Chapter Twenty-One: Someday, I'll Pay It Back
---
"Attack!"
Before the leader of the hyenas could even finish his command, shadows swarmed from all directions.
Blades rained down in a relentless barrage, aiming for fatal strikes, storming toward their target without the slightest hesitation.
But.
Wooong!!
Just as their blades were about to graze Yohan's body, they were stopped by an invisible barrier.
The hyenas' swords froze in place, vibrating as if caught by some unseen force.
The invisible barrier quivered as though it might tear at any moment but ultimately never let the blades reach Yohan.
"What the hell?!"
"What's happening…?!"
Shock gripped the hyenas. Their sword tips hung suspended in the air, unable to move as though entangled in a spider's web.
There was no mana barrier, no shield typically used by mages. The hyenas could not comprehend why their attacks had been stopped.
A smile spread across Yohan's lips.
"Surprised? But what will you do? This is far from over."
Yohan's eyes gleamed with a cold, chilling light. A powerful wave rippled outward from him, and mana surged like waves, crashing down on the surrounding hyenas.
Kwaaang!!
"Argh!"
"Ugh…!"
The hyenas were swept away by the massive wave, flung into the air.
They hit the ground with cries of pain, scattering in disarray.
Yohan looked down at the hyenas with disdain.
"What kind of magic is this…?"
The hyenas, sprawled on the ground, trembled with fear. To them, it was as though they'd fallen into an invisible trap.
It felt like an intangible threads was tightening around the scimitars in their hands.
"Fall back for now!"
"Regroup and hold formation!"
As a group honed by rigorous training and long collaboration, the hyenas quickly assessed the situation and regrouped into formation.
Yohan spoke in a calm voice.
"Curious why your attack was stopped?"
No one answered, but all eyes were on him, waiting for his response. The magic Yohan displayed was strange and alien.
"You seem curious, so I'll explain."
Yohan snapped his fingers. The mana in the air responded instantly.
Multicolored mana shimmered, creating glowing lines that rippled like tiny waves.
"This…!"
"Mana?"
The hyenas recoiled in shock.
This wasn't just a simple barrier. What Yohan had created was a web of intricately interwoven mana.
As a mage, Yohan's greatest strengths were his mastery of magical control and his affinity with mana.
He manipulated the mana around him, weaving it into invisible threads.
These threads ensnared incoming attacks, preventing them from ever reaching him.
"The mana floating around me listens to my commands. Unless I permit it, none of you can even lay a finger on me."
Yohan swiped his hand through the air, and the mana responded once more. The invisible threads rippled and undulated like waves.
"Unbelievable."
"Is something like this even possible?"
The hyenas were overwhelmed with shock. Physical attacks were completely ineffective. Without a magician on their side, they had no chance against him.
"Now, do you understand why I'm standing here alone?"
Yohan had learned three spells to reach the level of an Special-Class Mage.
This one was called Eternal Flow Technique(影流陣) [Yeongryujin].
The manipulated mana flowed like shadows, ensnaring incoming attacks and halting them on the spot.
To the untrained eye, it seemed like an invincible defensive spell. But in reality, it had critical weaknesses.
It was vulnerable to attacks made with mana blades or disruptions powerful enough to break his control over the mana.
Additionally, it could only block physical attacks.
Of course, Yohan wasn't foolish enough to reveal these weaknesses.
"Let's end this."
Wooong!!
With each step Yohan took, mana swirled violently around him.
Fierce gusts erupted, vibrating the air.
The overwhelming force of his mana radiated with every step.
"This is…"
"We didn't expect this…"
The hyenas, facing the escalating storm of mana before them, backed away with fear-filled eyes.
The confidence they had earlier crumbled like a sandcastle.
They realized something.
To kill Yohan, they needed more than a simple attack. They needed the resolve to risk total annihilation.
At that moment—
Ssshhk!
A sharp presence swiftly closed in from behind Yohan. Without a sound, a dagger hidden in silence cut through the air like lightning, aiming for his unguarded back.
An exposed back.
A perfect opportunity for the hyenas to end it all with a single strike, exploiting Yohan's moment of carelessness.
However—
Thunk!
The dagger stopped moving just before it could touch his back, suspended mid-air as if time itself had frozen. The blade, floating and trembling in the air like it had lost its purpose, could no longer advance.
"Even an attack from behind?!"
"He can block attacks he hasn't even noticed?"
Terror filled the eyes of the hyenas. The dagger had been aimed at Yohan's back, but contrary to his intent, his thread had reacted on its own.
Yohan turned his head to look at the floating dagger. A cold smirk appeared on his lips.
With a slight wave of his hand, the dagger fell helplessly to the ground as if released from its hold in the air.
'As expected, the combination of Eternal Flow Technique and Omniscient Perception is broken.'
