Chapter 62 Death and Resurrection


    With no time for answers, An bolted from the room. The academy dormitory where Dorothy resided was engulfed in mes. After running at full speed, An arrived at the dormitory only to find it aze with unholy fire. Some children who had escaped were either writhing from burns or crying out in despair. Dorothy, however, was nowhere to be seen.


    Anxiously, An approached someone who seemed unharmed.


    Excuse me, have you seen Dorothy? A girl with transparent blue hair?


    Do, Dorothy? The failing student?


    He seemed to recognize Dorothy, but his expression betrayed ignorance of her current whereabouts. Suddenly, a child raised a hand.


    I saw her! Dorothy saved that kid and me over there.


    The student, apparently exhausted from inhaling smoke, pointed to another unconscious child, but Dorothy herself was still missing.


    Wheres Dorothy?


    She went back inside to save more kids


    Hearing this, An charged through the entrance without hesitation. Having cast a series of spells to ward off mes, he dashed through the searing inferno. Despite the protective magic, the heat was intensethese werent ordinary mes.


    This is magic.


    Who would do such a thing? Did someone bear a grudge against the academy? An, who didnt attend the academy, couldnt knowbut he was certain of one thing: he needed to find Dorothy.


    Dorothy! Dorothy, where are you?


    Dodging falling debris, An desperately called out for Dorothy. A girl just barely managing basic spells couldnt possibly withstand such a ze. He scoured the first floor, then the second, and as he reached the third, he sensed a drop in the ferocity of mes from a certain direction. Realizing this, An propelled himself towards it with all his might.


    Move!


    He sent the rubble flying with magic and saw a glimpse of blue hair amidst the ice. Between locks of frosty hair, the clear ice-like skin of a girl came into view, her body seemingly half made of ice, frantically suppressing the magic circle of mes with coldness.


    It was Dorothy he knew so well.


    Dorothy!


    His voice drew her attention. Shock and confusion reced the usual serenity in her eyes.


    Ah, An?


    Flustered to see him here, and fully aware of her own appearance, she was at a loss. An realized it thenDorothy was no ordinary human. She was a spirit.


    The presence of a spirit instinctively incites aversion in people. And in the Igrit family, spirits were a taboo, ever since the atrocitiesmitted by the first spirit contracted by the original spirit mage, which had gone down in history. Dorothy wasnt unaware of this, and guilt for deceiving him filled her mind.


    However, An felt a profound sense of relief. Dorothy was safe. He immediately rushed to her side, regardless of her being a spirit. She was the Dorothy who had given him a second chance at life.


    An, you fool?! Its dangerous! Get out of here now!


    Despite her shock, Dorothy was more concerned about Ans safety than her own appearance. But he felt the same towards her.


    We just need to deal with this.


    Wait, its dangerous!


    An, I am an Igrit.


    He stepped in front of the magic circle, heat fiercely beating against his face. Ignoring it, he extended his hands and began to unravel the array of magical circles that had started to glow within his grasp.


    Magic is my specialty.


    The irony wasnt lost on him. The man who had grown weary of magic early in life was now iming expertise in it. But he was the only one capable of stopping this magic circle. Dorothys gaze flickered wildly, her lips tightly pressed together, as she watched him act without hesitation despite knowing her true nature.


    An, I am a spirit. If people see you with me, it could lead to disaster.


    The repercussions could extend beyond a simple exile from the family. At least, the me Emperor would never let An off the hook.


    Still, Ans eyes remained unchanged.


    Yes.


    He simply said, willing to endure it all just to be with her. Dorothy clenched her fists as Ans sincerity reached her.


    The one who started this fire used a spirit seed. Ordinary magic cant extinguish these mes. And obviously, spirits cant stop it either.


    The magic, a new creation using a spirit seed sold in underhanded deals, was a forbidden spell that forced the spirit within the seed to bloom and explode. A powerful spell akin to world erosion, amplifying the spirits power at the cost of its sacrifice. The Igrit family was already investigating such magic users.


