Book 16 Chapter 19
The strongest black magic organization in history!
Clash, Seven Souls (9)
From Pencion Ludwig’s perspective, the war situation was tipping unfavorably for the [Lion’s Song] mercenary group.
‘Who the hell is this guy…?’
Strong. Too strong.
This [Seven Souls] member who uses a feather sword is a master of swordsmanship, but what was even more bizarre was that he used the secret magic of the Page family.
“What is that magic!”
Leonia screamed in disbelief. She couldn't help it.
The secret magic of the Page family is ‘drawing’.
The Page family is the only magic family among all others that abbreviates runes into a simplified form, and activates magic by drawing those runes in the air.
“Bell Sidius, Principle Interpretation!”
010101100011000……!
Everything in the world is interpreted in binary.
Binary is extremely clear once you learn how to interpret it. All creation is presented as a combination of 0s and 1s.
┌ 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 ┐
ㆍThe magic square has two overlapping circles.
ㆍThe carved runes are凝 (coagulate) and 投 (throw).
ㆍThe rune symbols used are a combination of the formulaic Ruticien and the forbidden Orbiose, with a ratio of 1:9.
Size 36 axel, range 55 gimite.
└ 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 ┘
Before the enemy’s magic could even take its form, the equation of its power was first interpreted in Pencion’s mind.
“It’s coming! Get behind me!”
Now, he prepares a magic that can perfectly counter that magic.
The magic square, which had been interlocked in two layers and rotating above Pencion’s palm, soared up as a curtain of wind.
Thudududududududu……!
What rushed into that curtain was corrosive water droplets!
‘It's a good thing I flowed it upwards with wind magic… if I had taken it head-on, the barrier itself would have melted like that cave ceiling.’
Pencion had no intention of ending this round with defense. He had already opened his grimoire while deploying the curtain.
3-star fire magic, Fire Cultivation (火耕).
As if dividing plots of a field, flames suddenly surged from the soot that spread in several directions across the ground.
“!”
However, Dajesus of the Patches of Rain (沛雨) also extinguished these flames with a comparable 3-star water magic, Water Dam (水碓岸).
“So it’s Pencion of Bell Sidius. An honor to meet you.”
Dajesus said from the shadow of his skeletal helmet.
Pencion of Bell Sidius!
Among the renowned magic families, there was no mage who did not know him—born into the Ludwig family, he achieved the youngest Atlas (3-star) rank and became a Platinum mercenary before he was twenty.
He was also currently evaluated as the mage closest to Gladus (4-star).
“Thanks for recognizing me. Unlike that arrogant little brat.”
“Brat?”
“Just talking to myself. But truly, who are you? Secret magic of the Page family, I haven't seen anyone like you among the Pages at the family council.”
“I've seen you many times, though.”
“What did you say?”
“Explaining won't change anything. My identity is the darkness itself that fills this world.”
Even while talking with Pencion, Dajesus dodged Juicy’s windmill boomerang and landed an effective blow on her side.
“Ugh!”
It was an attack that shouldn't have been effective, but it was the same as the one that inflicted a fatal injury on Leonia earlier.
On the trajectory of the sword…
His body was momentarily duplicated. Once the duplicated body was cut, the same damage was immediately applied to the main body.
“Pencion, what the hell is the true nature of this guy’s power?”
Pencion was already looking into the structure of the power carved into the holy relic with Bell Sidius, straining his brain.
Clearly, it was related to time.
Mages, unlike witches, are not required to learn to interpret the bizarre words of the abyss or the characters of creation.
“Juicy, that's enough. Retreat now!”
Taehwagung 15th Form, Five Great Heavens (五太天).
This technique, which shapes mana into a massive ray of light and adds five rotating vortices around that beam, is one of the secret archery techniques of the Taehwagung style.
Those five vortices intensely amplify destructive power. And Dajesus had already entered an unavoidable trajectory.
However…!
Suddenly, a massive clump of mud surged from the ground and blocked the blow.
“!”
The arrow of magic was buried in the mud as if devoured, then slowly vanished. In the meantime, the mud organically connected, taking the form of a weapon.
The name of that form was Golem!
Of course, it wasn’t just any golem.
A golem that moved so smoothly only existed as the Sandstone Golem of the Warden family, whose ancestor was the 2nd Sage Riot Warden.
“Pencion, it’s natural that you don’t know. Because that guy isn’t the legitimate heir of the Page family.”
Hayezri of the Earth Devourers (食土) said in a cackling voice.
“Excluding Ulan Page, he’s the closest to a Page of any living Page, but his parents lost in the competition and couldn’t become Pages.”
“Don’t talk nonsense, Hayezri.”
