「West Bridge」
The battle gradually grows fiercer as time passes by. Mixing the sound of clashing swords and broken shields are the screams of pain and death. Bodies from both side quickly start dropping like flies, either on the castle's wall, trampled under the foots of those still fighting, or falling to the dark valley beneath, resting inside the abyss beneath the surface world.
However, there's still one place which refuses to dance to the tune of the God of War. The place thought to be the main site of the siege battle now proves to be the only place without any fighting going on. On the West bridge, the elderly mage still resides as its only human combatant. In contrast, the demon soldiers above the walls are looking tense from the pressure the human mage possesses. All, except the Archsage Nilrem, who's still calmly analyzing the current situation.
"How can his spell bypass the castle's defensive barrier!?"
Says a commander. It is common knowledge that Melas castle is protected by a magic barrier that wards off spells and beings with powerful soul energy. Surely as the aggressors with the intention of taking over the castle, this human army must have come up a way to bypass such powerful defense.
"Didn't I tell you? The humans are known for their cleverness."
The Headmaster answers, with a smirk on a face as if it's something to be expected. She seems amused with how things just turn out, even when the magic barrier people putting their trust on fails to do its purpose.
"The magic barrier was designed to ward off powerful spells, namely, those with power on par with my own 「Thunder God」. To be exact, it will protect the castle from spells stronger than Class Seven. That's how I designed it, after all."
The Headmaster explains.
"However, that means spells under Class Seven can still bypass the barrier. Earth Surge is a Class Six spell, mere manipulation of the Earth would certainly passes the requirement of the barrier."
The witch Walpurga continues Nilrem's lesson in a brief way so that the other commanders can understand what's happening.
"But to conjure that many stone bridges. That can't be a mere Class Six magic!"
One of the commanders replies.
"Indeed. Earth Surge normally can only create one huge chunk of earth to be manipulated by the will of the user. To be able to conjure so many in a short time...We just got ourselves one skilled mage as enemy, I see."
The Headmaster seems excited, which really puts her at odds with the other commanders, who have no place in their mind to store their respect for the enemy mage. Nonetheless, they can only keep themselves on stand by until there are further orders from Nilrem.
Of course, the elderly mage doesn't have time to wait. His allies are dying, and he can't afford something as luxurious as patience.
-Nilrem Erramun!
The old mage shouts. His voice is surprisingly loud for an old man.
-I am Niccolo Guerra of Ignis, and I demand your presence!
An open declaration. Nilrem hears it, of course, but she doesn't instantly reply to such an bold declaration like that. She's wondering if the humans have some kind of plan, but there's nothing to gain by merely standing in safety on the stone walls of Melas.
-I am Nilrem. What is it that you want, o Niccolo of Ignis?
Nilrem finally decides to show up and shout her reply to the old mage.
-I request a duel between you and me, Archsage! A battle of mages to the death. With no one interfering.
Niccolo declares his intention. Surely duels happen all the time during a bloody war, but they are usually limited to generals fighting alongside his men on the frontline, fighting face to face to the other general with victory as the ante. But this isn't a normal battle on an open field, it's a siege battle, and duel between mages is often unheard of.
-What are the stakes? Mister Niccolo. Surely, you can give me a better reason to force me out of my comfy castle walls.
Nilrem replies. The old mage strokes his long white beard as he gives his response.
-It's very simple, dear great Archsage. If I win, you die. You win, I die. We are at war here, it's all about defeating the enemy. Of course, you have your army and castle walls behind your back. You have no reason to accept the challenge from this old man. I understand it very well.
Niccolo smirks. It doesn't seem like he will easily give up his desire for a duel between mages.
-After all, what little valor or honor you have left had already been tossed to the dumpster the moment you betrayed your realm and brethren, am I right? O 「Treacherous Witch, Nilrem Erramun」!
Nilrem doesn't respond. However, as her closest aid, the witch Walpurga knows Nilrem is merely hiding her rage beneath her façade of tranquility. She knows it's never a good thing to make an Archsage angry, especially if that Archsage is Nilrem Erramun.
Without any warning, Nilrem jumps out of her high walls and descends below, surprising her subordinates in the process. As her body nearly hits the ground, a tender wind floats her body and slowly allows her feet to touch the ground. A simple descent, but still enough to impress the old mage in the other side of the bridge.
-Tell me, mage.
Nilrem speaks, with a tone as cold as the winter ice.
-How would you like to die?
The old mage seems amused. He continues stroking his beard as a taunt.
-I don't live for a hundred years just to die in this demons' shit hole.
The old mage suddenly spits on the ground, demonstrating his disgust.
