Mystical Fantasy : The Lazy Real Young Master [EN]

Axis began to murmur, her lips moving as she recited a chant in a language no human tongue could ever hope to comprehend.

"Siba-Wa-Ji-Wha-E-Turu-Ki-Kha-Solan-Gi-Lino," she intoned softly, her voice carrying a strange weight. Each syllable was pronounced with deliberate clarity, as if every sound was an anchor to another world.

Every fragment of that ancient incantation resonated in the air, vibrating through the unseen walls of the dimension itself. The echoes struck like invisible hammers, and with each strike, thin cracks began to appear—so subtle they could not be seen directly, yet one could feel them, like glass on the verge of shattering.

From those invisible ruptures, waves of energy pulsed outward. The spell greedily drew upon an immeasurable amount of dark energy, pulling in wandering remnants of long-dead souls.

The entire space became drenched in a suffocating, black haze, so dense it felt as though they had been transported straight into Azzaleth, the land of darkness, instead of still standing in a world belonging to humans.

Above them, the night sky warped. Stars faded, one by one, as if erased from existence. In their place formed a great black vortex, its rotation slow but inexorable, swallowing every trace of light around it.

And with a faint, almost amused smile curving her lips, Axis pressed her palms together at the center of her chest. The instant her hands joined, the chant reached completion. Her eyes blazed with an otherworldly silver-purple glow, and the spell was unleashed.

Axisrail Series Skill – First Ultimatum: Soul Realita.

"Series Skill?" Al muttered under his breath, his tone sharp with surprise. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. "She's already reached that point? Damn it… so she really intends to wipe out everything here without a second thought."

His jaw clenched tightly, grinding against the weight of inevitability. Blood welled in the corners of his eyes from the sheer pressure forcing them open wide. His gaze flicked toward Axis's followers, uncertain if any of them could even hope to survive when their leader had invoked a god-level technique meant to erase all.

But the followers of Axis had prepared for this. Each one had already layered themselves in multiple barriers, and their preparations did not stop there. From the folds of their robes, they drew out slips of parchment inscribed with archaic, glowing characters. Talisman papers—artifacts imbued with ancient script—fluttered in their hands.

From the faint pulsing light they gave off, Al instantly understood their purpose: they were designed to regulate and restrain the catastrophic area magic of Axis's skill, protecting her followers from its indiscriminate destruction.

In other words, while the world itself might crumble under Axis's power, her followers would remain intact, their bodies and souls preserved.

Al's lips tightened into a grim line as comprehension dawned.

So, that's their plan. He understood now the cunning coordination of Axis's faction.

His own body trembled—not from fear, but from the overwhelming density of power saturating the atmosphere. The sheer mass of energy seeped into his bones, weighing upon his very marrow.

His right hand rose, fingers half-spread, as if grasping for something invisible. Scarlet-black flames of aura surged violently around him, roaring like a beast waiting to be unleashed.

And then—

WOSSHHH!

The condensed sphere of energy shattered. A flood of black and violet light erupted outward in slow, inevitable waves. In that single instant, the very air exploded with the sound of a thousand cannons firing at once, rattling existence itself.

Across the battlefield, countless spectral shapes emerged—shades of tortured souls—fluttering and screaming, like wandering ghosts suddenly forced into the open and writhing under the searing blaze.

The tide of light surged forward, spreading until it stopped mere centimeters before Al's body. The glow reflected against his eyes, sharpening them into slits of focused steel. He remained perfectly still, motionless, as though awaiting some unseen miracle to intervene.

Axis's gaze hardened, her amusement fading into disappointment.

"So this is how it ends for you? Hmm… I suppose I expected more," she murmured, voice low but filled with disdain. "How pathetic. Regret it all you want—you only have yourself to blame for holding back."

She tilted her head back toward the moon above, her expression carrying a strange resignation. The constant transfer of energy sustaining her was already weakening. Her fragmented soul flickered like a dying flame, and slowly, inevitably, the body she possessed would return to Ayu's control.

But then—

Al smiled.

CRRAAKKK! CRAAKK!

The very fabric of Axis's magic convulsed. Axis's eyes widened as she sensed the anomaly. The spell that should have torn the world apart abruptly stalled in mid-motion.

The cataclysmic energy froze, locked in place as if an unseen hand had gripped it tightly. Sections of the power began to unravel, growing unstable, their edges dissolving into nothingness.

"Huh?! What is this?!" Axis's voice cracked with genuine shock. Her silver-purple eyes darted frantically around her.

Her followers were equally stunned. None of them understood what had just happened, but the unnatural stillness gnawed at their nerves.

Their faces shifted with confusion and unease as they stared at the supposedly unstoppable eruption that had suddenly been halted and was now dissolving piece by piece.

Al, meanwhile, stood calm. A faint, almost mocking smile tugged at his lips as he stared at the immobilized explosion mere inches before his face.

"It seems my hunch was correct," he said lightly, as if speaking to himself. "A gamble that nearly cost me my life… but it paid off in the end. Hehe."

