Chapter 172
Chapter 172
----------------------------------------------------------------- Translator: Ebonarch Chapter: 172 Chapter Title: Annihilate (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------- Lennon rushed into Count Simon's laboratory. The research mages all turned to stare at his sudden appearance.
"Lennon? What's going on?"
"Ah, is Father here?"
"The Count? Not sure. Mion might know—head upstairs and check."
Mion was a young mage whom Count Simon trusted deeply. Lennon hurried up to the upper floor, where Mion was just stepping out into the hallway.
"Mi-Mion!"
"Lennon?"
He tilted his head at the sight of Lennon approaching, drenched in sweat.
"Why do you look so frantic? What's wrong?"
"Father... Is Father here?"
"The Count should be in his personal study. Fifth floor. But what's got you in such a hurry?"
"Something terrible's happened. You're the only one I could think of besides Father." What kind of "terrible" thing could a nine-year-old possibly have? He wanted to ask for details, but Lennon looked too desperate to hold back.
"Go on, then."
"Thank you!"
Lennon bolted straight to the fifth floor. Mion decided to ask Count Simon about it later and returned to his lab.
"Get it together, me. I was heading to the first floor."
With that, he stepped back out and descended the stairs.
Yes." "Why would you think that? It might not be danger at all." "Well..." Lennon hesitated, trying to explain. The Count was right—it might not be danger. And before that, the very idea of danger was just a gut feeling. Why had he run all the way to his father, Count Simon's lab? Thinking rationally, it didn't make sense that Jamie was in danger. But this inexplicable anxiety, this unease that reason couldn't explain—what was it? "I don't know. It might not be dangerous, but somehow... somehow it feels like he is. Please help, Dad!" The word "Dad" made Count Simon's eyes flicker. He never imagined his always-distant son would use such a term. Yet Count Simon was known in the mage world as a cold, rational man. A bit flustered, he quickly regained his composure and scolded his son. "Right now, you're doing something a mage should never do." "..." "A mage must always remain cool-headed, judging and analyzing situations with pure reason. What are you doing? Relying solely on emotion to understand the situation." "Father..." Lennon's face twisted in gloom. This wasn't the time for a lecture. They needed to find Jamie immediately and confirm if he was truly in danger. But Count Simon shook his head. "Think rationally. Don't get lost in sentiment—clear your mind. Assess the situation with a sharp, focused intellect." "Pardon?" "Determine if the subject is truly in danger, why they might be, what the circumstances are, how to respond—all at once. That's the mindset of a mage on the front lines." Lennon realized. His father wasn't dismissing his thoughts. He was teaching him to think more rationally, observe more keenly, and figure out the proper response. It was a harsh demand for a nine-year-old, but Lennon wasn't an ordinary child. He was a mage—and the son of Count Simon. "Teacher Jamie gave this necklace to me and my classmate Ann Meyer. At first, I thought it was just a disciple memento, but then it started sparkling. That's when I wondered why he'd give us sparkling necklaces as keepsakes out of nowhere." "So that's why you thought he might be in danger?" "I don't know Teacher Jamie that well yet, but from what I've seen, he's meticulous. He doesn't do anything meaningless. He wouldn't add a pointless sparkle effect to this necklace." "Could it have reacted to you?" "No. I wasn't doing anything." Count Simon examined the necklace closely. There were no special mechanisms. He found it hard to fully believe his son's words, but his own assessment of Jamie aligned closely with Lennon's. A man who wouldn't add such a frivolous glow as a joke. "Where do you think he is?" "...
If anywhere, the academy." "Why?" "He still hasn't clocked out." "Stay here." "I want to come too...!" Lennon reached out toward the Count, but he had already vanished in a swirl of flames. "...
Please, Dad."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Javelin watched Siegfried slowly emerge from the black sphere. Fragments of the sphere clung to his long hair and robe, falling away in clumps. An overwhelming pressure crushed his entire body. The vast space felt like it existed solely for Siegfried. The Space Mage Siegfried. A formidable battle mage. As his direct superior once, Javelin knew the man well. Siegfried showed no notable activity in the mage world, but whenever he ventured out, he returned with monumental achievements. On the battlefield, he was a horrific "slaughterer."
To the point where mere rumors of his appearance caused enemy armies to retreat en masse. Moreover, he was the only mage rumored capable of facing a Sword Master, leaving no doubt as to his combat prowess.
"Hoo."
Siegfried let out a small sigh as he gazed at Kennyak, collapsed far away. Engulfed in the explosion, he was shrouded in black smoke. His skin was charred black. No vital signs. The mana in his core was dissipating into the air. He was dead.
"To save me..."
A devastating grief settled in. Standing here thanks to another's sacrifice weighed heavily on his shoulders. He hadn't even spoken much with Kennyak, so he barely knew the man. But sealed as he was, he'd observed everything from outside. He'd seen clearly what thoughts Kennyak had held until now and what he intended to do. Though not human, Kennyak had been more human than anyone.
