Centered around Yohan, ashen magic spread outward.
Jet-black shadows surged like waves, gradually consuming the area.
The once-blue sky was gnawed away by the darkness, its traces fading slowly.
The world was dyed in a chilling stillness, plunging into a suffocating silence.
* * *
“Gasp!”
Fedelian inhaled sharply and opened his eyes. He was in pitch darkness, unable to see even an inch ahead.
No sound reached him. That wasn’t all despite his exceptional knightly senses, he could feel nothing.
Realizing this, a wave of unease and fear swept over him. If he were attacked now, he wouldn’t even be able to respond.
‘Stay calm.’
Fedelian bit his lip hard, forcing himself to suppress the quickening of his heartbeat and the trembling in his fingertips. He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms.
The sting of pain pushed back the fear and anxiety just enough. Finally, he could properly assess his situation.
‘…It’s really Mental World Unveiling.’
Mental World Unveiling (心象開門).
It literally meant opening one’s inner world and revealing it to the outside.
A miracle achievable only by a select few among those who had reached the transcendental realm.
Using their mana, they created a barrier and controlled every law within it.
If you were dragged into this world, it was essentially over. Unless you were also a transcendental being, the user could kill you with the flick of a finger.
‘But it’s not over yet. The Duke of Aegis is still out there.’
In the darkness, Fedelian took a deep breath, surveying his surroundings with a face hardened by determination.
Nothing. Still, he could see nothing.
Even enhancing his body and senses with mana made no difference.
—At that moment.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
“…!”
Suddenly, the ground beneath him twisted violently. A massive tremor shook his body. Along with it, the sensations that had vanished began to return slowly.
‘It’s starting!’
At the center of the sky, a crimson sun ignited, illuminating the jet-black world little by little.
To the left, black clouds gathered, draping the area in a shroud of darkness.
To the right, a bright, endless blue sky stretched outward.
Beneath it, a massive golden magic circle shimmered, covering the ground and emanating a mystical radiance.
It was as if day, night, and dawn coexisted in a single scene.
This was a miracle achievable only by a rare few among the transcendental.
“This is… Mental World Unveiling…”
At that moment, Fedelian heard a voice nearby. It was Cassis.
“…Grand Duke.”
“…”
When Fedelian quietly called his name, Cassis turned to look at him with an indifferent expression.
Outwardly, his face was calm and unchanged, but his trembling amethyst eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.
It was easy to see that the fear and anxiety were not Fedelian’s alone—Cassis was also engulfed by the same emotions.
“What should we do?”
Cassis asked. The moment they were caught in Mental World Unveiling, defeat was inevitable.
Even if two elite swordmasters were present, it was impossible to face a transcendental being.
“It seems the Duke of Aegis wasn’t brought in. Whether that’s because the enemy chose not to or because the Duke resisted, we can’t know.”
Vwoong!
Fedelian summoned his mana. Golden energy swirled and enveloped his body and blade.
“We focus on holding out. The Duke of Aegis will destroy this domain for us.”
Even a Mental World Unveiling wasn’t without weaknesses. Whether from the inside or outside, sufficient damage could shatter the barrier.
Of course, the damage needed to far exceed the user’s power. But if it was the Duke of Aegis, it was certainly possible.
“Can he really destroy this barrier?”
Cassis’s voice was tight with tension.
“The Duke of Aegis is one of the most powerful on the continent. Even among transcendents, he’s at the top. On the other hand, that bastard opened his domain in a battered state. He should be able to break it.”
The fact that the domain hadn’t manifested fully upon their entry suggested that Yohan Rahart, the user, wasn’t in a normal condition.
“Then—”
Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble!
As Cassis tried to continue, the ground shook violently once again. The golden magic circle carved into the floor pulsed brightly.
From beyond the horizon, something massive began to rise. Its sheer size was overwhelming, like a mountain materializing before them.
The presence was so immense it was hard to breathe. Cassis tried to speak, but the words stuck in his throat.
Before long, a dark shadow loomed over both their faces.
“That’s…”
A gear.
And beneath it—
Step. Step.
A black silhouette advanced steadily.
“…Prepare yourselves.”
Fedelian and Cassis crouched low, summoning their mana. The combined energy swirled around them, crackling fiercely.
Step.
Yohan stopped walking. His condition was clearly poor. Crimson blood dripped from his nose, and his bloodshot eyes glowed an unsettling red.
“As expected.”
“He overexerted himself to open the domain.”
Smirks formed on both Fedelian’s and Cassis’s lips. If this was the case, Yohan likely couldn’t wield his domain properly.
But—
RUMBLE—!
The massive gear turned once.
“…!”
Before they could react, Yohan endured the agony ripping through his body and muttered softly:
“The Abyssal Secret Realm (無底秘境).”
The space distorted. The world twisted violently, and the boundaries around them crumbled into ruin.
“What is this…!”
“This is insane!”
Their senses warped as well.
“Gah!”
“Urgh!”
They were breathing with their eyes. Cold air swept across their pupils, forcing its way in. Meanwhile, the world seen through their noses appeared as a distorted, surreal painting.
The air tasted sweet and bitter in my ears, and every time I opened my lips, an ear-splitting sound erupted.
This wasn’t just a distortion.
Common sense as I knew it was shattering.
Everything he’d ever taken for granted was shattered.
“Modify the law.”
Yohan re-signed, and the great shadowy cogs turned once more.
“Twist and turn, twist and turn, lost in reality and illusion.”
The moment he finished his declaration
Woof!
“!!!”
Space vibrated and a crack appeared in Cassis’s body. Or, more accurately, a tear in the void. Space distorted, and his entire body twisted.
“Huhhhh…!”
