This is insane...
Shirone was using the strategy of forcing him to hold on, waiting for the right moment to defeat him. It made sense, but it was also reckless. He had already fired over 200 mentally draining shots like the Photon Cannon, yet Shirone showed no sign of tiring, and the flashes kept coming.
How is your mental power this massive?
The thought sent chills down his spine. As dozens of Photon Cannons filled his field of vision, despair sank in. There were so many flashes blocking every possible route to the Dark Fort.
I can't dodge this. It's over.
His frustration turned into anger, but there was a deeper fear. He wasn't scared of dying—he feared being defeated by the mage of light in front of his Master.
"That's annoying. Harvest…" he muttered.
"Harvest?" Canis questioned, but there was no answer.
As the battle raged on, the first mental channel finally opened. Harvest blocked Canis's path, absorbing the full impact of the Photon Cannon with his body. A strange groan escaped as his whole form shuddered under the shockwaves.
Thinking the surface wouldn't be enough, Harvest expanded his body wide and swallowed the Photon Cannon whole. His body trembled, and his previously thin waist inflated like a balloon. The absorption powers of his form kicked in, digesting the photons, and slowly, his body returned to its normal shape.
"Agh!" Canis bent over in shock. He had no idea that Harvest could absorb the Photon Cannon—it was only possible because of his mental powers. But borrowing power without permission was against the rules of their master-servant contract.
"Harvest?" Canis called again.
"Wake up and get ready!" came the command.
Harvest, having absorbed all of Canis's mental power, rushed toward Shirone, his claws outstretched. Shirone, unaccustomed to close combat, was pushed into a corner. Harvest's speed was quick enough to catch up with Shirone's teleportation dodges. How could this be? Harvest seemed even stronger than Canis.
Ethela, who shared Shirone's thoughts, glanced at Arcane. The cold, emotionless look in his eyes told the full story of the situation.
"Viltor Arcane… what a cruel man you are," Ethela thought.
Canis's attachment to Harvest wasn't out of love. To Arcane, disciples like Canis were nothing more than tools to fuel his revenge. They were expendable resources, and Canis existed only to maximize the power of his servant, Harvest.
As Shirone sped up his teleportation, Harvest's movements grew even faster. Canis's face turned as pale as a corpse's. He couldn't think straight—his mental energy had been drained. All that remained in his mind were feelings of betrayal and loss.
"Harvest… why?" Canis asked in a quiet voice.
But only silence returned. Canis's eyes lost their life as he realized who truly controlled the situation. Tears welled up as memories of everything that had passed flooded his mind like a kaleidoscope.
Shirone stumbled, blood dripping from his wounds, which seemed to have been inflicted by sharp claws.
The Photon Cannon isn't working anymore. I don't have much time left to unlock Immortal Functions.
As Canis landed with Harvest, he placed his hands on the ground. His eyes were unfocused, and he seemed lost in thought. Harvest didn't care and charged straight at Shirone, intent on finishing the battle before Canis's mental strength was completely drained.
Shirone quickly dodged another slash from Harvest's claws, his thoughts racing. The battle that had seemed to be going in his favor just moments ago had suddenly turned.
Master-servant reversal.
As Harvest, who had once been a mere assistant to Canis, now took the forefront, everything changed. He was a magical creature with no fear of death—a terrifying foe on the battlefield. Canis had essentially turned into a combat weapon, with his life force drained to fuel Harvest's power.
Combat weapon…?
Shirone's mind cleared. Until now, he had underestimated the true meaning of the master-servant reversal. The change in ownership had turned his enemy from a living being into something inanimate—something that could be destroyed differently.
Shirone quickly adapted his strategy. He canceled the Photon Cannon and cast a photon output instead. The Photon Cannon was dangerous because of the destructive force it exerted on living things. But physical force was useless against Harvest, who was already dead inside. What mattered was energy—energy that could overwhelm his absorption ability.
The photon output was pure magic, with no mass to hinder its flexibility. Combined with the still-active Immortal Function, Shirone's power was concentrated, and a beam of light powerful enough to envelop a person shot out from where the photons converged.
"Impossible!" Canis shouted in shock.
Harvest was pushed back, smoke rising from his body made of dark matter. Despite being immune to light, the photons themselves did no harm. Only the energy within the photons could damage him.
I need stronger energy.
Shirone's mind raced as he recalled the photonization theory. Using the formula for converting mass to energy, he realized he could generate greater energy by reversing the process. The cells of the photon output were reconstructed based on mass, and combined with the Immortal Function, mass was converted into energy in real time.
The thrill of watching his theory come to life was indescribable, and Shirone felt exhilarated as he stepped further into the unknown.
"What—what is that?" Canis gasped in disbelief.
The eyes of everyone watching the battle widened in shock. The photon output began to fade, emitting a threatening blood-red glow. Though the exact magic was unclear, the color alone was menacing.
