~Feon PoV~
I directed all my clones to aim at the mansion. Adrian would act as support, applying buffs to me and my clones whenever we were to need them. Our goal was to create enough havoc that one of us could sneak into the mansion unhindered. For this plan, we had decided to expose only Adrian and the clones, while I would covertly get inside the mansion.
As for the havoc part? It was simple enough. Destruction was something I was specialized in. My spells had enough power behind them to blast through steel walls, though of course, I couldn't let that happen to this mansion. We didn't want to harm my lovely Riela by mistake.
Even though I say that, the mansion wasn't something one could underestimate either. The ridiculous amount of magic wards and defensive spells stacked together made it into an indestructible fortress. But something as measly as magic wards wasn't enough to stop my love from reaching Riela.
I cleared my mind before focusing my gaze at the mansion, I felt tremors in my body thinking about what is going to happen. Though I was putting on a brave front, I was similarly scared like Adrian. What if we were to lose? If that were to happen, meeting Riela would be… No, I don't need to think negatively. I can do this, I just need to get into contact with Riela, defeating Seris wasn't necessary. Our goal was not to win the battle but to win the war.
Clearing my mind, I take in deep breaths to calm myself down. I nod towards Adrian, indicating I was ready. She clenches her fists before she similarly nods back. Our gaze is directed towards the towering mansion, our dedication burning within the eyes.
One by one, the clones raise their staffs towards the mansion, a glow appears which starts to get concentrated on the tip of the staff. While the clones were charging their spell, Adrian provides me with stealth buffs one after the other, making my presence almost non-existent.
"Mana bomb," all of my clones repeat the same chant in a synchronized voice.
I give the signal to fire to all my clones. A radiant light of blue flashes before launching straight at the mansion.
BOOM!
A resounding explosion reverberates and debris flies everywhere. It was loud enough to alert every guard throughout the mansion. The impact of the explosion was very strong, it managed to bypass the layers of defence on the mansion. I purposely directed the explosion towards the areas where the foundation of the building wouldn't be affected.
Though it was very unlikely, I didn't want to deal more damage than necessary to the mansion, just in case it gave out and tumbled down from its weight. As the smoke from the explosion starts to dissipate, the remains of those areas could be seen which had turned completely charred but the damage had been mitigated by the wards.
It doesn't take long for groups of guards to start heading towards my clones. Three of my clones put aside their staff and act as vanguards, whereas the other two provide ranged damage whilst protecting Adrian, who was the core of this formation.
Everyone was in their combat stances and ready to tussle it out anytime. I hadn't moved yet, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Knowing that these guards were special agents, I couldn't risk letting myself get too close to them. Their detection abilities should be at their very peak. Even with how reliable Adrian's buffs could be, I wouldn't dare let my guard down against them.
The clones and Adrian start rushing towards the mansion, kiting them closer to the magic wards. I sneakily follow after them, making use of the nearby foliage. As they charge, the clones in the backline start suppressing the guards with their spells. Countless wisps of lights float around them before shooting off towards the ensuing forces.
With their chain chanting, endless amounts of magic missiles start to appear out of nowhere. It was almost like a gatling bow, continuously shooting out beams of lights. The guards were agile enough to avoid most of them, but there were just too many for them to handle. But right when the blue missiles were about to make contact, a transparent black spherical shield appears to protect them.
It was the spell "Night's Protection" which was a defensive spell that focused on stealth. An extremely practical spell that could be deployed at a moment's notice. Under its protection, none of the magic missiles managed to deal any damage, though the spell showed signs of fading.
One of the guards in the back chants a spell which reenergizes the protection spell, making the darkness of the shield more prominent than before. Soon afterwards the shields fade into nothingness as if they weren't there, completely invisible to the naked eye.
Despite the effect of the missiles being seemingly negligible, the missiles were never intended to attack them in the first place. All the missiles which had missed had actually managed to hit their mark accurately, they had destroyed the detection wards which were an obstacle for me.
The guards thankfully didn't manage to notice this due to the chaotic situation. But there were still many wards remaining, it would take quite some time to remove all of them. Reinforcements would also be coming soon to deal with us. We had to deal with the mansion's security quickly without letting them notice our plan.
Due to the urgency of the situation, we decided to swiftly take out the guards before they managed to group up. It was time for my clones and Adrian to get serious. The clones which were acting as the vanguards dived straight at the enemy. The mana and aura within them mix together, leading to pulses of magic floating up from their body, almost like a tesla coil.
It was a secret technique of using one's innate mana to boost the physique. This wasn't a spell but a way to utilize the energy within the body. It was quite strong as it allowed magicians to suddenly turn into warriors, but there was some limitation to it. While under this form, one couldn't make use of spells, and the effect of this technique was weaker than the aura of a bonafide warrior.
But with the supply of buffs from Adrian, the effect was magnified to new heights.
BAM!
The stacked effect of buffs and the technique was evident, one of the guards which had been hit head-on by the clone's punch went flying through the air before getting knocked out. The punch had managed to pass through her black magic shield as if it was made of paper, making a loud crackling sound. The guards were surprised with the unexpected turn of events, leading to them approaching our forces with more caution.
They created distance before firing off some dark spells at us. Adrian responded in kind, placing an AOE shield effect around us. The guards were trying to back off again, but the vanguards weren't letting that happen.
The clones chased after them and managed to knock out a few. The ranged attackers continued firing multi-target spells, some of which slowly destroyed the wards placed around the mansion.
The evading ability of the security was nothing to scoff at. Many of them managed to dodge by hair's breadth. While they were retreating, it was apparent they were trying to kite the vanguards far enough, so the ranged clones would be left defenceless. Little did they know that every clone of mine had the same capabilities as each other.
One of the guards who had managed to flank our team came out of her invisibility ability, she tries to attack the backline immediately, thrusting her sword with full force. The mage clone suddenly lets go of her staff and strikes back at full force. The magic coiling around her pulsates rapidly, the girl is left astonished due to the sudden change in pressure.
A punch lands right at her stomach before she gets blown away by a few meters just from the sheer force of it. When they noticed how strong everyone was in close combat, they retreated further away from us.
The guards had given up on flanking and started firing off spells. The fight had turned into a stalling match, both sides using only ranged attacks. The guards were stalling for time, waiting for reinforcements to approach, while our side sneakily whittled down the wards around the mansion.
Everything was going according to plan and with how things were turning out, it wouldn't be long till I could safely enter the premises.
But for some odd reason, I couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of trepidation.