Layers upon layers of magic circles overlapped, like falling autumn leaves gradually piling up in the air.
Countless delicate magic lines appeared across the formations, weaving together with the complex patterns.
In the blink of an eye, the space behind Viktor was filled with countless expanding formations.
Like stars covering the night sky, they blocked out the heavens.
Layer after layer of light slowly lit up beneath the sky, like a blue daylight rising from the earth, breaking through the thick black veil of chaos.
The vast magic power turned into towering clouds, rolling across the ground like waves, spreading farther and farther as they swallowed everything around them.
Feeling the growing pressure, countless knights couldn't help but look up.
What they saw was the blinding light and the countless complicated formation patterns, leaving them stunned.
They steadied themselves, but an uneasy feeling rose in their hearts.
'No way...'
'Could it be...'
'Was the royal capital really about to be bombed today?'
These knights had fought alongside Viktor many times.
Some of them had even boarded the magical train with him when they traveled to the Kingdom.
They still clearly remembered how Viktor had blown away half of a mountain canyon back then.
Now, the moment Viktor began this incredibly elaborate spell preparation, the knights all realized one thing.
The royal capital probably wasn't getting through today unharmed.
Their eyes trembled as they stared blankly at the increasingly brilliant formations, their shock growing stronger.
Perhaps the bright light brought him back to his senses.
The First Prince quickly turned around and shouted orders to the stunned knights.
"What are you all standing around for? Hurry and evacuate the nearby residents!"
Right...
This was the royal capital, where people lived close together.
There were many civilians nearby. Their safety couldn't be put at risk.
The knights answered immediately, sheathed their swords, and rushed toward the nearby neighborhoods to evacuate the residents.
The entire knight order scattered like a storm.
Only Gwen, the captain of the knights, stayed behind to protect the elves as much as possible.
After sending the knights away, the First Prince looked up again.
He gritted his teeth and stared at the Second Prince, who stood atop the demon's head, laughing wildly.
The bitterness and pain in his heart surged like waves.
'Owiser...'
'Why did you end up like this...'
"Was he controlled by the demon...?"
"Not necessarily."
Cocotte floated over while sitting on her cloud, lazily letting out a yawn.
She looked at the Second Prince, whose feet were wrapped in black ink as he stood on top of the giant toad.
Hearing that, Albany quickly turned toward Cocotte.
Under his shocked and doubtful gaze, she calmly explained, "It's not like I've never seen humans possessed by demons."
"But looking at him... I'd believe you if you told me he was controlling the demon instead."
After hearing her explanation, the First Prince looked up at the crazed Second Prince once more.
It really did seem that way.
Standing on top of the demon's head, he looked more like he was commanding the demon beneath him.
Suddenly, the First Prince remembered something.
He stopped thinking about his brother and hurriedly asked Cocotte, "Queen Cocotte... shouldn't you hurry and take the elves away?"
A massive demon had appeared.
Its huge mouth had swallowed nearly half the banquet hall in one bite.
Anyone could imagine how dangerous such a demon was.
And Viktor...
The countless complex formations spinning behind him, along with the enormous magic power filling the air...
No matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like he was about to cast an ordinary spell.
It might even cause something as terrifying as what happened in the south before.
Whether it was the demon or Viktor, both looked incredibly dangerous.
Hearing that, Cocotte showed no reaction.
She simply leaned back comfortably on her cloud, stretched lazily, and hummed to herself.
Then she rolled onto her side, propped up her head with one hand, and looked sideways at Viktor.
The countless blue formations reflected in her clear eyes as they continued flashing.
"Relax."
"With Viktor here, it'll be fine."
But the First Prince felt that Viktor was the most dangerous one of all.
Then he looked around.
He realized that everyone except him looked completely calm.
Only the elves seemed a little nervous because of the demon's appearance.
Other than that, they showed little reaction.
No...
A demon this terrifying, and they weren't even afraid?
Did they really trust Viktor that much?
Following the elves' gazes, the First Prince also looked toward Viktor.
Blue magic power continuously poured out of Viktor's body, layering together and forming one complicated magic circle after another.
He could only stare blankly into the sky, his eyes fixed on the formations flashing behind Viktor.
