[At The Edge Of The Royal Capital]
The towering stone walls stood like a barrier, separating the royal capital from the outside world.
They also separated countless mages waiting outside the capital.
The mages wearing the Broken Skull emblem surrounded the city walls, forming an enormous human wall.
There were at least several thousand of them, encircling the royal capital to create a massive defensive line.
The royal capital covered a vast area. The distance from east to west was so great that even walking across it took half a day.
Because of that, although the interior of the capital had suffered a tremendous impact, the area around the city walls remained unusually calm, without any disturbance.
Behind the mages surrounding the walls stood wave after wave of civilians who had escaped from the royal capital.
They didn't live in the central district, so there was no reason for them to squeeze into the central plaza.
After all, no matter how large the plaza was, it couldn't hold every resident of the royal capital.
The people who had escaped stood behind the mages, their faces filled with worry and unease.
One of the residents gathered his courage, walked up to a mage, and asked with hope and concern, "Honorable mages..."
"Will we be able to go home?"
Hearing the faint question beside him, the mage slowly turned his head and looked at the commoner.
He didn't answer. He merely lifted his gaze and looked behind him.
A vast crowd of worried civilians stood outside the royal capital, their eyes full of hope as they anxiously waited for the mage's reply.
Their homes were just ahead, yet all they could do now was stand outside the city and watch from afar.
Their eyes were dim. Their despair and gloom had made them unusually calm, even unnaturally quiet.
As a member of the Mage Council, the sense of justice deep within him would never allow him to ignore the suffering of these innocent people.
So with determination, he said to the residents searching for hope, "Don't worry. We will make sure you're safe."
The moment he finished speaking, countless pale Natu all seemed to receive the same message at once, sweeping across the gloomy, chaotic sky together.
Their pale light cast mottled shadows through the heavy brown clouds, hanging high above the heavens.
Watching the Natu fill the sky, the leading mage immediately gave an order to his companions.
"Everyone, release your magic toward the Natu immediately!"
At the command, every mage moved at once.
Magic quickly gathered at their fingertips, forming thick rippling currents like chains as they spiraled upward into the sky.
Countless streams of colorful magic crossed through space and flew toward those pale Natu.
The Natu became filled with the overwhelming magic. Their originally transparent bodies gradually took on brilliant colors.
A massive wave of colorful magical energy swept across the bodies of countless Natu before extending from the sky down to the earth.
A transparent barrier flowing with multicolored light connected heaven and earth as an enormous magical barrier gradually spread over the entire royal capital.
The Natu guiding the magic in the air were like the crucial knots weaving a giant net.
Viewed from above, the entire royal capital seemed to be covered by a transparent heavenly net.
At the same time, Rachel stood atop the city wall, stroking his white beard as he watched the countless streams of colorful magic being absorbed by the Natu.
The staff in his hand glowed faintly, guiding the endless magic outward in every direction as it built a magical barrier woven from countless colors.
Standing beside Rachel as they constructed the magical barrier, Haim Horn looked toward the crimson sunrise in the east and slowly said, "It's been a long time since we've acted together like this."
"Indeed."
Rachel replied simply before continuing to spread layer after layer of magical networks throughout the entire royal capital.
Only Rachel, who lived in the royal capital and knew its structure better than anyone else, could accomplish this task.
"The mages are all in position, and the other council members are ready as well."
Watching the terrifying storm and blazing heat waves sweeping around the middle district, Haim Horn narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with unwavering resolve.
This collective operation had been prepared for a long time, all for one purpose.
"Today, we must keep the traitor here."
Haim Horn's expression instantly turned solemn. Several crimson lines spread across his face like spider silk, forming a warning.
He waved his hand and immediately issued orders to the mages surrounding the royal capital.
"Notify every council member and every mage. Begin immediately!"
———
On the western side of the royal capital, a dwarf council member with a long beard responded to the Natu perched on his shoulder.
He had also received Haim Horn's order.
"Understood."
Ryan Kent took a bottle of blue mana potion from his robe. With a light flick of his thumb, he popped out the cork.
"Good thing Councillor Viktor prepared these potions. That solves the problem of running out of mana."
He raised the bottle to his lips, tipped back his head, and quickly drank it all.
Feeling magic surge through his body, Ryan Kent drew his staff with its flowing mechanical joints.
Seeing the council member ready, the mages standing guard behind him also took out their potions and quickly drank them.
Soon, they gathered magic at their fingertips as well and began chanting together with Ryan.
"Scorching fantasy pours forth from mysterious illusion. Profound bewilderment scatters grief. Viktory is summoned by the messenger of mankind and descends upon the earth."
"Supreme Will of the Sky, grant us the judgment of magic."
———
[At The Southern Edge Of The Royal Capital]
A merfolk mage lazily rolled over inside a giant wheeled water tank, her tail gently swaying.
Blowing out a string of leisurely bubbles, she answered the Natu standing on top of the tank in a bored tone.
"When this is over, ask Viktor if I can go visit Hailnason."
"I haven't been to Bryston Port in a long time."
No one answered her. Only a birdfolk council member standing nearby with wings gave a quiet snort.
Lorelei Fenny didn't think much of it. She skillfully popped one of the bubbles, took out the hidden magic potion inside, and gently unscrewed the cap.
She poured the potion floating in the water into her mouth, feeling magic quietly flow through her body.
The two council members raised their arms together as magic rapidly streamed from their fingertips and gradually gathered in the air.
They quietly chanted mysterious incantations, as though summoning some kind of power.