Axis snapped her head toward him, fury and disbelief etched across her features.

"What are you talking about? What did you do?! How could you possibly neutralize my Series Skill so easily?!" Her voice rose in anger, carrying both frustration and fear.

Al shifted his body slightly backward, carefully creating distance between himself and the collapsing storm of Axis's magic. As he moved, he tested the air around him, drawing in a long breath.

The oppressive, suffocating pressure that had moments ago blanketed the battlefield was now loosening. The eerie cries of the countless trapped souls had faded into silence.

The suffocating dark energy that once dominated the surroundings had thinned out so drastically that the atmosphere itself began to resemble normalcy again.

What remained was a scene of utter confusion—Axis and her followers, staring around in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.

"I wasn't entirely sure myself," Al admitted casually, his tone unhurried, as though he were speaking of something trivial rather than gambling with his very existence. "I only tested a theory, a gamble with my life on the line. But… it seems I was right."

"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting?" Axis muttered, her expression twisting with irritation.

Al exhaled, shaking his head slightly.

"You know… you're the one who's been chasing after that thing so desperately. And yet, it looks like even you don't actually understand its true function. I don't know what purpose you sought it for, but clearly, your faction isn't very professional. Going after an artifact without even comprehending what it truly is? That's reckless."

His eyes shifted to the side, settling deliberately on the figure of a man in a brown jacket, still bound tightly as a prisoner.

Axis and her subordinates immediately followed Al's gaze. The moment their eyes landed on the captive, their expressions shifted into shock.

From the man's pocket, a faint golden radiance had begun to seep outward. The light was subtle at first, but unmistakable. Slowly, it reached outward, tendrils of golden brilliance stretching toward every concentration of dark energy in the vicinity.

Wherever it touched, the oppressive power froze, then fractured, before being devoured entirely. To be more precise, it was not merely consuming—it was forcibly neutralizing the darkness at its root.

Even the grand technique Axis had unleashed, which had filled the area with an ocean of dark energy, was now being eaten away at the source.

"That thing? It can neutralize my skill? How is that possible?!" Axis's voice cracked with disbelief, her silver-violet eyes trembling as she stared at the phenomenon.

Little by little, yet with undeniable certainty, the artifact in that man's pocket consumed the surrounding darkness. Its golden radiance spread like fire across dry grass, purging every trace of corruption it touched.

At the same time, it began releasing the tormented souls imprisoned within Axis's spell. One after another, their cries of anguish softened, vanishing as they were freed, until the once-cataclysmic spell had been reduced to nothing more than fading wisps of black mist.

And then, something even more startling happened.

"Arrghhhh!" agonized screams erupted from Axis's followers, sharp and sudden, echoing one after another. Almost all of them collapsed in pain simultaneously, their voices blending into a chorus of torment.

Axis herself was not spared. Her body convulsed violently as the golden tide clashed against the dark energy coursing through her being.

The sensation was like her very flesh and soul were being ripped apart. The agony was unbearable, and with a furious roar, she surged forward, hurling herself directly at the men in a desperate attempt to end the threat.

But before she could reach her target—

CRACK!

A golden whip of pure energy lashed out from the captive's direction, striking Axis with unrelenting force. The impact slammed into her chest, sending her crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.

"Ughhh…" Blood sprayed from her lips as her body shuddered violently in pain.

Al stood a short distance away, watching the entire spectacle unfold. His gaze was calm, detached even, though a faint glimmer of intrigue lit his eyes.

He observed the panic, the suffering, the chaos spreading through Axis's faction. Initially, even his dimensional eyes had been unable to detect the artifact's true essence.

It was only after Axis had unleashed such an overwhelming surge of dark energy through his Series Skill that the artifact had finally responded.

Once awakened, Al's special vision captured its resonance—a reaction unmistakably akin to holy energy, perhaps even something higher, something brushing against the realm of divine energy itself. Its nature was clear: a power whose very purpose was to neutralize dark energy.

So my guess was right after all. Al thought, his lips curving faintly. He had wagered everything on the assumption that the artifact would interfere with Axis's magic.

And the result exceeded his expectations: not only had it interrupted the destructive magic, it had even retaliated, striking back at Axis and her subordinates. The very talismans meant to shield them had instead become conduits of dark energy that now turned into bait—traps that worsened their suffering.

A risky gamble… but it paid off. Fighting against them while suppressing my own dark energy would've been a nightmare. If I had unleashed even the slightest amount of my own dark energy to fight them, my fate would've been no different from theirs. But in the end, it all worked out in my favor.

His inner voice carried both relief and satisfaction at his decision.

Axis, meanwhile, was beginning to piece together the truth of the phenomenon. Her eyes widened in alarm.

"Damn it! Everyone, withdraw immediately! Get away from that man!" he barked, his voice filled with urgency.

Her soldiers, writhing in agony, staggered and leaned on one another as they attempted to retreat from the battlefield.

