Dark Magus Returns

Reno's eyes were rapidly blinking along with his heart beat. He was wondering if one of the plants he had used was perhaps a type of hallucinogen. He had been working with many different fumes after all.

Because, he just couldn't believe his eyes, they had to be playing a trick on him! It was the only thing that would have made sense to what he had just witnessed and he wasn't the only one that felt this way.

Clipper had fallen; one of the squad leaders of the Behemoth Clan had been taken out, and not just that, but it was with a single strike.

Reno had just been fighting the person himself after having broken through to the next stage so he was aware of the others strength.

Before Reno was at the lowest of the middle stages, stage 7, after consuming the poisons using his new item, he had gained strength and had become a stage 8 Warrior. Most of the Crimson Crane were mid-level stage 8 users, with some closer to stage 9.

However, as stages increased, there were larger differences in strength compared to that of the lower stages. For example, a high Stage 8 close to breaking through to stage 9 could deal with 2 stage 8's on the low end on their own.

It was assumed that the Elder from the Light faction was a high-ranking stage 8, and with his magical abilities, he was a tough person to beat. Which was why it took the whole of The Crimson Crane and more.

Yet despite all of this, none of it would explain how Raze, who was a stage four, managed to beat a stage 8 Middle stage warrior, even if he was on the lower end.

'Maybe we could put some of it to the fact that Clipper was caught off guard. The higher stages can sense the Qi energy, so no doubt he thought the Dark Magus was a nobody and was an alchemist at that, but what was with that attack?"

"It wasn't just his power," Kizen said, grinning from ear to ear. He had been keeping his eye on something else as well, and it was the fact that the Dark Magus seemed to be somewhat surprised by the power output as well.

Raze looked at the destruction behind Clipper; a few of the other warriors had been hurt from the strike that seemed to have extended itself.

'The Eclipse strike is a move that focuses on raw power, and equally, the magic used to cover the sword is condensed as well. On top of that, more than anything, Dark Magic is known for its destructive powers, making an attacker stronger than ever.'

For Raze, he had an idea of when putting his magic combined with Qi together in his strikes; he would add the two numbers together to give him an idea of his power. So he similarly had the attack of someone at stage 7, like that of a middle-stage warrior himself.

However, The Eclipse strike, the techniques were also specifically a technique meant to combine magic and Qi together, giving it a slight edge. Finally, there was one more thing.

The sword that Raze had picked up from the ground, it was one of the best creations from the bunch of those he had considered failures and the latest in his creation.

[Unique Grade Cursed Raptor Sword]

[The weapon's power output area is increased based on the number of those that are around. The strike's range is extended as well as its power.]

This was the enchantment that Raze had placed on the sword; he had used his wind enchantment. He didn't know many enchantments for weapons in general, since he wasn't a magic sword user.

Regardless due to its ranking, it had a better effect, that the power and size of the strike increased based on the number of people that were attacking him, and right now there were quite a few.

The fact that it was a unique grade ranking was what had made Raze so mad in the first place.

"I knew it; I was doing so well condensing the two types of magic. It was a difficult thing to do, but I had a feeling that I was getting it with that last one. The flow of magic in enchanting, it is a hard thing to grasp.

"If they hadn't interrupted me at the time, if they didn't burst down the doors right when I was in the middle of this creation. This might have been a mythical item just like the pestle."

Thinking about it more and more, Raze was getting angrier; he was unsure if he would be able to have that same feeling and connection that he had done before. He only had two more tries, and it was unlikely he would create anything higher than the weapon that was in his hand.

Still, there was the added effect, the curse, which was something he needed to watch out for.

[The techniques used while holding this weapon cannot be used again for a 24-hour period, regardless of whether or not the weapon is still held after.]

"This person, are they really an Alchemist?" One of the Behemoth members said.

No one had moved forward since they had seen their squad captain cut down like that. They were hoping that he would have recovered, got up from the ground, but instead, he was still lying there, clearly no longer in the land of the living.

"He has to be a member of the Crimson Crane; this must have been a trap or something set up by them."

"Then we have to get revenge; there's still a lot of us!"

While the others were talking, it appeared as if Raze tested something; he held the sword in his hand, and he proceeded to use the two-step shift, moving to the side. It was odd to everyone watching, including the members of the Crimson Crane.

Because Raze just moved to the side, not closer or further away from the others. The Dark Magus then looked down at his feet.

"It's true; it's not just sword techniques, but it's also foot techniques as well. Although the power of this sword is great, it's something one would have to be conscious of while using it.

"I thought it might have just been limited to sword techniques, but if even a simple thing like the two-step shift can't be used, it will cause quite a difficulty in one's fighting."

There was another thought in Raze's head, and it was whether or not magic was limited while using the sword as well. Thinking about it, he tried to use the Eclipse Magic sword formation again, but the magic wasn't mustering and covering the sword in a dark purple oblivion color like before.

"I guess this sword is not one for me to use. If its effects were truly great, then I would have kept it for myself, but I can't have something that will hamper my magic, so I will give this to Kizen, but before that, there is one more thing I want to test."

Raze looked to the group of people again, and they could feel a strange fierce energy that was shoring him. It was in the air, swirling rather than coming from his own body himself.

"We are the Behemoth group; we won't be afraid of just a single Alchemist!" The Behemoth member shouted.

Hearing this, it looked like the Behemoth group had managed to gather the courage to fight again, and at the same time, Reno and Kizen were good to go.

"It's a shame," Raze said. "I didn't expect him to die in one hit; he would have been good to progress my powers. But at least there is the rest of you. This attack is a bit weaker, so I hope you will survive this."

Once again, Raze placed both hands on the handle

of the sword and lifted it in the air. Although it wasn't shrouded in the purple and black energy like before, the handle started to glow orange, and the Qi from within was activating with the sword.

The afterimage could be seen just like last time, the visual Qi, only looking slightly different.

'As expected, the Magic Eclipse sword formation, and the Eclipse sword formation count as two different skills. So here it goes again!'

The sword was lifted up in the air, and the mass energy was released as it was swung down. "Dark Edge Sword arts, Second formation. Eclipse strike!"