Fear (1)
Chapter 130
Amidst the shattered fragments of a ship, on an ice island that rose above the water.
The moment Ray was about to swing his sword, two Knights charged forward.
Tsuk!
From the swords gripped by the Knights surged Sword Auras.
Though their Sword Auras were sharp enough to easily slice through rock, they were insufficient to block Ray’s Sword Energy.
The Knights’ swords lost their light and bent upon contact with the Sword Energy.
The bodies of the Knights holding the swords were also crushed by the Sword Energy and split in two.
At first glance, it seemed like a meaningless death, but the two Knights had sacrificed their lives to prevent Ray from completing his swing.
Ray retracted his sword, which had been aimed at launching a Leaping Sword Energy towards the Mages.
In that instant, two Graduates clung onto Ray.
Kwa-ga-ga-gak!!!
Clashing Sword Energies scratched against each other, spitting flashes of light.
Ray realized these individuals had received training to counter Spatial Blades.
They were clinging on desperately to stop him from utilizing the Leaping Sword Energy for a rear attack.
This battle would be much more difficult than initially anticipated.
With this belated realization, Ray forcefully spun his Circle.
Mages usually manipulate the terrain during combat to lead battles efficiently, even on the sea. Simply altering the state of the ice beneath their feet could pose a significant threat.
Thus, Ray used the cold from his Circle to envelop the surroundings, creating a sort of boundary.
The Mages, having failed to destabilize Ray by controlling the mana around him, began preparing other spells.
As Ray aimed his sword at them, the Knights unleashed a barrage of Sword Auras.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gak!!!
While enduring the onslaught of Sword Aura blasts, Ray pressed down on the two Graduates.
Just as a part of the ice island couldn’t withstand the aftershock of the battle and broke off, a black wall suddenly shot up, obstructing Ray’s view.
“…”
Ray focused his mind.
He could feel a massive flow of mana coalescing beyond the black wall.
Although he couldn’t predict what magic this condensed mana would manifest into, if it turned into a fireball, its trajectory would be vividly clear in his mind.
Ray attempted to launch a Leaping Sword Energy toward the Mages using the sword in his left hand.
At that very moment, the black wall collapsed, and a giant harpoon made of metal was hurled at Ray.
Relying purely on his reflexes enhanced to the limit by mana, Ray swung his sword at the harpoon he hadn’t sensed coming.
Chheuk!!
Ray’s sword strike crushed the center of the harpoon.
In that instant, dozens of tiny fragments from the shattered harpoon rained down on Ray again.
Aahk!!!
Though the metallic harpoon without infused mana had limited lethality, it was still sufficient to brutally tear through flesh.
Covered in blood, Ray retreated while bending over.
Ae-ae-ek!!
The sound of tearing wind from the harpoon struck Ray’s ears a moment later.
Spitting blood from his mouth, Ray deflected the Sword Energy aimed at the back of his head by a Graduate.
Pa-ga-gak!!
Ray struggled to quickly assess the situation.
Some kind of great magic had manifested, yet all that appeared before him was a pure-metal harpoon.
After hurriedly searching his mind, he arrived at one hypothesis.
The use of electromagnetic force generated through magic to launch metallic projectiles.
“…I might die like this.”
Perhaps because he was prepared, or because the tactical level of the enemies he’d faced until now differed vastly, something clicked.
High-level Mages or Knights achieve ‘Kai-an,’ allowing them to clearly perceive the flow of mana, so even when their vision is briefly blocked, they can generally handle most situations.
These opponents exploited this fact, firing metallic projectiles devoid of mana to catch Ray off guard.
Trusting his senses and becoming complacent, Ray had to endure greater damage.
“…I need to change my thinking.”
Originally, Ray intended to eliminate the Mages first with Leaping Sword Energy.
However, given the current situation, it seemed almost impossible to prioritize taking out the Mages.
Attempting to face a tactically perfected unit with mere improvisation would only result in greater losses.
Now, Ray had only one option.
Frontal breakthrough.
Of course, guaranteeing victory was difficult.
Dark emotions flowed forth, gradually consuming Ray’s heart.
Kwaang!!!
Ray, who had parried the swinging Sword Energy from both front and back, mumbled with blood-streaked lips.
“I’m not afraid of death.”
This second life was unwanted.
He’d seen too many wretched sights.
There had never been a time when he feared death.
Only…
“The increasing number of people I keep seeing before farewells…”
That was what terrified him.
Cheung!!
Ray’s movements accelerated dramatically.
Pushing away the Graduate behind him with a kick, Ray poured mana into Moros.
From the Empire’s divine sword erupted fierce Spatial Blade Sword Energy.
Ray swung his sword at the Graduate standing in front.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gak!!!
An Overdrive-accelerated sword strike.
The targeted Graduate hastily raised his sword to defend, but his stance crumbled in an instant.
The moment his shoulder was pulverized by the flashing blow.
Another Knight intervened and pushed Ray’s sword aside.
Although the Knight who pushed Ray’s sword away had his upper body completely torn apart, he succeeded in saving the Graduate’s life as originally intended.
Ray paid no heed and persistently targeted the Graduate right before him.
Even a Graduate couldn’t withstand Ray’s sword more than twice consecutively.
