I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 397

Butterfly effect.

The Butterfly Effect.

The phrase suggests that the light flapping of a butterfly’s wings can eventually create a storm, meaning that a small change can have a massive impact on the whole. For a “time traveler,” however, the meaning is more direct.

A seemingly trivial choice in the past can drastically alter the future.

Full Frame had been unaware of it until now.

She had no idea that Silver 11th Moon had trapped her in the past, forcing her to repeat the same events fifty times.

However, after a vague sense of déjà vu began to creep in, she realized that something was changing.

Countless trials and errors. Endless repetitions.

And at the end of it all...

A certain "coincidence."

Coincidences, by their nature, occur at astronomically low probabilities. But improbable does not mean impossible.

If the same event is repeated enough times, that coincidence might eventually occur.

And this moment, right now, was that "coincidental moment."

Flower Serene, captured by Damgaltoy Wol. Eisel rushing toward her. Full Frame chasing after Eisel.

...And not just that.

Hong Biyeon’s death.

Jelliel’s disappearance.

The exchange program delayed by one day.

French fries on the lunch menu.

The handkerchief forgotten that morning.

Left foot stepping forward instead of the right.

Even the type of socks worn.

All these minor, seemingly inconsequential factors had come together to create a single timeline where Damgaltoy Wol’s rampage could be stopped.

At first glance, each of these events seemed meaningless.

But this moment was one in a billion, a convergence that could only arise from an incredibly rare and extreme probability.

"I didn’t reach this point by pure chance," Full Frame realized.

And so, she ran forward with all her strength.

To save Flower Serene and the World Tree.

To return to the future.

...To go back to Baek Yuseol.

"Wait!"

Startled, Full Frame came to an abrupt stop.

When she turned around, she saw a translucent, shimmering form of Silver 11th Moon looking at her with a desperate expression.

"Hold on, Full Frame..."

"...Silver 11th Moon."

He bit his lip, staring at her silently. The world seemed to freeze around them, and an eerie stillness fell.

But Full Frame broke the silence, her lips curling into a faint smile.

"I'm sorry."

"Wait, Full Frame—!"

As she took a step back, Silver 11th Moon shouted urgently.

"You can’t go! We can’t exist without you!"

How pitiful he seemed.

The Twelve Divine Moons, who had lived for a thousand years, brought low by his love for a mere human who wouldn’t live even a fraction of his lifespan.

Even though she knew he was the one who had trapped her in this world, the reason she couldn’t return home...

...She didn’t hate him.

She couldn’t bring herself to despise someone who was suffering so much, unable to even approach the one he loved.

"...How tragic."

That was the simple truth of Full Frame’s feelings.

She turned back, intending to run toward Eisel again.

"...Please."

Silver 11th Moon’s voice stopped her.

"Our world... needs you."

This time, his tone was different.

"Needs me?"

His plea felt misaligned, and Full Frame blinked in confusion.

He continued, "If you’re gone, our world will collapse! Are you planning to kill all of us?!"

"What... are you talking about?"

She didn’t understand.

"Even if I leave, the version of me that belongs to this world will remain. She’ll figure something out..."

"Don’t be ridiculous!"

Silver 11th Moon shouted, a tear trailing down his face.

"There is no ‘other you’ in this world!"

"That can’t be true... You told me yourself. You said there was another version of me in this world..."

"It was a lie."

Silver 11th Moon’s expression was filled with raw emotion, leaving no room for doubt.

"...It was a lie I told to deceive you."

"How do I know this isn’t another lie?"

He shook his head, unable to answer directly.

"But you’ve seen it, haven’t you? There is no Baek Yuseol in this world."

"That’s... true."

It was strange.

Why was Baek Yuseol absent from this world?

At first, Full Frame had thought it odd as well. If the total number of students had increased by one, that meant Baek Yuseol had never existed in the "original romance fantasy."

But when she learned that Baek Yuseol, like her, had come from Earth, she accepted the anomaly.

"But unlike Baek Yuseol, I’ve existed in this world from the start. I was admitted to Stella Academy before I even arrived, and there are people here who know me—"

"How do you know that’s true?"

Silver 11th Moon’s bitter smile sent a chill down her spine.

"You, and all others like you, are special. The moment you set foot in this world, its memories are rewritten as if you’ve always been here. But then..."

