The block was entirely flattened as the explosion turned the surroundings into a feast of fire. Buildings were aflame and the once quaint block had now been reduced to rubble. Half of the soldiers died on the spot while the other third was brutally injured and they were barely able to move. Not a soul was left unscathed everyone had suffered an injury of sorts. The soldiers closest to the front were entirely decimated nothing was left of their remains even their armour blew up to fragments. The soldiers at the back and the archers could not move because of their injuries. Four of the knights perished immediately as they had planned to pounce on Catalyna to distract her from the attacks of Aerwyna. Little did they know that Catalyna would use a delayed spell and activate it as soon as Aerwyna made a move. The two Riverrunners beside Aerwyna shielded her from the blast and thus Aerwyna made it out with very light injuries; however, the two Riverrunners did not make it alive. Of the ten knights that gathered only three were still in fighting condition.
The three knights who were far away recovered and moved toward Catalyna who was casually standing in the middle of the corpses around her. This was Catalyna's actual plan. That was the reason why she was running around trying to amass as many people who would chase her so that she could detonate her spell and decimate as many guards as possible for a smooth escape. The more guards she could injure in one spell the better. If it was on an open field they would thoroughly exhaust her if they tried to appear one platoon at the time. This cramped space was the best setting for [Super Nova].
Aerwyna was still in her ice armour, still in shock. It was a good thing that she noticed the words that she said in time and retreated three yards before the activation. This was the same move that Reitz did when he was in a pinch, it was a Principality ranked spell taught only to a few in the Rex Imperia's army and only the cream of the crop was taught this spell. The knights that were with her covered her from the blast and her armour protected her from part of the explosion. Aerwyna breathe heavily this was a clue to the identity of Catalyna
The armour she was wearing was shattered in some parts and she had to repair it.
"Who are you? You clearly used a spell used only by the Legio Imperia Elita. Only the most elite troops of his majesty are taught to wield [Supernova]," Aerwyna probed Catalyna.
"You are correct in saying that Legio Elitia can use it, but you are mistaken if you think they are the only ones that can do so."
After replying to Aerwyna, Catalyna retreated ten steps while facing Aerwyna as she gave chase. Aerwyna expanded the water on her right palm while raising it and elongated into a shape of a rod. She then condensed her magic and solidified the water and threw the ice spear at Catalyna. She kept at this throwing spears left and right. Catalyna was agile and her smooth movements dodged the onslaught of ice spears from Aerwyna.
'The wench is faster than I expected,' Aerwyna thought.
Catalyna began chanting as she sped up her movements trying to increase the space between her and Aerwyna. She was shift casting a viscount level incantation, which required a thirteen-second activation.
Aerwyna immediately released her water armour so that she could use the water to impede Catalyna's movement. The apparent shift cast was actually a bluff. Once Aerwyna relinquished the armour, she instantly cast a lower tier spell at her a fist-sized stone shot at Aerwyna, hitting her squarely in the stomach.
She was pushed back by the momentum of the spell. The stone that launched made her involuntarily flinch and then Catalyna made a sweeping kick at her feet. Aerwyna who had lost her balance; flipped over to the side and landed on her hands as she quickly froze the water that flowed on the feet of Catalyna. It limited her movement for a brief period and was stuck at the position. Aerwyna then kicked Catalyna's face which propelled her to some burning rubble.
Catalyna made the ground quake beneath Aerwyna's feet but Aerwyna recovered by flooding the whole block with water. She shift cast a chant as she neared Catalyna. But Catalyna used a spell to raise the earth bellow and propel her upward; she had anticipated what Aerwyna was about to do.
The once burning block was now covered entirely with water. The water was then frozen by Aerwyna. Aerwyna now had the advantage as the terrain was terraformed. She was quicker on ice. The lady then moved toward the location of the former wet-nurse in a skating-like motion. The ice in front of her liquified and formed into an arc propelling her to the air as she condensed a spear on her hand. She threw the spear in the direction of Catalyna but it was met with a stone fist as she parried the projectile. Aerwyna launched more ice spears but all of them were either blocked or were evaded by Catalyna as she landed on the Ice.
The wet nurse at that moment broke the ice as she raised an earthen platform not wanting Aerwyna to land on the ice while she was still on it. As Lady Blackfyre landed she immediately made the ice liquify to attack Catalyna as a barrage of ice spears but the platform tossed her again upward and then she cast [Infernal Blaze] at Aerwyna who had no time to dodge. She was hit by the flamethrower-like attack but her armour absorbed most of the damage. The three battle-ready knights arrived as Aerwyna took the blow. The rightmost knight threw a spear at Catalyna in the air and grazed her right shoulder. The other two followed suit but missed.
Catalyna reached the ground once again raising an Earthen Wall. There was a temporary rest from the onslaught of the melee.
"You are actually a Primarch Seat Level mage! I can't even discern which of Earth or Fire is your primary element. How were you able to endure being a servant for three years? What's even more baffling is the reason targeted Ezra. If you wanted Reitz's head you could have just directly assassinated him. Why bother with a little child? Do you want to kill my son because of his potential? But how could you have known three years prior that Ezra would be born into such a monster as he is? I wasn't even engaged to Reitz that time!"
Aerwyna was baffled. The more she fought with Catalyna the more she could not understand her motives for serving in the castle for three years. If she was such a high-level magic combatant even if she were a bastard the Primarchs or the Rex Imperia would certainly have their eye on her.
"That is none of your business Aerwyna. If you do not want half of your soldiers to die or your entire domain to crumble you should just hand Ezra over I mean him no harm. I assure you your son will be kept safe and treated very well," Catalyna calmly replied behind the Earth wall.
"You are crazy for even asking. You will have to kill me before you can take my baby boy," Aerwyna's voice raised as she glowered at the earthen barricade. The Knights had already flanked the wall but there was no one to be found only a hole on the ground.
"Milady, watch out!" a knight roared.
The warning helped Aerwyna to dodge in time. Catalyna was underground and conjured a boulder to fly toward the direction of Aerwyna making a depression on the ground as she was again propelled up to launch an attack on the three knights who thoroughly dodged.
. . .
The explosion woke up Ezra. He discovered that he was not actually depleted of magic. It was just his body was tired and the adrenaline rush that faded affected him making him lose consciousness. Because he activated amp he did not pay attention to his own body which he could have strengthened even more with magic. He looked at sir Evan.
"Please help mother," Ezra said. The cat was out of the bag. They already knew the capabilities of this baby so Ezra decided to convey his thoughts to the knight.
This still bewildered Evan but he still managed to reply to Ezra,"Milord, my orders are to return you to the castle."
"She needs our help. That explosion was definitely from Catalyna. Mother might be injured. We need to help her."
"But Milord,"
"I command you as the firstborn son of Reitz Blackfyre Lord of Castle Blackfyre, Protector of Fulmen, The Ashbringer."
Evan kneaded his brows when Ezra said this.
"Please," Ezra pleaded.
Sir Evan hesitated but in the end, he conceded as he headed back to the direction of Aerwyna.