The Book Eating Magician Chapter 226:

Chapter 226 – Great Battle (2)

‘Even if I am a fellow master, I would be smashed by that blow . ’

Theodore considered a few options he could use and excluded ‘Gladio . ’ Gladio’s combat ability was considerable, but he was a rather bad matchup for Pan Helliones .

Lloyd Pollan’s Aura Ability, Pathfinder, was a possibility .

The ability to find the opponent’s weaknesses and loopholes was useful, but he would struggle to survive against even one hit from Helliones . Theodore could use Gladio as a shield, but it was too much of a pity to consume the automaton in that way .

However, there was something Theodore had learned just before the attack .

The destructive power of the heavy sword was obviously amazing, but it was difficult to strike precisely . Moreover, Pan Helliones needed time to gather the level of destructive power he had shown at the beginning .

A path for a clear breakthrough was yet to be seen, but that didn’t mean Theodore didn’t have the power to attack .

Huuk .

As the last of the dust was removed with the wind, the appearance of the giant sword was revealed .  Helliones had switched from making a vertical blow to a horizontal blow .  Based on Pan Helliones’ posture, Theodore’s senses warned him again . ‘It’s coming!’

Simultaneously, Pan Helliones’ sword caused a tsunami .

Kwaaaaaaah!

Unlike the first attack which had spread a shockwave by hitting the ground, this one broke the air .  It was equivalent to a dragon’s roar . The shockwaves extended parallel to the surface of the earth and crushed all objects in the path . The horizontal sword seemed to split the world in two .

This was the Super Heavy Sword, Pan Helliones…

2nd type, Over Horizon .

If Theodore tried to defend, he would be split in two .

“Kuok!” Theodore hurriedly jumped and looked down with a shocked expression .

However, the attacks continued without giving him any time to relax .

The blows were comparable to great magic, but the speed at which Helliones swung his sword again was unimaginable . Following the horizontal slash, there were two upper slashes which overlapped orbits .

To think that Pan Helliones was capable of continuous attacks with such power?! The destructive power of each strike was reduced, but it was still devastating . A slight graze would kill Theodore instantly .

Theodore desperately pulled himself out of its orbit . The storm-like shockwave was already a natural disaster .

‘Damn, a shockwave happens every time he swings his sword!’

A ridiculous sight was happening before him .  Every time Pan Helliones’ sword moved through the air, the entire space was pushed to create a wall of shockwaves .

Consequently, the atmosphere distorted, and the rocks burst .

Several layers of shockwaves overlapped with each other and devastated the area . No swordsmanship was required . The blade didn’t even need to make contact . Just like a fly falling without being hit by the hand, the shockwaves were able to kill the opponent without the blade needing to strike directly .

‘Besides, the range is getting narrower… I can only manage to avoid it four more times before reaching the influence of the low pressure . Before that, I need to change the situation somehow . ’

It wasn’t easy, but Theodore thought about it while raising his magic power .  That **** shockwave was Pan Helliones’ sword and shield .  It was a means of attacking within a range of a few hundred meters, and it also acted as a barrier to prevent close range attacks . To break through it, Theodore needed magic of at least the 7th Circle .

“I will test it out . ”

His magic power was still sufficient, so Theodore aimed both his hands at Pan Helliones, who was still creating shockwaves .  A magic of medium firepower wouldn’t be able to cross that wall of pressure .  Fire-based large-scale magic, the most powerful among the attributes, would be suitable .

‘Inferno . ’ 

Hellfire, another 7th Circle fire magic, was one of the choices available, but Inferno was stronger when it came to pure firepower .  Theodore’s seven circles rotated to create a vortex of flames .

Kuooooh!

Then the wind blew, and the fire of Inferno hit that wall of shockwaves .

The amazing air pressure caused by the sword shook from the aftermath . It wasn’t enough to break the great magic before it . The atmosphere was being distorted by the heat, and it seemed like Pan Helliones would be turned into charcoal immediately .

‘No, this won’t work . ’

However, Theodore shook his head . The power of Inferno would surely break down the barrier, but it slowed and weakened with every layer of shockwave it crossed .  Once it crossed exactly six shockwaves, the flames faded away .

“The firepower is too slow to be sufficient . He will swing a dozen times before my attack is over . ”

What was a great magic which combined firepower and speed?

“Ah . ” Theodore recalled a recent memory . It was while he had been exploring the Aiolos divinity .

He thought of Lightning Wind Phase, from the ‘Eight Trigrams Theory’ in the East .

Since ancient times, wind and lightning had been forces which were closely related to each other . There was a theory which claimed both attributes were in a mutually beneficial relationship . Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, Theodore agreed on the basis of his Sorcery .

Wind and lightning converged as his worldview expanded .

Pajijik! Paijijik!

This was Lightning Vortex .  The whirlwind of blue lightning struggled like a dragon above Theodore’s palm . The current was amplified on the outer wall of the whirlwind, and the lightning accelerated the wind .  It was a cycle of power which surpassed the laws of nature . Marquis Fergana’s lightning was nothing compared to this .

“Go . ” With Theodore’s permission, the lightning dragon descended toward the ground .

Kwarururung! A roar shook Helliones’ eardrums, and his face instantly hardened from the power of Theodore’s attack .