-Before we fight, please give me some explanations, witch. What did the demons have to offer to make you betray your comrades and fight for Demon King Dargoth? Was it worth it to turn you back to the legendary Savior Erdrick and his companions? To turn your back against the country of your birth, Ignis? To betray the famed wizard clan Erramun of the Light? And to disappoint the wizards who looked up to you as the greatest Archsage of this world a thousand years ago?
Nilrem yawns.
-I don't know. A castle and its lordship, maybe? What did the high wizards of Ignis give you? Don't tell me it's your tattered cloak that look like a used floor rug? Our servants got paid better than that, you know?
The old mage frowns in annoyance.
-So the ancient records are true. The traitorous witch was very good at getting on people's nerve…
Niccolo mumbls.
-There are other records about me that weren't about my treachery? I'm flattered!
-That wasn't an compliment.
The old mage looks angry. For the past few minutes, the role of the aggressor rapidly switches to the side of the Headmaster.
-But it is, to me. You see, when you did something as outrageous as betraying someone who they baptized as the great Savior of the Heaven Realm, they would love to rub that into your face for a whole thousand years with their so-called historical records, or legends if we're being fancy. If they even bothered to record something about me that didn't concern my treachery, isn't that a very good thing? For me, at the very least. Hahahahaha.
-Hmm. Laugh all you can for now, witch. Today, your legend ends here!
The old man bursts out a strange aura, enough to stop the old witch's annoying laugh. Those who are soul energy-sensitive can sense that the mage is already in his battle mode. He's no longer in the mood for a trash talk.
-Well then. I shall allow you the privilege to try.
Nilrem takes out a thin paper scroll from inside her cloak. As she holds it on her hand, the scroll suddenly burst into fire, but it quickly disperses and turns into six flying balls of light. The balls drop down to the earth below, creating a "Thump" sound. And from the earth, six item rise from below. All of them are magic staves, the same type as the magic staff Nilrem is holding. With a wave of her hand, all six staves pluck themselves from the ground and hover behind the witch's back. A strange technique unknown to the old mage of Ignis, but nonetheless something he expects from the one who was crowned as the Archsage, the most powerful mage of them all.
-Prepare yourself!
Niccolo shouts. He begins the fight with a simple attack. As he starts chanting his spell, a part of the ground behind him grumbles. From the ground, three huge chunks of earth get lifted to the air and shoot at Nilrem with the force of a cannon ball.
But the witch doesn't start the duel without preparations of her own. She too chants her own spell. The amber on top of all seven of her magic staves start glowing. Using her free hand, Nilrem conjures a huge barrier. Unlike the weak barriers used by common mage, Nilrem's barrier is practically flooded with ancient runes on its body and very visible to the eye. This is an unknown spell, even to someone who practically spent all his life studying the path of magic like Niccolo. The earth cannonballs are crushed to pieces as they make contact with the high-class defensives barrier.
-Impressive!
Even when he's the enemy, the old mage can't help but feel amazed from seeing a living Archsage in action.
-Watch this.
Says Nilrem. She circles her hand in the air, and suddenly, the defensive barrier in front of her mold itself into the shape of an incorporeal spear. With a thrust from her hand, the spear shoots itself toward the old mage as the payback from the earth barrage earlier.
-Protect me, my tome!
Using his last resort, the old mage brings out his mystical tome. He opens wide the book and shield himself using its blank page. The spear makes contact to the thick tome, but fails to push the old mage away. The tome's magic defense is too high for the barrier spear to do its job. That isn't the end of it, however. The tome's pages separate themselves from the book and surround the spear, covering every single inches with paper. As the old mage chants his spell, the pages glow and explode, destroying the barrier spear in the process.
However, by the time Niccolo is finished, the old witch has already put in the final touch for her next offensive spell. Her hovering magic staves rotate in the air, switching from the vertical stand to a horizontal formation, with their ambers aiming toward the old mage like guns.
-Erramun clan's magic, 「Thunder Barrage」
The staff Nilrem's holding starts glowing, from there, a surge of lightning bursts out, linking with the other staves like a lightning conductor. Powered with the element of lightning, the magic staves themselves rapidly shoot lightning bolts toward Niccolo, with speed resembling a machine gun. Facing six magic staves rapidly shooting at him from every angle at his front, Niccolo has no choice but to continue putting up his defenses.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
With a quick chant, the old mage's tome starts shooting out more pages, despite the tome becoming thinner and thinner with more pages coming out of it. Each paper flies out, blocking the lightning bolts with its body. Some manage to accomplish this job, but each page can only hold out a fixed number of bolts before their endurance run out. Roughly a hundred pages of paper are blocking a rapid barrage of lightning from the other side. It all look like a game of catch that involves papers and lightning.
