Light and heat dance.
The incandescent world did not permit sound. Only the sharp tinnitus filled the void of distant hearing.
Occasionally, bursts of light covered the retina. The acrid smell of burning filled my nostrils and surged through my mind.
It was a space where vision, hearing, and smell were meaningless.
Even the tingling heat prevented my sense of touch from functioning properly. Nevertheless, three of us, including myself, were weaving through this discolored world.
This was because the martial artists had reached a realm where common sense did not apply.
They could sense footsteps in areas unseen, only through vibrations that shook the ground. Intuition beyond the five senses propelled my body without restraint.
The archmage, revealing his true power, was indeed formidable.
The offense continued unceasingly. A storm of lightning poured down without allowing the slightest gap, already wrecking the interior.
However, the opponent was a monster of equal caliber.
“Foolish…”
With a crunch, crunch.
To the sound of the girl grinding her teeth, the blood-red whip danced.
The blood that writhed like a serpent became a straight beam of light, sweeping across the area.
Then, dozens of orbs of mana simultaneously exploded. One by one, the spears of lightning that filled the air were shot forth, but the blood-red whip horizontally cut through once more, yielding the same results.
Mysterious power capable of easily shattering highly condensed magical energy.
It could only be explained as the power of a dark god. It was a violence unimaginable for me at this moment.
Unless I reached the level of a ‘High Expert’.
While I held my breath and waited for a chance, the girl whispered with even deeper anger.
“Foolish, foolish, foolish… I told you, there is no salvation!”
With a scream, the blood-red sun that rose into the air began to wail.
Wooooooo!
And from the sun, blood-red tentacles surged forth, numbers in the hundreds displaying bizarre movements.
It was a suspicious sign at first glance.
Naturally, I was not the only one who sensed this.
“Son-in-law!”
I attempted to leap in response to Mr. Reynolds’s call. The blood-red tentacles were already dividing into countless lines.
The silver aura, which had been as solid as a crystal, unraveled.
The mist-like silver boundary immediately pierced the thin blood-red threads. Thud, thud, numerous threads could no longer withstand their own tension and snapped.
Yet it was still a limitation.
Dealing with all the threads was, from the start, impossible. Even when my body was normal, I had barely managed to clear them after two explosions of aura.
Realizing the limits, a warning burst from my lips.
“Mr. Reynolds, be careful… cough!”
However, before I could finish my words, the blood-red thread bundle struck my side.
There was no way my body, which had been thrown into the void, could possibly withstand it.
I immediately crashed into the wall with a thud and then slid down. It was an intensely jolting impact that shook my consciousness.
It hurt immensely.
I almost let out a scream without thinking.
I did not know what the girl did to my body, but the nerves throughout my body were still on edge. Thanks to that, my sense of pain was heightened, allowing me to observe the situation indoors closely.
It was a pain that felt at least several times greater.
Under normal circumstances, I should have lost consciousness, but my awakened brain, driven by the excitement of battle, did not easily succumb. That was the reason why I had to endure pain like I had never felt before.
My hands trembled involuntarily.
It was from the fear of pain. It was a sensation I had not felt in a long time.
I thought I had long passed this stage.
Of course, Mr. Reynolds was not unscathed either.
Boom, boom, boom!
Explosions echoed one after another. The blood-red threads spread out in all directions, piercing through condensed orbs of magical energy, and soon, the spells began to be dyed blood-red.
An explosion occurred right after that.
It was clear that Mr. Reynolds did not intend for this. He was also rolling on the ground, trying to somehow escape the explosion radius.
But it was such an extensive explosion. No one could remain completely free of its repercussions.
With a grunt, the middle-aged body collided against the wall. Since it was right next to me, I staggered to my feet and quickly joined Mr. Reynolds.
The blood-red threads that had filled around the son-in-law spread to the sides like curtains.
In the center stood a girl with jet-black hair. Using the blood-red sun as illumination, she was quietly catching her breath with her eyes closed.
One hand was extended forward, while the other was behind her back.
The two arms crossed in a strange manner and her slightly crossed legs resembled a dancer’s preparatory stance. The moment the girl opened her eyes again, the blood-red sun began to vibrate once more.
With a roaring tremor, the girl lifted her golden eyes and whispered.
“How much more despair must I endure to understand…? How much more must I crumble to comprehend?!”
Mr. Reynolds groaned painfully as he rubbed his back.
Even an archmage could not escape the passage of time; exhaustion was evident on his face.
“Is it still allowed for the thunder god of the battlefield to act this way?”
“Thunder God can freeze to death… It’s just that having a pompous nickname makes it easier to get commissioned.”
While he made jokes as if it were nothing, both our foreheads were already drenched with cold sweat.
It was because we both realized that the opponent was not a trivial matter.
The girl’s murmurs continued.
“If you wish for it, fine… foolish ones!”
That cry sounded almost like a long melody.
In tune with an extremely high pitch, the blood-red sun emitted an even greater resonating sound. Then, blood-red threads shot forth like arrows.
They targeted the charred heads of the grotesque monsters. The faceless monsters, pierced by the blood-red threads, widened their narrow eyes to an alarming degree, letting out terrifying glares.
Kreeeeek, keeeek, krek!
Writhing in pain, the faceless monsters began to rise one by one, clutching their throats.
A grotesque chorus of shrieks erupted all at once.
Kieeeeeeeeeek!
And the screams, which began to subside, gradually formed a lively rhythm.
Aaaaah! Kreek! Kreek!
Thud, thud. A horrific dance of death ensued to the cheerful beat of drums.
Only then did the girl close her eyes, wearing a satisfied smile.
Nodding her head, she seemed to genuinely enjoy this horrific melody.
Mr. Reynolds’s impression of this was starkly neutral.
“I ask just in case… but does your younger sister have any mental issues?”
“That girl is not my younger sister. Well, she is my younger sister in a way…”
Sighing, I shook my head side to side.
There was no time to delve into the details.
“Anyway, please consider her a core member of the Dark Cult.”
“What about the safety of Elsi and the others?”
At that question, my eyes naturally turned to the back of the girl. There were still three women hanging there with their hands and feet bound.
After hearing the reasons why Celin and Liya should not be touched, I assumed that Senior Elsi would also be safe, at least for now, due to a ‘contract’.
“It is guaranteed.”
“Good, then…”
Mr. Reynolds’s gaze became serious, throwing aside a major concern. As he moved, sparks flew around his eyes for an instant.
It was an astonishing realm once more.
The process of transmuting magic present in nature was exceedingly natural. It was as if the wind blew and the water flowed, claiming that this was simply part of the natural order.
However, Mr. Reynolds seemed unconcerned whether I was in awe or not. He was merely observing the surrounding situation and looking for an opportunity.
“…We need to think of a way to ensure our safety.”
“Is there a way?”
“If only time is given.”
It was too obvious a statement.
Mages were more sensitive to time than swordsmen. The longer the chant, the more elaborate spells they could use, and through that, they could project maximum firepower.
However, Mr. Reynolds could not find the time to chant now.
The opponent was no fool either. It was unlikely they had the slightest desire to face off against someone who had even been given the title of ‘Archmage’.
The capabilities to overcome the girl’s restraint did not exist within our party.
To be precise, my skills were incredibly lacking.
Even now, my arm trembled with remnants of pain. If my body were normal, it wouldn’t be a problem, but currently, the only role I could fulfill was occasionally offering some interference.
As my expression darkened, a thick hand patted my back.
“There are still moves left… For now, I’ll buy some time.”
“W-What?”
It was a statement that was in direct contradiction to conventional strategy.
