Chapter 202: The Collapsing Castle
It is impossible to determine how much power Count Jayvir wielded during his prime. It must have been at least ten to twenty years before the war.
Magic has limitations in its ability to slow body aging, and the reasons for this are several. There can be a variety of causes, including a reduction in mental strength, physical ailments, and so on.
Magic, once gathered in the body, circulates through it like blood until anything unexpected occurs. The amount and quality of magic power fluctuate according to post-birth efforts, although it is evident that talent has limits. Jayvir may have possessed exceptional physical talent, but his magical ability did not.
That is why Jayvir sought alternative measures. A combination of elixirs and drugs, the slow alteration of magic users’ brains and bodies, and even the high quality of magic power caused by forced mental exaltation soon before death. Jayvir obtained results through a series of ambitious experiments, including the crimson liquid.
According to legend, if you do not ignore physical and mental training, you can absorb a great deal of magical power and entirely transform yourself into a new body based on it.
It’s like a snake shedding its skin and growing a new, stronger body.
The reason it is considered a legend is obvious. Nobody has ever seen such a person, and no one has ever claimed to have become one.
Count Jayvir, on the other hand, believed he could now make that claim. His physique was full of power, and he was confident in it.
Count Jayvir’s left foot, brimming with madness, crashed into the earth. A fan-shaped shock wave exploded, sweeping over Russell.
Russell answered by raising his axe as the magic power that had entered the ground took on a weird shape and fused with the earth, releasing a unique strike.
The shock wave broke in two in front of the axe blade, which was held erect. Jayvir, obviously not expecting Russell to fall in a single stroke, charged in with his spear in both hands.
“Dodge this━!”
Screech!
Russell received a crisp blow with no frills. The magic force on the spear blade burst like a blue flame, closing the gap between Russell’s torso and the spearhead.
Russell also swung his axe, channeling the magical power he had summoned into it. A powerful spin of pure white frigid air and blue energy clung to the axe.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The thunderous roar and aftermath of the collision of the two superhumans’ magical powers surged over the surroundings.
“Euaaaack!”
“Ack!”
Screams and the sound of blood dripping filled the large hall. The two superhumans’ onslaught was enough to blow away the soldiers fighting in the hall, leaving only the aftermath.
Jayvir, with a smile on his face, appeared to be intoxicated by the constantly building power, revealing many gaps between his motions and movements.
However, even exploiting those openings and vulnerabilities seemed to yield little in terms of inflicting actual damage.
Whether his armor had grown to meet his increased physique, it was larger than before, and the spear shaft was longer. The axe blade was so huge that it reminded you of a guillotine.
Jayvir’s continuous fights with Russell served as evidence of his superb spearmanship decades ago.
Thunderous roars rang out dozens of times, reverberating all around. Every time Russell’s greatsword and axe collided with the axe spear, which was moving at a fast speed, a circular shock wave occurred.
In a second, the spearhead and axe blade slashed dozens of times, and the hot air flying between them warmed the environment, attempting to burn Russell.
In contrast, the ice and lightning released by the axe restrained the increasing heat, pinning it to the floor and hardening Jayvir’s body.
The constantly shifting trajectory of the spear blade and the swing of the axe. Jayvir’s spear blade, which clashed with all of the axes while fighting Russell’s massive size and strength, remained unwavering. Russell’s right hand extended in front of Jayvir just before the spear blade and axe collided.
A spiral of electricity began at the shoulder, wrapped around the forearm and elbow, and detonated at the tip of the fist. Dozens of electric currents pierced Jayvir’s flesh, electrocuting him.
“Geu, geu, geu!”
His muscles all throughout his body tightened, and his jaws clinched, resulting in a searing groan. Russell swung his axe at Jayvir, who was unable to control himself due to the electric shock.
Jayvir’s eyes widened as he watched the axe fall to the top of his head, and the red light dancing in his pupils confirmed his madness.
Thump!
The sound of teeth snapping. Jayvir flew backwards by using magic to force his inert muscles to move. He just missed the falling axe. The axe blade cut his nose and tore his columella as it trickled down his forehead.
A violent sound resonated through his body like thunder, and his leg muscles appeared to burst from the forceful movement, but it ultimately proved to be the right choice, saving his life.
“You bastard……!”
Jayvir’s visage was deformed like a devil, and he screamed insults in an unusual pronunciation due to his ripped lips and fractured jaw. His magic force glowed brightly, as if to express his emotions.
Jayvir’s left knee rose to his chest before crashing into the ground.