Omniscient Perception (萬流知覺).
It meant sensing all flows in existence. By merging mana and physical senses, it perfectly transmitted everything around the caster to their consciousness.
In other words, Yohan had no blind spots within his perceptual range.
With both the Eternal Flow Technique and Omniscient Perception activated simultaneously, no ambush could succeed.
For someone like Yohan, whose affinity with mana and mastery of magical energy were extraordinary, this combination functioned as his personal magical artifact.
However, such a supreme combination was an obscure form of magic, even among high-tier spells, because the requirements were too demanding.
But for Yohan, who was practically at the pinnacle of mana manipulation and affinity, those limitations didn't apply.
"Now, it's my turn."
Yohan slowly raised his index finger. At its tip, a dark sphere began to flicker like a shadow.
Wooooong!
A pure concentration of magical energy, condensed into a sphere meant for explosive release. It was magic that compressed his absurd mana reserves into a singular destructive force.
Rupture Point (破裂點).
Yohan's fingertip aimed at the heart of the hyenas' formation. As the compressed mana reached its limit, trembling sharply, a vibration distorted the very space around it.
Then, in an instant, the black sphere launched with explosive speed, impossible for the naked eye to follow. Unstoppable waves surged as it hurtled toward the center of the hyenas.
"Dodge, dodge—"
BOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted where the hyenas had gathered. The ground seemed to roar as the deafening sound spread, shockwaves radiating in all directions.
Dust and debris surged into the sky, engulfing the area in darkness.
"Gah…!"
"Ugh…!"
The hyenas groaned as they writhed on the ground. Their formation collapsed in an instant. With a single attack, the balance and order of their group were utterly destroyed.
Yohan tilted his head with a smile. As the residual heat from his fingertip lingered, the mana around him slowly dissipated.
'There's no need to use Spiral Rift.'
Spiral Heaven Breaker (螺旋破天) was the most powerful and uniquely offensive high-tier magic Yohan had mastered.
Capable of obliterating half the body of a high-class monster, it was devastatingly strong. But there was no reason to use it now.
Utilizing the sphere of absorption (absorption orb) and sphere of release (discharge orb) was more than enough.
'But the leader is nowhere to be seen.'
Yohan's gaze sharpened. When they had first confronted each other, the leader had seemed the type to charge in headfirst. Yet now, he had vanished without a trace.
'Did they realize they couldn't win and flee?'
He let out a short sigh. Unless it was the Black Knights personally commanded by Cassis, the hyenas were the type to prioritize money and survival above all else.
Though they had sworn loyalty to the House of Grand Duke of Lenokhonen, their essence hadn't changed. For those entrenched in the underworld, life was the most precious thing.
But he couldn't let his guard down just yet. Yohan heightened his senses to their limit. Mana enveloped his surroundings as he pushed his vigilance to the extreme.
At that moment—
Fwoosh!
"…!"
Out of nowhere, a bloodthirsty presence shot toward Yohan's back. Omniscient Perception, resonating with his senses, blared a warning. A blade, coated in sharp mana, streaked toward him like lightning.
Swish!
Without hesitation, Yohan threw himself forward, rolling across the ground.
A curved blade, wrapped in red mana, sliced through the air, narrowly missing his back.
The residual mana waves brushed past him, leaving a faint sting.
"Tch..."
A sharp voice rang out from behind him.
"So the mana blade was your weakness, after all."
The leader of the hyenas looked down at Yohan, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
His face was full of arrogance and mockery, as if victory was already his.
"An attack you could block without moving, and yet you're rolling around on the ground to dodge it. That confirms it."
His words were laced with venom, slithering like a snake.
"..."
Yohan quietly stood up, a cold expression darkening his face.
The weakness of the Eternal Flow Technique was attacks imbued with mana. However, if the caster's mana density was higher than the opponent's, it could still block them to some extent.
But—the density of the mana blade the hyena leader had just wielded was far from ordinary.
'Not quite top-tier, but at least first-class.'
Given the difference in their levels, Yohan could have blocked it if he tried. But having only just reached the high-tier level and still unfamiliar with its use, he saw no reason to gamble when his life was on the line.
"Did I hit the mark? You're awfully quiet. Khuh."
The leader raised his curved blade again, lowering his stance as if preparing to lunge.
"Who knows? Whether you're right or not, we'll see soon enough."
Wooong!
Mana swirled violently around Yohan, creating an intense whirlwind.
'No need to use Book of Calamity.'
Using that spell, which summons calamities in all directions, would be troublesome for him as well. If anyone discovered traces of it, it would only lead to headaches.
The leader sneered as he spoke.
"Don't hold it against me, nobleman. I'm just doing as I'm told. Khuh."
Thud!
The leader's figure standing before Yohan blurred, leaving behind only a faint afterimage as he disappeared.
