Dark Magus Returns

When the strange Dark Mist passed through the others, an odd feeling was felt. It wasn't pain, nor was it like the Qi that came from Sha Mo.

Instead, for a moment, they felt empty inside, as if all their senses had disappeared for a fraction of a second. Everything had dulled-their sense of smell, their hearing, and more. It was a strange feeling because the one sense that still existed was their sense of sight. Yet the feeling of everything being gone from them--it was almost like they had died in that moment.

When the Dark energy went past them, they looked down at the crater and could see where Raze stood. Part of the ground beneath his feet had been destroyed.

The ground looked as if a sphere had perfectly carved out the floor from underneath him, but the surprising thing itself was Raze.

"What happened to him?" Rayna asked.

"I... don't understand either, he looks like an old man," Liam said. "And not just looks like- it's almost as if he's turned into an old man. Is that really Raze, or did something happen again like last time?"

Anna was using the system to analyze the features on Raze's face, and something strange was happening. Her system itself had come up with an error.

[Unable to Determine if they are the same individuals.]

[Similarities and differences have occurred]

[Here is a list of the following]

Judging by the information, Raze's posture, stance, and some of his internal features remained the same, but his skin and facial features-they weren't the same person according to the system.

One thing the system was sure about was that all of the clothes that this old man was wearing were exactly the same.

'Maybe this is like last time when the Divine being took over, but why does he look different this time?'

The reason for the confusion was because the blazer Raze wore was the same, and the familiar white hair, although slightly longer, was still there.

Still, one couldn't just suddenly age, and why would it happen to Raze in the middle of a match?

The truth was that even Raze himself was shocked by this.

"What has happened to you?" Sha Mo asked. "Why have you turned into... an old man?"

"An old man?" Raze repeated, as he looked at his hands. They were wrinkled, severely, the veins on the top of his hands stuck out.

He could feel it in just his breathing and the normal aches and pains one got as they grew older. However, there was something else flowing through him.

He lifted his hand and placed it against his chest.

'Right now, I can tell my mana heart has gone through a breakthrough. The mana has exploded all over my body, but when I look at my mana heart... why is it... can it be?'

It was then that Raze lifted his hand and weaved it in the air. In doing so, a pool of water was created, floating.

Sha Mo was cautious and didn't go in for the attack just yet.

'This person managed to beat Murkel somehow. The strength I've witnessed so far wouldn't have been enough to beat him. Is it because of this old figure? I can't let my guard down.'

When Raze used his magic to create the water, he had done so for one reason only. Now he was able to see his face in the reflection.

Both of his hands slowly lifted as he touched the wrinkles on his face.

'It can't be... it can't be... this face... this face,' Raze thought, his whole body shaking.

'This is the face of Raze Cromwell, the real Raze Cromwell from Alterian. The face that everyone knows as the Dark Magus.'

So many theories were going through Raze's mind because he didn't understand it. How could something like a breakthrough of one's Mana Core cause such a thing?

Breakthroughs were usually based on one's Mana Core and would be related to that. If one had a wind-based Mana Core, maybe their casting speed would double for a short time.

Or they would be able to form some type of weapon that aided their magical powers, but something like this had never happened before.

Even if Raze was the first person to ever have a breakthrough using a Dark Core, a result like this had never occurred.

'Every breakthrough is unique to the user... is it because of me, the real soul occupying this body?

'Dark magic affinity is closely linked with death... it's quite possible that something like this could have happened.'

Right after, Raze waved his hand again, and the pool of water disappeared. He started to wave his hand a few times, and the water reappeared, only to disappear again.

Then he lifted his right hand and clicked his fingers, and a small flame, like that of a lighter, appeared. He flicked it into the air, and it landed on his other hand. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Sparks started to appear, surrounding both of Raze's arms, swirling around them, and then they suddenly stopped. Everything around Raze had stopped.

He just stood there, looked up at Sha Mo, and started to smile.

"You seem to have a big grin on your face, for someone who was getting beat so badly that they seem to have aged," Sha Mo exclaimed, getting back into a fighting stance, one hand in front of the other and his legs spread out.

Raze looked off to the side, where Safa's body lay, and with a finger, she was lifted into the air. She continued to rise until she was brought to the side of the others up above. When placed on the ground, the wind could be seen blowing the dust to the side.

"The person you fought before was Raze Cromwell of Pagna," Raze answered. "But the person you will be fighting right now is Raze Cromwell from Alterian. I will show you the power of a nine-star mage."

In this older form, Raze was back to his strength before he had come to Pagna.