Chapter 586 - All-Out War (4)
From the other side, every kind of elemental force poured in, striking in succession and shaking, distorting the air currents.
The once quiet corridor had already transformed into a battlefield where magic clashed against magic.
"Bohemirn Magic Tower has breached the Grand Hall! Hold your positions at all costs!"
"Black Hour, execute those magical scums on sight!"
The members of Black Hour hastily built cover, hiding behind it, standing again to launch magical projectiles, and repeating the process endlessly.
The Society members took positions between them and did their best to assist, yet it was far from easy to stop the merciless advance of their enemies.
KWA-A-A-AANG!
Before they could even counterattack, immense waves of pressure and heat erupted three times.
It was the strategic magic item possessed by Saturation of Jinche—a weapon activated by numerous Mages of the Magic Tower gathered together. The defensive line crumbled.
It was too late to rebuild.
No leeway remained.
As the barriers vanished, those exposed to the magical range were crushed under massive boulders, frozen solid, or struck by lightning and blown apart.
Fwooosh! BOOM!
Hiding behind a corner, a Mage extended only their staff outward, firing a barrage of fire spells, burning one man's face off.
A scream pierced their ears.
In return, a great number of earth spells came surging in all at once.
As the wall was violently scraped, an irregularly ricocheting fragment struck—a Black Hour Mage's forehead split deeply open.
"Ugh, there are too many of them…! More importantly, how did they infiltrate the Grand Hall's sector…!"
"Watch out!"
This time, a
A Mage of the Society had raised a
"Th-thank you."
"It's too early for thanks, I think."
Their gaze turned forward.
Apparently deeming the defensive line sufficiently weakened, the enemy began tightening formation, closing the distance in ordered steps.
If they clashed head-on, they wouldn't last even a few dozen seconds. Turning their backs would end the same.
Then, it happened.
"Everyone, heads down!!"
From the rear, Unia—who had arrived for reinforcement—unleashed a spiral of gravity. The violent storm skimmed across the floor, then rose diagonally upward.
Saturation of Jinche immediately responded with group firepower.
Though a difference in hierarchy existed, their numbers, experience, and strength were not something to be ignored.
But Unia's aim wasn't annihilation—it was to delay.
"Seal it."
THUD───! THUD───! THUD───!
Walls dropped from the ceiling, one after another, blocking the corridors. Though highly resistant, they wouldn't last long under elemental bombardment.
Glancing around at the corpses scattered nearby, she bit her lip and turned her back.
"All noncombatants have been rescued. We'll abandon the central floor, regroup below, and construct a new defensive line. Follow me."
"Yes!"
The Mages remaining on the frontline immediately followed Unia, flying after her. In that moment, a Magus with keen detection senses shouted.
"Lady Unia, to your side!"
Needless to say, the Grand Hall's corridors weren't singular. They formed an intricate, web-like structure, systemized and vast.
The enemies that had crawled in from the docks had long since spread through it.
Even though the executive officers holding the secondary control rights of the Grand Hall had actively blocked paths, there were still vermin who managed to sneak through.
Realizing they'd been discovered, two Bohemirn Magic Tower Mages dispelled
Unia clenched her teeth, preparing to take them down—
"W-what, our magic…?"
Even after completing the calculations, their spell failed to activate. Horrific magic power seized their entire bodies.
PUCK!
As their blood flow reversed, they exploded.
Behind the splatter of red mist, Isabella jerked her chin.
"You're the only ones still in the center. Move quickly."
***
Though the Grand Hall had turned into pandemonium due to Saturation of Jinche's invasion, it wasn't a force to be crushed like disorganized rabble.
The response was immediate.
Veteran Sages and Black Hour's officers stabilized the chaos and reestablished control from their respective positions.
Among them, Melard—one of the original designers of the Grand Hall—was especially active.
"I-I'm fine…"
"Please lie down."
Melard's disciple, Ethan, forced Heras—who was trying to rise—to stay down.