The shock shook everything in a 100-meter radius. Stones bounced, and the air exploded with a roar. The soldiers standing on the floor shuddered as they heard the sound.
“Aaaaaagh!”
“Keuheuk!”
Those who fell face down with blood streaming from their eyes, nose, and mouth, as well as warriors whose armor had disintegrated and whose internal organs had been harmed, yelled.
“Ack!”
“Sister!”
Weizen raced in to defend Scilio when she collapsed with a stone shard stuck in her shin and thigh. The stone chunks shattered when he swung his sword violently.
Calia, who had erected a protective barrier over the bloodstained ground, and Lexi, who had retreated to her side, staggered, clutching her ears. She had pale complexions with blood streaming from the inside of her ears.
A small trickle of blood emerged on Lexi’s lips as she coughed up blood. Calia, who had noticed Lexi’s injury, offered her assistance.
“Ugh, you……?”
“Your eardrum is damaged, dark elf. Step back.”
Asharin and Aellasis form a protective barrier to counteract the shock wave. The barrier centered around her remained unbroken, undisturbed by the shockwave.
The soldiers whose lives she rescued stared at her, perplexed. Asharin narrowed her gaze at them. Her pupils grew in size and were reptilian in an instant.
“Don’t stand there stupidly and run away. That’s not your master. It’s a monster that has abandoned his humanity. Run away.”
A whitish veil-like object came into the troops’ sight after hearing Asharin’s remarks and then vanished. The troops, with signs of having understood something, dropped their swords and shields to encourage their colleagues.
Less than half of the soldiers who made it out alive survived. The rest had all died and collapsed.
Russell’s gaze shifted to the floor. The blood of the troops slaughtered by the shock wave Jayvir unleashed was everywhere. And when Jayvir took a stride, the blood and flesh around him rushed towards him. The gathered blood and flesh vanished as soon as it reached Jayvir’s location.
━Calia.
━I understand. I’m currently utilizing my domain to its maximum.
Calia responded as soon as she heard Russell’s comments. She had already sensed Russell’s purpose to obstruct the flow of blood into Jayvir and had established her control over the blood.
Nonetheless, inside a three-meter radius of Jayvir, blood poured and disappeared.
Russell, with an axe in his left hand, opened his mouth.
“How much power do you need to be satisfied? Your current objective isn’t to reach the heart of the Empire, is it?”
“Of course not! What I want is a fight! Fight endlessly, dig into each other’s hearts, and drink blood! That’s what I want now!”
Jayvir spoke in a voice that filled the auditorium and vibrated. Under the expression of a lengthy smile, his face, which had become considerably younger after drinking the crimson liquid, and his unmistakable craziness were visible.
At the same instant, crimson energy and magical power poured from his entire body, turning the surroundings red.
“Keuk, keuheu……!”
Jayvir, who had been breathing deeply and filling the surroundings with a red aura, spoke in a softer tone than usual.
“A goal that is impossible to reach despite working hard all my life gives hope and despair at the same time. The hope that you might be able to reach it someday and the doubt that you won’t be able to reach it anyway. Aging, which cannot be delayed by magic power alone, erodes determination too quickly.”
Woooooooo…..
A weeping sound was heard. It is a shriek. Evil spirits began to swirl around Count Jayvir, and the souls of the recently deceased troops were led.
“If I can achieve what I want by escaping from being human, I’ll do it. Just a little more, if I can do it well.”
“Even at the cost of your soldiers and the people of this city?”
Count Jayvir stared at Russell. His crimson eyes met Russell’s purple eyes, sparking a fiery clash in the air. To be more specific, a spark was formed when Russell’s magical power and momentum connected with Jayvir’s magic power.
“Humans are capable of such things. Morality and social norms are ultimately rules established by humans.”
There’s no point in debating right and wrong. It’s more meaningful to consider what is possible and what is impossible.
Beggars and rich men have different desires, as do visually impaired people and cripples. It is not weird at all.
It is not unusual for an elderly man who has lost the strength to hold a spear or the ability to regulate his body to relive his youth and rediscover his passion for a goal he once thought he would never be able to attain. It is not surprising that hundreds of thousands of lives will be lost in the process.
“But it’s my right to say that it’s futile. Your nonsense will achieve nothing. Because I’m in front of you.”
There were no additional questions or answers.
“Aaaaah-!”
Count Jayvir swings his axe spear. Russell approached him with an axe. With a loud bang, a circular shock wave erupted, and a burst of light appeared.
The marble on the floor, centered on the two persons, shattered and fell outward, scattering into gravel. The entire inner castle, including the hall, trembled. The pillars supporting the roof cracked with a thud, eliciting an eerie scream as ancient dust fell from the ceiling.
