Chapter 152 – Black Corpse Gardinis

The moment the transfer completed, I left Caduceus with Grace and the others and headed toward the Sealed Door with Claudia. We didn’t go straight to the Sealed Door, instead first moving in a different direction before taking the shortest linear path to our destination as a form of deception… though how effective this would be remained unclear. Still, it was better to do what we could.

Caduceus served as both the liaison between the surface and the labyrinth, and as insurance for Grace and the others to retreat if the battle situation turned dangerous.

Claudia’s accompaniment was in case the Demon appeared elsewhere, so we could head there instead. That hadn’t changed. If we received word from Caduceus about the Demon’s appearance, we were prepared to head there.

“I can see it.”

In the center of the otherwise featureless lake was an island. The island appeared to be a rocky area, and hidden among those rocks was the Sealed Door leading underground.

“Claudia, are you okay with your power consumption?”

“I might be able to manage about two more transfers.”

Considering Claudia’s circumstances, I’d prefer to avoid using her powers if possible.

There was still time before the Sealed Door would open. We could check on the various battle situations… but waiting alone was making me somewhat anxious.

“…Theodore. I think I should thank you.”

Suddenly, Claudia spoke.

“Hm? For what?”

“I’ve hardly told you anything about myself. Even I think I seem suspicious, yet you seem to trust me anyway.”

“Well, there’s Irmhild too.”

Claudia had also chosen to trust me.

While there were certainly unclear aspects about her objectives… even after various speculations, I didn’t sense much malice. In that case, it was fine.

Claudia nodded quietly and continued waiting silently for that moment.

“…He’s coming.”

With Claudia’s words, the Great Corruption Lake shook. Slowly, the Sealed Door opened inward. Simultaneously, rainbow-colored crystals flew out from various places and began purifying the lake.

So this was the Earth Spirit Power being released from deep within the Spirit Hall.

We plunged through the door leading underground.

After passing through a narrow passage—we emerged into a massive dome-shaped space. In the distance was a pyramid-like structure similar in design to the Wind Spirit Hall. Rainbow-colored crystals of various sizes glittered, and colorful flowers bloomed everywhere. This was the Earth Spirit Hall.

The Guardians here appeared to be Golems with crystal bodies… but most seemed to be positioned around the building itself. They apparently wouldn’t initiate interception unless approached or attacked. There seemed to be both ground and flying types—

“Shouldn’t we suppress the Guardians?”

“Leave them be. Once the fighting starts, they’ll likely get caught in the crossfire anyway, and they’ll come to intercept on their own.”

As we were talking like this and surveying the surrounding terrain, Claudia’s gaze snapped toward the entrance as if she’d been physically struck.

—He’s here.

Something resembling the Magic Array used with the Transference Stone appeared on the ground, and a pillar of light rose up. —And then a single man materialized.

His figure was clad in the cult’s Robe. The face peeking from the hood’s shadow was that of an elderly man with white hair and a long white beard.

“…So you’re the Demon Slayer. To remain untransformed even at this stage… well, fine. Though you’ve made the labyrinth master your ally… with that youth… no, childishness, you’re quite skilled. First, I’ll praise you. My Familiar, Virginia, has been destroyed.”

The moment he saw me, he narrowed his eyes and said that. Then, looking at Claudia, he smiled meaningfully.

“Claudia, stay back.”

“Understood. Be careful.”

…I see. Virginia was this guy’s Familiar. There was probably also the aim of testing my capabilities through combat. In that case, the strategy of misleading the direction of the Sealed Door was likely useless against Virginia alone.

“…You’re the cult leader, right?”

“Indeed. My name is Gardinis of the Black Bones. I suspect you’ve already guessed, but I’m also a comrade of the Demons opposing you.”

What he took out from his pocket and showed me was a Demon’s Orb emitting Miasma. He casually tossed it aside and said,

“Even though you’re trying to take the Orbs, to leave one behind like this… what exactly is your intention?”

“Even if I hold just one here, it will hinder your efforts to place the Seal on the Moonlight Temple. If you can destroy me, you’re welcome to take this Miasma Orb as well. The strong, the victors, take everything. That is the way of the world. Therefore—I, the King, have come to kill you. For me to stand at the summit, become my offering and die.”

Saying this. Gardinis, who had appeared to be speaking relatively calmly until now, opened his eyes wide with an un-elderly passion, revealing what could only be called a gruesome smile.

…King this, cult leader that. Compared to the Demons so far, he’s considerably more ambitious, or something like that.

