Chapter 259

Chapter 259 – Friend, Danger. No, If You Sit

The dread lasted for a mere heartbeat.

The moment the sensation of impending doom washed over me, my thoughts grew remarkably sharp instead.

‘The magical signature feels like at least seven mages.’

That left only a couple of possibilities.

The Blizzard Storm Katrin, or… Holland, who had recently joined the ranks of the Seven Mages.

Holland represented the absolute worst-case scenario, but given the certainty that the Decullans were actively hunting the Ten Swords, facing either of them meant a completely desperate battle.

Therefore, what choice did I have?

‘…Flee?’

While dragging all these individuals along?

Absolutely impossible.

The adversaries would be upon us momentarily, and engaging in combat within this confined cavern was far from ideal.

Which meant…

‘A single opportunity.’

Pierce straight through their chest in one decisive blow.

Once my determination crystallized, my consciousness expanded. Operating at the absolute limits of my fully unleashed transcendence, I began drawing in the surrounding atmospheric mana. I harvested magical power from the three circles that were currently resonating and spinning violently, funnelling it directly into my left hand.

Mana concentrated in my right hand.

Magical power pooling in my left.

The moment I stacked my palms together and merged the opposing energies…

Spark, crackle—

A malevolent bolt of lightning crackled into existence right above my palms.

“…Tower Lord?”

Exstr called out, picking up on the abnormal atmosphere and silently requesting an explanation, but I paid him no mind, channeling every ounce of focus into the destructive forces gathered in my grip.

Annihilation, sparking with a far more devastating intensity than ever before.

Would this suffice?

‘…No, it is still insufficient.’

A spellcaster marching into a war zone equips themselves with every conceivable defense.

What I needed to penetrate was not a simple barrier.

If it were just a commonplace mage, I wouldn’t even worry about the protection granted by magical tools, but my adversary belonged to the Seven Mages.

…It required greater devastation.

‘And sharper definition.’

Responding to my mental commands, the annihilation slowly began to condense and alter its shape.

It transformed into a single bolt of electricity.

To be precise, it reshaped itself into a spear of lightning.

At this point, it made no difference whether Holland or Katrin walked through that entrance.

No matter who stepped inside, the instant they crossed the threshold into this cavern, their heart would be ruptured, transforming them into a corpse instantly.

Just as my preparations reached completion.

A sudden, overwhelming wave of heat rushed forward.

Roooar—

I dissolved the lightning and repressed an oath as blazing red fire surged into the subterranean passage. Simultaneously, I erected a defensive wall to shield everyone present in the cavern from the fiery manifestation.

‘…God damn it.’

That lunatic.

Unleashing catastrophic spells without a second thought?

Trying to wipe out everyone at once?

There was no time to feel regret over the fact that my planned ambush had vanished into thin air so instantly. There was only sheer irritation.

Mainly because I had not anticipated them launching an assault with such reckless aggression.

However, the true shock lay elsewhere.

As the inferno finally dissipated, the uninvited attackers walked deeper into the cavern’s recesses. Yet, it wasn’t just a single foe.

…There were two.

My face darkened as I observed the pair of interlopers.

‘…These individuals.’

I had prepared myself for Holland and Katrin, the ones reported to have entered the conflict. Instead, two completely unanticipated individuals stood before me.

The first was…

“Ha ha, really now. Why must you unleash such destructive force right away? What about our bargaining chips?”

Zaipo, Ruler of the Earth.

While the second one…

“Don’t we merely require the Ten Sword? It is far more efficient to purge the redundant garbage.”

Kokusen, the legendary ‘Double Master’ who commanded the elements of wind and fire.

‘Why have these two arrived?’

No, pondering that mystery was trivial at the moment.

The critical issue was that two members of the Seven Mages had arrived in tandem.

It was no wonder their magical signature felt irregular. Had they been intentionally concealing the presence of the second individual?

I believed I had envisioned the worst-case scenario, but reality was unraveling in an even more disastrous direction.

Exstr, serving as the leader, was the quickest to react to the appearance of the two Seven Mages.

“…Zaipo, Kokusen.”

His utterance was low, yet within the absolute hush of the cavern, every person caught the words perfectly.

A suffocating layer of tension immediately blanketed the subterranean chamber.

