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Lucian and his teammates ran through the corridor with all their might. The small gate from earlier shimmered beyond the black passage.

“Did I just imagine that? That was definitely the Student Council President’s doing, right?”

Granite, usually gruntled and stoic, asked Lucian, fear stripping away his usual demeanor.

“Are you really asking that? It was that crazy bastard Croscelle for sure!”

“Ugh, aaah… insane. The Student Council President killed a student!”

Levi trembled with horror.

– Tatatatang! Tatang!

Bullets rained down from behind. Lucian hurriedly cast a few spells behind him, but the pursuit showed no signs of letting up.

“Hey! If you have time to whine, run faster!”

“Got it! Ugh, ahhh!”

The cuts from his sword wounds throbbed painfully in his back and arms. Even after they broke through the gate, the chase was relentless. One guard with a sword aimed a blow at Levi’s head.

“Ugh, kyaaah!”

– Tang!

The guard’s head vanished as it was hit by a combat rifle. Soon after, a voice amplified through the woods.

“Everyone get down!”

Hearing that command, Lucian and his party instinctively dropped to the ground.

Bullets passed over their heads. The pursuing guards fell, struck down by gunfire and bolts from the forest. As the pursuers were dispatched, unidentified soldiers in camouflage appeared.

“Who are you?”

“It’s me, Violet!”

Irene stepped out from the Violet Squad, her gaze fixed on the guard’s corpse and the distant gate. She ground her teeth.

“So they’re attacking openly now, those filthy bastards!”

Lucian, relaxing from the tension, groaned in pain as he sank to the ground.

“Ouch! Damn… this hurts like hell.”

“Stay still! Your wounds might get worse!”

While Daphne examined Lucian’s injuries, Irene quickly discussed among the Violets.

“Are you saying Nathan’s team was in there too?”

“Yeah. By the time I got there, they were already dead.”

Irene looked overwhelmed upon hearing this.

“Let’s get out for now. I’m stalling inside, but who knows when they’ll start chasing again!”

“But we don’t even know where the newly created gate is!”

Irene showed signs of doubt, and Violet 387 shook her head and pointed in one direction.

“That’s not true. Just a moment ago, one of our searchers found a new gate.”

“Already?”

“Well, we’ve been searching all day! It’s still not opened yet, but it’s closer than you’d think. I also told the others in the nearby area to come here, so we just need to go!”

She kept looking uneasily towards the direction of the small gate but seemed to have made up her mind as she turned away.

“… Right. Getting out takes priority now. Let’s move.”

Once Lucian’s injury was treated, the Violet group moved towards the location of the new gate without hesitation.

***

The Violets had now met 21 deaths.

“Kyyaang!”

To deceive and disrupt them, I actively utilized the Clone Technique to be generated beyond walls. Whenever Clone 32 seemed about to be caught, I created a new Violet nearby in the wall or under the floor, immediately self-destructing it.

To the outside, it appeared as if a person had moved to another location after the explosion. In other words, it could deceive them into thinking that I had teleportation abilities!

Moreover, the lighting in this research facility was currently poor due to some circumstances, making it darker around. There’s plenty of room for confusion.

– Kwang!

“371! Run faster!”

“I’m trying!”

Currently, dozens of Magnavis guards, Student Council President Croscelle, and general Kaim were chasing me.

I made only one mistake. I threw molotov cocktails around while fleeing and fired my gun at the researchers; it was just a little prank!

“Long live the Obsidian Legion! I’ll burn all those filthy clan bastards!”

“You crazy terrorist bastard!”

As I shouted with a distorted voice, the people around responded, raising their voices. Truly, I was the star Violet! Even if there were minor issues like asking for autographs with guns, of course.

Yet, my mission’s objective wasn’t merely about buying time. Lucian and his teammates’ safety was secured.

My real goal was to destroy this facility. It looked evil and suspicious; it had to be erased.

For that, while one Violet grabbed attention, another Violet squad I had secretly created was installing bombs all over this suspicious facility.

“This facility, it all needs to be blown up!”

“Burn it all!”

If I had any time to spare, I would have gathered documents, but there was no time for that.

And what I could do for the ones who died earlier was only this. I didn’t know why they killed the students, but it was too much.

In anger and tension, 371 fired his guns with both hands.

The swords flying around due to Croscelle’s telekinesis flailed around like piranhas. His manipulation of telekinesis was surprisingly delicate. The destructive force was not to be underestimated.

“There’s magic energy attached to the blades! How did he do that?”

Looking back, I was glad I didn’t just go with an option to crush them under sheer numbers.

I wasn’t sure how many swords he could control, but with the quantity assault available, we were at a disadvantage. If we got close, we’d be caught in his telekinesis, and if we tried to distance ourselves, he would attack us with magic swordsmanship, making it a tricky matchup.

