"H-how many layers?" Trevor asked, wincing at the burning feel he got as he was exposed to Tier 9 magic.
His whole life had been limited to the 8th Tier, after all.
"About 24 are left. I just destroyed one." Noir revealed.
Trevor's mouth nearly dropped. He had no idea of this. A total of 25 layers of Tier 9 magic were stacked up just for access to the Archmage.
"I-incredible! The door isn't opening, though... and there are so many layers of magic. What will you do now?" Trevor asked.
Noir simply smiled as he turned at the flustered young man.
"I'll just keep knocking."
As Noir readied his hand, covered in golden light once again to hit the door, a creaking sound suddenly echoed across the whole floor.
>CREEAAAKKKVWWWWUUUUUU<
The room started to tremble, and the atmosphere was getting much tenser.
"In a normal case, I might have been a little unsure of my victory... but, young man, you made an error in this case."
Noir's eyes widened a little in surprise, looking at everything around him.
The designs on the walls, the ornaments, ores, awards, and everything around started to glow.
"Ah, I see. You-"
"That's right. Your error was entering this place, stranger. I don't know who you are, or what you want... but I'll be sure to find out." Denzel stated, now rising from his seat.
Noir knew what was coming.
"So, I'll ask you again... who are you?"