Dark Magus Returns

When Alen learned the truth about what the Dark Guild had done to Mordain and his people, a crushing weight settled in his chest. That same dread now twisted violently inside him , because he knew there was a real chance the Dark Guild would do the exact same thing to Varkos.

This wasn't just a mission anymore. It wasn't about the alliance, or about clever strategy, or about whether they could still take down the Grand Magus in time. Alen wasn't thinking of politics or war.

He just wanted to save the people he had dragged into this.

The men who had trusted him.

The allies who had bled beside him.

His soldiers followed behind, trying to keep pace, but Alen pushed ahead alone. Flames coiled beneath him as he ran, mana igniting at the soles of his boots. He blasted forward like a rocket, every jump sending him soaring over cars, rooftops, and the twisting roadways of the city.

Faster. Faster. Please let me be wrong.

When the battlefield finally came into view, he skidded across a rooftop and launched himself even higher. From the air, he caught a glimpse of chaos unfolding below , Dark Guild members battling Varkos's forces, the two sides clashing violently against scattered pockets of Cerebus Guild fighters.

For a moment , a fragile, fleeting moment , Alen felt relief.

They're still alive. I made it in time.

But that comfort shattered instantly.

He couldn't see Varkos.

He couldn't see Harvey.

The two who mattered most were nowhere among the mass of clashing mages.

His heart seized in panic.

"No… no… NO!" he roared, and fire blasted from his heels, propelling him upward again , higher until he cleared the smoke and confusion.

From that vantage point, he saw it.

The nightmare he was too late to stop.

Dark magic flared like a storm.

Black spears, dozens of them, converging on one man's chest.

Varkos.

Alen's body reacted before his mind could. He hurled himself downward, fire erupting with such force that the ground exploded when he hit. Flames spread in cracking ripples, shattering nearby walls and sending loose stones tumbling.

But he was still too slow.

Varkos's body had already been pierced , several spears through his ribs, through his lungs, through his heart. There was no spell that could fix that. No healer alive could undo what had been done.

"VARKOS!!!" Alen's voice tore from his throat, raw and broken.

His vision blurred. Rage burned hotter than any fire spell he knew. And when he looked up…

He saw the killer.

Harvey.

Standing behind that monstrous puppet made of darkness.

There was no hesitation.

Alen snapped his fingers , once, twice, three times , each snap summoning another blazing fireball that rocketed forward. The puppet intercepted the spells, its dark aura absorbing the heat. But each hit peeled away more of its protective magic, revealing rough, earthen armor beneath.

Harvey gritted his teeth. His thoughts churned with calculation.

This isn't good. I used too much mana finishing off the War Magus. And Alen… even if his star rank is lower, that man has furious talent. He fights like someone who refuses to lose. If he continues pressing like this…

Harvey didn't finish the thought. He couldn't. Instead, he launched counter-attacks, shadow spells firing like arrows , but Alen was already on the move.

He circled like a predator, constantly shifting angles, constantly firing smaller spells , chipping away piece by piece. It was a technique meant for mages larger or slower than him. A technique meant to bleed an opponent dry before delivering the killing blow.

Even in rage, Alen's battle instincts were sharp.

Today, Alen swore, I will kill Harvey.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Harvey shouted, his voice cracking through the fire and smoke. "This is not what you think! The Dark Guild and the Dark Magus were ambushed because of Varkos! He was giving information to the Cerebus Guild , he was a traitor!"

Alen didn't even blink.

He refused to listen to excuses.

He already hated Harvey. The alliance had always felt brittle , like a flame pressed against wet paper. And now, after everything… after Mordain… after Varkos…

He would never trust Harvey again.

"You expect me to believe that?" Alen spat. "You killed Mordain! And I just witnessed you kill Varkos too!"

Flames spiraled up his arm in a twisting arc. His anger manifested into shape , a roaring dragon of fire bursting out of his hand. The blazing creature spun through the air before smashing into the puppet's chest.

Dark magic splintered away as if the puppet were being peeled apart from the inside. Harvey staggered, a sharp gasp leaving his lips. Blood spattered across his chin , the backlash of damage shared between them.

"Damn it!" Harvey wiped his mouth, eyes burning with frustration. "Do you have any idea what my job is!? I'm the Chief of Police! I've seen corruption from every side , I tracked down your friend because something was wrong! I've been trying to protect the Dark Guild before someone like him could destroy it from within!"

"And what about my people!?" Alen roared back.

Fire churned beneath his boots, swirling up his arms like armor ready to ignite. "I don't care what excuses you make! I am doing everything , EVERYTHING , to protect the ones I care about!"

He thrust his arm forward, ready to release the final spell. Ready to turn Harvey into ashes where he stood. Ready to avenge Varkos.

But suddenly, Someone landed between them, cape sweeping down like a curtain of night. A single figure blocked his fire. A figure with white hair and a blazer that flared behind him like a wing of shadows.A figure that both of them knew very well.

His presence alone was enough to pull the oxygen from the room.

For a heartbeat , nobody moved.

Alen's flame flickered uncertainly.

Harvey exhaled, shoulders shaking in relief.

"Raze…" Alen breathed, his fury hesitating for the first time.

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