37 – Joltan Fashur (3)
The eerie sound, as if a book were exploding, continued to echo, but Lian remained vigilant.
Maximizing his weight, he rotated his shoulders to the limit before thrusting them forward.
“Arm.”
It felt like it would shatter. It was the result of exerting maximum force up to the limits.
Boom!
“Khhoo…!”
Pashur, who had been holding the guard for a long time, rose from his position, panting heavily.
Rubbing his numb arms, Pashur opened his mouth.
“I wondered how you defeated Craig, but it seems you used similar tactics back then.”
“….”
Was the name of the elemental magician just now Craig?
“He deserved it. Despite being an outstanding elemental magician, he was ultimately only in the 4th rank.”
Muttered Pashur, wiping away his laughter and raising his gauntlet.
“Let me show you how I climbed up to become the director of Parthian.”
Lian didn’t wait for Pashur to finish his words. Swiftly! A magical blow full of power struck Pashur’s Adam’s apple. It was a shock to the extent that the air seemed to burst out, but Pashur did not step back at all. His face did not contort in pain.
With an indifferent expression, he just twisted Lian’s arm.
“….!”
A momentum incomparable to before. As the magical power enveloping Pashur’s body exploded, flames erupted from all directions.
It wasn’t just a change in momentum. Due to Pashur’s magical power, the surrounding environment was gradually being affected. Wondering why such a change occurred, it turned out that the form of magical power was different from before.
His magical power contained determination.
The determination to burn down the enemy in front of him.
Though he wasn’t a mage of the fire affinity, it was undoubtedly because of him that flames could spread around.
“…As expected.”
As conveyed in the briefing, Joltan Pasur had reached the 5th rank.
Up to the 4th rank, with enough effort, even commoners could somehow reach it over time, but from the 5th rank and onwards, it was different.
A realm permitted only for the chosen few.
If your talent was not sufficient, you could never reach it no matter how hard you worked throughout your lifetime.
Thud.
A eerie sound echoed from his arm. Joltan Pasur continued to grip Lian and then slammed him onto the ground.
Kwaaang!
The moment he was slammed into the ground, he almost lost consciousness. Despite somehow enveloping his body with magic, each collision brought overwhelming shock to his body. Lian was enduring this much because he was Lian; if it were Amila, his entire body would have burst apart with the first collision.
“Damn bastard.”
Due to his arm being firmly held by the guy, he couldn’t escape. It would be good if he could just throw him off, but Joltan Pasur was a cautious person. He wouldn’t let go until this side completely lost consciousness.
“And it’s hot.”
The flames created by him weren’t real. Having directly witnessed Egon’s ‘darkness,’ he could distinguish it immediately. Egon’s darkness was true darkness, while this guy was merely imitating flames with magic. But even so, it was hot.
Kwaaang!
At this rate, he would die.
Lian’s decision was quick. After withdrawing the magic that enveloped his entire body, he slammed into him with just his bare body. Kwaaang! A much more intense agony than before.
“Damn it.”
He had to pretend to lose consciousness. He didn’t think he could completely deceive the guy. A very brief opening. That should be enough.
Now.
The moment the strength in his arm holding the spear diminished, Lian rotated his body with all his might. He spun around and fell back.
“Phew.”
Spitting out the coagulated blood in his mouth, Lian glared at Joltan Pashur. It felt like some of his ribs had been broken from the impact just now.
“hahahahaha! He was completely insane.”
Joltan Pashur burst into laughter, watching Lian’s state.
To pretend to lose consciousness, he collided with the ground with his bare body. Anyone could imagine it, but actually executing it was a completely different story.
If he had used even a little bit of magic power, he would have immediately noticed. But Lian didn’t do that, he deceived himself until the end.
A decision so audacious that it was hard to believe it came from an adolescent boy.
No one else can teach such a thing.
You have to be born with it.
“Come at me.”
“Are you kidding me?”
The moment he spat those words, thud! Joltan Pashur’s fist struck Lian’s side. He tried to guard, but he couldn’t prevent his body from being knocked away.
“Guhh… It hasn’t been long since my organs burst.”
