After comforting Irene and letting her rest inside his hidden dimension, Akira teleported back out to the real world.
He didn't waste a single second and immediately began running away from the sea. He knew he had to get as far from this area as possible, worried that a certain old monster like August might also come to check on the sudden surge of magic power.
Although it might have looked like he was able to fight Irene to a standstill and even trap her, only Akira knew the terrifying truth of how much Irene had been holding back during their battle.
Throughout the entire fight, Irene hadn't even used her High Enchantment Magic or her true Dragon Slayer abilities at full force. She had mostly fought him using only the power level of a typical Ten Wizard Saints member from Ishgar. That was the sole reason Akira was barely able to keep the upper hand. If Irene had actually been serious from the very beginning, Akira knew he might as well have just washed his neck and left his fate to the heavens.
Akira flew through the sky; the cool night wind whipped past his face. His magic reserves were running dangerously low, and his body throbbed with fatigue from maintaining the Take Over magic and the spatial seal all at once.
' I just hope I can reach the inn before my magic power reserves are empty,' Akira thought as he sped up his phase.
…..
Meanwhile, back inside the isolated spatial realm, Irene stood quietly under the dark starry sky. She looked in the direction where Akira had teleported away, a soft, complicated smile touching her lips before she let out a long, quiet sigh.
Raising her hand, she lightly tapped the tip of her wooden staff against the ground.
A wave of brilliant enchantment magic rippled outward from her body. The massive dark barrier that Akira had erected began to gently dissolve into glowing purple particles, dissolving the spatial wall from the inside out.
The starry sky melted away, and the smell of the salty ocean air rushed back as the island seamlessly phased back into the real world.
She stood at the edge of the cliff, her braided red hair fluttering in the gentle morning breeze. The madness that had plagued her mind for four centuries felt remarkably quiet, replaced by a strange sense of peace she hadn't felt in a very long time.
"What an absurdly foolish boy..." Irene murmured softly into the wind, her red eyes gleaming with a gentle warmth. "Trying to carry his mother's curse all by himself."
Just then, the space nearby twisted, and a tall old man stepped out. He had long white hair, a big beard, and held a large staff. His sharp eyes looked at the destroyed island before staring straight at Irene.
It was August, the King of Magic.
"Irene," August said in a deep, heavy voice. "I felt your magic power signature disappearing. What happened? "
He then looked closely at her torn dress and the blood on her face and the destruction in the surroundings. He became even more serious.
"Who was strong enough to make you end up like this?" August asked calmly. "And where did they go?"
The last question is actually what he wanted to know the most. Because such a strong person appearing on the western continent is definitely not a good thing. Especially when they are preparing to invade the Ishgar continent.
Irene's soft face instantly turned cold. She gripped her wooden staff tightly, moving slightly to hide the direction Akira had flown.
"My, my... I can't believe the Wizard King came all this way for a little noise," Irene said with a sharp smile. "You worry too much, August. It was just a wild beast that entered my territory."
August didn't move, but his eyes narrowed, and his magic power was released, making the small rocks float off the ground.
"A wild beast cannot hide an entire island from my magic," August said, his voice deep and heavy. "And a normal beast cannot push you this far."
His sharp eyes moved away from Irene, looking straight toward the sky where Akira had flown. Even though Akira tried his best to hide his magic, August could still feel a tiny trace left in the air.
"That magic was dark and old," August said, taking a step forward. "An unknown person this strong is dangerous for our empire. Especially when we are preparing to attack Ishgar. I will go end this myself."
Before August could move, Irene stepped right in front of him.
She slammed her staff into the ground. A bright red circle of magic exploded around her, blocking August's path with a strong magic wall.
August stopped, his white eyebrows raising in surprise. He turned his head to look at her.
"Move out of the way, Irene," August said, his voice getting darker. "Are you protecting an enemy?"
"I am defending my business," Irene replied, her red eyes burning with a dangerous, cold warning. Her voice was calm, but the magic pressure around her rose to match his. "The opponent was mine, August. I let them go because I chose to. If you take one more step toward that direction, I will consider it an insult to me."
The two strongest mages of the Spriggan 12 stood face to face. The air cracked with scary magic power, making the ocean waves smash wildly against the rocks below.
August stared into Irene's eyes for a long, quiet moment. He noticed that the crazy madness usually in her eyes was gone—replaced by a strong, quiet determination.
He let out a slow, quiet sigh, and the floating rocks fell back to the dirt. His massive magic pressure vanished into nothing.
"Very well," August said softly, turning his back to her. "If you claim this matter is settled, I will not interfere. But His Majesty will soon call us all together. Do not let your personal matters distract you from our duty."
Then with a quick flash of magic, August vanished into thin air.
Irene finally let out a breath and relaxed her hold on her staff. She looked toward the distant clouds where Akira was heading, a gentle smile returning to her face.
"Get some rest, Akira," she whispered softly into the wind. "Mother will make sure no one bothers you."
" Well, I'm a little touched, thank you, Mother," suddenly Akira's voice sounded, making Irene suddenly flustered as she looked around.
But she looked around but didn't find Akira at all. This made her frown; she swore she heard Akira's voice. But where is that boy? Could it be that boy has mastered a very powerful invisible magic that could even fool both hers and August's senses?
"Looking for me?" Akira's voice came again, this time right near her feet.
Irene looked down and her eyes widened in shock. Resting on a smooth rock near her staff was a small, squishy blue blob. Before her eyes, the blue blob melted and expanded, taking the shape of a person. Within seconds, a perfect duplicate of Akira stood right in front of her, leaning casually against a nearby tree.
"A clone?" Irene asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise. "No... this isn't normal magic. How did you hide this from August?"
"It's a Slime Clone," Akira explained with a small smile, tapping his own chest. "It doesn't use normal magic power to stay active, and it doesn't have a heartbeat or breathing. Even someone as sharp as the Magic King won't notice it unless he touches it directly."
Irene stared at the clone for a second before letting out a soft, amused laugh. "You truly are full of endless surprises, my boy. You ran away with your main body, but left a squishy puppet behind to watch over me?"
"I was worried about you," Akira's Slime Clone said honestly, crossing his arms. " Although we just met, even I know leaving you like that is not a good thing. After all, we hadn't seen each other for many years "
" And besides, didn't I say I would help you cure this curse of yours " Akira turned into his slime form with a chuckle.
The little blue slime bounced lightly off the tree trunk and landed straight into Irene's open palm. It wiggled once before shifting back into a small, chibified version of Akira sitting cross-legged on her hand.
Irene held the small clone close to her chest, her red eyes softening in a way they hadn't in centuries. A genuine, motherly smile brightened her pale face as she felt the cool, gentle presence of his magic.
"To think my little boy has grown up into such a capable man..." Irene murmured, her voice laced with pride and a rare, soft fondness. "Very well. I will trust you, Akira, my child."
*****
Author's Note: I'm currently balancing my university studies with writing, and things can get pretty tight. If you enjoy my work, even a $1 donation on P.a.t.r.e.o.n makes a massive difference in helping me cover my education expenses.
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