Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1721  An Army (Part 1)

When Raze stood there, he was in disbelief at how many people he could see coming through the portal. It wasn't just the Crimson Crane group as he had expected. Amir was there as well, standing alongside members of the Bonum Society, a group of powerful hybrids whose presence alone caused the air to feel heavier. They stood confidently, weapons ready, eyes sharp, already prepared for what was to come. And it didn't stop there. The ex-students of the Dark Faction had arrived as well. Ricktor and Mada were among them, and they hadn't come alone. They had brought members from their respective clans, the Erupting Fist and the Flowing Force. Gunther, who had once been part of the Flowing Force, was there too, standing tall among the others. Beyond them was Mantis, someone who had once been an enemy from the Demonic Faction, now standing as one of the strongest hybrids alive. And even that wasn't the end of it. Those from the town of Flendon, the very people Raze had once helped and raised up, were there as well, standing with pride and determination. Members from the largest Demonic Factions had come, even Guild Leader Lince himself had arrived. And to Raze's surprise, even members of the Light Faction had decided to step forward and stand with him.

"I told you," Dame said calmly, his voice steady as he looked at Raze. "There were a lot of people who wanted to help. Here, Raze, you have an army of around three thousand powerful warriors who are willing to fight for you. A lot of them expect that they will lose their lives in this fight today, and you don't need to feel guilty about that. We are Pagna warriors. We live to train every day to gain power, to test ourselves on the battlefield. There is no better way for us to die than giving back to your cause, to someone we owe more than our lives to. I'm sure this is how Simyon would have felt as well. We won't take no for an answer. We are here to fight by your side."

Hearing those words, Raze didn't know how to feel. Just moments ago, he had been ready to leave, ready to turn his back and head away, knowing full well that this might have been his only chance. He had accepted that. He had already begun preparing himself to give up, to walk away before things went too far. Yet now, standing here, seeing all of these people who had chosen to come, who had chosen to stand with him knowing full well what awaited them, it shook him to his core.

"You're wrong about one thing," Raze replied. "I wasn't the one who saved Pagna. We all did. Every single person here is the reason Pagna still stands. You are the ones who saved it, and you are the ones who will deal with this situation again."

Raze wasn't sure why, but something inside him changed at that moment. Maybe it was the responsibility he now felt for so many people. Maybe it was the realization that he wasn't alone anymore. Or maybe it was simply the confidence that, with all of them here, this battle was no longer impossible. Whatever it was, it gave him a second wind. A surge of energy rushed through him, replacing the exhaustion and doubt he had felt earlier. For the first time, he truly believed they could take down the Noble Lands.

Outside, the massive vortex of wind and dust continued to block the view of everything happening inside. Those watching from afar assumed that the Dark Magus was simply buying time, perhaps desperately thinking of a way to escape. The longer it continued, the more frustrated some of them became.

"Team of wind magic," a voice shouted, "use whatever you can to break through."

Six mages stepped forward, forming an arrow-shaped formation. Together, they began casting a constant stream of wind magic, compressing and condensing it until all that power was focused into a single point. From a distance, they launched it forward like a massive arrow, aimed straight at the vortex, intending to pierce through and tear it apart.

For a brief moment, it seemed to work. The attack pierced part of the vortex, causing ripples across its surface. But then, in an instant, a massive amount of energy clashed against it from within. The arrow was erased completely, turned into nothing, and the vortex continued spinning as if untouched.

"What… how did they stop that attack without destroying their own wind vortex?" one of the mages muttered in disbelief. "That doesn't make sense."

They didn't have time to dwell on it. Even Idore was growing annoyed. With a command, the towers surrounding the area began to shift, moving closer together. Energy surged through them as they lit up in unison, preparing to unleash a single, devastating blast meant to wipe out the vortex and everything inside it in one strike.

The towers glowed brighter and brighter, and then the condensed beam of energy fired.

At the same time, Raze was seen leaping out of the vortex. As he did, the swirling winds behind him began to weaken, slowly collapsing as he moved forward. He twisted his body mid-air, and his blazer stretched outward, expanding unnaturally as it consumed the incoming attack from the towers. The energy vanished into it completely, as if it had never existed.

Raze descended and landed on the ground. Almost at the exact same moment, the entire vortex behind him finally fell apart, dispersing into nothing. The battlefield was revealed, and for the first time, all of the mages outside could see what had been hidden within.

"What in the Alterian is this?" one of them shouted in shock.

Alba stepped forward and lifted one of her swords high into the air.

"For the Dark Magus!" she shouted.

Behind her, three thousand warriors raised their weapons and echoed the same words.

"For the Dark Magus!"

The sound shook the battlefield.

***