Chapter 74: The Duel of the Spirit Zones
A feeling as if the fine hairs on the body were standing on end.
It was a unique stimulation of the Spirit Zone that only Schema Users could experience.
'A magician! Where?'
Feeling a tingling sensation in his right leg, Lucas hastily soared into the air.
An explosion erupted almost simultaneously.
Had he taken a direct hit, his knee would have been severed.
"Ugh!"
Landing on the ground, Lucas immediately backflipped and retreated.
Even if one couldn't gauge the radius of the Spirit Zone, the fundamental rule of a duel between great magicians was to create as much distance as possible.
A flash streaked across Lucas's vision, revealing both Neid and Iruki.
Their eyes burned not just with hostility but with a murderous intent.
"How dare you attack our teacher...!"
Lucas's expression twisted.
"What the hell? There were still some of you left standing? Magicians, huh... always such a nuisance."
For someone who prided himself as a great magician, missing a target was a careless mistake.
Moreover, from his experience, unexpected situations like this never ended well.
"So, that woman was your teacher? My apologies, though by now, she should be arriving at her destination... the ground."
The moment he finished speaking, Shirone appeared from below the cliff, teleporting while holding Sheena in his arms.
His gaze was no different from his companions'—burning with fury.
How corrupted must a person be to throw someone off a cliff?
"I will never forgive you."
Lucas didn't even pretend to listen. He was simply annoyed at how the situation was becoming more troublesome.
"Hey, what now? Was this part of the plan?"
Since payment was involved, Lucas made sure to clarify responsibility.
Canis stepped forward.
"Aryn, step back."
"But...."
"There's no need for you to fight. Focus on keeping the people under control. I'll handle this."
It was already a challenge maintaining mental domination over hundreds of people while engaging in battle.
As Aryn retreated, Canis, now relieved of distractions, walked toward Shirone's group.
"Who are you? How did you break free from mental domination?"
Iruki answered.
"There are plenty of ways to counter that. Besides, dark magic is an outdated art, isn't it?"
Canis wasn't fooled.
"Don't spew nonsense. If it were that easy, the others wouldn't still be trapped."
'That's true...'
While Iruki pondered internally, Canis raised his head to check the position of the sun.
The light was still strong.
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But as a disciple of a great magician, he had no reason to be picky about conditions when facing mere magic school students.
Lucas, crossing his arms, shouted.
"Hey, what's it gonna be? This wasn't in the contract. If you double my pay, I'll kill them for you."
"I don't need your help. I'll handle it myself."
"Then suit yourself."
Lucas shrugged and stepped back.
It looked as if he had no intention of interfering, but his real plan was the opposite. He was merely waiting for the right moment to strike from behind.
Canis took a step forward.
"Hurry up and attack. I don't want to waste time on the likes of you."
As the distance closed, Shirone and his group retreated simultaneously.
Through synesthesia, Shirone estimated that Canis's Spirit Zone covered a sphere about 50 meters in diameter—roughly on par with his own.
Maintaining an optimal distance, Shirone halted his retreat and spoke.
"I'll handle him. You guys take care of that swordsman."
Neid asked, "Will you be okay on your own? Judging from the situation, it looks like the swordsman won't interfere."
"We can't be sure. That bastard is the kind who would throw an unarmed person off a cliff."
Looking back at his friends, Shirone's eyes gleamed with sharpness.
"Don't believe a single word that comes out of his mouth."
Iruki swallowed hard.
Now in perfect combat mode, Shirone's mind was razor-sharp.
'There's no need to worry.'
As his friends moved toward Lucas, Shirone finally adjusted his Spirit Zone with precision.
Every time their Spirit Zones brushed against each other, it felt as if invisible sparks were flying.
Meeting Canis's gaze, Shirone furrowed his brow.
'What is this guy...?'
He couldn't read any signals from his opponent's eyes.
Like a beast, Canis's pupils were simply black voids. They didn't even seem human.
What kind of life must one live to have eyes like that?
As their Spirit Zones locked onto each other, Canis was the first to cast his dark authority.
The shadows beneath his feet rippled like a carpet, then lifted from the ground, rushing toward Shirone in a diagonal strike.
Shirone countered with Photon Output.
The burst of light scorched parts of the shadow, but it couldn't overcome the main body's encroaching darkness.
'Darkness that endures light...'
To not only lift shadows under the sun but also withstand Photon Output—this meant Canis's mental strength was so immense that it defied natural order.
Having increased his own raw power through thousands of rebounds, Shirone could instinctively grasp the level of Canis's training.
"Ugh!"
Teleporting away, Shirone rolled on the ground and fired a rapid volley of light blasts.
Canis responded by casting Shadow Wall, erecting a wall of darkness.
Each flash of light struck the wall, but not a single ripple formed; the wall absorbed everything.
Shirone's eyes sharpened.
'How about this?'
As the divine particles concentrated light, the sphere in his palm blazed with incredible intensity.
'Photon Cannon!'
Sensing its extraordinary power, Canis hastily thickened his Shadow Wall.
For a moment, he was certain it would hold, but then—a massive hole was blown through its center as the beam forced its way through.
'What the—?'
Before he could even process it, his instincts triggered Dark Skin.
His entire body turned black just as the Photon Cannon struck his abdomen.
"Gah...!"
The absorption limit of Dark Skin was instantly exceeded, and the shockwave shook his insides.
"Arghhh!"
Sent flying backward, Canis crashed into the forest, leaving Aryn pale-faced.
"Canis!"
Shattering Dark Skin was one thing, but sending a person flying like that?
Light was pure energy—if it carried physical force, every planet touched by sunlight would have been obliterated.
Aryn finally turned to Shirone.
'Who is he? A magician like this exists in a magic school?'
The Arcane Academy's reputation as a school full of scholars suddenly felt far from accurate.