The Rulebreaker's Might

As Marsha waved her hand, the approaching Photon Cannon vanished like smoke.

"Hah!"

Shirone, realizing something, dropped to his knees, his face filled with disbelief. His friends rushed to his side.

"Shirone! Are you okay?"

Aside from the disappearance of the Photon Cannon, nothing had physically impacted him, yet his expression was one of complete shock.

"What's wrong? Get a hold of yourself!"

Amy shouted anxiously, never having seen Shirone so shaken before.

"M-Magic..."

Shirone couldn't believe it.

Even if it was an unconventional spell, something like this shouldn't have been possible.

Tess turned to Amy.

"Did she steal his mental energy again?"

"No. The Spirit Zone is still intact. But the Photon Cannon still disappeared, which means..."

As Amy came to the realization, Shirone muttered,

"She stole my magic."

"What?!"

Tess whipped his head toward Marsha, who stood triumphantly, arms crossed.

"That's right. Unorthodox Arcane: Plunder. By understanding my opponent's Spirit Zone through looting, I can forcibly steal their magic. Of course, there are restrictions. I must feel the Spirit Zone as my own at the moment the magic is activated—just like I did just now."

She explained the restriction as if it were a generous concession, but Shirone was certain there was more to it.

'It doesn't make sense.'

Stealing one's mind to take their magic seemed plausible at first, but when analyzed deeply, it was a huge logical leap.

Marsha raised her right hand.

"Now then..."

A sphere of light condensed in her palm, and with a swift motion, she swung it toward Shirone.

A sharp beam of light shot forth, and the group scattered in all directions.

Debris from the Photon Cannon's impact stung Shirone's face.

'It's real. This... is my Photon Cannon.'

The sensation of being struck by his own spell was utterly surreal.

"Huuu."

Marsha, having fired the Photon Cannon as an experiment, now looked visibly pale.

"What the hell? This drains an insane amount of mental energy! How did you keep firing this repeatedly?"

For once, it wasn't mockery—Marsha was genuinely shocked. She felt a slight dizziness from the spell's sheer weight.

'It's an incredibly heavy spell. Without mental stability, it would be nearly impossible to sustain.'

It wasn't just about concentration—it was about one's resolve and mindset.

Marsha now had an inkling of the kind of determination Shirone lived with every day.

'But this... this isn't something I can just steal.'

No matter what she took, she couldn't change the life that had already been twisted beyond repair.

Marsha's gaze turned cold.

"Now, you feel it too."

As Photon Cannons formed around her, Rian, Tess, and Amy instinctively shielded Shirone.

Blinding flashes filled the air. Amy grabbed Shirone by the collar and leaped.

"Hahaha! What? Was it really this easy?"

Marsha unleashed another barrage of Photon Cannons, and for those on the receiving end, it was pure hell.

'Damn it.'

Amy's expression twisted in frustration.

She had never simulated a battle against Photon Cannon because she had always considered Shirone an eternal ally.

Now, faced with it in combat, she truly understood the overwhelming despair their past enemies must have felt.

Amid the deafening explosions, Amy pulled Shirone behind a rock.

"Shirone, we need to—"

She stopped mid-sentence upon seeing his blank, dazed expression.

'Well... I guess that makes sense.'

Losing a core part of one's very being—the magic he had honed through life-or-death struggles—was beyond words.

"Shirone, snap out of it. This isn't over."

"But... I have no way to fight back."

For the first time, Shirone's voice trembled.

It could be confusion—or perhaps rage.

"Think rationally. Magic can't be stolen this easily. There must be a massive risk involved."

"A risk..."

His mind, momentarily clouded by despair, refocused on the problem.

'Amy's right.'

Stealing magic wasn't the end of it.

Marsha must have some kind of limitation or price to pay.

"The principle of equivalent exchange."

"Exactly. If it was taken so easily, it must be even easier to take back. That's the rule of equivalent exchange. This isn't over."

"...I understand. I'll try."

Shirone reignited his fighting spirit.

Photon Cannon was gone, but he still had some spells left.

'Is there a limit to how many spells she can steal?'

Testing the theory was risky, considering how valuable each of his remaining spells was.

'I only get one chance.'

Amy spoke.

"I'll cover you."

She unleashed a barrage of Fire Strikes, forcing Marsha to halt her attack and dodge.

Shirone dashed forward, Rian and Tess flanking Marsha from both sides.

Even against four opponents, Marsha refused to leave an opening.

Her battle tactics were so polished that fatigue was no excuse—Shirone's magic reserves continued to dwindle.

'Unbelievable.'

Even his only mobility spell, Teleport, had been stolen.

'Unorthodox Arcane...'

Everything he had worked for since entering the academy flashed through his mind.

All that effort, determination, and passion—wiped away like a fleeting dream.

The battle was tilting in Marsha's favor.

Rian blocked a Photon Cannon with his greatsword but was sent flying. Amy's desperate sniper shot missed entirely. Tess, with an injured leg, had lost most of his mobility.

'No way...'

Shirone clenched his teeth and charged.

The only spell left was Wind Cutter—something he had never used in battle. But it was the last thing proving he was still a mage.

'If I can just get close...'

Marsha, aiming a Photon Cannon at Rian, suddenly flinched and whipped her head around.

She was sweating.

"Here I come!"

Shirone kicked off the ground, launching himself forward. At the same time, Marsha used Teleport.

10 meters, 20 meters...

By the time she stopped, she had retreated nearly 40 meters.

'Huh?'

Her extreme evasive reaction puzzled Shirone.

Despite having stolen most of his magic, what made her so afraid that she fled like this?

'No... that's not the right way to think about it.'

Only Shirone knew how few spells he had left.

From Marsha's perspective, she had no idea how much magic he still possessed.

'If I had another movement ability, she would've been caught. That's what she feared.'

But to this extent?

Her reaction was purely instinctive.

'A thief's fear...'

If her arcane was twisted by trauma, then so was her life.

'Getting caught... isn't an option for her. She didn't avoid my magic—she avoided the very concept of being caught.'

What would happen if he caught her? Would his magic return?

'No... it would be much more than that.'

Amy had said so.

It had to be easier to take back than it was to steal.

'If I catch her... it'll be over.'