A low whisper, one that might even seem serene at a glance. Yet the implications it carried were catastrophic.
Though Daro seemed to float alone, without any guard, closer inspection revealed an intricate web of magical nets set up to repel anyone who dared approach him.
Most aerial artillery not currently bombarding the ground was arranged around Daro himself as protection.
The angels of Argeyirion weren’t recklessly unleashing magic but instead preparing another gateway to recharge their mana for a reason—there simply wasn’t enough power to eliminate all the countless weapons within the barrier.
Attempting once more to shake off his attacker, Ortes found Ortes’ hand quicker than the angel’s wingbeat.
Cardcrack!
Grasping the hilt of the blade embedded in his shoulder joint, Ortes twisted it to the right. The sound of tearing bone and muscle echoed as the angel writhed in pain. Just then, a spell flew toward where the angel had been flapping its wings moments ago.
It wasn’t an automatic targeting system from pre-set weaponry; rather, it was a spell personally cast by a mage of the Ten Towers after careful aim.
The luminous streak of magic missed the angel but swept across the ground far away.
Argeyirion paid no heed to the ground below, but Ortes did. He observed the land that the magic had swept over.
“…Flowers?”
The land infused with magical radiance swelled strangely. The earth bulged together in an odd fusion resembling steel roses crafted from molds.
Ortes’ eyes deciphered the principle behind the magic: proliferating metallic components such as iron inside the target until it exploded from within.
If an ordinary human had been struck, their body would have ended up looking like it was pierced by countless metal spikes.
To a silver-iron tower mage skilled in manipulating metals, this was an exceedingly refined technique. It could tear apart only specific limbs if desired, making it useful both for killing and subduing.
“Can I counter it?”
Ortes twisted the blade stuck in his shoulder again. The angel screamed and twisted its body as if falling, showing remarkable mental fortitude not to lose focus on the gateway.
“If the blade gets hit, the structure of the blade will be ruined…”
Even if countered with overlaying magic formulas, the problem was that it wouldn’t nullify the magic itself.
If he defended against the spell with his sword, the metal composition of the blade would proliferate uncontrollably, damaging its form. And if countered with overlaying spells, other elements would merely mix into the proliferating structure without stopping the growth itself.
“Interfering with the direction before the formula completes might be better.”
His eyes warned him. He could see the magical lines aimed at him. This wasn’t from the cannons refined by Daro but the lethal magic being prepared by the angels of Argeyirion.
“This far.”
Ortes’ eyes absorbed the battlefield information.
While Daro observed Ortes with some curiosity, the preparation for the second gate was complete.
The angels were ready to sacrifice their comrades to k*ll Ortes. The densely drawn magical lines from all directions proved their resolve.
Of course, Ortes had no intention of dying.
Drawing out a high-frequency blade, he leapt down. During the fall, his sword slashed toward the gate tightly held by the angel.
Argeyirion realized that the attack hadn’t destroyed the gate and mocked Ortes.
But Ortes hadn’t aimed to destroy it in the first place. Instead, he had inserted the basic light attribute spell “Luminescence” into the construction of the gate’s formula.
The silvery glow emanating from the gate grew brighter.
An overwhelming amount of light too brilliant for words. So bright that it rendered everything invisible. Amidst this blinding blindness, only Ortes’ vision remained clear.
He didn’t expect this delay to last long. A magician of Daro’s caliber might have already enhanced their vision to something like infrared or beyond, and Argeyirion, despite being somewhat impaired by extraplanar forces, wouldn’t rely solely on visible light to perceive surroundings.
However, there was still a moment needed to switch sensory mechanisms. Using the “Growth” drive once more, Ortes summoned vines and grabbed onto an angel’s wings.
The angel being pulled down caused Ortes to soar upwards in reaction.
For now, he occupied the highest altitude in this area.
Activating the third drive, “Gale,” he descended toward Daro, riding the swirling winds.
And Daro saw Ortes.
“Only using the Magic Imprint Drive… judging by the lack of proper magical sensation, your magical accomplishments seem insufficient. Then, is your extraordinary physical prowess due to martial spirit (斗气)?”
