Zone E-34 was currently covered in all kinds of fighting.
The ongoing, sluggish exchange of attacks between the steel structures was like watching an endless war of attrition in trench warfare.
If one side had been stronger, it could have been a one-sided victory, but the battle between the two groups was perfectly balanced, as if placed on a scale.
Of course, this balance was not accidental.
It was an artificial yet very delicate balance created by external intervention.
A fight between black magicians and the emerging forces.
And those who instigated the fight from behind while selling their goods were the New Magic Tower, the actual ruling organization of Isla Machina.
"Hmm. Not a bad situation."
Pomfret, a 5th-tier magician from the New Magic Tower, checked the ledger of artifacts sold to the black magicians today.
In the ongoing war of attrition, the black magicians used their funds to purchase weapons and artifacts from the New Magic Tower.The money accumulated by the black magicians was astronomical, so even after quite some time since the fight began, they continued to spend their money.
'Well, what use is money when your school might disappear?'
Besides, the black magicians weren't completely thoughtless.
Although the emerging forces were dangerous, if they could defeat them, their intellectual property would become theirs.
'They probably have valuable magical materials from various black magic schools that have already disappeared. If they can drive them out, they believe they can recoup more than the money they've invested so far.'
Pomfret didn't ridicule such calculations of the black magicians.
Without thinking like that, they wouldn't be able to find comfort in continuing to consume vast amounts of funds.
'Well, we're just making money on our own, so that's fine.'
Pomfret tapped the ledger with his fingertip.
It didn't matter how many black magicians died in this fight.
It was the same for residents of the first floor caught in the battle.
Most of them weren't worth any money anyway, mostly poor humans or beggars living in slums.
There might be some innocent victims, but since the first floor was mostly a high-crime area, the residents' character and quality weren't good.
If they were swept up and died, it would be a welcome cleansing of Isla Machina for Pomfret.
Being so cautious, they were being pushed back by the test subject army that fought as if throwing away their lives.
In such a situation, the War Mages passively intervened, pushing back the test subjects and focusing on maintaining the situation at a stalemate.
'The slight problem is that the resistance of the emerging forces is getting rougher. I should ask for new forces to be sent.'
Of course, elite War Mages wouldn't be pushed back by mere test subjects.
Pomfret thought it was better to be cautious.
Recently, black magicians had been capturing residents around the first floor, brainwashing them or using curses to use them as meat shields to prevent power leakage.
'Curses. Come to think of it, one school in the isolated area of E-34 has been continuously sending rescue requests.'
The Ancient Curse School, was it?
Unlike their ominous name, they were much more docile than other black magic schools.
They were just researching ancient curses, not actually conducting human experiments or doing insidious things.
They were treated as black magicians only because of reluctance, but looking at their actions, they reminded one of a regular magic school.
It was a school with its own traditions, but in the current battle, they were drastically pushed back and placed in a precarious situation.
Curses require significant formulas, effort, magical power, mediums, and materials.
Not just simple curses, but ancient curses, so the activation conditions are much more demanding, and naturally difficult to use effectively in actual combat.
From the perspective of black magicians who needed every bit of power, they had no leisure to rescue such people.
Even if they had the leisure, they had no intention of rescuing them.
If competitors decreased, the share they would take when they won later would be larger.
'We don't need to help them either. They aren't profitable.'
Pomfret didn't think much of the Ancient Curse School.
At that moment, a communication came from a War Mage at the scene through a portable artifact.
"Oh yeah. What's going on?"
[It's a big problem!]
At the sudden urgent news, wrinkles formed around Pomfret's eyes.
"What's suddenly happening?"
[An unidentified third party has intervened in the fight!]
"Why!"
[But, but he's too strong! He's single-handedly and one-sidedly sweeping everything around!]
"What?"
Pomfret raised his eyebrows as if to say what nonsense is this, and shouted at the artifact, spitting.
"What are you doing?! Don't forget this is business! Stop him!"
[We're doing our best to stop him! But the opponent is too strong!]
"What?"
As if the words weren't lies, loud explosions continued to sound through the artifact.
The urgent cries of War Mages also came through the artifact.
Pomfret sensed that the current situation wasn't a simple happening.
Moreover, he had an intuition that it was a serious matter that could make the business in this area fly away.
"St-stop him!"
Pomfret shouted at the artifact.
"Stop him as much as possible! I'll come too!"
There was no answer. Probably they didn't have the energy to respond while fighting.
Pomfret hurriedly grabbed his staff and headed outside to see what kind of bold person dared to interfere with the New Magic Tower's business.
-Boom!
Lightning struck from the clear sky.
