Ascension Of The Failed Mage

"Nicely said, Ciara..." A voice sounded.

The figure approached, slightly illuminated by the shattered pieces of orange light that descended from the broken barrier.

Finally, his face was seen—Noir had arrived.

"... He really should go to hell."

Ciara's eyes bulged, and her body trembled at the sound she heard. It was no mistake.

As her face turned, she took in the familiar presence, his scent... the cool aura he gave off, and finally, her eyes met his.

In her pathetic, disheveled state, she looked at him.

As usual, he had a stoic look on his face, and his black hair waved back and forth due to the late-night breeze. His eyes gave off an empty feeling, though this time it hinted something else.

"N-Noir...?" Ciara managed to say, feeling a lump in her throat.

He smiled, nodding his head slightly.

"It's been a while, Ciara. You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

As much as they would both have preferred the reunion to last a little longer, the adversary had already snapped out of his daze and grown bored of their display of affection.

"Urgh! That's it, I've had enough!" He gagged.

Noir's eyes were still on Ciara, ignoring the man's comments. He moved closer, though Ciara didn't understand whether he was advancing toward her, or the enemy.

"You did well holding on this long..."

"You're quite something, huh? Breaking that Tier 6 barrier like nothing. As expected of my prey!"

Noir didn't respond. He paused as soon as he reached Ciara's location, refusing to go any further and meet the enemy.

Richard's wannabe was now annoyed. His patience had worn out, and the fact that Noir didn't even show him the littlest bit of acknowledgment pissed him off.

"Oi oi, I wouldn't ignore me if I were you!" The man said, moving closer to Noir while giving an angry some.

Noir, once again, didn't pay him much mind and knelt down to be on the same level as Ciara. He pulled the shivering girl close and embraced her.

"It's alright, now... I'm here."

Ciara's trembling body, filled with countless emotions and trauma began to shudder even more intensely as he held onto her.

"I-its all my fault... It's all... I'm so sorry!" She bawled, crying like a child.

Noir, who wasn't an expert at comforting others merely kept quiet, allowing her to cry on his shoulders.

"I said you shouldn't ignore me—!" The man yelled, now enraged.

In a flash, a sharp glint appeared and disappeared almost instantly.

Blood dripped on the ground, falling from the cheeks of whoever appeared to be Richard.

A clean cut had been engraved on his face, dying that portion in red.

He was stunned for a moment but quickly smiled.

"You little bastard... how dare you wound my face?"

For the first time, Noir finally looked at him, having a cold glare on his face.

"She's still crying. You'll do well to wait."

The intense aura surrounding him was evident that he was serious. No one was to disturb the girl who was breaking down in his arms.

The special care and attention Noir gave Ciara puzzled the enemy. Noir had definitely bitten the bait and fallen for his trap, yet he appeared so calm, and instead of trying to fight, he was engaging in frivolities.

"This guy... do you not realize what kind of situation you're in?!" The man asked.

"Just be patient... I haven't forgotten about you yet."

Noir's cold, yet calm reply, made the man reach the end of his wait.

'I know... he's just ignorant! That's why he's so confident. He must be looking down on me. Hehe, too bad! What an idiot!'

He wanted to savor the despair of both Ciara and Noir, watching how they would crumble at his feet after he showed his brilliant plan. However, he had to end things quickly.

"[Activate]" He muttered.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden light shone, causing Noir to look around him.

>SHIIIINNNNNNGGGGGG<

A bright hum filled the surrounding.

Even Ciara stopped pouring herself into Noir and looked at the field that now covered everywhere.

"This... this is..." Her eyes bulged.

Ciara had never seen it before, but there was no one who knew magic that didn't understand the color and what it meant.

"Tier 9 Magic!"

The enemy laughed maniacally, upon seeing Ciara's reaction.

"Yes. That's right! It's a Tier 9 rune I received from the boss."

Ciara was tempted to fall back into her despair, being faced with such an overpowering adversary. However, with Noir still holding her in his embrace, she wouldn't dare.

'I can't... I won't insult Noir. He came here for me... I'll trust in him!' Ciara resolved.

