Beginning

Ruin wore a neat suit and held an elegant cane.

When he left the room, Marco was waiting.

“Teacher, are you going out to play somewhere nice?”

To call him master is difficult since Origin handles spiritual power while magic handles mana.

He’s called teacher because he teaches only the application of techniques and battlefield judgment while taking him around.

“Lord Pernok gave the signal to move. Today I’ll be able to show you many things, Marco.”

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a mining site managed by the Mage Association. It’s one pillar supporting the Third Prince’s financial power.”

“Are we going to destroy it?”

Ruin shook his head.

“The mining site doesn’t matter. I’ll just dispose of a few humans inside it. Of course, you must also put what you’ve learned to use. Are you resolved?”

“Of course! But for someone going to war, you look like you’re heading to a banquet.”

Perhaps because of the clothing, Ruin’s atmosphere today seemed unusual.

“Because there’s someone I miss there.”

When Ruin smiled brightly, Marco could only tilt his head.

* * *

Pernok knew the relationship between Ruin and the Mage Association.

Because he received even the unforgettable nightmare together through Baudelaire’s memories.

Ruin in his younger days.

When he still led a mercenary band as a level 7 mage, he faced a dilemma.

He’d received a request to subjugate a high-risk demon beast, but with the mercenary band’s power at that time, they absolutely couldn’t solve it.

However, Ruin had to do it.

“The Lionic’s sub-material is with that demon beast.”

The moment it gets subjugated by other people, making Lionic becomes troublesome.

Therefore, Ruin formed a party with a certain mage.

A level 7 mage who used peculiar-type magic that stopped objects.

Wanstein.

Though he was from a famous family, he didn’t hesitate to mingle with mercenaries.

With his refreshing personality matching well with Ruin, opinions lined up to officially recruit him into the mercenary band even after the quest ended.

But did they open their hearts too much?

Wanstein ended up witnessing the secret truth only the mercenary band shared.

“What’s that device?”

When the situation became urgent, Baudelaire brought out a device utilizing mana—an alchemy tool.

They controlled the high-risk demon beast’s mana, the mercenary band pressed in, and finally obtained the desired material.

That was the starting point.

Wanstein, who refused to join the mercenary band, one day came leading numerous mages.

The purpose was just one.

“Alchemy is heretical learning that denies magic. How dare you spread it to the world and disturb order!”

Baudelaire’s death.

The indiscriminate bombardment of those who would cut off alchemy’s lineage and leave mana application learning only with the association began.

“Answer me! Wanstein!”

Ruin cried out.

“Why are you targeting us! Did you forget the days you mingled with us? Answer me!”

Then Wanstein smiled coldly.

“No matter how much I ran out disliking my family’s stuffiness, our foundation is magic. You too must’ve been born with exceptional talent, so why do you defend alchemy that harms our blessed rights?”

“Baudelaire and I decided to live quietly!”

“Everyone says that. But confined power eventually expands and explodes. Alchemy and magic have competed for a long time. Shouldn’t we now put an end to those tiresome days?”

Then, Ruin realized.

Wanstein hadn’t informed on them to gain merit with the association.

It was pure anger at talentless people trying to imitate him.

Revealing the lofty confidence befitting noble blood, Wanstein pressured Ruin.

After fierce battle with the association’s mages, companions suffered severe injuries.

They barely escaped with them, but Ruin fell into despair.

“Baudelaire!”

Wanstein’s magic afflicted Baudelaire, who was already suffering from an innate chronic illness.

Her curse rapidly worsened.

“I’m sorry….”

She who lived lying on a sickbed always apologized to Ruin.

She wanted to bear children.

She believed even with a cursed body, she could build a family with her beloved, but all hope vanished.

After Baudelaire died and Ruin lost hope in life, he awakened as a Magus in despair.

He didn’t dream of revenge.

He just wanted to die together with the remaining castle.

But Pernok came and planted new hope in him.

It was from then.

Ruin dug up the old past again.

After sending off his last friend in the forest, he collected information on the association and waited for that coming day.

