World's Strongest

Vans’s flames differed in class from other nature types.

Not simply fire that bombarded enemies, but operated in a special offense-defense integrated method that even handled healing and regeneration.

He realized how to properly use his own flames while meeting Chris.

“If you can envelop your entire body with the flames wrapped around your sword, your physical abilities will experience dramatic rise.”

He’d had the special experience of physical abilities increasing greatly the faster his body regenerated.

Chris personally drove Vans into the abyss dozens, hundreds of times.

At that moment, Vans reached Magus.

The trinity was completed: transcendent regeneration surpassing death, accelerating physical abilities, and flames that raised the sword’s cutting power.

However, to reach those conditions, he had to endure tremendous pain.

Because someone had to tear and cut away his body for the sword’s flames to rush into the flesh to repair wounds.

Pernok’s butchery was like a catalyst that activated Vans’s Magus Arts more.

Though he floundered in pain crossing life and death several times, as the speed of regenerating wounds began accelerating, Vans’s mind rather cleared.

“Kyaaaahh!”

When he shook off hands with a sharp battle cry, Pernok’s liquefaction was swallowed by flames.

Twelve times?

No, he probably killed him around twenty times.

Vans’s entire body was already covered in flames.

It resembled armor.

Flames flowing from the sword connected with flesh and were refined into sharp form.

‘The flames unite with everything.’

They didn’t stop at simply threatening sparks.

Like flames adding propulsion, they pulled up Vans’s physical abilities.

The flaming sword rushed before his eyes one step faster than the speed captured by Observation Eye.

Clang!

As soon as sparks flew, Pernok retreated backward.

Toxicity that induced dizziness formed where flames cut through the air.

‘Where the flames burned transforms into mana, forming faint toxins. Those flames aren’t just means to protect sword and body.’

Cutting power, defense power, mobility.

And the weapon itself that always generated poison where the sword swept.

Moreover, the flames containing liquefaction surged even larger.

‘Each time he clashes with me, the flames absorb the mana that bursts out and blaze vigorously.’

Though it began as Vans’s mana, once the flames started burning, they maintained themselves using external mana.

And since they swirled around opponents’ mana to blaze as even hotter flames, they were truly like an incarnation of unextinguishable fire.

Though Pernok sent mixed water and wind, the flames rather increased in size as if resisting.

Vans received no influence from within them.

A rare Magus Arts where the return value grew large despite no risk.

Though he seemed to understand why they called him Phoenix, Pernok’s interest didn’t last long.

Slash!

As Observation Eye began catching Vans’s speed, all paths moved as expected. When he brought the sword there, Vans easily allowed a strike.

‘He’s swept away by his own speed. He knows it himself but shows an attitude of not caring.’

Anyway, the cut areas regenerated and grew stronger.

Vans seemed to judge that if it went to an endurance match, Pernok would be disadvantaged.

While easily allowing multiple sword strikes, he advanced uprightly.

There was no fear or hesitation either.

It was an attitude arising from conviction that once the karmic flames covered his body, nothing in the world could cut him.

‘He certainly learned his strengths from someone.’

But power clinging to wildness ultimately crumbles before efficiency incorporating technique.

Bang!

Meanwhile, Pernok who cut Vans’s neck twice leaped backward.

Vans restored his neck while simultaneously igniting sparks and stuck close rapidly.

He seemed to think that just spouting flames around him would infect Pernok with toxins.

Pernok snorted and drew his sword in a cross.

As Vans erected his sword in front to strike back.

Slash!

“…!?”

His back was cut deeply. A sword protruded from the shadow cast by flames. And when he noticed, Pernok’s sword began dancing targeting blind spots.

Slash!

From severed limbs, flames connected like threads and pulled back to the body.

Vans smiled coldly within the flames.

‘I absolutely won’t die. Even after becoming king, absolutely!’

Pernok probably cut his neck well over dozens of times.

Yet he survived and rather pressured him.

Offense-defense integrated Magus Arts completed only when everything was prepared.

As if responding to that excitement, the flames rampaged freely and finally slashed Pernok’s clothes.

‘It touched.’

He thought Pernok was also starting to tire.

As time passed, his movements became clearer to the eyes.

Even the bizarre swordsmanship clashed more frequently.

“Among same-rank Magi, none exist who can cut you after becoming an incarnation. Even in the empire, they’d need to be count-rank to wage evenly matched battles with you. The moment your Magus Arts fully manifests, contain even the opponent’s attacks and sublimate pain into flames to pressure them. Then it’s your victory.”

This time too, Chris’s teaching wasn’t wrong.

He just needed to pressure the same way as when competing with Magi who couldn’t become Rakis nobles.

Swirling flames that turned even opponents’ attacks into resources, sticking close so they couldn’t flee, and swinging grandly and majestically.

Chris called this the mysteries of ‘strong sword and heavy sword’, specialized in crushing enemies with tyrannical momentum.

Clang!

Behold!