Expert-level Knights didn’t hesitate to serve as meat shields, throwing themselves into the fray.
The Graduate who had been kicked by Ray also recklessly charged at Ray, swinging his sword.
“…”
Brigitte quietly watched as the ice rink froze crimson.
To block Ray head-on, at least two Graduates were necessary.
The moment either of the two dies, the formation would collapse instantly, and Ray’s Sword Energy would reach the Mages who were keeping their distance.
Therefore, Brigitte had to fatally wound Ray before her Knight forces were wiped out.
Tung!
Brigitte’s staff tapped the air.
Black energy extended and poured onto the Graduate targeted by Ray.
The Graduate’s shredded shoulder was covered with something dark and sticky.
It wasn’t healing; it was merely stitching together a torn doll.
Though grotesque to look at, the reattached shoulder began functioning again.
Some called it a curse, others called it a Blessing.
Aaaah!!
Supportive magical firepower continued from all directions.
The types of magic the Mages could choose from in this ongoing battle were limited.
Firstly, any magic that might obscure vision shouldn’t be used.
If their vision was obscured, the advantage would go to Ray, who could unleash Leaping Sword Energy.
Though they had temporarily obscured his vision at the start of the battle to catch him off guard, Ray wasn’t someone who would fall for the same trick twice.
Thus, the Mages passively fired spells while preparing new high-level magic centered around Brigitte.
Oooong!!
A massive magnetic field formed in the air.
Ray also felt the formation of a high-level magic consuming vast amounts of mana but ignored it.
Under the Blessing of the Dark God, the Knights became even more tenacious, and Ray, drenched in unknown blood, cut down another Knight blocking his path.
Brigitte’s mana flowed into the roaring magnetic field in the sky.
The heat generated by mana was compressed to its limits within the magnetic field, turning into plasma.
Even the heat that escaped due to failed control gathered into a single point under the Blessing of the Dark God.
This was a devastating magic capable of momentarily splitting the sea.
Imagining the calamity descending from above, Ray ultimately bisected the Graduate blocking his path after killing eight Experts.
Chack!!!
Even under the Blessing of the Dark God, unless one was an Apostle, being split in half meant death.
As the Graduate’s corpse tilted to both sides simultaneously,
Brigitte’s staff pointed at Ray.
“Flare.”
With the final incantation,
A beam of light resembling the sun descended.
Aaaahhhhhhhh!!!!
The light beam spreading far beyond the horizon illuminated everything, causing the seawater to explosively vaporize.
Under the mushroom-like rising steam, the seafloor briefly revealed itself, glowing red as it melted.
8th Circle Annihilation Magic, Flare.
Even though it wasn’t in its complete form, the highest-level magic completed under the Blessing of the Dark God was a catastrophic disaster far beyond human endurance.
The magic that summoned the heat of the stars to the ground eventually faded.
Aaaahh!
The sea that had been pushed back filled in, raising high waves.
Meanwhile, a presence remained.
The boy who had utilized the Circle to its maximum capacity and used Spatial Blades to neutralize and deflect the light beam stood atop a newly created sheet of ice.
Ray felt a renewed heaviness in his left arm.
The weight of the sword became cumbersome, and though he tried to discard it, his hand wouldn’t let go of the hilt.
Ignoring his immobile left arm, Ray took another step forward.
He hoped that the enemy’s Knight forces had been wiped out by the magic, but thanks to timely retreats, one Graduate and one Expert survived with the help of the Mages.
The Mages, having exhausted large amounts of the Circle’s mana, could no longer cast high-level magic, but none of them were dead or injured.
And Ray, had reached his limit.
It wasn’t a matter of mental fortitude; his body simply couldn’t hold out any longer.
Chjerik!
The middle of the sea froze once again.
The Mages connected the ice island they had created to the ice sheet Ray stood on.
The Graduate released Sword Energy, the Mages prepared support, and their leader, Brigitte, emitted radiant glory under the Blessing of the Dark God.
Silently, Ray manifested Sword Energy above Moros.
This power gap was insurmountable, even for a user of Spatial Blades.
Brigitte’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
She had obtained the chance to personally eliminate the descendant of the greatest historical adversary ever recorded.
We, I myself will kill that arrogant one.
The moment mana responded to Brigitte’s will and surged,
She looked up at the sky belatedly.
A fortified spear was falling anew.
There wasn’t enough mana to intercept the spear, and the distance was too close.
Kwaak!!!
The spear plunged and embedded itself beside Ray.
Only then did Brigitte notice the stigmata marked on Ray’s palm.
When Ray landed on the deck, he was already covered in blood, making the stigmata unrecognizable.
But does that matter?
Even a healing barrier couldn’t instantly recover the severe injuries Ray sustained.
It might prolong his life a little, but Brigitte would crush his heart before that happened.
However, the barrier engraved on the spear wasn’t a healing barrier.
The barrier engraved on the spear was one that burned sins.
Jajajak!!
Chains of light surged from the spear and fell in all directions.
The penitential barrier reinforced by Albert’s own blood, shed from cutting his arm, covered the ice island.
As Ray prepared for his final battlefield,
“Please.”
Ray’s stuck lips twisted.
“May your sins be light.”
