Isaac's grip on her wrist felt very oppressive.

Alice recalled the contract she had made with the demon to protect the Heart Kingdom and her dear colleagues and friends.

If she failed, she would have to face a price that would result in many deaths.

Therefore, the only way to prevent this was to break the bonds of the contract.

The method was simple.

Just die.

To act this way now was merely hypocrisy. After all, hadn't she already tried to massacre many people?

Yet, if there was no longer a reason to fight.

Alice hoped that no one else would die.

"You see, don't you?"

"Are you giving up on everything?"

"I have no choice."

"Why?"

"If I don't die now, something truly dangerous will come."

Now that there was nothing left to hide, Alice spoke the truth.

Danger is coming.

The doubts that had been obscured by a thick fog finally cleared. Only then could Isaac completely resolve his dilemma about how to deal with Alice.

"So, there's nothing I can do..."

"But still, don't die."

"What?"

Alice had become a major traitor who would undoubtedly be executed by the empire. The situation had far exceeded what the academy could manage.

However, it was a choice forced upon her. Alice was driven by the need to protect the lives of her loved ones.

Dying so pointlessly just didn't make sense.

"Don't die in vain here."

"What do you know to say something like that—?"

"And!"

After all, the Evil God will be resurrected soon.

Therefore, Alice. If you have failed to destroy this world, you are inevitably going to pay for your sins.

"Live beside me and atone. No matter how dangerous it gets, I'll fend it off."

Join me and fight against the Evil God. Isaac intended to persuade her that battling the Evil God would be her atonement.

Knowing the full story, Isaac thought that he might be able to enlist the substantial force of the Heart Kingdom for the future battle against the Evil God.

He didn't want to miss this perfect opportunity. He was determined to resolve any issues tied to the empire.

Alice's eyes widened and her expression hardened. After a moment of speechlessness, she finally spoke.

"Why... do you say that?"

"Can't I say it?"

"..."

Alice intently stared at Isaac's face, heavily covered in both dirt and dust, riddled with wounds.

Suddenly, she remembered the previous day. It was the memory of playing with Isaac by the seaside.

It was very enjoyable. The feeling still lingered.

After drinking the last cup of black tea, Alice was able to endure the profound loneliness with the memory of that time.

It was ironic. The time spent with an enemy had given her the strength to endure the final night.

But why?

Alice couldn't quite discern the reason.

Yet, a self-mocking smile appeared on her lips unwittingly.

Surely because it was an utterly foolish and trivial reason, not even worth pondering.

"...Baby, this is a shameless request, but."

Alice tried to speak as naturally as possible with a smile, but she couldn't suppress the emotions welling up inside her.

She knew the ending she was about to face.

Even if the man before her was the greatest wizard of his age, he couldn't prevent the destined ending for her.

But if he could fulfill just one wish, a wish she could hardly dare to imagine,

Then Alice thought she could close her eyes in peace.

"Can you really... stop them?"

She barely managed to squeeze out those words. Tears formed and fell like rain in clouds a forced smile adorned her face, repeatedly twisting.

Could he defeat the impending dangers, protect the people, and strike back at the demon she had made a contract with?

Alice's heartfelt plea, laden with anger, despair, agony, pain, sorrow, injustice, and a desire for revenge, was conveyed to Isaac.

"..."

Isaac was given the power known as the system.

It was a power that could make him stronger than anyone else in the world.

Yet, he had lost dear ones, was defeated by the Evil God, and had to endure terrible loss.

But now, given another chance, what should he pursue?

Surely, it should be to achieve the best possible outcome.

Despite the relentless compulsion that pushed Isaac to endure, spilling sweat and blood daily, vomiting repeatedly, occasionally fainting, struggling, suffering, and becoming utterly exhausted…

…What started as a struggle for survival had now become a desperate fight for the best outcome, layered with reasons.

And after struggling desperately, the ultimate outcome he would finally grasp was clear.

"...I will block everything. So don't you give up either."

Isaac concluded that Alice must be included as well.

It was clear that the impending danger was something the current academy couldn't handle. It was obvious who had been threatening and using Alice.

They were enemies that had to be confronted eventually.

They will all be subdued here.

Alice smiled brightly as if reassured.

Crack.

Suddenly, Alice's face twisted.

Her esophagus twisted and her throat writhed frantically.

She couldn't hold it back anymore. Soon, something terrifying burst forth from Alice's throat.

Whoooooosh!!!

"...!"

Isaac stepped back.

