"Magic vs. Martial Artistry – Song vs. Instinct."
Secret Mana Grounds — Outside the Academy / 2:14 AM
The night was quiet.
Too quiet for two sleep-deprived lunatics preparing to rewrite magical safety regulations.
Asura rolled his shoulders, barefoot and grinning.
Mary sipped from her thermos, hair in two messy pigtails, sweater sliding off one shoulder.
"You ready?" she asked.
Asura smirked. "Born ready."
"…You're eight."
"Mentally? Yes."
"Rule one," Mary said, raising a finger. "No killing."
"Easy."
"Rule two: don't destroy the training field."
Asura stared at his hands like they were innocent.
"…Define destroy."
Mary blinked slowly. "Don't. Break. Anything."
[ System: Host is physically incapable of following that instruction. ]
Asura flashed a thumbs-up.
Mary instantly regretted this.
He flicked his wrist, storing both Yamikami & Yōken no Tsurugi in Unlimited Storage.
"No swords," he said. "I'll fight with mana, aura, and technique."
Mary blinked. "Bare hands? Against a Grand Magi?"
"Pajamas buff speed."
"That is delusion."
Mary snapped her fingers.
Spell: Resonance Pulse
Ping—
The air turned to liquid sound.
Glowing runes formed — but instead of geometric mage circles, they shaped into floating measures of music, staff lines and notes revolving around her wrists.
No chant.
No incantation.
Only intent and rhythm.
"As expected from a Magi…" Asura whispered.
Mary smiled faintly. "I don't just cast spells. I can conduct reality."
She tapped her finger to the air.
Melody Spell: Tempo Shift
The world lurched.
Gravity itself seemed to skip to a different beat.
Before Asura could reset his stance—
Melody Spell: Staccato Burst
A sharp sound exploded behind him like a sonic landmine.
BOOM—!!
Asura flipped over it, landing smoothly.
"You triple-cast instantly?"
Mary shrugged. "Music is math with style."
Asura exhaled.
Precognition. — ON.
The world slowed, movements appearing as shimmering predictive lines.
Sovereign's Dominion Lv.5 — ON.
Probability bent. Fate leaned his way.
[ System: Universe manipulated. Probability offended. ]
He disappeared.
Martial Demon Arts — Flowing Shadow Step
Asura reappeared behind Mary, heel whipping toward her temple.
Mary didn't dodge.
She struck a single note with her fingernail on an invisible string.
Resonance Deflection (Technique)
A ripple of vibration redirected his momentum without blocking.
BOOM—!!
Asura slammed into the ground, gouging a crater.
Mary dusted imaginary dirt from her nightgown.
"That kick would shatter ribs."
Asura grinned. "I am built different."
"And I," Mary said, "am built smarter."
Asura thrust his hand outward.
Reminiscence Codex — Memory Extraction (Fire)
Fireball formed instantly in his palm — perfectly shaped, tightly compressed, zero mana waste.
Mary's eyes widened a fraction.
"You cast without forming a circle."
"I cheat differently."
He fired.
CRACK–WHOOOM—!
Mary stomped the ground lightly.
Melody Spell: Dampen
Sound absorbed the explosion, flames collapsing into harmless sparks.
Mary licked her lip. "Do another."
Asura blinked.
"…Another?"
"Different element."
Her eyes sparkled with unhealthy enthusiasm.
[ System: Host, she is getting excited. This is dangerous. ]
Asura activated Reminiscence Codex repeatedly:
Water Blade — a crescent slash of compressed water.
Earth Fangs — stone spikes erupting upward.
Wind Guillotine — razor air slicing horizontally.
Lightning Lance — a spear of plasma.
Ice Coffin — freezing mist forming sharp pillars.
Each spell formed instantly.
Mary deflected each with a different music command:
"Legato —" ribbons of smooth mana captured water
"Tremolo —" vibrating air shattered the earth fangs
"Glissando —" a sliding tone curved wind away
"Crescendo —" a rising note shattered lightning
"Rest —" silence that froze ice midair
With every spell, her eyes grew brighter.
"…You're dangerous."
[ System: Correction — SHE is dangerous. Please flee. ]
Asura felt a chill.
Not from fear.
From excitement.
Asura hardened his hand.
Armament Willforce
Obsidian armor oozed over his forearm like living shadow, then hardened into a sharp-edged gauntlet.
Mary stopped moving.
Her pupils dilated.
"That's not aura."
Her voice was thin. Breathless.
"Aura does not liquefy into matter. Aura does not obey will in that structure. Aura does not—"
She stepped closer, fascination overtaking logic.
"What are you?"
Asura grinned. "I'm amazing right."
[ System: Host's ego swelling. Initiating reality check. ]
Mary bit her lip.
"I want it."
