Chapter 253 - Infinite Mage

"Shirone! No!" Amy felt a dreadful chill at the force of the photon compression, far more overwhelming than the Shining Impact. She could almost hear the phantom sounds of Shirone's mind ripping apart. The human mind is fluid but very vulnerable to sudden shocks. If pushed beyond its limits, without regard for Shirone's will, he might never return to sanity. Numerous carnivorous plants descended like snakes from the trees, ready to sink their jaws into Shirone's flesh. Simultaneously, the light from the Photon Cannon vanished. With a bang, a black sphere the size of a human head was born. Its mass was so extremely compressed that light couldn't escape and was sucked into it. It was the Anti-Sphere, the antithesis of the Photon Cannon. "Screeeech!" The miniature gravitational field created by the Anti-Sphere had a radius of one meter. Trapped within it, the carnivorous plants snapped, vanishing into the abyss like droplets sucked through a straw. Following this, the vines gripping Shirone's limbs began to twist and crack, straining to hold on before ultimately snapping and being drawn into the Anti-Sphere. Every plant connected to the vines tore away from the walls and whirled in a vortex. *Creaaaaak! Creaaak!* As the fibrous materials broke, tore, and compressed in sequence, they were finally devoured by the darkness of the Anti-Sphere. Aymar Bosun stood in stunned disbelief as he witnessed his masterpiece, "Handful of Seeds," being utterly dismantled. The only force capable of capturing light is gravity, and it requires an immense concentration of gravitational force. "Scale magic..." Shirone was an Unlocker, not a Scale Mage. Yet, by intensifying gravity to an extreme degree, he achieved space manipulation akin to a Scale Mage. Perhaps every Unlocker could be a Scale Mage, Bosun pondered. When the Anti-Sphere dissipated, the forest stationed on the north side of the Grand Hall had completely vanished. Only a few mosses lingered desolately in the corners of the ceiling, while a handful of surviving flowers, oozing acidic sap, plummeted to the ground. Bosun moved his rigid neck to look at Shirone, who was smiling even as tears of blood streamed down his face. "What do you think of my Scale Magic? Not so tough, right?" As he spoke, a surge of blood poured from Shirone's mouth. Amy screamed. Yet Shirone continued to laugh maniacally. It's okay. I can still think, can't I? As long as I can fight, that's all that matters. Right now, my insides are burning. Bosun couldn't control the trembling in his fingertips, unable to swallow his crumpled pride. Despite being an Unlocker, wasn't this way too extreme? Due to the specialization in gravity, it couldn't be used offensively. However, in terms of defense, it was unparalleled. "I will go," Mito Ekkashi announced coldly, stepping forward. To stand out with combat magic, there are generally two methods: invent an astonishingly ingenious spell that amazes the world, or be truly exceptional in battle. Ekkashi belonged to the latter category. Though small in stature, his combat sense was renowned across the kingdom. The Avatar's Master (5) Shirone didn't even consider wiping his blood-smeared lips as he turned to face Ekkashi. "Who are you? A mere Habari dares to step forward?" "Elder Bosun is the person I respect the most. You should watch your mouth." "Then you must die too. Bosun is one of those I despise most in this world." True to a combat mage, Ekkashi wasn't swayed by taunts. He pulled out a short baton from his robe, extending it in front of him with a frigid voice. "Spear of Magic, Freeze." As his palm opened, the baton didn't fall but stayed spinning in place. Like it was propelled by centrifugal force, shafts extended from both ends, transforming into a spear longer than himself. Ekkashi gripped the spear with both hands and swung it. A cold wind reached Shirone. As he executed his complex spear techniques and assumed a concluding stance with the spear aimed, shards of ice cracked and fell from where the blade paused. Ekkashi's specialty was in freezing. Among combat mages, he was recognized for his rigorous focus on magical spear techniques. Moreover, the magical weapon Freeze was a coveted and expensive weapon for any freezing mage. It boasted an exceptional 128% magical amplification efficiency baseline, alongside an additional 146% boost specifically for freezing spells. Furthermore, the spear's blade, the focal point of magical freezing, had a special magical amplification with a staggering 280% boost, making it a phenomenal weapon. When Ekkashi cast a freezing spell on the blade of Freeze, he achieved an amplification rate of 554%. "Impressive for something man-made," Shirone considered, observing the continuous fall of ice around Freeze's blade. The ability to chill the atmosphere could only be achieved by an ice magic authority like Shiina. Even if borrowing the power of enchantments, Ekkashi's combat prowess couldn't be underestimated. "Blizzard Blade." With a frigid tone, Ekkashi closed the gap with a swift movement. As Freeze slashed through the air, streaks of frozen air followed its path. With a crack, long, rope-like lines of ice formed and then shattered into shards. "Using this on an amateur is disgraceful, but…" Ekkashi lunged with the shortest thrust. When Shirone activated Photon Cannon at full power, Freeze's blade pierced through, triggering a shockwave. Simultaneously, Shirone and Ekkashi retreated. They rebounded, lunging once more toward each other. A single mistake