A spine-chilling sound echoed as the rift in the sky tore apart.

And simultaneously, from the gap that was split, an overwhelming black darkness began to surge outwards like a dam that had burst.

The darkness spilled forth, spreading at a horrifyingly swift speed across the sky and the land, as if expressing the repressed backlash it had endured.

Within the blink of an eye, the plains beyond the southern boundary region were engulfed in darkness.

And upon that plains where darkness settled,

Pitter patter,

Unexpectedly, rain began to fall with the sound of raindrops.

The color of the rain falling from the blackened sky resembled that of an abyss.

It evoked the horrific memories of the rain that had descended upon the city in the past, taking countless lives.

However, that rain was something different, a level far beyond the rain created by the upper-class demonic beasts of that time.

It was not an effect born of powers but rather a phenomenon due to the pure concentration of magic.

The density was so thick that the magic couldn’t drift like a gas and instead clumped together in liquid form, falling like rain.

As such,

Swoosh—

Magic-imbued raindrops poured down from the sky filled with magic.

And upon touching the ground, the condensed magic once again coalesced and transformed into demonic beasts.

They resembled the upper-class demonic beasts that had appeared in the city, with the form of blind dogs.

In the midst of the rain,

The demonic beasts born began to howl in unison.

Welcoming their master, released from the seal.

And that howling of welcome was their final gasp.

The demonic beasts, as soon as they were born, began to melt away in the darkness, meeting their end.

By the ability of the witch of gluttony to turn everything around her into magic and swallow it.

The demonic beasts birthed from the rain melted away and died.

And the magic resulting from those dead beasts rained down from the sky once more.

Swoosh—

And the heroes were in the midst of that falling rain and howls.

In the relentless cycle of birth and death repeating in the darkness.

They witnessed

A writhing giant form.

“Ugh….”

It was a manifestation of fear and despair that petrified just by looking.

The witch of gluttony revealed herself before the people, a form even larger than before the seal.

The witch, now revealed, lifted her head and blankly stared at the rain falling above her head, then quickly turned her gaze towards the howling demonic beasts around her.

Seeing the demonic beasts that looked like blind dogs, the witch reached out her enormous hand towards them that resembled her beloved family.

However, once again, there was nothing her hand could grasp.

Even if she did not want it, the power she possessed melted the beasts before her hand could touch them, turning them into her nourishment.

And so the witch of gluttony merely gazed at the rain flowing futilely through her hands for a moment, and then

-■■■■■─!!!

Let out a tremendous roar.

In sorrow for the things she could never hold in her lifetime.

In anger towards a world that had made her this way.

In an inexpressible hunger borne from all of that.

Ah, I am hungry, hungry, hungry.

I must eat, I must fill my belly.

Right this moment.

The witch, who had unleashed her roar,

Spotted the heroes gathered at the city’s boundary region.

She was, more hungry than ever.

*

-■■■■■─!!!

“Ugh…!!”

“Cough…!!”

At last, the witch of gluttony, released from her seal and revealing her massive form.

Her echoing roar caused the color to drain from the faces of the lined-up heroes.

Their legs weakened and they stumbled, just like prey facing a predator, but it was unavoidable.

Even from a distance, the frail figure of the witch and her terrifying roar instigated an instinctive fear.

However, despite their pale faces, not a single person fled.

It was quite remarkable.

When they initially fought the witch of gluttony, there had been casualties caused by people panicking and fleeing.

“…The speech I gave just before had an effect.”

Martina muttered with a smile while trembling, observing the heroes who had not taken their eyes off the enemy.

She had told the heroes.

Would they turn the deaths of those who sacrificed into meaningless losses?

This was to stimulate their sense of duty.

However, not everyone could fight purely on a sense of duty.

Martina added to her words.

What have you been preparing for so desperately until now?

It was to instill within the people.

Even if faced with an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, they would feel compelled to fight.

“…How about it? This time, doesn’t it feel like we can do it a little?”

The power of confidence.

Of course, instilling confidence came with a prerequisite.

“…You’ve all prepared to die, so it must feel that way.”

That was, preparation.

Even facing the witch of gluttony, considering how much they had prepared, shouldn’t they be able to win?

Such thoughts came naturally.

Martina knew well that such preparation brought about confidence.

Because Martina was a magician.

“Dwight, do you know what people call magicians?”

“…Magicians are called ‘the prepared ones’.”

People referred to magicians as ‘the prepared ones.’

It implied they were folk who thoroughly prepared for situations.

And Martina, the one who prepared as both a magician and a leader, was ready with confidence.

From the day she heard the rumor that the witch of gluttony, sealed away by her master and comrades, might awaken again.

Considering the possibilities, she established a plan.

