Dark Magus Returns

Varkos took the fight seriously from the very beginning. There was no hesitation in his movements, no wasted breath or lingering doubt in his eyes. He understood exactly what this moment meant. If he could get rid of Harvey here and now, if he could kill the man who had caused so much chaos, then he believed he could escape this entire operation… leave the Cerebus Guild behind forever, leave this war behind, and try to save his own future.

He didn't care anymore whether the others succeeded or failed. He didn't care if the alliance between the military forces and the Dark Guild shattered to pieces. All that mattered was his own survival , because in Varkos's mind, the only people who would make it through this mess were the Grand Magus sitting unaffected at the top. He had seen enough to know the truth: the Masks were still out there. Stronger than any of the Cerebus members they had faced so far. Unreachable. Untouchable.

If he wanted even a slim chance to live, he needed to kill Harvey.

Without warning, Varkos slammed his hands together, combining two forms of magic and firing them directly toward the ceiling. The moment the spell touched the floor beneath Harvey's feet, it erupted , a violent explosion that shook the room like a quake. Walls cracked, cement dust rained down, and the entire floor shuddered under the force.

But when the dust settled…

"It didn't work once," Harvey's voice echoed from within a mass of shifting shadows. The puppet of darkness stood firm in front of him like a towering shield, its bulk absorbing most of the blast. "So what made you think it would work twice?"

Varkos's heart sank. The puppet had protected Harvey again. The same tactic that had worked against others meant nothing against someone who could rely on a duplicate body made of pure darkness.

Harvey stepped forward, ready to retaliate , but then he noticed something off.

Varkos wasn't standing upright. He had dropped to the ground entirely, both hands pressed against the floor while his two types of magic converged again. Harvey's eyes narrowed as he glanced downward.

At first it looked like nothing , merely a few small dents or holes in the ground. But then the holes began glowing faintly… and flames burst out in focused jets from multiple directions at once.

The fire shot upward like spears from beneath him.

It hit Harvey's side before the puppet had time to react. Heat seared through his blazer, and he felt the fabric melt slightly where flames licked through. Varkos had used his earth magic to carve tunnels under the floor, then guided flame spells through them like a trapped inferno being released all at once. A trick spell , unpredictable and deadly.

The flames kept pouring out, forcing Harvey deeper behind his puppet. Even so, he could feel the pressure building. The puppet's form wavered under the constant assault of fire.

He needed to act quickly.

Harvey slammed both palms against the ground. The puppet mirrored the motion instantly. With one commanding surge of mana, multiple earth pillars shot up in front of him , massive columns of stone blocking the fiery tunnel mouths. Flames crashed against them and scattered around the room, scorching everything they touched.

Varkos clicked his tongue in frustration. He had hoped that would do more damage. But even through the blaze, Harvey seemed too calm.

Harvey wasn't just a dark mage. His original strength had come from Earth magic , one of the most stabilizing, solid elements there was. The puppet reinforced him, but his own base power was far from weak. With a strong blazer absorbing a majority of the flames, he had endured more than Varkos expected.

The War Magus had always been used to commanding from the middle of the battlefield , surrounded by allies, leading squads, not dueling head-on against a dark prodigy. He had strength, yes. Skill and experience. But this? This one-on-one battle against someone like Harvey? It revealed his weaknesses clearly.

Dark magic suddenly burst up from the ground beneath him , thin but deadly streams that pierced through the protective magic around his body. It shredded patches of his blazer and burned into his skin, forcing him to grit his teeth in pain.

"You know…" Harvey said coldly, his puppet rising beside him, its claws forming into jagged spear-like stone covered in swirling darkness. "If you make tunnels to direct your attacks, you should remember… I can use them too."

The spear-tips hovered in the air, multiple at once, each infused with enough dark energy to break through most magical defenses. They shimmered, swirling with a corrupting power that seemed to eat away at the light around them.

Varkos's breathing quickened. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His hands still pressed against the floor, desperately trying to slow the dark magic assaulting him from below. But he knew. He could see it in the set of Harvey's shoulders, in the puppet's unwavering posture.

He was outmatched.

'Damn it… damn it!' His mind raced, heart pounding like a war drum. 'I thought… I thought I could at least take him down with me. If the Dark Guild collapses, the world will be spared from the chaos they're unleashing.'

Bitter thoughts churned inside him.

'The world was fine the way it was. Not perfect… but stable. There have always been those who suffer. That's what allows everyone else to live in peace. Someone has to carry the burden. Someone has to stay in the dark so others can live in the light… It's a sacrifice we all must accept…'

He clenched his eyes shut as the spears began to move.

'I… I just wish I could see what happens next.'

The spears shot forward with incredible speed.

But before impact, flames erupted beside him. A hand grabbed the cracked concrete, and someone leapt toward him , landing with urgency.

"VARKOS!" Alen's voice roared through the room.

He had arrived. He had made it just in time to reach out,

But not in time to save.

The dark spears flew through the air like bolts of fate. They pierced straight through Varkos's heart , clean, efficient, merciless. His eyes widened, a final gasp caught in his throat. The fire Alen summoned flickered against Varkos's fading expression.

And then…

His body fell.

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