502. Recklessness

My clone’s explosion ripped through the sky as the falling black flames began to dissipate.

The gold and silver flames overwhelmed me, knocking back. I tried to teleport away in time, but I was a fraction of a second too slow. The spell wasn’t cast in time. I felt the divine flames of my own clone tear through even my aura of invulnerability— my own essence overwhelmed, just for a moment. A small cut formed on my cheek before [Greater Teleportation] took over.

I appeared a thousand feet back, panting and taking a look at myself. Thanks to [My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends], I hadn’t taken any damage other than when a little bit of my clone’s own Divine Essence seeped through my aura of protection and left a small cut on my face. Otherwise, I was completely unhurt.

But enough time had passed that [The Call of Armageddon] had finally come to an end. The black sphere hovering above the city of Inor faded away, and the last of the fiery comets crashed into the army of [Legions]. I ignored the deluge of notifications I got, instead clicking my tongue.

It was just annoying. That was my best chance to have dealt significant damage to army of Demons, and the time had finally passed. I had used all my greatest Skills right off the bat, but it wasn’t enough— not even to kill a single Primeval Demon.

I glanced back, staring at the [Hellabomination] as it picked itself up from the ground. It was wreathed in a wisping blue aura. It wasn’t like a fiery figure overlaying its body, unlike my own aura. Rather, it was more akin to a glow. A blue tint that enhanced the wild Primeval Demon’s speed tenfold.

No— it did more than just increase its speed. It was a Grand Skill. It made the [Hellabomination] impossible to hit. It was like the blue glow was moving the wild Primeval Demon out of the way just in time whenever an attack came close to connecting.

It was the reason why Elites didn’t simply charge into battle, activating their Grand Skills right away. Perhaps this was a minor mistake I made, considering that one of my Grand Skills was coming to an end now too. I saw the flicker of my iridescent aura. I knew this wasn’t going to last much longer. I narrowed my eyes, then turned to watch as the wild Primeval Demon raised its head to face me.

I saw a glint approaching it from behind. A pair of my clones rushed its way, scythe raised at the unknowing [Hellabomination]. They swung down as they moved to flank it, but the wild Primeval Demon beat its wings once. It flew over them and rapidly ascended to the sky. It zipped up, swerving around my clones and reached me in mere moments.

My eyes grew wide, and I braced myself. It raised its four arms, unleashing a flurry of flaming attacks my way. It wasn’t just a single strike— it was eight at once. I crashed into the earth as my flaming aura crackled. Again, I was mostly left unaffected beyond being knocked back.

But the wild Primeval Demon wasn’t done. It flew straight down after me, continuing its attacks. My eyes grew wide as I realized what this Skill was.

“This is… [Barrage of Cinders]?”

I blinked, then the [Hellabomination] moved. It dodged out of the way as my clones tried to attack it from behind. The wild Primeval Demon swerved back to the sky, and they sent a volley of projectiles at it. But it moved so nimbly. It was so agile, despite its size. It was five hundred feet tall— when hunched!

But it was far faster than anything I could possibly comprehend. I picked myself up from the crater and gritted my teeth. I watched as three of my clones gave chase to the wild Primeval Demon. Their gold and silver forms left flaming trails in the sky.

The [Hellabomination] deftly evaded their attacks. Whether it was a direct slash or a blast of flames or a salvo of fiery weapons. Nothing could hit it. Raising a hand, I created a Divine Nebular Bow and produced my Giant Killer Arrow. I nocked the Epic Grade artifact, waiting as one of my clones passed behind the wild Primeval Demon.

Then I loosed the Giant Killer Arrow. The [Hellabomination]’s form flickered. Right as the Giant Killer Arrow was about to reach it, it moved out of the way. And the arrow vanished at the very same time. I smirked, watching as the Giant Killer Arrow appeared in my clone’s own flaming bow as she flew right next to the wild Primeval Demon. And she fired the arrow its way too.

But the [Hellabomination] saw it coming. The blue aura shifted once again, only for the Giant Killer Arrow to disappear back into another of my clones’ bows. The wild Primeval Demon spun around, confused. It watched as my clones fired the Giant Killer Arrow again and again, only for the attack to come to a halt at the very last second.

There was nothing that could be done. The [Hellabomination]’s form blurred. It was reacting to the onslaught of feigned attacks, unable to counter attack in time Its Grand Skill couldn’t discern what was going to be an actual attack and what was a fake out. That was simply because they were all real— I simply reacted when it reacted, so it was forced to blur in place.

And I took that opportunity to strike. I swooped up, flying straight for the wild Primeval Demon. I tried to intercept it as it dodged out of the way of the disappearing Giant Killer Arrow. I swung out with a [Barrage of Cinders] as one of my clones flew close. But the [Hellabomination] easily circled around me. I grinned, expecting that.

“How about this— [The Devil’s Grace]!”

The wild Primeval Demon paused. The world around us continued moving— my three clones chuckled and brought their hands up to their chests as their bodies deformed. And that was when the [Hellabomination] began to move back to where it had once been.

