Eight years later, Olivia watched Dante with a proud smile.
"Dante has the eyes to read Channels. And through training, he's honed them further."
Now, watching Dante's magic unfold, Alpheas understood why Olivia had taken such personal interest in this student. Dante didn't just use magic - he spoke it, in its most fundamental, machine-like form.
Meanwhile, Shirone—trapped behind the closed gates of the Immortal Function—was too busy dodging artillery fire to think.
Eighty-six Mansions shifted endlessly, reshaping the battlefield, leaving no room for distraction.
Dante, however, was relaxed. With his Automatons handling the fight, he could've sat down and read a book.
But I should still return the favor.
He floated above the Pascal Magic Circle. As he advanced slowly, hundreds of linked magic circles moved in unison toward Shirone.
It was as if the entire space itself was shifting.
Every time Shirone moved, artillery barrels rotated like compass needles, unleashing spells in all directions.
It felt like fighting an army—a massive force tearing through his Spirit Zone.
Iruki's face twisted in frustration.
Damn it! How is this kind of magic even—
He couldn't think of a way to counter Dante's system. Shirone hadn't taken a fatal hit yet, but evading the Automatons indefinitely was impossible.
Shirone knew it too. But he had no choice.
And it wasn't as hopeless as Iruki thought.
Only one way to find out.
Shirone lunged into the heart of Pascal's formation.
Dante's Mansions reacted instantly, intensifying their barrage—but the faster they fired, the quicker Shirone's teleportations chained together.
Keep moving.
Assimilate into Dante's Channel.
As time passed, the students began murmuring. Though subtle, Shirone's movements were gradually syncing with Dante's system.
Neid shot up from his seat.
"Teleportation! That's how he's doing it!"
Iruki smirked, as if he'd just been hit by revelation.
"Teleportation is pure information. He's blending into Dante's system to collapse it from within."
The bracelet on his wrist burned hotter—proof that Pascal was overloading trying to keep up with Shirone.
Siana noted Shirone's stamina draining rapidly as his movements grew more complex.
Is the match still undecided?
Alpheas let out a rough breath, feeling a thrill run down his spine.
Dante's power is overwhelming. But insight—that's the terrifying talent that could reach the pinnacle of the world.
Shirone had perfectly dissected Pascal's weakness in mere moments.
Dante's Automatons were flawless—but humans could never be.
The one flaw in Pascal's perfection?
Dante himself.
"I want to applaud Dante for his flawless design. But he's still young. His mind can't keep up with his own technology."
Olivia had to admit it. She'd known Dante's weakness all along.
Or was it even fair to call it a weakness?
Youth wasn't a sin.
Dante would grow stronger. One day, he'd sustain Pascal indefinitely.
But that didn't change the present. His opponents wouldn't wait.
And Shirone's endurance was anything but ordinary.
Maybe… they met too soon.
It pained her that one of them had to lose.
No. There's no such thing as perfect timing.
The battle had already begun. Time couldn't be rewound.
And cold analysis still gave Dante a 70% chance of victory.
Pascal might only last ten more minutes—but Shirone surviving five inside Dante's system was nearly impossible.
"Even so, he can't beat Dante. It's not that I'm underestimating Shirone, but their talents are on different levels. Shirone has no way to destroy Dante's system."
Alpheas couldn't argue. From his perspective, Shirone still had no advantage.
But the boy had a way of defying expectations.
There's something I'm missing, isn't there, Shirone?
Shirone darted across the battlefield, enduring countless spells as he adapted with each failure.
Iruki was the first to realize.
"He's in. It's perfect."
At first, no one understood. But ten seconds later, the students erupted into hushed astonishment.
Amid the endless artillery storm, Shirone moved freely—as if the Mansions themselves were parting for him.
Of course, there was no actual link between him and Pascal. It was just an illusion.
But this phenomenon could only mean one thing.
