Chapter 152 – Grand Duke Collector (4)

Scarlett remembers.
A page from peaceful daily life before the war broke out.

Dube Matab was in a festive mood.
This was because the youngest genius in the history of the kingdom was born who opened a new horizon for elemental magic.
The image of a young girl smiling and waving her hand on the tower’s watchtower with colorful flower petals flying.
The scene was soaked in blood the moment I turned the next page.

A cold winter where neither words nor people can move.
At dawn, an urgent telegram came from the Ravier Mountains.
It was a message that demons had come from the land beyond Helzeb and were invading the kingdom.
Paul III immediately requested the nobles to convene an army, and soon 108 knights and wizards gathered in the mountains.

While they were biding their time, the Grand Duke’s Council was held.
Hwansang-gong and Ice-snow-gong were already on the battlefield.
The atmosphere of the meeting was not that dark.
Everyone was full of thoughts of contributing in the war and saving the kingdom.

— We have to think of the worst case.
— Maybe the war will last longer.

Only Yun Hoegong, who looked much more mature than now, had a somewhat unsatisfactory expression.
She insisted that she should find Terra Ernisten, who did not know where she was, and ask for his cooperation.
All the princes opposed Lehel’s opinion.
There were rumors that she had good skills, but she was an eccentric, and she was a wizard who had never published a paper in an academic society.

Scarlett, who was listening to the conversation indifferently, also strengthened her resolve to fight alone.
If he goes to the battlefield, he will wipe out all the demons with this elemental magic.

The day after the agenda to participate in the war against demons was passed unanimously.
Upon arriving at the Ravier Mountains, Scarlett immediately realized that her thoughts were wrong.
The gap between war and reality that she thought was not something as arcane as the various theories spread out in books.

An arm flew into the barracks with an explosion.
The horribly rotten insides emanating from the cut surface cut by black magic were enough.
The war lasted ten years, and the wizard, whose eyes shone with the mysteries of the world, was steeped in the madness of battlefield.

The kingdom wanted to erase the traces of those ten years, which were later named the Great War.
Scarlett still remembers it clearly.
She has fought on countless battlefields and has fought many more battles than her.
When she overturned a difficult battle situation and achieved victory, she moved on to the next death.
She eventually disappeared without being seen even after the war ended.

The king of war.

***

I was surprised that Scarlett guessed my identity right away.
But it was bound to happen at least once.
Why was she reluctant to meet the academy’s professors face to face?
This was because they were wizards who fought during the Great War.

“So, what do you want to say?”

Scarlett probably traveled through more battlefields than any other archduke.
Lehel was confined to Thessalon after the capital defense operation, and the Duke of Illusion and the Duke of Ice and Snow died.
In the end, what mattered to her was what she wanted after guessing my identity.
Now that the fight is over, I wish I could go downstairs and have a beer.

“Are you going to agree with the agenda?”
“Foot… !”

However, Scarlett burst into light laughter.
She just reached out her gloved hand and gently smoothed my face.

At the same time, a huge tsunami of mana shook the atmosphere.

“That’s not it, Louis.”
“What?”

A huge magic circle appeared in the sky where the sleet had stopped.

“You seem to be preparing for the next war, but there is only one thing I want right now.”

Her fighting spirit did not disappear, and her beautiful eyes still retained the five-colored brilliant light.

“The duel isn’t over yet, right?”

As Scarlett’s fist shook my skull, the prepared magic was cast.

〈 Goyumado: Extremely colorful ⌜極color⌟〉

Like a curtain coming down just before the end of a dance.
Colorful elements fall all over the floating island.
The five-colored ball’s large-scale magic that dominates the entire space without allowing even the slightest gap.
Even as I was losing the air I could breathe, I started muttering without even realizing it.

“Why…”

Why did 〈 The End of Magic 〉 not work?

“Oh, that?”

Scarlett lightly stepped behind her and lifted her robe, removing the ice pick from her shoulder.
Then, she showed me a glimpse of my cleavage that I had grabbed and grinned.

“It was mulberry.”
“…”

From next time, I guess I’ll have to make a big hit too.
That was the thought I had as I threw away the other half of the broken ice pick.

***

How to deal with a wizard?
Elemental magic was a very honest type of magic.
Because it focuses on material strikes such as 〈 ignition 〉 or 〈 lightning strike 〉, it is relatively vulnerable to dispel.
And with this type of magic, the location of the caster is also likely to be exposed.

Block or destroy magic, narrow the distance, and then deal with it before using the next magic.
The reason why the Battle Magic Division ‘Blue Moon’ never came out from the rear was because this weakness was clear.
However, once he became an archduke, these restrictions were no longer a hindrance.
Scarlett showed off all the skills an elemental wizard can show.

Bang!! Kwakwang—!!

Flames the size of houses fell from all directions, and the floating island split apart, forming a river.
A rippling current flowed in the waves, and a violent wind that tore the flesh raged.
It was honest, but on the contrary, there was no law of destruction.

‘Tch, what is it…’

Is 〈The End of Magic〉 the only magic that I learned from Terra Ernesten?
Seeing as it can’t cancel magic coming from a distance, it’s not a big deal as long as you keep your distance.
In that case, it would be clear that although he would last a bit longer, he would eventually collapse after being hit by a carpet bombing.

‘Maybe you should have given me a sword at least?’

That’s what I was thinking.

Trudging.

In the land where only cracking and breaking sounds echoed.
My leg, which was dripping blood after being stabbed by a spear made with earth magic, slowly takes a step forward.

Trudging.

A dangerous river that makes every muscle in your body shrivel just by touching it.
The chest with numerous scars is submerged and gradually approaches.

