Chapter 301
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 301
Chapter Title: Lesson 59. Trap - 1
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A mecha dragon armor equipped with the ability to transform into incredibly tough armor, plus a hundred elite warriors at minimum 4-Irecto to 5-Irecto level.
This force was an overwhelming top-tier asset even among the wedding procession legion, one that completely shattered the balance they'd maintained up until now.
It was easy to imagine As Light's nose growing even higher as she lorded it over the other girls, but after holding her father's funeral and reflecting on things, she seemed a bit more subdued.
That was a relief, at least, though her attitude toward Ban Yu-won had lost its playfulness and grown more sincere, which was its own kind of problem.
[Master's body is one—if I slash three times—it splits into four pieces—.]
"Don't sing those weird made-up songs."
On the way back to Fairy Tail aboard the spaceship Lilith had created, Ban Yu-won flicked the forehead of the tiny doll perched on his shoulder, who was humming a murderous tune.
Eve let out a pathetic hiss at her, then coiled around Ban Yu-won's arm.
Suddenly, she poked his cheek. Only then did Ban Yu-won realize his mirror was ringing.
"Mi-na noona...?"
"That nickname's really stuck now, huh."
"She asked me to call her that. At least it's not 'honey'."
"From where I'm standing, that's coming soon too. Ahem. Still, since she's taken good care of you, Master, she's third in line... no, fourth depending on how As Light plays it..."
He didn't even want to ask what kind of ranking system this was.
At former King Yuder Light Camelot's funeral, As Light had officially been declared the next ruler. She'd told the other Rebellion members to call her As Light from now on.
At school, she planned to keep up the cross-dressing charade to avoid trouble, and with the Chancellor looking out for Ban Yu-won, it wouldn't be an issue in practice.
Either way, she now saw her gender not as a secret to hide from close friends like Ban Yu-won or Aire, but as an identity to proudly embrace.
'Getting the Dragon Soldier Armor, witnessing her father's death—things that passed in a flash for me must carry immense meaning for As Light beyond what I can imagine...'
Ban Yu-won spun the mirror in his hand as he thought that, then accepted the call before it got any later.
Yumina appeared as a hologram above the mirror, shouting urgently.
"Union Academy's under attack! Dimensional pirates!"
"They're striking at this exact timing...?"
"Exodus's main fleet broke through the Union dimension's protective barrier. There are unimaginably huge numbers of Constellations with them—maybe the war with the Ortima family was just a smokescreen."
"What about Kantone? No, what’s the Chancellor doing?"
"The teachers are out there holding them off, of course. And Kantone... looks like he's entered the Tower. I need to go help the teachers for now."
He'd figured something was coming soon, but not this soon—before first-year finals even ended.
Was Lucelle Ortima's rampage another convincing feint? Even so, someone like the Chancellor wouldn't fall for it. More likely, the Ortima family had schemed to lure him away from the Academy.
And for Ban Yu-won's group to be out in space at this exact moment...
"What should we do?"
"Union's too dangerous right now. The Tower's state is off too... I didn't think Kantone was skilled enough to mess with it. Ugh, anyway, hide out in Fairy Tail! That'll be safer...!"
Ban Yu-won replied that he understood and went to end the call, but at that moment, a massive jolt rocked the entire ship, throwing him off balance.
[A-Are you okay?!]
"Yeah, just stumbled a bit... Nothing happening here. You okay, noona?"
"Yeah, got it. I hate that we're not together right now... Sorry, stay safe?"
"Yeah."
The connection cut off.
Ban Yu-won double- and triple-checked it before letting out a deep sigh.
Looking ahead, the space beyond the monitor was filled with dark red mana particles.
They'd just broken through the dimensional wall to return to Fairy Tail, and with the proper access rights, the ship shouldn't have faced any barriers—yet it was shaking violently as if under fierce resistance.
Those particles filling space were the cause, and Ban Yu-won sensed a familiar concept within them.
"This is... Constellation energy."
It was the same aura he'd clashed with several times now, grown familiar—the energy of the Prominence family's patron Constellation, Many Eons Devotee.
Meanwhile, Dokgo Yeon—who'd already prepared to head into space—scanned the monitor intently, her gaze locking onto something.
It hadn't been there when they left Fairy Tail, but now a massive celestial body orbited it like a moon that had always been there.
Covered entirely in red magic circles, it was an artifact in its own right.
"Looks like the top ten families wield toys like that. First things first, we need to destroy it."
"Let's go. Seems the incident kicked off way too early..."
Grinding his teeth, Ban Yu-won gave orders to Lilith and Eve, then grabbed Dokgo Yeon's hand.
"Can't waste top-tier power here. Two of us will use less energy."
"Master!"
"Yu-won!"
"We'll break through—you bring the troops straight into Fairy Tail. Expect combat. Hold out a bit, and I'll activate the magic circle right away."
That way, at least on this battlefield, they wouldn't lose.
