Chapter 432: Proof of Existence (20)
Chapter 432: Proof of Existence (20)
As the curtain of moonlight fell, two men stood upon the stage of the night.
One was a swordsman wearing a pure white mask, and the other was a tall, middle-aged mage.
The atmosphere between them was one of stark contrast. While the swordsman struggled to maintain his composure, the mage made no effort to hide his excitement.
That excitement manifested as a chill that seeped into my very marrow. Managing to steady my trembling heart, I regulated my breathing.
The masked swordsman was, of course, me. Furthermore, the middle-aged man across from me, radiating waves of murderous intent, was a powerhouse who held the title of 'Great Mage.'
It would have been stranger not to be nervous.
And my instincts were proven right, without fail.
There wasn't even time to gasp.
Immediately after I threw my body aside, relying purely on intuition, an explosion roared. With a thunderous boom, shattered earth and stone rained down like a violent storm.
Crackling electrical charges flowed from the epicenter.
I scrambled to my feet. Cold sweat I hadn't had time to wipe away trickled down my spine.
I hadn't sensed even a hint of a precursor until the moment of detonation.
No matter how unnecessary chanting might be for him, this was my first time facing magic cast at such high speeds. This was likely related to Sir Reynold’s past as a mercenary.
Mercenaries must always stand at the very front.
That was usually the reason people paid to hire them.
Since precious personnel couldn't be deployed to dangerous places, they sent those whose deaths wouldn't matter. That was the sort of people 'mercenaries' were.
It was a life earned at the cost of one's own head. In a battlefield where every second counted, leisure was nothing but a luxury. He must have spent years striving to reduce his casting time by any means necessary.
The result of that effort was right before my eyes.
The ground had been blown apart as if struck by an artillery shell. It was an ambush carried out barely moments after he heard my provocation. It was a window of time so short it could be called 'instantaneous.'
For an enraged Great Mage, that split second was more than enough to kill someone.
Soon after, a roar struck my ears.
"How dare you insult Elsie with that filthy mouth of yours?! You shall pay for touching a Lainella with your life!"
There was no time to reply. I simply had to throw my body aside once more.
Boom, boom, boom!
This time, the ground exploded in three places in succession. The power was enough to make my muscles twitch and shiver from the residual current alone. A direct hit would guarantee a blackout.
Even amidst the chaos, my mind desperately processed the situation.
Was the Princess's deduction correct?
The possibility seemed high. He was a man who could fire off such powerful magic in rapid succession without even a chant. Neither Sir Irene nor Celine would stand a chance against him.
I was only barely holding on because it was me.
However, my contemplation couldn't last long. While the three explosions roared in sequence, I realized that mana was gathering around Sir Reynold.
Dual Casting.
My hand instinctively fumbled at my waist. I wanted to avoid exposing my identity as much as possible, but this was no time to be hiding things.
The air let out a scream.
A trajectory of light tore through the air, drawing a straight line. It was a path that revealed clear intent, yet Sir Reynold’s expression didn't flicker in the slightest.
The secret to his composure was soon revealed.
With a clang, the hand axe struck by the Whip of Lightning spun once in the air. While I stood dazed by the reality of electrical charges exerting physical force, the hand axe floating in the air was sucked toward the tip of the whip as if drawn by a magnet.
"You certainly have some skill! Though, of course, not enough to justify insulting my niece!"
It was hard to tell if it was admiration or mockery.
In truth, there was a more urgent problem. The Whip of Lightning was flying toward me, tracing a massive arc.
A virtual trajectory was being drawn upon my retinas.
Intercept it with my sword?
Impossible. Steel was a conductor. The moment I touched that terrifying whip, electrocution was certain.
If only I could throw my hand axe.
Unfortunately, my hand axe had become part of the whip and was flying back at me. It was difficult to grasp the principle behind it, but even the Secret of Stillness in Motion wasn't working properly.
In the end, I had no choice but to stay low and roll across the ground.
It was then that an anomaly was detected in the Whip of Lightning.
The long, continuous line of electrical charge suddenly snapped into segments. The whip, now divided into several pieces, began to take the shape of spears.
He truly lived up to the title of Great Mage. He was transforming his magic at will.
Admiration aside, a curse nearly escaped my lips. My grip on my sword tightened naturally.
I couldn't dodge this anyway.
There were six Blood Spears—no, Spears of Lightning—in my sight. Assuming each spear followed its own trajectory, there was no escape route.
My opponent was a seasoned mage who had rolled through countless battlefields. Naturally, I had to assume the worst-case scenario.
Silver Aura flared up like a wildfire.
The flames covering the blade had significantly increased in brightness and saturation compared to before. Their power would likely be the same.
I hadn't tested it yet, but this was the only thing I could rely on.
At first, I only intended to provoke him. But now, I was feeling a genuine threat to my life.
Surely he wouldn't actually kill his niece's future husband... probably.
