Sweltering heat pours off of the masked man as his mana continues to ramp up, forcing Leon and Ryuu to guard themselves once the superheated air makes contact.
“Ow, ow, ow!”
“Nghh! Way too hot…”
They make use of {Recovery} to stave off the worst of the burns, but that was only the first phase of the attack.
Their opponent brings his hands down and thrusts them forward, sending out a wide volley of miniature fireballs.
Ryuu weaves around them, using {In-step} when needed as he attempts to close the distance.
Leon, however, decides to clear the attack in a single bound.
While in the air, he focuses his aura and sends a pulse of energy directly at the enemy.
“{Charge Burst}!”
The Outlaw summons a barrier in front of himself, its mass effortlessly absorbing the force of Leon’s attack.
With his Barrier art still active, he points his cane upward and unleashes a lance of flame that pierces through Leon’s torso, similar to a laser.
“Ack!”
Leon drops to the ground, but the masked intruder has no time to relax.
Ryuu appears behind him and makes use of the opening.
“{Charge Point}!”
His blow connects, yet Ryuu’s aura clashes against something more solid than he’d expected.
Body armor?
Seriously?!
His enemy slides across the cobbled ground and gives a half-hearted chuckle.
“Come now, it’s only appropriate for any competent M’yin to have enchanted gear. Your fists won’t reach me so easily.”
Ryuu doesn’t let their words deter him, crouching lower as he reassesses the path to victory.
My priority needs to be dispelling whatever field or barrier he’s erected around the hall that’s disrupting everyone’s mana.
If I can pull that off, there are numerous M’yin inside that can turn this all around.
He then clears his mind, drawing on the mana he had been storing since moving outside.
“[Piercing Claws]!”
Golden energy manifests around Ryuu’s right arm, taking an identical shape to the magical gauntlet he had used to kill Alph.
Mana crackles and sparks around him as he lines his claws up with his opponent’s body.
“There it is! That’s what I want to see, Ryuuma! Show me what you’ve learned!”
“You want some of this? Come and get it!”
******
The masked man continues to hysterically laugh as he sweeps his arms toward the Blade again and again, while whips of liquid fire lash out with blinding speed.
Ryuu ducks and dodges, even managing to deflect one with his draconic gauntlet.
He then uses {In-step} to close the gap in an instant and catch the man slightly off guard.
Using {In-step} and channeling mana at the same time is something I’m still not completely used to!
So with these claws alone, I’ll pierce through whatever’s protecting him!
Ryuu’s [Piercing Claws] rip through the man’s barrier and hurtle toward their chest, but they intercept the attack with their cane once more.
The two of them struggle against each other, with Ryuu slightly gaining ground a step at a time.
“This magic of yours…” the intruder begins.
“I find it hard to believe you could have refined it to this level in so little time. Tell me, what did you see and feel when you awakened? What do you envision when casting your spells?”
“Shut the hell up already! I’ll be the one asking questions! After I break a few bones, that is!”
He then casts [Shredding Talons], now holding the man’s cane in place with his bare hand as he whips a leg at their stomach.
The masked man makes a split-second decision to abandon his cane, and leaps back as score marks from the talons appear on his armor.
His robes have been torn apart at the front, revealing the dark, void-like protection beneath.
“So that’s how it is! Your magic is likely Power-type, and not just that, it possesses a unique trait: unstoppable lethality! Even if my defense is twice as powerful as your attack, your magic’s nature dictates that I cannot block it head on!”
The Outlaw cracks his neck and strips away the rest of his cloak.
“This will be troublesome indeed. Taking you in without killing you will serve as a worthy challenge.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if that means my attacks will work, then I’m not gonna complain!”
Ryuu holds the cane in his hand, and is able to feel how it pulls on his mana stores.
He’d known it was sturdy before, but assumed it was due to some kind enchantment.
Now, he realizes, it’s the black material of the cane itself that seems to grant all of these properties.
He stabs it into the ground while his talons fade, then he recasts [Piercing Claws] and lunges forward.
The masked man moves with purpose now, staying out of reach as he wordlessly casts fire spell after fire spell.
Explosions, fountains of flame, and raining fireballs target Ryuu without end, yet he manages to avoid most of the damage with his [Mana Sense] and {In-step}.
