Fierce Battle

The price for synchronization rate increase was achieved through Observation Eye’s evolution.

He came to see through the process where the body’s physical form follows and moves to the place the soul moved.

Though merely seeing 0.5 seconds ahead, to masters requiring split-seconds, it approached precognition.

And amazingly, Observation Eye even predicted mana’s flow.

Bang!

After stepping back one step before light spears fell, he cast reinforcement magic to instantly amplify speed.

When adapted movements suddenly accelerated, Knox’s eyes lost their destination.

Then, Pernok transformed the artifact into a greatsword and took Knox’s rear.

Crackle.

The greatsword containing collision energy blazed brightly, and belatedly Knox grasped the situation.

BOOM!

Light rays gathered before the brilliance taking spider-web form.

The instant Over Impact couldn’t cut through the light rays.

But it scratched the mask covering Knox’s face.

“…”

Knox scraped off leather flowing from his face with fingers.

His original face full of scars revealed itself.

Knox’s eyes who’d brushed off facial skin became indifferent.

The playful appearance disappeared as momentum like a seasoned veteran flowed out.

“Certainly not a Magus, yet you possess curious skills.”

Even his voice thickened, and space stirred.

As if stimulated by Pernok’s brilliance, the whole world became bright.

Seemed eyes would go blind from the radiance.

“Seems…”

Knox extended fingers leftward.

“…My calculations went slightly wrong.”

One bright light shot toward uninvited guests running this way.

Bang!

That one who blocked with both arms widened his eyes.

It was Roland.

Four level 7 mages were together around him.

“Guild Leader Pernok!”

Roland also confirmed Pernok’s face and drew up mana.

“Not the 4th Prince but you!”

Pernok ended up laughing.

“The one who so despised other guilds saying they cling to princes, yet the reality is clinging to eat off the 1st Prince. Hahahaha!”

Roland neither panicked nor raged.

“Right. Was the method you thought up fishing others with bait like Johan? Amazing! The method’s so trivial my worries are resolved.”

Pernok raised the greatsword’s flat side forward.

“My guild doesn’t need miscellaneous ones like you.”

Light refracted and flew toward Roland.

Roland spread mana as fine particles, and amazingly, light stayed within.

Mana absorption.

Roland’s magic absorbs activated magic’s mana. Then refines it within the body before spewing it in all directions as fine powder.

Each grain of powder is high-concentration mana and causes dangerous addiction symptoms like poison to mages.

Different from the mountain range’s demonic energy.

The moment brushing that powder, high-concentration mana destroys mages’ mana circuits.

“Interesting one.”

Knox grasped Roland’s magic while watching the process of light being absorbed.

“Rare even among unique-type magic.”

Conveying emotionless admiration, Knox pressed both palms together.

An appearance like praying to god.

But mana gathered in palms permeated space, and light devoured the world.

Boom boom boom!

High-concentration particles, level 7 mages aiming for ambush—all were devoured by light.

Massive light Magus Arts making even breathing sting.

Sanctuary of Rest.

Dimensionally different from Zeef’s atmosphere collapse.

All light inside implements forms Knox conceived to melt enemies without even an inch of gap.

“Gkh…!”

Two of the Dark Squad’s Stars futilely melted.

Only Roland gathering particles to absorb and refine mana to spread, and two Stars behind were barely enduring while wiping cold sweat.

‘Thought to collapse one side’s balance and devour both, but how…’

When two massive powers collide, Roland and mages planned to dig in to create gaps and collapse.

But Knox’s mana is rising more steeply than first felt.

Moreover, Pernok shakes off that mana very easily.

All situations escape Roland’s predictions.

Whooooosh—!

Knox expands the sanctuary with momentum to melt everything.

Not a hint of gap in that mana.

Even to Observation Eye, this light connects densely like one surface.

Even that main body wrapped in light constructed a solid defense system.

He must dig into Knox’s bosom in one instant breaking through tens or hundreds of light barriers.

Light doesn’t tolerate leisure.

One move to dig into the instant.

White energy began dwelling in Pernok’s eyes.

Even amid radiant light, pure white energy doesn’t fade but gathers at the ceiling drawing one light source.

“…?”

Knox couldn’t understand the foreign substance that penetrated the sanctuary.

Though commanded by Duke Chris to spar with countless mages and understood most forms after death struggles, he couldn’t know that.

‘Not mana.’

An unknown domain Magi don’t perceive.

That gnawed Knox’s space while gradually expanding.

‘Yet another domain penetrating magehood.’

Suddenly, Duke Chris’s words came to mind.

“If space and space collide causing a crack in one side, immediately recover space. Constructing maximum Magus Arts as a simple space through condensing mana is the last recovery method.”

But he couldn’t follow.

Magus Arts is his life.

Couldn’t accept the fact he must flee when Magus Arts he deployed is invaded by something incomprehensible.

And as if mocking Knox’s pride trying to stubbornly maintain, finally the bursting divine thunder.

Spiritual Law – Divine Punishment.

Pure white light flashed from the sky.

That roaring and bursting like lightning in a disaster of raging storm swallowed Knox’s barrier.

Tens, hundreds of barriers shattered mercilessly, and Knox’s world extinguished as bright particles.

“…Huh!”

Barely breathing opened. And Knox felt relief.

‘Endured.’

Survived from the unknown domain.

‘That much power.’

The enemy also must have consumed massive strength.

‘I…!’

One minute suffices.

Magi recover quickly and handle mana efficiently.

He can spread new space.

Especially light has characteristics of spreading widely even with a handful of mana.

