418 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

Chapter 418: “Ah, No!” Victoria screamed as she was caught in the emperor’s magic circle. A sensation of her mind melding away alongside the magic. Captured by an overwhelming force she couldn’t possibly resist, she soon realized her inevitable defeat. “This is hopeless.” A feeling of helplessness that she couldn’t possibly escape engulfed her entire body. But at that moment, the despair dredged up her worst memories. Her childhood had felt more daunting precisely because she was more intelligent than her peers. Swept along, relying completely on her older brother, just four years her senior. There had been more than one occasion when she’d thought that her brother might be better off without her, considering giving up on life. However. In the end, she overcame even that. With the help of a benefactor and their own efforts. “I can’t just sit down and give up here.” No matter how powerful the magic was, it didn’t seem as intimidating as the weight of the world she had felt back then. Those memories of a time she never wanted to return to seized Victoria’s mind as her resolve began to slip away. Then, that small spark of determination moved the power of the grand magic circle through the crown she possessed. Woooom. Among the five magic circles, the one that protected the mind and soul bolstered her spirit. “Urgh.” “Master!” And through her soul, her teacher Clayton’s mind, which had synchronized with hers, was also restored. “It’s embarrassing. I should’ve been first…” “This isn’t the time for that! Focus!” “…Alright.” Wooooom. Both were wizards. Though they were no match for the emperor who had reached the pinnacle of mastering great magic, once they regained their senses, they wouldn’t be swept away by the flow of magic again. In that surging blue light, a faint brown shimmer began to separate. At this rate, it seemed possible to escape the flow of magic and return to their bodies. As Clayton focused his mind, Victoria interrupted. “We can’t just go back!” “What?” “If we leave this magic unchecked, it will strike a huge blow to the fortress and our army!” It might have sounded utterly impossible. No matter if the magic was cast by a 7th-circle great mage. No matter if it was empowered by a massive magic stone and numerous artifacts, it was ultimately magic created by a single individual. If such magic could obliterate a fortress, what use was an army? But Victoria believed that this seemingly implausible event could truly occur. Even if the magic didn’t completely destroy the fortress or crush the army, it would certainly deliver a deadly blow. The immense magic she sensed and the shocking scene she'd witnessed while being subdued at the barracks gave her reason to think so. “The cores constructing this magic are four 7th-class artifacts!” “What!?” By the nature of magic, it’s an artifact that can only be painstakingly created by one who has reached the rare 9th circle or 9th class, using exceedingly rare materials. There are rumors that dragon bones or blood and parts of mythical creatures are basic materials in these legendary artifacts. The highest-grade artifacts, which were scarce even during the golden age of magic in ancient times, are now things of legend, something unheard of except in stories. It was astonishing enough that there were four of these treasures, thought to be possessed by the imperial family. “The emperor is willing to risk these artifacts losing their power forever or not functioning for a long time to use them!” In other words, it was akin to a magic cast by five great mages at the 7th circle, emperor included. Moreover, it consumed a massive magic stone and numerous other artifacts they had never seen before. It was likely to have the destructive power comparable to magic of the legendary 8th or 9th circles now. Once he calculated the potential, Clayton grew urgent as well. “Then!?” “We need to twist this magic.” “What!? That’s impossible…” “We just need to shift its position slightly! From the fortress to in front of it!!” “Urgh. Alright, let’s try.” Easier said than done; it was nearly a gamble. They had only just regained their innate magic and were about to return to their bodies. To interfere with the magic circle’s energy, they needed to unravel it backward. In other words, they had to plunge themselves back into this torrent of massive energy. While also fighting to retain their consciousness, they had to try to twist the direction of this grand magic. “By normal means, it’ll be tough.” “You won’t know until you try!” Upon witnessing his disciple’s resolute determination, Clayton made up his mind. “Then I will be your shield.” “What?” “There’s no time. The magic’s execution is drawing near!” “Master, if you do that, then you…!?” “I said there’s no time! You proposed this, so listen to me this time!” Just before the massive energy descended onto the battlefield. The small brown lights that merged back into the stream went unnoticed by anyone. And soon thereafter. Woooosh! The blue pillar of magic that soared into the sky drew every gaze onto the battlefield as it plummeted downward. Slightly altered from its original path, it narrowly avoided the fortress and aimed for a section of the fortress wall. “A little more! Just a little more! No!” Victoria screamed internally as the magic, which included her soul, veered. Even with its trajectory altered, the angle at which the magic was about to strike included not only the imperial army but also the elite of the Maclain forces. And more critically, the most important person—Logan Maclain, the Maclain lord. This was the worst-case scenario. But. “Return…” “No, Master!” “…now.” Her master’s soul, having taken the brunt of the impact in her place, had no strength left to even comprehend the situation. “No!!!!” Victoria’s