A Returner’s Magic Should Be Special

“The way the world should be, as judged by the Goddess… ? I already knew you were caught up in some fanatical movement, but this truly is something else.”

Pierrot Mask spoke, but there was no longer a smile present on his face.

“All that matters now, Skull Mask, is what you’re planning to do. What did you build this tower for? Does the stage you promised me really exist?”

“I’ll prepare the stage you want without any problems. This tower also exists for it. There is no need to doubt anything. I’ll make sure to keep my word, so long as you manage your responsibilities.”

Pierrot Mask listened to him silently. In the end, he was none the wiser about the details of Skull Mask’s plan.

“You go back to the palace and settle the situation there. The leaders of the Western Kingdom Union in the Royal Palace are beginning to notice the smell.”

“… … I’ll move as you wish. For now.”

The body of Pierrot Mask disappeared into the darkness.

Skull Mask, having sent away Pierrot Mask, stared at Desir once again.

“Now only two remain.”

“Three, to be exact.”

“It’s a meaningless resistance.”

The appearance of Skull Mask was so different from that in the Shadow World. But on the inside, he didn’t appear to be changed at all. He was still as mad as Desir remembered him being when he took on the role of the Prophet. The way he was intoxicated with his own words made him come off as a fanatic.

‘What the hell is he talking about?’

Desir could understand his words, but the content itself was beyond his understanding.

Skull Mask claimed that the Goddess Artemis was creating the Shadow Worlds. This was the doctrine that the Artemis Church had used in the past.

Desir could only see Skull Mask as delusional. He had to be crazy.

But Desir, trying as hard as possible, couldn’t find the words to refute him. Even he, who almost reached the end of the Shadow Labyrinth, knew nothing about the foundation of the Shadow Worlds. Not only that, but no one living in the present era knew why the Shadow Worlds appeared.

However, Skull Mask was different.

The condition for clearing a Shadow World.

The cause of their occurrence.

He spoke with confidence, as if he knew everything. If it had been someone else who brought up such a story, someone other than Skull Mask, Desir would have simply dismissed it as the nonsense of a madman.

However, Skull Mask was a mysterious being who delivered such nonsense with fervor, having lived for centuries.

‘I can find answers later. For now, getting out of this place alive is the first priority.’

Desir pulled himself together. As he looked up, a distant light leaked down. It was too high, a distance impossible to reach via normal methods.

Desir couldn’t use spatial magic, so the remaining option was levitation magic, but in his current state, he figured it near impossible to both respond to Brionac and use the magic to escape.

Skull Mask acted with such ease having already known this.

“Then do you think everything that happens in the Shadow Worlds is just?”

Desir continued the conversation. At the same time, he was determined to draw even the smallest amount of information out of Skull Mask.

Skull Mask nodded.

“Exactly. Unlike the recorded history of this world, which is dotted with numerous variables and malice, the world that the Goddess shows us is truly right. It is ideal, a utopia.”

It was true that the only way to clear Shadow Worlds was by changing history and taking the correct course in historic events. But there was a flaw in what he said.

“The Shadow World is a reenactment of past history through and through. No matter how great a possibility is, it has already passed. What’s the point of understanding where we failed if we have no way to correct it?”

“That’s a limit for the ignorant. At the end of the billionth hour, my plan is almost complete. Soon I’ll have the power to reshape the past itself.”

Skull Mask suddenly reached out to Desir.

“Desir Arman, I’ll give you a choice. You can create great possibilities with me.”

Desir opened his eyes wide at the unexpected suggestion of Skull Mask.

“You’re a smart human being, so you must know how wrong the world has turned out. And I can correct this wrong world. I will create a world where all ideals are correctly carried out.”

Skull Mask continued his honeyed words while studying Desir, as if reviewing his potential.

“I have a pretty high evaluation of you. Many have annoyed me in the past, but you are special amongst them. It’s amazing that you are able to handle the language of a lost age.”

Draconic Language.

It was a magic that no one in this era could grasp. Desir could only grasp the fundamentals of it after having witnessed a dragon use it before his very eyes. This of course referred to his previous life, where he failed to complete the Shadow Labyrinth.

