Chapter 654
With every slow tick of the magic circle’s hands, Vitor’s groans deepened.
His body was crumbling under the strain of forbidden magic, every organ screaming in protest. Before the spell broke, the only way to survive was to swiftly end Ian Hielo’s life.
Though he couldn’t see a thing, Vitor groped desperately around him, searching for his weapon.
Click, click—
In the silent forest, not even the chirping of mountain birds or the rustling of leaves disturbed the stillness.
Ian and Beric grew sluggish with each movement of the clock’s hands, now almost completely frozen in place. Surely, Vitor thought, they were the only ones here.
But there was one person quietly watching this tense scene unfold—
“Ugh… Should I… help?”
Nabu, hidden in Ian’s shadow, whispered to himself.
He had been hiding so carefully, barely making a sound, trying not to be noticed. But now, he didn’t know what to do. Vitor looked so utterly broken, so horribly beaten, that even a madman might hesitate to intervene.
“No, I wasn’t told to help. I was clearly ordered to stand by. Two days ago.”
After unloading all the supplies from the Royal Magic Department, Nabu had been busy moving items from the Kalamath palace. Only at the very end, when Ian gave the order to wait, had he hidden himself here. The situation had become so urgent that he’d almost forgotten he was even there.
Click.
The light pouring from the magic circle was so intense that shadows were sharper than ever. Nabu wrestled with his thoughts, then suddenly an idea struck him.
“Wait a minute.”
If Ian Hielo and that reckless Beric died here, what would happen to him? If Bariel fell behind, would the northern factions seize control?
If so, maybe he could finally return home. Nabu pressed a hand to his chest.
“I’ll be… okay, right?”
He thought of the contract he’d made with the mage Bariel. He was supposed to cooperate for Bariel’s sake, but this was a special case, wasn’t it? There was no direct order, and maybe Ian’s death would actually help Bariel.
Muttering excuses to himself, Nabu tilted his head.
“My heart’s beating a bit… but is that magic, or just nerves? Hmm.”
Just then, he spotted the shard of Idgal that Vitor had dropped. As Vitor staggered, gripping his weapon with both hands and rising, Nabu squeezed his eyes shut.
It was decision time.
To help—or not to help.
“Ugh!”
Vitor’s agonized groan echoed again. Nabu clicked his tongue and soared above the shadows.
Whoosh!
“Ah, screw it! I don’t care anymore!”
Better to risk it than have his heart explode from hesitation.
Nabu revealed himself, using Ian and Beric as a shield, and clasped his hands together to cast a spell.
Instinctively, Vitor swung the Idgal shard, aiming at Ian. The sharp edge flew dangerously close to Ian’s pupil.
Fshhh!
Just as it was about to strike, Nabu seized Vitor’s shadow completely. The stronger the light, the deeper and darker the shadow—grabbing it was no challenge.
“…!”
Vitor’s body suddenly stiffened, panicked, flailing helplessly. He couldn’t see, so he didn’t realize his shadow was bound.
Meanwhile, time kept flowing, and the clock’s hands returned to their starting point.
Click!
Whoosh!
The magic circle shattered into countless fragments, scattering like starlight. Ian and Beric’s movements returned to normal. Hair and sleeves that had been frozen now fluttered in the breeze, and their steps steadied.
Beric shook his body as if to shake off a strange feeling, then checked on Ian.
“Ian, you okay?”
“Of course.”
“Ugh, this feels disgusting. Hey! Nabu! Why are you so slow coming out? You were debating inside, weren’t you?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Whether to kill us or not. I heard all your scheming. Ian, once we’re done here, let’s bury that guy with the rest.”
“I’m innocent! Can’t you see I’m holding his shadow? If it weren’t for me, Ian’s eye would’ve been gone.”
“Then why didn’t you act faster?”
At that, Vitor’s ears twitched.
No matter what was going on, there was definitely someone else here. And since they said they were holding a shadow, they were probably from the north.
Then…
“…A sorcerer.”
Vitor gritted his teeth and summoned a dazzling surge of magic.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
If the shadow was held, then destroying it would solve everything.
With every flash of light, the shadow faded, and Nabu’s strength waned. Vitor felt his body slowly moving again and smiled.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Whoosh!
Beric drew his sword and swung, slicing at Vitor’s neck.
Vitor’s head tumbled to the ground, and his body went limp, as if it had held on until the very end.
“Ugh.”
Beric stepped back, frowning. Something about it felt off—like cutting through a rotten branch. He poked at Vitor’s lifeless body and limbs with the tip of his sword, muttering.
“Is he really dead? Kinda anticlimactic.”
“Do you think he’d live without his head? That’s a ridiculous thing to say.”
“Ugh. Can you just shut up?”
“Well, I’ll be going back in then. Ahem.”
Beric raised his sword and chased after Nabu, who coughed and slipped back into the shadows. Beric stomped his foot, demanding he come out, but there was no answer.
Ian took a moment to catch his breath, surveying the wreckage around him.
“Dragon, Black Armor, and a mage.”
It was clear the main Luswena forces were nearby. And judging by Vitor’s brief return to consciousness, the puppeteer controlling the mage was struggling.
Ian glanced at Vitor’s fading corpse, then motioned to Beric.
“Beric. Let’s move.”
“Where to?”
“Out of the forest. Luswena’s main force might change course, so we need clear sightlines to keep them in check.”
