Chapter 38 The Fastest Magic in Existence

The throne room doors shut behind Liora, the echo of her footsteps fading down the marble hall. Silence settled in the room—until the King let out a low chuckle, leaning back into his seat.

“Ah, Liora. So, forgiving… so trusting. I let one orphan rat stay close to my boy and look what happened. Now another one? That simply won’t do.”

From the far corner, where torchlight couldn’t quite reach, an old figure stepped forward. Cloaked in black, hair grayed with age, he carried himself with the calm of a man who had stood in shadows his whole life.

“Hans. I need that girl gone. As soon as possible. Send your best. I will not accept failure.”

Hans, the right-hand man of the King, old strategist, lowered his head, bowing slightly, hands folded neatly before him.

 “Yes, Your Majesty. It will be done.”

The King tapped one finger against the arm rest, idly.

“Now… the other matter. How is our project coming along. Have we heard any good news yet?”

 “Yes, Your Majesty. The newest prototype has shown great progress. Success rates have risen by—forty two percent on monsters, and twenty-two percent on humans. But… the side effects remain.”

For a moment, the King said nothing. Then his lips curled into a thin smile.

“Good. Very good. I expect a finished product soon. Do not keep me waiting.”

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The sun was rising high by the time Rein reached the outskirts of the town. The cobbled streets gave way to dirt paths, then to grass as the wooden fence line thinned into open fields. He stood at the edge of the forest, where the wind carried the faint scent of pine.

A familiar voice called his name.

“Rein!”

Mira jogged up the path, her simple dress brushing against the tall grass. She smiled, a little out of breath, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

“Sorry if I kept you waiting. Busy day at the inn.”

“You’re right on time. Besides, it’s me who asked you out here. Come on—there’s something I want to show you. It’s a place I used to go when I wanted to clear my head. Figured… it’s about time I showed someone else.”

They stepped through the tree line, shafts of sunlight filtering through the canopy. The path curved and opened—and before them stretched a wide meadow of flowers. Blossoms of every color swayed gently in the breeze, rolling like waves beneath the sky.

“Rein… this is beautiful.”

He watched her take in the sight, a faint smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, he let himself forget the war, the politics, the Demon Lord. For a moment, it was just them—and the field of flowers stretching into the horizon.

Their peaceful moment did not last long.

Rein’s hand twitched near his sword. He felt it before he saw it—the heavy, suffocating pressure of bloodlust spilling from the treeline. His eyes snapped to the side just as a hulking shadow tore out of the woods.

A monster—something twisted—its frame warped and bulging, muscles laced with veins that glowed faintly red. Its claws, each the size of a man, came crashing down.

Steel rang out. Rein’s blade was already drawn, locking against the monster’s strike, sparks flying where claw met iron. The ground shook under the weight of the impact.

“Since when do Ironhide Behemoth know how to sneak attack? Look, ugly—I’m flattered, really. But I’m already on a date. Let’s reschedule, yeah? Maybe someplace with better lighting. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you still get my full attention… right before I cut your buddies a few sizes smaller.”

Another roar split the meadow, and then another—two more beasts burst from the forest edge, circling like wolves.

Rein gritted his teeth, twisted his body, and drove a brutal front kick into the first beast’s chest. Bones cracked as it sailed across the field, snapping a tree in half on impact. But there was no time to admire it—he spun to face the others.

“Mira! Take cover! I’ll handle this!”

But before he could charge, a glint of silver streaked through the air—too fast. A dagger.

Rein’s eyes locked on the blade. It was aimed for Mira.

No time. No choice.

“Watch out!” he shouted, throwing himself in front of her. The dagger slammed into his shoulder, but he didn’t stop. With a surge of fury, he swung his blade in a wide arc, the force splitting the air itself. The two onrushing monsters were flung backward, tumbling end over end like ragdolls back toward the forest.

“You alright, Mira?”

“Yes…” Her voice shook, but her hands didn’t. She grabbed the hilt of the dagger buried in his shoulder and yanked it free with a wet snap.

“Rein, you’re hurt. You got stabbed? Wait... this dagger… it’s poisoned. Who could have…” Her voice was low, almost trembling with anger. She held the blade up to the light—its edge shimmered with a sickly purple.

The monsters rose again, howling through twisted jaws, their bodies bending unnaturally as if bones had been rearranged by some cruel hand.

Rein didn’t even glance at the dagger wound. 

“I’ll be fine! Take cover!”

The ground cracked as he launched forward. The nearest beast barely had time to roar before his blade carved through its arm, severing claw from shoulder. 

“Hah, choom! Guess you won’t be scratching anybody ever again. One down, who’s next? Don’t be shy—I promise it won’t hurt… much.”

A second followed with a lunge—Rein spun low, dragging his sword upward, splitting its chest open in a spray of blackened blood.

“Chest day, huh? Guess you skipped it… permanently. Y’know, black really isn’t my color when it’s leaking everywhere.”

But more came, rushing from the treeline.

From the shadows beyond the trees, cloaked figures watched.

“Gods…” one assassin whispered under his breath while Rein tore into the beasts. 

“That poison could kill a giant monster on contact. And he… he took it like nothing.”

The leader spoke.

“Forget the Hero. Our job isn’t to kill him. The girl is the target. We missed but the monsters keeping him busy.”

Another assassin shifted uneasily, whispering, “Then what? We can’t let him see us.”

The leader lifted his hand, dark sigils already glowing across his skin.

“We disappear the moment she’s gone. But to be sure—” His eyes flicked toward Mira,
“—we’ll erase this place entirely. Prepare the array. We’ll use fused magic. Push everything into it.”

The assassins gathered, forming a circle, hands raised. Threads of power snaked between them, sparking violently in the air. The hum of power thickened, warping the air, the grass around them flattening from the pressure.

“Fused tier-five magic…” the leader chanted.

The glow condensed, crackling blue, arcs of lightning snapping from one hand to another.

“…VOLTIC BURSTO!”

The circle flared alive, a sphere of pure, compressed lightning forming at its core, shrieking with unstable energy. It burned brighter and brighter—faster than fire, faster than sound itself.

The leader’s lips curved in a cold smirk.

“Fastest magic in existence. He won’t even see it coming.”