Ch.59Cutting Through the Darkness (3)

Whoosh-

Rain falls. The forest becomes drenched in an untimely spring shower, and the forest, where a single point of light had struggled to penetrate, is now shrouded in darkness, creating a gloomy atmosphere.

Damp, dark, and drizzling.

As a streak of light emerges from the shadow-covered, eerie forest, a man pokes his head out from a cave in one corner of the forest and slowly begins to look around.

“…It doesn’t seem like the rain will stop anytime soon.”

“This is why you can’t trust magicians. They said today would be sunny, but who could have known it would pour like this?”

Jake, furrowing his thick eyebrows in apparent displeasure, began to grumble. Kicking at an innocent stone… all they could do was stand at the cave entrance where the rain couldn’t reach and stare at the darkened sky.

Shiver. As moisture mixed with the cool breeze, his body trembled involuntarily. Wondering if he might catch a cold, Jake took out a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

“Got a light?”

“Use magic.”

“Tsk, that’s a bit troublesome.”

Click, click.

But the matches he had were long since dampened by moisture, so Jake reluctantly drew a magic circle in the air. While their master could easily create such flames, they, who had just shed their apprentice status, found it quite inconvenient to have to draw magic circles for everything.

Whoosh-

As a dark-colored flame finally appeared in the air, Jake brought his cigarette to it and smiled with satisfaction.

A flame that wouldn’t be extinguished by rain—wasn’t magic quite convenient? His thoughts about magic soon led to a recent plan, and Jake muttered aloud a thought that suddenly occurred to him.

“Come to think of it, Master has been preparing something lately.”

“…Ah, you mean that?”

“What do you mean ‘that’? Jack, do you know what it is?”

Jack, who had been watching the smoke rising in the air, looked at Jake with a smirk, as if mocking him for not knowing yet. Jake’s face crumpled in response.

“Just tell me. Don’t make me angry.”

“It’s just a simple summoning operation. I heard they’re restoring a lost monster, and apparently the one they’re summoning this time is quite massive. The Empire might even officially recognize the Summoning School.”

“How massive could it be for such talk? The Summoning School has been ostracized for 300 years now.”

“I’ve only heard rumors, but they say it could sweep away this entire forest in one breath. It gives me chills every time I pass by Master’s room. Haven’t you felt it? That… mana emanating from Master’s room.”

Mana, huh? As Jake thought about the master’s room, he felt somewhat eerie. That black haze emanating from the room—could such a thing truly be called mana? Although he had learned it as the unique mana of the Summoning School, it was certainly unsettling.

Nevertheless, the thought that the Summoning School might be officially recognized made the corners of his mouth twitch. Soon they might no longer have to secretly learn magic in dark caves like this, but could proudly establish a school tower like other magicians.

“Hmm?”

As he was suppressing a smile that was leaking out, Jake raised his head at Jack’s voice.

“What is it?”

“No… isn’t that a person over there? Seems to be coming this way.”

A person in this forest out of nowhere?

As he turned his gaze at those words, he could indeed see a dark figure beginning to appear in the distance. Though the exact face couldn’t be seen due to the robe covering the body, the figure appeared quite large in build. As they huddled together at the sight of this suspicious figure, Jack raised his voice.

“Hey, you there! You can’t come in here! Only certified magicians are allowed entry!”

“It might not be coming this way.”

“What are you talking about? It’s clearly coming this way. Let me handle this. Master told us not to let anyone into the cave.”

Jake watched as Jack stepped forward alone, then found himself following Jack, driven by a surge of fear. It should just take a few words of conversation, yet why was such fear arising? Slowly shaking off these inexplicable thoughts, Jake stood behind Jack in front of the robed man and cautiously opened his mouth.

“Um, Master told us not to let anyone in. If you want to enter, identify yourself.”

“And by the way, I’ve never seen your face before. Who exactly are you?”

“……”

But as the man continued to maintain his silence, Jake realized that the inexplicable fear was growing. His trembling legs urged him to flee from this place immediately. As various thoughts tangled and his vision became blurry, Jake stepped back when his eyes met those of the robed man.

Green eyes that shone clearly even in the darkness. Eyes that seemed to see through his very being soon turned toward Jack, and then the man slowly began to remove the robe that covered his body.

And revealing brilliant golden hair, the face of the man who exuded an overwhelming presence despite his seemingly benign appearance. Yet why was there such pressure that made it difficult even to breathe?