The absence of chanting from his opponent makes the timing hard to judge, but with this strategy, he’s able to read the flow of mana just before a spell is cast.
This exchange goes on a while longer, with Ryuu chasing the man down as he retreats and rains hellfire.
Although Ryuu is the one taking more damage from this approach, it’s all going as he had planned.
Everything hinges on Leon.
Now that I’ve driven this guy away from the hall, he’s likely already dismissed Leon from this fight.
I need him to come to the same conclusion I did and find a way to bring everyone’s magic back.
Until then, I’ll keep applying the pressure!
“Enough.”
Before he can react, Ryuu is brought to his knees by a sudden, immense pressure from above.
“Wha-?! What is this?!”
He’s forced further and further down, and his focus is disrupted as he drops to his hands.
He groans while fighting against the pressure, but the invisible force is relentless.
The masked M’yin straightens his armor, fixing the straps around his shoulders as he slowly paces toward Ryuu.
“Your first mistake was assuming that my Talent is something as simple as playing with fire. Now you’ve found yourself at my mercy after letting your guard down, and you don’t even know what hit you.”
He chuckles as he kneels down, grabbing Ryuu by the hair and lifting his head against the crushing weight.
“Muhahahaha… You really are something special though, Ryuuma. If only I had gotten to you faster, I would have been able to end things here. Alas, the plans were put on a slight delay, but the time has come. You’ll be leaving with me now.”
“Grrkk! In your dreams! I’ll kill myself before I let you use me for anything!”
“Hah! Nice try, kid, but we both know you’re too much of a coward for that. You ran and left that big oaf behind, knowing I would kill him. Then you repeated the same act right after, leaving behind Hyouma. Face it. When forced to make a choice, you choose yourself.”
“No, I-”
“You’re nothing! For all the power at your disposal, you act like such weakling garbage that I can’t help but pity you! Don’t worry, once we get back to our base we’ll train you up nicely. You’ll be the perfect tool for dismantling the Northern Reaches!”
***Ilene***
What should I do?
Father, Xander, everyone… I can’t make a move!
Ilene finds herself at a loss.
Raging fires, cloaked figures armed to the teeth, and the absence of mana in the air are too much to process so suddenly.
Of all the times to be without my sword…
The Acer parents are doing well enough, each having defeated a few of the attackers at this point, but there’s nobody else around with the skills to back them up in this situation.
Ilene soon finds her brother among the crowd and forcefully tugs on his sleeve.
“Xander, where the hell is Master Nolan?! If he’s here then-”
“He’s not. Something came up, and I was told that he and Master Darius wouldn’t be able to make it today. You’re right, though; if Nolan were here, this would’ve been over in an instant.”
The siblings scan the crowd around them, taking note of the panic and hysteria spreading among the nobles.
“Well we have to do something! As the ruling family of this city, it’s our job to take charge here! We must give hope to these people!”
Xander glances at her, then slowly nods.
“What do you propose then, little sister? I doubt anything we say will reach them at this point. Especially since Father’s attempt at striking back failed so spectacularly.”
Ilene brings her thumb to her mouth, absentmindedly chewing on her nail as she runs through different scenarios.
With Ryuu and Leon taking care of the main perpetrator, and the Acer family dealing with the lackeys… My role here is to restore order.
If we can reestablish a connection to mana inside this hall, the mood will flip in an instant.
But how?
She peeks over the crowd, catching glimpses of the battle occurring outside.
That masked figure is the one behind all of this, but the interference is still in effect even though he’s outside.
That means there’s some kind of barrier in place that’s cutting off mana…and it’s likely the work of a tool or talisman.
Finding that and getting rid of it is the key!
Ilene turns to Xander once more, saying, “I’ve got an idea! Just try to keep people from getting themselves hurt in the meantime!”
She takes off before he can complain, maneuvering past the crowd and into the outside world.
On her way out of the door, a dagger flies through the air and nicks her cheek, but she keeps pressing forward.
The scene she stumbles across is worse than she’d anticipated: Leon is struggling to rise to his feet, while Ryuu and the masked man unleash attack after attack with deadly force.
“Leon! Are you able to get up?!”
