34. Mages (1)
Pides gave a quick salute to Yuri before sprinting toward the rear.
He moved swiftly.
“Be careful!”
Yuri waved him off before shifting his focus forward.
It was time to hunt the shamans.
He detected points where the mana’s composition was disrupted, its flow suppressed.
It seemed possible to locate the shaman by tracing the source of the stagnation.
While impossible for an ordinary person, Yuri believed he could do it.
Closing his eyes, he sharpened his senses.
He could sense points where mana’s composition was disrupted and its flow suppressed. It was faint at first, but the locations soon became clear.
“There, there, and there.”
“Pardon?”
Laurent and Jared, standing close by, turned their attention to Yuri.
Yuri said,
“There are shamans in three locations. I’ll take this one.”
“Ah…”
There was no time to explain.
As Yuri dashed off, Laurent and Jared exchanged glances before splitting up and running in different directions.
He saw Okuah.
Moyongchan was blocking him, and the other knights were standing behind, occasionally supporting the attack.
It was like a scene from an old tale of knights battling an evil dragon.
Not even in his past life had Yuri realized that Okuah was such a monster. It was only in this life that Yuri discovered Okuah’s connection to dark magic.
What other secrets were being hidden?
“Kuar!”
Yuri shouted the orcish word for shaman, ‘Kuar,’ which Kori had taught him.
“Kuar!”
He shouted again.
The orcs lingering in the rear stirred at his call. Among them, a blindfolded orc shaman hid behind a cluster of guards.
Yuri leaped forward, slashing down with Guilty.
Though exhausted, his senses were sharper than ever. He could even sense the faint swaying of weapons as they flew toward him.
Twisting his body, Yuri dodged with the agility of an acrobat.
The blindfolded shaman appeared to accept its fate with eerie calm. Its chest split open vertically, spilling blood and entrails.
The moment the shaman fell, orcs surged toward him from every direction.
Yuri darted toward the weakest point in their formation. A volley of axes hurtled toward him.
He had no room to dodge.
Instead, he deflected them with ease.
Yuri drew upon Heart and Soul Slash and swung his sword in a single, swift motion. The axes flying toward him were deflected in a single sweep.
He darted between two side-by-side orcs and swiftly swung Guilty.
Blood spurted from their sides simultaneously.
As soon as he escaped the encirclement, Yuri spun around and aimed his sword. The orcs hesitated, not daring to approach him.
His strength had grown immeasurably since he first joined the Allied Forces.
Yet, there was no time to dwell on his progress.
“One down…”
Yuri glanced around as he stepped away from the orc.
Laurent and Jared weren’t alone; they were targeting the shamans with other knights.
One by one, the shamans were being struck down. He could feel the barriers to magic disappearing.
All that was left now was to unleash the fireball.
Though vulnerable to dispelling, a mage’s firepower was devastating when unleashed.
But there was no response.
Half-crouching, Yuri fixed his gaze on Okuah.
The entity, shaped from corpses in Okuah’s likeness, swung its massive limbs, forcing Moyongchan to retreat. Moyongchan and the other knights battled the monstrous being.
A realization struck Yuri.
“Ah…”
There were still shamans left.
Wasn’t Okuah himself, an entity crafted from countless corpses, a manifestation of dark magic?
As soon as the thought struck him, Okuah’s massive arm tore across the ground.
Several knights were struck by the attack and hurled through the air. Even the Third Knight Captain and Graham, who had displayed such strength, were crushed to the ground like insects.
How could he stop that creature?
Yuri tightened his grip on Guilty.
“If I could just break the dispel…”
Magic, being formed externally by assembling mana, was easily dispelled.
He just needed to remove that restriction.
Hernando was a formidable mage—Moyongchan hadn’t called him a ‘Great Hero’ for nothing.
If Hernando could rally the mages and unleash their combined power, they might stand a chance.
Yuri took a deep breath.
His mana reserves were depleted, and his core felt as fractured as a parched rice field.
Any further strain might irreparably damage his core.
But Yuri didn’t hesitate.
Heart and Soul Slash’s lingering mana surged in response to his will.
His vision shifted once again.
His gaze pierced into the phenomena realm—what Laurent had called ‘The World Beyond.’
Threads of black cords swirled menacingly around the monster that Okuah had become.
That was the true form of the dark magic that was disrupting the flow of mana.
It felt impossible.
He felt overwhelmed.
