21st Century Archmage

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Flash!

'It's coming!'

Just as expected, Count Kyre cast a spell with an enormous range. The sight of the spell shooting towards them with the speed of a spear startled Duke Hardaim's senses wide awake.

"Magic Cancel!"

"Air Shield!"

"Resist Magic!"

"Anti-Magic Shell!"

"Flame Cannon!"

As the spell flew over, the mages flying near the front cast their memorized spells. Nullifying spells and Air Shield, which could block Air Bomb, as well as a 6th Circle spell cast in order to cause mana disturbance, were deployed one after another, fired into the air by the 20 royal mages of Kerpe and Andain.

Flash! Craaaaaash! Whiiiiiiiiiiiir!

Each spell played its role, creating a colorful splash of magic lights.

Booooooooooooom!

And it seemed as though the prepared spells were effective, because Count Kyre's spell disappeared with an ear-rattling explosion.

'We did it!' When the spells collided, the two sides were coming into spear range. 'Now, magic is… Ah!'

When enemies were in spear range, the usual tactic was to have the mages retreat to the back before firing spears. But this battle was taking a far different turn. When his first spell was rendered ineffective, Kyre cast a second round.

'O-Oh my God!'

Mages were important resources in the kingdoms, so they hurriedly moved to the back after deploying their initial magic defense. But in the short time while they were doing so, dozens of murky blades came hurtling towards them. The mere sight of the 1-meter-large milky-colored blades glinting in the setting sun struck terror in the hearts of all who saw them.

"Shield!"

Scrambling to react, Hardaim deployed the Shield spell on his wyvern armor.

Flaaash!

The next instant, a volley of Blessed Spears cut through space. Having reached effective range, the Bajran Imperial Skyknights had hurled their spears before the panicking kingdom Skyknights could.

'Dammit!'

He spat out a curse for the second time. Duke Hardaim clenched his teeth, hurling his spear injected with mana into the battlefield as he directed his wyvern to the ground in a desperate nose-dive.

* * *

'Just as I expected.'

There was no doubt that Kerpe and Andain were given information about my magic attack that wiped out the wyverns of the Kuviran and Krantz Kingdom in one blow. And just as I expected, the enemy mages deployed spells to guard against the 4th Circle Air Boom I sent as bait. After seeing them retreating to the back, I fired the 7th Circle offensive spell I created a few days ago, Giant Wind Cut.

'The mana consumption is high, but it's bearable.'

When the 4th Circle spell Wind Cut that bore the nickname 'Wind Slaughterer of the Skies' was normally cast, blue-colored or opaque wind blades appeared and sliced the target. However, the spell I cast was a different beast altogether. When I reached the 7th Circle, I gained the confidence to fuse new spells that didn't yet exist. I worked to create 7th Circle offensive spells that could be made with mana fusion and formulas that could be easily mixed. The Giant Wind Cut spell being cast right now was one such creation. It boasted an incredible brute force that could slice through wyvern armor like tofu with a single attack. The mana consumption was a lot, even for me and my crazy amount of mana, but the effect was out of this world.

Kweeeeeek! Kyaaaaaaaak! B-b-b-b-b-baam.

They were flying in a widespread formation, but wyverns were large targets. The kingdom wyverns' wings were hopelessly cut to tatters, their armor was pierced, and their bodies were sliced by the hot blades of Wind Cut whizzing around with unpredictable trajectories. A chorus of heartrending cries came from the formation, as if there was a bet to see who could scream the loudest, and wyverns dropped like bricks.

Fwiiiiiiip! Fwip fwip fwip!

It didn't end there. As expected of Imperial Skyknights with the best skills in the Bajran Empire, they were, at the very least, phenomenally perceptive. Their spear salvo followed right on the heels of my magic attack. In just a few moments, a hundred of the kingdom wyverns in the front were wiped out by my spell, clearing the way for the spears to punch through the sky at high speeds.

'The battle starts now!'

The enemies were spread out, so I couldn't push myself to fire another AOE spell, and the Imperial Skyknights were too close for me to use Greater Air Boom. With a swish, I raised spears in both hands.

'Sayonara!'

And then, I hurled them with all my strength at the two wyverns I set as my targets, wishing them a friendly farewell.

'Here it comes!'

While attacking, I felt the indiscriminate spear attack by the enemy Skyknights before I even saw it. Every hair on my body was standing on end, warning me of danger.

