Part Thirty-One

Queen Celeste's eyes fixate on the remnants of the blown-up head, her mind racing with questions. 'He knew the exact position despite hiding its presence. Just who is he?' she ponders, trying to make sense of the situation.

Kael, sensing her confusion, decides to stir the pot further. "The seal has been cracked," he states matter-of-factly, a smirk playing behind his mask. 'Hehehe, let's see if I can surprise her at least one more time. I don't get to do this too often,' he muses internally.

Celeste, her glare intensifying, responds firmly, "I will deal with that later." She grips her sheathed sword and, with a mix of curiosity and suspicion, asks, "What is your goal?"

Kael, enjoying the interaction, decides to withhold the full truth. 'Hmhmhmhm, it would be boring if I told you, Rose~' Instead, he chooses to reveal a piece of alarming information. "Fourteen Professors and 161 students have been corrupted."

Upon hearing this, Celeste's expression turns grave. '175... The Cult managed to get that many without being noticed? Is he threatening me?' she wonders, feeling the weight of the revelation. In a swift motion, she unsheathes her sword and points it an inch away from Kael's throat. Her voice is cold, calculated, and commanding as she demands, "Do not threaten me. What are you after?"

Ilka, perched atop Kael's head, hops onto the sword, her annoyance palpable. "Look at this brat, how dare she point her sword like that! Oi, Kael, I was thinking of using maybe 20% of my spiritual pressure, but I'll use 25%. Okay, so let me do it already."

Kael internally sighs, 'Tsk, Ilka is ruining the fun.' He had hoped to prolong the intriguing encounter, but Ilka's impatience threatens to disrupt the carefully crafted atmosphere. 'I'm glad she can't be seen, or she would ruin everything.'

Kael, unfazed by the sword just inches from his throat, responds with a cold, dismissive tone. "Put it down before you hurt yourself." Effortlessly, he steps aside, as if the blade poses no threat. 'Hahahaha, I want her to see me as a mysterious and powerful man,' he thinks, relishing the situation.

Queen Celeste watches his back, her glare intensifying. 'He knows who I am and isn't afraid. He's confident he can beat me. While he's not part of the cult, he could still be an enemy. The only way to know for sure is to test his strength,' she reasons, her mind racing with strategies.

Kael, sensing her intentions, grins inwardly. 'Ah, little Rose~ I know exactly what you're trying to do. I can see it on your face,' he muses.

Extending his hand towards her, he offers a piece of advice, his voice cool and detached. "Let me give you some advice," he says, exuding an air of superiority.

However, Queen Celeste, driven by a need to assess his true capabilities, lashes out. "Let me test your worth," she declares, swinging her sword towards him.

Kael stands confidently, unperturbed by her attack. "Fool," he says, in a cold tone. 'There's no way I can react in time for that, but there's no need to.'

Ilka, perched on Kael's head, grins maliciously. "Hmmm... Let's start at 10%," she says, her tiny figure glowing brighter as she releases her spiritual pressure.

Kael, unable to feel the pressure himself, observes Queen Celeste's reaction. 'I wish I could feel it as well,' he contemplates. 'Then again, maybe it's better this way.'

Struggling under the immense spiritual pressure, Queen Celeste grits her teeth. 'His spiritual pressure is no joke, but he's not so strong that I can't beat him,' she thinks, refusing to yield despite the overwhelming force.

Ilka, noticing Celeste's resilience, decides to up the ante. "Oh look at that, is this brat looking down at my spiritual pressure? Let's raise it up to 20%," she declares, her glow intensifying as she releases more spiritual pressure.

Kael, though unaware of the exact effects, enjoys the spectacle. Queen Celeste's eyes shake with shock and disbelief. 'What the hell is this? This pressure is on the same level as Darius!' she realizes, falling to her knees as she struggles to stay upright. She coughs up blood, her thoughts racing. 'Tsk, I should have been more careful. For someone to be on the same level as Darius, he must be a hidden figure. I might be able to escape, but the damage done would be catastrophic.'