But Al's expression hardened as he shifted his stance forward.

"Don't think I'll just let you walk away that easily," he growled.

In an instant, his figure blurred as he dashed toward them. Their movements, once swift and disciplined, were now sluggish and clumsy. To Al, they were nothing more than slow-moving targets, each one ready to be struck down at his leisure.

But before Al could continue his pursuit of Axis's subordinates, Axis reappeared in front of him, her figure now largely resembling Ayu's body. She blocked Al's advance, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

"You think I'll just let you pass?!" Axis shouted. Her body trembled, the strain clearly visible. She could barely keep the transfer of her energy stable while enduring the torturous backlash from the artifact. Yet even in that battered state, she still stood firm to stop Al.

This time, however, Al's counterattack came easier. With a swift motion, he delivered a powerful kick that sent Axis flying backward.

But Axis, despite being thrown off balance, had not lost her fighting spirit. Her hands lashed out with desperation, catching Al's leg mid-movement, and in an act both stubborn and degrading—she bit down hard on Al's calf.

Al glanced down, shaking his head in both irritation and disbelief.

"Oi… seriously? A so-called goddess reduced to biting a man's leg like some rabid dog? You're truly pathetic." His mocking tone cut through the chaos. With a light jerk of strength, he shook Axis off and freed himself.

Axis, still suspended in midair from the earlier strike, ignored the ridicule entirely. Her eyes narrowed with deadly focus as she thrust her hand forward. Her palm opened wide, and with a sharp SWOOSH a surge of violet energy burst forth like a cannon blast.

The distance between them was far too close for comfort. Al barely managed to block, yet the violent impact grazed his side, scorching his waist and arm in the process.

"Ouch…" Al winced, his tone almost casual despite the sting of pain. "Persistent little thing, aren't you?"

Once more he lashed out with a brutal kick, driving his foot squarely into Axis's stomach. The force hurled Ayu's body like a ragdoll, crashing her into the stone wall of a nearby structure with a thunderous impact.

Al turned his back on her, ready to resume his pursuit of the fleeing followes. But then something unusual caught his eye.

From the pocket of the man still restrained in chains, a faint golden glow had begun to spill out. The dim light grew steadily brighter, illuminating the entire battlefield. Soon the night itself seemed to warp, the darkness thinning as waves of golden brilliance carved a radiant zone in the heart of midnight.

"What's happening…? Don't tell me that energy is about to—explode?" Al muttered under his breath, his instincts warning him of impending disaster. He changed his focus instantly, abandoning the chase and propelling himself straight toward the man.

And then—

The anomaly intensified. The golden energy grew unstable, crackling with static currents that leapt violently in every direction. Sparks of divine power snapped and sizzled in the air like thunder before a storm.

The artifact's capacity could not withstand the overwhelming influx of dark energy it had devoured from Axis and her followers. It refused to stop feeding, forcing itself to absorb more, until it became nothing more than a ticking bomb.

The man who carried it—who had just moments ago felt relief when the group of monsters abandoned him—now panicked anew. He sensed the looming catastrophe, his entire body trembling with terror.

Al was nearly upon him when it happened—

BOOM!

The collision of light and darkness erupted upward, a torrent of energy surging into the skies. Golden brilliance clashed with the abyssal void, intertwining like two colossal dragons spiraling into a violent dance, coiling and tearing at one another as they soared higher and higher into the heavens.

And then—

DUARRR!

A second explosion roared, far greater than the first. High above the earth, the energies combusted, scattering outward like a titanic firework.

The night was torn apart by dazzling colors, flooding the horizon with a brilliance so intense that even ordinary mortals, far from the battlefield, witnessed it. For a fleeting moment, dawn seemed to arrive prematurely, daylight piercing the dark just for the span of a heartbeat.

Far away, in his place of seclusion, Daraka's meditation was broken. His eyes opened instantly as the surge of energy rattled his senses. For a moment, he merely sat there in silence before a slow smile crept across his face.

"Interesting…" he whispered to himself, intrigued by the spectacle, though he made no move to leave his sanctuary that night.

Elsewhere, members of both the magical and martial associations felt the shockwave ripple through their cores. Spiritual police on their nightly patrols halted in alarm.

Those already awake leapt into motion, and those who had been asleep were instantly stirred by the phenomenon. None hesitated; every faction and organization that detected the explosion mobilized immediately, converging toward the source of the disturbance.

Among them were Al's own forces.

"Master!" urgent voices rang within his mind, transmitted directly through the crimson Glyph etched upon his arm.

"Where are you, Master? Did you feel that energy?" Sebastian's voice resounded clearly.

Another message followed quickly after. "Master, there has been a massive energy detonation at the southeastern outskirts of the city. We're detecting traces of both dark energy and holy energy. What are your orders?" Ai's calm yet serious voice pressed him further.

Al's jaw clenched tightly. His breath came out harsh, his expression grim.

"Damn it…" he cursed under his breath.

---