Amy (thinking): 'He's following the firepower enhancement mechanism step by step? He's really desperate to win.'
Magical actions were movements incorporated into spellcasting.
Originally, magic was a product of the mind and didn't require specific motions, but the theory was that physical movements could enhance mental focus.
The mage's motions were straight out of the textbook for firepower enhancement. While it slowed down casting, it was sometimes used in large-scale wars depending on the situation.
It showed how much the mage was obsessed with power.
Mercenary Mage: "Huuuu."
The mage didn't even blink, fully focused on his senses.
It was undoubtedly maximum concentration, but that alone couldn't guarantee power.
Mercenary Mage: "Taha!"
As if demonstrating the textbook magical action, the mage swung his arms with all his might.
A massive fireball flew in a parabolic arc and was absorbed by the orb.
Mercenary Mage: "Haa. Haa."
Breathing heavily, the mage stared intently at the fiery storm inside the orb.
A moment later, his eyes, filled with anticipation, shook in shock.
Mercenary Mage: "T-this can't be..."
The score was 1,330.
It was 310 points higher than the archer's Lightning Arrow.
Of course, 310 points would be a significant difference in a physical test, but in the realm of magic, which harnessed the forces of nature, it wasn't a big gap.
Mercenary Mage: "No! This is... right! I was too nervous! I can definitely score over 2,000!"
His comrades remained silent.
The difference in mental scale was evident when comparing the numbers.
The archer wore a resigned expression.
Archer (thinking): 'It's over.'
The red-haired girl who scored over 3,000 was undoubtedly the most skilled person here.
Even his comrade, the mage, was considered a rising star in mercenary circles. For someone to display over twice his magical power meant they had to be among the most talented of their age.
Rian and Tess had similar thoughts.
In reality, Amy was the only one in the group who was a graduating student, so it would be difficult to score higher than her.
On the other hand, Amy, who knew Shirone's abilities, knew this wasn't the end.
Amy: "Shirone, don't hold back. Go all out. Maybe the difference was just too small."
Shirone: "Got it. I'll do my best."
The leader sneered.
Leader: "Ha! What's the point of doing your best? You need results, results. It's already over. Let's go back."
Shirone frowned.
The fact that the leader was someone who gave up without even trying...
Shirone (thinking): 'Wait, maybe this...'
The unique rules of the Sacrifice and Achievement Room. Could it be that they had been mistaken from the beginning?
Amy: "Shirone."
Realizing everyone was watching, Shirone set aside his thoughts and headed to the altar.
First, he needed to confirm the final card.
Light formed above Shirone's palm, and countless photons flickered as they grew in size.
Mercenary Mage: "Photon output? What kind of impact can that make?"
The mage asked incredulously, but soon couldn't take his eyes off the light Shirone had created.
The sphere of light, now white, was vibrating at a terrifying speed.
Shirone (thinking): 'Photon Cannon.'
Shirone swung his arm wide.
Though it was an abbreviated version, it was still a proper magical action, and the intensified flash of light struck the labyrinth's spacetime precisely.
Everyone: "..."
The number that appeared on the orb left everyone speechless.
4,783.
The shockwave exceeded expectations, but the mage, who had studied magic, was utterly stunned.
Mercenary Mage (thinking): 'That's not photon output?'
Even now, many mages were developing fusion magic that combined non-physical elements with physical force, but he had never heard of light having impact force.
Mercenary Mage (thinking): 'And that number...'
If this were an actual combat situation, a hit from that would be fatal, no matter where it landed.
Mercenary Mage (thinking): 'We're screwed. These kids... they're stronger than us.'
The mercenaries, who had ignored them from the start, finally felt the reality of the situation.
Their comrades also wore uneasy expressions.
There was no chance of winning in a direct confrontation. If a fight broke out, it would be the mercenaries, not Shirone's group, who would suffer.
As the mercenaries worried about the aftermath, Shirone stared blankly at the orb.
Even after unleashing his strongest attack, the orb emitted a defiant red light.
Shirone: "Ugh."
He felt drained.
He vaguely thought the passing score might be 5,000, but honestly, he didn't think he could increase the power of Photon Cannon any further.
Shirone: "Just one more time..."
Amy covered her mouth and laughed.
Amy: "Now you know how I felt? But it's really frustrating. What score do we need to pass?"
Shirone: "I don't know. A single impact might not be enough. Maybe if I use a laser?"
Amy: "Ah, right! You can accumulate energy."
There were still variables to consider, but Shirone wanted to give it a try.
Shirone: "For now, it's the next person's turn. Let's try after we finish this round. What are you doing? Aren't you going?"
Shirone spoke to the leader, but he just stood there with a constipated expression.
As the scores kept rising with each attempt, he couldn't bring himself to step forward. At best, he could only score a few hundred points.
Leader: "Tch! Forget it! It's already over!"
The leader hurriedly walked toward the door.
But no matter how much he turned the doorknob, the iron door was firmly locked from the outside.
Everyone turned to look, and the man with the white tattoo spoke.
