With a circle of light shone from the ground, both Edrian and Alice had arrived In a different part of the Organization’s base where a sort of throne room with stone walls and a long red carpet stretches to a chair made with red leathering and mahogany wood.

“Where are we?” Alice wondered.

“Silias’s room.” Edrian replied. “There’s supposed to be something here that could help us…”

Alice shook her head.

“Never mind about that, what about Kazuma? We can’t just leave him to fight off against Silias.”

“Fight or not, it makes for a useful distraction while he keeps him busy. He’ll be fine… probably.” He assured her as his hands searches along the walls.

“Probably? He’s only been in one battle, let alone his knowledge on magic.” Alice said sternly with her arms crossed.

“We can’t afford to hand you over to Silias.”

Edrian looked over at Alice who seemed to be dissatisfied with his reasons.

“…You’re right.” He said with a sigh. “He’s no magician, and there’s no telling how he’ll fair. But have faith, he’ll manage.”

“What makes you so sure?” Alice asked with her eyebrow raised.

“Call it a magician’s intuition. He’s stronger than you think.”

“I hope so…” She muttered with doubt as she clenched her fist. “But if anything happens to Kazuma, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“…Fair enough.” Edrian replied as he goes back to searching.

She takes a deep breath to relieve the anger and focused on assisting Edrian as a way of complying.

“So what is it we’re exactly looking for?”

“Master Ellis said that he and Silias had left some research in a hidden room. You can help look for a switch or something, but we don’t have much time though since other magicians will be here any moment—”

Suddenly, Edrian and Alice were both interrupted by the sound of the door breaking down behind them. Two magicians came crashing in from behind and Edrian swiftly pivoted to turn around confront the enemy while Alice took cover behind him.

“Speak of the devil…”

“Give it up Edrian.” One of them said as the approached them.

The enemy kept approached them slowly while still maintaining distance from their targets. Their hands gleamed with colored auras ready to attack. With Alice’s and Edrian’s backs against the wall, there was nowhere else for them to escape. Edrian put his hand out, signaling the magicians to stop.

“Hold on. Why are you still following him? Don’t you know what Silias has been doing?” Edrian asked.

“We should be the ones asking you that, traitor.” One of the magicians responded. “You swore loyalty to the Organization, so how could you betray us?”

“That’s not it. Don’t you see? This Project that Silias created has gone into the wrong direction. We’ve lost sight of our true purpose in this Organization. He’s just using you for his own personal gain.”

“The reason we do this is because Master Silias has given us all a place in our lives, a purpose to fulfill. Why help the girl escape her true calling in the Organization?”

“Alice has been manipulated for too long, and has no reason to stay here any longer. She deserves to live a normal life. What would Silias need of her now?”

“Silias knows what is right. He intends to improve world, and once the partner of that girl has been found, no one will be powerless anymore.”

“Don’t make me laugh. Are you aware that this girl has made the Contract with a partner?”

The two magicians looked at each other for a brief moment before looking back at Edrian.

“You’re lying.”

“It’s true…” Alice said as she shows them the glowing mark on her hand.

“We have been his pawns for far too long.” Edrian added. “He used us to serve for his own purpose alone, and once his own objective is complete, he will cast us away like the trash he thinks we are.”

“You speak of such nonsense, Edrian. Our Master has no intention of hurting our own. But this is your final warning, step aside, and surrender the girl or you will be annihilated.”

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Our mission has considered to be completed. The Project can finally end, and we can go back to the days before. What part of that do you people not understand?”

The hands of Silias’s subordinates began to ignite, ready to burst with energy. Edrian took a step back, prepared to counter anything that was aiming at him.

“…Fine then. I didn’t want to do this, but if you won’t listen to reason I might as well make it easy for you.”

One of the subordinates raised his finger and glowing red lines were drawn to form a magic circle pentagon. Roaring flames were aimed towards Edrian’s direction, and there was an explosion. When the smoke had cleared, Edrian and Alice was nowhere to be seen. The subordinates quickly glanced around them.

“Where’d they go?”

“Spread out. They could have gone far-”

Edrian’s fist swiftly hit the first subordinate’s face, while Alice elbowed the other’s stomach and kicked them both onto the ground. The two of them laid on the ground in pain while a third managed to sneak up behind them. Just before he could make a move, however, Edrian had already made a move on the other subordinate and took him out as well. Edrian and Alice both took a moment to process this, as Alice sighed with victory and Edrian dusted off his hands.

“Well, looks like they didn’t put much of a fight. So I guess that’s that. We’d better hurry and-” Edrian sighed as he crossed his arms.

