lose, wouldn’t that be a serious problem?”
“No matter who won, it’s clear neither of them could be unscathed.”
“That’s right. At a crucial time like this, why did the Supreme Heavenly Demon insist on going to Arilleia and clash with Regarda……”
The conference room grew noisy.
Because it was such an incredible battle, they had at first been overwhelmed, and once that had subsided, they felt regret.
If he had been here at a time like this, their worries would have been greatly reduced.
“From what I confirmed, it seemed certain that he had another plan as well.”
The lights came back on in the dim conference room, and Daphne’s voice spread through the hall.
“Behind the truth we know, there is something even greater. He is likely fighting against that.”
The dreadful experience she had endured in the abyss.
The image of Hio Pavlenko calmly facing it.
“We do not know what that is right now, but it is certain that what we must do is also extremely important.”
In any case, they had confirmed that they could not receive the Supreme Heavenly Demon’s help immediately.
What remained was to overcome this crisis by bringing out as much of the strength of those gathered here as possible.
That thing they had named the 51st floor.
“Has there still been… no word from the advance party?”
Daphne slowly shook her head.
Her expression was grave.
“None. Not in the outside world, and not here either.”
Until now, the method of conquering the Abyss had been simple.
Sending in an advance party.
After that, they would grasp the form of the Abyss and return to report, or if it was dangerous, like the labyrinth incident, they would log out and relay the information in the outside world.
Then Daphne and the Awakened belonging to the guild would organize personnel and dispatch a conquest party.
Yet from the advance party that had entered to investigate the 51st floor, not a single piece of news had come.
They had not let their guard down and had sent a ten-person advance party composed to endure under any circumstances, and yet not one of them had sent word.
“The situation must be one of two things.”
Considering it coldly.
“They were wiped out.”
Annihilation, or.
“Or it is an area where logging out is impossible.”
An area they could not leave.
Of course, there had never before been a case where logging out was impossible.
Because logging out had been possible in any crisis situation, the possessed ones had been able to explore this world at ease.
That was why they could enter even the notorious Abyss without great fear.
But now, an area where logging out was impossible had appeared?
This was truly an extremely dangerous emergency.
“It is time to make a decision.”
Daphne announced her decision to everyone.
“Gather every person we can mobilize.”
Failure in the conquest would be the beginning of destruction.
It would become a disaster incomparable to the failure on the 1st floor of the Abyss.
Whether in this world or the outside world.
Therefore.
“We will mobilize all our forces and form an expeditionary force for the 51st floor.”
The first large-scale expeditionary force would be created.