The roar of artillery thundered across the battlefield.
The ground rippled like a solid ocean, gray and fiery orange waves exploding upward in bursts.
The earth quaked continuously.
Countless houses vanished in the storm of cannon fire. The so-called formations, the so-called glory, the so-called divine authority—
—meant nothing before the relentless barrage.
Resistance was drowned out almost instantly, without so much as a ripple.
"This… this isn't how I imagined it at all…" Ellis, who had charged at the front of the assault, froze in terror at the devastation before him. The thought barely crossed his mind before a magic cannon shell landed nearby, the explosion knocking him unconscious.
Around twenty li from the town, on higher ground, an array of magic cannons continued to unleash flames.
Magic power filled the weapons, magic circles etched into the devices refining, compressing, and firing it.
The barrage was ceaseless. Crimson beams rained down, each impact blooming into a lotus of annihilation.
"That should be enough…" A young girl's expression was conflicted, her voice soft and reluctant. "Chief of Staff, the enemy must already be wiped out. The only ones left are civilians. There's no need to—"
"Coco, are you pitying them?" Bairo stopped his movements, turning slowly. His eyes carried no trace of emotion.
"Do you know how they treated the kingdom's garrison not long ago? A thousand men—every last one slaughtered, tricked by false intelligence, their corpses burned to ash."
"Chief of Staff, I…"
"Once we return, you'll report for confinement." Bairo cut her off coldly.
"…Yes." Coco visibly withered, like a falling star. She lifted her hand as if to object, but lowered it again in fear. Crestfallen, she walked away, glancing one last time toward the direction of the cannon fire.
Several officers frowned at the scene.
"Continue the bombardment. Do not be distracted." Bairo's voice was calm. At once, an adjutant relayed the order.
From the beginning to the end, the bombardment lasted three hours. By the time it ceased, nearly every person and structure in the town had been erased.
Throughout, the kingdom's army met no resistance. The operation was executed with terrifying ease.
The one hundredth pulse.
It had been half a month since Papai had fused with the world. On the frontlines, the kingdom's forces still suffered defeat after defeat. This small victory was nothing more than a single wave trying to go against the tide—quickly swallowed up again.
As such, the rebel leadership paid little attention to this local loss, still drunk on their recent triumphs.
In a desolate forest, bizarre mushrooms loomed like umbrellas holding up the sky. Beneath their caps, faint, almost imperceptible light flickered in the shadows.
A gust of wind swept through, carrying yellow sand into the air.
The desertification here was growing worse.
As the sand settled, a figure wrapped in a black cloak stood, only his eyes visible. "This is… Edolas? How can this be?!"
Mystogan's gaze brimmed with confusion. Compared to the towering vegetation, humans were nothing more than ants—if even that. The sheer contrast left him momentarily stunned.
When had Edolas changed so drastically?
But he quickly steadied himself. The ambient magic felt off, and the mushroom-trees seemed unnaturally large…
Yet this was undoubtedly Edolas. The flora was unmistakably native.
"…Looks like the old man has been here."
After the brief shock, Mystogan calmed down. The transformation of Edolas couldn't be without cause. Papai must have done something—if he had indeed come here.
"Haa… I have to hurry."
Drawing a deep breath, Mystogan steeled himself. He needed to make Faust understand the true situation… and at the same time, somehow restrain Papai.
Boom!
A massive beast crashed down behind him, its deep growl sending chills down his spine.
Mystogan's heart clenched. His staff flared, teleporting him from the spot. In the air, magic power converged. Five-layered arrays bloomed overhead, their oppressive force gathering rapidly.
The light grew blinding.
But before the spell could be unleashed, a spear of magic pierced down from the heavens, impaling the formation. Magic from the spear surged into the arrays, clashing violently against Mystogan's power.
The spell twisted, collapsing into a glowing sphere that detonated in a colossal shockwave. Winds howled outward in every direction, toppling mushroom-trees.
Mystogan prepared to use the chaos to escape—when a voice suddenly called out.
"Wait! Prince Jellal, there's no need to be so tense. We are here on the King's orders to await your arrival." Bairo's words rang clear.
The mention of "the King" made Mystogan pause. Though he didn't leave, he pulled another staff from his cloak, keeping his guard up.
One wrong move, and he'd vanish again.
"Next, we'll disperse this sandstorm. Please don't be alarmed." Bairo warned, cautious of Mystogan's nerves.
"Stop! Leave it as it is, or I'll leave immediately." Mystogan barked. He couldn't risk it, not without knowing their intentions.
Bairo frowned. Unlike Mystogan, who wore a mask, many kingdom soldiers had none. Old equipment had been melted down for resources to forge new gear, and protective masks weren't yet distributed. Fighting in a sandstorm wasn't easy for them.
"Heh, so he's nothing but a coward?" Natwoka scoffed. She strode to retrieve her Ten Commandments spear, its faint glow pulsing with dangerous magic. "Why don't I just knock him out and drag him back instead?"
"Wait, Natwoka! Don't interfere!" Bairo barked. He called out loudly to Mystogan: "Very well, Prince Jellal. We'll speak as we are. By the King's command, we ask you to return."
"The King? How would he even know I'd be here?" Mystogan's mind raced. He had only just returned to this world—how could Faust already know?
Could it be… that Faust had agents even in Aslant, watching his every move? Impossible…!
"I cannot say. We are merely following orders."
"…Fine. Tell me—what major events have taken place in Edolas recently?" Mystogan pressed. What he truly sought was news of Papai.
If Papai had come here, his actions would have left a massive impact. There was no way the kingdom would have missed it.
But Bairo misunderstood, answering instead about the kingdom: "The Exceed have begun attacking the kingdom. Multiple rebel factions have also risen. The situation grows dire."
"What?!! The Exceed have attacked the kingdom?!" Mystogan's mind reeled as though struck by lightning. His heart sank. "Was this the old man's doing too…?" he muttered under his breath.
"In addition, the world has recently begun to recover its magic. Edolas no longer needs to plunder others. There is no need for you to oppose His Majesty anymore."
Another revelation, hitting him like a hammer.
He couldn't connect the dots. He couldn't tie it to Papai.
For now, he classified the magic recovery as a natural phenomenon, an independent event. He severed any link between Papai and the Exceed.
The flood of news left his mind in turmoil. It took a long while before he remembered his true question:
"…Has anyone unusual appeared recently? A mage—someone with immense magic within their body."
"A mage? You mean an Aslant native? No. Aside from that odd Fairy Tail guild, we've seen no such individuals."
Bairo was puzzled but stored the information away in his mind.
"Now, more than ever, the kingdom needs you, Prince. Please put the greater good first." He urged sincerely.
Mystogan's heart was still in chaos. No… how could there be no trace? Even if memories were erased, if he remembered, then Papai's ability shouldn't have taken effect.
So… was it truly that no one existed?
Tap.
His staff struck the ground. From the impact point, arcs of light spread outward, pressing the dust down until the air was clear once more.
Mystogan strode toward Bairo's forces. "I'll go with you."
"Thank you for your understanding, Prince." Bairo shifted aside, offering him a seat. Mystogan accepted without fuss.
Nearby, Coco was tending to a gravely wounded Exceed.