Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1441: Mana Overflow

Mana Overflow

“Oh, very interesting,” Ibarin remarked, his eyes narrowing just slightly in curiosity. “I don’t believe we’ve yet seen the two students you’ve selected showcase their skills in this event. Could it be that you’re holding back a special trump card?”

Redrick responded with a polite bow, the gesture one of respect toward the Grand Magus standing before him. When he straightened, there was a faint, confident smile on his lips.

“I suppose we’ll see in a few hours,” he said. “They won’t be a secret for long. And I imagine it’s the same for the Central Academy, isn’t it?”

He glanced toward the large display behind Ibarin. The two chosen from the Central Academy stood out immediately, George, whose gravitational powers had already drawn attention earlier in the event, and Kayzel.

Even among the teachers from the other academies, Kayzel’s name was known. His background was unique enough that his participation alone was a point of interest.

“As they say, save the best for last,” Ibarin said smoothly. “Remember, however, that there are still the group stages to consider. Fighting as part of a team is a very different challenge from fighting one-on-one. And of course…” His lips curved faintly. “…we have the special teachers’ event.”

Once again, Redrick inclined his head in a respectful bow as he stepped down from the stage. He couldn’t help but be a little surprised. For someone of Ibarin’s stature, and considering the underlying tension between them, the Grand Magus was speaking to him far more than he would have expected.

“I hope,” Redrick said as he moved to leave, “that we’ll have a chance to see the Grand Magus display his skills. That would be quite the show.”

Ibarin’s expression shifted, becoming almost dismissive. “Unfortunately, I refrain from participating in these events. I prefer to keep my two positions separate, and it would be unfair to involve myself directly. This isn’t an event about the Grand Magus, it’s about the academies.”

One by one, the other teachers stepped forward to select their numbers. As the matches began to take shape, a pattern emerged. Nearly every participant from the other academies was someone who had competed in the previous event, paired alongside a second student who was new to the competition.

The most notable selection was from Lunaton Academy, a student who had already impressed spectators by transforming into different animals during an earlier demonstration. His chosen opponent was another with the rare ability to change into various animal forms, making that match one of the more unpredictable pairings.

For the Central Academy’s remaining selections, the numbers drawn ensured they would face students from other academies rather than anyone from Wilton.

But the way the event was structured meant one thing was clear: if Wilton’s competitors won their matches and the Central Academy’s competitors did the same, the finals could very well feature not one, but two high-stakes singles matches, pitting Wilton Academy and the Central Academy directly against each other.

The event rules were simple: students from the same academy would never be matched against each other. That wasn’t the point of the competition. If a teacher drew a number already assigned to someone from their academy, it had to be placed back into the container and drawn again.

Now, only two balls remained in the swirling device, and they were clearly a pair, marked with the same number. That meant there was no mystery about the final match-up.

Lee Roy, one of the strongest contenders in the entire event, would be facing Liam, a competitor no one seemed to know anything about.

The teachers leaned forward slightly, their earlier formal composure giving way to a spark of anticipation. This match, they imagined, might prove to be the most exciting of the day, not because they expected an even fight, but because Liam was such an unknown.

Wilton Academy had been surprising everyone, match after match. Still, in the eyes of most here, the Central Academy losing seemed almost impossible. Nearly every academy in the world had shifted its training focus toward combat magic, and the Central Academy had perfected that approach over years.

In truth, Lee Roy was perhaps the only one they believed might have the skill to claim a victory over one of Wilton’s chosen representatives.

“Although we already know who the last two will be,” Ibarin said, his voice carrying across the room, “for the sake of ceremony… why don’t you come to the stage and pull out the final number?” His eyes turned toward Redrick.

If this was simply to wrap things up, Redrick was happy to oblige. Stepping up onto the stage again, he approached the large oval container. The surface shimmered faintly as he reached inside, the two remaining balls shifting lazily within the magical field.

And then,

The projected images on the massive screen above began to flicker. At first it was subtle, like a momentary distortion in a mirror, but the effect quickly grew more violent. The visuals dimmed, then flared, glowing far brighter than they should have.

At the same time, the magical devices scattered throughout the hall, the ones powering the special effects, began to hum with an unnatural intensity. Runes etched into their surfaces lit up one by one, feeding on mana at an alarming rate.

“Is that… an overflow of mana?!” one of the teachers shouted, alarm etched across his face. “It’s happening to all of them! Get down from there, it’s going to blow!”

But the warning came too late.

In the space of a heartbeat, every device surged to its peak, mana erupting outward in a blinding flash of light. The shockwave followed instantly, a deafening BOOM that tore through the air. The roof of the building split apart, fragments raining down as the explosion rolled outward.

The burst of mana was so strong that students elsewhere on the academy grounds felt it, a pulse in the air, a prickling along the skin. Heads turned toward the source, eyes narrowing in alarm.

Teachers and staff rushed toward the scene, forming a perimeter within moments. Spells were cast, walls of magic erected to block both the view and the approach of curious onlookers. The smell of smoke hung heavy in the air.

“What was that?” Liam asked, his gaze fixed on the distant column of smoke curling upward into the sky.

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