Having been grazed by lightning magic and then recklessly engaging in battle, he had taken multiple hits; his condition was poor.
Many were wounded in this sudden engagement.
And not a few were dead…
"Alpha, is the communication device still dead?"
[After exposure to an unknown magical wavelength, the device's magic overheated. It still functions, but its range is severely reduced. The central signal node connected by mana is likely damaged.]
The strange pulse that spread rapidly from the docks—where the Bohemirn Magic Tower had landed—had caused communication devices to malfunction.
[Conclusion: Repairing or analyzing the communication device itself is meaningless. Without fixing or reinstalling the central node, long-distance communication is impossible. Unless we approach the allied front line, we cannot reach His Majesty Verden.]
Osgar clicked his tongue.
"This is quite a disaster. To think the Bohemirn Magic Tower's fleet could breach the Grand Hall's boundary… If that was possible, why haven't they done it before?"
"Regardless of the reason, the immediate problem matters more."
The current commanders of Saturation of Jinche had already been identified—Tilon Narger and… Crodon Olentia.
Hearing the familiar names, Isabella's jaw tightened.
Yurgien rubbed his chin.
"With the successor of the Bohemirn Magic Tower and the High Elder of Itium on their side… if we all counterattack together, victory is still possible."
"But we can't."
"Right. We can't. If we do, Adrian Chambers will have to face Sandir Paen alone."
The sudden situation tangled their thoughts.
Though a long time had passed since the magic battle began within the Grand Hall, there was still no way to contact Verden—the center of their plan.
Which meant, they had to make the decision themselves.
A heavy silence of deliberation filled the room—then Isabella spoke.
"Right now… the enemy's main divisions—Array of Spectrum and Saturation of Jinche, along with top forces Luminaria, Tilon, and Crodon—have been confirmed. So where's Angelo?"
Angelo could be considered Balrog Bessias's strongest card.
With wars breaking out everywhere, there's no way the Magic Tower would leave him idle.
"If they deployed Angelo separately instead of to the Grand Hall, then his destination is most likely the battlefield of the Array of Spectrum. Though aiding a Transcendent isn't a typical move, he might be trying to bolster Sandir Paen's strength."
"No additional spatial transfer reactions detected within the range designated by [Square Distortion]. That means he must have transferred somewhere beyond the upper or mid-western continent…"
Osgar murmured in thought.
"Hmm, even if he started moving from near the boundary wall formed by [Square Distortion], it's hard to reach another battlefield in time. Even for Angelo."
"He might have ignored spatial restrictions like Saturation of Jinche did. Judging by how those massive flying vessels of the Tower nearly collapsed under recoil, that seems unlikely, but… it's possible he's using another artifact or innate spell to shorten the arrival time. The possibilities are… numerous. More than we'd like."
Each prediction only increased the number of uncontrollable variables. Instead of clarifying, it deepened hesitation about how to act.
At that point, Isabella spoke with certainty.
"Then let's proceed as planned."
"As planned?"
"In the end, Saturation of Jinche, which could have appeared anywhere, came charging right before our eyes. If we hold them here, they won't be able to interfere with other battlefields. 'According to purpose'. So, Elder Yurgien and the Sages should go to Adrian. Leave this place to us."
The ambush had been unexpected, but the overall process remained the same.
The main axis of the plan was still in motion.
"Hah hah hah! She's right. It's far more advantageous to face Saturation of Jinche inside the Grand Hall than outside it. Even if we were caught off guard, this is still our territory. We can fight more directly here, and the flow is more likely to proceed as originally intended."
Of course, there wasn't any large-scale spatial teleportation circle capable of moving everyone inside the Grand Hall. If they were defeated, many would die.
Yurgien turned around and strode toward the waiting teleportation circle. Standing before the magic formation, he raised his voice.
"However, Isabella's 'as planned'—it seems there's no better strategy. If no one has a better idea, then enough talk. It's time to depart. We are already late."
"..."
Melard tried to devise an alternative, but no countermeasure came to mind. The Grand Hall itself didn't matter much.
