Chereads / Type: A Certain Master / Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Crisis Averted

Chapter 48 - Chapter 48: Crisis Averted

The scene before him was one of devastation.

The flames reflected off Li Xiang's face as the sky wailed in anguish, and the thick scent of blood filled the air amid the constant gunfire. Tens of thousands of black crows fell like arrows from the sky, colliding with the unrelenting barrage of fireworks above the *Ocean Phantom*. Blood sprayed in vast arcs, splattering across the ship's blue magical barrier, staining it crimson.

This sight seemed all too familiar to him.

Li Xiang felt every inch of his skin twitching, yearning to sprout feathers, to take flight into the sky once more. He remembered standing on the shoulder of that mysterious woman, witnessing countless scenes like this as a crow.

"Li Xiang?"

The voice came from nearby. Louis stood not far from the cabin door, his arms crackling with white lightning. Every wave of his hand sent dazzling arcs of electricity straight through the magical barrier, streaking like laser beams toward the swarm of crows.

"Not bad, kid. You actually woke up from that illusion on your own. Did it wear off because it's been too long?"

He dissipated the electric current and jogged over, slapping Li Xiang on the shoulder.

Earlier, when the crows had suddenly attacked, Louis had sent the recorded song to the professors at the Archaeology Department. Then he, along with Pascal, had rushed to the deck to help fend off the swarm.

Li Xiang felt his mind slowly returning from some faraway place. He smiled faintly. "I'm not too sure about the details either. Maybe it was because too much time had passed."

Of course, Li Xiang wasn't going to mention that it was Irigar who had helped break the illusion. But the situation was hard to explain, and he needed to come up with something plausible.

"Well, let's not dwell on that now. Since you're awake, come help us out." Louis pointed up toward the sky, where the barrier shimmered under constant assault. "Captain Hishiri Adashino's orders are to use this sixth-rank magic circle as our base and work with the ship's anti-aircraft guns to wipe out the crows."

"That won't be necessary," Li Xiang said calmly.

"What did you just say?" Louis stared at him in shock, eyes wide in disbelief. "You've got a way to deal with the crows? Come on, don't joke around! You're a first-tier mage. If you went out there, those crows would tear you apart in seconds, even if they're just low-level familiars."

"I'm aware of that."

"Then what on earth are you talking about? Now's not the time to play the hero!"

"Because…"

Li Xiang paused. He had realized something—he could understand the crows' frenzied, chaotic cries.

He lifted his head, his gaze fixed on the tornado formation of crows in the sky. "For the Supreme One!"

"Maintain formation!"

"Keep your magic flowing, like water."

"Flow like water. Avoid direct confrontation. Dodge those big guns."

Li Xiang lowered his head and said softly, "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"Wait, don't do anything reckless!" Louis called after him, watching as Li Xiang made his way toward Hishiri Adashino, who was at the front of the deck directing the battle. Louis gritted his teeth and followed.

"Captain," Li Xiang called out.

"You're awake?" Adashino blinked in surprise, then quickly regained her composure. "It's dangerous right now. Go help Elena maintain the magic circle."

"I have a way to deal with the crows outside, but I need you to stop the anti-aircraft guns."

Adashino's gaze snapped toward him, her pupils contracting behind her glasses. Her voice was cold and steady. "Do you even understand what you're asking? The moment we stop our strongest firepower, the remaining two hundred mages won't be able to hold back the thousands of crows. They'll hit our barrier. In theory, the barrier can hold against any attacks from those at or below the Color Rank, but we haven't dared test that. If it fails, we'll be devoured in an instant."

Li Xiang took a deep breath. He wasn't entirely certain of success.

"You're hesitating," Adashino noted. "We can't take that kind of risk."

"Captain," Li Xiang pointed toward Elena and the other mages. "How much ammunition do the anti-aircraft guns have left? How much magic do Elena and the others still have? Aside from you, the highest-ranking mage here is at the Fifth Rank. Maintaining a Sixth Rank magic formation while constantly attacking… Will our magic hold out longer than the crows?"

Adashino was silent for a moment. Then, slowly, she asked, "What exactly is your plan?"

"I need a few seconds of relative silence."

"So you want to stop the loudest thing—the guns?" Adashino frowned deeply. Her voice turned grave. "You've got ten seconds. From the moment the guns stop, it'll take the crows about ten seconds to hit our barrier. During that time, they won't break through, so it's a safe window."

"Thank you, Captain!" Li Xiang said sincerely.

"This is only because we're out of options. I hope you know what you're doing."

Adashino pressed the button on her mic and ordered, "Amelia Morse, cease fire for ten seconds."

"Captain?" Amelia's confused voice crackled through the earpiece.

"That's an order. Don't ask questions, just execute."

"Understood!"

The relentless barrage of gunfire abruptly halted. Everyone's movements froze as they glanced toward the anti-aircraft guns, unsure of what was happening.

Li Xiang, meanwhile, stepped forward, and Adashino watched in bewildered shock as he let out a guttural crow's cry through the voice amplification magic.

The crows, which had been diving toward them, suddenly stopped and turned.

Time seemed to stand still.

"Everyone, stop attacking!" Li Xiang shouted, raising his right hand high. His voice, amplified by magic, reverberated across the entire deck.

The members of the twelve squads turned to look at him, their gazes drawn to the sight of Li Xiang standing on the deck beneath the now-silent swarm of crows.

The once deafening battlefield had fallen eerily silent, as if the war itself had been an illusion.

But the quiet didn't last long before Li Xiang broke it with a series of sharp, raspy crow calls: "Caw, caw, caw!"

Hishiri Adashino's eye twitched as she witnessed the surreal scene unfolding before her. For a moment, she didn't know how to react.

She composed herself and spoke through the microphone. "Cease fire."

While it may have looked like Li Xiang was simply imitating a crow's call, the reality was far more complex:

"Are you, too, followers of the Supreme One?"

"Who are you? How do you know the name of the Supreme One?"

"Not only do I know it, but two thousand years ago, I fought alongside the Supreme One. Wherever we went, the ground was littered with corpses."

"You lie. We have no memory of you."

"That's because I wasn't human back then. I was a crow, just like you. In your memories, the crow that taught you the formation and magic—that was me. This is all just an illusion, a two-thousand-year-old dream. Wake up from the illusion and return to your normal lives."

The flock of crows stirred once more.

A chaotic, booming cacophony filled the Atlantic.

The mages on the deck tensed, their magic circles glowing brightly.

"Relax," Li Xiang said with a gentle smile, waving toward the sky.

Once the crows realized they were under an illusion, it was easy for them to break free. Slowly, they returned to their original state.

The crows all bid their farewells to Li Xiang, scattering in all directions. The sky cleared, once again returning to its bright blue hue.

It was a moment no one aboard the ship would ever forget.