Infinite Mage

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For the first time, Amyra's eyes, which had been firmly set, wavered. Even her steel-like determination melted away upon seeing Alpheas Myrhe's face.

Why wouldn't it? He had been with her since the days when she wet the bed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burden you with this."

Amyra bowed her head, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I don't mean to cause pain to the Headmaster. Those who are respected by the world should not cover up their wrongdoings. Otherwise, the school might even..."

"I understand. None of you here are hated by me. You are the future of the school."

Alpheas looked at Amyra with a sympathetic gaze. All the students gathered here were like his own children that he had nurtured. He felt nothing but regret for having caused them any hurt.

Lifting her head again, Amyra looked at Alpheas with moist eyes. He was smiling kindly, just like she remembered from her childhood.

"Will you trust me just this once? Once Shirone's matter is settled, I will handle everything transparently. Even if I am to be punished, I will stand proudly before my beloved students. There will be no running away."

Hot tears streamed down Amyra's cheeks.

"Will you really return? The one I admire..."

"Of course. There will be no deceit in my punishment. I promise you, with my life's honor."

Amyra wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She could never cry in front of Alpheas. She wanted to show him how much more mature she had become since childhood.

"Understood. Since you have spoken thus, the student council will reconsider the matter. I hope you will not do anything to tarnish your honor."

Alpheas smiled contentedly. She had grown into a smart and mature student. The child who used to run to him calling, 'Headmaster Dun-Dang!' had grown up so much.

'Erina, perhaps my life hasn't been in vain after all.'

With the student council president's decision, the protestors immediately disbanded. The conservative faction that had occupied the entrance scattered, and the front of the building quickly became desolate.

Fermi Ardino, the only one left, scratched his head awkwardly.

"Ah, it was going so well, but it got messed up at the end."

Alpheas burst into a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! It seems things didn't go as planned this time, Fermi."

"It can't be helped. Honestly, I think it's cheating for the Headmaster to step in."

"You should be graduating soon, right? You'll be twenty-two next year."

"Maybe. Maybe not. There's no better money-making place than here, after all."

"Is that so?"

Alpheas was aware that Fermi was a key figure in orchestrating this situation. But to him, Fermi was just a student who had grown up too fast.

"Besides, this place is still fun for me. I'll be taking my leave now."

Without any further pleasantries, Fermi bowed and walked away. He probably wouldn't set foot in the student council again after today. After all, peaceful places don't make money.

Heading towards the infirmary, Yiruki and Nade were silent. It was their first serious argument in five years, and the awkwardness lingered. But Nade couldn't stand the atmosphere.

"Hey! How can you not say a word? You don't need to fool me, too. You're just trying to look cool, right?"

"That's ridiculous. What's the point of discussing strategies with someone swimming in a sea of sorrow? Besides, if information leaks, they'll take measures, too. Why can't you think straight?"

"Fine, I'm an idiot! Why are you always thinking you're so great!?"

Whether it was anger or insults, the conversation broke the ice. The awkwardness vanished in an instant. Yiruki asked with a worried expression.

"But what about you? It's not good to revert to your old temperament, no matter how angry you are."

Nade wrapped his head in regret.

"Ah, I don't know. I didn't have time to think about anything else at that moment. Anyway, we didn't fight, so it's fine."

"Yeah, I was pretty cool, wasn't I? You've probably already forgotten."

"You're joking. You had it all calculated, didn't you?"

"Hahaha, what does it matter? You should bow down to me."

The conversation between the two ended as the door to the infirmary opened. Amy was waiting to meet them. Yiruki scratched his head awkwardly. It was still difficult for him to be comfortable around Amy, unlike with Nade.

"Well, it turned out like this. Anyway, we protected Shirone..."

Just as he tried to brush it off, tears streamed down Amy's eyes.

"Thank you. Thank you, Yiruki..."

Yiruki looked terrified.

"Ugh, enough."

Uncomfortable with emotions, he quickly escaped into the infirmary. However, there awaited Sharelle, another bundle of emotions, with open arms.

Yiruki dodged Sharelle's embrace with a weaving technique from boxing and took refuge beside Shirone.

'Ugh, this is why I can't stand women.'

At the door, Sharelle and Amy hugged each other and started jumping around joyfully. Nade joined in, and the infirmary became a whirl of excitement.

"Woohoo! We did it! Shirone is saved!"

Even Yiruki, amidst the cheerful atmosphere, couldn't help but smile slightly. But deep down, he wasn't feeling as optimistic. They had only postponed Shirone's death on paper; the situation hadn't really improved.

Shirone still lay motionless, as if asleep. The promise to be together after graduation was still fresh in his mind, yet it felt unreal that the person himself might be dead.

'Come back. I'll wait for you, no matter how long.'