"Want what?"
"That power. I want to rip apart the concept of magic and rebuild it."
And that's when it happened.
Her smile… broke.
Like a crack in porcelain.
✦ Mary's Alter Ego Emerges
Her tone shifted — lower, breathier, hungry.
"Let's make this interesting, prince."
SPELL: Measure Break
A jagged staff line struck the ground, fracturing space itself.
Mary tilted her head.
"…Let's see what happens if I cast a spell without finishing it."
"Wait— don't—"
She snapped her fingers.
Improvised Spell: Raw Resonance Surge
VRUUUM—!!
A wave of pure vibration exploded, warping the air.
Asura's hair stood on end.
[ System: She's not casting spells. She's experimenting. ]
Asura gulped.
"Is she… always like this?"
[ System: No. You broke her. ]
Mary dragged her finger through the air like writing on glass.
Symbols trailed — not notes, not runes.
Commands.
"Reverb — multiply force."
"Adagio — slow target."
"Accelerando — speed me up."
Reality obeyed.
The ground bent. Gravity hiccupped.
She wasn't fighting anymore.
She was creating.
And loving it.
This wasn't madness.
This was curiosity without restraint.
This was no longer a spar.
This wasn't even a duel.
Something had gone catastrophically wrong.
Asura whispered, "…She's insane."
Mary grinned.
"Correct."
System alerts fired:
[ WARNING: Mana capacity stressed ]
[ WARNING: True Demon Lord Awakening destabilizing ]
[ WARNING: Host, she is going to fold you like laundry. ]
Asura wiped sweat from his brow.
"Fine. I'll go all out."
Precognition + Dominion
13 Elements (one-by-one)
Willforce
Everything.
Mary lifted her hand.
A full staff of music formed behind her—
eight measures long, curving through the sky like a halo.
Grand Spell: ORCHESTRAL COLLAPSE
(Resonance magic that folds space using harmonic interference)
Each note on the staff glowed like a miniature sun.
"Asura—" she breathed, voice half-mad, "—don't die. I still want to try more spells."
Asura braced himself, aura flaring.
"COME AT ME—!"
✦ Collapse Countdown
The world shook around them.
Asura staggered across the ruined training field, pajamas torn, Willforce cracked like shattered obsidian glass along his arms. His breath came ragged and uneven. Sweat plastered his white hair to his forehead.
His vision blurred.
[ WARNING: Mana core strain at 92%. ]
Mary stood across from him—still barefoot, still in her nightgown—yet now wrapped in spiraling staves of music that floated around her like a choir halo.
Her voice was smooth. Calm.
But wrong.
"Keep going, prince."
Asura ground his foot into the dirt.
"Reminiscence Codex — Element. Space."
SPACE BREACH.
A rift tore open beside him—unstable, flickering, imperfect.
He shoved his hand into it—
—and nothing happened.
The spell fizzled and cracked like broken glass.
[ Skill Level: 1 | Success Rate: 11% ]
Asura grit his teeth.
"Again—!"
Reminiscence Codex — Void.
VOID FANG.
A thin black tear formed in the air and lashed outward.
The tear sputtered like a dying flame.
Barely enough force to cut wind.
[ Skill Level Up → VOID FANG: Lv.2 ]
Mary tilted her head, intrigued.
"You're trying to master them in real-time. Fascinating."
Asura's vision swam.
He reached deeper.
Reminiscence Codex — Time.
TIME FRACTURE.
A silver ring spun around him—moments stuttering, frames skipping.
But the spell collapsed mid-cast, sending a shock up his arm.
His knees hit the ground.
Breathing—shallow.
Pulse—irregular.
[ Skill Level: 1 | Hazard: Temporal Feedback Detected ]
Mary hummed a soft melody, and a musical staff formed beneath her feet.
Her voice was airy, lilting:
"Experiments are more interesting when someone is trying their hardest."
She didn't sound evil.
She sounded entertained.
Mary raised both hands.
Floating measures of music spun around her, notation glowing like constellation patterns.
Harmony. Tempo. Pitch. All woven into reality.
Melody Spell: Reverb Snare.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—
Every vibration hit Asura like an invisible hammer, knocking him backward.
He countered.
Space — unstable blink.
Void — clawing darkness.
Time — fractured afterimages.
Each cast leveled his spells, but not fast enough.
Asura coughed blood, wiping it away with shaking hands.
"Don't… count me out… just yet."
Mary's smile twitched wider. Her pupils dilated.
Something shifted.
Not playful excitement.
Obsession.
Her voice echoed with a second tone layered beneath her own.
"Oh… don't stop. Struggle more."
[ System: New emotional pattern detected. Instructor Mary has entered 'Battle-obsessed Alter' state. ]
[ Translation: Run. ]
Asura blinked.
