The Genius Mage Was Reincarnated Into A Swordsman Family

Sabrina's delighted laughter echoed through the chaos as Klaus's declaration hung in the air like a death sentence. Her crimson eyes sparkled with malevolent joy, as though his threat was exactly what she had been hoping to hear.

"You speak as if you know me personally, little one," she purred, her voice carrying musical undertones that made the endearment sound like mockery. "How fascinating that someone so young claims such intimate knowledge."

Klaus didn't respond with words. Instead, he exploded into motion with speed that left frost trails in the air behind him. The temperature plummeted as he channeled his power, ice forming geometric patterns across the marble floor with each step toward Sabrina's hovering form.

Yet before he could reach her, the two demons who had been systematically massacring dignitaries materialized in his path. Their elegant features showed anticipation rather than concern as they moved to intercept, positioning themselves between Klaus and their Priestess with fluid coordination.

"Such devotion," Sabrina observed with sadistic pleasure. "Though I wonder if your determination will prove sufficient against my beautiful children."

The first demon struck with aristocratic grace, its palm extended toward Klaus's chest with casual precision. Klaus twisted away, the motion creating spiral of ice crystals that formed protective barrier between them. The demon's hand passed through frozen construct with ease, shattering it like spun glass, yet the delay allowed Klaus to counter-attack.

Ice spears materialized around Klaus with mathematical precision, each one perfectly shaped and launched with devastating accuracy. The projectiles moved with speed that should have overwhelmed any defense, yet the demon deflected them with fingertip touches that treated deadly weapons as minor inconveniences.

The second demon flanked from Klaus's left, its movement creating afterimage that confused visual tracking. Klaus responded by dropping the temperature further, frost spreading outward from his position in expanding circle that turned moisture in air into crystalline mist. Within this frozen zone, the demon's supernatural speed met resistance as atmospheric density shifted against its favor.

Yet despite Klaus's impressive display, the fundamental disparity in power became immediately apparent. His current capabilities, while extraordinary, operated at level equivalent to someone possessing mid-tier Silver core. Against opponents whose strength transcended normal classification entirely, he found himself fighting defensively rather than pressing advantage.

The ballroom itself began showing strain from combat occurring within its walls. Despite reinforced construction and runic mechanisms designed to contain magical overflow, cracks appeared in marble columns where shock waves from supernatural impacts exceeded structural tolerance. The crystalline chandeliers swayed dangerously, their supports stressed by atmospheric pressure changes from high-level mana manipulation.

Klaus's tactical approach revealed his true objective—every movement, every technique, every defensive maneuver was calculated to create opening toward Sabrina rather than defeat his immediate opponents. He fought the demons because they blocked his path, not because he considered them primary threats.

"Such single-minded focus," Sabrina noted with appreciation, her hovering position allowing clear observation of tactical flow. "Though I'm afraid my children have specific instructions regarding threats to their Priestess."

The demons pressed their assault with increasing coordination, their individual capabilities combining into unified strategy that left Klaus little room for advancement. He created ice barriers that bought moments of breathing space, launched crystalline projectiles that forced defensive responses, manipulated atmospheric temperature to slow their movements—yet each technique merely delayed inevitable rather than changing fundamental tactical situation.

Meanwhile, across the chamber, the Beast Emperor and Kazimir continued their desperate battle against the third demon. Golden lightning crackled around the Beast Emperor's form as his High-tier Golden core reached maximum output, while Kazimir's phoenix-enhanced flames created contrasting patterns of light that painted shifting shadows across devastated walls.

Yet their opponent maintained clear advantage despite facing two transcendent combatants simultaneously. The demon's aristocratic bearing never wavered, its elegant movements suggesting vast reserves still untapped while both Beast Monarchy fighters approached exhaustion.

Roman and Melo's situation had deteriorated further. Their Mid-tier Golden cores, impressive though they were, proved insufficient against supernatural opponent whose capabilities exceeded conventional measurement. The demon they faced treated their coordinated assault as educational exercise, deflecting golden-wreathed strikes with casual ease while delivering counter-attacks that sent both men staggering.

Sabrina observed this multi-layered combat with evident satisfaction, her crimson eyes tracking each engagement while calculating optimal moment for decisive intervention. Her sadistic pleasure was evident in every expression, every gesture, every comment—she savored the struggle of beings she clearly considered inferior.

"I believe the time has come for more direct participation," she announced with theatrical flair, raising her hands toward the ceiling where blood from her earlier victims had begun pooling against gravitational defiance.

The crimson liquid responded to her gesture, flowing across stone surface in patterns that suggested conscious direction rather than mere magical manipulation. As blood gathered density and volume, it began forming droplets that hung suspended above the chamber like scarlet rain waiting to fall.

"Blood Rain," she declared with artistic pride, her technique transforming spilled life essence into weapon of mass destruction aimed at every surviving person within the ballroom.

The suspended droplets began their descent with speed that exceeded normal gravitational acceleration. Each crimson sphere carried magical enhancement that would penetrate flesh like liquid bullets, creating wounds that would prove fatal through supernatural toxicity rather than mere physical trauma.

