Sky Splitter's Descent
BOOM!KABOOM!
The heavens split wide open, unleashing a torrent of spells. Sky Academy was renowned as the continent's finest.
Its professors had all reached at least the 5-circle mage realm, as expected from the elite faculty.
But.
GRRROOOAAARRR!
"Ngh!"
The ancient monster's hide was specialized for repelling mana and blocking magic.
Even a stray scrap of its skin would fetch thousands of gold from rival powerhouses, treated as the ultimate material.
And this was the real deal—a centuries-old beast, well past its juvenile phase!
No matter how skilled these 5-circle mages were, piercing its hide wasn't easy.
"Everyone, get back."
Nipella Aoman tossed aside his monocle as he prepared his spell. The eye beneath turned pure white.
"Freeze."
CRACKLE!
The ancient monster's skin began to harden.
Like a human petrified by Medusa's gaze.
Blood dripping from overexertion, Nipella shouted urgently.
"Professor Eroy!!"
Eroy leaped into action, buoyed by countless support spells.
The monster's palm strike aimed at her body slammed into a transparent barrier.
She kicked off a mana platform at her feet and leaped again. Blue light gleamed along her sword as it raked across the petrified hide.
SCREEECH!
...Not enough!
Eroy gritted her teeth.
She was a seasoned knight with plenty of battles under her belt, but facing an ancient monster was a first.
She'd been born into an era of peace, after all!
They lacked the power, experience, knowledge, numbers—everything needed to fight it.
If only a few more knights had stayed behind...!
Damn those nobles, demanding professors as escorts on their way out. There'd be more hands now otherwise!
It would take them at least an hour to return.
No help coming.
SHATTER!
"!"
The barrier exploded. The monster's palm bore down on her.
Eroy twisted to evade, but it closed in too fast.
Shadows engulfed her.
Someone burst from the darkness. Eroy's eyes widened. A masked man in priestly robes fluttered behind her, robes whipping in the wind.
She murmured a student's name without thinking.
"...Student Eugene?"
SLASH!
For the first time, the ancient monster's supposedly unscratched hide split open.
Blood sprayed in a geyser.
Pain from the severed palm drew a agonized roar from the beast.
GRRROOOAAARRR!
"?!"
It got sliced? After nothing but scratches until now?
Shock aside, Eroy knew what to do.
Her mana erupted, condensing into her sword.
ZZZIIING!
Countless slashes poured into the gaping wound. The beast screamed as they burrowed deeper.
Wh-who the hell is that guy?
Help him first!
The magic professors were just as stunned by the sudden intruder but, true to their skill, immediately supported him. Mana platforms formed under their feet.
The presumed Eugene and Eroy locked eyes. Nods exchanged, their forms blurred in an instant.
Whoosh! Slash! SWOOSH! RIIIP!
Their speeds matched perfectly. No—enveloped in red auras like buffs, he was faster and stronger than Eroy.
Eugene's blade carved the thick hide. The monster thrashed in rage, but he was long gone from the spot.
Eroy roared, unleashing slashes into the wounds on its hide. Whenever she pulled back or left an opening, Eugene's sword extended, buying her time.
Like they'd rehearsed a hundred times, they flowed like water.
Seeing his sword, Eroy was certain.
It's Student Eugene.
But this strong?
THUD! THWACK!
"Guh!"
A magic professor failed to dodge a palm strike and crashed into the wall, vomiting blood.
Eugene landed before him in a flash, muttering something.
A brief red glow enveloped the professor. He wiped his mouth—the bleeding stopped.
A heal?!
Even amid the chaos, Eroy marveled inwardly at the miracle.
Her hunch was right!
Priest of the War God!
GRRR...?!
An opening!
The ancient monster seemed to recognize Eugene too, showing a split-second vulnerability. Normally, he'd exploit it, but he was relaying orders to someone.
I have to do it!
Eroy swung with all her might.
SLASH!
Got it!
GRRROOOAAARRR!
A long gash across its neck. The monster's head whipped around, mad eyes glaring at Eroy. Their gazes met.
