Snowfield Castle.

"What do you mean I can’t go back?" Meirin demanded, slamming her hand on the table. Papers fluttered into the air before settling back down. She jabbed a finger behind her, trembling with rage. "You distinctly said five hundred ice monster hearts! I’ve gathered every last one!"

Where she pointed, a veritable hill of frozen hearts was piled high—the result of three sleepless days and nights spent hunting in the wilds. Her determination to get back to Kizen and study for her exams was terrifying.

"Student Meirin." The Elder of Snowfield Castle facing her simply shook his head. "I told you to gather the hearts. I never said your dispatch would end once you did. Your next task is to hunt the Grade 3 danger monster, the Freezeni..."

"Oh, come on!" In her frustration, she pounded the table again. "Demanding five hundred hearts in five days was already impossible! I went through hell and back to get them, and now you’re giving me a new mission?"

"The plan was always to assign missions in stages," the Elder muttered with a shameless expression.

Meirin’s anger boiled over. "Why are you doing this to me?!" she gritted out. "Don’t tell me this is about Raheim, the Lord of Snowfield Castle! Is this because I badmouthed him back in my first year?"

"Snowfield Castle is unaware of the Lord’s school life, and it has no bearing on this dispatch," the Elder stated flatly.

"I’m filing a complaint with Kizen! I’ll report that I received an unfair demand at my dispatch location!"

"It is within the dispatcher’s authority to adjust the mission parameters to match the evolving situation on-site." The Elder’s eyes widened as he delivered the cold verdict. "I repeat, Student Meirin. You cannot return to Kizen until your work is finished."

---

In the main spire of the Ivory Tower, on the top floor, lay the Tower Master’s office.

"An interesting report came in today."

The Tower Master, a gaunt man with a long beard, held a document in his hands. "A sudden history reenactment on the 68th floor. However, thanks to the efforts of Student Council President Simon Polentia and the fourth-ranked Merida Hugh Ikel, it was successfully contained. The situation is now under control."

He set the document down with a faint smile. "Just as you said, Serne. He’s an irreplaceable talent."

Serne, her dazzling ivory hair streaming behind her, sat perched by the window, gazing down at the city below. "I told you, didn’t I? That boy is essential to the Ivory Tower."

"But it’s too late." The Tower Master leaned back heavily in his chair. "We should have made our move when he was an unknown first-year. Now that he’s served as Student Council President, his loyalty to Kizen is absolute. More importantly—" His gaze shifted to Serne. "—once he discovers our plan, he won’t hesitate to turn his sword on us."

Serne remained silent.

"Isn’t it time you gave up?"

Serne, who had been staring out the window with a blank expression, let out a soft laugh. "Creating a situation where I have no choice but to give up, and then telling me to do so... Isn’t that a bit cruel of you, Father?"

"Serne." The Tower Master’s expression turned to ice as he clasped his hands. "There is no time." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"I know."

"I indulged your stubbornness once, but not again." A chill crept into his voice. "We can’t save everyone. This is a necessary sacrifice. You must give up on at least one person."

She said nothing.

She hopped down from the windowsill. "Why are you in such a hurry? You promised you would wait until Meirin and I graduated."

"There is no time," he repeated.

Serne’s eyes scanned the office. In the trash can, she spotted tissues soaked in crimson blood.

"Has your health worsened?"

"I’ve been battling this damned illness for twenty years. The problem is the timing of our great endeavor. Matters of this magnitude cannot be conveniently tailored to our circumstances." His eyes flashed with fervor. "My daughter, our chance to wipe Kizen, the object of our hatred, from the face of this continent is now, and only now."

At the mention of Kizen, a spark ignited in her own eyes.

"They will pay for their sins, and the era of the Ivory Tower will dawn once more. We will return to the old days, to the glory of the Ivory Tower that ruled the continent. Everything will proceed as planned." He held out his palm. "I need your help, Serne."

She slowly reached out and took her adoptive father’s worn hand.

---

After the inspiring display by Simon and Merida, dawn was breaking, but a deep darkness still clung to the tower.

As he did every night, Simon ascended the stairs, channeling Jet-Black into the soles of his feet to muffle his steps.

’I hope nothing happens.’

He was more tense than he had been at any point since his arrival. His next mission for Kizen was on the 76th floor—the very place where the mass murderer Girdon was hiding.

The Ivory Tower had sealed off floors 70 through 90. Simon had to breach their defenses, evade Girdon, and reach his objective. He pulled the hood of his robe over his head and donned the mask he used when acting as ’Pion’. He made his way up the circular staircase toward the 70th floor.

He stopped short.

The path was blocked by a solid wall. ’Do Not Enter’ tape was strung everywhere, and he could see the shimmer of defensive magic circles. The only way up was a small opening for the magic circle elevator, and the area above it was packed with guards.

After a quick assessment, Simon slipped back down to the 69th floor.

[Young Master.]

Akemus flew in through a window and bowed with sharp precision. [All windows from the 70th to the 90th floor have been sealed. Not even an ant could slip through.]

"...I figured as much."

Girdon was a necromancer who specialized in spatial black magic. He could stretch and shrink his body at will, so the Ivory Tower would have sealed every last crack. Akemus also reported that a massive barrier had been erected around the tower’s exterior. Flying out was impossible; he could only scale the outer walls.