This was a chance given to me by the gods to vent the stress piled up high in my chest. Like the eyes of a hawk seeking prey, I looked for the next target.

"Air Shield!"

Even as I lifted another two spears, I cast an Air Shield over 30 meters wide. The dozens of Blessed Spears flying idiotically towards me… didn't even have a chance.

* * *

Craaaash!

"Kuaaaaagh!"

Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

'R-Ridiculous!'

Duke Hardaim could not rouse himself from his daze. His mouth unconsciously went agape at the massacre unfolding before his eyes. Though he was at the front, he went from bravely charging towards Kyre to plummeting to the ground in a nosedive to evade certain death. In the few seconds while he was evading, countless lumps of meat crashed to the ground, mutilated by magic. Their forces hurled spears in rage, but the volley of spears fired by the Kingdom Coalition bounced harmlessly off the Air Shield created by that dastardly man.

"Haah…"

Duke Hardaim was controlling his wyvern from the ground, about to jump back into the battle, when he sighed. In no time at all, Kyre and the Bajran Skyknights of the Imperial Guard had punched through the Coalition's formation with frightening speed. 200 wyverns had disappeared in a brief window of time, leaving a gaping hole in the sky.

'We're not his match. We'll all become mincemeat at this rate.'

The Kingdom Coalition made preparations using the defeat of the Kuviran and Krantz Kingdom as guide, but Kyre was a powerful enemy who exceeded Hardaim's expectations. His plan to capture the Imperial City and raise the honor of his kingdom and king disappeared like bubbles popping into nothingness. Right now, the only thing left in his mind was minimizing the damage and returning to the kingdom.

'H-He's a cool-headed person.'

As he watched the kingdom wyverns being shot down, Hardaim felt his blood run cold. Kyre was hurling spears at a blistering speed, shooting down wyverns like a born slaughterer. Behind him followed the Bajran Skyknights of the Imperial Guard, whose lack of regard for their lives was chilling to behold.

The formation of the Kingdom Coalition wyverns shattered to pieces in mere moments. They still held the numerical advantage, but the kingdom Skyknights were already prisoners of fear and were swallowing the bitter pill of defeat.

* * *

'Nobodies shouldn't fuck around.'

Greater numbers didn't always equate to victory. Just like how Korea's top F15 fighter jet couldn't hold a candle to the F-22 Raptors called the 5th generation fighter jets from the US air force, the Kingdom Coalition's wyverns were no match for me and Bajran's Imperial Skyknights.

To elaborate, the effect of seizing the initiative was the most important thing in both aerial and ground battles. After one hit of 7th Circle magic, the kingdom wyverns were reduced to leaves falling in the autumn wind. They were completely dominated by terror. With my Air Shield nullifying their counterattack and the united attack of the Imperial Skyknights following right afterwards on top of that, the morale of the enemies hit rock bottom. In comparison, the Imperial Skyknights were in high spirits, like they had struck a jackpot.

What resulted was a one-sided slaughter. Because the enemies were great in number, they were spread out in a wide formation, so when we cut into the heart of their formation without reducing our speed, they were unable to unleash a concentrated attack. It was possible that if they fired on us, they could send their own allies to their deaths, so we were unharmed.

"Bebeto, turn!"

In order to properly vent my stress, we punched through the enemy formation spread out over about 1 km, then went into a rapid turn.

Swoooooooooooosh!

At my command, Bebeto did a nosedive while folding one wing to carry out a rapid turn.

Swoosh swoosh swooooosh!

The wyverns of the Imperial Skyknights followed suit in rapid turns of their own.

'Our numbers have gone down.'

No matter how incredible a result we achieved, there were also Imperial Skyknights who fell victim to wayward spears. We charged through with the Shields on our wyvern armor active, but if several spears hit the wing joint, crashing down was inevitable.

'Countess Irene, don't overdo it.'

As Bebeto and I turned, I saw Countess Irene's wyvern at the front. Russell stayed behind in the capital to protect the Princess, but Irene, the highest ranking officer among the current Imperial Guard, had to participate in the battle. I didn't want to send her into danger, but because Irene's pride would never allow staying behind, I didn't even mention it.

"All forces, retreat! Abandon formation and return to the kingdom!!!"

"Retreat! Retreat!"

