“Trapping the Great Demon, huh…?”
On the rooftop of the White Magic Tower.
Temurlen clicked his tongue as he looked out over the vast open area where a gigantic magic circle was unfolding.
What a ridiculous idea it was.
He knew that the guy had reached a level beyond just seeing souls, but he never imagined he’d come up with a magic that manifests a world beyond that.
According to the explanation, the basic structure of the plan was to create a virtual world and trap the Great Demon inside it once it entered the magic circle.
“So you’re saying you plan to use that magic circle like ‘Alma’?”
‘Alma’ was no simple memory manifestation device.
The principle behind it was completely unknown, but it was a device that could help glimpse the mysterious world inside a soul.
This guy wanted to lay down a massive magic circle in the vast open area to perform just like ‘Alma.’
Even the installation of ‘Alma’ in the tower’s basement had cost millions in gold.
How much mana would it take to set up a disposable magic circle hundreds, no thousands, of times larger?
As Temurlen tried to calculate it in his head, he soon threw in the towel at the astronomical numbers that emerged.
“What a monster he is…”
Truly an out-of-spec monster.
He could only count his blessings that someone like that was standing on his side without any ulterior motives.
“Will it really work on the Great Demon…?”
As far as he knew, the Great Demon was supposed to be weak compared to the superhumans of the current world in direct fights and brawls.
Instead, it was adept at all sorts of tricks and deception…
Of course, this guy’s trap was novel and unheard of, but whether it would even work on the Great Demon remained an unknown quantity.
“At least, I should be grateful that it’s non-lethal magic.”
It was a trap from which there was no escape once caught.
But that was a relief, considering it was non-lethal magic.
If all this was a misunderstanding and the opponent wasn’t the Great Demon, then they could simply release it.
Even if a battle broke out inside, it wouldn’t affect the current world.
At the very least, Temurlen believed that.
Until an unidentified figure appeared.
“It’s starting.”
The mana counter of the White Magic Tower started to buzz ominously.
It was so weak that it couldn’t be sensed by human perception at all.
But it was an overwhelming amount of mana that far exceeded the machine’s limit!
The moment he set foot on the field,
The magic circle activated, and a massive amount of mana surged up.
There was no way to dodge that.
The body of the man engulfed in the divine feast of mana froze.
His pupils lost their life, and he stood still like a wooden puppet.
And this was true for the guy who cast the spell as well.
“Is that a level beyond mine…?”
Before long, the scenery inside the magic circle filled with pure darkness.
Then, dizzying scenes began to flash by.
Temurlen’s mouth hung open in utter astonishment.
When viewed from the outside, it might look just like an ordinary illusion magic, only larger.
But inside, things were different.
Have you ever seen an illusion that could interact with the real world?
Have you heard of an illusion that could kill a person?
Outside, people could laugh and observe as if it was someone else’s issue.
But for the parties inside, it was a matter of life and death.
A level close to creating a world, quite literally forbidden arts.
That was what his magic was.
“Eh…?”
Temurlen frowned, doubting his own eyes for just a moment.
For an instant, it seemed like the man’s lips twitched.
That couldn’t be.
Inside there, reality’s body shouldn’t be able to move.
“…?!”
But as the man’s eyes regained their life,
His hands moved, and his feet began to move, leaving Temurlen’s eyes wide with disbelief.
The magic was intact.
Even though it was perfectly operational, the man was somehow moving in a world that straddled reality and illusion.
“I see now. This isn’t your inner world.”
“What… what do you mean?”
Swish!
Every time the man stepped forward, the ground froze cold.
The sky filled with dark clouds.
Before long, a fierce snowstorm began to blow, turning the wide field into a snowy plain.
‘I’ve lost control!’
What on earth was happening?
Had he lost control of the magic circle?
No, that couldn’t be.
It was impossible to intercept another’s magic once it was cast.
It wasn’t just difficult; it was physically impossible.
So, the only possibility left was one.
That man had taken control of a world manifested not by magic but through the magic itself.
Probably.
No, certainly.
That man was far more capable of handling the world created by this guy.
“I don’t need fakes.”
Crash!
The world created with immense mana shattered.
Cracks appeared in the magic circle, scattering it.
