Volume 2 Chapter 144: The Wrath Of The Geo Mage

The corridor had become almost impossible to recognize.

Only a few minutes earlier, it had been another ordinary section of the enormous underground bunker, constructed from reinforced stone and supported by thick metal beams. Dim magical lamps had illuminated the passage at regular intervals, casting a dull yellow glow across the walls and floor.

Now, half of that structure had been reduced to rubble.

Large chunks of stone covered the floor. Deep cracks spread across the walls in every direction, branching like enormous spiderwebs. Several metal support beams had been bent or torn from their foundations, while dust continued to drift through the air in thick clouds. The faint smell of scorched stone and metal filled the corridor, making every breath taste of dirt.

At the center of the destruction stood Ryota.

Blood covered his body.

A long cut stretched across his forehead, with a thin stream of blood running down the side of his face. Another wound extended from his shoulder toward his ribs, while numerous smaller injuries covered his arms and legs. His clothes had been torn apart in several places, exposing bruised skin beneath them.

His breathing had become noticeably heavier.

Yet he was still standing.

Several meters away, Falco looked almost completely untouched.

Black lightning continuously crawled across his body, wrapping around his arms, shoulders, and chest like living serpents. Every few seconds, a violent bolt jumped from his body and struck the surrounding walls, leaving another blackened scar in the stone.

Ryota slowly lifted one hand and wiped the blood from his eyebrow.

He looked at the blood covering his fingers for a moment before raising his eyes toward Falco.

"...You're really annoying."

Falco grinned.

"You're still standing."

Ryota tightened his grip around his weapon.

"That's usually how fights work."

Falco laughed.

The sound echoed through the ruined corridor.

Then the black lightning surrounding his body suddenly intensified.

The atmosphere changed immediately.

The air seemed to compress beneath the overwhelming pressure of his power, and the hairs on Ryota's arms stood on end.

His expression became serious.

He knew that feeling now.

Whenever Falco's lightning intensified like this, something destructive was about to happen.

Falco lowered his body slightly.

Then he disappeared.

BOOM!

The stone beneath his feet exploded as he launched himself forward.

Black lightning followed behind him like a trail of dark smoke.

In an instant, he had crossed the distance between them.

His fist came directly toward Ryota's chest.

Ryota's eyes narrowed.

He activated Scalular Impact.

The instant Falco's fist reached him, Ryota manipulated the force behind the incoming attack.

The physical force was reduced.

The momentum was dispersed.

The crushing impact that would normally have torn through his body was dramatically weakened.

Under ordinary circumstances, that should have been enough.

But Falco's attack was anything but ordinary.

The moment his fist connected with Ryota's body, black lightning erupted outward.

BOOOOOOM!

Ryota's body was launched backward.

He slammed into the stone floor and rolled several meters across the corridor before finally coming to a stop.

His body twitched from the impact.

Pain spread through his entire torso.

For several seconds, he remained on the ground before slowly pushing himself upright.

His eyes immediately returned to Falco.

They narrowed.

Scalular Impact had worked.

Ryota knew it had.

The physical force behind Falco's punch had been almost completely neutralized. The impact itself should not have been enough to cause this much damage.

But the lightning was different.

It wasn't simply force.

The sheer volume of electricity coursing through Falco's attack had still passed through Ryota's body.

Even though Scalular Impact had reduced the physical impact, it couldn't simply erase the energy contained within the lightning.

Ryota's muscles trembled.

His chest felt partially numb.

Smoke rose faintly from his damaged clothing, and several small sparks continued to crawl across his skin before disappearing.

Ryota slowly clenched his fist.

"...So that's how it works."

Falco tilted his head.

"What?"

"Scalular can reduce the force."

Ryota glanced at the black lightning crawling across Falco's body.

"But it can't just erase the lightning itself."

Falco's smile widened.

"Exactly."

He raised one hand.

"That's the problem with your ability."

Ryota's eyes hardened.

Falco attacked again.

This time, there was no warning.

He crossed the corridor in an instant, his fist coming from the side.

Ryota ducked beneath it.

The punch passed harmlessly over his head, but a bolt of black lightning erupted from Falco's arm and slammed into the wall behind Ryota.

KRAAAAAASH!

The entire section of stone exploded.

Ryota immediately used the opening.

