Episode 76: Dethronement #2
The surging wave of magic tore through the space. The air twisted and distorted visibly.
“Run--!”
BOOOM!!
The moment the orbs struck the ground, the night was shredded apart. The earth trembled. Trees were uprooted, and the air boiled.
The explosion unleashed a storm that devoured the land. A massive shockwave spread out, sweeping the area with a wave of dust and debris.
The deafening roar was unending. The tremors showed no signs of subsiding. Dust obscured the view, and shattered fragments of trees scattered in all directions.
Ssshhh—
After the explosion had somewhat subsided, Yohan, who had been holding Rudella tightly, cautiously raised his head.
The epicenter of the blast was powered by Yohan’s own mana, with layers of mana barriers fortifying it, so the damage wasn’t severe.
“Are there any left…?”
As Yohan activated his Omniscient perception—
Crackle!
“Ugh…!”
Pain surged through his damaged mana circuits, clawing at his nerves. He felt like he could collapse at any moment, but now was not the time for such luxury.
“Phew…”
Taking a deep breath, Yohan surveyed his surroundings. The forest had been reduced to a desolate wasteland. The marks of magical bombardment that had rained down from the sky were etched all over.
“Are there any survivors?”
There was no discernible presence. An eerie silence hung over the area, devoid of even the sounds of animals or insects.
The traces of destruction bore no signs of blood or remaining corpses. Only ashes remained.
“There’s no way they escaped.”
He had created a domain with his Flame Wheel and unleashed indiscriminate bombardment at the epicenter. Escape was impossible. It was more likely they had been reduced to nothing but dust.
“Hmm…”
As Yohan scanned his surroundings, Rudella, who was nestled in his arms, stirred.
“Rudella?”
“…Ah…”
Rudella slowly opened her eyes and faintly smiled. Though her gaze was weak and her appearance haggard, even her smile was beautiful.
“You came…”
Despite her unsteady movements, she struggled to raise her hand and gently caressed Yohan’s cheek with her fingertips. Her touch was soft.
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“I’m fine…”
Rudella nodded slowly and smiled faintly. Fortunately, the damage from the mental magic didn’t seem severe.
“What about the situation…?”
“I’ve taken down all the crown prince’s guards, but…”
Yohan narrowed his eyes and activated his Omniscient perception, scanning his surroundings. No signs of life were detected.
“…I have no idea where the crown prince himself disappeared to.”
Normally, escaping would have been impossible, but as the crown prince, he likely had numerous artifacts. He’d also have shadow guards by his side.
It wasn’t entirely impossible for him to have fled.
“I see…”
As Rudella snuggled deeper into Yohan’s arms, she closed her eyes and smiled. Her warm breath brushed against his skin.
“…You seem awfully at ease.”
“That’s because I’m happy.”
Rudella slowly raised her head and gazed at Yohan. Her light blue eyes curved into a soft crescent.
“Because you came to save me yourself.”
“…”
Her sweet gaze, filled with an inexplicable warmth, caused Yohan’s heart to flutter every time she looked at him like that.
“Anyway, it seems you’re all right. That’s a relief. No aftereffects, and no apparent injuries either.”
Feeling awkward under her intense gaze, Yohan turned his eyes away.
“In that case, I should have gotten hurt.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“So I could monopolize your attention.”
“…”
Rudella chuckled softly. Her gentle smile melted away the tension Yohan had built up just moments ago.
Yohan shook his head and sighed.
“Please don’t say strange things.”
“I just thought it would give me a little more time to stay close to you… Did it bother you…?”
“It’s not that it bothered me… but don’t say you’d get hurt for something like that. We’ll be seeing each other plenty from now on.”
“Hmm.”
Rudella smiled faintly.
“That… makes me feel quite good. Yes, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. After all, I am now your lover…”
It was a warm smile, capable of melting even the cold winter winds. Yet, her ears flushed red, as though she felt embarrassed.
Seeing Rudella like this, Yohan’s heart raced once more. Was it because she wasn’t skilled at expressing herself? She always chose to move forward, no matter what.
Even now, she was the same. Despite her embarrassment, she conveyed her feelings honestly.
Yohan was similar in that regard, but he was far less immune to being on the receiving end of such directness.
He wondered if Francia had felt the same way.
“Well, it seems like you’ve regained your energy. Let’s move. There might still be enemies around.”
“Indeed.”
They had rested long enough. Yohan rose to his feet, carefully setting aside the fluttering emotions in his chest. Rudella also stood up with his support.
Step, step.
The two walked through the ruined forest. No, it could hardly be called a forest anymore. There was nothing left. Only gaping craters and ash melted by magic remained.
“…What happened here for it to look like this?”
Looking around, Rudella couldn’t hide her shock. The scene resembled the aftermath of countless bombs dropping.
“I just pushed myself a bit. I thought if I held back trying to subdue them, it would put me in more danger.”
The Rupture Point is a subspell of the high-tier magic spell Spiral Heaven Breaker—like the Distortion Orb but it places a much greater burden on the user compared to the Distortion Orb.
