Chapter 166 - The Undead Queen

Leviticus was able to pierce through time and space. 

Who knows it was so simple?

Ariadne—or the puppet of the undead prince in a dimension that he recreated—fought against Leviticus with both skill and precision. Chains of darkness tried to catch Leviticus who was dodging the attacks. The chains of darkness are derived from black magic, and can be used without spending the slightest amount of mana. Leviticus combated the chains by using a combination of elemental spells. 

"Terram! Ignis!"

All he had to do is to find a way to come back by breaking the sequence. The magic that is serving as the aid to have the loop continuously going is the vase where the petal fell. All Leviticus had to do is to get near that petal… no, that vase—

And break it!

Why didn't he think of it sooner? Everything around him is perfectly made and unnoticeably altered. The only point of time and the object with the loop should be the one that has the smallest magical link. Leviticus had viewed it in a completely different angle, so he wasn't able to figure it out. 

Leviticus slashed through the chains of darkness and then eased his way towards Ariadne. He then used an earth type of magic to enclose around Ariadne and then, copying the mechanism of one of the natural disasters on the world, Leviticus conjured a fire spell from inside the enclosed earth wrapping around Ariadne—a move he learned that imitates the mechanism of volcanoes. 

"AGH!"

Leviticus hasn't been able to perfect it, so he still couldn't conjure fire spells hot enough to be lava. Without wasting much time, Leviticus stormed towards the vase and the petal flower. He then broke the vase to the ground and as he plucked the petals one by one, the place began to warp ang change. The light was dimming and the clean disposition of the dark castle was ceasing to exist. A hole in the ceiling began to be created. Leviticus climbed to the ceiling using wind magic, and then ran toward the direction that wasn't being warped—the original timeline they are in!

And as Leviticus neared the end of the tunnel, he sees Faustina lying against he floor and the undead prince on top of her with his back exposed. Leviticus' eyes widened. He sees it—the firefly insignia!

"FAUSTINA!"

Before Faustina's vision completely dimmed, she saw the expression of a certain boy who she only knew just on the day of the exam. His usual gleeful face was now filled with una.d.u.l.terated rage.

"How did you break through time and sp…a..ce…" The undead prince murmured.

The undead prince's eyes widened as a rock spike pierces through his back, where the emblem of the firefly was carved into.

Leviticus then rushed towards Faustina as he held her by his arms and enclosed a barrier around the two of them. Leviticus gritted his teeth as he wrapped her cloak back to her. He then turned to glare at the undead prince, who was now fading away into thin air as he screams.

"No… I don't want to be in the darkness again…! No…! NO!!!!"

Leviticus then glanced towards Faustina who now had dark circles under her eyes. Her complexion was paler than before, and she was fuming hot. 

A fever?

Leviticus held Faustina in his arms and then closed his eyes to tentatively feel the mana coursing through her.

"She didn't lose much."

In fact, she was coursing too much mana in her body that Leviticus isn't certain with his ability to read the amount of a person's mana. There shouldn't be that much mana inside a person… but then again, she was a noble.

Leviticus frowned. 

The undead prince's body was regenerated. That would take a huge amount of mana. Just how much did the undead prince amass from Faustina? 

"Eul…"

"Shh," Leviticus carried Faustina to his arms and then shifted to carry her to his back. Faustina was still having a fever, and her breaths had silent gasps and were hot and rigidly unsteady. Leviticus was able to break through the undead prince's spell, and so he was able to walk to the halls without the loop. His eyes caught the vase and the petal that was plucked, and then proceeded to go northeast, where he would be able to meet his group.

**

"Leviticus of Atziluth. Isn't he a wonder? He was able to defeat the undead prince." Professor Miketsukami praised as he stares at the boy who was carrying a grey-haired girl in his back. "He's caught my eye ever since he pulled that stunt on the secret door."

"Well, he's a prince of Zweite. He would be knowledgeable about things concerning dark magic, since it's in his roots." Professor Lotus Madne remarked.

"I beg to differ." It was Professor Mariam.

"Oh, Mariam! You're finally joining the conversation. Yay!" Professor Yushalem beamed as she turned to Mariam, who sighed in return.

