Standing amidst the chaos, one Court Mage held his hands high, upholding a mana barrier to protect himself. As the dust cleared, he realized he was the only one left standing. Moments earlier, Dianna had attacked a few with poison, and Ethan had launched his next assault. Ethan had thrown small magic circles like frisbees, which erupted into a massive explosion. Dianna had used the chaos to apprehend two hiding in opposite directions, leaving the scene for Ethan to handle.
As the dust settled, the remaining Court Mage stood, seething with fury. He knew that, despite being roughly the same level of power, they had lost because their mana pool was smaller than their opponents'. Ethan infused an enormous amount of mana into every spell, creating a significant gap in power. The enemy had been caught off guard and unable to attack recklessly.
Using his mana sense, the Court Mage scanned the area and realized that those they were supposed to protect were gone. "Damn brats!" he yelled, his eyes turning green and the orange barrier glimmering with a green hue. His afro moved slightly, as if a breeze was blowing on it. He gritted his teeth, his open palms clasped just enough to channel his magic. The bodies of the other fallen Court Mages began to rise and levitate, glowing with a green and grey tint.
"This magic!" Ethan exclaimed, recognizing the necromancy. He immediately took off, but he was too late. An explosion of green mana erupted from the mage's body, pushing Ethan back.
"You made me defile my comrades with this magic and forced me to burn my life force! I'll make you pay!" the Court Mage screamed. He had sucked all the remaining mana from his comrades' corpses and burned his life force, boosting his strength to the peak of a Court Mage.
He flew high into the sky, chanting, "Corroding Star!" Green flames rained down from above, targeting Ethan. Ethan's eyes glinted with focus. "Quick analysis," he muttered, followed by "Lesser teleportation." He found the gaps between the falling flames and teleported, avoiding them.
Ethan then threw several magic circles into the sky. One of them grew in size and activated, causing the flames to stop mid-air. Another magic circle activated, sending lightning at the mage. The Court Mage deflected it with his barrier, but noticed a smudge left on it. The flames targeted him once again, but he teleported to the ground.
As soon as he touched down, he was met by a thin staff piercing through his barrier. Red cracks spread from the point of impact, shattering the barrier. Ethan appeared, holding the weapon. "Invisibility?" the mage remarked, shocked.
Ethan twirled his staff and kicked the mage from the side. An explosion erupted from the point of contact, sending Ethan flying back. As he crashed down, the mage quickly chanted, "Sinkhole," followed by "Eruption," creating a hole where Ethan had landed. Lava erupted violently, sending Ethan into the sky.
"Lesser teleportation," Ethan muttered, reappearing close to the mage. He was battered and bruised, but he slowly raised his hand. The mage gasped, trying to move with all his might and mana. "Activate," Ethan muttered. Before the mage could take a step, he fell to the ground, wounds erupting all over his body. Ethan was instantly healed.
Ethan had used a subclass of enchantment magic—curse magic—to reflect the damage he took back to his opponent. He held a piece of the mage's garment, carrying his blood and mana. The mage realized his mistake too late, knowing he had to act fast but finding himself powerless.
"Kaaa!" the Court Mage screamed as he fell to the ground. Ethan formed another set of magic circles, shooting forth wind bullets.
"Level seven magic! Rewind!" the mage coughed, summoning all his strength. Blood spewed from his mouth before the spell took effect. His body reverted to its peak condition, though it cost him nearly all his remaining life force. He had forced himself to use a spell of the wizard level, ranks above a Court Mage. Though his body was healed, he had burned thousands of years of life, now left with only twenty years from the initial five thousand. The toll was severe, and even though his body was at its peak, the mana he absorbed would soon take a heavy toll.
"Maximize, Scorching Blaze!" he chanted, stretching his arms as a great, destructive green flame burst forth, plowing through the place. Ethan attempted to teleport out of the way, but his magic was inhibited.
"He blocked it," Ethan gasped. "This is a grand wizard level spell," he remarked. Stretching his hands, Ethan formed a diamond barrier around himself, engraved with Dwarven Runes. The flames struck the barrier from above.
"Piercing Corroding Spear," the mage chanted, shooting a deadly spear at Ethan from above. The fire struck from the front, and the spear from above. "Substitution," Ethan muttered. As the barrier broke and the spear struck, his body crumbled into ice. He had switched positions with an ice statue of himself, now hovering above the mage in the sky.
"Maximize!" Ethan muttered, creating three runic circles, mixing Dwarven and Elven Runes with one ancient rune at the center. The mage turned and looked up.
"Disruption," the mage said, and a barrier around Ethan shattered. "What! Again," he exclaimed as another barrier shattered.
"It's over," Ethan declared, stretching and clenching his hand. A small dark spot manifested in the center of the mage's chest, and space began to contort. The spot grew larger, gravity pulling the mage in more and more until he erupted in an explosion. The black hole spell had caused a conflict of forces, making the mage explode and splatter all over the place.
Ethan, with a calm determination, telekinetically commanded the bits and pieces of the mage to float. "Incinerate," he said, turning all the fragments to dust. The battle was over, and Ethan stood victorious amidst the chaos, his resolve unshaken as he prepared for whatever lay ahead.
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