The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 166

166

As the former Overlord soared with his three pairs of wings to chase after the red-haired youth, the ancient miasma [a noxious or poisonous atmosphere or influence], following his flight path, caused the very dimension to tremble.

“A, Abuut-!”

‘What, is he… trying to buy time for everyone to escape?’

As the presence that felt like it would crush her soul gradually faded away, Miria caught her breath and bit her lip in helplessness.

She couldn’t possibly think he was running away because he had a way to win. Humanity no longer had a way to stand against that former Overlord.

‘Why is he acting cool for no reason….’

Meanwhile, Millone Alter Gaumris approached Yuliana, the Maiden of the Star Cluster, dragging Gaumris along the ground.

“Yuliana, was that just now what I think it was? Was it called Juyeoso Gyedae Ban….”

Yuliana, who had finally managed to release the barrier of the Psalm [a sacred song or hymn], collapsed to the ground, sweating profusely, as if she had exhausted all her strength.

“Yes… it’s the ultimate healing technique created by the Archmage Rin and the Fire Dragon’s Maiden, Friede.”

According to theory, Juyeoso Gyedae Ban makes the caster temporarily invincible through a 5-star ice magic focused solely on defense.

And inside, 5-star healing and dispel runes are activated to perfectly restore the caster’s body, according to academic consensus.

Originally an incomplete mixed technique, it evolved into a complete one as it became usable by an absolute being who transcended human perception.

“Rin died knowing it as an activation technique, but according to Toureina, Friede made it automatically activate when the caster is in mortal danger….”

Nariaduke transcended death with that tragic technique.

There is no human here who can stop that now… All the existing Fae Quellers [individuals or groups dedicated to hunting or eliminating Fae creatures] must unite, or the Water Dragon or the Cardinal Corps [a high-ranking religious or military organization] must step in….

The sealing ability of the Psalm of Creation might create some variables… but the two maidens who could wield that omnipotent power are no longer on this earth.

But I have to try somehow. I’m the only one.

“Valensidis, find Toureina’s corpse! There’s a Psalm scroll there… Valensidis?”

* * *

I need to buy time.

First, time to sort out my overloaded head with Bell Querious [likely a magical artifact or ability], and time to activate the power of Creation.

「Rotas…… Futile struggle.」

As Nariaduke flew fiercely across the sky above my head, a storm raged, and the landscape began to distort horribly.

‘Crazy.’

In the stench that threatened to ruin my sense of smell, the lush forest rotted to a yellow hue. Beasts and monsters cried out in agony before turning into pus-filled lumps.

‘This is really crazy.’

It was then that a fissure appeared in the earth, and a pillar of fire that burned the atmosphere soared up and struck Nariaduke… or rather, that time was deleted.

‘What a truly insane ability….’

But waiting for Nariaduke, who had moved beyond the deleted time, were five pillars of fire surging with explosive heat.

「Puuuuuet…… This bastard……!」

But thankfully, it seems there is still a delay in the activation of his power. If he had used his power limitlessly like Shar’Kas, there would have been no answer.

The abilities of ‘time deletion’ or ‘space interference’ seemed to share that delay.

I could be sure when I saw that guy, barely out of the flames, chasing directly after me as I ran down the opposite slope.

‘Still, a 4-star magic can inflict some damage.’

Nariaduke, resurrected in a human body, was not as desperate an opponent as Shar’Kas, who possessed the main body.

The problem is that no matter what I do, I can’t kill him… No, that’s not right. That was the same with Shar’Kas.

Yes, the problem is that there is no mighty connection like Alakish here. I have to solve this problem alone.

“Rin, Rin, Rin.”

No, I’m not alone.

Whenever I thought I was alone, this guy was always by my side. The best gift Friede left me.

I couldn’t help but smile at the unexpected joy, but at the same time, I felt anxiety rising.

“I told you to stay by Toureina’s side.”

If I were to be cold, the fool was already in eternal rest, so there was no need for someone to guard him.

But why did I do that?

One reason was that Pipi didn’t want to leave Toureina’s side, and another was that I didn’t want to drag Pipi into a dangerous fight.

And I, too, didn’t want to leave that lonely fool alone, even if he was dead.

“This, this, this.”

But wasn’t Pipi holding a hemp rope in his mouth? Wrapped in that hemp rope was a small scroll.

If my memory is correct, it seems to have been hanging on Toureina’s waist….

“Rin, front, front, front, front.”

While running, I unfolded the scroll and almost slammed my head into a tree that had run up to my eyes.

“Left, root below, right, rock.”

Following Pipi’s guidance, and using his flame wings as a light, I hurriedly read down the scroll’s formula, which was quite shocking.

“A 5-star hybrid of magic and sorcery?”

This is….

With this… I can definitely buy time, but there is a fatal problem. I can cast 5-star magic, but I can’t activate 5-star sorcery.

「Hehehehehe…… There is no escape from the typhoon of causality [the principle that cause precedes effect]…… Al ta ris, this valley will be your grave…….」

Then, I heard a resonance that was impossible to imitate with human vocal organs.

Stimulating the fear and madness rooted in the source… more of a shock than a voice….

Then, a fierce storm arose from the feathers scattered throughout the forest. A vortex of erosion that sprang from the extremes of the universe, the abyss of time….

“Pi, Pipi! Get inside Seresia!”

