As soon as I realised someone or multiple someone's actually were trying to break into my domain, I panicked. I actually panicked for the first time in decades, probably the last time was when I fought a huge magic beast, a majestic King Bear, within the academy territory in my later years there.
I panicked, simply because I know the drawbacks to domains and why Grand Mages only use them as a last resort, It is because if yours is weaker than your opponents at the same level, or in my case, multiple opponents, then you can suffer a backlash that can weaken you significantly for potentially years, and I could not afford that.
Not with what I am unearthing here, even though I did not get the chance to torture it out of these idiots, I am sure some big conspiracy is at play from what I have overheard and deduced myself, some higher, mysterious and powerful entity injecting these fools with some kind of corruptive and sinister power.
I have more than a city state to protect now, I have more than just the path of power in my life now. I cannot be weakened and then see Aurora become a victim yet again, in this cruel world, maybe end up like I did... No. I won't allow it.
Even if I have to fight all known Grand Mages I will, even if I have to fight Gods I will.
So, as I quickly thought through ideas, within a fraction of a second I had gone through many simulations on what or not what to do, something only a Grand Mage is able to achieve. It would literally fry the brain of anyone else. I felt a slight delay to their actions, then sensed an aura I knew all too well.
I smirked, rare for me, yes, rarer in a situation like this. 'Damn, he is finally useful for something, I thought.' Then I moved, instantly collapsing my domain, in that split second window I had, I appeared, outside in the world, within that same crater.
The panic left me instantly, and I was yet again calm, too calm. One would think in this situation, when you can sense your opponents are now the same level as you, and you are outnumbered five to one, that you would feel even more panic, not me though. No. I relish these situations.
Then before they could register what had happened, I spoke eerily calmly, "Unhand my butler, demon."
The demon who I did not recognise, but was probably one of those 'old monsters' I had heard so much about, spoke to me in a fiery and direct way, almost spitting "My name is not 'demon' boy, it is Zenith, ancestor of the demon imperial family, show some respect."
I was surprised, not so much by the whole 'I am the ancestor of the demon imperial family.' That was to be expected at this point, as I have already taken in their appearances, which align similar to the imperials, and the fact that there are five of them, each one of a different race.
No, that wasn't surprising to me, someone who essentially could compute thousands of calculations every few seconds, considering I am a Grand Mage. No, it was the fact that this Zenith, actually spoke to me in such a way, I have not been spoken to like that in nearly two decades.
I then look at this demon with my twin orbs that look like the very sun itself with how they glow.
He seemed to stare back into them with equal gusto.
I then replied simply "I will kill you first."
As my words left my mouth, the demon, Zenith, seemed to see red and shouted "You think too highly of yourself, Lightborn, you have just barely became a Grand Mage, and yet you think you can kill me? Let alone all of us! Preposterous."
After he shouted this, the older, human woman came forward, with a calm disposition, who seemed to share the same hair and eye colour as Aurelius.
As I thought that, I wondered if he had bent the knee to this madness or not? Have the imperial families? Nobles?
I am sure about Aurelius, he is loyal, I shouldn't doubt him. I will admit he had become more profiteering in recent memory, but I guess so had I with all the 'deals' I had approached him with.
Although, I reasoned, the imperial families outside of Aurelius most likely have, hell, Aurelius' own family probably have too, they are like any nobles, worse even, as they see themselves above everyone, and they are the type who would sacrifice their own mother or use underhanded methods for more power.
There is a reason I despise most of the nobles, it is because growing up and through the academy, they were just like that, all of them, nobles from the demons, humans, beastkin, dwarfs and elves. Some worse than others, but ultimately the same. Well, except for Aurelius. A true weirdo.
I don't disagree with the concept of wanting to be powerful or power as a concept, I have spent my life chasing that goal, chasing that concept to perfection. However, the means in which they obtain that power, now that, that I disagree with.
Another thing these nobles do, is they bend to the powerful like everyone in this world, as this is the way of the world. Logically speaking, and through my own experiences I can deduce the decision they made without anyone telling me.
So, after calculating all those probabilities, within a second, I believe that if their ancestors, not just these Grand Mages, but the Great Mages too, told them to follow their plans, they are going to follow.
The older human lady spoke, as I was coming to my conclusion. "Kyros, I am Seraph, I have watched your life with interest every now and then, when I came out from seclusion and needed some fresh air."
She said in an almost too calm and detached manner. "You have risen fast, even faster than any of us realised. You know, that little Aurelius seems to be quite fond of you, he even refused my invitation to be a part of something greater, before I came here."
She said with that same calm, detached manner, before going on to shake her head and say "But before I could exterminate him for his hubris, he used some sort of forbidden artifact, I don't know where he got such a priceless item from, without my informants realising, but lets say he took me by surprise, and vanished from the spot."
She then continued "So I thought, I would deal with the next best thing, his concubines, he has quite a few, but I did realise from my informants that there are only two he generally cares for, the others are pawns in political games."
As she said this, she stepped closer with a smile that didn't reach her eyes "So, I went after those he cared about, I wanted to draw him back from wherever he was hiding, however, to yet another surprise, I feel like I am being surprised a lot in this era, they were gone too. So, I then went wiped out the concubines he left behind, being uncharacteristically cruel, I must say, however, I needed to blow off some steam."