If it broke, it could be repaired; if it was defiled, it could be cleaned.
What truly concerned her were lives.
The very possibility of losing all members of Black Hour and the Society weighed unbearably heavy.
Then, Unia gently pushed Osgar's back and Melard's wheelchair.
"You said earlier that I have my own mission. So don't worry about this place."
"..."
"See you soon."
Receiving Unia's farewell, the two Sages followed the Grand Elder of the Ostea Magic Tower onto the teleportation circle.
No words were exchanged.
Only glances.
Fwoooosh!
Light flickered.
The three of them were transferred toward coordinates linked to the upper regions of the western continent. Their presences vanished in an instant.
Letting out a deep sigh that carried all her tangled emotions, Unia asked.
"How are we moving, sister?"
"I told the Sages we'd stall them, but that doesn't mean I plan to just defend."
Isabella clenched her fist. The sound of cracking bones rang sharply.
"We'll drag out their command division, eliminate them, and then move to support Adrian."
"Simple enough. In words, at least."
Alderneys, once a professor of the Academy, smiled faintly, stroking his staff. He looked ready to charge forward the moment his student desired it.
Isabella began to walk.
"Alpha, let's begin."
It was a measure prepared specifically to counter the destructive power of Saturation of Jinche.
The Grand Hall would be largely destroyed, but there was no other choice.
[Confirmed.]
Alpha's single eye gleamed.
***
BOOOOOM! BOOM! BOOOOOM!
Saturation of Jinche concentrated its magic to break through the walls blocking the corridor, actively deploying magic circles that focused their firepower into narrow ranges.
Everyone was obsessed with one thought—to hunt down Black Hour, the cause of the war, the ones who had dealt catastrophic damage to the Bohemirn Magic Tower.
They were internal members of the Tower—thus, all the more driven.
'The Grand Hall. Certainly worthy of being called Black Hour's base, but hiding behind walls? What a waste of such an environment.'
Tilon sneered disdainfully, already imagining how he could use this Grand Hall for the Bohemirn Magic Tower once they took it.
Defeat wasn't even in his consideration.
No matter how he thought about it, Black Hour's officers couldn't possibly handle them.
Rumble rumble rumble…!
The wall collapsed.
It seemed they were nearly at the central area.
The Mages wrapped in elemental veils were about to step through the breach—
Thud.
Something dropped between them.
"That's… a golem?"
Its form was unfamiliar, but there was no better guess.
As one cautious Mage from the Tower approached carefully, wary—
Bzzzzzt.
The mana within it pulsed vividly.
"Back off!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
The moment Tilon shouted, the golem exploded, scattering shrapnel everywhere.
The unexpected blast killed two nearby Mages instantly and wounded four others, their flesh torn apart by razor-like fragments.
Step, step, step, step.
Immediately afterward, dull footsteps echoed from beyond the shattered wall—the same footsteps as the one that had just exploded.
Security golems (self-detonation type), produced in the research lab of the First Archmagus.
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The counterattack had begun.
***
Communication with Black Hour's Grand Hall had been cut off for hours.
The same applied to Adrian.
'Since communication with Medrant still works, it must be a problem with the central signal node.'
He could no longer know how things were unfolding elsewhere.
Even so, there was no reason to waver. He trusted each person's judgment and strength.
And… Verden no longer had the luxury to communicate either.
Fragments of black flame struck the barrier shielding the forward base line. Thick mana layers dissolved, their wavelengths violently shaken.
He placed his hand upon it.
Fwoooosh!
The defensive system of the Allied Front's cliff base collapsed. Verden, stepping instantly through the breach, set foot upon the ground.
The Mages of the Alliance stared in disbelief at Verden—no, at Dahit, his disguised form.
"It's… the Dark Moon!!!!"
At someone's scream, alarm bells rang throughout the entire base. Mages gathered rapidly, forming a dense crowd.
Among them were the Sage of Protection and Rovellin.
The sunset burned.
Darkness descended.
Tonight would be longer than usual.