The Obsessive Regressor of The Academy

23. Mindscape Unleashed

The fallen lightning blankets the forest. The falling rain carries the current, electrifying everything and creating a zone of lightning. A killing field of immense scale, where no one could survive, incinerating everything down to the cellular level.

Ellen, who had moved Elena to safety, watched the spectacle and gave a hollow laugh.

“…Unbelievable.”

Ellen had participated in numerous dungeon explorations and monster subjugations on behalf of his family. He had seen quite a few mages, more than most nobles. But witnessing high-level magic was a first.

Mages were already far fewer in number than warriors. And those who could wield high-level magic were mostly holed up in Weiheim or affiliated with some organization. Drifting mages capable of high-level spells, working for coin, were few and far between. Thus, Ellen had only read about high-level magic in books.

A single gesture capable of annihilating entire armies, the terrain itself shifting at the caster’s will – a magic of ultimate destruction. Ellen felt a strange surge of exhilaration, witnessing the raw power of high-level magic, just as the books had described.

Even Fernando wouldn’t have walked away unscathed from magic of that caliber. She felt the electric currents laced in the air, forcing her trembling arm upwards. Elena, fully recovered from her injuries, was likewise brimming with fighting spirit, her eyes narrowed to slits.

“The smell of blood has grown stronger. But… this isn’t a time for complacency.”

Elena’s words were right on mark. Ellen nodded, her gaze fixed on the direction where the lightning had struck. Asel, staggering, and Fernando, bleeding from every pore, faced each other, their wills still unbroken.

Though the amount of blood flowing from Fernando’s body was considerable, the depth of his wounds wasn’t all that severe. The kind that a recovery potion could easily and cleanly mend. But Fernando didn’t reach for the potion at his side. It had been shattered to pieces in the initial lightning strike, after all. Useless to drink.

“Haa…”

As he exhaled, the residue of electric magic ravaged his mouth as it escaped. His tongue and palate tore, and Fernando grinned, his voice strained.

“Ena certainly chose her apprentice well. To grow strong enough to damage a Master’s body at that age. The elders of the Magic Tower would be drooling.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Isn’t this a bit too early to be answering? You seem to be suffering from mana exhaustion, get this over with quickly.”

Fernando spoke the truth. Asel fought against his blurring vision, his face contorted in pain from the throbbing in his chest.

High-level electric magic, ‘Lightning Strike.’ The most direct, destructive, and open to modification of formulas, yet consuming an enormous amount of mana. Not entirely beyond Asel’s capacity, but simply casting the spell alone required half the mana within his core.

He had cast several of those stacked on top of each other, continuing to conjure other spells even as he drew the formula. As a result, he could unleash magic of a power not yet meant for him, but the price was being exacted in full. If there hadn’t been storm clouds above, it wouldn’t have ended with mere mana exhaustion.

‘The speed at which my mana is replenishing is sufficient, but I can’t afford to be careless.’

His core was completely empty. Mana was slowly trickling in, but not enough to continue the battle. In this state, he could only cast three more spells.

Fortunately, there was a solution. Asel held out his palm, summoning a small aggregate of lightning above it.

[Lightning Child]

The aggregate of lightning, capable of independent thought and action, rose up as per Asel’s initial command.

The dark blue-tinged aggregate orbited Asel. He glanced at Fernando, who was leisurely awaiting him, and then unleashed his next spell.

[Gathering Thunder]

The lightning in the air converged on Asel’s hand. Stray mana, too, was helplessly drawn into the lightning he summoned. The now massive thunder swiftly coursed through his heart, flooding his mana core with electric essence.

Originally, Asel’s mana had been versatile enough to cast any magic, but now his mana consisted purely of destructive and violent lightning. While it limited the spells he could use to only electric magic, that restriction was inconsequential.

From the first time he used electric magic until now, the spell Asel was most confident in, and best at wielding, was always the same.

