Chapter 211: Magical Backflow—Spell Reversal
Boom!!!
In the dead of night in the royal capital, at the hour when the nightlife of the flower district was at its liveliest, a building crumbled into ruins.
The tremendous noise it produced nearly startled the entire capital awake.
There was no warning, no explanation given. The only thing known was that amidst the billowing dust, a figure stood tall upon the rubble.
A fluffy beast tail wagged joyfully.
"Eek...… Who are you! Wh-what did we do?!"
The few survivors beneath the rubble trembled in fear as they looked at the demonic, ghost-like figure.
An overwhelming crimson killing intent enveloped them.
"Hehe, no need for useless talk, 'ttebayo!"
With a strange verbal tic, the figure vanished from the rubble in an instant, and simultaneously, one of the people below was cleaved in half from left to right.
Split open from the crown of the head down to the crotch by a single slash, the body instantly fell apart to either side.
The gushing blood turned into a rain of crimson, and the dark figure bathed within it.
Although her face was almost entirely concealed by a black mask, a ferocious smile still seemed to seep out from behind it.
Even though her silhouette suggested she was female, in the eyes of these people, she was nothing less than a living devil.
No one could escape her demonic clutches.
Furthermore, as if triggered by the commotion here as some kind of signal, similar scenes began unfolding simultaneously all across the royal capital.
Groups clad in black attire, like reapers in the night, ceaselessly swung their scythes to harvest lives.
At the same time.
Atop the highest clock tower in the royal capital stood a beautiful elf.
Gazing into the distance at the instantly collapsing building, the blast wave whipped up her long golden hair, making it shimmer under the bright moonlight.
Simultaneously, she witnessed with her own eyes the disturbances erupting in various parts of the capital.
...
"Lady Alpha, Delta has begun her operation."
The silver-haired elf Beta suddenly appeared to deliver her report.
"Yes, I saw."
Alpha spoke, her voice vanishing almost instantly into the night wind.
"But Delta... that child always takes things too far, doesn't she?"
She watched Delta, who was currently hunting down members of the cult, with the concern of a young mother.
She couldn't help but shake her head and sigh.
Among the Seven Shadows, Delta was the one she worried about the most.
Add to that the fact that she had finally been let out to run free this once.
It was as if Delta had cast off all restraints, indulging wholeheartedly in hunting her prey.
However.
"Well, since it's already done, there's no helping it now."
Alpha looked out over the capital's scenery from the top of the clock tower.
Chaotic movements were appearing all over the capital. Everything was proceeding according to plan; the operation to eradicate the cult lurking within the capital had begun.
The most eye-catching among them was Delta, who had sliced an entire building in half—that was the signal for their Shadow Garden to commence.
"Still, thanks to Delta, the others can act much more easily..."
If one disregarded the damage inflicted on the surroundings, Delta's contribution was indeed quite significant.
She had attracted almost all the attention.
"Beta, give the orders. It's about time we began our own movements as well."
"Yes, Lady Alpha."
After murmuring this, Alpha concealed her face with a black mask.
Leaping down from the clock tower with Beta, the two instantly vanished into the pitch-black streets.
However, the commotion they caused had drawn the attention of the royal capital's knight order.
"What in the world is happening?"
Princess Iris sprinted through the late-night capital, her crimson hair streaming behind her in the air.
Buildings being sliced in half...
When she first received the initial report, she could hardly believe her ears.
Yet as she prepared to head to the scene with skepticism, successive reports from other subordinates kept arriving.
Large-scale attacks were occurring simultaneously throughout the capital.
It didn't take long to reach this conclusion.
However, the targets of these attacks showed no consistency whatsoever.
Warehouses, restaurants, noble mansions... virtually every type of location was included.
While this was undoubtedly planned crime, the perpetrator's motives remained completely unclear.
Nevertheless, the capital had indeed been severely shaken.
The knight order mobilized urgently according to instructions, while nobles and officials began evacuating one after another.
