Silence returned to the sanctuary.
The sanctuary, now dilapidated, had somehow withstood the devastation and hadn't completely collapsed—but it looked as though it had suffered a demolition attempt, becoming utterly unsightly.
The once intricately drawn magic circles were now marred and broken.
The proud pillars that once stood tall had toppled one after another.
Everyone struggled to their feet, returning to the ruins, eyes fixed not only on the ravaged sanctuary, but more so on Rozen, who had descended once again from the sky—none of them knew what to say.
Especially Magnus, whose gaze flickered with complex emotions.
Even Raishin, recalling everything that had just happened, seemed like someone who had just awakened from a dream.
The giant monster had vanished.
But it hadn't truly disappeared—it had simply retreated into the deepest part of the sanctuary, returning to where it originally dwelled. It was no longer present here, but still within these walls.
Which meant that terrifying creature was still here—under the same roof as all of them.
Just that thought made everyone's expressions darken once again.
"What exactly was that… just now…?"
Komurasaki was still in shock, clutching Irori's clothes tightly, her face pale as she voiced the question.
No one answered her.
Not because they didn't want to, but because they didn't know how.
They all wanted to know what that monster really was.
And among them, only Rozen and Magnus might know.
However, even Rozen hadn't expected Magnus to call that monster by that name.
"Androgyne…?"
Rozen looked at Magnus meaningfully.
"Didn't think you'd actually give it a name like that."
You couldn't blame Rozen for saying so.
—Androgyne.
That was the term used in Plato's Symposium to describe the earliest form of humanity—a being with both male and female aspects.
And Magnus had used that very name to refer to the monster.
In other words, Magnus had described it using "the first name of humankind."
A notion that was simply baffling.
At the very least, no one wanted to imagine that humanity once looked like that grotesque form. Nor would anyone want to believe that their species once resembled such a creature, no matter how immense the magical energy it radiated, no matter how much one might envy its strength—it was not a truth most could accept.
But Magnus fell silent for a moment, before speaking indifferently.
"That wasn't a name I came up with. It was the Headmaster who named it."
That statement revealed to everyone how the monster came to be.
Undeniably, it was a creation of the Academy—personally overseen by the Headmaster himself.
Connecting that with the fact that the Sanctuary of Fools was a facility used to study something very specific, Irori's face turned ashen as she shivered and whispered:
"Don't tell me… that's the Machine Doll…?"
A heavy silence followed.
Complete and utter suppression.
No one wanted to believe that the monster was the very thing they had all pursued—the Machine Doll.
But the sanctuary existed to study Machine Dolls, and that monster came from its depths. Seeing how familiar Magnus was with it, it was obvious that the monster and the Machine Doll were inseparable.
Given that, the idea that the monster was a Machine Doll didn't seem far-fetched.
However, both Rozen and Magnus spoke in unison to refute it.
"No, that is not yet the Machine Doll."
They looked at each other as they said so.
"You've already figured it out?"
Magnus asked in a low voice.
"Something like that."
Rozen didn't deny it. He calmly admitted it.
That confirmed to everyone that Rozen had seen through the truth of the monster—or perhaps even the truth behind the entire Sanctuary of Fools.
He might already know the secret behind the creation of Machine Dolls.
At least, that was the feeling the others got.
But that wasn't the important part.
The important part was...
"You guys actually nurtured that kind of monster in a place like this…!"
Raishin glared at Magnus, his expression twisted with disgust.
Even Irori, Yaya, and Komurasaki turned their eyes toward Magnus, a trace of hostility in their expressions.
They couldn't help it.
Though Rozen had easily repelled the creature, just one roar from it had caused such massive destruction—it was obviously not something benign.
Even without anything else, just the mana radiated by that being named Androgyne was enough to show that if it ever rampaged, the consequences would be horrific.
Even Rozen had to admit—the mana it emitted was formidable, at least a million times stronger than the average magus.
Such immense magical power exceeded even that of second-generation vampires, and might even surpass the Primogenitors.
Only Rozen could suppress it alone, using his Beast Vassal and binding it with jujutsu. If it were to surface above ground, it could probably destroy an entire island with a single blow. In no time, Britain's landscape would be devastated.
A creature so terrifying that even Rozen had to rely on his beast vassals to subdue it.
Rozen himself didn't mind. After all, he carried within his blood the power of over ten of such beings. But for the people of this world, that kind of power was nearly unmanageable. It was enough to shake the world and stun nations.
And yet, the Academy had created such a monster.
How could that not incite hostility?
If it were to ever break loose on the surface, the consequences would be unthinkable.
Even so, Magnus didn't offer a single explanation. He simply stood there, expressionless as always.
Seeing this, Raishin's emotions surged again.
Just as he was about to lift his blade again, Rozen spoke at the perfect moment.
"That creature was originally sealed in the deepest part of the sanctuary. It wasn't supposed to come out. But because of our intense battle, the sanctuary's magic arrays and spells were damaged, which disturbed the seal and allowed it to break free. That's why it appeared here."
Rozen glanced at Raishin and continued.
"If you continue to fight and cause more damage to the sanctuary, the seal might completely collapse, and it will break out. Are you okay with that?"
At those words, Raishin's body froze.
"Go back, Raishin."
Rozen looked at him and said, "You won't get your revenge this time. You'd be better off taking the intel on Androgyne back with you. I'm sure the military will be very interested. Consider your mission complete."
Hearing that, Raishin fell silent, gripping his blade tighter.
But this time, he didn't fight it.
He knew, given the current situation, he couldn't do anything to Magnus.
He could only glare at him and mutter:
"Consider yourself lucky, Akabane Tenzen."
"Next time, you won't be so fortunate."
"Next time, I'll definitely kill you."
Leaving those words behind, Raishin turned and withdrew swiftly, as if to prevent himself from regretting it.
Now, only Rozen and Magnus remained at the scene.