Zzazazazak!
Russell’s left arm generated an electric charge that permeated the axe, resulting in a lightning bolt with frigid air. When he swung the axe horizontally across the emptiness, a crescent-shaped, chilly lightning bolt flew.
Kwaang!
Count Jayvir, who had broken the cold lightning bolt with his axe spear in one blow, increased his red magical power. A tidal flood of magical power washed over Russell as the axe blade became red and flared fiercely.
Russell drew the greatsword he held in his right hand from bottom to top on the wave of magic power, which was a surface rather than a line. The tidal surge of magical power broke apart, and Russell jumped in, planting his legs on the floor and twisting his waist with all his might. His arms moved in a broad circle around his waist.
Kwaaaaang!
Count Jayvir, who grasped the spear shaft in both hands, withstood the attack. However, he was unable to entirely offset the shock and was brutally pushed back. His legs were caught in the solid marble, which was crushed like clay.
Despite possessing a body that appeared to have been changed into some sort of substance and an enormous burst of magical power, he was unable to achieve complete dominance. That fact made Jayvir cringe.
“Even after living for 60 years, it is only now that a warrior like you stands before me. That, too, was the perfect moment for my wish to be fulfilled. Is this a trick of fate?”
Count Jayvir pulled out his leg, which was jammed in the floor, with a desperate smile. And he increased his magical strength.
Hwarrruurruur!
As if it were a flame, blazing crimson magic power erupted from his entire body.
“I don’t know where you acquired such a high level of martial arts, but it must be from the north. I can feel the cold energy of the north in your sword. Not a change in the nature of magic power such as cold or cold, but a cold murderous intent that thoroughly kills the opponent.”
Count Jayvir looked at Russell with a grim gaze.
“Getting revenge for the Zahard estate is one thing, but that face and those eyes are too. The child of the Duke’s family that I heard about long ago comes to mind.”
Russell did not respond. Count Jayvir raised his spear straight, knowing that mixing words was becoming increasingly impossible.
Again, there were two blue and red flashes. All that resonated was the lingering echo of the magical power that had passed by. The majestic hall slowly fell, twisted, burst, and was destroyed.
Warrruurruung!
In an instant, the pillars shattered one after another and collapsed. As the pillars that had uniformly distributed the massive strain failed, the ceiling began to break.
Russell was in full flower in the midst of the huge cacophony.
━Calia, Aella. Go outside. This place is about to collapse.
Calia didn’t question it twice, but Aella’s expression was one of dissatisfaction. She wanted to voice her displeasure at leaving Russell behind in the collapsing building, but the falling ceiling fragments were faster.
Russell, with his full power unleashed, now focused on the front. Five strikes were hurtling towards him, each infused with an unusual wave of magical energy.
The strikes, which were centered on the concept of ‘Benda’, involved cutting the surrounding space just by flying around. The cutting separated even the smallest mana particles.
It indicated that Jayvir’s forcibly awakened will was so precisely concentrated. Russell’s eyes sparked just before the suffering was about to tear apart his body.
Russell’s new form moved, leaving a long afterglow from the brightly glowing eyes. Jayvir expressed surprise as he saw the afterimage persist in his field of view, as if it had been stretched out for a long time.
“Nonsense……!”
Within countless fractions of a second, even more finely divided than a single second, Russell swung his axe, freezing the strikes. The strikes, frozen in mid-air, were suspended.
Seeing Russell walking towards him like a ghost, evading the strikes, Jayvir raised his spear with one hand. Magic swirled around the spear shaft, and the blade flashed red.
At the same time, Jayvir launched the spear, and Russell raised his empty hand to grasp the vacuum.
As the spear shaft exited his hands, something flew into Jayvir’s back.
Getting stabbed in the chest and having the weapon emerge through your back isn’t something you experience easily. Jayvir felt a familiar sensation, an experience that should be enough for a lifetime, once in a lifetime, with his hands.
Blood poured as a new wound developed on the smoothed skin. His eyes clouded, and his body grew heavier. At the same time, his stomach grew hot, and he felt something trying to get through his throat. It felt slightly different from sour gastric juice.
Jayvir’s knees gradually buckled, and his head attempted to bow. The pommel of the sword handle jutting from his back radiated a fiery light.
Jayvir compressed his remaining strength and raised his head. It was to find out what happened to the spear he had hurled.
The spear was securely stuck in the nothingness. Blood dripped down. Russell, holding the spear blade in front of his nose with his right hand, lowered it.
“It was sharp.”
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