in this extreme close combat could cost their lives. Shirone watched Ekkashi advance and slammed the Photon Cannon to the ground. Its force was so intense the earth quaked, but Ekkashi was already airborne. Flying overhead, he grasped the handle of Freeze with one hand, spinning and slashing. Following the spear's arc, ring-shaped ice tubes formed, with one spot tainted red. Shirone bent his back, trying to dodge, but a fine cut opened on his shoulder, with frozen blood erupting from the wound. "Arghhh!" Shirone pushed off the ground, breaking out of Ekkashi's attack range, but couldn't hold on for long and collapsed. The terror of Freeze lay in its ability to turn even minor wounds into fatal injuries. His back felt as though it had caught fire, and the pain intensified, making him feel as if he was slipping into unconsciousness. Ekkashi set his spear back and monitored the state of his prey. "Your movements aren't bad. But you're still immature. Be content with becoming a stepping stone for my greatest legend." As Shirone tried to reply with eyes burning with defiance, something rolled to his feet. It was a Fresh Truffle. The dessert from his parents' meal—one laced with a lethal dose of poison beneath its sweet chocolate flavor. With a vacant look, Shirone turned his head. Aymar Bosun stood there, smirking, having propelled the chocolate with his foot. "How about it? Want a taste? It's quite delicious." "...I've changed my mind." Shirone's face twisted into a monstrous scowl. "All of you, die." From Shirone's body, dozens of laser beams erupted. There was no need for targeting; chaos erupted wherever they scraped the walls, igniting flames. The Grand Hall trembled. The nobles were thrown into a frenzy. Those who had believed they only needed to worry about Bosun's faction realized, as Shirone's blind rampage began, that this place was far from safe. "Damn it! What are you doing? Kill that brat already!" Private guards charged at Shirone. As dozens of swordsmen drew their blades and dashed forward, Bosun's men unleashed a concentrated barrage with their respective skills. In a low crouch, Shirone cast his full-force spell. From the realm of infinity, as his heartbeats resonated, a formless energy occupied the space—so pure it was invisible even as it moved. The ground beneath Shirone, as if it were brittle as a cookie, crumbled into a deep, hemispherical depression. Wind pushed by the barrier of light knocked people back against the walls. Yet those present weren't ordinary. Though the first onslaught failed, they quickly regrouped and launched themselves at Shirone once more. Ekkashi, at the forefront, wielded Freeze. As the spear sliced through air, the sheer velocity caused bursting winds to freeze into a blizzard-like spray behind him. Shirone countered with the Photon Cannon, but it deftly arced around, catching him off guard and closing in from behind. 'This ends here.' Just as Ekkashi swung Freeze, a red flash blazed before his eyes. "Ugh!" A thin laser grazed Ekkashi's nose as he leaned back. He crashed onto his back, bewildered, staring at Freeze. Its blade was severed, the cut pulsing with molten crimson. 'Damn it, who has magic like this anywhere?' A light that could slice metal. Just how much power did it take to wield something this deadly? The mass-focused Photon Cannon was unfathomably heavy, while the energy-enhanced lasers were terrifyingly sharp. The guards observing realized belatedly—they'd been wrong from the start. Shirone had always considered everyone here his enemy. In a meeting of the kingdom's highest nobles, their combat capabilities could only be so limited. It was the classic dynamic of guerrilla warfare. One perceptive guard asked hesitantly. "Captain, should we... activate the magic suppression device...?" "Why ask, idiot! Go activate it now!" Shirone, watching the guard rush off to act, turned his attention away indifferently. There wasn't much time left to fight anyway. His consciousness was already halfway to the netherworld. He couldn't discern whether his limbs were still moving or if his body had been torn apart, fueling a vivid delusion. ‘I’ll kill them all…’ There was only murderous intent and fury. If he could take everyone here with him, it didn't matter if he died afterward. If it could quench the burning rage in his gut, nothing else mattered. "Whack!" In the center of the Grand Hall, Shirone bent over, spewing blood. Even the resilience of Impervious Body had reached its limits. The process of mental collapse felt more wretched than any emotion. Though the Immortal Function theoretically drew infinite mental strength, a human body had its limits. This was the end. As Shirone stilled, everyone else froze, as if on cue. In the silent stillness, debris softly fell from the ceiling. "Is it... is it over?" Those fighting Shirone appeared as if trapped with a ghost, their eyes hollow and faces gleaming with sweat. "Kill him! What are you waiting for? Finish him off!" The recovered swordsmen hastily regained their stance, charging at Shirone. Dozens of swords aimed at his wavering form. Waiting quietly for the end, Shirone realized his moment had come. With quiet resolve, he murmured. "Halo." With a thunderous crack, a brilliant light exploded, birthing a halo. Like that of an angel, the halo formed a perfect circle above his head, the process of its creation entirely bypassed. Shocked, the swordsmen dropped their weapons, clutching their heads. Though the nobles weren't stunned by the halo's form, their minds froze for another