Reborn As Noble Chapter 1561: A Perfect Storm, A Single Finger ( 1561 )

Four advanced magic circles materialized around Marcellus, each one glowing with a different elemental hue. Red for fire. Blue for water. Green for wind. Brown for earth. They spun slowly around him, runes burning brighter with each rotation.

He snapped his fingers.

Countless elemental attacks erupted from the circles at once, streaking toward Garius in rapid, relentless succession. Fire lances. Water spears. Wind blades. Earthen spikes. They flew in continuous volleys, each one following the last without pause, hammering into Garius from every direction in a ceaseless barrage.

Garius smirked. He rested both hands on his hips, chest puffed out, standing perfectly still. He took every single hit without moving. Without stumbling. Without flinching. His body absorbed the attacks, the impact scattering sparks and debris around him, but his feet remained planted, his posture unchanged.

"Hmm... Good massage."

He turned, presenting his back to Marcellus, both hands still on his hips.

"Could you aim a little higher next time? The upper back is a bit stiff. And the left shoulder too, if you don’t mind~"

"Tch! Annoying overpowered old man."

Cedric lifted his massive wooden sword, the blade held steady in both hands. A beautiful paladin magic circle bloomed beneath his feet, its runes glowing with pure, holy white light. Golden scripture spiraled around the circle, rising upward in slow, deliberate arcs.

Above them, the sky split open with light. A colossal ethereal sword materialized high above, its blade gleaming like crystallized sunlight, its tip aimed directly down at Garius. The air around it hummed with sacred pressure.

Garius glanced up, his smirk widening.

"Oh~ Now someone is serious~"

Cedric brought the wooden sword down in a single, decisive motion.

"Sword Judgement!"

The ethereal blade descended like a falling star, trailing streams of golden light behind it. It came straight down toward Garius, its tip aimed directly at him.

Garius lifted one finger. He raised it casually and let the tip of the descending blade meet the tip of his finger. The sword stopped in an instant, its full weight and momentum frozen mid-air against that single point of contact. A shockwave rippled outward from the impact, the ground beneath them cracking, wind sweeping across the field.

Garius stood there, holding the enormous blade in place with one finger, his smirk never fading. He tilted his head slightly, his golden eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.

"Impressive, my son. Truly. But not quite enough."

He flicked his finger.

The ethereal sword shattered.

It broke apart from the tip downward, cracks spider-webbing through the blade like fractures in crystal. Shards of golden light peeled away one by one, drifting upward like petals caught in a gentle wind. Each fragment glowed brighter as it separated, dissolving into motes of radiant gold that scattered across the sky.

The light spread outward in slow, graceful waves, painting the morning air with shimmering gold and white. For a single, breathtaking moment, the entire field was bathed in a rain of holy light, beautiful and silent, like a thousand falling stars.

"Good. It looks like my eldest son and my second son’s power can match even the full strength of Wrexa, Erebra, and Gioni. Perhaps even Gryre. But not yet Selon. And certainly not the other two."

Garius’s eyes turned serious, his smirk fading.

"You might be able to counter them. To handle them. To avoid being easily defeated. But that is not enough. Not nearly enough. I want you to hone your skills. To create original magic. To develop tricks and techniques you can rely on when the moment truly comes. Because when the Seven Sins attack with their full power, and their master is watching from the shadows, survival will not be enough. Victory is what matters."

Marcellus’s grin widened, turning wild and sharp.

"Who says that’s my real power, Father~?"

He planted both feet and raised both palms. The air around him shifted.

Four elements ignited around him in perfect harmony. Fire, water, wind, and earth spun in a slow, synchronized orbit, each element feeding the next, amplifying the others. The flames fed the wind, the wind carried the water, the water nourished the earth, and the earth grounded the fire. A perfect cycle. A perfect storm.

Then came the light.

Golden runes bloomed across his skin, tracing patterns that spread from his arms to his chest, his neck, his face. His eyes glowed, not with one color, but with all of them at once, shifting and swirling like a galaxy caught in his gaze.

Hundreds of magic circles materialized behind him in perfect formation, each one interlocking with the next, forming a massive, intricate array that spanned the entire field. They rotated in opposite directions, creating a lattice of raw, concentrated mana.

"This is the culmination of every spell I have ever created. The fusion of every element I’ve ever mastered. The proof that I am Marcellus de Armand, the strongest mage on this continent. And I will not be outshone by anyone. Not even by the Seven Sins themselves."

He raised one hand.

The circles fired all at once.

A single, unified torrent of pure magical force, woven from every element, every rune, every ounce of mana he had. It twisted and spiraled as it flew, a living storm of light and destruction, carrying enough power to level a city.

Garius’s smirk returned. He crossed his arms, forming an X in front of his chest.

The attack hit.

The impact shook the entire island. Trees bent. The ground cracked. The air screamed. Garius slid back an inch, his arms held firm, the X of his crossed limbs absorbing the full force of the blast, and when the light finally faded, he was still standing.

He lowered his arms slowly, a faint trail of smoke rising from his forearms.

"Hmm. Now that... was impressive."

Garius crossed his arms, his proud smirk spreading across his face.

"That was a good attack, Marcellus. Strong. Focused. Powerful. But you need to hone it further. Make it faster. Faster than the enemy can react. Your current attack power is good enough to give them no chance to deflect or run away. You have the power to end a fight in a single strike."

He tilted his head up, his grin widening.

"You have good attack power. I won’t deny that. But..."

His voice dropped into a low mumble.

"What about your defense? Your evasion? Your ability to survive when the enemy strikes back?"

( End Of Chapter )