In the midst of being chased, Naell was able to remain completely calm. To him, his feelings were especially weird knowing that any given moment might just be his last.
And yet it was as if his mind had fully integrated into the battle; anyone who sensed him could tell Naell had truly reached his limit and was only fighting with adrenaline and magic.
However, instead of passing out, his raging mana was just growing to the point that even Leviathan was astonished.
"Yes, struggle! Your mana will devour you much like I will!!" Said Leviathan as he slashed and rushed against the air. Naell's uncontrollable mana only further excited him.
It was then when Leviathan, with just one leap, was able to close his distance. Yet upon his descent, his foothold immediately sunk and pulled his weight down with no resistance.
Quickly, Naell brought his staff in front of him, summoning thick ice that surged from the dark elven wood. Further, the screeching of his ice crystals from a distance rang in the air, as the sharpened sigils traveled horizontally while spinning like blades.
The two spells traveled towards Leviathan who arrogantly stood his ground and snarled. As Naell's spells hit his target a loud shattering sound was heard and fog imbued the place.
Naell didn't bother to stand still, and instead increased his distance while preparing his next attack. That proved to be a good decision as when the fog dissipated, Leviathan was nowhere to be found.
Yet, no matter how wise Naell's actions were, he was unable to escape Leviathan's sudden arrival in front of him followed by a clawed grip on his skull.
Instead of being spared, a heavy punch to his ribs followed, destroying his mana shield enforced by ice magic.
The shattered ripple of white mana could be seen even from a distance. It preceded the coughed up blood from Naell's pale mouth.
He didn't know what had happened, and to be frank, it was not the best moment to think about what just transpired. All Naell knew was that standing before him, keeping him in place, was the grinning Leviathan who was readying another attack towards him.
Leviathan's fist then went to Naell's stomach, yet instead of making impact, it stopped just before it could.
Mockingly, the Sea King then flicked his finger, bringing forth echoes from the force and another burst of thick icy smoke that concealed them.
The elven knights and the adventurer Sead shouted in concern. The smoke told them that Naell had somehow managed to summon ice or snow magic, yet all of their stomachs churned as they saw clearly how the impact still landed directly on the frail mage's body.
In seconds, the smoke cleared and scattered across the sand, making Leviathan's face visible.
Contrary to what they expected, instead of a smile, the Sea King had an eerie glare paired with an annoyed grimace. The Sea King's hand up to his shoulder was frozen.
They all wanted to cheer but were unable to as what followed heavily alarmed them all. While Naell managed to escape by being carried and rushed away by his snow crystal, it was only for a moment as his magic crumbled along with the ice fortress shielding the elven knights.
Naell was clearly not in good condition. Upon landing, he immediately kneeled on the ground spitting blood, and reeling silently in pain. Even though from the looks of it, it was apparent he was not hit by Leviathan.
The sound that emerged from the Sea King's attack was his finger coming in contact with the controlled burst of Naell's mana. It was enough to buy some time and even left Leviathan deep in thought.
Leviathan knew that although he was not aiming to kill Naell, what he did could not be taken lightly. Not only was it faster than the young mage's general reaction speed, but its force was also enough to even make awakened monsters from the sea tremble in fear.
Now, Leviathan could only be bewildered as Naell's counterattack was faster than imagined. Regardless, if he was slower on the land, he was confident that only the guardian of speed could match him.
While the monster was in thought, Naell was also truly surprised as he expected that there was no chance for him to react at all. Yet as if time stood still, he clearly remembered how Leviathan's action felt so slow and that in a panic, he had willingly unleashed a burst of his mana.
As that gave him the casting speed to counter Leviathan's attack, what he did also made him reach his limit completely. He was now certain, he would not be lucky enough to survive what was coming next.
The only thing he could think of now was to telepathically alarm Sead and the elven knights to run away, yet even that was nil possible for him to conjure at that moment.
Enveloping his frozen arms with his aura, Leviathan easily removed Naell's magic from his body. In spite of that, he was still annoyed as the affected hand was still numb.
It was then when he looked at Naell's state, and dismissed his rage, Leviathan then began smirking as he approached the young mage.
"To not just outspeed me, but to damage my body, I commend you, boy."
Leviathan took his time in slowly walking to his prey, however unlike other beings he toyed with, Naell had not an ounce of fear within his mind and body.
That truly impresses the Sea King, yet it also made him feel more satisfied that he would now kill his foe. He then said, "For making it this far, I'll grant you an easy death."
He then turned his gaze at the elven knights who were approaching them, making him even happier as it seemed they were honorable fools who would rather die than leave a comrade behind.
From beneath his feet, he felt the tremor of an approaching army some distance away. Leviathan sensed formidable beings making him more excited.
Yet it also made him cautious as he knew he was not at his full power since he was on land. Hence he decided to end Naell then and there, so he could prepare for his next batch of incoming prey.