Alpheas steadied his trembling heart and reached out his hand. When he saw Shirone open his eyes, even he—a certified 4th-class magician—couldn't hide his surprise.
Shirone had been under a slow magic spell. He had likely spent the entire night just trying to lift his eyelids. The only way to tell if he was truly alive was to break the spell.
Placing a hand on Shirone's chest, Alpheas began to reverse time. But even then, Shirone didn't move. No one could have predicted what would happen next.
I can only leave it to fate now, Alpheas thought.
Suddenly, Shirone gasped and sat up abruptly. The tense expressions of those watching turned to relief. But Shirone looked terrified—like someone who had just returned from the depths of hell.
"What…? What happened?" he muttered, confused and disoriented.
The sudden rush of air overwhelmed him. The world he had seen while under the slow magic was like an abstract painting—shifting and full of colors. But now, as reality returned, he could finally see the faces around him. Behind Alpheas, Amy and the others were crying.
From Shirone's point of view, barely any time had passed. He'd entered the Immortal Function, met a mysterious woman, and escaped through a black hole. But in the real world, ten whole days had gone by.
Shirone gave a sheepish smile and raised his hand in greeting.
"Heh… hi?"
"That's all you've got? You jerk!"
Amy's fist collided with his face—not hard enough to hurt, but forceful enough to knock him back onto the bed. Dazed, Shirone looked up with teary eyes.
"Ow! What was that for?"
Tears rolled down Amy's cheeks like fat raindrops.
"You idiot… You had me so worried…!"
Shirone froze for a second, overwhelmed by the whirlwind of emotions. But then, seeing Amy's tears, he softened. They told him everything.
"…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
"Shirone's back!"
Neid and Iruki burst in, pushing Amy forward as they piled onto the bed, burying Shirone in an accidental group hug. Amy, suddenly pressed against him, blushed furiously and squirmed.
"Kyaa! Hey, get off me!"
"Oof! It hurts, it hurts!" Shirone yelped, more flustered than in pain. Embarrassed, he twisted to free himself, and they all tumbled to the floor.
Sitting back up on the bed, hair a mess and clothes disheveled, Shirone looked like a war survivor. Amy groaned as she rubbed her back, glaring at Neid and Iruki.
"What kind of chaotic welcome is this?"
Shirone quickly sobered when he noticed Alpheas watching silently from the corner. His presence alone reminded everyone how serious the situation really was.
Shirone turned to Neid.
"What happened while I was gone? What about Arcane? The others? What's going on?"
Still bickering with Amy, Neid turned to him in disbelief.
"Forget that for a second! You were dead for ten days!"
"What? Ten days?! Dead?!"
"Well, technically! You had no heartbeat! We thought you were gone for good! Now explain what happened!"
Shirone was stunned. He wanted to explain, but didn't even know where to begin.
Just then, the infirmary door opened and the teachers walked in. Siana froze the moment she saw Shirone sitting up. She had prayed every day for his recovery, but even she was stunned to see him conscious again.
Though she hadn't experienced the Immortal Function herself, she could vaguely grasp how terrifying and painful it must have been to return from such a fragmented state of mind.
'Still… he made it back. Thank goodness.'
Siana smiled gently, then glanced toward Ethela. For the past ten days, Ethela had been drowning in guilt. Her eyes welled up as she rushed forward.
"Shirone..."
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I've worried you again..."
Before he could say more, Ethela wrapped him in a tight embrace.
"I'm the one who should be sorry. This was my fault. If I'd just paid closer attention... I promise, I won't let it happen again."
To the others, it was a touching reunion between teacher and student. But from Shirone's perspective, it was suffocating—literally. Ethela hugged him so tightly, he couldn't breathe.
"Uh… ma'am…"
"Hm?"
"Sorry, but… I can't breathe."
"Oh my!"
Ethela quickly pulled away, flustered.
"Ah, I'm sorry! I was just so relieved…"
Shirone gasped for air, but then smiled faintly.
"Now I really feel like I'm back."
His friends stared at him in surprise, and realizing how that must've sounded, he waved his hands frantically.
"No! I didn't mean it like that! I just meant—"
"You little creep, what are you even thinking?!"
Amy stormed over and yanked on his cheek.
"What? Am I not real enough for you?"
"Ow! That's not what I meant!"
Neid and Iruki burst into laughter. Alpheas, watching from the side, smiled at the scene, then quietly slipped out of the infirmary.
"Principal."
Alpheas turned. Shirone had followed him out without making a sound.
"You should be resting," Alpheas said. "Take it easy. Your friends will fill you in. School's going to be closed for a while anyway."
"I appreciate that. But... I need to ask you something."
"Oh? What is it?"
Shirone explained everything—how he'd entered the realm of infinity, met a strange woman, and escaped through a black hole.
At first, Alpheas listened with curiosity. But the more Shirone spoke, the more his expression darkened. When Shirone described the woman's powers, Alpheas closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
"She said she knew you, sir."
"She did?"
"Yeah. She told me to say hello on her behalf. The memory's hazy, but I'm pretty sure that's what she said."
Shirone worried he might have said something wrong, seeing how grim Alpheas looked.
"I think I know who she is."
"You do?"
Shirone was stunned. He had assumed that woman existed beyond life itself. How could Alpheas know her?
