The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 315

Hermes’s workshop.

Hermes was in the midst of a chaotic situation due to Shadow’s sudden attack.

‘I knew it! I suspected it from the start. I knew my hunch was right!’

Hermes was furious.

The Black Magic King had stated that Sato was innocent and not a traitor, so he had temporarily dismissed his suspicions.

But as expected.

‘I should have been more assertive with my opinion!’

Hermes gritted his teeth.

‘Nonsense. You didn’t suspect for a moment that I was Shadow.’

Sato, no, Shadow, shot a shadow monster at Hermes with a mocking laugh.

The Umbra’s divine artifact had long since disappeared from Shadow’s body, but as it had once resided there, some residual power remained.

He couldn’t use shadow magic on the absurd scale he once did, but the unique characteristic of manipulating shadows hadn’t completely vanished.

‘You only thought I was a traitor who backstabbed Levi.’

Shadow’s power was still enough to be considered active.

Of course, it was only about 20% of his prime, but it was more than enough to deal with Hermes, who wasn’t much of a fighter.

‘Hmph! I was thinking it, okay? The timing of his appearance. His outstanding abilities. Could he be Shadow in disguise? I was thinking that!’

Hermes blocked the incoming shadow monster with a uniquely shaped magical tool.

A translucent, polygonal shield.

The shield perfectly blocked Shadow’s monster.

‘Considering that, you didn’t mention anything during the trial.’

‘Well… the height difference was too much… I thought I might be mistaken…’

Hermes shook off the residual shadows on the magical tool and glared fiercely.

‘Anyway, I was expecting it!’

‘Hmm. Indeed. I see.’

Shadow collected the scattered remnants of the shadow that had been blocked by the shield and forged them into a small sphere.

‘So, you knew I was Shadow, and yet you allowed me to attack so easily. Is that it?’

‘That’s…’

Hermes was at a loss for words.

Shadow’s words were a checkmate.

Having allowed Shadow to attack at this timing, anything he said would only be spitting in his own face.

‘Shut up!’

It was best to avoid unfavorable topics. Hermes, annoyed, shifted into an attack stance.

In sync with Hermes’s actions, the polygonal shield-shaped magical tool transformed into a rifle.

‘Did you think I couldn’t predict your actions? Not a chance! I knew it all and was waiting for it!’

Publicly, Hermes’s ability was known as ‘hacking.’

But that wasn’t it.

Hermes’s ability was not hacking but crafting.

Hermes had only crafted a magical tool that could connect to any computer network in the world.

‘Do you really think you can beat me in my own castle, no matter who you are?’

This place was filled with all sorts of magical tools.

There was a computer-shaped magical tool enchanted with his hacking ability, which was practically Hermes’s identity.

There was also the shield that blocked and absorbed mana he had just used.

And the rifle he was currently using, which could be activated based on the absorbed mana.

There were countless magical tools to cover his weakness in combat.

‘I might lose anywhere else, but not here!’

It wasn’t just magical tools.

There were also a considerable number of magic circles installed in preparation for any eventuality.

He was confident that he wouldn’t lose to any other executive in this place.

‘I’ll make you realize that you’ve stuck your head into the tiger’s mouth!’

Hermes pulled the trigger.

As expected of someone who could create a computer capable of infiltrating any network in the world and breaking through firewalls.

The magic rifle Hermes wielded was on a different level from ordinary magic rifles.

From the rate of fire to the power.

Magic bullets, comparable to a 5th or 6th circle mage, rained down like a storm.

Anyone watching would think he was using a Gatling gun.

‘Well.’

This absurd situation where low-output magic used by a 5th or 6th circle mage was being fired hundreds of times per second.

Even a high-ranking mage would break out in a cold sweat, but Shadow’s expression showed no sign of agitation.

‘Did you think I came here without knowing that much?’

The shadow that Shadow had condensed expanded in an instant.

The curtain of shadow, which had been slowly growing like a bubble gum, soon became large enough to fill the space in front of Shadow.

‘I’ve already prepared countermeasures for your magical tools.’

As the curtain of shadow fully spread, a rain of bullets poured down.

As if that thin curtain couldn’t stop them, the bullets charged like angry boars.

It seemed as if the overwhelming number of bullets would shatter the curtain of shadow in an instant.

However.

‘It is said that Yu governs the river.’ [A reference to Yu the Great, a legendary ruler in Chinese mythology known for his flood control efforts.]

