Episode 143: The Tower Master
The moment Rein Adriche transcended space, Yohan created a distortion sphere in midair. His intent was to pull himself in and latch onto him at high speed.
However, the moment Rein crossed over—
“…Damn it.”
Yohan’s brow twisted like a demon’s scowl. He had attempted to follow Rein Adriche through the spatial breach, but the rift closed the instant he passed through.
Forcing his way in was impossible. Not only was Yohan a novice when it came to space-related magic, but such magic was also the very symbol of Rein Adriche himself.
Had he attempted to force his way in, he might have lost a limb.
“Whew.”
The situation was unfolding in an utterly frustrating manner, but Yohan remained calm and took a deep breath.
‘The location is the boutique I often visited with Francia.’
The boutique was in the Art District of the Imperial Capital. As long as he knew the location, it didn’t matter. He could just go there directly.
He turned toward the window.
Once he fixed his direction, he would fly straight there.
The distance from the Magic Tower to the Imperial Capital was considerable, but he could reach it quickly.
He had already planned the optimal route and adjusted his mana accordingly.
Just as Yohan placed his foot on the windowsill—
KUUUUU—!
Something surged toward him from outside. A sphere of fire. Blue flames hurtled toward him at high speed.
Whoosh!
Sensing the approaching flames, Yohan swiftly pulled back. Moments later, the fireball exploded with immense force.
BOOM—!
The thick smoke that filled his vision quickly cleared, revealing a blinding amount of sunlight. A massive hole had been blasted into the top floor of the Central Magic Tower.
Through the gaping hole, he saw them—mages clad in robes emblazoned with the insignias of their respective towers. He wasn’t sure how, but they were hovering in midair.
Their numbers exceeded dozens—no, hundreds.
The depth of their mana suggested they were all at least 1st-class mages.
“Duke Lahart, you will not leave this place.”
The mage at the forefront spoke. His eyes gleamed blue, evidence that he had drawn his mana to its absolute limit. His power was exceptional—perhaps even beyond the level of an special-class mage.
However, that did not pose a problem.
“I expected this much.”
Yohan gathered his mana. His entire body filled with energy, and his heart pounded rapidly.
His current condition was at its peak. Unlike last time, overexertion wouldn’t cause him to lose consciousness.
“You’ll regret picking a fight with me.”
RUMBLE—!
Yohan’s eyes flashed. The mana in the air resonated with him, vibrating intensely. The very fabric of space distorted, and the oppressive weight of his power bore down on them.
CRACK.
The mages clenched their fists or swallowed nervously—each displaying their own form of tension.
Before them stood a mage who had transcended mortal limits. A being who could rival even the Tower Master.
They could not help but be on edge.
“Fire—!”
However, as mages sworn to the Tower Master, not attacking Yohan was not an option.
To them, the Tower Master was the sky, the embodiment of divine will.
Magic circles formed in their hands.
Spells infused with various elements were unleashed all at once.
Flames, ice, lightning, wind—
Not a single one was weak.
An ordinary high-level mage would have been annihilated instantly.
Of course, that was irrelevant.
FWOOSH—!
The tide of elemental magic was entirely nullified by Yohan’s Eternal Flow Technique.
The only thing that reached him was a faint breeze, stirred by the residual mana.
“What…!”
“He blocked all of it?”
The mages of the Magic Tower were momentarily flustered—
Closing his eyes, he extended his palm forward. He grasped the empty air. And then, he twisted it. These actions alone were enough to deal with them.
Immediately after—
Crunch!
“Ghak!”
“Kuaaaah!”
“Kuhhk…!”
The sound of bones shattering and flesh twisting.
Screams burst from mouths, unable to endure the pain.
The air trembled. Space collapsed. And they coughed up blood as they fell. Their eyes rolled back. Their bodies contorted. They couldn’t even move a finger.
At last, along with the warping space, their entire bodies twisted.
Crack!
One after another, they spat out blood, their eyes rolling back as they crashed onto the ground. They could no longer move.
There was no reason to stay here any longer. Yohan didn’t even bother to confirm whether they were truly dead. Time was of the essence. Without hesitation, he used high-speed movement to head toward the Imperial Capital.
Vwoom!
Kicking off the window frame, Yohan leaped out of the Magic Tower. What he felt was the cold, cutting wind and the force of gravity. But he wouldn’t fall like this.