He stepped forward and pulled his fist backward.

Then he punched directly toward Falco's jaw.

Falco tilted his head.

Ryota's fist passed harmlessly beside his face.

Falco immediately stepped away, creating distance between them.

Then he smiled.

It was a mocking smile.

"Is hitting hard the only thing you can do?"

Ryota froze for half a second.

Falco's expression became even more amused.

"I'm disappointed."

His words were clearly meant to provoke him.

"I heard White Hair was dangerous."

Falco slowly spread his arms.

"But you're just throwing punches."

Ryota clicked his tongue.

Rather than taking the bait, he immediately created distance.

He leaped backward, his boots scraping against the damaged stone floor before he landed several meters away.

Falco didn't pursue him.

He simply watched.

He wanted to see what Ryota would do next.

Ryota exhaled slowly.

His breathing had become heavier.

His arms were beginning to feel numb, and every wound on his body seemed to become more painful with every passing second.

He couldn't continue fighting Falco at close range.

Not like this.

Scalular Impact could protect him from the physical force of Falco's attacks, but the black lightning continued to injure him regardless.

Every exchange was costing him something.

And unlike Falco, Ryota was already exhausted.

He needed another approach.

His hand moved toward his weapon.

A faint glow appeared around the blade.

Falco raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Ryota lifted his sword.

"You're right about one thing."

Falco grinned.

"Which is?"

Ryota's eyes narrowed.

"I don't have to punch you."

The blade flashed.

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[Sword Skill: Radiance Cascade]

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Brilliant light erupted from the sword.

Dozens of radiant spheres suddenly materialized in the air around Ryota.

For a brief moment, they remained motionless.

Then they fired.

FWOOOOOOOSH!

A barrage of brilliant projectiles tore through the corridor.

One.

Five.

Ten.

Twenty.

Dozens.

The radiant spheres accelerated toward Falco from every direction, filling the passage with white light.

Falco's eyes widened.

Then his expression changed.

He grinned.

"Now that's better."

Black lightning erupted from his body.

The electricity rapidly condensed around his hand.

The darkness twisted together, compressed, and solidified until it formed a long black spear.

It wasn't made of metal.

The weapon was composed entirely of condensed lightning.

Black electricity crawled continuously across its surface, occasionally exploding into small sparks.

Falco swung it.

BOOM!

The first radiant sphere was destroyed.

He spun the spear through the air.

Another sphere shattered.

Then another.

And another.

Falco's movements became faster.

The black spear swept through the corridor like a weapon forged from a thunderstorm, intercepting the radiant projectiles one after another.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

White light and black lightning collided repeatedly.

The corridor shook from the constant explosions.

Falco laughed as he continued deflecting the barrage.

"Is that all?"

Ryota's expression tightened.

More spheres appeared around him.

He launched them faster.

The radiant projectiles filled the corridor from floor to ceiling, attacking Falco from every possible direction.

Yet Falco continued to deflect them.

His spear moved faster and faster until it became difficult to follow with the naked eye.

Then the final radiant sphere collided directly with the black spear.

BOOOOOOM!

A blinding explosion filled the corridor.

For several seconds, nothing could be seen through the overwhelming light.

Then a silhouette emerged.

Falco stepped out of the explosion.

The black spear remained intact in his hand.

He looked toward Ryota.

Then he smirked.

"My turn."

He threw the spear.

Ryota's eyes widened.

He immediately moved.

The black weapon flew past him, missing his body by mere inches.

Even from that distance, he could feel the heat and electricity brushing against his skin.

Then—

KRAAAAAAAAAASH!

The spear struck the wall behind him.

The entire section of stone exploded.

The weapon tore through the bunker wall as though it were made of paper. Stone fragments were launched into the next corridor, while metal supports bent violently beneath the force.

The destruction continued through the structure.

Ryota stared at the devastation.

Falco slowly lowered his hand.

"You see?"

A smile appeared on his face.

"You're no monster."

His eyes narrowed.

"Only the white-haired girl."

Ryota's expression darkened.

Falco pointed directly at him.

"You're pathetic."

His words echoed through the ruined corridor.

"If you can't hit me..."

His smile widened.

"...you're no threat."

Ryota remained silent.

His breathing was heavy.

Blood dripped from his fingertips.

His wounds were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, and his legs felt heavier with every passing second.

