Chapter 375: Cursed Swordsman [II] "Are you guys okay?" A small voice called out from above. Flare looked up and froze... A little kid floated midair, suspended by psionic energy. The air around him seemed to have its own pressure. A child in the Academy grounds was unusual and one radiating that much presence? Had this young boy already reached the level of a Great Mage? "Don’t despair," the boy said calmly, though his voice carried an authority that didn’t fit his face. "I’ve moved a lot of students closer to the Academy. But I can’t currently expend enough psionic energy to teleport you three straight there." Flare blinked. "Th-thank you," she managed. She turned and ran toward where she had left Esme behind. The Professor... Torrent hovered silently, his gaze falling on the headless body that had once been Velkin. And then, right before his eyes, the head regrew. A low crack echoed through the air as Velkin twisted her neck, bones snapping into place. "Getting done in by a little kid, huh?" she muttered. Her mismatched hands twitched as corrupted energy filled them again, making her feel alive. "No... you’re not a little kid." Her eyes gleamed. "You’re an old man." Torrent didn’t respond, but the twitch in his temple gave him away. Velkin grinned, sensing his annoyance. "Doesn’t that make you a pedophile, old man?" Torrent’s expression didn’t change, but inside, his patience thinned. He hated two things more than anything else in the world. The first was Sebastian... his lifelong rival and the bane of his existence. The second was being called old. He clenched his small fists, forcing his anger down. Losing composure here could get the remaining students killed. "I’m going to ask you a few questions," he said evenly... his voice was completely void of emotion. "If you answer them properly, I’ll let you live. How about it?" He already had a hunch about who this cursed swordswoman was. If he was right, she was going to be a nightmare to deal with. Velkin rolled her shoulders. "I hate mages that can’t come down to fight themselves." She raised her sword and the corrupted energy coating it flared violently, splitting into hundreds of streaks that screamed across the sky. Each line of dark energy carved through the air, leveling what little remained of the residential area. Houses shattered and the ground burned black. A few of the beams came straight for Torrent but they stopped midair, frozen in place by his power. He had caught them all with a single gesture. "It really is you," Torrent said quietly, lowering his hand. "This isn’t your real body, is it? Despite all your ranting about hating mages... you aren’t even here in person." Velkin’s grin widened and her somehow white teeth flashed. Torrent’s eyes narrowed. It seemed she didn’t remember the fact that they knew each other personally... Vera was her human name and she had developed a unique combat technique, the ability to create up to two clones per day using her aura. Each clone could mimic her moves, but only partially. If this cursed form enhanced her, she could probably produce four. He sighed. "A coward hiding behind dolls." Velkin tilted her head mockingly. "I hope you survive, old man." Torrent lifted his small hand and flicked his fingers. The air around Velkin folded inward. Her body twisted grotesquely, ballooning as psionic pressure filled every cell of her form. She didn’t even have time to scream before her clone burst, splattering corruption across the cracked stone. The beams of darkness that had been cutting through the district vanished instantly. Torrent exhaled and lowered his arm. "Is that it...?" His question died in his throat as instinct screamed at him. He shifted to the right and a concentrated beam of corruption shot through the place where he’d been floating. The explosion rattled the air. He turned to see another Velkin clone standing atop a ruined rooftop with her blade glowing. "Come on, mage," she sneered, her grin stretching wider. "So what if you killed one of my clones? I’ve got plenty left. Enough to burn this Academy to ash if I want." Torrent stared at her. This one didn’t look particularly strong... it was even weaker than the last. He clenched his fist. The clone convulsed and collapsed into dust. ’I’m burning through too much psionic energy like this,’ he thought grimly. ’She’s playing with me. I need to find the real one before she drains me dry.’ He closed his eyes and extended his senses outward. The psychic web spread across the landscape and what it found made his stomach twist. The entire first-year residential area was gone. The only thing that remained here aside from the evacuated students were corpses... Torrent’s jaw tightened. "Damn you..." But even then, all these buildings would give her a lot of places to hide. He lifted his hand and extended his index finger then whispered a single word. "Destruct." A blinding explosion erupted, consuming the entire district. The ground split apart as a crater the size of a stadium opened up. The blast wave wiped away everything... walls, houses, and what remained of the lesser clones. When the smoke cleared, he was hovering above pure ruin. Another Velkin stood amid the dust. Torrent’s shoulders sagged. "Persistent brat..." He would kill this one then search for the main... He dropped to the ground, ready to finish it then he froze. A new voice spoke loud enough for him and Velkin to hear. "Velkin... didn’t I tell you to stop playing with your food?" Torrent was confused. He felt like he had heard this voice before so turned slightly to hear where the voice had come from. Velkin bowed her head. "I’m sorry, m’lady." Torrent’s eyes widened... that voice had come from behind him. He spun, but it was too late. A sharp sound cut through the air... it was a slice. Velkin’s blade tore straight through him, cutting the child cleanly in half. For a moment, time stood still. Then his body dissipated into particles of light. "I finally defeated one of these great what-nots!" she shouted, laughing uncontrollably. "You see that, m’lady? A mage killed by my blade!" Her sword hummed, vibrating as corrupted energy gathered around it again. The ground cracked and the air trembled. Lines of black aura filled the sky once more... There were hundreds of them and they looked like spears of shadow. She pointed her sword toward the horizon. "Find the one that punched me," she ordered coldly. "And kill her." The streaks of corruption zipped through the air, tearing across the academy’s skyline, scattering in all directions.