Fight Harder

For over a hundred years, since Ivan first started his journey as a mage, he couldn't remember the last time something had been able to penetrate his skin.

He was the rising prodigy!

Undefeated by anyone in his league!

But today, he was brought down by a nobody, a non-mage who looked like he would fall over at the slightest touch. That could not stand.

Ivan could spot Heart walking closer to him.

How he was able to get here this fast was something Ivan didn't care about; this man had to die!

Ivan slowly got up, ignoring the pain caused by the sword still lodged into his body. The sword began to shake and shot out of Ivan's stomach and back into Heart's grasp.

Ivan released a grunt from the sharp pain that action caused and used his hand to try to stop the blood flowing out of the cut, but that was futile. He was losing blood fast.

A blue glow gleamed from Ivan's hand holding the wound, and the sound of searing flesh could be heard as he channeled his mana to cauterize the wound.

When he removed his hand a few seconds later, all that remained was a scar, which Ivan knew would heal if he rested for a while to let the mana in his body circulate.

Heart looked unfazed, just standing there watching Ivan.

"I don't know how you did that," Ivan said as he dusted himself off, "But you are going to wish that attack killed me."

Lightning flowed up and down Ivan's body, and his eyes glowed a bright light blue.

In the next second, a deafening thunderclap was heard. The sound was so loud that it shattered all nearby glass!

Ivan completely disappeared from his position and could now be seen a few meters behind Heart.

There was something in his grasp…

Just one look at Heart and it was clear that something crucial was missing… his head!

Blood gushing from the cut, Ivan held Heart's head up to match its lifeless gaze. Currents of electricity flowed into the head from Ivan's hand and it exploded, blasting blood and brain matter all over him.

This was the power of a rank 7 mage ranked in the top 100 of the most powerful organization in the world.

Ivan turned to Heart's still standing headless body with a stoic expression on his face.

His expression quickly turned to one of shock when that headless body turned to him and began running towards him, frantically waving the sword in its grasp!

Without wasting any time, Ivan shot out a bolt of lightning from his arm, and Heart's body exploded the moment it made contact. The sword flew in the air before it stabbed into the ground, letting it stand upright.

Ivan released a sigh before tapping on the agency's emblem on his chest and a holographic display appeared. After fiddling with it a bit, Ivan could hear a voice.

"Glad to know you're alive, Captain," a female voice said.

"Glad to know you're alive too, Shirley," Ivan smiled.

"I can imagine you're calling because you've handled your situation. But I have to say, isn't that a lot of damage for one man?" Ivan could hear the clacking sounds of keyboard keys as she spoke.

Shirley was one of the many operators that the agency employed to aid in handling menial tasks that mages were too busy to do. Such as, in this case, damage assessment and containment.

"It's only been 5 minutes, how do you know about that already?" Ivan asked in surprise.

"Reports started flooding in since the guy was spotted, but since I knew you were close by, I gave out a notification to the local branch not to engage because I trusted you would rush over, and you did," Shirley explained.

Ivan sighed, "Ok, Shirley. What do we know about this guy?"

"Unfortunately nothing, what were you able to find?"

"Apart from the fact that he is a non-mage and was able to not only take me by surprise but injure me, nothing more," Ivan said.

"A non-mage was able to injure you?" Shirley's voice was full of disbelief.

"You heard me," Ivan affirmed.

"That's… intriguing."

"I'm aware," Ivan responded. "I think it had something to do with the sword he held. Can you find anything on it?"

"I am already running analysis on it, but there are too many files in AetherGuard's database, so it will take a while," Shirley informed.

"Alright, send them to me when you're done."

"You might have forgotten, but you're suspended. I can't offer services beyond this," Shirley said.

Ivan scratched his chin as he chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I totally forgot about that."

"In the meantime, could you bring in the sword?" Shirley asked.

"Sure, Shirley. I can do that," Ivan said and turned towards the sword.

"I'll let the local branch know that you—"

"Uhm, Shirley?," Ivan interrupted her.

"Yeah?"

"I have a feeling I won't be bringing the sword in too soon," Ivan said.

"What? Why?"

"Because someone else has it."

A robust figure had emerged on the scene, his muscular frame dominating the space around him. His irises, devoid of pupils, were a stark white, a chilling sight that hinted at an otherworldly presence.

Reaching down to his knees, long white hair swayed as he moved. Like Heart, no traces of mana emanated from him, yet an ominous aura enveloped him, commanding caution.

In his grasp, he held the sword with an air of familiarity, as though it was an extension of his own being. The atmosphere around this mystifying figure hinted at a power that surpassed conventional understanding, prompting Ivan to tread carefully in his presence.

The man took in a deep breath, and a smile formed on his face as he exhaled.

"Finally," he spread his arms to his side, "I am free."

"And who might you be?" Ivan asked.

The man's attention moved to Ivan, and the smile on his face disappeared.

