"So, how am I supposed to start this?"... Hmm?.. It seems my existence has been noticed by them, Ahh, screw it! Let's just attack them directly"
Taufik said then canceled his concealment magic and then used wind magic to spread his voice so everyone in Runes Castle could hear it.
"Check, check, do you all hear me? Ahem..."
"Check, check, my name is Taufik. I'm here to... Hmm~ destroy the Rune Family, maybe? Ahh, destroying is too much. Then just let me kill the one who caused all of this"
The people at the Runes residence, upon hearing that voice, were panicked and afraid at first, but after realizing it was not the Dai-Yak Tribe, they felt relieved. However, they became angry, knowing that some random magician had just attacked them.
They came out of the castle to see who dared to attack them, but after stepping outside, they felt afraid again because they saw a large golden bird flying above the castle.
"What is that? You, go tell the patriarch about this!"
"Y-yes!"
"What bird is that? How can a bird grow that big? And its color is golden too... Amazing"
"You idiot! This is no time to be amazed. That is the enemy!"
"But look at that! You will never see something like this again... It's worth studying"
The Runes residents were mostly magicians who worked for the Runes family, and like the rest of the magicians, they loved to research anything they found interesting. So, upon seeing Nāgāntaka, their curiosity as researchers overtook their fear.
"What's going on?!"
Argus and Rijal, who heard all the commotion, automatically came out to assess the situation. However, upon seeing a giant golden bird, even Argus was shocked.
But unlike Argus, Rijal was not focused on the bird but on the person riding it. Upon seeing the person, Rijal turned pale and remembered the events of two months ago.
"Y-you! Why are you here? How can you break our illusion?!"
Taufik, upon hearing a familiar voice, looked down and saw Rijal. He then took out his katana from his inventory, drew it from its scabbard, and pointed its tip at Rijal.
"Ahh, here we are... Rijal. I'm here to kill you. Come here! Don't make this harder for both of us"
"H-hi-hick! Fa-father, help me! That's the boy I told you about... The one with the artifact!"
Seeing his pathetic son like that, Argus looked at the boy who rode the bird.
"Who are you? Do you know where you are? This is Runes Territory! Are you ready to bear the consequences of entering this area?!"
"Yeah~ yeah~, Nāgāntaka, come down!"
"Kccahhk!"
Nāgāntaka then descended from the sky and landed in front of the crowd. Taufik dismounted from Nāgāntaka's back.
"Thank you. You can go back now"
After he said that, Nāgāntaka then returned to Taufik's chest.
"!!!"
Seeing the big bird disappear into Taufik's chest, the Runes residents were shocked, Argus included. But seeing that the bird was gone, Argus felt relieved, as he had sensed something dangerous about it.
Some magicians of the Runes began discussing, trying to guess the trick behind what they had just seen.
Argus ignored the discussions of his subordinates, though he, too, was curious. However, that was not the most important matter at the moment.
Argus focused on Taufik.
"With that bird, maybe you can escape from here. However, it looks like you came here seeking death"
"Hahh? Me alone is enough to deal with all of you"
"I don't know if it's confidence or just stupidity, but why did you attack my castle?!"
Hearing that, Taufik shrugged his shoulders.
"...Just because... Man, I'm here to attack you, to kill your son, not to talk with y-"
"Σφαίρα φωτιάς!" (Fireball!)
Taufik could not finish what he wanted to say because a fireball suddenly approached him.
Seeing the fireball, Taufik simply defended by swinging his katana vertically. However, because of its speed, Argus and the others could not see what had happened, so they assumed the fireball hit Taufik hard.
*Boom!*
"Hmph! You talk too much for someone who didn't even dodge that attack"
Argus smirked, thinking the fireball had hit Taufik.
"Hahaha~, you guys... Although I said that I'm not here to talk, can you let me finish what I have to say?"
Taufik laughed as he emerged from the fog caused by the fireball.
"!!!"
Seeing that Taufik was unharmed, Argus and the rest of the magicians began chanting spells again.
"Πτερύγιο ανέμου!"
"Βελάκι νερού!"
"Γήινη σφαίρα!"
"Σφαίρα φωτιάς!"
All kinds of magic, fire, water, earth, and wind, came toward Taufik, but seeing this, Taufik remained calm and then created a shield using his Imagination Magic.
"... Aegis"
The magic attacks hit the shield but could do nothing to Taufik, who was protected by his Aegis.
Aegis was a shield used by Zeus and his daughter Athena in Greek mythology. After reading about it in a book, Taufik decided to replicate it. The shield was round, with an ornament of a woman with snake-shaped hair on its surface.
