Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

262. Training (2)

#262

Asher was looking at the stars with his eyes closed.

I couldn’t tell how much time had passed. I only vaguely remembered the fact that I had activated the magic circle to prevent Adren from falling. The body was still, but the mind was not.

His soul thrashed, thrown into a storm of stars and dust shadows. The strange colors of the nebula licked my skin, and the swirling cluster of stars whispered in my ear a language I couldn’t understand.

‘Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…!’

Asher twisted his body and screamed. However, his voice couldn’t escape from his mouth and only resonated in his head. It was as painful as squeezing my brain with a rag. It was in the middle of sinking deep into a world that consciousness had never seen before.

『Douaru has disappeared.』

『All the spirit bodies that made up the body have disappeared.』

Some people’s conversations were overheard. The unbearably loud voice was coming straight into the soul, not through the eardrum. Asher was forced to focus on their conversation because he couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to cover his ears.

“No way. I’ll chase right away.]

『Signal can’t reach. It’s impossible until you open the door from there.”

Spirit body? signal? It was in the midst of being confused by a series of words that were difficult to understand. The sight, which had fluctuated randomly for an instant, was fixed.

Asher’s eyes widened. The darkness full of stars disappeared, and the pure white earth spread out before my eyes.

‘W Where is this?’

It was an unreal sight. There was no vitality to be found in the endless landscape. The ground was all covered with grass the color of earth and stone, a hideous white.

The wind blew, but no sound could be heard. Every time the chilly wind blew, the blades of grass swayed in unison. Like the ground, the sky with white clouds seemed to have been covered with lime.

Occasionally, whenever a flash of lightning occurred, a magic circle like the one seen in Adren appeared and disappeared on the surface of the cloud. Suddenly, Asher, who was looking at the sky, froze.

‘That’s…!’

Giants resembling Duaru were walking around. At least four and as many as eight wings flapped on their broad backs. The giants were wandering around as if drifting in the white sky, or disappearing or coming out of the inside whenever a magic circle appeared.

Usually, one person went in and out, but there were times when several people went in and out at the same time. Is that a door leading somewhere? Are they going to destroy another world like Duaru did?

Asher, who had hardened, was in the middle of appreciating the bizarre sight. One of the giants who was flapping its wings in place opened its mouth.

『Someone is spying on us.』

『What did you say now, Ahayute?』

『Wait.』

The giant slowly turned his head and looked in the direction where Asher was. His eyes widened. It must have blocked the transmission of signals to the outside, but I couldn’t figure out how it detected the presence.

Of course, that wasn’t the point now. The giant who was looking around slowly began to approach Asher. Asher’s breathing quickened each time the distinctive face came closer.

『About here.』

The giant’s outstretched hand was about to cover his face. Kwajijik! Suddenly, cracks began to appear in my vision.

Feeling something strange, the giant quickly tried to snatch it, but Asher’s consciousness was already thrown out of their realm.

‘Aaaaaaagh!’

Asher screamed silently. The body that had escaped from the realm of the giants was flying at high speed.

The scenery that had passed so far was being reproduced in reverse. As I crossed the unfathomable cluster of stars, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

“Yumma! Asher!”

“Hyaaaaaagh!”

Asher opened his eyes. The cold morning air rushed into his lungs. The whole world looked red because of the blood in his eyes.

I closed my eyes tightly to squeeze out the blood before I could properly look around. Familiar celestial bodies were embroidered in the sky overhead. Asher’s gaze, looking around in bewilderment, turned to the person holding his shoulder.

“…Ronan?”

“Are you out of your mind, you bastard? ok?”

said Ronan. It seemed like a very long time ago. People, including Orsay Naransonia, surrounded it. Instead of answering, Asher slowly reached out and touched Ronan’s ear.

The tactile feel of the soft but slightly hard cartilage was telling me that this place was real. Asher, who recalled what he was doing, opened his mouth.

“Audren…?”

“Tell me what are you doing? You did it man.”

Ronan extended his index finger and pointed at Adren’s sky. A magic circle so vast that it could not be seen at a glance covered the sky.

From the inside, a huge chain stretched out in four directions that seemed to be capable of binding Navardoze as well. The chain made of a mixture of telekinesis and sparkling mana was visible only to Ronan and Asher.

The hook at the end of the chain was firmly embedded in the ground of Adren, preventing it from falling. The night sky no longer receded. The sense of oppression of the world was gone. Asher sighed lightly.

“Ah…”

If I pushed myself a little more, my mind would be destroyed. Asher, who had been quietly watching the scene, smiled bashfully.

“…ehehe.”

It was a flawless laugh, as always. Ronan didn’t bother asking what the hell he had done to Asher. Above his slender shoulders, the sparkling mana unique to Nebula Klage was blooming like a haze.