Today, when Pernok was selected as a legitimate candidate for the throne war.

Wanstein.

Mage Association head, Time Magus of S2.

He’ll destroy everything that person has and take his life to release the grievances of those who sleep.

“…Teacher?”

At Marco’s words, Ruin came to his senses.

Facing the association’s flag after a long time, it seemed dormant emotions were surging.

“That place.”

The mining site where the association’s flag fluttered.

The sight of mages and workers mingling to efficiently extract ore was truly disgusting.

‘Are you going to discuss harmony now, Wanstein?’

Wanstein, who didn’t even give a glance to the talentless, finally lived up to that intention and accepted two disciples.

Both became Magi, and one of them is here.

“Are you planning to deal with everyone there?”

“I won’t kill them, just erase them.”

Erase what?

Before that question could emerge, Ruin tapped the ground with his cane.

“But I’ll have to kill one guy.”

The moment vast mana covered the mining site area, all sounds disappeared.

‘I knew he was strong, but he makes Silver priests look like worms.’

During training until now, Ruin controlled mana and pressed Marco very briefly.

Even so, he couldn’t match and thought S2 Magi are strong, to that degree.

But the mana dominating this entire area now exceeded Marco’s common sense.

It’s an overwhelmingly superior domain compared to the most dangerous Silver priest Marco knows.

Though Ruin even gave advance notice while expanding the space, only after surrounding the mining site did Marco realize he was trapped in mana.

Silent magic so smooth it’s chilling—you only realize after being hit.

When Marco tensed up tightly, Ruin smiled and said.

“Marco.”

“Yes!”

“Have you directly seen a Magus’s battle?”

“I did see Klein and a priest face off. But the memory’s hazy. That was when I was being controlled….”

“That’s good. You must watch carefully with both eyes open now.”

Massive mana breathing fire soars from the mining site toward here.

“What’s most important in Magi’s fights.”

A man flying toward where the cause that put the mining site to sleep is felt.

It’s Lilike, the Crimson Jade Magus who’s Wanstein’s disciple.

“Who are you!”

“Ugh!”

When flames mixed into the shout came out, Marco staggered.

Even though he raised Origin and prepared, he couldn’t withstand Lilike’s mana.

“It’s fine.”

When Ruin placed a hand on his shoulder, Marco’s heart calmed.

“That guy’s flames are a bit peculiar. Flames seep into breathing and movement, and they erase both the opponent’s magic and mana together. Since he has both natural and peculiar-type characteristics simultaneously, he’s worthy of Wanstein taking him as a disciple.”

“Doesn’t that mean he’s a mage’s natural enemy?”

“Correct. Looking at it, Origin is also hesitating before those flames.”

Flames that erase darkness.

The current Marco absolutely can’t even touch them.

“Magic and Origin have different textures. But my silence and Origin have some similarities in that their forms are free-spirited. Types like us must deal with such natural enemies this way.”

Ruin raised his cane.

Mana spread out like a circle from the tip and tried to envelop Lilike.

“This is mana domination. Origin can similarly infiltrate the opponent’s interior and burst all circuits.”

When Marco nodded, Lilike’s shout burst out.

“A Magus? Who sent you…!”

Ruin’s mana was burned by the flames.

And a sphere of fire bright as the sun came flying.

“…?”

Marco blinked. It wasn’t a dream.

The sphere descended slowly enough to be visible.

“Mages caught by mana domination not only have slow magic activation, but mana scatters and bursts like this.”

Ruin’s mana that seemed burned was already pressing down on Lilike’s body.

‘All the mana spread in this space!’

The mana demonstrated before his eyes was a bluff to deceive the opponent.

From the beginning, Ruin controlled all the area’s mana and infiltrated it into Lilike’s pores.

‘Origin is similar. I can use everywhere night falls as my weapon to stab enemies.’

When Ruin twisted his cane, the fire sphere burst in all directions.

It seemed like a rain of fire was falling.

Lilike gritted his teeth and spread mana in all directions.