“Okay. Let’s just consider this land lost. Those bastards. If they shed tears on someone else’s land, they better be ready to bleed.”
Beric shouted into Vitor’s ear, just in case the puppeteer was still listening. Ian grabbed Beric’s collar, and they soared into the sky.
Whoosh!
“Oh, I see them!”
A little later—
Beric spotted the Luswena army swarming in the distance like ants and waved. It was a welcome sight, no matter how begrudgingly.
“Minister Martin! Ian Hielo and his subordinates!”
“They’re flying this way!”
“What should we do?”
Meanwhile, the Luswena camp panicked upon realizing Ian was alive. He was said to be the strongest mage in Bariel, so their fear was understandable.
Martin waved his baton and shouted,
“Stay calm! Form ranks! Dragons and Black Armor, move forward!”
“Forward!”
He glanced at Lady Darcy, who kept quietly chewing her lip. Ian’s escape from the forest meant Vitor was dead, didn’t it?
As Martin prepared to scold her, she suddenly drew a dagger and began slashing at Vitor’s puppet. Her eyes wild with madness, her furious strikes made her seem like a different person.
Thwack! Thud!
“You useless bastard!”
“…!”
Startled by her sudden transformation, Martin stammered.
“Lady Darcy.”
“I told you I’d help! I told you! I told you! I told you!”
“Lady Darcy.”
“And yet you failed. Do you even have a brain? Ugh! That’s why idiots are useless. Just eat your porridge and die!”
Martin was left speechless. Though it sounded like she was blaming Vitor, if he listened closely, it seemed like a veiled insult aimed at the Luswena royal court.
Martin’s face stiffened. Lady Darcy wiped sweat from her brow, then nonchalantly turned her head, as if nothing had happened, her expression innocent once more.
“Sigh, Vitor, that mage is truly hopeless.”
“…Lady Darcy, what are you doing?”
“What? Just taking out my frustration on an abandoned puppet. Is that a problem? Hoho.”
Martin wanted nothing more than to get this creepy, unsettling woman out of his sight. But the other puppets in her hands were precious and valuable. He endured and suggested,
“Let’s release all the mages we brought. It’s the only way to stop Ian Hielo.”
“Yes, I agree. The dragons and Black Armor don’t seem very effective. Hopefully, the mages are better. Hoho.”
She was hinting at how badly Luswena’s forces were doing. No matter how skilled the puppeteer, the power depended on the original mage’s strength.
Mrs. Darcy casually tapped Martin on the shoulder.
“Minister Martin, I’m counting on you. Please make sure we get all the support we need.”
Martin suddenly felt a sharp sting at the back of his neck, but with people rattling off Ian Hielo’s flight path all around him, he couldn’t focus on it. He just nodded vaguely and gave Mrs. Darcy his orders.
“Send it up immediately. We have to capture Ian Hielo by any means necessary.”
“Of course.”
With a subtle gesture from Mrs. Darcy, the wizards who had been standing like wooden puppets began to move slowly, taking to the sky. They moved in perfect unison, like clockwork under a single command.
“Oh, Ian! They’re coming!”
“Are their eyes all messed up or what?” Barrick glanced up at Ian, seeking agreement—
“Huh?”
Ian suddenly let go of Barrick’s collar with a sharp flick.
Barrick’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Then Ian’s calm voice whispered in his ear.
“I’m above. You’re below.”
“No! Ian—!”
“I can’t fly, you idiot! And it’s way too high!” Barrick screamed as he plummeted, crashing with a thunderous roar and a cloud of dust right into the middle of the Rushwena reed fields.
Boom!
Martin, watching through his telescope, couldn’t hide his confusion.
‘What just happened? Did he fall?’
Slowly, the dust began to clear, revealing a figure kneeling on one knee in a perfect landing pose.
The posture was flawless, but his expression looked utterly blank.
No wonder—
“Holy crap. Damn, it actually worked.”
Even the man himself couldn’t believe it.
Barrick jumped up, brushing himself off, then spotted the telescope trained on him. With a sly grin, he flipped the bird.
“Classy.”
Martin scowled and lowered the telescope just as Barrick took off at full speed toward the main Rushwena forces.
“The enemy’s coming! Opponent is a magic swordsman! Black armor, forward!”
“Left and right, align! Main force, advance!”
“Waaaaah!”
The military band pounded their drums with all their might to boost morale, and the Rushwena soldiers charged across the open reed fields.
And there went Barrick, charging headlong against thousands of foes. Ian watched the scene from the sky, then shook his head.
Swish!
Since Barrick had his mission, Ian had to fulfill his own.
One, two, three… five opponents in total. More than expected. They must have split their forces, so Ian had to assume there were still wizards left guarding the Rushwena royal palace.
Ziiing! Ziiing!
The five wizards surrounded Ian, taking positions to his right, left, above, and below. At the same time, they activated a magic circle.
“Taiji (苔紙).”
Thin strands sprouted from all directions, binding Ian’s limbs tightly.
Ian instinctively recognized the spell. It was similar to Manyo, but clearly a lower-level magic. It lacked any regenerative properties, so if he could just break the strands, he could overcome it.
Just as Ian prepared to counter with the appropriate magic—
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind swept in from behind, slicing through all the strands binding Ian’s limbs. Turning around, Ian came face to face with familiar faces.
Tommy, and Nakina.