I couldn’t move either. My body was locked in place, but it didn’t matter. I knew that as time was being reversed, the wild Primeval Demon and I were pretty much immovable and invincible. But the moment the [Hellabomination] locked back into where it had once been hovering and I regained control of my fingers—

“Boom.”

I whispered as my clones exploded. All at once, the brilliant gold and silver blasts engulfed us. All three explosions resounded at once, a split-second before even [The Devil’s Grace] came to an end.

I was caught in my own blast. My clones erupted into giant crosses with a vertical golden beam and silver horizontal beam. Their fury burned straight through my Grand Skill. The iridescent flames around me crackled as I flew out, clutching at my right shoulder.

[My Flames Shall Burn Until Eternity Ends] barely held out long enough for me to escape. I was lightly burned on my right arm, but otherwise survived just fine. The aura of invulnerability faded away as I sighed in relief. I glanced back to where the [Hellabomination] had been with pursed lips.

“It’s still alive…”

And from the explosion, a looming figure emerged. The wild Primeval Demon let out a terrible shriek, still covered in the blue glow. It was burning— it was significantly hurt by the explosion. But it was still alive. And it swung down at me with immense speed as the last sparks of my Grand Skill flaked away.

I braced myself, only for a blast of iridescent flames to intercept the wild Primeval Demon. The [Hellabomination] hurriedly backed away, flying high in the sky as it stared at the approaching figure. I blinked and looked up.

“C-Clayton?”

I stared at the Headmaster of Mavos Academy as he zipped my way, still standing on his nimbus cloud. He had his crimson sword raised, aiming at the wild Primeval Demon.

“[Summon Conjured Essence: Storm of Sparrows].”

“What…?”

My eyes widened as suddenly a swarm of chittering birds shot out from his blade. Each had an otherworldly glow— a thousand translucent figures. They charged at the wild Primeval Demon as Clayton swooped over next to me, raising a hand.

“You were too reckless.”

His eyes flickered towards the [Hellabomination], momentarily distracted as it moved to avoid the swarming attack. It wasn’t akin to a Spirit summoning— Clayton had sent what was a spell that created nearly life-like creatures that targeted only the wild Primeval Demon.

I opened my mouth to protest as he raised a hand.

“I—”

I started, but he spoke over me as the world around us twisted.

“Greater Teleportation.”

It wasn’t a Skill. The Headmaster of Mavos Academy cast the spell, without using the power of a Skill. I blinked, and moments later, we were back at the front of the charging army of Humans. I sat atop his cloud as I glanced around. Beneath me, the Human army had slowed. In fact, I was pretty sure they had ground to a halt.

I narrowed my eyes, then watched as a second nimbus cloud flew our way. Helena Warshade herself stood there, with Orgaf in tow. He was cursing at her— I could hear his protesting voice as he asked to be let back to finish off the [Chthonic Agaros].

“Fuck you— I almost had it!”

“That’s enough, Orgaf.”

Clayton Skyshredder shook his head. He eyed the wild Primeval Demons in the distance— the gathering of Demons around Inor. He stroked his beard as he spoke in a lecturing voice.

“Perhaps you should not have been so hasty to drop out of Mavos Academy, Salvos. There is still much for you to learn. Even as a Lesser God, you cannot do everything alone.”

“I wasn’t alone— I was with my clones and Orgaf!”

I scowled and glanced over at the [Hellabomination]. It screeched, opening its mouth, and a plume of blue flames exploded out, destroying the flock of ethereal magical birds. Clayton sighed.

“While I admire your bravery, and I understand your actions were done so to boost morale, I believe you should have waited longer before charging into battle and using both of your Grand Skills at once.”

“Um, why not?”

I stared at the Headmaster of Mavos Academy as he held my gaze. Shaking his head, he turned to face the [Hellabomination] in the distance.

“Your actions were premature. We were simply restrategizing— we wish to end this battle as soon as possible, just as you do. But we weren’t simply going to charge straight into what could very well be a trap. Now we have assessed enough. Now we know it is time to fight.”

I still didn’t get it. I just looked at Clayton Skyshredder, entirely perplexed. But then I heard the chanting in the distance. My gaze flickered over to Helena Warshade who was whispering softly to herself. The army of Demons drew forward, unleashing their magic back at us from a distance.

But [Mages] cast their spells and put up their barriers. We weathered the attack as the Great Tempest Archmage of Mavos Academy continued to quickly speak to herself. Orgaf had stopped protesting, listening to Helena’s chanting.

“[The Calm has Come and Gone. The Storm has Simmered for so Long. Now it is Time for you to Weather the Pinnacle of Magic]...”

And dark clouds shrouded over the wild Primeval Demons. A storm swirled around the entire city. Clayton Skyshredder continued, even I looked on in awe at the gathering of mana around Helena.

“This is a war, Salvos. Maybe one day you will ascend to the likes of the Immortal King Alexander. But as of right now, we shall fight together.”

There was a flash. A powerful blast erupted as I covered my eyes. The entire world shook— the earth rumbled as an explosion of a million lightning bolts ripped across all of Inor. Helena Washade spoke softly as she finished, lowering her head.

“[Mana Tempest].”

And I watched on as the capital city of the Inoria Empire was engulfed in a single giant lightning blast.

“Huh.”