Hearing Ize admit that he only knew low-level magic, the last trace of wariness in Heart’s mind vanished. In its place was the irritation of being played and the cruelty of someone who already held a guaranteed victory.
“You only know low-level magic, yet you dare to act arrogant before me? I’ll see how long you can hold out!”
She let out a piercing shriek, and the blood mist surrounding her surged. She prepared to tank Ize’s “tickling” attacks and force her way through to tear this annoying insect to pieces.
However, Ize’s gaze became incredibly focused at that moment.
He was no longer brainlessly pouring out single-attribute magic.
It was actually thanks to Heart’s crimson barrier; otherwise, it would have been difficult for Ize to display his skills in front of so many people.
In an instant, the situation on the battlefield changed abruptly!
[**Fireball**] no longer flew in a straight line. Instead, under the precise cutting and pushing of [**Wind Blade**], it transformed into dozens of flickering, curved flames that converged on Heart from all directions!
[**Water Arrow**] was not aimed at Heart herself, but was shot at the ground beneath her feet and the surrounding blood mist. Under the instantaneous electric shock of [**Lightning Flash**], it exploded into fields of conductive water mist and lightning, restricting and interfering with her movements!
[**Earth Spike**] no longer protruded abruptly from the ground. Under the clever application of [**Wind Pressure**], it mixed with crushed rubble to form small sandstorms, obscuring her vision!
[**Light Bullet**] no longer sought power. Instead, it exploded in specific locations like flash grenades. Utilizing the blood mist’s refraction and reflection of light, it created countless distorted shadows, confusing Heart’s judgment!
This was no longer a simple stacking of quantity. It was the utilization of low-level magic characteristics of different attributes to their absolute limit, forming exquisite and lethal combination attacks!
Although each spell remained weak when taken individually, they coordinated with and amplified one another, producing unexpected results!
Ize curled his lips into a smile. He felt that his path of magic was becoming more and more promising.
When he found the time, he would have to study the reactions between elements to see if he could produce the elemental effects from that famous game in his previous life.
However, it was only because Ize’s Mental Strength was exaggeratedly high that he could control so many spells of different attributes at once.
One had to know that a rapid output of the same type of magic only required the support of Speed and Mana.
Controlling different attributes of magic simultaneously, however, placed extreme demands on mana control.
Fortunately, the attribute bonuses of Mental Strength directly influenced the control of mana.
On Heart’s side, her blood mist shield had already been under continuous consumption after enduring a large number of single-attribute magic impacts. Facing this continuous combination strike of various attributes and tricky angles, it finally let out an overwhelmed wail!
*Screech—!*
A [**Fireball**] accelerated by [**Wind Blade**] with a bizarre trajectory was the first to tear through a corner of the shield!
Immediately after, a [**Lightning Flash**] lunged through the gap. Although its power was greatly weakened, it still numbed Heart’s body with electricity!
“Impossible!”
Heart’s pupils shrank, her face filled with unbelievable shock. “Your casting speed… how can it be fast to this extent?! And this amount of mana… to support such high-intensity composite casting… what kind of monster are you?!”
She was completely shaken by the casting speed Ize displayed—which far exceeded common logic—his seemingly bottomless mana reserves, and his meticulous control over that mana.
This was simply not something a normal human mage could achieve!
Swan, watching from the side, was also dumbstruck.
He was equally shocked by Ize’s casting speed and mana capacity; this truly transcended the scope of humanity.
And that control over mana…
Given the strength Ize was showing now, he feared even Senior Sarah would not be his match.
Following the shock was joy. This meant he could resolve the current crisis without using Igneel’s power.
Igneel was also shocked internally. ‘It’s a good thing Ize has low elemental affinity and can’t use high-level magic… otherwise, the title of the number one human mage, Gerald, would have to change hands…’
However, just as Swan thought victory was within their grasp and Heart’s blood mist shield was about to collapse entirely—
Ize, sensing the timing was right, secretly consumed an “Aging Potion” he had made early on. The effect of this potion would temporarily age a person’s appearance.
Back then, Ize had originally wanted to use this potion to disguise himself.
Then he discovered that even after aging, he was still handsome and elegant. Anyone even slightly familiar with him could recognize him, so he had abandoned the idea of using the potion for disguises.
His body suddenly swayed, and his face turned ashen at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He began to cough violently as if he had exhausted all his strength. The tips of his originally pitch-black hair instantly turned a stark, silver-white. Fine wrinkles emerged at the corners of his eyes and across his forehead. He looked as if he had aged twenty years in an instant!
His hand trembled as he reached into his robe as if trying to take something out, but his movements were slow and weak.
“Senior!” Swan cried out.
A flaw! A massive flaw!
Although Heart was also in shock and flustered by the breaking of her shield, her combat instincts allowed her to seize this fleeting opportunity!
