Five years ago.
In the empty plains far away from his village, a ten-year-old Judas sat in meditation, surrounded by a vibrant aura.
Sweat dripped down his brow as mana churned inside him.
Minutes passed, and then—another star flickered into existence beside his mana core.
A third star had successfully formed, raising his strength into another level.
"Hell yeah! I reached the 3rd-tier, I am now a Junior Mage."
Judas grinned, clenching his fist.
"With this, I now have the power to take on a level 5, reaching the level of a first-class adventurer."
A sense of pride welled in his chest.
A milestone conquered, a new height reached.
"I think Orario is not far from here. Should I test out my abilities in the Dungeon? Most monsters in the outside world are not strong enough for me anymore."
Unfolding a map, Judas started running in a certain direction.
"Oh right, I think I can do it now."
"Let's see... that 3rd-tier spell I was looking forward to using."
『Fly』
His body lifted from the ground.
"Woah!"
But his control was terrible.
"Why am I upside down?"
Blood rushed to his head, making him dizzy.
"Practice. I need to practice."
After a few minutes of failing to orient himself, he started to improving at a visible rate.
It didn't take long before he got the hang of it.
"Woohoo!"
The wind whipped past his hair as Judas soared.
His eyes squinted and spotted a giant structure in the distance.
"That must be the Tower of Babel over there."
He increased his speed, easily flying over the city walls.
"Up we go!"
He passed through a few clouds before landing on top of the tower.
『Cold Resistance』
『Vision Enhance』
"So this is the city of heroes, huh?"
Smiling, he peered down.
The sky was still dark, city lights glimmering like stars across the ground.
"I heard from rumors, but the city is still recovering from the many gruesome battles of the Dark Age, huh?"
Broken buildings. Crumbled homes. Orario still bore scars.
"It seems Evilus is still running rampant, though I heard they've relatively quieted down thanks to the city's adventurers."
『Fly』
『Stealth』
Cloaked in invisibility, Judas descended onto a quiet street, arriving at a clothing shop.
'My spells are not perfect. I can't afford to attract attention. In a world populated by gods, it can never hurt to be careful. Better safe than sorry.'
At this very moment, an important canon event was unfolding.
The Astraea Familia were in a precarious situation.
The Rudra familia had set up a trap for the Astraea familia.
Fortunately, the trap failed and the Astraea familia survived.
However, during their confrontation, something spawned from the ceiling.
A high-pitched wail reverberated.
An abomination among monsters.
The Juggernaut.
No one had time to react.
What followed was a nightmare.
Noin, Neze, and Asta were the first to die.
It happened in mere heartbeats.
"Don't kill me!"
"Ahhh!"
Alise and the others watched in horror as comrades they had lived and fought beside were torn apart.
"Celty, on my mark, open fire!"
Ryana and Celty, their mages, released spells—only to watch in horror as their magic rebounded.
The flames consumed them instead.
"Ahhh!"
Their screams echoed like curses in the walls of the Dungeon.
Iska and Maryuu fell next, ripped apart, devoured whole.
The proud Astraea Familia—heroes of the Dark Age—were powerless before this disaster made flesh.
Ryuu froze with fear, unable to move, unable to think.
Her mind shattered. Watching her familia die was more than her heart could bear.
The Juggernaut was unstoppable.
It leapt, slaughtered, tore everything in its path.
Blood sprayed. Limbs scattered. Corpses bounced like ragdolls.
It was fast. Too fast. Too strong. A monster that seemed to embody the Dungeon's hatred itself.
And then—
"Sorry everyone. But I want you to lay down your lives. I want to save Ryuu."
Alise, broken and bloodied, turned to her surviving comrades.
"Sure, count me in."
"Fighting blind... I'm probably going to die first anyway."
Lyra grinned through blood.
Her eyes had melted away, and all that remained was a burned scar.
"Yeah. If I die here, then so be it."
Kaguya raised her katana.
Her arm was cut off, but her voice was firm.
Ryuu lay collapsed on the ground, trembling, her mouth open in silent despair.
There was no hesitation.
Their courage, forged in the crucible of the Dark Age, shone even in the face of certain death.
Their backs. Their resolve. Their sacrifice.
Tears blurred Ryuu's vision as she saw them walk forward.
No hope of survival. No thought of retreat. Only unyielding resolve to buy her one last chance.
And then—
A light fell from above.
A ray cutting through the shadows.
"I finally got the spell to work."
A cloaked, masked figure appeared before them.
Small, young—but strangely reassuring.
His presence felt as though he represented hope itself.
"What the hell happened here? Is that Ryuu?"
The voice was youthful.
A boy, even younger than anyone present.
"Who?"
Alise and the others stared, startled.
His features hidden, his presence heavy.
'Strong... at least level 5,' they thought.
"I see now."
He scanned the battlefield, eyes narrowing.
"You did well to last this long. Forgive me for not arriving sooner."
『Pseudo Miracle Heal』
Light enveloped them.
"A-ah... my arm!"
"My eye..."
Their wounds sealed. Kaguya's lost arm returned. Lyra regained an eye.
"T-thank you..."
Lyra nearly sobbed, her voice trembling, her tough exterior had almost shattered.
She had thought her sight lost forever.
"Amazing."
Kaguya whispered, stunned.
"T-thank you... thank you."
Ryuu's tears fell freely.
"I'm completely healed."
Alise's voice shook.
This healing was on par with Freya's Vana Mardoll, even Dian Cecht's Silver Saint.
"Don't thank me yet... the danger isn't over."
Their gazes turned.
The Juggernaut, finished with the Rudra Familia, now turned its soulless eyes on them.
"If you can still fight, help me distract it. I'll finish it off."
A magic circle blazed beneath his feet.
"Wait! That thing reflects magic!"
Alise shouted.
"What?"
The Juggernaut lunged.
『Barrier』
A dome of light intercepted its claws.
A crack spidered across the shield.
The cloaked figure's brow furrowed beneath his mask.
"His casting speed..."
Ryuu whispered in shock.
"Two no-chant spells, and a third one..."
Lyra muttered, stunned.
"You fools, this isn't the time..."
Kaguya cut in sharply, glaring at the two before shifting her gaze towards Alise.
"Captain, what's the plan?"
Alise's eyes lingered on the masked boy.
"Is your magic strong enough to kill that thing?"
"Yes. I can kill it."
No hesitation. His tone was absolute.
Alise smiled faintly and patted his shoulder.
"Good. While we break its armor, you'll deliver the finishing blow."
Their gazes met, unshaken.
His words radiated certainty, and Alise matched him with her own resolve.
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