Yet something about Falco's words irritated him.

Not simply because they were insults.

It was because Ryota knew there was some truth behind them.

He had been relying too heavily on Scalular Impact.

Too heavily on his overwhelming physical strength.

He had assumed that if he could withstand his opponent's attacks long enough, he would eventually find a way to overpower them.

Against Falco, that strategy wasn't enough.

Ryota slowly lowered his sword.

Then tightened his grip around it again.

"...Maybe."

Falco raised an eyebrow.

Ryota looked directly at him.

"But I'm still standing."

Falco smiled.

"For now."

Far deeper inside the bunker, Lyra walked through a narrow corridor.

Her footsteps echoed softly against the stone.

The walls occasionally shifted around her as she maintained control over the structure. Stone moved almost imperceptibly beneath the surface, responding to her presence as though the entire bunker were an extension of her own body.

She could feel everything.

Every vibration.

Every damaged corridor.

Every movement occurring within the structure.

Falco's battle with White Hair was impossible to miss.

The repeated impacts traveled through the stone, sending vibrations throughout the bunker. Every explosion weakened another section of the structure, and Lyra could feel the damage spreading through her domain.

She sighed.

"That idiot..."

Despite her irritation, she continued walking.

Her objectives were simple.

Find Falco.

Find White Hair.

Maintain control over the bunker.

And make certain the prisoners did not escape.

Then Lyra suddenly stopped.

Her expression changed.

She felt something.

Not Falco.

Not White Hair.

Not Matilda.

Something else.

Movement.

Far away.

Near one of the outer corridors.

Near the exit.

Lyra slowly closed her eyes.

Her ability spread through the surrounding stone.

She felt the vibrations traveling through the mountain.

Two large creatures.

One carrying considerable weight.

Another moving alongside it.

And an NPC.

Lyra's expression became annoyed.

"...The crystal tamer."

She sighed.

"Of course."

Ayame had escaped.

And judging from the movement, she had taken Ramos with her.

Lyra could already feel them approaching the exit.

They were close.

Very close.

"Must I do everything myself?"

She turned toward the direction of the movement.

Then—

she sensed something behind her.

Lyra's eyes widened.

She immediately ducked.

A burning fist passed over her head.

BOOM!

The attack struck the wall behind her.

Flames spread across the stone.

Lyra rolled forward and immediately turned around.

Fayzan stood behind her.

His right hand was engulfed in flames.

His eyes were cold.

Focused.

Determined.

He stared directly at Lyra.

"Pardon for the intrusion."

The flames around his hand intensified.

"But I haven't yet returned the favor for what you did earlier."

Lyra stared at him for several seconds.

Then smiled.

"You don't need to."

She calmly straightened herself.

"It was a good effort."

Her multi-colored eyes narrowed.

"But you cannot stop me."

Fayzan's expression hardened.

"Then try me."

Lyra smiled.

"Gladly."

She raised one hand.

Then slammed it against the stone floor.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entire bunker shook.

Fayzan immediately widened his eyes.

The stone beneath his feet began moving.

Cracks appeared across the floor.

Then something emerged.

A hand.

An arm.

A shoulder.

A human figure pulled itself from the stone.

Fayzan instinctively stepped backward.

Another figure emerged from the wall.

Then another.

Another from the ceiling.

Another from the floor.

Then dozens more.

Fayzan stared in disbelief as the figures continued emerging from every available surface.

Lyra smiled.

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[Mage Skill: Geo Legionnaire]

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The bunker came alive.

Clones emerged from the walls, ceilings, floors, pillars, and even sections of the surrounding stone itself.

It was as though the earth had suddenly begun giving birth to an army.

Every clone possessed Lyra's appearance.

The same brown hair.

The same black armor.

The same strange, multi-colored eyes.

The same expression.

Fayzan slowly looked around.

"...Hundreds?"

Lyra's smile widened.

"More."

The clones attacked.

One of them swung a stone fist toward Fayzan's head.

He immediately ducked beneath it.

Another attacked from behind.

Fayzan spun around and smashed his flaming hand directly into its chest.

BOOM!

The clone exploded into chunks of earth.

But before the fragments had even finished falling, three more emerged from the surrounding walls.

Fayzan stepped backward.

He punched another clone.

Kicked another.

