Rain Adriche, back in his hideout, gnawed on his lip.
“Damn it…”
He staggered, bracing himself against the wall. Crimson blood trickled down his fingertips, staining the cold stone floor. But the greater problem was the inferno consuming his abdomen.
Whoosh.
Flames seeped beneath his skin, writhing like a living creature, gnawing at his insides.
Burning.
Annihilating.
Magical Power erupted from his fingertips. He tried to smother the wound, but the flames only devoured the Magical Power.
Rain Adriche stared at his slowly solidifying fingertips. The golden sword he had seen flashed in his mind.
The flames of divine punishment.
Flames that burned away karma.
Karmic fire, shimmering with a golden radiance, flickered over the wound. It wasn’t just a simple flame. It was a judgment. Burning away sin, erasing evil. Therefore, this was a flame that purged wickedness.
No matter how much mighty Magical Power he summoned, he couldn’t extinguish the flames. This state would continue until all the karma he had committed had burned away and vanished.
‘Why does the Obsidian Saint possess that power…?’
The flames of divine punishment were the power that Yohan Rahardt had used to inflict a fatal wound on him in a now-vanished timeline.
He couldn’t recall the memory in detail, so he didn’t know where Yohan Rahardt had found it. But even the Obsidian Saint possessed the flames of divine punishment.
‘It was definitely an artifact.’
In that instant, Rain Adriche had clearly seen a sword radiating light. The same unadorned sword that Yohan Rahardt had used.
‘An artifact of a Celestial Magician?’
His brow furrowed. The only person who could control such power and imbue it into a sword was the mythical Celestial Magician. It required extremely delicate mana manipulation.
He didn’t know where or how she had found it, but—
‘In any case, I must be wary of that light.’
That sword, imbued with the flames of divine punishment, could be considered the only weapon capable of inflicting a fatal wound on him.
“Haa, things are going to hell.”
Rain Adriche groaned and struggled to his feet. The deed was done. He had placed a soul binding on Duke Ferbache and attacked the imperial capital.
Things had become quite tangled, but he had achieved his goal. He had allowed Yohan Rahardt to be consumed by rage, and he had been given the opportunity to declare the man’s death in a duel.
All that remained was the announcement.
“Kuh…”
Rain Adriche smiled and headed to the inner room where the communication device was located.
* * *
Yohan arrived at Mary Jane’s Clothing Store in the Imperial Capital’s Arts District, taking a moment to catch his breath and survey the surroundings. The building was completely destroyed, leaving only rubble.
And the Empire’s Special Forces were tracking the remaining Magical Power and conducting an investigation. Judging by their rigid faces, they seemed to be aware that the Magic Tower Master was responsible.
“You’ve arrived, Duke Rahardt.”
The Special Forces Captain approached. Yohan narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.
“It seems I’m already too late.”
“…Yes, that’s right. By the time we arrived, he was already gone.”
A shadow fell over Yohan’s eyes.
“The victims?”
“The investigation is not yet complete, but there are fatalities. I will submit a detailed report later.”
“Very well. I’ll tell you what happened at the Magic Tower later. It seems it will be a long story.”
The Special Forces Captain saluted, bringing the edge of his hand to his eyebrow at a sharp angle.
“Yes, Lady Ferbache is inside.”
Yohan nodded once and entered the ruins. He saw healers, Francia, and Duke Ferbache, who had collapsed and lost consciousness.
“Yohan…”
Francia’s voice trembled. Her eyes were red and swollen. Tear tracks were clearly visible on her face.
The moment Yohan approached, Francia rushed to embrace him tightly.
“Hic, my father’s soul has been bound…”
“….”
“Father won’t wake up…”
At her sobs, Yohan wordlessly reached out and carefully embraced her. Francia buried her face in his chest and wept even more.
All he felt was rage.
People usually experienced a surge of adrenaline when they were angry, and their heads would become hot with excitement, but Yohan felt his brain growing coldly numb.
His blood didn’t boil. It didn’t heat up; rather, it cooled down. It froze. His excited heart slowly calmed down, allowing him to maintain composure and calmness.
Extreme rage, on the contrary, made his senses cold.
His vision became clear. His heart beat slowly.
In order to exact revenge on the person who had made him feel rage, to crush them completely without making mistakes, calmness and composure were created.
Yohan clenched his fist and stood up.
“I will kill the Magic Tower Master.”
The hand that clenched his fist trembled slightly. But it didn’t carry the form of rage.
It was merely pure murderous intent, coldly contained, filled with the intention to kill him.
He continued.
“I don’t know where he fled, but I will officially declare war on the Magic Tower.”
He had not only attacked the heart of the Empire, the Imperial Capital, at will, but had also inflicted great harm on Duke Ferbache, the guardian of the North. The Imperial Family wouldn’t stand idly by either.
“So, rest assured. There is absolutely no way my father-in-law will not wake up.”
Francia simply nodded, feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
“Please…”
Even though she knew it was dangerous, she couldn’t stop him. The death of the Magic Tower Master was something she also desired.
“Duke Rahardt.”
At that moment, the Special Forces Captain and his men approached.
“The damage has been assessed. The total number of fatalities is seven, consisting of the noblewomen and employees who were at Mary Jane’s Clothing Store.”
All of them had families.
“Lady Mary Jane also lost her life. And unfortunately… only Magical Power residue remained; the bodies could not be found.”