That didn’t happen.

Shadow’s shadow didn’t break even after colliding with hundreds, thousands of bullets.

‘Bullets can’t penetrate my shadow.’

The shadow barrier that Shadow had deployed wasn’t a barrier that relied on sturdiness.

Shadow’s barrier was a soft, gum-like curtain, far from being sturdy.

Bullets couldn’t penetrate that barrier.

It was like bullets failing to completely penetrate the ocean.

The bullets had all their physical force absorbed by the shadow barrier, turning into mere pieces of scrap metal.

Thud thud thud-!

The bullets, blocked by the shadow barrier, fell straight down.

Seeing this, Hermes’s eyes widened in shock.

‘You… that magic just now… how…’

Shadow chuckled at Hermes’s reaction.

‘Why? Are you so surprised that I can do this kind of control?’

‘……’

In Hermes’s mind, Shadow’s image was closer to a runaway mage who couldn’t control his power.

A half-wit who possessed the great power of shadows but couldn’t utilize even 50% of it.

But a monster who possessed an undeniable power even with just 50% of his strength.

That was exactly Shadow’s image.

‘There’s no way Shadow could have such precise control…’

Yet, Shadow was suddenly displaying such monstrous control.

It was natural for Hermes to be surprised.

‘If Shadow has gained control of all his power…’

Even with less than 50% of his power, Shadow was among the top executives in terms of strength.

If Shadow had succeeded in controlling all his power…

‘I absolutely can’t win.’

Cold sweat poured down Hermes’s back like rain.

Seeing Hermes, Shadow twisted his lips again.

‘Don’t worry. The situation you’re thinking of won’t happen.’

Shadow, having collected all the shadows again, moved the shadows around on his palm and spoke softly.

‘It’s just that after shedding some of it, something became visible.’

The reason he was able to control the shadows so precisely was because he had lost the Umbra’s divine artifact, which had drastically reduced the size of his power.

Because the absolute amount of power had decreased, the situation Hermes was worried about couldn’t happen.

‘……What do you mean?’

‘It means exactly what I said.’

Shadow floated the shadow sphere he had been moving around on his palm back up into the air.

‘This is my limit now. I can only handle this much shadow.’

Shadow’s aura instantly changed into a sharp sword.

In sync with that aura, the shadow transformed into a dagger.

It shimmered like a mirage and then began to split.

‘So, don’t worry about a shadow sanctuary and just come at me.’

The shadow transformed into dozens of daggers.

Compared to before, the power he was using was less than 5%, but the power contained within was so great that it was hard to believe it was only 5%.

‘Oh, and don’t misunderstand. Even if I were in a state where I could use a shadow sanctuary, I wouldn’t have used it.’

Shadow laughed mockingly, full of provocation.

‘It’s too extravagant a magic to use against the likes of you.’

‘……’

Hermes’s eyebrows twitched violently for a moment.

A reaction that failed to fully contain the sudden surge of anger.

Hermes glared at Shadow with a somewhat angry expression.

‘……You’re being cocky.’

Hermes stretched out both hands.

In response to Hermes’s gesture, the magical tools in the workshop moved in unison.

‘I’m letting you get away with it, and you’re getting carried away. You don’t even know your place.’

Hermes had never revealed his full power to anyone.

Even the Black Magic King didn’t know about the magic he was currently using.

It was the last resort of the cautious Hermes.

This was the first time he was showing this magic.

‘Be honored. You’re the first test subject of my magic.’

‘……Test subject, huh.’

Shadow’s expression became even more menacing.

To Shadow, who had been used as a test subject by the Doctor in the past, the word ‘test subject’ was like a reverse scale [A metaphor for something that triggers a strong negative reaction].

‘I was going to kill you nicely, but I’ve changed my mind.’

Shadow’s expression darkened more than the shadows.

‘I’ll kill you as painfully as possible.’

Shadow lowered his stance.

In sync with Shadow’s actions, the shadow daggers floating around him also began to tremble slightly.

‘Well. I wonder who will die painfully?’

Reacting to Shadow, Hermes also entered a counterattack stance.

The moment Shadow moved would be his last.

Hermes was certain of that.

‘……’

‘……’

A hair-trigger situation.

In the tension where it wouldn’t be strange for anyone to move first and die first.

‘You’ve failed again.’

The one who moved first wasn’t Shadow or Hermes.

