A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 47. Phantom Species

A decisive blow finally struck Aster.

He staggered and flew back. For the first time, Aster collapsed to the ground.

Standing on the battlefield were only Hermes and Katia.

The soldiers who still had consciousness could hardly believe what they were seeing.

“We… won… right?”

“Yes. Though there was an unsophisticated intervention along the way, from beginning to end, it was all your power. You surpassed Prince Aster one-on-one.”

Katia murmured with a slight lack of realization.

Hermes spoke to her, unmistakably confirming the conclusion.

“It’s your victory. — Splendid magic.”

“Ah…”

Finally, Katia seemed to catch up with the heartfelt words of praise.

She relaxed her shoulders, blushing delicately with a sense of fulfillment and joy, and smiled gently.

“I’m… not… done… yet!”

A voice came from the other side.

Looking over, they saw Aster trembling but attempting to rise again.

“I haven’t lost… yet…! This… this must be a mistake…”

“How resilient are you…”

Hermes murmured with a kind of astonishment.

Certainly, Katia’s bloodline magic was relatively specialized in defense, but even within the duke’s family, she was undoubtedly the strongest, and her firepower was extraordinary.

Despite taking a direct hit, Aster, driven by determination, obsession, or delusion, shouted as he attempted to rise again.

“– Sara!”

“Huh?”

Sara, who didn’t expect her name to be called out of the blue, was relatively close in position after being blown away. Aster yelled at her as she approached.

“Heal me!”

“T-That’s…”

“That was a mistake! There’s luck in battles, and this time was just unlucky! I won’t lose. I can’t lose! Hurry up, you fool! What do you think your magic exists for?!”

“B-But…”

Aster’s request and the brutal way of fighting she had just witnessed. And the changes in her that emerged from the battle with Hermes.

Caught in between those conflicting thoughts, Sara instinctively looked towards Hermes, to which he responded.

“…It doesn’t matter.”

“– Huh!?”

“From the start, you’re on their side. If it’s your will, then I don’t mind you healing him. …However.”

There, he paused and narrowed his eyes, lowering the temperature of his presence.

“In that case, I won’t adhere to the way of fighting anymore. With all the anger of being dragged into an obvious conclusion by selfishness–I’ll crush you with ‘all my power’.”

“Guh…”

“Kuh!”

Sara gasped at his intensity, and Aster’s face tightened.

Especially Aster, who had his magic replicated and surpassed, had only memories of being defeated. Honestly, he couldn’t envision winning anymore.

But he couldn’t admit it. Unable to allow his self-centered values that he had cultivated so far to accept defeat.

That was a mistake. An impostor. A cowardly means. So, without any basis, he convinced himself with pleasing words and turned to face forward, trying to urge Sara once again. At that moment.

–Wooooo—

A howl that shook the world echoed.

“Wha!?”

Everyone was captivated by the howl. Their gaze turned towards the depths of the forest where the howl came from.

In response to such gazes, as if in answer, a massive mass could be felt with each echoing footstep, gradually growing louder.

It mowed down trees and trampled flowers.

Finally emerging from the forest, a gigantic shadow appeared on the plain.

And then, they realized.

The existence reminded them that the disputes between mere humans were nothing but child’s play.

An embodiment of nightmares. The destroyer of sentient beings. The World Eater.

–What truly was humanity’s enemy.

What appeared was a giant wolf.

Its fur was jet black. It reflected sunlight with such luster that it felt awe-inspiring and terrifying. Though it should have been beautiful, the reason it felt violent was probably because other parts of it were too ferocious.

Its physique was thick and muscular, and its silhouette easily conveyed tremendous energy.

Its claws sank into the ground, its fangs peeking from its mouth emitting a sharp light that could be cut with just a touch.

But above all, what characterized its existence was that it had three heads.

Golden, silver, copper. Three beautiful tricolored gazes staring at them. But — what was ordinary in all those eyes was only pure murderous intent.

What they were hesitating about now wasn’t whether to fight.

It was which prey to kill.

The presence suddenly appeared. One of the soldiers muttered unintentionally.

“A monster…”

Yes, indeed, it was a monster. But —

(This is no joke.)

Hermes muttered inwardly.

He was exceptionally knowledgeable about monsters. Through his experiences delving into many labyrinths with his master and the knowledge gained from reading many materials.