He smiled as he released the lightning, which was overflowing out, and Fernando smiled back. The next moment, both men simultaneously unleashed magic and sword energy towards each other.

KWA-aaaNG!!

Blue and grey light collided in the air, unleashing a deafening roar. The aggregate orbiting Asel weaved through the gap. Reaching Fernando in an instant, the aggregate emitted a blinding light, scattering lightning around it.

“Ha, I never understood while Ena used it, but now I see it’s an extremely troublesome spell.”

Fernando evaded the lightning bolts fired by the aggregate with uncanny movements, slashing his sword to sever the magic. Beyond the dissipating aggregate. Two blood-red wolves were lunging at him, their jaws gaping wide.

[Bloodstream Shaping]

[Blood Wolf Demise]

The wolves leaped, each aiming for Fernando’s head and legs. Fernando severed both wolves with a single stroke, then deflected a battle axe hurtling from the side. Ellen, having slid into position, swung her fist, and was filled with aura, pushing him back.

* * *

*KWAEEEK!*

A fist, cleaving the air, rushed towards him. Fernand lightly twisted his body, evading the blow. Then, he sliced through the blood spear Elena had launched with his sword and swung a leg, aiming to kick Ellen’s torso.

[Spiral Tremor (螺震)]

Lightning, spiraling down, struck Fernand’s leg head-on. His muscles contracted for a split second, a chance Ellen seized. She spun, kicking Fernand’s temple with the tip of her foot. Fernand’s body fell sideways.

A blatant opening. Instead of pressing the advantage, Ellen retrieved her thrown axe and moved towards Asel. Elena, atop her crimson wolf, took her place beside him. Asel brushed the mud from Fernand’s hair and handed Ellen a vial from his pack.

“Drink this. A potion for amplified strength.”

Ellen downed the potion without hesitation, tossing the empty vial aside carelessly. She felt the immediate surge of strength, her eyes shifting only to glance at Asel.

“The plan?”

“You’re asking my opinion?”

“In these sorts of situations, the mage’s answer is usually the correct one.”

“…Hmm.”

Instead of replying, Asel narrowed his eyes, downing a potion of mana amplification.

“No detailed plan. Ellen, you need to hold off Fernand’s attacks as much as possible, creating an angle for Elena to strike. I’ll coordinate from behind with fire support.”

“Can you do it?”

Asel nodded. He shattered the empty vial with a jolt of lightning, then clapped both Ellen and Elena on the back.

That was the signal. Ellen and Elena charged towards Fernand simultaneously. Asel took a long, deep breath from behind, drawing upon his mana.

Contraction and release, mana surging rapidly. Electricity crackled in his exhaled breath. The air around him crackled with each movement. An electric field formed, centered on Asel.

*PAJIK!*

The sound of lightning sparking echoed in Asel’s mind.

He began to chant the spell.

[Thunder Mist (雷霧)]

*PAJJIJIK!!*

Lightning, unleashed like a drifting mist, surged through the space, seizing control. A wide-area spell impossible to cut down one by one. Precisely avoiding Ellen and Elena, the magic enveloped Fernand from above. Fernand grinned, coating his sword with aura.

The sword essence (劍罡), used for the first time in this battle. An ashen aura cloaked his blade, and Fernand swiftly swung the sword towards the sky.

That alone was enough to physically dismantle the magic. Asel circulated all the recoil from the magic’s forced disintegration to manifest a new spell.

[Great Thunder Strike (太雷走殺)]

*Pajik.*

A small spark of lightning flickered before Asel’s eyes. It resonated and combined with the lightning in the storm clouds, becoming a massive bolt of lightning the size of a house. The sheer oppressive force made Ellen and Elena’s faces momentarily freeze, while Fernand laughed heartily and swept back his wet hair.

“Haha! Disciple of the Opening! Just how far have you reached?!”

“I don’t know. But as I said before…”

Asel chuckled, then unleashed a bolt of lightning straight ahead.

“I simply do what I can.”

