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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Hestia]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
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Chapter 24: Samael Was the Strongest (1)
Sparks flew into the air with sand as the spear of flames pierced the center of the training ground.
Crackle—
A cold ice fog rolled in, covering the sparks and creating a cloud of steam. Dozens of stone fragments froze in midair.
“W-what?”
As the frozen sand shards rained down like needles,
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
Doke’s urgent cry rang out.
He had created a wind barrier above his head to block the shards and was now looking at me with a hardened expression.
I met his gaze and slowly walked forward.
Meanwhile, my subordinates began to appear one by one from afar, with the sound of their footsteps.
“…Captain?”
“Is the Captain really capable of that?”
The subordinates’ expressions, as they looked back and forth between Doke and me, gradually turned to shock.
They looked like they couldn’t believe I would do something so crazy.
“Wow… I knew the Captain was crazy, but I didn’t know he was that crazy.”
‘Well, now you know.’
I stood in front of Doke, listening to Zion’s praise. Doke glared at me with an incredulous look.
“You’re capable of that?”
I scoffed and replied,
“If a mage can’t believe his own eyes, it means he needs to relearn the basics.”
“…”
Doke’s eyes filled with rage.
I glanced to the side, and the others were just as dumbfounded.
“Do you even realize what you’ve done?”
“Of course. As the rightful heir of Samael, I was simply conducting proper magic training in Samael’s training ground.”
Doke gritted his teeth and said,
“You’re even defying the House Head’s orders. There’s a limit to irresponsible behavior. You intentionally attacked us. It’s a clear violation.”
“It seems that’s what happens when you guys are in the way of my training. I didn’t expect such great mages to complain about being attacked by something like this. Why don’t you just step aside? I need to continue my training.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I immediately conjured Fireballs in both hands and fired them.
One towards Doke, the other towards Lokan.
Doke easily dispelled it, while Lokan stumbled back ten steps, frowning.
“At least try to be a decent target.”
Doke took out a pair of red gloves from his pocket and put them on, pointing a finger at me.
“This is a clear act of hostility towards the Magic Tower. From now on, I consider you an enemy.”
Seeing Doke acting all high and mighty, as if he were a god passing judgment, made me angry.
He was full of arrogance. I wanted to be like that too.
“This is an act of hostility towards Samael. From now on, I also consider you guys enemies.”
At that moment, I heard the sound of someone kicking off the ground. Lokan, who had been hit by the Fireball, was charging at me while drawing a hand seal.
“This bastard, really!”
I easily deflected Lokan’s attack and wrapped my elbow in a Wind Barrier.
I immediately struck Lokan’s chin, and a sharp impact like shattering glass resonated.
At the same time, I hit his face with a Wind Blow with my other hand.
“Cough!”
Lokan’s face was smashed as he sprawled backward.
Doke instantly blocked his path and asked,
“Demonic magic…? Where did you learn demonic magic?”
It seemed he was referring to the demonic magic that modern mages learned for close combat.
“This is the Samael-style crazy demonic magic.”
“Don’t get cocky!”
Finally, Doke stepped forward. Powerful flames flickered from the weapon in his hand.
“You brought this upon yourself!”
A 4-star Fire Arm hand seal.
I scoffed as I saw him approaching, twisting his right arm like a pretzel.
Wasn’t it pathetic, like a miniature version of Fire Arm?
I blocked all of his attacks with a 2-circle Wind Barrier and pushed forward.
As Doke aimed for my face again with his hand seal, I ducked and reached for his stomach.
“Piercing wind, Wind Bomb.”
Boom!
“Ugh!”
Doke twisted his body reflexively but couldn’t avoid it completely. Since I had struck his internal organs, the momentary pain must have been immense.
I crossed my arms in front of Doke, who was sprawled on the floor.
“Is this the legendary demonic magic of the Red Magic Tower? Impressive. I’m honored that you’re showing off with such mediocre skills. Attack me all at once before I get even more impressed. I’ll wait.”
“Ugh, I’ll kill you!”
A moment later, Doke, who had regained his senses, and three others lunged at me simultaneously.
Seeing them rush towards me with murderous intent, I felt a bitterness in my heart. They must have thought they could easily deal with the consequences even if they killed me.
This was why one needed power. They desperately needed a lesson.
I looked at them and thought of the highest-level 3-circle magic.
“Wind blades that cut through the air, Wind Cutter.”
A 3-circle wind attribute highest-level spell, Wind Cutter.
Swoosh!
Faint blade-like shapes flickered above my hands, about a meter long.
If you didn’t look closely, it seemed like there was nothing there, but their sharpness was enough to cut through rock.
I danced with the blades, like a knight.
Slice— Clang— Slice—
The Red Magic Tower mages didn’t even know what was hitting them as they were being cut.
“Cough!”
“Argh!”
The magic they cast was completely shredded by my Wind Cutter. Sharp blood splattered into the air.
“W-what is that?”
“I’ve never seen that before!”
As the murmurs of the trainees reached my ears,
Suddenly, an unimaginably powerful mana wave surged from the opposite side.
