‘He’s got to be kidding, Miracle?’

Miracle, ‘No he is telling the truth, although he is concealing his strength, I can still sense that it is at least double, that of the clone.’

“In light of the interesting fight you showed me, I’ll tell you, my name. My name is Magma Keegan and I rank 5th in the Great Curses. I wanted to see for myself, who is this kid who fooled Loren. As a recent new curse holder, you seem like you’ll make a great target to test my strength on you.” Magma stated as dark red mana started emerging from his body.

…

“He must be somewhere around here. His mana signature is very faint...” Henry said to himself as tried to locate Renly. He kept on calling out his name but no reply came in return.

“Renly, Renly! You there?! make—

As Henry kept on calling for Renly, he heard some rustling noises from the bushes behind him. He approached it slowly afraid that it might be animal. As he looked behind it, he saw Renly, laying on the ground, all bloodied. He was making faint inaudible noises.

Henry, “Renly?! Renly! Look here open your… eyes.”

Henry was on the verge of crying. In fact, tears started rolling down his face after Renly didn’t reply. There didn’t seem to be any visible injury on him. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

“I-I need to take him to a hospi—

Henry stopped midway when he suddenly noticed it. Renly wasn’t breathing! His mana signature was getting weak.

Henry was checking his pulses. He had lost his brother. Henry started crying. He was beating his fists on the ground in frustration out of his helplessness.

“Huh? Henry?”

Suddenly a voice called out to him from behind.

Henry turned around only to be surprised by the owner of the voice. It was Nova!

“Wh-What are -you -doing here?” Henry said in between sobs.

Nova worried about henry noticed his twin brother beside him lying on the ground. He quickly rushed to them.

“H-Hey! Renly?” He tried shaking him but to no avail.

“W-What happened to him?” Nova asked Henry but the latter was disoriented and in shock. He could barely process things right now.

“Oi! Henry! Give me hand we need to get him help right now!” Nova urged.

“It-It’s no use! His pulse… it’s gone!” Henry managed in between sobs.

Nova checked for himself and found it to be true.

‘This… then does this means, he is dead—

Nova’s thoughts were interrupted. Flashes of someone came in his mind. Someone who resembled Nova in appearances. There were memories of him playing together with that person. The person resembling Nova seemed a year or two older than him. Then there came a flash. Blood. Cries of people. Him crying. Pointed ears.

*Clank* *Swish* *Grrr*

“Hah… ha- hah- hah…” Nova’s breathing had become erratic and unstable. He kept looking down at an unmoving Renly. But he was pulled out of his panic state by some sudden voices.

“S-Stay back!” A panicked Henry’s voice entered in his ears. And then he noticed the reason behind it!

Two creatures resembling dogs stood in front of Henry who stood in between Nova and them. It was obvious Henry had just now protected him from the sudden ambush.

“W-What are these? Dogs?” Nova questioned surprised at their appearance.

That’s because, while they closely resemble feral dogs, they had armors attached to their bodies here and there along with red hot skin. Sharp teeth bared at them with saliva drooling from their tongues but what made it even terrifying was that the saliva was actually lava!

‘What now? Will they kill us? Me, Henry… and…

Nova’s gaze once again fell on the twin laying on the ground. A sudden spark went off inside him.

‘No, not again!’

With that Nova immediately stretched his right hand out in front of him and opened his index finger. The next moment he stabbed that finger onto his heart in an intense manner. Henry didn’t had time to look back at what Nova was doing, he couldn’t take his eyes off the two beasts in front of him otherwise they’ll have his head!

But in spite of not looking back he could tell that something was different. Taking out Alex’s case as a rare exception, all humans were born with mana. Even the ones on earth. But their mana always remained in a dormant state. It could only be activated by an external force or due to some extreme conditions!

Thus, anyone with a normal mana sensory ability could tell whether someone’s mana is dormant or not since it doesn’t become erratic or explodes beyond a certain level. The same was the case with Nova’s until now. Henry could feel a large surge in mana coming from Nova. He didn’t know how but he had never felt such large mana reserves before.

“Henry, can you keep those creatures busy, I need to help your brother in the meantime!” Nova said as he rolled his sleeves and a white-greenish mana covered his hands.

…

“Mad Sage: Raging Streak!”

A black mana of destruction travelling on the ground’s surface as it emerged from the ground moved in a circular manner as it surrounding Magma, closing the distance between itself and him. Magma looked to escape from above but found Alex brandishing his 6 six black blades covered in electricity as they launched black slashes covered in electricity.

‘This kid is learning fast.’ Magma internalized as he noticed Alex’s increased use of blades and electric coating.

“Vortex of Hell!” Magma roared as a tier three magic circle formed beneath him out which emerged a vortex made entirely of flames and lava. Magma was unharmed by the heat of his own spell. On the other hand, raging streak and Alex’s black slash attacks were all destroyed as they were all sucked into it.

‘He can create a vortex from the ground now, I mean it’s coming from the magic circle, but come on! Science is failing here, big time!’

Alex immediately distanced himself from the vortex. But the vortex kept on chasing him and the suction from it was getting stronger by the second for Alex to handle.

Miracle, ‘What are you doing? that lava and fire made vortex will completely suck you in. You need to do something!’

Alex, ‘Yeah, I can see that! Any bright ideas?!’

Miracle, ‘You can cut through it?’

‘Easier said th—

Alex’s thoughts came to a halt as he thought of something.

‘Oh, this is a crazy idea now. Miracle, cover me with as much mana as possible.’

‘Okay but what are you thinking of doing?’

‘Something I watched on TV once.’

‘Is that reliable?’

‘Probably not but here goes nothing.’