Legacy of the Dark Sage



Cade frowned at Ruin's words. He immediately understood that the latter referred to the plates as an 'annoying prick' because it was no longer the plates.

Just as Cade realized this, the plates spun in a coordinated manner at an alarming speed. Their spinning created a vortex-like effect which soon distorted the space around it. Finally, a silhouette in black and white appeared.

It was none other than Obstruction!

Kyran saw this from the corner of his eye and immediately directed his thoughts at True Void.

'True Void!'

True Void, who had just completed absorbing 'Obstruction,' was startled at Kyran's call. He had been preoccupied that he did not notice. Obstruction created an escape route using the plates as the medium.

Nevertheless, in order not to alarm True Void, Obstruction left an essence, and that had been 'what' the latter had been absorbing all this time.

Even without Kyran telling him what had happened, True Void immediately noticed Obstruction's presence and knew he had failed.

That was right.

A few minutes back, Kyran asked him to keep one of the Sovereigns busy while he dealt with the other. He also told him that it would be for the best if he could 'absorb' that Sovereign.

Obviously, Kyran was asking for the impossible when he spoke of the latter.

Nevertheless, True Void knew it was not completely impossible. The only reason it was considered impossible was that his target was a Sovereign— an existence at the top of the chain in the Lower Realm.

Sovereigns definitely possessed several tricks up their sleeve. They would resist and might have a way to counter True Void's absorption ability. Even if they did not have a way to counter him, or resist his ability, the amount of their magic energy was vast, like the ocean. It would take time for True Void to absorb it completely.

[Gah! When did he—, change me into something else, Void Halflimg! I can't move properly in this form!]

However, Kyran was no longer listening because Obstruction had started summoning a huge space distortion in the sky.

Ruin lazily looked at the forming distortion above, drawing, "Aw~ come on. Are you planning to leave? I just arrived!"

"Do not meddle in our affairs, Ruin."

Flos warned as several thick tentacle-like red vines emerged on the ground and wriggled threateningly around the periphery of Ruin's red pillar of light.

"We have things to settle here, and it involved the Radical Order. As someone who does not plan on participating in the coming War of the Sovereigns, stay down."

Flos mentioned the Radical Order just to let Ruin know that if he did something to stop them, then it would not only be Flos and Obstruction who would be after Ruin but the whole faction.

"The buzz in my head is quite annoying," Ruin snorted again in response to Flos's warning.

The temperature around Flos dropped significantly. Obviously, he did not like Ruin's attitude toward him.

Still ignoring Flos, Ruin turned his attention back to Kyran and said, "You know, I came here to help. But it looks like its no longer necessary."

Kyran knew at once that Nolan made a deal with Ruin so he could come and help them. That was likely the answer Nolan came up with to meddle in the affairs of the Human plane, albeit indirectly.

Nevertheless, Kyran could not trust Ruin. As far as he knew, this guy would only make a move if he could gain something.

Ruin was a rogue. He would never do things that would not benefit him.

"So, Dark Sage," Ruin started, his smile turning mischievous. "Though the situation seems under control, that prick Obstruction is about to do something really really scary.

"Do you still need my help—?"

Even before Ruin finished speaking, Flos and Obstruction did not stop their plan.

The distortion in the sky immediately increased in size as the whole surroundings crackled with the immense magic fluctuation it emitted.

At the same time, Flos spread his arms, and the thick tentacle-like red vines shot upward.

However, instead of going after Ruin, which others believed Flos would do, the red vines darted away from the red pillar of light and shot straight at Cyneah and Stella.

On the other hand, Kyran also moved when he sensed Flos was about to make a move. He warped at a reasonable distance in front of Stella and Cyneah while simultaneously taking out the two black swords. He wielded the sword and slashed at the incoming red vines.

'True Void!' he called yet again and willed True Void to turn into a huge Void Armor.

[Ack! You and your poor imagination!]

True Void complained. However, compared to turning into the Macabre Glacier, he preferred turning into an armor. Besides, now that he was in his real body, he did not have to be stingy in size!

Lines appeared on the surface of True Void's Macabre Glacier body, and in a blink of an eye, these lines turned into several millions of cubes that shifted and whirred, rearranging themselves before finally turning into a Void Armor.

However, this time, True Void looked more majestic with a huge frame, and his color was in different shades of purple— with dark purple being his body's dominant color.

Previously, his color had been dark blue and purple in his miniature armor form because that was the shape-shifting plates' color.

Before True Void completed his transformation, he already initiated a warp. He disappeared and reappeared right below the space distortion.

