"TYR! YOU DARE!" Ernst growled. He ignored the pain inside his body after the backlash and rushed toward the mezzanine.
Hanes and the three elders also ran, with the former being the closest. He took out a pill from his storage ring and popped it in his mouth while brandishing his axe to the side. Three different-sized magic arrays circled the axe's shaft and wind magic gathered around it. With a loud grunt, he jumped to the mezzanine, further aggravating its already cracked glass floor.
"I'll kill you!" Hanes roared and raised the axe above his head while running toward Kyran.
Hanes's arrival also shook Mimi out of her shock. She turned and summoned a one-meter radius yellow-green magic array right beneath Kyran's feet.
However, Kyran ignored them. A dark purple rune appeared right before Eoin's forehead.
"Elder brother!" Ernst shouted. He waved his hand and a long sword appeared on his right hands, wind magic runes could be seen on the blade's surface. He infused his magic energy into the sword and it vibrated with wind energy.
As to Eoin, the reason he did not make a move, was because he could not. He could not even speak. His magic being weak had nothing to do with it. Because depending on how he used his Memory magic, he could deal a powerful trauma on his target. Kyran also did not put a spell on him. The real cause of Eoin's state was the fact that he now confirmed Kyran's identity. Just the thought, filled him with terror.
The evil Dark Sage had returned.
The Crown Princess hinted that there was a new Dark Sage, which the Royal Army was after. But Eoin did not expect it was actually Disciple Tyr! Could it be the real reason the Crown Princess was interested in him was because she suspected his real identity? But what about the Emperor's information about the heir of the Cagar Nation missing? And the fact that Disciple Tyr's features were similar to him?
"Release Elder Eoin!"
"Air Compression!"
Hanes and Mimi attacked at the same time. A powerful whirlwind shot off Hanes's axe as he cleaved it downward toward Kyran, while the air around Kyran began to compress.
Kyran's reddish-purple eyes glowed as he stomped his foot.
CRACK! BOOM!
The already cracked mezzanine exploded and crumbled. Because of this, Hanes's attack missed and Mimi's magic array got destroyed.
"Guah!" Mimi spat out a mouthful of blood after receiving a backlash from her destroyed magic array. She fell down along the crumbling mezzanine, but Hanes managed to summon his Wind magic and willed it to cussion her, before he jumped to grab her and move away.
"Mimi! Hanes!" Ernst and the three elders shouted in shock. However, their expression immediately distorted as their anger rose.
"TYR!"
The three elders used wind magic to speed up, while Ernst slashed his sword three times in the air, forming three wind arcs that converged in the middle. It went into the smoke and straight at the spot where Kyran and Eoin had been.
Anyone who had seen Ernst move would have thought he did not care about Eoin. However, his sword was special. His attacks would only hurt those he deemed an enemy. This meant that the wind attack would pass through Eoin and would only hit Kyran.
WHOOSH! BOOM!
A powerful magic aura erupted from where the mezzanine had been and in an instant, a smoke dispersed.
WHEEENG!
Ringing sound filled the whole room as a five-meter radius dark and purple sphere appeared.
All of them stopped in their tracks as they gaped inside the sphere.
Hovering at the center, was Kyran and Eoin was nowhere to be seen.
"TYR!" Ernst's magic pressure exploded once more, and he moved again toward the sphere.
"I won't do that if I were you—."
SIZZLE!
"..."
"GAAAAAAH!"
An agonizing scream filled the air as Ernst's body sizzled the moment it touched the sphere's surface.
"Patriarch!"
"Uncle!"
"Ernst!"
Hanes, Mimi and the three elders shouted at the same time.
Ernst flew back and fell down, while the closest elder, Jamall knelt to support him.
Jamall gasped seeing how Ernst's body appeared to have been scorched. This shouldn't have been the case because his robe had been enchanted to withstand magic attacks. As a matter of fact, all of them were wearing enchanted robes that had high magic defenses. Still, Ernst's robes were destroyed and his skin scorched, showing his flesh and bones.
What kind of barrier did 'Tyr' summoned?
Jamall took out a high-grade healing potion and helped Ernst drink it. Normally, someone who took such a high-grade potion would immediately notice a change. Yet, nothing happened, with Ernst's wounds.
"T-This...."
"T-The most powerful fire... T-The purple flames of hell..."
The latter one was spoken by Evan, who had only regained consciousness after getting buried on the wall's debris.
His words, petrified all of them.
Yes.
The sphere might not look like flames, but its color was indeed purple. None of them had seen the a purple flames before, so none of them knew how it looks. Thinking back at how the sizzling sounds they heard earlier when they attacked Kyran, and how Ernst's short blades got destroyed, they were beginning to think what Evan had said was correct.
"..."
Kyran, however, was speechless.
It amazed him how people could come up with their own version of reality that best suited their limited knowledge.
Mimi, however, paled at this realization. Guilt surfaced in her heart for being shortsighted. Her decision to take 'Tyr' to their residence caused a tragedy to befall her family.
Why were they convinced that 'Tyr' being the heir of the Cagar Nation only possessed weak support magic? Why did they not try to gather more information about his real magic?
Just as she was about to fall into depression, a deep male voice echoed in the hall.
"Bah! Purple flames of hell? What in blazes are these people even thinking?"
Mimi recognized the voice at once. It was the one who laughed earlier!