Pernok couldn’t use bizarre swordsmanship now and was being pressured by Vans.

Signs of fatigue were clear enough that he couldn’t lightly flow the sword away.

‘Whatever Magus Arts you use, you can’t pierce me!’

The breath contained in one strike made the flames’ momentum boil over.

Before long, pillar-like flames began spreading around, and allied forces widened formations in confusion.

The moment even enemy forces on the hill focused on the brilliant flames, a pure white sword dug into the breath-like flames spewed by the incarnation.

Tap.

He struck lightly and withdrew.

But Vans’s shoulder moved slowly.

“…?”

Though speed immediately recovered normally, Pernok already moved his body sideways. And repeatedly stabbed Vans’s limbs several times again.

Stab stab!

He struck precisely into flesh beyond the flames.

Vans’s flames thinned for a moment.

“Humans have a source. The foundation of all flow, this exists even for those who use mana. Especially you have an absurdly large number of these ‘circuits’.”

An indifferent voice carried on the sword and began piercing Vans’s entire body.

Though Vans ignited flames to burn even breath, Pernok rather dug into his bosom like a fish in water.

While beautifully passing the powerful attacks centered on strong sword and heavy sword, he continuously stabbed only strange places.

In none of the teachings Vans received until now existed such seemingly useless attacks.

But Pernok was accurately capturing those vast circuits that even he himself didn’t know.

The Magus’s flesh that had even disrupted Observation Eye while hidden by flames was now perfectly observed.

Stab stab stab stab!

He raised instantaneous speed by adding Enhancement magic to Mana Reinforcement.

No matter how good the Magus Arts, it couldn’t suddenly raise even dynamic visual acuity.

Sword strikes stormed enough to leave only afterimages in Vans’s eyes.

The clashing sounds were only ten at most.

But in the blink of an eye, forty sword wounds occupied Vans’s body.

Whoosh!

Though sparks blazed to try restoring wounded places, for some reason they couldn’t properly swirl around.

Moreover, black blood flowed from wounds and thoroughly disrupted internal mana.

Mana that began disrupting once caused overload on the flesh.

“…!?”

The vigorous sword was driven into the ground.

The sword that was extremely light felt heavy as a mountain.

“Usually they try to cut and eliminate circuits. They consider that the method to neutralize a Magus. But you’re different. You can even regenerate cut circuits again. Then there’s one method. When wounding circuits and making them regenerate, twist that direction to the wrong side.”

It was decisiveness incomprehensible to Vans’s common sense.

“Making your mana flow reversely to twist your entire body like that.”

“Stop your bullshit! Even Duke Chris can’t do such things!”

Though he dismissed it as nonsense to shake him and tried raising his sword, it wouldn’t budge as if it became a statue.

As the blazing flames stopped, Pernok sneered and aimed the sword at Vans’s chest.

“Your mouth probably won’t move well now either. Because I induced all your circuits to regenerate in wrong directions. Your body now escaped your control. There’s one method, but it’s impossible before giving up your Magus Arts.”

“…”

“Special Magus Arts capable of even offense-defense integrated regeneration. Though somewhat interesting, it doesn’t stir great emotions.”

The half-living’s memories surged in Pernok’s mind.

The last moment of dying unjustly.

He saw the cold eyes of Vans looking down at him.

“Those with power needn’t be bound by something while floundering in their responsibilities. However, those with power must learn the method of controlling so it doesn’t birth those who are wronged. You royals, you see. Despite having absurdly good environments, despite overflowing talent, you ultimately become like this by envying, being jealous, and suspecting each other.”

He slowly stabbed the sword into Vans’s chest.

So he could feel the pain of flesh being pierced.

So the rage and sorrow from the day the half-living died would be transmitted together.

“All mana originates from this heart. The heart is the core, and connected to it, the circuits flowing through the entire body are called vessels. I twisted all your vessels to other places. Since I only twisted paths without wounding, naturally regeneration won’t activate. What happens if I destroy the core here?”

“…!”

“If that vast mana flows reversely through the wrong vessels?”

Vans’s complexion turned pale.

“The core breaks and the enormous mana contained within runs wild through the vessels in one moment. Since mana flows, the flames start regeneration. And the same work repeats. Inside you, mana endlessly collides, explodes, and regenerates on the wrong paths. It means your interior transforms like a powder keg from now on and continues bursting repeatedly until the flames’ regeneration finishes.”

Pernok pulled out the sword.

Shaking off fragments of heart attached to the sword tip, he retreated backward.

Whoosh!

Though there was no external wound, the flames surged violently.

The heart broke, and countless mana contained in the core spread through the entire body riding the circuits.

But the already twisted paths ultimately made mana collide, and as circuits burst, flames seeped inside to begin regenerating for restoration.

But the restored circuits again were in that state cherishing wrong paths.

There was no need to add mana from outside either.

Until the mana he possessed ran out, Vans would continue suffering pain of internal circuits, nerves, and organs bursting.