Despite the late hour, citizens tried to peer out their windows to assess the situation, and many rushed to the scenes out of curiosity.
While loudly instructing civilians on the streets to return home, Iris hurried toward the scene.
But when she arrived, without exception, all she found were corpses and the terror frozen on their faces in their final moments.
As if they had witnessed something utterly horrifying.
What could have happened...
BOOM!
Just then, a second shockwave echoed from the distance—another building collapsing, severed exactly as described in previous reports.
The tremendous noise even reached underground.
"What's happening outside? Why all the noise?"
Alexia followed closely behind Mahiro, carefully feeling her way through the sewer tunnels.
"Nothing much, just my people beginning their operation."
Mahiro explained while walking ahead.
"Beginning their operation? To do what..."
"Naturally, to eradicate the cult."
"What cult?"
"You certainly ask a lot of questions..."
Mahiro sighed helplessly. "You wouldn't understand the details anyway, and it's a long story. Just remember they're the group that captured you."
"I see..."
Seeing his reluctance to elaborate, Alexia chose to obediently remain silent and follow behind.
Though still curious, she could somewhat understand now.
Must be some kind of fanatical religious group, right?
But honestly, Mahiro had to admit some admiration for this cult.
They actually established their research facility in the royal capital's sewers.
The intricate sewer system provided them with the perfect hidden base—no wonder Alpha and the others couldn't find it.
Even he himself would likely have failed to locate this place without their guide.
Despite knowing about this location.
The sewer network was simply too vast, covering nearly the entire capital. Unless he blew up the entire Midgar capital, finding this damned place would have been impossible.
However, when they reached the next corner, Mahiro suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Alexia, who was following behind, nearly bumped into him and stumbled into the sewage, but she managed to steady herself just in time.
Just as she was about to demand why he had stopped so abruptly, she heard Mahiro speak:
"Since you're here, why not show yourself? Is hiding and sneaking around fun?"
"Tch..."
Accompanied by a scornful laugh, a familiar face came into Alexia's view, startling her.
"You... how... why are you... in a place like this...?"
"Because I'm here to save you."
Golden hair, refined features, and a smile brimming with confidence—it was Zenon Griffey.
Her most despised fiancé!
"You'd be that kind-hearted?"
"Oh, Princess Alexia, I understand that you dislike me. But I must warn you, the Yotsuba-sensei beside you is an extremely dangerous criminal."
"An extremely dangerous... criminal?!"
Alexia looked at Mahiro in astonishment.
For a moment, she was utterly confused.
Though she disliked Zenon-sensei, he was, after all, a noble of the Midgar Kingdom, and his words carried some credibility.
But Yotsuba-sensei had specifically come to save her, even if the process had been rather abrupt and overly familiar.
It felt as if he had walked right into her home...
Who... who should I believe?
Alexia subtly shifted her steps, trying to distance herself from both of them.
In her eyes, both Zenon-sensei and Yotsuba-sensei were now marked as untrustworthy.
The former, based on her intuition, didn't seem like a good person.
As for the latter, though she held a favorable impression of him—especially captivated by his exceptional swordsmanship—he was shrouded in too many secrets, as if wrapped in layers of mystery.
Completely unfathomable.
Seeing Alexia's wavering expression, Zenon-sensei wore his usual smile, spread his arms open, and stepped toward her.
"Come, Alexia, stay away from that man and come here."
"And you, Yotsuba-sensei, don't stubbornly resist any longer. The knights will be here soon..."
The next moment.
Zenon suddenly felt a powerful gust of wind rush toward him.
"Get lost! I wasn't talking to you, you damn mongrel from the cult!"
Mahiro suddenly reached out, grabbed Zenon's face, and violently slammed him into the nearby wall.
Boom!
Zenon's head and half his body were brutally crushed into the wall.
No weapons were used, nor any magical power—just pure physical strength.
