Yuder took a deep breath and examined the box containing the Red Stone. As he stood directly in front of it, focusing his mind, he felt a force surging like a beast chained up.

'So many magic circles to suppress it, yet... it's not to be taken lightly.'

He clenched and unclenched his gloved hands, pressing them against the sides of the transparent box. A palpable tension filled the large basement. Before unsealing the box, Yuder glanced over to find Kishiar.

He was standing protectively in front of Kanna and Nathan, watching over Yuder. At a glance, his casual posture, arms folded, seemed overly relaxed. But the tight, strung energy he carried hinted at his unwavering alertness.

Just as Yuder decided that was enough, their eyes met briefly.

"Yuder Aile."

"Yes."

"If you sense any danger, retreat immediately."

"Understood."

As he responded, Yuder prepared himself to use his strength and slowly peeled the top off the transparent box.

"...Hmm. How is it?"

"It's fine."

Thais Yulman, who had cautiously asked the question, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a relieved expression at Yuder's answer.

"Good, good. We've gone to great lengths to create the formation, it's only right! Now all that's left is to add things in order, Alik!"

"Yes, Master."

"Activate the next formation. Prepare yourself."

Even though the strongest barrier that had been blocking external forces was gone, the pressure emanating from the Red Stone was clearly not as strong as before. Yuder, keeping his gaze on the revealed Red Stone, took a step back.

Thais Yulman moved a bit closer to the stone and began to recite an incantation carefully. His voice was so low that the content was impossible to discern. Soon after, his apprentice Alik joined him, their voices with a strange resonance echoing, causing a wave of dizziness.

As their resonance grew stronger, at some point, blue light flowing from under the mages' feet began to transfer to the drawn magic circles that were just white. The spectacle of dozens of lines forming the magic circles across the entire basement interweaving like flames was truly magnificent.

"Wow...!"

From afar, Kanna's exclamation was heard. Yuder also couldn't take his eyes off the sight, as it was his first time seeing such a large-scale formation in motion.

Finally, all the lines forming the circles connected into one light, twinkling beautifully like hundreds, thousands of falling stars in the night sky. The table where the Red Stone lay was enveloped by a vivid white light bursting up from the central circle beneath it.

Kuuuu. A powerful gust of wind hit them, along with a sensation of the air being torn apart, though no sound was heard. Yuder, panting heavily, strained his eyes to not miss any changes in the Red Stone trapped in the white light.

The white light from the magic circles and the rough energy from the Red Stone clashed and coiled around each other, each trying to overpower the other. Sweat dripped from Thais Yulman and Alik's foreheads, possibly due to the powerful energy of the Red Stone that refused to yield easily, even suppressed by so many circles.

"Alik!"

"Yes!"

When Alik responded to his master's summons and waved his hand, the inexplicable tools that had been resting on the few formations began to glow in different colors. As if receiving the power of the white light that flowed from the magic circle, the intensity of the light grew stronger, grasping the energy of the Red Stone in a tangled state and laboriously pulling it upwards.

"Success!"

The energy of the Red Stone, which until a moment ago had been barely visible compared to the white light, turned bright red and came into everyone's sight.

"Prepare the medium, quickly!"

As Thais Yulman reached out his sweaty hand, Alik picked up a black stone that had been abundantly filled in a basket and handed it to his master.

"Come in, quickly!"

The old mage holding the black stone shouted like a madman and raised his hand abruptly. In response to his call, the white light, which had ensnared the red energy, began to scatter in every direction, splitting into very small beams of light with a roar-like vibration. Thais Yulman pointed with his finger at one of those light beams, which seemed to be at least dozens in number.

From the tip of his finger flowed a tiny magic power that made the light halt, and as he slowly pulled it, the black stone began to react to the approaching power. Finally, the red energy that touched the surface of the stone writhed and twirled around like water being sucked between gaps, and then swiftly disappeared.

"Hmm"

Thais Yulman, who had been clenching his teeth, looked down at the black stone, which had turned red by sucking in the red light, and his eyes filled with momentary emotion. But that emotion was quickly put away, and only a cool judgment filled its place.

"Good. It seems to be going as planned. But don't let your guard down. Alik, can you handle it?"

