As Magic Survival continued, Edna rushed to the waiting room where participants were transferred after elimination.

Anella followed him.

"Emergency patient! Emergency patient! Call a healer immediately!"

"What on earth is happening!"

"Why did they get burned? What happened in the arena!!"

During battles in virtual space, there was no need for an on ground medical team since injuries were not supposed to occur.

This could be considered a vulnerability of Stella Academy, which operated the virtual space in the world.

"Excuse me, please move!"

While the crimson flames were somehow suppressed by Stella's magic faculty, the injuries were not properly treated, so Edna went past them.

"Who are you?"

"I'm a student!”

“Why did you come in here! Get out right now!"

"Wait, isn't that student Edna? I heard she learned healing magic. We need her help urgently!"

"Can you come over here? We have an emergency patient!"

There were about six patients with burns all over their bodies.

Even in this urgent situation, a healer could only handle one patient at a time.

However... that was a story which applied to ordinary healers.

Edna stood among the groaning patients on the floor, gathered her hands, and quietly recited an incantation.

"... Light."

In truth, magical spells and prayers didn’t require many words.

Sincere wishes were all that mattered.

Flash!!

A dazzling golden light encompassed the waiting room, and the patients' wounds began to heal instantly.

A miracle-like phenomenon which couldn’t be accomplished even by the priest of the Holy Kingdom.

Similar divine abilities... were likely only within the reach of saints and holy maidens, not an ordinary healer.

'Hah...'

However, due to healing multiple people simultaneously, her vast amount of mana was quickly depleted.

Moreover, healing the wounds caused by higher-ranking dark magic was impossible.

For now, preventing their injuries from worsening was the best Edna could do.

"Healers have arrived!"

They could keep the patients alive until proper treatment by qualified doctors and healing mages.

"Let the student rest for now!"

"Oh no, your complexion is pale. It seems you used too much mana at once and got exhausted."

"Ugh..."

As Edna staggered and sat down, Anella quickly took her in.

"Uuuaaaa."

There were too many mages around.

When her hair were turning white, a mage approached, touched her shoulder, and comforted her.

"You seem confused seeing an unusual sight suddenly. Don't disclose this incident recklessly. We'll handle it. Definitely."

"Um, I..."

"For sure."

When a Stella representative sternly issued an order, Anella nodded with a bewildered expression.

However, there was a lingering unease.

"Who is telling you to do whatever you want and keep it a secret?"

"Who... Princess?"

Unfortunately, the one who witnessed this scene was Princess Hong Bi-Yeon.

She was an existence who couldn't be casually given a silence order.

She was Adolveit’s princess, Hong Bi-Yeon.

At some point, she appeared in the waiting room somehow. She examined the patients with a frown on her face.

If one couldn’t understand the situation after feeling the dense dark magic, then he should be considered unqualified as a magic warrior cadet.

"Did a Dark Mage infiltrate Stella?"

"... Yes."

Hong Bi-Yeon neatly resolved one of the lingering questions.

That must be the reason why Baek Yu-Seol intervened in the childish game. He knew that a Dark Mage would infiltrate the competition in advance.

The regressors were bound by the star contract, and couldn't disclose future events. Hence, he was once again working alone to resolve the incident.

Hong Bi-Yeon was displeased with this, and had a chilling expression.

"This time, you better not take it easy."

Even though she entered the academy as a student, fundamentally, she belonged to the royal family of one of the three superpowers in the world.

Adolveit entrusted the safety of the princess, yet Stella failed to prevent the intrusion of a Dark Mage... This would be quite controversial.

After a short scolding, Hong Bi-Yeon turned around, and the officials just bowed their heads in silence.

It seemed that this Academy Battle would not go smoothly.

———

It wasn’t just the participants and officials who felt that something was strange.

Some spectators observing the Magic Survival sensed something unusual happening in the competition.

"It seems there's a problem with the competition, Your Majesty."

"... Seems so."

Florin was about to touch her rose-colored lips out of habit, but she realized that she was wearing a mask and withdrew her hand.

