Chapter 145

Those who had been lying prone slowly lifted their heads, startled by the sudden silence. The barrage of magic and shouts had abruptly stopped. Was it over? They looked around, but everything remained unchanged.

“W-what’s going on, everyone?”

“Sir Ian’s magic just stopped Wesley.”

“So what? That’s great! Ian, show us what you’ve got!”

“P-please, hold back the witch! We beg you!”

“What are you all standing there for? Why aren’t you doing anything?”

“Jarrett! Magic Corps!”

“Gale, fall back behind Ian and protect him!”

The ordinary people, clueless about what had gone wrong, started shouting loudly. Yet, despite the commotion, the wizards and guards stood frozen like statues, unable to move.

‘Ian’s magic actually worked?’

‘He made quite an impression at the New Year’s gathering, but was it really that strong?’

‘No, the opponent is Wesley, after all.’

‘Could this be one of Wesley’s illusions?’

A rookie wizard who had only recently joined the Corps surpassing the Minister of Magic, who had been the youngest court count? Impossible. It was as absurd as a newborn knocking down a seasoned warrior on the training grounds.

“Ian, that worked! Well done!”

“…Um, Lord Romandro.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“You should step back from me.”

Romandro had been happily shaking Ian’s arm but suddenly froze. Step back? Ian silently nodded toward Wesley. Her gaze had shifted completely from Gale to Ian.

“Eek! Oh my, Ian, be careful, be careful!”

Flustered and unsure what to do, Romandro stumbled backward and fled, supported by a guard. Ian calmly scanned the surroundings. Everyone was still staring at him as if in a daze.

‘It’s definitely forbidden magic. Too soon to measure its true power.’

He had been debating whether to help Gale, but now there was no choice. If only he could do it, then he must. Nothing would be more foolish than hesitating now. This was his chance to firmly establish his presence.

“Ian! Get a grip.”

The first to approach was Nakina. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and leaned in slightly, matching his eye level as they both glared at Wesley.

“You’re the only one here who can land a decisive blow. The captains will be here soon, so until then, prioritize Gale’s safety. Have you ever used offensive magic? Or defensive spells?”

“…No, but I’ll manage.”

“Good answer. What spells do you know?”

“None, but if you help me, I’ll do it.”

“Perfect posture. Good.”

Countless spells flashed through Ian’s mind, but he shook his head lightly, signaling he didn’t know any.

“Ian.”

It was Wesley’s voice. She smiled brightly, almost incredulous. Her pale, snow-white skin was veined, making it hard to tell she was smiling at all.

“Good heavens, so that’s how it is.”

Everyone tensed and held their breath at the woman muttering like she’d lost her mind. But Ian understood her meaning. From the recent magic attack, she realized Ian was a product of forbidden magic.

Someone who shouldn’t even exist in this world, and who had been a thorn in their side all along.

“Wesley. Every word you speak, every step you take, only adds to your crimes.”

“You were the one in Karenna, weren’t you?”

The flow of magic surged. The woman’s disheveled hair slowly whipped about as flames flickered at her fingertips. The heat was so intense that everyone held their breath, afraid to inhale lest their lungs burn.

“And so Gale found out. Ah, now I understand what’s going on. Ian. You’ve been the problem all along.”

Seeing Wesley’s growing menace, Nakina unleashed her magic, preparing to demonstrate a spell.

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Magic was like a science; until mastered, every step had to be carefully executed. Once internalized, it could be cast effortlessly, but the clarity of the image conjured in the mind made all the difference. Ranking wizards by talent was no challenge.

“Nakina, no explosions!”

Tommy’s shout made Nakina nod. This was the lobby of the tournament hall. If they couldn’t lure the target outside, a strong blast could backfire. They needed to restrain and subdue her with binding magic.

“Binding.”

A basic spell for the field, yet complex shapes appeared before Nakina’s body. The magic circle glowed in concentric rings, dozens of activation formulas spinning wildly.

“Ian! Read it carefully! This is how it works!”

Geometric patterns formed on the floor beneath Nakina’s feet. If lightning shattered into pieces, it would look like this.

The magic quickly climbed the walls and spread to the ceiling. Then, it locked onto the target’s position and relentlessly rained down around her.

Crack! Boom!

Columns of light struck down in front, behind, and on both sides of Wesley. Her hair whipped wildly again, but her face showed no fear. She had already risked her life to summon forbidden magic.

“Ian, did you see that? Can you do it?”

It was a brief moment. Only a few seconds passed from Nakina’s magic release to the spell’s activation. Other wizards nearby jeered and shouted.

“Nakina, are you kidding? How can you do that just by watching once?”