She said in almost robotic, scarily calm way, as if killing innocents to let off some steam wasn't psychotic. "This descendant seemed to be very acute, I don't know how he caught wind of our movements, the Thrall of the Abyss, has been good at keeping a low profile, and embedding ourselves into the highest and lowest parts of society, the only good these fools have done."
As she said this she glanced at the still kneeling mages. Then went on to say "However, threat not, I have been able to track him to your city, he is on his way there now, it was kind of obvious that now his assumptions were correlated he would head and tell you, maybe make one of those 'deals?' Hmm."
"So I have sent a few hundred mages, some Emperor Mages this time, to attack your precious city, all powered by the abyss and ready to make an example of it and the people within it. Especially that little bastard of yours, I cannot let any seeds of yours grow, look what you turned into." As she said this in a detached, almost amused way, like she found 'making an example' of my daughter an amusing idea.
Finally, at that, I lost it completely.
I fully let loose, not holding back my presence, aura or power. Something I haven't done since I was a child when fighting that damn bear.
Suddenly, the air around us started to put up resistance, to this overwhelming presence, this unnatural occurrence, it couldn't hold out for long, next was the molecules which seemed to be burned by some overwhelming heat, not the kind from fire or lava, but the kind that you feel from the rays of sunlight. Making it difficult for anyone other than a Grand Mage to breath.
The faces of the Grand Mages were still not worried, but more apprehensive. They still believed in their numbers, and once I realised that, I knew they were weak, only the weak huddle together.
I saw the demon throw Diablo casually away like some garbage, and realised in that moment, if I didn't protect him, he would be vaporised in the coming confrontation. So, before I lost myself completely to the thrill and adrenaline of battle, I covered him in a small shield of pure light.
Then I finally spoke, after what seemed like ages, but was actually only a minute "You! You dare to utter those words in front of me, witch!? I was going to kill that fucking demon first for his lack of respect and damaging what is mine, but you, you are going to have the slowest, most painful death imaginable."
As I was about to attack, I heard slight movement behind me, I didn't even look back, I just said "And don't think I didn't forget about you, Marcus, I came here for you and I will not let you just slither away unpunished for your actions against me, I would have loved to torture you, but I guess there are bigger fish."
As I finished speaking I sent multiple swords of light towards him, from all locations, all I could hear was the screeching and cursing of a dying man. "BURN IN HELL LIGHTBORN!"
I didn't even bother with the rest, I let them barely run off to whatever hole they came crawling out of - along with the rest of those cultists who seemed to realise this place is going to turn into a warzone of unbelievable proportions.
While I didn't even register the last whaling of Marcus, what does he mean 'burn in hell' we are already in it.
.....
The Grand Mages in the meantime seemed not even bothered in the slightest at the fact that one of theirs was so brutally killed in front of them. Like they were just disposable pawns on a board.
The elf, spoke in a soothing and unbound manner. "I hope you give us a proper fight~ Its been a while since any of us got to have a real one~"
The dwarf spoke up while leaning on his staff, "You are right Rumil, as airy as ever in your statements, but true none the less. Let us see if you can back up your arrogance, Lightborn."
Rumil then laughed lightly, like the wind, and said "This is going to be fun Adrik~ You better pull your weight, I know how much you like to slack off ~"
Adrik, the dwarf, grumbled "Knock it off, Rumil, this isn't the time to be acting all airy and fairy, this is going to be tough."
As those words left Adrik's mouth, the pressure continued to build from Kyros as he unleashed his full might.
Then the big, burly, bearman seemed to join in as he made a jab at the dwarf, Adrik, "You do slack off sometimes, little man."
The dwarf scoffed and said, "Just shut it you big oaf, make sure you put that crazy, excitement for a powerful opponent, to the test, and actually do something yourself in this coming confrontation, you always use the excuse 'oh they weren't worthy'."
The bearman, Zarog, just laughed crazily as he heard the 'little man' rant.
Seraph then stepped forward yet again, still with the same smile that did not reach her eyes and said "I am no witch, I just tell it how I see it. Oh! By the way, you should learn to control that anger of yours, look what it is turning you into, or maybe, it is the girl that makes you act like this?"
As the words left her mouth they seemed to carry like a sea breeze. However, it only seemed to make Kyros more worked up, making the air bend and finally give in from the immense pressure.
Then he moved.
Directly after Seraph, swinging a sword made of pure, blinding light, that he had formed instantly. While trying out a new body enhancement spell, one he had thought of many years ago, but his body was not yet strong enough to be able to take the full strain of it.
It was imbuing his light into his body to enhance his speed to a level that reached light speed. He named it 'blink' as with it, he went so fast it seemed as he just appeared. He knew if he was going to get out of here alive, he was going to need every advantage possible.
Even if they were not, from what he could see, 'corrupted' by this so called 'abyss' they were still Grand Mages with centuries or millennia of experience.
I hope Luminosity is fine. That Aurora is fine. Were my last thoughts as I went into battle.