Weapon Master vs. the Blue-Blood Archmage
Sir Grid von Selden, an aura user with sky-blue hair proving his descent from ancient elves—a noble bloodline different from Aslan's, one of the rare few in the world to bear the middle name "von." For the first time, this transcendent being addressed Tiny with honorifics.
Before Tiny could even register it.
Crack!
Rumble!
As the golem split in half by blue aura collapsed, the archmage bellowed in fury.
"Wea—Weapon Master!! Why is the Alliance's sword here!?"
Even as he roared, mana visibly gathered around him, but Grid merely smiled leisurely.
"I've got a promise to keep with this friend here—and an old comrade. But who would've thought my opponent would be the Blue-Blood Archmage."
"This is interference in internal affairs, Grid von Selden!! Withdraw now, and I'll let this slide!"
Perhaps finding an aura user a bit daunting, Ludwig von Aslan—the Blue-Blood Archmage—cited justification and took a step back.
Grid chuckled and pointed his sword somewhere with a smirk.
"Doubtful His Imperial Majesty over there shares that view."
The tip of the Weapon Master's blade pointed to the emperor, bound and gagged, his eyes wide in emphatic agreement.
"......I was protecting His Majesty with my magic because the palace was in danger!"
"You take me for a fool? That's a lame excuse unworthy of the Blue-Blood Archmage's reputation."
Anyone would scoff at the claim, but Ludwig had no choice.
With the Weapon Master witnessing this, killing the emperor outright was impossible. If the Weapon Master abandoned the fight and testified, Ludwig wouldn't become the next emperor—he'd be branded a traitor and hunted down.
No matter how much of an enemy of the empire one was, the name "Weapon Master" carried that much weight.
But with his scheme exposed, he couldn't spare the emperor either. Only one path remained.
Just a little longer... just a bit more...
Kill the Weapon Master, the half-dead monster whelp, and the emperor together.
He decided to spin it positively.
If the assassin turns out to be the Weapon Master, it'll divert attention nicely.
Fortunately, the current environment granted him power even against an aura user: the barrier's mana spread throughout the palace, now under the imperial magic tower master's authority, fueling his strength.
"It's not an excuse—it's the truth! I was merely protecting His Majesty from that assassin!"
Pointing at Tiny while spouting nonsense, he subtly maneuvered mana unnoticed, preparing a grand spell.
"You're stalling, but... th-that guy's... drawing on the palace's mana..."
The battered whelp tried to expose him, but...
"Too late!"
His voice gleamed with ecstasy as an explosion erupted at their position, flames surging skyward.
KABOOOM!
RUMBLE RUMBLE!
Crack crack crack!
The shockwave alone shook the central palace; the audience chamber's floor split like an earthquake.
Volcano—a grand spell maximizing two of his perfected three attributes: lightning, fire, and earth. Its power satisfied him.
No aura user could survive that.
As he smirked triumphantly, something white flashed in his vision—followed by searing impact.
Thud!
"Guh...!?"
Excruciating pain from his abdomen dropped Ludwig to one knee involuntarily. Blood soaking his gripping hand confirmed his gut had been pierced.
Then, a mocking voice pierced the smoke veiling his sight.
"Blue-Blood Archmage, master of explosive fire and destruction magic. Signature move: grand spell Volcano... Easy to counter if you know the intel."
The Weapon Master, bow now drawn, strolled out of the smoke with a smirk.
"Especially since its properties clash perfectly with my power. Best to strike the opening right after. Wasn't stalling for nothing, Sir Tiny."
Ludwig's brows twitched at the sight: Grid's former spot and the whelp's fallen position were flash-frozen white.
Tiny, dazed, widened his eyes in shock.
Crushing fire-attribute magic... He mastered that already?
One of the future Weapon Master's specialties that Tiny had taught him—astonishing he'd grasped it so soon. But Grid seemed more surprised by something else.
"Sir Tiny, did you not know about him... this one?"
"......He probably died around now. In the original timeline."
"Oh? Then I can kill him."
Incomprehensible to Ludwig, their exchange irked him.
"You... filthy Alliance dog..."
He couldn't let it end like this. Forcing mana to seal his wound, he drew more palace power.
Hummm.
Yes, this power.
Within these palace walls.
"......I am invincible."
Self-hypnosis reignited his will. He had to kill them or die.
That resolve dulled even the pain, but...
"Such unbecoming language... No wonder you'd stoop to this."
He couldn't tolerate the jab at his pride as Aslan's direct heir.
"I'll kill you!!"
Grind grind grind!
Crackle crackle!
Red flames and yellow lightning swirled; Ludwig lifted a massive chunk of ripped-up floor.
Mana flow dwarfed his earlier fight with Tiny, draining his face pale. Overkill for his wounded body—anyone could see the desperation.