"Shirone has completely deciphered the Automaton's patterns."
Mark looked back and forth between Shirone and Iruki, buzzing with excitement.
"Shirone's got the upper hand now, right? Right?"
"It's close. If this keeps up, Pascal will overload. If Shirone lasts that long, it's anyone's game. Dante would've lost his greatest weapon."
Mark was on the verge of tears.
Just moments ago, Shirone's defeat had seemed inevitable. Holding his own against Dante—the kingdom's top prodigy—was impressive enough.
But Shirone had flipped the script entirely.
"Shirone's the best! He surpassed Dante in information processing, didn't he?"
Iruki didn't answer.
When Mark turned, he saw all the upperclassmen watching with grave expressions.
Iruki scratched his chin.
Shirone had cracked Dante's system—but how?
If the Automatons were this easy to analyze, Shirone wouldn't have struggled so much at the start.
Ethela gave up trying to figure it out herself.
"How did he analyze the patterns? Honestly, I can't even grasp how Dante's Automatons function. I don't have a clue. Neid, what about you?"
"Same. It's not that it's complex—the system's just too vast. You can't picture an elephant by just looking at its leg."
Ethela nodded.
"Exactly. This system wasn't built just to fight Shirone. Its adaptability is insane. How could Shirone comprehend the whole thing?"
Iruki offered a theory.
"Maybe it's not mathematical."
Mark blinked.
"Not math? Then what is it?"
Iruki frowned, searching for the right word.
"Instinct… or something like that."
"Instinct? Like gut feeling?"
Mark was baffled. Dante's system was the pinnacle of information magic. If it could be understood by instinct, what was the point of all that study?
But Iruki was serious. As far as he could tell, that was the closest answer—and it wasn't as simple as Mark thought.
"Instinct isn't superstition. It's the evolved form of inductive reasoning."
You don't need to count every person's eyes to know humans have two.
Most people see that their family and friends don't have three eyes, so they conclude humans have two.
Ethela added,
"Shirone's insight is transcendent. He understands the whole from minimal data. But even that has limits. You still need some information."
Iruki agreed.
"But there are exceptions. It's about the quality of data. You can't picture an elephant from its leg alone—but if you had its skeleton, you could guess its shape."
Neid agreed with Iruki's assessment.
Neid: "It seems Shirone has gathered special intel that can only be obtained by risking one's life to infiltrate Dante's system. He must've analyzed the entire framework based on that data."
Mark recalled Headmaster Alpheas's favorite saying: "Insight is swifter than effort and more precise than knowledge." If Dante possessed the ability to read channels, Shirone wielded the penetrating clarity to see through all things.
Every time Shirone moved, the Icheon Bracelet on his wrist flared red. Though equipped with safety measures, wearing it any longer would likely result in first-degree burns.
Dante stared in shock as Shirone survived for over five minutes inside the Pascal System.
This automaton was designed to crush any opponent within five seconds through sheer firepower—a manifested hellscape within the system.
Yet Shirone moved through it as casually as a child playing in their backyard, while any normal human would've been paralyzed by terror.
Dante (internal): "Why? Why isn't he faltering?!"
Insight, as the pinnacle of inductive logic, doesn't guarantee 100% accuracy. That very uncertainty should've bred anxiety about the future. But Shirone's composure never wavered. His mental fortitude was unshakable, like diamond—unchanging in any circumstance.
When Pascal overloaded, Dante's nose stung sharply. If this continued, the magic circle would self-destruct—and take him with it.
But he didn't stop.
Below the cliff's edge waited the first defeat of his life. With every accumulated victory, the blade in his heart had grown sharper—and now, a single loss would slice him apart.
Dante (internal): "I can't lose. I WON'T!"
He pushed Pascal's processing speed even higher.
As he stepped into this uncharted realm, another wall crumbled, revealing a breathtaking new world. The Pascal Circle's glow intensified, and the mansions (magic constructs) accelerated.