The purple lightning instantly split into ten branches, falling down like sturdy roots of a tree, sweeping the ground.
The steel structures couldn't withstand the power of the lightning and melted, wobbling.
Not just destroying, but the metal where the lightning passed through melted as if tunnels were opened.
Cold sweat ran down the back of the New Magic Tower War Mage who faced that intense power.
"Wh-what monster is that?"
It was a disaster that appeared too suddenly.
At first, it was a fight between black magicians and the emerging forces.
Black magicians, leading meat shields and sacrifices, unleashed fierce attacks to reduce the number of opposing test subjects.
At first, it seemed the black magicians had an advantage, but as time passed, the test subjects adapted to the fight and overwhelmed the meat shields.
Even the magic unleashed by the black magicians didn't inflict significant damage on the test subjects.
As the test subject army was about to push in like a flood, the watching War Mages stepped in to provide support.
They used magic, and there was a minor irritation that the number of test subjects swept up in it was less than before, but the result was the usual.
At the moment when they were hoping the test subjects would retreat appropriately and were about to withdraw their power something black appeared in the sky.
Like squeezing out a drop of ink after condensing the darkness of the night sky, that black dot suddenly appeared in the center of the battlefield.
People belatedly realized it wasn't a drop of black ink but a person casting a shadow.
There was a small question about the appearance of an unexpected visitor, but no one stopped fighting or withdrew troops.
After all, the opponent was just one.
The action of getting involved in the center of such a battlefield appeared to be nothing but suicidal.
No matter where you came from, you've made a big mistake.
But that thought changed the moment they saw the black man rising and deploying formulas around him.
The War Mage sensed something was wrong.
"Everyone get away!"
-Kuwaaaaang!
At first, it was a massive shockwave.
The human covered in black shadow swept the entire area at once by releasing his magical power and momentum in all directions.
The moment they realized it was a release of pure magical power, the War Mage felt for the first time the emotion of 'overwhelm' that hadn't been experienced in countless battles.
The War Mages suffered less damage because they were in a position of observing from a distance but it was different for those who were close to that shadow crow.
Those who were directly hit by the shockwave and flew far away were in bad shape.
The pale-skinned test subject humans suffered severe damage.
Those who were close had their limbs broken and were scattered on the floor and surrounding walls like dolls with cut strings.
Seeing this, the retreating black magicians turned their arrows of anger towards him.
It was a joyful thing to sweep away those annoying test subjects, but they also suffered damage.
"How dare you, in a place like this!"
"I don't know who sent you, but you should have checked your opponent before getting cocky!"
The entrance was spectacular, but that's all.
Either all power was consumed by the previous attack, or it would take quite some time until the next attack.
It didn't take long to realize that was a huge misconception.
A new formula was deployed.
Bluish smoke rose around the black shadow, and those who recognized it as a magical fog phenomenon widened their eyes.
They realized that the level of magician capable of magical fog was at least a 6th-tier Lexer grade.
"6-6th tier Archmage..."
Eventually, red flames exploded, greedily expanding as they devoured everything around.
The black magician who had muttered those words closest was instantly reduced to ashes.
"This, this is crazy!"
The black magicians didn't just sit and take it.
They frantically deployed defensive magic and poured out all the artifacts they had.
"Block it!"
"Pour everything we have left!"
More than a hundred layers of barriers were deployed, and a tsunami of flames engulfed them.
The test subjects chose to flee instead.
As if possessing animal instincts, they quickly vacated the area the moment they saw Rudger appear, without looking back.
Thanks to that, perhaps, the test subjects didn't suffer much damage from the flame magic Rudger deployed.
A few that were late to escape were swept up in the widespread tsunami and turned to ashes together.
The barriers broke, and the black magicians couldn't withstand the power and were flung away.
Rudger silently watched and then raised his head.
-Paching!
Metal cubes created around him were quickly assembled to form a large lightning rod.
As soon as it was driven into the ground with a thud, lightning struck the lightning rod.
"Who are you to interfere here as you please!"
The War Mages stepped forward and surrounded Rudger.
This side also had gathered 4th-tiers led by a 5th-tier.
Considering the power, it was worth a try.
"Don't be scared! The opponent has no energy left after using great magic just now! Attack now!"
"No need to ask for identity! Remove immediately!"
Just as the War Mages surrounded and were about to deploy magic Rudger narrowed his blue eyes behind the crow mask.
-Crackle!
And purple lightning began to writhe around him like uncoiling.
"Wait..."
After using 6th-tier magic, how long has it been, and another 6th-tier magic?
The War Mages were shocked and tried to react, but it was already too late.
The purple lightning instantly swept the surrounding area.