Chapter 57

“This must be your first time seeing something like this, isn't it?”

Killian asked, looking at Mainz Kimbel who couldn't comprehend the current situation.

Carpe Illusion was a technique that projected the user's imagery onto Carpe to manifest a new world.

Its implementation required delicate mana and a more precise imagery from the user.

‘I guess I couldn't fully implement the form.’

Looking at the three spheres floating above his head, Killian let out a self-deprecating laugh.

After forging a 7-star Mana Heart, he had experimented with several Carpe Illusions using his mana.

Among them, the easiest to use was projecting the imagery of his time as a sword.

However, in his current state as an incomplete Superhuman, using it in actual combat was somewhat unreasonable.

So, he had changed direction and experimented with a form of Carpe using a single sword.

‘The Carpe Illusion of Blue Flame wasn't bad either.’

It wasn't bad, but it felt somewhat lacking to drive a Superhuman into a corner.

This was because a Carpe Illusion that used a non-existent sword as a medium had limitations in its power.

In preparation for a battle against a Superhuman, Killian had gone through countless experiments over the past two months.

What was born from that was the Carpe Illusion using the properties of Aether.

It was Gaegiilshik, established as a Shik , breaking away from the form of a Ke.

“It's the perfect technique to cut down a Superhuman of your level.”

“……”

Mainz Kimbel fell silent.

Just as Killian thought, he was utterly failing to accept the current situation.

‘This is absurd…….’

Above the wasteland where nothing existed, three spheres of condensed mana floated in the air.

It was clearly a Carpe Illusion that was dominating the mana of the area.

“How could you……”

“Are you asking how I can use Carpe Illusion by myself?”

“……”

“Think about it yourself. It won't be long, anyway.”

Mainz Kimbel remained silent, his mind racing.

The nature of Carpe Illusion was closer to a Shik than a Ke .

Therefore, it was a technique difficult to implement alone unless one was accustomed to computational tasks like a mage.

At least a mid-tier 7-star.

One needed to be at that level to use it in actual combat.

‘But Killian Eurasia… should be in an incomplete state.’

It was a fact he had confirmed several times while clashing swords with him.

He had completed a 7-star Mana Heart and a body to match, but the two had not yet achieved harmony.

The fact that he couldn't envelop his body in an aura was proof.

Moreover, the man was in a situation where he had no room to use other techniques as he was busy offsetting his own aura.

‘Could it be… that even this was a trap?’

From provoking the Black Cloud Knight Order to luring him out, was everything according to the man’s intentions?

If so, it meant that even after the Annihilation Squad appeared, he had been hiding his power as a Superhuman until a situation like this arose.

‘Why?’

If he possessed this level of skill, he could have gone all out from the beginning.

Without going through cumbersome steps, he could have used his full-power aura from the start to tie him down and drag him into the Carpe Illusion.

‘And yet, the fact that he was hiding his power means…….’

He voiced the conclusion he had reached on his own.

“You are not a complete Superhuman.”

Killian smirked and raised his sword.

“Your body hasn't adapted enough to use a Superhuman's mana for an extended period. That's why you resorted to such tricks.”

“Raise your sword.”

“This bastard……”

‘It's too late to realize that now.’

The mana required to use the Shik was minimized by using the mana of the Annihilation Squad and Mainz Kimbel that had been absorbed into Aether.

‘But the duration is still not long.’

Killian's gaze turned to the three spheres hanging over his head.

The three spheres of compressed mana moved little by little as time passed.

For now, one minute.

‘If I maintain it any longer, a reflux phenomenon is certain.’

The three spheres were gradually closing the distance.

Meanwhile, Mainz Kimbel's eyes trembled as he entered the new Carpe Illusion.

‘One is absorbing mana… the other is absorbing the aura. The central sphere is maintaining the domain by emitting the absorbed mana and aura.’

That was why his own Carpe was dispelled, and why the space was taking no damage from the aura he was emitting.

It was different from the Annihilation Squad's Carpe, which couldn't properly control the five senses.

‘This… monster of a man.’

A Carpe Illusion of this level was something only about the top five among the Second Prince's Superhumans could manage.

Killian slowly started walking.

At his momentum, the sword of low-density mana that Mainz Kimbel had newly created was deflected powerlessly.

“From the moment you stepped in here, you are no longer a Superhuman.”

“……!!”

An opponent who entered Gaegiilshik had their mana and aura restricted.

Mainz Kimbel's current level was that of a 5-star Knight.

On the other hand, Killian was still a Superhuman.

Slice.

As Aether slashed Mainz Kimbel's chest, blood spurted from his mouth for the first time.

“Kahk… The Prince will not leave you be……”

Slice.

Aether slashed Mainz Kimbel's leg.

Subsequently, it cut his shoulder to sever the muscle and slashed his arm to prevent him from holding a sword.

20 seconds.

That was the time it took to neutralize Mainz Kimbel after he entered the domain.

“You are not a true Superhuman.”

“Cough……”

Despite the insulting words, Mainz Kimbel could only spill blood.

“I felt none of the enlightenment that should be in the swords of those who have overcome the wall themselves from you.”

He was merely mimicking the power of a Superhuman.

200 years ago, Killian, no, Adamas had witnessed an experiment to modify a 6-star mana user into a 7-star one.

Mainz Kimbel resembled the ones born from that process.

And Edan and his knights called the Empire's Superhumans born that way this.

“Loser.”

“……”

“A loser who couldn't overcome the wall called fate.”

“I am… a Superhuman. For… the Empire……”

Mainz Kimbel's bloodshot eyes glared at Killian.

Sss.