"Yes."

Alik answered strenuously with a weary face.

"Keep your mind clear. We have to do the same thing dozens of times from now on."

Afterwards, the two mages methodically repeated the process of sucking the red light into the black stone, which they had practiced countless times, and placing it back into the empty basket. As the once seemingly massive red energy began to decrease gradually like a leaf slowly being chewed up, the oppressive atmosphere that filled the basement began to shift.

The dizziness pressing down on his head began to fade, but as the red energy disappeared, the white light flowing from the magic circle became stronger, giving the feeling that the flow of air was becoming more unstable.

'When Thais Yulman said it would be more dangerous after the energy in the Red Stone is gone, he must have anticipated this.'

Yuder furrowed his brow and exhaled deeply. So far, the energy flowing from the Red Stone was tightly held by the white light and not leaking elsewhere, but he could not let his guard down for a second.

"Alik! Open your eyes. You nearly dropped the stone!"

"I'msorry, Master."

Alik Pelgin, who had been busily controlling the white light inside the magic circle with his master and passing the black stones, slowed significantly when the black stone was about halfway dropped. Even though Thais urged him with a desperate face, he could not fully open his eyes, which were slowly closing.

"Alik."

"Ugh Master. The force is becoming stronger than expected. Even if we buy more time, can we not bypass the controlling formation for a moment? If it continues like this I really might make a mistake."

"To bypass it... Even if we delay, the amount we have to endure is the same! There's no good in it for the body!"

"But I really can't stand it. It's becoming too hard"

"Didn't I tell you to get some sleep yesterday, you fool? Normally, you'd be able to handle this much!"

"But still..."

Alik, mid-sentence, suddenly clenched his teeth and his hands began to shake.

"Argh, ugh!"

As he seemed to pull away from the white light, now glowing red, he let out a scream and fell backwards.

"Aaargh!"

The accident happened in an instant. As Alik fell, he knocked over a basket filled with black stones. The stones that were left spilled over onto the floor, scattering in all directions.

"No!"

The two energies that were barely maintaining their balance suddenly destabilized and began to shatter and unravel. The red light, which was still half full, began to roar as if it had been released from its chains, spreading throughout the entire basement. Thais Yulman cursed and swung his hand in frustration.

"Damn it!"

He desperately tried to control the energy, but it was not enough on his own. Just as Alik lost consciousness, his eyes rolling back, Yuder used his power, lifting both his hands.

'Barrier.'

A harsh wind that could strip flesh split into multiple strands, joining with the pouring water from the ceiling to form a protective shell around everyone. At the same time, the vast room seemed to constrict as the expanding energies suddenly intensified, producing a blinding light.

'...This...'

This was not going to end with just two energies intertwining and shattering. An explosion was imminent. Yuder could instinctively feel the danger, his skin trembling with fear.

Not even the potent force that could move nature could prevent this explosion. So, what could? What should he do?

At that moment, he felt a different sensation on the back of his right hand, as if it was responding to his desperate will. From within the blistering heat, like sticking his hand in fire, a red light identical to the power filling the room flowed out piercing through his glove.

Yuder panted heavily, alternating his gaze between the light emanating from his hand and the red energy of the stones filling the room. He didn't know what this was, but he strangely felt that if he used this power now, he could somehow connect with that red energy.

Without fully understanding the nature of this strange conviction, Yuder grasped it tightly and swung his hand.

With a pain as if striking a heavy, solid wall, the red light swirled with a roar. His fingertips, palms, arms, shoulders, and eventually his entire body trembled as if it would burst, and his consciousness began to drift...

---

When he opened his eyes again, he was still standing in the basement.

Swallowing the dizzying sensation and raising his head, Yuder saw the unbelievable sight of the two energies that were about to explode frozen as if time had stopped. Everyone within the barrier of water and wind that Yuder had summoned was looking at him.

Kanna, huddled in fear, had a look of pure amazement on her face. Nathan Zuckerman, standing in front of her as if to protect her, held his sword drawn, and in his eyes was a rare look of surprise. Alik Pelgin, unconscious on the floor, gave no response, but the shock on Thais Yulman's face, who was slumped beside him, was palpably intense.