Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1371: When Shadows Step Forward

The constant bashing from the powerful tentacles continued to pound all four students relentlessly. What was worse, there didn’t seem to be an end in sight.

Dame had just punched straight through one of the watery limbs, smashing it apart until it collapsed into nothing but a splash. But right in front of him, the water particles began reforming, twisting once again into another powerful strike, ready to slam into him.

It was the same for the others. Even when Liam sliced through tentacles with precision, cutting them down with his blade, the water would simply rise up again and reshape into more tentacles. Beneath their feet, the very ground was starting to crack and rip itself apart under the chaos.

The only reason the four of them were still standing at all was because of Safa. Her healing light was flowing constantly, reaching out to each of the group as needed. She pointed her spear toward any of the three whenever they needed a surge of major healing to keep going.

’I could activate my Stoney form to fight alongside them…’ Safa thought. ’But it would be pointless right now. We don’t even know how to defeat this thing.’

The beast, sensing its relentless attacks weren’t finishing the intruders, decided to ramp things up. From its coral-formed mouth, it began to charge, preparing to fire another series of high-pressure water jets.

It aimed with uncanny precision. A stream of water shot straight toward Liam just as a tentacle swung down from above. The jet pierced through his shoulder, digging into flesh and drawing blood. Before he could recover, another tentacle struck his legs, sending him crashing hard to the ground.

More tentacles reared up, ready to slam him over and over, until a burst of magic rained down from above.

The first wave of ice spells froze the tentacles in midair. Then came wind magic, slashing through the frozen limbs, shattering them into pieces.

Liam wasn’t the only one getting help, now, all four of them were being backed up.

A flurry of different spells started to hammer back at the monstrous creature. Lightning, wind, fire, and magic barriers pushed back against the endless tide of tentacles and water jets.

“It’s the ranked students,” Beatrix called out.

Indeed, it was all of the ranked students. Piba stood among them, using his moon magic to enhance their spells. Chiba and Yolden contributed with their own magic, while Moze unleashed chains of lightning bolts. And then, surprisingly, even Londo appeared.

“Don’t look so surprised!” Londo shouted, noticing their reactions. “If we don’t beat this thing, we’re all dead! You think I’d just stand around and wait to die?”

No one answered him, but truthfully, if not for his sudden help, some of them might’ve said yes.

Even with their combined efforts, the creature didn’t appear harmed in the slightest. Still, they had managed to slow it down, to push it back just a bit. The spells from the ranked students were giving them some breathing room. They were getting hit less frequently now, but they still needed a stronger push if they were going to make real progress.

That’s when more spells came flying in.

Panla descended from above, dragging lightning along with her as she targeted the creature’s limbs. On the other side, flames erupted as Redrick joined the fray. Luka raised barriers from the ground at just the right moments, blocking the force of incoming jets and reducing the damage they dealt.

Despite everything, the remaining students, those not fighting, watched from a distance. Transfer students, teachers, and top-ranked students were all engaged in the battle. The energy crackled and lit up the battlefield in bursts of color and sound.

“Should we help too?” one student asked, uncertain.

“Yeah,” another added, “if we all use our spells, we should be able to do something, right?”

“Don’t!” a voice cut through their discussion.

It was Raze.

He had stayed behind with the students, ready to protect them in case any other creatures appeared. But with the dimensional boss in front of them, Raze now doubted anything else would get close. The other beasts likely understood what this monster was.

“Your spells will do little to help,” Raze said calmly. “And if you just cast them wildly, you could end up hurting our own people. The best thing you can do right now is stay back.”

The students clenched their teeth in frustration, but they understood. What Raze said was true. So all they could do now… was watch.

But as they watched the ongoing battle, everyone fighting on their behalf, they noticed something strange. Nothing was changing.

The group wasn’t advancing.

No one was getting close enough to deal a real blow to the creature’s core. No matter how hard they tried, no matter how many spells they threw out, they were still stuck in place.

“We’re all done for,” Bronto muttered. “You can all see it, right? Eventually, they’ll run out of mana or energy… while that thing still has plenty. No one’s even landed a solid hit on its core.”

“We should fall back,” he continued. “Try to think of another plan… or wait until someone shows up to help.”

Even though Bronto had once fought against them, the others couldn’t deny what he said. They agreed with his assessment.

“Students,” Raze said firmly, stepping forward, “no matter what happens, stay where you are. Bronto shouldn’t be strong enough to take on more than one of you at a time. Just make sure he doesn’t run away.”

“Hah, that idiot,” Bronto scoffed. “Does he really think him joining the fight is going to make a difference?”

As Raze kept walking forward, he stretched out his hand, and a sword materialized, dark magic flowing from his body. His uniform began to shift, transforming into a long, flowing coat, a strange blend of a school blazer and a trench coat that dragged along the ground behind him.

“That magic…” Bronto gasped. It was faint, but he was sure he saw it, a flicker of darkness.

And then, Raze joined the others.

“All of you stop,” he commanded. “Protect the students. This thing is far too strong for you to deal with. I’ll handle it from here.”

****

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