Chaos was the unwelcome guest that, if allowed, would usher defeat into the scene. However, the assembly of young but exceptionally skilled students at Mythos Academy proved to be a silver lining. Despite their youth, they were hailed as the finest talents globally—raw, unpolished gems with the innate temperament to stand firm in the face of adversity and focus on their adversaries while awaiting support.
Grateful for the students' caliber, Arthur recognized the pivotal role they played in maintaining order amid potential chaos. The trust bestowed upon him, earned through strategic prowess displayed during the mock war, further streamlined the coordination.
"Thank the gods for Mythos Academy," Arthur mused, as the students seamlessly executed his directives, trusting his leadership implicitly.
The colossal form of the formidable Shadow Seeker blurred, hurtling with incredible speed, targeting the most potent adversary among the students—a classic strategy. Yet, Lucifer, no novice to combat, met the challenge head-on.
A resounding explosion echoed through Ophelia Hall as Lucifer unleashed the full might of his Gift, [Yin-Yang Body]. The clash, though impactful, saw Lucifer pushed several steps back, a testament to the staggering strength of his enigmatic foe.
Lucifer, breathless but undeterred, responded with a grunt as he skidded to a halt. The enigmatic Shadow Seeker, its crimson eyes scanning its body, questioned, "How did you do that?"
Rather than offering a verbal response, Lucifer maintained his focus, letting a barrage of 4-circle spells rain down on the creature from his fellow Class 1-A students.
The creature stood unfazed, weaving its own spells to counter the onslaught of elemental attacks. Shadow Seekers had their unique approach to magic, distinct from the conventional circle method employed by humans, elves, and dwarves. Although the circle method provided a basis for classifying black magic, the methodology of Shadow Seekers remained an enigma to the governments and magical authorities of the world.
Walls of darkness cascaded down, devouring the elemental spells directed at the creature, leaving no trace behind.
Undeterred, Lucifer advanced, each step a destructive force. Yet, the magically reinforced floors and walls of the hall withstood his might effortlessly. Drawing upon his Grade 6 art, he unleashed an attack on the Shadow Seeker.
[Myth of the Northern Peak's First Movement: Frostfire Waltz]
Lucifer's blade danced with frostfire, a perfect fusion of fire and ice magic, courtesy of the passive effect of his Gift. He surged forward, the sword aimed at the Shadow Seeker's head.
The creature responded, meeting Lucifer's assault head-on without yielding an inch.
"...The swordsmanship of the Winwards," it muttered, recognizing the distinctive style.
"You're familiar with this?" Lucifer questioned, surprise evident in his widened eyes. The Shadow Seekers are from the North, but Lucifer's father rarely ever had to move against them, and whenever he did, he ensured there were no survivors. The same was the case with Lucifer who always had guards to escort him.
The Shadow Seeker, offering no reply, pushed him back, even as Jin, Ian, and Ren launched their coordinated attacks.
The creature unleashed a spell of darkness, attempting to halt their momentum and repel them. However, Ren, employing his spatial and gravity magic alongside his [God's Eyes], deftly maneuvered through the tendrils of shadow, closing in on the Shadow Seeker.
With cold determination in his purple eyes, Ren struck with a fist charged with the power of gravity and time magic.
The Shadow Seeker nonchalantly deflected the blow, but its hand yielded slightly against the force.
The creature shifted its attention to Ren, only to find Seraphina leaping from its blind side. Swiftly unsheathing her sword, she executed the [Violet Mist Divine Art's First Movement: Violet Sunset Genesis].
Mount Hua's swordsmanship revolved around the concept of blossoming, creating sword arts celebrated as among the world's best. Every technique from the sect had the remarkable ability to summon plum blossoms.
Distinguishing themselves from the standard pink plum blossoms, the violet variant required a profound concentration of mana, applied in a specific manner to enhance its potency significantly.
A cascade of violet plum blossoms surged toward the Shadow Seeker. However, with perfect precision, it swung its sword backward, effortlessly thwarting Seraphina's technique. Her eyes widened, the cold composure on her face replaced by astonishment at being overpowered in such a manner.
Before the Shadow Seeker could retaliate against Seraphina, a sizable arrow crafted from light hurtled toward it.
Its eyes narrowed as it swiftly swung its sword to intercept the luminous arrow, shattering it. However, the corrosive effect of the black magic coating succumbed to the relentless assault of light magic.
Light magic, the inherent nemesis of all black magic elements, especially shadow magic, the dark manifestation of black magic.
Even a 4-circle spell cast by someone recognized as among the greatest light magic talents held formidable power.
A well-timed 6-circle spell might have proven sufficient to vanquish the creature on its own.
It raised its guard against Rachel, precisely as the mastermind had intended.
Shhh-!
A streak of lightning zipped past the creature's peripheral vision. Before it could shift its focus, a jolt of pain surged from its right shoulder.
Dark red blood trickled down its arm.
It had been cut.
Turning around to identify the assailant, the creature confronted a young boy with raven-black hair and azure eyes. Astonishingly, he was considerably weaker than the Shadow Seeker.
Yet, he moved at a speed that caught the creature off guard, a motion too swift for it to react to when preoccupied with someone else?