And it was utterly merciless.
Alexia was left utterly stunned.
What just happened?
Zenon-sensei was defeated with just one hand?
She wanted to ask, but then she heard a series of heavy footsteps coming from the corner ahead.
Tap, tap, tap.
The steps were slow and light, but it was clear someone was approaching.
And soon, the footsteps stopped.
At the same time, another figure appeared before them.
A man clad in a long black coat appeared.
Completely shrouded in black, he wore a hood pulled low over his head and a mask reminiscent of a magician's.
He strode leisurely toward Mahiro, stopping just one step outside attack range.
"Fufufu... My fated rival, it has been too long."
"Still doing this bit? Your sister cried because of you, you know."
"What of it? I am one who lurks in the shadows, hunting darkness itself. An eternity of solitude in the gloom is my destiny."
The voice was profound and deep, like a resonance from the abyss.
Sigh...
His chuuni syndrome has worsened over the years.
Mahiro inwardly sighed but paid it no mind.
"Fine. Since we've met here, let's exchange a few blows. Show me how your swordsmanship has progressed."
Encountering him naturally called for a spar—a way to fulfill his former duties as a tutor.
Besides, though the guy was deeply chuuni, clashing with him was always thrilling.
Cid... no, Shadow naturally felt the same. As sworn rivals, how could they meet without crossing blades?
Moreover, he'd come precisely for this—a perfect chance to test his newly perfected technique!
Thus, he materialized a jet-black sword formed from slime in his hand.
Meanwhile, Mahiro pointed his blade toward the ground and began a soft incantation:
"O cold steel queen, holy sword that slays evil spirits—"
"—Now become a blade of steel, and aid me in striking down my foes!"
The moment the chant ended, the Demon-Destroying Holy Sword in his hand gleamed with radiant light.
"An ancient artifact? Hmph. As expected of my rival. Such a weapon is worthy of you."
Shadow offered praise.
But inwardly, he thought:
That incantation is pretty cool. It doesn't quite suit the style of an Eminence in Shadow though...
Still, Cid made a mental note to adapt it for his own use later—chanting dramatically before materializing a sword from his hand.
Wouldn't that be supremely badass?!
"Come, my rival! Show me your true power!"
"So much nonsense..."
Mahiro shook his head helplessly.
Yet in that instant, Shadow vanished from his position.
Immediately, the tip of a black sword shot toward Mahiro's face.
Clang!
A pure-white blade intercepted the slender black edge, sparks flying between them, illuminating both their faces.
The shockwaves of their clash upheaved the underground waterway, nearly tearing apart everything in the vicinity!
"Not bad, blocking that strike!"
"The audacity. I don't need your praise."
With a twist of his wrist, Mahiro deflected the black sword and instantly launched a slash forward.
Swish!
Shadow vanished again, reappearing behind him.
Their blades crossed again and again in rapid succession.
By unspoken agreement, neither used magic—this was purely a contest of sword skill.
Yet the unleashed force was terrifying all the same.
Sewage water in the channel began flowing backward.
Sword winds shattered the walls and tore through the ceiling.
The entire underground passage was on the verge of collapse!
"..."
Alexia, who had been observing from the sidelines, fell into deep shock and murmured softly.
She couldn't capture the black-clad figure's movements at all—he was so fast he appeared as nothing but a shadow.
Though she could see Yotsuba-sensei clearly, he hadn't moved even half a step while defending against such rapid attacks, and his sword swings already exceeded her dynamic visual perception.
All she could see were the continuously sparking flames around them and the pure white sword flashes that kept illuminating the area!
So Yotsuba-sensei was actually this powerful?
She had originally thought Mahiro's sword techniques were merely elegant—while certainly strong, they couldn't possibly compare to her sister's, because in her mind, her sister's swordsmanship was the strongest!
But now, she had doubts.
If her sister were to face this black-clad man instead, she didn't think her sister could handle it as effortlessly as Yotsuba-sensei...
