Gunmage
Chapter 69: Broken illusion

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Broken illusion

Under the pouring rain, the woman clasped her hands together, applauding Lugh with a benevolent smile.

"Excellent. You’ve figured it out! So... now what?"

Lugh never expected her to admit it so willingly, but in hindsight, it made sense.

He had uncovered the trick, but that didn’t mean he could break it.

"Well, if we can’t find your real body, then we’ll just have to destroy everything until you jump out of your hole"

Xhi declared.

As she began to float, her body flickered erratically with raw arcane energy. The pressure was so immense that a whirlpool of mana manifested around her, visible even to the naked eye.

The swirling tempest twisted the rain into violent gusts, whipping through the battlefield and turning the downpour into a relentless storm.

Visibility dropped to almost nothing.

Their opponent took a step back, eyes widening as she stared at the blue maelstrom in shock.

"What the—? How can a mere human control so much magic?!"

Xhi was about to respond when Lugh’s voice cut through the storm.

"Xhi, wait!"

She hesitated, and he pressed on.

"There are still soldiers here!"

Xhi’s eyes flickered across the battlefield. Soldiers from their own ranks, those assigned to deliver supplies, were still present, along with enemy troops from Heieg who remained oblivious to the catastrophe about to unfold.

For a brief moment, she spared them a glance before her voice turned icy.

"They are a necessary sacrifice."

Lugh grimaced.

It’s about time

he thought.

He still didn’t know much about Xhi, but he had long been aware of her temperament. Though her sheer power terrified him, he forced himself to yell over the howling winds.

"Stop! Vaelith—"

He paused, his voice strained from shouting over the storm. Then, gathering his breath, he continued.

"—Vaelith called her a Sylph. They’re extremely cautious."

The woman raised an eyebrow, but Lugh ignored her reaction.

"Her real body is most likely not even near the area"

Xhi stared at him, and though it seemed like a long pause for the others, in reality, her voice echoed in his mind through a private link.

_What is your game here?_

Lugh responded immediately.

_Don’t worry, I have a plan. When I give the signal, obliterate everything surrounding me._

I see.

The mental link snapped shut. To everyone else, Xhi merely appeared to be contemplating, but then she asked aloud, this time sounding more frustrated.

"So what are we supposed to do?"

Lugh’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

"Now that we know it’s an illusion, the solution is simple. Just be patient for a while. I’ll break the spell soon."

The woman across from them stared at him like he had lost his mind. But before she could speak—

"^@#@^&*"

Lugh commanded, his voice carrying an unnatural resonance.

Instantly, the already cold rain turned frigid, the temperature plummeting as an eerie presence gathered around him.

The phantoms had returned, answering his summons. Though his vision was impaired by the Mawglass, he felt their presence.

And so did the woman. Her expression shifted, her wariness growing into something closer to alarm. Any doubts she had about Lugh’s capabilities vanished, washed away by the downpour.

That was exactly the reaction Lugh had hoped for.

The summoning alone had drained a massive amount of his mana. More would be required for an actual command, but he had no intention of issuing one.

His goal was simple. Make her feel them. And she had.

Now, she had two options. Either her original body retreated, or she attempted to attack him.

Either way, the illusion was bound to collapse.

Lugh closed his eyes, feigning a chant while sharpening his senses. He waited.

Then, he felt it a disruption in the rain. The sound shifted, subtly but unmistakably. The real world, untouched by the illusion, had changed.

Somewhere beyond their false reality, the woman in white hair made her move, dashing toward them with singular focus.

"Now!"

Lugh roared.

Xhi moved. A crushing force of raw magical energy erupted outward, freezing the air as if reality itself had been caught in amber.

Then, in the next moment—

A catastrophic impact.

The sheer force of Xhi’s attack flattened the area surrounding Lugh. The ground caved in, a massive depression forming in the center, while the edges splintered outward in a concussive blast.

Air and rain were sucked into the vacuum left behind, only to be violently displaced again.

And yet, the illusion persisted.

Back in the real world, the woman smiled. A dagger shot forward—

Straight at Lyra’s heart.

Bang!

A gunshot echoed through the storm.

The woman’s shoulder burst open, the sheer force of the bullet nearly severing her arm. She yelped, thrown backward as blood splattered against the rain-soaked ground.

The illusion shattered. The battlefield returned to reality, its desolate landscape unchanged, except for the woman lying on the ground, a fresh bullet wound marking her as real.

Lugh exhaled sharply. The dizziness washed over him again, his mind hazy. The ’magic in the air’ which were most likely hallucinogens, were still in his system.

From the storm, Vaelith emerged.

She locked eyes with Lugh.

"How did you know I had arrived?"

He smirked.

"Oh, just some calculations."

"What do you mean?"

Lyra interjected, still bewildered by the rapid series of events.

Lugh sighed. Explaining this was going to be a chore, and they didn’t have much time.

"She caused the rain, which meant she was approaching.

When she got here, she watched us without interfering, probably trying to figure out what was affecting us, or, in my guess, memorizing the magic we used so she could develop counters."

Vaelith cleared her throat uncomfortably but didn’t deny it.

Lyra frowned.

"But how did you know exactly when she arrived?"

Lugh shrugged.

"I counted."

Before they could question him further, he elaborated.

"When my connection to the puppet near the prince weakened, I timed how long it would take for a regular soldier to reach us.

As a mage, she would be faster. Yet when the time was up and nothing changed, I realized she was already here, just waiting."

He crossed his arms.

"The Major General wouldn’t have ignored something this dangerous. He would’ve sent Vaelith to check on us. After all, if we died, it could mean the complete collapse of the army"

Understanding dawned in Lyra’s eyes.

"So that means when you said those words..."