"It's different from Piriano's wand; it's made of wood." Leon's fingers brushed over the smooth surface of the wizard's staff, its texture oddly warm and alive beneath his touch. The grain swirled like veins running through the dark wood, and he could sense a faint hum of latent magic thrumming within.
"How much does he rely on that wand for his spells?" Leon asked, narrowing his eyes. His gaze flicked to Corvis, whose single golden eye gleamed dangerously under the dim light.
"Eamon's power flows through it. We don't need to overpower him, just break his weapon," Corvis replied, his voice low and sharp, as if each word carried the weight of a well-honed blade.
"This might be our only chance," Leon muttered, gripping the rune sword tighter, feeling the magic pulse through the hilt like a heartbeat.
Corvis arched an eyebrow. "You can fly farther with that sword, right?"
"I can, but he can't know what I'm planning," Leon said, chewing on his lower lip. "We'll only have one shot at this."
"Give me the sword." Corvis extended his hand, the golden eye embedded in his forehead glowing with ominous brilliance. "I'll create the opening. You strike when the moment comes."
Leon hesitated. The weight of the sword in his hand was comforting, a silent promise of protection. But Corvis' expression; twisted with determination, his handsome face shadowed by a cruel resolve, left no room for doubt. With a silent nod, Leon handed over the blade, feeling its absence like a missing limb.
The demon mark on Corvis's brow flared, the light growing brighter, almost blinding. His face contorted with a strange mixture of exhilaration and fury, giving him a wild, almost monstrous appearance.
Seizing the opportunity, Leon unleashed his magic with everything he had. Power surged through him in a torrent, crackling through his veins and out of his fingertips without restraint.
The rune sword, now in Corvis' grip, became a streak of brilliant light as it cut through the dark air, a comet aimed directly at the wizard's wand.
'—CLANG!'
The impact was deafening, the blade meeting the crimson ruby embedded in Eamon's staff with a sharp, metallic ring. The sword's tip bit deep into the wood, splintering the branches that cradled the gem. The force of the blow wrenched the wand sideways, nearly tearing it from Eamon's grasp.
A jagged web of cracks spread across the ruby, pulsing with chaotic energy. Flames erupted from the fissures like serpents set loose, curling and twisting in wild arcs. The intricate spell channels within the staff snarled and tangled, magic colliding violently inside it.
The conflicting enchantments—"Body-Eating Snake" and "Rodoa Wall"—ruptured, folding into each other in an uncontrolled spiral.
"Corvis—!!" Eamon's voice echoed through the void, a mix of rage and fear. His eyes widened with the realization that his weapon was failing him. In a moment of desperate clarity, the wizard severed the flow of magic, letting the ruined wand fall from his hand as he staggered backward. With a swift gesture, he crossed his arms, summoning a shimmering purple barrier to shield himself from the impending blast.
For a heartbeat, time froze.
Leon's eyes fluttered open, his heart pounding in his chest as the ruby's cracks spread like wildfire. The heat was unbearable, and the glow from the disintegrating staff was nearly blinding.
"Oh gods," he whispered to himself, panic rising in his throat. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
Without hesitation, Leon threw himself backward, kicking off the ground and diving behind the thick trunk of a nearby tree. The moment his body slammed against the rough bark, he twisted, pressing himself flat against the wood as the wand detonated.
'BOOM!'
The explosion rocked the forest, a thunderous roar that shattered the stillness of the night. Leon's ears rang with the deafening noise, and the force of the blast sent tremors through the earth beneath him.
A cascade of wood splinters flew in all directions, and the great tree Leon leaned against groaned under the impact. The trunk, wide enough to take two men's arms to fully encircle it, shuddered violently, cracks forming along its ancient bark.
Waves of purple shock energy surged outward, riding on the crest of flames. The blast split around the tree, gouts of fire roaring past Leon on either side. He clenched his jaw and pressed harder against the trunk, the heat licking at his skin as if trying to peel him away from his fragile cover.
And then, just as abruptly as it began, the explosion ended. The shockwaves faded into the night, leaving behind a heavy silence punctuated only by the crackling of embers.
Leon exhaled sharply, his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't afford to stop now. Pushing himself off the blackened trunk, he darted around the scorched remains, magic still humming at his fingertips. He summoned an 'Isa Arrow', its bright light forming between his hands in an instant, sharp and cold as winter frost.