Whoosh!

A massive flame barrier was generated in the area.

“The opponent struggles desperately. Judging the priority as space domination, he newly overlays his own domain to shake off this restraint. But if this barrier can’t destroy my space now, this is merely a waste of power.”

A giant fire fist came flying before their eyes.

“Remember this.”

And.

“With special powers that can intervene in all things like silence or Origin, whoever dominates the space controls the battle.”

The fire suddenly went out before Ruin.

Lilike’s eyes widened seeing all the fire wrapping himself disappear.

“….”

No sound flowed from his gaping mouth.

“I expected something since you’re Wanstein’s proud disciple.”

Ruin smiled coldly and flicked his finger before his eyes.

“Without mana amplification, you’re a fool who can’t even control your own Magus Arts.”

Before that, ripples arose like waves.

A small circle swept over Lilike.

The flames and the mana latent within were erased together.

Loss.

This power that the silence magic awakened to as Magus Arts deletes not only magic and mana but all the opponent’s cognition from the world.

The moment the ripples reflected in space and spread widely, all mana in the mining site area was lost.

When magic and mana disappeared without remainder from the fallen mages’ bodies, Ruin recovered his own mana that had covered the area.

“Origin, where darkness comes and dominates the world when night falls, will follow a similar principle to this.”

“….”

“Marco.”

“Y-yes?”

“Did you watch well?”

“Yes.”

“And you remember what I said?”

“Yes!”

Ruin smiled at the drooping Marco.

“Should I have shown you more?”

“No.”

“Mm, did you perhaps think of your friends with Rio? Worried that Magi might be there?”

“It’s not that, I came to help you teacher, but I feel like I’m just baggage….”

“Hahaha, the reason Lord Pernok attached you to me is for you to experience the battlefield, learn, and grow. It’s an arrangement for the future.”

Ruin patted Marco’s head.

“If you learn a lot here and return, you’ll surpass the guild masters within this year. And next year, you won’t retreat even facing Magi.”

“Thank you! But teacher.”

“Mm?”

Marco slightly turned his head and avoided Ruin’s touch.

“Even if I look like this, I’m nineteen.”

Ruin smirked.

“If I’d borne a child, I probably would’ve had a grandchild about your’s age.”

When Marco couldn’t continue speaking at the somehow lonely-looking smile, Ruin took out a torn piece of cloth from his breast.

“Time was delayed a bit. Shall we go finish up?”

“What’s that?”

“A seed of discord.”

The two people passed Lilike.

He who lost everything was frozen standing like a stone statue.

* * *

Mage Association head Wanstein received unbelievable tragic news.

“What?”

His disciple Pedson shouted with a voice mixed with resentment.

“Lilike is dead.”

Bang!

Wanstein who struck the table hard glared at Pedson.

“An unfunny joke from broad daylight, Pedson.”

“Master, the mining site’s mages were all hit too!”

Instantly, terrible mana swirled in the room.

When Pedson flinched and trembled, Wanstein recovered his mana and flashed his eyes.

“Tell me everything without omitting anything.”

Pedson reported in detail what happened at the mining site.

When the merchant group went to the mining site, workers and mages were all collapsed, and Lilike was frozen standing on a hill.

But a peculiar form remained on that corpse.

“Scratch marks from a beast’s claws! And not a bit of mana remained in his body!”

Lilike could be seen as dead with magic and mana disappeared, but the mages opened their eyes perfectly fine.

Soon they faced the bizarre reality of being unable to activate magic and mana.

“They’re all returning to the association now! And we found this.”

Examining the faint pattern on the piece of cloth Pedson presented, Wanstein made a cold expression.

“Tyr….”

Only Tyr has patterns reminiscent of constellations.

And a very special person who devours mana and magic is there.

“The Magus-eating mage.”

The mage’s reaper whose substance no one has confirmed until now.

Magi who set out to confirm that monster all died with magic and mana lost.

Wanstein, who organized his thoughts, sprang up from his seat.

“I’m going to Tyr.”