When Kim Ina realized she couldn’t move, her first reaction was confusion.

What on earth is happening?

But even trying to open her mouth was futile.

She couldn’t even manage a slight movement of her eyes.

Her clear consciousness was slowly sinking into a murky abyss.

All she could do was watch Sally’s rampage unfold before her eyes.

She saw Shin Haeryung get caught up in it too.

A shockwave powerful enough to shatter an intermediate spirit’s ice barrier in an instant.

The sight of the forest ablaze, with pillars of fire shooting up, was far too surreal for a high school girl to handle.

Did I… did Sally do this?

The thought crossed her mind, but she couldn’t voice it.

Her lips felt as heavy as stone, rendering her speechless.

The cruelest part was that her consciousness was still intact.

She had to watch, helplessly, as the dark spirit she contracted today slowly aimed its malice at Shin Haeryung.

No, please!

Was Shin Haeryung a close friend?

Not really.

More like a classmate she wanted to surpass.

She had thought of her as annoying more than once.

But that didn’t mean she wanted Shin Haeryung to get hurt because of her.

Please, Sally. Please!

No matter how hard she tried to convey her thoughts, it was no use.

Her consciousness was rapidly being swallowed by shadows.

The precious spirit she contracted today began conjuring massive fireballs.

No!

The dark blue fireballs shot forth in an instant.

She wanted to close her eyes.

But her body wouldn’t allow it.

Unable to even scream, Kim Ina desperately wished in her heart.

For anyone, anyone at all, to save Shin Haeryung.

And at that very moment—

– Whoosh!

The fireballs were intercepted and vanished.

Whether her gaze turned to the spot of its own accord, she couldn’t tell.

But what she saw clearly with her eyes was—

“You damn lizard idiot….”

Two spirits and Lee Jaesang.

His face, looking angry, was as handsome as ever, which somehow made him seem even more annoying.

…Please.

In her fading consciousness, what Kim Ina felt towards him was unmistakably hope.

***

The forest should be colored by the hues of trees.

A spirit forest turning red when it’s not even autumn?

Not a pleasant sight.

But there was something more infuriating than the burning forest.

A sidelong glance revealed Shin Haeryung clearly.

This punk dared to mess with my gem?

In my own school, no less?

The surge of anger made me even more composed.

“Synthia. Please.”

“Gemut. Protect the contractor!”

After seeing Gemut nod, Synthia hurried over to Shin Haeryung.

All spirits can use some level of healing magic, so Shin Haeryung should be fine.

“Contractor. It’s coming again!”

The dark blue fireballs flew at us once more.

Each one was powerful, but—

I have Gemut with me now.

– Crack, crackle.

There was no worry.

The barrier Gemut created in an instant was something that lizard idiot couldn’t break through.

Defense was not an issue.

If the goal was simply to block and capture the dark spirit, I was confident I could do it in no time.

…Damn it.

But I bit my lip as I looked at Kim Ina.

Her face was expressionless, as if she had completely lost consciousness.

The mana line extending from her chest to the dark spirit indicated that the parasitism was already complete.

If I kill that lizard now…

Kim Ina’s mana circuit would be severely damaged.

She might never be able to use mana again.

– Boom!

Judging by appearances, Kim Ina was certainly not a model student.

With her pink extensions and tightly altered uniform.

If anything, she was what you’d call a “troublemaker.”

But that doesn’t mean she lacks passion for magic.

– Look! Look! That’s an intermediate spirit, right? Right?

I still remember the joy on Kim Ina’s face.

And her small hands meticulously tracing the magic circle.

So.

Kim Ina must not lose her magic here.

Even if she doesn’t attend my classes.

As long as she attends this school, Kim Ina is my student.

And I will no longer let my students fall victim to a dark sorcerer’s schemes.

I’ve had enough of that filthy experience in my past life.

“Gemut.”

“…Understood, contractor. Leave it to me.”

