Page 43 of The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil

Not Bez,Bez, but his essence, pulling at my core, needling my stomach. It worked. The incantation altered, even so distant, and I sighed. Such a relief yet a simultaneous reminder I lacked any talent. This great feat of success had nothing to do with me. Obviously, the only reason the stacked incantations worked was because of the Diabolic essence within me. I was still useless when it came to casting.

The grimoire phased through the rooftop and landed in my hand. I unraveled my mana over the hawk’s eye incantation, releasing the magic.

“Good job, Worthless Walter.” Bez snickered. “You’re almost like a real mage now.”

I didn’t have the energy for a quippy retort. Between the mana required to cast such a complex spell and the realization I hadn’t really done much, I simply clutched the grimoire and stayed silent.

“You should be giddy or some shit. You were elated when you sealed that artifact, and that turned out to be a botched job. Or the invasion of the manor. Point is, why aren’t you perkier?”

“It wasn’t me. You know that.”

Bez raised a single, questioning eyebrow. “And how is that?”

“It was your essence.” I rolled my eyes up so I didn’t tear up. “Just mock me already, gloat that I can’t do anything, and burst my bubble. I know it was you, not me.”

“Walter, if I wanted to gloat, I would’ve done so.” Bez grinned. “I don’t have to time my insults to your tragic self-esteem. This was all y—”

“You filthy misfit mage,” someone shouted. “Think that pathetic glamour would fool the elite vanguard?”

I whirled around. Six vanguard mages hovered on brooms, glowing incantations already circulating them as they surrounded us from all sides.

“Detain the traitor and his damned devil!”

Bez wrapped an arm over my shoulder. My face burned, and his warmth enveloped me as he leaned close; his stubble tickled my ear.

“Looks like I get to have a little fun, after all.”

No. No. No.

I didn’t want the vanguard to get us, but I couldn’t allow Bez to have whatever his version offunwas.

14

14

Beelzebub

I pushed Walter to his knees, figuring he’d cause less interference scrambling on the ground than running away. Six mages. Not very sporting. I strutted forward, adjusting my loosened left sleeve, which had rolled down a bit. A fireball hurled in my direction. I tilted my head, not bothering to block or counter. Seriously. This was an elite vanguard squad?

“So impulsive.”

They closed their ranks, hovering above the rooftop but safe from a dropping point. Good.

“No killing,” Walter yammered.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved a dismissive hand.

I knew the arrangement. Besides, it’d be far more entertaining to make them live through the hell I had planned. They’d tell the horror stories to their kin for generations. The tale of how the devil ripped into their soul, shredding the fibers of their being and exposing their deepest fears on a platter.

A collection of incantations released a flurry of swift-moving elemental magic along with enhancing the ferocity of their spells. I conjured a black barrier. The blows wouldn’t faze me, yet the cascading debris might hit Walter. Couldn’t have that. Taking off my sunglasses, I tucked them into my blazer pocket.

Minimizing the barrier, I cloaked my hindrance in a semi-transparent black veil. Not that the mages bothered to target him. Oh, no. They sent their futile casts directly at me. I weaved around them in a hazy blur, dodging fire, ice, and lightning. Six mages circled me, each saturating their broom for faster flight with one hand while casting incantations or elemental magic with their second. These coordinated strikes were timed to push me into a second or even third blow. It was only my speed which evaded the elements or explosive sigils when my foot tapped it. I sheathed my talons, coating my hands in black Diabolic energy to amplify this mortal host body.

Dread crept inside me. I groaned. Walter was getting inside my head again with his doubts and fears and concern over life. Releasing the energy, I waved my hands. Each mage and magic flung about thanks to my well-timed and heavily applied telekinesis. I couldn’t play defensively, though. I needed to end this quickly and succinctly.

A mage rushed in close, attempting to stab me with an enchanted sword. Our eyes locked. I smirked. That was all I needed. I leapt back and danced across the rooftop, sweeping in close to each pursuer and meeting their eyes with my own.

Having locked contact with each mage for at least a moment, I had a thin thread of Diabolic energy linked to their visual cortex. I quickly channeled illusions, rooting through their nightmares, regrets, and biggest failures. Each unveiled in seconds. Quickly, I manifested those fears, syncing them to the vision, worming deep into the brains, and allowing them to destroy themselves.

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