Jack seemed to feel it too, as his voice trembled unlike before.

“Y-you. Who exactly are you? Identify yourself!”

“Identity, is it.”

As the calm voice echoed, the world began to be engulfed in brilliant flames. White flames rising from a human body. Sweeping away the shadows that had settled in the forest, the man who alone held a brilliant radiance in this darkness slowly opened his mouth.

“…I am a knight guardian.”

With a slashing sound that came from very close, Jake unconsciously clutched his chest. When had he been cut? Staring blankly at his hand covered in sticky blood, Jake let out a silent scream at the sharp pain that finally registered.

He couldn’t understand. How he had been cut without even noticing, how there was no hesitation in the eyes of the man who cut him, and how what he saw in those green eyes was nothing but restrained anger.

In his fading consciousness, the last emotion Jake felt was fear of the one who called himself a knight guardian.

#

-It seems there’s only one way to resolve this.

One single method—recalling Azest’s words, Evan stared at the fallen bodies around him. Faint but definitely perceptible, the magical power was undoubtedly the darkness possessed by black magicians.

Kill the one who cast the curse. The method he was told to break the curse was quite simple. Of course, he still questioned whether dealing with someone capable of such a curse could truly be considered simple.

‘At least it’s not a complicated method.’

To think there would be black magicians in a place like this… Evan looked at the distant cave and gave a bitter smile.

A forest just a few hours away from the Duke’s territory, a distance that a knight who could handle mana could reach in just tens of minutes—and yet black magicians existed here. Although those he had just cut down were too weak to be properly called black magicians…

‘Inside there.’

The shadows faintly leaking from inside the cave were undoubtedly evidence that more black magicians were present. Slowly withdrawing the flames rising from his body, Evan began to walk slowly toward the cave. He didn’t intend to spend much time here.

As quickly as possible—the longer the curse persisted, the worse the Duke’s condition would be when he awoke. His goal was to finish within a day at most.

…And Irene too.

Recalling Irene’s face, Evan slightly furrowed his brow. In the past, he might have at least told her not to go, but this time he had silently permitted her to come here, which left him feeling somewhat disappointed. Of course, it was probably because she trusted him, but he couldn’t help feeling that way.

Flutter-

A feather shining brightly in the darkness of the forest trembled in Evan’s hand. It was a kind of magic that indicated only the direction of black magic, not affected by the gusts from the pouring rain. A magic created by Azest Merwin—according to Azest, following the direction this feather pointed would lead to the source of the curse.

Carefully removing his rain-soaked hair from his forehead, he cautiously stepped toward the cave.

Splash. The moment he entered the cave, his senses reacted keenly, scanning the surroundings, but there was no significant response. At least, it was clear that there was nothing in the immediate vicinity.

He had to be the only one to come out of this place alive. Although it was somewhat uncomfortable to realize he no longer hesitated to kill someone, perhaps it was only natural when the targets were black magicians.

Three years—in that time, he had killed only 10 black magicians, but those black magicians had killed hundreds of people. Children, the elderly, women, ordinary people—he had seen with his own eyes how they were all sacrificed for the black magic these magicians performed.

Could anyone view black magicians favorably after seeing such things? Could any knight refrain from drawing their sword after seeing a black magician laughing maniacally atop a mountain of countless corpses in a village reduced to ashes?

At least he couldn’t. Hatred, anger—emotions he wouldn’t normally harbor were ones he could only feel when thinking about black magicians. His green eyes flickered, and those eyes, filled with suppressed anger, began to slowly scan the surroundings. From his multiple encounters with black magicians, he had learned that their magic differed fundamentally from conventional magic.

Unlike regular magicians, who could be considered straightforward, the magic of black magicians was slimy and more insidious in nature. Curses, traps, demons summoned through sacrifices—their curses, which ate away at and exhausted their opponents, were among the magics that even Masters had to be wary of.

“…Hmm.”

Evan let out a sigh as nothing happened despite having traversed quite a distance into the cave. A subtle sensation licked at his entire body. This situation was too quiet—with only the sound of his footsteps echoing, it felt awkwardly silent. One step, two steps. As Evan continued to walk, he suddenly twisted his body and pressed against the wall.

Crack-

“Ha…!”

