Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1477: Desperation Ignited

Among all the duels raging across the battlefield, there was one fight in particular that drew the eyes of both the spectators and the students alike , the confrontation between Kayzel and Bones on one side, and Piba and Moze on the other.

Bones, with his dark sneer and unrelenting aggression, had long since revealed his specialty in lightning magic. But his gift was not ordinary. Unlike most who conjured fleeting bolts or jagged arcs, Bones possessed the unnerving ability to hold lightning in a solid form, molding it into whatever weapon he desired. At this moment, the air sizzled with two vicious whips of crackling electricity, each one snapping through the air with thunderous cracks. Sparks leapt off them like angry serpents, and the acrid scent of ozone burned in the nose of anyone standing too close.

With a brutal downward swing, Bones lashed both whips toward his opponents. The raw energy split the air, promising devastation if they landed.

Moze, however, was ready. Planting his feet and thrusting his glowing hands upward, he summoned a shockwave of energy that erupted like a dome above him. His arms glowed faintly silver, for Piba had reached out and infused him with the quiet strength of moon magic, enhancing his spellcasting. The empowered barrier clashed with the lightning whips, sparks scattering wildly as the two forces strained against one another.

But the danger was not over. From another angle, Kayzel unleashed a barrage of spells. The air filled with the hiss of fireballs streaking through the sky and the roar of compressed energy bursts. Piba, sweat already forming at his brow, spread his hands wide and summoned fierce gusts of wind, desperately weaving barriers to intercept the attacks.

Even with his moon affinity boosting his control, Piba’s defenses faltered. One fireball was blocked, dissipating in a shower of sparks. But the next volley slipped through , several burning orbs blazing a direct path toward both him and Moze.

The crowd gasped. It seemed the two were about to be engulfed.

And then, the very ground betrayed expectation. The stone beneath their feet shifted like a living thing, tilting and sliding them across the field just before the fireballs struck. The projectiles roared past harmlessly, crashing into the empty ground behind them.

Piba’s eyes widened. He snapped his head to the side and spotted her , Beatrix. Calm, steady, staff in hand.

"This is how she’s been helping..." Piba realized, his chest tightening with relief.

Beatrix had barely participated in the earlier events. She had kept herself quiet, unobtrusive, a shadow among her peers. Most opponents ignored her completely, assuming she was irrelevant. Even now, three Central Academy students were dogpiling Liam, convinced he was the true threat, leaving Beatrix free to act from the sidelines. She chose her moments with surgical precision, observing carefully, shifting the terrain just enough to tilt the balance.

"What are the other idiots doing?!" Bones roared in fury. His whips cracked again, tearing through the air in an electrified frenzy, sending arcs bursting both above and below the battlefield.

Beside him, Kayzel raised his hands, gathering a storm of mana between his palms. Energy swirled violently, coalescing into the form of an enormous lightning bolt, far larger and more dangerous than anything he had unleashed before.

Seeing the danger, Piba pressed his palm against Moze’s arm again, pouring his power into him with frantic determination. "Use your earth magic! It’s our best chance," he urged. His voice trembled but carried resolve. "We knew this was never going to be easy. But we need to pay them back!"

Obeying, Moze slammed his palms onto the stone floor. Tremors rippled outward, and thick walls of earth rose one after another. The lightning bolt tore forward, colliding with the barriers. The first wall crumbled instantly, sparks exploding across the shattered rock. The second followed, then the third, each one obliterated under the violent force. But the fourth wall held. Stone cracked, groaned, and burned, yet it endured long enough to halt the attack’s advance.

The audience erupted in cheers , a clash of raw power against desperate defense.

But the tide shifted again. Before Bones or Kayzel could react, the ground shifted beneath their feet, repositioning them into an exposed angle. Now the Central Academy duo found themselves flanked, Piba and Moze standing on either side, fire magic already glowing dangerously in their palms.

"We need to thank her for this opportunity," Piba said under his breath, already channeling power.

Indeed, only the first wall had been Moze’s creation. The others had been summoned by Beatrix, her staff glowing as she worked quietly, guiding her teammates with subtle adjustments. She had seen the bigger picture, manipulated the field, and now placed her allies in the perfect position.

’I know how much you wanted this,’ Beatrix thought, watching them with sharp eyes. ’You never expected to win outright. You only wanted payback, to land a clean strike. So this is my gift to you.’

Twin infernos burst forth, fire spells roaring like dragons from Piba and Moze. Bones and Kayzel barely had a second to raise their defenses, conjuring shields in a rush. The flames collided, exploding in a massive shockwave that rattled the arena. Smoke engulfed the field, hiding all within it.

The crowd leaned forward in tense silence. Slowly, the smoke dispersed, swept away by stray gusts of magic.

Kayzel and Bones staggered into view. Their uniforms were scorched, their faces marked with burns and soot. They had been hit , not critically, but enough to sting their pride.

Moze grinned fiercely. "Hah! I really like the look on their faces right now."

But their triumph was fleeting. Kayzel’s expression darkened, and the next instant his body blurred. He vanished, reappearing an instant later, then again, then again , moving at superhuman speeds, circling like a predator.

Moze’s heart pounded. His breath caught as a figure appeared in front of him, a lightning-charged hand streaking toward his face. He braced himself for impact. But then, just as suddenly, the figure vanished again. Kayzel reappeared elsewhere, darting endlessly, restless and uncertain.

’What’s wrong with me?’ Kayzel thought, frustration gnawing at him. His hands trembled as he sped across the battlefield. His eyes, unwillingly, kept drifting to one figure standing motionless at the edge.

Raze.

The white-haired mage had not moved a muscle. He had cast no spell, lifted no weapon, yet his mere presence pressed on Kayzel like an iron weight. He watched, calm and unreadable, as though the battle were nothing more than a staged performance for his amusement.

Kayzel’s heart raced. When he tried to strike, his mind faltered, as if a barrier within him refused to let him act.

’I understand now,’ Kayzel realized grimly. ’The reason you’re not getting involved is because you don’t need to. At any moment, you could end this fight. You’re just using us... as practice for the others.’

He clenched his teeth. His fists shook. ’If I don’t do something now, I’ll never have the chance.’

Without hesitation, Kayzel pulled a small pill from his robe. He swallowed it in one motion, the bitter taste burning his throat.

And he was not alone. Across the battlefield, one by one, the other Central Academy students followed his lead. Desperation gleamed in their eyes as they consumed the forbidden pills.

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