The scene beyond the mirror bug could indeed be called beautiful.
The ring in the sky spewed out words.
Fragments of letters, tinged with excitement, burst forth like shards and decorated the screen.
I, too, quietly observed the mirror bug.
In the moonlit room, a melancholic woman and a man with resolute determination faced each other.
It was as if they had stepped out of a storybook, a surreal atmosphere permeating beyond the screen.
I had seen something similar in the tales of the weeds.
A story of a princess and a swordsman.
It was about a swordsman rescuing a princess who had been captured by an evil sorcerer.
It was quite a famous story—so well-known that even I had heard of it.
Of course, when I first encountered it, I found it ridiculous.
‘Wasn’t the sorcerer and the swordsman’s position reversed?’
I had entertained such doubts.
But lately, my thoughts had changed.
A great swordsman slaying an evil sorcerer—what a splendid story.
No wonder the weeds loved it.
Thinking about it again, it really was a good tale.
Of course, the roles we played now were that of the evil sorcerer.
The plan we were orchestrating was like a play.
‘If things flowed like a story, they would reach a happy ending. But reality was different from stories. I needed to make Hao understand that.’
The ring in the sky seemed to have calmed down slightly and sent words through the mirror bug.
The letters wavered a little, but they were still readable.
[Seeing that makes my heart swell. I can truly feel how happy that child is, and it makes me happy as well.]
“Hoho, is that so? But we have to separate them, don’t we? And isn’t the most crucial role in that process yours, Ring of the Sky?”
Mira smirked mischievously at the mirror bug connected to the Ring of the Sky.
At that, the Ring of the Sky flustered and spat out fragmented words, breaking apart before forming coherent text again.
[Ah… that’s right… But, even misfortune can become happiness. In a way, this is for that child’s sake as well. Since things have come to this, we should shatter it even more thoroughly. That way, the child will be even happier!]
I slightly shook my head after reading that.
‘Making someone unhappy first in order to make them happy later—that must be what a treasure’s way of thinking is.’
I had yet to reach that point.
I was certain I never would, not even in a lifetime.
[With that in mind, everything is ready. I think this will be enough.]
The Ring of the Sky sent out words, and with them, strange images began to appear on the screen.
The structure contained within them resembled circuits, blood vessels, and even the mere dispersion of light.
It was bizarre in every possible way.
I turned my head slightly.
Even just staring at it felt like a strain on my mind.
Mira approached and slowly examined the images.
Soon, she nodded and smiled.
“This is excellent. Just as you said, Ring of the Sky, this will surely captivate their minds completely.”
That was enough.
I glanced at the images out of the corner of my eye.
As she said, it was a flawless form—an advanced structure diagram crafted by the Ring of the Sky for what was to come.
“I’ve confirmed it. Now, let’s use this as the foundation to create the magic circle.”
Mira exhaled a light mist, enveloping my head.
Within that mist, my head no longer ached from looking at the image.
She had created a sort of barrier.
Above me, she let out a pleased chuckle.
“Now then, let’s get started. I’ll be watching you from here, Evron.”
I nodded silently.
Mira’s body swayed along with my nod.
She let out another quiet laugh.
And so, I analyzed the structure the Ring of the Sky had provided.
As I examined it, admiration came naturally.
The formation created by the structure was shaped like a ring, almost as if it were a replication of the Ring of the Sky’s body.
Of course, it was merely a degraded imitation.
I had requested this from the Ring of the Sky.
It was, in essence, a vessel—a container meant to hold everything that originated from the Ring of the Sky.
The diagram also included details on how to wield that power—how the flow should be directed, which parts were critical, and so on.
It was explained in a way even I could understand.
This was something only the Ring of the Sky could do.
The knowledge contained within it would undoubtedly be useful to those who could harness this power.
Yes, just like Hao, beyond the screen.
***
Even as Hao reunited with Hari, the followers of the Ring of the Sky continued to hold gatherings and conduct rituals.
They moved in secrecy, quickly and efficiently, layering themselves with all manner of concealment magic.
Even my mirror bugs could hardly detect them.
And within their secretive actions, they thoroughly prepared for the descent of the Ring of the Sky.
Since reuniting with Hari, Hao had passionately led this effort.
It was all to make Hari more perfect.
Through Hao’s introduction, Hari naturally blended into their ranks.
The followers of the Ring of the Sky revered her completely.
The believers shed tears of awe when they faced her.
“A living god walks among us,” they said, becoming more fanatical than before.
They paid no heed to the other students anymore.
Observing their fervor, I let out a bitter smile.
Twenty people—it might seem like a small number.
But in truth, they accounted for a significant portion of our Tower’s students.
‘If they continued to gather and cause trouble, it would soon become unmanageable.’
‘Even if I tried to control them through Hari, that would only be a temporary solution. They had a clear and absolute object of faith—the Ring of the Sky.’
‘If I attempted to suppress their faith through Hari, then she would likely suffer the same fate as the Ring of the Sky.’
Hao would inevitably suspect that Hari had been corrupted by a demon.
And in his zeal to “save” the Ring of the Sky, he would become even more fervent.
In the end, chaos was inevitable.
I had known this from the beginning.
So, I thought of a different approach.
‘If an incident was bound to happen, we would cause it first.’
Rather than letting them struggle toward their goal, we would take complete control of the summoning ritual ourselves.
