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Within the Eastgrande Family Territory, the father of the family, his wife, and the younger children were all running away for their lives while wearing pajamas, led by their butlers and maids.

"What is happening!? What is going on in here?!" asked the father of the family, his entire face was covered in a cold sweat as he saw his entire manor being destroyed into pieces, gigantic boulders falling from the air, which their butlers and maids shielded them from with their magic barriers imbued into runes into their accessories.

"Mommy, I am scareeeeeeed!" cried a little sphinx-kin beast-girl, the youngest girl of the Eastgrande Family of only 4 years of age.

"I am too! Run faster!" cried her mother, crying just as much as her daughter.

"I believe it must be an enemy attack! The criminal organizations, my lord!" said one of the butlers.

"The what?! Why? What would they win doing this?!" asked the father.

"I don't know, but it was seen that only a single man entered the territory and stormed everything… a Magus of Rank 5 named Akron, my lord!" said the butler.

"Akron…?! Why!?" asked the father.

"They said he was screaming my lord's eldest son's name!" said a maid.

"Gustav?! Oh right! Where is he?!" asked the father in fear of his son's safety.

"We don't know my lord, but we must prioritize the wellbeing of all of you first, so please, keep running!" said the butler.

"Damn it…! Gustav, my son, what have you done to get into such a fight against a Rank 5 Magus?!" groaned the father with utter concern and fear for his son's wellbeing, he had already begun to assume the worst, his son's death.

…Meanwhile within the depths of the territory's underground, the crystal ball containing Necron's soul suddenly perceived a new presence, something even bigger than Akron coming here…!

No, even more, there were several presences, perhaps not as strong, but monstrously strong nonetheless right at the side of this presence… and they seemed to all work together, running towards this place!

Necron began to suddenly shiver, the presence of the strongest being that was running here was not merely Rank 5, but its soul was of immense size, bigger than anything the Ancient Sage has ever seen before!

It was so enormous it resembled a gigantic tree towering all the way to the heavens!

Just what kind of monstrous being was this?!

However, through such presence, he also felt something else… the scent of the Tree of Rebirth!

"This… is the one that stole it! He… is coming here already?! Not even half an hour has gone by since he stole the Tree of Rebirth and now he wants the Jewel of Eternal Life?! No… NO! I won't let him take it away! Grrrr…! Fine! I will take him out myself! Even if I have to revive prematurely, I can create another body later anyway!"

Necron suddenly began to activate several runes all around the facility, as his crystal ball, however, and flew somewhere else with the Jewel of Eternal Life at his side!

Meanwhile, within the surface, Akron roared like a wild wolf, chasing after Gustav, who was lacking an arm.

Gustav had managed to escape from his grasp when he activated a special bomb-like accessory given to him by Necron, which unleashed an immensely blinding light, making Akron instinctively step back, good enough for the weakened Gustav to run for his life and make some distance from the crazed gray wolfman!

"GRRR…! GUSTAV! Come back!" roared Akron, rushing towards Gustav as he generated blades made with his Mercury Magic, and firing them at Gustav!

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

Gustav gritted his teeth as he activated yet another single-use artifact made by Necron, which resembled a watch on his left wrist.

FLASH!

Suddenly, an anti-magic barrier emerged around him, protecting him from Gustav!

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

The blades which were ultimate magic anyways were neutralized by the barrier, turning into liquid metal the moment they hit it, and falling into the ground motionlessly!

Akron was shocked by this accessory, however, he realized that it gained a few cracks by the initial impact of his Mercury Magic projectiles.

A wicked smile emerged in the Gray Wolf-kin beastmen, as he ran towards Gustav with even more intent, enhancing his muscles with his vast amount of magic and reaching him in no time!

"You won't run from me!"

Gustav roared, as he conjured dozens of blades and spears made of Mercury, which he hardened and threw at Gustav!

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

Although they only managed to hit it a bit before turning back into liquid metal and not responding to Akron's will, the constant impacts managed to crack more of the barrier, which seemed to not be able to regenerate any cracks it formed.

"(D-Damn it! He already is cracking the anti-magic barrier?! Rank 5 Magus are real monsters!)" thought Gustav, as he took another artifact from his pocket, resembling a… small cannon!

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Gustav cried as he shot the small cannon by infusing some mana into it directly into the stomach of Akron!

The cannon attack ignored the anti-magic barrier as if nothing, and came right into Akron's direction.

The cannonballs it released were made of hardened chitinous shells made from monsters of old, each cannonball had the power to blast steel, and Akron suddenly felt as his flesh was pierced by it, causing him great pain!

"Nnnguh?!"

Akron groaned in pain, as he generated a barrier of several layers of hardened Mercury, realizing that Gustav, despite being of lower Rank than him, was packed with strange artifacts he had gotten somewhere!

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

The cannonballs coming from the small cannon kept hitting the barrier, as Gustav slowly moved away and ran away once more!

Akron finally reacted to Gustav as he gave him his back, rushing towards him with great anger, and generating a giant drill made of Mercury!

"DIE!"

Gustav gritted his teeth as he aimed at the drill, firing dozens of small cannonballs at it, but they were not able to completely blast the enormous structure that Akron created, and the drill began to fly through the airs, reaching Gustav's Anti-Magic barrier and shattering it into pieces!

CRASH!

"Ngh…!"

The drill quickly turned into liquid metal due to the anti-magic effect the barrier caused when it touched it, but Akron had managed to destroy Gustav's barrier, and was coming for his damn head!

Gustav expanded a domain of liquid metal, trapping Gustav inside a dome and then impaling all of his limbs with blades and spears!

Slash! Slash! Slash! Slash!

"Nnnngggrryaaaah…!"

"No…! GUSTAV… I am not playing any more games with you… Nngh…! TELL ME… Where is the damn… Jewel of Eternal Life?!" roared Akron, spitting saliva all over Gustav's disgusted face.

"Nnnggaarrghh…! I-It is… down! In the underground!" cried Gustav, the pain and torture suddenly broke through Necron's encroachment, and the cowardly subordinate he had ended up spitting the beans!

"Underground?" asked Akron, taking out the small cannonballs from his stomach and drinking an elixir he had on his pocket, healing back a bit, but not healing his exhaustion.

"Yesssss…! Nnngh…! Please… spare me! I am sorry, Akronnn…!" cried Gustav.

"Yeah, you better be sorry in the afterlife!" roared Akron, as he raised his feet and crushed Gustav's face!

SPLAT!

Like a watermelon falling off a cliff, Gustav's entire head exploded into pieces!

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