Infinite Mage - Remake

Sakiri: “Anything is fine. If you tell me everything you know, I’ll send you back to prison.”

Lucas remained silent, his mind racing.

Having joined the Parrot Thieves rather than the Parrot Mercenaries, Lucas held little loyalty to Marsha. Betraying her would be easy.

But if he confessed here, he would spend the rest of his life rotting in the underground prison until he died of old age.

Lucas: “How about a deal?”

Sakiri: “A deal? What kind of deal?”

Lucas: “I’ll tell you everything about Marsha. In exchange, reduce my sentence. Give me a chance to walk free before I die.”

Sakiri: “Hah…”

Sakiri stared at Lucas with a puzzled expression before suddenly bursting into laughter, slamming his foot down.

Sakiri: “HAHAHAHA!”

BANG! The desk toppled over. Sakiri leaped forward, screaming.

Sakiri: “You crazy bastard! Do you even know where you are right now?!”

He lifted his foot and kicked—Lucas crashed to the floor along with the chair. But Sakiri’s fury wasn’t sated. He stomped on Lucas repeatedly.

Yet this time, Lucas was desperate.

Whether he died here or rotted in prison, the outcome was the same. If he didn’t secure a deal now, his life was over.

Lucas (gritting his teeth): “Beat me! Torture me all you want! I won’t talk! Not unless you make a deal!”

Sakiri’s foot froze mid-air.

Why are criminals so shameless? If you didn’t want to go to prison, you shouldn’t have committed crimes in the first place.

Sakiri (sighing): “Ah, you’re really insane.”

He took a deep breath and turned away.

Lucas, despite his fear, observed carefully. If he stopped kicking, that means he’s conflicted. If I hold out a little longer, negotiations might open.

But contrary to his expectations, Sakiri walked to the interrogation room door and issued a chilling order.

Sakiri: “Hey, disable the magic limiter in here.”

A magic limiter wasn’t the same as anti-magic. It was a spell that prevented magic activation from the start.

Of course, that too was a form of magic—but very few thieves in the world could break a magic circle designed by first-class wizards.

Lucas gulped. Don’t panic. Sakiri is just bluffing. If I endure this, I might still get out someday.

Sakiri waited calmly.

A low hum filled the air, followed by a sinking sensation.

Lucas didn’t know what had changed, but Sakiri strode back with a lighter step, his head tilted.

Sakiri: “Tell me everything about Marsha. If you stay silent or lie, you’ll face unbearable terror.”

Lucas (defiant): “I—I won’t speak. Never.”

Sakiri didn’t react. Instead, he extended his hand toward Lucas and closed his eyes, chanting like a mantra.

Sakiri: “As a judge, I command thee. The Commandment answers the Commandment. The Scales of Truth belong only to you.”

Lucas’ face turned deathly pale.

This was a mistake. He’s not just an investigator. He’s one of those people—the ones you should never cross.

Lucas (panicked): “Damn it—!”

Ten minutes later.

Lucas (screaming): “AAAAAAAH!”

His shriek echoed through the interrogation room.

Lucas was barely conscious. Even when he’d lost a leg, the pain hadn’t been this excruciating.

Lucas (sobbing): “Okay! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything, just STOP!”

The moment he screamed, the pain vanished as if it had never existed.

Crumpled in the corner, Lucas looked up at Sakiri with terror.

Sakiri (calmly): “It’s your choice. If you want comfort, speak gently.”

Lucas surrendered.

Neither silence nor lies worked against Sakiri’s magic—The Balance of Truth. Any criminal had no choice but to confess.

Lucas (exhausted): “Marsha… is smart. She doesn’t make mistakes. She pretends to be cornered, exposing all her opponent’s weaknesses. But she never plays her hand in a way that makes her hated.”

Sakiri: “Typical scammer tactics.”

Lucas (shaking his head): “No, she’s not just a scammer. Do you know what makes her terrifying? She doesn’t lie to deceive—her entire life is a lie. No method can pin her down.”

Sakiri (thoughtful): “Hmm, I get her pattern. But that alone doesn’t explain why intelligence on her is so unreliable.”

He rested his chin on his hand, then suddenly realized something.

No one else knew—but he was certain now. Why does intel keep fluctuating?

Sakiri (whispering): “No way… Could she be…?”

Lucas (desperate): “Yes. She’s one of your kind.”

Relieved that his suffering was over, Lucas raised his voice.

Lucas: “Marsha… is an Outlaw Eater.”

Shirone’s Battle

Shirone analyzed Marsha with everything he had—but he couldn’t figure her out. She was unlike anyone he’d ever met.

Shirone (confused): “Even if I kill you… it’s fine?”

Marsha (smiling): “Heh, yes. Do you hate me that much? Then kill me as much as you like.”