As I blocked the incoming spells, our eyes met.

That was enough.

Gemut fully understood my thoughts.

“I’m ready whenever you are.”

A gentle smile.

Gemut is a good spirit.

He wouldn’t want to see other spirits get hurt, but…

I looked at Gemut again.

His face was filled with firm resolve.

Gemut is a kind spirit. So—

He won’t stand by and watch another spirit harm a student and set the forest ablaze.

He’s a spirit of stone.

His resolve is even stronger than mine.

“Please.”

Gemut’s head nodded slightly.

He turned and looked directly into Sally’s, the dark spirit’s, eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

He said, taking a step forward.

“But it pains me too much to see the forest burn.”

Gemut’s green hair swayed gently as it rose into the sky.

The mana filling the spirit forest began to gather around Gemut.

A feat impossible with my meager mana, but here, it could be done.

“So even if it hurts. I hope you can endure it. I’ll set you free.”

As soon as Gemut’s sorrowful words ended, the ground rumbled.

His green hair began to shimmer softly like dew-laden grass.

– Rumble, rumble.

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.

The massive dark spirit shuddered.

The summoned fireballs rained down like meteors, but—

– Whoosh.

The water curtain that formed just in time extinguished the fireballs in an instant.

I turned to Synthia, who had come up beside me.

“How’s Haeryung?”

“She’s injured, but she’ll be okay.”

“Good…. Then.”

I shifted my gaze back to Gemut.

“Let’s focus on that big lizard now.”

Gemut’s eyes glowed gold.

The solid earth rippled like liquid.

In the burning forest.

Like an enraged monster.

The ground surged.

– Flash!!!!

The earth writhed as if alive, slowly enveloping the dark spirit.

– Roar!!!

The dark spirit’s scream.

Its rampaging arms were bound by stone.

The mouth that seemed ready to spew fire was firmly sealed.

Five seconds.

In that brief time, the earth moved steadily, securely binding the dark spirit.

It struggled, trying to break the stone.

Each time, Kim Ina’s face twisted in agony.

But stone and water cannot be burned by fire.

Unfortunately for it, the two spirits here were the worst match for a fire-based spirit.

“Contractor!”

Synthia began gathering mana from the surroundings.

She was the same.

Usually limited to using my mana, she couldn’t perform large-scale magic.

But with the mana abundant in the spirit forest, she could display the majesty of a top-tier spirit.

Unlike last time, when she was restricted by Baekrang, the situation was entirely different.

But.

“Stop.”

That’s not an option.

Her blue hair, which had been glowing, calmed at my will.

“Contractor? Why! This is our chance!”

“We can’t. If we kill it now.”

Kim Ina would be hurt, and I don’t want that.

“But the only way is….”

I understood Synthia’s concern.

The only way to save a wizard already parasitized is to kill the dark spirit.

“Contractor. I know you care about the students. But. But.”

Synthia pleaded.

“I don’t want that spirit to suffer anymore. I want to set it free.”

She’s a spirit.

Gemut is a spirit.

And the lizard in front of us is a spirit too.

So Synthia and Gemut must feel the dark spirit’s agony acutely.

The only way to free a suffering fire spirit is, ironically, to kill it.

For this, Synthia and Gemut were ready to make the decision at any moment.

Even if it meant damaging the wizard’s mana circuit.

Even if it meant ending the life of their kin with their own hands.

But that’s a bit too harsh.

For you.

And for Kim Ina too.

“Synthia. Gemut. Do you trust me?”

“Of course!”

“Of course, we trust you, contractor.”

They answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Honestly. They’re such loyal friends.

Smiling, I said.

“Listen carefully. I’m going to use the Forbidden Domain.”

“…That thing from before?”

If I deploy the Forbidden Domain targeting Kim Ina….

I can cancel the spirit’s summoning itself.

In the case of the dark spirit, I can sever its connection with Kim Ina.

