Chapter 84

“Stop immediately!”

An unknown light seeped from the magic circle like lava flowing. The unpleasant red light slithered up Vivian’s ankle like a snake searching for prey.

Death.

The aura that had overshadowed Vivian’s mother when she was 11 years old now gripped her ankle.

“A-Aitor!”

Vivian felt something being sucked away by the light creeping up her ankle. It was a fear so overwhelming that she wanted to cling to anyone and beg for her life, a feeling far from pleasant even as a joke.

“You’d better not move. The moment you try to leave this magic circle, you’ll die, Young Lady.”

As Aitor clenched his fist tightly, Tristan, who had been laughing vilely, looked down at Vivian. Shocked by the red light, Vivian twisted her body fiercely to escape Tristan’s grasp, but at his words, she stopped moving as if in resignation and began to breathe heavily in fear.

Hell’s Guardian.

That was the name of the magic circle drawn beneath Vivian’s feet. It was a dark magic that slowly drained the life force of the person inside it.

Once the magic was activated, no one but the wizard who cast it could stop it.

No one could enter or leave the magic circle. It was like a guardian protecting prey that had entered hell.

This dark magic couldn’t be completed in an instant. Seeing the magic circle, Aitor had to swallow the curses rising within him.

“Hell’s Guardian will also gnaw away at your life force.”

Vivian, who was gasping, looked up at Aitor at the sound of his voice filled with anger. Seeing Aitor suppressing his fury, Vivian realized he too was in a difficult position and blinked slowly, trying to swallow her anxiety.

“Do you think I would have done this without being prepared to die?”

Tristan’s voice seemed distant to Vivian.

“…What do you want?”

At Aitor’s words, Tristan smiled contentedly and glanced at Vivian, who was struggling to stay conscious. Then he looked back at Aitor and spoke.

“Make sure the Mage Tower stops pursuing me.”

At Tristan’s words, Aitor looked at Vivian, who was trembling with fear.

Vivian, terrified, was on the verge of losing consciousness. Seeing her in such a state, Aitor clenched his fist tightly.

“That’s not something I can do.”

Tristan snorted at Aitor’s words.

“It’s your job to make it possible.”

Tristan tightened his grip on Vivian and shook her roughly. Vivian, whose hands were bound, was so pale that it wouldn’t have been surprising if she collapsed at any moment.

“And prepare the money. About 15,000 darchs in gold coins should do.”

Aitor clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, and his breath grew ragged with anger.

The amount Tristan demanded was equivalent to a small kingdom’s annual budget. He was demanding such a large sum without batting an eye.

Aitor bit his lower lip to suppress the curses threatening to escape. Blood soon oozed from his plump lower lip.

Zero was still circling the magic circle, sniffing the ground with his fur bristling.

“Come on. There’s not much time left. If you just stand there, the young lady will die soon.”

The magic circle, which had paused, began to flicker again as if urging Aitor.

As the approaching red light made Vivian struggle again, a laugh echoed.

It was laughter.

Aitor burst into laughter as he saw the red light emanating from Tristan’s Hell’s Guardian magic circle. 

Vivian, who had been struggling against the approaching light, and Tristan, who held her tightly to prevent her from moving, both looked at Aitor.

Aitor covered his mouth as if trying to suppress his laughter and lowered his head. However, he couldn’t hide the constant shaking of his shoulders, and Tristan let out a scoff.

“Are you crazy?”

At Tristan’s words, Aitor looked up.

His face was flushed, as if he had genuinely been holding back laughter. Aitor dabbed at the tears welling in his eyes with his sleeve and shook his head.

“Ha ha. Ah. Ahem. Sorry.”

Still unable to suppress his laughter, Aitor took a deep breath and exhaled. Vivian, puzzled by Aitor’s behavior, held her breath and stared at him.

Aitor met Vivian’s eyes and nodded slightly, as if to reassure her. As soon as he nodded, Aitor’s golden hair began to flutter in a breeze from an unknown source.

“Don’t play games!”

Tristan shouted at Aitor. The light of Hell’s Guardian, which had paused at Aitor’s laughter, began to ripple again.

“You seem to be mistaken about something…”

Aitor smiled at Tristan. At Aitor’s dangerous, madness-tinged smile, Tristan flinched and took a step back.

“You messed with someone you shouldn’t have.”

As soon as he said that, a strong wind began to blow around Aitor. Zero, who had been prowling around the Hell’s Guardian magic circle, leaped away to a safe distance.

As soon as Zero landed safely, an even stronger wind whipped around Aitor.

“N-no way… That’s impossible.”

Tristan muttered as he looked at Aitor.

