The Barrier

Several villages in the distance had already been evacuated and were deserted, with only the sound of the wind wandering in the wilderness.

Lowell hovered in mid-air, facing the enormous barrier that enveloped the entire golden area. He reached out and pressed his palm against the almost invisible barrier, magic flowing through his fingertips like water.

"The Protective Barrier Formation upon which the Kamm Clan of the Southern Lands depends for their survival," he murmured, his voice clear in the silent air, "A barrier theory built upon the Principle of Irreversibility, once used in the defense system of the Unified Empire, the pinnacle of Court Magic, the Great Barrier of Separation..."

He withdrew his hand, crossed his arms, and examined the invisible yet indestructible barrier before him.

"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call this the pinnacle of human barriers. Macht, only you deserve this kind of treatment."

He tilted his head, as if admiring a complex work of art.

"Five completely different barrier spells, yet they were able to fuse together so seamlessly... Ha, you really did unintentionally push human magic a giant leap forward. Indeed, after Flamme, the one who contributed the most to human magic is Qual, and then it's you, Teacher Ma. Serie and the like are utterly weak."

Lowell smacked his lips.

"Unfortunately, I only have a rudimentary understanding of these things, let alone the ability to crack them. Sure enough—"

He retreated about ten meters, hovering in the air, his right fist clenched and brought to his waist. The radiance of magic silently gathered and compressed on his fist, emitting a layer of solidified silvery-white light.

"I prefer to just smash it open."

He took a step forward.

A fist was thrown.

"Come on, a regular punch."

Bang--!

A dull, resounding bang, as if the world itself had been struck, exploded.

Centered on the point where the fist struck, the invisible barrier that had shrouded the Golden Land for decades was instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks. The cracks spread wildly, covering the entire sky in an instant.

The next second, the barrier shattered.

It wasn't a collapse, but rather like an entire, inverted, enormous glass dome being burst apart from the inside by an irresistible force, turning into billions of transparent fragments that shimmered with a faint light, scattering and flying in all directions.

Fragments rained down, enveloping the entire Golden Land.

If the inhabitants here were still alive, if the houses were still made of wood and stone, if there were still pedestrians on the streets—this rain of fragments would be enough to reduce the entire fortified city, along with all life within it, to dust in an instant.

But there are no living people here.

Only gold.

Gold is eternal, hard, and nearly indestructible.

The fragments crashed into the golden rooftops, walls, and streets, striking the frozen human figures and carriages, producing a crisp, dense "clanging" sound like hailstones striking metal. Then the light dimmed, shattering into finer magical dust that silently dissipated into the air.

Lowell lowered his fist and shook his wrist.

"Done."

He squinted as he looked down at the golden kingdom below, now exposed to the sunlight without any cover after the barrier was removed.

"... It's time to begin."

Central square of the Fortress City Weise.

Beside the golden fountain, Macht sat quietly on a bench.

He had his eyes closed, like a decorative statue that belonged here.

The moment the shockwave from the shattering barrier reached him, he opened his eyes.

Her crimson eyes lifted, gazing at the sky. There, the barrier that once enveloped everything had vanished, leaving only a faint, fading magical aura.

He sat still for a few seconds, then slowly stood up.

He patted off non-existent dust from his robes and straightened his coat. His movements were meticulous, as if he were attending a pre-arranged tea party.

He started walking, unhurriedly, towards the town's exit.

The golden soles of the boots clattered on the same golden stone slabs, producing a regular and clear "tap, tap" sound that echoed through the endless, deathly silent street.

We arrived at the city gate.

A figure stood there, his back to him, gazing at the normal world outside the city, gradually being bathed in twilight.

It's Duncan.

Macht stopped, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed.

"Lord Duncan."

Duncan turned around.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes were calm, like two deep pools reflecting Macht's figure.

"The barrier has been destroyed." Macht straightened up, his tone calm. "I need to find another suitable place to start again. Next time, I'm sure I can..."

Duncan interrupted him.

"Teacher."

He called out that name, his voice not loud, but very clear.

"What does 'starting over' mean?"

"Naturally, we should continue to seek the path of 'coexistence,'" Macht without hesitation, "And continue to understand 'guilt,' 'malice'... these are the emotions that humans possess."

His gaze fell on Duncan's face.

"As for that agreement, Lord Duncan, please abandon it. With your strength, you cannot possibly defeat me."

Duncan looked at him for a long time, then shook his head slightly.

"No, teacher."

He spoke, his voice deeper and more steady than before.

"Actually, I knew it all along. I knew you would never restore Golden Land to its original state."

"But even so... I still hold onto a sliver of hope. Because I can never completely forget that teacher who devoted himself to Weise and the Gluck Family, and who taught me magic."

He raised his eyes, his gaze fixed directly on Macht's empty eyes.

"But, if you intend to leave here and continue your twisted path of 'coexistence'—"

He gripped the staff in his hand tightly. A smooth, shimmering light emanated from the staff.

I will defeat you here.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Macht's calm and composed expression softened slightly. It wasn't surprise, but rather a faint, bewildered look after confirmation.

Are you serious?

"I haven't fought you yet," Duncan continued, not answering his question, "Not because I'm afraid of you, nor because I think I can't beat you."

"It's because I've always hoped... that Weise's story could have a better ending."

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, a brief smile tinged with self-deprecation.

"I know perfectly well that this is impractical."

Macht listened quietly as he finished speaking.

Then, he spoke slowly, his voice carrying something different for the first time.

"Excuse my bluntness, but it sounds like you genuinely believe you can beat me."

Duncan met his gaze.

Who knows?

He raised his left hand, holding the staff horizontally in front of him, the tip pointing at Macht.

"You heard that 'future' very clearly, teacher. If I didn't have absolute certainty, why would I be standing here... to my death?"