“Die!” she barked. She forcibly suppressed the numbness in her body and condensed her remaining blood energy into her fist. Like a crimson meteor, she smashed it toward Ize, who appeared to be at the end of his rope!
*Boom—!*
A dull thud rang out.
Ize flew backward and slammed heavily into the distance. After struggling twice, he went limp and motionless, with only faint breathing proving he was still alive.
Heart’s punch had connected, but she frowned slightly and shook her wrist.
‘Strange, are this guy’s bones so hard? The recoil made the bones in my hand feel a bit numb and painful… Is it an illusion? Or was it a subconscious defense before he died?’
She glanced at the “dying” Ize on the ground. That aged, weak appearance could not be faked, so she attributed the doubt to an illusion caused by her excessive power consumption.
“Senior Ize!!!”
Swan rushed to Ize’s side with a worried expression. Looking at his once-handsome senior now possessing white hair, a haggard face, and a dying breath, he was too shocked to speak.
Ize let out a weak sigh, his face full of resentment. “If only… if only my vitality could have held out a bit longer, I could have finished her…”
Swan realized then that Ize’s current appearance was the consequence of overdrawing his life force to obtain a large amount of mana.
He tremblingly helped Ize up, his voice filled with confusion. “Senior! Why… why did you do this?”
Ize began to play his role.
He struggled to lift his eyelids. His gaze was scattered, yet it carried a nearly holy tenderness and guilt. In a voice as thin as a thread, he said, “Blame… blame me… Senior is useless… I didn’t protect you well…”
He coughed violently a few times. He had intended to spit out some blood, but he realized that after taking Heart’s punch, he was actually perfectly fine…
Ultimately, he spat a few mouthfuls of saliva onto Swan’s face.
Suppressing the embarrassment in his heart, he said intermittently, “Senior… can only do this much… The rest of the way… you must walk it yourself…”
“But why?!”
Swan didn’t care about the saliva sprayed on his face. He was still full of confusion, his eyes shimmering with tears. “We’ve clearly only known each other for a short time! Why would you go to such lengths for me?!”
Looking at him like this, Ize couldn’t help but think: ‘This naive little boy is so easy to fool.’
‘Hurry up. Let this senior offer his life as a sacrifice and see how much potential you have.’
Ize forced a weak yet determined smile onto his pale face as if delivering a final entrustment. “Because… you are my junior… Senior protecting junior… isn’t that just common sense…?”
He paused, his gaze seeming to pass through Swan to look at a more distant void. His voice carried endless attachment and a hint of imperceptible sorrow.
“And… you still have the blood feud of the Raymond family to avenge… You still have your own mission… Senior, I… *cough, cough*… I have no family left… To me… Teacher Claire… Senior Sarah… Senior Emma… Senior Dio… and you… you are my closest family…”
His voice grew lower and lower, filled with deep self-reproach and powerlessness. “It’s… it’s just a pity… Senior could only… do this much… I can’t… accompany you any further…”
After speaking, his head tilted to the side, his arm fell weakly, and he completely “fainted.” He left only that striking white hair and aged face to tell the story of his “sacrifice.”
“Senior!!!”
Swan held Ize’s body and let out a heart-wrenching wail.
Ize’s “last words” were like the sharpest of daggers, stabbing deeply into the softest part of his heart.
Family… mission… sacrifice… Each word pounded heavily against his soul.
This was also the first time he had felt the care and warmth of family from someone outside his actual family.
He had originally thought Ize was the type of person who was cowardly and had a bit of a “shady” personality.
He never expected that in Ize’s eyes, his identity was actually “family,” to the point where he would risk his life to save him.
He looked at Heart, who was approaching step by step with a cruel smile returning to her face, and then at the “critically ill” Ize in his arms. An unprecedented rage, despair, and will to protect erupted like a volcano in the depths of his heart!
What cost! What turning into a woman!
In the face of the survival his companion had exchanged for with his life, and in the face of this heavy protection, what did those concerns even matter?!
The Raymond family’s grudge must be avenged! Senior Ize’s sacrifice cannot be in vain!
He snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot from extreme emotion.
“Igneel, lend me your power!”
Igneel was also infected by Swan’s emotions.
This was her first time seeing such a “soul-stirring” scene.
Internally, she was already wailing. ‘Sob, sob… this is too moving for a dragon.’
Because of this, she lent her power to Swan without hesitation.
An ancient and vast dragon pressure uncontrollably diffused from Swan’s body.
Dragon scales began to appear on his skin… Short dragon horns grew from his head, and a white dragon tail even grew out behind him.
He stared deathly at Heart, his voice hoarse yet carrying a roar that seemed to come from an ancient dragon.
“Vampire trash… I want you… to pay in blood!!!”
Ize, who was squinting his eyes to peek at everything, felt his eyeballs nearly pop out of his head.
His guess about Swan was correct; Swan did indeed have a trump card.
But how was this trump card a “transformation”?!