He blocked that sound from bursting outside the mouth with magic.

“…!”

Bloody tears flowed from the wide-open eyes.

When blood touched flames, it evaporated to become smoke containing toxicity.

Surrounding soldiers grew rigid from poisoning, and no one could approach Vans.

Before long, blood began flowing from Vans’s pores.

Eyes, nose, mouth, ears.

Vans’s expression with eyes wide open while bleeding from the face let one guess that pain.

“Your Highness!”

Pernok who lightly cut away rushing knights silently watched Vans weakening.

Thanks to circuits bursting and regenerating repeatedly well over hundreds of times inside, the flames shrank like candlelight.

It meant there was no longer strength to spare for the outside.

When Pernok snapped his fingers, the magic blocking his sounds disappeared.

The staggering Vans knelt on that spot.

“Huk, huk, heok.”

“Did you squeeze out last strength to barely restore your heart. I see you wanted to survive even disgracefully.”

Fear and terror appeared in the eyes of Vans raising his head.

He aimed the sword at the withered Vans’s chest.

“But whether alive or dead, you have nowhere to go.”

Vans lacked even the strength to cry out to be spared.

The sword pierced through the heart, the only lifeline remaining for him who self-destructed with Magus Arts.

After stabbing deeply to completely destroy it, then pulling out the sword, Vans spewed blood and collapsed.

* * *

“Kekeke, one bastard died.”

“Shut up!”

“Why? Didn’t you feel it too. The mana blazing like fire suddenly extinguished.”

“Ugh! You traitor bastard!”

“I didn’t expect to hear such words from one who’s not an empire noble.”

When Gram laughed and stepped on the ground, the gravity striking the Reflection Barrier grew fiercer.

All forces of the sixth castle rushed out to support Pernok.

If forces positioned on the hill and the sixth castle’s main force surrounded front and back, Vans’s forces being annihilated was self-evident.

Moreover, he felt numerous presences approaching from afar.

The alliance of duke’s forces and royal army led by Flemyr.

No hole existed to escape from this place where tens of thousands of great forces gathered.

Since Owen also sensed all these circumstances, his heart seemed to burn up.

‘Gram has no intention of properly killing me. Just binding me until the main force comes will annihilate our side.’

Rather, if he came fighting with full strength, he would have used that power as momentum to join Vans’s side.

But this cunning Gram controlled his strength only for the purpose of restraint and suppression.

Because when Flemyr arrived, he could easily kill Owen without necessarily using great strength.

“You coward who doesn’t even know noble pride!”

“Since being cowardly and sinister is my strength, it’s quite sweet as provocation heard from one about to die soon.”

The more Gram’s laughter was heard, the more Owen’s heart burned pitch black.

Though he merely moved one step, gravity overlapped in multiple layers on the advancing path.

He was crushed as if lumps of iron hung on his entire body.

Amazingly, this gravity transmitted heavy mana even inside beyond the Reflection Barrier.

‘His Highness’s mana disappeared!’

Owen’s heart dropped.

The frail mana thinned to the point of not being felt and suddenly extinguished.

Owen’s Reflection Barrier shook in surprise together, and Gram dug into the instant gap.

Bang!

As cracks formed in the Reflection Barrier, Owen bled and stepped backward.

Though he belatedly came to his senses and tried erecting the Reflection Barrier, Gram finished all judgments on exactly which parts to target.

‘Suppression is also sufficient, but if I cut this bastard’s neck and present it, His Highness Pernok will also firmly regard my faith as an ally.’

He mustn’t be left.

Even one more hostile element must be eliminated in the nation where Pernok will become king.

Only then would his own position rise together.

Rummmble!

He made gravity gathered in one place into a sphere and shot at the restored Reflection Barrier.

Because it was just made, it wasn’t yet stickily connected.

If the gravity shot pierced the Reflection Barrier like this and crushed the inside, Owen would shrivel up like dried fish and burst.

It was the moment a deep smile hung on Gram’s lips.

Bang!

An unpleasant sound crossed between the Reflection Barrier and gravity shot.

It was an instant.

Both Owen and Gram realized something intruded only after hearing the sound.

And by then, both the Reflection Barrier and gravity shot had already shattered simultaneously.

Hummmm!

Both people’s gazes gathered to where a strange resonance was heard.

“…?”

Owen watched the thin object stuck in the ground with puzzled eyes.

“…”

And when Gram realized the thin object was a needle, he fell silent.

A long needle thin and long like a strand of hair.

He knew better than anyone the world’s only Magus who shot long needles black as the night sky.

“If betrayal, I thought it’d be Breia. Because he looked very favorably on Prince Pernok.”

Gram turned his gaze with a rigidly hardened expression.

An expressionless man wearing a black longcoat slowly revealed himself from the blind spot of consciousness.

One of only two S3 Magi in the world.

Rakis Empire’s war god evaluated as closer to X-grade than anyone.

“But it was you, Gram.”

Chris’s stern voice seeped into the silent battlefield.