-I won't allow it to end like this!
Shouts the old mage. Using the spare papers available, he commands them to fold themselves into paper planes, and shoots all of them toward the witch on the opposite of the bridge. The paper planes themselves are few in number, but because of their small size, they manage to slip through the oncoming lightning barrage. By the time Nilrem understands what's happening, it's already too late. Some of her staves manage to shoot down the paper planes, but one luckily slipped out from their range and directly thrust itself at Nilrem's right arm.
-Urggh!
The old witch groans in pain. Even when it's just a paper plane, to Nilrem, it's the same as being stabbed by a knife. However, that's merely the beginning. The paper plane itself suddenly gets hotter. Before she puts herself in danger, Nilrem pulls out the paper plane herself with her free left arm and throws it to the dark valley below. It exploded halfway of its fall. Should Nilrem was late in disposing the plane, she would find herself being blown apart, effectively ending the duel.
However, that isn't the end of her worries. The paper planes are just mere distraction. The main attack is a huge chunk of earth that extends itself from the ground below Niccolo's. Another 「Earth Surge」 spell, but on a smaller scale.
-Tch!
Without any other choices, Nilrem can only throw herself to the side to dodge the oncoming chunk of earth. It crushes the place Nilrem was standing earlier to pieces. If this huge piece of earth is bigger, it may have took Nilrem's legs even when she dodged away. However, it's also a sign of relief for the old woman, as the size isn't the same to the ones used as bridges. It means Niccolo himself is running low on soul energy. Of course he is, even if it's just a Class Six spell, conjuring that many earth bridges would surely sap his soul energy away.
As the attacks make the witch's concentration waver, the staves themselves stop shooting, and resume their standby mode by hovering behind Nilrem once again.
-I'm impressed. I met many crazy people before, but none were crazy enough to take a mere incantation quickening tool and honed it to be such deadly weapon.
The old man on the other side strokes his beard and smirks from Nilrem's praise.
-Of course it is. This is my life greatest work! Something that I spent nearly a hundred years trying to perfect.
-Does it has a name?
Asks Nilrem. Niccoly only chuckles for a bit before replying.
-It doesn't have a name…not yet. I was too busying honing it to meet the standard I put myself. It needs to be powerful enough to worthy of becoming my tool. However, as I am the type who put all his focus to do something, I usually forgo what trivial things that come along. So, that's the reason why this tome hasn't got a proper name yet.
Suddenly, the old man points his finger toward Nilrem as he loudly declares.
-But, after this battle, I shall bestow upon it the name 「Sage Slayer」! It will be remembered by the deeds that can only make possible using its power!
Nilrem seems amused, but still, she stays silent without giving any response.
-About your compliment earlier, thank you. To have my prowess being recognized by an Archsage is an honor.
Niccolo bows his head in respect. But his face changes the moment he pulls it back up. He frowns with anger in his eyes.
-However, the same can't be said about you. For an Archsage, your performance earlier was a bit…lacking.
The old mage criticizes.
-If you were serious, I would be dead by now. But I don't think you have the luxury to afford playing around, as your comrades lay dying by seconds. However, knowing how the barrier around Melas works, it's understandable that you would consider using low-tier spells like earlier. But, with your famed magical power, even low-tier spells would prove to be deadly against an old mage like me.
The witch seems to have caught on to something, she keeps her silence, as if afraid to spill out her secrets should she continue speaking.
-Another thing, your staves. As you know, staves are magic power amplifiers. But even when powered by six staves at the same time, your spells' power still proved too pitiful to someone with the title Archsage. Not to mention your casting speed. If you were capable of it, you would destroy my Earth Surge with a spell without needing to dodge it yourself.
The old mage smirks. He finally catches on to the old witch's secret.
-I have finally found out your secret, Archsage Nilrem Erramun! The secret behind your immortality, of how a great witch like yourself could survive for a thousand years! Your magic power! THAT, is the key behind your long lifespan! You sacrificed your magic power to maintain your own life force. THAT's the price you paid so you can live till this day!
The old witch can do naught but smile, but is it a smile of accepting defeat, or something else?
-With your current magical power, even a mere mage like me can still take down someone who claimed herself as "Archsage"! I shall hold back no longer, because my comrades are also dying as I speak. Embrace your doom, Nilrem Erramun!