As their magic surged, a faint magical radiance also began to appear in the north of the royal capital.
"Woof!"
A lively bark broke the silence.
Following the sound, there sat a chubby Shiba Inu.
It sat on the ground, wagging its tail with its tongue hanging out, looking rather adorable.
At the same time, it raised one short paw toward the sky.
The magic was coming from it.
With its mouth open, it also began a mysterious chant.
"Woof! Woof woof! Woof woof woof woof woof woof!"
The crisp barking echoed through the air.
At the same time, an enormous magic circle rapidly appeared beneath its feet.
Countless complicated patterns spread across the ground, expanding outward and rising upward.
It was as though a gigantic magical design were being drawn across the sky.
At that moment, identical magical formations lit up in all four directions around the royal capital.
The newly risen sunlight was blocked by a mysterious force.
Deep shadows gradually emerged from every direction, converging toward the center and covering the bright sky once again.
In the central plaza, the residents noticed the dimming light and all looked up at the sky.
What entered their eyes was an incomparably enormous and unimaginably intricate magic formation.
The pressure created by the countless streams of gathered magic was almost suffocating.
The immense formation was covered with countless magical patterns.
Densely packed runes were engraved throughout every layer.
Just one glance at this overwhelming magical power made one's heart tremble, as though it possessed the might to destroy heaven and earth.
The gigantic magic circle rotated in the sky as an endless stream of magic continued flowing toward its center.
"What's going on?"
Vega hovered high above the battlefield of the two Calamities, shocked by the sudden change in magical energy.
It could sense an incredibly dense concentration of magic gathering above the royal capital.
Magic on this scale required thousands upon thousands of powerful mages working together.
And that wasn't all.
A single mage's magic was limited.
But this magic seemed endless.
It was as though thousands upon thousands of mages were constantly drinking Viktor's mana potions while continuously releasing magic.
Seeing this, Vega was completely dumbfounded.
Its eyes widened as it muttered, "Viktor..."
"You really prepared thousands of mages?"
Suddenly, the surging magic gathered once more at the center of the enormous magic circle before slowly flowing toward a point in the sky.
'That place is...'
Vega suddenly realized something and looked toward the sky.
It was where Viktor had first cast the super-tier spell. The giant tree radiating holy light was still there in the sky.
Standing there as though transparent.
Originally, it had already been on the verge of disappearing.
After all, it was made entirely of enormous amounts of magic. It wasn't a real tree.
But as endless streams of magic poured into it, its enormous multicolored outline gradually reappeared within the clouds.
The massive Holy Tree regained its vitality and began to glow.
Leaves sprouted from the branches of the Holy Tree, which flowed with endless magic, and many delicate yet illusory flower buds squeezed their way out among the branches.
It was as though it absorbed and stored every bit of magic completely.
Driven by the magic, those brilliantly colored flowers slowly bloomed.
At that instant, incomparably powerful natural energy burst forth from the swaying branches of the Holy Tree.
Vega's eyes widened as it cried out,
"The elves' natural energy too!"
At the same time, Viktor raised his golden bird-headed staff and slowly waved it.
Behind him, the ground suddenly bulged.
The mound gradually rose before the soil quickly fell away, revealing what was inside.
It was a block of golden ice encasing Erica.
Affected by the waves of magic, the block of ice floated into the air.
It slowly rose into the center of the Holy Tree before being enveloped by endless magic.
Struck by thousands upon thousands of streams of magic, the golden ice formed from divine power shattered with a loud crash, exploding like fireworks.
Freed from her restraints, Erica's body began to fall from the sky.
Just as she was about to hit the ground, an invisible magical breeze gently wrapped around her and softly supported her.
Viktor reached out and gently drew Erica into his arms.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face in his embrace, Viktor calmly said, "Do you remember when we discussed the cause behind the appearance of the Calamities?"
Hearing those words, Vega blinked.
'Magic, elves...'
'And Erica.'
Demons themselves were collections of magical energy, while natural energy was a power only elves could produce.
Now, all three had gathered together and converged within Erica.
Vega was silent for a moment before replying with emotion, "I thought that master thief had outplayed you, Viktor."
"But now it seems the craftiest one is still you."
Viktor gave a faint smile and looked up at the sky covered in layers upon layers of multicolored magic.
"You flatter me."
The next second, the world around them seemed to fall silent.
Then even fiercer chaos instantly engulfed the entire world.
A roaring storm raged between earth and clouds, tearing apart the land and opening terrifying cracks one after another.
Dark violet lightning flashed through the raging storm like giant dragons rolling through the deep clouds.
Torrential rain poured down from the heavens, striking the dry earth and stirring lightning in every direction.
The cracked, dried ground was dyed black beneath the downpour.
At that moment, the parched land turned black beneath the pouring rain.
Beneath the softened earth, lush flowers, grass, and trees burst through the soil.
Bathed in rain and shaken by thunder, they rose from the ground, forming dense forests and vast seas of flowers.
In the end, the crimson sun pierced through the clouds once more and quietly hung in the sky.
Crimson and golden light fell upon Viktor, as though draping him in a hazy radiance.
Viktor raised his head, welcoming the cleansing rain and the crashing thunder, surrounded by scorching vitality and blooming power.
The chaotic, violent tornado seemed to gather every element around Viktor, forming an unyielding barrier of power.
Looking at Uranus towering into the clouds before him, the light in his eyes flowed in reverse.
"Because I am Viktor."
His voice echoed through the roaring storm, carrying unshakable conViktion.
"I am the inevitable..."
"Viktor."
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