Chapter 167: The Reversal of the Law (Part 4)
"Should I go in?"
"No. The Noor's use nature-affinity abilities. They're at a disadvantage in narrow spaces. They know that, so they're luring us in."
The captain used his Schema ability to make the cave echo with his shout.
"Come out now, or you'll regret it! I'll count to three!"
The subordinates drew their bows and shot their arrows.
Though not as explosive as arc arrows, the arrows propelled by Schema strength could pierce even rock. If they were inside the cave, there would be no way to dodge, and they'd be riddled with holes.
"One!"
The cave was silent.
"Two!"
The captain's expression twisted. Were they determined to die?
The only option the Noor's had was to use earth magic to block the cave. But such a stopgap measure wouldn't last long and would only cut off their own escape route.
"Three!"
A red dot appeared between the captain's eyebrows.
Something shot out of the cave, and the captain, with superhuman reflexes, drew his sword to shield his face.
But by the time he realized what he had blocked, the projectile had already exploded.
"Damn it...!"
A deafening roar engulfed the captain in flames.
The blast reached the subordinates, and the startled horses went wild.
At that moment, Shirone's group emerged from the cave.
The captain, fallen from his horse, glared at them through the smoke rising from his body. He planted his sword on the ground and stood up, shouting at the disorganized ranks.
"They're with the Mecha! Don't let them escape!"
They had been pursuing the Noor's and never expected the Mecha to be here.
Shirone had anticipated this.
His prediction was spot on. Kanya and Lena had waited for the pursuit team to approach using the drones and fired arcs at the perfect moment to create an escape opportunity.
"There are too many enemies! Find a narrow path!"
At Shirone's words, Kanya checked the terrain with the drone and changed direction.
The pursuit team, realizing the plan, fired their bows.
Even at a distance of one hundred meters, the arrows didn't lose speed and whizzed past Shirone's group.
Clove turned around in frustration.
"I'll buy us some time!"
"No! Just run!"
"I have to pay them back at least once to save the Noor's pride!"
Clove dipped his hand into the shallow water and cast the ancient magic, Shaping.
The stream began to freeze, turning white as it solidified.
Crack!
The sound of freezing water echoed through the valley, and pillars similar to those in the cave rose from the frozen surface.
Shirone watched the scene even as he ran.
The scale of the ancient magic, borrowing the power of nature, was far greater than expected. The stream had frozen, and countless pillars obstructed the view, making it impossible for the horses to advance.
A loud crack echoed as the ice shattered.
The group's faces paled. The pursuit team, having abandoned their horses, was smashing through the ice pillars with swords and fists, charging forward.
"Have the Noor's and Mecha joined hands? How fitting for lowly heretics!"
Kanya aimed her arc and shouted.
"We are divine subjects! You, as fellow divine subjects, have no reason to interfere with the Laws!"
As soon as she released the handle, the arc's projectile surged forward.
A warrior with a great sword sliced the projectile in half. Moments later, two fireballs exploded behind him.
"Those who break the Laws shall be executed! We are the chosen first divine subjects!"
The Kergo pursuit team raised their weapons and roared.
This was a far cry from the Kergo's civilization Shirone had seen in his original world. Luxurious armor and extravagant accessories were the nobility of the divine realm.
Shirone, running beside Kanya, asked, "Why are they like this? Why fight so fiercely when they're fellow divine subjects?"
"It's heretic hunting. They're the most devout among the divine subjects. That's why they're so arrogant and hostile to other divine subjects. Getting involved with them brings no good."
Shirone fell silent. They were already deeply involved.
"They're annoying, but they're strong because they use giant techniques. Purgatory is an extraterritorial zone, so they can do anything here. If they catch us, they won't kill us cleanly."
The distance between the pursuit team and Shirone's group was narrowing.
Every single one of them was using Schema, and Shirone's group had Guardrak, who was injured.
Guardrak shouted to Clove.
"Clove! Cast Aeos!"
"It's too dangerous! You're injured, Master!"
"We'll all die at this rate! Hey, we're getting out of here first!"
Guardrak cast Aeos, the wind magic. As Guardrak floated up, Clove also rose using the same magic.
Shirone thought of the Fly spell from Aeos. If the mechanisms were similar, maintaining balance in the narrow valley would be difficult.
As expected, the two swayed as they rose higher. It seemed they might crash into the cliff at any moment.
Without them, there would be no way to reach Noor's Sanctuary. Thinking they had to save them, Shirone communicated with his friends.
-Each of us takes one! Let's teleport!
Canis wanted to use Darkport, but with four mages needing to transport two Mecha and two swordsmen, they had no choice but to use Photonization Magic.
Amy grabbed Tess, and Shirone held onto Rian. Canis and Arin also took Kanya and Rena by the hand, respectively.
Meanwhile, the pursuers were closing in, almost within arm's reach.
The leader of the Kergo riders raised his sword from atop his horse. The silver great sword came down like a thunderbolt, aiming straight for Shirone's head.
At that moment, Shirone and his group transformed into a flash of light and shot upward.
Guardrak and Clove almost lost their grip on the magic.
Not only were they creating light, but they had also transformed into light itself. Moreover, transporting the Mecha tribe members simultaneously was something unimaginable even in Heaven.
At least by human standards, it was.
Guardrak muttered in disbelief,
"How... how are they using light magic without borrowing the power of nature?"
Ancient magic always required borrowing the power of an element. Among them, light was the most difficult to control.
Light was a weak and widely dispersed force. Even with ancient magic that borrowed the power of nature, concentrating light was a challenging task.
