Chapter 334

Some ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍time after Orchid Owl became the Violet Magic Tower's Third Guardian and began coming and going through Charles's secret space—

"Hmm~ ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍You looked through my memories?"

"It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍could not be helped."

It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was a rightful privilege possessed by the heir of the Violet Magic Tower.

If ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍she had to make an excuse, Charles added that it was not something she did because she wanted to; it was a formula her ancestor, Diana Cornelia, had engraved in the Magic Tower.

"That's ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍embarrassing."

Orchid Owl raised her voice at Charles's words.

Having her memories viewed meant that every trace of the life she had lived and every shameful secret she had hidden had been exposed.

It was a different matter from showing her bare face while saying she would offer her life.

"Really~"

"Orchid, you do not look embarrassed at all."

"Ahahaha."

Orchid Owl burst into laughter at Charles's observation.

She was right.

Orchid Owl had achieved the synchronization with a Magic Tower that she had desired for so long.

This very moment, as she carried out missions where it would not have been strange for her to lose her life at any time, was when she felt most alive in her entire life.

"It can't be helped~ That means you looked through the other Guardians' memories too, doesn't it?"

The First Guardian was Killian Eurasia.

The Second Guardian was the Hybrid Dragon, Hazard.

Hazard was little different from a beast, so it would not mean much.

But Killian Eurasia was different.

His life had changed completely before and after he took the Secret Medicine.

Charles must have learned facts that Orchid Owl had not known despite gathering innumerable pieces of information.

"Sir Killian is......"

Charles, who had been about to say something, closed her mouth.

She had once glimpsed Killian Eurasia's memories.

The memories of the ancient human Adamas, engraved upon the soul called Killian Eurasia.

There was no need to tell the Guardian she had taken in.

"How disappointing~"

Orchid Owl pouted at Charles, who was hiding information from her.

"It is not exactly in exchange, but I devised a formula."

To change the subject, Charles told her about the Formula of Return, which she had completed not long ago.

"Hmm~ So if I sacrifice my body, I can call upon another Guardian's power?"

"That is the summary of it."

It meant that if her life were in critical danger and she used the Formula of Return, she could summon Killian's power.

"Has Master reached 9-Star after all?"

"He is beyond that."

"Hmm?"

Orchid Owl's eyes curved at Charles's answer, which had not contained the slightest hesitation.

Even if she temporarily obtained power beyond 9-Star, her body would collapse immediately afterward.

And the Guardian's soul would return to the Magic Tower.

"Beyond 9-Star. What a ridiculous joke."

That was how they arrived at the present.

The Red Duke was a formidable enemy Charles was certain had reached 9-Star.

With the new method called the Formula of Return, Orchid Owl sought a way out and succeeded in calling upon an existence that no one had reached in thousands of years.

'They said Killian Eurasia.'

The memories of the man preserved by the Magic Tower overlaid hers.

The knight who became the Violet Magic Tower's First Guardian.

The ancient human who slew a God by using mana.

The master who had been called a Magic Sword for thousands of years and given birth to countless Superhumans.

'Ahahaha.'

The truth of the man with whom she had shared a master-disciple relationship for a short time made her laugh.

She would have done so, had her body still truly existed.

Instead of laughter that did not emerge, emotions mingled with reason swirled in her mind.

Meanwhile, the body that had dissolved into mana and disappeared was reconstructed into a new body.

A mass of mana.

Together with the newly constructed body, her remaining consciousness began to vanish.

'Adamas.'

Killian Eurasia's previous life, and his essence that continued even into his present life.

The statement that he had surpassed 9-Star was not a lie.

"Gate."

Space split open, and the mana of the surrounding area was sucked in.

It was fundamentally different from Ke and Shik, Direction and Eye.

Rooooar—

The suction was strong enough to make the Red Magic Tower, engraved with the Formula of Infinity, reel.

"......This isn't a sword or magic...... No......"

The flustered Red Duke was shouting something.

He had been drawn as far as the Gate, and was resisting by rapidly pouring out magic with red mana.

'Yes, this isn't a sword or magic.'

A Gate was a passage that crossed the boundaries of the world.

An existence that passed beyond it had its mana structure destroyed.

That was why the Formula of Infinity was wavering.

Not long after the Gate appeared—

Rumble—

The Magic Tower began to tilt.

'Master.'

With a bliss greater than synchronizing with the Magic Tower as her last feeling—

'You're incredible!!'

Orchid Owl's lingering consciousness vanished.

***

"Solaris."

Whoosh!

A compressed sun floated above the Mixed-Color Duke's head.

Rumble.

The moment the falling sun closed the distance between itself and the Mixed-Color Duke—

Ssssss.

The sun that touched the Mixed-Color Duke's mana was bleached pure white.

Immediately afterward, the heat symbolizing the sun began to turn toward Charles.

"Luna Maria."

Without delay, Charles used her magic, and a violet moon rose above her head.

The cold emitted by the moon collided with the heat emitted by the sun.

Sssssss—

The formulas made of immense mana scattered apart.

It would have been good if that had been the end of it.

Ssssss—

Evil Energy began to erode the place where her magic had been neutralized.

'Again......'

Charles's eyes widened as she reached out toward the direction in which Evil Energy was spreading.

"Cornelia Style, Absolute Time."

Ping—

The entire eroding area froze in place.

There were already twenty such frozen areas scattered throughout the space.

At this rate, the sealed space would become larger than the space in which she could move.

Thud—

The staff the Mixed-Color Duke held struck the floor.

Ssssss—

Mana spread across the floor.

Swoooosh—

The violet mana that tried to create waves and control the Evil Energy was stripped of its color.

The colorless mana surged toward Charles, but—

Ping—

It stopped advancing because of Cornelia Style, Absolute Time.

