* * *

The massive amount of mana that flowed into my tentacles… shining yellow, even without using 【Mana Perception】, rushed into… probably my soul, like a raging torrent!

“Aaah… AAAAAAH!”

My parched soul is being moistened, and filled!

An incredible pleasure!

I involuntarily let out a voice in ecstasy!

More…!

I want more!

This isn’t enough!

Unconsciously, I extended several more 【Black Tentacles】, and pierced them into the giant magic stone, one after another.

The amount of mana flowing in is increasing rapidly.

I’m being filled!

“EMI! CALM DOWN!!”

But then.

Along with a panicked voice, a soft sensation enveloped my back… and I, who was almost losing myself in the pleasure of mana absorption… snapped back to my senses.

It’s Sensei.

Sensei is hugging me from behind, and desperately shouting.

“Control yourself!! Maintain your consciousness!! Control your mana!!”

“…!!”

I was completely awakened by her words, and roughly wiped the liquid dripping from my mouth with my fist.

And when I looked at my hand… the liquid, which I thought was drool from the pleasure, is—

Bright red blood.

<As Majurog said, calm down, Emi! You won’t die from mana poisoning… or absorbing too much mana… but! Mana absorption through unfamiliar methods will cause great damage to your body!>

Extra-sama was also desperately shouting, just like Sensei.

Blinded by pleasure, my ears closed, I couldn’t even hear her voice.

“It’s okay… I’m okay now.”

I gently untied Sensei’s white arms, which were tightly wrapped around me, slapped my own cheeks—Paan—and stood up.

My body is filled with mana.

I controlled my weakened body by manipulating my mana.

And the next thing I have to do is to control the flow of mana flowing in from the tentacles.

These mana absorption 【Black Tentacles】 are incredibly effective.

I don’t feel any resistance when absorbing mana.

Just by thinking ‘absorb’—

I can take in a large amount of mana with minimal mana consumption.

The mana balance is greatly in the plus.

It’s incredibly smooth.

Like breathing.

“As if it’s an instinct.”

I can smoothly absorb mana.

But absorbing a large amount when I’m not used to it is dangerous.

I learned that the hard way.

<…That’s right, Emi. First, slowly acclimate your body. Eventually, you too will be able to fully master this technique. For now, little by little…>

Listening to Extra-sama’s soothing, calm voice, I took a deep breath, and started to slowly reduce the amount of mana flowing into me.

The shining mana, flowing into me through the tentacles, gradually decreased.

But it’s true that my soul still craves mana.

Slowly, little by little, less than before, but surely, I continued to absorb mana.

“Emi. If you experience headaches, dizziness, or nausea, those are signs of mana poisoning. If that happens, stop absorbing mana immediately.”

Sensei, in a tense voice, warned me worriedly, but—

It’s fine, I don’t have any of those symptoms.

I’ll continue to absorb mana without worrying.

“…Huh? You’re still okay?”

I nodded in response to Sensei’s bewildered voice.

“…What an enormous soul…! Could it be… that there’s no limit to your capacity? No, that can’t be…!?”

Sensei was muttering something behind me, seeing me like that, but…

I’m too busy controlling my mana.

I don’t have time to care.

“Guh…!”

I made a slight mistake again.

A large amount of mana suddenly flowed in again.

My soul trembled with pleasure, and my body screamed, spitting blood!

Because of that, I didn’t notice at all.

That small crack… in the giant magic stone, where I pierced my 【Black Tentacles】 and absorbed mana—

Is gradually getting bigger.

“Muh!?”

So the first to notice it was Sensei.

“Emi!! Stop absorbing mana! The flow of mana is too strong! If this continues…”

And she warned me.

But that warning… was a few seconds too late.

Because before Sensei could finish her sentence.

The next moment—

PAKIIN!

With a high-pitched sound.

The upper half of the giant magic stone… shattered and was blown away.

At the same time, the magic lamps illuminating the control room flickered and went out… and dim emergency lights came on instead.

And then, suddenly.

“A certain presence” disappeared.

That presence… has been naturally surrounding us ever since I came to this Great Prison of Delenezo, and it’s the kind of feeling where ‘I only noticed it was there when it disappeared’, but—

The presence of the giant magic stone, the power source, shattering and disappearing.

In other words, it’s—

The presence of the barrier… protecting this Great Prison.

The barrier has disappeared.

DONN! DOONNN!!

“!!?”

And then, the roaring sound that followed the disappearance of that presence!

It shook the control room we’re in, and continued intermittently.

Furthermore, the roaring sound is getting louder and louder.

The source of the sound is approaching!

<Has ‘The Happy Sludge’, Kolmallya… resumed its activity!>

So that’s what it is.

This sound is the sound of that sludge destroying the bulkheads, which have become just ordinary walls after the barrier disappeared.

To drag us into the swamp… and absorb us.

“…………”

For now, I pulled my 【Black Tentacles】 out of the halved giant magic stone, and stopped absorbing mana.

But it’s already too late.

The remaining giant magic stone is still emitting a yellow light, so it’s not completely empty of mana, but…

It seems that the barrier won’t return even if I stop absorbing mana.

“Tch!!”

Here.

Sensei, who had been dumbfounded by the destruction of the giant magic stone, and the reactivation of the sludge, regained her composure, clicked her tongue, and started running.

Towards the bucket containing the paint for drawing the magic circle.

Sensei forcefully plunged her hand into the bucket, scooped up a large amount of paint… and then, drew a line between the teleportation magic circle and the remaining giant magic stone.

She connected the path of mana… the magic circuit!

And then—Chika, chika—the teleportation magic circle started shining purple!

“Alright… Mana is still being drawn from the earth! Excellent!!”

Next, Sensei, shouting that, ran towards me… and this time, hugged me tightly from the front.

“It’s all or nothing… Let’s pray for success!”

And muttering that briefly—

She lifted my body… and threw me—

Towards the teleportation magic circle!

“Farewell, Emi!!”

What I saw, as I spun in midair—

Is Sensei’s satisfied smile.

She said that this teleportation magic circle can only send one person in its current state.

Even though she knows she won’t be saved if she teleports me like this.

Even though it was all my fault that I ate all the food, and broke the giant magic stone.

Even so, Sensei was smiling, with a clear expression.

I—

I—

I…!

“DON’T SCREW WITH MEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

Just before my body touched the teleportation magic circle!

I extended several 【Black Tentacles】!

Since the walls and floor of this room are no longer protected by the barrier, and have returned to their normal strength… I pierced the tips of my 【Black Tentacles】 into them with all my might!

And supported my body!

I stopped my body midair, just a few centimeters away from the magic circle!

I refuse… to be teleported!!

“Eh, eh, EH!? NUWAAAAAAAAAAH!?”

And then, I extended one more 【Black Tentacle】!

That tentacle, like a snake, quickly extended towards Sensei, who was confused by my unexpected actions, wrapped around her…

And lifted her body!