In the dim, oppressive gloom of the forest, the air crackled with tension as Ervin and Lacey had their nascent swords pierced deeply into the Noble Mages Sara and Dilon.
The narrow clearing was filled with the acrid scent of fear and desperation, mingling with the coppery tang of blood that would soon be spilled.
"No!!" The nobles' eyes were wide and bloodshot, their faces contorted into snarls of frantic rage. As genius mages of the Middle Stage, Sara and Dilon were not accustomed to being challenged, let alone overpowered.
They summoned forth their Mana in a frenzied attempt to resist the invading essence of their attackers, waves of shimmering Water Mana rising from their cores to form a futile barrier. This sudden burst of crazed Mana power allowed them to briefly fling themselves off the cold blades of death.
