-chapter 77-
“Isn’t it just too easy to steal my magic when you use it in front of me?”
The chains, which had bound all my power, stretched out long, coiling around Rain’s hand as if to prove that the master had changed.
“Did you just say you stole it…?”
Did my chains possess such power?
I felt like every ounce of force was being drained away… one knee buckled uncontrollably.
“I didn’t just steal it; I modified it while I was at it.”
The structure of the Ryuken Identity equation used to create the chains was rearranged by Bel Quirius, amplifying the force of the Barrier to an extreme degree through backward calibration.
“Thus, the flow of power spreading throughout your body was cut off. It’s possible precisely because Bel Quirius can see all the way into your body.”
“…!”
“The crucial part was to completely cut off that flow at the right moment. Thankfully, you fell right into my acting.”
Though he spoke as if it were nothing, it was evident from the blood trickling from his eyes that Rain had suffered considerable damage.
He had to execute the instantaneous measure of stealing the Reverence Chain while correcting it and binding that guy’s movements in just 0.5 seconds.
Every time I interfered with Bel Quirius’s providence, I felt a pain as if my brain was burning white hot. Could it be the price of a mere human daring to touch the domain of gods…?
“You look like you still don’t understand anything from my explanation. The patience of the person who taught you magic is truly praiseworthy.”
Until now, I had only used Bel Quirius to analyze, reverse, and eliminate my opponent’s magic, but the true use that Scalzi had taught me was exactly this.
Stealing another’s magic.
To ‘steal’ means transferring control of the magic the opponent has activated or is about to activate entirely to me.
“In summary, the ‘Reverence Chain’ you used is now mine. It was originally mine anyway.”
Of course, it was a far more complex calculation than inputting the ignorance into the equation to nullify the magic, but the impact was staggering, as you can see now.
“Such nonsense, there’s no way…”
This is utterly ridiculous.
Rivadin, who had been struggling to move for quite some time, finally gasped vigorously for breath.
‘You can’t even properly use simple forces like mana, physical strength, and brute strength?’
As the desperate truth shattered his mind, he suddenly saw something fly up to the sky. It was a tooth.
“I’ve learned something while dealing with you black magicians. It’s like talking to beasts. So, maybe it works to beat them first like a beast to get them to listen?”
With a shard of the broken staff in his hand, Rain’s eyes were cold as ice.
“You bastard… huh!”
“Speak. Who gave you that face and those powers? Then I’ll let you die comfortably.”
A vague sense of unease, confusion, and question intertwined within me, driving me almost insane.
I was curious about the identity of the mastermind, yet the thought of the name Tu-Reina accidentally slipping from that mouth terrified me so much my fingers started trembling.
But before I knew it, the name that emerged from the blood-soaked face was no one’s. Just a chillingly silent laughter.
“Little rat… sure, I’ll acknowledge your nimble skills…”
“What? Still not beaten, huh? Alright, come over here.”
“But it doesn’t matter. Those tricks won’t work on my mother.”
“Then who the hell is this mother of yours? Tell me!”
“Don’t fret… now that I’ve killed you, my mother will come seeking you directly…! Hehehehe! It’ll be pointless to escape! Just cower in fear, like a little rat, alright?”
Just as I was about to pry into the identity of that mother, a wave of instinctual disgust surged up, making me gag.
His face was melting away. Flesh and muscles were dripping from his skull as thick liquid flowed…
‘What the hell?’
Bel Quirius was still active. The Reverence Chain remained under my control. So, this means that it wasn’t an ability of some kind? A chemical way of committing suicide?
“Ah, damn…”
By the time the doubts settled into clarity, all that remained of his head was the skull, grotesquely crumpled into a puddle created by the flesh that melted off.
“This completely undermines the meaning of handling this bastard one-on-one.”
I should have managed to extract some information at least, but damn it.
‘To think I’d be caught by that poison trick just as I was trying to gather information…’
Around that time, Pipi settled down on Rain’s head and began to dance a victory jig. Possibly due to the flames until now, its body felt warm like sunshine.
“Lin! Pipi has won! Lin, Pipi has triumphed over another black magician. E-a-s-y! EZEZEZ~!”
Having Pipi around made me feel secure no matter the situation. I didn’t feel lonely. Even in this horrific situation, I found myself smiling.
“First, let’s head to , to the church. We need to hide until reinforcements arrive and neutralize this poison.”
