Chapter 682
While Lee Han was calling Perkuntra from the back and getting ready, Princess Yukbeltire also realized the sense of wrongness a beat late.
“The forty-fourth magic circle’s angle is different. Who touched it?”
“……”
“……”
When the mages stayed silent like their mouths were stuffed with honey, Princess Yukbeltire stared at them with cold eyes.
The artifact prepared this time was complicated enough that even after completing it, moving it required meticulous concentration.
Knowing that, Princess Yukbeltire had tried to eliminate any possible variables by reassembling it once more after moving it, before the presentation began.
Naturally, mages belonging to this exchange gathering had participated to help with that work.
And now, only after all that, to discover a minute error in one of the magic circles.
“S-sorry. I think I made a mistake!”
One mage confessed with a deathly pale face.
“Hey! How does a mage like you make a mistake like that—!”
“I-it’s just, Gawon’s magic was more surprising than I expected, so my concentration—”
“Do you hear yourself right now?!”
“I-I know it’ll sound like an excuse, but all of the mana needed for the spell was compressed into Black-Shadow Sand.”
“Is that true? Th-that’s impressive.”
Even the colleagues who had been blaming the mage for losing focus and making a huge mistake murmured in spite of themselves.
To think Gawon had shown that kind of magic!
“I apologize, Princess Yukbeltire.”
“Enough. This isn’t your fault.”
“Your Highness…!”
The mages were a little moved by the princess covering for their shortcomings.
“This is my fault for entrusting work to idiots like you.”
“……”
After taking a full hit from that spicy Einroguard style of speech, the mages’ faces stiffened on the spot.
Princess Yukbeltire didn’t care and moved to respond.
CLANG!
With a sharp sound, eight golden needles slammed into the rim of the elliptical dimension gate. Then, with a short condensed incantation, <Baquantala’s Isolation> was cast.
KRAK!!
With the sound of space being crushed, the dimension gate was sealed shut.
A powerful enchantment spell had interfered with space itself.
“This can’t be…!”
Even the mage who had just been insulted forgot the humiliation and felt moved by the perfect response.
Even fairly high-level enchantment mages usually focused on using magic for artifact crafting or physical enhancement, but Princess Yukbeltire, as if refusing to be bound by that preconception, wielded enchantment magic freely and displayed an astonishing realm.
At this rate, even if a rift formed, the gate would remain closed.
But magic always slips beyond a mage’s expectations.
KRRK—
A sound like the isolated space splitting rang out, and massive energy began to pour out of the dimension gate.
The mages realized it had connected to a highly dangerous dimension among the countless random ones it could have linked to, and cold sweat ran down their backs.
‘At this level…’
‘A devil. And a duke-class one!’
While the mages’ bodies locked up in fear, Princess Yukbeltire cast the next spell.
The eight golden needles flared with light and burned in complete combustion, then <Baquantala’s Shacklestrike> was cast.
A spell carrying lethal damage surged like a torrent and struck hard at the existence beyond the dimension gate. The edge was so razor-sharp the mages thought, for an instant, that it had worked.
But the voice that came from beyond the gate drove them back into despair.
Aha—an—excellent—human—mage—?
‘No damage!’
When both of Baquantala’s secret spells were blocked without effect, even Princess Yukbeltire’s eyes wavered.
This was the worst-case scenario that could be assumed.
A connection to a threatening dimension, a gate with no meaningful restrictions, and a duke-class devil trying to cross it.
But—what—a—pity—no—matter—how—wise—you—are—the—thing—that—decides—the—world—is—power—!
The devil’s voice was cultured and refined, but not a single mage was fooled by the attitude.
A—pleasure—Pride Duke—call—me—Garisayma—!
Princess Yukbeltire hardened resolve, cold eyes blazing.
Even if the opponent was a powerful devil duke, powerful enough to state a name, an Einroguard student did not retreat.
And someone advancing into fifth year, all the more so.
