Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats-Chapter 54: Light Fragment

Through the crystallized moment of imminent impact, Marcus could only watch as Sebastian’s massive grey fist approached with devastating force. Though his perception had slowed to a crawl, making each millisecond feel like an eternity, his body remained frustratingly bound by normal time. The paradox was maddening – able to see his doom approaching in excruciating detail, yet powerless to avoid it.

The impact, when it finally came, was like being struck by a meteor. The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed across the battlefield with a sickening thud, and Marcus’s world became a blur of motion and pain. His body cartwheeled through the air before striking the ground hard, bouncing and rolling several more feet as clouds of dust billowed in his wake.

The taste of copper filled his mouth as he coughed up blood, his hands trembling as he pushed himself up from the dirt. The harsh reality of their power gap struck him harder than any physical blow – all his calculated strikes, his precise techniques, every bit of damage he’d managed to inflict through careful strategy... none of it compared to the raw devastation of a single casual punch from his opponent.

I need to avoid getting hit at all costs, he thought, but the realization came too late. Sebastian’s massive form materialized before him with frightening speed, grey fingers wrapping around Marcus’s head before driving it into the ground with bone-crushing force.

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"Kid, you just landed a few hits and thought you could defeat me?" Sebastian’s laughter held no trace of humanity now, just the raw malice of a fully manifested demonoid. "Let me show you what real defeat feels like."

Before Marcus could fully regain his feet, those terrible fingers seized his skull again, threatening to crush it like an overripe fruit. He grabbed desperately at the massive grey hand, but it was like trying to stop a hydraulic press with bare hands. The pressure built inexorably, and coherent thought began to slip away under the overwhelming force.

Then, in that moment of desperation, inspiration struck. Marcus activated his [Bladeless Cut](B) skill, but with a crucial modification. Instead of attempting to manifest the full cutting force – which he knew would be insufficient against Sebastian’s overwhelming strength – he concentrated all the energy into a single point: the tip of one fingernail.

The effect was instantaneous. Sebastian’s agonized scream split the air as he hurled Marcus away, sending him crashing into a nearby tree. Though the impact rattled his bones, Marcus recovered quickly, springing to his feet and putting some much-needed distance between them.

His gambit had worked – like focusing the sun through a magnifying glass, concentrating all the force into a microscopic point had created something akin to a superpowered bee sting. While the actual damage was minimal, the pain had been intense enough to break Sebastian’s grip and buy precious seconds as the demonoid clutched his injured hand, howling in rage.

But as Marcus watched his opponent’s fury build, he knew he’d only bought himself a brief reprieve. His bag of tricks was running empty, and even his most underhanded tactics had failed to turn the tide. Yet surrender wasn’t an option – allowing Sebastian to live meant condemning countless future victims to suffering, not to mention the devastating role that the dark fragments would play in the coming demon war.

The question of victory, however, remained frustratingly elusive as Sebastian advanced with murderous intent, all pretense of toying with his prey abandoned. The humiliation of that precise, painful strike had pushed the demonoid past the point of sadistic play – now he simply wanted Marcus dead, and dead quickly.

How? Marcus wondered desperately. How do I bridge this gap? The answer continued to elude him as his opponent’s massive form drew ever closer, promising only pain and death.

…

Marcus faced his opponent with newfound clarity, closing his eyes not in resignation but in focused preparation. When they reopened, they held an unshakeable calm. He raised his hand deliberately, channeling his power as [Bladeless Cut](B) manifested, wreathing his uplifted palm in ethereal energy. But this was merely the foundation.

Layer by layer, he built his technique. [Sword Force](A) came next, causing the aura to expand dramatically until it rivaled the size of his usual blade. Then [Blade Resonance](S) amplified it further still, the energy stretching skyward until it towered like the tree behind him. Any leaves that drifted too close to this massive construct simply ceased to exist, disintegrating on contact with the powerful aura.

Yet Marcus pushed further, adding [Edge Perception](B) to the mix. Though it didn’t visibly increase the energy’s size, it honed his focus to a razor’s edge, ensuring perfect control over the immense power he was gathering. The blue aura suddenly shifted, transforming into brilliant gold. For a moment, it writhed like captured lightning, striking out in chaotic patterns before abruptly stabilizing into a colossal blade of pure energy.

The manifested sword stood nearly ten meters tall and a full meter wide, its presence so overwhelming that even Sebastian halted his charge, eyeing the construct with clear apprehension. The very air seemed to vibrate with its power, creating an almost physical pressure that pushed against everyone present.

"I can finally see it," Marcus declared, his voice carrying absolute conviction, "my path of the sword. I’ll call this technique, ’Downward Slash.’" As the words left his lips, a divine voice resonated within his mind:

[The angel Gabriel has acknowledged your devotion towards mankind! You have received the Virtue Series light fragment, Kindness]1

But Marcus had no time to contemplate this development – his focus remained locked on the technique he was about to unleash. With a thought, he sent the massive blade plummeting downward toward his opponent.

Sebastian could only watch in growing terror as the giant sword descended. To Adelaide and Theodore, observing from a safe distance, it appeared like divine judgment itself – an angel’s sword coming down to smite evil from the world. As the blade drew within inches of him, Sebastian’s fear finally overcame his arrogance. Raw survival instinct took over, causing his body to explode with crimson energy in a desperate bid for survival.

The clash between golden light and demonic energy was brief but spectacular. Though Sebastian’s power managed to resist for a few precious seconds, it was like trying to hold back an avalanche with bare hands. The golden sword pushed inexorably downward, its divine radiance overwhelming and consuming Sebastian’s corrupted form entirely.

…

[Name: Marcus Turner]

[Level: D => C]

[Talent: Sword Intent (Top Level)]

[Authority: Light Fragment (Virtue: Kindness)]

[Health: 4000/4000]

[Mana: 400/400]

[Strength: 40]

[Stamina: 40]

[Agility: 45]

Skills:

Upgrade: [Sword Heart](C => B)

New: [Downward Slash](SS)

A/N - It’s a voice, not a system screen, don’t get it confused. (Think of the square brackets as some form of authority)