If I kill it then, Kim Ina’s mana circuit will remain intact.

But even after reading my thoughts, Synthia looked at the bound dark spirit with doubt.

“You’re going to trap something that big?”

The scale is entirely different from when I used it to restrain Han Hyejin.

“Yes. And it’s not just drawing mana from Kim Ina.”

It’s also absorbing the mana from the spirit forest. That thing.

That must be why that guy, despite being a mid-level spirit, could unleash such powerful fireballs in succession.

If Baekrang weren’t trapped because of Han Hyejin, it would have been impossible.

Is he still…?

“Wait a minute, Contractor. Are you saying…?”

Cynthia’s expression twisted with concern.

“You want to use the Forbidden Zone on the scale of the Spirit Forest?”

“That’s right.”

“No way. It’s too dangerous. I can’t agree to this!”

She shook her head vehemently, her face flushed with anger.

“Whether it’s possible or not, sure, you could do it. You’re my contractor, after all. You’re amazing!”

Tears welled up in Cynthia’s eyes.

“But… but it’s too dangerous. It’s not just about expanding the scale of the magic. You’d have to suppress all the vast mana contained here to make it work!”

“I know.”

“You know… and you’re still going through with it?”

I understood exactly what she was trying to say.

A large-scale spell that could envelop the entire Spirit Forest would place a significant burden on a human body.

In other words, she’s worried about me getting hurt.

“Cynthia.”

I placed my hand gently on her head.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

For a brief moment, a myriad of emotions flickered across Cynthia’s face.

Anger. Sadness.

But in the end, she wore a complex expression, a mix of worry and trust.

“…Really?”

“Yes.”

“Promise me.”

She placed her palm lightly on my chest.

“Swear on your heart, your magic, whatever it takes. Promise me you’ll be fine. That it won’t be a burden on you.”

A promise, huh.

That’s something I can easily give.

“I’ll stake my life on it.”

“Ugh…! Not your life! If you die, then what happens to you?”

“Is that so?”

Her candid reaction made me chuckle.

“Contractor, be careful. I’ll hold on tight.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Gemut.”

Gemut didn’t seem too thrilled either, but he didn’t argue further.

Trust.

The affectionate trust of these two spirits gave me even greater confidence.

“I’m almost ready.”

I had set up coordinate magic circles around the Spirit Forest in preparation for Han Hyejin.

Ready to envelop the entire forest in a Forbidden Zone if necessary.

But there was one more thing I needed to prepare.

“Mana Blade.”

A blade extended from my hand, carving a magic circle into the ground.

It was identical to the one I had drawn to transfer mana during the Baran incident.

And the target from which I would draw mana?

Naturally, it was the Spirit Forest.

“Let’s begin.”

At my words, the two spirits frowned with concern but didn’t try to stop me or voice any more worries.

In front of these spirits who trusted me so much.

‘I can’t let them down, can I?’

This was my first time creating a Forbidden Zone of this magnitude.

Though I had completed the research in a past life, this was my first time using it properly.

Even so, I was confident.

That’s what it means to be a genius.

I have to live up to my name, don’t I?

– Shuuuu….

I could feel the mana slowly gathering around me.

Had I ever handled such a vast amount of mana in my life?

Even the mana I received from the divine beast last time wasn’t this much.

‘…My heart’s racing in a situation like this.’

I chuckled to myself, amused by my own reaction.

– Shuuuuuuung…!

The swirling mana lifted me into the air, higher than the tallest tree in the forest.

My hair floated upwards, reaching for the sky.

The world seen through mana-tinted eyes was entirely blue.

And the black spirit, too, appeared blue.

I gazed at the creature, still wasting Kim Ina’s mana, with a sense of affection.

‘I’ll set you free soon.’

Sally, was it?

You bear no guilt.

The dark sorcerer is the one to blame.

I’ll get revenge later. So for now…

“I’m sorry, but I have to break the contract.”