*KWA-aaaNG!!*

With a deafening roar, the lightning surged forward, a mass of sheer energy threatening to annihilate everything in its path. Fernand concentrated his aura to its limits within his blade, then brought his sword down in a powerful vertical strike.

*Kkirik!*

The instant before the blade met the lightning, the colossal bolt vanished, and from beyond it, a blue, thread-like line shot forth.

[Lightning Thread]

Magic that compressed lightning into the form of a thread, snared Fernand’s wrist and electrocuted him. As the output increased, the thread glowed brighter, searing his skin. Normally, such power would sever a hand, but a Master’s body would not allow such a loss.

It mattered not. A momentary paralysis was all that was needed.

*Pajijik!*

The lightning vaporized the rain clinging to Fernand and climbed upward, constricting every muscle in his body. In that brief opening, Elena and Ellen pressed their attack. Ellen swung her axe in a wide arc, while Elena’s eyes turned a bloodshot red as she formed a hand seal.

[Blood Flow Acceleration]

[Crimson Blood Eye]

An ability that allowed her to arbitrarily designate the point on her opponent most vulnerable to bleeding, bloomed.

[Blood Flow Shaping]

[Blood Lake’s Ravenous Hunger]

A pool of blood formed beneath Fernand’s feet.

*Puhwa-ak!*

From the pool, a long, crimson arm erupted, seizing Fernand’s face. The hand opened, and from within, a pointed tongue shot forth, aiming for his shoulder.

“A seamless combination,”

His voice filtered through the red hand covering his face.

“But still clumsy.”

The moment he uttered the words, a powerful fighting spirit erupted from Fernand’s entire being.

That alone was enough to force Ellen’s axe back. Elena’s ability was forcibly dispelled. A massive gust of wind slammed into the two, sending them flying.

“Ugh!”

“Keh!”

They tumbled across the ground and crashed into trees, gasping for breath. But Fernand paid them no heed. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Asel, gripping his sword in a reverse grip.

“Do you know what Masters and Archmages have in common?”

“……”

“The ability to unleash the image they hold in their hearts into reality. Each of them manifests their own world in reality, using their own small world to challenge what is.”

He continued, aware of the three pairs of eyes fixed upon him.

“I’ll show you.”

Fernan grinned, planting his reverse-grip sword into the earth. He stomped on the pommel, driving it deeper, and murmured,

“Simsang Open.”

*Kuuung!*

An intangible force swept through the entire forest.

And with it, a grey moon ascended into the sky.

Pale moonlight bathed the land. Merely beholding it felt as though one’s entire body was being shredded. Breath caught in the throat, and a voice screamed in the head to flee this place immediately. But the body remained still.

Overwhelmed.

Flesh and spirit were crushed beneath the moonlight. The brain struggled to issue coherent commands, and the mind trembled as if about to shatter. The Simsang of one who had reached Master rank with a single sword was so imposing, so terrible, and yet… so beautiful.

“Come.”

Fernan extended his hand into the air. A pale blade rose into his grip. He aimed the tip at Asel, a smile playing on his lips.

“This one strike will conclude the test.”

“……”

“Endure.”

Fernan grasped the sword with both hands, drawing it back to his side. At the sight, Ellen thrust her axe forward protectively before Asel, and Elena wove a curtain of blood. Asel gritted his teeth, chanting the most powerful magic he could currently muster.

Gathering every last drop of mana from the core to draw the magic circle.

Melting Simsang into the blade.

The magic circles behind Asel resonated and spun in unison.

The moon behind Fernan was captured within the blade.

He reached out.

He swung the sword.

[Nature Resonance]

[Technique Expansion]

[Mana Amplification]

[Technique Overlap]

[Lei-ju Nakto (Thunder Pillar Fall to Earth)]

[Waning Moon]

Pillars of lightning plummeted from the sky, threatening to cleave the earth asunder.

The swung crescent moon advanced, seeming poised to sever everything in its path.

So it was, lightning clashing with the moon.

The world flickered out.