Black Mist

by Michael Sisa

  He was not afraid of death, but he cannot die yet without confirming the safety of his family. He had just recently found out from one of the professors that the city below was being attacked by demons. Dying in this place was something he could not afford.

  But to his surprise, and probably dismay, his body moved on its own when he saw that the lives of his friends were in peril. He could not just stand by and watch as Negi and Yvette succumbed to their deaths.

  He leapt from his spot then unsheathed his blades. Using his entire strength, he created a colossal slash and blocked the attack of the demon.

  “D-Dan!” squeaked Negi. The first year student was crying, with snot oozing down his nose. On the other hand, Yvette, just like the students beside her, was pale from fear.

  Dan felt shivers crawl down his spine. He looked to the sky and saw the demon staring directly at him.

  With his instincts screaming, Dan went towards the center of the arena, away from the students that had yet to evacuate.

  “Good choice,” said a voice. Upon looking, he saw the demon descending from the sky, landing a few steps away from him.

  Now that Dan had a closer look, his instinct screamed even further at him. This demon was dangerous. It was not something he could hope to battle against at his current state.

  “A child. It really is,” mumbled the demon.

  Without warning a fork of lightning flew towards Dan, eventually hitting nothing but an after image. Ashevaren’s non-existent brows rose upon seeing it.

  Dan’s figure reappeared a good distance after.

  Lamark’s voice echoed from the spectator’s area, “Boy! What the hell are ye doing!? Do ye have a fucking death wish, huh? Is that it?!”

  Despite the distance, Dan could feel the rage within Lamark’s voice.

  “Professor… I’m sorry. My body moved on its own,” said Dan. He was not sure of Lamark heard it, but such trivial thing did not matter.

  Another fork of lightning flew, and it again hit nothing but an after image. It struck the ground, creating a fissure and a large scorched mark.

  Ashevaren licked his lips. He nodded once as he stared at Dan. “Impressive. I guess it really is no fluke.”—he went silent, mumbling incomprehensible words to himself.

  At the corner of his eyes, Dan saw Professors Rouma, Janus, and Shirel running towards his direction. A good distance from them, Professor Quittle was casting her magic.

  A seven meter tree monster sprouted from the ground, its branches and leaves bent in an attempt to cover Dan from the demon. Golems rose from the ground, and shards of ice covered the sky.

  “Are you okay?” asked Professor Janus the moment they arrived. They stood in front of Dan, ready to intercept any attack from the demon.

  “Are you sure this is fine, kid? Those Professors are going to die protecting you,” said Karazaan.

  Dan tried to dismiss the voice inside his head. “You won’t help me even if asked, right?”

  “That’s right,” said Karazaan.

  From the sky, Chairman Grasse slowly flew down. He landed next to the professors, his left arm profusely bleeding.

  Ashevaren chuckled, “Kukuku! And the maggots have gathered!”—he spread his arms wide—“What a spectacular sight! Humans protecting humans! Insects flocking together!”—he grinned, showing a sharp set of teeth—“But those things wouldn’t save you. Before an absolute being such as I, numbers mean nothing.”

  Ashevaren started walking towards them, his gait slow and steady. “Then, let us play a game, shall we?”

  Dan felt an urge to vomit the moment he locked eyes with the demon. He had never seen and felt something so evil before, so malevolent as though all the hatred in the world had gathered and condensed into a single entity.

  Ashevaren said to Dan. “Fight me, child. If you are able to inflict even a single cut on this body of mine, I shall leave this place and let you live.”—he tilted his head—“How about it? No?”

  “Don’t,” said Chairman Grasse. He coughed then vomited blood. “It’s only a matter of moments. Stand your ground and wait for the Guardian.”

  The tree monster roared, and it moved closer, shielding the professors and Dan from the legendary monster.

  Ashevaren furrowed his brows. He flicked his hand, and the tree monster was split into two. It croaked, dried up, and then turned to ashes.

  The professors and the remaining students squeaked in glee when the magic circle below turned bright azure, with numerous runes slithering in all directions. Ashevaren glared furiously upon seeing it.

