Episode 90: Life-or-Death Situation
Cold sweat trickled down Yohan’s temples.
Dragonian Aegis.
The one responsible for drastically raising the difficulty of this mission, the protector of Tenerope, and a Grand Sword Master who had reached the pinnacle of transcendence.
One could not consider him human.
“…Two Special-class individuals, huh.”
The eyes of Duke Aegis gleamed coldly. Even in a brief standoff, he had precisely gauged his opponent’s level.
‘He’s much stronger than I thought.’
Among those who had reached the pinnacle of transcendence, the only person Yohan had personally encountered was Duke Fervache. Therefore, he had assumed Dragonian Aegis would be comparable to Duke Fervache.
But—
‘…He surpasses Duke Fervache.’
A suffocating, murderous aura pierced Yohan’s skin, and the oppressive pressure emanating from the man’s mana crushed his entire body.
The absurd thing was that Duke Aegis was holding back, considering they were in the heart of the royal capital.
Yohan glanced over at Eris. Her hands and shoulders were trembling slightly — a primal fear felt by living beings.
Yohan called her in a low voice.
“Eris.”
“…Yes.”
“When I give the signal, run.”
The moment he finished speaking—
“You won’t escape.”
Flash!
Dragonian, who had been standing in front of them, vanished, leaving only an afterimage. His speed was so great that Yohan couldn’t even catch a flicker of his movement.
Yohan’s sensory perception detected Dragonian slicing through the air, darting toward his target like an arrow. His target was—
“Eris!”
Yohan poured his mana into the Barrier of Eternal Flow Technique. Layer upon layer of azure threads intertwined, thick as reinforced steel.
Swish—!
Dragonian’s blade streaked toward Eris’s neck. Activating his mana to the limit, Yohan’s eyes turned bloodshot.
The threads of the Eternal Flow Technique caught his blade. But the thick mana barrier was split apart effortlessly. The blade grazed past, emitting a sharp scream.
Even so, he managed to slow it down. In that fleeting moment, Yohan manipulated his mana to pull Eris’s arm, drawing her swiftly into his embrace.
Whoosh!
Boom!
The blade cleaved through the air, followed by a massive gust of wind. The sheer destructive power of a single slash was a testament to his status as a Grand Sword Master.
“What’s with the sudden wind?”
“What’s going on?”
“Is it a fight…?”
As the people in the royal capital began to turn their attention—
“Th-Thank you…”
Eris, still held in Yohan’s arms, stammered her gratitude.
Yohan, glaring sharply, said, “I’ll handle Duke Aegis as planned. Run.”
His mana circuits activated to their maximum, drawing mana from the surrounding atmosphere. Whoosh! A fierce whirlwind swept through the area.
“Don’t call for reinforcements. Start the operation immediately.”
“But—”
“Go now!”
Before she could respond, Yohan released Eris and expanded his Eternal Flow Technique in all directions. Even the slightest trace of mana was transmitted through his senses.
Eris, alternating her gaze between Yohan and Dragonian, assessed the situation and bit her lip before nodding.
“…I trust you.”
“Good.”
As she wrapped her body in mana and prepared to leap away—
Flash!
Dragonian disappeared from sight once more. Yohan could feel the flow of mana, but for some reason, he couldn’t perfectly track his movements.
Then, a gale brushed past him at close range. Dragonian had bypassed Yohan entirely.
Yohan shouted urgently.
“Eris!”
The moment Eris turned back, Dragonian twisted his body mid-sprint. His leg extended in a sharp arc, spinning, and his foot struck her abdomen with precision.
Thwack!
“Ugh…!”
Crash!
The spinning kick struck Eris’s abdomen with tremendous force. She was sent flying like an arrow, crashing into a building wall before disappearing into the rubble.
A pained groan lingered briefly in the air.
“Kyahhh!”
“It’s a fight!”
“Call the royal guards!”
Realizing this wasn’t an ordinary fight, the panicked crowd scattered, fleeing in all directions. While reinforcements were inevitable, Yohan didn’t care.
“Eris!”
He wondered if she was okay. The blow had landed squarely on her abdomen. It wouldn’t be surprising if several bones were shattered.
There was nothing Yohan could do. The distance was too far for him to protect her with the Eternal Flow Technique, and Dragonian’s movements were simply too fast.
He couldn’t ask her to stay out of the fight or run away either.
“Damn it.”
Yohan bit his lip hard.
“Are you Yohan Lahart?”
When no sign of life emerged from the rubble, Dragonian turned his head slightly to look at Yohan. His voice was low and cold.
“…I am.”
“Hmm.”
Dragonian narrowed his eyes, scanning Yohan’s body. It wasn’t just a simple glance. His gaze seemed to dissect the flow of mana and circuits within him.
“You’re certainly no ordinary mage.”
“…”
“You’re on the verge of reaching transcendence.”
Step.
Dragonian took a step forward.
The sheer pressure of his mana surged like it would distort the space around them. The oppressive force made it hard to breathe, and even the atmosphere vibrated under its weight.
“It’s a shame to kill a talented young man, but any potential variable must be eliminated immediately.”
Voom!!
Mana enveloped Dragonian’s sword.
Black energy coiled around the blade, whipping up sharp gales in its wake.
Crack!
The stone pavement beneath him ground to dust under the wind’s force, sending debris and dust spiraling into the air.
Gulp.
Yohan swallowed hard, feeling as if he’d just ingested a boulder.
But there was no time to waver. He extended his hand, creating a rupture point.
Voom!
A sphere of explosive energy formed at his fingertips, and the mana swirling around it began to sweep across the area.
Dragonian’s presence collided with Yohan’s mana, shaking the ground violently. The air warped and twisted from the clashing waves.
