Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1486: Shadows in the Academy

It was clear to Kelly now, Raze had predicted this. That was why he had slipped her the device, why he had told her to call on him if things ever turned dire. She clutched it tightly in her palm, heart hammering.

But even though she had contacted him, doubt gnawed at her. Could Raze even do anything in this situation? He was strong, yes, stronger than anyone she had ever known, but this was different. They weren’t in the middle of the tournament anymore. If they got dragged into the academy, out of the eyes of the crowd, then it was over. There would be no spectators, no witnesses, nothing but silence and the wrath of the Grand Magus.

If we disappear inside those walls, no one will ever know what happens to us.

Kelly wasn’t the only one who realized this. Every student could feel the weight of the path they were being forced down.

And then there was something strange. Instead of leading them through the wide, open halls where the guests and teachers still lingered, the staff members guided them out the side exit. The lively music of the festival dulled behind them, replaced with the whisper of wind through trees. They were walking a shaded path that wound along the edge of the academy grounds, hidden from prying eyes.

Kelly’s mind sharpened. No one is here. No students, no guests, no staff. We’re cut off. This… this is our only chance.

She didn’t hesitate. Drawing in her breath, she summoned her mana. A sharp strike of wind blasted forward, aimed directly at the back of one of the staff members.

The attack never landed. The mage’s uniform barrier flared, dispersing the strike with a shimmer of light. All three staff members turned instantly, their formation shifting.

“We were told you might resist!” one barked, his voice cold and edged with anger. “You humiliated the academy and all of us. Accept your punishment quietly.”

He retaliated at once. A gust spell tore forward, thick enough to uproot grass from the earth. Kelly gritted her teeth, raised her hand, and answered with her own wind.

The two spells collided midair, twisting and howling as a pair of clashing tornadoes. The impact shook the trees, branches snapping as leaves scattered everywhere. They seemed evenly matched, locked in a deadlock of air. Kelly wasn’t surprised, she had been one of the academy’s top students for a reason.

But the staff had numbers.

From the side, another mage conjured a fireball the size of a boulder, heat spilling off it in waves. He thrust his hands forward, ready to hurl it straight at her.

Before he could, George moved. With a burst of strength, he grabbed both the mage’s wrists and forced them downward. The fireball slammed into the ground, exploding into a wave of heat and ash that scorched the soil but missed Kelly.

George snarled, using his momentum to knee the mage in the gut. The man doubled over, coughing, only for George to lift his head by the hair and smash his fist straight into his face. The staff member collapsed instantly.

“Your fancy uniforms don’t stop fists,” George barked, his chest heaving. “Don’t forget, I’m the most well-trained body mage in existence!”

He barely had time to gloat. A streak of lightning crackled across the clearing, striking his torso and sending him spinning through the air. George hit the ground hard, rolling across the dirt until he lay groaning, smoke rising faintly from his body.

“All of you are still recovering, and you can’t even use your magic properly!” the staff mage roared, electricity sparking between his fingers. “And yet you dare resist? Sit still, or I’ll zap every last one of you where you stand!”

Fear gripped the group. George had been their strongest in hand-to-hand combat, and he had been taken out in one strike. The others clenched their fists, unwilling to submit but terrified of what would happen next.

Nannan’s voice broke through, high and trembling, but filled with rage. “How could you?! We gave our lives to this academy! Our families gave everything so we could be here! We even took those damned pills we never wanted to take! And now you turn on us, just because we lost?! Why can’t you let us rest?!”

Her scream echoed through the trees.

The staff mage didn’t care. His eyes narrowed, and lightning burst again from his hands, arcing toward her.

Before it could land, Kayzel moved. He stepped in front of Nannan and took the blast head-on. His body seized and trembled, sparks dancing over his skin. His muscles twitched from the pain, but he planted his feet, refusing to fall.

“And here I thought I was scum,” Kayzel hissed through gritted teeth. “But I guess there’s always someone out there better at it than me.”

Kelly’s battle still raged nearby. Wind howled as she and the other mage exchanged spells, bursts of pressure shaking the clearing. Neither seemed able to gain the upper hand, but Kelly’s eyes flicked constantly to the others. They were running out of time.

Kayzel knew it too. If they stood still, they would all be picked off one by one. His mind raced, and then he shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Split! Scatter!”

The students didn’t hesitate. At his command, they bolted in every direction, zigzagging through the trees, circling around the staff mage. The plan was obvious: someone would get hit, maybe even go down, but if enough of them pressed in, they could overwhelm him the way George had with the first.

But the staff had prepared for this.

As Nannan and Bones sprinted forward, another figure stepped into their path, the very mage George had knocked out minutes before. Blood still trickled from his nose, but his eyes blazed with fury.

His palm lit with fire, a blazing orb swelling in his hand. “This time, you won’t get away.”

He thrust his arm forward, and the fireball screamed through the air toward them.

Bones froze. Nannan braced herself.

But the attack never landed.

From the side, a wave of pitch-black energy lashed outward, wrapping around the fireball like tendrils. The flames sputtered, hissed, and vanished, snuffed out into nothing.

The clearing fell silent for a beat.

Everyone turned.

Kelly stood there, her chest heaving, her arm still outstretched. But this time, it wasn’t wind swirling at her fingertips. It was something darker. Something colder.

Dark energy dripped from her palm like liquid shadow.

She had just revealed her secret.

In front of everyone, Kelly had used Dark Magic.

***

*****

For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below.

Instagram: Jksmanga

*Patreon: jksmanga

When news of MVS, MWS, or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.