That was what this structure diagram was for.
It was remarkably similar to the method they intended to use.
By observing the activities of the Ring of the Sky’s followers, I had learned of their plan.
Their idea was to gather power at a single point and give it a physical form.
This was Hao’s vision, and the same method the cult had conceived for summoning the Ring of the Sky.
But they had a fatal flaw—insufficient skill.
Their magic circles were inefficient and poorly structured.
At this rate, their ritual would undoubtedly fail.
‘But would they give up? No, of course not.’
As long as their faith existed, they would continue their attempts.
And that would become an increasing nuisance for me.
Worse, they might actually manage to pull the Ring of the Sky into this world.
‘If that happened, the professor wouldn’t let me off the hook.’
So, I decided to make their ritual succeed—completely.
***
I followed the structure’s flow, sketching the circuits lightly.
There wasn’t much I needed to adjust.
The design itself was already a complete spell.
And besides, there were plenty of people who could refine it further.
The followers of the Ring of the Sky—
I didn’t need to hold onto this for long.
Once I handed it to them, they would take care of the rest, their zeal ensuring its completion.
By the next day, the magic circle was fully prepared.
I sent it to Hari.
The followers took their places just like Hao, standing in position.
Hao’s eyes gleamed as he looked at them.
A strange light flickered within his gaze, swirling as if drawing a massive circle inside his eyes.
Hao opened his mouth.
“Today, we will liberate Sky Ring.”
The followers nodded heavily.
Around them, circuits forming the magic circle writhed strangely, brimming with dense magical energy.
The power flowing through the tower was gradually pooling into these circuits.
The magic circle began to stir slowly.
Hao brought his hands together in front of his chest, forming a circle.
The followers did the same.
Hari watched them closely before following suit, tracing a circle with her hands.
Silently, they began to release their magical energy.
It flowed through the circuits, fully activating the magic circle.
A storm of energy surged between them.
The magic circle writhed as if it were alive.
The circuits extending from it embedded themselves into the bodies of the followers, dozens at a time.
Yet, no one uttered a single groan.
They simply looked at one another in silent understanding.
Hao, positioned at the core of the magic circle, was pierced by more circuits than anyone else.
There was hardly a place on his body left untouched.
But he remained utterly calm.
He gazed at Hari before quietly speaking.
The circuits lodged in his throat made his voice light, yet it resonated throughout the entire chamber, filled with an unshakable conviction.
“The first words of Sky Ring: ‘I have seen your sins, so dream only of happiness.’ Under his guidance, we have found happiness.”
The followers bowed their heads, channeling their magical energy into the circles they had formed.
Hari did the same.
The magic did not stay confined to those circles.
It flowed through the circuits linked to the magic circle, passing from one person’s circle to another.
Their energies intertwined and merged into one.
As their energy passed through each other’s circles again and again, it lost its original color, becoming a single, unified flow.
Hao spoke again.
He stood at the center of the circle, his body gripped tightly by the writhing energy.
The pain must have been unbearable.
Yet his expression remained unchanged.
“The second words of Sky Ring: ‘Happiness is buried in suffering. If you overcome that despair, you will find the brightest light within it. That is the happiness I bestow upon you.’ Under his guidance, we have conquered our suffering.”
With those words, another layer of magical energy enveloped them.
It flowed through the circuits connected to their bodies.
The circuits brightened, dimmed, and began to take on distinct hues.
The circles connecting them shimmered as if radiating light.
The energy within grew heavier, layered by external forces merging into the flow.
“The third words of Sky Ring: ‘I see your hardships and walk with you. I will never leave or forsake you. So trust in me. Wherever you go, I will be with you.’ Under his guidance, we will always find happiness.”
Hao’s voice echoed.
A powerful force surged from his chest—not magic, but something that felt like a burning life force.
‘Perhaps this was the happiness they spoke of.’
Above his head, the fragment of the ring hovering in the air began to emit a faint light.
The same happened with the followers’ fragments.
“The fourth words of Sky Ring…”
Hao spoke, and the magic circle shifted once again.
His voice continued to ring out, and with each word, the fragments above them shone brighter.
The light, the energy, and the force all formed circles.
These three circles flowed through the magic circle they had created as if they were one.
At the center of this flow, Hao slowly opened his eyes.
A distinct ring was engraved within them.
He raised his head and turned his gaze toward us.
He looked at the mirror beetle.
Then, he met my eyes, but his gaze seemed to extend beyond the beetle, as if he were seeing something beyond us.
He spoke.
“The twenty-fifth words of Sky Ring: ‘Conceive me and bring me into the world, for I am your happiness.’ Under his guidance, we have gathered here today.”
‘—Wait, I never said that.’
I glanced at Sky Ring.
It seemed to be flipping through the guidebook I had given it.
It was true.
That was not something Sky Ring had ever said.
I had only compiled twenty-four statements.
I narrowed my eyes at the mirror beetle.
Hao turned his gaze back to Hari, who stood at the center of the circle.
As Hao’s words ended, the followers bowed their heads.
The ring fragments above them trembled violently.
They did not just emit light.
Something began to ripple out along with it.
Memories.
Happiness.
Magical energy.
Perhaps even their very souls.
The magic circle absorbed it all into its circuits.
The energy flowed, forming circles, and the magic circle radiated an increasingly brilliant light.
They continued to trace circles within the magic formation.