    Dorothy was a rare case, almost human-like among spirits. She was a new being created by the Spirit Kings Forest to evolve and respond to humans in a world undergoing erosion. Thus, she understood humans unlike typical spirits.


    Regardless of the intent behind her evolution, her simrity to humans naturally piqued her interest in them, with magic being a particrly fascinating subject. She adopted the identity of a young mage named Dorothy, who had died, to learn magic at the academy. It was there she realized that the mage she impersonated was connected to the group researching spirit amplification magic.


    Upon discovering this, Dorothy monitored their activities and rushed to prevent the arson when she saw one member being caught by the Igrits investigation.


    Now, An finally saw the burning seed within the explosive magic circle. The aura of the mes was beyond hisprehension.


    I will suppress the spirits power.


    I will undo the magic.


    Their eyes met, a mutual realization of what needed to be done. They shared a smile amidst the roaring mes and moved in unison.


    Dorothys coldness forcibly pressed down the spirits mes. Meanwhile, An began to dismantle the magic circle.


    The foundation of the magic circle was based on explosive spells of considerableplexity. It reflected the madness of the arsonist, obsessed with magic.


    Great, what a lunaticplication. At least a Philosopher level 5th Circle Mages work.


    He was merely a Theoricus, a 3rd Circle Mage. Facing a magic circle crafted by someone two whole circles above him, the determination behind theplex spell was palpable. It was so intense that An nearly felt dizzy just looking at it.


    Yet, his eyes and hands moved with a feverish determination, swiftly unraveling the spell. He understood why Dorothy had been suppressing itif it exploded, not just the dormitory, but the entire area would be obliterated. She had been desperately holding it back, and An had to be even more careful in disarming it. Precision and speed were both crucial, a high-wire act where one misstep could be catastrophic.


    Dorothys coldness was still pouring out, desperately holding back the mes, but she had been pushing herself since before Ans arrival. Her increasingly spirit-like appearance and the water dripping between the ice were clear signs of her reaching her limit.


    Time was running out. Sweat beaded on Ans brow. He despised himself for having neglected magic for so long, all the while making grand gestures and now struggling with disarming a magic circle.


    Faster, more precise.


    His hands and eyes showed no sign of stopping. His mental focus, pushed to the limit, forced him into a state of intense concentration solely for the spells disarming.


    Crack, thud


    Blood began to trickle from his eyes, perhaps due to the immense mana gathered there. His gaze never wavered, not blinking once.


    Damn it.


    Even then, he acutely felt the inadequacy of his skills.


    An.


    Dorothys voice reached him.


    You can do it. You taught even a fool like me.


    Nowpletely in her spirit form, Dorothy pulled up even more coldness and spoke.


    You are the greatest magician among all those I know.


    Having someone believe in him was enough for An. His reddened eyes shone brighter than ever before, as if he had been learning magic just for this day. His fingers danced across the runes as dozens of magic circles began to unravel at his touch.


    The mes grew fiercer, but Ans hands continued to dismantle the magic circle. Finally, onest one. When his index finger touched the magic circle:


    Crack!


    The circle shattered like ss. Following that, the epassing mesbusted and disappeared in an instant.


    Thud, thud


    Parts of the burnt building copsed into ash. Amidst the quiet, An gasped for breath, blood trickling down his cheeks.


    His gaze shifted to the side. Had he used too much mana? His voice was gone, his vision blurry. Yet, in his sight, Dorothy was still vividly present.


    Translucent ice-like skin, eyes and hair of azure blue as if each strand was meticulously carved from ice. Below that, Dorothys face was adorned with a bright smile.


    An!


    They had prevailed. That was enough.


    As Ans consciousness teetered on the brink:


    Boom!


    The entire dormitory began to echo as its pirs could no longer withstand the fire, leading to the buildings copse. They were cornered on the third floor, too far from any windows to escape. Moreover, An was at his limit, mana-exhausted, his fingertips barely moving.


    Yet, before he could reach out to protect Dorothy, she wrapped her arms around him first.


    Crash!


