As night faded, so did the battle.

The vast black clouds shrouding Cloud Gate City vanished within a mere minute. Those still at home remained unaware of the world’s upheaval, peacefully living their ordinary lives.

But countless others stood stunned. Day had turned to night like an apocalypse. Fierce winds swept the land. Yet only Mages grasped the true cataclysm: magic power had been drained across a hundred-kilometer radius. The concentrated eruption of force was earth-shattering—akin to the first nuclear bomb revealed to humanity. A power no human could withstand.

At the epicenter—Cloud Gate City’s Second High School—silence reigned.

Only a fifty-meter-wide crater in the center of the sports field proved the battle was no illusion.

Twenty meters deep, the shadowy pit held Bernie Butterworth. Blood soaked his body. His limbs were crushed to pulp. Yet he lived. Conscious. His bloodless face was ghastly pale, but his eyes strained wide open, veins bulging as he stared upward.

"Too strong... utterly unmatched. So this is the ‘Silverhaired Violeteyed Sorceress’? I never imagined the Mages Guild harbored such a monster. No one on earth can oppose this power now. No human could ever defeat her. Hah..."

His blood-flecked laughter choked off. Bernie grimaced at his own wretched state.

Above the crater, Bai Lingyue stood motionless, her silver hair restored. No triumph lit her face—only faint sorrow. Bernie’s faint words had reached her, dragging up unpleasant memories.

The Guild restricted her power. Bai Lingyue knew this strength needed limits. Unleashed, it would surely bring disaster someday. She’d held back even at the cost of injury. But seeing her brother hurt... her fury had shattered all restraint.

*Did I ruin everything again?* she wondered, self-reproach tightening her chest.

"Lingyue, thanks for avenging me! Smashing that red-haired bastard into paste felt amazing!"

Yan Lingxuan’s praise came from behind. Bai Lingyue’s solemn expression softened as she turned to her troublesome brother—then froze. Blood gushed from his nose in alarming torrents, yet he grinned cheekily.

"You’re bleeding heavily. Are you okay? Still conscious?"

"Blood spilled for my sister? Nothing. Just dizzy. But lying on the ground’s uncomfortable... if you’d spare a lap pillow..."

He was half-delirious from blood loss, yet spoke with eerie calm. His pupils had already begun to dilate, unfocused. Medically, this was the brink of death.

No time to hesitate. Bai Lingyue cast warm healing light over him. Yan Lingxuan’s breathing steadied as color returned to his face.

Wiping his nose, he declared seriously:

"Your skirt today is really cute! Black stockings with black lace panties—awesome!"

"... ..."

Their private moment shattered as Katherine and Shan Xi arrived.

"You really think you’ve won?"

Bernie’s voice rasped from the crater. Bleeding profusely but still alive, he was a testament to sheer resilience. Yet he couldn’t move. His magic and willpower were utterly spent—a final, futile struggle.

Revived by his sister’s magic, Yan Lingxuan crouched at the crater’s edge. He picked up a small stone and flicked it squarely at Bernie’s face.

"Redhead bastard! You were so smug earlier, wrecking me like that. Now you see who’s boss? My sister could crush you with one finger."

Not satisfied, he kept throwing stones. Each one struck Bernie’s handsome face with uncanny accuracy.

Watching Bernie’s fury mount—veins throbbing on his forehead—Yan Lingxuan chuckled.

"Keep throwing stones and I swear I’ll kill you!"

The stones caused little physical harm, but the humiliation stung. Bernie’s rage only fueled Yan Lingxuan’s amusement.

"Then kill me now, idiot. Moron. Dumbass. Loser."

Yan Lingxuan’s taunting skills were master-level. Already half-dead, Bernie’s face flushed crimson with rage. He glared up, wishing he could devour Yan Lingxuan’s flesh—but oxygen deprivation and blood loss dragged him toward unconsciousness.

"Brother, stop. Let’s hear what he has to say."

Bai Lingyue finally halted her brother’s childish antics.

"Hmph! You truly believe you’ve won?"

"Skip the theatrics. Spit it out. Or would you prefer more stones? Frankly, you’ll be dead in five minutes without treatment. Speak while you still can."

Alice had calculated Bernie’s survival window precisely.

"True. I don’t want to die. So let’s be clear: you haven’t won. Are you certain the hostages are safe?"

"All terrorists neutralized. No explosives found inside the building. Confirmed secure," Shan Xi stated.

Bernie’s sneer remained.

"No bombs in the theater or school buildings, perhaps. But what if someone carried one?"

Before they could react—ground tremors shook the earth. An explosion roared.

"Damn it!"

Yan Lingxuan cursed as smoke billowed from the theater’s direction.

"Katherine and I will check the theater. Shan Xi, keep him alive and squeeze out any remaining secrets."

"Can I use... harsh methods?"

"Whatever it takes."

Bai Lingyue and Katherine soared toward the theater. She simultaneously ordered Alice to guide police medical teams inside.

"Humans are inherently selfish creatures," Bernie said to Yan Lingxuan, who remained. Shan Xi had begun basic life-sustaining treatment.

"Talk. Bastard."

Seeing Yan Lingxuan’s impassive face, Bernie realized they were alike. He laughed weakly.

"That girl? Also a Second High student. Born in the slums. Timid. Bullied since childhood. She craved revenge on this world. I gave her a fragmentation grenade. Know what’s inside? Steel balls. When it detonates, everything within twenty meters gets shredded like shotgun blast. Not powerful, but wide-reaching. The theater must be... horrific now."

Bernie studied Yan Lingxuan’s face. Still no reaction. As if it meant nothing.

"Non-fatal wounds can be healed by magic. You’re counting on magic’s rejection effect to trigger Demonic Transformation and create terror."

Yan Lingxuan’s gaze turned icy.

"Spot on! Hah—"

Bernie’s laughter cut short as Shan Xi’s fist smashed his nose. Blood sprayed. His broken nose didn’t wipe the sneer from his face. He shot Shan Xi a look of utter contempt.

"You misunderstand. This isn’t the Waste Law Society’s doing. Not even Mages’ fault. It’s society itself. In America, adults buy guns freely. How many die yearly from gun violence? Why does that law stand? Governments bear no responsibility for legal firearms. I merely gave a weapon to a powerless girl. Said nothing extra. Gave no orders. She acted on her own will. What’s wrong with that? If killing is evil, why do weapon makers walk free? Don’t be naive. True peace, fairness, justice—they don’t exist. We, the Waste Law Society, exist only to expose this world’s hypocrisy."

Yan Lingxuan looked down at him, disdainful.

"Making your group sound noble? You’re just bitter outcasts causing chaos. Like every era’s thugs. Simply put: tired of life, so you drag others down. Without your combat-ready body and Mage power, would you still praise this violent world? Don’t make me laugh. You and your group are just ‘social misfits.’ Yes, humans are selfish. But selfishness doesn’t grant free rein. I won’t let you win. Yet I’ll still save those people. If they undergo Demonic Transformation? I’ll end them myself."

As Bernie’s冷笑 twisted his lips, Yan Lingxuan flew toward the theater.

"Pity we stand on opposite sides. We might have been friends."

*Demonic Transformation*: The collective term for biological mutation and degradation caused by magic power. Magic’s emergence didn’t just create Mages—it birthed creatures warped by its influence. Like oxygen aging humans, magic demands payment for its gifts. Without control or resistance, flooding a living being with raw magic power causes degradation. Most die from rejection. A few become mindless monsters. Rarely, one fuses with magic, gaining its use. Success rates vary by species. Research suggests only mentally resilient beings are susceptible. Conversely, a mere caterpillar remains utterly unaffected.