Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: A Wizard's Battle (4)
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“That's precisely why I'm telling you this. You know it too, don't you, Master?”
There's no guarantee you'll return to the Alpheas of old, even if you regain your memories. Living the same life twice doesn't mean you'll always end up at the same destination.
“No. My judgment is always correct. Therefore, no matter what form I take, it will only be me. This is your last chance. Cast the photonization magic.”
Thadd sighed and nodded. All he could do now was hope that Alpheas's true nature would reclaim his original personality.
“Very well. Please, sit here.”
Thadd brought a chair from the corner and had Alpheas sit down.
“I will begin. I will cast the photonization magic, but from that point on, it is up to you, Master.”
“Haha! Are you in any position to worry about my part? Stop with the pointless concerns and just get on with it. Once I regain my memories, I'll give you a real piece of my mind.”
Thadd began the spell, pouring his earnest hopes into it. As light seeped into Abyss Nova, a slight drowsiness washed over Alpheas. He slowly closed his eyes and sank into thought. The time that had stopped at eighteen began to flow once more.
Light and Dark, Good and Evil (1)
Buried in the bushes, Canis couldn't lift a finger while the shockwave from the blow to his abdomen lingered.
Ever since realizing Arin had a talent for telepathy, he had focused his training on physical magic of the dark element.
Absorbing force was also a physical power, and as such, the shock absorption of his Dark Skin was remarkably high. Even a hammer swung by an adult was no more than a child's punch against it.
But the power of the surprise Photon Cannon was far more destructive than he had anticipated. More than anything, it was impossible to even analyze how light could contain physical force.
“Kikiki. You really took a hit, Canis.”
A murky voice tickled his ear. Though no one else was visible on the mountain, the voice was real.
“Harvest… What was I hit with?”
“Hard to say. But from what I can feel, it was mass. A mass, flying at incredible speed, slammed into your abdomen.”
“Mass? Light has no mass.”
Studying opposing elements was fundamental for a combat mage, so Canis, too, knew of photonization theory.
“Of course, light has no mass. But it does have energy.”
In reality, a moving photon has a minuscule amount of mass. This is called motional mass, a prime example being solar wind.
“But that's just a mathematical reduction. It's like how a strong gust of wind can feel like being hit with a club.”
“You have a point. But it's theoretically possible, isn't it? Which means it's not entirely impossible.”
“No, something's missing. To produce this much power, there must be something that connects mass and energy. But nothing like that exists in this world.”
The voice called Harvest said nonchalantly.
“Well, I guess he found it.”
Canis didn't reply. He and Harvest were distinctly separate entities, yet they were also one, sharing thoughts. Sensing Canis's displeasure, Harvest reluctantly conceded.
“He's an incredible guy. A unique one. To think the magic academy had talent like this.”
Only then, satisfied, did Canis push himself up. Accurately assessing an enemy's skill was the first step to victory. The first worthy opponent he had ever met. He felt his body temperature rise.
“We can win, right, Harvest?”
“Kukuku. Canis, if you wish it…”
A sinister voice seeped into the darkness.
“There is no enemy we cannot defeat.”
Casting an abnormally long shadow, Canis returned to the mountain peak where Shirone was.
* * *
Shirone stared into the forest's darkness for a long while. He wasn't certain that Canis had cast Dark Skin, but information etched only on his retina, not reaching his brain, was sending warning signals.
Canis emerged, parting the trees. As Shirone's prediction was proven correct, Nade scowled.
“Damn it. He's really unharmed?”
“Nade. The sun has set.”
Knowing that dark magic would be maximized at night, Iruki cast an illumination spell. Since it was far dimmer than Fire Sun, Nade added his power. Two luminous orbs shone ten meters in the air. But considering how fast mages moved, it was still not enough for an all-out battle.
“Tch. It's still dark.”
At that moment, Canis cast an illumination spell. The light magic cast by a dark mage made the two feel uneasy.
“What's he thinking? Illumination magic.”
“What's wrong with it? Every element requires learning photonization theory. It's the basic principle of teleportation.”
“That's not what I mean! Light is supposed to be a dark mage's weakness, isn't it? Why would he do something that hurts himself?”
“Hahaha! Hahahaha!”
Canis burst into laughter.
“As expected of academy mages—stupid and inflexible. No magic is without its weakness, regardless of the element. What's important is how you compensate for it. This illumination spell is to prove that. Arin, fire another one.”
It seemed his confidence wasn't baseless, as even the cautious Arin obediently cast an illumination spell.
With four luminous orbs gathered, it was nearly as bright as day. But Canis wasn't satisfied and turned to look at Shirone. A light mage who wielded a unique power. With his illumination magic, they could create the stage he desired.
“Hey, you. Won't you fire one off too? I'm looking forward to it.”
Shirone didn't know illumination magic. While making technical leaps from teleportation to Rainbow Drop, and from photon output to Photon Cannon, he'd had no time to invest in other spells.
“What? Don't tell me you can't do it? How absurd. A light mage who can't even cast illumination magic.”
It happens sometimes. Cases where someone with little magical aptitude gains a stroke of luck and excels in a single spell. They might become famous in a circus, but magic is not a trick; it's a killing art. On a battlefield rife with all sorts of psychology and tactics, a type like Shirone, who could only do one thing, was perfect for dying.