The only time Noor's could cast light magic was when they were in a Shining Spot, a place where light gathered.
Clove's mind was in turmoil.
In an instant, Shirone and his group had closed the height gap using teleportation. They were nothing like the weak and incompetent imitations he had imagined.
When he saw Shirone's Shining Magic, he thought they were simply transferring light from a Shining Spot somewhere. But these people were generating light from their own bodies.
And as far as he knew, in Heaven, the only beings who could manipulate light, aside from Ra, were of a single rank.
Arin, sensing the Noor's confusion, sent a mental message:
-It seems the Noor's don't know about teleportation magic.
Amy snorted and replied:
-Hmph! Of course not. The theory of photonization is one of the greatest discoveries in the history of magic, even in the world we come from. Don't underestimate the geniuses of the earthly realm.
Amy felt a sense of pride in being born in the earthly realm.
However, the Kergo of Heaven were no pushovers either. Using anti-gravity, they raced vertically up the cliff.
Amy lay flat and unleashed a Fire Strike.
The pursuers, spotting the descending spear of flame, split to the left and right. Circling the cliff, they increased their speed and closed the distance to Shirone's group.
-Tch! They're persistent!
-Let me handle it.
Arin extended her tentacles and attempted Mind Control.
Most of the pursuers resisted, but one fell under her influence. The controlled warrior swung his sword at his comrades, disrupting the pursuit formation.
The Pursuit Leader snarled,
"You idiots!"
From below the cliff, the leader watched with a twisted expression. He took a deep breath and let out a roar toward the cliff.
It was a Howling, a Schema technique.
"Awooooooo!"
The echoing sound of the Howling struck the mages' minds, causing the Noor's Aeos to dissipate.
Shirone focused and held his ground. It was a technique that shook the mind itself, similar to Ethela's Roar of Exorcism.
Shirone cast a teleportation spell on the falling Guardrak. As he grabbed him, Amy flew over and caught Clove by the ankle.
They activated the Photonization Magic to reset their momentum. Shirone landed with Rian and Guardrak, followed by the rest of the group.
Guardrak grumbled,
"Damn it! It's always the Howling that's the problem. The Noor and the Kergo just don't mix well."
He made excuses to save face. It seemed the master and disciple weren't so different after all.
But then he grew curious. He couldn't understand why Shirone's group was unaffected by the Howling.
Guardrak asked,
"Hey, how are you guys okay?"
Sometimes, asking innocently only makes things more annoying. Canis replied with a touch of irritation,
"Okay? My head's ringing like crazy."
Guardrak pressed,
"Then how did you cast magic?"
Canis snapped,
"We just endured it. If you're shaken by something like this, don't call yourself a mage."
Unlike the Noor's, who borrowed the power of nature, the magic of the earthly realm manifested by combining omniscience and omnipotence. It was undeniably a more demanding method than ancient magic.
But the inefficiency honed concentration actually strengthened their mental resilience.
Additionally, Shirone's group had many special ability users.
Arin, specialized in mental power, was an expert in mental defense. Amy was immune thanks to her Red Eye ability. And Shirone, in terms of endurance alone, was said to possess a Diamond Indestructible Spirit, rivaling the effects of the Red Eye.
Clove landed face-first in the stream. He got up with an angry expression and glared at Amy.
Clove shouted,
"You! How dare you throw me down like that?"
He could no longer tolerate Amy's arrogant attitude. Though his temper was foul, it had its own charm, but now even an imitation was getting on his nerves.
Clove growled,
"I won't let this slide...!"
He stopped mid-sentence, feeling a chill.
Amy's eyes glowed red. Her expression as she glared at the pursuers was ghostly cold.
Amy said without even turning her gaze,
"Don't interfere during battle. I'll indulge your tantrums later."
Clove slowly turned his head. The Kergo pursuers were approaching like wild beasts, their eyes flashing.
Clove's face fell.
Clove muttered,
"It's over. We're going to be caught. And then we'll be tortured until we die..."
Amy snapped,
"If you're not going to fight, get in here and stop distracting us."
Even if they won in spirit, the situation was unfavorable. Showing weakness now was unacceptable.
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Amy grabbed Clove by the collar and pulled him in. Clove, his legs giving out, fell on his backside.
This time, even Guardrak didn't have the energy to scold his disciple. Instead, he asked Amy,
"Do you have a plan?"
Amy replied,
"I can't be sure, but it seems we've managed to time it right. Shirone, are we done?"
Shirone nodded,
"Yeah. That was close."
Guardrak tilted his head and asked,
"What are you talking about? What's done?"
Shirone looked up at the sky. His Spirit Zone, which had been a square target formation, now stretched into the sky in a curved shape. It had taken quite a while to transform into this unique form.
Shirone cast Photonization Magic on everyone without touching them. It was Mass Teleportation, a spell he had learned after risking his life on an impassable cliff bridge.
The Pursuit Leader shouted,
"Grab them! They're trying to escape again!"
He ordered his troops to charge. Then, he took a deep breath and unleashed another Howling.
The deafening sound swept over Shirone's group. Guardrak and Clove grimaced, but the Diamond Indestructible Spirit remained unshaken. Compared to Marsha's sonic cannon, this was nothing.
Shirone calmly watched the leader, as if to crush the enemy's morale, and then activated Mass Teleportation.
A brilliant flash enveloped the group, carrying them to the top of the cliff where the Spirit Zone had reached.
The Pursuit Leader gritted his teeth,
"Damn it! The Howling didn't work!"