The Final Stand: Laser Pulse Cannon

"I'm going."

The beam fired through the power of Immortal Function struck directly onto Harvest's shield-like hand.

In an instant, the shadows burned away, and his body was gradually pushed backward.

"Grrrhh!"

But Harvest was also a magical being capable of withstanding the sun. Beyond a certain distance, he began to absorb the light instead.

'As expected, it won't be easy.'

A stronger force was needed, but Shirone's omnipotence had already reached its personal limit.

'If that's the case…'

There was only one option—to enhance the battery.

Energy equals mass times the square of the speed of light.

Until now, he had used divine particles to increase mass. This time, he would push past the threshold and convert all mass into pure energy.

"W-What is that?!"

The eyes of the onlookers widened in shock.

The photon beam, once wide, began to thin and turn red.

Seeing the change in the spectrum of light, Iruki recalled a magic his father had once mentioned.

"A laser."

Nade frowned. "That... that's a laser?"

"Yeah. To put it simply, it's just light energy highly amplified. But that alone puts it in the realm of sheer brute force, beyond talent or effort. My father once told me that to specialize in photonics, you need to be at least a 4th-class magician."

"Then… does that mean Shirone's Spirit Zone is comparable to a 4th-class magician?"

"No. Even if he surpasses limits with Immortal Function, human consciousness has its own boundaries. Go any further, and he would lose even his sense of self. To form a Spirit Zone capable of lasers, he would need years of mental rebound training. That's how immense this energy conversion is."

"Then how is he doing it?"

"Mathematically bypassing the process changes everything. Normally, a magician would amplify energy to create a laser. But Shirone is converting mass directly into energy. A new formula only applicable to those who possess divine particles. With this battery, he doesn't need a strong Spirit Zone to generate a laser."

"..."

Nade was speechless.

By using a new energy source, Shirone had bypassed years of training in omnipotence.

It was something only possible due to his exceptional insight.

"GRAAAHHH!"

Harvest thrashed as he was exposed to the red beam.

Though thinner than standard photon output, the concentrated energy within was beyond imagination.

The color was irrelevant. The real danger lay in the invisible thermal radiation outside the red spectrum.

It vibrated molecules, generating extreme heat.

"Ugh! Harvest!"

Canis clutched his head.

The fact that the pain was transmitted to his mind meant that Harvest had exceeded his limit of absorbable energy in just two seconds.

This was the overwhelming power of Shirone's magic—the Laser Pulse Cannon.

'He can't last much longer.'

Harvest sensed his imminent destruction.

The shadows bubbled like boiling water, then began to inflate like a balloon.

Etella examined Arcane.

Even in this dire situation, his expression remained unchanged, triggering an ominous feeling.

'No way…'

What would happen if Harvest, having absorbed so much energy, exploded right here?

Etella shouted, "Stop! Give up now! If this continues, everyone will die!"

Canis shook his head. "Shut up! I'm going to fight!"

"You're being deceived by Arcane! Harvest isn't your subordinate! In fact, you were the one under Harvest's control! You were being used!"

Canis did not answer.

From the very beginning, he would be lying if he said he had never doubted it.

When he was told that the ultimate result of the Grand Magician's research, a magical creature, would be his to command, part of him wondered if that was truly possible.

'It doesn't matter.'

He simply lacked the courage to face reality.

If he acknowledged the truth, then he would be left with nothing.

"I will win! I don't fear death! I will never surrender to the likes of you!"

The first time he had become aware, he was in a place known as hell on earth.

"Kill me all you want!"

To Arcane, he had always been disposable.

"You think I'll lose?!"

To Harvest, whom he had once called a friend, he had been nothing more than a fuel source.

"More! Hit me more! You think this is enough to kill me?! Just try it!"

Nothing mattered anymore. All that remained in Canis was hatred toward the world.

Arin wept.

'Canis…'

The only thing he had to offer to the one he loved was the life trapped inside his wretched body.

A miserable man who had nothing else to give.

She ran toward Arcane.

"Master! Please, save Canis!"

She no longer saw him as a master, but he was the only one who could save Canis.

However, Arcane remained cold. With an icy gaze, he turned to Harvest and said,

"Harvest, end this."

Harvest, already in an oversaturated energy state, could not respond. If he even attempted vocal vibrations, he would explode immediately.

And that was exactly what Arcane wanted.

—Canis, listen carefully.

Canis's head jerked up.

—Harvest?

—Arcane is planning to detonate me. I have no power to resist. If I explode here, everyone will die. That includes you and me.

Arin, having released her Spirit Zone to free the controlled students, now aimed her killing intent at Arcane.

"Let Canis go! Or I won't forgive you!"

"Arin! Stop!"

Knowing what kind of man Arcane was, Canis stood up and shouted.

At this moment, it wouldn't be surprising if he beheaded her instantly.

"Master, I hold no resentment. You freed us from Radum. That alone is a debt I can never repay. I will die. So please, just let Arin live."

Arcane's eyes burned with anger.

"...Foolish boy."

Slowly, he turned his gaze back to Harvest.

Shirone had already stopped his Laser Pulse Cannon, but even the energy that Harvest had absorbed until now was enough to raze the entire cliffside.

"Harvest, do you dare disobey me?"

Harvest could neither vibrate his voice nor move freely.

Each time internal detonations occurred, his massive shadow twisted and writhed, his blackened surface swelling with countless bubbles.

It was clear he would explode soon, even without interference.

—Canis, I'm sorry.

The moment Harvest's mental transmission reached him, Canis's expression hardened.

—Harvest, you…

—I am severing our contract.

"Ah…!"

Harvest absorbed the last of Canis's mental energy and cut the link.

Canis, feeling as if his soul had been ripped away, collapsed to the ground and muttered weakly.

"Why…?"

Using his remaining strength, Harvest did the one thing he could.

He soared as far as he could, high into the sky.

Arcane's face twisted with rage as he watched the balloon-like shadow ascend.

"You wretched thing! Harvest!"

Leaving behind Arcane's furious screams, Harvest took his first—and final—solitary flight.

At an altitude of two kilometers, a faint smile stretched across the shadow's lips.

"…It was fun."

A dazzling explosion tore through the night sky.