Hearing Naransonia’s explanation, he knew that Asher had drawn the power of bald heads. Even the dragon king couldn’t handle it, and he pulled the magnificent power that was delivered over several days at once. With only one determination to prevent Adren from falling.

There was only one thing Ronan could say to such a person.

“Crazy. You really are a spoiled bastard.”

“I’m so dizzy…”

Ronan ruffled Asher’s hair. Asher shook his head following the gesture and let out a helpless laugh. The people around me, who were dumbfounded, started talking in earnest.

【I can’t believe it. That human did it alone?]

【The ceremony His Majesty did…】

【I’ve seen countless geniuses, but this is the first time ever.】 Even

dragons who have lived for at least hundreds of years were astonished. I had never seen or heard anything like this. An individual stopping an island falling from the sky. It was doubtful whether even Lorhorn, known as the supreme wizard, could do such a thing.

“Now we just have to deal with them.”

Ronan raised his gaze to the sky again and clicked his tongue. The crazy giants of light were rampaging like locusts. Still, if we all worked together, we would be able to do anything.

【I was genuinely amazed. Wizard.]

“Mrs. Orsay…”

Then, Orsay walked forward through the crowd. Although he looked tired from the aftermath of the battle, his arrogant and majestic spirit was still there. There was literal respect in his eyes as he looked at Asher.

【Even if the empire is burned, only you will be saved. As long as it doesn’t disturb me.]

“To burn the wealth…that’s…Kah!”

It was the car Asher was trying to answer. His body shook and blood gushed out of his mouth. Surprised people flocked to it.

“Assel. Yumma.”

【what. Why are you doing that?]

Ronan hugged his staggering body. Orsay’s dry face was also perplexed. Asher spit out the blood in his mouth and stammered.

“Huh… I guess… I was lacking a bit.”

“Not enough?”

“Yeah…I should have put it on track at least by force… At this rate, it will crash again…” ”

…fall?”

Hearing Asher’s words, Ronan frowned. At that moment, Adren, who had been stationary, shook like an earthquake.

A rumble… The roar of a wild beast sent people into confusion again. When I raised my head, I saw chains and magic circles that were flickering as if they would disappear at any moment.

“I have to… stop it.”

Asher stumbled and stood up. He started walking toward the center of the magic circle, leaving Ronan and Orsay behind. Ronan urgently grabbed his arm.

“Can’t you stop right now? do you want to die?”

“It’s okay… Put it on a certain track and you’ll be fine. Just a little more…”

“Do you think your body can handle the damn thing right now?”

Power went into Ronan’s hands. There were even some reckless things. According to common sense, there was no way that humans would be fine with the power of the bald heads.

Even the dragon king couldn’t handle his strength and ran out of control, causing an accident. How long could Asher, who is smaller than his claws, endure? This was another matter of talent. Orsay nodded as if agreeing.

【Don’t overdo it, mage. You have already done enough.】

“Get on quickly. Because you bought me time, I’ll be able to get more.”

Ronan would never have seen his friend commit suicide. I would rather have crashed this city. Asher, who had been looking at him quietly, murmured softly.

“…Please forgive.”

“what?”

It was the moment Ronan tilted his head. Wow! Suddenly, an invisible shockwave exploded around Asher.

“Keugh!”

【What…!】

It was a tremendous power. Ronan and Orsay, as well as the dragons surrounding them, were all bounced off from a distance. bang! Ronan stopped only after hitting his back on the exterior wall of a building.

“You bastard with no blood on his head!”

Ronan jumped up as if to bounce. It wasn’t too difficult to guess Asher’s intentions. He immediately drew his sword and tried to pull Asher with an aura, but his form was already covered by the ice barrier.

“I can’t stop right now!”

The mana-enhanced thighs swelled to burst. bang! bang! bang! Ronan, who had reached the magic circle with only three leaps, scattered sword strikes. The ice, which never melts or breaks, shattered and crumbled.

“Assel!!”

cried Ronan. Asher was already sitting cross-legged in the center of the magic circle. Ronan’s eyes widened as he approached him. A veil shimmering in bizarre colors covered Asher’s surroundings in a hemispherical shape.

“What the fuck…”

My mind went white. Although weak, it was unmistakably the blessing of the stars. A power that no one can use even inside the Nebula Claze.

I had no idea what experience I had to use this. If it wasn’t for Ronan, he wouldn’t even be able to break through. I could feel Asher’s will to solve this matter without fail.

“Let’s go back.”

However, Ronan swung the sword without hesitation because if he lost his life, everything would eventually become useless. Awesome! The protection of the stars collapsed with the belated sound of the bell. It was the car he reached out to Asher. Asher’s gaze turned and met Ronan’s.

“…Ronan. Let me finish.”