“L-Lady Ilene!”
He forces himself onto one knee, hugging his waist as aura wisps around his body.
“How pathetic am I… After all that talk, I’m the first one kicked out of the fight.”
“Save it. Right now I need your help, so finish your healing in five seconds or less.”
Ilene’s bluntness helps Leon push his ego to the side, clearing his mind as he focuses his {Recovery} on the singed hole through his gut.
He manages to reduce it to a violent red scar and stands, resolve evident in his eyes as he asks, “What’s the plan?”
“We need to destroy whatever is cutting off mana inside of the hall. My guess–which is now backed up by my magic returning–is that there’s a talisman embedded somewhere on the roof, but I can’t reach those heights on my own. It has to be you. There’s nobody else available that can pull this off.”
Leon forces a pained grin at her words, standing tall now despite the agony racking his insides.
“You really know how to motivate me. I’ve got this. I’ll break everything if I have to!”
She nods as Leon speeds toward the hall, waiting until he begins scaling the wall to turn her attention toward Ryuu.
He’s been pinned to the ground by something invisible, and Ilene’s [Mana Sense] shows her that it’s likely a form of air manipulation.
Alright.
It appears that this part is up to me.
She races toward her partner, retrieving a black cane from the ground as she approaches.
Omni-Steel?
Whoever these people are, they clearly aren’t a small operation.
This is much bigger than we think.
She flows her mana through the cane, taking advantage of its natural conductivity as she brandishes it like a makeshift sword.
“You there! Mind unhanding my Blade?!”
She lunges forward without waiting for an answer and thrusts the cane with fatal precision.
The man raises a plated forearm, the cane screeching against it as he releases Ryuu and leaps backward.
Omni-Steel armor as well?!
No wonder Ryuu and Leon were struggling.
This isn’t the kind of opponent someone below the higher levels of Advanced-Tier should take on!
“Lady Ilene… Come to save your pitiful Blade, have you? Hahaha! Perfect, this will only help me crush his pride!”
She glances at Ryuu, his eyes more sullen than usual as he remains motionless on the ground.
“Hmph. Ryuu’s not that weak of a man. That said, your opponent is me now. Unless you’re scared to face a lone noblewoman?”
“Kehehe, fine with me. Perhaps killing you in front of him will break the boy for good.”
The masked man points a finger at her, silently casting a spell.
Nothing appears to happen, then Ilene suddenly lurches backward and swings the cane.
It clashes with something in the air, deflecting his attack.
Invisible slashes?
It’s likely an application of his air magic.
He’s sending out razor-thin blades of wind, making his attacks hard to read even with [Mana Sense].
“Oh? You’ve got better reflexes than I anticipated. What will you do about this, though?”
He brings his hands close together now, as if saying a prayer, yet leaves space between them.
Wind begins howling throughout the streets of the Gold District, pulling on citizens who had come to investigate the noise of battle.
Magic lights are torn from their fixtures, chunks of streets crack and crumble, and nearby trees threaten to topple over.
Not good.
I jumped in to save Ryuu, but a head-on fight against this guy is impossible with my Talent.
Even if I manage to avoid this attack, his magic will begin to cause civilian casualties soon enough.
Ilene glances down at the cane in her hand, gripping it tighter as she makes a choice.
The masked M’yin slowly pushes his hands closer together–pressurizing the air between his palms–before letting it fly toward Ilene, similar to a cannonball.
Instead of running, Ilene charges toward the attack and pours out all of the mana she’s collected at once.
“[Overload]!”
She casts an advanced magic art, [Overload], as she charges into the winds.
The art expels a great deal of unfiltered mana from the user’s body, oversaturating the area immediately around them and reducing the effectiveness of nearby spells.
It’s a costly maneuver, requiring the caster to release their mana as fast as they can draw it in, but its potency is amplified by the Omni-Steel cane in Ilene’s hand.
She swings the cane through the raging winds, feeling thin cuts appear all over her body, but pushes through regardless.
In an instant, Ilene appears within striking range of her opponent, holding the cane in a sheathed stance as if it were a blade.
The Outlaw is unable to react in time before she smashes it into his face, denting his mask as he groans and stumbles.