"You are the child who defeated Heart? Well, it was to be expected, the heart has always been weak," the man said.

"Child?" Ivan had his brow raised.

"Well no matter," the man brandished the sword. "I'll kill you in his stead."

Ivan immediately had his guard raised when he heard those words, but before his next thought could form, he saw the blade of the sword mid-swing, a few inches away from his face!

The man had appeared in front of him all of a sudden and was swinging the sword down with the aim to cleave him in half!

Ivan tapped his foot on the ground, and in an instant, a mystical symbol glowed on the ground, intricate lines and symbols interweaving in an entrancing dance of arcane energy.

The magic circle gave off a soft, otherworldly light, casting a captivating glow in the surrounding space. Symbols representing various elements and mystical forces adorned its circumference, forming a harmonious pattern that hinted at the unseen power it contained. The air around the circle seemed charged with an energy both ancient and potent, creating an aura of mysticism and wonder.

Just before the sword could reach him, Ivan disappeared, and the sword, with a loud bang, crashed into the ground, completely missing its target.

The man looked up at Ivan, who was now on the periphery of the magic circle, his open palm outstretched towards him.

"«Mana field: eternal sky dragon»"

The colossal magic circle glowed with vibrant energy, intricate patterns pulsating with arcane power. Suddenly, the air crackled with an intense presence, and the magic circle unleashed its might.

From the heart of the mystical symbol, a massive spectral dragon emerged, its scales shimmering with a radiant blue glow. With wings that spanned wide and claws that gleamed like ethereal crystals, the dragon surged forth with incredible speed.

In its mighty jaws, the dragon trapped the man, who struggled futilely against the spectral force. The dragon ascended into the sky, leaving the ground in a blur. As it soared high above the city, the dragon's form expanded, its spectral tail sweeping through the air.

With a thunderous roar, the dragon released a surge of energy, creating a colossal explosion that shattered the clouds in the sky. The shockwave rippled through the atmosphere, causing tall buildings to quake and shrink in height as the powerful force cascaded downwards.

The once-clouded sky cleared, revealing the aftermath of the dragon's release—a transformed cityscape, where the structures stood diminished in the wake of the magical explosion, and a lingering sense of awe filled the air.

"What's going on?!" Shirley's voice sounded from the agency's emblem on Ivan's chest.

Ivan had his attention up above the city where a lone figure was falling down at fast speeds.

The figure landed with a loud crash a few meters in front of Ivan. The wind generated from the impact blew away all the surrounding rubble.

The dust screen cleared to reveal the man standing there proudly with the sword still tight in his grasp. A wide grin on his face.

"REJOICE MORTAL!," the man suddenly screamed, "I HAVE DEEMED YOU WORTHY OF BEING MY WARM UP!"

"Shirley," Ivan called out calmly.

"I'm here."

"I want you to send out an evacuation order. Zone 5 is no longer safe until I take out this threat," Ivan stated.

"On it, Captain. Should I put out requests for reinforcements?" Shirley asked.

"No…" Ivan responded.

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck down right next to Ivan, leaving a figure in its wake.

"I already have one," Ivan added.

"Hello, Captain. It seems you got into some trouble," the figure said with a smile.

This figure, proudly wearing the AetherGuard uniform, was none other than a member of Tempest Vanguard and Ivan's one and only student, Calder Falkenshield!

"Trouble is the last thing I would describe this as," Ivan replied.

"I sensed your mana signature flair and knew you were in battle so I rushed over. I would never miss an opportunity to learn from my teacher," Calder said as he took on a fighting stance.

"FIGHT ME!" The man shouted at Ivan.

"Well, he's lost his mind," Calder commented.

"He isn't the first crazy person I've fought today, unfortunately," Ivan said as he took on a fighting stance as well.

The man suddenly threw the sword at both of them. Calder kicked the sword away when it came within his range before running towards the man.

As Calder took a few steps forward, the man appeared right in front of him, grabbing his face and slamming him to the ground!

'He's fast!' Calder thought as he felt his head being buried into the ground from the force.

BZZT! BOOM!

A lightning bolt struck the man dead center on his chest, and he flew away from the impact. The man crashed hard, and before he could stabilize himself, Ivan appeared above him and threw out a fist, but the man grabbed his forearm and slammed him into the ground before throwing him into the distance!

Ivan tried to stabilize himself as he landed, and he slid on the ground before coming to a halt. Something crashed in front of him, and the dust screen cleared to reveal the man holding out his open palm faced at him.

He immediately went on guard, but it was already too late as the sword ripped through the right side of his chest from behind and entered the man's grasp!

Ivan wheezed for air as he watched blood flow out of his chest. He looked up to see the man walking slowly towards him with the tip of the sword creating a trail behind him.

The man held Ivan by his throat and looked him in his eyes.

"Fight harder. I don't want you to die so easily."