Episode 91: Life-or-Death Situation #2
A blade plunged vertically, dragging pitch-black mana behind it. The spreading darkness devoured the sky, casting a solar eclipse.
BOOOOOM!
A massive storm of mana engulfed the earth. Space twisted, the void tearing apart with deafening cracks that shook the heavens. The distortion orbs scattered in all directions collapsed under the shockwave.
“This is insane…”
Overwhelming.
Is this what it means to reach transcendence?
“Duke Aegis.”
Just then, a familiar voice rang out. Yohan turned his head toward the sound. There, Fedelian and Cassis were approaching.
The rooftops were now filled with figures clad in black robes-the shadows commanded by the Crown Prince.
Clang.
With every step the soldiers and knights took, their armor and helmets clashed violently, creating a harsh, resounding noise. Above them, the flag of Tenerope fluttered boldly in the wind.
Soon, the streets were crowded with Tenerope’s soldiers. Judging by the insignias on their armor and flags, even the royal knights were among them.
“…What brings someone of such high status here?”
Dragonian tilted his head slightly. His expression remained unchanged, but the cold glint in his eyes betrayed his displeasure.
“I thought I said I’d handle this one.”
“Do you plan to face him alone?”
“Of course not.”
Fedelian smirked slyly.
“There’s someone else who doesn’t like him much either.”
He gestured toward Cassis beside him.
Cassis’ violet eyes gleamed.
“It’s been a while, Yohan Harsen.”
“Now I’m Yohan Lahart.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Cassis quietly drew his sword. Purple mana coiled around its blade.
“Yohan Harsen, you will die here today.”
Fedelian shrugged nonchalantly.
“Impatient as always.”
He, too, unsheathed his sword, golden mana swirling around the blade like ripples of light.
“…”
Yohan narrowed his eyes.
Two special-class knights and a transcendent swordsman.
An absurd matchup.
And it didn’t even seem like it would be a one-on-one fight.
It was clear that Cassis and Fedelian would attack together-and Dragonian seemed ready to join the fray at any moment.
Fedelian chuckled coldly.
“I’ll torture you until you beg for death.
Don’t think for a second you’ll get to die easily.”
“Hah.”
Yohan let out a derisive laugh, lifting his head stiffly to glare down at him. His icy blue eyes glinted ominously.
“You know, Fedelian, I’ve thought this since the first time I met you-you’re remarkably consistent. Vile and small-minded to the core.”
Fedelian’s eyebrow twitched.
“…What are you talking about?”
“That you’re worse than a brat.”
Yohan smirked.
“Isn’t it true? It’s bad enough that you need to drag Cassis Lenokhohnen into this, but now you’re even thinking of relying on the Grand Swordmaster, Duke Aegis.”
He sneered at Fedelian.
“Don’t tell me you can’t win a fight on your own, even against someone you don’t like?”
“…”
Golden eyes darkened deeply.
“Let’s see if you’ll still be saying that later.”
Unable to contain his anger, Fedelian kicked off the ground, with Cassis following close behind. Two special-class knights were charging at a single mage.
Yohan forced his mana circuits, already battered and torn, to circulate violently once more. Blood trickled from his nose, and his head throbbed with searing pain- but he didn’t blink even once.
The two knights drew closer, slashing their swords. Mana-coated blades intersected in midair, rushing toward Yohan like a storm.
Yohan muttered under his breath.
“Ebonfire Mountain.”
The moment the book floating in the air emitted light-
RUMBLE!
Suddenly, the ground shook violently. The earth trembled, buildings crumbled, and the footing of Cassis and Fedelian faltered, causing their blades to slice through empty air.
“What the…!”
Fedelian froze in shock.
The ground split deeply, and dense, black smoke billowed out. Moments later, suppressed power erupted as a massive volcano surged from the earth.
Boiling black mana, like molten lava, flooded the ground, and red-tinged smoke from the volcano’s peak shot into the sky.
“Is something like this even possible?!”
“This energy… Is it dark magic?”
There was no time to marvel. The overwhelming force emanating from the volcano reverberated with a deafening roar, dominating the surroundings.
The tremors across the land grew stronger, and the surging lava and black flames spread as if consuming everything in their path.
The flames and smoke raining down on the surface, combined with the surging mana, brought utter destruction, reducing the capital to ruins.
“Aargh!”
“Ahhh!”
“Gaaaah!”
Shadows and Tenerope’s soldiers screamed as they were engulfed by the spewing lava. It was a requiem composed by Yohan.
“Hah, the more I see, the more astonishing it is.”
Fedelian let out a dry laugh. The air roiled with intense heat. If not for his martial arts protecting him, he would’ve burned to ashes already.
Cassis’ expression remained stoic, but his sunken violet eyes betrayed his inner turmoil—disbelief.
Dragonian was no different. His face hardened as he stared at the black volcano blazing on the ground.
Yohan chuckled lightly.
“Round two.”
***
Sword flashed down from all directions, and each slash tore through the air with a sharp, piercing sound. Yohan, using Omniscient Perception, tracked every movement, manipulating his mana to create distortion orbs in the void.
The absorption spheres linked to Yohan’s mana pulled him into them. With high-speed movement, Yohan vanished, leaving behind afterimages.
Swish!
Two blades sliced through empty air. He narrowly avoided them. Despite their obsession with women, these lunatics were undeniably skilled as battlefield demons and special-class knights.
“Haa…”
Yohan exhaled deeply.