A dark spear tip pierced through the cave floor and flashed. The spear, shrouded in hazy smoke, was clearly a form of black magic, and realizing this, Evan drew his sword. Whoosh- A pure white blade that appeared only when facing black magicians—as white flames enveloped Evan’s body, his figure became blurry.

‘Three.’

Though it was a fleeting moment, it was enough time to detect the black magicians around. The sword in his hand drew a clear line in the air.

Flames bloomed along that line, clearing away the smoke emitted from the spear, and simultaneously the positions of the black magicians began to become visible. He detected the mana connected to the spear. The reason he had deliberately fought blindfolded against the Crown Prince was to be able to fight smoothly even in situations where vision was excluded.

He sensed magical power. Though invisible, the subtle sensation brought by magical power made his body tingle. Whoosh, as he stomped the ground, cutting through the black flames that threatened to engulf the entire cave interior. Mana rose from his pounding heart, and simultaneously his leg muscles, swollen as if about to burst, propelled his body like a projectile.

Screech-

He slashed the cave wall. At the same time, the white flames began to devour the black flames that enveloped the cave wall. His mana dispelled darkness. In other words, his mana was the natural counter to this black magic.

Perhaps Azest Merwin’s mention of “the only one” referred to this mana of his. The flames enveloping his body were preventing the black flames from consuming Evan.

“This is impossible!”

A brief death cry. From the words uttered by the black magician, Evan sensed the instability in the opponent’s breathing. He was anxious. He was tense. In other words, he had no more means to deal with Evan.

The judgment was swift, and the flames enveloping the sword began to intensify. Fireballs filled with black flames poured down. He didn’t dodge. Twisting his body to spin once, the fireballs dissipated against the swung sword.

Slash, the black magician’s eyes widened as he saw the blood spurting from his own body. He hadn’t seen it. He clearly remembered the intruder being in his sight, but he couldn’t capture the moment of that strike that cut him.

However, he couldn’t fall so easily. His purple eyes filled with ominousness. The essence of black magic—a spell that could only be cast by burning one’s own life.

White spikes began to protrude through the cave walls. Evan’s movements were momentarily disrupted by these spikes. At this sudden attack, which he couldn’t even sense, Evan’s eyes narrowed. He knew from seeing it several times before—there was only one case when black magicians cast such magic.

‘A death spell.’

Did he think Evan would fall victim to it? Feeling the corners of his mouth twist, Evan slowly gripped his sword.

The other two black magicians were also approaching. The black magic contained in the bone spikes—if they grazed him even once, it would be he who would fall. Boom, as he stomped the ground, piles of dirt began to pour from the ceiling of the vibrating cave. Mana enveloped the surroundings, and soon a white radiance began to slowly devour the bone spikes.

Hiss-

The breath filling his lungs was cool. He closed his eyes. Multiple attacks weren’t necessary. What he needed now was just one attack to cut down that black magician. Flames that bloomed from his back like wings added to his speed. The mana rising from his heart swelled all the muscles in his body.

Like detonating hundreds of dynamites simultaneously, the explosively increased power made the air tremble.

Whoosh, like a flame. And like a gale. Evan’s body, which shot forward in one go, tore through the air as it advanced.

Crack, blood spurted from his hand that tightly gripped the sword. He wouldn’t let go. Since the pressure pressing on him was also black magic, he withstood it by layering the flames rising from his body.

He looked at the bone armor that enveloped the black magician’s body. Could he pierce it? Various thoughts crossed his mind, but in the end, he had no choice but to cut through that as well.

Crack-!

He avoided the poisonous bone spikes at the end. Twisting his body and turning his head. But the edge of his vision remained fixed on the black magician.

The black magician realized that he was unconsciously avoiding that gaze. He was afraid. Those green eyes looking at him were terrifyingly frightening!

His comrades were approaching, but from that distance, the only way they could help was by supporting with magic. He had to kill. But… could he?

He felt a chill at the base of his spine. He continued to shoot bone spikes, but Evan kept avoiding them. Breaking, cutting, and even using them as stepping stones to approach—it was enough to make his entire body tremble.

“Evan Fried-!”

The name of the knight who hunted black magicians was already famous among them. He had thought they would meet someday. But he hadn’t imagined it would be now. Blood flowed from between his clenched teeth. With the little magical power he had left, excluding the bone armor that enveloped him, he didn’t have many attacks left.