To refine martial spirit to such a degree couldn’t be achieved through the crude training methods passed down among mercenaries. A more systematic method was required.
Daro knew well where such a ‘systematic’ method originated.
In the current era, the most common martial spirit seen is injected into specialized close-combat drones to enhance their performance.
As befitting a Silver Iron Tower mage, Daro was also well-versed in the design and history of combat drones. The origin of the martial spirit infused into drones came from the secret techniques sold by ancient knightly families.
“So, remnants of knights left behind by the times!”
At last, the identity of the mysterious reinforcements, the third force, became clear.
Although the Ten Towers actively suppressed divine powers, other types of innate abilities gradually faded away due to the rise of magic.
Elementalists absorbed under the umbrella of magic, primitive magic labeled as shamanism whose mysteries were dismantled, and the martial spirit of knights who sold their secrets to barely survive before eventually being forgotten.
One of these long-forgotten groups seems to have seized the chaos as an opportunity to make a comeback.
“Hmph. If they’re one of the ancient knightly houses, they must have received some kind of artifact as a gift.”
Now, everything made sense, including the nature of this ruin.
How could relics from the ancient Wizard King still remain? Those who followed the Wizard King weren’t just mages. There were also numerous knights who pledged allegiance to his overwhelming power.
There were those who swore loyalty out of admiration for the Wizard King’s dominance, and others who surrendered in name but submitted in reality.
Regardless of whether they were loyal or traitorous, the Wizard King bestowed tokens of allegiance. To some, it was a badge of honor; to others, a humiliation.
This ruin…
“It must have been a castle or manor granted by the Wizard King. The signal passed down to the Ten Towers was a magical beacon. A trap prepared by the ancient knightly house.”
That they still had the means to do this was surprising. It was believed that all knightly families had fallen with the times. Had they retreated underground like superstitious followers?
Daro traced the history of the magical society. The number of knightly families that disappeared as magic rose was vast. If their decline was actually a disguise for joining underground organizations…
“Quite a formidable force they’ve built. They could probably overwhelm a Proper Tower.”
The reason they disguised their actions as Argeyirion’s doing to lure out the Ten Towers was simple. This was a particularly chaotic period dominated by the unprecedented order of the Ten Towers.
If an elder of the Ten Towers were killed in such circumstances, the standing of the tower they belonged to would suffer a significant blow.
“There’s no guarantee this intrigue will stop here. They’ll likely continue their schemes.”
The fate awaiting the fallen Ten Towers was obvious—a succession war.
The remnants of the knightly families probably intended to manipulate a magic tower aspiring to become the new Ten Towers from behind the scenes.
Perhaps the sequence was reversed. Maybe a certain magic tower seeking a succession war contacted the remnants of the knights, offering to reintegrate them into mainstream society in exchange for their assistance.
However, their plan unraveled when the real Argeyirion appeared. Attempting to pass themselves off as reinforcements from Argeyirion to assassinate a Ten Towers mage ended in failure.
Having concluded his deductions, Daro shook his head.
“The blades prepared by these anachronistic leftovers are quite clumsy. It was entertaining, though.”
Setting traps while wielding swords—what a pitiful downfall for those who supposedly uphold chivalry.
“Body trained to perfection with martial spirit. Whatever you’ve become, taking you along should prove useful. Your memories might be valuable too.”
Magic gathered in Daro’s hands, preparing to perform alchemy upon Ortes’ rushing body. While someone trained in martial spirit might offer some resistance, Daro pouring his own mana would change the story.
“Limbs aside from the brain and organs will be dealt with here.”
Defensive magic unfolded in layers. At its core was an anti-martial spirit field designed to block assassination-specialized drones.
A magic that reacted to martial spirit by drastically increasing the magical density within the field, rendering attacks ineffective. Similar to how movement is impeded in water denser than air, this space hindered the movement of anything imbued with martial spirit.
Ortes’ blade pierced the anti-martial spirit field effortlessly, splitting Daro’s head in two.
