Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1708: Fear Me (Part 1)

Raze and the rest of the group had been hunkered down in one of the abandoned buildings closest to the inner wall. It was one of the many residential houses in the outer ring that had been cleared during their initial push. Now, they were waiting in a suffocating silence, eyes fixed on their surroundings as they waited for a signal from Beatrix.

The tension in the room was so thick it was almost tangible. No one spoke; they all knew that at any moment, the mission could turn from a stealthy infiltration into a bloodbath. Suddenly, the air was broken by the sharp, synchronized chime of their communicators. They all listened intently as B’s voice crackled through the speaker, delivering her final warning.

"Hey, she’s not joking, is she?" Liam asked, his voice wavering with a mix of disbelief and panic. "She wouldn’t just pull our leg about being caught, right? If she’s really been compromised, doesn’t that mean the Noble Guild knows exactly where we are?"

"It’s more than that," Kelly added, her hand instinctively going to her weapon. "If B has been caught, she must be in the middle of a fight right now. We can’t just leave her there to face them alone. We have to help her, right?"

Alen didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked toward Raze. In a high-stakes scenario where only one member of a team is caught, it didn’t necessarily mean the entire group had to abandon the plan and charge in. There were ways to salvage this. If B was seen using her phasing abilities during the struggle, the mages might simply assume she was a solo infiltrator with a unique skill set who had found a way to bypass the wall on her own. It could give the rest of them a window of time to move while the mages were preoccupied with her.

However, Raze wasn’t looking for a tactical loophole. He was staring intensely at the communicator on his own wrist, his expression darkening.

"We need to take these off," Raze commanded, his voice cold and decisive. "Everyone, take them off and destroy them immediately. I made a grave mistake."

Raze had a gut feeling that B wasn’t lying about her situation. If she had wanted to betray them or cause chaos for her own amusement, she had plenty of other ways to do it. She wouldn’t have bothered giving them that specific piece of advice at the end.

"There’s a reason why separate trackers are given to those in separate districts," Raze explained as the others began unstrapping their wristbands. "As the commanders we took these from told us, they aren’t even allowed to cross into the second ring. The entire security infrastructure is designed to prevent that. When B crossed that line with a tracker meant for the outer area, it acted like a beacon. It was a signal to let everyone inside know exactly where an unauthorized presence was moving. She didn’t stand a chance of being stealthy; it was like her GPS location was being broadcast to every guard in the sector."

"GPS?" Liam asked, blinking in confusion at the unfamiliar term.

"Just think of it like a tracking spell," Londo interjected, sensing Liam’s confusion. "A magical signature that tells the enemy exactly where the holder is standing."

"Alright, I get it," Liam said, dropping his communicator and crushing it under his boot. "But what are we going to do now? We can’t just stand here while the entire inner ring is on high alert."

One by one, they all turned their heads toward Raze. The weight of the decision rested entirely on his shoulders. For a moment, Raze simply looked at the inner wall, the massive fortifications looming over them like a challenge. Then, a slow, determined smile spread across his face.

"Everyone here decided to fight in this war together," Raze said, his voice ringing with a new level of authority. "And I’ve already decided that anyone who follows me is someone I will do everything in my power to protect. I think it’s time we stop hiding. It’s time we send a message to the Noble Guild."

The others were stunned for a moment by the shift in Raze’s demeanor. The careful, calculated mage had vanished, replaced by something much more formidable. They quickly found their resolve, nodding in agreement.

"I’ve been waiting for you to say that," Alen admitted, a grin of his own forming. "Sitting around and all this sneaking through the shadows... it’s not really my style anyway."

"Then I’m going to need you guys," Raze said, his eyes glowing with an internal light. "Do whatever you have to do to protect me. Just keep the mages off me for thirty seconds, and I’ll send them a message they’ll never forget."

On top of the wall, the mages were beginning to sense that something was wrong. Some were turning back toward the inner city, distracted by the commotion surrounding B’s capture, while others remained focused on the outer ring, worried that a larger threat was approaching. They stood true to their duty, scanning the streets for any sign of movement.

That was when they saw him.

A man with striking white hair was walking calmly down the center of the open street, heading directly toward the wall. He wasn’t alone. Alen, Liam, Londo, Kelly, and even Sophie the cat were fanned out beside him, moving in a grim, silent formation.

As Raze walked, the simple robes he had been wearing to blend in began to shimmer and change. The fabric shifted, darkening and rearranging itself until he was wearing his signature Black and White robes, covering him from head to toe. With every step he took, the ground seemed to tremble. His Qi began to leak out in visible waves, mixing with the raw magical energy that was starting to spiral around him.

The mages on the wall grew pale as they realized who was approaching.

"It’s him! It’s the Dark Magus!" one mage screamed, his voice cracking with terror. "He’s here! Somehow, he’s already inside the first tower’s perimeter! Send a warning to everyone! The Dark Magus has arrived!"

The alarm bells of the inner city began to wail, but Raze didn’t stop. He had thirty seconds, and the Noble Guild was about to find out exactly why he was feared.

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