In the midst of it all, a woman with silver hair gently descended.

"Oh my, it's someone else?"

It was a stranger's voice.

Startled, Edna barely managed to lift her head and take a glimpse of the face. She was terrified and could only widen her eyes.

Dressed in a magnificent mage’s robe and with fluttering multicolored hair, it was someone she knew from the original novel.

‘Grace, the Deputy Commander Captain of the Shadowblade Division...!'

Playfully twirling her rainbow-colored staff, she strolled around Haewonryang.

Mayuseong and Haewonryang were still crouched on the ground, unable to withstand this pressure.

Edna quickly grasped the nature of this magic.

‘Grace’s specialty, Illusion Magic.'

Perhaps Grace implanted an illusion of 'weight' into everyone present, causing them to sit on the ground.

Even if one recognized it as an illusion, it wouldn't change anything.

Releasing it required an interpretation ability of equal proficiency, and Grace currently possessed at least a Class 6 magic level.

Thunk…

Behind Grave, a man approached. It was obvious who it was without even thinking.

'Director Kaen...'

Kaen looked coldly at the fallen Haewonryang. Due to Grace’s magic, Haewonryang had fainted, and dark magic was emanating from his entire body.

Grace teasingly spoke to Kaen, her tone filled with mockery.

"Hmm, it wasn't Maizen Tyren, was it? In the end, the prophecy was wrong again~"

Whether in response or not, Kaen silently cast a special dark magic detection spell on Haewonryang using his technique from the Manwol Tower.

"The wavelength is faint. It's impressive for him to exert this level of power."

"Oh, really?"

Kaen nodded his head.

"Let's proceed with the summary execution, then."

"Oh my. Are you thinking of killing him right away? Ah, I think there's still a chance for purification."

The fact that the wavelength of dark magic was faint meant that there was still a possibility of reversing it.

However, Director Kaen remained firm.

"If someone can exert this level of power with just this... In the future, when they go on a rampage, it will truly be a disaster. It's right to kill him now."

Once those tainted by dark magic were corrupted once, it was easy for them to be corrupted a second or third time.

Even if they were temporarily cleansed, the corruption remained, and they would eventually succumb to another influence of dark magic and go on a rampage.

That was why those who were contaminated by dark magic would either leave the industry altogether, or in some cases, return as dark mages.

"It's a pity~ He's handsome, you know. I even like this cynical type of guy~"

Once a decision was made, it was carried out immediately.

When Kaen aimed his wand at Haewonryang, veins popped on Edna’s forehead. She wanted to shout at him to stop right away, but her body simply wouldn't move.

"Please, please...! If we just have a little more time, we can purify him...!"

Even tears welled up in her eyes, but Grace merely licked her lips as if finding Edna’s desperation amusing.

"I'm sorry for killing your friend. But there's nothing we can do. You know that too, don't you?"

"Ugh..."

"Oh?"

In the midst of their conversation, Mayuseong exerted his remaining strength to slowly rise up, surprising Grace as a genuine expression of astonishment appeared on her face.

"So, the first-year student from the Academy managed to endure this? Impressive... Ah, you're Mayuseong, right? I've heard your name, and you're as good-looking as they say!"

However...

"Regardless of that, please lie back down for a moment. You're getting in the way of my work, older sister."

"Snap!"

Just as Mayuseong managed to raise his upper body, Grace flicked her finger, causing Mayuseong to collapse once again.

The groans escaping his lips were unusual.

"No... it can't be..."

If Mayuseong were to go on a rampage and reveal his dark magic here, there was no doubt that they would be killed.

No matter how strong they might become in the future, they were merely seventeen years old at the moment.

They couldn't defeat the elite magical warriors of the Manwol Tower.

"Please..."

Whether it was the fear of Edna becoming a reality or not, explosive magic burst forth from Mayuseong's body. It was the preparatory process of depleting all of his righteous magic power to unleash the dark magic.

"You're trying hard, huh?"

"Sob..."

Edna gritted her teeth and tried desperately to raise her body, but the excruciating pain made it impossible.

She couldn't do anything.

The guilt welled up as she thought that they might lose the two boys who were destined for great things in the future.

Could it all be because of her?

This kind of content didn't exist in the original. So, the occurrence of something that didn't exist in the original might be due to her existence as an irregular.

And so, just as Kaen aimed his wand at Haewonryang's head, and when Edna was about to bow her head for the last time...

"Wait a moment."

… A familiar voice echoed through the space.

Kaen's wand paused, and Edna’s heart throbbed, pounding.

"Baek Yu-Seol...?"

Even though she couldn't turn her head, she could tell the direction of the voice thanks to the sound.

He stood tall on his two legs, unaffected by Grace Steele’s illusion.

"Oh, how did you manage to escape the illusion?"

Grace tilted her head in surprise but also aimed her staff at him.

A magnificent magic circle spun around, mocking Baek Yu-Seol’s gaze.

"Dinosaur, appear! Ta-da~!"

However...

Baek Yu-Seol didn't even flinch.

"Huh?"

The special illusion she created was a very powerful and potentially deceptive magic that could directly harm the target.

But to show no reaction at all...

Grace sweated coldly as she poured more mana into the magic circle, but soon realized it was futile.

None of the illusion magic affected Baek Yu-Seol. It felt like trying to bend a joint on a slime. It was like using all sorts of techniques to break bones and muscles, but the opponent didn't even have any joints, so it felt like floundering in the air.

"D-Director? The illusion doesn't work on him?"

"Don't play around and do it properly, Grace."

"No! I'm really doing it properly!"

Illusion magic fundamentally disrupted the opponent's mana, but for some reason, it felt like there wasn't a single drop of magic in Baek Yu-Seol’s body.

Since all living beings in this world were supposed to have mana, it would mean that Baek Yu-Seol had somehow produced a protective barrier to counter illusions...

‘C-Crazy. Did he perfectly defend against my illusion magic?’

Even so, even though she had cast at least a Class 5 illusion magic, there was no sign of using Dispel or any indication that he was perfectly resisting it. The thought that he wasn't an ordinary mage crept up Grace’s spine.

She gulped hard, her voice full of tension.

"... Director. It seems like you should personally deal with him."