Chapter 320 -: 319 Betrayal.
Suddenly, Julius flinched. The warmth that had lingered in his expression vanished almost instantly as he raised his head, his golden eyes narrowing toward the distant sky ahead.
A trace of caution settled over his face while every instinct within him screamed that the person approaching was unlike the countless Spirit Core spell casters he had cut down throughout the day.
Hovering in the air before him was a tall, broad-shouldered Zlycon whose mere presence seemed to weigh heavily upon the surroundings.
His cold gaze remained fixed upon Julius from the moment they locked eyes, carrying neither fear nor hesitation, only restrained fury.
"I never expected a human to set foot upon our Four Stationary Continents," the man spoke, his deep voice echoing through the open sky.
His eyes shifted briefly toward the unconscious Rosalina before returning to Julius.
"Much less one of the two most talented individuals in history." Magnus stared at them with undisguised anger burning within his eyes before speaking again in an icy tone.
"Tell me... why have you come here?"
Julius remained completely silent. His expression barely changed, yet the warmth that had filled his eyes only moments ago disappeared without a trace.
In its place came a terrifying coldness as his golden pupils locked onto Magnus like a predator staring down its prey.
A suffocating bloodlust spread outward from his body, pressing against Magnus with such intensity that it felt as though the Zlycon had personally slaughtered Julius’ entire family. The air itself seemed to grow heavier beneath that murderous intent.
"Magnus..." Julius finally spoke, his voice no warmer than frozen steel.
"I’ve had the honor of knowing you." His grip around Rosalina tightened ever so slightly before his gaze sharpened further.
"It would be better if you moved aside. However..." A faint killing intent flashed within his eyes. "If you don’t... then don’t think your superior rank will be enough to save you."
"You overestimate yourself..." Magnus growled, the muscles along his jaw tightening.
"Kav—" The name caught in his throat before he forcefully corrected himself, his voice filled with hatred. "Julius!"
The instant those words left his mouth, Magnus surged forward with a thunderous roar that shook the surrounding mountains.
Golden mana erupted from his body like an exploding sun, and behind him an enormous lion slowly materialized from the blazing light.
The beast was easily the size of a house, its golden mane burning like molten fire as it threw back its head and unleashed a deafening roar.
The sound alone caused heaven and earth to tremble while countless birds scattered into the sky in panic.
Julius stared silently at the gigantic lion. Fear never appeared in his eyes, yet his heart grew slightly heavier.
Now that he no longer had to worry about concealing the true abilities of the All-Seeing Eyes, he possessed a genuine chance of injuring Magnus, perhaps even defeating him if fortune favored him.
Unfortunately, victory wasn’t what he needed. Every passing minute brought midnight closer, and if Magnus succeeded in delaying him here for too long, escaping afterward would become nearly impossible.
Even if he managed to survive the battle itself, the backlash waiting for him through Event Horizon would leave him completely defenseless.
"There is nothing to be done..."
Muttering quietly beneath his breath, Julius reached into empty space.
His fingers closed around nothing, yet a moment later a magnificent sword emerged from thin air as though reality itself had forged it in response to his will.
The weapon settled naturally into his right hand while he adjusted Rosalina securely against his shoulder, making certain she wouldn’t slip no matter how violently the battle unfolded.
His grip tightened around the hilt as his eyes never once left Magnus.
"Let’s begin."
Without wasting another heartbeat, Julius exploded forward. Magnus responded at exactly the same instant, his massive body crashing through the air with frightening speed.
While many of Magnus’ earth-based spells became noticeably weaker away from solid ground, his physical strength suffered no such limitation.
He abandoned complicated spell casting altogether and charged directly toward Julius, meeting him head-on with a fist carrying overwhelming force.
Behind him, the enormous golden lion followed close behind, opening its jaws before unleashing a roaring torrent of molten lava that surged across the sky like a blazing waterfall, threatening to consume everything in its path.
Unlike Magnus, Julius found himself fighting under nearly perfect conditions. Flying through the air placed no restrictions upon his abilities whatsoever.
More importantly, the mana borrowed through Event Horizon still overflowed within his body, allowing him to cast spells without worrying about exhausting himself.
Injuries, accumulated fatigue, even the dreadful backlash that normally accompanied abusing Time Path spells no longer mattered for the present.
Every consequence could simply be transferred onto his future self.
’I’m sorry, my pitiful future self...’ Julius thought inwardly, a faint grin threatening to appear despite the battle unfolding around him. ’But don’t worry. When we’re suffering later... Rose will already be awake to take care of us.’
Before the thought had fully settled, Julius extended his left hand toward the incoming torrent.
"Time Path... Mire of Time."
"Two times slower."
The spell activated instantly. The molten river rushing toward him visibly slowed, every droplet of lava appearing to drag through the air as though trapped inside invisible mud.
Julius paid it no further attention. Instead, the golden radiance within his eyes intensified as the All-Seeing Eyes peered into the future.
Every movement that would occur over the next five minutes unfolded vividly before him, countless possibilities flashing through his mind one after another.
While observing those future events, Julius quietly activated the second ability of the All-Seeing Eyes.
Invisible attacks, prepared several moments earlier, were shifted forward through time and carefully placed within the future he had already witnessed.
One after another, hidden slashes were positioned exactly where they would become unavoidable several minutes from now.
Only after completing those preparations did Julius finally engage Magnus directly.
The clash between them erupted with astonishing speed.
Magnus refused to yield even a single step, his fists crashing toward Julius with enough force to shatter mountains while Julius relied upon the future unfolding before his eyes to avoid every fatal strike by the narrowest possible margins.
Without constantly observing the future, even he knew he wouldn’t survive an exchange against someone of Magnus’ caliber. Every movement demanded perfect precision.
The enormous golden lion joined the battle moments later. With a furious roar, it swung one of its massive front paws toward Julius, claws tearing through the air with overwhelming force.
Just as the attack descended, an invisible sword suddenly materialized from nowhere.
The blade pierced cleanly through the lion’s right foreleg before continuing forward and burying itself deep within the beast’s body.
Bingo.
Julius’ eyes flashed with satisfaction. The trap he had hidden within the future had activated exactly as he intended.
Without hesitating, he immediately retreated a single step before lunging straight toward the wounded lion.
This was the opening he had been waiting for. The delayed strike created by the second ability had landed perfectly, leaving the beast vulnerable for only a brief instant. All he needed to do now was finish it—
Bang!
Before the thought could be completed, an overwhelming force slammed squarely into his chest. Magnus’ fist had arrived.