But he had to.
This was a task that only he could accomplish.
He raised Guilty.
A chilling voice whispered in his ear.
‘Never fear your enemy.’
He nodded.
‘Do what you believe in.’
He tightened his grip on his sword.
‘Finish it, Yuri Briol. Fulfill the duty of Briol.’
Yuri knew better than to question the meaning of the duty of Briol.
He could feel the entire battlefield.
Soldiers staggered, their swords slashing wildly, while knights battled seemingly invincible foes.
None shirked their appointed roles.
And he was Yuri Briol.
He had a duty to fulfill.
“I made a vow.”
Yuri muttered the words under his breath, tightening his core.
A brilliant white energy radiated from Guilty’s blade.
With his mana depleted, he forced himself to draw upon the last reserves of inner energy in his body.
Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as his legs wavered.
With trembling hands, he raised Guilty high, the sword’s tip quivering unsteadily.
But he didn’t stop.
He saw them.
The souls of the sacrificed screamed in agony. Even in death, they found no salvation, bound to the black magic that unwillingly tainted the world.
“I will sever.”
His trembling slowly subsided.
His breathing stabilized.
He glared at the enemy.
He struck.
A brilliant streak of sword light cleaved the sky in two.
* * *
Stationed at the rear, the mages were guarded as they cast Dispel, waiting for the right moment.
“Impressive.”
While Hernando observed the battle with crossed arms, Aizen, the Empire’s mage, approached him.
“Me?”
“No, I meant the third prince.”
“Ah…”
At the forefront of Briol’s forces, Yuri broke through enemy lines and disrupted their formation—a remarkable display of strength, no matter how often Hernando witnessed it.
“He’s quite accomplished for his age. Both with the sword and his judgment.”
“He’s brave.”
“What do you think?”
“About this battle.”
“The Allied Forces will win, of course.”
“Will the casualties be significant?”
“I hope not.”
Hernando replied indifferently to Aizen’s words.
He wasn’t fond of the Empire’s mages.
Mage towers existed throughout the continent, but the one in the Empire was unusually secular. It functioned more as a mage training facility for the Empire than a traditional mage tower.
It deviated greatly from Hernando’s ideal image of a mage.
“By the way, may I ask, Master Hernando, which mage tower are you from?”
Aizen subtly inquired, prompting Hernando to shrug.
“The main tower.”
“Oh…”
The main tower, the origin of all mage towers, admitted only the most talented. Though the Empire’s branch had grown significantly, it could never rival the original.
“That’s impressive.”
“No need to flatter me. You’re impressive as well, Aizen.”
“May I ask your rank?”
A mage’s rank was private unless they chose to disclose it. Few knew Hernando’s true status as a Grand Wizard.
Hernando replied modestly.
“I’m a Master Wizard.”
“Pardon?”
“Master Wizard.”
Technically, it wasn’t a lie.
A Master Wizard was promoted to Grand Wizard upon achieving a unique, irreplicable form of magic.
“Really?”
Aizen scanned Hernando up and down, his skepticism evident.
“Indeed.”
“That’s impressive.”
When Hernando remained silent, Aizen cleared his throat loudly and continued,
“I am an Expert Wizard.”
“That’s an impressive achievement.”
“When the Allied Forces conclude their mission, would you consider coming to the Empire?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Empire values exceptional mages. As a Master Wizard, you would receive excellent treatment.”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“Are you satisfied with Briol?”
“That’s part of it, but…”
Hernando shook his head.
“The war isn’t over yet. It doesn’t seem like the right time to be talking about such things.”
“Regardless of how the Allied Forces end, there will be no problem.”
“What do you mean?”
While they were talking, a sudden loud noise erupted.
Both of them turned their heads.
Ancient Worms and wyverns had suddenly appeared. The battle, which had seemed to be in their favor, began to turn against them.
Thanks to Yuri’s actions, Moyongchan appeared and engaged Okuah in battle.
The situation shifted rapidly.
A sudden turn of events occurred.
It seemed like Okuah had died, but suddenly, a dark monster began to rise.
Aizen, with his poor vision, couldn’t make it out clearly, but Hernando understood immediately.
“Corpses.”
“Pardon?”
“Corpses are gathering and rising.”
“That can’t be possible…”
“That impossible thing is unfolding before our eyes.”
Hernando let out a groan of disbelief.
How many lives had been sacrificed for that?