The moment mana touched his mana, it lost its color and its initiative.

If she neutralized the mana, the Evil Energy that followed would erode space.

Even with 9-Star magic, all she could do was stop the eroded spaces inside the Magic Tower.

'He must have made some sort of contract with the Monster Lord.'

She wanted to enter his Mind Image and see for herself, but if she did that, she would be handing over the entire Magic Tower.

'This is the Transcendence Rastian Arken reached.'

Unlike the Black Duke, he had not chosen a life like that of a Lich.

Yet now he had abandoned being human.

'Unfortunately.'

She assessed the situation calmly.

'I cannot win.'

None of the secret magic recorded in the Violet Magic Tower could inflict a direct blow upon the Mixed-Color Duke as he was now.

Perhaps no magic that existed in the world could harm him anymore.

'How ironic.'

The man who had wanted to see the end of magic had gained resistance to all magic.

They exchanged several spells without an opening to speak.

That did not mean she intended to give up the struggle.

She had merely judged it impossible for her to defeat the existence before her herself.

'It is a battle of time.'

Yes, this was a battle of time.

The other Transcendent she had summoned into the Red Magic Tower.

Just as she, a 9-Star mage synchronized with a Magic Tower, could not deal with the Transcendent before her,

the Transcendent summoned through Orchid Owl's body would be the same.

Sure enough.

Eighty percent of the hidden space had been subdued,

and just as the Mixed-Color Duke was about to forcibly tear open the space where he had hidden Drago de Lord—

"......"

"......!!"

The same memory was transmitted into Charles's and the Mixed-Color Duke's minds.

It was the memory of the momentary battle between Adamas and the Red Duke.

Because part of the Red Magic Tower's power was lost under the Gate's influence, synchronization continued.

At the same time, the information Orchid Owl had discovered flowed into Charles's mind.

"You needed the identity called the Red Duke in order to maintain the identity called the Mixed-Color Duke."

"......"

To Charles, it was information that could overturn the board. To the Mixed-Color Duke, it was a weakness that could crack the firm wall of Transcendence.

Sure enough.

The Evil Energy that had been eroding the Violet Magic Tower visibly weakened.

"It appears that the Transcendent on my side was more remarkable."

"I see. You summoned ‘him.’"

The truth of the world known to only a very few.

The ancient human called the Master of Mana, who became a Godslayer.

"Before that man, a mere 9-Star mage has no means of holding out."

The Evil Energy thinned, and the mana that had overwhelmed Charles moments earlier was withdrawn.

"If you do not withdraw now, the White Magic Tower and Black Magic Tower will become the same."

Just as she had summoned a Transcendent through Orchid Owl as a medium, the other two Magic Towers would be no different.

"You do not intend to lose your other two selves so pointlessly, do you?"

"You are bluffing. A Transcendent is not so easily controlled."

"If you are confident, then go ahead and press on. I have nothing to lose."

"......"

The two mages' gazes met in the air.

'The eyes of someone prepared to die.'

There was no way that summoning a Transcendent had no limitations.

There would be some falsehood mixed into Charles Cornelia's claim.

But as the Red Magic Tower was eroded, the formula maintaining the Mixed-Color Duke's identity had actually been affected as well.

'In the current situation, sacrificing the Violet Magic Tower could also inflict a shock upon the White Magic Tower and Black Magic Tower.'

What if Charles Cornelia summoned the ancient human once again through the medium of her own death?

'It would be a battle with more to lose than to gain.'

It was as though the existence fused with him were telling him to retreat.

'......'

Now was the time to withdraw.

It was as though the sense of defeat engraved in him were spreading.

"We will leave it at this for today."

"A dog that lost the fight certainly has a lot to say."

Ssssss—

The Evil Energy remaining in the area gathered around him.

"Next time will be different."

Mixed Energy, formed by the fusion of Mana and Evil Energy, scattered through the air.

The Mixed-Color Duke's presence disappeared completely from the Magic Tower.

"......"

Left alone, Charles immediately summoned the people who had infiltrated the White and Black Magic Towers.

She knew that if she left them as they were, they would surely die.

Just as she tried to catch her breath—

Screeech—

Space opened, and Hazard appeared.

"Hazard, you should not come out yet......"

"You lost another Guardian."

"......!!"

At the changing force of his presence, Drago de Lord raised his index finger.

Rumble—

Haki weighed down the surrounding space.

"Drago......"

"Did I not tell you? The only reason I do not seize control of the body is that I have no reason to do so."

"It seems you found a reason when you saw a weakened enemy."

Hiding her exhaustion as best she could, Charles prepared for the next battle.

Drago shrugged.

"It was not bad magic. I will give you credit for driving away that sinister fellow."

Charles Cornelia had fended off two battles by using Hazard and Orchid Owl as mediums.

If she had lost even once, the Great War would have tipped toward the Empire, and everything would have proceeded as the Emperor wished.

"I acknowledge that your actions have brought about change."

"......"

"For the time being, I will remain here and observe your actions. Of course, I do not need your permission."

If he remained in the Violet Magic Tower, he could avoid the Emperor's eyes.

It was not a bad move for him either.

'Those two alone should be enough to return to the Emperor.'

If he endured, an opportunity would come.

"Rest."

With those words, Drago hid himself in the space once more.

"Haa......"

Charles lay down on the floor.

She did not care if anyone saw her.

Even while synchronized with the Magic Tower, a sense of helplessness she had not managed to dispel welled up within her.

[The Violet Magic Tower's functions are temporarily suspended.]

'Violet, I need to rest for a little while.'

The aftereffects of confronting the Dragon Lord and the Mixed-Color Duke in succession swept over her.

An immense fatigue brought a wave of drowsiness.

And then—

Before she could even realize it,

her memories of Killian Eurasia began to disappear.

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