Shirone stopped thinking. If there was no answer, he’d stick to his convictions.

Shirone (firm): “If Yuna is safe, I have no reason to fight you.”

A faint, almost cracked smile formed on Marsha’s lips.

Then—her Offensive Spirit Zone stabbed toward him. Shirone immediately activated Teleportation.

Shirone (shocked): ‘What?!’

The Spirit Zone vanished—and his teleportation was forcibly canceled.

BOOM!

The roar of a Sonic Cannon tore through the air. Shirone’s eardrums burned as if on fire.

He rolled across the ground, unable to withstand the shock.

Rian (surprised): “What?! Why did Shirone just stand there?!”

Sonic Cannons compressed sound waves, preventing them from spreading loosely. So the others only heard a high-pitched shriek.

Amy (grim): “That’s a Sonic Cannon—a type of sound magic. But that’s not the problem.”

Tess (nodding): “Right. Shirone got hit.”

A dark shadow crossed Amy’s face. Shirone had clearly tried to evade with teleportation—but his photonization was forcibly canceled right before activation.

Amy (tense): “It wasn’t just a failure. It was stolen.”

Rian (confused): “Stolen? What was stolen?”

Through Synesthesia, Amy had sensed it—the moment Marsha absorbed Shirone’s Spirit Zone like dew.

Amy (urgent): “Maybe… his mind.”

Rian (disbelieving): “That’s insane! How can someone steal another’s mind?!”

Amy rushed toward Shirone.

Class-A Criminal: Clay Marsha.

If her guess was right, this woman was far more dangerous than they realized.

Amy (shouting): “Shirone! Be careful! That woman is an Eater!”

Shirone lifted his head. His ears bled from the Sonic Cannon’s force, but his Vajrapani mental fortitude remained unbroken.

Shirone (realizing): “This… is an Outlaw Eater’s ability?”

Marsha (amused): “Oh? You know about Outlaw Eaters? You kids really are impressive. Well, the bag strap should be long, I suppose.”

Mages developed countless spells daily, and the Association registered them as standardized magic.

But some magics could never be registered—those were the Outlaw Eater’s abilities.

Outlaw Eater magic was unique.

Unlike standard magic, which followed universal principles, an Outlaw Eater’s power was built on personal delusions—rules they imposed on reality itself.

In short, they were wizards who created their own laws and forced them onto others.

Shirone recalled Siana’s lesson on Outlaw Eaters.

Flashback: Siana’s Lesson

Siana (writing on the board): “Omnipotence is faith. Photon speed is classified into four types, flame temperature varies, and plasma can form even at medium temperatures—all because a mage’s omnipotence supports the spell.”

She wrote “Outlaw Eater” on the blackboard.

The students stirred at the unfamiliar term, but Siana continued unfazed.

Siana: “But some use omnipotence for personal gain—not to support spells, but to twist them. Their magic is called Outlaw Eater abilities.”

Student (confused): “Professor, I don’t get it.”

Siana: “Let me explain. What’s my job?”

Students: “You’re a teacher, of course.”

Siana: “Right. I’m a teacher. Now—raise your hand if you don’t think I’m a teacher.”

Naturally, no one raised their hand. It was impossible—knowing she was a teacher while denying it would be a contradiction.

Siana: “This is the nature of the mind. Unlike the body, the mind doesn’t reject ideas once accepted. It absorbs them and forms new beliefs.”

She raised a finger for emphasis.

Siana: “In other words, others’ thoughts can be imposed on you. In fact, all our thoughts come from others. Now, I’ll demonstrate an Outlaw Eater’s ability.”

She stepped down from the podium and stared at the students.

Siana (deadly serious): “All who think of me as a teacher—die.”

The students gasped. Some tried to deny it, but—

The mind does not deny. It only changes.

Student (terrified): “Professor… is this real?”

Siana (smiling): “Don’t panic. This is just an explanation. I’m not a real Outlaw Eater.”

The class erupted in nervous murmurs.

Siana adjusted her glasses and returned to the podium.

Siana: “Of course, real Outlaw Eaters aren’t this simple. None can kill just by imposing a conceptual rule. Outlaw Eater abilities are still magic—the Law of Equivalent Exchange always applies.”

A male student raised his hand.

Student: “But what if someone truly believes their rule is the equivalent exchange? A madman who thinks ‘death’ is a fair cost?”

Siana: “There’s always a possibility. But magic is a product of reason. Someone that insane couldn’t wield magic properly. And even if they existed, it wouldn’t work on you.”

Student: “Because it can’t penetrate the mind?”

Siana (nodding): “Exactly. So Outlaw Eater abilities have limits and costs. For example, a rule like: ‘Anyone who thinks of me as a teacher must use honorifics.’”

