The Mage Will Master Magic Efficiently In His Second Life - CH 148.1

「Like… I’ll… let you…」 I said while reflexively stretching out my right arm, grabbing onto Grain’s leg.

However, my body refused to move as I wanted it to.

It felt like I was trying to crawl through mud.

Even so, I still managed to grab onto Grain’s ankle as he walked towards Claude.

However, in the next moment Grain used his other foot to stomp down on my right hand and I saw my fingers bending into different directions.

「Urg…h…!!!」

「You’re my dessert. Just lay there quietly… Claude was it? When I’m done with her, your other friends will come next. I won’t let you die easily. I’ll cut off your limbs and stick your eyelids so that you won’t be able to close your eyes… I’ll make sure you see how all of your companions die. Kuku…」

「G…」

「After that I’ll probably put you in an aquarium or something and feed you to the fish! You’ll die while sinking to the depths of despair, and regretting ever having been hostile towards me. Hahaha!!」

「rain…!!」

Grain kicked off my broken hand and continued to walk towards Claude.

As I looked, a dark and deep despair began to creep up within me. The reason why I went back in time was so that I could efficiently study and master magic.

That’s what my second life was supposed to be about. If I had stuck to my training I would have become a one of a kind magician.

I had the option of leaving Claude behind and running.

However, if I did that, what would remain for me after mastering magic?

Milly, Claude, Lydia, Ain, Shirushu and Silverie, all of them were my precious friends.

I want power in order to protect them. The power to defeat Grain… I need it now. In order to obtain it I’ll do anything… I’ll even discard the damn efficient lifestyle that I sought after so much!

As I steadied my resolve a black flame enveloped my whole body.

A flame of despair that was several times stronger than the one that I experienced when I realized that I had no talent for magic in my previous life.

The magical power wrapped around my body and burned it. As that occurred my body slowly started to change.

My skin burned to crisps, my muscles tore, my bones squeaked… However, in their place a whole new body began to appear as the burning pain assaulted me endlessly.

But even so I forcefully moved my body as it was screaming in pain, and stood up.

Noticing that something was happening behind him, Grain stopped and turned around.

「Oh? You can still stand? You sure are an energetic one aren’t you… Huh?!」 he said with a smile.

However, as he saw me changing while enveloped by the black flames, Grain’s expression suddenly changed to one of shock.

He then took a step back and readied his sword.

「… You bastard, what in the world is that form?」

「…」

I tried to speak, but it seemed that my vocal cords had yet to regain their function, as I couldn’t pronounce anything.

My eyesight blurred and my body wouldn’t move the way I wanted it to.

It felt like my body wasn’t my own anymore.

Suddenly I felt that something was wrong with my hand and looked down. My right hand, which had been crushed by Grain, was now solidified into a distorted shape. I tried to open my fist, but it wouldn’t budge. However, that didn’t matter.

This fist would be enough. It would be enough to kill Grain.

I then turned my gaze towards Grain.

After our eyes met Grain took a step back as if he was feeling some kind of pressure.

However, although he was afraid of me, in order to try and maintain his self-esteem, he forcibly stopped his trembling legs.

And then immediately molded his magic power and swung his sword at me.

「…….!! You worthless piece of trash!!」

A red barrage of bullets flew towards me.

Numerous flames covered my vision.

Red Bullet huh…

As the countless bullets of flame rained down on me, one of them touched my forehead.

At that moment I cast Time Square.

Black Boots, Black Boots, Black Boots, Black Boots, Black Boots.

While time was stopped I cast Black Boots five times.

Penta Fusion: Black Boots Circle.

The moment the time freeze wore off I twisted my body and kicked the incoming flame bullet.

I then slipped past the heavy rain of flame bullets and ran past them.

「How was that you bastard!!」

As I ran past the fire barrage what awaited me was Grain with a triumphant expression on his face.

He had probably expected that I was going to be swallowed by the rain of fire. As I saw his stupid expression the remaining drop of sanity that I had held onto evaporated and I lost myself.

I took a breath to adjust my breathing. I prepared to cast a spell in order to kill Grain, but as I did that I completely lost control and ended up shouting out with anger.

「GRAINNNNN!!!」 I shouted on the top of my lungs and slammed my broken fist into Grain’s face.

The sensation of his muscles tearing, his teeth breaking and his cheekbones shattering were all conveyed through my fist.

Grain flew back, bouncing up and down a couple of times until finally colliding with a rock.

「ARGH?!!」 he roared in pain.

I then slowly approached him.

I stood in front of Grain. His whole body was cramping up and white bubbles were filling his mouth. Looking at the state he was in I gave a fierce kick to his abdomen.

The impact passed through his body and even shook the rock behind him.