Yet Grid charged with a feral grin.
BOOM!
Crash!
Flash!
Crackle!
Their clash unfolded as Grid dodged or shattered Ludwig's barrage, closing in. The archmage's fully fortified barrier repelled the Weapon Master's arrows.
Even so, Ludwig wielded absurd mana for a mere archmage.
Impossible.
As his mana body slowly healed his dying form, jolts of pain racked Tiny. But it sharpened his mind, his transcendent senses dissecting Ludwig's mana source.
Even without transcendent gear, an archmage dueling an aura user up close was unbelievable—unless he was a grand archmage in disguise.
Then... as expected...
Tiny's eyes flashed. Spot on.
This barrier's origin—the overflowing palace mana—was empowering the archmage.
Sever this flow...
The already gravely wounded Ludwig couldn't continue.
Resolved, Tiny moved.
Creak!
Overstrained joints groaned; dizziness hit with each step.
But his soul's power ignored the agony, propelling his body steadily.
Step. Step.
BOOM!
Crack!
Bang!
Flash!
His footsteps drowned in the aura user and archmage's thunderous exchanges. Regaining stamina via mana body recovery, he gripped Stamp again.
Slow steps accelerated; soon he dashed like wind into the fray's heart.
But.
"Hmph!"
Ludwig, vigilant, pointed his left hand—bolts of lightning rained.
"Die already, you tenacious bastard!!"
Rumble!
KABOOM!
In the brief window before the repelled Weapon Master could charge again, Ludwig sacrificed to kill Tiny.
Guh!
Tiny raised Stamp in time, but flew back pathetically.
"You bastard!!"
"Not a chance!"
As Ludwig barely blocked the enraged Weapon Master's aura with layered attribute shields, a silver pup zipped to his feet through the clash's gap and leaped.
And.
Crunch!
"Gaaah!!"
Fangs bared, it severed his left ring finger—along with the ring intricately engraved with a golden dragon crest.
"Woof!"
Wolrang tossed the ringed finger to the fallen Tiny and vanished in reverse summon.
Hours of reckless palace dashing to block the explosion had reached his limit.
But it sufficed.
KABOOM!
Ludwig's barrier thinned drastically, pierced by blue aura.
"Aaaagh!"
Perfectly controlled multi-attribute overlay, exceeding capacity with excess mana parted— the Weapon Master's destructive aura severed the archmage's right arm in one stroke.
Cough.
"Th-this can't..."
"It can!"
Slice.
"Guh..."
The Blue-Blood Archmage, Ludwig von Aslan, died by Grid's sword without a proper last word.
Right after.
"Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!"
Whether the binding spell persisted post-mage's death, the emperor—still statue-stiff—thrashed to assert his presence.
"Sir Tiny!"
Ignoring him, Grid rushed to Tiny, who looked truly dead now, utterly still.
Having bolted from Asrian's lodgings with only weapons, Grid had no artifacts or potions for recovery.
Then.
"Groan."
The charred body twitched faintly, hand straining toward the fallen ring.
Agonizingly slow, trembling fingers. So pitiful Grid picked it up first.
"Th-this ring? You need it?"
Tiny's black pupils and bloodshot whites flashed menacingly, proving he lived.
- Shut up and give it quick.
Grid hurriedly slipped the ring onto Tiny's left ring finger.
Instantly.
Hummm.
A vivid blue mana storm swirled around the now-closed-eyed Tiny.
"Wh-what!?"
Grid panicked briefly.
Creak creak!
Twisting joints shed black ash from Tiny's skin, fresh flesh sprouting beneath.
"......Holy shit, it works?"
Grid muttered in awe, but Tiny focused solely on his body's changes.
Using Ludwig's ring to hijack palace mana was a gamble from the start.
Hummm.
The ring repelled the unauthorized user's mana relentlessly.
Quiet!!
His near-death amplified soul power exploited the authentication magic's gap, imprinting him as rightful owner.
Stronger mana flooded in—a new potential of soul power unlocked by brushing death.
No time to ponder; Tiny poured it into saving his dying body.
Creak!
Realigned shattered bones.
Crack crack!
Regenerated burned skin.
Throb throb.
Endured brain-piercing agony, repositioning twisted organs.
Good... saved.
The imperial magic tower master's ring activated on wear, granting palace mana access—a stroke of luck.
Mana held infinite potential, but alone couldn't work this miracle. Two more factors: his superhuman physique and mana body fissioning stored nutrients to restore perfection.
The mana body memorized his ideal state, enabling it.
Weight halved, weakened accordingly—but tolerable loss.
Once back, gotta eat like hell again.
As Tiny resolved.
Creak creak!
Humm.
Final pops signaled mana body completion.
"Ugh, nearly croaked for real."
Tiny's first words snapping eyes open. Before him, the Weapon Master stared in disbelief.