Vivian couldn’t even begin to guess what was happening. The warning sounds in her head grew louder.

Then, the wind swirling around Aitor suddenly stopped.

As the wind ceased, Aitor looked at Tristan and smiled.

‘Whirr.’

An unknown sound was heard, and light began to rise from the floor where Aitor stood. The light gradually expanded its reach.

As the expanding light collided with the magic circle Tristan had created, a tremendous impact sound echoed, followed by a whirlwind.

Vivian braced herself against the sudden gust to avoid falling, but she couldn’t hold on and eventually collapsed.

The whirlwind gradually lost its intensity. And soon after, it disappeared without a trace, as if it had never been.

As the wind vanished, Vivian opened her tightly shut eyes. And she couldn’t close her mouth at the sight before her.

“How… how is this possible?”

Tristan staggered greatly as he looked at the magic circle beneath Aitor.

The dark magic, Hell’s Gatekeeper, which Tristan had drawn to threaten Vivian as a hostage, was now mirrored by an identical magic circle where Aitor stood.

“You look really curious about how I can use this magic.”

Aitor looked at Tristan with his hands in his pockets.

“It’s simple. You must have created it with the help of high-purity magic stones over several days. I just copied what you made.”

Tristan’s eyes shook violently.

“Even without the help of magic stones, without having to draw a complex magic circle by hand! There’s no reason I can’t do what a lowly wizard like you can.”

As Aitor finished speaking, a darker light than what Tristan had created began to flow between the magic circles.

“If you use magic so recklessly, you won’t be safe either!”

“Do you think I care about that? I told you, you messed with the wrong person.”

Aitor took a step toward Tristan and Vivian. As he did, the magic circles created by Tristan and Aitor collided.

‘Crackle.’

The collision created sparks. Vivian curled up and raised her arms to shield her face.

“What are you doing!”

Tristan shouted as he crouched to avoid falling. But Aitor paid no heed and took another step closer.

“What happens when identical magic circles collide?”

At Aitor’s words, Tristan bit his lower lip with a hardened expression. His slightly hunched shoulders began to tremble with anger.

“Only the strong survive.”

Vivian finally understood why Aitor had created a magic circle identical to Tristan’s.

Even to Vivian, who knew nothing about magic, there was a clear difference between the Hell’s Guardians created by Tristan and Aitor.

Aitor’s Hell’s Guardians emitted a darker, stickier, more ominous light.

“Isn’t it funny? Even in the world of wizards, who are supposed to be the smartest, it’s all about survival of the fittest.”

Aitor let out a small laugh and took another step forward, causing another massive sound of rupture and sparks. Vivian instinctively closed her eyes. Breathing heavily, she opened her eyes again, her entire body tingling with a shiver.

The red light created by Tristan and the red light created by Aitor were entangled and fighting each other.

Aitor’s power was overwhelming. Aitor’s Guardian trampled and devoured Tristan’s Guardian.

Above Vivian’s head, she heard Tristan’s groan.

When she looked up, Tristan was grimacing with all his might, his body tense. Sweat dripped from his face and fell onto his trembling, thin legs.

“Why don’t you give up now?”

In contrast, Aitor, who smiled at Tristan, who was desperately holding on, seemed unfazed. He appeared more relaxed, as if he were merely out for a stroll.

Vivian gathered strength in her legs. She tried to stand up by pressing against the floor, but lacking strength, she fell back down.

Hitting her trembling legs with her fist, Vivian looked at Tristan and Aitor.

Tristan, who seemed about to collapse at any moment, wasn’t paying attention to Vivian. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he couldn’t.

If Tristan’s magic circle collapsed as it was, Vivian thought she needed to distance herself from him immediately and gathered strength in her legs again.

As she struggled to stand, Vivian turned her head away from the sparks that flared up again.

Then she met the eyes of Zero, who had been watching from afar with a sharp gaze until just a moment ago. And at that moment, Vivian felt as if Zero was speaking to her.

‘Wait. When the opportunity comes, I’ll come to rescue you.’

Vivian unknowingly nodded at Zero.

‘Crackle!’

Vivian, who was inching away from Tristan with trembling legs, lost her balance as a loud roar and a strong gust of wind blew in.

As she staggered, she couldn’t open her eyes due to the dust flying with the wind.

“Ugh!”

Unable to see ahead and with the wind whipping around her, Vivian braced herself, expecting to hit the ground.

“Zero?”

When the pain she was waiting for didn’t come, Vivian opened her eyes to find Zero supporting her, preventing her from falling.

As Vivian opened her eyes, Zero tugged at her dress hem with his teeth, pulling her along. As she was dragged along by Zero, Vivian’s eyes widened.