And then-
Flash!
Dragonian disappeared, leaving an afterimage. A pitch-black blade gleamed in the air before him. It was a mana blade. The Eternal Flow Technique wouldn’t be able to block such an attack.
Yohan immediately pointed his fingertips forward. The vibrating sphere of energy- the rupture point-shot toward the approaching Dragonian.
BOOOOOOM!!
A cone-shaped beam of energy erupted forward with a deafening roar. The force swept up everything in its path, breaking it down to the atomic level.
Sizzle…
The ground left in the wake of the beam looked as if a massive beast had clawed through it, leaving a deep, jagged scar.
‘Where’s Dragonian?’
There was no way he had been struck by such an attack. Yohan quickly turned his head, spreading the Eternal Flow Technique in all directions.
And then- His eyes widened in shock.
‘Behind me!’
The moment Yohan turned, Dragonian was already prepared to strike. The blade wrapped in black mana cleaved through the air, rushing toward him.
There was no time to fire the rupture point. Creating a Distortion Orb was also out of the question. And the Eternal Flow Technique wasn’t strong enough to withstand Dragonian’s mana blade.
In that split second, Yohan made his decision.
As the blade closed in on his neck, Yohan unleashed his immense mana reserves to their absolute limit.
BOOOOOM!!
Pure, concentrated mana exploded outward from Yohan, violently shaking the surrounding space. The burst of heat and wind swept out like a detonation.
“…”
Even for Dragonian, enduring Yohan’s mana burst at such close range was impossible. He quickly withdrew his blade and retreated.
As the sudden mana surge subsided, Yohan gasped for breath, his chest heaving.
“Huff, huff…”
Despite having plenty of mana left, Yohan’s circuits were in shreds. It was because he had unleashed mana at its maximum limit without any prior preparation.
“What a pity.” Dragonian’s voice echoed coldly.
“To think I must kill a hero who could save the continent with my own hands.”
Step.
He took a step forward, his massive mana blade vibrating with power.
Yohan remained silent. If he had time to speak, he would rather use it to focus.
This was a situation where a single misstep could cost him his life.
Taking a deep breath, Yohan calmly assessed the situation. His eyes steadied, turning a deep shade of blue.
‘I can’t match his mobility.’
Though Yohan could use mana-enhanced martial techniques, his opponent was a Grand Sword Master. Catching up to him in speed was impossible.
No matter how much mana Yohan poured into his techniques, they were ultimately crude compared to the refined mastery Dragonian had honed over decades.
‘To bridge this gap…
He decided to use the Distortion Orbs.
Yohan spread his palms wide.
Whoosh!
Blue orbs materialized one after another, spreading out in every direction. Dozens, then hundreds of Distortion Orbs filled the air.
“…What is this?”
Dragonian narrowed his eyes. The peculiar blue orbs were faintly absorbing mana from the surrounding area.
“Who knows?”
Yohan smirked faintly, feigning composure. At the very least, this would solve the mobility issue.
As Dragonian remained on guard, Yohan quietly murmured.
“The Book of Calamity.”
Flap!
A glowing book materialized in the air, its pages unfolding.
The forbidden magic contained within the Book of Calamity.
And High-Tier Magic.
By blending these two, even if Yohan couldn’t win outright, he wouldn’t lose easily.
This time, he also activated mana-enhanced martial techniques.
Whoosh!
Vast mana enveloped his body, making Yohan’s entire form radiate with a golden glow.
Dragonian tilted his head in curiosity before letting out a small chuckle.
“Interesting. This doesn’t seem like a typical mage’s fighting style.”
Yohan’s approach was far removed from the standard image of a mage standing at the rear, hurling spells.
“That makes it all the more regrettable.”
The moment he finished speaking, Dragonian’s figure vanished, leaving only afterimages.
The Eternal Flow Technique spread in all directions, but his speed was almost impossible to track.
‘Right side!’
Yohan, with his focus heightened to the extreme, managed to follow Dragonian’s movement.
Thud!
Dragonian crouched low, swinging his sword upward diagonally. Yohan swiftly synchronized his mana with the Distortion Orbs he had scattered earlier.
As the blade sliced through the air toward him, Yohan’s body was propelled upward by the absorption properties of the Distortion Orbs.
Slash!
Dragonian’s sword cut through empty air. Whoosh! The ensuing wind pressure swept across the area, demonstrating overwhelming power.
But Yohan had already escaped. Utilizing the absorption of the Distortion Orbs, he achieved high-speed mobility, nullifying Dragonian’s advantage.
“Ho…”
Dragonian gazed at Yohan with intrigued eyes.
“To think someone would use High-Tier Magic in such a manner.”
The Distortion Orbs were difficult to control and required immense mana, making them a largely unused spell.
Yet, Yohan had found a way to weaponize them effectively.
But there was no time for admiration. At Yohan’s fingertips, a dark sphere began to swirl-a Rupture Point. The vibrating sphere surged forward, heading straight for Dragonian.
Dragonian disappeared again. The Rupture Point, arriving too late, slammed into the ground.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion erupted, sending dirt and shattered stone flying in all directions. A storm of dust obscured the view.
But Yohan wasn’t worried. He had the Eternal Flow Technique to guide him. Yet, Dragonian made no move to attack. He was standing still-on the roof of a building.
‘What’s he planning?’
As the dust storm cleared, Dragonian stood atop the roof, his sword raised sharply toward the sky.
“All nuisances must be erased.”
Rumble!
Black mana spiraled violently around his sword, forming a vortex. The roofs of nearby buildings were torn apart, the debris scattering into the air.
“No way…”
Yohan’s face turned pale.
“One Strike.”
Dragonian swung his sword.