  “You honestly think I’m letting you get away from here?! And even if you get away from here, the city below is already under my control! There is no city to return to!” snarled Ashevaren.

  Time stood still when Dan heard those words. The teleportation spell glowed brighter, but Dan failed to notice. His mind was elsewhere.

  “P-Professor! Is that true?! The city below… the city below!” said Dan. He could not bring his self to utter the last remaining lines. He wanted to scream and wail. He wanted an answer. He had heard if before, but hearing it from the demon himself turned his mind into a maelstrom.

  The one who answered was the Chairman. “It is.”

  Dan momentarily stared blankly into space. The Chairman added, “The Guardian will be teleporting you to a safe place. Don’t worry about your safety after you leave this place.”

  A blinding flash of light enveloped Dan’s and the Professors’ bodies. He noticed that the Chairman was not among those enveloped by the teleportation spell.

  Ashevaren was about to strike at his fleeing prey when a black entity enveloped the heavens above. It was easily three times the size of the coliseum itself, making even the Elder Drake petite in comparison.

  “Grasse, the time has come,” said a deep, coarse voice. “I have finished the teleportation spell.”

  Dan realized that the absurdly large black creature surrounding the entire sky was the Guardian of the Academy. So, that was Qaval? He had never known that such big lump of mana was its true form.

  Grasse wryly smiled upon hearing it. He turned to Janus and said, “You remember what I told you right, Professor?”

  Janus bit his lips. “Yes, sir. I shall make sure of it.”

  A familiar sense of nausea ran through Dan’s body. The view of the Sky Academy started to distort as moments passed by.

  “Hey, Guardian!” roared Dan. “You’re taking us to a different city, right?! Take me to the city below! I need to see my family! Teleport me to Ilian City!”

  The big lump of mana that filled the sky moved. It spoke, “I cannot do that. Regardless of the reason, I cannot teleport a student of this Academy to such dangerous place.”

  “I don’t give a damn about that!” snarled Dan. His voice echoed throughout the entire arena. “The city below! Teleport me to the city below! I’m begging you! Please!”

  Dan’s mind was in turmoil. The words of the demon kept resounding in his mind. His family was safe, right? They were still alive, right? He groaned in utter desperation. His vision blurred as the teleportation spell moved into completion.

  The engraved runes in the magic circle swirled violently, the glowing lights intensified, and Dan found himself inside a city.

  Chapter 35: Parting Gift

  Dan glanced left and right. Surrounding him were numerous students, all wearing shocked and pale faces. Not far from him, Dan saw Professor Janus.

  Dan immediately ran towards him then grabbed his collar. “You! Where am I? This is not the City of Ilian!”

  Dan’s voice reverberated, and everyone stared at him in silence. From the corner of his eyes, he saw unfamiliar residents, and a few soldiers squeezing through the crowd.

  “What’s happening here?” said the soldier. He was in full battle gear, with plate armor covering his body. “We’ve received reports that people suddenly started appearing near the Central Plaza.”

  Professor Janus brushed off Dan’s grip. He
took out an envelope from his pocket then handed it to the soldier. “The Chairman told us to look for Druvan Maynard. The details are inside that envelope.”

  “Can I open it?” said the soldier. He somehow averted his gaze when he noticed the thousands of students staring at him.

  “Of course,” replied Janus.

  The calm expression of the soldier immediately turned into horror as he read out the letter’s contents. He stared at Janus, then to the surrounding students, then back. “W-Wait for a minute, sir! I-I’ll go get the Guild Master!”

  The soldier said to the spectating residents, “Move!”—And he ran through the parted crowd.

  Dan suppressed a snarl, “Professor Janus. Where are we? This is definitely not Ilian. Tell me!”

  At the corner of his eyes, Dan saw some students silently sobbing. Everyone wore crestfallen faces, and some were simply too stunned of what happened that they stood there like a statue.