Moreover, the swords they were using were the most ordinary, common blades meant for regular humans...
"How boring. Despite not seeing you for so long, your sword skills haven't improved at all."
Mahiro felt somewhat disappointed.
While Cid's sword techniques had slightly improved, such minimal progress wasn't enough to make him use his Copy Eyes.
There was no need to copy and comprehend them either.
After all, he had already completely figured out the patterns of Cid's sword techniques.
Just like this—
Swish!
He simply swung his sword toward the empty space on his left, and it just happened to strike Cid's body.
Crimson blood danced in the air like butterflies.
But the wound was quickly covered by black slime.
"Mmm... A beautiful strike."
Cid immediately created distance between them, clutching his chest.
Although the wound wasn't deep and had already healed through magical power,
In the world of chuunibyou, this seemed to be necessary behavior.
"In that case, I shall show you my newly invented ultimate technique!"
As soon as he finished speaking, terrifying magical power began surging from Shadow's body!
Like tidal waves, each wave higher than the last!
Even the air trembled slightly in response.
But just at that moment—
"AAAAAAHHHH DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT! Bastard, don't look down on me!!!!"
A loud roar suddenly came from within the wall, followed by a monster bursting through.
The monster's eyes were bloodshot, its muscles bulging explosively, with protruding blood vessels covering its entire body.
It looked almost on the verge of being crushed by its own overwhelming power.
The intense magical power erupting from its body transformed into hurricane-force winds blowing around them.
Although it had turned into a monster, one could still vaguely recognize some traces of Zenon-sensei in its form.
At the very least, the torn cloth fragments and that golden hair suggested so.
"This is my ultimate power—Awakener Third Stage! This is the world's strongest power!!! All of you, go die!!!"
"Trash should know their place and stay properly grounded!"
Mahiro and Cid moved in perfect sync, simultaneously delivering kicks to Zenon's groin that sent him crashing back into the wall, punching straight through the sewer system.
Then, the two returned to their respective positions, ready to continue the battle.
As for whether Professor Zenon was still alive?
Who would care about something like that? What difference did it make if he was dead or alive?
If he crawled out, they'd just kill him again.
Was he trying to become some legendary unkillable king?
"Heh heh, this time I'll show you my ultimate power!"
Shadow seemed to have rebuilt his momentum.
But what he created completely shattered Alexia's worldview.
"What... what is this?!"
As tidal waves of magical power surged forth, the rapidly escalating energy materialized into blue-purple lines.
Several extremely fine threads, resembling lightning or blood vessels, wrapped around Shadow's body, tracing mesmerizing streams of light.
Beautiful yet dangerous.
So beautiful that one could easily become immersed in the magnificent spectacle, enough to overlook the inherent danger.
"My fated rival, burn this next scene into your retinas! This is—"
"The ultimate power..."
"...as defined by me!"
Shadow raised his longsword.
Yet with this simple motion, everything around them trembled, causing even the ground-level canals far above the sewer system to boil.
The entire royal capital seemed to experience an earthquake.
"...Am...Atomic."
I knew it would be this move...
The moment Shadow unleashed his attack, Mahiro understood.
What else could Shadow's so-called ultimate technique be besides a nuclear explosion?
Nothing.
And actually, the nuclear explosion technique was quite simple and brutal—just the most basic magical energy release, expelling the most massive amount of magical power in one burst to destroy everything.
Or sometimes adding some strange modifications, transforming it into a clean nuclear bomb that could purify out-of-control magical energy.
Even though Cid had never used this technique in front of him, Mahiro had long since studied it thoroughly.
Naturally, he also had a way to counter it.
Therefore, at the instant the blue-purple magical energy rapidly expanded, about to completely fill his vision—
Mahiro reached forward, red light flashing in his pupils as azure magic circles materialized.
Simultaneously, he softly snapped his fingers.
"Magical Backflow—Spell Reversal!"