Burning

“Long time no see, Eugene…”

He stretched out his arm, as if to shake hands.

Like greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in years.

There was not the slightest hint of hostility.

Those ever-gentle, smiling eyes—

Now bled crimson tears, like a wailing specter.

It was the result of extreme exhaustion.

The Corpse Guardian he had summoned with blood sacrifice…

Had drained him completely.

He had pushed himself to the brink of death.

That creature existed only to lure Luna away.

His true goal…

Was to duel Eugene.

This time—

They would decide a winner.

And he would kill him completely.

This town of corpses and blood…

Would be blamed on Eugene—

The “dark mage.”

And he—

Would become the righteous “exorcist.”

Purifying Eugene—

That “evil spirit” meant to be burned three days ago—

With crimson hellfire.

And through this massacre…

He would ascend to sainthood.

“Die!”

“Come…”

Eugene replied, almost smiling faintly.

Such reckless youth…

Savage chuckled.

The Corpse Guardian was meant to distract Luna.

He knew her strength well.

Last time—

She had nearly killed him in under five seconds.

Ruthless.

Relentless.

That was what he feared most.

But the Corpse Guardian…

Even if torn into chunks of flesh—

Could not be destroyed completely.

That was its terror.

Brute force alone could never eliminate it.

Its corpse aura and bites—

Were lethal to humans.

Left unchecked…

Plagues would spread.

This place would become a breeding ground of disease.

So he was certain—

Luna would prioritize it.

And Eugene…

Would come for him.

Because Eugene understood his condition best.

No matter how high his magic rose—

His mental strength remained as it was eight years ago.

Summoning the Corpse Guardian alone…

Nearly killed him.

Right now—

He was extremely weak.

And Eugene knew it.

“You’re just a tool used by dark mages—don’t you understand?!”

Eugene roared angrily.

With a granite tower shield raised—

And a layer of orange barrier over cyan battle aura—

He charged forward.

Though he knew…

It was useless.

Savage had become nothing but a devouring beast.

Only memories remained.

Eugene himself was also a high-tier warrior.

After losing his magic—

He trained his battle aura relentlessly.

He became a bounty hunter.

Years passed.

He earned wealth.

Bought a small house in Bordeaux’s center.

But when he returned to his old home—

He found infant skeletons buried in his yard.

The Church suspected him.

The moment he returned—

They were already waiting.

“Ha? Hahahahaha! You still don’t get it?!”

Savage burst into laughter.

He removed the red orb at his waist.

Only two beads remained.

“You think I’m weak now?”

At the moment Eugene slammed into him—

Savage instantly cast another granite shield.

They collided—

Like lightning striking stone.

Sparks burst.

Orange particles scattered through the air.

Even with full force and battle aura—

Eugene couldn’t break the shield.

This was pure magical suppression.

He couldn’t harm a Saint-tier opponent.

But Savage suffered more.

That instant shield—

Drained what little remained of his mind.

He was barely standing.

Only his two tails held him upright.

Without them—

He would collapse instantly.

“You’re going to die.”

Eugene said calmly.

“That last spell… finished you.”

“You think… I came here to die?”

Savage sneered.

Blood spilled from his mouth.

Without hesitation—

He tore off a bead…

And swallowed it.

Life-drain magic.

In an instant—

His strength returned.

His mind restored.

Back to full power.

“I just wanted to meet you again~”

He smiled.

That chilling smile.

Blood covered his face—

Yet he laughed like nothing was wrong.

Eugene’s heart sank.

This was bad.

Very bad.

Two tails shot forward—

Like blades slicing air.

Moments ago, he was barely alive—

Now he was fully restored.

Eugene reacted instantly.

Instead of defending—

He cast a massive flame explosion forward.

The tails were too fast to stop—

They slammed into the heat.

For a moment—

They burned.

Savage recoiled in pain.

The tails withdrew like frightened animals.

Those tails…

Controlled him completely.

They mimicked Savage’s mind—

His memories—

His personality.

But his brain…

Was already bound by them.

Savage was nothing but a shell.

After his defeat years ago—

Eugene had researched endlessly.

That black bead…

The thing that ruined him.

He discovered the truth.

A Soul-Devouring Orb.

A tool of dark mages.

But now—

Seeing those tails—

He understood everything.

Savage wasn’t a dark mage.

He was a disposable tool.

A corpse puppet.

Controlled by parasitic growths.

Those tails—

Were the source.

They controlled every movement.

He was just a body.

Created to mimic humans.

A puppet.

The real Savage—

Had likely been killed long ago.

A seed of death planted within him.

When it bloomed—

It became those tails.

They were called…

Thorn Blossoms.

He was no longer Savage.

Or perhaps he still was—

But no longer human.

His soul…

His memories…

Were bound completely.

Yet he still wandered this world.

That was not a fate for the dead.

Eugene felt it.

His soul was trembling.

Struggling.

“I’ll set you free.”

Eugene said softly.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Savage” asked.

He didn’t understand.

He didn’t need salvation.

If anything—

He would be the one to end Eugene.

Eugene said nothing more.

He simply stared.

“Burn.”

He spoke.

The spell was already prepared.

In that silence—

He had completed it.

With a burst of wind—

He dashed forward instantly.

Appearing before him in a flash.

He would imprint the spell directly onto his body—

Burning him from within.

Fire—

The purest form of cleansing.

Nothing could endure it unchanged.

Not even a puppet of dark magic.

Once marked—

Savage would die.

This was the Church’s method.

Execution by flame.

For centuries.

Turning all impurity into ash.

A sacred symbol.

Savage realized it instantly.

He reinforced his defenses.

A granite shield.

Then—

A massive flame explosion.

Then—

A thick wall of ice layered over it.

He was certain.

Eugene couldn’t break through.

A Saint-tier explosion—

Would incinerate him in less than a second.

That one second—

Nearly killed him again.

Blood streamed from his nose.

The shield was too thick—

He couldn’t see ahead.

So he sensed…

Elemental fluctuations.

But—

Eugene wasn’t there.

“Tap…”

A sound.

Impact on the ice wall.

Then—

Violent energy.

The ice melted instantly.

The spell mark—

Was gone.

He had misjudged.

Eugene had been burned.

He smiled.

But then—

A thought struck him.

That speed…

Wind element…

He froze.

“Slap—”

A hand struck his forehead.

Burning hot.

He turned—

And saw Eugene.

His body trembling.

Mind overdrawn.

He had forced a wind blink.

And now—

The heat spread.

He began to burn.