Aryandor used time magic and thought to himself, 'Astina, she's the first target.'
He planned to move with time magic and attack Astina.
Astina had always been Aryandor's target, and there was no reason to leave her be as she was boosting Rudy Astria's confidence.
"Time Back."
"Stop that guy."
At that moment, Rudy's voice was heard.
Aryandor sneered.
Having witnessed the time magic but failing to realize its nature immediately, Rudy's success was improbable.
After all, Rudy Astria was an ordinary person.
When he moved time,
Boom─
Aryandor felt something obstructing him.
Despite sensing something odd, he attempted to proceed.
Click─
The view didn't change.
He was still standing in his original position, and the view remained the same.
"Huh?"
Aryandor was certain he had moved time around Astina's vicinity.
But, time hadn't moved.
'He realized it?'
That was impossible.
It was almost a confirmed fact that Rudy couldn't use spatial magic.
If Rudy didn't understand the theory of spatial magic, there was no way he could counter time magic.
To counter spatial magic, one had to use both spatial magic and Prisilla simultaneously.
Combining different techniques required understanding of both.
But how...
"Did it work?"
Rudy looked at Aryandor with a puzzled expression.
Aryandor, who used time magic, was still in the same place.
"Prisilla, what happened?"
"...I, I don't know?"
Neither Prisilla nor Rudy understood the situation.
Although Prisilla had used her powers, she hadn't acted knowingly.
It was possible because of her sensory sharing with Rudy.
Rudy had memories of using spatial magic in the future.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})When Rudy lost his senses, Prisilla continued to be connected with him, possessing his sensory aspects.
These unintended events overlapped.
They couldn't be called mere coincidences.
Rudy's close relationship with Prisilla, his experience with the future body, and his start of perceiving space were not entirely his efforts, but wouldn't have happened without them.
Aryandor gritted his teeth.
"Saint..."
However, the glue that bound everything together was indeed the saint showing the future.
'We must end this now.'
But the situation wasn't in Rudy's favor.
He was severely injured in the shoulder, unable to use his right arm, and Astina's condition wasn't good either.
They had to end it now.
Having found a counter to time magic, he couldn't let him escape.
If they met later, he would undoubtedly become their worst enemy.
Aryandor shifted his target from Astina to Rudy.
"He can't be left alone."
"Time Accelerator."
As Aryandor cast the spell, Rudy shouted out.
"Prisilla!"
"No, not twice."
Prisilla exclaimed in panic.
At that moment, Aryandor rapidly approached Rudy.
Time acceleration.
This time, instead of altering time, he merely increased the speed of his own body.
'Now, I can't use time alteration.'
A different application of time magic.
Rudy could only counter time-altering spells like 'Time Back.'
Anything else was beyond his reach.
Therefore, Aryandor had to use only the magic Rudy couldn't counter.
It was important to kill Rudy, but not giving him any hints was equally crucial.
Fully understanding how to counter time magic at this point would make Rudy dangerously powerful.
As Aryandor was about to swing his sword, Astina manipulated mana.
"Gravity Field...!"
With the opponent moving swiftly, she expanded the area affected by her magic.
Gravity exerted across the entire space where Aryandor could move.
Although weak, it was enough to slow Aryandor down.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"Argh...!"
Aryandor, struggling against the gravity, tried to swing his sword at Rudy.
"Ugh..."
However, there was a problem.
Using magic over a wide area also affected Rudy with gravity.
Still, it was fine.
Rudy mainly used his fists, but at his core, he was a wizard.
There was no need to physically counter Aryandor.
"Behemoth...!"
"Bwooosh!"
A baby elephant appeared near Rudy.
Behemoth, the demon controlling iron and earth.
As Aryandor swung his sword, the iron melted away.
Suddenly, Aryandor's sword disappeared, leaving him swinging at the air.
"Prisilla."
Followed by Prisilla's attack.
Ice formed around Aryandor, attempting to capture him.
Yet, Aryandor continued to charge at Rudy.
Rudy, clutching his wounded shoulder, leaped backward.
'The enemy has no sword... But...'
Rudy recalled something he had learned at the academy.
A true swordsman can swing a sword even without one.
Aryandor, despite his legs being caught by gravity and ice, shook them off and walked forward.
"I will kill you."
Red light glowed in his eyes, and light wrapped around his hand.
A red sword aura.
The aura gathered, forming the shape of a sword.
"Damn..."
Rudy felt pain in his shoulder and clenched his fist.
He had to strike Aryandor, even while he was caught.
Rudy pretended to retreat, then stepped forward.
"Inhale..."
As he gathered strength in his fist to strike.
Clang!