Niccolo throws his tome to the air. The tome starts flipping the pages by itself, shooting out every pages inside the book until all that left is its spine. The white pages almost cover the whole space behind Niccolo. As per his command, all the pages starts flying toward Nilrem, waves upon waves.
-Erramun clan's magic, 「Thunder Shield」!
As a last resort, Nilrem commands her staves to spread out and pluck themselves around her area, effectively making a circle. The old witch thrust the staff on her hand at the center of the circle and starts chanting. The amber on her staff glows, creating more lightning which chain with the other staves, creating a shelter made of lightning. It blocks all the oncoming papers, but can do nothing but letting itself be covered by all of them, creating something that looks like a furball made of paper if looking from an outer perspective.
-DIE!
Shouts Niccolo. His command has been given. All the papers start glowing, increasing in temperature, and at the same time, they explode.
BOOM!
A black smoke rises from the site of the explosion. The other demons on top of the walls have watched the duel from beginning up until this time. Of course, with how the two mages communicate in their human native tongue, the demons barely understand what was going on except for the flashy magical attacks. However, this time, they are genuine worry for Nilrem's welfare. After all, she is the lord of the castle, and grand commander of Melas's defense. If she were to die, it will be a huge loss for the demons, especially at this phase of the siege.
"The smoke. They're gone."
Says a demon soldier. Like he said, a wind flows by, slowly taking away the black smoke, revealing the aftermath of the duel.
At the explosion site, Nilrem's staves still remain. But the woman herself is no more. The explosion broke through her barrier, killing her in the process. Her remains are barely there. Most of her body has already turned to ash, only her right hand somehow is still intact, as it continues to hold firm of the staff at the circle's central, even when the rest has already gone. To withstood an explosion of that caliber and still got out untouched, the staves themselves must had been made with valuable materials. Nilrem herself, however, wasn't.
Nilrem Erramun is dead, killed by Niccolo Guerra of Ignis.
"No…!"
"Impossible."
"The Archsage…killed?"
Confusion starts growing in the heart of the demons. However, Niccolo doesn't let that take away his joy of victory.
-AHAHAHAHA! I FINALLY DID IT! I KILLED THE ARCHSAGE HERSELF!
The victorious old man laughed out loud like a maniac. But considering the weight of his achievement, it's justifiable for him to have such an outburst.
-Even though I destroyed my whole life's work in the process, it's still worth it! I showed those bastards at Ignis my worth! The shame I endured for a hundred years has finally bear fruit! Who's laughing now, conceited sons of bitches! This is the power of my effort, something that can triumph over natural talent!
Suddenly, Niccolo opens wide his arm.
-The time has come, my brethren! The biggest obstacle to our victory has been destroyed! It's time for us to do what has to be done! The mission bestowed to us by Origen himself!
Even if there is someone who can understand the human's tongue among the demons on the wall, they will surely think of Niccolo as a mad man ranting from his victory. But soon, that opinion quickly vanishes as the space around the dead forest of the west somehow starts to distort and finally breaks, revealing a full regiment of armed soldiers waiting behind.
"What the? From when…!?"
The demon commanders cannot believe their eyes. A whole regiment of soldiers right beneath their notice, waiting from the beginning. They are cheering for Niccolo with their swords held high. The barrier which hide their existence is no more, revealing their battle cries that can pierce even the sky. Niccolo's victory over Nilrem brings morale to an estranged army, and takes it away from the demons on the walls.
-Charge! My brethren! We shall be the one to take down Melas castle today!
With his command, the soldiers start charging toward the castle walls, and Niccolo himself also joins the fray as vanguard.
"All soldiers in battle station! Archers! Shoot them out!"
Shout the commanders. The witch's sudden death surely make things worse for them. The archers obey the order, but their job gets harder the moment the human soldiers bring out their shields.
Back to Niccolo, as Melas's West Gate is still shut tight, it depends on him - the most powerful mage on this bridge – to deal with it. As he passes by Nilrem's remains, however, he stops his track for a bit.
-I shall take this as my trophy.
The old mage grabs a hold of Nilrem's staff and throws away her remaining hand like a piece of trash. With the human soldiers catching up to him, Niccolo once again takes charge.
-None shall stop me! The Sage Slayer!
His soul energy is almost spent, if this continue any longer, there will be long lasting effects. But Nilrem's staff solves this problem. It's an magic amplifier that can increase the power of a spell with the same cost. It only takes one Earth Surge enhanced by her staff to break the Gate. How ironic, the staff which belongs to the castle's protector gets used as a tool to destroy it instead. Without a gate to hold them, the human army march on to the castle ground, with Niccolo as leader.
However, they are met with an unpleasant surprise.