When Edrian turned around to look at Alice’s direction, his eyes widened as another hooded magician grabbed him from behind. Alice had knelt down as she put her hands up in the air. They soon found themselves both surrounded by other Organization magicians.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Edrian jinxed himself.

“Edrian, we have you cornered. It is best that you surrender now.” One of group members said.

Edrian slowly knelt on his knees with his hands up. The magician holding Alice captive nodded to signal one of the magicians to restrain Edrian. His hands were tied behind his back as his head was looking down at the ground. They soon tied up Alice as well as they put them side by side to each other.

“We have them Master Ellis.”

“Good work.” Master Ellis said as he entered the room.

“Master…? But I thought…”

“Don’t worry about me… this will all be over soon.” He told Alice as he lifted his hand upwards with his index finger free while the middle finger and thumb were touching, and the other two fingers were curled.

With a single snap, there was a sudden flash of light that had filled the room. The magicians had all their hands over their heads, as if they had just woke up from a bad dream.

“What were we…”

“Are you alright?” Ellis asked them.

“I believe so… Master Ellis…! Were we—”

Soon enough, the other magicians had begun to realize their own misdeeds and had untied Alice and Edrian’s bindings.

“Forgive us, Master.” They all apologized simultaneously as they knelt on one knee.

“Were they…?” Alice skeptically questioned.

“In a matter of speaking, yes.” Edrian replied. “To put it bluntly, it seems to be that Silias was using a method that similar to brainwashing. I’m sure those constant meetings in the crystal chamber had to keep them in line so that the control would not expire so easily.”

“True, we now know the source, but there are more members who are still under his influence.” Ellis nodded agreeingly.

“Can we help in any way?” One of the members asked. “It’s the least we can do to atone what we’ve done…”

“Of course.” Ellis smiled. “The mission is not over yet. All of you will join Edrian to help the others in the Organization to break free of the control…”

“What about Silias?” Edrian interrupted.

“I’ll handle the matter.” Ellis says.

“I’ll come too. I can help.” Alice added.

“No, you must help the others first. I cannot allow myself to put you into anymore danger.”

“Master… are you sure?” Edrian asked. “Silias was…”

“I know… he may not even be the same person I knew before. Even so, I’d like to say my farewells. Now then… we all know our roles?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good. I hope to see you all safe.”

Just as everyone had left the room with goals to fulfill, Edrian had stopped one of the Organization’s before they left.

(“A moment, please.”) Edrian told him. (“This won’t take long.”)

The member nodded, and as everyone had left the room only the two were

“What is it you wish to talk about?” He asked.

“Help me find the other subjects.”

“…This is the end.” Silias said to Kazuma.

No way out. For Kazuma, this is exactly what it looks if he does nothing in the next minute. Silias readied his attack and was going to end his life right then and there. With one option left in his mind, Kazuma kept his head down began to run the opposite direction.

The exact moment when Silias launched the large scale attack, Kazuma exerted force from his right hand. As a result, there was an explosion that shook the entire castle and left the area in which the entire courtyard was left with nothing but smoke and rubble.

“…What a pitiful sight.” Silias sighed. “Such was expected as someone like him.”

Suddenly, something caught the attention of the Organization’s leader. As the smoke had began to settle, Kazuma looked up at Silias’s direction as he gripped his fist with the glowing symbol of his Contract on the back of his hand and his eyes that had gleamed a multitude of colors. After a brief moment, the gleam in his eyes and hand had faded away. Kazuma knelt to the ground due to dizziness, and tried to shake it off. For the most part, he finds himself unscathed.

“That’s enough Silias.” A familiar stern voice suddenly called out.

Kazuma looked up at the brown cloaked magician that was in front of his line of sight.

(Who…?) He thought.

“I knew it… So your true colors have finally shown… Ellis.” Silias smirked.

Once he took off his hood, Kazuma had recognized his face. The old sage with a short white beard was none other than Master Ellis himself.

“Master Ellis…”

“Are you alright Kazuma?” Ellis asked.

“I’m fine. What about Alice?”

“Not to worry, she is safe.”

“Hmph.” Silias smirked. “So you’ve decided to show yourself Ellis. To think we’d face against each other to face like this… why am I not surprised?”

“This needs to stop now Silias. The Project has failed. I won’t let you continue this any longer.”

“Failed? Don’t make me laugh. This Project has been a success. The boy and Alice is what I needed all along. It won’t be perfect at first, but once I have the two, I can accomplish what this world needs to see.”

“What this world needs to see?” Kazuma questioned.

“That’s right, boy. In this world, there is nothing more in this world that can make us better than power. Now with magic, we are more than what we can ever be.”

