Chapter 265: The Mad Mage and the Broken Ones
Chapter 265: The Mad Mage and the Broken Ones
It felt a bit premature, but it was a decisive choice. After all, our recent clash had convinced me that I had the upper hand over Mavolo.
In any case, he was the one who had played his hidden card first. Everything had gone according to plan so far, but it felt like walking on thin ice. The slightest mistake from either of us would mean instant death.
Speaking of which, the clan members…
I was about to turn my head, worried they might be panicking over the sudden turn of events.
Ping!
A faint sound of something tearing through the air reached my ears. I immediately raised the Formless Sword and deflected a small mana arrow that came flying at me.
“Whoa there, don't turn your head, my friend.”
“Who the hell said I was your friend?”
“Hohol. If you also possess an out-of-spec power, you must know. You must know what a tremendous burden it places on the body to truly unleash it. Since I’ve revealed it despite that burden, don’t waste your attention elsewhere. Focus everything on me, just as you have been.”
“Crazy bastard.”
Despite my curse, Mavolo cackled, a look of genuine delight on his face. The more he exerted his power, the more his initially gentle expression warped. One moment gentle, the next sharp. One moment joyful, the next enraged. He was the textbook definition of a madman.
Then again, I guess it’s hard to believe he could stay sane for nearly 300 years.
I cut my thoughts short. The air behind the floating Mavolo was rippling like the surface of water. Soon, an intense light flashed from the staff in his right hand, and a flickering, round orb floated up. But it didn't end there.
“This method of overwhelming with sheer numbers isn’t usually my style, but…”
With every wave of his staff, countless magic circles responded. As he arranged one circle after another, as if constructing a single formula, the ripples grew larger, shimmering simultaneously.
“It seems this is the only way I can defeat you right now. Good… It's done.”
Flash! Vwooom!
The moment Mavolo finished speaking, the rippling voids spat out round orbs one by one. The orbs of light seemed to split into tens, no, hundreds of copies, until they filled the sky so densely it was no longer visible. It was a truly staggering number. He glanced up at the sky and spoke with a satisfied look.
“I've mixed ancient magic: Amplification, Copy, and Division. What do you think? Can you block this?”
“……”
“No answer, I see. It would be best not to think of dodging. Otherwise, these orbs of light will strike your comrades back there, the ones fighting so, so hard. Kilkil!”
With a chilling cackle, Mavolo swung his staff down toward me with all his might. At that signal, hundreds of flickering flashes of light began to pour down from all directions, aimed precisely at my position.
This brings back memories.
They descended. Slowly at first. But as they passed through the magic circles floating in the air, they rapidly accelerated. It was a downpour. Like a sudden, violent squall, like a meteor shower of burning stars crashing to earth. Countless raindrops of light were falling toward me at the speed of a flash.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
I steadied my mind with a deep breath. Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I held the Formless Sword in my right hand and the Sun and Moon Divine Sword in my left. I had to predict the trajectory of every single one and strike them all down. No, honestly, striking them all was impossible. I would have to parry as many as I could and rely on my magic resistance for the rest.
“Hohol!”
Putting the old man's foolish laughter behind me, I bent my body slightly. The moment the flashes came within striking distance, I snapped my eyes open and swung my twin swords with all my might.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
I swung the Formless Sword and Sun and Moon Divine Sword like windmills, blocking the approaching lights. Dozens of sword flashes glinted all around me, enough to create a single, intricate sword barrier. The more the swords flashed, the more explosions rang out, but that too was only for a moment. I could feel faint vibrations in my body, and the Glory of the Sun grew hotter than necessary—proof that one or two I'd missed were hammering against my magic resistance.
“Possessed, simply possessed. What a magnificent sight.”
I heard his mocking voice again, but I had no time to pay it any mind. If even one orb broke through my last line of defense, the Blessing of the Battlefield, and struck my body directly, I would be thrown off balance. My swordplay would falter, inevitably creating an opening. I could feel intense vibrations periodically rattling the hand holding the Sun and Moon Divine Sword. The tremors coursing through my body felt like they were shaking not just my arm, but my very skull. Still, I gritted my teeth and endured.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
How much time had passed? Just as Mavolo said, I felt as if I'd been dancing like a man possessed. Just as the assault seemed to have lessened slightly compared to the beginning, I felt a subtle sense of unease.
This guy's gone quiet?
With the tiny bit of leeway I’d gained, I managed to raise my head. Our eyes met, as if he had been watching me. He wore a chillingly pleased, psychopathic smile as he ceaselessly muttered an incantation. It meant he was preparing a follow-up attack.
“Neither of us thought it would end with just this, did we? Isn't that right?”
“……”
“Kilkilkilkil! That was just to buy time. This is the real deal…!”
Though diminished, the orbs of light were still coming. But Mavolo had already finished his incantation and was aiming Ordo at me. Without giving me a moment's pause, a light flashed from Ordo, and I could feel two opposing energies blossoming on either side of me.
They were magic circles. That was all I could confirm. All I could feel was a chill on one side that could freeze my entire body, and a searing heat on the other.
“This spell was quite difficult, even for me. Summoning and then fusion. Now, take this. I look forward to seeing you sprawled on the ground, begging for your life.”
Snap!
Along with Mavolo's slick voice, the magic circles surged from the left and right. They were so fast that in the blink of an eye, they were already piercing through my magic resistance.
