356th Chapter
Meteo.
A magic spell that once existed only in theory, part of mythological lore.
It was believed that this magic would forever remain confined to the pages of books, but Resina brought it into reality.
Meteo was a devastating magic capable of causing the destruction of entire nations, and just as its power demanded, it required immense time and resources to cast.
No matter how great a mage might be, casting Meteo alone was impossible.
Even with the support of the Empire, the number of times Meteo could be deployed was heavily restricted.
Therefore, Resina had arranged for her chosen successor to have the capability to summon ruin single-handedly.
Thanks to these preparations, Luna acquired the ability to cast Meteo without the aid of a group.
However, even considering Resina’s arrangements…
Attempting to open the skies near the Imperial Capital was sheer madness.
Even assuming all preparations were meticulously completed, executing Meteo required hours of extremely precise calculations and adjustments.
The Empire wouldn’t sit idly by during those hours.
The Empire possessed more than enough powerful means to detect and crush invaders operating near the Imperial Capital.
There was no force in existence capable of enduring the Empire’s assault for hours while simultaneously completing a magic as intricate as Meteo.
But today, the Empire detected the deployment of Meteo above the Imperial Capital far too late.
By the time they realized Meteo was being cast, the heavens were almost already open.
Stunned and shocked by the abrupt situation, the Empire’s mages fell into confusion.
How could the defense system of the Imperial Capital fail to detect the activation of Meteo?
Everyone harbored similar doubts, but the mages soon realized that this was not a failure—it was an illusion.
The defense system had indeed detected and warned about the dangerous magic in a timely manner. It functioned normally. The problem was simply that the magic was unfolding at an unrealistically fast speed.
Above in the sky, the magical formations that should have taken hours to complete were aligning within minutes.
Even high-ranking mages watching the sky doubted if they were trapped in a nightmare when witnessing the speed at which the formations took shape.
At the center of this bizarre spectacle stood a young girl.
With her azure hair flowing, standing atop the heavens, her name was Luna.
Luna began breaking the heavens, revealing all four of her magic circles.
Originally, rapidly deploying Meteo like this was something even Luna couldn’t accomplish.
Deploying Meteo using just four magic circles was already a risky attempt.
Thus, Luna forcibly channeled all the functions of the Royal Magic Tower through Aptel.
An intricate cosmic map accessible only to Luna unfolded, and the systems of the Royal Magic Tower concentrated on aiding her calculations.
At that moment, the mages of the Royal Magic Tower unmistakably sensed something amiss.
Most of the tower’s functions had been abruptly commandeered—something the mages couldn’t overlook.
Now, there was no hiding the fact that Luna was utilizing the Royal Magic Tower through some unknown pathway.
Not long after Luna hijacked the system, the mages of the Royal Magic Tower frantically moved to exclude the unknown intruder from the system.
Some mages went so far as to destroy key machinery controlling the Royal Magic Tower in their desperation.
Their efforts weren’t wasted.
One by one, the systems assisting Luna began to shut down or malfunction, and the rate of failures increased.
Yet, Luna was on the verge of completing the annihilation magic capable of bringing about the downfall of a nation.
A talent beyond comprehension, unprecedented since the birth of humanity, made such a miracle possible.
Hwaahhhhaaaaak!!!!!!
From the Imperial Palace, barrages began firing to stop Luna’s impending catastrophe.
Meteo is a magic that demands extreme precision.
If struck by powerful firepower before completion, even a slight distortion could cause the spell to collapse.
Despite the strain causing blood to trickle from her eyes, nose, and mouth, Luna deployed top-tier defensive magic.
Layer upon layer of crystal-clear barriers clashed with the volleys from the Imperial Palace.
“Aaaahhhhhh!!!!!!”
Defensive magic resembling dimensional severance deflected the attacks’ power.
The massive explosions spreading in all directions illuminated the sky even further.
Though a tremendous heat swept through the heavens where Luna stood, the highest-level spirit Eira served as her final shield.
The bombardment from the Imperial Palace continued, relentlessly scorching the skies, and soon enough, the supreme defensive magic that supposedly severed dimensions began to warp.
This was an inevitable conclusion.
No matter how great a mage or spirit might be, they couldn’t endure the barrage from the Imperial Capital, empowered by the authority of Dragonheart, for long.
The resistance would last mere minutes, and once defenses broke and they were overwhelmed by firepower, Luna and Eira would instantly evaporate in the air, leaving no trace.
But… the mages observing the situation realized something.
Luna’s defenses would break soon.
However, Meteo would complete slightly faster.
Continuing the bombardment would result in the Imperial Capital achieving nothing more than mutual annihilation with a single mage.
It implied sacrificing the capital merely to kill one mage—a completely unrealistic scenario.
