Chapter 22: Grand Mage vs Grand Mage
The ten Obsidian Titans stood frozen mid-step, one massive foot lifted above the ground, veins of yellow mana flickering violently through their bodies. Duchess Zemlya's face twisted with fury.
"You dare interfere, Solon?" she shouted from her obsidian throne. "You agreed not to interfere unless we were done with the Principality!"
Solon took one step forward.
"I never agreed to that. I only agreed regarding the North and the West—never the entire Principality. I also never promised not to counterattack."
"Tsk. You snake, old man."
He lifted his hand.
A complex, layered circle of light appeared beneath his feet. Runes overlapped runes, forming a magical construct so refined that even Zemlya forgot to breathe.
Dual-Element Casting.
Simultaneous control.
Zemlya's pupils shrank.
"Light and Space…" she muttered. "You monster."
Solon smiled faintly.
.......
Zemlya screamed an incantation and slammed both hands down onto the armrest of her throne.
"Be buried with this land!"
The ground surged upward in a violent wave. Jagged obsidian spears burst from the earth beneath Solon, aiming to skewer him from every direction. At the same time, the Titans finally broke free of the invisible restraint and charged, shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.
Soldiers of both armies—and Prince Alexius himself—were in awe of the battle between beings of the highest rank in the world.
So this is a Rank 8 mage fight… terrifying, Alexius thought.
The space around Solon folded. The obsidian spears missed him entirely. The attacks curved, twisted, and pierced empty air.
[High-Tier Spatial Manipulation: Local Dimensional Offset]
The Titans hurled massive chunks of stone toward him.
"Light, compress."
The air flashed white.
The boulders disintegrated mid-flight, crushed into glowing dust by overwhelming photonic pressure. The shockwave rippled backward, tearing deep trenches into the earth and forcing the Titans to brace themselves.
Zemlya's connection to the constructs wavered.
"You… you're suppressing my control?"
Solon stepped forward again.
"Yes," he said. "Because the earth of the Principality does not answer you."
Solon and she were both students of Arcadia in the South. She was born into nobility, and he was born a commoner. Arcadia was the Magic Academy city-state—the only place on the entire continent where magic could be formally learned. Although some nobles hired private mages at a great cost to educate children with mana aptitude, Arcadia monopolized magical education while granting entry to anyone regardless of race or class.
Most nobles chose to send their children there to form factions and connections among peers.
Solon was a senior. Zemlya was a junior.
Zemlya was a child prodigy, while Solon was just a normal commoner boy before entering the academy. During their academy years, Solon always won magic competitions, ranking first every time. Despite her best efforts, she was always second.
She cultivated her mana nightlessly and tirelessly every day. Solon, meanwhile, spent his time casually with peers and never seemed to take things seriously.
Yet teachers and students always praised him.
Why not me? she thought. I did my best. He's just a commoner. I am a ducal house's daughter.
She tried everything—including cheating with the backing of her ducal house—but never surpassed Solon, even until graduation. She finished as second place, and despite her exceptional talent, she graduated early together with Solon.
Still, she was never satisfied.
From that day on, she hated him—despised him—jealousy festering deep in her heart.
Because of the Emperor's order to seize resources from the Principality without provoking the Federation of Libertas, she had to secretly contact him—the only obstacle to conquering the Principality. They reached an agreement: in exchange for vast magical knowledge and mana stones, Solon would not interfere in the invasions of the North and West.
It left a bitter taste in her mouth.
But she understood—he was strong.
And when the time came, she waited for her revenge.
Even after all these years, he still acts high and mighty, she thought. I will kill you. I will prove who is number one.
Zemlya stood atop her throne and spread her arms wide. The obsidian walls of Ferrum trembled violently. Entire sections of the city began to sink as raw mana was drained into her body.
Cracks spread across her skin, revealing golden veins beneath.
She had crossed the line.
[Forbidden Earth Art: Sovereign Assimilation]
She became one with the land.
"I AM THE EARTH!" she roared. "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT DUST UPON IT!"
The Titans grew larger—thicker, their forms sharpening into weapons of pure destruction. Even the Royal Army miles away struggled to remain standing under the crushing pressure.
Alexius clenched his fists.
Even he felt it.
This was beyond war.
This was a calamity.
Solon closed his eyes.
"Such waste."
When he opened them again, the sky above Ferrum fractured.
A perfect ring of blinding white light appeared high above the city, rotating slowly—rivaling the sun itself.
Zemlya froze.
Her instincts screamed louder than any alarm she had ever known.
"Impossible…" she whispered. "That spell… it requires—"
"Constant balance of mana structure at an enormous mana cost," Solon replied.
He raised his hand.
[Grand Dual-Element Art: Absolute Severance]
Light descended.
Space collapsed inward.
The connection between Zemlya and the land was cut.
The remaining obsidian walls and Titans shattered into pieces, collapsing into massive piles of rubble.
Zemlya screamed. Blood poured from her mouth. Her aura imploded inward, violently rebounding through her body.
Her consciousness shattered.
The earth went silent.
"You never learn, Junior," Solon exhaled slowly.
(Continue....)