'Eh?'

We were only getting started, but the kingdom wyverns were already turning tail. The mana-charged order to retreat blared out from someone's mouth, and the knights who heard it quickly passed on the order to the others.

'You should have done so from the start.'

In just one exchange, at least 200 wyverns were felled. And following that devastation, the kingdom wyverns fled. The way they scattered without looking back as soon as the command to retreat was given almost made me laugh. I could guess they'd heard some of the rumors regarding me.

"KYRE!!!!!!!"

As the wyverns fled, I heard a mighty bellow.

'Hardaim…'

Duke Hardaim's voice, which I had a deep impression of, was calling me.

"Let's have a duel, you and me, fair and square!"

'You ridiculous squid. Is this battle a joke to you?'

Whenever people who couldn't match up were disadvantaged, they were quick to accuse the other of being unfair. How many battles could be really said to be fought fair and square? He was the one in the wrong for going up against an opponent with far greater skills, so I really couldn't understand why he was blaming me.

'Jeez, anyone who's not even a 7th Circle mage is a real loser.'

"Bebeto, let's go."

I wasn't one to refuse someone asking for a duel without a spear in his hand.

* * *

'Kyre, just who in the world are you?'

The more she learned about him, the more incomprehensible he became.

Before Kyre went aloft to lead less than 60 total Bajran Imperial Skyknights in a battle with the Kingdom Coalition, he said one thing to the Imperial Skyknights. He said that they had to die so that the Empire could live.

At first, Irene thought he was saying that they should bravely sacrifice themselves in order to restore the tarnished honor of the Empire. But when the battle unfolded, she realized the true meaning of his words. He had given them a painful word of advice to awaken their knight souls, brave souls that did not fear death.

'From now on, I will admire you more than anyone else in the world.'

Irene watched as Kyre flew through the sky, undaunted by the enemy commander's dueling request, shouted using mana so loudly that the air seemed to shake. Under her helmet, her eyes were full of joy.

He was a true man, the only one to make her heart thump in her twenty something years. She wanted to admire him for a lifetime and live by his side. Not as a knight of the Empire, but as a woman within the embrace of that wide-chested man…

* * *

"Kyre…"

They could not leave like this. He did not want to show a defeated appearance to the king, all the nobles, and the family he loved. As such, Hardaim was unable to leave. Unlike the Kingdom Coalition wyverns that had already disappeared far into the distance, he stayed in the sky and called Kyre. 20 or so of his duchy's surviving Skyknights were in a formation around him.

And just as he wished, one man came flying towards him. Riding a golden-striped black wyvern a good head bigger than other wyverns, the man slowly stopped in front of Hardaim. He was the man bearing the name Kyre de Nerman, the strongest person on the Kallian Continent.

"Duke, it's been a while."

Taking off his helmet, Kyre calmly relayed a greeting from 10 meters away.

"If I had known that you were here, I wouldn't have come."

"I wonder… The way I see it, I don't think the ambition you possess would have ever let you do so."

From the first time they met, Kyre had never been intimidated by Hardaim's name and fame. He had used respectful speech when they were briefly allies, but now that they were enemies, he switched to being casual.

He was more cool-headed and calculating than Hardaim thought. He looked at Count Kyre again and completely erased the thought in one corner of his mind that Kyre was still a rookie.

"I don't think I will be a match for you in the sky. What do you say, do you have the confidence to fight me on the ground?"

* * *

We stood face to face, our wyverns in stationary flight 10 meters away from each other. Then, Hardaim threw the imaginary dueling glove at me.

'Fine with me!'

If I was scared, I would have never even responded to his call.

"Sounds good."

"Haha. I knew you would say that. I'll see you on the ground then."

Swooooosh.

As soon as I consented, Hardaim swiftly led his wyvern to the ground.

'Seriously, these knights…'

They were all knights, but some were no better than dogs, while others lived deeply entrenched in chivalry. If it were me, I would have long since pushed Bebeto into a hasty retreat, but Hardaim was still clinging to his dignity even though his death was imminent.

Shaking my head, I followed him down to the ground. Once the fight with Hardaim was over, the storm that had blown over Bajran would finally abate.

* * *

Schwing.

'He's really unique.'

Normally, knights used swords as their main weapon. Weapons like spears, bows, and axes were more commonly used by mercenaries or regular soldiers. But Hardaim was different. He wielded a 2-meter long spear as tall as he was with a blade attached to the end.