reason. Remembering the destructive force that had leveled the Colosseum today, they struggled to perceive this as reality. Finally, it dawned on them. If Ataraxia was unleashed here, the palace would vanish without a trace. This was the true end. The concentration of Ataraxia's power vastly outpaced its prior display at the Colosseum, over ten times faster. In an instant, a hyperspell array radiated with a rainbow glow, awaiting the climax. Yet none of the nobles attempted to flee. Though weak in combat, they had risen here with their intellect. None were foolish enough to succumb to denial. No matter how quickly they ran, they couldn't outpace Shirone firing a Photon Cannon. If even one stepped through the doors, that would be Khazra's end. "Shirone..." Amy clutched her mouth, bursting into tears. Shirone's staggering appearance was unbearable to witness with open eyes. Blood flowed from his ruptured veins all over his body, and even his once-dark pupils were now a deep red, like pools filled with blood. At the end of his journey, Shirone truly wept. Tears of blood, hot and unending, streamed down his cheeks like a child's desolate cry. His voice, rough from strain, struggled to emerge. "You... all tormented me first." Unable to bear the sight any longer, Amy fell to her knees. "You tried to kill me, didn't you? Without any wrongdoing on my part, you aimed to kill my parents, my friends!" Nobody replied to Shirone's lament. While it might have seemed like remorse, in truth, everyone was desperately plotting a way out of this dire situation. Especially Aymar Bosun, whose mind raced faster than anyone else's. He had underestimated Shirone. No, that wasn't it. He had simply judged by appearances. Anger alone couldn't enhance abilities—if it could, everyone would be archmages. What on earth had happened to him? 'Even if reinforcements arrive now, it's too late. Where did I go wrong? Have we truly been defeated? No, absurd! A kingdom falling to just one person is unfathomable. It should never happen.' With cautious steps, Bosun advanced. When Shirone glared at him with crimson eyes, he immediately halted. Shirone was unhinged, and he held a bomb of mutual destruction. Negotiation was the only way to survival. "Alright, understood. Let's settle this with dialogue. First, I apologize for tormenting you. Compensation will be made, whatever it takes. So, please, remove the halo..." "Kneel." Shirone's voice, dry and coarse, commanded. "Everybody kneel. Don't move. There's something you must hear before I end everything." Bosun blinked, then knelt without hesitation. With the kingdom's fate on the line, emotions couldn't cloud his judgment. "Alright, is this satisfactory?" Shirone's gaze swept over the nobles behind Bosun. At Bosun's nod, nobles began kneeling one by one. Even Amy and Reina knelt down. Shirone had gained control with his doomsday strategy. If he perceived anyone in this room as an ally, someone would inevitably exploit that vulnerability. But Orkamp and Eliza thought differently. Shirone had toppled the Theraze faction. He would become a proud son of the kingdom, destined to lead Kazura. Overcome with emotion, Eliza approached Shirone. "My son, you've saved the kingdom. You're amazing. Come here. Let Mommy express how proud she is..." The Photon Cannon rocketed toward Eliza's head. A kneeling guard sprang like a beast, enveloping her and crashing down. The hefty mass slammed into the wall, carving a neat, hemispherical groove. Had a person been hit, their head would have been blown away. "Sh-Shirone..." Eliza quivered, her face drained of color. The afterimage of the Photon Cannon lingered on her retinas. The Avatar's Master (6) "Ignore me once more, and I'll annihilate everything." Bosun realized the situation was graver than anticipated. Attacking one's own parents with magic proved Shirone wasn't in his right mind. Orkamp quietly sat next to Eliza. Showing such a disgraceful sight to other nobles was humiliating, but he had to prevent Kazura's destruction at any cost. 'Damn it. A country I've built up with such effort.' With Orkamp as the last to kneel, Bosun naturally became the representative and turned to Shirone, addressing him. "Speak. What do you want to hear? Whatever you desire, it shall be done." "Who ordered the assassination of my parents?" The nobles exchanged furtive glances, eyes finally settling on one person. Without even turning, Bosun raised his hand. "I gave the order. If you seek revenge, take it on me. But... how about ending it with me?" "Cut the nonsense. You think I'll forgive you?" "I know forgiveness isn't possible. But consider this: no one has died. Can you battle Empress Theraze herself? Furthermore, your beloved family is right here in this place." Bosun swiftly attacked Shirone's weak point. Despite holding the bomb, Shirone seeking the truth behind the assassination indicated his family still held value as hostages. Perhaps, Bosun thought, this was the last chance. Demonstrating his non-hostile intent, he raised his hands and stood up. "We will adhere to your will. Everyone involved in the assassination attempt, myself included, will face legal repercussions. You can return home with your family. As a 4th-rank certified mage, I, Aymar Bosun, guarantee this. So, how about a resolution through dialogue?" A trace of calm returned to Shirone’s expression. It seemed like nothing could quench his resentment enough, even by killing everyone here. But obliterating the palace meant losing his family and friends. "Charge! Charge!"