The formations seemed to be drawing magic power from the air, becoming denser and more powerful.
Just what kind of spell was this?
Even from so far away, it gave him such terrifying pressure.
Albany wasn't a mage.
But even in the City of Adventurers, he had never seen any mage create such an overwhelming display.
He could only raise a hand in front of his face, trying to block the overwhelming light.
Perhaps because Albany had just urged her to take the elves and flee, Cocotte found herself liking the golden-haired young man a little more.
So she patiently explained further.
"Before that, I should explain something."
Cocotte said calmly, "You know that every profession has ranks, right?"
Even elementary school children knew that.
Of course Albany knew.
But he was facing the respected Elf Queen.
He didn't dare interrupt.
So he quietly listened as Cocotte continued, "Mages are the same. They have ranks from first to fifth and beyond. But because of the requirements for magic power and knowledge, you rarely see truly high-ranking mages."
This was different from professions like warriors and knights.
Warriors could keep training their battle aura to grow stronger.
Even young warriors could reach high ranks.
Of course, the higher the rank, the harder it became to advance. That was common knowledge for every profession.
At this point, Cocotte pointed at herself.
"Hmm... At the moment, there are only two fifth-rank mages in the Empire."
"I'm one of them."
Albany immediately noticed the words one of them.
As if realizing something, he froze.
An almost impossible conclusion slowly formed in his mind.
"So you mean..."
"That's right."
Cocotte nodded and looked toward Viktor, who was still gathering magic.
"Viktor is the other one."
The moment those words fell, Albany's mind completely stopped working.
The world's youngest fifth-rank mage...
Twenty-nine-year-old Viktor Kleven.
Suddenly, the countless formations behind Viktor flared again, becoming even brighter.
The sky grew darker beneath the dazzling light, while the silver snowstorm sweeping across the land reflected a brilliant glow.
Blue ripples flowed across Viktor's black coat.
Waves of blue magic spread across the dried earth, rippling outward.
Looking at the formations behind Viktor, Leopold, who had been stunned by Viktor's words, gradually came back to his senses.
He looked up, excitement shining in his eyes.
'A fifth-rank mage!?'
'How did someone so young achieve that?'
'And this terrifying level of magical calculation...'
"To reach this level using only ordinary magic power... what incredible spell calculations..."
But...
It still wasn't enough.
Bright golden light flashed across Leopold's sand-colored eyes.
The countless formations reflected in his golden pupils as if he were waiting for something even more astonishing.
'Viktor...'
'Just how many more surprises do you have?'
"That should do it."
Viktor's calm voice sounded as he looked at the returning flow of magic behind him.
The instant his words fell, countless formations burst with light that pierced through the ink-black clouds and shot into the sky.
Suddenly, the ruined banquet hall fell completely silent.
Flying sand, howling snow, battle cries, and mad laughter all disappeared at the same moment.
As the brilliant pillar of light rose into the sky, every sound seemed to have been muted.
Everything was torn apart by the light and scattered across the ground like countless broken fragments.
Even the foul smell in the air was pierced through and gradually disappeared.
Under countless watching eyes, the pillar of light reaching into the sky became even more magnificent.
Like a pillar holding up the heavens, it stood firmly upon the earth.
In an instant, the thick clouds were ripped open, leaving behind a massive hole.
A dazzling slanted pillar of light shattered everything in its path.
The empty cracks in space around it burst apart under the raging power, becoming black spirals that tightly wrapped around the beam before crashing toward the earth.
Bzzz!
The instant the light touched the ground, it exploded violently, sending a gigantic wave soaring into the sky.
The flying sand and snowstorm were completely swallowed by the raging power, leaving no trace behind.
The giant trees nearby were instantly engulfed by the blazing magic, while intense heat scorched every inch of their thick trunks.
The enormous demon standing before the banquet hall widened its eyes and opened its mouth.
As the raging magic poured over it like a flood, it offered no resistance at all.
A massive shockwave burst from the ground, spreading outward like towering walls in every direction.
It slammed into the endless land of the royal capital, shattering the earth with deafening force.
[Fifth-Rank Magic: Starlight That Pierces Straight to the Highest Point of the Sky]