Cluny proudly straightened his body, raising both arms above his head, his ten fingers bent into strange poses.
"Iragudo... Ne... Vir..."
"Bion... Dels... El Continentias..."
As Cluny murmured, chanting obscure ancient languages, swirls of dark green chaos slowly emerged from his raised palms.
Drawn by this terrifying power, the surrounding space itself was affected.
The sea waves surged violently, the entire pirate ship trembling violently.
"W-wait, Captain! If you use that magic here, we... we won't have time to evacuate!"
"Please! At least wait until we're free from these restraints!"
"Damn it! What the hell are these three light swords?! Why can't we break free!!!"
The immobilized pirates were terrified, trembling all over.
They knew well the horror of Cluny's magic. Desperately ing their magical power to the limit, they tried to escape, to leap from the pirate ship into the sea.
But all their struggles were futile.
On the other side of the deck, Chase set down his teacup and slowly stood. His eyes narrowed slightly, the relaxed expression on his face replaced by solemnity.
He hadn't been mistaken earlier. The magic Cluny had silently used to erase the sniper bullet was exactly like that of Sabertooth's young mistress, Minerva.
That's right—it was the lost ancient magic...
Eighteen Demon Gods Magic!!
"We're in the final stages of the plan. Once we capture Chase, you serve no further purpose."
Facing his little brother's desperate pleas, Cluny's lips curled into a hideous smile. Then he brought his palms together, aiming Chase behind Elusive Elf Swordsman, and completed the final ancient words, "Yagude Igura!"
Chase acted decisively, flipping the Trap Card he'd lay beside him.
BOOM!!!
In that instant, space magic compressed to its limit erupted like a volcano. A massive energy pillar shot skyward, reaching the clouds!
Unimaginable impact sweep in all directions, whipping up huge waves on the sea!
So terror was its power that even the merchant ship a hundred meters away was rippled, various cargo and facilities overturned and collapsed.
Onboard, Ina and the others clung desperately to masts and railings, staring in horror at the pirate ship completely engulfed by the light pillar.
Never having experienced combat at this level, their minds went blank. They could only silently pray that Mr. Chase would be safe.
The heart-stopping magical energy lasted only a brief dozen seconds, but to them, it felt longer than an hour.
As the light pillar slowly dissipated and the commotion gradually subsided.
Looking up, the once-imposing black armored pirate ship was now devastated.
The hull was cracked, the mast overturned, the magical power circles on both sides shattered into fragments. Only a half-ship hull floated on the turbulent sea.
The pirates had completely vanished without a trace, reduced to dust and completely merged with the sea.
"Mr. Chase! Cluny!"
Ina and her companions searched anxiously. Finally, on the broken bow, they spotted two figures.
The next second, their pupils trembled, revealing expressions of incredible shock.
Chase stood with arms crossed, his sleeveless cloak clean and tidy, showing no signs of having suffered the devastating blow.
In contrast, Cluny, who had released that terrifying magic, was covered in wounds. His limply hanging arms were covered with bloody marks, with no intact area visible.
His exposed chest heaved violently, His breath is sluggish, utterly miserable!
What had happened?
This wasn't just Ina's confusion—it was the terrified scream in Cluny's own heart.
In the instant he'd activated the Eighteen Demon Gods Magic, he'd vaguely seen an energy barrier appear before Chase.
Then, inexplicably, his own attack had been reflected back!
"Cards?! More damn cards?!" Cluny screamed at Chase, his throat bubbling with blood.
"Congratulations—you guessed right."
Chase smiled and snapped his fingers. A card that had been covered directly in front of him slowly flipped up, revealing its face.
[Trap Card: Mirror Force]: An incredibly strong mirror barrier capable of blocking enemy attacks and completely reflecting them back. The stronger the enemy's magic, the more of the user's own magic is consumed, until the upper limit is reached.
Chase sitting there drinking tea earlier wasn't carelessness or underestimation.
Quite the opposite—everything, including using Lightforce Sword to seal the pirates' movements and summoning Elusive Elf Swordsman to fight—
All of it was preparation for laying this Trap Card!
Because Mirror Force was immensely powerful—even for him, it required a long chanting time.
So, way back when he'd seen Cluny use the Eighteen Demon Gods Magic to erase the bullet, Chase had already formed this preliminary plan.
And this was what he'd meant earlier by "something to confirm."
The result was exactly as expected—Cluny had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot!
'Too bad about those pirates—all chips for demanding money from the Magic Council...' Chase silently sighed.
But it didn't matter.
These people had burned, killed, and plundered at sea, harming countless honest merchants like Lambert. They deserved to die.
And...
The main catch was still here.
With that thought, Chase looked at the i
ncreasingly enraged Cluny. "Want to keep fighting, Chairman Cluny?"
Light gathered beside him as the undying warrior Elusive Elf Swordsman reappeared.
"Heh. I can clearly sense that your aura is noticeably disordered."
"That card magic of yours must have consumed quite a bit of magic power, right?"
Cluny sneered, raising his bloody right arm as the vortex of chaotic space slowly spun.
He still had enough energy to use magic.
Chase couldn't be bothered with more words. He nodded slightly at Elusive Elf Swordsman.
Elusive Elf Swordsman instantly understood and charged at Cluny with his sword.
"You really think I can't do anything about this broken swordsman?!"
Cluny angrily roared. He swung his arm, and the space around Elusive Elf Swordsman instantly twisted, revealing a dark green vortex.
No matter how Elusive Elf Swordsman slashed with his sword, he couldn't break free—he'd been pulled into an alternate dimension completely independent from reality!
"If you can't destroy it, except it. Not bad—you've got some card-playing talent." Chase applauded appreciatively.
"You have time to spout nonsense? Worry about yourself!"
Cluny's face was full of murderous intent. Bypassing Elusive Elf Swordsman, he stepped over the broken wooden boards, closing in on Chase.
In his understanding, card mages' greatest strength was their cards—their physical combat ability was almost negligible.
So even though he was severely wounded and Chase was unharmed, as long as that damn swordsman wasn't blocking the way, he could beat Chase to a pulp in a few punches!
At this moment, the advantage was his!
***
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