Monsters varied in type, roughly categorized by their strength. Firstly, there were the ‘beast types’ that were relatively close to the animals in this world, then the ‘hybrid types’ that combined multiple creatures that evolved from them, and finally the ‘dragon types’ that took the form of the pinnacle of creatures living in this world.

From there, further evolution occurred.

To creatures that evolved into beings not found in this world, the true monsters — ‘phantom species’.

Those who reached this point were undoubtedly in a different dimension of strength than before.

Hermes recalled the name of the monster.

(Cerberus. Undoubtedly a phantom species, a disaster-class monster. That’s the level where either the magic army or my master would have to intervene –)

Why now, at this time?

And then, he realized as he thought up to that point.

No, precisely because of this timing.

Monsters were, as the name suggested, magical creatures. They tended to be attracted to magic and likely responded to the clash of top-tier bloodline magics that had just occurred.

In addition, this was the borderland of borderlands. A place where nobles’ subjugations couldn’t keep up, a territory of monsters.

Moreover, due to the country’s turmoil, monster subjugations have been delayed. It wouldn’t be strange if hidden labyrinths had emerged in places out of sight, and as a result, abnormally strong monsters had been born unknowingly.

Of course, phantom species itself was rare — for some, they may never encounter it in their lifetime. That such a thing had appeared before them was nothing short of tremendous misfortune.

However, let me dare to say this.

This result, considering the circumstances and the situation at hand.

It’s the inevitable nightmare of all the pieces fitting together.

The monster made its move.

“!”

Hermes and Sara, who were relatively perceptive, understood simultaneously.

It’s not the time for conflict anymore.

Hermes reactivated his magic, and Sara immediately used [Ars Paulina] to heal Aster’s wounds.

The antagonistic relationship until this moment should be forgotten. For now, they must cooperate and confront that monster together.

Everyone must join forces. Otherwise — quite literally, they’ll be massacred.

Their judgment to act on this shared understanding was undoubtedly correct.

But…

Even amidst this, there was one person in this place who didn’t understand such things.

“–So that’s how it is!”

Instantly rising was Aster, his red eyes harboring understanding and consent.

He stood up with healed wounds and remaining fatigued, then activated his bloodline magic with the remaining magic power.

“This is it! I’ve been conserving my strength, anticipating this moment!”

As he yelled such things, unbelievably —

He charged alone toward that monstrously oversized monster.

Aster was desperate.

His discarded Hermes surpassed him with the same magic.

The Katia he abandoned defeated him in magical combat.

A human he once deemed a failure, a person he dismissed as worthless, surpassed him.

Meaning his judgment was wrong, and those around him, even the soldiers and Sara who followed him, were now looking at him with doubtful eyes.

He couldn’t admit it. He couldn’t be wrong.

But the result spoke louder than anything else. In his desperation to find a flaw to overturn it somehow, he suddenly encountered this powerful monster.

This is it, he thought.

A noble’s duty is to defeat monsters. So, if he defeats this monster alone, everyone will realize it again. Who the true hero is, who should be followed, and who was wrong.

Yes, I am the hero. I am the strongest. The result earlier was a mistake — no, I unconsciously sensed this possibility and couldn’t exert my full strength. If I had fought, I would have won, but I lost because of that.

Creating the most difficult excuse yet, but he believed it without a shred of doubt.

Running towards that conspicuously oversized monster standing there, he simultaneously began chanting.

“‘The hour of doom has come, the ancestors are holy spirits and good thoughts, and the beginning brings forth the immortal world!'”

His wish was for another Liberation.

With a body healed by Sara’s magic and pouring all the remaining magic into it, he finished the chant. He succeeded in releasing it once again.

“[Ahura Mazda] — Liberation!”

Even Aster, with the remaining magic power, probably wouldn’t last more than a minute.

But that’s okay. With my power, just having that much is enough.

Let me show you. To those fools who don’t understand my power. I’ll make it clear with an easy-to-understand result. Who is the strongest?

Intoxicated by the power of the magic engraving, believing in a brilliant future without a doubt.

Aster, now in the form of the winged aura, struck the three-headed wolf, Cerberus, with all his might with a flaming greatsword.

–And then, he was easily repelled unharmed.