The following is an excerpt from the prologue of Volume 10 of The World’s Strongest Archmage Reincarnates into Modern Fantasy and Becomes Invincible.
『
Hayato exhaled completely.
――Ragged breathing was a hindrance. He couldn’t afford to panic in front of the oncoming wave of deadly poison. He had to eliminate all unnecessary thoughts.
For now, he had to forget his mourning for those who drowned in the underworld after ingesting this toxin.
He envisioned the formula like weaving thread, and with machine-like precision, produced the exact answer.
His arm traced the air. His foot scraped the earth. His molars clenched tightly.
At last, he had reached this formula.
The highest-tier spell, woven by magic that had continued for thousands of years.
「Ahahahahahahaha!!!!!!」
Now was the time to sever his long-standing connection with this woman, Kokujou Lilia.
「『Shield, seal, repel, dispel the falling calamity, and carve the way open――』」
Tenth-Tier Magic: 『Tranquil Stillness』.
』
☆
「What the hell is that」
Hayato shot a suspicious look toward Aoi, glancing past Kotone, who was staring in confusion at the white light wrapping around her own body.
「No… sorry. It’s nothing」
Aoi was shocked.
The chant Hayato had just recited, and the light now surrounding them, were the pinnacle of magic he only managed to reach in the tenth volume of the original story.
It was a divine-era grand spell, known to have been used only once in history, with formulas even the Sorcerer King never discovered. It was the ultimate defensive magic that could nullify nearly every attack, even the poison of Kokujou Lilia.
Even if a giant sword that split the land crashed down upon the caster’s skull, or if they were struck by a cataclysmic spell capable of redrawing the map, the user would remain unmoved like the surface of a windless sea.
He never expected Hayato to reach this spell already, around the events of volume three.
Was he, too, adapting to the story that Aoi had distorted?
Kotone asked Hayato,
「What is this…?」
「Just a kind of charm. With this, we probably won’t die from her poison」
「That’s some charm, alright」
Rui cut in.
「It’s still incomplete though. It can block poison, but not much else. And while I’m maintaining it, I can’t move. So if I get killed while you guys are fighting in the swamp, the spell ends and we all die」
「Hmph. You really are a handful, as always」
Kotone stepped in front of Hayato. She was taking it upon herself to protect him.
She glanced at Rui and Aoi, and the two responded with a nod.
「Thank you」
Hayato let out a short laugh through his nose at Aoi’s honest gratitude.
「So, you finally decided to talk about it?」
「…Just a little」
「Is that so. Well then, I’m counting on you here」
Aoi smiled back and kicked off the ground alongside Rui.
「Ahahaha! How delightful. It’d be boring if you all died too easily」
Kokujou was still basking in pleasure.
Losing the threat of her poison must have been like having her arm torn off.
Even though the tide had clearly shifted, she simply widened her eyes. There was no hint of panic.
So losing her poison wasn’t enough to crack her stronghold.
In fact, at the beginning of Volume 10, despite seeming to have a clear advantage, Hayato’s side failed to defeat Kokujou before Rui lost his life.
――Hold your ground, Sazanami Aoi.
This time, the situation is different. This time, no one will die.
The clang of metal echoed as a frontliner clad in armor closed the distance and swung a rusted sword.
Aoi raised his blade and struck without hesitation.
His right arm, wrapped in armor, groaned under the strain. The force of the swing was stronger than expected. Without even clashing against the enemy’s weapon, the blade cleaved through it, tore its body apart, and continued downward, shattering the ground.
Black flames burst forth from the broken earth. This time, they were tinged with blue.
The dual-colored flames, amplified beyond the power of 『Armor Eater』, tore through the skeletons and lashed out toward Kokujou with fierce intent.
The blue power coursing through Aoi’s body was gentle and warm, as if shielding him from corruption.
――Incredible…!!
Aoi tensed his muscles to keep from being overwhelmed by his own immense strength, and swung his sword again.
…The Saotome family. The 『Radiant Divine Arms』 wielded by their direct descendants held the power of a conqueror.
A conqueror guides the people, protects them, and rules them.
They march through battlefields, commanding countless powerful followers.
And to those closest to them, they share a portion of their own strength.
He had seen Rui’s siblings bestow power before, but this was the first time he had seen Rui do it.
He never expected to be the one on the receiving end.
「I don’t think of you as one of my underlings」
Rui’s declaration made him smile.
At that moment, beams of light from the two of them burned through the frontliners.
From the swelling explosion, laughter rang out.
The flames were sliced apart, and the devil launched itself at the two from the ground.
In an instant, the gap closed.
Through the hazy air, Kokujou’s twin blades clashed with the strikes of Aoi and Rui.
Flames, lightning, and poison exploded. Their skin burned.
Without flinching at the scattered poison, Aoi and Rui pressed forward.
Leave a Reply