'He's like Guan Yu.'

I never saw him in person, but if the legendary Guan Yu from the Records of the Three Kingdoms was born in Kallian, he would probably look something like Hardaim. With his wide-set shoulders with a red beard and hair, his appearance was true to his nickname, 'The Red Dragon of the Battlefield.'

"I heard you have amazing skills. I've already had a taste of your magic, so this time, impress me with your sword."

'He's having fun.'

Despite having suffered a clear-cut defeat, Hardaim was giving off an aura of enjoyment.

"Let's have a good duel."

The moment he ignored my warning, he lost the right to be treated well by me. Hardaim was no longer a guest I had to respect.

Clang!

With a clear ring, the dwarven sword came free from its sheath. It was made to match the form of the sword I was used to, the one used by the Dapis Kingdom's knights. However, this one was made with mithril alloy, so it was light, but perfectly balanced and gave off the silvery glint of an ornamental sword.

"Good sword."

"Thanks."

"It's growing dark. Shall we begin?"

The sun was racing towards the last gasp of afternoon and had sunken halfway into the horizon. There was no better time of the day for a duel. It felt like the blood-red setting sun was foretelling someone's approaching fate.

* * *

Claaang! Bababam.

In the middle of nowhere, a sudden duel was taking place.

A long spear wrapped in Aura Blade did not permit close-combat and pierced through the air several times in one moment. Meeting it in midair was a monstrous sword that moved at a speed that regular knights could not follow.

"…..!!"

Every onlooker watched with bated breath, their eyes wide. Standing 50 meters away from the dueling site were Hardaim's knights and the Bajran Imperial Skyknights. These days, most battles were settled in aerial combat, but knights loved the sword. For them, a duel on the ground was more electrifying and got their blood pumping more than a battle in the air.

"Hup!"

"Ha!"

Clear grunts rang out as the two people used mana steps, leaping several meters into the sky to exchange spear and sword.

As they watched the duel of their lifetimes, the knights, each of them a Blade Master in their own right, felt their hands grow sweaty. The aerial battle using wyverns had ended, but it was possible that the final verdict would be decided by this battle on the ground.

* * *

Riiiiiiiing!

'Hup!'

I never knew that the spear could be such a dangerous weapon. Hardaim's longspear, which was about 80 cm longer than my sword, did not permit me to come close. As I swung my sword, it came shooting forward to block my advance, and then swiftly followed up with strikes towards every part of my body, like the talons of a fierce falcon. And that wasn't all. The small blade at the end of the spear was filled with mana and Hardaim's frightening murderous intent, giving off a blue glow as it came for my neck.

'Impressive!'

Cla-cla-cla-clang!

I had a good sense for the sword, but I could never match up to Duke Hardaim in the time spent simply training. I could fight on even footing because my body was honed by the mana of a Grand Blade Master and I had the assistance of mana, but if I had still been at the Blade Master level, I might have been defeated long ago.

'He's one step higher than Count Kaldain!'

Hardaim was even more skilled than Count Kaldain, the Empire's Berserker. In addition, once the duel started, the look in Hardaim's eyes settled to the stillness of an enlightened monk's gaze.

'This is where it ends!'

But I could not lose. He might be more knowledgeable about the sword, but the end had already been decided by my mana.

Whiiiiiiiiir!

As my mana core activated, all of my dantians were unlocked.

Flash!

The next moment, the color of the Aura Blade surrounding my sword changed. In this duel that was so fierce that there was no chance for me to unleash my Master technique, my sword began to glow with a clear blue light.

* * *

'Ah!'

Hardaim personally confirmed that Kyre was a high-circle magic swordsman. But even if Kyre were to have spent his entire life swinging his sword, he thought that Kyre wouldn't be able to compare to the decades Hardaim had lived while being evaluated as having a genius talent for the sword.

His prediction was correct. Although he had the advantage of using a spear, a weapon that could be called somewhat unfair in a battle between knights, Kyre fell short of Hardaim's genius understanding and utilization of his weapon. He was hopeful that if things went well, he could defeat Kyre and restore his lost honor.

However, his hopes were cut short. Kyre's sword suddenly changed, turning into a sword that even Hardaim had never seen in person and had only heard of in legends.

