Upon contact, the barriers supplied with an enormous capacity of mana and a magic formula granting nigh-indestructibility were instantly shattered without resistance.
The dungeon master wore a terrified expression as his figure vanished, appearing a few steps away.
However, he quickly regained his calm, and mana flared around him.
“You are strong. But I am—!”
He was about to say something else, but Silvia unleashed waves of Heavenrend, the flying slashes colored silver, weaving one into another seamlessly without a break.
Spherical barriers were stacked at a breakneck speed, but the slashes tore through them like a sheet of paper and only missed as the man once again teleported, this time repeatedly.
“Hey, I'm talking! I—!”
“Urg, not interested. Void Art: Destruction Wave.”
With a swing of the sword, a wide ripple of colorless energy with black wisps engulfed the area, destroying more barriers and formations and taking chunks of the floor as well.
Silvia stepped forward; green energy radiated with silver embers. “Clarent Style: Fairy Waltz.”
For a brief moment, the green energy of the wind took the shape of fairy wings to get back, and she accelerated further. Her sword is already falling on where the dungeon master recently teleported to.
Unable to escape in time, the blade swiftly passed through the illusory body. However, the Primordial Wind, reacting to the illusion, dissipated it and compromised its integrity.
Ark unleashed another Destruction Cannon, ignoring the immense mental strain it placed on him. Being new to these techniques made him sacrifice a significant portion of focus. What looked easy from a passerby's view was in fact extremely taxing.
The technique missed, but even the strike Silvia landed was already fatal.
(What exactly is he?) Ark wondered.
It wasn't magic, but it felt close. The "illusion" functioned like a real body where the consciousness lied, and intent emananted from it like a normal creature. A body of pure foreign energy.
“I underestimated these freaks.” The dungeon master, body fading into silver clutter, muttered to himself. “No more holding back.”
An intent from the room beyond this one died out, one identical to the dungeon master's, and he succeeded to expel the Primordial Wind with a surge of energy.
A simple metalic crown appeared, and the whole world shook from the immense pressure that spiked from the dungeon master.
“I am Maximillian Kruger, the world's only Mind Mage. Let me show you, little freaks, the frightening power of the mind—no, not again!”
Interrupted yet again by Ark's refusal to listen, Maximillian yelled and waved his hand.
Ark was blasted to the wall.
(The heck?)
However, the attack did not end there. The crown spun rapidly on Maximillian's head, and the wave intensified.
Silvia pushed back. Her green energy blew fiercely, flowing like a tempest, and even more mana was radiated. It was a barbaric means of brute forcing the way, impossible for even top magicians, but for Silvia it was an easy endeavor.
Maximillian sent pulses of blasts, cutting through Silvia's defenses, and she began to struggle as wounds accumulated. The sheer energy that was used was impossible to overcome.
(This is annoying.) Ark clicked his tongue internally, unable to do so physically as the pressure of the telekinesis caused his muscles to tear.
(Destruction Domain,) he said, trying to stir the black wisps of destructive intent to destroy the force.
It was so easy.
Without a struggle, the force disappeared, and he is left free. Inside the black smoke, he was free to move as every hostile force was obliterated.
Ark took a stance, raising his hands and grasping Silverstar tightly. The sword shone with beautiful silver, surrounded by black smoke. He focused his mind, sharpening his intent and focusing on Maximillian. He set the target, and the sword descended.
Maximillian was a considerable distance away from Ark. Theoretically, the sword should never have it.
However, the slash that is a step away from a concept is beyond such regulations. Silverstar tore through space itself on its way to Maximillian, and without the opportunity to avoid, the sword cleaved the mind mage in half.
The pressure died as the two sigh in relief. The crown no longer spun and fell to the ground with a clanking sound.
“That was suspiciously easy,” Silvia said, doubtful. “He isn't faking it, isn't he?”
A wave of destructive intent washed the room. Silvia released a wave of Primordial Wind as a counter, and the two powers canceled each other.
“Opps.” Ark picked up the crown. Luckily, it was unharmed.
