Honestly, I thought this fight would end quickly.
"Sleep Arrow."
When I distracted him with my weapon and cast an illusion spell to make him drowsy, I was fully expecting the next scene to feature Enbers snoring peacefully.
"Hup!"
CRACK!
But the moment my Sleep Arrow shattered into fragments with a single shout from him, I knew something was off.
"Wait... how the hell did you break my spell?"
"Phantom!"
"Whoa—!"
Enbers' form blurred and multiplied, producing three translucent copies of himself that each swung their swords along divergent trajectories. I quickly raised my guard and began evasive maneuvers.
But it was a feint. The phantom copies dissolved like mist, creating an opening for the real attack to pierce through.
CLANG!
I redirected the thrust by transforming my right arm into its Great Monster form, hardening the skin to deflect the blade. Using the length of the longsword as a guide, I slid my fist along it and aimed a punch directly at his face.
THUD.
He parried my fist with the hilt of his longsword and muttered, "Scatter!"
His form dispersed like a cloud, only to reappear three steps away.
Confused by this bizarre flow of battle, I glanced at Yuri to confirm if I was dreaming. Judging by her astonished expression, I wasn’t.
"It seems his combat techniques have become significantly more varied since the last time I fought him. This looks like an advanced application of Sovereign Sword Form. By concentrating information at a single point, he’s disrupting your illusion magic..."
"And then channeling that information along specific paths to mimic illusion magic itself? Instead of overwhelming the area with excess information, he’s learned to wield it selectively."
"Essentially, he’s split his usual 100% brute-force approach into a more precise 30%, making it far more efficient."
"Doesn’t change the fact that Enbers is still Enbers... Ugh!"
Suddenly, my body locked up. The weight of the world seemed to press down on me, targeting my joints with pinpoint accuracy. This was the original function of Sovereign Sword Form, but now it was much more refined.
Instead of merely immobilizing me with sheer force, it targeted my body's weak points, effectively binding my entire form.
Previously, using this technique left Enbers unable to act. But with his newfound efficiency, he could now move—albeit slowly. While I remained frozen, he was like a snail, yet still dozens of times faster than me.
"Face my inescapable blade."
Enbers' sword ascended at an agonizingly slow pace. Following his movement with my eyes, I pondered.
Why is this bastard so strong all of a sudden?
"As a Transcendent, his ability was always one of the strongest. Previously, his lack of experience and clumsiness held him back. But now... in this Cheonma state, he’s arrogant but undeniably skilled," Yuri observed.
"This feels like some twisted 'enemy-buffed-ally' nonsense..."
"Will you just stand there and take it? I get that you’re enjoying your Great Monster body, but I don’t particularly want to see it getting slashed to pieces."
"..."
If that’s the case, it’s time to end this playful warm-up.
"Limit Release."
Click.
FWOOOOOOSH!
I pointed a finger and returned my hand to its Great Monster form. At full scale, the monster's entire body was 150 meters tall—just my finger exceeded 10 meters.
"What kind of sorcery— GUGH! "
No matter how versatile Sovereign Sword Form was, how could it possibly counter this much raw material?
BOOM!
Enbers was swept up in the torrent of white gelatinous mass, crashing into the wall with a thunderous impact. In the process, I injected him with a sleeping spell through tiny tendrils.
And just like that, the fight was over.
Returning my hand to normal, I approached the slumped figure of Enbers.
It hit me again: skill matters far more than raw power. His strength hadn’t changed, but his newfound techniques made him feel exponentially more dangerous.
What should I do with him?
I placed a hand on his forehead and conducted a thorough scan of his body.
"What’s the prognosis, Mima? Will he remain as Cheonma forever? Does he need some... physical reeducation?"
"No, I can consolidate the scattered information. I was planning to discard it, but with this level of combat potential, it’d be better to modularize it—let him switch it on and off at will."
It would be similar to the transformation function I’d added for his brother, Roderus.
With the prince announcing his Red Flavor Purge Plan, Enbers would surely face his murky past and confront his family. For that, a little extra combat power wouldn’t hurt.
