CHAPTER 258: MAGUS ARCH

After all of that was done, with the majority of bets against Vacuse, everyone that was still in the actual training ground made of enchanted black stone was sent back, leaving only the two fighters to remain.

The enchanted stone of the training ground was activated, and a shield of sparkling gold snapped into place around them, stopping the others from interfering as well as blocking their clash from spilling over.

Magus Arch hesitated as he stared at Vacuse at the other end. "Are you really going to do this?"

Vacuse smirked and cast his senses into the void to check on Sivan, whom he had told to be powering up. "Yes, I am. Are you?"

Magus Arch sighed. He realized that nothing he did would change Vacuse’s mind. Maybe he would just have to beat it out of him. "Very well."

Magus Arch was a Light Magus. He could manipulate light. So when he said his last word, he had already cast a spell that made him travel at an almost instant speed to appear around Vacuse to give him a serious beating that should change his mind immediately.

But things didn’t quite go as he wanted.

Because Vacuse himself was ready for something like that, and the assassins he fought in the tunnel had given him an idea of how dangerous instant speed was.

He had already manifested his little domain around him. A circular pool of darkness had spread around him so that when Magus Arch appeared, he was instantly caught in it, and his speed slowed down considerably.

Vacuse didn’t let go of the opportunity.

He turned, his hand covered in draconic energy that buzzed around his fist like angry monster bees. He put lots of energy into his fist and then punched the Magus in the stomach without holding back.

Bam!

The punch hit like lightning to the gut, and Magus Arch doubled over, gasping and spitting shocked saliva as he was sent skidding over the training ground.

He rolled on the ground for a while before he came to a painful stop. Magus Arch picked himself up from the ground, his hand on his stomach and his face filled with disbelief.

He’d never seen a second circle punch that hard—and so painfully too. His intestines were all twisted up! It was as if he had been punched by a third circle. And what was the deal with that pool of darkness? It had interfered with his spell as if it wanted to break it entirely!

"I told you. Don’t hold back," Vacuse said from his place with a smug look on his face.

Suddenly, Magus Arch wasn’t feeling like holding back anymore. He couldn’t remember ever being humiliated by someone a whole circle below his own, and he decided he didn’t want it to happen ever again. He growled, "Alright!"

The atmosphere that had been peaceful earlier suddenly grew heavy with tension.

Magus Arch raised both hands to gesture in strange mystic symbols and at the same time spat out some spells. The space around him grew warmer and brighter before, in the next moment, light began to pour around him, solidifying into armor that covered every inch of his body.

All the hunters who saw this were stunned. Isn’t that the battle form of Magus Arch? Why was he using a spell like that to fight a second-circle Magus?

What exactly was happening now?

Vacuse’s eyes glowed. "Now... it begins!"

Before he even finished speaking, a beam of scorching light appeared and shot at Vacuse, cutting through the air with a blaze!

Vacuse immediately created and raised his umbrella in a single smooth breath.

But that was only a distraction!

Without moving an inch, Magus Arch made a grasping motion with his right hand as if he were trying to hold something—and he did hold something!

A great sword that was the entire length of the training ground!

He raised it up, the shield expanding to accommodate it, and when he brought it down, the training ground shook and cracked even before the sword hit.

Vacuse felt a great pressure come down on him, and he raised his umbrella, switching all of his power to defense. Just like he always did when fighting, he had already converted nearly all his void energy into his umbrella, so when the sword of light eventually slashed down at him, only his hands trembled and his legs shook as they drilled into the stone ground.

A straight gash had torn into the ground from Vacuse to the Magus who used the attack.

Magus Arch was stunned. "He blocked my sword of light? But that’s not something he should be able to do!"

Vacuse folded back his umbrella and grimaced. "That’s a nasty spell you have there, Arch. I wonder if I could do something like that."

Vacuse remembered a time ago when he used his void as if it were water, molding it as he wanted. He had created a large finger that pointed down at Captain Amros and ended their duel. But now, he mostly used his void energy to empower himself.

Magus Arch’s face darkened. It was one thing for a second circle to have some tricks up his sleeve, but wasn’t this just a little too much?

How strong was this second circle exactly... a prodigy who could punch straight through his rank to those above him in such a merciless way?

The thing was, Magus Arch himself was considered something of a genius with his light manipulation powers.

He gritted his teeth when he heard Vacuse wonder if he could do the same spell that he had just used.

"Dream on!" he shouted.

Then he raised his hand and made more gestures. Suddenly, the training ground lit up, and forceful winds sprang up all around them.

Another one of his light greatswords appeared, sending pressure across the training ground. Then another appeared. And another. And another until five hovered in the air.

The pressure that bore down was so strong that it made the shield tremble. Even those beyond the training ground felt it, and they shifted back.

Things had turned serious.