Ascension: Strongest Fateless Mage

The grade-1 Dark Iridite Lion roared and opened his mouth as a dark green orb with deathly shining crystal shards whirling around it conjured and shot towards city lord Ray, but the barrier held on and blocked the attack.

"How long will it last?" Shuma asked with a frown as mana pulsed around him due to him using a spell that empowered both of his katanas. He also used another spell right after that, which increased his physical strength, evident in the faint scaly patterns appearing on his body.

"Go! This barrier will last until I die!" The city lord spoke while gritting his teeth, "destroy that portal first!"

Shuma nodded as his eyes gleamed with a yellow flash and flew towards the portal through the barrier where Ray opened a tiny gap for him to go inside. After he went inside, city lord Ray closed that gap quickly.

*Screeeeee….*

The vulture looked at Shuma and released two deadly feathers, but Shuna cut them into pieces with his katanas while flying towards the portal. However…

*Ouuuuuu…*

Another powerful aura arrived from the portal; a giant rhino with a metallic gray body with green patterns. It came out of the portal while releasing a laser beam from its horn toward Shuma.

Shuma's face changed as he barely dodged the quick laser beam.

*Roar….*

Right after he dodged, he was attacked by the Iridite Lion as it flew towards him with a shining claw that turned into large dark-green crystallized claws, and their length, as well as overall size, increased!

"Damn it! Shuma can't handle 3v1," city lord Ray muttered with a helpless expression. But the next second, he remembered something as his eyes gleamed with hope. "Shuma! I am going to use my relic, Death Duel Flag! Kill one fast!"

A dark flag with a creepy skull design appeared from city lord Ray's body before it shot inside the barrier.

"I will return quickly!" Shuma solemnly nodded as he grabbed the flag and looked at the Iridite Lion before infusing mana in the flag and using it as a creepy skull oozing out black flames from its orifices materialized and shot towards the lion. The lion tried to get away from the flag, but the skull followed it and touched its body before...

*Poof!*

Both the Iridite Lion and Shuma disappeared.

*****

[Death Duel Flag]

-Type: Relic

-Maximum uses: Two. (1 left)

-1st Effect: You can infuse 10,000 mana into the flag and target anyone within two kilometers of yourself as your duelist. Both you and your target will disappear into the death realm of the flag and fight to the death.

-2nd Effect: Your magic power will increase by 5% of your duelist's total magic power permanently if you kill your opponent. But after coming out of the death realm, no healings will work on you for 30 minutes.

-3rd Effect: The winner will come out alive while the loser who died will turn into a death soldier and be bound to the flag. You can summon the death soldier bound to the flag one time to fight for you. Once it is summoned, it will last for one day before disappearing forever.

-4th Effect: You can infuse 100 mana into the flag and open a portal that will lead you to a dungeon. Completing the dungeon will give you rewards according to your performance. (One-time entry)

*****

…

Shuma looked at Iridite Lion with absolute focus and a cold gaze oozing out with killing intent. The Iridite Lion was suddenly confused about appearing on top of a black sea, but it focused on Shuma and roared after sensing danger from him.

'I have to finish it off in one move, or Ray won't last long against the barrage of those two beasts inside the barrier,' Shuma thought as he used half of his mana and prepared to use his most powerful move.

*Roar!!*

The lion roared before opening its mouth and releasing the same orb it released last time before flying towards Shuma with its deadly crystallized claws.

Shuma took a deep breath as he saw the destructive orb surrounded by dark-green crystals coming toward him.

'Lightning Flash, Deathly Thunder!'

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!" A thundering shout left Shuma's mouth as he used the maximum amount of mana he could use in his tier-5 spell; Lightning Flash, Deathly Thunder.

Yellow lightning with black sparks wrapped his whole body and katanas as he disappeared from his location like a flash of lightning.

*Crackle!! BOOM…*

The air cracked, and the sound barrier was broken as Shuma appeared right on top of the lion before swinging his katanas. The lion looked up, but all its eyes reflected was a yellow and black mixed lightning flash condensing into Shuma's katanas before they struck its body.

*Chririririririri…..*

*CRACKLE!*

A loud rumbling sound of thunder reverberated after the Lightning Flash of Deathly Thunder struck the Iridite Lion! After making a tiny wound, the magic spell's power entered its body and started wreaking harrowing havoc!

Just in two seconds, this spell snuffed the life out of Iridite Lion as the heart inside its body and brain in its head were turned into ashes along with all of its internals.

…

Outside, the barrier trapped not all the magic beasts as there were still over a hundred outside the barrier, and the forces of the city and other capable magicians were trying to kill them.

People were evacuating in emergency bunkers with the help of the local police while panicking because dispersed attacks had destroyed many buildings, and people had died.

Some flying magic beasts have already traveled two kilometers from the portal and were attacking chaotically before eating the humans they killed. The most troublesome was 2nd and 3rd-grade beasts. The infantry was still on the way while some powerful 2nd and 3rd class magicians had already started fighting magic beasts that were escaping from the center and spreading out.

Vernisia, Erica, Dan, and Yowen have already hidden inside their company's underground bunker with all the other employees and even brought inside people who were near their building on the outside.

On the other hand, Zevien and other magicians were leading mother Helena and the orphanage kids with other civilians at a nearby bunker.

"Just a hundred meters now! Quick!"

*Hisss~!!*

Suddenly, a 2nd-grade giant flying serpent arrived and eyed the large group of people with bloodlust seeping out of it.