Enlightenment

--- Akira ---

'How do I beat this kid while humiliating him to the fullest?'

It's a question that's been nagging at me these past few days, all thanks to a quest I can't ignore.

[A Capable Brother: I]

[Description: Your sister is aware you have been bullied your entire life. —Prove her she's just worrying for nothing.

Tasks to Complete:

Humiliate all the main Bullies behind the bullying(2/7)

Complete the Chain Quest [Time To Shine: I] (1/1)

Have your Sister recognize your value(0/1)

Additional Information:

Once a [Bully] is properly humiliated, ??? will tremendously increase.

??? is one of the main conditions to achieve the [Best Possible Path] in Regular Trials...

On Failure: The Original Identity will steal your [Perfect Mana Pathways+] after you leave the Trials

On Success: Level Up(50), [Pushion Understanding] Skill, [???] System Feature]

So far, I've already managed to humiliate two of the main bullies, as the quest outlined.

But that's where it gets strange—I still have no clue what "???" actually is.

There's been no real change I could sense.

'Guess I'll find out once I finish the quest.'

It's not like I'm letting it bother me too much, but it does add some extra weight to everything.

At this point, I have so many ways to make Shun crumble that it's hard to choose one.

In the end, I decided to start simple: avoid his shots.

You're so weak that I don't even need my magic to defeat you—kind of thing.

And so far, everything was going perfectly.

Until...something changed.

Like a supernova birthing a universe of understanding within my mind, waves of pure, crystalline clarity exploded outward, each ripple removing doubts I never knew existed.

Knowledge flooded every corner of my consciousness, leaving nothing untouched, nothing unclear.

From the deepest recesses of my soul erupted a joy so profound it threatened to overwhelm me.

I was truly shocked.

For the briefest moment, confusion flickered across my thoughts, but it dissipated like morning mist before the rising sun, as though this transcendent state was the most natural thing in the world.

No, explosions weren't enough to describe it.

This was...Enlightenment.

The very concept of needing a System to create skills seemed laughably primitive now.

The truth was simple: anything I could think of, I could achieve, through Magic alone.

My carefully crafted plans for Shun suddenly seemed like a child's crayon drawings.

No—Shun himself had become as significant as a grain of sand.

"...[Stop]."

The word fell from my lips, neither loud nor low.

And yet, it had tremendous effects.

More than two-thirds of my Mana vanished in an instant, but what I witnessed in return was worth every single drop of it.

The bullets that had been shot toward me gradually slowed down to a crawl.

They stopped just short of hitting me, frozen as perfectly as insects in amber.

Just like my Enlightenment, the effect rippled outward like a stone dropped in still water.

Shun, the arena, the countless faces in the crowd—all of them were caught in it, reduced to living statues.

The raw feeling of power coursing through me was intoxicating, to the point I almost lost my mind in it.

But I managed to fight back, forcing my mind to maintain its analytical edge even in this state.

This wasn't true time manipulation, of course.

My current self, powerful as I had become, still lacked the power needed to truly grasp and bend the fabric of space-time.

This was an imitation, a shadow of that kind of power.

The moment I entered this state, I felt it—a sensation that demanded my complete attention.

[Your Magic System compatibility has exceeded 99%]

[Your Inner Mana Elevation has been completed]

[Your Authority of Mana has gone through a profound change]

[Your Mana Purity has reached a certain threshold]

[Your Mana Perception has reached a certain threshold]

[Your Mana rank has increased]

[Your [Perfect Mana Pathways]+ have evolved into [Noble Mana Pathways]]

[You have acquired the Ascension-Type Talent [Mana Noble]]

[Your Talent [Mana Noble] has consumed your Talent [Mana]]

[Your Talent [Mana Noble] has leveled up]

[Your Talent [Mana Noble] has leveled up]

[Your Talent [Mana Noble] has leveled up]

.

.

.

[The Authority of Mana is shaking]

[The Authority of Limits is shaking]

[The Authority of Balance is shaking]

.

.

.

[The Authority of the Sword stares at the Talent [Mana Noble]]

[The Talent [Mana Noble] temporarily falls silent]

[The other Authorities of Mana, Limits and Adaptability fall silent]

.

.

.

[The Authority of Balance is not satisfied with this situation, rebuking the Talent of the Sword]

[The Authority of the Sword does not reply to the Authority of Balance]

[The Authority of Balance scoffs, encouraging the other Authorities to seek Balance]

[The Authority of Adaptability agrees with the Authority of Balance]

[The Authority of Limits is angered at the #!??? restricting your Physical Body]

[Your Passive Skills have reacted to the Authorities' resolve]

.