A lifeless leaf fell, splitting apart as it touched the ground.

"When you disappear, the world forgets you ever existed. And you know what happens to a world without ‘Full Frame.’ It’s doomed to destruction."

That was the storyline of the original Don’t Love the Duke’s Daughter.

There was no Full Frame in that story, and the world ended.

"That’s right, Full Frame. You’re the key."

"What...?"

"Did you really think there are only a few worlds like ours? Of course not. You know it. You’ve seen glimpses of the past, haven’t you?"

He wasn’t wrong.

Through the Constellatio Project, she had briefly seen Baek Yuseol’s regression.

Observing that had revealed to her that this world was not unique—it was one of countless others.

Rumble...!

The vibrations of Damgaltoy Wol intensified as Eisel reached it, creating new possibilities.

If Full Frame just ran forward, she could return to the future.

But she couldn’t move her feet.

"...That’s it."

The questions she had chased through the past, the answers she sought desperately to uncover.

"Why am I in this world?"

"And what am I supposed to do?"

Her lips trembled as she asked, "If I stay here... does that mean this world won’t end?"

Silver 11th Moon almost nodded instinctively but hesitated. His silence and evasive gaze made her frown.

"That’s not a guarantee, is it?"

"...It’s not."

Silver 11th Moon tried to keep his composure, but her insistence forced him to nod reluctantly.

"That’s right. You can’t save our world for certain. You’ll fail countless times, again and again. You’ll run endlessly, clinging to the slimmest possibility..."

Just like Baek Yuseol.

"That’s..."

She couldn’t believe it.

After all, she had no memories of regressing. She was just a girl who had fallen into her favorite romance fantasy novel.

"I couldn’t have done that. I don’t have those memories."

"Of course not. No one could erase the memories of someone as luminous as you—not even Time Returning Moon. Your lost memories are only from right before your journey through time, and even those cracked under light pressure."

It wasn’t erased memories.

Then...

"This is all I can tell you, Full Frame."

Silver 11th Moon extended his hand.

"There’s a Baek Yuseol in your world. He’ll save it. But... won’t you stay here? It’ll be hard, but with you here, we’ll have hope."

It sounded reasonable.

And it was true.

Her world would undoubtedly...

"Baek Yuseol will save it."

But not this one.

This world, though one among many, was one she had seen, felt, and experienced firsthand. She couldn’t simply turn her back on it.

"But I..."

She had to go back.

Rumble!

Whatever Eisel had done, Damgaltoy Wol roared in protest, and Flower Serene, freed from its grasp, ceased to wither.

The situation was shifting rapidly.

She had to choose.

Silver 11th Moon, noticing her hesitation, took a step closer, his expression pleading.

"Please, Full Frame. Come with me. I—no, we—can protect you."

"I..."

At that moment.

She felt a faint pull on her elbow.

Startled, she turned around, but no one was there.

Instead, her gaze landed on an absurd sight.

Eisel had reached the summit of Damgaltoy Wol and, like a climber planting a flag at the peak, had thrust her staff into it.

And now, she was freezing its entire colossal body solid.

"Haha! I’m going back!"

Eisel laughed brightly, raising her staff with a triumphant grin.

It wasn’t the Eisel of a 17-year-old first-year.

That mischievous smile and the sheer aura she exuded were unmistakable.

She was the Eisel of the future.

Even the line she shouted... was something Full Frame had taught her herself.

"...I see."

How could such an impossible phenomenon happen?

Before even questioning that, Full Frame muttered with a bittersweet smile and turned away from Silver 11th Moon, running toward Eisel.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go back."

She thought to herself, I’m selfish.

But she didn’t believe that was wrong. In fact, it was natural.

Wasn’t it?

Silver 11th Moon had tried to exploit her moment of weakness to demand her sacrifice.

He was selfish too.

And if both of them were selfish... then the one with the choice would naturally win.

Full Frame ran.

She ran with all her strength.

She didn’t remember how far or how fast she ran—she only knew that she gave it her all as she rushed to Eisel and embraced her tightly.

The world was engulfed in a flood of light.

Damgaltoy Wol, the World Tree, Flower Serene, Silver 11th Moon, the sky, and the earth—everything dissolved into that radiant glow.

"Curse you, Full Frame!!!"

But one figure remained.

Silver 11th Moon did not vanish but shouted toward her, his voice filled with despair.

