Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Chapter 54

After a period of time, the Imperial Academy facilities served as the stage for an unusual encounter. In the auditorium belonging to the prominent Third Circle, the student body awaited the arrival of their regular instructor from the Fourth Circle, but instead, they were received by someone completely unexpected.

“It is a true delight to be here before you.“

The person uttering those words possessed a dazzling presence, with a head of hair of a reddish tone so fiery that it was capable of captivating anyone’s gaze. It was the most preeminent fire-affinity sorcerer in all the lands, an eminence who stood at the pinnacle of the Eighth Circle: the leader of the Red Tower himself.

“…!“

The Marquis of Blood, Yurith, made an appearance in the classroom.

“On this occasion, it will be I who replaces your regular tutor for today’s session.“

Astonishment took hold of the young people, who immediately bowed their faces in a sign of absolute respect. That the highest authority of the Red Tower would deliver a lesson directly was an unimaginable distinction. What privilege could surpass that?

“A few days ago…,“

Yurith continued, maintaining a calm and measured tone of voice.

“In this precise space, a truly regrettable event occurred.“

His words were focused on the disciples of the Third Circle, those who were aware of the harsh reality that had enveloped the fate of Leonard Walter.

“……“

At that instant, Dale’s countenance turned icy.

Was he finally exposing his true intentions to the light?

What was the underlying reason for which this powerful individual had made him appear? For what purpose had he previously sent a dozen Purifiers with the mission to ambush him?

“Leonard Walter represented the ideal student that everyone here revered. Each of you strove to bow your heads, terrified at his mere presence.“

Yurith gestured pompously, opening his arms to emphasize his words.

“A miserable bug lacking the slightest magical aptitude.“

An indecipherable smile was drawn on his face, causing a chill to run through the room.

“Anyway, enough has been said about such insignificant creatures. The subject I come to develop before you on this day is…“

Yurith continued with his address without showing the slightest hesitation.

“History.“

He sketched a gesture that recalled the performances of theater actors.

“Is there anyone in this room who possesses knowledge about the Red and Black Legion?“

He was referring to that clandestine group that came to life in the times of the Unification War, established under the pretext of fostering “research and mutual support” between the Black Tower and the Red Tower.

“In the days when the Empire was waging its unification campaign, the Black Tower and the Red Tower intertwined their paths driven by a single goal, thus consolidating their alliance.“

The sinister reality regarding the brutal actions perpetrated by the Black-Red Legion began to gush without filters from Yurith’s mouth.

──Using the search for absolute knowledge and the increase of their power as a shield, they cast aside any trace of human compassion, showing their most ruthless facet.

The dark mysteries of the Red-Black Legion finally surfaced, causing the students’ faces to contort in horror at baseness capable of horrifying even the entities of the underworld.

“What is the reason for that expression of aversion on your faces?“

Yurith tilted his head, feigning innocence at the general reaction.

“Is it that those who intend to become mages under the wing of the Red Tower are limited by such mundane moral scruples?“

He spoke as if it were impossible for him to assimilate such an attitude.

“The Black Mage shared exactly that same weakness as you.“

“…!“

Yurith continued with his speech.

“Subjugated by an insignificant ethic, he chose to distance himself from the true path of knowledge.“

Dale remembered the details of that story to perfection.

Once the great armed dispute had concluded, and even having agreed to a ceasefire, the imperial crown attempted to keep the existence of such a faction under strict secrecy. Despite being a perverse corporation, the discoveries and advances they reaped through their deplorable acts were considered of such high value that they justified the danger.

However, it was Dale’s own progenitor who took the firm determination to dissolve the Red-Black Legion on his own.

That coalition that united the dark and the crimson reached its definitive conclusion, causing the memories of the Black-Red Legion to remain buried in the oblivion of the past.

“However, you, Lord Dale, belong to a completely different category.“

Yurith locked his eyes directly on the young man.

“By observing your capabilities and the goals you have reached, I manage to glimpse the qualities of the authentic ‘Master of the Black Tower’.“

“……“

“Is it not evident? All the scum that surrounds you in this place lacks the slightest genius.“

Ignoring the commotion that was generated among the rest of the students, Yurith did not stop.

“If you are compared with the vermin in this room, your aptitude for the dark arts is simply unparalleled…!“

Yurith continued.

“I have been extremely amazed at the stories of malice and severity that people associate with the so-called ‘Black Prince’.“

He extended his upper extremities adopting an extremely expressive pose.

“Destiny will inevitably guide you to position yourself at the very top of the Black Tower. Once there, you will mold and control its entire mechanism according to your own desires.“

Following that, Yurith posed a question.

“Would you be willing to collaborate with me to cement a renewed alliance between the black and red forces?“

Yurith did not interrupt his proposal.

“Would you not wish to accompany me in the search to reach the supremacy of knowledge and absolute dominion?“

At that precise instant, the interlocutor’s intentions were clear to Dale.

What Yurith truly coveted was the potential latent in Dale and the restoration of the pact between both magical factions.

“……“

The boy chose to remain silent. What would be Yurith’s reaction in case his proposal was rejected outright?