Searched endlessly through ancient texts for the right spells that fit her plan.

Madly researched to restore the spells she had barely found.

She poured all the time into preparing against the witch of gluttony.

And Martina, who had most of that preparation process alongside Dwight Ninehart, asked him.

“So then, are you ready?”

At that question, Dwight turned his head away.

Behind him stood the majority of the mages gathered from the city to fight the witch of gluttony, having formed a magical brigade.

Dwight cast a glance at them, not asking anything, and then turned his head back around.

With the calmness characteristic of magicians who were ready, he looked at the commander, Martina.

“Just issue the command and I am ready anytime.”

Hearing those words, Martina commanded.

“Let’s begin.”

At Martina’s command, Dwight gestured toward the magical brigade.

Then voices reverberated everywhere.

“Magic circle activation preparation complete!!”

“Magic power transfer is also ready!”

With the voices stating their preparations complete, light began to stream from the bodies of the mages.

It was the light created by the magic.

The magic power exuded by numerous mages was energetic enough to shake the surrounding atmosphere.

But they knew that was still far from enough.

Because they were to face a monster who had previously destroyed 70% of the world.

So they had prepared.

“Magic power amplification is ready!!”

An item that would amplify their magic to a level that could affect such a monster.

The magic power of the mages flowed into the prepared magic circles.

A blue jewel, the tears of the ocean placed on the magic circle, began to shine brilliantly.

Simply using the sacred relic resulted in substantial amplification of magic power.

However, what they needed now was an absolute force that could reach the monster.

“Beginning amplification!”

With a murmured incantation, the magic circle emitted light.

With the sound of shattering, the relic broke apart.

Some mages squeezed their eyes shut in horror at the insane act of consuming the sacred relic.

But immediately after that, they felt with their skin that it had been worth it and opened their eyes wide.

Whoosh—

The wind began to blow.

The amplified magic power fluttered hair and clothing.

The mages, feeling the power of unprecedented magic, felt goosebumps rising on their bodies.

The fearfully amplified magic was like a bomb, an energy so destructive that merely brushing against it could obliterate everything around.

Yet, there were those who handled it casually.

“Dwight, assist me.”

“Understood.”

Martina and Dwight.

In the hands of two genius mages, presumably born from the era, the amplified magic began to flow steadily into place.

The light of magic was inscribed into the plains where the black rain was falling at the feet of the witch of gluttony.

While displaying overwhelming magic control, the two poured all the amplified magic into the massive magic circle that had taken the mages considerable time to set up.

For only, a single spell.

Once, there was a kingdom.

Though small in size, it boasted exceptional magical knowledge, its pride.

That kingdom developed a spell with ambitions for continental unification.

However, that spell became one not seen after being used just once.

Due to the unimaginably overwhelming destructive power, the kingdom that cast magic on its own front yard was erased from the map.

Perhaps, the ancestors of the past could never have imagined.

That such a spell, deemed too dangerous, was forbidden from research and use, would be restored.

And that someone would succeed in modifying that spell to reduce its destructive range to whatever extent desired.

The magic circle gradually took form in the vast plains.

Striking each stroke, gazing at the outlined magic circle, Martina recalled.

The faces of the heroes who had once drawn their last breath at that spot.

There was always someone who would rush to aid in times of crisis.

The hero who was faster than anyone else. Always in front, a reassuring companion recalled in a silhouette.

Leon Lionel.

Recalling her companion’s back, Martina murmured as she traced a line in the magic circle.

“…For my companion.”

Even as a witch, one who was more human than anyone else was her mentor.

From learning to survive to understanding how to live and die.

The things Teacher Eve taught her were beyond invaluable.

Recalling the teachings of her mentor, Martina traced another line in the magic circle and murmured.

“…For my mentor.”

And then, then…

There was a ridiculously selfish person who would bicker with her whenever they met, not meshing well with her personality.

Always wanting to outdo anyone, snatching the one boy she liked away first.

“I’ll go, you stay.”

Such a selfish being who left after saying only what she wanted up until the end.

Natalia, Natalia Eloise.

Her, Martina Ivanova’s irreplaceable rival.

In hindsight, she was ultimately a cherished friend as well.

With that thought in mind, Martina drew the final line in the magic circle and murmured.

“…And for my friend.”

The magic circle shone brightly.

The light of magic pierced through the falling rain, reaching up to the sky above.

The magic that reached the sky caused ripples, and those ripples opened the heavens.

Under the opened sky, Martina coldly recited, staring at the enemy that had driven her to prepare for vengeance all this time, a foe worth tearing apart.

“Take this and die.”

The national ruin magic.

Meteor.

And toward the witch of gluttony,

A meteor descended.