Student (laughing): “That’s normal!”

Siana: “Right. And that’s what makes Outlaw Eaters terrifying. Just as honorifics feel natural to you, they impose their rules as natural. Now, what about this? ‘Anyone who thinks of me as a teacher falls in love with me.’”

Students (laughing): “Haha! Is that natural?”

Siana continued without smiling.

Siana: “‘Anyone in love with me must obey me unconditionally.’”

The laughter died.

Siana: “‘Anyone who obeys me must die in my presence.’”

Silence.

Siana: “This is an Outlaw Eater’s chain of constraints. They extend rules with conditions, filling logic gaps with their omnipotence. Because they truly believe it, so do you. Once caught, there’s no escape.”

The students gulped. A magic like this exists?

Siana: “But the real danger isn’t the constraints—it’s the cost. Earlier, I said conceptual rules can’t kill—but when a price is paid, it changes. Watch.”

She stared coldly at the class.

Siana: “‘Those who do not think of me as a teacher—die.’”

The students had now become serious. Every eye in the room was fixed on Siana.

Siana: "But for him to die, he must spend the night with me."

The boys’ faces flushed red.

Student: "Professor, that kind of example is a bit… inappropriate…"

Siana: "There’s no need to be embarrassed. I would never actually do such a thing. You gain powerful abilities in exchange for betting something you would never want to lose. That is equivalent exchange. Even revealing the price can itself be a price—but the crucial part is that the Dieter truly believes in it. It’s about forcing your own twisted logic onto others through omnipotent power."

Finally, the students understood.

A Dieter was a type of person whose way of thinking was fundamentally different from ordinary humans.

Siana: "Just because you learn about it doesn’t mean you can replicate it. The quirks of the mind manifest in obsession and bias. To wizards, Dieting is the most terrifying thing in existence."

This was all Shirone knew about Dieting. At the time, he thought he understood—but now, faced with it firsthand, he was utterly lost.

Above all, the sudden disappearance of his Spirit Zone was inexplicable. Since when had it been triggered? Even if the cost was tied to her constraints, Shirone had done nothing to provoke her.

‘No… there was! I definitely…’

A memory flashed in Shirone’s mind.

Shirone (earlier): "You can kill me."

That was the moment. A magic spell known only to Marsha and himself.

The instant those words left his lips, Marsha’s omnipotence had pierced his mind and activated the Rule.

His heart pounded violently. He had been ensnared by a Dieter. What would happen to him now? Nothing was predictable.

‘Stay calm. The Spirit Zone is just gone. If I stay alert, I can escape this.’

Dieting was like weighing the possible and the impossible on a scale. Therefore, the price to pay was as immense as the absurdity of the ability gained.

If he had truly said "You can kill me," then he would have had to endure a defenseless state for a long time. Had he attacked then, he could have killed Marsha.

But why hadn’t he attacked? Because of Yuna? No—Yuna was safe.

His thoughts refused to connect. What the hell is happening to me right now?

‘From the very beginning… From the moment I met Marsha, I was already in her trap.’

The realization that this entire incident had been orchestrated under Marsha’s script sent chills down Shirone’s spine.

Taking him to the bar, provoking Yuna, and yet never laying a finger on her—

Shirone: "All of it… for this moment?"

Marsha grinned cheerfully, as if reading his mind. His confusion only fueled her delight.

Marsha: "Ho-ho-ho! Of course! Well, meeting you was an accident—but I’m the kind of person who turns coincidence into inevitability. No matter the situation, it never hurts to lay the groundwork. Isn’t such thoroughness part of my charm?"

Shirone had no choice but to admit it.

She hadn’t targeted him specifically. This was a strategy she applied to everyone she met in life—just on the off chance they might cross paths again someday.

This meticulousness was why Marsha had evaded the Magic Association’s relentless pursuit.

Marsha: "Shall we begin? I wonder what I can take from you."

She approached Shirone with a leisurely smile. In contrast, Shirone could only shrink back. He tried teleporting—but it still didn’t work.

This state wouldn’t last forever. But the concept of having his mental power stolen was utterly foreign to Shirone.

‘This is insane. What kind of magic even is this?!’

Shirone faced the greatest crisis of his life. Marsha’s Dieting was undeniably lethal—his immortality function, his last line of defense, had been blocked.

Marsha: "Ho-ho! I’ll be taking this—your spirit."

All the mental power Shirone had been trying to use for teleportation flowed into Marsha. Harnessing that stolen energy, she fired another Sonic Cannon.

Shirone: "Guh—!"

He turned and ran. For a wizard to resort to fleeing on foot was shocking—but with magic sealed, a direct hit from a Sonic Cannon would be fatal.

Marsha: "Hah, I’ll praise you for abandoning your pride. But the fight’s already over. You’ve fallen into my Deprivation."