Though he managed to evade their attacks, the situation wasn’t favorable. No matter how close Yohan was to transcendence, taking on two special-class knights at once was beyond him.
The only saving grace was that Duke Aegis had yet to join the battle.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely easy for his opponents either. The black volcano spewed lava and intense heat, hindering their movements.
“…”
“…”
As expected, Fedelian and Cassis were growing increasingly frustrated. The black volcano was a constant obstacle.
No matter what attacks they tried, the oppressive heat restricted their movements, and the dark magic emanating from the volcano disrupted their mana blades and martial arts.
“Damn it.”
Fedelian bit his lip. Despite their numerical advantage, they couldn’t even catch this rat darting around, which only further irritated him.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a barrage of rupture points rained down from the sky. They were explosive spheres Yohan had launched earlier. The mana-laden projectiles struck the ground vertically.
BOOM!
A dust storm erupted, obscuring their vision. The ground shook violently, making it hard to maintain balance.
Thankfully, the attack wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful—Yohan’s mana circuits were in a dire state. Still, the impact was destructive enough to blow someone’s body apart if struck directly.
Using martial arts and mana blades, the two barely managed to fend off Yohan’s attacks, but shadows darkened their faces.
“…This is pathetic. Don’t you have a plan, Young Grand Duke?”
“If I had one, I’d have used it already.”
Even with a strategy, it wouldn’t matter. The black volcano hindered their movements, and Yohan flitted around it at high speed, evading them.
Meanwhile, he relentlessly bombarded them with devastating mana. Could anyone still call him a mage?
He might as well be a walking war machine.
“Duke Aegis!”
Fedelian’s voice boomed across the sky. Dragonian glanced down at him calmly.
“You called for me?”
“Is there no way to deal with that volcano?!”
“Of course, there is.”
“Then do something already!”
It was infuriating to rely on Duke Aegis for help after struggling so much, but this was no longer about pride.
‘The Inspectors are coming.’
Though Dragonian and his Golden Steel Knights were holding off the empire’s Inspectors, these were elite Inspectors, and reinforcements were inevitable.
“Very well.”
Dragonian, standing on the rooftop, raised his sword toward the sky. Black sword light surged in all directions, creating a massive mana storm.
Wooong!!
Mana gathered at the tip of his sword. The transcendent force twisted the air and tore through the void. The pressure bore down like a crushing weight.
“This is…”
Yohan’s brow furrowed. He had to stop Dragonian. If the black volcano was destroyed, the fight would become untenable.
If he were at full strength, he might have managed, but in his current state of exhaustion, facing two elite knights after dealing with Dragonian was impossible.
Quickly!
Yohan urgently pointed his fingertips at Dragonian. The sphere of discharge—its rupture point swirled with power. There was no time to gather more mana. He had to fire immediately.
BOOM!
A reversed cone-shaped beam of light shot toward Dragonian. Just then, Cassis leaped high into the air. A violet-tinged sword light flashed as his strike curved downward, splitting the beam of mana in two.
It was too late.
“Triple Strike.”
Thud!
Dragonian stomped the ground. His foot struck the rooftop, sending rubble flying in all directions.
Then, he thrust his fully drawn sword forward. Concentrated black mana gathered into a single point and fired like a beam.
BOOOOOM!!
“Ugh!”
“What is this…!”
A storm raged. The three combatants staggered, struggling to maintain their footing under the intense wind pressure.
The beam pierced the black volcano.
KWA-KWAAAANG!
A deafening explosion echoed as destruction erupted from within the volcano.
“This is insane…!”
Yohan’s face turned pale. The black volcano collapsed from the inside out. Its surface cracked and crumbled like a sandcastle swept by rough waves.
BOOOOOM!
Fragments flew in all directions, and the enormous mana storm engulfed the entire area.
Crackle… Crackle…
The black volcano was completely destroyed.
“With this, the obstacle is gone,” Fedelian said with a sly grin, raising his sword. Cassis also fully activated his mana blade, exuding a menacing killing intent.
“…”
A shadow fell over Yohan’s face. The situation was… dire. Extremely dire. The black volcano, which allowed him to hold his own against the two knights, was destroyed, and his mana circuits were in tatters.
Even if he managed to deal with the two knights, there was still Dragonian to contend with.
There was no sign of the inspectors coming to help. Given the absence of the Golden Steel Knights, it seemed they were being held up elsewhere.
I have no choice but to use it.
Yohan’s mana circuits were in shambles, and his body was wracked with fatigue, but there was no other way. The situation had reached a breaking point.
Yohan formed a seal with his hands. His lips moved, and a quiet murmur spread through the air.
"Mindscape Manifestation (Simsaeng Gaemun) [심상개문 ((心象開門).]
The mana, which had been trembling chaotically, suddenly stilled. A cold energy froze the air, and the surroundings fell into an eerie silence.
“This is…!”
“No way!”
Fedelian and Cassis were overwhelmed with shock. Even Dragonian wasn’t composed, his eyes widening in disbelief.
“Myriad Forms, One Will.” [만상여의 (萬象如意)]
Mana began to whirl violently around Yohan. The mana flowing through the atmosphere converged on him, cutting off all waves and silencing the world.
“---!”
“--!”
Fedelian and Cassis shouted something and leaped forward, their feet slamming into the ground.
“Within the space shaped by my mind, my will reigns supreme.”
Before they could reach him, a pitch-black shadow descended from the sky, swallowing the entire area.