Kael, observing her kneeling before him, feels a surge of satisfaction. 'It feels good to have the queen kneeling down in front of me.'

Ilka, looking down at Celeste, suggests, "Oh ho~ She's still fighting~ Hey, Kael, taunt her or something."

Kael smirks at Ilka's suggestion. Leaning down, he looks at Celeste and says in a cold, confident, yet calm voice, "Stand up, I've only used a quarter of my spiritual pressure."

Queen Celeste, overwhelmed by the power, clenches her fist in frustration and disbelief. 'Is he human?' she wonders, coughing up more blood.

Ilka then releases an additional 5% of her spiritual pressure, and Celeste collapses onto the ground, her trembling arms barely keeping her head up. The queen's resolve remains unbroken, her gaze firm and cold despite her precarious situation.

Kael deftly grabs Ilka, bringing her to his eye level. "Okay, okay! I get it," she concedes, her spiritual pressure ceasing. Queen Celeste, catching her breath, realizes the gravity of the situation. 'I almost passed out. This man is dangerous. I can't afford to have him as an enemy,' she thinks, her mind calculating the potential risks and benefits of this alliance.

Kael, looking down at the queen with a cold, calculating gaze, acknowledges her resilience. "You did better than I expected," he remarks in a calm, detached tone. He begins to walk away, casually commanding, "Come."

Queen Celeste rises, popping her neck bones back into place. 'For now, I'll follow him. If he had wanted to, he could have killed me long ago,' she rationalizes, her steps matching his pace.

Breaking the silence, she offers a firm apology. "I apologize for my poor judgment."

Kael, however, dismisses her apology nonchalantly. 'You know, after being around so many idiots, it feels nice to be with someone reliable and mature,' he contemplates. He then casually advises, "There is no need to call the archpriest." He surmises, 'She's probably concerned about the corrupted. Given her sour relationship with the church, it's highly likely she would've been overcharged.'

Queen Celeste nods in agreement, her mind buzzing with questions. 'How much does he know? This random, powerful person... Does Darius know who he is?'

"What is your plan?" she inquires, curious about his intentions and next steps.

Kael, confidently navigating through the broken halls, finally divulges his plan. "To fix the seal, you need the core of an ancient Gorthuon Golem, the blood of a 12-headed hydra, a specialized magic stone from the high eastern lands, the core of a three-horned unicorn, and ten tons of pure gold." He lists the requirements in a cold, matter-of-fact tone. 'Hmmm... I think that's everything she needs to completely seal up that monster.'

Celeste, mentally cataloging each item, ponders their significance. 'Most of these can be requested from a guild, but what is a Gorthuon Golem?' Her gaze shifts to the masked man. 'He knows a lot about this. Does he have information about the beast that I'm not privy to?' she wonders, contemplating the depth of Kael's knowledge and the mysteriousness of his identity.

Queen Celeste, her curiosity piqued, inquires, "Where can I find a Gorthuon Golem?" Her eyes are fixed on Kael, seeking answers amidst the chaos.

Kael strides forward confidently, gun in hand. Ilka, perched above, points to the right, excitedly exclaiming, "Boom Boom!" mimicking the sound of his gun. Following her cue, Kael aims in that direction and fires, piercing the skull of a hidden monster. 'These damn monsters are everywhere,' he thinks, maintaining his composure. He then casually informs Celeste, "The Gorthuon Golems can be found in the old witch ruins. Your friend Lilith should know the location."

Queen Celeste's gaze lingers on his gun, pondering its capabilities. 'How much firepower does that thing have?' she wonders silently. 'He talks about Lilith as if she's just some kid. Where is he leading me? Everything is a complete mess here.'

After a few minutes of silent walking, Celeste finally breaks the silence. "Are you the one responsible for creating the magic circle I sensed earlier?" she asks, her tone laced with a mix of suspicion and awe.

