"It's been a while."
The Fallen nodded calmly, as if he had known Larian would appear here.
"Mage Tower Master Larian."
He bowed, curling the corners of his mask's mouth as if it were human skin.
"I suppose you knew I'd come through some heaven's flow or something?"
Larian gave a twisted smile at The Fallen's calm reaction. Her voice sank coldly, as if her lips were frosted over.
"Then I assume you're properly prepared to fight?"
As if to start immediately, Larian levitated the blue dagger she held into the air. Though different from Sword Control, her dagger danced gracefully as if alive, scattering blue frost fragments.
"That's not the case."
As The Fallen shook his head and moved his fingertips, the dark red bead that Raon had dropped when he fell rose up on its own.
"I don't particularly intend to fight..."
Just as he was about to grab the dark red bead while saying he would quietly withdraw, Larian's levitated dagger leapt through space and fell beside the bead. The blue light that rose from the dagger's blade spread magnificently, freezing the very space where the dark red bead was floating.
"You've brought an interesting toy."
As The Fallen smiled faintly and flicked his finger, the ice that had frozen as if to protect the bead shattered into thousands of pieces.
"Is it really just a toy?"
As Larian sarcastically tilted her chin, the blue dagger once again spread its cold energy, freezing the bead and the surrounding space.
"To try and secure that bead first, with me right in front of you..."
Larian narrowed her eyes as she looked at the dark red bead.
"It must be quite important, I suppose?"
She licked her red lips as if interested in the bead.
"Haa..."
The Fallen exhaled a murky breath with his hand on his forehead.
"I wanted to quietly return, but you're forcibly detaining me."
A gray murderous intent surfaced in his calm eyes.
"Your fate might change today."
The Fallen briefly clicked his tongue as if regretful.
"Fate is always changing. I don't believe in the heaven's flow nonsense you all spout."
Larian snorted, saying there was no need to consider heaven's flow.
"A magician only believes in their own mind and heart."
"You'll regret this."
The Fallen tilted his chin as if giving a last chance. Despite his words seeming to ask for release, white and black lights filled with murderous intent rose from his hands.
"I'd like to let you go too, but..."
Larian slightly lowered her eyebrows.
"I was asked to capture you no matter what."
Behind her, daggers identical to the blue one that froze the bead rose like fan ribs. Surprisingly, the color of each blade was different.
"What a pity."
With The Fallen's faint smile, the burning white and black lights before him shone even more brilliantly.
"That the master of the magic tower will disappear here."
He nodded calmly as if the outcome was already decided.
"No. One of Eden's heads will disappear."
Larian didn't back down and raised her chin. The moment the eyes of the two Transcendents met under the blue moon, black light and daggers shot out as if transcending space. Black flashes and bright yellow daggers clashed, splitting the ink-black clouds filling the sky, and yellow sparks spread in all directions.
While The Fallen was glaring at Larian's yellow dagger competing with the black light, a red dagger burst through the sparks on the right. The red dagger flew at a fierce speed as if to shatter The Fallen's heart.
"Are you trying to be a martial artist?"
The Fallen smirked as he watched the red dagger flying like a Sword Control technique.
"Clumsy learning tends to damage even what you already possess."
He raised his hand, erecting a wall of white light to block the dagger's blade.
"That might be true for you, but..."
Larian lowered her eyebrows as she looked at the red dagger blocked by The Fallen's light.
"Not for me."
As she snapped her fingers, a massive stream of flames poured from the tip of the dagger caught in The Fallen's light. Each flame stream, carrying transcendent magic, caused a massive chain explosion in mid-air.
The night sky flickered with red light as if watching a fireworks display worth thousands of gold. It seemed like a beautiful hell of flames had unfolded.
The Fallen separated his body like a reflection in a glass window to escape the fiery hell. He nodded slightly as he looked at the black burn on the back of his hand.
"Certainly not a toy to be taken lightly."
As The Fallen nodded in acknowledgment, a brilliant light spread out, causing the flames filling the air to disappear, and the wound on the back of his hand healed cleanly.
"You're not tired already, are you?"
Larian shrugged as she caught the returned red dagger with her fingertips.
"Of course..."
The Fallen spread his hands, drawing up massive light and darkness. He curled his lips as he shaped the two vastly different energies into a sphere resembling the sun.
"This is where it begins."
The Fallen and Larian, wearing similar smiles, shot green daggers and black darkness towards each other's hearts.