It was a habit when she was worried about something.

"The participants are in pain... In other Academy Battles, they usually wear powerful protective gear, surrounded by shield magic that other students can't destroy. Instead, they calculate Vital Points through the system to determine eliminations."

Thanks to Stella Academy utilizing virtual reality system, they could engage in realistic battles without cumbersome procedures.

However, due to virtual reality, participants shouldn't feel pain.

Yet, strangely, at the scene Florin just witnessed, a female student was screaming with her entire body on fire.

As multiple scenes were being broadcast simultaneously, the details weren't clear, and most people seemed not to notice anything strange.

However, those sensitive to Dark Mages would have sensed signs of trouble.

"I'll investigate the situation."

When Orenha began to rise from his seat, Florin stopped him.

"There's no need. This is Stella."

Even if something happened, Stella would undoubtedly handle it well.

There was no need for them, as spectators, to intervene.

'He’s at least a Danger Level 5. If he's hiding his strength, it could be more...'

If indeed a Dark Mage had infiltrated the Magic Survival event and was attacking students, there was a possibility that he was the ‘Divine Slayer’ mentioned by Orenha.

If the Divine Slayer revealed his identity and emitted energy, Florin would undoubtedly notice it.

That would be the end of it.

The culprit couldn't escape this place.

'I'll repay him in kind.'

With a clenched fist, she firmly pledged.

She would never... kill gracefully.

In the Magic Survival stage, at the edge of the competition area, two boys were engaged in a battle.

Swish! Boom!

As if fireworks adorned the night sky, flames of various colors burst forth, and a small shack was blown away.

Meanwhile, Denmark, who had jumped up, extended his left palm forward and then thrust his right fist backward, creating a powerful whirlwind that engulfed everything in front of him.

With a wide range, it was an unbelievably overwhelming destructive power with a casting time of less than a second!

However, the opponent was no slouch either.

He effortlessly leaped to avoid it.

Denmark then wrapped him in black flames.

"Kihap!"

Boom! Clang!

Energy erupted from Denmark’s body as the flames oxidized.

Stepping on the debris, he leaped in succession!

"Eh...!"

When Denmark suddenly rushed towards him, Berenkal was taken aback and quickly retreated.

But even that distance was effortlessly closed, and a fist was thrown at him.

Crackle! Boom!

A small hurricane erupted from the fist!

Additionally, with one more strike from the raised foot, a wall of flames appeared behind Berenkal, leaving him with no way to escape.

"Kueuk...!"

As a Level 5 Danger Dark Mage, Berenkal could no longer use other magic after becoming a Dark Mage, so he had no choice but to defend against it with flames.

Fortunately, flames were strong against the wind.

'What a crazy guy....'

Berenkal was a formidable opponent as a Level 5 Danger Dark Mage.

He was known for being unmatched in Magic Survival.

Naturally, in a one-on-one situation, anyone would have expected to defeat him easily.

'Where the hell did such a monstrous guy come from...'

He possessed a combat sense that could hardly be considered human.

Berenkal was being overwhelmed by magic only at Class 4 level, despite being a Level 5 Danger himself.

Moreover, his muscle mass was also an issue.

Regular mages didn't require much muscle; it didn't significantly aid in the use of magic, and maintaining basic stamina was sufficient.

However, for close-range combatants like Knights, it was different.

'Hyper Jump'

The technique required precise mana control as the recoil from the magical leap put a significant strain on the legs.

Regardless of control, it inevitably stressed the leg muscles, making it essential for Knight mages to train their muscles.

However, Denmark not only excelled in precise mana control but also developed robust leg muscles, providing him with overwhelming agility.

Boom!

He closed in several dozen meters in an instant!

He relentlessly performed Hyper Jumps without exhaustion!

On top of that, a chain of destructive magic explosions with each fist strike!

"Tch!"

If Berenkal were an ordinary Class 5 mage, he might have been defeated by Denmark at this point.

However...

Still, a Level 5 Danger was a Level 5 Danger.