She doesn’t give him time to regroup, jabbing and slicing as she attempts to break through his armor.
After a few exchanges, the masked man’s hand flies up and catches the cane mid-strike, then tightly squeezes, making it become red-hot in seconds.
Ilene winces as she releases the cane, steam rising from her hand, then lets out a deep huff after she’s kicked in the chest.
Her body is further scraped and battered as she rolls across the stone streets, coming to a stop near Ryuu.
She catches glimpses of onlookers with worried faces and unblinking stares, and forces herself to immediately stand again.
“That actually hurt, you little bitch! I had planned on making your death quick, but I’ll take pleasure in roasting you alive!”
The intruder points the end of his cane toward her and Ryuu, holding it by the crook as a small ball of flames manifests.
It slowly grows in size, pulsating as its heat continues to rise.
Wind picks up once again, this time serving as fuel for the flame as it begins growing into the largest attack yet.
Ilene winces when she moves, the cuts along her body stinging with every motion.
She scoots close to the still-laying Ryuu and tries to pull him up.
“Come on! If you’re just going to give up, then get out of here! I’ll take him down myself if I have to!”
She shakes him and tries to stoke his ego, but there’s no response.
“Goodbye, Ilene Mahora.”
The masked man lets his attack loose, the super-heated ball of flames covering ground at transonic speeds.
“Ah, dammit! [Barrier]!”
She manages to cast her Barrier art at the last moment–a seven-layer defense in the shape of a cone that disperses the force of the spell.
It holds out against the initial impact, but her opponent continues to fuel his spell with mana, giving Ilene no chance to form a counterattack.
The intense heat reaches the air around her, irritating her cuts even more as she struggles to maintain focus.
“Seriously, Ryuu! What the hell has gotten into you?! If you don’t pull yourself together, we’re both going to die here!”
She continues calling out to her Blade, yet the only indicator that he’s even alive is the slightest glimmer of light in his eyes.
A loud crack pulls her attention back to the fight, but her situation is only worsening.
Small fissures begin to spread across her barrier, threatening to cave it in any second now.
I can’t hold on much longer!
This can’t be where it ends, our story was only beginning!
The cracks widen, tongues of fire flicking through the barrier as a sign of the fate to come.
I’m sorry, Mother, but I couldn’t do it.
In the end, I simply lack the power required to become a duchess.
At the very least, Leon should have broken the talisman by now.
With that, everyone else can be saved.
The moment Ilene accepts her fate, the barrier shatters, and shards of ruby-like mana fall around her as magnificent flames rush forward in a path of destruction.
***Ryuu***
…Ilene?
Ryuu feels a presence rushing toward him from behind, then the masked man lets him go as they’re attacked.
He can’t see who it is that saved him, but he hears Ilene’s voice ringing through the air.
It sounds distorted, her words warped beneath the chaos running through his head.
This is all my fault.
Drax and Hyouma are dead because of me, because I ran.
And now, the new home I had just managed to find has been attacked because I’m here.
Because I ran here.
Ilene, Leon, Belynda–everyone’s lives are in danger due to my existence.
Why?
Is there something wrong with me?
Am I cursed by fate to lose everything to the flames?
To this man that I don’t even know the name of?
If I had accepted my fate back at the Pit of Keld, would Ilene and the others have continued to live peaceful lives?
No.
I know that’s not true.
In the short time that I’ve been here, I’ve learned that even in a place as prosperous as Mahora, there’s a darkness that lurks below the surface.
Belynda’s brother, Ilene’s public treatment, Leon’s stagnation…these are all things that would continue on the same, with or without me.
Even though I know that because I’m here a few people’s lives have changed for the better, it’s hopeless.
No amount of good intentions can replace lost lives.
He turns his head as he lies on the ground, catching a glimpse of Ilene’s enchantingly red mana radiating from her as she leaps into a maelstrom.
Behind him, a familiar scent stains his mind.
Blood.
Even from this distance, that nauseating stench finds its way to me.
Does it belong to the nobles?
Hopefully it’s all the attackers’, but that’s naive of me to think.
This isn’t one of the fairy tales I read in the Pit.
People are going to die because of me, so I should just…
“…Ryuu!”
Huh?
“…going to die here!”