Shirone regained consciousness. More precisely, he went from one form of madness to another. His mind, like a coin spinning rapidly between the North and South poles, oscillated between normality and insanity.

He seemed to go mad a thousand times. Though he desperately tried to hold onto his sanity, the overwhelming stimuli infiltrated Shirone's essence, altering his nature.

"You are an abandoned child. Your parents would have been fine with anyone but you. Did they never struggle raising you? Every time, they must have regretted it. Wishing they hadn't picked you up. If you had been with your birth parents, such thoughts would never have crossed their minds."

"No! That can't be true!"

"Your essence is that of a vile predator. With your superior abilities, you trample over everyone. Your power inevitably leads to someone's failure. You are an unnecessary tumor in this world."

Shirone went mad again, feeling as if his mind reeked of foulness. What would he become if this fusion ended now? A demon? A yaksha? A devil? It was uncertain.

The pace of his madness accelerated. As he reached the limit, two contrasting natures began to coexist simultaneously in his mind.

It was a new world.

In a state of supreme mental clarity, unreachable by any drug, Shirone finally found the only solution to maintain his sanity.

The origin.

If the extremities of the cycle are the limits, the origin is the starting point of these limits. But it contained the potential to encompass the entire world.

Some call it a spot. Others call it a Spirit Zone. Yet others, the Taiji. But a mage would call it this:

Infinity.

Shirone's eyes snapped open. The Spirit Zone, which had been sucked into his head, began restoring the myriad of particles fluttering at superluminal speeds back to a mental body.

From the center of infinity, Shirone remained unshaken. The tormenting voices disappeared, and the strength of his psyche tightened like a diamond.

The state of Vajra, reachable only after thousands of mental torments.

Indestructible Vajra.

Shirone, burning brightly, looked towards the exit. There was no more confusion. As he moved, the warm and bright light of the exit merged with his body.

A small, transparent glass bead floated before him. Inside the tiny bead, which could fit on his palm, was the temple he had just left and a woman looking up at Shirone.

"You're finally leaving, Shirone."

"I'm sorry, but I want to go back."

"There's no need to apologize. Honestly, I didn't think you'd succeed. You are worthy."

The woman's unexpected acquiescence made Shirone's departure feel heavy. Maybe that's why he felt compelled to ask despite it being irrelevant now.

"Were you lonely?"

The woman blinked in surprise, then smiled warmly.

"Shirone, you are kind. But gods don't feel loneliness. I'm just a bit sad that you're leaving. Just a bit."

"Thank you for reviving me. I really wanted to say that."

The woman's expression turned serious for a moment.

"Remember this. There won't be a second chance. Having reached the state of Vajra, you're no longer a being who can be invited here."

Shirone nodded firmly and walked towards the exit. As his mind was pulled into another dimension of space-time, he felt a warm light.

'I'm finally going back.'

As his consciousness faded, he heard the woman's voice.

-Please send my regards to Headmaster Alpheas.

Even in his blurred state, Shirone wondered how she knew Headmaster Alpheas. But his thoughts didn't last long, and his spirit smoothly merged back into his body.

On the 10th day of Shirone's death.

"Ugh."

Amy Karmis woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Stretching her back in the chair, she heard a crack. Staying up every night, her body moved, but her brain still felt asleep.

Looking around, her friends were still asleep. After drinking water and washing up, she approached Shirone, drying her face with a towel.

"Shirone, will you come back today…?"

Amy's breath hitched with a gasp. Her heart pounded in her ears. A chill ran up her spine, shaking her shoulders and face.

Shirone had opened his eyes.

"What? What?"

Amy called Nade and Yiruki, who were sleeping on a spread blanket.

"He, here... here, here..."

She couldn't find her words. She tried to make a sound, but her throat felt blocked. Amy took a deep breath, closed her eyes tightly, and screamed.

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

Nade and Yiruki jolted awake at the ear-piercing scream in the infirmary.

"What! What is it!"

Alpheas steadied his trembling heart and reached out his hand. Even he, a Grade-4 mage, couldn't help but be startled seeing Shirone with his eyes open.

Shirone was currently under a Slow Magic spell. He probably spent the entire night just lifting his eyelids. To really know if he was alive, the spell had to be dispelled.

Alpheas placed his hand on Shirone's chest and turned back time. Yet, Shirone still showed no signs of movement. What happened next was beyond anyone's guess. It was left to the will of the heavens.

"Huff!"

Suddenly, Shirone gasped for air and sat up. The faces of those anxiously watching brightened. On the other hand, Shirone looked terrified, as if he had returned from hell.

"What happened? How?"

Shirone was startled by the rush of air entering his lungs. The world in Slow State appeared as a colorful abstract painting. As the scenery returned to normal, he saw the faces of the people, with Amy and friends crying behind Alpheas.

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