After completing the procedure, I woke him up.
"...P-Professor? What happened? I was confronting the tower with Sovereign Sword Form and... ugh, my head..."
"Listen carefully, Cheonghui. The Tower of Illusions blurred the boundary between illusion and reality, causing some of the information you generate to manifest physically. This resulted in a cluster of data that exhibits arrogance and aggression—"
"I have no idea what you’re saying."
"You’ve been infused with Demonic Art . I’ve sealed it for now, but it’s rigged to release when you chant a specific command. In emergencies, activating it will make you about 2.4 times stronger."
"Now I understand perfectly. This is a stroke of fortune."
A stroke of fortune, indeed.
Seeing Enbers’ case gave me hope that other students affected by the Tower of Illusions might have gained something as well. Yuri’s reports on Illusionization suggested as much.
This phenomenon weakened their resistance to illusion magic, leaving parts of their bodies vulnerable to transformation—a state akin to becoming partial information-lifeforms.
For now, I’d locked those abilities away and restored their physical forms.
But if I taught them how to manipulate those abilities... they could gain features straight out of a cyberpunk fantasy—modifying limbs, hacking systems, and more.
I decided to make it an opt-in program for interested students later.
Meanwhile, Enbers, delighted with his "Cheonma Transformation," chuckled darkly, muttering about the "power of darkness."
Of course. No man can resist a cool alternate form. I get it.
Just as I was about to send him on his way, he brought up something concerning.
"If that strange tower caused such changes, then surely the Blue Rose gained something as well."
"Wait, hold on—Roderus was here when this happened?"
"Indeed. She was visiting with that child she often keeps close these days. When I asked, she said it was for treatment."
"..."
Roderus and Kim Lulu had been regularly visiting the academy to care for and educate Kim Hayang, who had emerged from Faceless.
And apparently, they’d been present during this disaster. Considering the Tower of Illusions blurred the line between fiction and reality...
Oh no.
Could it be possible that her magical girl transformation form had materialized, locking her permanently in a gender-swapped state?
"Dammit, Dae-soo! At least use it once before it becomes permanent!"
From what I knew, the Dae-soo-Lulu couple had been waiting to settle down until after taking Duke Redburn’s head.
And now this?!
This future must not come to pass. Hang in there, Dae-soo—I’m on my way!
"Mima, where are you going all of a sudden—?"
"I’m going to check on a friend!"
I sprinted through forests and teleported repeatedly until I reached Roderus’ residence. Knocking on the door yielded no response.
Fearing the worst, I opened the door and barged in, heading straight for Roderus’ room.
"Hey, buddy, is your lower half okay—?"
The moment I stepped in, I heard a shocking declaration from Kim Lulu.
"If the transformation won’t reverse, we can just have kids together!"
"..."
"...!!"
My poor friend, caught in a sitcom-like moment, was being smothered by Kim Lulu’s aggressive affections.
It was then I realized the error of my narrow-minded assumptions. Gender meant nothing in the face of such love.
For Dae-soo, gender no longer mattered.
"S-sorry. I’ll come back later. Take care, you two."
"Wait, no! Don’t leave, Mad Wizard ! She’s attacking me! Help!"
"Dae-soo, just say you’ll have kids with me already!"
"Please, Lulu, think rationally—I’m still a man—"
Quietly, I closed the door.
The Resolution of Oh Dae-soo's Predicament
A disheveled Oh Dae-soo emerged moments later, looking as if nothing had happened. With the composure of a seasoned assassin, he began explaining the situation.
"...Fortunately, I wasn’t caught up in the Tower of Illusions directly. But even being near it caused my Transcendence to malfunction. My transformation won’t reverse. You’ve come to fix this, haven’t you?"
"Mm."
"If this isn’t resolved, I won’t be able to function as a covert operative within the Redburn family. That’s a serious issue. And you knew that, which is why you came running here, didn’t you?"
"Uh-huh."
"Can you say something other than grunting?!"
Bang!