Fwaaaaaaaaaang—!
“Ugh.”
An immense recoil pressed down on my body. It felt like my entire body was being crushed by a giant rock, making it hard to breathe.
My head involuntarily jerked back, and my whole body trembled. I forced myself to tense up and raise my head, and Hector was standing in front of me.
“Tsk, you fool. What are you doing?”
“Ugh. Feels like the real deal.”
“What?”
“Did you forget about the bet? I defeated a 4-star mage in actual combat. You’re not going to argue that this wasn’t real combat, are you?”
A look of embarrassment flashed across Hector’s face. I casually wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and glared at him.
“By the way, you’re quite sneaky yourself.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You were clearly watching from a while ago. If you were going to say that, you should have stopped it from the beginning. Why, because it didn’t go the way you expected? Can’t you accept your own disciple being defeated?”
“…”
Hector’s expression gradually hardened, and then he muttered out of the blue,
“I can’t understand. How can you use circle magic to this extent…? More importantly, where did you learn Wind Cutter? You need to answer truthfully.”
“What?”
“Wind Cutter is a specialized magic that can only be learned by official members of the Red Magic Order. Where did you learn it?”
I suddenly remembered what the square-jawed instructor had said.
He had mentioned something about Grease being a confidential magic and the Yellow Magic Tower when I used it.
“I learned it on my own. You don’t think I stole it, do you?”
“Wind Cutter can only be cast by members of the Red Magic Order. Tell me how you did it.”
“If you’re this worked up over a mere Wind Cutter, you’ll probably faint later. Incantations and hand seals are completely different methods of casting magic. Stop talking nonsense and admit it.”
Hector’s expression hardened completely.
It was an expression I had never seen before, but I could sense how he was feeling.
Hector was…
Truly angry.
“I can’t understand this at all.”
“Are you saying you won’t acknowledge the bet?”
“I need to confirm it myself.”
“It’s because of your arrogance again. The arrogant notion that circles are weaker than cores.”
Hector frowned and asked,
“Arrogant?”
“Yes.”
Hector stared at me intently and then spoke quietly,
“I am Hector Kart. The Crimson Flame who rode the Orc King, a 7-star mage, the Vice-Tower Master of the Red Magic Tower, and one who has ascended to the ranks of the superhuman. I am qualified to test you.”
“You’re not mentioning being Samael’s guardian. Are you embarrassed about that?”
“You bastard!”
Hector glared at me and took a step back. But his aura grew stronger.
“Prove it to me. But only use up to 3-star magic.”
I smirked and looked at Hector.
“Alright. But let’s make another bet. I’ll give you what you want.”
* * *
Kazen Samael was taking a nap in the depths of the House Hall.
His head was pounding from thinking too much.
Boom!
A loud noise pierced Kazen’s ears. It was the umpteenth time he had heard it.
Kazen didn’t open his eyes. He assumed it was the Red Magic Tower mages training in the training grounds.
However.
“Don’t get cocky!”
The moment Kazen heard Hector’s disciple, Doke, shout,
He couldn’t stay still any longer.
…Could it be that Ruin had disobeyed his orders?
Not now.
No matter how much he was his son, this time, he couldn’t tolerate it. It wouldn’t be good for their relationship with the Red Magic Tower to be strained at this moment.
‘I told him clearly, yet he caused trouble in the meantime?’
As he hurriedly went outside, he saw Ruin.
The best course of action was to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, but Kazen stopped in his tracks as if he had suddenly lost his words.
Thud—
Ruin was casting a spell.
Even Kazen, who had once achieved the 6-circle realm, couldn’t help but be shocked.
In an instant, all the Red Magic Tower mages were sprawled on the training ground floor.
‘…Is this circle magic?’
Kazen glanced at the other side of the training ground and saw the elders.
Seeing them all tilting their heads with blank expressions, Kazen thought,
His own expression must be the same as theirs.
When Hector pressured Ruin,
When Ruin withstood that pressure and retorted to Hector’s face.
Kazen had simply watched.
His son’s actions were stirring something deep within Kazen’s heart like a blazing fire.
“Alright. Let’s make another bet. I’ll give you what you want.”
His son, who was talking to Hector, suddenly looked this way. As if telling him to listen carefully.
“A bet? What are you talking about?”
“If you win, I’ll clear all of Kart and Samael’s remaining debts.”
“What?”
Hector’s eyes blazed with anger.
It was as if he was asking how dare Ruin say such a thing without any authority.
Hector’s gaze slowly shifted towards Kazen.
Kazen should have shaken his head. That was the natural thing to do.
He should have immediately stopped it, asking what nonsense Ruin was spouting, but for some reason, Kazen couldn’t say anything.
‘What is this…?’
His heart pounded. A whirlwind of emotions strong enough to overwhelm his usually calm rationality in an instant.
Perhaps it was because his son’s bold actions were the image of Samael that Kazen had always dreamed of.
His son’s voice slowly reached his ears and pierced through him.
“But if I win.”
“…”
“You, Hector, will clearly acknowledge that you are the guardian of Samael.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Hestia]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
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