Noir gave a soft smile upon sensing the decision she had come into.

While Ciara still bore a lot of guilt concerning all that had happened so far, and was still shaken, she wasn't going to give in just yet. Especially when the source of strength was present.

Since Noir had come all the way here for her, though it was a repeat of the previous times, she knew she couldn't nope around forever.

"Noir, I'm okay now... so please... take care of everything else!"

In response, he nodded, releasing Ciara from his embrace, and stood up.

As she watched him rise, Ciara felt a pang in her chest. She had said that she would be able to fight by his side, however, it seemed that once again he was protecting her.

Still, what was this warm feeling she had? Merely stating at his back alone... he felt like a huge fortress that protected her from the harsh storm all around.

Even the Golden glimmer of Tier 9, magic didn't faze her anymore. Compared to the deep blackness of Noir's back, any other color paled in comparison.

"Let's end this, then," Noir said, now properly giving attention to his enemy.

"About time! Do I finally have your attention?" He smiled, snapping his fingers.

Instantly a pair of daggers appeared before him. With both hands he held each, taking a fighting stance.

"It's useless... you won't win," Noir muttered, appearing already unmotivated.

"The fuck? What the hell are you saying?" Richard's doppelganger asked impatiently.

"For one, I don't think I appreciate speaking to you without your real face on. It's disgusting!"

In an instant, Noir snapped his fingers and the Richard disguise of the man shattered, tearing away and fading into nothingness.

"W-whaoh!" He exclaimed, expressing surprise.

"That's much better. At least this way, Ciara won't watch me utterly waste someone who looks like a dear 'friend' of hers."

Upon hearing how Nor emphasized the word 'friend', Ciara felt embarrassed a little, while also grateful for Noir's consideration of her feelings.

"You cocky bastard! I wouldn't waste my magic like that if I were you!" The shady man growled.

His face was ugly, a little crooked. His tongue appeared long, while his mouth was large.

Sharp teeth were seen when he opened his mouth, and he had big lips.

"You look much better now... yes, I would have no trouble eliminating you now."

The overconfidence the person before him seemed to exude pissed the shady man off to no limits. His employer had told him to take precautions, and he had also witnessed the strength Noir possessed.

He was capable of Tier 9 Magic, had extremely high physical capabilities, and was very level-headed in his judgment.

Noir was so formidable that he needed to procure an equally lethal item to succeed.

And yet, even with this, Noir didn't appear fazed.

"Could it be that you have no idea what kind of situation you're in? You're awfully confident for someone who fell into my trap!" He said to Noir, flailing his tongue about as he spoke.

Noir shrugged in response.

"Tier 9 disruption and debuff magic. It prevents the activation of magic higher than the 6th Tier, as well as absorbs the mana of the targets locked within it. It slows down movement, dulls the senses, and further amplifies the user within its field. There's also the cloaking effect, blocking third-party intervention... though I suppose that last part is a given."

The enemy was shocked by Noir's apt analysis. He was spot on correct!

"Y-you know all that, yet you think you can win?!"

Once again, Noir shrugged, stepping forward while summoning a dark steeled blade onto his hand.

"What's there to be so surprised about? Did you really think I was unaware of this whole thing before I arrived?"

The shady man couldn't accept that. There was no way someone who knew the effects of such a barrier would willingly walk in.

"You're bluffing! You couldn't have—"

Before the man uttered another word, Noir slightly swung his sword vertically.

>WHOOOOSHH<

Blood spurted out, splashing onto the floor. The shady man's eyes widened in shock, wondering how what had just happened was possible.

In one fell swoop, Noir had completely cut off one of his arms, causing blood to splatter about, and the disjointed limb to fall to the ground.

>CLANG<

The dagger he held sounded as they made contact with the hard, cold floor.

"U-uarghhhh!" He yelled in pain, quickly stifling his scream.

Noir emotionless stared at him, watching the man's bloodshot eyes glare at him.

He bit his lips as he numbed the pain he felt, while also staring at Noir in shock.

'This... how?!'

"Now then, why don't you reconsider your earlier assertion. Am I bluffing?"