But who and where was he?
Kyran sighed, "True Void. You don't need to explain."
"Why not?"
A small figure appeared a few feet in front of the purple sphere. It was none other than the small armor.
"That first one realized who you are but these ignorant fools keep on coming up with absurd theories of their own. Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable!"
"T-The... armor is... talking..."
"A-A puppet who gained its own sentient..."
"..."
"..."
Now, even True Void was speechless.
But then.
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PUPPET?" True Void roared. His eyes glowed fiercely as he glared at Haman, the one who said he was a puppet. "I AM MY MASTER'S ULTIMATE WEAPON! I AM NOT A PUPPET!"
As he said this, the whole room trembled and all the elders shivered in fright.
Now that Eoin was gone, and Ernst was fatally hurt, there was no way they stood a chance against 'Tyr' and his 'puppet.'
They should have called at least one of their three Magus. If they did, they would not be in such a dire situation.
"Y-You..." Mordin, who also lost consciousness along with Evan, also regained consciousness. He gaped at Kyran and the small armor in complete shock.
The others probably failed to register what Kyran called the 'armor.' But Mordin, who had only emerged from the debris heard it loud and clear.
"V-Void... Y-You..."
A smile tugged at the corner of Kyran's lips as he looked at Mordin. He released his barrier and willed the shape-shifting plates at the soles of his shoes to go down, all the while keeping his attention on the man.
"You seemed smarter than the others," Kyran said and raised his left hand toward Mordin.
"N-No!" Mordin screamed in fright. "P-Please spare me!"
The others also gasped as a purple light appeared beneath Mordin and he vanished in a blink of an eye.
"Mordin!"
"E-Elder Mordin!"
"...no...."
True Void sighed and flew toward Kyran. He sat on his right shoulder and crossed his arms.
"What are you even doing? It's not like you won't change them all."
Kyran shrugged, "They're smarter. I need to be careful when turning them."
"You will pay for this, Disciple Tyr!" Fidel suddenly shouted. He took out a small statue of an angel with black wings and raised it up.
Seeing his action, the other elders seemed to snap out of their reverie and also took out similar items like this.
"You think you can save yourself by using that lowly relic to teleport?" True Void snorted.
Hearing his words, Kyran also chuckled and pointed at the items in their hands. A small purple sphere appeared in the middle of the item.
"N-No!"
They released the statues as the sphere expanded, destroying the statues completely.
"Run away!" Evan also screamed and made a mad dash toward the door.
"Who said you can leave?" Kyran said as his magic pressure erupted.
In an instant, an invisible powerful force crashed down on them, forcing all of them to their knees.
"Argh!"
Mimi gritted her teeth and tried to stand but to no avail. In the end, she could only summon what little courage she had left to glare at Kyran.
She said, "W-Why did you have to kill uncle Eoin and elder Mordin? You even hurt uncle Ernst! I'm the one at fault for bringing you here. If you want to vent, then take it out on me!"
"Lady Mimi!" Hanes tried to calm her.
Kyran looked at Mimi, his eyes devoid of emotion as he said, "You think highly of yourself. Did you think you brought me here?" He sneered, "No. I let you bring me."
His words seemed like a sharp blade that pierced Mimi's very soul. Her eyes widened as realization hit her.
Kyran was right. With powerful magic and likely a higher magic level than her, it was impossible for her to knock him unconscious, much more, take him to the residence.
It had been too easy. Why didn't she realize it then?
No. She knew why.
All this time, they had looked down on 'Disciple Tyr.' Mimi in particular only regarded him as a pretty boy who liked all the women's attention. Yes, he was talented in Array and had some decent moves. Yet that was all there was to him.
Or so, Mimi thought.
"Y-You planned this..."
Kyran did not respond, instead, he turned his attention to Ernst, who was gravely injured but was still conscious.
"Ernst," he started.
Ernst's body shivered the moment his eyes met Kyran's.
Jamall, too, felt the intensity of Kyran's gaze and felt his heart palpitate in his chest. If he did not care about Ernst, he would have tried to get as far away as possible from Kyran.
"I'll humor you one last time," Kyran continued as he walked toward him.
"P-Please... s-spare my f-family...." Ernst tried to say.
Kyran ignored his plea.
"G-Get away from the Patriarch!" Hanes shouted.
"Noisy! Too noisy!" True Void complained but only shook his head. "Get on with it, Void Halfling. They'll definitely talk less if you turned them now."
True Void's words were like cold water that doused all of them.
It was only then that they finally understood Eoin's seemingly hopeless state and Mordin's words.
"V-Void...." Ernst spat out, his mind reeled.
? Kyran smiled and knelt in front of Ernst and Jamall.
"That's right, Ernst. Took you some time to realize it. Your elder brother has already recognized who I am when I appear behind him."
Ernst and Jamall gaped at Kyran, their expression pale from fear.
"You asked me why I know about Millie," Kyran said.
Ernst's eyes constricted. He wanted to tell him it did not matter anymore and instead, he hoped he would spare his family. However, his words were stuck in his throat.
Kyran touched his face. Suddenly, lines appeared on his skin as he 'peeled' off his face!
"It's because of who I am," Kyran finished and lowered his hand, which now held the face-altering mask, revealing his real face.
The moment Ernst saw Kyran's face. His blood drained out of his face.