A sword plunged down between Aryandor and Rudy.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})A black greatsword with eyes on its hilt caught the attention of both Rudy and Aryandor.
"What..."
"...Daemon?"
Aryandor uttered these words as he turned around.
There stood Daemon, with a sullen expression.
The sword that had blocked Aryandor and Rudy floated back to Daemon.
"Commander, you must return."
"What?"
"Our base... it's under attack."
The rebel's main base.
The soldiers in front of the academy were being assaulted.
Aryandor's eyes widened at the news that the soldiers, who were only supposed to feign an attack, were actually being attacked.
"What are you talking about?"
"The academy has launched a counterattack. You must go there quickly."
Thud!
As Daemon spoke, Cromwell approached from behind, carrying the body of Jefrin.
"Who said you could leave?"
Daemon ignored Cromwell and looked at Aryandor.
"If you give the order..."
However, Aryandor responded differently.
"It can't be."
Holding the red sword aura in his hand, he looked at Rudy.
"I must eliminate him."
"Commander...!"
Crack.
"Our rebel soldiers are..."
"Gravity."
Cromwell cast a spell on them both.
"Argh..."
"Inhale..."
Both strained under the intense pressure.
"Who said I'd let you go?"
Daemon glared at Cromwell.
Then, a strong wind sound came from above.
"Groooar─!!!"
A massive figure flew in with a bizarre noise.
Bone Dragon charged at Cromwell.
"Anti-Gravity."
Cromwell used reverse gravity to deflect Bone Dragon's trajectory.
Bone Dragon narrowly missed, but its attack released Aryandor and Daemon from the gravity spell.
Daemon then gestured towards Cromwell.
"Groooar!!!!!"
"Screeech!!!!"
Undead attacking the castle changed direction and started assaulting Cromwell.
"Ugh..."
Cromwell frowned as a Lich cast a spell and a giant Golem attacked.
Then, a voice echoed from afar.
"Professor, move away."
From that direction, dozens of trees grew rapidly, and a green light gathered around a man.
He then released the light.
A technique deadly to the symbol of death, the undead.
A powerful life magic, manipulating vast life forces.
There stood a wizard skilled in ecology magic.
Evan.
Evan imbued his sword with the essence of life, sweeping away the surrounding undead.
Simultaneously, a huge dragon spread its wings behind him.
"Khuuup..."
Inhaling deeply and then releasing a breath.
It was the Red Dragon's breath.
Flames swept around, consuming everything in their path.
Seeing the situation, Daemon became anxious.
"Commander... you must go."
"No, I can't. If we leave like this..."
"Our people are dying...! And with this situation here. This is our only chance..."
They were running out of opportunities to escape.
Cromwell's abilities, coupled with the presence of the Head Elementalist in the distance, complicated the situation.
Additionally, there was the Red Dragon and Evan.
The circumstances on the battlefield were not favorable.
Aryandor clenched his fist.
He wanted to tell Daemon that the death of such people was insignificant.
After all, the end of the rebels and Aryandor himself was imminent the moment time magic was unraveled.
The empire, unaware of time magic, allowed the rebels to hold out.
A reckless attack could lead to being swept away by time magic.
Therefore, killing Rudy here was imperative.
It was far more valuable than the deaths of those other individuals.
However, Aryandor couldn't voice this now.
He had already established his public objective as protecting the people and promoting equality.
Even if his actions contradicted this outside, he couldn't afford internal discord.
At the very least, the leaders had to be unconditionally on his side.
"…Alright, I'll return."
Rudy, hearing this response, smiled.
Aryandor looked at Rudy with eyes filled with rage.
In the next fight, Rudy would undoubtedly have the upper hand.
This realization, coupled with the fact that he had to leave now, fueled his anger immensely.
"Then I shall leave."
"I said you aren't going..."
Cromwell, unaware of the fight between Rudy and Aryandor, attempted to stop them.
But then.
A gigantic mouth emerged beneath their feet.
It resembled a fish snapping up food floating on the water's surface.
Suddenly, a mouth from the ground engulfed both Aryandor and Daemon.
The monster swallowed them and quickly retreated underground.
"What..."
Everyone present widened their eyes at the abrupt occurrence.
The two had vanished underground.
Cromwell immediately tried to track them using mana.
However, there were too many mana movements.
It felt like monsters were released beforehand to distract attention.
Moreover, the undead on the surface began moving erratically.
Some started attacking fiercely, while others fled into the distance.
"Curses..."
Cromwell looked around.
Rudy and Astina were almost in no condition to fight.
He had to protect them for now.
As Cromwell frowned at the situation,
Rudy, still on the ground, grinned.
"See you later, you bastard."