Ilene, dead?
Why… Why does that thought sadden me so much?
I guess we’re friends, but I wasn’t this sad even when stepping over the bodies of guys I knew my whole life.
Why is it that when I imagine her hurt, my body begins to move against my wishes?
Is this… No.
There’s no point in overcomplicating things.
I’m not Ryuuma anymore, I’m Dragon Blade.
I’m Ryuu, the Blade of Ilene Mahora!
******
Ilene’s barrier shatters, and flames invade the space, steam rising from the cobbled streets as they begin to melt under the intense heat.
She raises her arms and instinctively shuts her eyes as she waits for the impending impact.
“[Barrier]!”
The chant brings hope back into her heart as she opens her eyes and finds Ryuu standing in front of her with his hands thrust outward.
A golden dragon scale now somehow manages to hold back the torrent of fire, standing strong despite being smaller than the noblewoman’s barriers.
“Hey, Ilene. Sorry about that. I almost let myself forget something important.”
“You idiot… It’s about time.”
She lets out a low sigh of relief as she continues.
“I’ll ask you all about it after this. Before that, we need to retreat. Leon should have restored mana inside of the hall by now, which means there are people more capable than us ready to make a move.”
Ryuu grunts as he holds his barrier in place.
“Then why haven’t they come out here? Honestly, I expected some backup almost immediately.”
“It wasn’t possible with those cloaked grunts all over the place. One of them nicked me on the way out, and I have more experience in physical combat than most nobles. That said, when it comes to magic, I’m probably not even in the top ten of the gathered crowd.”
“…Okay, it sounds like we need to retreat. Now then, how do I run while keeping this fireball from killing us?”
“I’m still working on that part.”
Right as they finish their discussion, the flames disappear, creating a heavy downward draft that slams them to the ground.
Ryuu’s barrier dissipates as a result, leaving the pair open for a rainfall of wind blades.
Although the Blade can’t see the attacks, his instinct for danger causes him to shroud his body in as much aura as possible.
Ilene makes a similar move, casting [Overload] at maximum output to weaken the slashes.
“Ah- Shit! What the-!”
“Grk… Ugh!”
The invisible blades pepper their bodies with wounds, some deeper than others, but stop once the masked man is sure they’re immobile.
“Back from the dead are we, Ryuuma? I was sure that I had thoroughly broken you, but oh well.”
Ryuu manages to lift his head, taking deep breaths as he focuses on circulating {Recovery} through his body.
“I’m not gonna make it that easy for you… Besides, we’ve wasted enough of your time now… The city guards will be here any moment, and there’s nowhere for you to run.”
The Outlaw pauses, his masked face somehow managing to give a look that says “Are you serious?”
“You must not have been listening to me when I arrived, Ryuuma. I’m not worried about any outside interference in the slightest. I’ve got multiple plans in place, and you would be wise to expand your line of thinking a bit. Tell me, what kind of lunatic raids the capital with only thirty men?”
Ryuu falters as Ilene reaches the same conclusion.
“How many are out there right now, terrorizing my city?!” she shouts.
“Haha, no need to worry, Lady Ilene. I’ve given direct orders not to needlessly involve the civilians, although you may not believe me. What I will say is that you might need to recruit dozens of new soldiers after today.”
“Why you-!”
The enemy leader smashes his foot onto her back, the force amplified by a gust of wind.
He feels a satisfying crunch under his sole, then grinds it in deeper as he turns his head toward Ryuu.
“This is the result of your powerlessness, boy! Surrender yourself to us, so that you may finally use your gifts for a proper cause. We’ll make sure that the days of agony and fear are put behind you forever.”
Ryuu grunts and sharply exhales, pushing onto his feet with only half of his wounds healed.
“Get off of her.”
“Or what? Are you going to punch me? Or maybe you’ll kick me? What can you do?!”
“I’LL KILL YOU!”
Progress to Evolution: 20%
Spell Unsealed:
–[Draconic Presence]
A wave of killing intent pours from Ryuu’s body as he activates his new spell by instinct.
Despite the mental fortitude of the Master M’yin in front of him, the Blade watches their knees shake as the cane drops from their hand.
“W–w-what is this?! Why is this inexperienced magic affecting me?!”