Kael grins to himself, pleased with the effect he's having on her. 'Hehehe, right now I probably seem like some overpowered man. Time to add more fuel to the fire,' he thinks. Rather than giving a straightforward answer, Kael decides to demonstrate his prowess. He knows he can't recreate the same spell due to its dangers, but he can replicate a basic version that, while functionally inert, still looks impressive. Lifting his palm, he casts the magic circle, its intricate patterns and pure energy immediately captivating Celeste.

"Amazing... This is the first time I've sensed such purity in magic," Celeste marvels, her eyes reflecting the awe she feels. 'What sort of knowledge and training do you need to create this? Lilith will be jealous when I mention this,' she muses, deeply impressed.

Kael observes her reaction with satisfaction. 'Hehehe, I have her by the leash now. I bet if I told her to do something, she'd do it without questioning,' he thinks, pleased with the influence he's exerted.

Queen Celeste, grappling with the magnitude of the situation, finally voices a critical concern. "How do you plan on dealing with the corruption?" she asks, her tone reflecting the gravity of the issue. 'As powerful as he is, dealing with corrupted mana is always tricky. And it's even worse with these students since they have a parasite in their heads.'

Kael, however, doesn't respond to her question directly. Instead, he continues walking, his focus elsewhere. The ground trembles beneath them, resonating with the distant sounds of battle. 'The other professors are stuck dealing with the endless number of monsters. Professor Thaddeus should be fine, but he will end up killing two of them,' Kael thinks, calculating the unfolding events.

He taps on his earpiece and says succinctly, "Now." Lysandra's voice responds from the other end, "Finally, I was getting bored here, you know." This exchange does not escape Celeste's notice. 'So, he's here with someone else. What have they set up?' she wonders, her curiosity piqued.

Kael leads Celeste into a room, and they ascend floor after floor until they can see the area below. From her vantage point, Celeste observes the situation unfolding. 'So he grouped all of them. The three fighting in front seem to be students; he probably manipulated them into helping him,' she surmises, trying to piece together Kael's plan.

Kael, turning to face Celeste, hands her a magic stone with a magic circle engraved on it. "Set up the array yourself," he instructs plainly.

Celeste hesitates, taking the stone in her hand. 'He wants me to set an array? How... I don't know much about arrays,' she thinks, her uncertainty evident.

Kael smirks, noticing her confusion. 'She doesn't know what to do, huh.' He then instructs her further, "Everything is set up. Fill that stone with your mana, do not stop until the process is complete."

Queen Celeste, channeling her mana into the stone, is awestruck by the phenomenon unfolding before her. 'This is incredible,' she thinks, observing the mana she transfers into the stone manifesting into visible energy that radiates outwards. Around the academy, the magic circles Ash had set up begin to illuminate, each glowing with a vibrant intensity.

Near the fountain, Lysandra sits idly, a bored expression on her face despite the magical spectacle around her. "How boring," she yawns, seemingly unimpressed, as the water in the fountain starts to shoot upwards, emitting a white glow.

An intricate array, expansive and complex, now spans most of the academy. Celeste watches in astonishment as strands of lightning weave through the air, a part of the grand design. Her knowledge of arrays, while limited, is enough to recognize the extraordinary feat unfolding. 'This is insane... I don't know much about arrays, but I do know that you can't use an affinity within an array without extremely long mathematical equations. These would need to account for the mana being provided, as well as the level of control with the affinity being used,' she contemplates, her mind trying to grasp the enormity of the task.

Her gaze shifts to Kael, standing confidently amidst the chaos. Though she can't see his face, her curiosity about him intensifies. 'He did the math... on me? He knew beforehand everything regarding my mana as well as my affinity. He predicted... no, he orchestrated it so that I would visit the Academy and meet him. Everything is under his control... How...' she wonders, her disbelief.