The light magic had indeed served as a perfect distraction, but how could a seemingly feeble boy move with such velocity? What was that technique?
For the first time, the Shadow Seeker sensed a genuine threat. The light arrow possessed strength, but it was limited to the capabilities of a 4-circle spell, and the caster couldn't amplify it. However, the boy's agile movements... they were perilous.
"Who are you?" it inquired.
"Arthur Nightingale," the boy replied, casually turning back around. "What about you?"
"Name's Shurkan," it answered. "You... you are weird."
"....."
No response was necessary as three attacks descended upon Shurkan. Cecilia cast a wind magic spell, while Ian and Jin activated their Gifts.
Jin opted for [Shadow Armour] instead of summoning the souls, recognizing the need to focus on defeating a formidable opponent. Meanwhile, Ian thrust his spear infused with the power of [Inferno's Fury].
Shurkan pivoted to confront the triple assault. Sliding its right foot back, it raised its sword into the air.
Signals of impending danger flared on the backs of everyone in close proximity to the creature, indicating a genuine threat had been acknowledged.
Shadow magic emanated from the blade as it swung, cleaving through the air and simultaneously halting Cecilia's spell and Ian and Jin in their tracks.
Ian was forcibly pushed back as his spear met resistance, and Jin, despite the protection of his armor, yielded ground to the sheer concussive force of Shurkan's attack.
Shhh!
A streak of lightning flashed from behind Shurkan. While relying on sound was impossible given Arthur's movements that surpassed the sound barrier, the Shadow Seeker had shifted its attention to him after drawing blood.
Arthur's movements, now trivial to track, fell under the creature's close scrutiny. Shurkan bent its body, effortlessly dodging Arthur's strike. In addition, it strategically laid down some shadow magic where Arthur was destined to land, creating a trap.
Arthur gritted his teeth as he missed the attack and walked into the waiting trap, feeling the insidious tendrils of shadow magic piercing his body. Fortunately, Cecilia's timely intervention with her wind magic mitigated most of the damage.
"That movement is dangerous yet trivial to defeat at the same time," Shurkan commented, shifting its attention to the charging Lucifer.
[Myth of the Northern Peak's Second Movement: Cocytus's Descent].
A formidable surge of ice magic emanated from Lucifer as his sword art mirrored the effects of the 9-circle spell [Asphodel].
Shurkan responded by positioning its blade to its left hip before striking with the power of shadow magic.
The clash between shadow and ice magic was intense. Lucifer's technique in the sword art was more refined, but he was overpowered in terms of mana. The confrontation concluded with Lucifer retreating several steps.
Another light arrow targeted Shurkan, but it effortlessly employed shadow magic to thwart the spell.
As it swung its blade towards Lucifer, Ren stepped forward, distorting space with his magic and Gift to momentarily halt the much more potent attack. Clearly, the power disparity was too great for Ren to hold off the attack for an extended period, but it provided enough time for others to join the fray and assist him.
Ian and Jin lunged forward once again, supported by Rachel's triple-casted light spells and Cecilia's assistance with wind magic. Seraphina joined the assault from above, while Arthur hung back, preparing his spell.
Shurkan swiftly spun around, executing a kick to fend off Ren and raising its blade against the approaching adversaries. It nonchalantly absorbed Seraphina's attack, deeming it insignificant. Despite Cecilia's assistance, Jin's shortswords and Ian's spear were effortlessly repelled with a single stroke.
Meanwhile, Rachel's triple-casted 4-circle spells encountered resistance from a shadow magic spell, which not only halted her attacks but also threw Seraphina aside.
Just as Shurkan was growing confident in its impending victory, its arm was suddenly severed.
"Trivial to stop, you said," Arthur quipped, turning around with his sword crackling with electricity, "Everyone has limits, including you."
Shurkan gritted its teeth, feeling the strain of countering the relentless attacks. Despite its outward composure, the constant assault was taking a toll on its body, creating a brief lapse in concentration that Arthur exploited with [God Flash].
"Lucifer, it's your chance now," Arthur announced as he gracefully descended to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Lucifer charged straight at Shurkan, determined to bring the battle to an end.
Lucifer pressed forward in a fierce exchange with Shurkan, both combatants visibly fatigued. However, it was apparent that Shurkan bore the brunt of the battle, displaying more severe injuries than Lucifer.
The protagonist was destined to triumph in this encounter.
My attention briefly shifted from the intense duel to my own newfound abilities. The success of God Flash was a pleasant surprise.
While it was merely a mimicry of the future God Flash created by Lucifer, its effectiveness surpassed my expectations. Against adversaries of similar prowess, this could prove to be a formidable technique. As my martial skills advanced, there was potential to refine and integrate it into a movement within my personal Grade 6 art.
Yet, the road to reaching such proficiency lay ahead, requiring years of dedicated practice.
Reassured by the confirmation that God Flash worked well, I pondered the reliability of the novel's magical spells and information, separating them from the potentially distorted narrative of events.
Returning my focus to the climactic battle between Lucifer and Shurkan, I observed as the antagonist found himself cornered, teetering on the brink of defeat.
However, just before Lucifer could deliver the decisive blow, an unsettling sensation sent shivers cascading down my spine.