“Be careful. That was dangerous.”
“Give me a sec.”
He hurriedly calmed the primal urge to destroy. He briefly lost control, letting the intent destroy everything. Using such dangerous intent came at the risk of losing his mind.
Anyone else other than Silvia would have died, but her power protected her.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“It shouldn't have been so easy,” Ark agreed. “I thought we would need at least five clean strikes. Well, I didn't expect this intent to be so potent.”
“Don't use it too much.”
“I don't know. It's really nice.”
“I am serious, Ark.” Silvia stared at Ark, her lavender eyes unwavering. “You might hurt yourself.”
Ark blinked. “That's your reason?”
“Yes.”
An uncomfortable, unknown feeling engulfed him. Ark suddenly found the crown in his hands the most interesting thing in the world.
“I will only use it when necessary.” He relented.
That seemed to satisfy her, much to Ark's dismay.
“Weirdo,” he muttered. He tapped on the crown. “Hey, Maxi, ready to make a deal?”
Silence ensued, but Ark did not move his gaze and smiled with a know-it-all expression.
After a few minutes, the crown emitted mana, reverberating with the sound of human language.
(How did you know?)
◇◇◇
Elizabeth's Perspective
I float above the sea, waves rise and crush beneath my feet, my eyes completely focused on the demon that hovers using his raven wings.
It's barely been a few minutes since Ark left, so why are they attacking already?
“Fancy seeing you here, Sage.”
A demon with black hair and red eyes is smirking at me. He is composed and radiates terrible arrogance, as if everything is beneath him.
“Immortal Dark Star, I suppose? Such a grand name for a mere cowardly demon.”
I can at least say his magic power isn't anything noteworthy. However, I do not let down my guard for a second.
“A grand name fitting a great figure. I admit my means can be interpreted as cowardly, but that is merely a matter of efficiency.” His bearing reminds me of Ark; only his eyes seem to be filled with mockery and contempt, whereas Ark's are desperate.
It actually makes me calmer.
“I sent demons to infiltrate from different directions, but you managed to intercept them. How bothersome.”
Using Ark's formations, I detected the demons, separated and isolated them. I already killed the weaker ones and left the rest of the others. It's a crushing defeat for their forces, but the annoying demon in front of me doesn't seem bothered in the least.
“It doesn't matter, since your death is worth it.”
“You will be the one to die,” I say.
I radiate mana into my surroundings, dying the space itself. I push more and more, infusing the area with pale blue mana. Over a small area at first, then extending to engulf the demon, and more. This is my signature technique: Mana Domain.
He stands there, unaffected, defending solely with the endurance of his body and his darkness.
Through this domain packed with my mana, I manifest a single spell. “Solar Eruption.”
Dazzling light devours the world; intense radiation evaporates the ocean and shatters elemental particles into the subatomic level.
Sea monsters with enough intelligence escape frantically. Some will reach the coast, so it might be dangerous for a while, but I don't have the leisure to focus on that.
“How bothersome.”
“That's my line,” I retort with annoyance.
The Immortal Dark Star covered himself in a cocoon of darkness. Emerging unharmed, my heart races with a mixture of fear and irritation.
He is strong. He moves his darkness with speed unparalleled to other demons, and I still don't even know his exact race.
I am dealing with a Titan of the upper level.
Just where was someone like that during the war?
I infuse my Mana Domain with more mana, feeling my reserve reach a level it hasn't gotten to in years. Still, this much is still nothing.
“Well, I guess the brat isn't coming. I wanted to see the guy who killed innocent civilians acting like a hero.” The demon stretches, spouting nonsense.
Finally, my domain recovers sufficiently, and I materialize a different spell, Starlight Arrow, dozens of times over.
White streaks of light bombard the demon. He reacts, finally moving, creating orbs of darkness to bend the trajectory. Dozens of streaks of white light surround him like a storm, not one grazing him.
I form a hundred more and create two orbs using magic and forcibly correct them.
He flies away, maneuvering with a level of skill I can't believe, and destroys the spells.
