NOVEL WEB Chapter 1124: Final Spell
In the mountain range north of Ravenfell, something insidious was taking shape, something that would shape the fate of the continent, and perhaps… the world itself.
Gerald, Berger, and Blackie had arrived at the final battlefield to assist Balthazar and Nylian in slaying the last two remaining cultists.
But the moment they set foot on the ground, they knew something had gone wrong.
The two cultists… Axar and Ramsay… they were behaving very strangely. They had gruesome injuries on their bodies—just like Balthazar and Nylian—signifying how brutal their battle had been.
But something seemed off about them…
The light in their eyes had been replaced by something dark and insidious. It was almost as if… as if their bodies were no longer their own. They had become mere puppets on unseen strings. Their movements were sluggish, mechanical, like marionettes dancing to another's will.
And soon, parts of their body began to swell, as though something incandescent was burning from deep within. The place where their ethereal mana core should be now started radiating a blinding light.
In an instant, the temperature around the two cultists turned significantly hotter. But to Gerald and the others, it was as if they had plunged into the coldest depths of the abyss, for they knew all too well what was happening to the two.
But by the time they realized it, it was already too late!
Darkness burst forth from Axar's and Ramsay's shadows, rapidly spilling outwards in a wave that swallowed hundreds of meters in every direction.
But this was no ordinary darkness… it was a gateway to the Underworld itself!
However, this was the least of the Acadian Magi's worries. For Axar and Ramsay had themselves become living bombs, a source of cataclysmic energy that threatened to engulf not only them, but the surrounding lands in total annihilation.
They burned their mana, life essence, and even spiritual energy as fuel, forcing it all into their mana cores, until the pressure reached the point of implosion.
The self-detonation of a single Mana Core Magus was already twice as devastating as their most powerful spell. But two Mana Core Magi doing so in unison… the resulting destruction from Axar and Ramsay's implosion would be nothing short of unimaginable.
At the very least… the people in their vicinity would definitely be reduced to nothing!
The Acadian Magi, never even in their wildest imagination, thought that the two cultists would resort to such desperate measures. Instead of fleeing, they had chosen to sacrifice themselves and drag their enemies to doom along with them.
Needless to say, Gerald and the rest were shocked and beyond horrified. Only seconds remained before the two cultists imploded, and from the gaping Underworld gateway at their feet, it was clear that their scheme was truly diabolical.
They intended to not only kill them, but to drag their very souls into the Underworld!
In that moment, the Acadian Magi realized just how much of a danger they were truly in. One single move would cost them their lives.
The darkness of the Underworld gateway clung to their feet, preventing them from flying away. And the cultists' mana core was moments away from cataclysmic detonation.
It was now or never.
But right at that very moment, an unexpected sound echoed through the vast mountain range…
It was the call of a raven!
Gerald's eyes trembled as he abruptly turned toward the side, just in time to see a raven descend from the skies with a familiar-looking silver sword in its talons.
In that moment, realization struck him, and the Emperor Emeritus found his eyes glistening with boundless emotions, and a heavy weight of regret pressing down on his fragile heart.
The silver longsword was a Grade 4 artifact forged by the founding emperor, Arnold Acadia, and gifted to Dendar Saratoga, the first Lord of Ravenfell.
From the beginning, this artifact had been passed down from Headmaster to Headmaster. And now that this raven had brought his sword here, that could only mean one thing.
I see… Gerald turned away from the raven and closed his eyes.
Forgive me, Marcus. Because of my mistake, you…
But the next moment, his eyes snapped open, gleaming with unyielding resolve. This was not the moment to wallow in misery. This was the time to act.
The Magi standing with him—Berger, Blackie, Balthazar, and Nylian—they may appear old, but in fact, they were quite young in terms of a Magus's age. At least compared to Gerald, these Magi were nothing but teenagers.
They are the future of the Empire…
As the raven swooped down and hovered before the stunned Nylian, it released its grip on the sword, allowing it to settle perfectly in his grasp.
And right at that moment, Gerald Acadia's heavy voice thundered across the lands:
"By the power vested in me as the Second Emperor of the Acadian Empire, I, Gerald Acadia, confer upon you, Nylian Feno, the title of Lord of Ravenfell and the Fourth Headmaster of the great Saratoga Castle!"
Before Nylian or the others could even react, several thick chains shot out from Gerald's sleeves and coiled tightly around their bodies. Then, he erupted with great power, twisted his body, and with a mighty heave, hurled all four of them far into the distance.
Then, Gerald Acadia, the Second Emperor of the great Acadain Empire, turned around, his face turning ferocious. He, alone, faced the implosion of the two Mana Core cultists. Even in the face of death, he did not retreat. Instead… he chose to protect the future of the Empire.
The next moment, mana surged from him like a raging flood. His hands turned into a shadowy blur, and all the color drained from his aged face. He was burning not just mana, but even his life essence… all so the promising Magi behind him would survive.
And then, Gerald cast his final spell. It was a spell born from centuries of mastery, sacrifice, and unyielding will. It was the culmination of everything he had ever been… his most powerful magic yet.
Rank 4 Spell: Grand Quadrant Prison!
Suddenly, the world came to a standstill. The clouds scattered across the night sky, torn apart in absolute silence, as though the heavens themselves had begun to weep.
And then…
Four colossal gates descended from the skies!
BAM! BAM!
BAM! BAM!
One by one, colossal gates descended, encircling the two cultists in a perfect square. Gerald pressed his palms against the cold surface of the gate before him, then turned his head slightly, casting one final glance at his disciple.
Berger knelt on the ground, frozen in shock at the sight before him. When Gerald turned to look at him, tears welled in his eyes. Reaching out with a trembling hand, he cried in agony:
"Old man!!!"
Gerald's lips curled into a faint smile, and then... he winked.
BOOOOMMM!!!!!
The instant Axar and Ramsey's mana cores collapsed inward, the world seemed to erupt. A blinding flash lit up the night as their bodies detonated with cataclysmic force.
But instead of the blast tearing outwards in all directions, Gerald's four gates clamped down, funneling the devastating inferno towards the night sky.
The earth quaked violently from the pressure. Trees were ripped off their roots and hurled aside like mere twigs. Jagged fissures split the ground in every direction. It was complete and utter chaos.
Stones shattered, dirt flew, and the mountains themselves crumbled down. A roaring column of fire, black smoke, and raw energy surged upward, dyring the night sky in a blood red.
Yet, within the chaos, the four colossal steel gates stood firm, turning what should have been a world-ending annihilation into a heavenly pillar of destruction that reached out towards the sky.
And the four who stood closest to the detonation… they should have taken the full force of the blast—even though it was redirected upwards. The shockwaves alone should have killed them, if not left them gravely wounded.
But all four of them, Nylian, Berger, Blackie, and Balthazar, remained untouched.
Because they were shielded by the silhouette of a giant raven, its vast wings enveloping them.
The final vestige of Marcus Blackwood's magic had protected them.
Just as Gerald Acadia had.