‘I won…!’

The instant he reversed instantly surging mana into light.

Woooong!

A shocking spectacle unfolded before his eyes.

Pernok gripping the greatsword emitted majestic energy again like the flash thunder from just before.

But that energy was also an unknown.

An artificial phenomenon as difficult to understand as flash thunder gathered on the greatsword constructing mighty light.

Circulation Link.

Power overlaid on The First fell upon struggling Knox’s head.

BANG!

Over Impact crushed light and melted flesh.

Momentum didn’t break, carving the hill to collapse terrain.

Pernok frowned while forcibly pulling back Circulation Link.

‘Still difficult to recover midway?’

Simply releasing everything is easy.

But the process of delicately adjusting mighty power midway seemed to still need time.

“Huff.”

Pernok inhaled deeply while absorbing the noble spiritual power and mana before his eyes.

Synchronization rate – 42%

Befitting quality prey, the rise margin was very large.

‘The stage leading from spiritual power to the artifact itself’s power isn’t too bad.’

Feels like having three repositories in his body.

Even consuming all spiritual power, the artifact remains, and if spreading Circulation Link, if the flesh moves, mana responds.

Woonh!

Pernok donned Mana Reinforcement while looking back.

Roland with one arm torn off was breathing with difficulty.

“How… releasing such power…”

Pernok absorbed the dead level 7 mages’ mana and spiritual power.

Though synchronization rate now rose negligibly, magic specialized in assassination was interesting.

Pernok who examined the cross-sword emblem on their necks nodded.

“The dark squad. Confident enough to enter.”

If a different level 7 mage not himself, would’ve died unable to handle Roland.

But Roland failed to calculate Pernok’s true level.

When clashing with Knox, he should’ve immediately fled to plan for another day.

“If you’d reached Magus, would’ve absorbed more quality Magus Arts. Regrettable you stayed as a mage.”

Pernok raised the greatsword.

At that firm appearance, Roland swallowed hard.

“Everyone was deceived. A Magus… Pernok was a Magus…”

Pernok looked down at resigned Roland.

Heard he’d lived fiercely receiving envy and jealousy in one body after becoming an A-rank guild leader at young age.

Though Sallio and Enri said the Ten Assembly gained structure thanks to Roland, for an appearance emphasizing discipline, he possesses schemer qualities overflowing with ambition.

Such ones will someday stick a knife in the back even if kept alive.

When given a chance to handle, he must definitely organize.

“…Guild members don’t know your identity.”

At the appearance seeking mercy, Pernok laughed derisively.

“Responsibility follows a monarch’s decision. Didn’t you know your followers’ lives depended on your hands?”

Pernok aimed the greatsword at Roland.

“Why did you take the wrong path?”

While dropping words mixed with regret saying “Like I died…”, Pernok struck down Roland’s neck.

Had no loyalty to recover the rolling head.

Pernok coldly left the stiffening corpse behind and checked Johan’s side.

Roland’s guild members press level 7 mages and Ludmila’s disciples.

Desperately resisting tangled together.

Letting them live and go like this will expose this side’s cards.

Pernok extended hands there.

Roland’s magic transformed into particles and threaded between them.

Kaboom!

Mages with mana circuits destroyed everywhere caused magic to misfire, bursting by themselves.

“What is this!”

Pernok landed before the flustered level 7 mage.

When the mage reflexively drew hands through air, countless mana hands burst out, and Pernok charged forward to strike a right hook to that abdomen.

“Guhk!”

Cut the neck of the mage flying while spitting blood with his sword.

At the instantly organized situation, allied mages looked up at Pernok blankly, even forgetting wounds.

“Where are you hurt?”

“I-Im fine.”

“Recover those with uncomfortable mobility and leave this place.”

Pernok knocked out trembling-in-fear Johan before shouldering him.

“Hurry.”

“Yes!”

Befitting Ludmila’s disciples who revere the strong, followed Pernok’s back with sparkling eyes.

* * *

At words they returned without a single casualty, Ludmila felt relief.

Though disciples sent out with sacrifice resolved, conveyed gratitude to Pernok at the fact they only suffered light wounds.

And Salavan couldn’t hide amazement.

“You caught Johan alive?”

“Had more leisure than expected.”

“I heard you were attacked?”

“The 1st Prince hired Roland.”

“Ah…!”

“The 3rd Prince also seemed to try forming friendly relations with the Rakis Empire.”

“Lügen?”

At Lügen evaluated as having absolutely no diplomatic ability being associated with Rakis, Salavan had a puzzled expression.

“That side also sent assassins. Since the 1st Prince’s side pulled out the dark squad, thanks to clashing with the 3rd Prince, we safely extracted Johan.”

“No one but the guild leader has guts to think of making enemies clash in that situation.”

Pernok responded with a smile.

Didn’t bother mentioning facts about Magus.

Because he knew that in a situation where relations must now be organized, revealing hidden cards would only receive more obsession.

“Can you extract slush fund documents from Johan?”

“The duke was grinding teeth hard. Will all finish within today.”

“Will you strike the 1st Prince after that?”

“We must first twist relations with the royal palace. And we can’t leave Lügen alone either.”

“Need Your Highness to directly touch the 3rd Prince?”

“…?”

Pernok grinned.

“Isn’t there an emerging force with good momentum striking up from below?”

“Oh, that’s a clever move.”

Salavan consulted with Pernok to prepare a method to make the 3rd and 4th Princes collide.

Pernok smiled.

The belly swelled, so now it’s harvest time.