Whoosh, at the gesture that cut through the air, a massive bone protruded. It was a force powerful enough to crush the approaching intruder, but the sight of it being effortlessly cut made him laugh hollowly.

Whoosh, there had clearly been black flames he had shot, but somehow they had been devoured by those white flames, and most of the cave was now shining white. Was this how futile the magic he had pursued all his life was?

And Evan, looking at those empty eyes, swung his sword toward the bone armor.

Clang- It was a clear sound, as if it hadn’t hit bone at all. It was solid, and the impact transmitted back to him indicated how sturdy the armor was.

At this moment, the world began to appear slower. The extremely sensitive senses provided quite useful information. A glinting point, that small point rising from the bone armor was clearly the least sturdy part.

He struck down. It was fine even if it wasn’t in one go. If that didn’t work, then multiple times, until the armor broke and he could cut the black magician inside. Evan’s sword began to continuously draw lines in the air.

He drew a line. On that one point, a line so thin that an ordinary person couldn’t overlap it even twice, another line was drawn.

Crack, the sound of cutting through the bone armor began to change gradually. Even while avoiding the bone spikes and black magic that assailed him, Evan’s attacks continued to hit the same spot. A little, just a little more and it would reach. The flames that had now filled the cave enough to engulf it were concentrated in the sword. The final strike—that’s what Evan thought. And the black magician thought the same.

Chilling,

Even as cold sweat poured down, the black magician couldn’t say anything. He could only blankly stare at the flames descending upon him. It was as if his breath was caught by that overwhelming momentum. His lungs felt constricted. His dilated pupils were engulfed by light in the face of that overwhelming terror.

“Farewell.”

With a chilling sound that penetrated bone, the black magician’s form began to twist. The sword that had penetrated the collarbone began to cut through the black magician’s body. The heart was torn, and the darkness fully contained within scattered and dispersed around.

But Evan gritted his teeth. The reaction was not normal. The darkness scattered around was emitting an unstable energy.

A familiar reaction, clearly. Realizing it was a phenomenon that occurred when black magicians were about to trigger “something,” Evan hurriedly began to create distance.

Whoosh-

Like containing the moon, chains that alone sparkled in that clear darkness began to envelop the surroundings. Of course, they didn’t touch him. The flames enveloping Evan’s body acted like a protective barrier, preventing the chains from wrapping around his body. Such unstable energy, black magicians gradually trying to move away from this area.

Explosion.

Recalling that word, Evan ran forward, breaking through the chains. But the unstable energy burst out even faster. He raised his sword. And as he swung it around, white flames began to cut through those explosions. Just as he crouched to prepare to withstand the explosion as much as possible,

Boom-

The earth began to vibrate. A precursor, a precursor to an unimaginably massive explosion. But there was no way to escape right now, so all he could do was draw mana to envelop his body. Thud, dirt fell, and as Evan closed his eyes, he saw a white flash beyond his eyelids.

A flash massive enough to engulf the entire vicinity. It was a force that made his body tremble despite being wrapped in mana. A force solely for destruction—the gale was so strong that his teeth clenched involuntarily, even as he planted his feet firmly on the ground.

He endured, reapplying the mana that was being stripped away, withstanding the explosion for a while. As the explosion finally subsided, Evan slowly opened his eyes.

It was dark.

As that was his first impression, Evan drew his sword and slowly looked around. Slowly raising his crouched body, when he finally stood up completely in the darkness, Evan could finally understand what this darkness was. The remnants of black magic, that darkness like the haze rising from the Duke’s body.

Black mist.

In that darkness where not even a step ahead could be seen, there was a voice, and as he raised his head, only the direction of that voice became clear, revealing the figure of a person.

“Evan Fried, our public enemy. I thought we would meet someday, but you’re more impatient than I expected.”

“……”

It was a deep voice that made the air tremble. All that was visible were the golden hair and purple eyes that sparkled even in that darkness. Though the distance was too far to see the face, Evan felt that the black magician’s face was somehow familiar.

Thud.

“…It doesn’t reach.”

He had thrown a dagger discreetly, but the black mist surrounding the area blocked the dagger as if it were alive. With that confirmation, he realized that the black magician wasn’t alone in this area. Front, side, back. The presence of dozens of people surrounding this space that had been hollowed out by the explosion. To break through, he would have to kill all of them.

Or die himself.

With that thought, Evan let out a hollow laugh. It seemed he had been cornered.