The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 312

Rapid was genuinely flustered right now.

‘Why is Sein Vinoche here?’

Rapid had considerable pride in his own power.

His near-divine ability to freely control the acceleration of himself and surrounding objects, and his skill in utilizing that ability.

In a one-on-one fight, he was confident he wouldn’t lose to just about anyone.

However.

‘I can’t beat Sein Vinoche.’

Sein Vinoche was beyond that ‘just about anyone’ category.

‘In front of a true swordsman, my sword is meaningless.’

The executives of the Black Magic Tower openly disregarded swordsmen.

They said swordsmen were nothing, and even Sein Vinoche, their so-called king, was nothing.

Everyone said so.

‘You stupid bastards. That’s because you haven’t seen Sein Vinoche fight.’

But that was something they could say because of their ignorance.

Rapid was different from those foolish executives.

Rapid had witnessed the power of the monster called Sein Vinoche with his own eyes.

He had seen it firsthand and was convinced he couldn’t win.

That was a monster.

Engaging that monster in close combat was a foolish act.

‘I have to run.’

Rapid had already lost the will to fight.

He couldn’t even muster the will.

If you still had the will to fight after seeing that swordsmanship that split the sea and slaughtered dozens of monsters in one blow, you were either a complete idiot or a significant figure.

And Rapid was a reasonable person who belonged to neither of those categories.

Choosing to flee was the most natural thing to do.

‘No, more importantly, what the hell is Hermes doing?’

Looking at Sein standing leisurely in the distance, he felt a surge of anger.

Sein Vinoche had fallen from the sky.

There was no way Hermes wouldn’t have noticed Sein.

Which meant that Hermes knew about Sein’s approach but didn’t give Rapid any warning.

“Hermes, what the hell are you doing?”

He could roughly understand.

Hermes was currently in a position where she absolutely had to capture Shin Hayul.

She couldn’t afford to fail this operation.

That’s why she didn’t tell him about Sein’s approach.

Knowing that if Rapid knew in advance, he would immediately flee.

“Hermes! Answer me! What the hell are you thinking…”

Rapid placed his finger on the in-ear device and shouted.

“That bitch…”

He was genuinely furious at Hermes, who still hadn’t answered.

“Don’t be too harsh. It’s not like she didn’t tell you because she knew about my approach.”

“…What?”

Sein said something out of the blue.

“She must be busy in her own way. She wouldn’t have had the time to look this way.”

“…What do you mean?”

Hermes was busy?

From Hermes’s perspective, this situation should be the most important.

Why would she be distracted by anything else?

“Figure it out yourself. I don’t intend to explain it to you so kindly.”

Sein slightly turned her gaze towards Shin Hayul’s neck.

The neck and top were stained red with blood flowing from the thirty shallow wounds.

“Let me tell you in advance. I will not show you any mercy.”

Sein’s mind went cold.

The anger stemming from Shin Hayul’s wounds forged her into an even more ruthless sword.

“…”

Rapid swallowed hard.

‘Just now. I was cut by her gaze alone.’

Just by making eye contact, he felt a delusion as if his neck and body were separated.

That was how terrifying her killing intent was.

“It seems… the situation is turning out strangely, more than I thought…”

Rapid took a step back.

The situation wasn’t favorable, and he was planning to escape.

“Planning to run away?”

As if she had read Rapid’s thoughts through his eyes and actions.

Sein asked quietly.

“Is there any reason for me to fight a meaningless monster like you in this meaningless situation?”

At that moment. The sea that had been split in half returned to its original form.

It looked as if a massive tsunami was pouring down from both sides.

The reunion of the split sea caused it to violently surge.

“Give up. You cannot escape from me.”

On the violently surging waves, the corpses of the monsters that Sein had bisected rained down.

The blood spilled by the monsters mixed into the swirling sea.

“Well, I don’t think you can stop me from running away, unless we actually fight.”

Rapid slowly began to step.

A preliminary action to activate acceleration adjustment magic.

A preliminary action to apply the pre-stored acceleration to his body.

‘Normally, I would have immediately bolted backward, but…’

As he said, no matter how powerful Sein Vinoche was, she couldn’t keep up with his speed.

At this distance, he could definitely escape.

…But.

‘The opponent is Sein Vinoche. Don’t let your guard down.’

Considering who the opponent was, a careless judgment was forbidden.

‘She’s a monster who has evolved another step in the last five years. I need to prepare for the worst.’

Rapid stepped and his eyes gleamed.

Then, he scattered mana around him.

A simple scattering with no magical elements.

At first glance, it seemed like a meaningless action, but there was a clear purpose behind it.

Kieeeeee-!

Dozens, hundreds of monsters jumped out from the surroundings.

‘Good. That’s it.’

The corrupted mana excited the surrounding monsters.

Rapid had scattered mana indiscriminately to excite the monsters around him and create a chaotic situation.

‘Judging from her previous performance, I don’t think they’ll last even a second, but…’

Considering the sword strike that cut all the monsters in half, it wouldn’t mean much.

But whatever, it would buy him some time.

‘One second is enough.’

He could escape in that fleeting moment when Sein Vinoche focused on the monsters.

Rapid congratulated himself on his excellent strategy.

However.

“Not a bad trick…”

That was just Rapid’s thought.

“One. I will give you a lesson.”

Sein Vinoche gripped her sword again.

“A strategy only works against an opponent of a certain level.”

Kiiiiing-!

The clear and sharp sound unique to blades rang out particularly loudly.

“No matter how great a plan rabbits prepare. It’s impossible to beat a lion.”

Sein raised her sword to her left.

Slightly tilted.

This time, she gripped the sword with both hands as if she was going to cut with all her might.