    As the dormitory crumbled, ck ash and smoke swirled around them. Amidst it all, An felt himself falling, muttering in despair. But no impact came. Dorothy had encased the surrounding debris in ice, narrowly preventing it from copsing on them.


    But the real problem was next.


    What, what is that?


    A monster, its a monster!


    Theres a spirit! Theres a spirit here!


    Amidst the chaos, An heard the panicked voices of children and magicians who had arrivedte to fight the fire. Fear, hostility, and a mix of emotions poured from their eyes.


    Its taking a hostage!


    The magicians shouted, not realizing who had quelled the explosion. Desperate to correct the misunderstanding, An couldnt muster his voice. He was fortunate not to be vomiting blood.


    His gaze hurriedly sought Dorothy. They needed to flee now. If Dorothy remained, shed be a target for the magicians. And she knew it.


    But before she could move, a wave of mes surged.


    Stay away from my son!


    With a thunderous voice, the fire enveloped Dorothy in an instant. She had been at her limit from suppressing the amplification magic. Naturally, she couldnt escape such high-tier me magic.


    Ah, aahhh!


    An, witnessing the scene, screamed in horror, spewing blood as he tried to rush to the burning Dorothy. But before he could, someone grabbed his arm.


    An! Its okay now, its over!


    It was none other than his mother, Agatha. She had been investigating the forbidden magicians and rushed here after hearing of the academys arson. Luckily, the culprit had been captureda professor at the academy, who upon being cornered, unleashed his madness on the dormitory. Arriving, Agatha saw a spirit apparently attacking An and, mistaking it for another hostile spirit prepared by the arsonist, incinerated it with all her might to save her son.


    However, none of that mattered to An. Dorothy was burning away. That was the only problem for him. At thest moment, the memory of her pushing him back, smiling, was vivid.


    Do, Dorothy


    Calling her name for thest time, Ans consciousness broke as mana exhaustion took him. And that day became the day An shattered.


    Yet now, An hade this far to meet Dorothy again. He ridiculed his past self for choosing suicide over searching for a way to resurrect her, for failing to find salvation in Dorothy. He despised himself for nearly giving up because he couldnt find a way, despite her saving him.


    So, then.


    An spoke up, his voice cutting through the water as he addressed the shining Spirit Kings egg.


    Dorothy, lets meet again.


    He would atone and live with the regrets of his past for as many times as necessary. He proimed his desire to meet her once more, swallowing tears. He hadnt yet received her answer that day.


    In that moment, the entireke was enveloped in a halo of light. The Spirit Kings egg An was cradling began to crack, and as he slowly lifted it from the water, the radiance converged upon the egg.


    Swish


    Transparent blue hair fluttered before his eyes, and Ans gaze widened more than ever before. The girl submerged in the water slowly opened her fluttering eyes and rose.


    As An wept underwater, he smiled gently.


    Dorothy.


    Ah, An?


    His arms reached out, pulling her into an embrace, making a vow in his heart never to lose her again. Their reunion brought a new hope to Ans life, a reason to keep on living.


    And then, he remembered Kraush. His benefactor was now facing off against his own grandfather.


    Dorothy, exnations willeter.


    They had to leave immediately.


    The sh of swords resounded. Kraush, busy with his vision, was fending off dozens of fireballs with his instincts and blunted de. Across from him stood Adolf, exuding a casual air of confidence, every bit the formidable Ten Great Lord he was reputed to be. Kraush never intended to win. If Adolf were serious, Kraush would have been finished long ago. He could only face him because he knew Adolf wouldnt truly engage.


    But still.


    Kraush dodged another volley of fireballs and took a significant step back.


    That nonchnt attitude is infuriating.


    He had only nned to buy time until An could resurrect Dorothy, but looking at Adolfs face made him reconsider. He understood why An hated and resented Adolf so much. If this was what An endured daily, it was no wonder.


    It made Kraush want tond a solid blow.


    [Kraush.]


    Crimson Gardens voice reached him.


    [The spirit has been resurrected.]


    That was enough to push Kraushs limits beyond their bounds.