"Quickly, let's move! There are people over there who can use healing magic!"

"Yes! Understood!"

I used space magic to transport Rie and Yuni to a safe location.

It was a place where people were gathered.

It appeared to be a training ground where students were hiding.

Mcguire seemed to have gathered the students and evacuated them to that training ground.

"What on earth happened?"

Mcguire looked at me with a serious expression.

He's probably asking about why Yuni was in such a state.

"She was attacked by one of the rebels."

"What? And the opponent?"

"I took care of him."

Mcguire's eyes widened at my words.

"You defeated the rebel... yourself?"

His response seemed to question how I did it.

It was natural.

It seemed I had taken on someone at a high rank within the rebels.

"Speaking of which, you look... different."

"Oh."

Had my appearance changed too?

I hadnt looked in a mirror yet, so I havent seen how I've changed.

The future me seems to have grown noticeably more than my present self.

Judging from my slightly elevated viewpoint, I seemed a bit taller...

I casually noted this, shrugging my shoulders.

"There was a bit of an incident."

Then, someone pulled at my sleeve from behind.

It was Rie.

Tear streaks were still vivid in Ries eyes.

Rie, tightly gripping my sleeve, looked at Mcguire.

"Will Yuni... be okay?"

Upon hearing this, Mcguire gave a faint smile and nodded.

"There might be a scar on her stomach, but its not life-threatening. Of course, she will have to stay in the hospital for a while though..."

"Haah..."

Rie, seeming to relax, sat down on the floor and exhaled a sigh of relief.

She scrunched her nose as if she was about to cry again.

I crouched down in front of Rie like that and smiled.

"Dont worry. Its okay now. Why are you about to cry again?"

I tapped Rie on the head as I said that.

"Huh..."

Upon my words, she glared at me.

"I'm...not going to cry."

Rie spoke with a slightly choked voice.

Even though they often seemed at odds, Rie truly cared for her sister.

"Ill be right back."

"What? Where to..."

I pointed my finger towards the tower.

The magic and sword auras that have been visible since earlier.

I had a rough idea who might be there.

The continuous lightning falling from the sky was likely Gracie, and the sword aura, Aryandor.

The stones and various items floating around were most likely Cromwell.

"I'll be back in a flash."

"Haa... Haa..."

Professor Cromwell, panted heavily.

Behind him was Professor Gracie.

"How can he have such a fraudulent power..."

Aryandor, unscathed compared to the injured Cromwell and Gracie, wore a mocking smile.

"Why not spare yourself this struggle and hand over Rudy Astria?"

Cromwell glared at Aryandor for making such a suggestion.

"We will never hand him over."

At the same time, Cromwell thought to himself.

'So this is what it meant to use time...'

He had heard a rough explanation from McDowell, but the method he used this time differed slightly from what McDowell had told him.

It felt like a more advanced application of the concept.

'But... at this rate, we won't win.'

He had to fight differently from how he usually fought.

To defeat that guy...

"Professor, what should we do?"

Gracie spoke from behind him at that moment.

Cromwell licked his lips slightly and opened his mouth.

"...For now, we can only continue to fight."

There must be a weak point.

"There is always a solution to magic used by humans."

Magic is a tool of mankind.

It's a technique that creates countless miracles, but because it's human-made, it has its flaws.

"Puhaha..."

Aryandor burst out laughing at those words.

"This is not the domain of humans."

Aryandor raised his hand to the sky and spoke.

"It's magic that approaches the realm of the gods. The power of time is the first ability created by them."

At that, Cromwell lifted the corner of his mouth.

"But the user is human, right?"

"Can a being that can use this power be called a human?"

Aryandor spoke as if to counter Cromwells words.

Seeing Cromwell frown at those words, Aryandor snorted and moved his sword.

"Alright, then keep trying to block it."

Aryandor took a posture to swing his sword.

"See if I am human, or one who has approached the domain of the gods."

"Hoo..."

Cromwell also prepared his magic.

"Huh?"

A person's figure appeared in front of Cromwell.

A person standing with their back turned to him.

At the sudden appearance, Cromwell's brow furrowed.

It seemed like a stranger.

He knew most of the blondes in the academy, given how few there were.

However, none had such capabilities or height.

A rebel?

But looking at the clothes the person was wearing, confusion set in.

The uniform of the Liberion Academy.

The person was wearing a school uniform.

Then Aryandor opened his mouth, laughing.

