The skills required to interfere with an opponent’s magic circle are numerous.
The most essential is the ability to counter the opponent’s mana.
If one cannot manage this, any attempt to interfere with the magic circle will result in their own mana being overpowered by the opponent's, leaving them unable to make an attempt at all. Under normal circumstances, Joy would not be able to counter the creature’s mana.
It’s true that Joy possessed remarkable skill and was rapidly improving through hard work, never growing complacent. But she was still only a first-year at the Academy.
Although Joy had honed her abilities to a fine edge, she still had much to learn before she could challenge the creature directly.
So Joy unveiled her trump card.
It was the gemstone Lucy had given her in the past, filled with stored mana. By releasing this stored mana, she could forcibly bring herself up to par.
Combining her mana with the mana within the gemstone allowed Joy’s energy to meet the creature’s, but this balance could not last long.
The mana she was manipulating now far exceeded her usual limits.
A searing pain coursed through her as the circuits within her body began to tear.
Her blood felt as if it were boiling, heating her veins.
Clenching her teeth, Joy endured the pain as she moved her mana.
The second condition for disrupting a magic circle: knowing the structure of the magic circle the opponent was attempting to form.
Once a magic circle was complete, with mana firmly locked together, breaking it apart became extremely difficult—nearly impossible unless one had overwhelming power.
However, if one intervened before the circle was complete, the story changed.
By inserting her own mana between the links attempting to bind together, she could disrupt the formation before it solidified. Even if there was a disparity in power, she could still scatter the spell.
Having faced this creature’s magic circle in dozens, even hundreds of attempts, Joy had memorized every part of it.
How the lines were drawn.
Where the focal points lay.
Which areas had weaker connections.
How it adapted to unexpected changes.
She knew it all.
Despite the excruciating pain, Joy managed to grin.
I know exactly what I have to do.
All that’s left is to move my mana.
As she flicked her staff, her mana dispersed around her, moving precisely into position as if each fragment possessed its own will.
This was her talent—one that blossomed with Lucy’s guidance.
Her multi-mana manipulation, praised to the point of tears by her Mana Theory professor, was now being used to its fullest. Thanks to her prowess, the creature’s magic circle halted mid-formation.
“Incredible, child.”
An event that had never happened before.
Not even the creature, skilled in magic as he was, could have anticipated this.
It should have left him shaken, yet he remained composed.
“The talent you hold is truly extraordinary.”
“...Of course. For the noble lady of the Partran family... this is hardly anything remarkable!”
Joy raised her voice, pressing down on the pain as the creature’s lips curled into a dark smile.
“But it isn’t over! Do you think this is all it takes to stop me?”
In sync with his shout, the creature’s mana surged once more.
As if he’d been toying with her until now, pretending to humor her efforts, his mana thickened, pushing Joy’s mana to its limits.
That wasn’t his full power?!
He hadn’t been desperate—he’d been holding back?!
This can’t be!
Joy tried desperately to push his mana back, but the gap between them was too vast.
If his mana was a raging storm, hers was merely a gentle spring breeze.
No matter how hard she fought, the result was inevitable: the breeze would be swallowed up by the storm, leaving not a trace.
What do I do?!
How can I possibly stop this?
What can I do in this situation?
“Thus spoke the Great Lord,”
In the midst of her panic, her gaze unfocused, a calm voice sounded beside her.
It was warm, unwavering, even in the face of despair.
“To those who do not surrender, a miracle shall be granted.”
Turning, Joy found Faivy standing beside her, the saint’s face full of determination.
The face of a priestess spreading hope through the will of the divine.
“We shall never retreat.”
As Faivy finished her prayer, a wave of strength washed over Joy’s body, scattering her pain and replacing her doubt and confusion with resolve.
This blessing, crafted for those who fought against evil, empowered Joy’s spirit.
Smiling gently at the bewildered Joy, Faivy gathered her divine power, then turned to face forward once more.
“Now, everyone, let’s show them we’re not so easily defeated.”
“There’s no need to say it, Saintess!”
“Let’s go.”
With a firm shout from Arthur and a quiet affirmation from Frey, they dashed forward, sweeping past Joy and charging straight at the creature.
The creature attempted to impede their charge by manipulating the red mana filling the room, but the mana was sluggish, its movement disjointed.
His mana was still restrained by Joy’s own.
“You call that power? It’s nothing special!”
“Pathetic.”
Arthur and Frey, who had grown accustomed to this foe, had pushed past his best efforts and reached this point. No halfhearted interference was going to stop them now.
They dodged each attempt with ease and closed in on the creature.
“So you try to resist?”
“Feeling strained now, are you?”