Cassis felt an indescribable pain, but he couldn’t escape. His sense of movement had been reversed, he’d forgotten how to move his hands and feet, and even breathing was a struggle.
‘Damn it!’
Fedelian, who was more acclimated than he, struggled to move his arm. His grip tightened on the hem of Cassis’s robe, pulling desperately.
desperately.
But it was too late. The space between Cassis’s arm and shoulder was completely severed, and he ceased to exist.
Poof!
Red blood poured from the gap between his fallen arm and shoulder, and Cassis’s face, which had remained unchanged the entire time, instantly turned pale.
“Ow!”
Cassis awkwardly grabbed at his torn shoulder. This wound hadn’t just been cut by something.
It was gone.
“…You’re crazy.
Fedelian stared at Cassis, who had collapsed into a stiff, groaning heap. Just by looking, just by muttering, he had created the phenomenon.
‘Damn it.’
I don’t know if I can make it until Duke Aegis arrives.
The only good thing was that the spatial distortion that had blown Cassis’s arm off hadn’t been very fast. He was in bad shape.
I didn’t use any other magic.
Of course, that could be because he’s not used to it yet. But to Fedelian, the least he could do was notice.
“Twist.”
At that moment-Yohan’s cold voice rang out once more. A wave of excruciating pain rushed through Fedelian’s entire body.
“Crack…!”
The pain is coming from the outside and the inside at the same time. Fedelian clenched his molars tightly. The goal is within reach. He can’t die here.
Fedelian’s thighs instantly expanded. He hurriedly kicks the ground. He was shot sideways and was able to escape the spatial distortion.
‘You’re crazy…!’
Fedelian looked at Yohan in horror. His nose was bleeding, and he was spitting blood from the corner of his mouth.
‘He’s forcing himself to maintain the image?’
Fedelian stuck out his tongue. What has happened to his mind? To maintain such a high level of focus through pain…It didn’t make sense.
“…twist.”
Then, once again, Yohan chanted. Space began to twist. Fedelian slammed his foot into the ground, fighting back the rush of pain.
Aah!
In an instant, space twisted and broke apart.
“This is…!
Cold sweat trickled down Fedelian’s forehead. He was getting better at controlling the image, and the speed at which he warped space was increasing.
‘Damn it, what the hell is Duke Aegis doing!
Time is running out. At this rate, I’ll be as dead as that sprawled Cassis before I can react.
“Damn it…!”
Fedelian chewed his lip and squinted, and then, boom, a massive vibration rumbled through space itself. No simple earthquake.
“It’s the Duke of Aegis!
He crushed the image. It was good news. If he held on, the Duke of Aegis would deal with him.
“Too bad I can’t kill him myself…
It doesn’t matter. I can’t be so greedy when I’m about to die. Besides, Fedelian was right to focus on seizing the throne.
“Bend.”
With Yohan’s muffled words, space begins to warp. Fedelian slammed his foot into the ground.
But–
“Crack!”
The distortion is faster than before, and his right ankle is blown off.
“Ouch…!”
Red blood poured down from the severed ankle. The pain of the missing body part was beyond my imagination. Unintentionally, tears stream down my cheeks.
“Yohan Rahardt… you son of a bitch…!”
Yohan spat out a bloody breath as an enraged Fedelian stomped the ground, smearing the blood from his ankle on the ground.
“Huh…”
His whole body feels like it’s about to collapse. His magic is still intact, but his circuits are fried from the exertion.
He’d opened an unfinished image in the first place. If he expects to remain intact after this, he has no conscience.
“Distort”
Yohan, in agony, is about to cut off the space once more.
Zap! Zap!
A spiderweb-like crack formed in the void. The image is shattering. Only one person could do this.
“Dragonian…!”
Boom!
With the clear sound of shattering glass, Yohan’s image collapses. The space slowly disintegrates as blue light leaks in through the cracks.
Excellent!
His image was reduced to rubble.
“I didn’t expect you to use the Seven Swords here.”
Turbuck. Dragonian stood on the ground in the magic circle and stared at his surroundings.
He could see Fedelian crawling across the floor, and Cassis, confused by the loss of his shoulder.
“Stupid bastards.”
Tsk.
He clicked his tongue and shook his head,
his gaze filled with contempt.
The Dragonian looked at Yohan and hardened his expression.
“Yohan Rahardt, you’ve done everything you could. Rest easy now.”
“Going there in the first place is far from restful, so how am I supposed to ‘rest easy’?”
“It’s just an expression, isn’t it? Don’t waste time picking apart my words to stall.”
Woooong!
Black magic swirling around the blade roared violently,
and the fierce gale born from immense mana tore into the ground.
The Dragonian squinted his eyes.
‘Still… if he had used this on me from the start, I wouldn’t have made it out unscathed.’
Judging by the density, flow, and intensity of the magic and mana forming the aura,
it was clear. Victory was impossible, and even survival was uncertain.
‘What a pity.’
To kill someone overflowing with such talent and power was truly a sorrowful matter.
“Think of it this way, Yohan Rahardt.
Your opponent was simply too strong.”
“….”
As the Dragonian’s sword tip pointed at Yohan—
[The light of the heavens shall descend and judge you,
and in that radiant brilliance, punishment shall be delivered.]
A clear, resonant female voice echoed,
and an immense power was felt descending from the sky.
It was a force that easily surpassed transcendental magic.
The senses of a transcendent being were screaming,
“This is dangerous. Run.”
“Who in the world…?!”
A stunned Dragonian widened his eyes and looked up at the sky.
Something dazzling, shimmering in gold, was descending.
Once again, his transcendent senses screamed.
“Run.”
BOOOOM!!
The radiant golden brilliance engulfed the Duke of Aegis.