Iruki recalled a story he had heard from his father, the leader of the dragons. "That… Is that a laser?"
"A laser? What do you mean?" Shirone asked.
"The light energy is greatly amplified. Could it be the ultimate evolution of the flash series? But how is that possible?"
Razor's power came from sheer force, not talent or effort. It took at least ten years of mental resilience to amplify photons using lasers. But if you looked at it from a mathematical perspective, the situation changed. Shirone, who had reconstructed the theory of photonization based on divine particles, amplified energy through mass conversion instead of brute force. Essentially, the original system had developed a new route.
"Kuaaaaa!" Harvest cried out in agony. The laser was much thinner than the photon output, but its accumulated energy was beyond imagination. The color didn't matter at this point; the real danger came from the invisible heat rays beyond the red wavelength. A single-wavelength laser generated immense heat as molecules vibrated.
"Harvest!" Canis screamed, clutching her head in pain. The fact that a massive shock hit her brain meant that Harvest had reached his limit, absorbing too much energy in just two seconds. It was the devastating power of Shirone's new magic: the laser pulse cannon.
Harvest tried to absorb the energy, but the molecular vibration speed was too fast. As his absorption reached saturation, his body began to expand, swelling like a balloon.
Ethela observed Arcane's reaction. His face remained unchanged, even in the face of near defeat. This unsettled her.
"Canis! Don't give up!" she shouted.
What would happen to the swollen Harvest? It could mean his annihilation—or something even worse.
"Shut up! I'll fight!" Canis retorted.
"You're being tricked by Arcane. Harvest isn't your subordinate; you were his. Arcane just used you."
Canis remained silent. He couldn't deny the truth. From the moment he'd learned that the magical creature, the final creation of the archmage, would become him, he had hoped it was possible. But he didn't have the courage to face reality. Admitting it would mean there was nothing left for him.
"I win! I'm not afraid to die! I will never surrender to someone like you!" he shouted defiantly.
When Canis came to his senses, he found himself in Radum, a place known as the hell of the world. To Arcane, he was just a tool. To Harvest, who he considered a friend, he was nothing more than fuel. It didn't matter. All that remained was the anger that burned in his heart.
"Canis..." Arin whispered, holding her mouth in grief. Canis had always been this way—someone who tortured himself, unable to do anything for the ones he loved.
"Master! Save Canis! Please!" Arin cried, desperate.
Though he wasn't supposed to be a teacher, Arin set aside her pride, pleading for Canis' life. But Arcane only coldly gave an order to Harvest.
"End this, Harvest."
Harvest, overloaded with energy, couldn't respond. He was about to explode, vibrating uncontrollably. This was exactly what Arcane wanted.
– "Canis, listen closely."
– "Harvest."
– "Arcane plans to make me explode. Everyone here will be caught in the blast. Then, you and I are finished."
Arin broke the mental connection with the students and rushed toward Arcane, crying.
"Save Canis! Or I will never forgive you!"
"Stop!" Canis shouted, rising to his feet. "What are you doing to Master? Stop now!"
"Canis, this human—!"
"Yes, I know. Master saved us from hell. He let me escape Radum. That's enough. I'll fight until the end."
Did Canis really mean it? But it didn't matter now. His anger burned so fiercely that he almost felt at peace with the idea of dying.
"Fine! We'll all die together!" Canis screamed to the sky, hot tears streaming down his face. What a miserable life he had. But if that was his fate, he would face it to the bitter end.
"Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Harvest's body bubbled as the molecules inside it boiled. Anyone watching could tell—Arcane was planning to blow up the entire school.
"Shirone! Stop! Harvest is going to explode!" Ethela shouted.
Shirone, lost in a trance while pouring out his energy, heard her warning and hurriedly cut off the output. But it was too late. The detonation had already begun inside Harvest's body, and the next explosions were imminent.
"Ha ha ha ha! Goodbye! You'll feel dirty dying with someone like me! I'll end it all here!" Harvest laughed manically.
– "Canis… sorry."
Canis' face hardened as he heard the words.
– "I'll cancel the master-servant contract."
Harvest absorbed the remaining mental energy and severed the bond. Canis felt his soul being drained, collapsing in shock onto the floor.
"Why… Harvest…?"
Harvest flew into the sky. How many seconds were left before the explosion? Three seconds? Two? As he raced toward the end, the vibrations of his memories surged. "Harvest… Harvest… I won't hear your voice anymore…"
"Quack. Canis… You always had this problem, pretending to be strong when you didn't need to."
Since there had never been a life worth saving, Harvest wasn't afraid of death. He was just worried. The feeling of betrayal that still lingered in the mental link with Canis was painful. But now, he couldn't express anything. He could only hope.
"Please, Canis… don't hurt too much."
At an altitude of two kilometers above the earth, where no voice could reach, the corners of the shadow's mouth twisted grotesquely.
"It was fun, though. Canis."
With a deafening roar, the world was engulfed in a massive explosion.