Binary sequences surged through his mind like a torrent, carving into his brain.
The students immediately noticed Pascal's transformation. Functions that had lagged two tempos behind Shirone now matched his speed.
Dante (internal): "I can do this! There's still more!"
Pascal didn't need to process everything in parallel. By focusing on critical calculations, localized functions could multiply in efficiency.
Dante (internal): "Slow Mansion first. Then Fire, Bolt, Press—in that order."
He prioritized specific addresses in Pascal's memory, jumping from the 352nd to the 2,987th operation. When he reached the stage of bridging endpoints instantly, a deafening roar erupted from the magic circle.
Dante (internal): "This is it! THIS is what I wanted!"
His consciousness soared with exhilarating freedom. Shirone vanished from his sight; the battlefield's artillery faded. Only infinite binary streams—1s and 0s—flooded his mind at lightning speed.
Olivia trembled with awe.
Olivia (internal): "Dante…"
She'd always known he'd break through his limits—though she never expected Alpheas's disciple to be the catalyst. But it didn't matter.
Having reached the realm of localized computation, Dante had undergone a metamorphosis as stunning as a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
Dante: "Ouch."
He lifted his finger from the crushed ant. The insect, which had been biting his index finger, wriggled free and fell to the ground.
Olivia glanced at the ant and asked softly:
Olivia: "Oh dear. Did it bite you? Does it hurt?"
Dante (grinning): "Haha! It's fine. Happens all the time."
He sucked on his finger while studying the ant. The disoriented "Ant #1111" circled aimlessly, as if realizing its kingdom had collapsed.
Dante: "All channels are interconnected. If one breaks, everything crumbles. But…"
He gently picked up the frantic ant and observed the chaotic kingdom. After careful scrutiny, he placed #1111 in a specific spot—and stability gradually radiated outward.
Dante didn't stop there. He deployed ants like strategic pieces across the system. The near-doomed kingdom rapidly restructured into a robust network, leaving Olivia in wonder.
Dante (cheerful): "Hehe! Sorry, little guys."
He beamed up at her.
Dante: "They'll be okay now."
Olivia smiled back, studying his clear, transparent eyes as if searching for something. Finally, she made her decision.
Olivia: "Dante… how would you like to learn magic?"
That day marked the beginning of their bond.
From then on, Olivia never doubted Dante would become the kingdom's greatest mage.
He wasn't just a machine processing data. He was human—capable of shattering any limit.
Shirone was exceptional, but now, no peer could defeat Dante, who'd transcended his walls.
Dante: "Grrr—!"
He clung to his sanity as information processing reached unprecedented speeds. Spells from 86 mansions now lashed out in all directions, rendering evasion meaningless.
A single misjudgment by Shirone would end the match. Even the students couldn't predict the winner anymore.
Though Dante's mental stamina dwindled, Shirone had chained over 2,000 teleportations.
Dante (internal, furious): "Damn it! Why won't he HIT?!"
He'd pushed Pascal to its limits, yet Shirone kept navigating the system. Worse, Shirone's thoughts seemed to accelerate in sync with Dante's own upgrades.
His senses blurred—sight and sound indistinguishable. It was terrifying yet electrifying.
Their mingling consciousnesses created a surreal unity, as if their bodies and minds had merged.
Dante (internal, disgusted): "Hell no! I didn't sign up for bonding with a dude!"
But the euphoria was undeniable. His reaction speed surpassed all prior limits. Shirone's data disassembled into pure signal, flooding his mind.
They conversed through raw existence—no lies, no truths, just primal exchange. At that moment, both shuddered. Lightning-like flashes filled their vision.
This dialogue between inductive and deductive geniuses took form as magic, mesmerizing every onlooker. The students didn't even blink.
Combat was meant to be collision. Yet now, they danced—a choreography of spells and knowledge.
Alpheas smiled.