He continuously created distortion orbs ahead, moving at high speed. Utilizing Eternal Flow Technique, he minimized air resistance and pushed his velocity to its maximum.
Whooosh!
He cut through the sky at a speed that the naked eye could barely follow. The sound of mana being torn apart rang in his ears. Even the air couldn’t keep up with his pace.
His eyes and mind felt fatigued, but it wasn’t significant. His fury kept his mind cold and his body filled with various surging hormones.
He’d suffer for it later, but that didn’t matter. Right now, that wasn’t the priority.
The Duke is there as well, so there’s still time.
Duke Fervache, even if he’s only at the threshold, is still a Transcendent Mage. No matter how powerful the Tower Master is, he should at least be able to hold out for a while.
That didn’t mean he could take his time, though. Anything could happen at any moment.
Pushing his speed even further, Yohan raced toward the Imperial Capital.
***
Inside the Collapsed Mary Jane Salon
The peaceful laughter that had filled the air just moments ago had completely vanished.
Now, only the pained groans seeping from beneath the rubble and the faint sounds of breathing remained.
Duke Fervache stood in front of Francia, blocking her, as he gathered his mana. His eyes gleamed like flashes of lightning, and a thin frost swirled around his feet.
“Tower Master, do you even realize where you are right now?”
Though his voice was calm, his gaze was sharp with wariness.
“This is the very heart of the Rozino Empire, the Imperial Capital. If you cause trouble here, even the Magic Tower won’t be spared.”
“…”
Rein Adriche merely responded with a knowing smile.
“Hm, the Magic Tower won’t be spared, you say? I have no idea what you mean.”
His quiet voice sliced through the air.
“I am the sky itself, and the path I walk is the only truth.”
Rein Adriche grinned.
A smile filled with absolute certainty, devoid of even the slightest doubt.
But his conviction went beyond certainty—it was madness.
“…What the hell…”
Francia swallowed hard. His words were not just confidence but sheer arrogance—no, something even beyond that. His way of thinking was chillingly disturbing. No matter how much time passed, he remained the same.
“Duke Fervache, let me make you an offer.”
Tap.
Rein Adriche descended from the air, his feet landing on the crumbling floor.
Then, he continued speaking.
“Hand over your daughter. Then, I will leave immediately.”
The duke frowned.
“You speak utter nonsense, Tower Master. What kind of father in this world would comply with such an absurd demand?”
“That statement… sounds rather strange. Most of the children who come to the Magic Tower were abandoned by their fathers and mothers.”
“Those are not fathers and mothers but beasts in human skin. I find it rather offensive to place them on the same level.”
Crack, crackle…!
Before long, the ground was completely frozen over. A merciless frost swept forward, but Rein Adriche strode forward leisurely, as if mocking the display.
Crackle…
Though the frost filled the air and froze the ground beneath him, it lasted only for a moment. The ice shattered and scattered like dust.
“In that case, it can’t be helped. Well, this will certainly fuel Duke Lahart’s wrath even more, but…”
Rein Adriche smirked.
“I’ll just have to use a more forceful method.”
Behind him, countless magic circles formed, blotting out the sky.
The duke and Francia tensed up, their bodies stiff. Their eyes widened at the sight before them.
None of the magic circles were the same. Each had a distinct form, meaning that every single one was a different spell. He was wielding elemental magic without restriction.
“A monster…”
The duke muttered under his breath. Casting a single spell required immense calculation, and at most, a person could maintain two or three simultaneously. Yet, that man… had summoned dozens.
Boom!
The magic circles activated. Rein Adriche’s body slowly began to rise into the air. The overwhelming surge of mana sent chills through the air, forming a massive gale.
But the duke did not remain idle. The frost at his feet took shape, forming sharp ice spears imbued with frigid energy that shot toward the enemy.
Screech!
At that moment—
Dozens of magic circles overlapped in the sky.
The light twisted.
Fire, ice, wind, lightning—
All elements were drawn toward a single core.
“All for the sake of one.”
A transcendent spell of absolute restraint.
The fusion of countless elements took shape. The sheer, terrifying force, something beyond human comprehension, pressed down upon the very atmosphere.
BOOM!