Faced with such an absurd crisis,
the Empire’s strongest blade, bound to protect the Emperor, personally intervened despite needing to remain by the Emperor’s side.
The Empire’s Swordmaster, Ernst Prislan.
The Swordmaster’s Absolute Domain is extremely lethal against magic like Meteo, which requires a high degree of precision.
If Ernst approached Luna closely and activated Absolute Domain, parts of the spell formation would collapse, leading to uncontrollable consequences.
Even a mage gifted with unfathomable talent couldn’t completely overcome such disadvantages.
Hwaahhhhaaaaak!!!
Ernst accelerated toward the skies with the help of high-ranking mages and spirits.
Unless Luna abandoned the deployment of Meteo, she couldn’t evade the incoming Ernst.
“…”
Ray perceived Ernst’s presence.
Understanding what Ernst intended to do, Ray gripped his sword again.
Takaus reflexively tried to stop Ray but failed.
Kwaang!!!
Having lost most of his protective gear and nearing physical limits, Takaus was blown away by a single droplet scattered by Ray.
Eliminating obstacles and briefly left alone, Ray suppressed the flowing mana like water, re-forming it into the shape of sword energy.
Ray swung his sword, and the viscous stream twisting the Empire’s divine sword vanished mid-air.
Afterward,
space around Ernst split apart, and swirling bundles of sword aura rained down.
!!!!!!!!!
Deafening roars of thunder exploded continuously.
Even though the sword auras erupted from a considerable distance, a storm reached Ray’s position.
Despite the incredible force, Ray believed—and it turned out true—that he hadn’t managed to leave any significant mark on Ernst.
However, Ernst alone remained unscathed. The mages and spirits tasked with accelerating Ernst towards Luna were not so fortunate.
Ray undoubtedly manifested another wave of sword energy to secure Ernst’s capture.
To stop Ray, only then did a few salvos of bombardment from the Imperial Palace divert towards him.
His vision engulfed in flames, Ray nonetheless desperately obstructed Ernst’s path towards Luna.
“…”
Luna looked down from the skies.
Currently, having exhausted most of her immediate-use magic, including Antimatter, from the Demonic Realm during the expedition, Luna had almost no means to directly confront Ernst.
Had she had a few months, she might have prepared anew, but the time between returning from the Demonic Realm expedition and reaching the Imperial Capital was too short.
Still, the reason Luna initiated Meteo, risking tremendous danger, was due to a faint hope.
Perhaps Ray was regretting his decision now.
He might wish to flee, hoping for some miraculous way to undo his choice.
Because of this faint hope, Luna deployed Meteo to draw everyone’s attention.
Knowing fully well that there was no turning back.
Knowing fully well that Ray would never retreat.
Knowing fully well that miracles didn’t exist…
She clung to the faint hope that Ray might change his mind and opened the heavens.
And Ray never stepped back until the end.
Desperately, Ray fought only to momentarily delay Ernst’s advance.
Watching his desperate struggle, Luna completed the magic.
A fiery mass appeared in the sky.
Since ancient times…
The Empire, fearing the near-nightmarish possibility of Meteo falling upon the Imperial Capital, had strictly controlled the theories underlying Meteo.
Ropheiren, who taught Luna magic, was one of the victims of such control.
And Luna proved that the Empire’s paranoid concern wasn’t baseless.
A colossal meteor pierced through the night sky.
As everyone on the ground sank into terror and shock against the backdrop of the burning heavens, only a woman with long golden hair smiled brightly.
But even her smile was hollow. Whatever future might come, what she had lost would never return.
This was the price the Empire had to pay for rejecting her 600 years ago.
Meanwhile.
The Imperial Palace had ceased firing entirely since a little earlier.
All available power was focused on protecting the Imperial Capital from the descending meteor.
And then…
A flash of light burst forth.
Standing amidst the wildly shaking ground, Ray watched the cascading flashes of light.
The Imperial Capital, known as the strongest fortress and humanity’s ultimate bastion, achieved the feat of withstanding a direct hit from Meteo.
It was an accomplishment worthy of being called transcendent, but that was all.
The barrier erected by the Imperial Capital only protected the capital itself.
The colossal energy created from the collision between Meteo and the capital’s barrier swept across hundreds of kilometers.
Many major cities near the Imperial Capital suffered near-annihilation.
Facilities that the Empire had developed and expanded over a thousand years, forming the very foundation of the Empire, melted away in an instant.
The defense system of the Imperial Capital, which had concentrated all its power to block Meteo, sustained heavy damage.
Explosions occurred throughout the Imperial Capital, and eventually, the defense system ceased functioning, falling silent.
“…”
The wind blew.
The barrier encircling the Imperial Capital, now riddled with cracks, crumbled, and a storm of heated debris belatedly enveloped the capital.
Amidst this inferno,
Ray faced Ernst.
The Empire’s Swordmaster (2)
