Chapter 868: Neron Alter [Pt 2]

"Haa... haaa..."

Elrich Lendertwale could feel himself hyperventilating.

His heart wouldn't stop racing, and sweat filled his face—no, his entire body. All his pores leaked out the sticky, salty liquid as his bulging eyes turned bloodshot.

'W-what is... this power?' Elrich's thoughts screamed as he felt his body completely lacking strength.

'Wasn't he inept?!'

Just as Elrich felt the immensely buntiful power was about to crush him... it suddenly ceased.

"I don't think so. Perhaps Magic is indeed relevant to live a better, more peaceful life. Perhaps there could exist a world where Magic isn't used to cause more harm than good, and a greater justification for atrocities isn't wrought because of this supernatural force. However... that kind of reality doesn't exist here."

Neron's white hair returned to its usual black color, but his eyes were frosty cold. Elrich looked at his face with trembling as he remained on his knees.

"Even an Inept like me can wield Magic with an Artificial Core ans some body modification surgeries. By enlisting 'his' assistance, I was able to complete the project and use Magic. However, do you know what I felt after personally experiencing it for the first time in my life?"

Neron's gaze grew darker.

"Disappointment. Magic is underwhelming."

"E-eh...?" Elrich's face turned pale.

"You all increased my expectations, so I had my doubts about my view on the subject. I had thought it was because I never knew how amazing it felt that I couldn't understand why it was so relevant—why, despite the horrors it causes, we still place it at the apex of our desires."

His body trembled the more he listened to Neron. A man who wielded such power... yet called it insufficient justification? Yet demeaned it to be disappointing.

How could someone like this exist?

"Now that I have experienced it firsthand, I can clearly draw my conclusions. This world does not require Magic to function. Magic isn't so great. In as much as it can bring good and happiness, the risks outweigh the benefits."

Elrich could not understand. He had spent his entire life chasing after Magic. So had his father, and his father, and the father before that. His mother's lineage was no different.

In the end, everyone could agree that the pursuit of Magic was what drove their civilization forward. How could this man say otherwise.

"Evil will always exist in the world, in one form or another. However, the power of Magic amplifies that which already is. Those who desire to do good are further strengthened, able to save more lives and help more people..."

"T-then—!"

"But what about the evil ones? Of what use is saving the lives of a hundred more people when a thousand could perish as a result of the very same power?"

Elrich couldn't accept this line of logic. After building himself up this long... after making so many sacrifices to arrive at this point... there was no way he could subscribe to Neron's words.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this. Honestly. It's a waste of time, I know. Perhaps I just wanted to let it out of my chest this once. Perhaps I wanted to see the reaction another person would make once they heard my true thoughts. Perhaps..." He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

"... I want you to understand the reason behind what I'm about to do."

"S-shut up and die!" Elrich swiftly raised his Blood Stone, causing a massive eruption of energy that seemed to blow everything in the area away.

"With this power, I can transcend my limits and use 8 Star Magic. I'll destroy you with my Ultimate Spell!"

Neron remained rooted in his position as Elrich heard this. The distorted space, caused by the intensity of Mana in the air, made it nearly impossible for anyone to see the kind of expression he was making.

"[Five Elements Scream]!"

>VWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<

An unbelievable eruption of all five major elemental attributes instantly appeared.

Fire. Water. Earth. Wind. Lightning.

They all gathered, like a massive storm that converged to create an even larger epitome of destruction. The multicolored blast was on standby, covering a large expanse as Elrich stood behind it, grinning with delight.

"This is what's great about Magic! To hell with your logic! You deserve to die! You and your dangerous philosophy!"

The Blood Stone gleamed, and the raging storm grew even larger, before it was released toward Neron.

>WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!<

It began to flow.

Everything in its path got destroyed as it surged and danced and roared, tearing through the distance to consume the single target it desired.

"HAHAHAHAHA! DIEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Elrich cackled maniacally, waiting and hoping to see Neron eviscerated.

But...

>FSHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...<

The erupting blast suddenly bagan to deflate as it got closer to Neron The flames flickered, becoming smaller, and the water evaporated. All the elements began to lose their luster, and by the time they reached one or two meters from Neron, the Spell had become nothing but a squishy mesh of elements that could fit into a person's palm.

And, of course, it self-destructed.

>POOF!<

Just like that, the Spell vanished.

"H-how? You said it wouldn't stop anything more or equal to a 7 Star! That was an 8 Star Spell!" Elrich screamed, tears and snot falling all over his distorted face.

"Are you retarded?" Neron asked, a wide grin etched on his face. "Have you never heard a lie before?"

"A-ah... ahh..."

"I could have easily lied about the capacity of my Items. Why would you rely on any statement I make? As your enemy, shouldn't I be unreliable?"

So, that was it? Neron tricked him? Neron lied to him? He was deceieved?

"Neron, you bastaaaarrrdddd!"

"I didn't lie, by the way. That device of mine only had that capacity. Your Spell was enought to overwhelm it."

This only made Elrich all the more confused. "T-then..."

"I didn't need to lie to win. I was planning on doing this from the start anyway. I just needed to give you enough of an incentive to use your full power. Just as expected, it holds up."

Elrich's face had now become ugly, turned wretched by Neron's brilliance and clear dominance. He could do nothing but stutter like a bumbling idiot.

"W-what holds up?"

With narrowed eyes, and a wide smile, Neron uttered the words that Elrich never expected to hear.

"Anti Magic."

"W-what?"

"How long has it been now? When I happened to stumble upon the vestiges of Dark Energy in the Dungeon I visited with Edward? I studied its components and realized its incompatibility with this world's Mana..."

Suddenly, Neron started moving.

"However, within that incompatibility, I found something very interesting in their interaction."

Step by step, he got closer to Elrich.

"Anti Magic. The ability to eradicate Magic by nullifying Mana components with Dark components, creating a resonating null.

"A-ahh..."

Before Elrich knew it, Neron was right in front of him. His shivering body was unable to do anything, not even as Neron placed his palm on his head.

"What do you think would happen if I used it on a person, accounting for all the variables and necessary frequencies?"

"N-no... please...n-n-noo..."

Elrich could feel something course through him. It was an odd feeling, but it felt like he was being probed—down to his innermost region.

"Analysis completel. Commencing Nullification." Neron's voice rang in his head.

The Grand Mage began to feel dizzy, completely absorbed into whatever Neron was doing to his body. He couldn't resist, nor could he even sense anything around him anymore.

Rather, he could feel himself becomeing more and more aware of his body—specifically the occurence that was taking place within it.

Elich saw a multitude of lights inside him, and one by one they darkened.

It finally remained a few hundred. Then a few dozen.

Ten.

Five.

Two.

One.... and then none.

The final ember was snuffed out, and he felt himself in perpetual darkness.

Before Elrich knew it, he crumbled to the floor, unconscious. He seemed to be breathing just fine, and while he appeared exhausted, there didn't seem to be any sign of injury or death.

As for the bloodstone in his grasp, its color darkened until it turned completely black, before shattering like glass.

"First experiment is a success. Permanenet nullification complete." Neron's words echoed on as his deep black eyes stared at the body of his adversary.

"Congratulaions, Elrich..." Neron whispered, a smile forming on his face. "... You're now Inept."

With that, Neron left the old man's body, watching as it reverted to its miserable elderly state before rotting away. Without Magic supporting his long life, there was no longer any reason for him to be alive.

"This is just the beginning, though..." Neron muttered, looking at the battlefield around him.

All the chaos and destruction.

They repulsed him to no end.

"Soon, all of this will be nothing but ancient history." His eyes trailed to the stabilizing wormhole above him.

"I just need a little more Dark Energy."

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[A/N]

So, this chapter was longer than usual.

That's because I was so immersed in it. I wanted you all to see this as it was.

I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on Neron (Alter). What do you think about him and his ideals? Like it? Support it?

Or...?

Let me know in the comments.