He hugs himself as he stumbles off of Ilene, his brain working overtime to process this phenomenon.
“The property of his magic that I identified before, that unstoppable power… Don’t tell me it even applies to mental attacks?!”
Ryuu ignores his monologuing, crouching down beside Ilene and gently placing a hand on her back.
He can feel broken ribs, and, although weak, her shallow breaths.
Ryuuma would have taken this chance to attack his enemy, but Ryuu…
“H-huh? Get back here! Don’t you run away from me, Ryuuma!”
He carefully picks Ilene up in his arms and makes a break for the hall.
“You.. YOU INSIGNIFICANT WORM! YOU’LL NEVER CHANGE! YOU’LL ALWAYS RUN WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH!”
The effects of Ryuu’s spell were strong, but the masked man has already shaken them off, pointing a finger at his back as they prepare another blade of wind.
Ilene manages to turn her head and look behind Ryuu, a small grin forming on her face as she weakly calls out to the man.
“It’s useless. You’ve lost, Morrell.”
The mana dissipates before he can release it, Morrell’s fingers twitching uncontrollably.
“HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME?!”
She sticks her tongue out at him as Ryuu gets a safe distance away, leaving Morrell frozen in shock behind them.
******
Upon reaching the doors of the hall, Ryuu feels Ilene go limp in his arms.
The adrenaline must’ve worn off!
There must be someone that can help!
Think!
All heads turn toward Ryuu–even the remaining assailants’–but nobody makes a move.
Just as he begins to think there’s no hope, a ripple of surprise spreads through the hall.
“This feeling!”
“Yes, our connection to mana has been restored!”
Duke Alastair steps to the front of the crowd, his confident smile back.
“All gathered M’yin, I ask for your assistance! Let’s give these Outlaws a little bit of payback!”
A decent portion of the nobles cry out in agreement, spreading out to handle the rest of the enemies with their returned magic.
Once they do, a familiar woman jogs over, straightening her glasses as she approaches.
“You called for me, Dragon Blade?”
“Doc! It’s Ilene! I need your help!”
Dr.
Corna steps up beside Ryuu, running her glowing hands above Ilene’s body.
“Set her down. I’ll take things from here. From the looks of it, your fight isn’t over yet.”
She glances toward the doors, and Ryuu does the same, spotting the masked man–Morrell–charging a large quantity of mana in the distance.
“Right. Thanks, Doc. I’ll be back!”
Before he can get outside, he’s stopped by Lucian Freed.
“Dragon Blade, you’ve already expended a lot of energy. I was able to see parts of your fight from here; you’re in no condition to fight them again.”
Ryuu frowns.
“Even if you tell me that, it’s not like I can just sit on the sidelines! Not when I’m the one they’re targeting!”
“That is precisely why you should sit back. Since you’re their objective, it’s in our best interest to keep you as far away as possible until we can end this.”
“Not happening! That guy hurt Leon, and he tried to kill Ilene! Would you be standing here talking if he’d done the same to Lady Evelyn?!”
Lucian’s gaze goes cold, a chilling air seeming to emit from his stare.
“I would never let that happen. But, no, I suppose you’re right. Regardless, you won’t be going alone.”
“Then-”
“I will accompany you. It wouldn’t hurt for you to see what a Blade should be capable of.”
Lucian leads the way without waiting for any further complaints.
The two of them navigate through countless spells flying across the hall as Ryuu fills him in on Morrell’s abilities.
“Fire and air magic? That’s certainly a versatile Talent, but nothing I can’t handle. And you mentioned black armor?”
“Yes, he’s covered head-to-toe in some kind of mana-conducting material. It’s incredibly sturdy.”
“Omni-Steel. It certainly explains why he was confident enough to storm in here the way he did.”
They wrap up the briefing as they get within earshot of Morrell.
Their opponent stands patiently, the dent Ilene left in his mask giving the impression of a permanent scowl on his face.
“Back for more are we, Ryuuma? And who is this? Another lamb for the slaughter?”
Lucian smirks as he removes his glasses, mana radiating from him in strong pulses.
