Before anything worse could happen, a scream echoed from the room. Unsure of what to do, Arthur took a deep breath, focused his mind, and began to meditate.
My mana core isn't locked. Good.
Nul could be activated using mana, aura, or both simultaneously. If fueled by mana, it nullified magic; if powered by aura, it negated physical damage. However, when both were used together, it not only nullified attacks but also doubled the damage and reflected it back at the attacker.
Focusing his mana, Arthur began unlocking half of Nul, using it to break whatever was sealing his aura.
"Great"
Shattering the restraints on his hand, Arthur turned to Leclerc with a smirk. In contrast, Leclerc stared at him, uncertain and wary.
"I'm going to take your mana," Arthur declared.
Placing his hand on Leclerc, he began to absorb his mana. His eyes, once red, shifted to a glowing blue.
"Nice."
Calmly, Arthur resumed his meditation, focusing on unlocking more aura rings.
Aura—sometimes called Oura—was essential for knights, warriors, and anyone who wielded physical weapons. To harness aura, one needed a mana core capable of forming aura rings. Though still connected to mana, aura was separate in function, offering far more destructive power than magic.
In his past life, Arthur had possessed twelve aura rings. Now, at fifteen years old, he had only one.
"Second ring, here I come."
Steadying his breath, Arthur concentrated. He extracted more of Leclerc's mana, molding it into a second aura ring. Though Leclerc wasn't dead, his soul was half-broken, making it possible for Arthur to drain his mana.
A sudden pressure trembled through the cell before settling. Arthur exhaled—he had successfully unlocked his second aura ring.
"You look terrible, Leclerc… sigh, fine. I'll find your daughter and get a healer for you."
As he turned to leave, Leclerc made a strained sound.
"Waih!"
His tongue was gone, making his speech nearly unintelligible, but Arthur understood enough.
Leclerc weakly tapped his pocket. Arthur caught on immediately and reached inside, pulling out a piece of torn paper covered in unfamiliar writing.
Leclerc pointed at the paper, then at his back. Slowly, he crossed his hands, mimicking the shape of scissors.
Arthur frowned. "Do you want me to bring this paper to Alice and cut it on her back?"
Leclerc shook his head and repeated the gestures—pointing at the paper, then at his back, then forming the scissor shape again.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he pieced it together. "Oh… you want me to cut the paper with the back?"
Leclerc nodded.
Breaking the cell, Arthur quickly formed a sword aura in his hand to replace his missing sword.
"Nul."
[Nul has been activated.]
He made his way through the prison hall, cutting down every guard in his path. As one of them fell, Arthur grabbed the spear the man had dropped.
"CATCH HIM!" a guard shouted, and more rushed in to attack.
But it was useless. Their attacks were nullified the moment they struck. Dripping with blood, Arthur strode toward the round chamber and smashed through the door.
"Yo, I'm taking that kid," he said with a smirk.
The red-haired man lunged at Arthur, aiming a swift kick—but it no longer worked. The attack was nullified. Without hesitation, Arthur hurled his spear straight at the man's head.
"Stop!"
The man in the cloak raised his hand, stopping Arthur's spear in midair.
"What?" Arthur muttered, eyes narrowing.
The cloaked man struck him, but the attack was nullified. Arthur quickly leaned to the left, his sword aura flaring as he prepared to slice through his opponent.
But suddenly—
The impact from the man's next strike was too strong. Nul couldn't nullify it at that level. Arthur was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground. As he pushed himself up, his gaze landed on Alice's back. Her skin, marked with strange patterns, had been cut—no, ripped open.
"What the hell are you guys trying to do with that?" Arthur demanded, his eyes locked onto Alice's torn back.
The red-haired man, now fully healed, pushed himself up and charged at Arthur.
"Come here, you little—!"
But Arthur ignored him, walking past without a second glance. His focus was on the man who had stopped Nul—his face wrapped in bandages.
"Shit, you look awful," Arthur scoffed.
Without warning, he dashed forward, activating a different magic while Nul remained active. Fire fused with a powerful gust of wind, creating a blazing inferno. The flames didn't harm the bandaged man, but that wasn't the point—it gave Arthur just enough time.
In a swift motion, he grabbed Alice, her torn skin barely clinging to her back. Holding her tightly, he bolted toward the exit, his heart pounding.
Wait up, Leclerc. I'm gonna be back.