My domain now encompasses as far as my eyes can see into the horizon. My mana, which seems endless, is now about 10% left. I use that 10% and infuse it directly into my body.
Okay, I am perfectly ready.
After years on the battlefield and the fight against the Demon King, I have come to realize the limitation of magic. It works by running formulas with the brain. No matter how good you are, you cannot manifest a spell that goes beyond the limits of your mind.
But magic works with magic power. Mana is an energy. The more you have, the stronger you should be. My inability to use everything at once is a fatal weakness.
What I am about to do isn't magic.
I simply bend my mana down.
The mana that is infused into the space.
A massive gravitational wave crushes down, dropping the Immortal Dark Star into the ocean.
◇◇◇
Barkus's Perspective
The intense light that erupted from the ocean must have been the Sage's doing.
No, this doesn't concern me. I need to focus on the battle in front of me.
“Quake Strike!” I shout, dropping my sword onto this demon.
He catches my sword with a hand coated with darkness and punches me with the other. I fly, crushing into a wall.
“Woah there, this guy is good.” A man with black hair and yellow eyes whistles in admiration as his sword is busy intercepting two demons at once.
He wore the same uniform as Ark, so I suppose he is from the same order, but his dark sword spirit really unsettles me.
As if bored, he swings the sword with a lack of enthusiasm, dark blades flying all around.
“It's nice that you are here, Ragna, but finish these guys faster!” Scarlet, the healer, says.
That same healer is also dealing with two demons at once. Her ice magic slows them, and... she punches them with a force that no healer should possess. Any damage she sustains is rapidly healed, and the blood transforms into deadly fast projectiles. A vampire? Under the sun?
These two are also ridiculously powerful.
I get up, and Bolster activates, consuming my mana.
I only need to fight one. I can't fail now.
My recent defeats flashes in my mind, but I ignore it and rush ahead. “Gaia Style: Seismic Thrust!”
I lunge into a thrust, my body vibrating, ready to transmit this force into a single point.
The demon's eyes tick between Scarlet and that guy, Ragna. He is trapped in this barrier, so he will have to face one of them soon, is probably what he is thinking, but I plan to kill him before that.
An arm's reach away, and he looks at me. Shadows flow out of his body, and I find myself stumbling in a dark space.
“Don't bother me,” he says and kicks me. A black dagger forms in his hand menacingly.
I curse.
It's just a shadow demon. They aren't known for their physical strength, but I am being treated like a toy.
“I can see what you are thinking. Actually, I am a half strength demon, so don't feel too bad.”
I don't care.
Why even tell me this if you obviously want to kill me?
I roll away from him and rise on my feet. The cruel look in his dark eyes makes me feel the shadow of death looming over me.
No, I can do more. I'm not even tired yet.
If I am not strong enough, I will Bolster myself more.
I run, feeling possessed. Unlike Ark's advice, I don't think. I am simply attempting to bulldoze through.
I can understand why he is right, and I did try to think. But it's not something I can pull off being unused to it. So I give up using logic, but not using my skill.
I Bolster and Bolster more. My movements accelerate drastically, and I feel something new bubbling inside me. My sword spirit itself is being fortified with my skill.
It's something I never thought of manifesting in my desperate attempt.
With a strength I have never experienced welling inside me, I slash the demon. My magic power is empty as I burrow my sword into the demon's chest, his eyes containing shock before the light disappears completely.
The shadows dissipate, and I fall on my feet, exhausted.
“Didja win? Nice one, dude.” That Ragna guy comes to me, behind him two corpses.
I look to the other side, where two demons are stuck in ice, unconscious.
Scarlet taps on my shoulder.
“We were wary the shadow demon would escape, so we had to keep our eyes on him. You did well, Barkus.”
I blush and avert my eyes. She is pretty, but somehow, it feels dangerous.
“So, wanna have a bout real quick?”
“What?”
For some reason, Ragna takes out his sword and points it at me with an excited expression.
At the same time, Scarlet rolls her eyes as if it's normal.
...
These guys are a bit crazy.