Mana began to rise around him.

Rumble.

A faint aura, staked on his life, was emitted.

But all of it was powerlessly sucked into the sun above his head.

Plunge.

Aether pierced through Mainz Kimbel's chest.

“Ka… hah……”

“If there's a hell, apologize to the knights of Eurasia.”

Crunch.

He twisted the sword and pulled it out.

Mainz's body, which had been slowly tilting, completely crumbled.

‘Am I reaching my limit?’

40 seconds since manifesting the domain. The three spheres had already gotten considerably closer.

Hoo.

Killian swung his sword towards the central sphere that was pulling the other two.

Ssssss.

As the blue sword energy touched the sphere, the Carpe Illusion began to be dispelled.

The members of the Annihilation Squad, battered and breathless while controlling their reflux, were revealed one by one.

Beyond where the curtain had been just a moment ago, were the confronting White Knight Order and Black Cloud Knight Order, a frozen Coral Stone, and Demian holding a sword to his neck.

“Annihilation Squad.”

Killian sheathed his sword as he looked down at Mainz Kimbel.

“The Superhuman hunt is over.”

***

Somewhere in the western frontier, under the influence of the Cornelia Family.

In a vast forest, a battle was coming to an end.

“It took longer than I thought.”

Kiel Cornelia, a middle-aged man with short-cropped purple hair, said as he calmed his mana.

Around him, trees damaged by the clash of magic lay in disarray.

Sharle Cornelia, who was beside him, let out a breath.

“The information that they had a way to avoid the Magic Tower's detection was true. To think they would allow an intrusion of this scale……”

The despair of one who had allowed a surprise attack was written on her face.

“Drag the survivors to the family estate and interrogate them directly.”

At his command, the Cornelia mages bound three knights who were still breathing.

Their limbs were mangled, but they were all beyond 5-star, and the Illusion Magic Order had struggled to subdue them.

Besides them, Kiel looked at the man who was the sole survivor among the Empire's Superhumans.

“McCoy Walter, you won't die an easy death.”

At the warning from Kiel, who had lost a fair number of mages, McCoy Walter let out a blood-gurgling laugh.

“Tsk.”

Kiel clicked his tongue softly.

The only Imperial Superhuman they had previously identified was McCoy Walter.

But suddenly, the one Superhuman had increased to three.

“If it weren't for you, brother, we would have been annihilated.”

Celot, who had been quietly calming his mana beside Kiel, muttered.

“It's a good thing I sent Sharle along.”

Thanks to Sharle's space-faring magic, they were able to receive support in time and minimize the damage.

They had blocked three Superhumans with two of Cornelia's Superhumans and one magic order.

It was a remarkable achievement, even with the aid of the purple Magic Tower's power that extended within their territory.

“If it weren't for you, uncle, I would have been a goner.”

Sharle lifted the tattered hem of her dress to show him.

She too had faced death several times in the battle between Superhumans, but her eyes were still shining.

‘I'm worried about Eurasia.’

Celot thought as he looked at the two Superhumans whose bodies were mangled beyond recognition.

To have acted so boldly, it must have been an attempt to check the joint Superhuman hunt with Eurasia.

“Keuk, keuk keuk… This is your defeat……”

“Oh my, but we defeated you splendidly, you know?”

“Eurasia is different from you……”

“……”

“……”

At the words that hit the mark, the faces of Celot, Kiel, and Sharle hardened.

Only then did Kiel realize that the curtain still blocking the surrounding space had not been dispelled.

Space Domination Magic.

“McCoy Walter, release the magic.”

“You people… will never escape… the clutches of the Empire……”

Thwack.

A single magic missile lodged itself in McCoy's chest.

It struck where the Mana Heart would be, forcefully inducing a reflux.

With just that, the magic that had been holding them down was released.

Leaving McCoy Walter to convulse from the reflux phenomenon, Celot calmly assessed the situation.

“Did you say Mainz Kimbel was staying with the Stone Family?”

“Yes. The last contact was a carrier pigeon saying that Eurasia's Annihilation Squad and the White Knight Order would go in first and wait.”

Originally, the plan was to join them near the Stone Family's estate and enter the castle together, but for some reason, they had entered the castle earlier than Cornelia.

It was one of two things.

Either they thrust their heads into the tiger's den first to securely capture Mainz Kimbel, or they were confident in hunting the Superhuman themselves.

Either way, it was clear that they were in a dangerous situation.

“We can only hope Eurasia didn't act recklessly.”

With Bastian Constantine dead and Escardo unable to move, it was difficult to hunt a Superhuman with their current forces.

“Kiel, you can handle the rest, right?”

“Of course.”

Celot nodded his head at the satisfactory answer.

Although he had participated in the battle through Sharle's space magic, he could not leave the family estate for long.

For now, it was best to proceed with the plan under Kiel's command.

He looked at Sharle.

“I will return to the family on my own. Sharle, you focus on recovering your mana so you can help Kiel.”

“Understood.”

“Brother, are you planning to return with warp magic?”

“In my current state, I should be able to return in half a day. You all should return immediately as soon as things are wrapped up.”

With those words, Celot's figure vanished.

Only the lingering scent of purple mana remained where he had been.

“Illusion Magic Order, rest and move out immediately!”

At Kiel's command, the mages moved busily.

“Sharle, you focus on recovering your vitality. We might need your space magic.”

“Understood, uncle.”

Kiel blended in with the mages who were moving about in a disorderly fashion.

As she watched him, the faces of two men came to Sharle's mind.

Demian Eurasia and Killian Eurasia.

‘Surely they didn't fail to hold on for even a moment and die, right?’

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