Alpheas: "To know truth, one must take the long road. Certainty, denial, then certainty again—only then does the spirit fully inhabit the body. Let them struggle. After all, is this not another sky?"
Olivia's gaze steadied.
The Icheon Battle Simulation System was a stage for students to experience combat and flaunt superiority. But was that the intent of its creator?
Perhaps he'd simply given them the freedom to fail.
Olivia clenched her fists.
Alpheas's philosophy held merit—but she refused to compromise. In battle, only victors are remembered. The winner must be Dante, the pride of her teaching career.
Maria's eyes glistened.
Maria (whispering): "Senior Dante… is truly incredible."
Mark turned, surprised. He'd assumed Maria would root for Shirone, especially after the humiliation Dante's group inflicted on her—an unforgettable slight.
Mark: "Maria, what are you saying?"
Maria: "Today's duel… will go down in history."
Mark fell silent. She was right. This had transcended a mere training exercise.
Maria: "I used to hate competition."
Mark knew. She'd once been so crushed by its pressure that she couldn't even activate a bridge's mechanism.
Maria: "But now… I think this world is beautiful. Shirone was just a genius—someone we admired without question. Yet Senior Dante's fighting him with everything he has."
Mark's heart ached at her vulnerability. He felt it too—but they couldn't afford to dwell there.
Maria (softly): "I'll… probably never experience anything like this."
Mark gritted his teeth. Shirone embodied his ideal mage. What must it feel like to duel at the pinnacle of magic? To drag a rival to hell's brink?
He couldn't fathom it—but it had to be a mage's ultimate ecstasy.
Tears welled in Mark's eyes, but he didn't let them fall.
Mark (firm): "We can get there."
Maria blinked at him.
Mark: "We'll work harder than anyone. Enough to challenge him someday. We might lose, but we'll make him fight us seriously. So don't say weak things. One more word like that, and I'll leave you behind."
Maria: "Mark…"
Iruki chuckled.
Iruki: "Talent doesn't exist."
They turned to him.
Iruki: "Not in the way people label it. A madman can't excel at math but might become a master painter. Magic encompasses all fields. Shirone's insight, Dante's processing—neither guarantees their future. Don't envy others. Cultivate your own strengths, and someday, you might defeat Shirone."
Mark (flustered): "W-we'd never dream of that!"
Yet Iruki's words ignited something in them. For the first time, he felt like a true senior.
Dante grimaced as binary tsunamis ravaged his mind. Shirone's data merged with Pascal's, flowing at light-speed.
Dante (internal): "I'm catching up!"
His mechanical edge emerged. Biological endurance faded slowly, but automata functioned at peak capacity until destruction.
The students watched as Pascal's spells tightened around Shirone. His teleportation radius shrank—in ten seconds, he'd hit "Movement Zero."
Yet Siana couldn't call the match.
Though Shirone's options dwindled, Dante's mental gauge neared empty.
Siana (internal): "Can he hold on? …Yes. If this continues, Dante wins."
She secretly wished for Shirone's victory, but Dante had earned this. His automaton's reflexes rivaled a pro's.
5… 4…
Checkmate approached. Wind Cutter's barrage narrowed; Electric Mansion's 100%-charged Bolt awaited release.
Shirone's escape routes vanished.
Dante located the Electric Cannon's memory address instantly.
Dante (internal): "NOW!"
Shirone (simultaneously): "NOW!"
As the cannon powered up, light concentrated before Shirone's eyes.
Dante sneered. No Photon Cannon could overpower a full Electric Cannon's spatial dominion.
Then Shirone unleashed his trump card.
Shining Impact!
Polarized photons exploded in unified direction.
Into Dante's binary-flooded mind crashed a singularity—an infinite sequence of "1."
The simplest, yet most unprocessable data.
Pascal overloaded. The automaton froze.
Students gasped. Shirone had paralyzed the system with light.
A one-time gambit, saved for this moment.