「Ur…gh…」

「Wake up.」

While spitting blood up, Grain somehow managed to wake up. He then stood up and took on a stance in order to fight me. However, his legs were shaking and he could hardly stand.

Even so he still somehow managed to support his body on the rock behind him and glared at me while holding onto his reddened cheek.

「You bazdad… Vhad iz dhat form?!!」

What is that form? Is that what he’s trying to say?

It wasn’t strange that he was shocked.

My current appearance was only a remnant of my former self. My height, hair and limbs had all stretched out, and my previously immature body was now covered in muscles.

My magical power lines couldn’t even be compared to what they were before, and I could cast spells at the same intensity as the ones in my previous life.

In other words, I had purposefully sped up my own growth, forcing my body to grow to a point where I could kill Grain.

This body should be about 5 or 10 years older than my current one.

I had sped up time until I had reached my body in its prime.

「Grain, this is the end for you.」

My magical power rose like a flame towards the sky.

Silence surrounded the area as if time had stopped.

Grain looked up at me with shock, as I cast Time Square in order to finish him.

While time was stopped I cast each of Red Crash and Black Crash twice.

Quadra Fusion: Double Pyro Crash.

My fist was covered in flames as I swung it towards Grain.

「URG…HHH…?!!」

With a dull sound, the rock behind Grain broke, and the flames ran through the cracks in the rock.

Grain cast Screen Point, somehow managing to reduce a lot of the spell’s damage.

The power of the flame was such that no ordinary magician would live through it.

While Grain on the other hand was even able to receive it.

However, that didn’t matter.

If you end up dying quickly, then I won’t be able to avenge Milly properly.

「….. Da.. mn… it.」

As Grain tried to spew out curses I struck my fist at his forehead, forcing it to collide with the rock behind him.

「….ARGH!! You…」

He tried to say something else, but his mouth was filling up with blood, preventing him from speaking.

As he continued to spew out blood my killing intent didn’t die down at the least and I slammed him against the rock numerous times.

Each time he hit the rock, new cracks formed.

「Urg…h…」

「Hmph.」

As his head moved a bit from the rock, his hair fell down due to having been rubbed against the rock behind it for so long.

「Fight back. Do you plan to die just like this?」

「…Dann uo…」

「Huh? I can’t hear you. If you want to say something, then say it clearly.」

Grain glared at me as he took deep breaths in order to calm his breath. His magic power then suddenly shot up.

The synergy between his Screen Point and his regular magic seemed to be even better than a bit ago.

Apparently he’s also levelling up while fighting me.

He could now perfectly control the magician killing spell.

「YOU BASTAAARD!!」 he shouted out and cast a spell.

His reddish-black magic power shot the sky, taking the form of a seemingly endless great sword.

Seeing his own magic power, Grain smiled and looked at me.

「Red… Zero…!」

Grain swung down his hand and the great sword of magic power fell down towards me.

He had probably chanted the spell while spewing blood in order to make it so that I wouldn’t realize.

The Zero spells, which were the strongest out of the Great Spells for any magic system, were high-risk spells which required a long chant and all of one’s magical power in order to use.

However, due to that their power was immense and in order to offset them one had to use a Zero spell as well.

It was hard to dodge them or offset them, and it was almost impossible to receive them.

Therefore, if they were cast in the midst of battle, and the other party hadn’t prepared for them, it meant that the battle was won for the one who had cast them.

And Red Zero was the strongest out of all of them, due to being under the Red System which specialized in attack.

It’s larger than a normal Red Zero…! This Red Zero… He probably used all of his magical power, or rather he probably even used his life force in order to cast it.

Looking closely Grain’s hair had turned white and his skin had withered. He looked just like an old man.

He had bet his life on this Red Zero.

「DIEEEEE!!!」 he yelled out. I raised my hand at the incoming blade of fire.

As the blade touched my hand, part of it shattered and dispersed.

「Wh?!!」

Grain was lost for words as shock covered his face.

The remaining part of the blade still continued as if trying to cut me down, however it didn’t reach me and only landed in front of my feet, burying itself into the ground.

My hand went numb from the considerable amount of pressure that it had just received. But even so the blade hadn’t managed to reach me.

The white barrier that was visible on top of my hand had prevented the blade from slashing me.

Penta Fusion: White Wall Circle.

Just now I had cast Time Square and while time was stopped I had prepared a White Wall Circle.

White wall was a fragile wall that could counteract primary spells, but after stacking five layers on top of one another, it became a solid barrier that could prevent any spell.

Large cracks ran through the body of the blade.

I pressed my hand forward with the barrier still on top of it and crushed the already shattering blade.

「… Disappear.」

As the words left my mouth the blade of fire scattered in the air.

Particles of magic power fell down like rain, pouring down on me and Grain.