“I’ll teach you with your own body what happens to pests that lay hands on livestock!”

An enormous amount of Miasma spread like wind. The flesh of his body peeled away as if crumbling, and his human form collapsed.

What connected bone to bone was dark Miasma.

In eye sockets like dark caves, crimson shining pupils ignited like flames. A skeleton clad in black Robes. That was the form of Gardinis of the Black Bones. Miasma extended long from his hands—taking the form of a Khakkhara and solidifying.

At his feet—the flowers and plants touched by Miasma blackened, corroded, and crumbled away. If they just withered, I’d understand. Certainly Miasma erodes ordinary living things, but such drastic changes aren’t normal. This was probably his Miasma characteristic—something that makes life rot and fall away.

But. That’s irrelevant. Without waiting for him to make a move, I charged in first. I too had double Defense with Blessing and Magical Power Circulation. The moment I receive his Miasma characteristic would be the moment I die.

I charged in with my whole body and swung Ouroboros as if to smash down. He blocked it with his Khakkhara. Magical Power and Miasma collided, scattering sparks.

As he pulled his body back, he drew an arc with his Khakkhara. Then my body was swept aside. It seems this guy also uses Staff Martial Arts. By going with the flow and letting inertia carry me in a big leap, I prevented my Defense from breaking.

When distance opened between us, I saw Miasma converging in his palm. Without hesitation, I kicked off my Shield and flew sideways. A bluish-black Miasma like a Laser swept through the spot where I’d been until moments before. A moment later, a blast rose vertically from the swept ground.

Tremendous destructive power. But I could see the preparatory movements. No problem. The crystal Golems caught in the attack reacted and closed in on me. This was also as expected.

By flying irregularly in all directions, I charged in without letting him focus his aim. Simultaneously, I activated Mirage Body, but he completely ignored the clones and aimed straight for me. He must be able to detect my position. In that case, it’s time for a head-on confrontation.

Gardinis raised his Khakkhara. This time, a Magic Circle shone at its tip, and Lightning Strikes radiated out in all directions. An unavoidable attack.

But while defending with my Shield, I charged in along the shortest path this time. If I showed I could dodge linear attacks like Lasers, then it made sense for him to use a radial attack next. I’d foreseen this.

The Khakkhara swinging down from above, and Ouroboros scooping up from below. They collided, tangled, and scattered sparks. Winding up, pulling down. Sweeping aside, smashing down, then repeatedly thrusting.

We both wielded Staff Martial Arts to break the other’s stance, then exchanged Magic at close range. Lightning Strikes, explosive flames, freezing air, and rocks. Numerous in both speed and variety. He was probably trying to overwhelm me with quantity by reducing power. I also used Magic along with Staff Martial Arts to respond. Attacks flew back and forth in the narrowest of margins.

“Kukku! You use Magical Power Circulation, quite rare! With the Moon Goddess’s Blessing and Circulation, indeed my Corrosion won’t work! But!”

Gardinis roared. I blocked the Khakkhara coming from the side with my Shield, and when I smashed down a Lightning Strike from Ouroboros I’d swung overhead, he also defended with a Barrier of Miasma. Staff and staff smashed together with brute force, scattering sparks.

A crystal Golem from behind. While dodging the attack, I used the Golem as a foothold, kicked its head, and flew upward. While spinning vertically, I aimed for the back of Gardinis’s head as if swinging down, but he also rotated forward and swung his Khakkhara down from above my head, which should have been upside down. I blocked with my Shield, thrust out my hand to block his vision, and released a Fireball.

The blast enveloped his face. But Gardinis showed no sign of being affected, thrusting his skeletal face through the blast as he unleashed a Palm Strike wrapped in Miasma.

Just before being hit, I blocked with my Shield. However, the impact penetrated through the Shield and transmitted through. I was blown backward.

He’s good. The damage that penetrated the Shield hurt, but it wasn’t Erosion from Miasma. It wouldn’t hinder combat.

That was—using Miasma like Fighting Spirit, he used a Combat Skill. The Techniques this guy uses are the same. Miasma is Negative Magical Power. He’s releasing Magic as Techniques from Magic Circles. Since his characteristic doesn’t work, it’s become a magic battle.

That’s precisely why I can read the moves he’s about to make… but Staff Martial Arts, Magic, and now Combat Skills too? What a well-matched opponent we are. I exhaled deeply and took a Stance with Ouroboros.

“Kukku, and still you smile, brat.”

He shook his shoulders as if amused, then used Flight Technique to approach silently.