"And because of you..."
The space trembled once more. Siegfried's long hair and robe whipped violently.
"I owe you from earlier."
"..."
Javelin couldn't utter a word. His throat tightened, though nothing gripped it. He'd contracted with the Demon King and received a knighthood. Not nobility, but his demon knight power placed him just below master class. Honestly, he was confident against even grand mages at 7th class. ... A miscalculation. He needed to prepare an inescapable sealing spell. The space around Siegfried warped fiercely.
"Didn't I tell you? I'd kill you if I got out."
"Tch!"
Fighting was impossible. He had to escape first. With that resolve, Javelin leaped backward to flee.
"Going somewhere?"
In that instant, Siegfried stood right beside him. Javelin's eyes widened in shock.
"Too bad. You can't leave."
Boom!! The space exploded. Blood surged up his throat and spewed from his mouth. His organs felt not just shaken but shredded to pieces.
"Shall I let you go?"
Javelin sensed the space stretching out. Not a sensation—reality. Siegfried, who had been right in front, now appeared distant. A space magic expansion of distance. Javelin forcibly knit his organs with demonic energy, then leaped back again. He didn't know why the space had been extended, but this was a golden opportunity. He just needed to open the gate to the demon realm.
"Open..."
"Sesame!"
"Gah!"
Siegfried had appeared, slamming his compressed-space fist into Javelin's face. His jaw and right cheekbone shattered. He couldn't think straight. His vision splintered into multiples.
"You won't die easy."
A chilling voice warned.
"You'll writhe in agony... very slowly, very slowly..."
"Gaaaaah!!"
His limbs splayed thin. Bones, muscles, nerves, meridians—all flattened. The pain was indescribably horrific.
"Until I grant you death."
Javelin saw it. The sinister eyes beneath the blond hair. And below them, the lips curved upward in a smile. Ah... a devil. Siegfried was the devil.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Jamie was racing toward the source of Javelin's presence. He had completely dismantled the isolated sub-space they'd created. No one would ever know what happened there. I need to find him before he causes more trouble. He sensed demonic energy with his mage sight, but it was too faint to pinpoint precisely. Thinking about it, what a nuisance. First impressions had been kind. An inscrutable smile, but he handled tasks personally—a hassle Jamie knew well. His diligence in treating it like his own duty was undeniably kind. Nosy, too. He could've ignored others' business, duty or not. But Javelin went all out. Good to the kids, too. Many students trusted him, and he always lived up to it. All of it... fake. All an act. How infuriating. If his personality weren't so prone to slipping up, Jamie wouldn't have to go through this. The guy made life hell for everyone around him. Above all, he was a menace—to the children, the teachers, everyone. An utter nuisance. That made him unforgivable. Being a demon... even if only his head survives, he should live, right? Good. First, rip off his limbs, then separate upper and lower body. Then extract organs one by one, inflicting exquisite torment. The price for ruining someone's life was never small. Jamie knew better than anyone, having had his own life ruined that way. Not far now. Javelin's presence grew closer—he was on the right track. Jamie landed on a rooftop, rechecking direction for precision. That's when it happened. A massive presence hurtled toward him at tremendous speed. He turned to see a familiar man landing on the same roof.
"Count?"
"Took some finding."
It was Count Simon. How had he tracked him here? It was quite a distance from his lab, and Jamie had minimized his presence to avoid Javelin.
"You look surprised."
"Yeah. How'd you find me? And why are you here?"
"Thanks to this."
The Count pulled out the necklace he'd given Lennon. Jamie was about to ask why he had it when the Count explained.
"Lennon brought it to me, panicked. It was sparkling earlier, but not anymore."
"Sparkling?"
"Yes. Seems he thought you were in danger because of it." Must've triggered during the fight with Serpent. Magic was equivalent exchange; the warning had inevitably linked to the disciples' necklaces. Though calibrated high, Serpent's suicidal blast must've been dire enough.
"Anyway, Jamie Welton... did you break through the wall?"
"Something like that."
"Ha. Hahaha!"
Count Simon let out disbelieving laughter. Understandable. Even he had never heard of an 8th-class grand mage at age eight. But this was reality—and not the priority now.
"Not the time. A demon's involved in this incident."
"Demon?"
"Details later. Let's move—he could be doing anything."
The sudden demon mention flustered the Count, but he knew Jamie wasn't one for jokes like this.
"Lead the way."
As Jamie nodded and shot toward Javelin's location, Doooong-!! A massive shockwave hit, followed by an ominous black pillar of light piercing the sky. The two grand mages teleported instantly toward it, no time to gawk. And there, they saw: Kraaaaaargh!! A monstrous giant over ten meters tall, with four arms and a savage form.
"Young master, and Elder Eight."
Siegfried strained to suppress its movements, pressing space downward. He said, "...
Appears to be a demon noble." Kraaaaaargh!! Ferocious demonic energy rampaged wildly.