* * *
'That's Mage Tower Master Larian?'
Raon gasped as he watched Larian pushing back The Fallen with her mana-infused daggers.
'She's a completely different person from when she's in the conference room!'
Mage Tower Master Larian had always appeared lethargic and slothful during the Five Kings Conference. He thought it was because of her research position, but seeing her fight on the battlefield, it seemed like she was a completely different person.
'I was worried she'd be passive, but she's way too aggressive?'
Instead of merely countering The Fallen's attacks, Larian was taking the initiative, drawing out his true martial prowess. It was the most aggressive fighting style he had seen among the Five Kings so far.
'And she's quick-witted too.'
While defending against The Fallen's magic, he had dropped the dark red bead he was holding. Just as the bead was about to fall into The Fallen's hands without any resistance, Larian quickly assessed the situation and froze the space itself. The more he watched, the harder it was to believe she was the same timid person from the conference room.
'And I had no idea she could use daggers.'
Larian was pushing The Fallen back using ten differently colored daggers, each storing magic. It seemed she was using the daggers' techniques to enhance her spells before releasing them all at once.
'At this rate, she should be able to hold off The Fallen.'
The Fallen was so focused on dealing with Larian that he wasn't paying any attention to Raon. Now was the time to move and save the others.
'Quickly...'
Raon got up without even stopping the blood flowing from the wound on his chest.
"Urgh..."
Mark Goetun was trembling all over, clutching his chest as if he could barely endure, while Blood Horn was too severely injured to move, panting heavily on the spot. Merlin was in the worst condition among them. She was spewing black blood and life force from both her mouth and chest.
"Merlin!"
Raon rushed to Merlin first, placing his hand on her chest.
'Damn it...'
Not a single bit of holy power remained. It hadn't been long since he had treated Merlin, so the Divinity Born from Darkness he had used on her was still depleted. Using another demon king's power without the Divinity Born from Darkness would only act as a poison, killing Merlin faster.
"Damn it!"
Raon sprinkled holy water on Merlin's chest and tried to stop the flowing blood using his aura, but the wound had opened twice, and he couldn't stop it anymore.
'Her life force is dropping rapidly.'
As the bleeding continued, Merlin's complexion turned from pale to yellow, and her breathing became labored. The shadow of death was looming over her.
'What should I do...'
Raon bit his lip as he watched Merlin's blood flowing through his fingers.
-Hmm...
Wrath's lips trembled.
-It's uncertain, but there is one method.
He looked at Merlin, indicating there was only one way.
'What is it! Tell me quickly!'
Raon looked at Wrath with desperate eyes.
-We freeze this madwoman with this king's cold energy. However, since it's not originally meant for healing, there might be side effects, and she might not wake up at all.
Wrath shook his head, saying it wasn't a perfect solution.
-Even if this king were to do it, there's a chance of failure. If you do it, it's a fifty-fifty chance.
He lowered his eyebrows, implying she might even die.
'There's no choice. If we leave her like this, she'll definitely die...'
As Raon was about to ask Wrath to tell him the method, a pure white dagger fell in front of his eyes. The white dagger wasn't aimed at him or Merlin, but instead struck the ground, emitting a soft light like stage illumination.
As the dagger's light spread around, the crumpled bushes and flowers that had seemed dead unfurled their leaves as if given new life.
However, this mysterious light wasn't just affecting the plants. Blood Horn's broken leg realigned itself, and Mark Goetun's torn waist wound slowly began to heal. Even the long gash on his own chest left by the Demon Slaying Spear began to close as flesh filled in and the bleeding stopped.
'Then... that means...'
Raon quickly looked down to check on Merlin. Her chest wound was also healing, with new flesh sprouting like fresh buds, and the injuries covering her entire body began to recover.
'What in the...'
Raon raised his head, gasping in disbelief. Larian was nonchalantly deflecting The Fallen's magic with her blue dagger, not even glancing in their direction.
'This doesn't make sense.'
There are many magicians who use multiple attributes. Even Merlin, though rare, is a magician who uses all four major attributes. However, magicians who use light, darkness, and healing magic are extremely rare, and they typically use only one of these attributes.
'But she's different.'
Larian was shattering the world's concept by not only using the four major attributes but also wielding healing magic.
"The, the pain is almost gone."
Mark Goetun and Blood Horn approached him with bewildered looks, saying their wounds and pain had disappeared.