  Professor Janus sighed. “I’m too tired. I’ll tell you.”—he looked around, glancing at the numerous tall buildings made of pure stones and rocks. There were no walls enclosing the city, and a large mountain range was seen beyond. He said to Dan, “City of Atherna. The city where the main branch of the Magician’s Association is located.”

  A student broke out crying after Janus’ statement. She choked the words out: “A-Atherna? T-That’s the opposite direction of the Sky Academy, right? Then, we’re safe, right? Professor? Tell us! Please!”

  Dan’s eyes widened to the point of popping out. His entire body trembled in rage. He once again grabbed the professor by the collar. “Is that true!? Then, how many days would it take for us to go back to Ilian?! Tell me!”

  Professor Janus’s collar tore off. He breathed a sigh of exhilaration after breaking free of Dan’s grip. His eyes were those of a resigned man. “It’s impossible to teleport to Ilian, so fifteen days. That is by cart.”

  He could not wait that long. Dan knew. “Where is the direction of the city?”

  Janus did not reply, and this further aggravated the monster within Dan’s heart. He pulled out a blade from its scabbard. Those that were watching instinctively took a step back.

  Dan felt a tight embrace from behind. It was soft, but definitely trembling. Upon looking, he saw Yvette, her eyes filled with tears.

  “Please, don’t do this,” she said. “I understand how you feel, but don’t go back to the city. You’ll surely die. It’s impossible to fight back those monsters with just your strength alone.”

  “She’s right, boy,” said a male voice. Dan was still glaring when he glanced at its source. He saw a man, probably in his early forties, walking through the crowd. His cloak whizzed past the ground. “Bravery is one thing, but foolishness is another. Wait until we organize a Raiding Party for the City of Ilian. It’s too risky to go there without enough man power to escape when the situation wills it.”

  “My family is in that city,” said Dan, his voice hoarse and slow. “Are you telling me to wait that long?! Tell me the direction of the city! I’ll go there myself!”

  The man with a cloak waved the letter in his hand once. “This is a letter from the Chairman himself. It’s a letter requesting the assistance of the Magician’s Association.”

  Dan stared at the letter, then to the man that held it. It was only now that Dan noticed that the man’s left arm was made of pure silver.

  “I am Druvan Maynard, Master of the Magician’s Association,” he said. “I have called forth all available magicians in the city. Half an hour from now, we depart.”

  ***

  Ashevaren trembled in violent rage. Using Magic Perception, he had confirmed that there were no longer any life signals, particularly from humans, in the Sky Academy save for the half-dead Chairman.

  “You!” roared Ashevaren. He could not believe that he had committed such simple mistake. He could not accept that they had escaped right under his nose. “What have you done!”

  Lightning veins enveloped Ashevaren’s body, and they shot forth into every possible direction, reducing everything it touched along the way.

  Grasse did not bother to dodge as a barrier made by the Guardian protected him. He said, “Demon, this fight will be different from before. Who do you think is stronger? A descendant of the Great Demon Lord, or the Guardian created by the Legendary Magician?”

  From the skies, the big lumps of black mana loomed closer. Ashevaren’ pupil shrank further in rage.

  “So, you’re confident on winning now that big chunk has appeared? Hah! Is that it?!”said Ashevaren. He opened his arms wide, and the air itself trembled, the walls of the coliseum cracked then popped into dust one after another.

  Grasse nodded at the Spirit above. “I know the repercussions. We have no choice anyway. Qaval, do it.”

  A long, malevolent scream echoed from the heavens as the figure of Qaval distorted into a spinning vortex. Slowly, it began to suck away the air, eventually uprooting the trees near it. Stones, rubbles and trees flew then turned to dust and detritus, before eventually being sucked by Qaval’s magic.

  Even as a demon, someone that had lived for an indefinite amount of time, Ashevaren had so few encounters with such a massive amount of magic. It was almost comparable to those of the Dragons.

  Ashevaren raised his hands to his chest. He gazed at them. They were trembling.