It was entirely justified—two figures from the Seven Mages occupying the exact same space.

Though the White Shield Knights possessed immense courage, maintaining their composure was impossible when confronted by two titans on par with the Ten Swords.

Nevertheless, completely dismissing their dread, Zaipo and Kokusen appeared entirely at ease.

The two elderly sorcerers stepped further into the cave, scanned the gathered crowd, and ultimately focused their attention on the disguised individual.

Kokusen was the first to speak up.

“Listen, Zaipo. Didn’t you claim we were hunting a Ten Sword? Since when can a common spellcaster rise to the rank of the Ten Swords?”

They had arrived expecting to confront a Ten Sword, only to encounter a practitioner of magic, making their perplexity quite evident.

“Ha ha, I never definitively stated it was a Ten Sword. I merely deduced it was highly probable, given how masterfully they concealed their aura.”

“It amounts to the exact same thing.”

“Do you wish to listen to an old man’s justifications? I possess plenty of them.”

“Hmph, standard nonsense. What are you even rambling about.”

Kokusen directed a sharp look at Zaipo before marching forward.

His intention was clearly to rip away the disguise and expose the magic-user’s true face.

Right then, Zaipo’s voice echoed across the space.

“Hold on, take a step back.”

“Tch, for what reason?”

“We ought to engage in a dialogue first, shouldn’t we? Surely we don’t need to plunge immediately into bloodshed?”

“A dialogue? What could we possibly discuss…?”

Kokusen began to counter the restriction aggressively, but swiftly comprehended the underlying motive, letting out a low chuckle.

“Ah, I see. A dialogue? Very well, let us converse. Talking has its merits.”

“Ha ha, precisely. Who can say? Perhaps this is merely an exceptionally gifted rogue sorcerer. And certainly not a commonplace one. If a verbal agreement can settle this, we ought to try.”

“Fine, fine. I acted with too much haste.”

As Kokusen retreated into the shadows without another word, Zaipo moved to the forefront and initiated the conversation.

“Let us see… This elderly gentleman wishes to have a brief discussion. What is your response, masked sorcerer? Are you inclined to participate?”

“…”

The disguised magic-user offered no immediate reply.

A heavy quiet was on the verge of enveloping the assembled group when the hidden figure finally uttered a brief response.

“Proceed as you wish.”

Zaipo offered a small grin, clearly gratified by the compliance.

“Excellent, an individual of sound mind. In that case… Our discussion might prove lengthy, and it would be unseemly to simply recline upon the raw stone floor. Ah, this should suffice.”

Zaipo produced a sharp snap with his fingers.

Rumble—

Within moments, chunks of stone erupted from the ground, shaping themselves into a solid table and accompanying seats.

Zaipo claimed one of the stone seats and extended a welcoming hand toward the hidden sorcerer.

“Take a seat.”

Yet, for some underlying reason.

The gaze of Zaipo, as he extended the invitation to the disguised figure, shone with the calculating malice of a serpent.

As Aster, the hidden magic-user, locked his gaze directly onto those scheming eyes, the mental transmission of the wyvern reverberated within his mind.

[Friend, danger. No, if you sit.]

Even the primordial earth spirit recognized that a trap had been woven into the seat Zaipo had manifested.

However.

Thud, thud.

Aster disregarded the wyvern’s frantic counsel and lowered himself onto the stone seat. He possessed no alternative.

The reality was simple.

Zaipo’s piercing glare remained fixed squarely upon Exstr, Britra, and the remaining captives.

“Ha ha, a highly intelligent decision. Now, shall we commence our dialogue?”

“To begin, who exactly are you?”

Confronted with the opening inquiry, Aster provided a poised reply.

“The master of the Magic Tower.”

“…What? You? The supreme authority of the Magic Tower?”

Zaipo was completely unable to mask his astonishment at Aster’s staggering revelation.

Never in his wildest dreams did he anticipate crossing paths with the very individual who had utterly disrupted the Decullans using Infinite Chain in this remote location.

“I assumed you were merely some wandering practitioner of magic who had drifted off course. It appears I was mistaken. Ha ha. Tell me then, Tower Lord, what brings you to this theater? Are you participating in the conflict?”

“Something along those lines.”

“In that case, you must have journeyed here to liberate the commander? It appears your connection with Lortel runs remarkably deep. Your most critical confederates, correct?”

