The Battle of Mages

Casting teleportation in this state would only result in having her arm torn off first.

"Ughhh...!"

Etella yanked her captured arm with all her strength.

The shadow's grip was as tenacious as rubber, but her sheer physical strength was not to be underestimated.

With a forceful pull, the middle section of the shadow made a sickening sound as it tore apart.

'Is she trained in martial arts as well? A tough one, indeed.'

Akan's lips curled into a smirk.

"If that's your preference, I'll oblige."

A sudden surge of killing intent made Etella snap her head to the side. From the darkness in the air, a shadow shot out at incredible speed, striking her jaw in a brutal uppercut before retreating.

"Kuh!"

Even as she staggered, her keen eyes analyzed the afterimage lingering in her retina.

'A fist?'

In the next instant, dozens of shadowy fists rained down upon her.

Unable to evade the relentless barrage, Etella curled her body to the extreme, shielding her vitals with both arms.

The impact resounded like a drum being struck repeatedly, yet her legs remained steadfast, unmoving.

'Hmph, she's still standing?'

Ordinarily, her bones should have shattered. But the determination in her eyes, visible through the cracks in her guard, remained sharp.

"I'll give you credit for endurance, but..."

There was no way she could have taken such blows unscathed.

Shadows extending from all directions ensnared her limbs, pulling them apart. As her large glasses cracked and blood trickled from her lips, her restrained face was fully revealed.

"Let's put an end to this."

Akan cast Poison Cutter. Razor-sharp wind, infused with venom, swirled as it formed a lethal blade. This was a triple-layered spell, combining the power of darkness with poison in the atmosphere.

With a mere flick of Akan's wrist, a gust powerful enough to cleave a person in half shot forward like a throwing star.

Etella's eyes widened as she watched, defenseless.

A spell of certain death.

Her chest expanded as she drew in a deep breath, then unleashed all her power into a deafening roar.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

The sonic boom ripped through the thicket, shattering the ominous force like smoke dissipating in the wind.

'This is...!'

It was the monk's technique—the Roar of Dharma.

Karsis Yung, the founder of the Karsis Monastic Order, once said that enlightenment arrives with an earth-shaking sound.

The Roar of Dharma generated a sacred resonance that shattered malevolent phenomena, much like how a guilty soul would flinch at the sound of thunder.

"Tch!"

As the reverberation swept past him, Akan grimaced.

His skin tingled, his hair stood on end.

This wasn't magic—it was mastery. In his 130 years of life, he had encountered the Roar of Dharma only a handful of times. Yet, this woman in her mid-twenties wielded it with precision.

'Kuhaha, this is why I can't leave."

The strongest talents refine a single ability to its utmost, proving their might.

How exhilarating.

Some would die, others would survive.

Through countless cycles of destruction and rebirth, magic would continue to evolve.

'Such is the way of things, isn't it?'

Akan recast Poison Cutter, and Etella, sensing the imminent danger, tensed her muscles.

Breaking free from the dark bindings restraining her limbs, she simultaneously activated teleportation. The poisonous wind sliced through the afterimage she left behind.

Akan whistled.

"Whew."

The stronger a warrior, the greater the humiliation of retreat. However, the ability to withdraw without hesitation was also an essential trait in battle.

Surveying the spot where Etella had stood, he noticed traces of blood.

If the poison had seeped in, she wouldn't get far.

"That lady's in for some suffering."

For the first time in forty years, Akan felt thrilled.

Jonah's Spirit Zone, the power to break the dark bindings, the monk's supreme mastery—he had encountered a genius who embodied all three.

'A 6th-class mage, was she?'

Had she not been bound by her role as a teacher or seeker, she would undoubtedly hold a higher rank.

With that thought, Akan pondered how she had ended up under Alpheas's wing.

"That brat is being revered?"

Akan's gaze darkened with sorrow.

"Aren't you ashamed, Alpheas? That someone far superior to you holds you in respect?"

As he set out to track down Etella, the trees bent by dark magic slowly straightened.

Sunlight once again pierced through the forest canopy.

'Damn it! Where is he?'

Saad was growing increasingly anxious.

Alpheas was nowhere to be found in the quarters where he was expected. He also hadn't been captured, leaving only one possibility.

"Master!"

He burst into the principal's office.

Alpheas wasn't there. But Saad refused to give up and began scanning the bookshelf.

He had known for a long time that Alpheas had a personal space here.

'There must be a mechanism somewhere.'

His keen eyes quickly locked onto a particular book.

Among the rows of dry, scholarly tomes, one title stood out—Gazing into the Darkness.

Knowing his master's past, Saad felt an inexplicable pull and reached for it.

As he tugged at the book's upper edge, a heavy mechanism rumbled, and the bookshelf parted to reveal a hidden passageway.

A tunnel stretched beyond, leading downward.

As the bookshelf slid shut behind him, Saad descended the stairs.

At the end, he pushed open an iron door, revealing a small chamber lit by crystal lamps. The shelves were filled with aged relics, resembling an antique store more than a secret hideaway.

What caught Saad's attention, however, was the portrait of a woman hanging on the wall.

She wasn't overwhelmingly beautiful, but she had a peculiar charm, just as Alpheas had once described.

'Could it be that gaze...'

"Who's there?"

Saad flinched and turned.

In the corner, Alpheas sat slumped in a chair, his hands gripping his knees. His face, twisted with fury and confusion, was nothing like the man he had known.

"Master! You're safe after all!"

"You... You seem to know me."

Realizing the situation immediately, Saad stopped in his tracks.

"You've lost your memories."

Just like the other teachers, Alpheas had clearly fallen victim to Akan's magic.

Yet, being a certified 4th-class mage, he must have taken precautions before his memories were completely erased and managed to escape.

Hearing Saad's words, Alpheas approached a bronze mirror and examined his reflection.

"Hmph. So I've lost my memories? For a moment, I thought I'd suddenly been thrown into the future. Either way, how irritating it is to see an eighteen-year-old genius turned into an old man."

'Eighteen...?'

Saad bit his lip.

If he thought he was eighteen, then that meant forty-five years of memories had been wiped.

If Alpheas weren't such a rational man, he might have gone mad.

"I see. So, I've lost my memories. Well, that's a relief. At least I haven't had my entire life stolen. Now, tell me—where am I, and what happened to me?"

Saad hesitated.

Should he really restore his master's memories? Or would it be better to let him remain free from his past...?