Legacy of the Dark Sage

"Hanes! Detain Tyr!" Ernst shouted amidst the confusion.

Hanes, the dark-robed man did not need telling twice. He raised his arms and charged into the center of the array, "Rawrgh!"

"Evan, reinforced the array! Mordin, close off the whole floor! Elder brother, and the rest, let us assist Hanes!" Ernst barked out his orders one after another. It was unnecessary though because all of them moved as soon as they regained their senses.

Six went down the mezzanine, and apart from Evan and Mordin, four including Ernst went to surround the center of the room. Mimi and Ernst's elder brother remained, with the former creating a magic barrier to protect the latter.

DING!

A metallic sound shook the whole room.

"What—? Ugh!" Hanes exclaimed as both of his arms received a huge shock after hitting his axe on what seemed like a solid metal block.

"That's dangerous."

"Huh—?" Hanes widened at what he had seen through the smoke. But before he could make out what it was, something solid and heavy slammed on his abdomen, hurling him back with such ferociously. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he slammed on the wall.

"Guah!"

"Hanes!"

Hanes fell down and was buried in the crumbling wall.

"Clear the smoke!"

It was unknown who had said this, but as soon as it was said, one of the elders summoned a powerful gust of wind.

Mimi was not idle either. To ensure the smoke would disperse at once, she roused her magic and summon a huge magic array above the center of the hall.

In an instant, the smoke gathered by the wind was contained at one point and started to disperse.

"Use restraining spells and aim at the center, he couldn't have—."

"ARGH!"

Ernst's words were drowned out by an elder's agonized scream, as a small figure slammed on him. The elder still had his magic defences up, however, the moment the figure hit, it shattered and he was thrown helplessly into the wall.

"Guah!" He spat out a mouthful of blood as the walls crack and cave in on him.

"Evan— gah!"

The small figure changed course and hit the elder who had been beside Evan, Mordin. His magic defences shattered and he, too, was thrown into the wall.

"You dare!" Ernst shouted as he roused his magic. A two-meter light green magic array appeared in front of him. It glowed as several light green snake eagles shot out from the center of the magic array and flew toward the small figure.

However, the small figure flew around the hall and avoided the snake eagles. The small figure's speed far surpassed the snake eagles as well. It manoeuvred to avoid the walls, which the latter failed to do and slammed on the walls resulting in small-scale explosions all over the hall.

"Ernst! Ignore that and focus on Tyr!" Ernst's elder brother shouted as the rest of the elders aimed at the spot where Kyran had been.

Three light-green magic arrays surrounded the now almost cleared center of the hall. Several light-green blade-like winds flew toward the spot Kyran had been.

CRACKLE!

SIZZLE! SIZZLE SIZZLE

A powerful magic fluctuation emerged from within the smoke and instead of hearing the wind-blade attacks sliced through human flesh, they heard sizzling sounds.

Before any of them could summon more wind-blade attacks several crackling dark purple energy-filled arcs flashed from within the smoke and toward the light-green magic arrays.

The three elders evaded just in time when the energy-filled arcs hit the magic arrays. All three magic arrays got sliced in the middle and dispersed.

"Guah!"

The three elders who summoned the magic arrays suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and they fell to their knees.

"Elder Fidel! Elder Haram! Elder Jimall!" Mimi gasped in surprise.

Active magic arrays were still connected to the mages that summoned them. And if it was cancelled out abnormally, there was a chance the mage would receive a backlash. That was what happened to the three elders.

Ernst witnessed what happened after his elder brother had shouted.

"TYR!" He shouted in anger, resulting in his magic pressure erupting.

Magic fluctuations grew heavy in the air as he charged toward the center.

It was at this moment that the smoke finally dispersed.

Ernst, his elder brother, and Mimi gaped in surprise.

'Tyr' stood at the center of the now destroyed restraining array. The solid black chair and the chains were also destroyed, and there were silver and purple scales rotating around him, like a shield.

What was more, 'Tyr's' eyes had turned reddish-purple, and for some reason, they all knew he was not using his 'Strengthening magic.'

"You hid your real magic!" Ernst growled. Instead of stopping, he increased his speed and summoned small light-green magic arrays that hovered behind him. Wind gathered at the center of the magic arrays and he molded them into several short blades.

