Chapter 23 - Imagery Release

The fallen lightning engulfed the forest. The falling raindrops carried the lightning, electrifying everything and forming a kind of lightning zone. It was a land of widespread slaughter where no one could survive, disintegrating everything down to the cellular level.

Ellen, who had moved to safety with Elena, let out a hollow laugh at the sight.

"...This is ridiculous."

Ellen had participated in many labyrinth explorations and magic beast subjugation wars at the family level. Thanks to this, she had seen more mages than other nobles. But it was her first time seeing high-level magic.

To begin with, mages were much fewer in number than warriors. Among them, most mages who could use high-level magic were either cooped up in Wyheim or working for some organization. Among wandering mages who worked for pay, those who could use high-level magic were few enough to count on one hand. That was why Ellen had only seen descriptions of high-level magic in books.

A lethal magic that could annihilate an army with a single gesture and change the terrain according to the mage's will. Ellen felt an indescribable exhilaration at the power of high-level magic, exactly as she had read about in books.

Even Fernan couldn't be unscathed if hit directly by that level of magic. She forcibly raised her trembling arm, feeling the electric currents mixed in the air. Elena, who had recovered from all her injuries, also raised her blood energy and narrowed her eyes.

"The smell of blood has intensified. But... we're not in a situation to be complacent yet."

It was as Elena said. Ellen nodded and stared in the direction where the lightning had fallen. Acel, staggering to stand, and Fernan, bleeding all over his body, were facing each other and raising their fighting spirit.

The amount of blood flowing from Fernan's body was large, but the depth of the wounds wasn't too severe. It was at a level that could be cleanly healed by drinking just one recovery potion. But Fernan didn't take out the potion from his chest. It had already been shattered by the lightning anyway. It would be useless to drink it.

"Phew..."

As he exhaled, the remaining lightning-natured magical power in his body slashed through his oral cavity. His tongue and palate were torn, and Fernan spoke with a grin, "Lady Ena has raised her disciple well. To have grown enough to damage a Master's body at that age. The elders of the Magic Tower would drool if they saw this."

"Thank you for the praise."

"Is this a situation to respond? You seem to be experiencing magical power depletion, finish it quickly."

Fernan's words were right. Acel forcibly held onto his increasingly blurring vision and grimaced at the pain felt near his heart.

Lightning-type high-level magic [Lightning Strike]. It was the most intuitive, destructive, and revisable spell formula, but the amount of magical power consumed was also enormous. Although not beyond what Acel could handle, he had to sacrifice 50% of the magical power in his core just to manifest the spell formula.

He had overlapped and inserted such magic, and continued to manifest other magic while drawing the spell formula. As a result, he was able to activate magic with power not yet permitted to him, but the price also came back faithfully. If there hadn't been dark clouds in the sky, it wouldn't have ended with just magical power depletion.

The rate at which magical power is filling up is sufficient. But I can't afford to be leisurely.

A completely emptied core. Magical power was slowly entering it, but not enough to continue combat. In this state, he could only use magic three times.

Fortunately, there was a countermeasure. Acel opened his palm and summoned a small lightning aggregate above it.

[Lightning Child]

A lightning aggregate that judged and moved on its own rose according to the initial command Acel inputted.

The aggregate glowing with a dark blue light orbits around Acel. He manifested the next magic while looking at Fernan, who was leisurely waiting for him.

[Lightning Absorption]

Lightning from the air gathered above Acel's hand. Even the ownerless mana floating around was helplessly absorbed into the lightning he had created. The lightning that had grown so large instantly seeped into the area near his heart, filling the magical core with lightning-natured magical power.

While Acel's magical power was originally flexible enough to use any type of magic, his current magical power was composed solely of destructive and violent lightning. As a result, the magic he could use was limited to lightning magic, but such a restriction had no effect.

From when he first used lightning magic until now, the magic Acel was most confident in and handled best had always been the same.

He smiled as he released the lightning that was overflowing outside. Fernan smiled back. The next moment, they both simultaneously released magic and sword energy towards each other.

Boom!!

A roar erupted as blue light and gray light collided in mid-air. The aggregate orbiting around Acel dove into that gap. The aggregate that instantly reached in front of Fernan glowed and scattered lightning around.

"Ha, I didn't notice when Lady Ena used it, but seeing it now, it's an extremely annoying magic."

Fernan avoided the lightning shot by the aggregate with strange movements and slashed the magic with his sword. Beyond the disappearing aggregate. Two blood-red wolves were seen running with their jaws wide open.

[Blood Flow Shaping]

[Blood Wolf Fighting Destruction]

The wolves each leap, aiming for Fernan's head and legs. Fernan cut both wolves with a single sword stroke, then deflected the battle axe flying from the side. His figure was pushed back by the axe imbued with plenty of aura. Ellen, who had approached as if sliding, swung her fist.

Swish!

A fist extending rapidly, cutting through the air. Fernan lightly twisted his body to avoid that attack. Then, as he cut down the blood spear thrown by Elena with his sword, he swung his leg to kick Ellen's body.

[Spiral Shock]

Lightning poured out in a spiral form directly hits Fernan's leg. His muscles contract momentarily, and Ellen dove into that gap. She rotated her body and kicked Fernan's temple with her toes. Fernan's body fell sideways as it was.

An obviously exposed opening. Instead of advancing further, Ellen retrieved the axe she had thrown and approached Acel's side. Elena, who had been riding on a blood-red wolf, also took her place beside him. Acel handed one potion from his backpack to Ellen while looking at Fernan, who was shaking off the mud stuck in his hair.

"Drink this. It's a strength enhancement potion."

Ellen drank the potion without hesitation and casually threw away the empty bottle. She felt her instantly increased strength and looked at Acel, rolling only her eyes.