"Please protect her."
Raon asked Mark Goetun to stand guard and then turned his attention back to Merlin.
'She's still not good.'
She lost too much blood. Even though her wounds had healed, Merlin couldn't recover her vitality like he or Mark Goetun had, and her complexion remained dark. Her hand was as cold as a corpse.
'There should still be some elixir energy left in her body.'
Exhaling a murky breath, he used the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to release the remaining elixir energy in Merlin's body.
'Please! Please...'
Raon continuously circulated his aura as he looked at Merlin's face, which seemed like it might never open its eyes again. A whooshing sound filled the air.
* * *
"Healing, is it..."
The Fallen clicked his tongue as he watched Mark Goetun and Raon rise, their wounds healed.
"Now I remember your epithet."
He nodded as he raised his gaze to Larian.
"Sage Larian. The incarnation of omnipotence, capable of anything in heaven and earth."
The Fallen smiled thinly, saying he now understood the abilities that earned her the title of Sage.
"Is that all you have to say before you die?"
Larian tilted her head as she levitated daggers above her fingers.
"You won't have a chance to speak soon, so why not share your last words?"
She turned on her toes, aiming her colorfully glowing daggers at The Fallen.
"Since I can't die yet, I'll have to exert myself a bit."
As The Fallen smiled and brought his hands together to burst white and black beads, eight wings sprouted from his back. The wings on the right emitted pure white light, while those on the left spread sharply like bat wings, revealing darkness.
"Let's begin the second round."
As The Fallen waved his fingertips, gray cracks opened in the air, pouring out powerful light and darkness. Larian drew a square with four daggers to create a mana barrier, but she was pushed back, unable to withstand the magnificent light and darkness.
"So four are no longer enough?"
She raised a fifth dagger while briefly glancing down.
'That child...'
Larian clicked her tongue briefly as she saw the masked woman Raon was treating.
'She's going to die.'
Despite throwing the healing dagger, her body's vitality wasn't returning. At this rate, she would surely die.
"Where are you looking?"
With The Fallen's amused voice, he shot a sword wrapped in white light. Larian managed to block it by twisting her dagger, but if she had been a moment slower, it would have pierced her forehead.
"You'd better focus now, or you'll be in trouble."
The Fallen tilted his chin as if he had gained the upper hand in this fight.
"Right..."
As Larian drew a circle with her left and right hands as if caressing a bead, ten daggers rose in front of her chest, forming a wheel-like shape. As the slowly rotating daggers absorbed brilliant mana light, geometric patterns appeared on their blades.
Larian revealed the original form of the Twelve Star Formation, flashing a blue gleam.
"I'll deal with you first."
* * *
'No...'
Raon bit his lip as he watched Merlin grow increasingly pale.
'Her vitality isn't returning!'
Despite infusing her with elixir and his own energy, Merlin was losing vitality as if her life had already ended. It felt like trying to forcibly light a completely burned-out candle.
'Please!'
Raon pushed in all the heat from his Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation purified by the Ring of Fire, but Merlin's body only grew colder.
'Wrath!'
Raon called out to Wrath, biting his lip.
'Tell me the method you mentioned earlier!'
He shouted, asking for the method to freeze her body while compressing and releasing Merlin's heart with his palm.
-Hmm, in this state, there's no hope.
Wrath let out a low groan, saying it seemed too late.
'It's okay. Quickly!'
-Haaa...
Wrath exhaled deeply and approached his side.
-The method is...
Even while saying there was no hope, he quickly explained the method to freeze a human body.
-Did you understand?
'Yes...'
To freeze Merlin's body, Raon refined Glacier's cold energy with the Ring of Fire and sprinkled it over Merlin's body. As the cold energy tried to freeze Merlin's body, a faint energy emerged from the old woman's mask she was wearing, interfering with the process.
'What is... No. Again!'
There was no time to investigate the cause, so he sprinkled the cold energy again, but once more, the energy flowing from the mask prevented her from freezing.
'This damn mask!'
Unable to contain himself, Raon grabbed Merlin's mask. Like in the forest, the mask remained firmly attached to her face, refusing to come off.
'I'll just break it completely.'
Just as Raon was about to use and Glacier's cold energy to completely shatter Merlin's mask, a thin crack appeared on the old woman's mask, and an enormous light that made it impossible to open one's eyes erupted from within.