Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1612: A Cheap Victory

Liam finally lowered his hand.

There was no longer a need to keep it raised. All of the swords he had summoned were already suspended in place, drawn together through attraction until they formed a massive, glowing red sphere in midair. The dense mass of blades had completely encased the masked Cerebus member. The trap was so precise and so tightly compacted that it was impossible to even see the man inside anymore. He was sealed from every angle, surrounded by blades pointing inward like the teeth of a beast that refused to let go.

The construction was perfect. Every slight movement the masked man attempted now resulted in his body being continuously sliced, destroyed, and forced to regenerate. The process wouldn’t end. It was a loop, a cycle of injury and healing with no escape.

Yet even as Liam stared at what should have been the final result of the battle, a question refused to leave his mind.

Was this really a victory?

The enemy wasn’t dead. He was simply contained. The battle was over, yet the threat still existed. As soon as the energy faded, the masked man wouldn’t be injured, he would be completely recovered and ready to fight again. Liam felt irritation creeping into his chest.

"System," he asked, "how long can this ball stay up for?"

[Fifty-eight minutes and counting. If you would like an update timer, or a floating visual display, please let me know.]

"Fifty-eight minutes?" Liam repeated, his face twisting. "So in an hour, he can fight again? What kind of victory is that?"

He threw his hands up.

"Can’t you find a way to actually stop him?!"

[I, as a system, have successfully stopped him.]

[Is he attacking you? No.]

[Is the man still fighting? No.]

[Therefore, I have determined you are victorious in the fight.]

[If you fight an hour later and have no more energy, that would be considered a new fight.]

[Would you like me to analyze your chances of victory in one hour?]

Liam stared forward, emotionless for a second.

Then he wanted to cry.

He wanted to hit something. Preferably the system itself. If it had a physical form, he would have wrapped his hands around its neck and shaken it as hard as he could. Unfortunately, it lived inside him, which made punching it difficult.

"You really give me nothing, do you?" Liam muttered. "Can’t you at least try to figure out a way to finish him off using what I already have?"

[There is no need to fight again.]

[You may leave the battlefield now. The enemy is contained. You are the victor.]

"Victory?" Liam snapped. "How is this victory?! He’s alive! If he gets out, even by accident, he’ll start killing people again!"

But the system offered no further answers.

So Liam had no choice but to experiment on his own.

He summoned the All Cutting Sword, then jammed it straight into the center of the hovering sphere. The blade sliced through the energy barrier and pierced beyond it. Liam pushed deeper, forcing the sword inside until red energy cracked apart like broken glass.

He waited, hoping for a scream, a system alert, anything.

[The Cerebus member is still alive.]

Liam gritted his teeth.

He tried again. Then again. He used different weapons, different angles, even charged the sphere with more Qi. All he achieved was exhausting himself further. The truth was becoming clearer:

He was close to running out of Qi completely.

If another masked member showed up right now, or even just a capable mage, Liam might not survive. His body felt heavy. His breathing was deep and uneven. Every technique he used drained him more than the last.

I should conserve what I have left, Liam thought. Even if I hate it. We’ve got an hour, maybe fifty minutes now. In that time, the whole situation might change.

He turned his gaze toward the distant battlefield.

A deep tremor shook beneath his feet. Massive bursts of power exploded far away, lighting up the sky in flashes of blinding energy. Even from here, Liam could feel the pressure, like a violent storm tearing apart everything in its path. The center of the battlefield was already destroyed. Buildings, ground, even air felt like it was vibrating.

That’s where Raze is... and he’s fighting two monsters.

What can I even do?

What help am I really, compared to that?

He already knew the answer.

The best thing I can do is protect the others. If I can keep everyone else safe, if I can stop distractions, then Raze can focus on winning.

That thought sparked an idea.

Liam asked the system to set a timer, something that would notify him before the sphere dissipated. If he recovered as much Qi as possible in that time, he could return before the masked man broke free and hopefully finish him then.

With the timer set, Liam turned away.

He was ready to leave, until something crashed into the ground beside him hard enough to shake the debris under his feet.

Liam spun instantly, body tense, ready to fight again.

Then he saw who it was.

A familiar figure lifted himself out of the cracked metal flooring, dusting dirt off his shoulder. Liam’s nervous frown disappeared instantly and was replaced with a grin.

"Dame! You’re here!"

Dame smiled back, relief visible even through his confident expression.

"I’m glad to see you’re still alive," he said. "Those masked guys were trickier than I expected."

"Tell me about it," Liam replied. He was seconds away from bragging about trapping his own opponent, until he paused.

His eyes narrowed.

"Wait. You beat one of them? Like... actually win? A real win? Not a ’trap him and hope he doesn’t get out’ kind of win?"

"Yep," Dame answered casually.

He then pointed to the giant floating red orb hovering beside them.

"Oh. Is your guy in there?"

Liam groaned.

"Yes. He is. He’s... stuck."

Dame nodded like it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

"Okay. If you want help, I can just take him out for you."

Liam blinked.

"...You can?"

****

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