"Mages! Release your spell!"
Shouts Walpurga with a group of mages beside her as they release the spell they have been charging before Nilrem's death. The combined magic force of the Demon Realm's mages unleash a huge stream of water to the army marching through the Gate. The water stream washes away the human soldiers like a tidal wave, pushing a lot of them off the bridge to fall to their death below the dark valley. But that is the least devastating effect of this spell.
-My skins! They're melting!
The soldiers that luckily escape from their death by falling find themselves unluckily face their death by melting instead. That water melts even swords and armors, let alone human skin. Soon, the human's forces halt its march and resort to screaming in pain before death eventually come to them, after the pain decides it's boring to torment them further, of course.
"Go, Ferdelin. Unleash hell!"
The witch Walpurga's pet cat runs away from her shoulder. A black mist surrounds its body and enlarges the cat to its original size, revealing itself as a giant black furious cat that is Walpurga's familiar. The cat lunges through the bridge, and starts wreaking havoc to the soldiers who hasn't put their foot on the bridge.
-Im…possible.
Surprisingly, Niccolo is still alive, barely. He managed to conjure a quick barrier to defend himself, but the duel earlier cost him too much soul energy to make the barrier strong enough. Like before, Nilrem's staff is unharmed, and so is the upper half of the old mage. The bottom half however not so much, since he was the first to get caught by the full water stream. He groans in pain, and in anger, knowing he got caught to a trap.
A trap made by Nilrem herself.
"A little help please, Walpurga."
A voice comes out from the strange coffin beside the demon mages. As her name gets called, Walpurga rushes to the side of the coffin. She presses a button, and the coffin bursts open. A cold fog starts pouring outside, creating a mysterious atmosphere befitting the entrance of the being inside.
Nilrem Erramun.
Or rather, someone resembling the Archsage. Inside the coffin is a person, a girl in her teen age, roughly about sixteen. She is as nude as a newborn baby, which allows her figure and assets of a young girl to show themselves. What's special about her is her facial features and hair style. They are the same as Nilrem Erramun, the same grey long hair, the same grey eyes of wisdom, the same smugness of a powerful witch, only younger, fitting her current form of an teenage girl.
"Welcome back, Headmaster. How's the new vessel?"
"Better than that ten years old shell, to start with."
Before someone get killed from distraction thanks to their libido, Walpurga brings out a cloak to cover the newborn Headmaster, restoring her modesty in the process and gives the demon commanders their focus back.
-But…how…?
The half-dead Niccolo mumbles.
-As you know, soul energy is the bond created from the energy of the soul and body.
With her cloak covering her nude body, Nilrem walks toward the old mage as she speaks.
-In a sense, soul energy shares the same link with the soul and body. But what would happen when you put a soul into another body?
The young Headmaster asks, and answers her own question with her next line.
-They reject each other. You can't just use any key to open a specific lock, of course. That's why I created a master key for any locks, that is modifying my soul to be able to inhabit artificial bodies. THAT, is my secret, Niccolo Guerra. The reason to explain my lack of magic power is of course, because of my unnatural existence, there's a limit of how an unnatural soul and unnatural body can unite, which can't be change no matter what I did. But that…is the price I paid, just to live to this day.
-So…that's why…I failed.
Niccolo mumbles. His voice grows weaker. Soon, he will die in vain, without completing any of his goals.
-That's not the reason why you failed. The first reason, is because you think I am the most powerful mage to defend the castle. The second reason, is because you think I'm prideful enough to engage you in your duel when provoked. The third reason, is because you think you can defeat me, the Archsage Nilrem Erramun.
The old mage stares at the young witch. That doesn't stop the girl from babbling.
-I met my fair share of mages like you. Just because they holed themselves up for a few hundred years, they think they are strong enough to give themselves the right to stand above others. If you need something to blame, Niccolo, blame your own ignorance and blindness.
-You used…unhonorable tactics…may Lielos…forever curse an existence…such as yours.
The young Headmaster takes back her staff, returning it to its rightful owner. The staff's amber glows, creating a small spearhead made of lightning, effectively turning her staff into a lightning spear.
-Well, you know what they called me, 「Treacherous Witch」, Nilrem Erramun. Like you said earlier, my valor and honor had already been tossed to the dumpster during my betrayal.
Shnk!
With no hesitantion, Nilrem thrusts the lightning spear through Niccolo's heart, finally freeing him from his torment of the physical plain.
-Come back and fight me when you get yourself another nine hundred years of training, if next life exists.
The witch no longer pays any attention to the dead mage, and proceeds to continue directing the war ahead.