“Keep as much distance as possible! The range isn’t that long!”

At least the range for his sword control didn’t feel too lengthy. It looked like he couldn’t reach beyond a specific distance.

“Kyyaak!”

“Uh oh, looks like I’ve let my guard down? Haha!”

In the moment I focused on the swords, Kaim’s bolt pierced my side. That bastard was incredibly fast, always firing bullets or bolts whenever I let my concentration slip.

“That’s strange! He definitely died! I saw his head fly off with my own eyes!”

“406! Stop talking nonsense and stay still!”

It seemed like 371’s activities would come to an end here.

A priest smoke bomb appeared in my hands. Smoke billowed up thickly. While the pursuers hesitated to approach, 371 exploded within the smoke. Clone 120 generated above the ceiling ran amok.

“Freedom! Revolution! Violence!”

“The intruder teleported to the upper floor!”

“Is the bomb installation not finished yet?”

“Just a bit! Just need to install this one more!”

As 120 dashed across the rooftop structure, swords came flying towards it. Just then, the ground beneath it gave way, and 120 fell to the ground.

“Ugh!”

When the fallen 120 raised its head, Croscelle, who had flown in via telekinesis, landed before me and casually walked over. Just as I was about to get up, a sword pierced through each of my legs.

“Ugh!”

“You little rat, where do you think you’re running to? What, have you run out of magical power?”

He growled in rage, with veins bulging from his face—visible even from here. Just as I was about to self-destruct and end it all, a large metal tank behind Croscelle caught my eye. It had “No firearms allowed” written on it.

I had found something that could easily blow up.

“Will it explode if I shoot it with a gun or bow?”

“He’ll block it with a sword or his telekinesis!”

As opinions rapidly exchanged, the leading figure from the temporary command center, Unit 1, made a bold decision.

“Let’s use the Hand of Destiny! He won’t be able to block a magical ray!”

“It’s a five-star relic. What if we lose it?”

“We might be able to kill him here. It’s worth the gamble!”

Persuaded by Unit 1’s assertion, the other Violets agreed. 120 donned the Hand of Destiny.

“What’s that gauntlet? Ha, it’s a pointless resistance. Why don’t you just give up already?”

I ignored whatever the Student Council President said. I gathered all my magical power to prepare a powerful strike.

The Hand of Destiny began to drain the magical power I possessed all the way down. Tremendous power built up in my palm.

I started feeling dizzy from the rapid decrease in magical power. While my clones could be sustained with just food, being low on magical power felt uncomfortable.

But if I could land this one blow!

“Watch our capabilities!”

“Light of Violet!”

A dazzling yellow ray of magical energy burst forth from the palm of the gauntlet. As the ray shot in a straight line, Croscelle twisted his body at an impossible angle, narrowly avoiding the beam. It pushed him back with his telekinesis.

“Damn that telekinetic evasion!”

As soon as I fired the beam, I immediately withdrew the gauntlet into my inventory.

“Ugh!”

I felt a shockwave. Seven swords Croscelle had cast pierced through my body.

Did it mean I lost? That might be the case. If my objective had been the Student Council President, then yes! Hitting him would be great, and if not, there would be nothing lost.

“Gotcha!”

From the start, my target had been the fuel tank behind him!

The moment the ray hit the fuel tank, an explosive blast occurred.

“Damn it!”

He was swept away by the explosion. 120 vanished with a smile.

“I did it!”

“He might not be dead.”

Seeing the fuel tank burst into flames, the Violet squad activated the bombs they had set up around the facility.

“Ha ha! It’s blowing up!”

In an instant, the entire area became an inferno. The Violet squad cackled as they disassembled into nonexistence.

***

The Violet’s destructive operation was a success. The large and small bombs set up throughout the facility rendered it irreparable, bringing peace to the poor experiment subjects suffering inside.

However, had the Violets possessed enough knowledge and counsel, they might have attempted to destroy the spatial realm itself.

The existence of the spatial realm forming the A13 laboratory still remained intact. It was a mass of darkness that accelerated the imbalance of time and space. The gate disturbance that swept through the Violets and the sudden expansion of the dungeon stemmed from this spatial realm.

Before long, the Chloris Great Forest experienced three phenomena after this instability. The first was that the dungeon’s space began to fluctuate. This was followed by earthquakes.

“Earthquake!”

“Don’t stop, run!”

The Violets hurriedly moved towards the gate but were knocked down by sudden quakes repeatedly.

The second phenomenon was somewhat positive. The newly created gate stabilized rapidly, connecting to its original entrance. Thus, the students whom Violet had called in advance quickly escaped.

“Is it real? The gate stabilized!”

“Run fast!”

The team dashed towards the gate. As they raised their heads, the familiar scenery from three days ago greeted them.