'G-Grand Blade Master!'

It was so. To his shock, the color of the mana gathering at the end of Kyre's sword showed that he had reached the level of a Grand Master, where there was nothing one could not cut.

'I can't believe it!'

He was surprised and scared, but Hardaim could not possibly comprehend how this could be. Unless Kyre was a dragon, how could he possibly have become a 7th Circle mage and a Grand Blade Master at his age?

Hardaim clenched down hard on his teeth.

"Huuup!"

He pierced his spear with the last of his strength, unleashing the secret spear technique passed down in his family, Great Shooting Star.

* * *

Cla-cla-cla-cla-cla-clang.

"Ah!"

"Holy…"

"Ah…"

Who could have known that the sound of glass falling from a height could be so sharp and clear? Dozens of mana blades looking like shooting stars falling in a flash of blue light shattered into pieces. And with it, came a clear and ringing sound.

"Guh…"

A low groan came from the depths of someone's lungs.

He was cut.

Up until moments ago, all of the knights thought that Count Kyre was in danger. Along with a short grunt, dozens of materialized mana blades came shooting from Duke Hardaim's spear, aiming not just for Count Kyre's body, but all of the places he could flee to. But the Duke's blades disappeared, like an illusion cracking and breaking. Like a human holding a sword and foolishly fighting a furiously stormy sky, Duke Hardaim's mana blades were all shattered by a lightning bolt bearing God's rage, turning into hundreds of shards.

"G-Grand Master…"

"Oh… Gods above."

The knights watching with clenched hands simultaneously uttered cries akin to screams. They, knights who had received a top, elite education, had just witnessed something. They saw that an absolute being who could break the secret art of a Master was on a different level entirely.

* * *

'Like I thought, it's really amazing!'

The difference between enlightenment in magic and swordsmanship was paper thin. Even I found myself surprised by the practical power of the Grand Blade Master level. Not only did my sword completely destroy every blade of a Blade Master's secret art, but it also cleanly sliced off Duke Hardaim's mithril-alloy spear. I only put a little more strength into my lower abdomen than when I fought Count Kaldain, but I ended up cutting his spear.

The moment Hardaim's spear was sliced, the mana covering its length shattered, and Duke Hardaim was injured. He was looking blankly at his broken spear, his face having gone pale.

"Kuku. Kukukuhahahahahahahaha!"

'Looks like the shock was too great.'

Duke Hardaim suddenly burst out in laughter.

Fwip, clatter.

Then, he threw the spear in his hand to the ground.

"It was an awesome duel, Count Kyre!"

"I think the same."

"Thanks."

'This gentleman is really rotten in the head. What's he thanking me for?'

I really couldn't understand Duke Hardaim's words.

"If not for the Grand Master level you showed me, I would have ended my life on the spot. But not anymore. I will, without fail, rise to the level of a Grand Master and fight with you once again!"

'Holy shit…' I thought, flabbergasted. He sure was one intense, tenacious dude. Any other noble or knight who had suffered such a defeat would have made themselves scarce out of depression, but fighting spirit was blazing from this guy's eyes.

"I'll take you on anytime."

'I'm just as rotten.'

Since when did I turn into one of the masters that appeared in martial arts novels? I ended up saying something cheesy while showing a victor's magnanimity.

"I shall head back now. From this moment forth, our Kerpe Kingdom army will completely withdraw from Empire territory. And in the future, as long as Count Kyre exists, we shall not cross into Bajran land."

He was defeated, but from start to finish, Hardaim never let go of his pride and firmly said Kerpe was retreating.

"Many thanks."

I could mercilessly impose sanctions for the defeated, but I didn't. The Bajran Empire was the cause of this war. It was right that things ended like this.

'Phew, is it finally over now?'

Compared to everything that happened, you couldn't say that much time had passed. However, that wasn't really how I felt. Without me, Nerman was constantly in danger. I was as protective of Nerman as a father was of his daughter.

"All forces, return to the Imperial City!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

Though they weren't my knights, the Imperial Skyknights loudly acquiesced to my command. Looking at them, my ambition grew by leaps and bounds.

'Alright, being an emperor's no big deal. It's not like anyone would complain if I made an Imperial Guard of my own.'

Now, there really was no one left for me to be afraid of. The day Nerman found its peace, I wanted to try playing(?) emperor.