“…How interesting . I want to go against it once,” Helliones said .

However, he stuck his legs into the ground and took the Nebenhut posture . It meant he would receive the attack without retreating . He intended to receive the lightning from the front without any tricks! Immediately after that moment, the lightning dragon flashed toward Pan Helliones .

This was the Super Heavy Sword, Pan Helliones…

4th type, Mountain-Buster .

…And the ground soared .

“Crazy . Such a nonsensical thing…!” Hadn’t Theodore repeated these same words several times already? He didn’t see the process perfectly, but he knew the principle behind Helliones’ attack .

Pan Helliones was clearly wielding his sword . However, it wasn’t toward the lightning falling from the sky but toward the ground below him . He wielded his huge sword like a shovel digging into the ground .

The dirt was dug out so hard that it skyrocketed toward the sky as if to bury the sun .  The earth blocked the advancing lightning vortex!

Some people might laugh at Helliones’ actions, but Theodore realized that this was the perfect countermeasure to lightning magic .  The best way to offset the nature of lightning was to ground it . Half of the lightning was reduced by the dug-up earth, and the rest was erased with a few sword swings .

Paaaang!

Unsurprisingly, Pan Helliones’ big sword was able to break down the lightning vortex without much difficulty .

“Hrmm . ” Before the astounded Theodore, Pan Helliones looked down at his hands with narrowed eyes .  It was because the lightning’s impact on Helliones’ body wasn’t light, despite the fact that he had dealt with it perfectly .  His right hand was numb from the intense lightning, while his left hand was in pain .

Then his heavy eyelids lowered as he muttered, “…How wonderful . My judgment was correct . ”

“Judgment?”

“I didn’t have to come to this risky place . If Sir Clovis had given priority to killing me instead of saving his sister, or if you called the White Tower Master here, I would’ve lost . ”

It was as he said . Pan Helliones had created this face-to-face confrontation in his own way, but this battle would’ve been his execution if one thing had turned out differently .

The distance between them was too far for Theodore to hear Pan’s voice . So, he came down to the ground for a moment to listen . In fact, he was also curious about why Pan Helliones was in this situation .

Their eyes met, and Pan Helliones opened his mouth to say, “There is one reason why I let it be despite knowing Sir Randolph’s treachery and then allowed myself to be placed in this risky position . Theodore Miller, I have to kill you here . ”

It was a pure bloodthirst .

Theodore’s expression froze before he attempted to joke, “You… did I do something bad to you that I don’t know about?”

“This isn’t due to a personal grudge . Sir Clovis’ betrayal and Rebecca, both of them are nothing compared to getting your head . In order to have this duel, I willingly took the risk . ”

Helliones hadn’t killed Randolph despite knowing of his betrayal because he didn’t want to waste power fighting him .  Instead, Helliones had taken an unpredictable risk to create this situation because he felt like he had to kill Theodore now .

‘Dangerous . ’ The chill running down Theodore’s spine became colder as he read Pan Helliones’ resolution . ‘That bastard, he wants to kill me here . ’

Relying on only his intuition, Pan Helliones had created this battlefield where he could fight Theodore alone . That intuition which was closer to that of a beast had allowed him to make it through countless battlefields .

However, that wasn’t all . This sword master had experienced war with Meltor several times, so he had accumulated a lot of information and tips about how to fight magicians . It was very likely that he would use methods which had been shown to work against magicians in the past .

Theodore would have to bring out all his wild cards in this fight .

If he didn’t kill Helliones, then he would die . Theodore had understood this before, but this was the first time he truly realized it . Helliones was Andras’ knight, one of the empire’s Seven Swords and one of the top 10 magician killers on the continent .

Just like how Meltor’s magicians had become adept at countering melee combat, Helliones was a killer who was used to dealing with magic .

‘Keep thinking . What skills haven’t been used yet? What other tactics do I have left?’

Several choices went through Theodore’s mind .

Should he attack while trying to avoid getting damaged? Dismissed . He wouldn’t be able to protect his body from the shockwaves . Pan Helliones would be able to hit him three times before he narrowed the distance .

Should he quickly approach using lightning? Pending . There was no guarantee that Theodore’s speed wouldn’t slow down while passing through the shockwaves . Moreover, he wasn’t invincible in his lightning state, so there was a possibility of being damaged by the impact of the aura .

“Dammit, there isn’t anything without weaknesses . ”

According to Lee Yoonsung’s memories, the one hit method seemed to be the most effective…?

One effective technique was better than many ineffective tricks .  It was like how Pan Helliones’ heavy sword replaced all techniques once it reached a certain level .

‘…No, wait a minute . ’

“Strength…?”

Theodore was reminded of something, a great magic with an overwhelming destructive power which his opponent wouldn’t be able to resist .  It was a power which had already transcended the 7th Circle before he completed his Sorcery .

That power was Abraxas, the great magic which surpassed even the **** sword by resonating two opposing attributes .

Hwaruruk .

The moment he thought this, Theodore’s hands started to burn with a red and blue color .  The heat and cold were several times more intense than when he had fought Hyde .  Muspelheim’s flames and Aquilo’s blood incited his fighting spirit as he joined them together .

‘Okay . ’

This would determine Theodore’s victory or defeat .