They were people who were loved by many.
“The reason we were able to identify them was thanks to the survivors inside. There may be more fatalities.”
Such people had been erased by the Magic Tower Master without leaving a trace. As if they had never existed in this world. Without even time to grieve.
“…I understand.”
Yohan nodded with a coldly hardened face.
“I will go to the Imperial Palace immediately.”
* * *
The Imperial Palace, The Conference Chamber.
Ministers and officials gathered around a round table.
“We must officially protest to the Magic Tower!”
Thump!
One minister slammed the round table in anger.
“Just protest? We must declare war! This is not something that can be resolved with such wordplay!”
“The Magic Tower has already declared war! We must retaliate immediately!”
“They attacked the Imperial Capital and defeated Duke Ferbache! And yet, we are merely protesting?!”
“If we remain like this, it will be a disgrace to the Empire!”
The voices of the ministers were agitated, their faces flushed with anger.
“We must declare war immediately!”
To dare touch the Empire, and in the heart of the Imperial Capital! Furthermore, Duke Ferbache, who protects the North, was unconscious and unable to wake up.
How could it be called an Empire if it did not rage?
“I thought the Magic Tower Master’s mind was strange.”
“Strange? He’s completely lost it!”
“We should have realized when he suddenly came to the banquet.”
“What is his purpose? I still don’t understand…”
The discussion between the ministers and officials continued. Then, the Emperor raised his hand with a stiff face.
“Enough.”
His low, heavy voice echoed in the Conference Chamber. The ministers and officials pursed their lips into a straight line and looked at the Emperor. Silence fell instantly.
“Prime Minister, report.”
The Emperor asked calmly.
“Mary Jane’s Clothing Store in the Imperial Capital’s Arts District has been completely destroyed. The fatalities consisted of the noblewomen and employees who were there.”
Rustle.
The Prime Minister continued his report, turning the page of the document.
“In that battle, Duke Ferbache fell into a coma. From the symptoms, it seems to be a soul binding that cannot be undone unless the Magic Tower Master is killed.”
Soul Binding.
Rage surged at those words.
“To dare bind a soul…!”
“Isn’t that forbidden magic!”
“The Magic Tower Master, that madman…!”
As the topic came up, the Emperor raised his hand once more. Silence followed again.
“That concludes the damage report.”
“…Is that so.”
The Emperor slowly turned his head and looked at Yohan.
“I have heard from Minister Rahardt about what happened at the Magic Tower, but it seems the Magic Tower Master intended to do this from the beginning. That’s why he attended the banquet and offered to help restore the rift.”
Before the Conference Chamber meeting, Yohan had first explained to the Special Forces what had happened at the Magic Tower. The report summarizing it was placed on the round table.
“Minister Rahardt, I would like to entrust this matter to you, Minister Rahardt, as the person involved. Of course, the Rozino Empire will provide all possible support.”
Yohan asked in a low voice.
“Is this the duty of the Executioner?”
“That is so.”
The Emperor nodded once and continued.
“In the first place, you are the only one who can face the Magic Tower Master. And we cannot escalate to all-out war.”
Yohan nodded in agreement. That was correct. He was the only one who could face the Magic Tower Master, the strongest magician on the continent and close to the realm of the Celestial.
If he didn’t step forward here, it would lead to an all-out war with the Magic Tower, and there was no telling how the surrounding countries would react. The situation could escalate even further.
And he wanted to deal with that Magic Tower Master himself. Because he was the one who had harmed someone who would become family.
“I understand. I will deal with the Magic Tower Master myself.”
“Then I will grant Minister Rahardt the authority to mobilize the Special Forces.”
“…The entire Special Forces?”
“That is so.”
The Special Forces were a secret organization of the Imperial Family, composed solely of elite individuals. They could be seen as a higher-level organization than the inspectors who also served as the Imperial Guard.
“I will hand over command to you. Facing the Magic Tower Master head-on is the Minister’s job. The Imperial Family will provide all support to Minister Rahardt.”
It might seem like washing their hands of the matter at first glance, but it was an excellent choice. Yohan was the one directly on the front lines. It was right to rely entirely on his judgment.
“Understood.”
“Then we will prepare the operation details in more detail. Let us conclude the Conference Chamber meeting.”
The Emperor, ministers, and officials were about to rise from their seats when—
Bang!
The door was thrown open roughly.
The Special Forces Captain rushed in, gasping for breath.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
“What is it?”
“The Magic Tower has released an official statement!”
“…An official statement?”
The Conference Chamber buzzed with commotion.
“The Magic Tower moved first!”
“It’s already too late.”
“That insane Magic Tower Master…!”
Amidst the commotion, the Emperor calmly sat on the throne. And he calmly raised his hand, stopping the chaos. The commotion in the Conference Chamber ceased.
“What is the content of the statement?”
“The Magic Tower Master has requested a duel with Duke Rahardt!”
A duel.
It meant he wanted a one-on-one fight.
“A duel… that’s absurd…!”
“We must not accept. That’s the picture he wants!”
“We cannot send Minister Rahardt alone!”
The ministers protested. But the corners of Yohan’s mouth twisted slightly.
“I will accept.”
As Yohan’s words were heard, the Conference Chamber was instantly filled with silence. Their gazes turned to Yohan all at once. They were puzzled, as if they didn’t understand.
“I will fight the Magic Tower Master in a duel and kill him.”
There was no reason to refuse.