Even though it was already a dark night, I felt the world getting darker.

The sight of the swirling miasma, distorting and collapsing spacetime in a dreamlike way, rushing at me from all directions was nauseatingly dizzying.

An indescribable power… everything in the mountain range—trees, weeds, mud, and stones—melted and flowed down like sap and twisted….

Do I have to bring out my image here? But even if I bring it out, there’s no answer… It was then that I helplessly formed a hand sign.

“If it’s a hybrid of magic and sorcery, you’ll need my help, Lane Ludwig.”

For a moment, I could only laugh in vain.

I don’t particularly want to distinguish whether that was a vain laugh or a real laugh from joy. It would hurt my pride.

“Valensidis……?!”

Suddenly, a gap appeared in the dimension in front of me, and the face that appeared was that of the loathsome student council president.

“I followed you because I thought you might run away if I left a slick guy like you alone.”

Before I could say anything, Valensidis grabbed my arm.

“Enough with the chatter, just come in!”

The next moment, a roar that shook the entire mountain range erupted as a dozen vortices intersected at one point.

A huge hole was pierced in the mountainside by the erosion of sour-smelling slime, and the strata [layers of rock or soil] were revealed because it was so deep and large.

Nariaduke’s eyebrows twitched as he glided down from the sky, flapping his wings aristocratically and elegantly.

「I drew out all the power I could currently use…… Ro sas, where did you disappear to?」

There was no need to anxiously search for it.

The cry of a crow was heard in the distance. The melody of the cry, disturbing the mountain range, was telling Nariaduke the location of the target.

Nariaduke smiled evilly and soared high into the sky once more.

「There is no escape from fate, Bel has. I will take that flesh before the new day dawns.」

* * *

At that time, in another space, in a forest where Nariaduke’s storm had not yet reached, Valensidis’ pupils shook.

“This is……?”

The contents of the scroll given by the red-eyed youth were very shocking.

The combination of mathematical formulas and sorcerous runes that made up the casting equation was close to art, but what was even more surprising was the meaning this content implied.

Yuliana’s words before the expedition echoed in his mind.

– I don’t think Toureina intended to destroy the world.

It was hard to believe, as he had directly witnessed her cruel actions… but this was perfectly supporting Yuliana’s words.

“A reversal technique……?”

The technique that contained the essence of modern magic, sorcery, and black magic, and amplified it—the powerful reincarnation technique that required drawing magic circles over three peaks—reverses that power.

With the power of sealing.

Judging from the runes used, it seemed to be a more advanced application of Juyeoso Gyedae Ban, which Toureina had researched throughout her life.

To put it simply, it was a technique that forcibly froze and sealed the target.

“Seal, seal, seal, seal.”

Unlike Juyeoso Gyedae Ban, there were no recovery spells or effects of ice breaking when awakened.

Magic and sorcery, both were only runes and formulas for sealing.

“I’ll try it, but… I’m sorry. This is such a powerful technique that even I can’t guarantee success.”

‘So you’re saying you can use it, this technique that even I am amazed by….’

As expected, he’s amazing.

He must be Toureina’s best disciple who can use her mixed techniques.

The red-eyed youth stood up, leaning on his staff.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t succeed. Just casting it, just buying a little time, is enough.”

“Time? Even if you buy a little time─”

“─Then I’ll trust you, Valensidis. Pipi, you help Valensidis.”

At that moment, the moment the crow’s cry became loud, Lane erased Valensidis, or rather, the formless vortex wriggling around him.

It was the ability of space interference.

He didn’t eliminate the power acting on himself, so the next moment Lane was standing face to face with the owner of the power that was crushing his knees and shoulder joints. In another space.

「No matter how much you play tricks, you are only human in the face of absolute fate…… This is true power…… Surutos, may the typhoon of fate lead the world to the royal road of truth…….」

True power—the true power I know is warmer than you. Lane unwound the bandages on his left hand and formed a hand sign at the same time.

Fire.

Creation.

Brightness.

Net.

The hand sign formed in that instant instantly overlays the world with an unknown landscape—that is, his image.

The power called the sign of the sage. A skill that allows one to materialize an image when reaching the extreme.

“Image construction.”

The former Archmage, who has not yet reached Sainthood (7-star), is only at the level of overlaying the world with an image.

But this alone is enough.

There has never been a human magician who can use the fire rune in an image.

「!」

Overwhelmed by that power, Nariaduke hesitated and stepped back in caution at the moment he should have seized the victory.

「No, that power is……?」

Flames spread out massively around the youth, leading the world of darkness to the retina-searing light of primary colors.

Along with the four triangular formations attached to that circle: Flow, Quantity, World, 尊 [respect/reverence].

And the story of Genesis, the sacred words of the Psalm of Creation, were sublimely and brilliantly embroidered around the edge of that ring, as if 넋이 [soul/spirit] had been taken away.

「The Black Sun’s……?」

He couldn’t help but feel wary.

He couldn’t help but be overwhelmed.

That power, that raging power of the heart, was quite similar to the power of that irreverent being who had sealed the Queen of Time.

“Fire Creation Brightness: Flow Quantity World尊.”

As the flames gently illuminated the world like the sun in spring, yet blazed savagely like the scorching heat of summer, the red-haired youth swung his staff around and tucked it under his arm, then wiggled his fingers.

“Come on, I’ll show you where your friend Shar’Kas went to hell.”