For your contractor’s sake.

– Snap.

I spread my arms wide.

The massive mana, incomparable to what I used against Han Hyejin, swirled around my hands.

The vast amount of mana was undoubtedly more challenging to control than I had anticipated.

But I quickly brought it under my command.

As soon as I had gathered the mana I needed.

– Pop!

I clenched my fists swiftly.

And then.

– Shoom! Shoom! Shoom!

The coordinate magic circles I had set up in advance began to activate all at once.

Blue mana shot into the sky.

The Spirit Forest was dyed with my mana.

My magic spread rapidly, as if to cover the entire world.

Sally’s flames, which seemed like they would never extinguish, were quietly snuffed out.

And the moment the mana completely enveloped the endless Spirit Forest.

The Forbidden Zone targeting Kim Ina was firmly activated.

– Kyaaaaa!!!!

The line of mana connecting to Kim Ina snapped, and the black spirit began to break free from the rocks that bound it, as if in a frenzy.

It didn’t care about the damage to its own existence.

‘Tsk. I don’t like this, but…’

It was time to end its suffering.

“Cynthia!”

“Got it!”

Cynthia’s hair glowed blue once more.

A massive water droplet, twice Cynthia’s height, formed in front of her, gathering more mana than Gemut.

The enormous water-attribute mana began to move.

The droplet approached the black spirit, gradually transforming into a sharp, massive spear.

The water-colored spear flew through the air.

As I released the Forbidden Zone, I watched the spear’s tip.

The gleaming magical spear.

– Thud!

In an instant, it pierced through the heart of the black spirit.

– Screeeech!!!!

A wail echoed.

The creature tried repeatedly to conjure fireballs, but it was impossible.

All it could do was writhe in agony, already broken.

In the end, from its fingertips.

Its existence faded as mana scattered.

– Grr….

The creature no longer howled.

It seemed to have regained its senses.

The malice of the black spirit was no longer there.

– Grrr….

The creature, sensing its impending demise, cast a sorrowful gaze at Kim Ina.

Kim Ina’s body was slowly collapsing to the ground.

And then.

– Sway.

For a moment, Kim Ina’s body was enveloped in mana and gently lowered to the ground.

‘…Sally.’

To think it would care for its contractor until the very end.

As I descended slowly from the air, I couldn’t hide my bittersweet feelings.

Those two had been contracted for less than a day.

Yet Kim Ina and Sally had grown so close, as if sharing their very souls.

‘Even if she fell from there, she wouldn’t have been hurt much.’

To use the remaining mana to protect Kim Ina.

That’s what spirits are like.

A bond that can’t be explained by time alone exists between a mage and a spirit.

‘…Ina will be very sad.’

Despite the bitterness, I didn’t avert my gaze.

The lizard that had been the black spirit looked at me as if to express gratitude.

Is that… happiness?

I couldn’t be sure.

But I decided to believe that the emotion on its vanishing face was joy.

– Swoosh….

Sally disappeared like a mirage.

In the moment of its complete dissolution.

What it looked at was not the world, but Kim Ina.

“…Phew.”

What a feeling.

Kim Ina had been so happy.

I plopped down onto the ground.

“Contractor! Are you okay!?”

“Yeah. I promised, didn’t I?”

That there would be nothing for you to worry about.

“Really? You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”

“I’m fine. Completely fine.”

Mimicking Kim Ina’s tone, I gave a thumbs-up, but Cynthia approached with a worried expression, inspecting me from head to toe.

Gemut also watched me with a concerned look.

Just as I was about to reassure them and thank them for their hard work.

‘Hmm?’

Something caught my eye.

‘Is that…’

I slowly stood up.

“Contractor?”

Ignoring Cynthia’s call, I walked forward.

I stopped when I reached Kim Ina.

‘This is…’

In the spot where Sally had vanished.

I reached out toward something that had appeared.