"Because of you! Our world will be destroyed! You killed us! Every living being in this world, you killed them!!"

Full Frame squeezed her eyes shut.

The words struck her heart like a dagger, causing an unbearable ache.

"You think... you can abandon me, abandon our world, and return to your own in peace? Never! Full Frame, I curse you. You will never return to your world!!"

"Ugh...!"

With a final scream of anguish, Silver 11th Moon disappeared. His parting curse struck her like a heavy blow, and Full Frame fell to her knees in the boundless white space.

"Ugh... ngh...!"

Something was wrong.

Her stomach churned, and her head throbbed with pain.

As she began to collapse, two pairs of hands reached out from either side to steady her.

Startled, she looked up and was greeted by familiar faces.

"Seriously, why’d you take so long?"

Eisel’s voice.

"...Late as always," Hong Biyeon muttered.

Even surrounded by the dazzling light, Full Frame could see their smiles.

But she couldn’t say a word to them.

I’m sorry, I’m so sorry... This is all my fault...

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So many things had happened.

She had been trapped in the past, lost her memories, and was manipulated by Silver 11th Moon, forced to repeat the same timeline dozens of times.

And now...

The door to the future is blocked. Damn that Silver 11th Moon, playing his final trick.

She couldn’t go back home anymore. She was certain he had done something at the last moment to ensure it. But even knowing that, she had no way to counter it.

"Well, I guess it’s still better than that time when I was trapped in another Eisel’s memories and controlled against my will," Eisel said with a wry smile.

"...Yeah, and better than being burned alive multiple times. I don’t remember dying because I blacked out every time, but I’d still take this over that," Hong Biyeon added dryly.

Even their attempts to sound positive didn’t change the reality of the situation.

No.

In the end, it was her fault that everything had turned out this way.

Because of her, they were all...

"Full Frame."

She raised her head.

"Thank you," Eisel said softly.

"What?"

"Thanks to you, I realized how lucky I was. And how much everyone who reached out to me truly mattered..."

"That’s..."

"You’re saying ridiculous things again," Hong Biyeon interrupted.

"Heh, Hong Biyeon. You realized it too, didn’t you?" Eisel teased.

Hong Biyeon didn’t reply, but her silence was a tacit agreement.

Feeling oddly comforted, Full Frame’s expression crumpled, and Eisel spoke up as if to lighten the mood.

"Hey, instead of moping, how about we try casting the spell?"

"The spell?"

"Yeah."

"But... it won’t work anymore..."

The path was completely blocked, and casting the spell felt pointless. Even so, Eisel encouraged her, helping her to her feet.

"Alright, let’s try it. Do you two remember the words?"

"Of course."

"Unlike you, I don’t forget something that simple, stupid commoner," Hong Biyeon quipped.

Full Frame chuckled despite herself.

The truth was, she remembered now too. It was such a simple and heartfelt incantation that she couldn’t understand why she had forgotten it in the first place.

So.

The three girls locked eyes and spoke the incantation together.

"Let’s return. To the place where those we love, and those who love us, are waiting."

Nothing happened.

As expected, there was no response.

The girls exchanged bitter smiles, and before Full Frame could say anything, Eisel spoke up.

"Well... at least we tried. Now we can rule that out and start thinking of other options."

Hong Biyeon added, "Don’t make that face. None of this is your fault. I came because I wanted to. Why do you look like someone sentenced to die? Are all commoners like this? Unbelievable."

"Heh..."

She didn’t know what she was doing anymore.

Here she was, moping while her friends comforted her. That wasn’t like her at all.

"Thanks. Even if we can’t go back... we won’t give up."

Just as she was about to say those words—

"Huh?"

Eisel and Hong Biyeon both froze, their eyes wide as they stared past Full Frame.

Surprised, she turned around and saw it.

From a split in the light, a figure emerged, pushing through as if tearing through the veil.

Baek Yuseol.

"It’s been a while, troublemakers," he said, grinning.

"Ba... Baek Yuseol...?!"

"How are you even here...?"

"Why are you so late?"

Her legs almost gave out, but she managed to hold herself steady through sheer willpower. She refused to appear weak in front of him now.

Baek Yuseol stepped fully into the light, pushing it open behind him and gesturing toward the world beyond.

"Love, huh? On the way back, mind telling me a little more about it?" he said with a radiant smile.