Then released a burst of flames that engulfed several more.

Yet the number of enemies continued to increase.

No matter how many he destroyed, more appeared to replace them.

Fayzan's eyes narrowed.

His attention shifted toward the real Lyra.

She hadn't moved.

She simply stood there, watching him.

Fayzan realized what he needed to do.

He couldn't waste his strength fighting an army that could endlessly replenish itself.

He needed to reach her.

Fayzan charged.

His flames surged around his body as he forced his way through the clones.

One after another, they were destroyed beneath his attacks.

He broke through several.

Then several more.

Stone exploded around him as he continued forward.

Finally, he reached Lyra.

His fist ignited.

He punched directly toward her face.

BOOM!

His fist passed straight through her body.

Fayzan's eyes widened.

Lyra smiled.

The figure standing before him began to change.

Its skin hardened.

Its flesh cracked.

Then the entire body transformed into clay and earth.

Fayzan froze.

"A clone..."

Lyra's voice echoed from somewhere behind him.

"You're too late."

The earthen figure collapsed.

Chunks of clay scattered across the floor.

Fayzan immediately spun around.

But Lyra was already gone.

Her voice remained faintly audible through the bunker.

"I'm long gone."

Fayzan clenched his teeth.

The Geo Legionnaire surrounded him once again.

Hundreds of earthen soldiers advanced.

Fayzan raised both flaming hands.

"Fine."

His flames surged violently around his body.

"Then I'll break every one of you."

Outside the bunker, Ayame held Ramos tightly against the back of the Lapis Lion.

The enormous blue crystalline beast raced down the rocky slope, its paws striking the stone with tremendous force as it carried the unconscious NPC away from the bunker.

Ayame kept one arm wrapped firmly around Ramos to prevent him from falling.

Her other hand continued releasing healing magic into his body.

"Come on..."

She looked down at his pale face.

"Just stay with me."

Ramos remained unconscious.

His breathing was weak, but he was still alive.

The Lapis Lion roared and accelerated.

The bunker entrance was already behind them.

They had made it outside.

For one brief moment, Ayame allowed herself to believe they had escaped.

Then the mountain shook.

THOOOOOOM!

Ayame's eyes widened.

She immediately looked over her shoulder.

The stone surrounding the bunker began to move.

The walls trembled.

Dust rolled down the mountainside.

Then a figure emerged directly from the stone.

Lyra.

She stepped outside as though the mountain itself had simply opened a doorway for her.

Dust drifted around her feet.

Her strange, multi-colored eyes immediately locked onto Ayame.

A slow smile appeared.

"Thought you could escape?"

Ayame's face went pale.

Lyra raised one hand.

"After her."

The stone surrounding the bunker began moving.

Then clones emerged.

Dozens.

Then hundreds.

They poured from the walls like an army emerging from the earth.

Ayame immediately pulled Ramos closer.

"Lapis Lion!"

The great blue crystalline beast roared.

"Run!"

It accelerated down the mountain.

The Topaz Tiger followed closely behind.

Its golden crystalline claws tore into the stone as it attacked every clone that came too close.

One clone leaped toward Ayame.

The Topaz Tiger intercepted it.

CRASH!

The clone shattered beneath the tiger's attack.

Another approached.

The tiger tore through it.

Then another.

And another.

But there were too many.

The clones continued pouring down the mountain.

Ayame looked back.

Lyra was still standing near the bunker entrance.

She wasn't chasing them.

She didn't need to.

She simply watched.

Smiling.

Then Lyra brought her hands together.

CLAP.

The sharp sound echoed across the mountain.

Ayame's heart dropped.

Lyra smiled.

"You're not getting away from me."

She raised one hand.

Then slammed it against the ground.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The earth beneath the mountain exploded upward.

The rocky slope split apart.

Stone fragments launched into the air.

The entire mountain began shaking violently.

Ayame struggled to maintain her balance on the Lapis Lion.

"What's happening?!"

The answer emerged from beneath them.

Something enormous was moving underground.

The ground bulged.

A massive section of earth rose beneath their feet.

Then—

a gigantic horn broke through the stone.

Ayame's eyes widened.

The creature continued emerging.

First came its enormous head.

Then its massive body.

Stone and earth exploded outward as a gigantic wyrm forced its way out from beneath the mountain.