"...Enough. Let's finish this quickly"
'SwordMagic: Fire Form - Total Annihilation!'
Taufik swung his katana horizontally, unleashing a "U"-shaped sword aura made of blue fire toward Argus and his subordinates.
*Swoosh!*
Taufik's sword aura was too fast. Only Argus, a Master Realm magician, could react quickly enough to create a shield. The other magicians were not as fast, and they were instantly turned to ashes without even making a sound. The wind then blew their remains away, leaving nothing behind. Only Argus and Rijal, who were hiding behind him, survived.
Taufik's sword aura did not stop there. It continued its way toward Runes Castle.
*BOOM!*
Runes Castle was engulfed in blue flames. This special fire could incinerate anything it touched, and Runes Castle was no exception. The fire spread everywhere, burning everything until nothing was left. However, some servants managed to escape and survive.
-------
*Crack!*
Argus' shield was no ordinary shield; it was multilayered. But even that was almost destroyed by the attack.
It remained intact only because Taufik had used just 50% of his power. If he had used his full power, the entire forest ahead would have burned to ash. Although Taufik was carefree, he was still conscious of his capabilities and limits.
Argus looked around and saw only his son had survived the attack.
'What power is this? If I had been even a little late, I would have shared their fate...'
Rijal, who saw all of this, is now on the ground, pissing himself again.
"F-Father, our people, our home, e-everything is turning to ash!"
"And whose fault do you think this is? Haa!!! Looks like I have to use that. Hopefully, that can kill this monster"
Argus said, then began to chant.
Wanting to use his last resort, Taufik, who saw this, just lets him do what he does, he wants to see what he can do.
"~Ω, πού είναι ο κόσμος~"
"~ακούστε το αίτημα αυτού του ταπεινού ανθρώπου~"
"~σας ζητώ~"
"~φέρτε τον~"
"~είναι ο εραστής της καρδιάς μου~"
"~που είναι φυλακισμένος στη φυλακή της αγάπης μου~"
# A/N- "Meaning? It was a little cringe so I didn't write it, want to know? Find it out yourself, the point is it was a summon spell"
"Summon!!"
"... Hmm?"
After that, a magic circle appeared, and from it emerged a woman.
"Hahaha, watch!! This is my greatest masterpiece! With this, our family has achieved everything we have now!"
Taufik laughed a little when he heard Argus say, "What he has now."
"Pfft, what do you have now? Some ash and a son who pisses himself? Hahaha~"
Hearing that, Argus was irritated because what Taufik said was indeed true.
"...You, attack him. I want him dead"
Argus then orders the woman.
The summoned woman then strikes a pose, as if she is about to pray.
"ᛒᚢᛁᛋ ᚲᚢᚨᚾᛏ ᛁ ᛋᚢᛗᛗᛟᚾ ᚦᛖ" (By this chant, I summon thee.)
"ᛋᛈᛁᚱᛏ ᚩᚠ ᛟᛚᛞ, ᚲᚮᛗᛖ ᚠᚮᚱᛏ ᚪᚾᛞ ᛋᛖᛖ" (Spirit of old, come forth and see.)
"ᚠᚱᛟᛘ ᚠᛟᚢᛚᚾᛞ ᚦᛟᚱᚢᛗ ᛒᛟᛖᚾᛞ ᛗᛟᚱᛏᚨᛚ ᛋᛁᚷᚺᛏ" (From realms beyond the mortal sight.)
"ᚨᚾᛋᚢᚱ ᛗᛁᛋ ᚳᚢᛚᛚ ᛒᚢᚾᛞᛚᚢ ᛒᛚᛟᚢᚱᚾᛁ ᛒᛚᛟᚢᚱᛋ ᚢᚱᚾᛏ ᚠᚢᛚᚢᛋ" (Answer my call, cross the boundary between worlds.)
"ᚲᛟᛗᛖ ᚨᚾᛞ ᛒᚱᛁᚾᚷ ᛞᚨᛏᛏ ᛏᛟ ᛏᚺᛖ ᚠᚢᛚᛟᛋᚺ" (Come and bring death to the foolish.)
"ᛋᚢᛗᛗᚢᚾ" (Summon.)
After the woman finishes her chanting, which takes only three or four seconds.
Something unusual happens. The wind runs amok, black clouds gather, and lightning rampages.
The summoned woman has summoned something as well.
*Crack*
Cracks appear in the air, growing bigger and bigger. The cracks are so dark, like the abyss itself. From the abyss, something emerges, something terrifying.
Upon seeing this, the only word Taufik can say is:
"...Shit"
....
...
..
.