“A reversal, how shameful.”
Their weapons flared with aura.
With no thought of holding back, they poured everything into their attacks.
The creature, seeing the blazing aura, frantically swung his sword, but his strike failed to repel them.
Instead, Arthur’s single blow parried it, leaving him exposed.
“Damn it!”
Normally, the creature would have remained calm even against their combined assault.
His overwhelming skill, sturdy body, and mana were more than enough to challenge both Arthur and Frey.
But not now.
After countless attempts that had broken down much of his arsenal,
After expelling all his mana to cast this final spell,
The creature could only defend against their onslaught with all his might.
“Just like I said, you’re useless without your magic!”
“You really are nothing without it!”
“You wretched little...!”
Joy watched, transfixed by the sparks flying from the clashing auras, until a weight settled on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze.
“Joy. Now’s not the time to stare.”
“...Huh?”
“You’ve got an opening. Keep gawking, and I’ll have to start calling you ‘Dim Lady Joy,’ too.”
“What?! I... Oh.”
Understanding Faivy’s words, Joy’s gaze sharpened.
The creature’s red mana was starting to waver.
With Arthur and Frey’s relentless attack, the creature’s control was weakening, causing his mana to fall out of sync.
“You can handle it, right?”
“...Of course.”
Intercepting out-of-control mana was as easy as manipulating natural mana.
At least, for the Joy of now.
“I’ll help you, Joy.”
Joy didn’t need to question Faivy’s offer.
Knowing her friend’s abilities, Joy responded with a trusting smile, then flicked her staff again.
Her mana flowed into the creature’s own, creating pathways that Faivy’s divine energy traveled through, accelerating the mana’s dissipation.
“Stop! I won’t end like this!”
Sensing the disruption, the creature let out a desperate shout, trying to resist.
“Going somewhere?”
“Address your opponents in order. You’re not getting past us.”
“Out of my way!”
Lost in desperation, the creature couldn’t hope to break through Arthur, heir to the prestigious Soladine bloodline, and Frey, blessed with unmatched skill.
“No.”
The red mana that had once led to their countless deaths scattered.
“No!”
The ominous air filling the room dissipated as Faivy’s divine energy purified it.
“I refuse to fall!”
In the moment the spell’s source collapsed,
“No... guh! Cough, cough!”
The creature let out a garbled scream, blood spewing from his mouth.
With his spell undone, the backlash surged through him, a fatal consequence for any magic-wielder.
Frey saw this opening and rushed to deliver a finishing blow, only to be stopped by Arthur.
“...Why stop me? Pity?”
“The one we’re dealing with is Lucy Allen. There might be a trap set for the end.”
“Oh. Got it.”
As Frey stepped back, the creature’s body began to crumble, his armor rusting and turning to dust.
His youthful skin wrinkled at an alarming rate, his flesh decaying along the lines of age, and his brittle bones snapped under their own weight as he collapsed.
Finally, struggling to stand only to fall again, he looked down at his crumbling form and let out a hollow laugh.
“So this is the fate of those who choose the wrong path.”
As if the god of time itself was taking away the remaining moments he had.
“Yes... this must be the way things were meant to end.”
With regretful eyes, the creature looked around the room one last time, focusing on the party that had bested him.
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“Congratulations. You’ve done the impossible, overcome this mansion. I hope you cherish the miracle you’ve created.”
Muttering as if to himself, he let out a soft laugh that quickly died away.
His laughter stopped as all remaining time was drained from him.
And with that, the foe who had driven Arthur and his party through hundreds of failures vanished into ashes, leaving only a cold, beautiful bracelet where he had stood—a reminder of what had once been.
“...Joy, I’m no expert on artifacts, but is that what I think it is?”
“Your Highness! Isn’t it obvious?! The intricate gemstones, the colors within! And that signature—it’s unmistakably from the master artisan, Preti!”
“Yes, Your Highness. This piece is undoubtedly crafted by a Saint of the Artisans’ Sect.”
“Then... we’re the first to clear this dungeon!”
Clenching his fist in triumph, Arthur shouted,
“It’s over!”
And with that, Joy, who had poured all her strength into the battle, finally let out a whimper, laughing while complaining about how exhausted she was.
“It’s done.”
Faivy moved to Joy’s side and began healing her with her magic.
“That last part was boring.”
Without realizing the small smile gracing her lips, Frey, masking her satisfaction, sheathed her sword.
The journey of six days, beginning with the Academy’s end-of-term exam and offering no rest, had finally ended in Arthur and his party’s victory.
Ding!
[The End-of-Term Dungeon has been cleared!]
[Penalty imposed due to quest failure!]