Unlike the Distortion Orb, which absorbs surrounding mana from the atmosphere, Rupture Point required Yohan to imbue his own mana and release it in a burst.
As a result, his current physical condition was far from normal. While his peculiar constitution allowed his mana reserves to remain intact, the circuits that used that mana were damaged.
“Now that I can see better in the light, your complexion doesn’t look good. Your face is pale…”
Rudella gently touched Yohan’s cheek with concern in her eyes. His skin was cold—not just from the weather but something more.
“…Are you cold?”
“I’m fine, probably because I’m still tense.”
“I’m sorry… because of me…”
Her shoulders drooped.
“It was my carelessness and lack of vigilance that nearly got you seriously hurt…”
Seeing Rudella looking so downcast, Yohan tilted his head in confusion.
“Why is Lady Bismarck apologizing? You’re not at fault. That crazy crown prince is the one to blame.”
Yohan softly patted Rudella’s bowed head.
“So don’t blame yourself. Besides, didn’t everything work out in the end? Though, of course, it’s not over yet, so we can’t let our guard down.”
At that, Rudella gave a small smile and slowly nodded.
“I understand…”
The two continued walking through the path that could no longer be called a forest. There were still no signs of life.
But they couldn’t afford to relax. With his mana circuits damaged, the range of his Omniscient Perception had diminished.
‘You never know. They might still be lying in wait.’
While supporting Rudella, Yohan remained vigilant, forcing his battered mana circuits to their limits and strengthening his Omniscient Perception.
Just as they were about to exit the ruined forest—
“Yohan… Lahart…”
A shadow, barely clinging to life, emerged. Yohan quickly moved Rudella behind him and gathered all the mana he could muster.
Crackle!
“Urgh.”
The strain on his mana circuits sent waves of dizzying pain through him. His entire body ached. It felt as if his muscles were tearing apart.
“An order… to kill you…”
Step, step.
The shadow, wielding a broken sword, staggered closer. Yohan narrowed his eyes.
‘He is not in good shape either.’
One arm was missing. He limped with each step. Their face was pale, almost as white as the moonlight, likely from excessive blood loss.
“To… kill…”
With a thud, the shadow collapsed before it could reach them. Judging by its lack of movement, it seemed life had finally left its body.
“…It seems we don’t need to worry.”
“That does appear to be the case.”
This seemed to have been the last survivor, though it was a miracle he hadn’t died sooner. The same was likely true for the other shadows.
‘The crown prince wouldn’t be in good shape either.’
Yohan let out a small sigh, the tension draining from his shoulders.
“There.”
At that moment, Rudella pointed in a direction with her hand.
“There’s light over there.”
The direction she pointed at was clear, even though dawn had yet to break. Beyond the forest, flags adorned with the Imperial Knight Order’s emblem fluttered in the wind.
Clank. Clank.
The sharp echoes of armor and helmets shattered the silence of the forest.
Soon, they revealed themselves. Knights clad in golden armor appeared with stern faces. Beside them were individuals dressed in black uniforms—the Inquisitors.
“Looks like Francia has arrived.”
***
The forest, deathly silent, carried no sound.
“Hah… Hah…!”
Fedelian panted heavily, dragging his injured leg.
“Damn it hurts!”
His condition was far from ideal. From his right arm to nearly half of his upper body, severe burns caused by mana scorched his flesh.
“Damn it…”
Fedelian bit his lip, frustration and defeat plastered across his face.
He had thought the fight was as good as won. The Shadows under his command were exceptionally skilled, and there seemed to be no room for escape.
Yet what happened? Yohan Lahart’s strength far exceeded his expectations. The man wasn’t just an ordinary Special-Class Mage.
What kind of Special-Class Mage could devastate an entire area in such a short time? Even a transcendent mage wouldn’t achieve that easily.
Sure, a Special-Class Mage could theoretically produce such destruction, but it would require extensive preparation—mediums, incantations, and so on.
This wasn’t power that could be unleashed with mere focus or intent.
But he did it.
Did this have something to do with his ability to seal demonic lairs? Fedelian’s mind raced with questions, but now wasn’t the time for such thoughts. He had a bigger problem at hand.
“…Things have gone horribly wrong.”
Fedelian’s expression darkened.
The Shadows who had fallen were his most elite assassins, he had painstakingly trained. And now, every single one of them was dead. He had no one left capable of executing his orders with precision.
And the losses didn’t stop there. Fedelian knew he would now undoubtedly be branded a traitor under Rudella’s scheme.
“Damn it all!!”
Fedelian roared in fury, his face twisted in rage. The burns inflicted by mana seared his skin, causing agonizing pain.
Despite the excruciating torment, his gaze remained resolute, filled with nothing but hatred and wrath.
I need to act before they do.
There was no reversing the outcome. His only option now was to overturn the entire game.
Fedelian changed direction. While most of his Shadows were gone, some remained, albeit not his best.
I can make it there in time.
His destination? The Tower of Confinement.
The prison where Cassis Lenokhohnen was held.
Glad to see the mind magic didn't cause severe damage.
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