Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the street where Arthur's group stands, a series of explosions shakes the ground. The blasts come from Maxuel, who's tearing up the street as he tries to strike Silone with his staff. While Silone keeps dodging and blocking the fierce blows, Maxuel thinks:
(Maxuel): (I've noticed it… I'm skilled with my staff—but this guy… his swordsmanship is even better.)
Maxuel spins his staff and unleashes another flurry of lightning-fast attacks. Silone stands his ground, gripping his sword tightly, deflecting the fastest strikes and blocking most of the others. Maxuel's final blow smashes the ground once again.
Silone shifts to counterattack, but at that exact moment, Maxuel readjusts and swings downward in a vertical strike.
Silone (surprised): Wait, isn't he a bit too far for that?
Then, suddenly, the staff extends toward him. Reacting on instinct, Silone sidesteps just in time—the attack slices clean through the wall behind him.
Seeing this, Maxuel smirks and thinks:
(Maxuel): (He dodged even that?!)
Not giving Silone a chance to think, he presses forward, striking from every direction. Silone notices that the staff returns to its normal length between blows, but the relentless pace leaves him no room to analyze further.
Their strikes rain down by the hundreds—an overwhelming dance of blades and staff too fast for the terrified onlookers trapped nearby to follow.
Laughing wildly as he attacks, Maxuel thinks to himself:
(Maxuel): (He amazes and entertains me at the same time. There's nearly two full levels between us, yet through sheer mastery, he's keeping up with every single strike. I'll have to push further—and show him what I can really do.)
In the swirling storm of dust, particles, and debris, Silone remains intensely focused, following Maxuel's increasingly rapid movements. Maxuel's strikes grow faster, heavier—and with each motion, the reach of his staff extends unpredictably. He starts landing hits from impossible distances.
Even with his extraordinary skill, Silone blocks one such distant strike—but the sheer impact sends him flying.
Spinning his staff in one hand, Maxuel approaches, juggling it casually as he closes in.
Through the dust cloud ahead, Silone rips off his cloak and shakes his head, letting his black hair fall into place.
Still and shadowed, he says coldly:
Silone: I get it now.
Maxuel stops walking, grips his staff in one hand, and asks:
Maxuel: Get what, exactly?
Silone (quietly): Your weapon. Its size shifts depending on you—it can not only stretch but also shrink, even gain mass. I noticed it when you were juggling and when I took those hits. You barely use any mana to control it, which means… the staff itself must hold an enormous amount. I'd even go as far as to say it's made of mana.
Smiling, Maxuel replies:
Maxuel: You're absolutely right. This staff is a mana-forged weapon I've been nurturing since I was nine. Unlike other mana objects, I keep it materialized at all times—so I can reshape and refine it as it evolves with my will. Well done. You've nailed it.
Now, what do you plan to do with that knowledge?
Straightening up, Silone's presence darkens, a shadow spreading from him as he says slowly:
Silone: Me? I'll just keep holding you off… until our champion arrives.
Maxuel scratches the back of his head with a sigh.
Maxuel: Ah yes, your "champion." Can't wait to meet him—
But before he can finish, Silone murmurs:
Silone: Dark Magic — Manifestation!
Before Maxuel can even process the words, Silone is already upon him. Maxuel reacts, but too late—Silone slashes with a rapid horizontal swing.
Maxuel: Shadow!
A black slash cuts straight through the building in front of Silone—but Maxuel suddenly appears behind him, emerging from an actual shadow.
Maxuel: You were hiding that one from me, weren't you?
Silone turns, his expression grim.
Silone: Let's finish this quickly.
The Trap and the Rescue
Meanwhile, Arthur is buried beneath a pile of men wearing black cloaks—the same style as Shadow's. Pinned and unable to move, he thinks:
(Arthur): (What kind of trap is this? They just keep appearing and piling on me… and worse—they're draining my mana! I can't even use Divine Protection. This was all prepared in advance…)
A short distance away, Ella fights to carve a path through the enemy ranks. Light spells and explosions erupt around her, but the resistance is dense.
(Ella): (What should I do? I can't risk using an intermediate spell… it might collapse the nearby buildings and hurt the civilians behind me.)
She glances back and sees Furious shielding the refugees at the rear. Activating a telepathic link, she calls out:
Ella (Telepathy): Sir Furious, what's happening behind us?
Defending fiercely with his massive axe, Furious replies:
Furious (Telepathy): Silone's locked in combat with their leader. Arthur's caught in some sort of trap—but I decided to protect the townspeople.
Ella (Telepathy): And Lady Iris?
Furious (Telepathy): I don't kn—
Suddenly, another voice breaks into the connection:
Iris (Telepathy): I'm here!
Ella (Telepathy): Lady Iris?!
Iris (Telepathy): In the flesh.
As they speak, a rebel sneaks up behind Ella, aiming at a mother with her child—but a stone slab suddenly rises from the ground and knocks him out cold. Ella blinks, confused.
(Ella): (What is wrong with these people?)
Then she finds herself facing another wall of rebels. She points her staff forward, exasperated.
(Ella): (I've had enough!)
Ella: Explosion!
A massive blast wipes out the entire wave of enemies. The street clears instantly.
Iris (Telepathy): Ella?!!!
Still catching her breath, Ella responds:
Ella (Telepathy): I did it—the path's clear!
Iris (Telepathy): Good. Then you should regroup with Furious. I just finished the magic circle.
Ella (Telepathy): A circle for what?
Iris (Telepathy): Reinforcement. Especially for you—you've used up a ton of mana today!
Inside a nearby house, Iris stands at the center of a glowing circle, staff raised.
Iris: May your grace shine upon us… O great goddess, grant us your blessing—Reinforcement!
Instantly, every member of the group feels their strength returning.
(Ella): (I see… my energy's coming back!)
Just then, she spots Lora's army arriving.
Lora: Hey! Ella—!
Ella takes off immediately.
Ella: Lady Iris, where are you now?
Iris (Telepathy): Long story.
Ella flies above Furious, launching dozens of light spells across the battlefield. But suddenly, she stops midair.
Ella: Sir Furious, can you handle things on your own?
Furious: Of course! Why?
Ella: All right then. I'll go check something out—and I'm cutting the telepathy link.
She flies off toward a seemingly empty street… or so it appears.
Hidden nearby, Shadow mutters to herself:
(Shadow): (We should've pulled out by now! What's Maxuel doing?)
She's caught off guard when Ella charges straight at her. As Ella reaches out to grab her, dark figures emerge from the shadows and seize Ella's mage robe. Seeing this, Ella drops her staff, twists in midair to slip free, and lands lightly, summoning her staff back to her hand.
Even through Shadow's concealment, Ella stares straight at her.
Ella: Show yourself!
Shadow cancels the spell and asks:
Shadow: How did you know?
Ella: Simple. Your mana gave you away.
(Ella): (This woman's dangerous… She must be a mage—and the one who controlled the others I fought earlier.)
END OF CHAPTER
This one was seriously too long, so I cut it down—it was getting boring.
NEXT CHAPTER: The Eternal Shadow