“Baquan—”
A pleasure, Garisayma! Now get lost!
—!
“!!!”
BOOOOM!!!!!!
The power of a massive spirit swept like a thunderstorm and gale, tearing the Pride Duke to pieces.
The mages on the stage stared up in shock at yet another gigantic presence that had appeared among them.
*****
Lee Han had summoned Perkuntra first just in case, but when he saw the spell Princess Yukbeltire used, he stopped in slight dismay.
‘…Did I call it for nothing?’
By the feel of it, it seemed like that spell would solve it, and if that happened, Perkuntra might genuinely get angry.
It had already grumbled so much last time, telling him not to call it for weird reasons…
This time, at least, it was for a proper reason, right?
Just then, as Perkuntra fully crossed the contract’s gate, Perkuntra asked.
At the thunderous voice that shook like a booming storm, Lee Han felt a stab of guilt.
“Sorr—”
Pride Duke! What mad mage summoned a Pride Duke?!
“Pardon?”
That is the aura of a Pride Duke! Trying to call in a devil like that with no restrictions at all!
“It wasn’t on purpose. It was an accident, Perkuntra! Can that magic not stop it?”
An accident! You mages, with your short lifespans, are always causing accidents. That can’t stop it. No matter how precise it is, it lacks power!
Before the words were even finished, the devil duke tore through the magic and crossed the gate, revealing itself.
It was a devil wearing a chaotic mix of flamboyant clothes—hat ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) and helmet, shirt and dress, pants and skirt—every kind of outfit jammed together without any unity.
If not for the ominous aura pouring off it, Lee Han might have thought some mad mage was making a first debut into high society.
See?!
“Perkuntra. Please help! We have to stop it!”
There’s only one way.
“What is it?”
A pleasure, Garisayma! Now get lost!
Perkuntra launched a preemptive strike without hesitation.
At the sheer power of the opening blow—power that would have shredded most strong opponents to pieces—Lee Han asked in alarm,
“Is it okay to strike first like that without negotiating? What if it gets angry?”
If a devil duke is already trying to cross into the living world, no negotiation is possible before you put it at a disadvantage! They have brains—make it unfavorable first, then negotiate!
Oh—a—pleasure—Thunder Duke King—
The Pride Duke instantly regenerated its body.
Perkuntra didn’t answer. Perkuntra drew up Lee Han’s mana again and blasted it out hard.
Thunder and lightning shook the exchange gathering hall.
Gently—Thunder Duke King—you—probably—aren’t—as—comfortable—as—I—am—?
Even after taking two heavy hits, Garisayma didn’t panic, smiling softly.
It was an existence that had crossed the dimension gate with no real penalty.
In contrast, the other was an existence forcibly summoned, borrowing a mage’s power.
The advantage and disadvantage were far too clear. There was no need to struggle or spend strength unnecessarily.
The other side was attacking so urgently because there probably wasn’t much time left.
How—much—time—is—left—One—or—two—more—times—perhaps—?
Oh yeah! Experience it yourself!
Perkuntra was no pushover either.
The moment Perkuntra realized the Pride Duke was looking down on Perkuntra, Perkuntra laughed heartily and pulled up Lee Han’s mana.
Lee Han looked at Perkuntra with an uneasy expression.
‘Isn’t that wasteful?’
There was plenty of mana, sure, but to waste it with attacks like that…
One, two, three.
The Pride Duke had smiled and shrugged off the first two, but by the third, something seemed off. The smile stiffened.
WAHAHAHAHAHA! DIE!
A bolt as thick as a massive pillar swung like a spear and burned the Pride Duke.
By the fourth, and then the fifth, the Pride Duke’s expression hardened completely.
Mage—used—a—trick—!
To think the mana had been replenished in a way so subtle even the duke itself hadn’t noticed.
Whether it was an artifact or a separate spell, it was worthy of praise.
Mage—your—soul—will—receive—special—treatment—!
