Old Memories Stir (12)
It was a lethal spell that would have killed an ordinary person outright or left them with grievous wounds. But Brione's magic was utterly blocked, achieving nothing. Instead, the spell reversed course, surging back toward her.
Brione panicked hard, but her body moved on instinct, honed by countless drills and battles. She threw up a slanted wall of mana to deflect the incoming spell, then unleashed another one of her own. But that too was effortlessly dismantled, and soon an immense weight crushed down on her body.
Compressed air slammed into Brione, cratering the ground around her and snapping branches that plummeted straight to the earth. All this unfolded in mere seconds.
"Gahk...!"
Flat on the ground, Brione tried to call out to Bertrand but couldn't draw breath to open her mouth.
Then, from the shadows between the ancient trees, someone emerged.
─────
While rummaging in my bag for some decent painkillers, I caught a weird vibe and whipped my head around. Over there, Brione—who'd been standing by the lich's corpse—had unleashed a barrage of spells in the blink of an eye, only to suddenly flatten herself on the ground.
To an outsider, it'd look like some bizarre stunt, but I noticed the air around her shifting. An oppressively heavy atmosphere was bearing down, ready to squash her flat like a thin crepe.
I gripped the Holy Sword's hilt and activated night vision. My sight tinged green, revealing a figure striding toward us from the darkness beyond the massive trees, crystal clear.
"Idi! Watch out!"
Before I finished, Idi—who'd been slumped nearby—curled up and face-planted into the dirt.
"Urk...!"
A colossal mass of air was crashing down on her head too, with devastating force. I felt the same pressure building above me and hurled myself forward, rolling across the ground. As I did, I yanked the strap across my chest loose and drew the Holy Sword with a powerful sweep.
The moment it cleared the sheath, I swung it wide to the side. A semicircular shockwave exploded from the blade, slicing through the treetops above Brione and hurtling toward the unidentified foe.
But the wave veered off just shy of its body, rocketing harmlessly into the sky. I called down lightning next, but it twisted at an unnatural angle, failing to connect.
After batting away my attacks, I sensed unknown magic incoming from its direction and triggered the Holy Sword's barrier. Unknown spells smashed into the shield's surface, erupting in blinding flashes and deafening roars that seared my eyes.
This thing... it's a mage!
And a damn powerful one! Brione and Idi are pinned flat, my Holy Sword strikes aren't landing. Looks like it's warping space somehow... So, close quarters it is? Only one way to do that... but can a kid's body handle it? I didn't want to use it, but no choice.
If there's a tool at hand, use it.
Light burst from the Holy Sword's blade, racing along the hilt, up my arm, and enveloping my body. An overwhelming power surged through me, one no mortal frame could withstand. White radiance bathed my form.
This was divine enhancement—body reinforcement via holy power, best called Holy Armor or Holy Muscles. It granted superhuman strength, and while active, I entered an "immortal invincible" state.
But the backlash was brutal; even with my monstrous physique, sustaining it long was risky. Still, what choice did I have? To save Idi right now, nothing else came to mind.
Fine. One second's enough. One second to smash its skull to pieces.
I kicked off the ground and launched forward. A explosive boom thundered behind me as everything around stretched out unnaturally long. The distorted view snapped back, yanking the mystery mage right in front of me.
Just shy of it, I brushed an invisible barrier—clearly a spatial mana field. Pathetic. I tore through the stubborn barrier and closed in on its face.
Raising the Holy Sword to sever its neck, its features emerged in the blade's glow. The mage was a stunning elf with golden hair and green eyes.
The elf's eyes bulged in terror and shock. "Lurtjog?!"
What?!
The unexpected name threw me; I yanked the sword back and twisted aside. Momentum from the leap uprooted dozens of trees as I slammed into the dirt.
"Damn... that hurts."
A kid's body was too much after all. As the Holy Sword's light faded, unpleasant muscle aches flooded in. I staggered up, sword at the ready, and approached the elf.
