The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 95

The arena was a spectacle of blue flames and swirling gusts of wind.

Dahlia Salentia’s blue flames danced fiercely.

Kyle Bentia’s gusts of wind howled with power.

And then there was Shin Hayul, his form a fusion of blue flames and wind, a mesmerizing display.

The three mages clashed, their mana scattering like sparks in all directions.

The sounds of roaring flames and swirling wind filled the arena, a symphony of raw power.

Clang-!

Intermittently, the sharp sound of metal colliding echoed through the arena. It was the sound of Kyle’s rapier clashing against Shin Hayul’s fist.

“You’re really strong!” Kyle exclaimed, his voice filled with a mix of awe and excitement.

He stopped his sword swings and took a step back, his body slightly hunched. Just moments ago, Kyle’s uniform had been pristine, but now it was scorched and tattered, a testament to the intensity of the battle. Of course, thanks to the arena’s protective settings, his injuries weren’t too severe.

“Kyle. What’s so great that you’re so excited about… !” Dahlia, enveloped in her own blue flames, glared at Kyle as if he were a madman. She was in better shape than Kyle, but her skin and clothes were also scorched and messy, bearing the marks of the intense battle.

“Isn’t it great?” Kyle grinned, his eyes gleaming with a wild light as he gripped his rapier tighter. He stared at Shin Hayul, who was now clad in a swirling cloak of flames and wind, his gaze sharp and focused.

“An opponent so strong that even with all my power, I can’t even inflict a scratch. Where else would I meet such an opponent!” Kyle’s voice was filled with a strange mix of frustration and exhilaration.

Unlike Kyle and Dahlia, Shin Hayul’s body and clothes were spotless, untouched by the chaos of the battle. Of course, Shin Hayul hadn’t been hit by a single attack since the start of the match, a testament to his incredible skill and reflexes.

“Oh, really, I can’t stand it.” Even this brief moment to catch his breath felt like a waste. He wanted to exchange blows with Shin Hayul again, even if it was just for a moment.

The gusts of wind surrounding Kyle’s body intensified, mirroring his excited mood. He lowered his center of gravity, his thighs and calves looking like a high-elasticity spring compressed to its limit.

The next moment, Kyle’s body shot forward like a projectile, his speed so fast that Dahlia could only see a blurry afterimage. In the blink of an eye, Kyle reached Shin Hayul’s close range and swung his sword with all his might.

Clang-!

The sound of Kyle’s rapier colliding with Shin Hayul’s fist echoed even louder this time, the impact reverberating through the arena.

“Hahaha! You blocked it, as expected!” The heavy impact transmitted to the hand holding the rapier felt good, a strange sensation of satisfaction washing over Kyle.

“That idiot…” Dahlia muttered, her voice laced with exasperation. She immediately moved her blue flames, sending them towards Kyle like a protective shield. The blue flames moved like a flash, enveloping Kyle just as Shin Hayul’s magic came crashing down.

Sharp gusts of wind carrying blue flames. It was like a typhoon of blue flames, flying in from all directions, threatening to tear Kyle apart. Whirr, whirrrr-! The power was so strong that Dahlia’s blue flames were rapidly disappearing, overwhelmed by the sheer force of Shin Hayul’s attack.

“…Ugh.” Dahlia groaned as she watched the scene unfold, her frustration growing with each passing moment. ‘Clearly, the amount of mana I possess in my blue flames is greater…!’ she thought, her mind racing. In terms of mana quantity and magical output, Dahlia’s blue flames surpassed Shin Hayul’s. If they clashed head-on, Dahlia should have been the one dominating. But currently, it was the blue flames emitted by Shin Hayul that were dominating. More precisely, it was the fusion of blue flames and wind emitted by Shin Hayul that was proving to be too much for her.

“Kyle, you idiot! Get out of there!” Dahlia shouted, her voice laced with panic. Her blue flames were on the verge of disappearing completely. If this continued, Kyle would be eliminated, and then Dahlia would be eliminated as well. She had to avoid that at all costs.

“Kyle!” she yelled again, her voice filled with desperation. The problem was that Kyle had no intention of retreating. In the center of the battlefield where blue flames and whirlwinds were clashing, Kyle was calmly closing his eyes as if he were standing in the eye of a storm.

“Hoo…” A deep exhale. The rapier Kyle was holding seemed to absorb that breath, the metal glowing faintly. Dahlia’s eyes widened at the sight, her mind racing with a sudden realization. ‘That stance…’ she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. That stance. That expression. She remembered it. It was a carbon copy of Min Ga-yeon’s stance and expression when she fought James in the past. ‘Could it be that he mastered that technique?’ she wondered, her mind struggling to comprehend the possibility.

