“Wrath of the gods, lament of the heavens, wail of the spirits—grant the iron strike of judgment to evil. —Mankind repeats, driven by their desires, oppressing the weak and trampling the fallen—Ah, such a sight is too ugly and monstrous, thus punishment is necessary, death is necessary, to save weak lives—Kill the arrogant ones.”
As the chant, sung as if speaking to someone, ended, four colossal stone pillars were born above Wahash’s head, who was engaged in a back-and-forth battle with an earth dragon.
The thickness of one pillar was more than twice the span of an adult man’s outstretched arms, and its total length far surpassed the three-story mansion of the Daum Barony.
Four stone pillars, any one of which would undoubtedly crush the recipient if struck directly, were prepared.
Wahash also noticed the dense magic concentrated above him, drew a knife from his waist, stopped dismantling the earth dragon with his hands, and tried to evade—but before that, one of the stone pillars descended.
The dragon thrashed on the ground, and stone pillars rained down from above. There was no escape. The only action Wahash could take was to meet the attack.
—A roar. And the ground shook violently.
Jared confirmed that the stone pillar that had crushed the earth dragon had indeed caught Wahash. However, he did not relent. There was no carelessness, no complacency. He continued to bring down another stone pillar.
Again, roaring and shaking of the ground struck.
The first stone pillar was shattered, and the second pierced the ground. Then, the third and fourth pillars crushed the ground, attempting to suffocate Wahash.
Rubbles rained down, but the mansion was protected by barriers deployed by Jared. Simultaneously, barriers surrounded the area to prevent damage outside the Daum Barony’s premises.
The meticulously maintained garden was unrecognizable, reduced to a pitiful sight. Fragments of gray stone pillars were scattered in all directions, and a total of four pillars lay embedded and toppled on the ground. It was a scene that could be mistaken for a collapsed ancient temple.
His breath hitched, and sweat trickled down his cheeks.
It was a magic that, while requiring effort from Jared, boasted an offensive power that was high on the list—”Gray Hammer.” It was one of the few magics passed down from centuries ago, a high-tier magic that could only be wielded with immense magic power, focus, and the aid of spirits.
Previously, he could produce at most one or two stone pillars, even when pushing his magic power to the limit. However, he could now create and bring down four stone pillars and still not be at his limit. He was reminded of the extent of the magic sealed by Almeida.
He was fatigued. Although he still had magic power to spare, it was natural to be tired when expending it. However, he couldn’t let his guard down yet.
Because—there was a reaction of magic power from beneath the stone pillars.
It was undoubtedly Wahash.
“I was aiming to kill you, you know.”
Losing here would mean defeat if one didn’t have such resolve. But, as it turned out, Wahash’s magic power was intact, and he felt a strong surge. The magic power being transmitted intensified further, and just as Jared instinctively braced himself—the stone pillars exploded.
He defended against the flying debris, which attacked like projectiles, with barriers. From the dust cloud, a single shadow leaped out and landed before Jared’s eyes. Needless to say, it was Wahash.
“Impressive—the current you undoubtedly possesses power that surpasses Rosa.”
“But you can’t beat me?”
“That is correct.”
Wahash’s combat uniform was torn, and he was bleeding from his head and other places. Yet, his demeanor remained unchanged. He was unfazed, even after enduring a magic that Jared considered fatal.
“However—in a sense, I may have been defeated.”
“What?”
“As the head of Waalthe, I did not wish to use magic, but I could not defend against those stone pillars without barriers. More importantly, even the barriers were shattered, hence this state. It’s been how many years since someone not only made me use magic but also inflicted such injuries—Ah, that’s right, it was when I fought against your other grandfather, Niklas Daum. Nostalgic.”
“Wait!”
He had heard something he couldn’t ignore.
“You’re saying you weren’t using magic until just now?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, when we were fighting at first—”
“I did not use Body Reinforcement Magic like you.”
He was speechless.
Jared had assumed that Wahash was using Body Reinforcement Magic. But it was natural to think so. He had fought and lost while wielding incomplete Body Reinforcement. He had never imagined it was purely his natural physical prowess.
“There’s no need to be so dejected. If you possess magic power, you’ll unconsciously use it. I am one such person.”
He bit his lip until it hurt, at words that offered no comfort.
“Do you understand the difference between you and me?”
“The difference between me and you?”
“Yes. There is only one difference—experience. It hasn’t been three years since you awakened to magic power and started using magic. It’s the same in combat. Both your magic and combat techniques are immature, very immature. Even so, with your blessed talent and a constitution favored by spirits, coupled with your own efforts and an unyielding heart, you have become strong.”
It felt like he was being praised.
“On the other hand, I am not a person with extraordinary talent. I have reached my current abilities through long periods and many battles. I do not grow complacent. I do not believe myself to be absolutely strong. However—a fledgling like you will not defeat me.”
“I won’t lose either!”
He dispelled all the stone pillars and, in their place, generated a multitude of obsidian spears. The stone spears, covering the sky, reflected the sun and glittered.
“—Pierce.”
Over a hundred spears assailed a single person.
“Your raw power may be superior to mine, but your experience is still shallow, and your technique is crude.”
The voice came from behind him, and his breath caught.
“No way—how?”
In front of him stood Wahash, who had shattered and defended against all the obsidian spears with a barrier. Yet, the voice came from behind.
It was unreasonably difficult to comprehend.
“There are individuals in the East called shinobi, assassins. It’s a technique learned from them—clones. It consumes a lot of magic power, but it’s possible to create about five identical clones within a certain period.”
Another Wahash appeared to his left, holding a knife. Another Wahash appeared to his right, clenching his fist. Finally, another Wahash appeared right before his eyes, intensifying his magic power.
A chill ran down his spine.
“From now on, you will face me, five times over. Now it’s my turn to say—do not die.”
