Legacy of the Dark Sage

At least, that was Layla's plan.

However, when her magic reached a certain point on their bodies, her Soul core trembled, and she faintly sensed something prickly brushing past it. At first, she ignored it. But after a while, she noticed the prickly sensation increasing. Apart from that, the sensation started to affect her Soul core.

'Hm?' Layla frowned slightly. Reluctantly, she stopped the progress of her magic in fear of getting her Soul core damaged.

Thus far, she had not tried Soul Scan and Soul Control on the inhabitants of Somuli. Although, as an Ancient magic user, she had certain resistance to another plane's magic law, she could not utilize her magic well because of the Somulians' lack of magic core. Her Soul magic attacks worked faster on someone with a magic core since the latter was connected to one's soul.

Somulians possessed Divine Armaments, and while these could be considered a different form of magic core, they were not connected to one's soul. After all, Divine Armaments could be summoned into physical existence. If they were connected to the user's soul, would it not expose them to danger?

Nahir saw the woman's hesitation and immediately summoned several pillars of fire. This time, he did not aim at the woman but everyone else.

"Cast them!" He shouted, addressing his people inside the hidden tower and rally points.

When the healers heard him, they cast Dispel and Magic Resistance on all their allies. At the same time, the elites cast Lethargy on the woman.

The moment Layla felt two types of spells envelope the complete beings below and a different one hit her body, her frown deepened. Nevertheless, she did not panic.

She more or less guessed what type of spells the other side had cast and could not help but find their efforts adorable.

Soul magic could be considered the parent of most support-type magic and spells. For someone to actually cast one on her, the Soul Emperor, was truly an adorable thing.

Layla's sapphire blue eyes glowed as a faint smile tugged at her lips. She spread her arms and released her magic pressure.

In an instant, the spell cast by the Eidums shattered, and every complete being below was forced to their knees. Thick cracks appeared on the ground, as well as a few buildings around them. They shook uncontrollably, making it seem as if they would crumble at any moment.

The expressions on Nahir and the others turned grim. The pressure exerted by the woman was far more potent than the one she released earlier. Even the Eidums who cast Lethargy were shocked. Few could counter support-type spells— as a matter of fact, only an Eidum could use counter spells against support-type spells.

This... Possessing the same face as their Saint... Could this woman be... the Saint's twin?

Wait.

Was the Saint originally an Eidum? Was she not found in the middle of a forest within the Kingdom of Cretea's territory? Did she even have a family? Was not Nar the only person close to a family she had? 

No one could blame the Eidums' train of thought because they did not know about the outsiders, especially Cyneah's circumstances.

The same applied to Nahir.

Kyran might have shared a few things with Nahir and the Abbot, but he withheld most of Cyneah's story to protect them. After all, if they knew about the Macabre Glacier, the outsiders might target them as well.

"It is futile to resist," Layla told them. "I have the power to crush you to death, you know. But I refrain from doing so only because the King is merciful."

She looked at them again and said with a smile that did not reflect her eyes, "Surrender and bring the person who enticed you to rebel. That person will serve as your peace offering to the King."

"Says the person who never really plans on offering that person to the King."

Layla's pupils contracted as she suddenly sensed an imminent danger around her. She immediately flew to the side and barely escaped a compressed wind pressure that swept past her at the speed of light.

After missing its target, the compressed wind pressure went straight to the side of the valley and blasted a hole into it.

Boom!

"Who—?" Her words were cut short as another blast of compressed wind pressure came at her in succession.

Layla cast a Soul barrier around her as she evaded all of the incoming blasts.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

One blast after another left a three-meter hole on the side of the valley after missing Layla.

With Layla getting occupied by an unseen attacker, her magic pressure was reduced.

After recovering their mobility, Nahir led the attack on the woman. He cast a one-meter-wide ball of flames and aimed at the woman. The knights and the officers followed suit with their own attacks.

"Ahahahaha! That's right! Dance around like an annoying fly in the air!"

Layla's beautiful face suddenly turned ugly in annoyance. She used her Soul magic's nature to sense every living being in the vicinity but failed to locate the person sending out those annoying compressed wind pressures.

The impact from those blasts did not exceed the strength of a Legendary, meaning that person was not a Sovereign. However, Layla knew that person was an outsider.

After all, he spoke the Human plane's native language.

The Eidums cast support magic to boost the attacks from the knights and officers below. But with the woman remaining in midair, only a few with range Divine Armaments could aim at her. As for those with melee Divine Armaments, they would either throw their weapon— if it was small enough to use as a throwing weapon— or use the structures around as leverage as they jump and attack her.

On the other hand, Nahir stopped attacking with his magic for fear of a friendly crossfire. Apart from that, those compressed wind pressure attacks kept coming from who knew where, and if they happened to hit his flames, they and the fort would also suffer.

Nevertheless, Nahir could not help but look around and check where and who was sending out those attacks.

'A friend or a foe?' He wondered and ordered the other Eidums scattered around to scan the area for a stranger.

Layla's eyes glowered in anger. While she defended against those compressed wind pressure attacks, she would aim at those complete beings, trying to hit her with their Divine Armaments or magic-driven special moves, with her own Soul attack.

However, the more she attacked, the more she realized that her Soul attacks were not working! Apart from disrupting the coordination between the knights and some officers, none of her attacks affected them.

It should be noted that her Soul attacks were invisible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, as long as they hit their targets, their souls should have received a blow.

But what exactly was happening? Why were they not affected by her magic?

Since when did Ancient magic become so weak?

Layla's mind reeled at the thought. It was impossible for others to remain unscathed after getting hit by an attack from any of the Ancient magic. The only ones who could counter Ancient magic were those who possessed one...

Layla's eyes lit up as realization dawned on her.

That prickly sensation that affected her Soul core...

'It's him! He left his mark on these people!'

What Layla guessed was on point. Kyran indeed placed a mark on every Armakean who swore allegiance to him. As for those newly recruited knights and officers, Achim was the one who left the mark after Kyran taught him how. The former was capable of it because he had been reborn from the Void. If not for this, Kyran would not have taught him.

Now, for the Eidums, Kyran did not place a mark on them. Nevertheless, they were not engaging Layla in battle, thus, she was not targeting them with her Soul attacks. Still, with Nahir's flames' high purification nature, the effect of Layla's Soul attacks would be reduced.

'So he really had a hand on this! Ruin...! How come he did not tell me—?'

Layla's eyes widened as she felt a light breeze appearing from behind. It was then followed by firm arms wrapping her.

"Caught you~ Ah... I would love to have a better taste of your Soul magic!"

A man's cold and sinister voice spoke close to Layla's ears.

Time seemed to have slowed as the knights and officers attacking from every direction ceased their movements.

The arms of the man behind Layla closed in on her.

But.

Layla's sapphire blue eyes emitted a resplendent glow as her whole body turned into black mist just before the man behind her could hold her. After which, the black mist scattered everywhere.

But it was at this moment that a huge golden array appeared right above the fort, and as it did, a blinding golden light fell down on them.