At that moment, Dahlia’s blue flames completely disappeared, overwhelmed by the sheer power of Shin Hayul’s magic. Soon, Shin Hayul’s magic would tear Kyle’s entire body to shreds and burn it to ashes. ‘Here it comes,’ she thought, her body tensing in anticipation.

Just as the storm of blue flames surrounded Kyle’s entire body, Kyle’s rapier moved. Very leisurely. But, the rapier moved with an elegance that belied its speed. The sword strike, which clearly started slowly with a horizontal slash, soon accelerated to an incredible speed, becoming a blur of motion.

‘Disappeared…’ Dahlia thought, her eyes wide with disbelief. It cut through the wind, leaving no trace of its passage. Wind God Sword Style, Third Form. Gentle Breeze. A name given because it was said to cut through the friction between air and air, silently severing the opponent’s neck. That silent strike passed through Shin Hayul’s neck, a testament to its incredible speed and precision.

Kyle, who had moved behind Shin Hayul, was standing still in the posture he had taken immediately after swinging his sword. Only Kyle’s heavy breathing was clearly audible, the sound echoing through the silent arena.

“That was an amazing strike,” Shin Hayul muttered, his voice filled with genuine admiration. At the same time, the fusion of Hellfire Inferno and Wind God that had been enveloping Shin Hayul’s body began to rapidly disappear, the flames and wind dissipating into nothingness.

‘…Did he win?’ Dahlia wondered, her mind struggling to process what she had just witnessed. Kyle’s sword had cut Shin Hayul. And as a result, it seemed that Shin Hayul’s magic was disappearing. No matter how strong Shin Hayul was, he couldn’t have blocked Kyle’s Gentle Breeze on the first try. Kyle returned his sword to his waist and stood up straight, his body swaying slightly.

“To say that after perfectly blocking it… it just sounds like sarcasm,” Kyle said, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Shin Hayul had perfectly blocked Kyle’s rapier, a feat that seemed impossible just moments ago. “I barely blocked it. Can’t you tell?” Shin Hayul replied, his voice calm and composed.

To block Kyle’s Gentle Breeze, he had to use everything he had, a testament to the power of the strike. It was that powerful of a strike. “If I hadn’t known about Gentle Breeze, or if I didn’t know the magic formula of the Wind God, I would have lost,” Shin Hayul admitted, his voice devoid of any arrogance.

“…Haha. Why is that?” Kyle laughed, his voice filled with a strange mix of amusement and satisfaction, as if he was having the most fun in the world. “That remark. It should make me feel bad, but it doesn’t really make me feel bad,” he added, his laughter echoing through the arena.

After laughing for a while, he turned his gaze to Dahlia, his expression becoming somewhat uneasy. “It’s honestly annoying that America is winning too…” he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of frustration.

Kyle’s body swayed, his legs giving way beneath him. “I’ve done my part, so win…” he whispered, his voice barely audible.

And then he began to freefall towards the ground, his body limp and lifeless. “I’ve used up… a lot of… my strength…” he managed to say before hitting the ground with a thud.

Thud-!

Kyle said that at the end. And.

—Kyle Bentia, damage over! Kyle is the first of the three aces to be eliminated! The referee announced Kyle Bentia’s elimination, his voice echoing through the arena.

“…” The arena fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the remaining two competitors.

“…” Kyle’s body floated up and flew out of the arena, leaving only Shin Hayul and Dahlia in the area.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Korean area, the second battlefield where six men and women were fighting, the news of Kyle Bentia’s elimination reached those who were engaged in a fierce battle.

—Kyle Bentia, damage over! Kyle is the first of the three aces to be eliminated!

“…Kyle lost?” The one who reacted most strongly to the news was Maia, her eyes wide with disbelief. She had an expression that showed she couldn’t have imagined Kyle losing, her face a mask of shock and surprise.

“Hoo. Our leader is really something, isn’t he?” Ma Jin-seok, drenched in sweat, whistled as he swept his hair back, his muscles, pumped up from the fierce battle, looking more prominent than usual. His voice was filled with a mix of admiration and awe.

“What are we going to do now?” Kang Shin-woo, also drenched in sweat, glared sharply beside him, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He slowly glared at the two American team members and the two British team members currently clashing with them, his gaze filled with a mixture of determination and caution.

