Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1710: The Sky-Rending Strike

There was one combination in Raze’s arsenal that stood above all others. It was a technique that didn’t just cause damage, it caused absolute devastation. Regardless of the stages he climbed or the star level he achieved, nothing compared to the synergy of the Ten Descending Steps when fueled by a complete depletion of his Qi. It was a cumulative build-up, a kinetic debt where each step borrowed momentum and pressure from the last until the energy was a screaming, compressed torrent.

Then, he added the Darkness.

As the shadow mana swelled around his blade, it transformed into the Eclipse Strike, a move designed to blot out the very sky. Raze remembered a conversation from long ago when Dame had told him that if a warrior could truly master the transition between the Ten Descending Steps, they would become the strongest Pagna warrior in existence. Now, standing before the "invincible" inner wall of the Noble Guild, it was his time to prove that legend true.

The attack left his fingertips with a roar that drowned out the alarm bells of the city. The ground beneath his feet didn’t just crack; it was ripped apart as the excess energy behind the swing sought a path of least resistance. Usually, this kind of vacuum effect only occurred with the Void Strike, but the sheer density of Qi Raze had accumulated meant that even the minimal amount of energy swept behind his follow-through was enough to destroy everything in a straight line behind him. A deep trench opened up in the cobblestones, moving backward from his heels as the force of the swing pushed his body into the earth.

Then, the Eclipse Strike broke through the air. The massive blade of shadow covered the entire sector, casting a localized, artificial night over the district. When it finally made contact with the wall, there was no sound of impact, only the sound of disintegration. The dark magic crashed through the stone as if the fortifications were made of dried mud.

The mages caught in the direct line of the strike simply ceased to exist. Their bodies disappeared in a heartbeat, erased by the void-like properties of the darkness that didn’t just kill, but unmade. Other mages nearby, desperately trying to save their comrades, launched their own spells at the encroaching shadow. Fireballs, ice shards, and bolts of pure mana struck the dark wall of energy, but they did nothing. Almost as if the dark magic were a living, hungry thing, it absorbed their attacks, growing denser and more terrifying as it continued its path.

The line of destruction didn’t stop at the wall. It continued deep into the second ring, carving a path through the premium stone flooring and the grand manors of the elite. The manors, which had stood for generations as symbols of wealth and security, were sliced open like ripe fruit.

Beatrix, who had been busy fighting off a couple of the elite mages that had cornered her, paused as the world seemed to groan under the weight of the strike. She saw the mages in front of her pale, their hands trembling as they looked over her shoulder at the massive scale of the attack. They were paralyzed with fear, their staves lowering as they realized the scale of the power they were facing.

"It seems like you guys are a little afraid," B said, a predatory, mocking grin spreading across her face. "And you should be. Because with all of us together, we’re going to take you out. This is your last chance to run before the ground disappears beneath you too."

When the mages turned to see where the threat was, B had already vanished. Using the pure chaos of the moment as a distraction, she sprinted back toward the wall, her body a blur as she phased through the stone to reunite with the main group.

’I’m surprised that after my warning about the trackers, this is the action he decided to take,’ B thought as she ran. ’He’s not just sneaking in; he’s kicking the front door down. I’m not complaining, though. Thanks to him doing this, I’m in a lot less trouble than I expected for being caught. Since he’s going all out, I guess I’ll help him a little more than I originally planned.’

The attack finally spent its momentum halfway through the second district. It hadn’t reached the third wall where the Grand Magus’s palace sat, but the devastation left in its wake was nothing short of apocalyptic. It looked as if a giant’s sword had been swung from the heavens, bisecting a massive portion of the city. Dust and smoke choked the air, and the silence that followed was even more terrifying than the explosion.

Those in the second ring who had felt the rumbling, those in the special training areas and the hidden research labs, began to emerge from their buildings. They stood in stunned silence, witnessing a sight they thought was impossible. After all, wasn’t the entire point of the wall system to ensure they were safe from the "rabble" of the outer circle? The myth of their safety had been shattered in a single swing. The fear began to build in their minds like a rising tide as they wondered who, or what, could possess such power.

When Raze finished his swing, he didn’t wait for the dust to settle or for his mana to recover. He started to walk forward, his companions at his side. B caught up with them just as they reached the threshold of the shattered wall, her breathing steady despite the sprint.

"Deal with all of the mages on the wall," Raze commanded, his voice cold and flat, lacking any hint of exhaustion. "Do it while they’re still startled and in shock, so they can’t mount an attack from our rear or rain spells down on us as we move deeper."

Once again, without asking a single question, the group moved. They scaled the remaining sections of the wall with practiced ease. Liam braced himself, acting as a springboard to throw Alen high into the air so the fighter could reach the battlements quicker. They moved through the dazed guards like a scythe through wheat, taking them out before they could even finish a chant.

Raze stepped through the massive, jagged crack in the wall. On the other side, he saw rows of elite mages rushing toward the breach, their staves glowing but their eyes filled with horror at the ruin of their city.

"I am the Dark Magus," Raze announced, his voice echoing through the newly created canyon of rubble. "I am the person responsible for all of this. And this is our full-scale attack!"

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