[It’s a barrier that blocks communication and teleportation. No outside interference is possible. Only movement within the tower is permitted.]

Hearing this, Simon crossed his arms in thought. "Getting in from the outside is impossible. What should we do now, Pier?"

[Heh heh heh, how about we use their fear of Girdon against them?] Pier’s clone suggested with a wicked grin. [If Girdon is as infamous for his recklessness as they say, we can use that notoriety to rattle the guards.]

Simon’s head shot up. "Oh, that’s a brilliant idea! Go on!"

---

On the 70th floor, the guards were maintaining their blockade. They rubbed their tired eyes and grumbled amongst themselves.

"Another all-nighter."

"I even took leave for the Festival of Time. What a mess."

Innocent people were suffering because of Girdon. As the guards complained, a group approached with orderly footsteps.

"Shift change."

Finally, they could get some sleep. The on-duty guards gathered their gear with weary faces. A few of the replacements chatted idly.

"Any news on catching the guy yet?"

"Nah. Seems he’s gone into deep hiding. They’re searching every single room, even checking the cracks in the walls, but I hear it’s not easy."

"Damn."

"Be careful. A lot of guys have been carried out bloody."

Just as they were exchanging information and preparing for the shift change...

The floor shook with a deafening roar.

"What was that?"

"Probably just another anomaly. Some kind of explosion experiment."

But the sound grew louder, closer, followed by a tremendous crash. The captain of the 70th-floor guard’s eyes flew open.

"It’s Girdon!"

"Sir?"

"Damn it, what else could it be! He’s trying to smash through the floor to escape!"

At the name ’Girdon’, every guard’s expression hardened. The captain drew his staff. "Minimum personnel stays to guard the entrance! Everyone else, with me!"

"Yes, sir!"

The captain and his soldiers sprinted toward the sound. The remaining guards stood their post, their faces tight with tension. They watched the front, the sides, and the ceiling, but...

An explosion erupted from an unexpected direction: the entrance to the 69th floor below.

The area was instantly choked with smoke. The guards coughed and stumbled in confusion.

"What the hell was that?"

In that fleeting moment, something like a clump of feathers shot up from the entrance, piercing the smoke and vanishing into the air. The guards barely caught a glimpse of it.

"D-Did you just see that?"

"See what?"

"Something pitch-black...!"

At that moment, debris and furniture began to rain down from the darkness above. The guards scrambled to deploy defensive magic circles.

"It’s Girdon! It has to be Girdon!"

"He’s attacking the entrance with spatial magic! Request backup!"

Chaos erupted with a series of thunderous crashes. Amidst the pandemonium, Simon was soaring upwards, held securely in Akemus’s arms. The debris he’d dropped had been scavenged from the floor below. The noise had been a simple zombie, planted and detonated with a Corpse Explosion.

"The plan was a success, Pier!"

[Heh heh heh! But security on the 70th floor will be even tighter now.]

"Let’s finish this quickly and get back."

Propelled by Akemus, Simon flew at high speed, reaching his destination on the 76th floor in an instant.

"Requesting backup! Requesting backup!"

"Girdon is attacking on the 70th floor!"

The guards searching the 76th floor heard the commotion and rushed to respond. Simon hid behind a pillar until they were gone, then cautiously stepped out.

’It’s pitch-black.’

There wasn’t a single light source. Flying would be difficult for Akemus here.

"I’ll move alone from here."

[Yes, Young Master.]

Akemus’s powerful Jet-Black aura was a liability, easily picked up by detection magic. Simon sent him into his subspace and moved forward into the darkness alone.

’Hmm.’

The 76th floor. Utter darkness. A profound, unnerving silence. The knowledge that Girdon was somewhere on this floor made him tense. Simon crept forward as stealthily as possible.

’Room 10 on the 76th floor, right?’

He was taking his time, checking every room, when he noticed something.

A yellow liquid was pooled on the floor, dripping from the ceiling above. A foul odor hung in the air.

’Wait a minute. Is this...’

Simon slowly tilted his head back, his eyes tracing the drops to their source.

Something pitch-black was stuck to the ceiling.

Simon felt his breath catch, and he flattened himself against the wall.

’G-Girdon?’

His blood ran cold. He risked another glance. Thankfully, it wasn’t Girdon. It was the corpse of a Tower of Time monster. Its face was completely caved in.

’Who in the world would stick that to the ceiling...’

[Kizen.]

The voice was like scraping metal.

[I smell you.]

It wasn’t coming from the ceiling, but from beyond the wall. A chill crawled up Simon’s spine.

[Come out of hiding.]

Heavy footsteps sounded, not far off. Simon bit his lip and flared his Jet-Black.

’Damn it, I can fight him if I use the Legion’s power, but...!’

If he fought now, he’d be discovered. Every guard in the Ivory Tower would converge on his position. But he had no choice.

As Simon gritted his teeth and prepared for battle, something caught his eye.

’This is!’

A rabbit mask was hanging on the wall.

’A signal from the Ghost of Time!’

Keeping to the shadows, Simon broke into a run, following the masks. They were placed along the wall in a line, guiding him.

The footsteps behind him grew faster. He was going to be caught.

Just as Simon used his Jet-Black to leap into a narrow passage...

Two hands shot out from the wall and clamped over his mouth.