“I misjudged. I thought this would be a good fight, but you're just a half-baked brat, aren't you?”
The moment Canis finished speaking, a luminous orb popped into existence above Shirone's head. It was a light so bright it made the others' illumination spells pale in comparison.
Nade and Iruki stared at it blankly. He had just cast an illumination spell he had never learned. More than his limitless insight, they felt his anger.
Shirone strode into Canis's Spirit Zone. He could not forgive him for holding the entire student body hostage and then talking about a 'good fight'.
“Is this good enough? I did as you asked, so bring on whatever you've got.”
Canis retracted his earlier thought. This was no mere circus magician. But did it matter? No matter how strong his opponent, he was stronger. And the current situation was perfect for proving it.
“Whatever I've got? You'll regret saying that.”
As he invoked the power of darkness, the shadow at his feet rushed toward Shirone like a torrent. Shirone flew into the sky and floated a photon on his palm. He thought Canis would do something impressive, but it was the same attack pattern as before.
‘Did you piss me off just to bluff?’
As Shirone fired the Photon Cannon, Canis's body slipped beneath the shadows and vanished. This was a little new, but it was still just a movement spell learned from a book. Shirone bombarded Canis, who popped up from all directions like a mole, devastating the mountaintop.
‘Got him!’
Having strategically analyzed Canis's movements, Shirone fired a predictive shot at a spot he absolutely couldn't evade. Canis appeared late in the spot where the Photon Cannon was falling. Unavoidable. Moreover, it was a powerful blast that even Dark Skin couldn't block.
Just when everyone thought it was over, a shadow rose from beneath Canis's feet. It looked like a stretched-out human shadow, and it caught the Photon Cannon with its hands and stomach. The photon, caught between its palms, popped and was absorbed into the shadow.
Stunned, Shirone landed on the ground. The shadow had destroyed the Photon Cannon. That meant darkness had overwhelmed light.
“Kikiki, a grand entrance. How was I?”
“How is that possible? Darkness swallowing light…”
Nade couldn't believe it. No matter how strong the power of darkness, it couldn't suppress light. How would you feel if you lit a torch and your surroundings didn't brighten at all?
The monstrous entity connected to Canis's shadow was completely unimpeded by the illumination spells shining on the ground.
Its face was small, but its shoulders and chest were huge. Its waist was as narrow as a tiger's, and its arms were long like an ape's. Its palms were as broad as shields, and its fingers were as thin and long as blades. The fact that its physical balance felt beautiful was proof that it was an artificial creation.
“Keke, didn't I say it was nothing? Hey, brat. That photon you shot was delicious.”
Shirone was dumbfounded that the shadow spoke. Furthermore, the fact that it used the word 'photon' instead of 'light' meant it possessed intellectual capabilities.
Canis introduced his shadow.
“The essence of dark magic. The ultimate magical lifeform, Harvest.”
“A magical lifeform?”
The quintessence of magical biology, a combination of alchemy and magitech. Seeing something in person that he had only read about in books felt truly bizarre. Moreover, it was an intelligent lifeform that had never been introduced in any book.
“Kikiki! That guy is completely spaced out, isn't he? What's with that look, like some country bumpkin seeing a magical lifeform for the first time?”
Harvest, showing off its coarse way of speaking, shrugged its shoulders and laughed. Was it a reckless and eccentric monster? No, it was a creature with extremely human yet transcendent qualities.
“Harvest is immune to light. It is also connected to my life. As long as I do not die, Harvest will not perish either.”
“That's right, that's right! We are two and one! One and two! Of course, I'm the more handsome one. I'm serious! I'm drop-dead gorgeous, but there's no way to show you. Kehehehe!”
Harvest cracked a joke, but Shirone had no time to pay attention to such things. If it was immune to light, then the dark mage's only weakness was gone.
‘Can I… win?’
So far, there was no help from the outside, and even Alpheas's location was unclear. In the end, the lives of hundreds of people rested in the hands of those present.
Canis was satisfied by Shirone's bewildered expression. The effect of revealing Harvest after the illumination spells was excellent. This, too, was Harvest's strategy. The frivolous speech and attitude were a perfect act. In reality, Harvest was a more intelligent being than Canis. This was because the knowledge of Arcane had been transferred to it in its entirety. Even now, Harvest was ceaselessly exchanging brainwave patterns with Canis.
- Canis. Let's go into the forest. We're at a disadvantage here.
- Will they follow us easily?
- They're the desperate ones. Besides, Lucas is quite strong. If we can get him to move, our combat power will increase.
- I don't like it. I don't want help from a bastard like that. If you hadn't stopped me earlier, I would have fought him.
- It's for your own good, Canis. He's strong, and he's not stupid. In terms of raw numbers, you're outmatched. I can't let you get caught up in a draining emotional battle.
Lucas was another face of the villains who had tormented Canis in Radum. The thought of having to accept help from such a person made his blood boil.
- Canis. Your heart rate has increased by 1.7 times. An increase in adrenaline will cloud your judgment. If you're angry because of what I said, I apologize.
The magical lifeform's consideration, meant to prevent a loss of combat effectiveness, calmed Canis's heart. As long as he had the cold and calculating Harvest by his side, he was confident he would not lose to anyone.
- No, Harvest. I'm sorry. Your judgment is correct. Let's begin.