“Unfortunately for your plans.“

After meditating on it for a few brief moments, Dale contained a slight internal mockery.

“My progenitor enjoys excellent health and vitality at present, so those matters concerning times to come will have to wait.“

“Oh, there is no reason for you to worry about that detail.“

Any trace of cordiality was erased completely from Yurith’s features. At the same time, he performed a snap with his fingers.

The environment surrounding them began to distort abruptly.

Having as a point of origin the site where Yurith was standing, an alternative dimension originated by Yurith’s mind expanded, possessing great similarities with the phenomenon that Leonard had witnessed previously. However, this space did not constitute an out-of-control anomaly; it was the sophisticated psychic demarcation of a high-ranking sorcerer, totally subjugated to his guidelines and dominion.

The internal reality of the mage who ruled the Red Tower was exposed before his eyes.

The other students had disappeared completely from the scene. The space controlled by Yurith only tolerated Dale’s presence.

It was just at that moment.

Tiny white fragments started to descend from above.

Was it possible that in the thoughts of the most formidable fire sorcerer in all the territory, snowflakes typical of winter were falling? Dale contemplated with bewilderment how those elements landed on the palm of his hand, until he understood the disturbing reality.

That had no relation at all to the low seasonal temperatures.

They were residues of combustion.

A dense rain of ashes covered the firmament, descending in chaotic swirls.

The sky displayed a completely gray and inert tone. Dale moved his face to observe his surroundings and the air seemed to fail him in his lungs upon contemplating a scenario highly familiar to his memories. How would he be able to erase such a picture from his mind?

In front of him unfolded a panorama dominated by devastation and rubble.

The skeletons of colossal buildings totally destroyed. Vehicles destroyed everywhere. A landscape that evoked the aftermath of an atomic cataclysm…

A city entirely reduced to dust and residues manifested before his sight.

“…!“

“Does it not seem to you that we are before a truly imposing picture?“

Having as a background the destruction of a foreign civilization, Yurith resumed his speech. Dale, pretending not to understand the purpose of that exhibition, chose to maintain a reserved posture and not utter a single word.

“In this territory, the inhabitants raised buildings of metal that no guild of stone builders of our lands could even emulate, and winged colossi of iron threw destructive bursts that surpassed by much my own magical capabilities.“

Yurith turned his gaze toward the heights, where various bombardment ships traversed the airspace. Following that, a blinding glow burst into the confines of the horizon.

A detonation of atomic scale.

The flames of total devastation devoured the environment, while a colossal column of smoke in the shape of a mushroom rose toward the skies.

Categorizing that event as simple fire sorcery coming from a metallic creature resulted in an interpretation so erroneous that it bordered on the ridiculous.

While the force of the nuclear explosion continued to manifest with fury, a deafening clamor that seemed to break reality itself was heard. An entity of titanic proportions, whose silhouette was perfectly distinguished despite the distance, emerged from the chaos. Elongated extremities in the shape of tentacles, of multiple leagues in length, waved with excessive violence before remaining completely inert.

“Appreciate the absolute dominion of fire and metal before which even those formidable creatures ended up bowing.“

Yurith’s assertions caused Dale to have to make a great effort to contain the desire to laugh at the situation.

“That is the pinnacle of the dominion and absolute knowledge that those dedicated to the magical arts long to reach.“

“Was it to achieve this that you brought along the paladin from that other reality?“

“That individual turned out to be a complete mistake.“

Dale inquired taking the necessary precautions, receiving an icy reply from Yurith.

“He could perform adequately on the battlefield, I admit that as a war resource he worked, but he did not go beyond being a common combatant incapable of assimilating the secrets hidden behind that great dominion of fire and steel. There was no valuable learning that could be extracted from his mind.“

The urge to let out a laugh was about to betray Dale one more time. The error did not lie in the warrior brought from the other world, but in the own supreme leader of the Red Tower who stood in front of him, completely blind to reality.

“Excellent, this plays in my favor.“

In the midst of a deep internal aversion, Dale experienced how a wave of security and joy flooded his being.

That subject was in the most absolute ignorance.

He was completely unaware that the young man in front of him was the only repository of the knowledge and scientific principles of that technological civilization.

Yurith wrongly assumed that the combatant from the other reality lacked useful knowledge. From a certain perspective, his logic was correct; it was impossible to offer logical explanations to individuals who had dragged you to a completely foreign environment only to demand at the top of their lungs that you replicate “the flame spell executed by the steel ships.“

However, at the moment when Dale understood the functioning of mystical arts in this plane and how these gave life to the abstract concepts of the mind…

For someone like Dale, who had assimilated the basics of magic with total clarity, projecting mentally the functioning and effects of nuclear artifacts did not constitute an unreachable challenge.

Therefore, repressing any manifestation of mockery, Dale inquired with a serious countenance.

“Was your only purpose in bringing me to this space to propose such a deal to me? The search for the pinnacle of strength and knowledge through the reinstatement of the alliance between our respective towers?“

“Effectively.“

Yurith moved his head in a sign of assent, showing conformity to Dale’s approaches.