POP!
In an instant, the Pride Duke began its counterattack.
Once it realized the strategy of exhausting Perkuntra’s mana wouldn’t work, the next best method was to directly subdue the mage.
Perkuntra summoned enormous clouds into the exchange hall’s ceiling and unleashed a storm, then wrapped Lee Han’s body.
It’s aiming for you. Be careful!
“Yes!”
Lee Han, preparing while casting all kinds of spells, considered what additional spell to use.
But Perkuntra shook its head.
What are you going to do with spells like that! I will protect you myself!
“What do you mean—”
Perkuntra entered Lee Han’s body and cast unification.
BOOM!
From Lee Han’s entire body, a tangible aura of lightning poured out and swallowed the surroundings.
Lee Han trembled at the omnipotent sense of dominion over the lightning element that flooded his whole body.
It felt like he had become the ruler of lightning within this domain.
‘What is this…!’
Lee Han moved a fingertip and called down a bolt that struck out of empty air.
In an instant, lightning linked to lightning, becoming a massive chain that smashed into the Pride Duke.
The Pride Duke drew a black-crimson sword to block, then complained,
Mage—if—you—entrust—your—body—to—a—great—spirit—you’ll—burn—to—death—wouldn’t—it—be—better—to—offer—your—soul—to—this—Pride—Duke—?
—Ignore that, it’s bullshit!
Perkuntra inside Lee Han barked decisively.
Of course, fusing like this with a spirit to borrow power really was an extremely dangerous method.
Spirits weren’t living beings like mages, so they didn’t naturally understand how much mana use would leave a mage crippled.
With a great spirit, the risk was even greater—fusing for just a few seconds could drain all mana and kill the mage.
But Perkuntra didn’t care much.
That was a story that had nothing to do with this young mage!
—Is it really okay? I was going to try to endure on my own with my magic…
—Do you call that magic? Your spells are childish make-believe!
Perkuntra snorted at Lee Han’s words.
It seemed like the time had come to show this young mage what true magic was.
—Watch!
With the shout, Perkuntra, using Lee Han’s body, compressed lightning into a point at the fingertips.
Lee Han recognized the spell easily.
Because it was <Perkuntra’s Low-Rank Lightning>.
But the result was on a completely different level. The lightning, white-hot to incandescence, scattered a violent, vicious momentum unlike any lightning Lee Han had handled before.
Since he’d been beaten by Professor Valdrogard over and over while learning elemental transformation theory, Lee Han realized it instantly.
‘Attribute enhancement!’
Just like spinning a water element with low raw attack power could create destruction beyond imagination, the lightning element had been compressed and refined into a higher-tier element.
KRAK!
The incandescent lightning fired out.
Perkuntra swung the staff and cast lightning in rapid succession.
Even though it was a simple spell—gather and fire—the destructive power defied imagination. The barriers the Pride Duke raised shattered in a single blow.
—If you’re going to use the lightning element, this is the minimum! Understood?!
—Front! Look at the front!
Seeing the Pride Duke charging in, Perkuntra raised one hand and called forth Lightning Spear and <Lightning Cloak Enchantment>.
But like the low-rank lightning spell earlier, it was on a different level from Lee Han’s own magic.
It was a chaotic moment, but Lee Han tried to grasp even a fraction of the lightning-element handling methods surging into his mind.
‘The mana should be the same, so how is it like this…!’
The Pride Duke dodged the spear of lightning and instantly slipped behind Lee Han. Perkuntra sneered and radiated the lightning cloak.
The Pride Duke widened the distance with an annoyed sound. The air around them burned with a terrifying hiss.
Thunder—Duke—King—you—really—must—hate—that—mage—you’re—set—on—killing—him—aren’t—you—?
—Hk.
—What do you mean, “hk”?! I’m doing it because your mana can handle it!
At Lee Han’s reaction, Perkuntra hurriedly explained.