“None of your plans will work against me.”

And the next moment.

‘I’m going to die…!’

Death suddenly approached.

He didn’t even see Sein’s sword being swung.

He just noticed that something was coming.

‘I have to dodge!’

With the superhuman senses unique to someone facing death, he did his best to dodge.

Rapid exploded all the acceleration he had accumulated to get out of this place.

Just two meters.

He invested everything to move that distance.

As a result, Rapid’s body leaped about two meters at a speed close to the speed of light.

This was a very inefficient action in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Some might look at Rapid now and say this.

Investing everything due to a momentary anxiety, just to move two meters. Isn’t that too foolish?

They might say that.

‘This is bullshit…’

But I can say with certainty.

This is not a foolish act.

It’s the opposite.

If you saw the carnage that Sein’s sword had just created, everyone would understand.

‘The monsters that jumped above the sea surface were all cut in half.’

Without any warning.

He didn’t even see Sein swing her sword.

When he noticed, hundreds of monsters were cut in half and dead.

“You have good instincts. It’s a waste to keep you as a black magician.”

Looking at the location where the monsters were cut, it could be confirmed that the place where Rapid was standing just now was precisely bisected.

‘If I hadn’t dodged, my neck would have been cut off.’

Cold sweat poured down Rapid’s back like rain.

What kind of monstrous sword strike was that?

The fact that he dodged was nothing short of a miracle.

‘I should thank the heavens for giving me this miracle.’

Rapid quickly regained his senses.

What was amazing was amazing.

It was time to act quickly, thanking the miracle that had come.

‘I’m out of here!’

Rapid used the remaining acceleration to the fullest and kicked off the air.

‘Anyone who launches a strong attack is bound to have an opening.’

Whether it was a miracle or not, if he had avoided that attack.

Next was his turn.

He would take advantage of this gap after the powerful attack and escape.

‘No matter how monstrous she is, she can’t launch attacks of this level in succession.’

Rapid’s body began to gain speed.

He would escape all the way to Seoul.

No, using the accelerating speed, he would escape to another country.

Rapid organized his thoughts like that.

However.

“I told you.”

At that moment.

Sein moved her sword again.

Casually.

Calmly.

Lightly holding it as if caressing a child’s wrist.

And then.

“You cannot escape.”

She muttered, glaring at Rapid as he moved away.

“Ha!”

Rapid turned his head halfway and looked at Sein.

A face filled with sarcasm.

“It’s too late!”

The acceleration had already kicked in.

It was too late to respond.

The golden time had already passed.

No matter how powerful Sein was, it was impossible to cut Rapid, who had accelerated this far.

“Well.”

Sein Vinoche’s sword was swung from top to bottom.

It didn’t have the same power as when she cut the sea earlier, or when she bisected the monsters.

In the first place, the trajectory of the sword itself looked very slow.

“What are you going to cut with that turtle-like sword?”

The sword strike, swung as if dancing, was at a level that couldn’t even be called a breeze.

“What will I cut?”

However.

“Anything.”

That was something they could say because they didn’t know.

It was something that only ordinary people who didn’t know how absurd the sword Sein had just unleashed was could say.

“There is nothing I cannot cut if I intend to cut it.”

Rapid burst into laughter.

“What? With that pathetic sword? There’s nothing you can’t cut? Hahaha!”

And at that moment.

Sein’s sword stopped.

The sword that had been swung from top to bottom stopped moving at Sein’s feet.

“…Huh?”

That was enough.

“Th…is…”

Rapid’s body stopped.

As if sensing something was wrong. He stood in place, looking at his hands.

“What… is… this…”

His trembling eyes and mouth.

Rapid’s bewildered pupils were reflected in Sein’s retina.

“Since I intended to cut you.”

Looking at Rapid, Sein sheathed her sword.

Chiiiing-!

The sword returned to its scabbard with a clear resonance.

Sein, who had finished sheathing her sword, turned her back on Rapid.

“Wherever you are, my sword will reach you.”

And at that moment.

Fwoooosh-!

Beyond Sein’s back, a fountain of blood erupted from Rapid’s body.

Starting from the crown of his head, his chest, back, groin, and lower body.

The color of blood poured out in all directions from Rapid’s body, which was perfectly bisected symmetrically.

“Please. Go to hell and boast about it.”

Instant death.

Rapid died without even uttering a final word.

“To die by my sword… by the Mind Sword, is quite an honorable death. If they hear that story, even the King of Hell might be impressed and reduce your sentence.”

Sein walked across the sea.

Splash, splash.

On the sea where the corpses and blood of monsters were rampant.

She continued her walk with a solitary and noble figure.

Then, Sein, who stood in front of Shin Hayul, smiled playfully again.

“I’ll ask again. In the past month. Haven’t I improved quite a bit?”

Shin Hayul let out a hollow laugh.

Sein’s playful title of ‘teacher’ didn’t even register in her ears.

“This… this isn’t at a level that can be described as improved…”

She couldn’t believe what she had just seen with her own eyes.

She didn’t have the time to care about trivial things like titles.

“Mind Sword Unification…”

Goosebumps rose all over Shin Hayul’s body.

She thought she knew enough about Sein Vinoche’s brilliant talent.

“Mind Sword Unification. A state where one becomes one with the Mind Sword. I’ve been thinking a lot about what to call this state. But this is the perfect name. It has a good resonance.”

But it seemed she was wrong.

“…Do you know what?”

“Hmm?”

“Sein-nim, you are the most talented swordsman in the past, present, and future…”

“Haha. Even so, that’s an excessive evaluation.”

“No. I’m serious.”

Sein Vinoche.

Her talent was not at a level that reached the sky, but at a level that easily pierced through the sky.