“Yeah, that’s tough even for us! Having strong magic and applying it are two different things.”

“Just tell her to keep firing magic!”

“Keep her distracted until the captains arrive!”

“She doesn’t know when to shut up.”

“Get a grip! Stop wasting your energy!”

“Shut up, all of you! I’m about to lose it! I’ll split your heads open!”

Nakina snapped at them, silencing the wizards like a swarm of bees. This was a moment when they needed to work together, but no one seemed to get it. Nakina calmly watched Wesley pass through the pillars of light.

‘She’s ignoring it, as expected.’

Binding magic was supposed to restrict the opponent’s movement within the flow of magic between the pillars. But Wesley was approaching freely. Nakina anxiously glanced at Ian.

“Well done, Senior Nakina.”

“…Ah.”

Ian smiled. More than any words, his smile said it all: he was confident, and he could read every spell she showed him. Before Nakina could say anything, Ian activated his magic.

Ziiing. Ziiing.

Fwoosh!

Golden eyes like a lion’s. His pupils dilated as his magic exploded throughout his body. Ian replicated Nakina’s spell in his mind and cast it without hesitation. Light began to seep through the cracks in the marble floor beneath him.

“W-what is this…?”

“Move! Everyone, get out of the way!”

“C-crazy. This is insane.”

The magical force pressed down on Ian like gravity. The more the marble cracked, the brighter the light grew. Soon, everything around him—the walls, the ceiling—was engulfed in light.

Boom! Bang!

Hundreds of beams of light rained down from the ceiling, perfectly encasing Wesley. The black smoke she exhaled vanished weakly each time Ian’s magic struck.

As the gaps closed, Wesley screamed, trying desperately to break the magic.

“Ian, are you going to keep interfering until the end? You’re also forbidden—”

Bang!

“You’d better shut up, Wesley. Again, every word you speak only adds to your crimes. Silence would be better for your health.”

As Wesley tried to shout the secrets of forbidden magic, Ian didn’t hesitate to strike a beam of light at her head. She lightly swatted it away.

Nakina watched, unsure where to be more shocked.

“How many beams of light are falling? And she’s using binding magic as an offensive spell. Is this… even possible?”

No matter how transcendent magic was, there had to be limits. Nakina and the others stared, mesmerized by the beams pouring down on Wesley.

Bang! Boom!

“Like shooting stars…”

No one knew who whispered it, but everyone agreed it was a fitting comparison. Watching a meteor shower in broad daylight, in a half-open lobby.

“…But, um…”

Romandro, still lying flat, whispered to a guard tugging his collar.

“Why is Wesley just standing there?”

From the moment she appeared until now, she had threatened but never truly counterattacked. She only wanted to reach Gale inside. Even when the wizards attacked together, she simply ignored them.

‘No counterattack.’

Ian felt the same way. Unlike the magic of the others, which had been neutralized, Ian’s power was clearly affecting Wesley. The fact that she kept swatting away the glowing light with her hands was proof enough.

“Hey, Wesley, don’t you think something’s off here?”

“Yeah. The heat’s getting more intense, and I’m not sure how to put this…”

“It feels like my body’s burning up.”

“Exactly. That’s exactly how it feels.”

Her skin was cracking and flaking off in the rising heat, as if she were burning her own life force just to keep moving.

She gasped for breath, then looked over at Gale. The man’s eyes were filled with disgust, but a smile slowly spread across her face.

“Gale.”

Ziiing! Ziiing!

Boom! Bang!

At that moment, Wesley called out Gale’s name and unleashed her magic to its fullest. The intense explosion shattered Ian’s accelerated magic beam into nothing. In an instant, she lunged at Gale, wrapping her arms tightly around the back of his neck.

“Lord Gale!”

“Attack! Hurry!”

“Get her off! Get that witch off him!”

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then horrified. Wesley had grabbed the back of Gale’s head—frozen in shock—and kissed him.

“Gale. Do you really think I’d kill you?”

“Insane…”

“You wouldn’t understand my pain through death.”

Only then did Ian realize the truth. Wesley wasn’t trying to pierce Gale’s blood with forbidden magic to harm him; she was casting an eternal curse. She had come all this way just to deliver that message herself.

“Gale, you shall—forever—be bound.”

Black smoke curled around Wesley. Her voice grew faint and broken, the curse barely audible. But Gale seemed to hear it clearly. His eyes widened, and then, uncharacteristically, he spat out a curse of his own.

“You’re insane!”

In a flash, he swung his sword to strike at the back of her neck. But Wesley’s form had already dissolved into smoke, leaving only hot ashes swirling in the air.