Crimson flames erupted from the ground, engulfing Denmark’s body.

Swish! Boom!

Since he didn’t wear a proper shield robe in the virtual reality, Denmark had no choice but to directly welcome the flames.

"Hmm...."

Yet, even while his body was on fire, he made only a faint groan, and showed no signs of pain.

One of the most significant pains which could torment humans was the burning pain from fire.

"You... can't even feel the pain?"

At that moment, Denmark flashed his white teeth, and laughed refreshingly.

"With will and muscles, you can overcome these flames easily!"

"Crazy bastard...."

Berenkal made a disgusted expression, then ignited crimson flames in both hands.

Judging solely by the situation, Denmark might seem to have an advantageous position.

However, it was a harsh reality that Berenkal had an upper hand.

Unlike Berenkal, who could inflict actual damage to Denmark, the reverse was impossible.

Whether they fought purely in terms of combat, which was still uncertain, or not, Berenkal would inevitably win in this imbalanced situation.

However, did Denmark realize this fact?

[28/100]

The number of survivors continued to decrease, and the competition area began to narrow down for the next stage.

Originally... this was his goal from the beginning.

Since there was someone capable of causing harm in the virtual reality, it was necessary to stop it and prevent harm to others.

He had delayed the time.

Victory in the match?

His own safety?

It didn’t matter.

If a dark mage is in front of you, you aim your staff at them because that's the code of a magic warrior.

It was unbelievable.

Hana Bonyu, who had been hiding from a distance, looked at Denmark while trembling.

Flames had already engulfed his entire body, making it difficult for him to stand properly.

However, Denmark didn't collapse.

It felt like the claim he made earlier about not falling once was true.

'But now, that's the limit.’

Since he couldn’t use Hyper Jump properly, he could only deflect incoming flames with gusts of wind.

The battle would be decided soon.

Denmark... would die.

‘No, it can't be.’

He thought all the magic warrior students in the world were the same.

They just studied for certificates and diplomas.

They wanted to work for a high and comfortable salary in a safe and cozy place.

After all, how could someone with the spirit of a hero-like magic warrior from a fairy tale exist in this day and age?

He had lived with such a firm belief.

However, a person truly deserving to be called a mage was standing right in front of him.

Despite being Stella's student, whom he had always envied, he couldn't think of anything but saving him.

When he finally came to his senses.

"Yaaaaaa!"

Hana Bonyu was sprinting towards Berenkal?

No, there was nothing he could do himself.

Even though he was an elite in his own way, he knew very well that he couldn't demonstrate his abilities in a real battle against a dark mage.

So, he rushed toward Denmark.

"What are you!"

Berenkal was astonished. He shot flames, but it was already too late.

A sharp ice spear shot from the end of Hana Bonyu’s staff, and pierced Denmark’s heart.

Denmark just stared at him without saying a word.

Even though he seemed to have lost consciousness, he still stood straight on both feet.

[KILL! Hana Bonyu → Denmark]

Finally, his figure vanished into a shimmering light.

"You bastard."

Berenkal began to emit an enormous dark magic from his entire body.

Since it was the most annoying and troublesome day, he tried to finish it off as painfully as possible.

"Dare to interfere...?"

Fwoosh!

Explosive crimson flames erupted, covering the entire area.

"Hyik...."

Thump!

Hana Bonyu immediately collapsed, his legs giving way.

If he were hit by those flames, he would undoubtedly die.

However, it was okay.

Since he could save one hero by sacrificing himself?

No, he hadn’t become that kind of person yet.

Just...

[Warning! Exposed to magic outside the competition area for an extended period!]

[Vital Points are decreasing!]

Due to not having taken any potions since earlier, he could only rely on his Vital Points, which were already at rock bottom.

Fwoosh!

"Die, you bastard!"

Finally, Berenkal’s black flames erupted!

The wave of writhing fire engulfed him in the moment.

[Vital Points zero.]

[You have died.]

Hana Bonyu’s form disappeared completely in a halo of light.