In a dim underground space, a one-sided massacre was taking place.
"Ha!"
Yaya charged in front, using punches and kicks to blow away the attacking monsters one after another, clearing a path for everyone. Like a streak of moonlight, her kimono sleeves danced with the wind, and the sharp sound of her wooden clogs striking the floor echoed clearly as she broke through the monster group's encirclement and dashed forward.
"Boudoir Secret Technique! Windflower!"
At the rear, Irori followed with her snow-white hair flying behind her. Her hands slashed forward like ice blades, and a storm-like mist whooshed out, freezing everything in front into an icy hell. One by one, the monsters were frozen solid and shattered into ice shards that scattered across the ground.
"I'm coming too!"
Komurasaki ran the lightest of all. Though she lacked offensive power, her entire being moved like a gust of wind, like a phantom flickering through space. As she danced around, the surrounding monsters all lost track of her and turned on their own allies, clearly confused by her illusions.
The three sisters moved in perfect formation—Yaya in front pushing forward, Komurasaki in the middle disorienting the enemy, and Irori in the rear delivering widespread devastation. Cooperating seamlessly, they struck down every monster and sprinted through passage after passage with blazing speed.
A ball of flame flew like a meteor at the very front, illuminating the way, followed by Rozen, his black feathered cloak flapping as he flew through the air.
Some monsters noticed Rozen's presence and suddenly sprouted wings from their backs, attacking from behind.
But Rozen didn't even need to make a move—one wave of Irori's delicate hand summoned a silent cold wind that froze each monster into solid ice, shattering them on the spot. Any that slipped through didn't last long either—without needing to summon Kinu, Rozen's sword Galantine, imbued with the flames of the sun, slashed through them with a single stroke, reducing them to ashes.
The group sped through the underground tunnels, eliminating any monsters in their path while heading toward the direction Rozen indicated.
Flying above, Rozen continuously watched the direction with his Wise Eye.
Under Rozen's gaze, Raishin and Magnus finally confronted each other.
Their spiritual energies surged violently, clashing head-on.
"They've already begun fighting?"
Rozen's expression darkened.
If it weren't for the fact that they were underground—where unleashing too much power could cause a cave-in and bury everything—Rozen would have considered going all-out, obliterating every monster, every complex tunnel, every barrier and trap in his way, and flying straight there.
Had that been possible, it wouldn't have taken even a minute to arrive.
"Sometimes, having too much power really is a problem."
Rozen understood this deeply now, and could empathize with those troubled by overwhelming power.
But Rozen had always pursued strength. Now that he had achieved such growth, to complain about it would be hypocritical.
So, Rozen composed himself.
"I should make it in time."
After calmly assessing the situation, Rozen still couldn't help but quicken his pace.
Naturally, as Rozen sped up, Irori, Yaya, and Komurasaki also increased their speed.
Wherever they passed, the tunnels were first sealed in ice, then the monsters that poured out were either smashed by Yaya, frozen and shattered by Irori, or confused by Komurasaki's illusions and turned against one another.
In this manner, Rozen's party pressed forward, unwavering.
Until—
"…Hmm?"
Suddenly, Rozen furrowed his brows and looked toward the surface.
"What's wrong, Rozen-sama!?"
Irori, at the rear releasing frost, noticed and shouted a concerned question.
"…It's nothing!"
Rozen paused, then responded.
He didn't want to distract the girls from breaking through the monsters.
But in truth, it wasn't nothing.
Just moments ago, Rozen had seen a massive surge of spiritual energy enter the Academy, heading toward the Girls' Dormitory.
Among them, there was a particular presence—its spiritual energy was distorted and chaotic like Spiritual Disaster, shaking like a miasma.
It barely even counted as spiritual energy anymore. It was more like a dense mass of miasma—a corruption.
Rozen was sure he didn't recognize this energy.
Yet clearly, this person was the leader of the group, bringing many others with them as they entered the Academy and met up with some of the "Thirteen" led by Olga.
Could it be…
"Is this the chaos Shouko mentioned?"
Rozen's guess was correct.
Soon, those spiritual energies began spreading in all directions across the Academy.
Then, the attacks began. Students and professors were being taken down one by one. Explosions and roars echoed throughout the campus—Rozen's Mind's Eye caught glimpses of it all.
And that near-miasma presence moved toward the Headmaster's residence—coming into contact with him.
At the same time, a wave of magic expanded outward in a familiar way, spreading across the entire Academy like pressure.
This was…
"Multi-Controller!"
Rozen's eyes narrowed sharply.
He instantly recognized the magic.
He had already experienced it once—and since Ionela had once passed both Multi-Controller and Infinite Chain Reaction on to him, Rozen was intimately familiar with this magic. He could not possibly mistake it.
"What is going on?"
Rozen was shocked.
"How can there be a second Multi-Controller?"
This was a magic circuit developed by Ionela. Besides her and Rozen, no one else should have had the technology to create it.
Rozen had never created an Multi-Controller magic circuit himself. Ionela, after the last incident, would absolutely not create another one either. Currently, only Evangeline—taken back to the Mage's Association with Ionela by Kimberly—should have been able to use it.
But this automaton using Multi-Controller was definitely not Evangeline.
Because Rozen saw human spiritual energy from it—it was a banned doll made using a human being.
Evangeline was not a banned doll.
If that's the case, then this one wasn't her—it must have been created later as a new vessel for Multi-Controller.
"Could it be…"
Rozen considered the possibility.
"It seems the Academy truly is descending into chaos this time."
Rozen didn't even need to see it anymore—he could imagine how chaotic things had become.
Thankfully, the many barriers in this underground space blocked out the sonic wave of Multi-Controller, preventing its influence here.
"I have to end this quickly."
The moment this thought crossed Rozen's mind, he accelerated again, shooting forward.
Before long, the end of the passage finally came into view.