Dior and his men rushed to where the black hole appeared.
As they drew closer, they noticed the black hole decrease in size up ahead. After that, what they saw made their scalp go numb.
The black hole hollowed the whole area.
Remnants of fissures lingered in the air, making a crackling sound.
It was true that they already had an idea of the type of magic the boy had from the magic signature the detector found. But witnessing it, they were all in a daze. If their intelligence were accurate, the boy was a beginner. No, not a beginner since he only found out about his magic today.
And yet, he was able to use it to this extent. What more if he was able to master it?
Dior’s eyes glinted.
They must kill the boy. Apprehending him was no longer an option. He should not be allowed to master his magic.
When the void dispersed, the young man was revealed at the center of the hollowed space. He was breathing heavily, and his whole appearance was pitiful. His clothes were tattered, and bloody bruises were seen from where his skin was exposed.
“You damn brat!”
A green silhouette appeared behind him, revealing Luka, who was able to avoid the void.
Luka slashed at the young man with a small knife in his right hand, aiming to cut his neck.
To Luka’s surprise, even with his worn-out state, the young man was able to react.
The young man used his good arm to block Luka’s knife.
Luka heard the sound of metal clashing as his knife hit the young man’s forearm.
‘Metal gauntlet?’ before Luka could fully grasp what happened, the young man concurrently turned. His right leg aimed at Luka’s hip.
Luka’s brow creased. He lowered his right arm to block the young man’s kick but was surprised to feel its weight. He flew a few meters away to his side after failing to guard against it.
The young man’s reddish-purple eyes glinted. He did not follow up his attack on Luka because his current condition did not allow him to.
What he had to do was escape immediately. Looking up ahead, he stared intently at a point few miles away from his position.
He summoned the purple rings once again, but if it appeared above his head earlier, this time, it appeared underneath his feet. It expanded as he urged his magic once again.
Upon seeing this, Luka gritted his teeth and spread out his arms. Two green magic arrays appeared on top of his palms as he stopped in midair. Once Luka had stopped, he summoned two more green magic arrays, and it circled his legs. He cast a speed boost and rushed back to the young man.
Dior also arrived. His men were a few meters behind him.
Upon seeing the young man about to use his magic, Dior immediately spread his arms. Red magic arrays appeared on both his wrists, and two feet high flames appeared above his palms.
“Stop!” Dior shouted at the young man.
Obviously, the young man did not stop just because someone told him to. Only an idiot would do so in this situation. He just focused on what he was doing.
Luka also urged his magic as he lifted his right arm aiming at the young man. Green magic arrays appeared around the young man from his waist.
Dior also ran and aimed his flames.
The young man gritted his teeth and did not stop urging his magic even as the two attacked him. He chose to endure as Luka’s restraining array, and Dior’s flames hit him.
Dior summoned flames after flames on both his hands and bombarded the young man.
Luka also added more restraining arrays on top of his first array.
The young man coughed a mouth full of blood, and still, he did not stop. Soon the purple rings connected and formed a big round disk beneath his feet.
A dark fissure spread from the middle of the disc, and the young man started to descend inside the fissure.
“What!” Dior and Luka both exclaimed.
They increased their speed and reinforced their magic.
A large dark green array encircled the young man. This move was one of the most powerful restraining arrays at Luka’s disposal. It could restrain the target on the spot and lower down defenses and effect of magic within its area-of-effect.
Although this array may have been helpful if he had used it early on, it consumes a lot of energy and can take a toll on his body.
But that was unimportant right now. Luka, like Dior, understood the severity of the consequences if this boy escaped. That was why he would not hold back and was willing to use all means possible to detain him.
Unlike, Dior whose fire magic could deal damage, Luka’s magic was providing statuses. Thus, he opted to use his ace array to provide an additional boost to Dior’s attack.
Seeing this array, Dior understood Luka’s intent and immediately fused the two flames on his hands. The flames grew fiercer.
“Die!” Dior shouted and blasted his flames to the young man.
However, the rim of the purple disc moved and enclosed the young man. When it touched the arrays Luka cast, the arrays cracked and shattered at once.
Luka fell on his knees and coughed up blood after feeling the rebound of his array getting destroyed.
Dior’s eyes almost popped as he watched the purple disc, now in the form of a half-sphere protecting the young man, swallow his flames.
From inside the protection of the purple sphere, the young man memorized Dior and Luka’s faces. He understood that he could not fight these two right now. But that did not mean he could not do that in the future.