  “Kukukuku!” chuckled the demon. “This is fun! My instinct is screaming at me that I should dodge whatever magic you’re trying to cast on me! But!” he licked his lips. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  Grasse cast flying magic, and his body soared into the sky. The spinning of the vortex stopped after everything within the vicinity had been sucked away, including the coliseum itself, leaving a large barren ground.

  Only the portion of the arena where Ashevaren stood remained unscathed. The Elder Drake on the other hand had successfully prevented itself from being sucked away by the magic.

  From within the black vortex, Qaval’s deep voice was heard: “Grasse, I’m sorry… and thank you.”

  Grasse grinned. “I’ve lived a fulfilling life. I have no regrets.”

  On cue, after those words, pitch black darkness befell everything in sight. Grasse’s missing arm started to regenerate within seconds, and the wounds on his body closed on their own.

  Ashevaren squinted upon seeing this. He was alone with the Chairman and the Elder Drake, amidst the sea of darkness. He said with blatant mockery, “I should have not expected much of humans. To think that this sort of thing is your trump card. How stup—”

  Without warning, a bone-shattering strike pierced through Ashevaren’s body. The legendary demon’s eyes widened as he coughed blood. What the hell was happening? He had never felt such ferocious blow before. Even the Dragons he had fought with in the past did not carry such weight within their strikes.

  He skidded to a halt. Upon looking at his chest, he saw a small, gaping hole.

  “Bastard! Impudent human!” he snarled. He willed for the wound to close, and it slowly did.

  The frantic voice of the Elder Drake echoed. “Master! Above you!”

  Ashevaren looked above, and he saw a large lump of black energy cruising at his direction. He evaded it, but a portion of his hand was hit by the magic. To his utter surprise and fury, three of his fingers were decimated.

  What was happening? It should have not been easy penetrating his demon energy-clad body.

  “Humans are indeed weak,” said Grasse, his figure appearing from the shadows of the dark. “But it is because we are weak that we are able to grow. This is something a demon like you will never understand.”

  And a revelation struck Ashevaren. There was indeed that kind of magic. “I see! You damn insect! You know that by using this spell, you’re going to die afterwards, right? Hah! Talk about being foolish!”

  Grasse smiled, his eyes filled with resolve. “I know that. Right from the very start.”

  Those words confirmed Ashevaren’s suspicion
s. In this world, there existed a gate that transects the Ethereal Realm and the Mortal Realm. By opening that gate, one was able to tap at the near limitless amount of mana in the Ethereal Realm. But such technique would kill its wielder immediately after.

  Ashevaren was sure that right now, Grasse was harboring the Spirit Energy of the Guardian itself. They had become one in mind and in body, and would also perish at the same time once the spell was dispelled.

  Then, the only question was how long he would last against such suicidal foe. It was a race against time, Ashevaren knew.

  “Kakakaka! This is fun!”

  Ashevaren vanished from his spot then reappeared right before the Chairman. Lightning flew in all directions as their fists clashed with each other. Ashevaren felt his flesh tore, and his bones creak in protest, but he still continued clashing with the human.

  Their every blow created large craters, and the shockwave itself leveled the ground. Even the Elder Drake from above flew further away to avoid being swept in the fight of the two monsters.

  Every now and then, Grasse’s body would sustain fatal injuries, but those quickly closed and healed on their own. It was an absurd regeneration that was even faster than the legendary demon’s.

  Blows after blows, impact after impact. The two of them did not know how long they had been trying to kill each other, but they were sure that their foes must have been near his limit by now.

  Slowly, the black sphere that surrounded them vanished, revealing the setting sun. Grasse and Ashevaren vomited blood on the ground.

  “Kekekeke!” said the demon. Everywhere around them were barren land filled with craters and fissures. Even the forest a good distance from them had turned into nothing but ashes. “This is fun! This is fun! This is damn fun!”

  Using his hand, Grasse wiped the blood on his chin. He stared at Ashevaren. The demon had numerous gaping holes in its body, but it still refused to go down. On the other hand, the spell of Grasse and Qaval had started to wear off.