"Oh, he came on his own. Rudy Astria."

Aryandor spoke with a laugh.

"Rudy Astria... is that so?"

Cromwell widened his eyes.

The energy he felt, even the boys height, was different from Rudy Astria.

Then, the man in front turned around slightly and opened his mouth.

"Professor, are you okay?"

Seeing his face made it clear.

It was Rudy Astria, but the slightly naive demeanor was gone.

"What? How..."

Cromwell stared at Rudy with a bewildered face.

"Now doesnt seem like the time for explanations."

Rudy turned his head back to look at Aryandor.

Aryandor opened his mouth with a smile.

"Rudy Astria, nice to meet you. I am..."

That's when Rudy moved quickly.

No, rather than moving, he teleported using magic.

"Teleport."

"Huh?"

Aryandor, suddenly attacked by Rudy, opened his eyes wide.

In an instant, Rudy, who had reached in front of Aryandor, raised his fist.

"Ha!"

Then, he gathered mana in his hand, and struck down.

Kwa-aaaaang!!!

"Cough...!"

A punch far more powerful than any he'd thrown before.

Aryandor took the punch and was sent flying far away.

He crashed into the ground far away.

Just one hit.

It was just one punch.

Rudy, watching Aryandor crumpled on the ground from just one hit, furrowed his brow.

"...What?"

"Whew... whew..."

A woman was running hastily inside the academy.

A woman with brown hair.

She was running, clutching a magic book tightly to her chest.

Luna caught her breath, briefly glancing over her shoulder.

"I wonder if Professor is alright..."

She had fled because Professor Robert had told her to, but she couldnt help but worry.

"Sigh"

Luna had not yet understood the situation.

She needed to find the others first to truly understand what was going on.

Regaining her breath to some degree, Luna tried to move her legs again.

"Hmm~."

At that moment, a humming sound came from somewhere.

"Huh?"

Luna quickly hid herself.

In a seemingly empty hallway, no student would be humming so carefree.

It had to be a rebel.

Luna held her breath and crouched down, her back against the wall.

"Well, this place is done~."

Huh?

The voice sounded vaguely familiar.

Still leaning against the wall, Luna cautiously peeked toward the source of the voice.

A girl, wearing a witchs hat, was fiddling with something.

It was Jefrin.

What... is she doing there?

While everyone else is fighting fiercely, what is she doing all alone...?

Luna looked towards her with a puzzled expression.

After messing with something in the corner for a while, Jefrin got up from her spot.

Shall we go somewhere else then~.

Jefrin flung the broom she was holding.

The broom then floated in the air.

She mounted the broom.

Where to next~ hmm~.

Singing, Jefrin rode her broom and flew to another place.

"What?"

Luna stared blankly at Jefrin then turned her gaze.

Where Jefrin had been, an object was left behind.

Luna got up and walked over to it.

A square box lay on the floor.

She felt mana emanating from it.

"A magical tool...?"

Luna furrowed her eyebrows and tapped the box lightly.

Why leave this here?

No matter how much she thought about it, it was suspicious.

A wizard busily installing something while everyone else was fighting.

It obviously looked like she was up to something.

Luna unfolded her magic book.

Activate.

She spread a page of the magic book and infused it with mana.

A light emitted from the magic book and the light entered the magical tool Jefrin had set up.

Analytical magic.

A magic to understand what kind of structure the magical circles inside the magical tool formed.

There are two magic circles?

Luna slowly read the appearing magic circles.

One is explosion magic.

It was predicted to be a spell that would explode the surroundings if the box was opened.

Luna had roughly anticipated this, so she had deliberately not opened the box first.

"Then the other one is......"

Luna turned her head and looked at the magic circle next to her.

"Um......"

She frowned and tried hard to read the magic circle, but it was difficult to know the exact content.

It was a magic circle she was seeing for the first time.

"What is...... this......"

Luna fell into thought, touching her chin.

Soon, Luna shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, it's fine."

After that, Luna confidently lifted the box.

The usual way to deal with such a tool was simply to move it to another place.

A straightforward solution.

Yet, it was a reliable one.

Whoever created this device likely took into consideration the potential for incorrect installation, so merely moving it would not cause an explosion.

Given how Jefrin had been fiddling with the box earlier, shifting its position, Luna felt reasonably certain about this.

"I should ask the others about this."

After giving the box a final glance, Luna stowed it in her bag and set off towards where the others were.

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