Ban Yu-won issued rapid orders amid the chaos, but inwardly, he was filled with dismay.
'I was an idiot to trust that woman's words so blindly.'
Maybe Ulrike Prominence had sensed his underestimation and planned to deceive him from the start.
Or perhaps... the Prominence family had caught on that Ulrike was half-spying for Ban Yu-won and deliberately leaked false info.
Three weeks was too specific; he should've considered the enemy could move anytime once a date was set.
"Can noona's mercenary group move now? Get them on standby immediately."
Ban Yu-won urgently contacted the Level Force Mercenaries, then shot into space with Dokgo Yeon.
The barrier enveloping the entire dimension via the satellite-form artifact pressed down viciously, as if to crush their unprotected bodies—but Dokgo Yeon was beyond such external forces, and Ban Yu-won...
"Ha."
Whether due to the half-Prominence blood in his veins or his authority over conceptualizing all things, he soon moved freely through the energy.
No, that wasn't all.
Reverse Flow
Mana particles reverse direction from point of contact
Having grasped the barrier's power source, Ban Yu-won fully unleashed his authority. Starting from where he touched it, the surrounding mana particles began to shift direction.
The energy that had suppressed everything now flowed back toward its origin.
The change was subtle at first, barely noticeable, but Dokgo Yeon soon realized what was happening.
"You... when did you learn to do this...?"
"All thanks to you."
The supreme fuel for wielding authority—Origin Energy.
Who else but Dokgo Yeon had given him the core of Yu-won Art to accumulate and amplify it daily?
Of course, reversing the entire space's energy flow was impossible, but clearing a path for the ship was no issue.
"Lilith, go!"
"Understood!"
Lilith, resonating with Ban Yu-won, replied crisply and accelerated the ship.
Eve and Lilith stayed aboard for emergencies, but Tike followed to guard him. Ban Yu-won suddenly turned to the lens-flashing Tike.
"Think we can stream from here now?"
—Whirr.
Affirmative from Tike.
Typically, top ten families sealed all info leaks when wielding power, but as Ban Yu-won pushing back the barrier showed, he could resist now.
Tike, sharing his authority, could now run a YouTube live even here!
"Good, do it. If the enemies go all-out, we'll match their level."
—Whiiiir! Click!
No need for a photo, but whatever.
Excited by her master's momentum, Tike connected to YouTube and started the live. Ban Yu-won nodded and told Dokgo Yeon,
"Yeon, time to smash that satellite."
"So much I want to say—but got it. Let's go!"
They tore through space at speeds rivaling the ship.
In truth, Ban Yu-won's spatial control allowed repeated short-range jumps.
As they neared, the mana particle density rose, but to those fully resistant, it just hazed their vision.
"Going in."
"Let's do it."
Ban Yu-won drew his sword.
Using the Executioner's Longsword's severance to block the satellite's power was an option—for solo survival.
Now was the time to borrow a treasured Ghost Tool's power.
He drew not the Executioner's Longsword, but Requiem.
A sword that shattered magic, extinguished souls, and slew gods—perfect against a massive artifact channeling Constellation authority.
The concept infused: his 2,000 sorceries, the power of Reversal (反).
Sorcery typically blocked self-harm, redirected it, or offered sacrifices—akin to fairy changelings.
Reversal perfectly suited reversing sorcery's direction.
"Even a crack is enough. I'll handle the rest."
"I might smash it all."
"You're saving energy too, you know."
He chuckled at Dokgo Yeon's joking retort, raising Requiem to shoulder height. The clear 反 concept gleamed on the blade.
It resembled sorcery or magic catalyst swordplay more than combat forms now—but as a piercing form for sorcery, Pierce (貫) was perfectly embodied.
"—Hup!"
He formed a mana platform in space, kicked off, and charged.
The defensive mana shield tried to block, but Tike's mana bullets scattered it before Requiem even reached.
—Whirr.
"Lights out!"
Revealed: a vast surface etched with dense red magic circles.
Ban Yu-won surrendered to the artificial gravity pulling him, plunging Requiem into the center of the expanded surface.
The god-slaying power halted the satellite's every motion.
The grand sorcery trigger on the blade slid like a syringe into a vein, flowing into the artifact's fragile core.
"Come out, Origin!"
With gravity now yanking him to mutual destruction, Ban Yu-won reactivated Reversal to resist, springing back like from a trampoline.
Immediately after, as the satellite boiled red, sucking back all mana particles and going berserk, a black sword slash infused with Dokgo Yeon's power rained down.
From her small frame and short sword, an unbelievably massive crescent slash swelled—
It cleanly bisected the red satellite.
The moment it passed, Ban Yu-won, flung into space, formed another platform and leaped toward it, hand outstretched.
The legendary Ghost Tool, condensed with Constellation energy under Prominence care for ages, unleashed its vast concepts—like yolk spilling from a cracked egg.
How could he not covet it?