"Not all the royals of Zweite would be well-versed into the trivial dark royals who were cursed. They barely hold any historical significance, after all." Mariam exclaimed. "It just means that the prince studied very eagerly."

"I would like to have him in my class." Says Miketsukami. "If he passes."

**

Anakin tightened his grip around his staff. He had already sacrificed his trump card by revealing the mana revitalizer in Faustina's pockets. The shawled man in the market said that he only had to do that to pass, but Anakin cannot really figure out how that'll work—so he took it to his own hands and framed Faustina.

"Did I do the right thing?"

Anakin did not trust that suspicious man who told him he would be in Ianua I… but now, feelings of regret washed over him. 

What if he didn't remove the crystal fragment and showed it to everyone?

"Damn it… I expected the teachers to take action and fail her, but no…"

Anakin walked towards the dark castle as he finally entered its chambers. It still harbored the same, eerie feeling, but he was having cold regrets. He didn't have the time to even think about how sinister the castle looked as he reflected on his own actions.

Faustina's determined eyes, her upfront behavior, and her other side Anakin cannot put his thumb into. Suddenly, she wasn't so bad for him anymore. In fact, he felt a slight feeling of remorse over what he did.

But it was gone in an instant as he faced the dungeon head-on.

He should get swayed with the things that belonged in the past. He must face the present and be his usual, cunning self. He would get into the first Ianua without anyone's help, even without the mana revitalizers. He would conquer the dungeon even if it'll take him his very last drop of mana.

Anakin ambled his way to fight the cyclops and numerous monsters as he conjured powerful spells. He launched himself forward and battled the goblins and apparitions who dared to approach him.

That's right.

He was Anakin Disfiegro.

He will rise on top so that he won't fall behind his brother and sister. Anakin held his staff tightly and thumped it into the floor, sending the monsters flying to the floor. Anakin panted. He fought with rage, and so he ended up doing things quite recklessly.

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP.

"Impressive."

A voice, which belonged to a woman, spoke as the claps stopped. Anakin vigilantly looked around, but no one was there.

"What a reckless fight."

And then, with that, Anakin caught a whiff of a putrid smell from behind. 

"Barrier!"

Anakin was able to conjure a spell at the last moment as he jumped to back away.

A crown that was bloody and grimy, eyes that were hollow and empty, and a red gown with a fur that was as black as night.

"You reek of black magic." The woman licked her decaying lips. "Reminds me of my king whose stench was like that of his woman!"

Anakin's eyes widened as the woman's hollow eyes turned red—and emanated something that Anakin knew was forbidden for years.

"Black… magic!"

The woman continuously attacked Anakin without even budging from her spot. Anakin tried to dodge the attacks—his eyes widened as the dark fume went straight to his barrier and then shattered it to smithereens. He was then sent flying to the walls. Anakin was able to cushion his fall by conjuring an earth spell and making a sand appear underneath.

"Huh. You aren't half-bad," says the woman.

"W-who are…" 

"I am the undead queen, examinee." The woman exclaimed as a purple-black colored lightning sparked from her forearm and bare, rotten palms. 

Anakin's eyes widened. The undead queen? 

"Your mana has a stench of corruption. Why don't you let me have it?" The undead queen then snapped her finger, and from that snap, Anakin was electrocuted by the purple-colored lightning.

"Aah. Yes." The undead queen smirked. "Your mana will suffice."

Anakin tightened his grip around the wood of his staff. 

Stand!

He gritted his teeth.

This cannot end here. He had to be a mage!

Ruenti… Lilliane…

He can't fall behind!

"Now give me your mana!" 

And as Anakin helplessly waited for the black fume to consume him, the familiar figure of a girl came to block the attack with a wall barrier made of a stone. Before Anakin could react, he and the girl were taken by an equally familiar young man.

"Looks like you're praying to fail," that familiar smug look, and that annoying voice—

"Leviticus…!" Anakin uttered in sheer surprise. 

"Seriously," Leviticus sighed, turning to Faustina. "You ran to protect this piece of work. You fascinate me,"

Anakin stared at both Faustina and Leviticus, loss for words.

"Now then," the queen licked her lips. "More mana to feast from!"