“Magic is not used for strife, Silias. The Organization was formed to keep peace and help the common people.”

“Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong Ellis. This Organization can do much more than that. Think of all the goals we can accomplish! We can fix all the wrongs and faults this world has caused! Wars we can finally end, diseases we can cure, all of this possible, and even be gods of this world.”

“We are mere men, not gods. We can’t change what we already know and bend the rules. There are guidelines, laws of this world we cannot break. If that balance is tampered with, we will all have to pay the price.”

Kazuma agreeing with Ellis’s words, he mustered whatever strength he has left to stand upright again, readying his sword.

“I see. Well that’s too bad. It looks like there’s no convincing you Ellis. You’ve always been that way. But no matter. I will claim what is mine.” Silias scoffed.

Silias had swiftly taken the opportunity to attack. Ellis took quick action and pushed Kazuma away and at the same time blocked Silias’s punch. The two of them had a brief exchange of punches before pushing themselves away from each other at a far distance, Kazuma looked over to see if Master Ellis was alright.

“Master Ellis!” Kazuma shouted.

Ellis kept his blocking stance for a moment before brushing the dust off his cloak like the attack had never even occurred to him.

“I am fine.”

Silias’s chuckles had grabbed their attention.

“You know better than anyone else when to give up, old friend.”

(Old friend?) Kazuma thought to himself. (Were these two…)

“And you know better than anyone that I won’t give up either.”

Ellis’s words made Silias laugh briefly before his expression turned somber.

“You don’t want to do this don’t you?” Silias asked him.

“No…” Ellis replied. “But you leave me no choice otherwise.”

Silias sprinted towards the unfazed Ellis, but instead of a frontal assault he attempted with an afterimage and instead with a back attack. As soon as he was able to reach him, Kazuma quickly interfered as he charged in with his blade. Silias didn’t expected this, and thus didn’t have much time to dodge his blade as well. Instead, Silias blocked it with his forearm and the two of them kept their distance from each other.

“Damn brat…” Silias scoffed as he applied pressure to the wound on his forearm.

“Kazuma… you didn’t have to—”

“Master Ellis,” Kazuma interrupted as he widened his stance with sword in hand. “I may not be strong as Alice or any other magician, and don’t know what your history with Silias is… but if he was indeed your friend, I’ll do what I can to help.”

Ellis was at a loss of words, and all he could do was nod and smiled at him.

“Silias… I won’t give up on you now.” Ellis stated.

“Hmph… you’re wasting your time, Ellis. One single second of hesitation will lead to your downfall.”

“…I won’t have to.”

Ellis put his hand on Kazuma’s shoulder and chanted: “Magiker av den gamle, gi meg muligheten til å velsigne denne kontraktbrukeren med styrken, slik at han kan spre alt som er bra.”

Suddenly, Kazuma had felt a rush of energy as those words were being chanted to him.

Without any time to waste, Silias hands gleamed with a dark purple aura as he charged at Kazuma. With every attack Silias threw at him, Kazuma deflected every one with his blade. Silias then flung his sword out of his hands and saw an opening for him to strike. Kazuma quickly reacted, and used his right hand to block Silias’s punch. Silias punched him once more and Kazuma caught his punch before it could reach him. With his attempt failed, Silias had backed off and kept his distance from Kazuma. Silias charged once more, but just when he thought he had Kazuma, he had already vanished. Kazuma attempted to strike from above. But when he slashed Silias, there were only the remains of his black cloak.

Kazuma landed on his feet and looked around to see where Silias was. A magic attack was fired from behind, and quickly used his right arm to block the attack. In doing so, there was smoke that had engulfed him. Silias had walked towards it to see if his efforts had succeeded, but within seconds afterwards Kazuma attacked him unexpectedly. Silias was prepared to block his attack, but when he attempted counter Kazuma, he only saw his afterimage disappear.

Silias’s eyes widened as his realized that Kazuma had outplayed him, he quickly created a barrier to protect himself. Kazuma still continued with the assault, and as he was still within range, their paths had crossed. Kazuma and Silias both turned around, and seconds later Silias grunted with pain as he knelt on one knee and dropped his barrier.

(Damn this child… he wasn’t as strong minutes before!)

He looked over at Kazuma was also breathing heavily, and Ellis who stood far behind Kazuma with a stern look on his face.

Silias gritted his teeth as he clenched his fist.

(Ellis… that snake—)

Suddenly, Silias’s expression of frustration had turned into an expression of evil laughter.

“Don’t get too confident, boy. Ellis may have helped you this time, but you can’t keep this up forever. The fatigue of your premature Contract will soon wear you out. You may have a Contract, but you are a novice at that.”