As soon as he appeared, he spread his hands, and a Void vortex began to form right above his huge palms. He then raised them toward the distortion, and a powerful repelling force started between them.

Cade, who had stopped in his tracks after Ruin's arrival, felt a chill run down his spine when he sensed the magic fluctuation forming from the Void vortex and the Space distortion.

Because he had received Azaloth's inheritance, Cade was now far more insightful in observing the magic energies in the surroundings.

Judging by the fluctuation that started to gather from the influence of the vortex and the distortion, the thin veil that separated the Human plane from the 'outside' would be ripped apart. When that happened, a suction-like force would appear from that rip, and everything close to it would be pulled in!

"Stop! You're going to destroy the veil!" Cade warned True Void. He moved once more, wanting to stop the latter directly.

Kyran, who had only sensed his father's arrival, saw the latter rushing between True Void and the Space distortion.

Before he could shout out a warning, he sensed something was amiss from how the fluctuation gathered around True Void and the distortion. It did not take long for him to realize what would happen if True Void continued with what he was doing.

'True Void! Don't destroy the distortion like that!'

[What? What? Not destroyed the distortion like 'that'? What, that? I'm only planning to assimilate and absorb the distortion into the vortex!]

'That's what I meant about 'that'! Stop!'

It was at that moment that Ruin spoke, and his words reverberated in the air, letting all of them hear him.

"Ha~, even when I have come to help, you still like to ignore me. Now I'm getting a little pissed."

Kyran's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ruin.

Ruin immediately chuckled when he saw Kyran looking at him, "Got your attention there, huh? But too late."

His expression suddenly turned grave as his magic pressure erupted. After that, a red pillar of light shot down from the sky and aimed at the distortion in the sky.

SHATTER!

The distortion shattered instantly, and Obstruction spat out a mouthful of blood.

After that, the shattered distortion actually opened a rift in the Human plane's sky. It was only a small one, but it grew at an alarming size in the blink of an eye as another red pillar of light descended from the crack.

True Void, who had stopped what he was doing after Kyran warned him, was shocked at this sudden turn of events. He immediately retreated because he knew what would happen when those rifts expanded to a certain size.

However, even when he had already warped away, as soon as he reappeared, he realized a powerful suction force was pulling him back.

Then, he noticed the rift had already grown and that a suction force started to suck everything within its vicinity.

"We need to repair that rift!" Cade shouted as he landed and buried his legs in the ground to prevent himself from getting sucked into the rift. He also summoned several layers of his magic from underground and had them clamp his feet in place.

Meanwhile, when Obstruction saw the rift, he was suddenly struck by an idea.

"Flos!" He shouted as he telepathically conveyed his intent to Flos.

Flos did not dally after hearing Obstruction's intention. He immediately flew toward the rift and even let himself be sucked in.

Kyran, who heard his father, immediately willed True Void to change form.

But before the latter could change, a huge explosion occurred on the rift.

BOOM!

Crackle! Crackle!

It was then followed by crackling sounds as the 'veil' that separated the Human plane's sky from the outside crackled. Then a huge distortion occurred as the powerful suction force of the rift intensified.

The distortion looked like a huge vortex that sucked in everything around it.

"Damn it!" Kyran gritted his teeth, and instead of turning True Void into something that could block the rift, he willed the latter to turn into a huge sword and let him pierce himself to the ground.

"V-Void Halfling! What are you doing? Oi! Oi! Why are you taking my magic energy!" True Void complained as he realized his magic energy was leaving his body and rushing toward Kyran.

It was quite a spectacle since Kyran's location was opposite the suction force. Nevertheless, the rift failed to suck True Void's magic energy.

On the other hand, Kyran landed on the ground and roused his Void magic. He began to create a huge barricade to cover the rift. 

Cade also assisted him by reinforcing the barricade with his Obsidian magic.

Ruin burst out in laughter, seeing this scene.

"Ah~, Obstruction. So this is how you plan on 'obstructing' my fun."

"No. This is how I plan on completing our objective!"

A distortion suddenly appeared behind Cyneah, who was barely conscious.

Kyran, sensing this, felt his blood turn cold. He looked toward Cyneah and saw Obstruction appear from the distortion. With swift movements, he then pulled her into the distortion.

Seeing this, Kyran could only turn to the person closest to Cyneah.

"Stella!"

However.

Stella only watched Obstruction in silence.

It was then that Kyran finally understood what Stella had told him earlier.

She did not say those words because she had Cyneah come. She said those because of this moment.

"I'm sorry."

'No.'

Kyran's mind went blank.