“You should’ve ran while you had the chance, Outlaw. Now that mana has been restored to the hall, dozens of M’yin at the Advanced-Tier and higher will be upon you in minutes. This is your last chance to stop resisting and give yourself up.”
“Hah! As if I would ever bend my knee to scum. From your servant-like apparel, it would seem that you’re a Blade. If that’s true, then you have no business challenging the likes of me!”
Morrell stabs the end of his cane into the ground and causes cracks to rapidly spread out all around him.
Molten fire springs forth from the fissures, forcing Lucian and Ryuu to separate.
The latter guards himself with a dense coating of aura, while the former uses the same magic art Ilene had before: [Overload].
As a result, the flames do little more than cause them to sweat, but Morrell’s attack isn’t finished there.
“Starving core, maw of the nova! [Incineration Serpent]!”
He chants for this spell, bringing out its full potency as a wyrm made of molten earth rises at high speeds.
It ignores Ryuu, beelining for Lucian with its mouth agape.
“End of the line, pretty boy!”
Morrell mocks Lucian right as his spell reaches the Blade, but Lucian appears as composed as ever.
One moment, the wyrm is inches away from consuming him, and the next, he’s gone.
The spell tears through the street, then dissipates in a flash of heat.
Before Ryuu can figure out if Lucian survived or not, a blinding, yellow light streaks through the air toward the Outlaw.
“Hup! Bleugh!”
Morrell hunches over and breaks into a wet coughing fit, as if he were throwing up blood.
A singed hole has appeared in the center of his armor, much like the wound Leon received from him.
“Ugh! What was that?!” he shouts.
Amazing… I couldn’t even keep track of what hit him.
It must have been Lucian’s spell, but where is he?
Ryuu moves a half-second after processing the situation, using {In-step} to close the distance as quickly as possible.
He swings an overhead feint, followed by a low sweep, but his injured opponent reads it.
Morrell leaps away from Ryuu, landing on a chunk of the street that was raised above the others by the wyrm’s flames.
He then pulls some kind of liquid from a pouch on his belt, but before he can unseal it, another flash of light breaks the container.
“This is-!”
The light materializes on the rubble next to him in the form of Lucian, who pulls his gloves tighter around his wrists with an apathetic gaze.
“Have you realized it yet, you overconfident fool? You’re outmatched.”
Morrell swings his cane in response, the dense metal moving in a vicious arc, yet it only meets empty space.
He then casts [Mana Sense] to track the Blade’s movements, looking upward a second too late.
“[Glinting Greaves]”
Lucian hangs upside down in the air as he casts his spell, and yellow light wraps around his legs and feet in the shape of winged boots.
A shock wave booms through the air itself as he uses it as a surface, his movement faster than sound.
Lucian crashes into Morrell at blinding speeds and sends the armored M’yin through the entire chunk of rubble, before burying him into the street below.
The Blade then uses a piece of the debris to spring away midair, landing next to Ryuu as he pulls his glasses back out and begins wiping the lenses with a cloth.
“Luci- Uh, Sir Lucian, that was incredible! What kind of magic is that?”
He smirks as he slides his glasses on, a sign that this opponent is no threat to his life.
“So that’s what earns respect from you. As much as that amuses me, save the questions for after we’re sure this is over. Even my kicks can’t completely bypass Omni-Steel.”
As if he was listening to their conversation, Morrell’s hand suddenly shoots up from a pile of rubble.
He climbs out of the crater and staggers to his feet, his chestplate now bent inward from the force of Lucian’s kick.
“I see now. I didn’t expect you to be here, Radiant Blade…”
“Oh, you know my name? Then you should understand it’s in your best interest to stop this here.”
“Haha. You’re certainly as dangerous as the rumors say, but I’m not the type to bow out so easily. Even your light magic isn’t omnipotent. You can’t stop me from getting what I want!”
Morrell crosses his arms over his chest in an X shape as mana begins surging along his limbs, akin to a powerful stream.
“Sinking darkness, crushing grip, raging storm! [Unbounded Depths of Nature]!”
He slams his palms onto the ground as he finishes chanting.
Nothing noticeable happens at first, then Ryuu begins to feel a subtle rumbling beneath his feet as more mana seeps through the ruined streets.
“Stay alert, Dragon Blade,” Lucian mutters.