The beast's stare carried overwhelming pressure.
Her body froze like Medusa's curse, mind shaken.
She shouldn't have met its eyes! Eroy ducked her head. Spotting the gap, the monster swung its palm.
"Block it! Protect! Guard! Halt!"
Nipella's hastily cast spells layered up, stopping the attack—but shattered instantly with a CRASH!
Luckily, Eroy broke free in that brief window and dodged.
As she retreated, Eugene's shadow flashed past.
SLASH! SPURT!
GRRRAHHH!
Sliced again, the monster bellowed in fury, but Eugene evaded faster, slipping away.
Platforms spawned and vanished with his every move.
One professor had fully switched to supporting Eugene's footing. Barely keeping up, he cursed inwardly.
Damn, he's fast!
Eugene accelerated. The faster he went, the more whoosh-whoosh threads rained from the sky like falling banners.
Something flashed before Eroy's eyes.
...Threads?
Countless translucent threads drifted down around the monster.
Eroy glanced below.
Jenella, eyes streaming blood, hands outstretched toward the beast, fueled by professors' support and mana.
"Bind it!!!!"
CRACKLE!
The threads tightened instantly, wrapping the monster's body.
It tried to shake them off, but they coiled faster.
-!!!!!!!!!
Eugene reappeared above its head, raising his sword two-handed. Red energy swirled into a vortex along the blade.
Sensing danger, the monster forced its arms up despite the threads slicing into it.
Eugene held steady.
PEEENG!
-!!!!!!
A spell smashed its head.
Something stabbed its eye—POP! Vision went dark. It screamed.
Eroy, arms screaming in pain, yelled downward.
"Buy time!!!!!!!"
The professors, realizing Eugene prepped a wide-area strike, unleashed spells. Jenella, trying to join, vomited blood and collapsed, helped away by friends.
"Protect!"
"Guard!"
"Block!"
Barriers enveloped the monster, not Eugene, locking its movements.
Furious at the threads, mages, and swordsman hindering it, it flailed—but pain from mana reflux didn't stop it.
ZZING!
The sword was ready.
GRRK... GRRRK...
The beast looked up with trembling eyes. Eugene hovered midair, sword pointed skyward.
Red Divine Power rippled from his blade. Its body shuddered, throat parched with thirst.
The initial thrill? Pleasure? Gone. Only that red filled its vision and mind, stirring buried fear and a memory.
M-monster...
As a child, it had witnessed that red light.
Its mother, breaking taboo to raze the continent, left their habitat—and was slain.
Arcana, the War God. Terror incarnate to Calamity's kin.
Her sole priest, back to a blood-red sky, sword on shoulder, sat atop a mountain of a corpse and warned it.
-Don't come out. Unless you want to end up like your mom.
Trapped in the habitat, it grew from child to youth, learned humans took its power, the red monster vanished, War God forgotten—and emerged.
Only to face it immediately?
Its teeth chattered. Weaker than memory, but the essence matched. Maybe even more...
I'll die.
Its true form wasn't fully summoned. The weak sacrifice's fault.
Normally, it'd survive any attack in this state. But that energy? It could sever soul and existence. Even an ancient monster couldn't escape death from that blade.
I'll really die...!
Eugene's sword moved.
The dense energy formed a colossal blade.
The moon fell.
FWOOOSH...!
Sky Splitter
Eugene's arms and body trembled from the immense Divine Power forming the giant sword aura. Without stacked blessings and buffs, his arms would've exploded!
GRRROOOAAARRR!
The monster gaped wide.
Gathering all its magic and life force before its maw.
Why now? A buried memory resurfaced.
[Want this? Make a contract with me?]
Years ago, a black mage offered a gem brimming with power.
If it'd accepted?
Could it kill him now?
No!
Madness deepened in its eyes.
I'll kill him with my power alone! Here! By myself! Devour him and become king!
FWOOOM!
Breath erupted from its maw.
Breath and sword aura collided midair.
KABOOOOOM!
Earth and sky quaked; clouds tore apart.
The shockwave hurled nearby professors and evacuating students far away.