Its body was enormous, nearly the size of a four-story building.

Rock-like armor covered its massive frame, with jagged stone plates running along its back. Its enormous jaws opened, revealing rows of stone-like teeth.

Then it roared.

GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

The sound shook the entire mountain.

Ayame stared at the creature in horror.

Far behind it, Lyra stood calmly in the distance.

And she was smiling.

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[Mage Skill: Geo Wyrm]

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The enormous earth wyrm lowered its head.

Then it charged.

The mountain shook beneath every movement.

Ayame immediately turned toward the Lapis Lion.

"LAPIS LION!"

The crystalline beast roared.

"FASTER!"

The lion sprinted down the rocky mountain path.

Its crystalline legs hammered against the terrain as it accelerated.

Ramos remained unconscious against its back.

Ayame held him tightly against her chest, continuing to channel Healing Bond into his body as they fled.

Behind them, the Topaz Tiger fought desperately to keep the clones away.

It turned toward the pursuing army and attacked.

One clone.

Two.

Three.

The creatures continued coming.

Ayame's grip around Ramos tightened.

She could feel his breathing.

Weak.

But still there.

"Please..."

The words escaped her lips almost as a whisper.

"Just a little farther."

She looked toward the horizon.

The open desert stretched beyond the mountain.

If they could reach the lower ground, perhaps they could find help.

Perhaps there was a village nearby.

Perhaps the Emergency Crystal Fayzan had given her could alert Crowned Era.

There were still possibilities.

They only needed to reach safety.

But behind them, Lyra continued watching.

Her expression remained completely calm.

Almost amused.

She didn't need to chase them herself.

She had an army.

She had control over the mountain.

And now—

she had a Geo Wyrm.

Lyra slowly crossed her arms.

"Run."

Her smile widened.

"Let's see how far you can get."

Far below, Ayame and the Lapis Lion continued racing down the mountain with Ramos.

The Topaz Tiger fought behind them, tearing through the endless stream of earthen clones.

Hundreds of stone soldiers pursued them down the slope.

And behind all of them, the enormous Geo Wyrm followed like a living mountain.

Its massive body smashed through rocks and trees as though they were nothing.

Every movement sent another tremor through the ground.

Ayame looked over her shoulder.

Her face became pale.

They were moving fast.

Very fast.

But the wyrm was faster than she had expected.

It tore through the terrain without slowing.

A massive claw slammed into the ground behind them.

BOOOOOOM!

Rock exploded into the air.

Ayame screamed.

"KEEP RUNNING!"

The Lapis Lion roared in response.

Its crystalline legs pushed harder against the mountain.

The Topaz Tiger remained behind them, turning repeatedly to attack the pursuing clones.

It destroyed one group.

Then another.

But more immediately replaced them.

Ayame continued holding Ramos tightly.

His body was still warm.

His breathing was still there.

That was all she needed.

"Please..."

She looked toward the horizon again.

"Just a little farther."

If they could reach the desert, they might find help.

If they could activate the Emergency Crystal, Crowned Era might receive their distress signal.

They had to keep moving.

They had to survive.

But behind them, Lyra remained completely calm.

She watched the fleeing figures from the entrance of the bunker, her arms still crossed.

There was no urgency in her expression.

No fear that they might escape.

Only confidence.

She had already surrounded the mountain with her power.

She had created an army from the earth itself.

And now she had unleashed the Geo Wyrm.

Lyra smiled.

"Run."

Her voice carried faintly through the mountain air.

"Let's see how far you can get."

Far below, Ayame continued racing toward the desert.

The Lapis Lion carried Ramos.

The Topaz Tiger fought behind them.

Hundreds of earthen clones poured down the mountain.

And the enormous Geo Wyrm chased after them like a living catastrophe.

Meanwhile, deep inside the bunker, Fayzan remained surrounded by Lyra's Geo Legionnaire.

Somewhere farther away, the battle between Ryota and Falco continued to tear through the underground fortress.

Everywhere the rescue team had gone, another battle was unfolding.

The rescue mission had become something far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.

They were no longer simply trying to rescue Ramos.

They were fighting to escape an enemy-controlled fortress while the entire environment itself had become a weapon.

And for the first time since entering the bunker, Ayame understood something terrifying.

Escaping the bunker had only been the beginning.

The real battle was now taking place outside it.