"…Run? I thought you had confidence in me?"
[ I have confidence. I also have survival instincts. You do not. ]
System Warning — Collapse
Asura forced another spell.
Time Fracture — Lv.2
His muscles screamed.
Vision doubled.
Mary clapped once.
Melody Spell: Measure Burst
Music notes shot toward him like arrows.
He dodged the first volley.
He tanked the second.
The third hit dead center and flipped him across the field.
[ WARNING: Host will collapse in 5 seconds. ]
Asura staggered to his feet.
"No… not yet."
[ 5 ]
Mary flicked her wrist.
A chord snapped in the air, forming a glowing sigil.
[ 4 ]
Asura hurled a space tear.
It collapsed before reaching her.
[ 3 ]
He pushed Void Fang, only for it to fizz.
Mary's voice layered with laughter—two voices overlapping:
"You're slowing down."
[ 2 ]
Asura's legs buckled.
Mary raised her hand.
Notes spiraled into a spearlike shape.
Her normal voice broke through—briefly—like someone trapped behind glass.
I didn't think… he'd trigger my other side...
Her eyes shook.
Her hand trembled.
Stop. Stop! I SAID STOP!
But her body didn't listen.
The alter ego—smiling—tightened Mary's grip on the spear.
"Final experiment."
[ 1 ]
Asura's vision tunneled.
Everything went black around the edges.
No… I can't lose… not like… this…
His body shut down.
Eyes halfway closed.
The musical spear fully formed—radiant, crystalline, vibrating at lethal frequency.
Mary's true self screamed inside her mind:
I have to stop— I don't want to kill anyone again—
Her Alter ego only giggled.
"Let's see if demons bleed like humans."
She hurled the spear.
It moved faster than sound—
faster than lightning—
—straight toward Asura's heart.
✦ The Black Sun Awakens
The spear cut through the air—
a streak of lethal, crystalline sound.
It vibrated at a frequency that shattered the grass beneath it, ripping the world open in a narrow line of silence.
Asura's body was collapsing—
knees slack, consciousness slipping, eyes dimming.
[ 0 ]
[ SYSTEM: CRITICAL SHUTDOWN. LOSS OF MOTOR FUNCTION. ]
His vision tunneled into darkness.
The musical spear closed in—
impossibly fast—
a meter from his chest.
Mary's real mind screamed.
NO—NO—STOP—!
Her body did not listen.
Her alter ego smiled, delighted.
"Die beautifully."
The spear reached his heart—
—and space itself snapped.
A ring of violent black lightning detonated outward.
KRRAKOOOOOM—!!
The spear evaporated midair, shredded into motes of sound.
A shockwave tore across the field, uprooting trees, splitting the earth.
The countdown stopped.
[ SYSTEM — UNKNOWN POWER INTERFERENCE ]
[ AWAKENING OVERRIDE DETECTED ]
Mary stumbled back, shielding her eyes.
A black crack spread across reality behind Asura—
thin, jagged, unstable.
Void leaked from the tear.
That voice again…
That same one from the forest.
The one that mocked him.
—Pathetic child.
Asura's fingers twitched.
—So weak. So fragile. So disappointed.
A pulse of killing intent radiated outward like a shockwave.
His hair lengthened—
white turning into cascading black strands, reaching past his lower back.
Demonic markings surged across his torso and neck, glowing scarlet like burning sigils.
Obsidian horns curved sharply from his skull, etched with crimson veins.
Feathered wings tore into existence behind him—
not demon wings.
Black wings edged with silver.
His eyes snapped open—
Not gold.
Crimson.
Pupils slit like a predator.
The spear—the one that should have killed him—melted into motes of color.
Not destroyed.
Erased.
Mary staggered, breath caught in her throat.
"…That's not a Demon Awakening."
Her alter ego—
the twisted, battle-addicted part of her—
froze.
"This is something else."
The ground beneath Asura fractured into floating stone.
Gravity bent around him.
Space warped under his feet like ripples.
His voice echoed, layered with something ancient.
"Don't interfere."
The system trembled.
[ SYSTEM: WARNING. 'AKARIS STATE' PARTIALLY ENGAGED. ]
[ LIMITER ACTIVE — FULL AUTHORITY INACCESSIBLE. ]
[ BALANCE THRESHOLD EXCEEDED. ]
[ HOST IS NOT IN FULL CONTROL. ]
Mary whispered, trembling,
"What… what are you?"
Asura looked at her—
expression blank, emotionless, inhuman.
"I'm done playing."
He vanished.
Not speed.
Erasure of position.
Mary barely tilted her head as a black claw grazed her cheek, cutting reality itself.
Blood traced a line down her jaw.
And Mary laughed—
both voices overlapping.
