Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another part of the academy exploded, and Azuma's sturdy figure slowly emerged from a thick old tree.
The Lost Magic known as Great Tree Arc allowed him to draw energy from the earth and condense it into fruits that could cause explosions. It let him merge with trees and control plants for attacks and bindings.
This time, breaking through Demisole Magic Academy's defensive barrier was all thanks to his magic.
Azuma was a battle-loving guy who always sought out powerful opponents. During this assault, he hadn't gone around killing indiscriminately like the first two, but he'd caused the most damage to the buildings.
Those three explosions were his declaration of war.
Azuma didn't even glance back at the blasts. Instead, he crossed his arms and stared into the distance, muttering to himself, "Finally here? The powerful opponent who'll make me fight seriously!"
A figure stepped out from the whirlwind kicked up by the explosions. His knee-length cloak—white on the outside, blue within—billowed dramatically. The emerald gem in the necklace around his chest, usually crystal clear, now emitted an eerie, ghostly green glow.
Thud! Thud!
Heavy footsteps approached from afar, each one leaving a five-centimeter-deep imprint in the ground from his white boots. At the same time, a massive, dense dark magical energy leaked from his body, gradually enveloping him completely.
"You gutter rats dare come to my turf and cause trouble? You tired of living?!"
Hearing the cold voice from ahead, Azuma looked up and felt a jolt in his chest. It was like he'd spotted a demon crawling out from the depths of a dark hell.
Konas usually had pale golden long hair, wore a pristine white fitted dress, and sported a matching cloak and boots. But now, aside from one exposed eye gleaming with murderous chill, her entire body was shrouded in a single color.
Pitch black!
That was the hue of her magic.
Thud!
A pair of black gloves hit the ground carelessly. Azuma's sharp eyes caught it in a glance—the inside of the gloves had a thin black membrane.
That membrane was darker than the gloves themselves, clearly not part of the original design. It was the result of magic sealing and suppressing the wearer's unconsciously leaking magical energy over a long time.
Konas's gaze was icy enough to frost over everything around her. After removing the gloves, her exposed hands were fully wrapped in this dark, sinister, evil magic. Three meters around her surged with a wildly dangerous, violent magical force.
Azuma's heart pounded, his pupils shrank, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead: This woman's magic... it's no joke!
"So strong! This terrifying magic power... probably not weaker than the master's..."
He made a snap decision, extending his right hand with fingers splayed, launching the first strike. He called on the earth's power around the woman, gathering it to prepare a direct explosion. But...
Hum—!
A surging wave of magic swept outward like a soundwave, covering every angle without dead spots. Wherever it passed, the gathered energy stalled, weakened, and vanished completely.
"What the—?!"
Before he could even process his opponent's capability, Azuma fired off another probe—two area-of-effect spells at once.
"Branch Sword!"
"Leaf Sword!"
Drawing on the power of trees, countless branches and leaves coalesced in the air, forming branch-and-leaf wooden swords that rained down densely toward Konas. But before they could get close, they were swallowed by the black magic around her. The wooden swords lost all momentum, their magic dissipating entirely. The carriers of that magic—the endless barrage of branches and leaves—rapidly decayed and aged, breaking down into dust midair and scattering with the wind.
The solid black magic wasn't content with mere defense; it pressed forward toward Azuma.
A true powerhouse! This is a real powerhouse!
But this wasn't the kind of opponent he wanted to fight seriously!
What he craved was a brutal, up-close brawl—fists to flesh, or at least a full-on clash of magic and weapons. Even if it meant dying, it'd feel worthwhile!
But battling this woman? There'd be no thrill of combat. It'd just be like a cat chasing a mouse—his attacks couldn't even touch her, and if her magic so much as grazed him, it'd be death or severe injury!
Azuma felt like what was coming at him wasn't ordinary magic, but a cold, dark, irresistible energy. He was all too familiar with this sensation—his comrade Ultear's Arc of Time used a similar force: the power of time!
The difference was, Ultear's Arc of Time didn't work on living beings, but this woman's magic had no such flaw.
Years of battling strong foes gave him a gut feeling: Once touched by this magic, escape would be impossible. Unless he abandoned the affected part immediately—like sacrificing a limb—he'd just watch helplessly as his body corroded and aged bit by bit.
Whoosh!
His sturdy body burst from the tree trunk, and Azuma fled the targeted tree at lightning speed, just before the dark magic closed in.
"Aging... I see, so that's why the gloves?" After landing, he suddenly realized something and glanced back at the black gloves on the ground. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a Lost Magic too, right?"
"Not bad for a Wizard Saint who's been famous for years... No, should I say, not bad for the headmistress of Demisole Academy?"
Konas's figure paused, then her killing intent skyrocketed. "What you just said... are you calling me old?"
Azuma: ??
...
Meanwhile, Kira was en route to Demisole Magic Academy.
High in the sky, the flying carpet was at max speed. Hyberion set down his milk, frowning seriously as he asked, "Mr. Kira, are you sure the Demon's Heart won't attack the candidates?"
Kira had eventually remembered Hyberion, looped back to pick him up on the carpet, then ditched the candidates and headed straight for the academy.
"We'll have to trust it! Compared to some unknown potential attack, the academy that's already under siege is the priority, right?"
According to Ultear, they were supposed to launch their assault early that morning. Konas and Guran's airship to the academy would take several hours, so by now, they should've already clashed.
There were four of them over there! Plus a squad of grunts. Could Konas, Guran, and the academy's teachers handle it alone?
Thinking about that, Kira couldn't help asking, "Predecessor, how strong is Chairman Guran?"
He only knew the old man Guran was a wizard in magical research, but his combat strength... The entire council got swept by the Nine Demon Gates' Jackal. How strong could he really be?
Even if Jackal had that Nine Demon Gates debut boost, it still said a lot!
Hyberion thought back and replied, "Chairman Guran's been researching magic for years and can use all sorts of spells, but his strongest is Cage Magic. It imprisons enemies, even magical particles and other energies."
"Got it."
So, strong in control, weak in output. Add in poor defense, low magic reserves, and old age...
And yet he was so righteous, always charging into trouble headfirst. Where did his confidence come from?
"You guys are something else. Should've told me about this sooner!"
Hyberion replied, half-ashamed and half-defiant, "I'm truly sorry! But that was the Demon's Heart—their strength is a mystery. As one of the top dark guilds for decades, you can't overestimate them. We didn't know how many they'd send or if they'd target the candidates, so we had to plan like this!"
If not for the fear that the Demon's Heart might split forces—attacking or kidnapping the candidates while assaulting the academy—Hyberion would've gone ahead with Konas and Guran!
...
Meanwhile, Brunote had infiltrated the academy's library alone.
Though inwardly violent and warlike, his face remained cold and impassive, as if nothing could pique his interest. An invisible gravity emanated from him unconsciously, crushing statues and potted plants in his path into powder.
A couple of brave souls mustered the courage to attack, but they couldn't even get close. Approaching him meant being slammed to the ground by overwhelming gravity, unable to move. Brunote didn't even glance their way, treating them like roadside ants.
"No... you can't... go over there..."
Hearing the voice, Brunote turned. "Tell me—where are the Lost Magic books?"
"Lost... So that's your goal?"
"Not talking? Or don't know? Either way, no need to keep you around!"
Brunote's words were icy as he turned to leave.
"Urgh—!"
In the pit carved by magic, the gravity suddenly intensified, grinding the kneeling, barely breathing figure into a bloody pulp.
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