Klaus's response was immediate and overwhelming. Despite engaging two demons simultaneously, he diverted portion of his attention toward neutralizing Sabrina's attack before it could claim additional lives. The air around him crystallized instantly, forming protective dome above the surviving dignitaries while ice spears intercepted blood droplets with precision that bordered on impossible.

Every crimson projectile was frozen mid-flight, transformed from lethal weapon into harmless ice sculpture that tinkled musically as it struck marble floor. The technique required computational ability that exceeded normal consciousness—tracking and neutralizing hundreds of individual threats while maintaining defensive coordination against two supernatural opponents.

Klaus's capabilities were clearly approaching their limits. His breathing had become visible in rapidly cooling air, frost patterns spreading from his position with increasing irregularity that suggested strain rather than controlled application. Sweat froze on his brow as he pushed his mana manipulation to theoretical maximums.

Yet his determination never wavered. Each ice barrier he created, each spear he launched, each defensive technique he employed served dual purpose—protection against immediate threats and positioning for eventual strike against Sabrina herself.

"Such impressive multitasking," Sabrina purred with sadistic delight. "Though I wonder how long you can maintain such divided attention."

She gestured again, blood that had been frozen beginning to flow once more as her supernatural will overcame Klaus's crystalline constraints. The liquid reformed into new configurations—crimson whips that lashed through air toward Klaus's position, forcing him to create additional defensive measures while still engaging the demons.

The tactical complexity reached levels that should have overwhelmed any single combatant. Klaus found himself defending against three separate supernatural threats simultaneously—two demons pressing coordinated assault from ground level, Sabrina launching blood-based attacks from aerial position, all while protecting surviving dignitaries from collateral damage.

Across the chamber, Roman stumbled as demon's strike overwhelmed his golden-wreathed defense. The creature's elegant hand swept toward his exposed neck with lethal precision, aristocratic features showing mild satisfaction at imminent kill.

Alex exploded into motion from his position, Pride's enhancement finally reaching threshold where restraint became impossible. His current progression through communion with cosmic entity placed his capabilities at level equivalent to low-tier Golden core, though Pride's teachings had advanced his technique far beyond what such classification normally suggested.

His intervention came with speed that caught even supernatural opponent off-guard. Sovereign's Reach intercepted demon's strike mere inches from Roman's throat, blue energy clashing with otherworldly force in explosion of conflicting power that sent shock waves through weakened chamber walls.

"Such touching heroism," Sabrina called out with mockery that carried genuine amusement. "Though I'm afraid noble gestures merely delay inevitable conclusion."

Alex found himself face-to-face with creature whose capabilities exceeded his enhanced state significantly. Yet Pride's influence provided more than mere power enhancement—it granted understanding of combat principles that transcended normal instruction, tactical awareness that operated on cosmic rather than terrestrial scale.

The demon's counter-attack came with aristocratic precision, yet Alex's response demonstrated techniques that shouldn't have been possible at his current development level. His blade work incorporated principles that Pride had absorbed across dimensional barriers, knowledge that elevated mere swordsmanship into something approaching divine artistry.

Yet despite impressive showing, Alex quickly realized that restraint would prove fatal against opponents of this caliber. Pride's golden energy strained against his mental constraints, demanding full manifestation that would reveal capabilities he had worked desperately to conceal.

Klaus's situation had reached critical threshold. Ice barriers cracked under sustained assault while Sabrina's blood attacks increased in frequency and complexity. The two demons pressed closer, their elegant strikes finding gaps in defenses that were stretched beyond sustainable limits.

Roman's grateful nod toward Alex carried recognition that intervention had preserved his life, yet tactical situation continued deteriorating for all combatants. The chamber itself groaned under stress of containing battles that exceeded its designed parameters, runic reinforcements beginning to fail as supernatural energies overwhelmed protective mechanisms.

Alex felt Pride's insistence growing beyond mere suggestion. The entity recognized that half-measures would result in total defeat, that survival required abandoning careful deceptions in favor of capabilities that would ensure victory.

"Stop pretending," Pride's voice echoed through their shared consciousness with urgency that brooked no argument. "Reveal what you truly are."

Alex's internal struggle lasted mere heartbeats before practical necessity overrode personal concerns. His light blue aura flickered, wavered, then exploded outward in brilliant golden radiance that transformed his entire presence.

Pride's true power manifested without restraint for the first time since their communion, cosmic energy flowing through Alex's form with intensity that made previous displays seem restrained whispers compared to triumphant roar.

The demon he faced actually stepped backward, aristocratic composure finally showing cracks as it recognized fundamental shift in threat assessment. Throughout the chamber, every supernatural entity turned attention toward Alex's position as golden light announced presence of power that transcended normal classification entirely.

The pretense was over. Whatever consequences might follow, Alex had revealed himself as something far beyond mere swordmaster, cosmic force given human form through communion that bridged dimensional barriers.