“What does it matter? If the young master, the legitimate successor, doesn’t even speak, how will they know our feelings?”
On the mud, soldiers continuously surged forth.
Originally, the Warden bloodline’s limit was sand soldiers, but since Hayezri utilized Earth Devourer (食土), the bodies were composed of abyssal mud.
Unlike sand soldiers, if they were cut or shattered, the mud splattered everywhere, creating additional damage, making them far more threatening than the original.
“Damn it…!”
Leonia, who kept cutting, cutting, and cutting those soldiers, clicked her tongue.
She was clearly blocking them, but oddly enough, the damage accumulated on her side.
If there was an end in sight, she would have fighting spirit, but the opponent's magic seemed to have no limit.
“So what? Are you saying you fell to black magic because you’re from a branch family?”
Pencion shouted.
“The Ludwig family must treat their branch families well. Or perhaps they just don’t know. But the Page family is different.”
Dajesus’s body disappeared into the increasingly heavy rain. And he appeared behind Juicy!
“Juicy!”
Juicy tried to defend, but battle scars were once again etched onto her body in the exact same way as before.
“The Page family’s succession method is survival of the fittest (適者生存)!”
At that moment, the battle scars etched by Dajesus’s attacks on Juicy’s body thus far connected into a single form, a rune.
“The succession ceremony is conducted through a grand magic duel, and only the victor of that duel inherits the Page surname. The rest live and die as the Mage Imperial Guard, protecting those legitimate heirs, without ever leaving behind a surname, face, or name for their entire lives!”
A bluish-black, soap-bubble-like sphere enveloped Juicy’s body.
This was the sealing art of the Page family!
It was originally transparent, but it seemed to have taken on that color because it was manifested by the power of the abyss.
“The more interesting part is that if parents or ancestors are eliminated in that competition, their children live and die as Mage Imperial Guards, never seeing a speck of light for their entire lives.”
Dajesus of the Patches of Rain (沛雨) incorporated the advice from the First Pillar into this sealing art to ensure its perfect success.
It was the legend of the Mythic Age.
The ultimate secret technique of all secret techniques, the Engraving Cut (刻印斬) allegedly used by Eldia Kata (05) Enuel, the strongest Ascensi-Warrior! It was said to engrave runes onto the opponent's body, ensuring 100% damage!
“M-my strength… even breathing is becoming harder and harder… damn it, what is this…!”
Juicy helplessly pounded the inner surface of the soap bubble with her fist, but this was a sealing art originally intended to deal with non-human entities. Human resistance was futile.
“This is the darkness of the Page family. It’s what the descendants of Emissa Page, who preached love and equality, are doing. What hope is there in such a world? Wouldn’t it be better to just destroy it and rebuild?”
Hayezri also cackled, virtually violating Leonia with endless surging mud soldiers.
“I hate chosen ones like you. Those who blabber about how beautiful the world is, how the world must be protected, are always the ones who’ve received all sorts of favors their entire lives!”
“Shut up… what do you mean, you were born into a branch family? What did our kingdom, my parents, the people of this country do to you?! If you want revenge, take it out on your main family!”
“I will. Once this is over. This is just a temporary pause to catch our breath while following orders. Both of us have already acquired enough power to destroy the main family on our own.”
Pencion Ludwig observed the battle seriously, even as he caught his breath.
‘I, I must defeat both of those guys.’
Statistically, a Ludwig mage who has awakened Bell Sidius has a nearly 70% win rate against other mages. If they possess Bell Querius, 80% is laughable.
‘Both are fundamentally mages, I can win if I go all out… even if I have to take the risk, I will draw out the full power of the [King’s Flesh] and settle this.’
At that moment, Cove, who was supporting Leonia, was attacked by Dajesus, who suddenly appeared in the rain, nearly severing his right arm!
“That’s two strikes. Three more to go.”
Close combat was absolutely taboo for a Taehwagung archer! He retreated, but Dajesus relentlessly pursued him.
“Stop. I will never forgive anyone who harms my comrades. Bell Sidius.”
Suddenly, a red wave spread deep into the underground passage.
Like beasts facing a predator, Dajesus’s and Hayezri’s gazes snapped towards Pencion, feeling their body hair stand on end for a moment.
This was a natural reaction. They were mages. Bell Sidius was a natural enemy to mages by its very existence.
‘The decisive moment is fleeting.’
Given the distance, Dajesus first tried to suppress him with long-range magic.
The exact same magic.
He calculated and activated it faster than Dajesus. This was a trump card intended for a psychological blow, indicating ‘I’m reading everything.’
“This guy…!”
Since it didn't use the forbidden Orbiose, the water droplets didn't have corrosive properties, but the effect of confusing the opponent's brain was certain.