“We made it out…”

Instructor Frederick, checking on the students, came rushing towards the Violet group, relieved.

“What a relief! You all made it back. But…”

His expression darkened as he glanced at the number of people, as if something was missing.

“Why haven’t the other eight shown up yet?”

Upon hearing that, the faces of Violet and Irene crumpled. They pondered what to say when the gate suddenly began to expand rapidly.

“Damn it! Get to safety! What’s going on?”

The people around them began to flee in droves.

The last phenomenon occurring in the dungeon was collapse. The unstable spatial rift briefly tore open, causing everything within the dungeon to start spilling out.

As people regained their composure, hordes of monsters began pouring out from the expanded gate.

“Uh…?”

Violet gasped, mouth agape as she observed the situation from nearby the gate’s entrance.

“We need to evacuate!”

“No, how did this happen?”

Violet’s heart sank. Could it be that the bombs I detonated destroyed the dungeon?

“Violet, what are you doing? Let’s get out of here!”

She was pulled by her friends as they quickly dashed away. The monsters continued to surge from inside the gate.

It wasn’t until then that the people noticed the huge airship approaching.

In the sky, a man was watching everything unfold before the gate. He lightly drew a straight line with his finger.

For everyone below, the result of that action was truly grand.

“Uh?”

Enormous magic circles materialized above the gate. Light condensed from the magic circles began to gather into one.

Before long, a massive beam of light slammed into the ground. The countless monstrous forces pouring out from the expanded gate were instantaneously vaporized.

The ray melted the earth, emitting tremendous heat, and the backlash from the explosion swept through the area in mere seconds.

“Uwaah!”

Surprised, Violet stumbled. Although she managed to stand with support, she was unknowingly trembling all over.

Had Violet been able to witness the events following Part 1, her fear might have been less intense—after all, fear comes from the unknown. Nevertheless, the shock itself was likely unavoidable.

That would be the grand display of forbidden magic, a feat that could adorn the climax of the second narrative knot surrounding the academy city.

“The sky…!”

Even injured, Lucian maintained his usual arrogant demeanor, but now his expression froze. His gaze turned skyward. A young male student, suddenly aware of his position, pointed at the sky with trembling hands.

Following the direction his finger pointed, Daphne gasped and covered her mouth. She became as still as a statue.

“What’s wrong?”

“W-What an idiot! Can’t you see that?”

Violet, about to complain about why she was mimicking Levi’s speak, gasped at the massive sigil that filled the sky.

In the view of a novice mage newly awakened to magic, an extraordinarily detailed array of runes occupied the skies where the dungeon gate had once been.

The intricacy was akin to semiconductor integration, and its scale evoked images of industrial complexes. The power conveyed through the lines and points of the sigils bore down upon them, creating a sense of pressure that could tear apart the sky and overturn the earth.

“How can a person wield such magic?”

Before long, the ramp door of the airship that had arrived near the gate opened, and the entity that had just summoned such vast disaster descended slowly from the air.

“It’s the Chairman.”

Someone gasped.

The crowd’s gaze turned to the man who led them down from the sky. He was dressed in a vintage suit, his long gray hair bound back, and a shining monocle adorned his eye. With each step, he emanated overwhelming confidence and weight. Following him were figures cloaked in black robes with closed helmets, their faces hidden.

The oldest and most powerful mage in humanity, Noctis Caldwell Valefor, descended with his subordinates.

“Barely calming my racing heart, Violet managed to voice her thoughts.”

“What are those aquarium heads?”

Irene, who had been dumbstruck, finally managed to reply.

“They are the Magnavis Vanguard.”

“What’s that?”

“They’re the elite forces of Magnavis. But why are they here? The Chairman isn’t the leader of a clan. This is suspicious. Why?”

Irene’s words came out as a jumble. The scene of merciless violence conjured by one mage was enough to plunge the usually composed girl into near panic.

As the Chairman stepped back, Vanguard soldiers began cleansing the remaining monsters. Enormous bolts descended upon the ground, and storms of fire surged. Violet trembled under the power that felt stronger than the Student Council President.

All felt stifled by a strength so overwhelming. Just then, Clone 123 appeared in a rush, driving a truck.

“Guys! Get in fast!”

“Why all of a sudden? Wait, hold on. Is that you, the clone? The real one?”

“That’s not important. We need to get out of here now!”

Lucian and his teammates hopped into the truck’s back seat — other teammates piled into the passenger seat. Clone 123 slammed the gas pedal, accelerating quickly.

In the rearview mirror, the area that had once been a dungeon blazed with flames. Violet raced down the road furiously. She felt that only by escaping that place could she start to think clearly.

“Ugh, I just want to rest.”

“I’m sleepy…”

 

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