This is… dangerous.
The instant I recognized the threat, I unleashed the power latent in my heart without a shred of hesitation and stomped hard on the ground. The moment the earth shook, I saw a flash of fire before my eyes, accompanied by a tremendous roar.
*
KABOOM! KWOOOOOOOOOH!
“It's over. Hohol. Hmm, but was that too much?”
A massive explosion erupted before his eyes with a deafening roar. Mavolo watched the scene with a pleased expression before clicking his tongue. It would be a shame if such fine material died. But he soon shook his head and muttered.
“No, no. To break through that monstrous resistance, it had to be at least this powerful. Of course.”
The magic Mavolo had used was one that forcibly fused two conflicting energies, utilizing the resulting explosive power. Moreover, the energies he had summoned this time were from another world, ones that didn't exist in this middle realm. Each was incredibly powerful on its own; he could only imagine the destructive force of forcibly fusing them.
Mavolo stretched his arms wide as if his whole body was stiff.
“Aish, my body hasn't been feeling well lately, and I overdid it. I should check the results and dispel this…”
Black smoke was billowing up from the spot where Kim Soohyun had been. Mavolo grumbled lightly and swished Ordo once. No, just as he was about to.
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
The sound of crackling flames made Mavolo tilt his head slightly. According to his calculations, the two energies should have annihilated each other on impact. But if he could still hear fire burning, it meant his calculations were wrong. It had been a long time since he had used this power, but a bitter look crossed the archmage's face at the fact that a slight error had occurred.
“Age is a hard thing to hide… Huh?”
It was then.
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
A single, brightly burning sword jutted out from the thick smoke. One after another, they emerged from the smoke, and then shot towards Mavolo like arrows.
Mavolo's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of dozens of Blazing Swords filling the air. Still, experience was experience. With the veteran skill he had accumulated, he immediately raised Ordo, and dozens of magic circles began to stack up neatly in front of him in response. Mavolo felt a momentary sense of relief. He was about to lower his gaze to get a clear grasp of the situation when it happened.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Uh…”
Seeing the searing swords embedded in his own body, Mavolo let out an involuntary groan. His face then turned to stare blankly ahead. The layered magic circles had melted away cleanly, leaving holes in their wake. In that instant, a thought flashed through Mavolo's mind, and against his will, the ground began to rush up to meet him.
“No way…”
Thud!
“Guaaaaaaaah!”
The fire that had penetrated his body erupted, tearing him apart from the inside. As the pain finally registered, Mavolo screamed in agony and rolled on the ground. He tried to draw on his mana to extinguish the flames, but for some reason, they wouldn't go out. No, on the contrary, his mana was being burned away as soon as he used it.
“Ha, fuck.”
And then. From the center of the smoke-filled crater left by the explosion, a man slowly emerged. It was Kim Soohyun. With a sword in each hand, he was walking out with a troubled expression. He wasn't unscathed, either. His clothes were torn and scorched in places; he had clearly taken some damage.
“This bastard really knows how to piss a guy off. I was seriously surprised. I never dreamed I'd see the sixth fire of hell and the snow of ten thousand years here. Son of a bitch.”
His earlier calm voice was gone, replaced by a low growl filled with rage. The usual Mavolo would have been delighted to have finally provoked him, but he had no time for that now. Because, for the first time in a very long time, the archmage was feeling the fear of death.
“H-How did you… Kugh! N-No, how did you even survive that…?”
“How? I showed my hand, too.”
“You! Kugh, so you were hiding this kind of power…!”
“You already knew. I told you I used it when I tore through the barrier.”
Enduring the pain that was turning his insides to mush, Mavolo managed to push himself up. His power was still active. His pride as an archmage who had lived for so long would not allow him to simply accept death. With that thought, Mavolo slowly, painstakingly, managed to aim Ordo. But.
“Put that down.”
Fwoosh, fwoosh!
The moment Kim Soohyun uttered the cold words, dozens of pure flames once again surged toward him. Mavolo gritted his teeth and summoned his mana.
Vwoom! CRACK!
The flames collided with Ordo's magic circles. Dozens of circles appeared in an instant to counter the flames, only to melt away just as quickly. In the end, with his eyes wide open, Mavolo could do nothing but helplessly allow the Blazing Swords to approach.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
“Guaaah! Guaaaaaah!”
With burning swords embedded all over his body, Mavolo somehow managed to stay on his feet. He clutched Ordo with his remaining hand as if to crush it and howled like a child. Kim Soohyun, who had been watching silently, suddenly took a stance and lightly kicked off the ground.
Thump!
Mavolo involuntarily stumbled back a step or two. His mind, his reason, was screaming at him to run, but his body refused to obey. The newly embedded Blazing Swords erupted with fresh flames, incinerating his entire body. All Mavolo could do was grit his teeth and use his superhuman willpower to raise Ordo.
Kim Soohyun closed the distance in an instant and, before the light from the proffered Ordo could flash, he struck hard with the flat of his blade.
“Gack!”
With a dull thud, Ordo went spinning into the air, and Mavolo's body was sent flying as well.
Clatter, thud!
“Cough!”
As he tumbled to the ground, Mavolo vomited up a huge mouthful of blood. Toward him, Kim Soohyun staggered as he slowly approached, one step at a time.
Thud. Thud.
The moment he heard the approaching footsteps, the emotion called fear finally found its way into Mavolo's eyes.