It was a Spell I recently made… a Spell I used to decimate over a hundred Shadows back when they assaulted Ana.


    Bybining Light and Lightning Magic, I invented a most destructive and effective Magic technique against the Shadow Demons.


    Blitz?


    No, this had already surpassed that.


    The orb I had previously made was norger than a pebble. But this? It was the size of an adult man–gotten by utilizing Spellcraft andpressing Mana to the highest degree attainable.


    Right now… this Spell was the epitome of Magic… an essence that had reached a point only a few Mages ever reached.


    Peak Level Magic!


    “ARHHHHHHHH!!!” I screamed.


    Even as blood poured out of my mouth.


    Even as blood leaked out of my eyes, my nose, my ears… even when my body sought death.


    “ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!!”


    Desperation filled my voice, my body neared expiration. Still, even if I gave everything… I wasn’t going to die.


    I couldn’t!


    As long as death wasn’t assured, I would stop at nothing to achieve my goals.


    Kahn used hisst bit of Miasma to coat himself, most likely hoping to tank the st.


    It was an effort in futility.


    Everything! I had calcted everything!


    Even if Kahn was at fifty, no, even sixty percent… I would still emerge victorious!_.


    A mere thirty percent would never resist this!


    My bloodshot eyes widened and I gave one final cry, releasing thepressed energy that sought to burst.


    “ARHHHHHHHH!!!”


    “… GRAND… BLITZ…!!!”


    >BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<


    ***************


    Golden light filled the night sky, and the entire campus was illuminated.


    It was brighter than the sun.


    More intense than summer.


    The bright light burst through the nearby areas and all of the denizens of the city of Ainrk City and beyond witnessed the glorious disy.


    Was it the result of a festival?


    Was the cause a Magic demonstration?


    What could have generated such power?


    Even those in the mountains could see the faint glow from where they were.


    This power exceeded the level of any single human.


    No, probably a few could do it, but… they existed on a level that far surpassed anything considered ordinary.


    Even theymen who witnessed the beautiful mass of light considered this the work of gods.


    A blinding light hung in a distance–Ainrk Academy–and at that moment, all the humans of the city and beyond could only think of one thing.


    God.


    This was an act of God.


    And so, they bowed.


    The destruction spread. It kept growing bigger.


    The heat swelled.


    The denizens of the city felt like the light would consume them, so they prayed.


    They bowed and prayed.


    This was something that mere humans should never have seen.


    This was the epitome of Magic.


    There existed Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Magic… but another cadre existed that far outstripped anything these levels had to offer.


    The Peak Level.


    That was the demonstration that was given for the world to see… a st of golden light that spread–like an ever-increasing dome-–destroying anything and everything in its path.


    The Grand Blitz.


    *****************


    “Haa… haa…”


    I was all spent.


    My body copsed to the ground, and I felt my consciousness fading fast.


    For a total of five hundred miles–an estimate based on my initial calctions–the Spell destroyed everything around.


    Fortunately, my barrier held out… barely.


    Now shattered, the dome that shielded me vanished into particles, and I was on the ground.


    My Elemental Chamber was nil.


    My Grand Fusion State was expended.


    I was bottom-dry in Mana reserves.


    My Stamina was depleted.


    I was practically nothing.


    The only thing that existed was a little countermeasure I kept in ce, but I couldn’t even worry about that now.


    All that filled me, from the tip of my hair to the sole of my feet, was agony!


    Intense, pure, unadulterated pain.


    I suffered, but I had no energy to cry or scream in pain.


    All I could do was lie on the ground like a vegetable.


    ‘It’s over…’ The thought offort trailed in my head.


    At least, my pain wasn’t for nothing.


    I defeated Kahn. I killed him.


    In the end. I won… right?


    But, I felt like I was forgetting something important.


    No, that didn’t matter now. With this victory, I could close my eyes and rest. I would wake up in the Academy’s sick bay and be met with myrades who fought hand in hand.


    There would have been some casualties, but… I had faith. My allies… they would live.


    With Kahn gone, his Versions would slowly fade, and the threat would be extinguished. Yes, his Versions… his Versions.


    NO, WAIT, HIS VERSIONS WOULD BE…!!!


    “Haaa… You little brat…”


    A dark, disgusting voice emanated from a couple of meters away.


    It was twisted, filled with malevolence. The owner of the voice, a figure of darkness, sprouted from the ground.


    My blurry vision picked up its distorted body. It looked misshapen, absolutely repulsive, It looked like the Shadowy being was attempting to pull itself together.


    “… That was… a close one…” He muttered.


    My heart began beating rapidly.


    I knew what happened.


    Why hadn’t I ounted for it? Why?


    FOOL! JARED, YOU FOOL! YOU RETARDED IDIOT!


    “… I thought, for sure I was going to die…”


    My face couldn’t properly depict the fear and horror I felt within myself. Add that to the pain that currently permeated me, I was assailed with a myriad of negative emotions.


    Enough to break a person.


    More than enough to cripple a person mentally.


    I felt like I was going insane.


    “… To think I nearly lost to you. How disgraceful.”


    His darkened body finally morphed back, forming the creature known as Kahn. He had restored himself…


    … And he now approached me.


    “Looks like even eighty percent barely made it out… how frightening…”


    NO. NO. NO. NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!


    “To think… even two perished… how confounding.”


    NO WAY!


    “But, now… it seems like you’re already out of cards. It may have been a close battle, but… I win this one.”


    I felt so frustrated. Added to the pain and fear swirling within me, I was breaking down in all aspects. It was too much. I couldn’t hold it in, but no strength remained to leak out a sob, talkless of cries.


    “It looks like you were wrong, Jared Leonard…”


    I was wrong…


    “… You didn’t kill me.”


    I failed to kill him.


    “The one who’s going to die… is YOU.”


    ‘I’m going… to… die…?!’