Chapter 633: Greatest Older Brother

It was safe to assume that this dungeon break would be classified as the most dangerous in history, and those who hear of it will say the same thing: I'm glad I was not there. However, for those present, it was hell.

Amelio grinned as he punched, the veins on his face bulging as if they were about to explode. The strength released from his stats was transferred to the world, appearing as a giant magical circle. As he saw this site, Arthur knew that was happening.

"A seal."

This calamity has sealed himself in order to survive the split. That was the only method for him to be counted as a calamity that can exist here, instead of being sealed like the guardians and the calamities. It might also explain why his mana stat was like that.

As the punch was directed in his way, Arthur received the full-on attack of the anomaly. However, the runes in front of him made sure that most of that strength would be reflected backward, like a ping-pong ball.

Boom!

The force from the attack exploded upward like a hurricane that deafened everyone's ears. Arthur saw the air pressure turn into a pillar centered with unimaginable force. The runes spread in front of him, turning into a hexagram that absorbed the force.

However, there was a limit to what Arthur could reflect. There was a limit to his power, which was almost turning him into runes. His hands began shaking as his fingers turned into runes, and Arthur realized he could reflect 70% of that attack if he used all of his mana.

Therefore, Arthur reflected 60% of the attack while using the rest of the mana to cast a barrier around his body. There was a millisecond between his decision and the impact that almost destroyed his body into nothingness.

Arthur felt as if he was struck with a giant hammer, making him cough a dangerous amount of blood. His body was being destroyed at a cell-level as he launched into space. Then, Arthur was sent back faster than he came, but it wasn't for nothing.

"Kiddo!" shouted General Perli as he was sure that Arthur has died, but was shocked to see Amelio get crushed into the ground as well. His senses alarmed him, and General Perli turned around and ran toward his men. "Duck!"

"Major, this is not time to be hungry!" replied one of the lieutenant generals before being tackled to the ground. The rest of them followed and threw their bodies flat on the ground before the destruction arrived.

As if a mana bomb was dropped with Amelio at the center. The surrounding ground was turned into smitheries before sinking into the ground under the pure physical force.

"Damn brat!" howled Amelio from below, but Arthur was too damaged for him to listen. His skin was torn apart until there was nothing left of it, and every bone was broken in several places. Blood leaked from his mouth as Arthur was launched into the sky, with no one knowing where he would end up.

***

After the space-teleportation ended, Maryam fell to her knees. The dizziness of being unprepared for the change caught her off-guard and made her curse that asshole of a man. However, she had no time to rest.

A giant ogre was towering atop her in the middle of a destroyed home. Maryam looked at it with a sweaty face before the ogre raised its giant bat, ready to bash her head. Then, as she was about to wave her hand, flames engulfed the ogre.

"AAAAAGGGG!" screamed the ogre with pain before disintegrating into nothingness. Then, Maryam turned in the direction where the flames came from to find a metallic figure with a cage on his head.

"… who are you?" asked Maryam with unease, while staring at the figure. It was the appearance of a tortured prisoner rather than a knight, but he carried a giant great sword that was almost twice his length. Without answering her question, the figure fell to the side.

The runemaster blinked as her nausea disappeared. Then, she stood up from her spot beside the ogre's ashes before strolling to the fallen figure. The armor was absorbed back into his body, and the cage disappeared.

"Oh, he is only a youth," muttered Maryam while crouching beside him. "A fever, and… several broken bones. This city is truly ruined if such a youth is forced to fight."

Maryam placed her hand on his face, removing the curled brunet hair. His skin was sweating and his fever almost scorched her. He was suffering from mana-deprivation.

"And despite being in this condition, he saved me," smiled Maryam as she looked around. "It seems I'm in the house Alexie sent me to, but it has been fully destroyed."

There was only the outline of the rooms that had once been there, but nothing else could be seen. Maryam sighed while realizing that whoever Alexie wanted her to save was dead, or in great danger.

"This boy might know a few things, given that he was here."

After deciding this was her only clue, Maryam took out her potions and healed him. His wounds were severe enough that no potions could heal him completely, but the boy regained consciousness just after she stopped his bleeding and bandaged it.

"What is…" muttered the youth before wincing in pain, then he opened his eyes while trying to sit up despite the pain.

"If you move, it might end with more than just pain," said Maryam while pushing him down. It was then that she spotted the other half of his hair, which has turned white. "What are you doing here?"

"That is…" said the youth as he lied down, "my question. This is my house, and when I came here, you were the only one."

"Does that mean you are the person Alexie wanted me to save?" frowned Maryam, but the youth furrowed his brows in confusion. "Are you not?"

"Who is Alexie?"

"… a man who asked me to come here and save his family."

"… ah!" realized the youth, and his eyes widened. Maryam had to stop him from jumping up in joy to make sure his bones heal properly. "You mean someone sent you here?"

"That is right," nodded Maryam while staring around. "Alexie teleported me to this house and asked to save its occupants, with no further information." 

"Oh?" grinned the youth with tears in his eyes. "I see. He is here too, now. Things will be different for Kera."

"Are you talking about Alexie?"

"I think so," smiled the youth at her as he wiped away his tears. Maryam stared at him and realized that this was nothing but a child, and even his face told her he was a pure soul. "Tell me, where is he?"

"… fighting the calamity, Amelio," replied Maryam, and the city shook at that moment. A dust cloud rose to the sky from the north-west, making the two turn their heads toward it. "And it seems the battle has begun."

"… no!" panicked the youngster as he tried to rise, and Maryam was too late to stop him. After sitting up, he winced in pain. The bones broke again, making him scream. "AGH!"

"Just shut up and sit back down. I will give you the painkillers," said Maryam, and the youth had no will to fight her. After giving him the potion, Maryam stared at him, looking worse than before. "Why are you agitated?"

"… no one can win against that calamity," replied the youth as his eyes parted open. "Not even countless mana beams could harm him. Rather, he redirected the attack toward this city."

"Is that what caused your injuries?"

"A different reason," said the youth. "I was caught in a different fight, which made me pass out like an idiot. Then, when I woke up and got here, there was you."

"Is there someone else that was here?"

"Our mother."

"Our?"

"I assume he trusts you enough to send you here, even though it doesn't matter in these circumstances. Alexie is my brother, as you referred to him."

"…"

Maryam was speechless. She knew Alexie had someone he wanted to save here, but never thought it was his family. If this was his motivation for leaving Oriole, then who was she to judge him?

"We need to stop him from fighting that calamity."

"There is no use in doing that, because that calamity targets your brother," said Maryam with a sigh. "I do not know how, but the two seemed to know each other."

The youth was silent, and Maryam felt as if he would throw away his life if she didn't stop him. There was also the matter of the missing mother, so she reminded him of that.

"Our mission is to find your mother," said Maryam to convince him. "Alexie can take care of himself. After all, there is nothing he cannot do, right?"

"… that is right," smiled the youth. "He is the greatest older brother in the world."

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