Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 995

Chapter 995

Before the other finished speaking, the mad doppelganger was already pushing his disciple aside.

Waiting until words were finished to exchange moves in a fair duel only happened in stories.

Real mages' duels began with ambushes and schemes.

"Ti..."

As he began to chant a spell to strike first, the mad doppelganger felt something off.

Since the mad doppelganger and skull principal shared the same roots, they could somewhat predict each other's thoughts.

There was no way the skull principal wouldn't be preparing to strike first when he himself was trying to do so.

...Could it be?

-Too late. Bagrak!-

At the skull principal's thunderous command, Professor Boladi appeared behind the doppelganger.

The professor held a sword in his hand. The transparent blade reminiscent of glass emitted an alien aura in all directions, as if proving it wasn't of this world.

Then a sharp sound of flesh being cut rang out. Professor Boladi thrust his sword like lightning before the mad doppelganger could react.

Aiming for the vital points of the neck, heart, and lungs in order, Professor Boladi didn't stop.

Even in such an advantageous situation, a simple mistake could reverse the tide. That's how powerful the opponent was.

Professor Boladi tried to decisively neutralize the opponent using the power of the small world he had currently activated.

The sword given by the skull principal was a magic sword that condensed concepts from another realm into weapon form.

It was a suitable weapon for neutralizing a thought entity that couldn't be defeated by ordinary physical damage, but no matter how sharp a sword was, if the wielder's skill was poor, it couldn't even cut paper.

As Professor Boladi gauged his remaining strikes, he heard his disciple's shout.

"Professor! Please wait a moment!"

Professor Boladi paused his attack for an instant.

The mad doppelganger immediately regained his strength. The surrounding space distorted strangely and drove away the ambusher.

Realizing the surprise attack had failed, Professor Boladi abandoned his lingering thoughts and obediently retreated by leaping through realms.

-Are you really my disciple?!?!!?-

The skull principal was so dumbfounded that he turned to Professor Boladi who had returned to his side and got angry.

Though the skull principal usually used honorifics for professors with that title (except Professor Verduus) even if they were Einroguard students, this time he was so dumbfounded he forgot even that.

No matter what, for his own disciple to stop because he asked to stop.

"I apologize."

-Is an apology enough for this?! Are you really Bagrak?!-

He hadn't brought Professor Garcia for fear she might act weakly, but to think the trusted Bagrak would make such a mistake.

"...You prepared quite thoroughly."

The mad doppelganger spoke as if spitting out the words.

It was a sharp attack that would have sealed him if not for his disciple's shout.

"That sword is..."

-A sword refined from concepts to directly strike at existence. Consider it an honor. A year's budget for the territory was spent just to cast that sword once.-

Despite escaping the other's prepared trump card, the mad doppelganger's expression wasn't bright.

The skull principal's attitude showed absolute confidence.

It meant he was prepared enough not to care even if a move like that didn't work.

-Truly monsters beyond monsters.-

The hamster squeaked, completely overwhelmed.

Thanks to the lingering effects of the wine, Yi-Han could grasp what had just happened using his dramatically increased wisdom.

First, Professor Boladi's ambush wasn't ordinary invisibility magic but spatial movement magic using realms.

Even setting Yi-Han aside, there were several great mages here (though one was in hamster form), so it would be impossible to deceive all their senses with invisibility magic.

He must have set spatial coordinates in advance, had the professor wait in a sub-realm, and sent a signal to ambush.

But though he could guess the general method, he had no idea how it was implemented.

'Other realms aren't places that can be conveniently used as passages for spatial movement like that. Are there realms that can be used as mages wish like that?'

While he could at least guess the general method for the ambush, he couldn't even guess the method for the magic sword.

To think they extracted concepts to make a sword.

"It seems you didn't heed royalty's warning. Are you confident you won't regret it even if the territory is destroyed?"

The mad doppelganger spoke while drawing up magic.

Originally he had been prepared to commit suicide, but that only had meaning if decided on his own.

Moreover, being sealed by a mere doppelganger wasn't even worth discussing.

Even if it was the magic tower his disciple belonged to, the mad doppelganger had no intention of breaking his word.

The duel had begun from the moment the skull principal violated non-aggression and approached.

And that duel would destroy everything nearby.

-Even if I don't say it, you must guess.-

The skull principal's words were chillier than any threat.

The mad doppelganger instinctively realized.

As the skull principal was also a being resembling himself, he wouldn't have recklessly come without any countermeasures.

-Look outside.-

With those words, all the surrounding debris was cleared away and the cave disappeared. The open view of the mountain range and Einroguard below it came into sight.

And the strange curtain of dreams covering it all.

"You've spread a unique world over the entire territory?"

-That's right.-

The skull principal answered calmly.

There was no need to explain how much preparation and cost this great magic required.

The mad doppelganger nodded seeing the curtain that turned any damage into dreams.

"Quite excellent. This is magic unknown to royalty."

-I suppose so. Since you are an imprisoned being.-

Behind the skull principal, a collection of geometric circles reminiscent of a mandala began drawing patterns.

The mad doppelganger summoned his crown and staff in response. The staff had a rooster carved on the head, a snake on the end, and a warrior on the body.

-Being not permitted in any space-time... As it is my karma, I won't say I have no regrets. That's why I showed more mercy than necessary.-

"You spout such nonsense. Are you saying it's mercy that an ant doesn't violate the sun?"