“Water Serpent Marrow (水刑蛇髓)!”
The reason for using this was for double casting.
Pencion was capable of limited double casting by using both the Yorhen type and the Remedier type.
Shwaaaaaaak…!
Water, condensing into the form of a snake, rushed towards its target with an unnerving precision. That target was Dajesus.
“One down with this…!”
Pwoooong… It is generally accepted that the destructive power of water magic is the lowest among all elements.
However, this 4-star magic, Water Serpent Marrow, by instantly creating a massive differential in water pressure on the struck enemy, could completely crush their body.
Just as he turned his gaze to finish off Hayezri next, a horrific killing intent (殺氣) hung over his throat.
“That was dangerous. Just a little.”
It was a feather.
A sword made of ancient feathers.
“This bastard, how…?”
That meant the one who appeared from behind and held a sword to him was Dajesus.
“The name of my holy relic is Schumaik. One of the three henchmen of the Lord of Time… a holy relic imbued with the authority of Shumgos, one of the Triple Sages (三中賢).”
Shumgos’s authority was the past.
In other words, the ability of this holy relic was to ‘temporarily revert the target’s position to the past at the moment of the strike’.
“I kept cutting in front of me with these two swords, and reset my path to ‘before your magic struck’.”
“Such preposterous…!”
“I only thought about it, this is the first time I've actually done it. Thanks. As expected of Pencion of Bell Sidius. Thanks to you, I've grown one step further. As repayment, I'll kill you painlessly!”
He slightly twisted the wrist holding the feather sword, sending the blade forward then pulling it back, just as he was about to slash Pencion's neck.
‘Am I, am I ending like this…?’
Juicy frantically pounded the inside of the soap bubble, shouting something!
Cove hastily wove mana into his bowstring!
Just as Leonia, trying to rush over, was being blocked by the golem and mud soldiers!
‘My dream of becoming the greatest mage, of belonging to the hero’s party…!’
The ceiling of the underground began to collapse with a brilliant light.
Detecting a powerful light energy that made their fingertips tingle, Dajesus’s and Hayezri’s movements froze for a moment.
After a brief period of inexplicable commotion, the source of that dazzling presence was detected rushing furiously towards them.
“Speak your true feelings!─────”
In that fleeting moment, Pencion tried to shout his true feelings to the woman who appeared as dazzling as light, before he died.
‘That the reason I was gaining practical experience as a mercenary to become a great mage was because I wanted to become a mage worthy of you, worthy of your hero’s party!’
But he couldn’t.
Because of the arrogant little brat frantically running ahead of her!
“─────Get out of the way!─────”
The brat shouted in a commanding tone.
Leonia’s face immediately brightened as she recognized his identity.
“Lin, did you come to save me? In such a hurry? You’re like a prince on a white horse! So cool! That’s why I like you!”
On the other hand, Hayezri of the Earth Devourers furrowed his brow.
“Get out of the way?”
One of the words Hayezri could not tolerate was ‘get out of the way.’
Get out of the way because you’re a branch family, get out of the way because you weren’t chosen…
The anger that had been suppressed and stifled since childhood erupted at this moment in a massive wave of power.
“Go ahead and try to make me get out of the way! If you can!”
Two Sandstone Golems blocked the boy’s path. Not only that, but there were over 40 mud soldiers.
This was truly a massive army.
Hayezri’s power had contributed significantly to the [Seven Souls] capturing <Horusen>, the capital of the Hosen Kingdom.
‘What is this?’
Therefore, no one there could believe the current situation.
‘Charging towards that army? He’s a mage?’
‘How confident is he?’
‘That’s not confidence. It’s recklessness!’
As the Sandstone Golems raised their massive arms and the mud soldiers collectively raised their spears and thrust them forward, the boy shouted!
“No, seriously, get out of the way! Do you want to see someone die?!”
At the same time, spheres of light from the boy’s left hand constructed a constellation of power with a dim yet brilliant glow!
Bolt (電).
Field (場).
Throw (投).
Drop (落).
Flash (閃).
The boy's brain, driven by the fear of death, transcended its limits at this moment, rotating 347% faster than usual, and the time it took to perform the hand seal for 5-star magic and its coordinate correction was merely 5 seconds.
“What, making 5-star magic like 1-star magic, what the hell──?!”
Hayezri saw something vast and bright engulfing his vision, his brain, and his entire body, and looked up at the sky revealed by the collapsing ceiling.
That was the last of it.
As the light, which bathed the sky in golden hues, struck down, Hayezri, turning into charcoal along with the Sandstone Golems and mud soldiers, thought:
‘Wow, damn… is this even possible?’