Okuah must have grown stronger by that number.
He couldn’t shake his worry for Yuri’s safety.
The Allied Forces couldn’t win this battle if they failed to kill Okuah.
“Perhaps retreating would be better…”
But, of course, such great men would never consider retreat.
Hernando clenched his fist, then released it.
The situation continued to deteriorate.
“A Grand Wizard does not intervene in human history.”
Within the constraints given to him, Hernando couldn’t overcome Dispel.
“Don’t worry too much.”
Aizen was calm.
“Even if we lose, we’ll be fine. The orc side has taken heavy losses too.”
“People are dying.”
“That’s what war is all about.”
At that moment, a soldier came running toward them from the rear. His speed suggested he was using some kind of mana method.
“Sir Hernando! Sir Hernando!”
The soldier called out his name.
Hernando stepped forward, recognizing the soldier’s face from the camp.
“Sir Hernando!” the soldier shouted.
“Yes?”
“The prince requests that you drop the fireball!”
The soldier stood before Hernando, panting heavily.
“F-fireball, sir. His Highness said… a fireball. He said you’d understand…”
Hernando tilted his head. Yuri couldn’t be ignorant about dispelling magic.
“It’s difficult to cast a fireball with the dispels in place. His Highness must be mistaken.”
Ignoring Aizen’s words, Hernando focused his gaze on the battlefield.
Yuri never made frivolous statements in battle. If he said something like that, it meant there was a way.
Hernando raised his binoculars.
He saw Yuri calling Laurent and Jared over, speaking with them briefly before they scattered in three directions.
They were heading toward orcs whose eyes were covered with cloth.
They were going to eliminate the shamans.
If they could find and eliminate all the shamans, using magic might become possible.
Hernando tried raising mana in the air. The dispelling magic prevented mana from being properly combined in the surrounding area.
Aizen remarked.
“Oh, so His Highness is aiming to eliminate all the shamans.”
“Yes.”
“It will be difficult. Even if he kills all the shamans, it won’t be enough.”
“Why is that?”
“Can’t you see?”
He pointed at Okuah as if he knew everything.
“Look at him. Okuah has already become the source of dark magic.”
“So you’re saying…”
“Yes. The Empire knows quite a bit about dark magic.”
Aizen crossed two fingers and pointed them toward Hernando.
“Okuah is also generating Dispel on its own.”
“I see.”
Hernando maintained a calm expression as he turned his gaze back to Yuri.
Aizen’s words were true, but for some reason, Hernando felt confident Yuri would pull through. Maybe it was the incredible feats Yuri had already shown.
For a wizard with the gift of Clairvoyance, intuition often carried more significance than mere hunches.
“Master Hernando?”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m preparing.”
Hernando was tracing the arrangement of mana in the air.
“As I mentioned, Dispel…”
“It only takes a moment.”
Hernando said.
“If I’m given even a moment to control the mana, it could work.”
“That brief moment…”
At that moment, Hernando and Aizen turned their heads simultaneously. The others who had been waiting rose as well, all gazing toward the battlefield.
In that instant, the wizards sensed that something was amiss.
“C-could it be…?”
Aizen stared, his finger trembling as he pointed.
At the tip of his finger was Yuri.
A brilliant sword light flared from his blade, as if he were grasping rays of light itself.
Yuri gazed at the empty sky for a moment before slowly raising his sword.
Then, he struck.
The mana that had been stagnant erupted like a dam breaking, surging with overwhelming force.
A miracle happened.
“Dispel is lifted.”
Hernando kept his word.
The moment the Dispel vanished, he immediately formed a hand sign and began chanting the spell.
Aizen, standing next to him, was stunned by the speed.
In an instant, the spell he cast illuminated the sky with brilliant light.
“My god…”
Aizen marveled at the sight before hearing Hernando shout at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Yes?”
He shouted to Hernado, who was busy casting his spell.
“What are you doing?”
“Yes?”
“Are you just going to watch?”
“Oh, understood.”
Startled by Hernando’s sharp tone, Aizen quickly formed the hand sign. The wizards who had been waiting behind also began weaving their spells.
It was a truly wondrous sight.
A second sun appeared in the midday sky over the battlefield.
Around it, countless smaller stars ascended.
“Ah…”
Humans and orcs stood frozen on the battlefield, gazing at the sky, their spirits lost in awe.
And slowly, the sun began to set.