“Therefore, I suggest that you evaluate the situation calmly. It generates no inconvenience to me if your definitive answer arrives even after the demise of the Black Mage.“

“……“

“For someone in my position, the passing of eras is a highly relative matter.“

After manifesting that, Yurith prepared to perform a new snap with his fingers, but interrupted himself in the middle of the act.

“Oh, I almost forgot.“

Yurith turned his face suddenly, as if a last-minute thought had crossed his mind.

“I understand that Lord Walter of the Crimson Blood guards a deep desire to witness your definitive ruin.“

“…“

“In the old days, he performed functions as one of the seconds in command within the structure of the Red Black Order.“

He issued the comment with total detachment, subtracting any trace of significance from the matter.

“Likewise, know that the imperial sovereign views with good eyes that the number of individuals who possess precise information about the ‘true activities’ of the Red Black Order is reduced.“

Before the explicit mention of the highest imperial authority, Dale’s face tightened for a fraction of a second, although he managed to hide his disturbance almost immediately.

The authentic nature of the Red Black Order.

The stories that the Crimson Lord had shared with the students represented barely a minimal portion of reality. The crown would not show so much dismay if everything was reduced to simple “biological assays of extreme cruelty.“

“Of course, it would be counterproductive for a high-ranking member of our institution to be directly involved in these actions.“

A high command of the Red Tower attacking the legitimate successor of the Dark faction, who was visiting the main city for diplomatic representation purposes, would bring consequences that anyone could foresee.

“Consider this simply as an exchange of interests.“

“…“

“You are entirely free to act to leave the main city without committing to this proposal. However, if you resolve to join it…“

The Crimson Lord added, sketching a subtle and calm smile.

“I commit myself to grant you a retribution that is at the height of the circumstances.“

Finished the phrase, the Crimson Lord executed the snap with his fingers and the representation of the devastated metropolis vanished completely.

The Crimson Lord’s alternate dimension dissolved, bringing them back to the facilities of the student auditorium of the educational institution.

“We will stay in contact.“

The Crimson Lord proceeded to withdraw from the place, leaving Dale in complete solitude in the middle of the hall, holding his breath at the situation.

“……“

A prolonged and dense silence took hold of the space.

At nightfall, in the facilities of the residence assigned to the Black Heir, located in the peripheral sectors of the main city.

Dale had given instructions to his escorts to withdraw early, preparing himself to face the events agreed upon with the Crimson Lord.

He brought to his mind the images of the environment that the Crimson Lord had exposed to him hours before.

That urban landscape transformed into rubble, faithful reflection of an atomic catastrophe: a picture of a world after the end of times.

“……“

Dale pressed his teeth against his lower lip with such force that a drop of blood sprouted. At that precise instant…

Boom!

A loud detonation broke the tranquility of the environment. However, not even that roar managed to disturb the young man’s thoughts. He limited himself to sitting up from the bed slowly, demonstrating that he had remained expectant of such an event from the beginning.

“Dale!“

Simultaneously, the voice of Sephia, the experienced practitioner of the mystical arts of the sixth circle and of elf origin, was heard with force.

“Lady Sephia…“

Dale pronounced her name maintaining a subdued volume of voice.

In the path stood an individual who obstructed the way. Upon directing his gaze toward that flank, Dale recognized the subject who had been accumulating deep resentment against him, just as Marquis Eurys had warned him previously.

“That wretched offspring of the Saxon lineage who caused the misfortune of my own descendant…“

In the midst of the damage caused to the building, the veteran member of the Red Tower, a fire-affinity sorcerer belonging to the sixth circle, externalized his discontent.

It was Walter of the Crimson Blood.

Dominated by resentment, he allowed his mystical energy of reddish tone to be released violently. Dale contemplated the scene sketching a slight grimace of mockery.

That individual was completely ignorant of his condition of being a simple defenseless prey approaching the trap of a predator.

While the forces prepared to finish off the target, Sephia took the initiative by placing herself in the front.

“Stay behind me.“

With the strands of her radiant hair moving in the wind, Sephia, the elven sorceress of the sixth circle and high representative of the Blue Tower, stood firmly to protect Dale.

“There exists a commitment on my part.“

The woman manifested, turning her back to the boy.

“To guarantee your physical integrity.“

Sephia asserted, speeding up the flow of energy in her six magical circles, prepared to employ the totality of her mystical capabilities to safeguard Dale’s life.

“So it is true that the high hierarchy of the Blue Tower has chosen to support the interests of the Saxon lineage,” Walter manifested with a tone loaded with contempt.

“It lacks relevance. Counting on the approval of the Crimson Lord, there will be no living soul that manages to frustrate my purposes.“

Upon perceiving such declarations, it was impossible for Dale to contain a gesture of mockery. The total blindness of that subject regarding his condition as a dispensable piece on the board resulted in a highly comical fact.

“Stay calm, Dale.“

“… I thank you.“

Sephia expressed, receiving as a response only a smiling gesture from Dale.

Both scholars of the mystical arts, representatives of the currents of fire and water, finally proceeded to deploy the reach of their respective magical dimensions.