“That is an accurate assessment.”

The replies were brief and unyielding, yet Zaipo continued his interrogation without showing even a flicker of annoyance.

Kokusen would occasionally interject with trivial, probing remarks, but they carried no real weight.

…At least on the surface level.

‘…Ten minutes ought to be more than enough time.’

He was playing a waiting game.

Anticipating the full activation of Earth Bind.

Waiting for that specific enchantment to completely saturate the Tower Lord’s physical form.

Earth Bind was a specialized curse he had perfected across his entire existence—a restrictive mechanism designed to completely nullify the target’s internal magic the moment they assumed a seated posture.

The mechanism triggered the instant they sat down, but the extended duration they remained seated ensured the dampening effect persisted long after they stood back up.

Furthermore, the longevity of the suppression multiplied the longer they remained in the chair.

While Zaipo patiently bided his time, the Tower Lord suddenly spoke.

“Cease this meaningless interrogation. Exactly how much longer?”

“What are you implying? Surely you do not harbor the illusion that you can purchase your freedom with…”

“No, I mean how much longer must I remain seated in this chair?”

“What did you say…?”

A distinct fracture appeared across Zaipo’s otherwise unflappable expression. Meanwhile, the Tower Lord lightly rapped his fingers against the stone seat and smirked.

Although the concealment magic obscured his physical features, Zaipo could intuitively sense the mockery in his expression.

Regardless, the Tower Lord continued speaking with that invisible smile.

“What duration did you calculate? Ten minutes? Perhaps twenty? I am perfectly willing to sit here for as long as you require. However, I demand a single condition.”

“…Ha!”

Zaipo finally gave vent to a burst of disbelieving laughter, completely staggered by such immense confidence.

“You were aware? And yet you chose to sit regardless?”

“Is there something remarkably formidable about it?”

“Heh.”

Zaipo’s mouth twitched, his personal pride deeply stung by the dismissive remark.

“Ha ha, did I not state as much? Earth Bind or whatever nonsense it is, it amounts to nothing extraordinary.”

“Be silent. Dammit, tch.”

After directing an irritated glare at Kokusen for the mockery, Zaipo refocused his attention onto the Tower Lord.

At this point, he discarded all illusions of civility.

“Very well, since you comprehend the objective, there is no further purpose in playing games. Remain seated for a mere ten minutes. Afterward, we can conclude this affair without wasting our energy.”

The fact that the Tower Lord recognized Earth Bind was certainly startling, but it altered nothing about their current predicament.

Earth Bind was merely a convenient instrument intended to streamline an already guaranteed outcome.

Then, the narrative shifted.

“Zaipo.”

“Ha ha, speak your mind.”

“I happen to prefer exhausting affairs.”

“Are you truly intent on resisting until the bitter end? Even when you bear the burden of protecting all these fragile lives?”

Zaipo’s composure finally dissolved entirely.

Even with Kokusen standing beside him, engaging in a full-scale battle against an adversary suspected to possess Ten Sword-level capabilities was a daunting prospect.

As he braced himself for violence, the Tower Lord executed a slow shake of his head.

“That outcome rests entirely upon your choice. Did I not mention that I have a condition?”

“A condition, you say?”

“Permit the insignificant subordinates to depart. Following their exit, you, Kokusen, and myself will conduct this dialogue. Agree to those terms, and I shall remain in this seat for whatever duration you desire.”

In plain terms, grant immediate freedom to the White Shield Knights.

Zaipo could only offer a mocking sneer at the sheer absurdity of the demand.

“Ha, what possible reason would compel us to do that?”

“What reason?”

At that exact heartbeat, a violent tearing sound reverberated through the cavern atmosphere.

Shatter…

As the concentrated magical energy emanating from the Tower Lord’s hand completely obliterated the constraints of Earth Bind, his commanding tone echoed powerfully throughout the subterranean chamber.

“If you refuse… I give you my solemn vow. Setting Kokusen aside…”

His gaze briefly drifted toward Kokusen before focusing entirely on Zaipo, radiating a suffocating, absolute intent to murder.

The Tower Lord declared.

“Your life will end by my hand.”

That pure malice… was far more concentrated and terrifying than any hostile aura Zaipo had ever encountered in his entire existence.