White Tattoo Man: "You are one. Once one person begins the evaluation, everyone must be evaluated. You cannot leave until then."
After hearing the archer's translation, Shirone's eyes narrowed.
Shirone (thinking): 'As I thought.'
The Sacrifice and Achievement Room required not only consensus but also unified action.
The mage spoke.
Mercenary Mage: "We have no choice. Let's just do it."
Leader: "Ugh, annoying! Why keep making us do something pointless? Stupid idiots!"
The leader's face turned red as he tried to downplay the situation. He couldn't hide his nervousness about revealing his true abilities.
Shirone felt a chill.
Shirone (thinking): 'I see. This is truly a cruel rule.'
Everything the white-tattooed man had said was based on one premise:
Perfect trust.
When you thought about it, the evaluation method was unfair.
In terms of firepower, mages had a clear advantage over warriors.
But that didn't mean warriors were weaker than mages in actual combat.
Even if a mage could shatter rocks and split the earth, warriors were specialized in biological abilities that could cut down a mage in a single strike.
Shirone (thinking): 'Measuring the power of magic is also a problem.'
If Amy, who specialized in long-range magic, had been able to use sniper mode, her score would have been much higher.
For example, what if Flame Strike passed through an air tunnel hundreds of meters long?
Shirone (thinking): 'That's what sniping is.'
But this evaluation method didn't consider individual specialties or strengths at all.
The core was the language of the gods.
Shirone (thinking): 'It quantifies impact. Why? What's the point of comparing pure power?'
In a limited environment, scores would inevitably vary greatly depending on one's specialization. In such a situation, requiring all participants to check their scores...
The resulting emotion was clear:
Shirone (thinking): 'Obsession with scores. If a comrade scores higher, you feel insecure. If they score lower, you look down on them. Without understanding each other's roles, discord is inevitable. And at the end of this rule lies...'
Sacrificing one to let one pass.
Shirone: "Huu."
Realizing the true intent of the room, Shirone let out a deep breath.
What was the labyrinth thinking when it created this altar?
A rule designed to cause internal strife, with death as the passing condition.
Shirone (thinking): 'If they want a perfect team, I can understand. But what does that have to do with going to the Kergho Autonomous Region? Is it really necessary to go this far to buy a loop? There must be something in the Autonomous Region that I don't know about.'
Amid the confusion, Amy whispered.
Amy: "Shirone, let's just leave after that guy's done."
Shirone: "...Yeah."
They had the same thought, and even Rian and Tess looked uneasy.
'This is getting annoying.'
As someone from a military academy where camaraderie was the top priority, he instinctively felt a sense of discomfort.
Meanwhile, the leader standing alone on the altar was at a loss.
He could feel the gazes of his comrades directed at him, different from before. Whether it was real or just his imagination.
Leader: "Huff, huff! Ughhh!"
He couldn't control his breathing and charged forward. To Shirone, it looked like he was running away from something.
Whether the schema had properly activated, where the sword was positioned, how far the target was—everything was uncertain, and eventually, his legs tangled up in front of the orb.
Leader: "Hah!"
The sword swung clumsily, hitting the side of the orb and slipping off.
Leader: "Tch! Damn it!"
Losing his balance, he barely managed to stop himself from falling off the altar and turned his body around.
The number "32" appeared on the orb.
No one laughed.
But the expressions of his comrades were stiff, as if they had suffered a great humiliation.
Leader: "W-what does it matter! We weren't going to pass anyway! We tried, so that's enough! Let's just get out of here!"
The leader, putting on a pointless show of bravado, headed for the door, but his comrades didn't follow.
'That team is done for. They'll probably disband after leaving here.'
Shirone thought it was time to stop.
He wanted to challenge it, but now that he understood the true nature of this room, continuing further would be dangerous.
Shirone turned to the archer.
Shirone: "Could you translate something for me?"
There was something he needed to confirm before leaving.
The archer, perhaps having his own thoughts, readily agreed.
Archer: "Sure. What do you want to ask?"
Shirone: "Has anyone ever passed through this gate before?"
The man with the white tattoo nodded.
White-Tattooed Man: "This is a gate for passing through. It's not a trap."
Shirone: "Then… what score do we need in the Labyrinth's Space-Time to pass?"
White-Tattooed Man: "The eight eyes of the angel will judge you."
The man repeated what he had said earlier.
Ultimately, everything was determined by the Labyrinth's Space-Time.
'Why eight, of all numbers?'
After a moment of thought, Shirone asked another question.
Shirone: "Then, out of the people who've come this far, what's the pass rate?"
White-Tattooed Man: "I don't know exactly. Sometimes multiple people come, and sometimes just one. From what I've seen, about one in ten passes. The pass rate seems higher when someone comes alone."
Shirone: "Huh?"
The pass rate was higher than expected.
'One in ten?'
At first, he had considered the possibility that no one had ever passed.
This was based on the assumption that the Labyrinth's purpose in designing this place wasn't simply to evaluate individual skill.