Dieting: Deprivation

She could steal by imposing her rules on others. The ability she used on Shirone was Looting—the power to plunder the Spirit Zone’s mental energy.

Shirone ran as far as he could. He needed to buy time.

If this was truly equivalent exchange, then there had to be a time limit. After all, losing his mental power just for saying "You can kill me" was too one-sided.

‘Now!’

As expected, Looting was released—his mental power returned. The moment he turned, Shirone unleashed a wide-area spell without even checking behind him.

BOOM—!!!

Like consecutive thunder strikes, the surroundings blazed with light.

The sheer scale of the spell, cast in an open field with full resolve, was beyond imagination—regardless of its actual effectiveness.

Marsha: "Whee~ How flashy. Impressive."

Shirone glared. Marsha hadn’t even approached—she must have been observing from a safe distance.

But if time was the limiting factor, then Looting was no longer a threat. No fool would fall for the same trick twice.

Shirone: "Go—!"

He teleported straight at Marsha. Yet, she remained unnervingly calm. The moment Shirone entered her Spirit Zone, she stretched out her hand and murmured:

Marsha: "Dieting Rule: Seizure."

SHING!

Shirone’s teleportation unraveled. Carried by momentum, he crashed to the ground, skidding several meters.

Shirone: "Kgh—! What?!"

His magic had been broken again. Had he lost his mental power once more? But no—his Spirit Zone was still active.

Shirone: "Huh? What…?"

He couldn’t believe it. Such magic shouldn’t exist. Nothing about this made sense.

Nearby, Tess turned to Amy in confusion.

Tess: "What just happened? Shirone’s Spirit Zone is still there, but his teleportation got canceled…?"

Then—Amy realized. Her face paled.

No… No way. That’s too cruel.

After all the effort Shirone had poured into mastering his magic—

Amy (whispering): "He… can’t cast magic anymore."

Her dread became reality as Shirone checked his own body in disbelief.

Marsha: "Whoops, that’s right. Seizure only works after Looting. Of course, there’s also the condition of having seen the opponent’s magic with your own eyes."

She explained cheerfully, though her words were nothing but mockery.

Shirone shook his head. This couldn’t be happening.

Even with those restrictions, permanently stealing someone’s magic violated equivalent exchange.

Marsha: "Wow~ Such wonderful magic exists. I’m so happy. Sound magic was boring. Thank you, Shirone. You’re such a good little brother."

GATHER.

Spheres of light condensed before Marsha’s eyes.

Photon Cannon—a spell that materialized light into destructive force.

SHOOM—!

Shirone barely dodged. A searing flash obliterated the spot where he’d stood moments before.

Fragments of shattered ground stung his face. The terror of being hunted by his own magic was paralyzing.

Marsha: "Phew~ The mental energy cost is huge. How did you manage this? You’re amazing, Shirone."

Shirone forced himself up, glaring at her.

This time, his anger couldn’t be contained. No—it was despair. The agony of losing everything made his body tremble.

Marsha: "But this is nice. The Unlocker’s ability."

With a gleeful smile, she fired a Laser, carving the ground as it raced toward Shirone—

He couldn’t react. Without teleportation, he was helpless.

Amy: "Shirone—!"

At the last second, Amy grabbed him and teleported away. Her own mental energy was too drained for long-range movement. Rian and Tess rushed to their side.

Marsha watched them with amusement.

The swordsmen were outmatched. Amy could barely cast teleportation. And Shirone—their last hope—had been reduced to an ordinary boy.

Marsha: "See? I told you. You can’t win against me."

The situation was dire. The psychological blow to Shirone was devastating. Most would have collapsed, screaming and cursing.

Amy: "Shirone, stay calm! The fight isn’t over yet!"

Shirone (voice shaking): "But my… my magic…"

Amy understood. Had she been in his place, she might have broken down completely.

To a wizard, magic was everything. The thought of losing it all to someone else was unthinkable.

Amy (shaking him): "Shirone! Wake up! We have to keep fighting!"

Stumbling, Shirone forced himself up.

His indomitable will refused to surrender. But the pain was overwhelming.

Shirone: "How…? How am I supposed to fight now?"

Amy: "Think rationally! No magic in the world can steal another’s so easily. Equivalent exchange means there must be a huge risk!"

Shirone’s mind snapped back into focus.

She was right. In his panic, he hadn’t realized—but Seizure couldn’t be this overpowered.

First, Looting had to be activated. Then, she had to see the magic she wanted to steal. Even with those conditions, Marsha’s ability was too strong.

Amy (desperate): "If it was stolen so easily, then it can be taken back just as easily. No—it should be simpler than stealing it. That’s equivalent exchange. Don’t give up!"

Shirone: "…Right. I’ll try."