I planned to take off the mask just before I died. I refused to die while provoking the uncle of a comrade I had a bond with. Could there be a more pathetic death than that?
Even so, I had no intention of tamely removing the mask just yet.
My information gathering was still insufficient. I needed him to be more excited, and we needed to clash more fiercely. Only then would Sir Reynold’s true skill be revealed.
First, I let out a cry.
"Are you trying to kill me?!"
"Did you think I'd let you live? After you dared to touch our Elsie...!"
At my brazen remark, the veins on Sir Reynold’s neck bulged. Perhaps because he was overly agitated, his concentrated mana was wavering slightly. I took that opportunity to focus my mind on the aura.
Binding and Unbinding.
It was the Master's Secret Technique, known to only three people on the continent. I decided to trust in the power latent within this technique.
And then, one.
Within the sluggishly flowing time, a small line was drawn. I could see the trajectory where the spears would plunge.
The aura that had been shimmering like a haze was tightly compressed. It felt more like a silver crystal. I swung my sword diagonally with all my might.
Binding.
Then, with a clang, the Spear of Lightning was deflected.
The electrical charge couldn't even breach the silver blade.
For the first time, a crack appeared in Sir Reynold’s expression.
"What?"
But it was too early to be surprised.
The Spear of Lightning, spinning in the air, aimed at me once more. It didn't take long for all six spears to be fired simultaneously, targeting my vitals.
The aura that had been tightly gripping my blade unraveled like mist.
Unbinding.
A galaxy unfolded along the trajectory of the swinging sword. The Spears of Lightning that touched the silver mist wavered unstably before shattering into pieces by the time they reached the sword.
It was a level of power that surprised even me.
To shatter a Great Mage's magic so easily?
It might not have been his full-powered magic, but the fact that I had scattered highly condensed mana was significant. Furthermore, upon reaching 'Unbinding,' the range of effect was wide.
A hand axe bounced up from between the shattered fragments of electricity.
And then, my cherished weapon landed firmly in my hand, which I had thrust toward the sky.
Sir Reynold was looking at me with a much more cautious gaze.
"Silver aura, and a secret technique that carries a deep sense of mystery..."
His blue eyes stopped dead on the hand axe in my hand. At this point, hiding my identity was as good as meaningless.
Soon, a heavy question was thrown.
"What is the meaning of this?"
I remained silent for a moment. I wondered what I should say, but only one thought came to mind.
"Would you like to keep going?"
My voice was thick with suppressed fighting spirit.
I was finally starting to get a feel for it. What I needed wasn't the experience of striking down demonic beasts or fiends.
Stronger beings.
I lacked combat experience against those who had touched the depths of Truth. The monsters created by the Dark Cult couldn't provide me with that kind of experience.
At my counter-question, Sir Reynold let out a hollow chuckle.
As he closed his eyes, his face grew calm. Strength drained from his sturdy body as if he had suddenly relaxed.
After a few moments.
The Great Mage's eyes, now open again, were burning with a fierce blue flame.
The Mystic Eye—a phenomenon that appeared when a being possessing extremely strong mana revealed their true intent.
His hand fumbled inside his cloak.
"...Fine. I was just looking for an excuse to beat up the thief who took our Elsie away."
"Didn't you once tell me to please just take her?"
"What else was I supposed to do when some punk had already completely bewitched her? I had to endure it even if I didn't like it."
Whir, snap.
The rod the middle-aged man pulled out finished its rotation in the air and fell into his hand. The short, jet-black rod was absorbing the surrounding light to an eerie degree. Even at a glance, it felt like a precious object.
Because, starting from the appearance of that rod, the density of mana began to rise until it was suffocating.
It felt like swimming through an atmosphere saturated with moisture. My lungs expanded roughly, barely delivering oxygen to my brain. I wondered if this was how it felt to stand in the middle of a tidal flat as the tide rushed in.
One by one.
Circles burning with blue electricity began to line up behind the Great Mage. They were light sources so intense that even the moonlight was no longer visible. A total of eight circles rose behind the man.
A circular arrangement—a shape symbolizing truth and perfection.
As I suppressed my rising heart rate, Sir Reynold asked me in a nonchalant voice.
"I'll ask one thing... was that true?"
There was no need to ask what he meant.
He was likely referring to the provocation I had thrown at the beginning. The crude words, "Your niece was quite something," a phrase I had hardly ever uttered in my life.
Of course, it was a lie.
How could I ever be with Senior Elsie with such a light heart? Nevertheless, I instinctively curled the corners of my mouth.
"Yes, she was incredible. Especially since her skin was so soft..."
"I see."
Sir Reynold, who nodded a few times as if he understood, soon showed a bright blue smile.
With the eyes of a predator.
"It's a death sentence."
Yes, this is more like it.
Immediately after I bit back a deep grin, my vision was dyed pure white.
A storm of light was surging toward me.