I didn’t understand.
How can one not faint after being hit by that much magic?
And what makes him tick.

Is it a fighting spirit?
Or is it madness?

It is common for those crazy about war to forget the pain and injuries and fight.
However, Scarlett unconsciously held her breath as she made eye contact with Louis after crossing the river.

“You…”
“…”

Fighting spirit, madness.
There was nothing like that in his eyes.
Darkness, representing nothingness, was filling the pupils.
A worn-out, worn-out feeling, a fear coming to knock you down.
It was a far cry from the soul-crushing struggle Scarlett had hoped for.

“Hey, hey…”
“…”
“You didn’t want war, did you? In the past and now. That’s why you came here to persuade me, and you’re standing here… !”
“…”

But those eyes.
That expression.
What do you mean?

Scarlett took a step back.
Still, she prepared for the final blow to cut off his head.
The fifth element is not the same as the heat of fire, the speed of the wind, the heaviness of the earth, or the freedom of water.
Fraum Mobile and Terraria——Elemental magic characterized by ‘unobservability’ that cannot be found anywhere in heaven or earth.
〈 He hid the blade of ether 〉 behind his hand.

“They say he is the king of war… ! Was being unwavering even in these situations the secret to your victory? “Then prove it here and now!!”

There is only one chance.
〈 It was confirmed that the end of magic 〉 only works when it comes in direct contact with the subject’s body.
So, I take advantage of that moment and cut off his wrists with this blade and pierce his neck.

Where will it extend?
The white nape of his neck extending over his shirt?
Or thighs exposed between a skirt and stockings?
Or should I try to squeeze my chest like pervert like before?

“Anything you can do to discourage me…” … !”
“… “Not for a moment.”

Suddenly——!

At that moment, Scarlett heard the sound of something being cut.
Lewis didn’t make any moves.
No part of his body was intact, but no part of it had fallen off.
Rather, it was my left hand, which had been preparing a spell just a moment ago, that caused the sharp pain.

“I’ve never enjoyed war.”

〈 Unique Magic: Mind Sword ⌜Mind Sword⌟〉

“I’ve never been happy.”

〈 Unique Magic: The End of Magic ⌜Magic·End⌟〉

“I was sad only once.”

Tuk.
As soon as his severed wrist fell to the floor, Lewis stretched out his hand.
Scarlett was reflexively preparing the next spell when her head was grabbed.
She was staggered by the strange sensation that all her mana had disappeared and only an empty emptiness remained.

“That won’t happen in the future either.”

Finally, Kwaaang!! She hit her head on the floor with a sound.

***

One wrist.
And a large lump on the back of the head.
At this level, it won’t be one of the major injuries that Erzsebet mentioned, right?
I feel like I was able to subdue it safely.

But just as I was about to enjoy the joy of victory, the entire island suddenly split apart and began to tilt.
To make matters worse, a very familiar feeling of floating enveloped my body.
That feeling when Adela brought her own island to the brink of collapse.
Due to the battle with Scarlett a little while ago, the lower magic core that supported the island was completely broken.

‘Fucked…’

I quickly ran to the end of the floating island and looked down.
The clouds cleared and a downtown bustling with people appeared.
I probably won’t die if I fall from here, but if one of Plum’s floating islands falls like this, there will be enormous damage.
The problem was that I had no means to stop it.

“Hmm, princess?”

I picked up the communications crystal.
Erzsebet on the central island also responded immediately, as if she had understood the situation.

“I have good news and bad news.”
— Lewis, this is not the situation I think it is, is it?
“The good news is that ‘persuasion’ was completed smoothly.”
— I say no!! Right Now!!!
“The bad news is that I don’t know how to turn back time.”
— Aaaaa!!!!!

As the floating island fell and the distance from the central island increased, communication was cut off along with her screams.
I sat down, chewed my lip, and thought.
Soon, a catastrophe will occur below.
Is there really no way to stop this?

‘Would you rather destroy the island itself? No, the damage may actually be greater…’

Even if Scarlett is awakened again, the island will not be able to be stopped because all the mana has disappeared.
Time passed by and the land was getting closer and closer.
As a last resort, I raised my fist to try to split the island.
A woman in a dress appeared through the air.

“Oh my god, what is this?”
“Who… ?”
“Yes? It’s me, boss. “The only joint owner of the canteen!”
“Lehel… ?”

Even when looking straight ahead, the tattered conical hat that covered more than half of her face was gone, leaving only her beautiful silver hair flowing.
Lehel looked back and forth between me and the floating island and muttered as if she was troubled.

“Ho, is it a terrorist attack…? … ?”
“Yes?”
“No matter how well I get along with the boss, I’m not anti-royalist. If property is tied up in joint names, it may also be returned to the national treasury…”
“That’s not it, there was a problem during persuasion.”
“Persuasion?”
“Yes, it was difficult to put into words.”
“Ah… ! Well, I see… No matter what, until I lose my mind in a place like this…”

Lehel’s perplexed gaze turned to Scarlett, who was lying face down on the floor.
Her clothes were very disheveled and the pad she had placed on her chest was rolling around nearby.
I was even more serious than that and was close to half naked.

“Well, we need to stop this sooner than that! Yes… !”

It seemed like a strange misunderstanding, but she immediately came to her senses and waved her hands in a panic.

“Can you stop?”
“Sure… ! There is a magic that was created long ago. The name was difficult and I couldn’t figure out what it was… Ah!”

Her magic name, which came to mind as she wrapped her head, was a familiar one that I had also heard.

“Right! “The reverse order is impossible!”