His eyes scanned the clearing for his target.
Eamon lay sprawled on the ground, his robes tattered and singed. The wizard groaned, propping himself up on one elbow, his other hand raised to conjure a shimmering barrier; a new shield, swirling with purple runes unlike anything Leon had seen before.
Leon froze, the glow of his 'Isa Arrow' flickering uncertainly.
This barrier… it wasn't like Eamon's usual magic.
The spell fizzled from Leon's hands, the arrow vanishing into the night.
"What the—" he whispered, stunned.
Just then, a figure stirred at the edge of his vision; a shadow moving with fluid grace. Leon's heart skipped a beat.
"Miss Lola?" he murmured under his breath, suspicion prickling at the back of his mind.
Had Lola somehow reclaimed the magic? Had she—?
Before Leon could fully process the thought, the battlefield shifted again, the tension mounting once more. But one thing was clear: whatever was unfolding, it wasn't over yet.
As Leon watched the swirling patterns of magic take shape in Eamon's hands from a distance, something clicked in his mind. The presence in his body; the voice of the wizard lady, suddenly made perfect sense.
Destroying the enemy's wand hadn't been enough. Even without it, Eamon had managed to summon a formidable new defense, and the Isa Arrow that Leon had conjured fizzled against the wizard's barrier like rain against stone.
A knot tightened in Leon's chest. 'This next move had to succeed.' If his attack failed, he wouldn't have the strength to conjure another. The battle was teetering on the edge, and the slightest misstep could end everything.
'But the rules had changed.'
Leon clenched his fists, feeling the tension snap inside him like a bowstring releasing. "Whatever happens... now it's my turn." With that thought, he threw himself forward, sprinting toward the disarmed wizard with the reckless speed of a sprinter chasing the finish line.
Eamon, standing tall despite the shattered wand and the disarray of his robes, radiated a quiet menace. But Corvis had been clear: without the wand, Eamon couldn't summon and maintain advanced spells with the same speed and precision. The wizard was powerful, yes; but not invincible anymore.
Leon ran full tilt, never taking his eyes off the enemy. 'If Eamon drops his shield and tries to summon the fire snake again, I'll shoot him dead in his tracks.' His mind whirred with possibilities. 'And if he doesn't drop the barrier?'
Leon's gaze flicked to the ground mid-stride, searching frantically for Corvis's rune sword; his one shot at piercing the shield. 'Gone.' Probably blown to pieces in the explosion.
'Fine. Then I'll punch him.'
Although Corvis had stripped off the gauntlet on his left hand during their earlier ride, the iron gauntlet on his right hand still fit snugly over his fingers. That was all he needed.
Wind howled in Leon's ears as he closed the final distance between him and Eamon. With a snarl of effort, Leon threw his steel-clad fist toward the wizard's shimmering purple barrier, the air whistling around it like a hammer falling on an anvil.
'CRACK!'
The punch connected with the magical shield, sending a ripple through the barrier's surface. The force of the blow made Eamon's arm tremble, but the wizard's expression didn't waver. His lips curled into a sneer, contempt glimmering in his dark eyes.
With his free hand, Eamon began to chant a spell, his fingers weaving intricate shapes through the air. As he prepared to trace the sigil for a shockwave, a sudden, sharp 'crack' echoed behind him.
'BANG!'
A burst of fire and glittering crystal shards exploded beside Eamon's head, catching him off guard. The blast sent the wizard staggering to the side, disrupting the movement of his spell-weaving hand and twisting his incantation into nonsense.
Eamon grunted in pain, his face scorched from the explosion, and clamped his mouth shut instinctively, sealing off any further chants.
From the shadows behind him, Corvis emerged like a phantom, gripping Leon's knight sword in both hands. With a fluid leap, he swung the blade at Eamon's exposed neck, the edge flashing silver in the flickering light.
The sword connected, but instead of slicing through flesh, it hit with a dull 'thunk', as though striking hardened leather. The blade glanced off the wizard's skin, jarring Corvis's arms and forcing him to adjust his stance mid-strike. Eamon's magical armor had absorbed the blow, turning the deadly slash into nothing more than a glancing strike.
Even so, the force knocked Eamon off balance, tilting him sideways. Snarling with frustration, the wizard swung his left arm back to block Corvis's next attack, dragging the shimmering barrier along with him.