The result was indeed frustratingly inadequate, but there was no time to hesitate now.
I might have a comrade waiting nearby, but in this state, fighting would mean inevitable defeat.
Even if I somehow won, there was a chance I’d waste time allowing the poison to spread and ultimately have to sever my arm…
“Well, you’ve done well to bring down Rivadin.”
Just as I turned to leave the scene, a cold chill wrapped around my foot, freezing my body in a tense grip.
“To tell the truth, this is unexpected. There’s no way I thought you’d defeat Rivadin.”
Pipi soared into the sky, flames surrounding it, while Rain’s eyes twitched with intensity.
Disbelieving that what he heard was real, I looked back and, indeed, the worst-case scenario had become a reality.
With a heavy sigh, a voice laced with despair flowed out like a groan.
“…Valencidis.”
* * *
“Yes, it’s me.”
A calm voice returned.
The sun had long set, leaving only an unstable twilight illuminating the forest weakly.
The poison Rivadin had unleashed now fizzled out, revealing a figure tenfold more potent.
“Must be busy working as the committee chairman, should you really be wandering around in places like these?”
Valencidis was the most peculiar black magician I had encountered thus far.
He bore no murderous intent or madness, and the glimpse of humanity he displayed was noble and dignified. He also carried an immense reputation among the commoners.
Because of that disparity, I found it utterly impossible to understand what he was thinking. My breath quickened, my hands and feet trembled.
“I could say the same to you about your earlier statement.”
“Is that so?”
“Give it a think for yourself.”
I still couldn’t tell if he was showing his murderous intent or making a joke.
One thing I could definitely confirm.
A terrifying magic that made my fingertips twitch was swirling within him… Sighing instead of giving up that striking first move, I took the initiative.
Clang!
The moment Rain’s eyes radiated faint light, the Chains of Warning moved silently, wrapping around Valencidis.
I was sure I struck him down.
Yet, the chain pierced through Valencidis’s body and began to melt as if it were covered in sludge, until soon afterward, his presence completely vanished.
‘Did he evade it?’
Given that he was Rivadin’s partner, did he already understand how to deal with it…? I lowered my posture in a tense stance when suddenly I felt something grab the back of my neck.
“You were sloppy. From the moment you stepped into my range, the outcome was already determined.”
“…!”
“Even if I released a fraction of my power, your skull would explode from the poison. So—”
At that moment, a form of flames dove towards Valencidis.
The instant I sensed a tremor in his grip that held my skull, I flung my chains and trapped his movements.
I was sure of it.
“…?!”
A dozen old crows intricately carved into the ribs of the iron fan exuded an unfathomable aura that swallowed the twilight.
It was apparent.
That was a relic from the Abyss.
The way he accurately deflected five-star magic was clear evidence of that judgment.
‘Indeed, my first assessment was correct.’
This guy was no mere black magician. He had a tremendous role to play.
“Calm down. I just intended to share a few words with you.”
As Valencidis snapped his fan shut, the incomprehensible power consuming the twilight disappeared, and the world seemed to brighten.
“Words?”
“Let’s clear up any misunderstandings first. I’m not here to kill you.”
“Am I supposed to believe that?”
“Believe me. If I wanted you dead, I would have certainly not come alone.”
“A few minions won’t make a difference.”
“Would you have been able to remain so unperturbed if your weakness was exposed? If I had brought your siblings and mother along, that would change your tune entirely.”
“What?”
“Then I would have ordered you to dispose of the chains. In the spirit of setting an example, I’d likely have broken the limbs of one of your siblings as a lesson. A demonstration showing the consequence of disobedience.”
There wasn’t a hint of malice in Valencidis’s voice as he narrated this brutality.
“Next, I would slice your eyes out with a dagger to save your mother. That’s how such threats work.”
There was no bravado or exaggeration. His voice echoed quietly as if simply stating the truth.
Sweat…
Cold sweat crawled down my spine…
The certainty of danger pierced me like an arrow, overwhelming me as I grasped the fact that this person was far more hazardous than Rivadin and Libeni combined.
“I told you. Observing people allows you to pinpoint their weaknesses. You seem to hold family close.”
“You trash…”
“I will use any means necessary to achieve my goals. But don’t worry. I only act when the situation necessitates justification.”
“Damn it! You, who succumbed to the Abyss and became a black magician, dare to play sage!”
Valencidis smirked, as if genuinely amused, and then posed a bizarre question.
“What does it mean to be a sage, Rain Ludwig?”