Kyran looked at the short blades and smiled. Behind him, the air crackle as several fissures appeared. From within the fissures, he also summoned the same amount of short blades Ernst created.

"This—!" Ernst's elder brother exclaimed in shock. Most did not notice it but he did. Kyran did not use any magic arrays when he summoned those short blades!

Hanes, who got disoriented after getting buried in the debris, finally regained his senses. He looked up just in time when Ernst was only two-meter away from Kyran and he shouted, "Patriarch! Don't go near him! That guy's body is abnormal! Magic or physical attack may not be effective against him!"

Hearing Hanes's warning, Ernst stopped in his tracks at once and instead, launched his short blades toward Kyran.

Kyran, on the other hand, released his barrier and also launched his short blades.

SIZZLE! SIZZLE! SIZZLE!

As soon as the short blades collided, instead of hearing metal hitting against metal, Ernst's short blades sizzle and dispersed in the air.

"What?"

The three elders who received a backlash looked at the scene before them. Their eyes widened in confusion at what they were seeing.

"W-What is the nature of his magic?"

Kyran waved his arms and the short blades flew in different directions, each on all the elders.

"Humph! You dare underestimate us!" Ernst shouted.

His magic pressure erupted and he summoned a powerful gust of wind that expanded out immediately disrupting the direction of the short blades.

The three elders also summoned their magic arrays. Magic energy gathered at the center of the magic arrays, forming concentrated wind magic energy.

Ernst flew up and summoned a huge magic array above. The wind started to gather in small circles at different points on the array. As they gathered momentum, they began to gather at the center of the array, looking like the beginning of a powerful whirlwind.

The three elders released their concentrated magic attacks.

Hanes, who had now stood up also summoned his magic array and integrated his wind magic into his axe. Wind magic coated the axe's blades and an almost visible light-green arc flew from it as he swung his axe downward. The arcs also went straight at Kyran.

Amidst all the incoming magic attacks, however, Kyran remained still. When Ernst's whirlwind was about to shoot down from above, he said, "It's time to eat."

Kyran's voice was low, yet, it reached the ears of every person inside the hall. Their expressions distorted in confusion, but then...

"GAHAHAHA!"

A deep male voice laughed and shook the hall.

Then the small figure that had been flying around earlier, returned. It stopped in front of Kyran, and it was only then they were able to see what it looked like.

It was a small dark blue and purple armor, and its eyes were glowing reddish-purple, just like Kyran's.

All magic attacks finally arrived and suddenly, the small armor opened its mouth wide and took a deep breath.

As it did, all the magic attacks got sucked into its mouth. Even the direction of Ernst's whirlwind changed. Like a huge vacuum, the small armor sucked in the whirlwind's tail and Ernst's magic array above fluctuated and trembled.

Mimi's eyes looked at Ernst's magic array in concern. She was reminded of how the three elder's magic arrays got destroyed and they received a backlash.

"Everyone! Please, release your magic array!"

However, her warning came too late.

As more of the magic attacks got sucked in by the small armor, cracks formed in their magic arrays.

All of them received a backlash and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Impossible!" Ernst's elder brother suddenly burst and stood up as realization hit him.

The sizzling sounds that echoed after Fidel, Haram and Jimall's wind-blade attacks 'hit' Kyran. How the short blades appeared behind him through fissures in the air. Finally, the small armor 'sucking in' all the magic attacks like a powerful vacuum.

"Uncle Eoin?"

"Everyone! Retreat! Summon Gael and the deputy marshals at once—!"

"I don't think so."

Eoin and Mimi froze.

Time seemed to have stopped as they felt an ominous presence appear behind.

Ernst, the three elders and even Hanes turned toward the mezzanine, their expression stiff.

Kyran, who had been standing behind the small armor, suddenly appeared behind Eoin and Mimi.

The air around him crackle, as a dark purple fissure started to close behind him.

Kyran reached out his hand and touched Eoin's neck, who stiffened in response.

His movement was not fast, it even appeared slow.

No. Maybe, to Ernst and the rest, time suddenly had slowed down.

"Well then," Kyran said as if he was not in a hurry. "I guess, I'll start with you."