"Oh yes—"
her alter ego purred, trembling with euphoria.
"Break me more."
Asura narrowed his eyes.
"You talk too much."
He vanished again—
and the world screamed.
✦ The Sky Shatters
The Akaris-state Asura hovered above the ground, wings unfurled and dripping void-light.
Black lightning webbed from his body, distorting the air like heat haze.
He didn't speak.
He didn't flinch.
He didn't feel anything.
Every breath from him carried weight—crushing gravity.
The ground beneath his feet cracked, then crumbled, stone fracturing into hovering shards.
Mary—her Alter Ego—didn't blink.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't care.
Her eyes burned with manic hunger.
Music staff lines encircled her like planetary rings, glyphs shifting faster than thought.
"More. Show me more—PRINCE."
She struck her hands together.
Melody Spell: Cataclysmic Crescendo
Multiple layered scores exploded outward like detonating dominos.
The world folded.
Trees shriveled into silence, light bent at impossible angles, and reality flickered like a skipping record.
Sound condensed into blades—sharp enough to cut space.
Asura lifted one hand.
Void gathered.
He didn't cast Akaris.
He didn't need to.
Everything else answered him.
Martial Demon Arts
• Sovereign's Dominion
• Precognition
• Reminiscence Codex (Elemental spells)
• Armament Willforce
Every skill—every instinct—came online.
He blurred.
Mary launched a tidal wave of vibrating sound, carving through creation itself.
Asura didn't move.
The sound hit him—
and shattered.
TssshhHHHHH— crack— SPLINTER—
Mary's pupils constricted.
"…You broke a sound spell without touching it."
She snapped her fingers.
Melody Spell: Accelerando
—her speed multiplied.
Melody Spell: Fortissimo
—raw destructive output tripled.
Melody Spell: Reverb Crash
—the same spell repeated, force multiplying by resonance stacking.
Reality trembled, warping like wet glass.
Asura… remained perfectly still.
Where he stood, the ground evaporated under his pressure alone.
Stone → dust
Dust → nothing
[ System: Host presence is erasing matter unintentionally. ]
He shifted his weight a half-inch to avoid falling.
Then made the decision.
—
In a heartbeat, Asura teleported upward.
SPACE STEP.
One blink—
and he was above the clouds.
Moonlight washed over him.
Black wings spread wide.
Mary—down below—froze.
"…He ran?"
Her Alter Ego snapped.
The staff lines around her twisted into a jagged score—each note sharp, discordant, unstable.
"DON'T YOU DARE TURN YOUR BACK ON ME."
She slashed her arm through the air.
Melody Technique: Melody Rift— Reality Tear
A rift opened in front of her.
And she stepped into it.
She emerged in front of him—
so close her breath dispersed across his chest.
Her arm trailed with glowing musical notes, condensing into a fist-sized spear of sound.
Space cracked, as if her fist was punching THROUGH the concept of distance itself.
She aimed straight for his face—
Asura tilted his head.
Effortlessly.
No force wasted.
Minimal movement.
He raised his hand, palm open, angled at her ribs—not touching—
Just an inch from contact.
Precognition triggered.
Sovereign's Dominion locked probability.
Armament Willforce hardened.
ONE-INCH STRIKE.
WHUM—BOOOM—!!
The impact didn't sound like a punch.
It sounded like space being denied.
Mary's dual-layered barrier flashed—
CRACK—KRRRSH—
Two layers shattered like thin glass.
A third emergency barrier flickered into existence—instinctive, desperate.
Even with that—
three ribs snapped.
Mary's body shot backwards at light speed, punching through clouds like bullets of steam.
From miles away, her scream echoed in two voices:
"HAHAHAHA—!"
Pain.
Delight.
Obsession.
She loved the fight more than she loved survival.
Wind screamed around him.
Stars shimmered.
The world bent.
He hung in the air, expression blank, eyes crimson.
Watching her fly.
[ System (frantic): HOST. ANSWER ME. YOU ARE IN OVERLOAD. ]
No response.
[ System: …please? ]
Nothing.
Not even acknowledgement.
In this form, Asura didn't talk.
He hunted.
He erased.
Mary stopped herself miles away, coughing blood, ribs cracking back into place with raw mana.
She wiped her lips, grinning.
"You broke two barriers… with a punch that didn't even touch me."
Her laugh split into two tones.
"DON'T YOU RUN AWAY—"
"…I can't stop… please… not again…"
Mary's real thoughts bled in.
Her Alter Ego drowned them.
Asura finally moved.
A single flap of his wings.
The air cracked.
The scene fades on one image:
Asura descending from above the clouds
eyes glowing
expression empty
ready to end the fight
…and Mary smiling through broken ribs, more thrilled to fight him.
End of Chapter 57