Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1480: Clash of Energies

All of the Central Academy students had gathered together, their bodies still surging with the unnatural power of the pill they had consumed. Mana flared violently around them, forming a storm of orange-glowing energy that pulsed and twisted like fire trapped in a glass. They were clearly preparing to unleash some devastating attack.

The only one who did not join them was Kelly. She stood apart, watching with a calculating gaze. At first, she had thought she could simply play along, pretending she had taken the pill as well. Yet the sight before her had made that impossible. The others had transformed, their bodies glowing with pure mana, while she remained unchanged. If she stood with them, she would be discovered.

So she made her choice. Quietly, and perhaps suspiciously to anyone who might have noticed, Kelly drifted across the battlefield until she stood behind the Wilton students. In her heart, she had already placed her bet. If there was anyone who could overturn this madness, it was Raze, the Dark Magus. He wasn’t simply another prodigy. He was someone who would change the world.

Raze, calm even in the midst of chaos, gave his signal. The Wilton students acted exactly as he had instructed. Earth magic surged first, breaking apart the ground and shattering rubble into pieces, grinding stone into fine particles of dust. Then wind magic followed, whipping the fragments into a whirling storm.

The dust spread fast, carried by currents of wind to the very edge of the stadium. There, it pressed against the protective barrier designed to shield the audience. The invisible wall acted as a natural boundary, forcing the swirling dust to coil and churn within the arena, until it formed an opaque dome that obscured everything inside.

The crowd erupted in protest.

"What is happening?!" one noble shouted, rising to his feet.

"Is this a large-scale spell?" another speculated. "What trick are the Wilton students using now?"

"I can’t see a thing! How are we supposed to watch if the field is covered?"

To those in the stands, it appeared as though a massive ritual was underway. In truth, there was no grand spell forming, no destructive weapon building in the haze. The dust storm was nothing more than a curtain, a carefully woven veil to keep outside eyes from witnessing what was about to unfold.

Inside the storm, Raze turned to his allies. His eyes were sharp, his tone steady, but his presence carried the weight of command.

"You did well," he said, his voice cutting through the roaring wind. "Now, it’s time to leave the rest to us."

Safa, Liam, Beatrix, and Dame stood with him, their expressions solemn. Each of them was ready to follow his lead, no matter the cost.

"The opponents are fighting with pure mana energy," Raze explained. "If we want to stop them, then we must meet them with the same. Energy against energy."

"But we don’t know how to use mana," Liam admitted, shaking his head. "Apart from you and Safa, none of us have a clue."

"True," Raze replied, "but mana is not the only force in this world. Energy takes many forms. For this strike, to stop their attack, I give you permission to use your Qi. Don’t hold back. Pour everything you have into this one moment. We don’t need to defeat them here, we only need to block their strike. After that, I will handle the rest."

The others exchanged glances, their eyes wide. It wasn’t often that Raze openly asked for their aid. His words carried more weight than any order could.

Raze himself knew the truth. He could likely overpower the Central Academy students even now. With his Dark Edge sword arts combined with the destructive nature of Dark Magic, amplified by his Qi, he could crush their mana beam. Dark Magic was the ultimate counterforce, a power that devoured anything it touched. He wanted to test it, to see for himself whether it could truly consume pure mana.

But that was a risk he could not take. The Central Academy students were conscious, aware, and watching. If he revealed too much here, his secrets would spread. No, he would keep that card hidden. There was another way, one that required his allies to stand with him.

Across the field, the Central Academy students released their gathered energy. A blinding golden light erupted from their bodies, converging into a single colossal beam. It grew in size until it towered like a lance of the heavens, piercing through the dust storm with a brilliance so strong that even the crowd outside could see the light bleeding through.

The stadium shook. The audience gasped.

"What is that?! That’s not ordinary magic!"

"It’s incredible! They’re unleashing everything!"

Inside the storm, the Wilton students braced themselves. Fear flickered in their eyes, but they trusted in Raze.

"Now!" he shouted.

At his command, the power sealed within their bodies exploded outward. Qi surged from them in torrents, breaking the ground beneath their feet, carving cracks into the stone as raw energy enveloped their forms. For once, none of them used weapons or spells. They relied only on themselves, gathering all of their strength into their fists.

Raze moved first, showing them the way. He stepped forward, performing the simple two-step motion. It was one of the first techniques all of them had learned as children. Simple. Basic. But in the hands of those who understood energy, it could be devastating.

The others mirrored him. Safa, Liam, Beatrix, Dame, all raised their fists in unison.

Then they struck.

Their punches collided with the colossal mana beam.

The clash was cataclysmic.

Qi and mana slammed together with an earth-shattering roar. For a moment, it seemed as though the world itself might collapse under the weight of the energies. The golden light pushed forward, but the Qi met it head-on, hammering into it with unyielding force.

And then, slowly, the tide shifted.

The beam cracked, its brilliance fracturing like shattered glass. Each punch tore through the energy, breaking it apart. The golden light wavered, faltered, and then was pushed back. Piece by piece, it crumbled under the weight of their combined strike until there was nothing left.

The beam vanished.

Silence followed, broken only by the ragged breaths of the Wilton students. Dust swirled around them, the aftermath of their power still trembling in the air.

They had done it. Together, they had stopped the unstoppable.

And now, Raze stepped forward, lightning crackling around his foot as his eyes fixed on the Central Academy students.

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