Ouroboros and the Khakkhara crossed. As if by mutual agreement, we stopped using Magic and continued with an exchange of staff handling. From every angle and direction—up, down, left, right, center—our staffs collided. The moment I thought I was scooping up from below, the opposite end came down like a piercing thrust the next instant. Making it graze by the narrowest margins, I slipped through and landed attacks.

Shattering the crystal Golems swarming around, I used them as footholds, as Shields. Or while breaking them to use as scatter shot, I spun and circled and whirled through the crystal forest.

I don’t look. I don’t watch every movement of his staff with my eyes. I read his next move completely through the movements of his shoulders and torso. Pressing in. Receiving a downward swing, winding it in then lifting it up, I pried open his Guard. In one motion, I thrust the opposite end of my staff into his chest.

Sparks scattered and his body was knocked backward. I stepped in. The Miasma Vortex dwelling in his left hand. A handsword swung up from below became a blade-like Slash Attack that flew toward me. It swept shallowly right past my body.

That became the signal to resume the magic combat brawl. I couldn’t deny the disadvantage. There was a difference in endurance. In the exchange of blows, Magic Circles flashed, and countless spells scattered around us, centered on me and him.

Forced to Retreat greatly by the Khakkhara as if being swept aside, I was sent flying near the ground. Perfect. I gathered the fragments of Golems and rainbow crystals shattered after being caught in the battle’s aftermath with Wind Magic and smashed them down at him.

As if wrapping himself in a storm, he covered his entire body with black Miasma. The crystal fragments were scattered and worn away without scraping his body.

The Miasma enveloping him split into his spread-out hands and deployed. Becoming Magic Circles.

Disguise. Eliminating unnecessary patterns from the true Magic Circle to identify the magic type. The moment I saw through his magic, his Technique was also complete. Massive chunks of rock, linked to the movements of his hands, closed in from both left and right as if to crush me.

Earth Magic 6th rank Solid Hammer multiple deployment. I kicked off my Shield and charged straight in. The sound of rock and rock colliding and shattering right behind me.

“Gaaah!”

As if to say he knew I’d charge in, a Miasma flash burst from his mouth. I’d also anticipated another Technique coming. By thrusting the tip of Ouroboros into the Shield deployed in front and changing trajectory like pole vaulting, I avoided it. I gained the high ground. Using Levitation to kill inertia, I deployed a Shield at my back. By detonating Fire Magic, I turned the blast into propulsion. Bending at almost a right angle, I closed in while descending vertically.

High Stance. I swung down Ouroboros as if to smash through, amplifying my refined Magical Power. He blocked it by holding his Khakkhara with both arms.

“Guh!”

The Miasma Khakkhara shattered, and Ouroboros smashed into his shoulder.

A heavy response. Gardinis groaned, but immediately his Khakkhara reformed and he swung back as if to sweep me aside. I was knocked away along with my Magic Shield.

Again. An attack method that penetrates the Shield with impact to deliver damage. If defended, the power of each individual blow isn’t that great, but it’s troublesome. The longer the battle drags on, the more it’ll affect me later. My attacks are also getting through, but our endurance was different from the start.

He knows about Magical Power Circulation. That means he knows about Battle Mages. These were tactics knowing my low endurance.

He closed in while raining down Magic like hail.

Form Shift. While exposing myself to the rain of flying Magic Bullets, I evaded using only Martial Arts, regained my posture, and blocked the following Khakkhara strike with my Shield. Each time I blocked, impact transmitted through. Faster and faster, sharper and sharper. While crossing blows with motions as compact as possible, I mixed punches and kicks into Staff Martial Arts, simultaneously unleashing Magic with a Magical Palm Strike.

Shallow. He’s flying backward on his own. Of course with Magic Circles, but he seems to detect even Chantless spells. Given that he saw through Mirage Body… he’s probably detecting my movements through the flow of Magical Power. Even if I unleash a major Technique head-on, it likely won’t hit.

But there is damage from my attacks. His appearance suggests Undead—reminding one of No-Life King or Skeletons, but he’s ultimately a Demon. He possesses Negative Magical Power and belongs to darkness, but I shouldn’t treat him as Undead.

“You’re good! It’s a shame to kill you!”

The Khakkhara gripped in a reverse grip swung down diagonally from above. Miasma gathered at the fingertips of his remaining left hand and shot out diagonally from below like a Spear. Attacks from diagonal directions.

I blocked the Khakkhara with my Shield, and deflected the Miasma Spear with Ouroboros. If I’d blocked it in reverse, it probably would have penetrated my Shield, but the impact attack method still pierces through my body. Who cares.