And eventually, he would.
‘These two… will be first on my list,’ he vowed as his body fully submerged into the fissure.
Outside, the purple sphere shrunk slowly. And in seconds, it vanished, leaving only small remnants of fissures in the air.
Dior gripped his fists tightly and screamed in frustration.
“Kyran Regis,” Dior spoke the young man’s name as if it was cursed. “I’ll definitely find you. And when I do, I’ll burn you to death!”
==================
A small fissure appeared in the air, distorting the space.
This spot was at least a thousand miles away from the forest located near the Regis estate.
The fissure grew to a size where an adult man could fit, and the young man, named Kyran Regis, appeared.
As he stepped out of the fissure, the light from the moon revealed his jet-black hair and eyes that had reverted to their usual dark gray color. He looked pitiful right now, but it was evident that he had above-average looks. He might even be considered handsome.
Kyran took two steps forward before his knees buckled, and he fell.
He was too exhausted. His body ached all over. He also knew that his left arm was not the only one that was broken. Apart from that, he suffered from cuts and burns all over his body. Even his clothes were half scorched.
When the fissure completely vanished, Kyran propped himself up using his good arm. Though he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and sleep, he knew he could not stay here.
He might be miles away from his pursuers, but that did not mean he was already safe.
As he knelt on his knees, something fell from his neck.
Two jade rings dangled from his necklace.
These rings were his parent’s memento, and they gave them to him as a present for his 18th birthday.
Just remembering them brought tears to Kyran’s eyes.
Kyran clenched his fist, and his mind drifted back to the events before the Forbidden Magic Control Squad arrived.
Being the son of the next patriarch, the whole Regis clan celebrated his birthday. Everyone was having fun and enjoying the food until the arrival of the Forbidden Magic Control Squad.
It went downhill from there.
At first, Kyran thought it was one of the routine inspections of the Royal Army. But as soon as they declared which squad they were from, the attitude of every adult Regis changed.
Shortly after, the army moved, and at the same time, the combat mages of the clan intercepted them.
His father activated the Regis’ defensive array while his mother dragged him toward the hidden escape route.
It was as if the Regis clan already expected this and was prepared for it.
Now he knew why.
His mother explained it to him as she led him to escape.
He always thought he failed his father and clan when he did not manifest any magic. He felt his family and the rest of the clan members were too kind not to mention it and even encouraged him to live as normally as possible. That not being able to use magic did not mean he was less than those who could.
He always felt grateful to them. He was proud to be a Regis.
But hearing his mother’s explanation, he got confused.
It wasn’t that he did not have any magic. But that his magic was of a forbidden type, and anyone caught using or practicing it would be caught by the Royal Army. At best, the army would take all mages caught to the Empire’s prison, but at worse, they would be executed publicly as a testament to everyone who would try to tap into practicing forbidden magic.
It was the reason why when Kyran showed signs of possessing forbidden magic, the whole clan decided to seal his magic and vow to protect him no matter what.
Kyran argued that he might possess forbidden magic, but his life was not worth the Regis clan.
His mother looked at him and just smiled.
He tried to convince her to go back and that he would fight as well. But she argued that if they returned and the army captured him, everyone would die with him.
“Only when he stayed alive could the clan be saved.”
When Kyran heard his mother’s words, he was not convinced.
Right now, however, he finally understood what his mother meant.
Kyran’s magic was different. Up to this day, there was only one other person in history who possessed this type of magic.
And that person was the infamous Dark Sage, also known as the Void Master.
While some magic imitated void magic, no one could imitate the Dark Sage’s magic signature. And Kyran possessed the same.
That was why the whole Forbidden Magic Control Squad was frantic. Yes, they could use the Regis clan to force Kyran to surrender, but they feared what Kyran would do to retaliate.
His void magic became his clan’s lifeline.
The captain of the Forbidden Magic Control Squad witnessed what he could do. But even then, it was not even close to the tip of what he could really do.
At least, that was how Kyran felt when he used his magic.
Honestly, he did not know how to urge his magic to do things according to what he wanted. His knowledge of void magic was limited to what was publicly known about the Dark Sage. Apart from that, he never learned any basic application or control of magic. But for some reason, he was able to feel the void. It even felt like his magic had intelligence, subtly coordinating and even guiding him.
Kyran shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He took a deep breath and slowly stood up.
Now was not the time to reminisce and be idle. First, Kyran needed to find a safe place to hide.
What he urgently needed right now, was to recuperate.