"What's the plan?"

"Are you asking for my opinion?"

"In cases like this, the answer given by the mage is usually correct."

"...Hmm."

Instead of answering, Acel narrowed his eyes while drinking a magical power amplification potion.

"I don't have a detailed plan. Ellen, you just need to block Fernan's attacks as much as possible while creating angles that make it easy for Elena to attack. I'll adjust the situation from behind with fire support."

"Can you do it?"

Acel nodded. He shattered the empty bottle with lightning and patted the backs of the two once.

That was the signal. Ellen and Elena simultaneously rushed towards Fernan. Acel drew up his magical power while exhaling deeply from behind.

Magical power spread rapidly, repeating contraction and relaxation. Electric currents mixed in his exhaled breath. The air was electrified with each movement. A lightning zone forms centered on Acel.

Crack!

The sound of lightning striking was heard in Acel's brain.

He chanted magic.

[Lightning Mist]

Crackle!!

Lightning unraveled like mist raced through and dominated the space. An area-of-effect magic impossible to cut down individually. The magic that advanced precisely avoiding Ellen and Elena struck Fernan from above. Fernan grinned and overlaid aura on his sword.

Sword aura, used for the first time in this battle. Ashen energy covered his blade, and Fernan swiftly swung his sword towards the sky.

With just that, the magic was physically dismantled. Acel circulated all the backlash from the forced dismantling of the magic to manifest new magic.

[Great Lightning Running Kill]

Crack.

A small lightning bolt flashed in front of Acel's eyes. It resonated and combined with the lightning in the dark clouds, becoming a streak of lightning as thick as a house. Ellen and Elena momentarily hardened their faces at that overwhelming pressure, and Fernan laughed loudly as he brushed up his wet hair.

"Haha! Disciple of Genesis! Just how far have you reached!"

"I don't know. But as I said before."

Acel smiled slightly and shot the lightning streak forward.

"I do it because I can."

Boom!!

The lightning that advanced with a huge roar charged forward with massive amounts of mass and energy as if to annihilate everything in its path. Fernan condensed aura to the extreme on his blade and brought his sword down from above.

Clink!

At that moment, just before the sword could split the lightning. The huge lightning disappeared and a blue straight line flew from beyond it.

[Lightning Line]

Magic that compressed lightning into a line form wrapped around Fernan's wrist and electrocuted him. As the output increased, the line glowed and burned Fernan's skin. Originally, it would have enough power to sever a hand, but a Master's body did not allow such loss.

It didn't matter. A moment of stiffness was enough.

Crackle!

The lightning burst through the rainwater soaking Fernan and traveled up, contracting all the muscles in his body. Elena and Ellen dove into that momentary gap. Ellen swung her axe widely horizontally, and Elena formed hand seals with her eyes dyed bright red.

[Blood Flow Acceleration]

[Red Blood Eyes]

An ability that could arbitrarily assign the part that could cause the most bleeding in the opponent bloomed.

[Blood Flow Shaping]

[Blood Lake Craving Life]

A pool made of blood forms under Fernan's feet.

Splash!

A long red arm shot out from the pool and grabs Fernan's face. In that state, the hand opened and a pointed tongue inside shot out, aiming for his shoulder blade.

"The coordination is smooth."

His voice was heard from the face covered by the red hand.

"But still amateurish."

The moment he uttered this, powerful fighting spirit surged from Fernan's entire body.

With just that, Ellen's axe was pushed back. Elena's ability was forcibly dismantled. A huge wind pressure violently pushed the two away.

"Ugh!"

"Gah!"

The two who rolled on the ground and crashed into trees exhale rough breaths. But Fernan didn't give them any attention. Instead, he stared at Acel and gripped his sword in reverse.

"Do you know what Masters and Archmages have in common?"

"..."

"It's that they can release the imagery they hold into reality. They implement the world they possess in reality and challenge reality with their own tiny world."

He continued speaking while recognizing the three pairs of eyes glaring at him.

"I'll show you."

Fernan grinned and thrust the sword he was holding in reverse into the ground. 

He stepped on the pommel of the stuck sword and muttered…

"Imagery Release."

Boom!

An invisible energy swept through and advanced across the entire forest.

Along with it, a gray moon rose in the sky.

Pale moonlight illuminated the ground. Just looking at it gave the illusion of being slashed all over the body. Breath was automatically choked, and the head screamed to leave this place immediately. But the body didn't move.

Overwhelming.

Body and mind were overwhelmed by the moonlight. The brain couldn't issue proper commands, and the mind wavered as if it might scatter at any moment. The imagery of one who reached the position of Master with just a sword was so oppressive, horrific, and also beautiful.

"Come."

Fernan stretched his hand into the air. A pale sword blade floated above his grasp. He smiled while pointing the tip of the sword at Acel.

"I'll end the test with this one strike."

"..."

"Endure it."

Fernan gripped the sword with both hands and pulled it to his side. At that sight, Ellen held out her axe as if to protect Acel, and Elena formed a curtain of blood. Acel gritted his teeth and chanted the strongest magic he could currently deploy.

He drew all the magical power from his core to form a magic circle.

He melted imagery into the blade.

Magic circles floating behind Acel resonate with each other and rotated.

The moon rising behind Fernan was contained in the blade.

He stretched out his hand.

He swung the sword.

[Natural Resonance]

[Spell Formula Expansion]

[Magical Power Amplification]

[Spell Formula Overlap]

[Lightning Pillar Falling Earth]

[Fading Moon]

A pillar of lightning fell from the sky as if to split the earth.

The swung crescent moon advances as if to cut everything.

Thus, lightning and moon collide.

Boom!!

The world flickered.