“…?”
“Is it not simply to conform to the hierarchy of this world, which predetermines one’s worth right from birth?”
Do not engage with him in conversation.
His logic was laced with an odd mana. Arguing with him merely muddied my judgment.
“Black magic is merely a means for me to seek the truth. To imprint true order upon this twisted world.”
“New order? Bullshit. Black magicians remain the same as ever regardless of era. You think you’ll become the new rulers?”
“No, the world I will create won’t have kings or nobles. Only equal humans will exist.”
“…?”
“And the change will commence through a redistribution of magic.”
All of that was nothing but nonsensical chatter. Yet, curiously enough, it drew me in with its eeriness.
That made it a horrifying conversation.
Right then, the three suns completely vanished beyond the horizon, wrapping the forest in twilight, and a chill began to circulate.
“About 500 meters to the left, you will discover the place where Rivadin buried the Special Operations mages.”
“What?”
“I will take Rivadin’s corpse with me. I need to mix it in with those of the Special Operations mages and create the illusion that they perished together.”
I must report it as such, he said, before using telekinesis to lift Rivadin’s corpse.
Utterly incredulous, I couldn’t help but shout out loud.
“What exactly are you trying to do with me?”
“I’m proposing a temporary alliance. It would prove mutually beneficial.”
“…?”
“Ah, I get it. After healing the poison at the church, the manipulation of circumstances will come to light.”
Then, as if recalling something he had forgotten, he suddenly reached out toward Rain and whispered a quiet incantation.
At that moment, sacred texts floated in the air, radiating light, and charged straight at Rain. More precisely, it was aimed at his left arm.
As the rune clung to Rain’s arm, scattering light around, the pain subsided, and color returned to his previously tainted skin.
“High-speed invocation of a sacred spell…?”
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and found myself blinking for quite a while without registering a response.
Sacred spells could only be wielded by those versed in the Sutra of the Witch, specifically mastered by those who reach the level of proficient in healing magic.
The content spoken by the gods was organized within scriptures, allowing witches to manifest divine miracles. Fris had once used this power to purify the poison in her party members three centuries ago.
– Know it in glory! The Sutra is notoriously challenging to master! Only an exceptionally minute number of witches can learn it, you see!
How could a magician like him possess such power?
Witches and magicians are not the same.
A lack of a master means one cannot even undertake the process of advanced training. And divine spells are the hardest to learn!
“My teacher was exceptional, allowing me to learn both magic and spells.”
“Is that existence perhaps the one you refer to as ‘mother’?”
“I can’t answer that. However, if you answer first, I will share in return. Just who exactly are you, Rain Ludwig?”
The chilling suspicion in Valencidis’s eyes struck deeply.
“To handle five-star magic at your age and awaken Bel Quirius. You’re far too unnatural.”
“…It’s just talent.”
“Let’s consider it talent, then. However, when you claimed that the Special Operations mages had died and even killed a black magician, your indifference suggests something beyond normal talent.”
I found myself at a loss for words.
I wasn’t so apathetic towards death from the start. It merely dulled over five years of expeditions.
“You’re not able to speak on that topic, are you? It’s the same for me. Every person inherently holds an untold secret.”
After saying that, Valencidis quietly vanished into the darkness of the forest.
“Do return before curfew. Unless you want to be subjected to troubling suspicions.”
I felt an overwhelming urge to pry into the identity of that mother of his, but I decided against it. He wouldn’t answer anyway.
In that moment, I contemplated.
Will I genuinely just let it go like this?
But his logic wasn’t entirely wrong. If his goal truly was to eliminate me, then given his meticulous nature, he likely would have brought my family along…
‘Then shouldn’t I deal with him now while I still can?’
If I let him be, he may well become a genuine threat in the future…
Yet, confidence eluded me.
After the fight with Rivadin, my mana was depleted. And for some reason, I felt hesitant. Why did he heal me?
“Lin, that guy is dangerous. Danger, danger, emergency, emergency, super-emergency.”
Only after he had completely vanished from sight did Pipi land on Rain’s shoulder, which had been flittering nervously above.
“Yeah, I know. We need to think of a way to deal with him before he shows his true colors.”
He was a being dangerously full of potential.
Someone I didn’t want to turn into an enemy…
As the wind of early evening descended calmly upon the forest, the bizarre reasoning of Valencidis swirled endlessly through my mind.
– Only equal humans shall exist.