Alice felt excruciating pain as if her neck were twisting, and clutched at her throat, from which a dark red mana was oozing. She could no longer control her body.

The mana formed the shape of large wings.

Two black arms burst through Alice's back, stretching out like the arms of a beast.

A mark engraved on her neck rose up to her face, consuming Alice.

Alice, who could only make a hoarse sound as she tilted her head to the sky, abruptly stopped moving as if regaining her composure.

Her arms fell limply.

[A demon has been detected nearby.]

A system window appeared before Isaac.

A demonic aura emanated from Alice.

At that moment, feeling a chilling sensation, Isaac quickly drew his dark blue scythe, the Frostscythe.

Whoooosh!!

Alice lunged towards Isaac. Her dark red mana spread out like a torrent, moving at a speed invisible to the eye.

In the blink of an eye, the Vorpal Sword wrapped in dark red energy was swung fiercely.

Isaac grasped both ends of the Frostscythe, taking a defensive stance. Alice's mana, mixed with dark mana, was like a flood.

Clang!!

The Vorpal Sword clashed with the Frostscythe. Alice forcefully pushed Isaac back.

Locked in combat, their bodies soared diagonally into the sky. The wings sprouting from Alice's neck blasted mana-like flames, propelling her forward.

Their hair and clothes flapped wildly.

As Alice's dark mana relentlessly sought to kill Isaac, he continually unleashed his chilling mana in resistance. Their mana clashed tumultuously, maintaining a precarious deadlock.

To the people on the island below, they appeared as a single meteor shooting backward into the sky, emitting dark red and pale blue lights.

The two quickly moved away from the academy. Isaac could clearly see the shape of the island, surrounded by the sea.

Alice's face, bearing a mark, was eerily calm. Her eyes, dyed dark purple, were etched with strange patterns.

[?] Lv: ?9? Race: Dem? Elements: ??, ??, ?? Danger: ? High Psychology: [?]

The status window could not properly read the information. It appeared that the demon possessing Alice's body had directly inherited the unique trait [Red Queen's Paradox] and made it its own.

As they shot towards the sky, cries from Alice's familiars were heard. A vicious mana spread across the area.

Dorothy, who had been confronting Nightmare Dragon - Jabberwock and Phantom Cat Cheshire, widened her eyes as their mana suddenly intensified.

Kaya, who had defeated the Tiger Dragon - Bandersnatch, and was heading toward Bartos Hall, was greatly taken aback when the dragon suddenly grew in size, awakened, and charged at her again.

All of Alice's familiars had lost their minds and were exhibiting tremendous power.

Koooooo!

The sky dyed itself with the blood of the world. Clouds formed and billowed from the remnants of dark mana.

Consecutively, innumerable magic circles conjured throughout heaven and earth. As dark mana flickered, demons were summoned en masse.

Shadows fell over the island.

A monstrous creature, large enough to cover the area and more, with wings shaped like human hands, looked down on the academy from above. The creature caused massive lightning that split the sky.

Freya the Dark-Winged. Level 184. Dark and lightning elements. Danger level: Highest.

A pot-bellied black giant with numerous mouths on its belly tilted its upper body sideways, grinning twistedly at an island it could swallow in one bite. The many mouths on its belly drooled in anticipation.

Hamon the Gluttonous. Level 185. Dark and water elements. Danger level, also Highest.

Simultaneously, soldiers with gills and winged knights in black armor appeared one after another above the sea, each easily exceeding 3 meters tall.

All of them were a powerful army of demons summoned by the entity that had possessed Alice's body.

Guaaaaaa!!

The demons' shouts and roars resounded like thunder.

People at the academy who witnessed this spectacle felt a deep fear penetrating their cores.

Even Tristan Humphrey, who always laughed bravely and vowed never to fear any strong opponent, and Mateo Jordana, who tried to maintain his firm resolve, could not escape the fear incited by their survival instincts.

Students gathered in shelters turned pale, and neither the academy’s faculty nor the Imperial Knights were exceptions.

To them, it looked like a scene from the end of the world.

Meanwhile, Isaac vividly recalled how Alice had committed suicide after being defeated by Ian's party.

[Multiple demons have been recognized as enemies.]

Is this the scene you feared...?

Booooo!

Their bodies pierced through the dark clouds and soared upward. Isaac, intensifying the coldness of his aura, pushed back against Alice's mana.

He steadied his fighting spirit.

[The unique trait [Hunter] is activated!]

Isaac explosively released an extreme cold.