But to Alpheas, it was no coincidence. Shirone had encountered her the moment he stepped into the Immortal Function—it was inevitable.
"That woman is Adrias Miro. In her time, she was known as the Labyrinth of Time and Space. She was my disciple... a master of Scale Magic."
Shirone stared blankly, stunned. The woman he had thought to be divine was actually a magician—and a disciple of Alpheas, no less.
"Scale Magic? What's that?"
Alpheas paused for a moment, searching for the right words.
"Shirone, in the world of magic, those who reach the Immortal Function are known as 'Unlockers.'"
"Yeah... I've heard of them."
"Then it should be simple. The maze itself is also an Unlocker. Ever since I was a child, I've had a deep curiosity—I would dig endlessly into everything. There's a world larger than the universe, and a world smaller than a single particle. Scale Magic is a type of magic that can only be used by those who've come to understand the infinite nature of time and space."
Shirone recalled the day he met Miro. Her signature ability, the glass marble, clearly demonstrated the relativity of time and space.
"Miro said she had been watching me this whole time. Is that even possible?"
"There's no need to worry," Alpheas replied. "Miro exists in a different dimension from ours. But when the Immortal Function activates, it could allow her to briefly enter our dimension. She must have been waiting for that exact moment."
"But why me? Unlockers are rare, sure, but from what I've heard from Arcane, they're not exactly unheard of. There must be others more qualified than me."
Alpheas stroked his beard, pausing before he spoke again.
"What I'm about to tell you is top secret—known only to faculty who've served here for more than twenty years. Miro was the first president of the Supernatural Psychic Research Society."
Shirone was taken aback. He hadn't expected that the mysterious Miro was the founder of the very research society he was now a part of. Even more surprising was how young she still looked—despite that being almost twenty years ago.
"Miro was never obsessed with just physical phenomena. She understood that there are countless things beyond what knowledge can explain. Together with her classmates, she founded the society here in Istas. Mikea Gaold, who is now the head of the Tormia Magic Association, was one of the founding members."
Shirone tried to imagine what that original group must've been like. According to Neid, the master key to the magic warehouse in Istas was made by the same Servant that created Iruki. That ruled out Maze and Gaold. Even so, it was clear how powerful and gifted the early members must've been.
As Shirone was deep in thought, Alpheas found himself reflecting on events from 18 years ago.
He was a good kid. If only that day hadn't happened...
Suddenly realizing something, he turned to Shirone.
"Shirone, do you know how many students there are here in total?"
Without waiting for a response, Alpheas continued.
"Of course, the number changes constantly—students graduate, take leaves of absence, or face disciplinary action. But no matter what, this school has always been short by one."
Alpheas turned his gaze to the window.
"Miro never graduated. She's still here at this school."
Shirone gulped. It sounded like a ghost story passed down between students. But what did he mean by "still here"? Didn't she say she was living in another dimension?
Just then, the idea of Scale Magic came back to him.
"Wait... could it be…?"
Alpheas nodded.
"That's right. The labyrinth exists in Istas. But it's part of a higher dimension created through Scale Magic. Those who know of it call it the 'Upper Level.'"
He placed a hand gently on Shirone's shoulder.
"Shirone, promise me. You must never speak of what you learned today. The Upper Level is not something you're meant to be involved with. Never—never—go near it. It could throw the entire world into chaos."
Shirone didn't respond right away. The world of the unknown. Unlockers. Scale Magic. His mind was reeling from the flood of information. He didn't want to get involved in anything so dangerous—but to say he never would felt dishonest.
Alpheas sighed, sensing his hesitation.
"If you're truly curious about the maze, I'll at least allow you to investigate the Kergo Ruins. I'm not offering this just to calm you down—it's genuinely too dangerous to enter the Upper Level without preparation. So please, take it slow."
Shirone nodded. There had to be a reason why Alpheas was being so firm. And deep down, he also felt the same way—he wanted to approach it one step at a time.
"Understood. But it's still kind of creepy, thinking that Miro might still be in Istas. How am I supposed to sleep during our study group meetings? What if she just... shows up?"
"Don't worry," Alpheas said. "Miro will never leave the space she created."
Shirone tilted his head. Alpheas sounded so sure—he must've had some way of knowing.
"But she seems like such a kind person. Why won't she return?"
Alpheas stared out the window, his expression heavy with sadness. He didn't speak for a while, but when he finally did, it was with quiet certainty.
"Because... to Miro, this world brings nothing but pain."
Later…
Alpheas, along with Canis and Arin, departed for Bashka, the capital, to undergo an investigation by the Magic Association. The school was placed under temporary closure until the association issued its decision.
Meanwhile, Shirone was being treated in the infirmary. After going ten days without a heartbeat, the medical staff wanted to closely monitor his recovery. Shirone himself wasn't in any hurry—he was content to rest and spend time with his friends.
"Shirone, I'm sorry," Seriel said, offering a tearful smile. "I felt horrible."
The thing she regretted most after regaining her memory was how harshly she'd treated him the day he bought her coffee.
"It's okay. It was the magic's fault. You didn't do anything wrong, Seriel-sunbae."
"Still… how could I forget you?"
"Really, don't worry about it. I'm fine."
Seriel's eyes softened, gentle and doe-like.
"You're so kind, Shirone. So, what now? Are you going to claim my body?"
"Huh?" Shirone blinked, stunned.