“…You’re right.” Kazuma admitted. “I’m no magician, but that doesn’t make me unable to fight.”

Chains suddenly binded around Silias as he was unable to move. He looked around him and saw that he was surrounded by the magicians of the Organization. It wasn’t long before Alice and Edrian were by their side as well.

“Was this your plan then? Well played…”

“You’ve lost Silias. It’s over.” Ellis said.

“Heh. So you’ve managed to make everyone turn against me…”

Silias lowered his head as he chuckled weakly at the face of his own defeat.

“What a fool I was… In the end of all of this, I was blinded by the single truth I had failed to comprehend all along. But listen well, even if you manage to succeed here, but you have yet to pass the next challenge.”

Just before Kazuma could speak, the ground beneath them began to rumble.

A large gust of wind blew and everyone that distanced themselves from Silias. Everyone covered their eyes, unable to see what was going on through the wind.

Moments later, the wind had calmed and what appeared before them was a large cylindrical shaped barrier. It seemed transparent, but inside was gray and it was impossible to make out of the inside.

“Is everyone okay?” Ellis asked.

Edrian approached it and knocked on it with his hand. It was impenetrable, and it doesn’t seem like there’s any way to enter from the outside.

“There’s no way in.” Edrian speculated.

“This seems to be Silias’s last resort.” Master Ellis explained.

“Last resort?”

“Yes. It seems that Silias has been cornered into a situation that he couldn’t have predicted himself to be in.”

Edrian looked around him but realized that Kazuma was not anywhere in the vicinity.

“Wait a minute, where did Kazuma go?”

Alice scurried around with a worried look on her face.

“KAZUMA!” She called out.

Her voice echoed throughout the courtyard, but there was no response. Ellis reassured her put his hand on Alice’s shoulder.

“No one has seen him.” Edrian interrupted. “Unless…”

They all looked at the large cylindrical barrier.

“…He’s inside.” Edrian answered.

“We have to get him out.” Alice said.

Ellis nodded.

“There’s no telling what he could do. Have the members unspell the barrier immediately.”

Alice felt a rush of fatigue throughout her entire body. Her breathing was heavy and she could feel immense pain everywhere.

“What… is this…?”

“Must be the Contract.” Edrian explained. “Looks like that Contract has finally bonded between the two of you.”

(What happened? Where am I?)

Kazuma shook his head and looked around him. There was a large amount of humidity and that eluded the ground and even his own surroundings. He took a few steps walking forward, and encountered the frail Silias that knelt on one leg, struggling to stand upright. He instinctively readied his sword as Silias chuckled.

“So… this is the end for me.” Silias chuckled weakly.

“Where are we?” Kazuma demanded.

“Listen well boy, as I don’t have much time left…” Silias wheezed. “This Project was meant for those who didn’t have mana. Magic was meant to be for those who did not possess any talent, and yet fate is cruel enough to give those who cannot use the mana that was given to them. The Contract allowed them to share magic, their wisdom.”

“Why tell me this?”

“You know why, boy.”

“Me…?”

“I started this to help people embrace the use of Contracts… who knew that I was beaten by a mere child?” He snickered.

“You didn’t help her.”

Silias paused to laugh at Kazuma’s obliviousness.

“The road will only be harder from here on, boy.”

The hooded figure appeared behind Silias as he watched him suffer.

“But not for you, I’m afraid.” A stern voice spoke.

He then unexpectedly grabbed Silias by the neck as he choked. Silias looked behind him as his eyes widened at the figure’s glowing right hand.

“You… how did you—”

“Hmph. You’re asking that now? You’re dumber than I thought. I’m not here to be persuaded anymore Silias. I’m here to finish what I should have done years ago.”

Silias grabbed on the person’s hands trying to break free, but could not muster the strength to break free. Then there was a sudden gleam of light as Silias screamed loudly. Seconds later, Silias had stopped struggling and the person dropped Silias’s lifeless body on the ground right in front of Kazuma. Kazuma quickly readied his katana as the hooded figure turned at his direction. The figure did not move an inch. He was able to catch glimpses of the figure’s light blue eyes and strands of light blue hair from under his hood.

“Such was his fate… but I’m impressed you’ve seem to hold out on your own against him with such little experience.”

“Who are you? Why did you—”

“…You are of no concern to me.” He replied.

The person turned and walked away without another word.

“Wait!” Kazuma shouted at him.

He was left with many questions in his mind. His hand reached out to the stranger, but just before he could ask, he was gone. Left with Silias’s lifeless body in front of him, Kazuma suddenly felt a rush of fatigue flow throughout his body. He could not keep his eyes open, and had fainted moments later.