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n”…?”

nAs William’s spiritual projection was returning to his real body, it got trapped within a perfect silky-darkness trap, looking as if it was woven out of the void itself.

nIt was very troublesome as although the law of Pisces was very useful for checking up on things that were at an outrageously long distance – and even going as far as crossing the usually impenetrable line of raging mana storms known as the line of death – it had its inconveniences, the main one being that to have access to complete, vivid memories of everything that the projection had done and seen, the part of the consciousness the user sent out had to properly return to their body and reconnect with the user’s core.

nThis obviously couldn’t happen at the moment because someone somehow managed to intercept the flow of William’s spiritual energy.

n”Yes, yes – I already know that the utility of the poison you call mana can interfere with the power of our laws.”

nThe fragment of William’s consciousness carrying the memories of the tournament that he snuck his way in, sighed and materialized into a full spiritual projection – white hair, green eyes, plain clothes, simple apron, and all.

n”I am Evorietto of the Ghosts of Bellcephora. To think that I merely went to check up on Kiroterell and Rethaq, but ended up encountering such a strange specimen as yourself! Ahaha! This is truly magnificent! I’ll make sure to study you carefully before I will pass you on to the commander and vice commander so they decide what to do with you~! Say – what forgotten corner of the world did you hide from me for so long?”

nAn enthusiastic, effeminate but most surely male voice called out, not actually responding to William’s voice but rather speaking over him, informing the white-haired man about his fate from then on.

n”Hide? Forgotten…? Do… do you think that the world ends on the death line…? Are… are you stupid? Ah – wait – of course, you are, you spat enough crap to prove that… Anyway. Why don’t you show up so we can talk and I can correct your backward knowledge about the world we all live in? Not to mention the bold assumption that you can keep me trapped for any significant period of time. You poison users are seriously too proud for your own good.”

nBut instead of getting intimidated, William merely sighed and shook his head in annoyance.

n”Pffft… Ahahahahahaha! Aww, and you have a bite in you! Poor fool! Show up? You can already see me! We, the members of Ghosts of Bellcephora have reached the limit of human capacity! We became one

nwith the darkness attribute and can channel ourselves through the darkness mana! You already see me as I am present here within every part of my darkness blade that has been constructed as a cage keeping every type of living being locked for me to study~!”

nEvorietto laughed mockingly and boasted, poking fun at the magicless human who had no idea how silly he sounded calling a blessing of mana something so hurtful as poison.

n”…so… you are saying that you are mana…?”

nWilliam raised his brow and asked cautiously which only prompted Evorietto to get even more excited.

nHow long has it been since he got a specimen that did not fear him at all?

nThe kids he was capturing recently were only crying in fear, which got boring after only a few days – and the necromancer and her corpse puppets were staying silent and didn’t try to do anything because she already knew that it was the helpless struggle of the victims that excites Evorietto the most.

n”Oh, you poor bastard… and you are saying that you are everywhere around me right now?”

nThe white-haired man snickered, continuously shaking his head in denial, which honestly tickled Evorietto’s fancy

nIt would be so fun to break him and watch him lose all of that spunk and confidence.

n”That’s right! I spent many decades perfecting my darkness blade to the point of…”

n”Law of Aquarius.”

n*WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH*

nThe member of the Ghosts of Bellcephora most proficient in creating barriers and traps giggled from joy and started boasting- but was interrupted by William’s voice – and an outburst of unknown energy, that thoroughly destroyed every single particle of mana around him.

nWell – that didn’t last long as the wind mana immediately filled the momentary void – but at least there was no longer any trace of the darkness mana blocking the white-haired man’s way.

nTruly – if there was a way to permanently clear out that part of the world from mana, the Heavenly Star Nation – the most advanced human civilization – would have begun the conquest of other parts of the world centuries ago.

n”Limit of human capacity he said… the poisonous mana must have completely corroded his brain. I swear… May the light of stars shine brightly upon your soul in the afterlife… you poor delusional fool.”

n*haaaaaaaaaa*

nWilliam sighed, bowing his head politely and saying the phrase meant to mourn the dead, before his spiritual projection turned back into a stream of spiritual energy with the sound of a person breathing out with relief, and continued its journey back to the original body.

n———-

n”!!!!!!”

nThe large carriage that could double as a stall when one of its side walls got opened up, pulled by four large shadow beasts suddenly stopped in the middle of the road as the one-armed woman pulled on the rains.

nShe had trouble breathing and could hardly focus.

n*WHAM*

nThe carriage door opened and a young short-haired woman and a muscular man with a scar going through his face both fell out, with exactly the same kind of expression as the one-armed woman.

nThey all had black hair and eyes – but that should be obvious enough as they were not only darkness magicians but the members of Ghosts of Bellcephora.

nThe strongest darkness magicians – no – darkness sages.

nAnd even calling them that wasn’t giving them the full credit they deserved.

nThe three outside the carriage weren’t just any members, there were the only remaining founding members.

nThe commander, and the main reason the group was created – Carcassuss, the royal bastard, and the single person most obsessed with power.

nThe vice commander, Kirissu – the only person who could tame Cracassuss to any degree and the one whose arm got cut off as their group was betraying the royal family that gave them as much support as they could.

nAnd the group’s scapegoat, the youngest of the founding members, Elsby.

nThe one who tried to oppose most of the cruel decisions made by the other two.

nOriginally there were five founding members.

nAs for the two missing ones.

nRaseriat was gone, killed by an ice magician – and only Ehmi knew the truth about her real killer although she stayed quiet.

nAnd the last one.

nEvorietto.

nThe one whose consciousness was thoroughly erased – and if any other ghost was even a second slower, they would get erased too as the unknown power seemed to devour mana.

n”…Cupcake… recall everyone… order them to abort every undergoing mission until we find out what the hell caused that!”

nKirissu gasped and looked up at Cracassuss.

n———-

n”Eh…? EEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!”

nThe moment Evorietto was cleansed from the face of the earth, every single person captured inside his darkness blade reappeared exactly where he abducted them from – including the gray-haired dark-skinned necromancer, who showed up out of nowhere in front of the headmaster’s office back in the Aspakeony Academy and loudly exclaimed unable to comprehend what exactly happened.

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