-But you crossed the line. To dare kidnap the lord's disciple in the territory.-

With those words, the skull principal was about to open fire with magic.

At that very moment, Yi-Han shouted.

"Please wait a moment, Principal!"

-What is it, Bat-danaz?-

"...Pardon?"

-You traitorous fellow. All these professors and gold coins are suffering for you, yet you take his side?-

Yi-Han was at a loss for words at the sudden accusation.

What was this...

"What do you mean I'm taking his side? Wasn't all this caused because you were absent in the first place, Principal?"

-I would have told you. That preparation was needed to seal him. Then you should have properly distracted the enemy and struck from behind, not stupidly fall for the enemy and take his side. Hmph. Very disappointing.-

The skull principal waved his hand as if he didn't want to hear any more interference from his bad disciple.

Even the mad doppelganger didn't seem to want his disciple's words much. When the two great mages joined forces, all outsiders were banished far away to the outskirts across space.

-Dharma wheel!-

"Be liberated, Abraxas!"

-It's the end of the world. We must flee further!-

The hamster squeaked, noticing the two great mages were about to clash with their unique worlds out.

However, Yi-Han shook his head.

"No. I'll persuade them!"

-...What kind of potion did you drink to go mad! Come to your senses! You're going to crawl into those colliding worlds... Ugh.-

The hamster groaned at the pressure pressing down from above.

Professor Boladi signaled the hamster to be quiet. The hamster despaired at the fact that one more crazy mage had been added.

"Can you persuade them?"

"...I'm not certain, but I intend to try."

"That doppelganger can become dangerous at any time. You know that, right?"

"Yes!"

"Alright. Send the signal."

Professor Boladi nodded as if he wouldn't ask any more.

The reason the skull principal was trying to completely seal the other beyond reverse summoning was because of that danger.

Even if reverse summoned, the same thing could happen if he descended again later, so he was trying to permanently seal him in a place where summoning or reverse summoning was impossible.

However, the disciple stepped up to try persuading the skull principal despite knowing the other's danger.

Then as a master, he would believe in and help him.

"...Thank you, Professor."

Yi-Han expressed his sincere gratitude.

It must not have been an easy choice for Professor Boladi either.

The skull principal was Professor Boladi's superior and master, and hadn't he already disobeyed an order once?

Moreover, Yi-Han saying he would try to persuade in this situation didn't seem very likely.

Yet he said he would believe in and help him because he was his disciple.

This was the deep trust between master and disciple. Yi-Han felt pride in being Professor Boladi's disciple.

After bowing his head to the professor, Yi-Han also expressed his gratitude to the hamster.

"Thank you, Mr. Hamster."

-...Why am I... You, you?! Don't tell me you're taking me...!-

The hamster, who had been puzzled, realized Yi-Han's intentions and trembled.

This madman was trying to take him into that storm of worlds!

"I need a mage to advise me. And the effects of the wine are gradually weakening."

-Isn't there another mage right beside you! You bat, don't tell me you're taking me because it's dangerous!-

After quietly silencing the squeaking hamster, Yi-Han focused on the confrontation.

As he had to somehow intervene and try to persuade the skull principal, he couldn't miss a single moment.

The staff the mad doppelganger was holding was itself a unique world. Each time it was swung, a new sky opened and countless angels appeared beneath it.

However, to the skull principal, even a unique world was just great magic he already knew, learned from dragons long ago. Of course, he was prepared to deal with it.

As the dharma wheel began to roll, the angels were erased. The skull principal shouted as if declaring:

-Since Abraxas is cut off, you can't use Gnosis either. What's next? Use it quickly. Let's end this before today passes. Unlike you, I have mountains of paperwork piled up.-

Though both were great mages, one side knew all of the other's magic, while the other side didn't know any of the opponent's magic at all.

Moreover, one side was in a situation where he could fully use his authority as the lord of the territory.

The mad doppelganger's struggle could only buy time, nothing more was possible.

As mountains turned into lakes and the curtain of dreams covering Einroguard was stretched to its limit just before tearing, the outcome of the confrontation gradually took shape.

Thud!

The mad doppelganger fell to one knee. Though he didn't say anything, his pale complexion showed the match was over.

-Professor Boladi, contact below to prepare for sealing. They must have waited quite a while. ...Professor Boladi. Professor Boladi. Bagrak, what are you doing?-

To permanently imprison a being like the mad doppelganger required much preparation, and suitable mages were waiting below. They were mages the skull principal had hired while shedding tears of blood.

When Professor Boladi, who was in charge of communication, didn't answer, the skull principal shouted in an irritated voice.

-Bat-danaz. If you keep acting as a spy...-

The skull principal, who was about to reproach Yi-Han who was obviously the culprit standing next to Professor Boladi, finally felt something off.

-That's a fake!-

'Small world!'

Surprisingly, the disciple had perfectly mastered the small world Basilios.

The skull principal was caught off guard, not expecting Yi-Han to have mastered the small world so perfectly.

Yi-Han used the small world to hide his presence and shorten the distance to his target.

By the time the skull principal realized, Yi-Han had already arrived in front of the mad doppelganger and was blocking the way.

"Please wait a moment!"

-Please let me go and talk between yourselves...-

The hamster squeaked with a sorrowful cry.