“This is his largest spell yet.”
Ryuu nods as he focuses his aura once more.
He’s beginning to feel the limits of his stamina, but is determined to stay upright until the job is done.
After a few more moments of anticipation, the entire section of the district beneath them explodes.
The two Blades are sent flying high into the sky as a geyser erupts from the earth and spreads out incredibly fast.
He has water spells too?!
What’s next, is he gonna throw lightning at us or something?!
“Dragon Blade! Whatever you do, don’t fall into the water! That much mana will instantly crush someone at your level!”
Lucian’s point is proven as the water reaches nearby buildings.
They shudder once the spell surrounds their foundation, then within seconds, they collapse.
It’s akin to a bottomless sea, with gravity and pressure that lets nothing escape its grasp.
“HAHAHAHA!”
Morrell’s crazed laughter rings out from a raised section of earth above the raging torrent, bringing their focus back to him.
“[Glinting Greaves]!”
Lucian speeds through the air as he attempts to break their opponent’s concentration, leaving Ryuu to fend for himself as he falls to the ground.
Morrell somehow isn’t sinking even when entire buildings have disappeared.
He must be keeping that rock afloat with his magic…
Alright, here goes everything!
“[Barrier]! {In-step}!”
He tightens his focus, replicating the feat he had pulled off during his late-night training.
Five small barriers appear in the air, forming a spread-out path for Ryuu to take as he flies across them.
By the time he lands on the twenty-foot wide piece of street the others are on, he can’t find an opening to jump in.
Lucian weaves between Morrell’s cane strikes again and again, but is unable to land a clean blow.
Neither of them use aura, but it’s still taking everything I have just to follow behind them!
How is it possible for two M’yin to move like this?!
What is it that I’m unaware of?!
Suddenly, Lucian slides back to the edge of the platform, pressing his palms together like he’s praying.
“[Edge of Light]”
A bright glow escapes his fingers as he steadily brings his hands apart.
In the space between, a thin sword of light appears, which he deftly grasps before standing tall once more.
While his [Glinting Greaves] is still active, he lunges at Morrell with lethal intent, causing the intruder to finally move defensively.
It’s then that Ryuu recognizes his purpose here, and pours his remaining energy into making it work.
Come on, one more time… Even if I’m inexperienced, this is my magic.
“[Draconic Presence]!”
The release of powerful intent spills from Ryuu’s body like a wave, yet he manages to control it well enough that it only reaches Morrell.
The Outlaw freezes for a second, his cane arm static, and it’s all the time that Lucian needs.
He slashes diagonally from the man’s hip to his shoulder, cracking open his Omni-Steel chestplate like an eggshell.
Blood sprays outward in a fountain, but Lucian has already pivoted behind Morrell before it can touch him.
He jabs his sword forward, directly into the small hole he created with his earliest attack, then twists his wrist.
The sword of light loses its form, flowing into Morrell’s torso and burning him from the inside out.
“AHHHHHH!”
The enemy releases a guttural bellow that shakes the ground beneath them, causing the artificial sea to violently crash against their footing.
Despite the damage he’s taken, Morrell’s spell shows no signs of unraveling.
In fact, it only seems to grow more powerful by the minute.
“D-damn you, Radiant Blade! To make me suffer like this… I’ll be sure to kill you myself!”
“Feel free to try it, but you’re the one licking the ground.”
Lucian plants his foot on the enemy’s back, grinding his heel against the steaming entry wound.
“Call off your spell. Now.”
“Gkkk! Like hell I will… You know as well as I do that I’m the only thing keeping this spell from consuming this entire section of the Gold District!”
“Tsk. Then hold still. I’ll make this quick.”
Lucian casts [Edge of Light] once more, holding the sword steady above Morrell’s skull.
He narrows his eyes, bringing down the killing blow-
“You really let yourself get beat, Morrell?”
As suddenly as the voice rings out, Morrell is gone.
Lucian and Ryuu frantically whip their heads around, until they spot two figures on a far away platform of ice, calmly riding the waves.
“Who are you?! A friend of his, I assume?!”
Lucian questions the sudden intruder, but Ryuu finds himself unable to move or speak.
It can’t be.
But why?
You’re…