Something that should never have been born in this world was now emerging from the rift in space. The merged elemental energy writhed at the Magic Tower Master's command.
“Celestial magic shall be reborn here today.”
BOOM!
The two spells collided. The ice spears summoned by the duke relentlessly shot forth, yet the colossal fusion magic did not falter in the slightest.
Francia hurriedly cast a blessing upon the duke, enhancing his mana’s purity, boosting his output, and sharpening his mind for faster calculations.
Crackle!
The fusion spell spread across the sky as if about to consume it. Multicolored storms of mana swirled violently, burning through the very air, while countless ice spears surged toward its core.
Blinding flashes erupted one after another. The earth trembled. Waves of heat and shockwaves exploded outward in all directions, creating the illusion that the world itself was collapsing.
Clench.
Duke Fervache bit his lip. They were being pushed back. But he could not give up. He had to hold on, at least long enough to create an opening for Francia to escape.
He ignited even more of his mana.
Crackle!
The two spells clashed relentlessly. The duke’s magic could do nothing more than slow the advance of the overwhelming fusion magic. He needed to push his output further.
Whirrrrr!
The duke’s mana trembled. Drip. A nosebleed trickled down. Was the difference really this overwhelming? But what needed to be done remained unchanged. He did not retreat—he responded.
Frost magic intensified. Ice spears, concentrated into a single point, pushed further against the Tower Master’s sphere.
The Ice-forging magic shattered into countless fragments.
Cold sweat dripped from the duke’s forehead. His nosebleed showed no signs of stopping. Even with Francia’s continuous healing, his brain was being pushed to its limit.
Ssshhkk…
The ice spears disintegrated into nothingness. The fusion sphere inched closer. A wave of heat brushed against him—or was it cold? The spell could not be defined by simple terms.
At that moment, a small dagger, shimmering with golden light, emerged from Francia’s grasp. As it absorbed mana, it grew in size, radiating an even more dazzling brilliance.
“…Gladius Luminus.”
Francia murmured softly. A golden flash erupted. The sword’s straight blade pierced through the fusion sphere and surged toward the Tower Master’s heart.
Swish—!
“!!!”
In that instant, Rein Adriche’s eyes widened. A golden light—one he could never forget. The very blade that, in a now-erased timeline, had inflicted a fatal wound upon him by Yohan Lahart.
“This…!”
Rein Adriche hastily erected a mana barrier. But the golden radiance was unstoppable.
Crack!
The protective shield shattered like fragile glass.
Thud—!
“Guhh!”
The blade finally drove into Rein Adriche’s abdomen. Golden flames ignited his mana.
Whoosh!
Divine retribution — a sacred fire. This was bad. Yohan Lahart would be arriving soon, and in this state, he couldn’t possibly face him!
“Urgh…!”
Clutching his impaled abdomen, Rein Adriche desperately traced a pattern in the air with his fingertips.
Space distorted, forming a crack. Without hesitation, he threw himself into the warped dimension and disappeared.
However—
The transcendent spell he had left behind did not stop. And in the end, it came crashing down upon the duke.
BOOOOM—!
A spherical explosion engulfed everything in its radius. Buildings were reduced to dust, erased without a trace. The transcendent magic burned away all mana in the atmosphere.
***
A once-thriving district of artistry—
Now reduced to ruins.
Nothing remained but debris.
At its very center lay the remnants of Mary Jane Salon.
Once a place of splendor, now nothing but shattered fragments marking where it once stood.
And in that desolate place—
“Father! Father, wake up!”
Francia held the collapsed duke in her arms. Her heart pounded wildly. Her fingertips trembled. But she did not stop pouring her mana into him.
Yet, there was no response.
“Father…!”
With trembling fingers, she caressed his cheek. It wasn’t cold. He was still breathing. But—he would not open his eyes.
This was not mere unconsciousness.
Something was blocking him.
‘No… It can’t be…!’
Francia’s face turned pale.
A magical seal.
Her healing magic was repelled, bouncing off as if striking an invisible wall.
His mana flow—completely bound.
‘What in the world did they do to him…?!’
As a healer, she understood immediately. This was no ordinary loss of consciousness. His very soul had been forcibly sealed away.
Francia steadied herself, searching for an answer.
‘To break this seal…’
There was only one way.
The master of the seal—
The Tower Master had to die.