The Corrupt Sage

Night fell, and firelight stained the horizon an ominous scarlet. The group raced across the wasteland at full speed, heading for the town shrouded in calamity. The smell of burning and blood grew stronger on the wind, mingled with faint screams and the roar of collapsing buildings.

Himmel's blue hair streamed behind him as he raced along. He turned to Lowell, who was keeping pace beside him, his voice clear even in the wind. "Lowell, do you think we can win?"

Lowell kept his eyes ahead. "If you don't count Frieren and me, you probably can't beat him with your current strength," he said evenly.

Rather than looking discouraged, Himmel curved his lips in a smile of understanding and resolve—the excitement of a hero facing a powerful enemy. "Is that so? I thought as much. All the more reason to fight him."

Their swift pace had paid off. The low walls of earth and stone were close at hand, but the scene outside them was horrifying. Bodies lay scattered across the ground, most of them soldiers in standard leather armor or chain mail. Among them were several figures in mage robes of different colors—elites the Continental Magic Association had sent as reinforcements (or had they been passing through?). The battle had clearly only just taken place, and a distinct, suffocating trace of magic lingered in the air.

Facing them was an unusually tall figure with blond hair, black eyes, and brown skin. Heavy chains wrapped his upper body, and a pair of enormous, twisted demon horns gleamed faintly in the firelight. It was Qual, the "Corrupt Sage" Lupa had described. He stood there as though he were calamity incarnate, surrounded by the heart-stopping magical fluctuations unique to him.

The Magic Association's elites were fighting desperately. Their spells blazed as fireballs, ice spikes, and Arcane Missiles shot toward Qual like a storm. Yet Qual cast at an uncanny speed; with barely a thought, a concentrated dark beam took shape. More terrifying still, the magical barriers the association's mages had painstakingly constructed were easily pierced and shattered by the penetrating power of his Killing Magic, as though they were made of paper.

"Ugh."

An elderly mage tried to shield a companion, but a blast of Killing Magic punched through the reinforced shield before his chest like a sheet of paper and pierced the right side of his chest. His body convulsed, and he spat bright red blood as he staggered backward and fell.

"Qual!" Himmel shouted, shooting forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. His longsword flashed from its sheath and drove straight for Qual's back with unstoppable force. Eisen roared, sweeping his battle axe in from the flank with enough power to split mountains and shatter stone. Ruby swung her staff, sending several blazing fireballs to cut off Qual's possible escape routes.

Yet Qual did not even turn around. He merely raised his chain-wrapped left arm and swung it casually behind him, unleashing a concentrated mass of Killing Magic energy that struck like a hammer.

Clang!

Himmel's sword struck what felt like an invisible barrier. An impact unique to Killing Magic jolted him backward several steps. Eisen's battle axe was also stopped by another surge of the same energy.

"A few more of you?" Qual slowly turned around, his serrated teeth bared in a curve devoid of amusement. His dark eyes swept over the newcomers, pausing on Himmel and Eisen for a moment.

Lupa's body began to tremble violently. Hatred burned in her mismatched eyes, its flames almost taking solid form. She bit her lip so hard it nearly bled and forced a word through her teeth. "...Qual!"

Lowell and Frieren did not join the attack on Qual directly. Instead, they appeared with the little ones in front of the association mage who had fallen with serious injuries, shielding him and several other mages who had exhausted too much of their mana.

Qual frowned slightly, seemingly displeased that anyone dared ignore him. He flicked a finger, sending a thin but deadly blast of Killing Magic at the fallen mage's forehead like a venomous barb.

Hiss.

A faint sound rang out. Less than half a foot from the mage's forehead, the beam struck several layers of white, honeycomb-patterned barriers that looked as thin as cicada wings yet were immensely resilient, and silently vanished. Frieren did not even glance at the mage. Her green eyes rested calmly on Qual as she gently tapped the bottom of her staff against the ground.

Lowell crouched down and checked the mage's injuries, then nodded to Heiter as he arrived. "There's residual magic in the wound. Fortunately, this mage is using his own magic to resist it, but ordinary healing spells will be less effective. Try purification."

Heiter acknowledged him gravely. A soft, holy light appeared in his palm as he began treating the mage.

Qual's dark pupils contracted slightly, and for the first time, a hint of seriousness appeared on his face. He studied Frieren and Lowell, particularly the almost imperceptible use of magic that had stopped his attack an instant ago.

"Elves?" He stroked his chin, a note of inquiry in his voice. "You can block my 'Killing Magic'... How strange. I'm quite sure I've never met you before. I see, its structure synchronizes with the offensive spell, dispersing its power. A very complex formula."

As he spoke, a small white honeycomb barrier appeared on his hand as well—he had grasped the secret of defensive magic with a single glance.

"But... using it like that must consume far more mana than I use...!"

Frieren did not answer. She merely tilted her head slightly and spoke evenly to the association mages behind her. "He's seen through it. Stand back. Your magical defenses won't work against him."

Though all of the surviving association mages were wounded, their eyes remained calm. They immediately retreated, covering one another with exceptional skill.

"Thank you all very much for your support. His attacks are extremely powerful, and we have indeed used up too much of our mana. Please be careful."

"Mm."

Himmel took the opportunity to steady his breathing, forming a triangular formation with Eisen and Ruby around Qual. Lupa remained in a relatively safe area, but she continued to stare fixedly at Qual, as though she meant to tear him apart with her gaze.

"Hmph, the hero, I presume. A dwarf warrior, a little human mage..." Qual's gaze swept over Himmel and the other two before returning to Frieren and Lowell. He spoke in a tone of condescending appraisal. "And an elf who's somewhat interesting. Not a bad lineup. Pity that before my true 'Killing Magic,' you're still no match for me."

A powerful surge of magic erupted. A highly compressed sphere of dark energy appeared before Qual, as though countless resentful souls were wailing within it, exuding an overwhelming aura of decay and death.

Himmel's expression changed. "Watch out!"

"Let me try!" Ruby cried, slamming her staff against the ground and channeling all her mana. "Behold my Seraphic Guardian Barrier!" A thick wall of flame rose from the ground, attempting to block it.

But when the dark sphere touched the wall of flame, the barrier held for a while before it was easily pierced.

"Huh? Even that couldn't stop it? I reinforced it specially..." Ruby exclaimed.

"Get out of the way!" Himmel grabbed Ruby and dodged the attack.

"This enemy really is strong... Be careful."

Nearby, Lupa clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms and blood seeped between her fingers, but she did not notice. Her gaze remained fixed on the enemy who had destroyed everything she had.