‘……!’

‘……!’

Both of them widened their eyes and stepped back simultaneously.

‘Is this the third time now?’

A mass of darkness that had sprung up without warning.

A pitch-black darkness that vaguely resembled a human form.

‘L, Lord Black Magic King…!’

‘Black Magic King!’

The Black Magic King.

He appeared between the two.

‘I expected you to fail, but I didn’t expect you to fail so miserably.’

The Black Magic King glared at Hermes with an emotionless expression.

‘Beyond failing, you’ve even provided an opportunity for the enemy to invade my throne.’

Hermes’s eyes widened.

‘W, what do you mean…’

Invade the throne?

Who? How? When?

‘You didn’t even know that?’

The Black Magic King looked at Hermes with an expression as if he were looking at livestock.

It was the look of someone looking at livestock just before slaughter.

‘I thought there were still plenty of uses for you, so I put off dealing with you. It seems I was too lenient.’

‘L, Lord Black Magic King… what do you mean…’

The Black Magic King completely ignored Hermes and turned his gaze to Shadow.

‘On the other hand, you… you’re showing movements beyond what I expected.’

A gaze filled with interest, in contrast to the indifferent gaze he had directed at Hermes.

‘I thought that if I left you alone, you would leak information to the other side and maintain a decent level of tension.’

If Hermes had failed more than expected.

Shadow had shown things far beyond expectations.

‘Not predicting your competence was clearly my mistake.’

One’s incompetence and the other’s competence had created this situation.

It had led to the unprecedented situation of Sophia Anetscheffri’s attack.

‘I have a responsibility to resolve this situation.’

The Black Magic King also had a considerable responsibility for the situation reaching this point.

‘So.’

The Black Magic King stretched out his right hand.

‘You two will have to leave first.’

A rapidly expanding darkness.

A pitch-black darkness, different from shadows, enveloped the two in an instant.

‘Black Ma…!’

‘Th…!’

Neither of them had time to react.

The darkness swallowed them both in an instant.

‘Your deaths are the first key to resolving this situation.’

The plan had already gone awry.

The situation had already progressed to a point of no return.

There was no way to turn back.

The only remaining option was to make the operation itself as if it had never happened.

‘Sleep.’

By erasing Hermes and Shadow, who were the main pawns of this plan, he was returning everything to a blank slate.

‘Forever.’

With those words, darkness spread throughout the world.

And then, when the darkness disappeared. There was no sign of anyone left in the workshop.

Hermes and Shadow had vanished without a trace.

‘Then, what’s left now…’

And finally.

In the center of the quiet workshop.

The Black Magic King’s figure disappeared, leaving no one in the workshop.

* * *

The Black Magic Tower’s headquarters.

The entrance of the Black Tower.

The magic that Sophia Anetscheffri had used struck the Black Magic King directly.

As a result, the darkness covering his body began to slowly dissipate.

‘……Hmm.’

The darkness dissipated, revealing the Black Magic King’s true form.

A young appearance that looked to be in his mid-20s and sharp black pupils stood out.

‘Are you deliberately holding back?’

Sophia glared at the Black Magic King and asked.

The Black Magic King was currently unable to focus on the battle.

It was as if he was distracted by something else, only focusing on defense.

It was natural for Sophia to say such things.

‘Or… is that your current limit?’

According to Sophia’s expectations, the Black Magic King was currently stabilizing his power for evolution.

To put it in a metaphor, it was highly likely that he was in a state of condensing his power, like a larva becoming a pupa before becoming a butterfly.

If that were the case, it meant that the Black Magic King wasn’t holding back, but that this was his full power.

‘I apologize.’

The Black Magic King chuckled as he straightened his hair, which had been disheveled by the previous attack.

‘There’s something else I need to take care of first. I’ve been neglecting this side while focusing on that.’

At that moment, black mana began to gather outside the Black Tower’s barrier.

It was as if a black fog had covered the area.

‘But don’t worry. I’ve just finished dealing with the other matter.’

The fog was absorbed into the Black Magic King’s body in an instant.

His already overwhelming presence became even more immense.

‘From now on. I intend to focus solely on you.’

The Black Magic King’s mana expanded.

With the momentum to cover the world.

It stretched out endlessly, infinitely.

‘From now on, I will show you despair.’

Fwoooooosh-!

Along with the surging mana, black light emanated from the Black Magic King’s eyes.