“Now that Kyle is eliminated, there’s no reason for you to continue your alliance,” Kang Shin-woo stated, his voice calm and collected. With Kyle’s elimination, the possibility of Britain winning had disappeared. There was no reason for Britain to continue its alliance with America, their shared goal now unattainable.

“…I don’t want to do America any favors, but it’s better for America to win than for Korea to win a third time,” Maia clicked her tongue with an expression that showed she was not happy at all. She really didn’t like it. She really, really didn’t like it, but it was better for America to win, a bitter pill she had to swallow.

“I see. That’s a shame,” Kang Shin-woo chuckled, his lips curling into a wry smile as he took his stance again. A Taekwondo stance, his body poised and ready for action. He had only taken a stance, but the tension of the other four expanded, the air thick with anticipation.

“Then let’s continue,” Kang Shin-woo said, his voice laced with a hint of challenge.

“…Ah. I’m tired. If I go back today, I’ll pass out for at least 12 hours,” Ma Jin-seok also took a stance in a position to support Kang Shin-woo, his body radiating a sense of power and confidence.

“…” Maia and Sarah, the British and American strategists, furrowed their brows, their expressions a mixture of frustration and concern. They looked back and forth between Kang Shin-woo and Ma Jin-seok, and Shin Hayul and Dahlia in the distance, their minds racing with possibilities.

“Why? Aren’t you coming?” Kang Shin-woo asked, maintaining his sharp momentum, his eyes fixed on his opponents. The opponents didn’t answer. They just looked back and forth between Kang Shin-woo and Ma Jin-seok, and Shin Hayul and Dahlia in the distance, their minds clearly elsewhere.

“I see. You’re considering sending support to Dahlia Salentia’s side,” Kang Shin-woo stated, his voice calm and insightful, his eyes narrowed in understanding.

“…” It was a direct hit. Even though they fought 2:1, Kyle had lost. In other words, the possibility of Dahlia winning against Shin Hayul 1:1 was very low. So, wouldn’t it be better to send support now? The thought was clearly weighing heavily on their minds.

“If it were the you from before, you would have been determined to defeat us before Dahlia fell. Did your thoughts change?” Kang Shin-woo’s sarcasm was evident in his voice, his words laced with a hint of mockery. The four’s expressions twisted at Kang Shin-woo’s words, their faces a mixture of annoyance and frustration.

“Come on. If you only deal with the two of us, there will be no Korean area left. You can win without having to defeat our leader. If it were me, I would attack instead of worrying about sending support,” Kang Shin-woo continued, his voice filled with a strange mix of confidence and provocation.

“…Shut up,” Maia gritted her teeth with a genuinely annoyed expression, her frustration reaching its peak.

“Surely you’re not saying that the four of you can’t beat the two of us,” Kang Shin-woo’s lips curled up on one side, his smile a mixture of amusement and challenge. At that sight, Sarah gritted her teeth this time, her frustration mirroring Maia’s.

“Like leader, like subordinate… You’re so annoying…” Sarah muttered, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and exasperation. They were as annoying as Shin Hayul, she thought, wishing they would both die instantly.

“I’ll admit what needs to be admitted. We can’t break through you,” Sarah said, her voice laced with a hint of grudging respect.

“Ho,” Kang Shin-woo exclaimed as if surprised by Sarah’s words, his eyes widening slightly. “Kang Shin-woo of the Shinmu River Clan. I’ve heard rumors that you’re invincible when it comes to regional defense. I didn’t know it was to this extent,” he added, his voice filled with a mixture of admiration and curiosity.

The secret magic of the Shinmu River Clan is the same name as the family’s title. Shinmu (神武) [Divine Martial]. A name given because they boast martial arts like gods. The effect is body enhancement. Of course, it’s not just simple body enhancement. It enhances not only the user’s muscles, but also their bones, internal organs, blood vessels, and even nerve tissues. This magic, combined with the ancient martial arts that the Shinmu River Clan boasts, gives them monstrous power in one-on-one battles.

“And that giant over there too. What kind of training did you do for two months to grow so much?” Sarah asked, her voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and frustration.

Ma Jin-seok chuckled, his chest puffing out with pride. “Our leader is a natural when it comes to teaching people,” he said, his voice filled with a sense of admiration for Shin Hayul.

“…” Sarah’s expression furrowed again, her frustration growing with each passing moment. She thought she was better than Shin Hayul when it came to teaching methods. Even that was being pushed back, a bitter pill she had to swallow.