Before long, the snowy plain, filled with ice, instantly reverted to a peaceful meadow, as if the illusion magic had vanished.
Meanwhile, Temurlen found himself leaning over the rooftop, mouth agape.
“Beyond my, beyond my level…!”
He felt a shiver running through his entire body.
To Temurlen, whether that guy was a Great Demon or not meant nothing anymore.
What mattered was that a being above superhumans had appeared.
.
.
.
“Who are you?”
He couldn’t help but ask.
The guy wore a gigantic hat that towered over him.
And atop the hat, there were thick chains and locks.
Alongside that was a blue flame floating nearby.
It was an absurdly bizarre appearance, but…
He wasn’t surprised by the looks; it was something else entirely.
“Wait. Are you a human?”
“…”
From that guy, he couldn’t sense ‘his inner world.’
This was something he’d never seen before.
It made sense that the deceased Mi Jeong wouldn’t have an inner world.
But seeing a living, talking human without an inner world was unfathomable.
Then, did that mean this guy didn’t have a soul either?
“A human? You’re really pushing it there.”
“…I apologize.”
The girl, seemingly a bit offended, hid her face with her hat.
Temurlen hurriedly tried to take back his words and offered an awkward apology.
It seemed she didn’t know about ‘the inner world.’
There was no need to inform her about the existence of an inner world.
“It’s fine. I often hear that. People wondering if I’m a human or a beast.”
“Your tone has gotten quite polite?”
“I’m sorry for that… The truth is, I thought you were the Great Demon and set a trap to wait for you. But the moment I leaped in, I realized you were not the Great Demon.”
“You seem to know the Great Demon well. What’s your relationship with him?”
“It’s nothing at all… I just had a gut feeling, that’s all…”
The girl murmured, lacking confidence.
She seemed to be the type to follow her instincts without adequate evidence.
She appeared to be quite similar to him.
In fact, considering that she guessed he wasn’t the Great Demon, she was accurate enough.
“Then… what about you? Are you really human? How did you break my spell? It was my ultimate spell made over a year of research!”
“It just so happens that your magic was in my area of expertise.”
The environment was right for him to spread his wings.
Had she laid an attacking spell in the magic circle waiting in ambush, he would have had no traits or shields to resist it (though, if such magic had been set, he wouldn’t even have entered in the first place).
Fortunately, the magic she spread was a spell that artificially created a similar up to ‘the inner world.’
For a moment, he thought that her magic might solve the problem of his existence…
But after taking control of the artificial world and observing it slowly, he realized it couldn’t be ‘my inner world.’
It was merely a well-made imitation.
Superficial, with the essence missing.
But that doesn’t mean it was useless.
If it lacked the core, he could insert it himself.
This girl still didn’t have an inkling of what ‘my inner world’ was.
She had created that magic without knowing anything.
So, if he taught her directly, if he awakened ‘my inner world,’ what kind of magic might be born?
Perhaps he could devise a method to recover his existence.
Today, with this girl he met for the first time, he discovered such boundless possibilities.
“Nice to meet you. I can’t reveal my name, but I look forward to working with you.”
“Oh my. We have similar circumstances. I don’t have a name either. To be precise, my master left without giving me one.”
“We both share fateful destinies.”
“Indeed.”
As he extended his hand, the girl smiled boldly and took his hand.
It felt as if something deep inside connected.
Even though they didn’t know each other’s names, identities, or anything at all, it didn’t matter.
The moment they realized they had both reached a level ordinary humans couldn’t attain, any lingering caution melted away.
Is this the intense loneliness that the strong feel?
He was feeling boundless joy at the arrival of a companion after struggling alone for so long.
“But what about that chain on your head? Doesn’t it feel heavy?”
“Eh? Chain?”
“…?”
“What are you talking about?”
The girl tilted her head in confusion, feeling around her hat.
She was evidently feeling the chains with her hands, yet she looked utterly bewildered as if nothing was there.
What’s happening here?
Were those chains visible only to him?
Before he could even process his confusion,
[Great Demon Belphegor! You are surrounded!]
“…?!”
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from above through a loudspeaker.
Startled, he looked up just as a massive airship revealed itself over the mountains, opening its doors wide.
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