Lian looked at Joltan Pashur, who was approaching him, and coughed up blood.
Breathing was difficult. It was partly because his organs were in shambles, but the heated air made it even worse.
“It was a fight with no chance of winning from the beginning. Even your talented comrade knew that and ran away…”
For a moment, a doubt arose in Lian’s mind as he looked at Joltan Pashur’s relaxed face.
Even if Amira escaped, why haven’t the bodyguards returned? It’s been a long time since they should have come back.
Keiiiiing!
The moment the thoughts of Zoltan Pashur reached that point, a dagger emerged, piercing through the darkness and into his thigh.
“……!!”
Squelch!
Instead of pulling out the dagger, Zoltan Pashur slowly turned his head backward.
A man with a black mask on his face. In his ears, a type of earpiece identical to Lian’s was fitted.
He uttered a word while gazing at Lian.
“Stay focused.”
A voice heard through the earpiece.
Before Lian could respond, the man leaped towards Zoltan Pashur.
Rather than confronting directly, he moved to disperse his gaze as much as possible, attempting to buy time.
A skilled movement, demonstrating experience in facing various warriors, especially those with martial skills.
In the moment when an enraged Zoltan Pashur reached out both hands to grab the man’s collar, a throwing spear aimed for the gap.
Squelch!
The blade of the spear clashed with the gauntlet, and dust scattered from all directions.
This time, it was a spearman who revealed himself. He, too, had the same type of earpiece in his ears.
“You owe me for what just happened. Ludwick.”
“… Shut up and focus. He’s a top-tier in the 5th rank.”
The spear and dagger expertly targeted and delved into the openings. Whether it was the first or second time they synchronized their attacks, the two supported each other seamlessly.
“….”
Joltan Pashur deftly evaded the attack, scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes.
In that brief moment, the number of enemies increased to just two. By that point, even Graad had to acknowledge the strangeness of the situation.
His personal guards were all skilled individuals who had reached the 4th tier. While the individual prowess of members in the Laflas Mercenary Corps was renowned, it was impossible to gain the upper hand against the elite guards and heavily armed gang members.
Unless there was an accomplice.
But that was also impossible. Laflas Mercenary Corps was fundamentally a small, elite force. If there had been flexibility in organizing personnel, they wouldn’t have sent only six members from the beginning.
At that moment, one possibility flashed through Joltan Pashur’s mind.
“No way…!!”
If, from the beginning, that woman hadn’t escaped?
In the bewildered eyes of Joltan Pashur, Lian’s mocking smile was evident.
Only now did Joltan Pashur realize Lian’s strategy, and his expression visibly hardened with astonishment.
Shrrr!
Suddenly, dozens, even hundreds of intertwined magical threads appeared, firmly entangling his arms and legs.
From start to finish, he had completely fallen for the trickery.
Lian, from the beginning, had been buying time for this very moment.
“You’re too slow to catch on.”
Lian stood up, laughing heartily.
“How dare these bastards!!”
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Joltan Pashur shouted like a demon. The magical threads holding his body were gradually breaking apart. No matter how much he exerted his strength, Joltan Pashur was a skilled individual who had reached a higher tier than anyone present in this location.
Even if they held on for as long as possible, at most, it would be a matter of seconds.
However.
It was enough time for Lian.
“It’s too late.”
Lian’s new power pierced through the shield of Joltan Fashur. The ambient mana moved as Lian desired.
Roarrr.
“Did I mention that it contains my will?”
If the key to advancing to a higher rank is this.
Including this side.
My will.
Keeeng…!
The electric current rushed into Lian’s right hand as if going insane. The intense current scattered in all directions, occupying the entire space.
Instantly soaring heat. Joltan Fashur, sensing that it cannot be avoided, started to glow like crazy.
“Kuh, Kuaaa!!!!! You sons of b*tches!”
From Noble mtl dot com
However, Lian’s words did not reach his ears.
Destroy.
Shatter.
Everything in front of his eyes.
At the moment when Lian’s will was being dragged out beyond his fist.
Buzzzzzzz!!!
Reality shattered as it was.
****