However, Skull Mask seemed to get a glimpse into the fact that Desir was harnessing that language in his new system of magic.

“You are the greatest magician amongst all of mankind, Desir Arman. Join with me. My plan is almost complete, and all I have left to do is carry it out.”

It was an incredible story, but even if what he said was true, Desir’s answer was fixed from the start.

“I’m afraid I have to refuse.”

Skull Mask seemed unphased, as if he already knew the answer Desir would give. Brionac began to move.

“You still don’t understand your situation. I will make you understand.”

From behind him, a silvery spear shot towards Desir and Adjest.

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It was a surprise, but Desir and Adjest had remained vigilant.

[Frozen Palace]

*Shingg*

The atmosphere froze. Pillars rose out of the ground and a magnificent palace of ice instantly filled the underground space.

An infinite computational space.

Within it, Adjest calculated countless defensive spells.

[Sigh of Kizard]

[Winter Crystal]

[Winter Coat]

Adjest’s magic formed dozens of shields, and with the addition of Desir’s spell, a series of shields as thick as a cliff were deployed.

However, Skull Mask spoke indifferently, as if witnessing the struggle of babies.

“You don’t understand.”

[Brionac Offensive]

At that moment, a dazzling light shot out of the unified Brionac.

*Boom*

Fragments of broken ice scattered in the air.

It was just a moment.

In just a moment, the palace suffered an irreparable blow.

Kei Hazmaryoon, who was known as the strongest swordsman of his generation, struggled in front of that attack.

An attack that even the strongest struggled to counter. Desir and Adjest, who had reached their limits after successive battles, could not possibly have defended themselves against it.

“… … ”

*Sigh*

Desir’s body trembled. It was an uncontrollable action from excessive consumption of mana. The spell he invoked was a mere shadow of its usual self, blown apart like cobwebs in the face of Brionac.

In the end, Brionac sliced through their defences like a knife through butter.

“Urgh… !”

Adjest continued to pour mana into her Frozen Palace and even struck her Center of Ice into its foundation to further enhance its power.

*Boom*

Shockwaves spread as the ground trembled slightly.

Adjest was relieved to learn that the mythological artifact had been stopped without a problem, but her expression soon turned into despair.

Brionac had divided into dozens of pieces, this time each shard emitting a wave of light.

She knew about this capability after seeing it in the Shadow World, but there was no way to deal with it.

Brionac instantly neutralized Desir and Adjest’s struggling and pierced forward towards their necks. Desir felt the eerie coldness of the blade and the warmth its light radiated.

Skull Mask slowly approached Desir.

“Will you not change your mind?”

“… … … ”

Desir did not yield to the threat of death. Skull Mask decided to change tact.

“If you don’t want to see your colleague die, you’d better change your mind.”

The tip of Brionac cut Adjest’s nape ever so slightly. Red blood flowed in a steady stream from the wound.

“Adjest!”

There was no other way.

“… … Promise me one thing.”

“What?”

“I’ll cooperate, so let her go.”

“I can’t do that, Desir. But I’ll leave her alive as long as you listen to my orders.”

It was a checkmate.

“Kneel down, Desir Arman.”

Desir grabbed Adjest’s hand. And slowly began to kneel.

Skull Mask, who thought they were bowing their head towards him, smiled gladly.

But he soon found something strange. Desir didn’t let go of Adjest’s hand. It had now become a strange way of kneeling together.

Skull Mask caught on to the unusual change immediately after.

“You… !”

At that moment, Desir’s body slowly began to turn to dust, or rather, fall apart into particles. Brionac, reacting to the will of its master, started to move once more.

*Whooong*

There was a strong, loud sound.

But there was nothing left where it struck.

Adjest, Des1r, and even Crow Mask were gone.

Skull Mask had come close, but just missed out on finishing them.

From the traces of particles left scattering all over the place, it must have been spatial magic. After closer inspection, Skull Mask realised it was a recall teleportation.

He laughed heartily. It reverberated through the silence of the underworld.

“Do you refuse to hold the Holy Grail, and do you really prefer the poisoned chalice?”

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