Since his Defense was open, I spun as if to deliver a summersault and unleashed a kick infused with Magical Power, but he also rotated backward to avoid it. Immediately I kicked off my Shield and charged.

He scattered high-density Miasma Masses like mines to block my approach. A crystal Golem that carelessly touched one exploded. I see. So that’s what happens if you touch them carelessly.

I’d already refined enough Magical Power to defeat him. But from there, I continued circulating and refining even more Magical Power. An opponent who knows how to kill a Battle Mage. An opponent who matches me endlessly.

Then surely. Both our aims are the same. To break the opponent so they can neither defend nor evade, then unleash a major Technique. When and where to execute it. Even if he drags this into a war of attrition, he can win.

The rising Magical Power affected not just Ouroboros, but my entire body. While scattering Spark Light from all over my body, I wrapped myself in enormous Magical Power and continued exchanging Staff Martial Arts and Magic.

Before I knew it, the crystal golem’s interference was gone. The forest of towering crystals had been completely leveled. The world spun and danced as heaven and earth reversed. Was I above or was he below? Flashes of light sparked, burst, shattered, scattered, and exploded.

I struck. I was struck. A dull pain ran through my body with each impact. My bones creaked. I stood my ground and struck back. The sensation of impact transmitted through my palms. We were steadily dealing and receiving damage.

And then—a simultaneous attack of magic and khakkhara came. I deflected the magic with my shield, but the khakkhara dug deep into my side. The sound of cracking ribs. My body was sent flying and slammed against the wall as if pinned there.

“Gah!”

A groan of agony escaped my lips. A massive magic circle unfolded behind Gardinis. That was—

“This was fun, human! Now—disappear!”

Dark Magic 9th Tier: Starless Buster.

An immense darkness that seemed to fill my entire vision came rushing toward me.

A dark magic that disassembles everything it touches through immense curses, dissolving all into darkness. Defensive magic is useless. There’s nowhere to dodge. And above all—I can’t move from here right now. Damage all over my body. Capillaries in my limbs have burst, spraying blood from everywhere.

“Theodore!!”

Claudia cried out and deployed a magic array. She appeared before me a moment later. Teleportation to come save me, and teleportation to escape. The second teleportation wouldn’t make it in time. I grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

Claudia’s eyes widened at the fact I was still smiling. A moment later, everything was swallowed. The black void projectile gouged out the labyrinth walls on an absurd scale. But—

“Teleportation magic!? When!? How did you construct it!?”

Gardinis shouted and tried to turn around. As expected. He must have tracked my magical power with his eyes after the teleportation. But I had taken his back.

Not Claudia’s.

My

(

..

)

Teleportation magic. One of the spells Mother left behind. A magic for short-distance teleportation: Light Magic Compact Leap. Judging from its difficulty, it would be around 8th Tier.

Faster than he could move. A massive magic circle unfolded behind me.

What I had refined, constructed, and kept on standby within my body was Compact Leap. I wielded high-tier magic using my own body as a catalyst without a staff. That’s why he couldn’t detect its activation, but in exchange, I took damage all over my body. I deliberately took the hit. To create an opening for his big move and slip through it with teleportation magic.

And I maintained the magical power I couldn’t contain within my body by wrapping it around myself. By enveloping myself in magical power, I also concealed the spell formula itself within me.

This is my real move—

“Here I go.”

Light Magic 9th Tier: Bright Turbulence. Gardinis was trapped inside the spherical magic array that deployed at the tip of the roaring Ouroboros.

“Simultaneous use of two high-tier magics—!? Just what are you—!?”

I know it’s unreasonable. The magical power I maintained by wrapping around my body wasn’t enough. I chose this precisely because it’s a magic that takes time to complete the spell formula and maintain activation.

Like the glittering stars floating in the celestial sphere, countless spheres of light were born inside the sphere. Magic bullets. Countless shining bullets of magical power ran rampant inside the spherical magic array. It was a storm of magic bullets.

The brief period Gardinis endured with his enveloping miasma was short-lived. His body was caught in the whirlpool of magical power over and over inside the sealing array, tossed about relentlessly. I converted the lacking magical power by burning life force through circulation, refining it to maintain the spell formula. I bit my lip to hold onto my fading consciousness.

“Shatter!”

I roared and leaped. Leaped backward. A particularly brilliant white light overflowed from inside the sphere. It dyed the entire dome where the Spirit Hall resides white, and the spherical magic array caused a massive explosion.