Oh Dae-soo pounded the table with his fist. I crossed my arms, considered his situation, and, after some mental calculations, gave my diagnosis.
"I can fix it. By reverting the parts of you that gained physical form back into illusion, you’ll be able to live as a variable TS-man again."
"Can you at least phrase that less offensively?"
"I can fix it, but... your brother got a power-up event out of this, and you’re no exception. This ‘malfunction’ could actually be useful if you know how to exploit it."
The parts of him that turned into reality from illusion could save energy otherwise spent on transformation. With proper control, that saved energy could be used to enhance his Transcendence .
I placed a shimmering piece of metal on the table. About the size of a finger, the iridescent material had a mesmerizing quality.
"What’s this?"
"A mineral left behind after the Tower of Illusions disappeared. It’s a substance that didn’t exist before and likely won’t exist again unless Yuna explodes one more time. I’m calling it Illusion Stone. "
While it didn’t have the raw power to warp reality, it could amplify and supplement illusion-based abilities.
"According to my calculations, this should let you create a second body. By using your Transcendence’s magical solidification ability, you can manifest a clone nearly indistinguishable from your main self. The advantages are obvious, right?"
"...I wouldn’t have to juggle dual identities anymore. ‘Roderus’ could remain embedded within the Redburn family, while ‘Oh Dae-soo’ continues his usual activities."
"Not to mention its combat utility. Roderus, the Imperial Succession Contest is approaching. Prince Irid intends to use it as an opportunity to hunt the Red Flavor Duke. Your moment to shine is coming."
"..."
More power would be invaluable for the looming confrontation.
And if he accepted this TS situation, he could gain this strength almost for free. His day-to-day life wouldn’t change much—except for his original gender being summoned rather than restored.
After a long pause, Roderus asked hesitantly, "...Can I return to normal once this is all over?"
"Of course. But it’s like driving a nail halfway into a board. If an external force pushes it all the way in, removing it might become impossible."
"...Even so, I already know my answer. To protect this ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ daily life, I’ll accept that risk. What do I need to do?"
"Let me explain how to use it. First—"
In the end, he embraced this new power.
A Shocking Revelation About Kim Hayang
"While I’m here, I’ll do a maintenance check on Hayang. Where is she?"
"She’s in her room. Down the hall, last door on the left."
"She’s been doing well, right? No signs of Faceless resurfacing?"
"None. She listens well, eats her vegetables, and hasn’t shown any violent tendencies. Recently, she’s even started reading more books—very mature for her age."
He spoke naturally, like a parent deeply involved in his child’s life. Perhaps because he knew the pain of growing up without familial warmth, he seemed genuinely suited to fatherhood.
I switched to a cheerful tone, adopting the demeanor of a daycare teacher as I opened the door.
"Hayang, your doctor is here to visit—what the hell?!"
"Mad Wizard, what’s wrong?"
Hayang greeted me with a sleepy smile, waving her hand lazily. Her behavior was normal, but something critical was missing.
Her soul.
"This isn’t her. It’s just a meat puppet cobbled together by Faceless’s power. You didn’t teach Hayang how to use her abilities, right?"
"...No."
"...Then she’s awakened. And she’s escaped."
Faceless’s Awakening
She had returned.
Finally, she had returned. The long nightmare felt endless, but Faceless had woken from her slumber and regained her consciousness.
Staggering toward the Redburn manor, she seethed with rage. She would have her revenge—not only on the swordsman who had reduced her to this state but also on the corpse-flower who had used her as a meat shield.
The more she dwelled on it, the angrier she became. Why had this happened to her? She had been chosen by her father, destined for greatness. How dare they?
Cursing silently over and over, she resolved to take out her fury. Upon her return to the manor, she would kill someone. Torture them horribly and turn them into a puppet.
Then, from the shadows, she would orchestrate everything, ensuring her presence was never revealed. Only her puppets would act in the open.
Consumed by her rage, Faceless failed to notice something crucial.
"Mooong."
In the mirror before her, another version of herself gazed back intently.