Our surroundings were now a flattened wasteland. In the center stood the tall elf, staring at me intently.
Classic elven glow: shining golden hair, emerald eyes, long ears, and robes straight out of a history book illustration—flowing and ornate.
"You... you're Lurtjog...? What the hell is that form...?"
The elf's voice dripped disbelief.
"You'd be wise to identify yourself first."
My sharp tone made her press a hand to her chest. "You're not here looking for me?"
"If you mean Lurtjog, he's dead—by my hand."
"Dead? A blue dragon? What are you even saying...?"
She shook her head in confusion. "Did I mistake something...? But I definitely sensed Parbulus's aura..."
"No idea what that is, but probably why you thought I was him. This, maybe?"
I pulled the black orb from my pocket. Her face twisted in horror.
"Parbulus...?! How do you have that...? You're really not Lurtjog?"
"Told you. That deviant dragon got its head chopped off by me."
The elf fell silent, utterly baffled. I kept the Holy Sword trained on her.
"I got hit by this orb's spell, shrank, and came to Semada Forest to undo it. While hunting Mideronde's lab—the presumed maker—I ran into that lich."
Her green eyes flicked to the lich's lower-half corpse.
"Right after we took it down, you popped up and attacked. Hence this mess. But..."
Still eyeing the lich, I voiced my hunch. "From the looks of it, you're the mage Mideronde. Right?"
She turned to me. "Yes. That's me."
"Gasp...!"
Brione, who'd been holding her breath and eavesdropping, clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Exactly, Brione. Even a prodigy like you couldn't stand against her."
"Mideronde... an elf...? I never heard that..."
Mideronde eyed Brione. "Is there a law against elves being mages?"
"N-no... Sorry..."
I refocused her with the sword still in hand. "Let's sort this out. Why'd you attack us?"
"I heard a commotion and came to check. That human mage struck first."
Brione bowed her head. "Forgive me, Lady Mideronde... Fresh off subduing the lich, I thought you were another foe..."
"Impressive. How'd you catch it? It's been a pest in my forest since it wandered in centuries ago—too fast to nab."
"Your forest? Whatever. Mage Mideronde, this spell on me..."
Then Idi groaned and collapsed awkwardly. I cut off and rushed to her.
She toppled sideways, clutching her blackened wrist, biting her lip, body shuddering. I tossed the Holy Sword aside, knelt, and cupped her face in both hands.
"Idi! Snap out of it!"
"Oh dear... hit by a life-drain beam, huh."
Mideronde, now behind me, peered worriedly at Idi's wrist. "Life Drain is vicious black magic. It lingers even after the caster dies, steadily devouring vitality. She needs holy healing, fast."
"She's a black mage—holy power would kill her."
"A black mage? That's tricky..."
Mideronde bent to touch the wrist. I grabbed it; she chided softly, "It's fine. No funny business—just checking."
Her pale, slender fingers traced the blackened skin. She met my eyes. "Well... kid? That's what I should call you, right? Leave her like this, and she'll waste away and die."
I shoved aside the grim prognosis and called to Brione. "Brione. Dimensional gate. Back to Rosens—we can't do shit here."
"Wait."
Mideronde placed a hand on my shoulder. "You took out that pest lich; I owe you. I can heal her."
"You... can? I thought black magic couldn't be undone with regular spells...?" Brione asked from the side.
Mideronde smiled. "Normally, yes. But overwhelming mana power overrides such rules."
"Ah...? So, physically shattering the black magic's chakra?"
"Something like that. But it needs precise calculations..."
Sensing a dive into arcane theory, I cut them off. "Save the lecture. If you can fix her, do it now."
I cradled Idi's head, voice edged. Brione watched me intently.
Mideronde glanced between us. "Alright. But not here—too tricky. If you're okay with it, my lab?"
No time to suspect hidden motives. Idi's body was chilling in my arms; impatience clouded my judgment.
"Whatever. Just hurry."
"Good."
Mideronde's curt word flipped the world upside down.