Yohan heightened his Omniscient Perception to its limit, expanding his senses.
'Where are you?'
He couldn't pinpoint the exact location, but it was clear the leader was darting around, trying to confuse him.
Under the moonlight, dark afterimages glided like ghosts, moving between sky and ground.
He was likely waiting for a lapse in Yohan's focus to strike with the mana blade in one swift motion.
"You think too much, nobleman!"
In that instant, the leader appeared behind Yohan. Instinctively, Yohan reacted, forming a Rupture Point at his fingertip.
But—
"…?!"
The leader had already vanished. What happened? There was no trace of him.
Yohan quickly turned his head, scanning for him. He wasn't visible. Even Omniscient Perception couldn't detect him.
'Annoying.'
Clicking his tongue, Yohan dissipated the Rupture Point. The spell, which caused ripples strong enough to affect its surroundings, couldn't be maintained for long without taxing the caster.
Swish!
At that moment, a dagger sliced through the air, hurtling straight toward Yohan. He tracked its trajectory perfectly with Omniscient Perception and stopped the blade mid-flight with the Eternal Flow Technique.
"Keheh!"
A mocking laugh echoed from behind him. His concentration had faltered for just a moment due to the leader's cunning movements.
'Damn it!'
In that split second, Yohan manipulated the mana around him. A rotating sphere that absorbed the surrounding mana began pulling everything toward it.
Slash!
The mana blade, blazing red, slashed through the air but missed its mark.
'His level is that of a first-class operative, and his combat skills are exceptional.'
Yohan bit his lip. The hyena leader, seasoned from countless dirty battles, was adept at controlling the flow of the fight.
"Keheh! Cornered, aren't you? What will you do now?!"
The leader, activating his mana blade, charged forward. The blade scraped the ground, sending sparks of red mana flying like flames.
In that fleeting moment, Yohan, covered in dust, sharpened his senses.
"This isn't how I usually operate, but I have no choice."
At his fingertips, a sphere of release began to form. The Rupture Point surged like a storm, taking shape before trembling with instability.
Powerful waves of energy distorted the surrounding space, wrapping the area in chaos.
"Khahah! Nobleman! It's too late for you to respond now!"
The leader's speed was overwhelming. His blade, like lightning, streaked toward Yohan.
"Is that what you really think?"
But Yohan only smiled calmly, aiming the trembling Rupture Point in his hand.
BOOM!!
The concentrated mana erupted from a single point, blasting outward in a conical shape. An immense shockwave shredded the air mercilessly.
The direction where the hyena leader had stood was engulfed by the explosion, leaving nothing but a desolate wasteland and charred ash.
Lowering his hand slowly, Yohan surveyed the wreckage.
'It worked perfectly.'
He had narrowed the blast range of the Rupture Point and directed it with precision.
Though it was his first attempt, his extremely precise mana control ensured the plan was a resounding success.
'Now, let's see the results.'
Dusting off his clothes, Yohan began inspecting the ruined battlefield. It resembled the aftermath of a massive tidal wave, leaving behind only the remnants of destruction.
"Guh…!"
The hyena leader was coughing up blood, his body in tatters. Having taken the Rupture Point directly, his entire lower half had been obliterated.
"Ughhh…"
Amidst the blood-streaked wreckage, he struggled weakly, clawing at the air with trembling fingers.
Without a word, Yohan slowly approached, each step adding weight to the oppressive atmosphere.
"You… you madman…"
The leader gritted his teeth, his voice strained with a mix of defeat and scorn. Even so, his words came out in blood-choked gasps.
"You're not going to tell me who sent you, are you?"
"Obviously not..."
"Actually, I already know."
"…What?"
A tiny Rupture Point shot from Yohan's fingertip.
Thwack!
The hyena leader's head was blown clean off.
"..."
A gruesome sight, one that could easily make a man wretch.
It was Yohan's first time killing someone, yet he felt no particular emotion about it. These were people who had tried to take his life.
Had they been innocent, he might have been shaken. But against hyenas, creatures steeped in the underworld, he felt nothing.
In a battlefield, it's kill or be killed. That's just the way of the world. Yohan understood this principle all too well.
Having lived 21 years as a noble treading a knife's edge, he had grown numb to such things.
"Are there any survivors?"
As Yohan turned his gaze, his piercing blue eyes lit up, startling the remaining hyenas into retreating in terror.
"P-please spare us…!"
"He's a monster…"
He approached them slowly, his face cold and resolute.
"Tell your master, Cassis Lenokhohnen, this."
His chilling voice echoed as his blue eyes glowed with menace.
"No matter how many tricks he pulls, they'll never work."
"And if he keeps targeting Francia like this, one day, Cassis Lenokhohnen's head will end up just like this."