Sky Island shook like it might plummet.
Without the lich's barrier and Light priestess's holy wards, the island would've exploded!
...RIIIPPPP!!
The sword aura won. Breath shredded.
But it weakened too. As speed and size visibly dropped, hope gleamed in the monster's eyes.
I can break through!
Eugene, floating above, looked wrecked—arms shredded, body barely upright.
Burn life and soul?
It could kill the demon. The monster gaped again.
"...Grrk?"
In that moment, it saw.
Beyond the sky—a transcendent being slightly pushing the sword aura from behind.
SWOOOSH!
The sword aura cleaved the ancient monster in half.
"Won't go?"
-No need.
BOOM! CRASH! RUMBLE!
The Sage eyed the lich blocking his path.
Despite the temptations from sacrificing body and soul to Calamity via the summoning, it stood firm.
Empty sockets flickering with blue soulfire glared. Non-human eyes, mad with frenzy, met it.
The lich spoke through gritted teeth.
-I can't kill or stop that thing. But a superior student is handling it. So, as principal, I have other duties. Satisfied now?
"...Ha! Haha!"
The Sage burst into mad laughter.
But it faded instantly.
His face hardened to pallid stone as he glared.
"Think a worthless bone like you can stop me?"
-Sage. No, corruptor. You think you've truly surpassed archmage realm?
"Of course! Unlike soul-selling scum like you!"
-Wrong. Ignorant.
Bitterness tinged the lich's voice.
-We're no different. Maybe one realm apart. That's why I became a lich. I knew my mistake, repented, returned to the gods.
"That's where you failed! Return to gods? Ha! Nonsense! With my noble blood and power, I can become a god!"
-Gods aren't for weaklings like you.
"And... bones... aren't... evil..."
Something writhed at the Sage's feet.
RUMBLE!
Thick, massive roots like tree trunks burst forth, binding him tight.
The tree elf Murdersonal, branches sprouting from her body, spoke slowly.
"At least... unlike you... helpful to nature..."
"Long-lived elf trash dares mock me? Want your limbs torn and burned?"
"That mouth... buried in wood... would still bore through..."
The lich and Murdersonal taunted calmly.
Truthfully, two couldn't stop him.
Lich was an archmage, but not 8-circle. Same for Murdersonal.
Ancient as they were, neither reached lich's old height—lower than Sage. Fight? Certain loss. Mutual destruction at best.
-Then leave it to us, professors.
"Anytime... you..."
But they'd lived long enough to see the War God's priest firsthand. Shortcomings? Experience covered them.
And their goal wasn't killing the Sage.
Just a moment's distraction. Enough.
-As your senior in magic, one who reached higher realms, I'll show you a true archmage.
The lich raised both hands. Murdersonal tapped the ground with her staff—thunk.
-Summon.
"Rise."
RUMBLE!
Sky Island's floor split; a colossal tree erupted. The Sage exploded his mana, shattering the bindings.
His body floated up. He sneered at the tree shooting toward him from below.
Huge enough to block vision, but frail. No world tree, it couldn't stop him!
"Ha! Block me with this oversized tree—"
-Reverse Heaven.
The world inverted. A unique realm only true archmages could wield!
The world filled with undead, sky turned black.
...And something opened.
A chill of killing intent made the Sage's neck tingle. He whipped his head.
But it wasn't aimed at his neck.
STAB!
"...Guh."
"Long time no see, Malia Arishion family head."
Abdomen pierced by a radiant sword.
Familiar mana, flowing blonde hair, emotionless golden eyes glaring.
The Sage spat blood, roaring.
"...Neona Solari!!!!"
Neona Solari, head of the ducal house Solari—one of the great ducal houses like Arishion.
Anger at a noble stabbing another paled against fury at the lich's words.
Where was that "superior power" promised?!
"You dare—cowardly!!"
-As I said, I returned to the gods. In times like this, pray for divine aid, no?
The lich grinned shamelessly.
-Jealous? Use your own connections.
Lesson from long life: Connections sometimes outshine magic.