“More importantly, are you going to keep standing there?” Ma Jin-seok shrugged, his body relaxed but ready for action.

“Well, what’s good is good. I think staying still is also a method. There’s no need for us to tire each other out, right?” Ma Jin-seok said, his voice laced with a hint of amusement. Those four couldn’t break through Kang Shin-woo and Ma Jin-seok. In terms of power, the four were superior, but from the moment Korea went on the defensive, they were evenly matched. And they couldn’t send support to Dahlia’s side either. They were evenly matched now, but if they sent support to Dahlia’s side, the tide would turn in that direction. Kang Shin-woo and Ma Jin-seok’s combined attack couldn’t be stopped by two people.

‘Sending only one person as support is also an option, but…’ Sarah thought, her mind racing with possibilities. That would be meaningless. They couldn’t defeat the opponent even with Kyle and Dahlia’s combined attack. It didn’t seem like anything would change if they sent one person as support. It could even hinder Dahlia instead of helping her. ‘There’s nothing I can do,’ she thought, her mind filled with a sense of helplessness. The victory or defeat of this match had long been out of their hands. All they could do was pray for Dahlia’s victory and.

“…Are we going to fight?” Maia asked, her voice laced with a hint of resignation.

“We have to fight,” Sarah replied, her voice filled with a sense of determination. To collect data on Kang Shin-woo and Ma Jin-seok through this battle. To win the remaining five matches, that was their only goal now.

* * *

In the silent arena, Dahlia was glaring at me with a haggard expression, her eyes filled with a mixture of exhaustion and determination. As if to prove that she was exhausted, her blue flames were less than 10% of what they were at the start, flickering weakly around her.

“You look tired. Why don’t you give up?” I asked, my voice calm and composed, my eyes fixed on her.

“…Do I look tired? Then my acting must be working well,” she replied, her voice laced with a hint of defiance. She desperately swallowed her rough breaths, pretending to be calm, her body trembling slightly. She looked quite pitiful, her facade of strength barely concealing her exhaustion.

“You’re the one who looks tired. You haven’t been able to use proper magic since a while ago,” Dahlia retorted, her voice laced with a hint of sarcasm, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“…” I remained silent, my eyes fixed on her, my mind racing with possibilities. I was exhausted too. I had consumed quite a bit of mental power by simultaneously activating and fusing the Wind God and Hellfire Inferno. And then there was Kyle’s last strike. I had used almost all my strength to block Gentle Breeze. Magically, I was probably more exhausted than her, my mana reserves depleted.

“Well, I’ll admit it. I’m on the verge of mental exhaustion right now,” I said, my voice calm and matter-of-fact, my eyes fixed on her. “…You admit it so easily,” Dahlia said, her voice laced with a hint of surprise.

“I’m not the type to put on meaningless feints,” I replied, my voice devoid of any emotion, my eyes fixed on her.

“Are you indirectly insulting me with that?” Dahlia asked, her voice laced with a hint of annoyance.

“Think what you want,” I replied, my voice calm and indifferent. Feints wouldn’t work in the current situation. If I could use magic normally, there would be no need to drag out this battle for so long. From the point where I wasn’t properly countering Dahlia’s attacks, it was safe to assume that my mental exhaustion was a given.

“Anyway. If we fight with magic, you’ll win. That’s how bad my condition is,” I coolly admitted, my voice devoid of any emotion. That’s how bad my mental state was, my mana reserves depleted and my mind exhausted.

“So, are you giving up?” Dahlia asked, her voice laced with a hint of hope.

“No. There’s no way,” I replied, my voice firm and resolute. I took a stance, my body shifting into a new position. A completely different stance than before. A stance for pure martial arts, completely excluding the use of magic.

“That stance… Shinmu River Clan’s…” Dahlia’s eyes widened, her face a mask of surprise and disbelief.

“That’s right. Ancient martial arts. Taekwondo,” I replied, my voice calm and composed. It was a martial art I had learned superficially, but I could use it to some extent, my body moving with a newfound sense of purpose.

“Then, could it be…” Dahlia’s voice trailed off, her mind racing with possibilities. But imitating it was only the martial arts of the Shinmu River Clan. The secret magic of the Shinmu River Clan was not something that could be imitated. The secret magic of the Shinmu River Clan.

“Shinmu (神武). Is this the first time you’re seeing it directly?” I asked, my voice calm and composed, my eyes fixed on her. The ring of resonance. Enhancement. My body became more solid than Kang Shin-woo’s, my muscles and bones hardening, my senses heightened.