.

.

[The Authority of the Sword calmly watches over the situation]

.

.

.

For once, everything was perfectly clear.

I didn't need to read any prompts.

I could feel it.

My gaze drifted skyward, past the drifting clouds, as something unfathomably large stared back at me.

A massive eye hung there, observing from what appeared to be another dimension entirely, though its presence was undeniable.

It was reminiscent of that moment when the [Eye of Judgement] had appeared.

And now, both similar and different from then, a blood-red prompt manifested in my vision.

[??? is gazing at the one attempting #!??_]

Even in this state, I can't read it, huh.

Disappointing.

Perhaps this presence had always been there, concealed just beyond my senses, beyond what my strength could perceive. But now, in this state, there was no mistaking it.

Its motives were beyond question.

An entity of the System, bound to observe, incapable of direct interference—its only purpose to watch over the target, which in this case, must be the World itself.

Most likely, he's an existence on par with Luna.

A so-called [Pawn]

Heh.

[Your Existence Level is too low]

I doubled over, hacking up a mouthful of blood. It felt like my insides were being shredded, my organs struggling to keep up with the immense pressure.

The being before me was on a completely different level, far beyond anything I could hope to challenge.

But even as my body screamed in protest, there was no point in worrying about it.

I wiped the blood spilling from my lips, a small smile on my face.

[Warning! The presence of ??? is too high. The World cannot bear it]

[The World is in danger: Low-level threat]

[The fundamental Laws of the Universe have stepped in]

[3 Laws have partially manifested]

[The [Law of Cause and Effect] has stopped ???]

[The [Law of Origin] curiously gazes at ???]

[The [Law of Unity] stares at you]

[The Authority of Balance greets the [Law of Unity], feeling like a meeting between two long-lost brothers]

[The [Law of Unity] is intrigued]

[The [Law of Unity] blesses the Authority of Balance]

[Your Authority of Balance has been profoundly strengthened]

[The Authority of Balance gazes at the Authority of the Sword, bragging]

[The Authority of the Sword does not reply to the Authority of Balance]

[The [Law of Origin] faintly gazes at the Authority of the Sword]

[The Authority of the Sword denies the [Law of Origin]]

[The [Law of Origin] returns its gaze to ??? in silence]

.

.

. 

[Your Physical Body does not meet the requirements for #!?!#@??]

[Your Authority of the Sword glances at [—'s Will] binding you from #!???]

[[—'s Will] trembles]

[The Authority of the Sword stops the Authorities, Skills, and Talents from acting further, offering a compromise to the [Law of Cause and Effect]]

[All Authorities, Talents and Skills stop operating as a sign of sincerity]

[The [Law of Cause and Effect] agrees to the compromise. ??? is required to accept it]

[??? accepts the conditions]

[??? retracts their gaze] 

[Your Passive Skills and Authorities cannot force the elevation anymore due to the compromise. [#!?__:] —will be converted in levels and skills]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

[You have leveled up]

.

.

.

I only have four words to explain this situation: What a fucking mess.

But I can't dwell on it. Not now.

The Enlightenment was rapidly disappearing, like smoke in the wind.

Fuck.

I couldn't let it slip away. Not without making the most out of it.

"Yui!" I shouted, hoping her computational power could help me

But even as I called out, it was futile.

She couldn't help me.

I sat cross-legged on the ground, my mind racing against time.

The world around me blurred as, in the midst of all this, I had to keep dragging the flow of time from resuming.

Even if I was ten times stronger than I was at the moment, it would still be impossible to multitask to this level, especially with the absolute clarity over Magic disappearing.

[The Authority of Mana takes charge of the unnamed Magic]

[The Authority of the Sword offers insights over Time and Space Magic]

[The Authority of Limits uses all its Authority to grab a wisp of this state]

[The Authority of Adaptability uses its Authority to enforce the Authority of Limits]

[The Authority of Balance focuses on the recovery of your Physical Body]

[The Authority of Lightning feels left out. It will temporarily let itself be absorbed by the Authority of Mana]

That's the spirit!

Never back down, never what!?

Right, everyone?

[All the Authorities agree]

With those few precious seconds given by my Authorities to catch my breath, I could finally focus.

Just one question pressed on my mind.

What kind of Magic—or Ability—did I need most right now?

---

Author's Note:

Wow, shit's going down, huh.

Who is ???

Find out in the future...I guess?

Either way, did you like the chap? :D