soul, guided by her master just before the magic materialized, returned to her body. Thus, in that moment, she didn’t witness the golden beam of light soaring from the center of the magic. Before Logan could fully revel in the newfound sensation of omnipotence thrumming through his elevated soul, a chilling pressure overtook him, shaking him to his core. Even in this heightened state, amplified to the max by his special trait, he felt the looming threat of death. A massive beam of unimaginable magical power was cascading from the sky. He could sense it just by gazing at it. “There’s no escaping this.” The formidable energy aside, the magic itself possessed a ‘rank’ capable of sealing space and even striking at the soul. In that case… “I’ll deflect it.” The thought that it might be impossible didn’t even occur to him. His elevated soul, teetering on the edge of an aura master’s domain, granted him boundless confidence with the immense power he held in his grasp. Amidst this, the sudden activation of his beloved sword Lux's time acceleration sparked another insight within him. “I can do it.” It wasn’t the artifact’s power he was using. The ‘rank’ he had reached was already far beyond Lux's touch. Even if the natural magic emanating from Lux fit his soul perfectly, it wasn’t enough to have a substantial impact. However, the magic itself brought about a new realization. Time acceleration. Until now, he hadn’t understood why this was the power manifested through Lux, but he finally grasped it. Having returned by defying time, he had altered the outcomes of all time and events. The essence of this, manifested in its most diluted form, was Lux's time acceleration. The karma accumulated in his soul had become visible. “Twisting the fate that's already been determined.” This realization led him to a secret technique that he should not have been able to reach by his shortcut-boosted level. Divine Sword Technique, Ninth Move: Light Splitting. It didn’t simply mean to slice light, nor was it about moving fast enough to cut light. “Unaffected by the flow of time, even splitting light.” Eradicating the ‘cause’ from causality and rewriting it to take only the desired ‘effect.’ It was a vision achievable by a God of Sword who had experienced regression twice before him. And finally. “A technique only possible with the power of prayer.” Neither his brother nor anyone else could master the Ninth Move. Then what could the Tenth Move be, which even the Sword God hadn’t mastered? The thought crossed his mind momentarily, but this was no time for such musings. Logan swiftly shook off these random thoughts that surfaced in the face of a life-or-death situation, gripping his sword. He infused it with the power of prayer and swung it towards the disastrous light descending from above. Crash! The pillar of light that had been descending towards the fortress wall was once again slightly deflected. And beneath it gathered the empire’s elite forces, rushing towards the crumbling wall. “What?” “What is that!?” “What the…!” Flash! The thousands who came into direct contact with the light evaporated in an instant without even a scream, marking just the beginning. Boom boom boom boom boom. “Ahhh!” “Argh!” “What is happening…!?” The shockwave that started from the explosion point knocked away troops as if they were paper, amounting to ten times their number. Rumbling. The earth shook, halting the army’s advance as though an earthquake struck, creating several times more casualties. “Help!” “Please, no…!” “What the hell is happening!?” “Save us!” Even after that, the massive waves of residual energy either halted or caused the magic on the battlefield to backfire instantly. “Ugh, ugh.” “G-gurgle.” “The demon’s t-trickery…” Both armies’ magic brigades coughed up blood simultaneously, but naturally, the damage was far more severe for the empire that had been directly hit by the beam. “Cough.” “T-the curse…” “This disaster… kuh…” Around three thousand wizards vomited blood and collapsed. The blow delivered when the curtain of wind was pierced paled in comparison; the result of this single magic spell was truly horrific. At a glance, a minimum of tens of thousands, possibly up to a hundred thousand soldiers, simultaneously lost their combat ability. The blue pillar of light created a hellish scene, sweeping through the battlefield. And at the forefront of this calamitous miracle, Logan raised his golden sword once more. “Behold! This is divine retribution against the invaders!!!” All eyes on the battlefield, initially bewildered by the incomprehensible scene, were drawn to him at once. “The insatiable greed of the Emperor has brought down divine punishment!” His voice rang out, echoing across the battlefield. If anyone in their right mind had heard it under normal circumstances, they would have dismissed it as nonsense. However, coupled with the devastated state of the imperial forces, it suddenly seemed plausible. What transpired was beyond the contemporary understanding. “What?” “It seems true, doesn’t it?” “The empire is accused of divine punishment!” Murmurs of disbelief quickly spread. And it wasn’t just within the Maclain camp. “D-did we get punished for invading?” “This can’t be…” “Are we truly under divine punishment…?” Even the imperial center force, known for their strict discipline, fell into panic. The scene that had unfolded was that shocking. “What ridiculous nonsense...!” The Wind Mage, Galen Decaid, who was belatedly dealing with the cancellation shockwaves of his interrupted magic, yelled out. Yet, with the atmosphere having shifted, his shout came off as a delayed, desperate cry. Instead, Logan's booming voice drowned out his, reverberating across the battlefield once again. “God’s will is with us! All forces, attack!! Crush the empire’s lackeys!”