He paused, as if recalling something from a long time ago.

"Teacher, I've made many preparations for this day that will eventually come. It's strange... I'm clearly a coward who abandoned my homeland and dared not face the fact that my wife has turned into gold, yet I've never neglected to hone my magic."

He shook his head.

"Perhaps, subconsciously, I always knew this day would come."

His gaze swept over Macht —there, an immense, suffocating magical power was being released without reservation, like a silent tsunami, filling every inch of the surrounding air, far exceeding his own power.

"Even so," Duncan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "It's been a long time since I... felt so close to death. Unlike before, now I'm very clear about the gap between our strengths."

His fingers tightened around the cane, but his gaze remained unwavering, instead revealing a cold, hard calm that had been honed through repeated trials.

Even so, I still feel... I can seize that sliver of a chance to defeat you.

"It seems I'm more stubborn than I thought..."

The moment the words left his mouth.

Duncan pointed his staff forward.

The tip of the staff burst forth with blazing white light—not just one, but dozens, like a sudden Bloom of reverse meteor shower, tearing through the solidified air and emitting a shrill shriek as it shot toward Macht from all angles!

Light of Judgment: Summons dozens of light arrows, possessing immense power and sustained pursuit capability.

Macht stood still, his face expressionless.

"You've always had this kind of personality," he said.

The moment the last word was uttered, his figure vanished from the spot.

In the next instant, he appeared beside Duncan, his right hand somehow grasping the golden broadsword that had materialized from his shoulder coat. The blade tore through the air and silently slashed towards Duncan's neck!

Duncan reacted almost simultaneously.

He held his staff to his side, and a honeycomb-shaped, transparent Defensive Magic instantly unfolded, precisely blocking the blade's trajectory.

"Clang--!"

The explosion of metal colliding resounded, and shockwaves surged outwards.

Using the momentum, Duncan retreated rapidly, simultaneously swinging his staff again—dozens more Light of Judgment burst forth, sealing off all angles from which Macht pursued.

Macht deflected several arrows of light with his sword, his figure blurring again as he created distance. He looked at Duncan, a faint, nostalgic look flashing across his empty eyes.

"... It reminds me of the days when we used to practice together."

(Duncan actually managed to defend against that slash...) he thought to himself.

Duncan landed steadily. He raised his staff, and the tip lit up again.

"Me too," he said, his voice clear in the wind. "I've seen this set of movements from the teacher countless times."

He tapped repeatedly with his staff.

The Light of Judgment was no longer indiscriminate, but became more targeted. Each beam of light predicted Macht's movement trajectory, blocking his possible dodge space and forcing him to take the hit head-on or change direction.

Macht's figure twisted and turned several times in the air, dodging most of the light arrows, and occasionally slashing his sword to shatter those he couldn't avoid. He raised his head and looked at Duncan, who was constantly adjusting his position and applying pressure in the air.

(The control, power, and technique of magic... are all vastly different now...)

At that moment, Duncan appeared behind him without warning.

With the staff pointed forward, a perfectly condensed beam of Ordinary Attack Magic shot out, aiming straight for Macht's back!

Macht did not turn around.

His coat suddenly softened and flowed, surging behind him like a living thing, instantly condensing into an arc-shaped golden barrier.

The beam of light struck the barrier.

"Boom--!"

A tremendous explosion occurred, and a burst of light engulfed that small patch of airspace.

The golden barrier remained intact, but the terrifying impact shoved Macht downwards, sending him crashing heavily onto the golden street below, sending dust billowing into the air.

Macht emerged from the smoke and dust. He dusted off his clothes, looked up at Duncan slowly descending from the sky, and for the first time, a clear, focused expression of "fighting" appeared on his face.

"Lord Duncan, I must admit..."

He said that his voice had lost its previous calmness and gained a touch of seriousness.

I underestimated you.

He gripped the knife hilt tightly with his right hand, raised his left hand, palm facing upward.

"Right now, I truly feel the joy of battle."

He gently clenched his left hand with the five fingers pointing towards Duncan high in the sky.

There was no magical fluctuation.

There was no magical trail.

There were no signs whatsoever.

But in the very next instant after he made that move—

Macht's own body, starting from his left hand, showed a rapid fading of skin color, revealing a thick, even golden hue.

The gold color spread upwards along his arm, across his shoulder, neck, and cheek...

He maintained his left hand in a loosely clenched position, and under Duncan's gaze, his entire being rapidly transformed into a golden statue.

Duncan watched quietly.

Macht's eyes, now turned to gold, seemed to shift slightly as they looked at Duncan. The corners of his golden lips curved upwards in a subtle, almost pleasurable arc.

"How interesting..."

His voice emanated directly from his Goldification body, carrying a metallic, grating quality.

"I didn't know you knew this trick..."

Curse-Reversal Magic. A magic granted by Serie through special privileges after becoming First-Class Mage and making certain contributions. It can counteract the Diagoldze Curse of Macht in the Golden Land, but it consumes an extremely high amount of magic power.

Duncan lowered his staff to the ground, his breathing heavier than before. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the afterglow of the setting sun.

"... This trick can't be used for long, teacher. Actually... even if an ordinary person had this trick, it probably wouldn't be very useful, because your curse is formless and invisible, making it impossible to detect the timing of its casting."

He was breathing heavily, but his voice remained steady.

"But... I still know when my teacher releases magic. Even if I can't detect any trace of magic, even if I can't sense any magical fluctuations..."

He lowered his head and looked at the golden statue.

"Teacher, I am your student. I have been with you for countless years."

"Of course I know that you can easily undo your Goldification."

"Let's continue."

On Macht's golden face, the subtle curve widened, transforming into an undisguised smile brimming with pure amusement.

"So Elation..."