Jason had survived and was steadily walking out of the hall, his gaze fixed intently on Merlin, a grim expression on his face.
Merlin observed Jason closely and noticed a translucent shield enveloping him, drawing in light elements from the surroundings.
"A spell scroll… and one far beyond first-level magic."
Merlin muttered to himself, realizing that the shield was indeed a high-level spell, beyond Jason's usual abilities. The only explanation was that Jason had activated a spell scroll, using its magic to defend against Merlin's surprise attacks of Frost and Great Fireball spells.
Jason, now outside the hall, seemed to hear Merlin's muttering. He smirked slightly. "Yes, it's a spell scroll. I have with me a scroll containing a purely defensive second-level spell: Ring of Holy Light. You thought you'd catch me off guard, heretic, but now it's your turn to be judged!"
Merlin's eyes narrowed. From Jason's body, a blinding white light began to gather, a sign of light elements coalescing rapidly, signaling danger.
He knew Jason was preparing to unleash a first-level spell.
"Judgment of Holy Light!"
As Jason clapped his hands together in a prayer-like gesture, radiant beams of white light began to coalesce, covering the sky and blotting out the sun with their intense brilliance.
This was the very spell that had once driven Old Etta to despair!
Even before the spell was fully formed, Merlin felt its immense pressure. A gust of wind arose, stirred by the powerful magic, forcing him to squint against its force.
"A first-level spell? Bring it on!"
Merlin shouted, frantically channeling his mental energy into the spell model for his fireball spell.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."
One fireball after another shot from Merlin's hands, attempting to counter the massive field of white light. But the fireballs vanished into the radiant expanse, swallowed like stones into the ocean.
Memories of Old Etta's fiery attack, burning him to ash, flooded Merlin's mind. Perhaps Etta had felt this same sense of hopelessness facing the "Judgment of Holy Light."
"Great Fireball!"
With a shout, Merlin unleashed his Great Fireball spell, casting it even as his mana reserves dropped to critical levels. This massive fireball, his last defense, hurtled toward the judgment spell.
"Boom!"
The colossal fireball exploded, its force momentarily pushing back the oncoming holy light, but only briefly.
With his life on the line, Merlin unleashed every fireball he could muster—both standard and Great Fireballs—hurling them relentlessly at Jason.
Outside the castle, nobles and knights alike watched in shock at the scene above, where Merlin's fireballs rained down against Jason's enormous field of holy light. Faces paled at the sheer power on display; they realized this was a strength beyond their comprehension.
"Hold on, Merlin!" Old Wilson clenched his fists, his chest heaving with tension.
"Young Master Merlin, you must prevail!" Argus, the young knight, whispered his encouragement in his heart.
Everyone knew this was the decisive moment of the battle between the two powerful spellcasters.
"Boom!"
At last, the massive waves of holy light crashed onto Merlin, hammering him with relentless force. Flames surrounded him, struggling against the overwhelming radiance.
Merlin felt an unstoppable impact hit his chest, followed by excruciating pain radiating from his ribs.
"Crack."
His bones fractured, and Merlin was sent flying backward, crashing hard to the ground.
"Heh, I held my ground… First-level spell? So what?"
From his position on the ground, Merlin propped himself up with one hand, struggling to rise. Several ribs were broken, and he burned with searing pain, but he was alive. He had survived Jason's first-level spell—a feat even Etta had failed to accomplish.
Jason's eyes narrowed slightly, and he watched Merlin stagger to his feet, an eerie calm on his face. "Heretic, you may have survived this time, but next time, you won't be so lucky."
With that, Jason prepared to cast "Judgment of Holy Light" once more.
Merlin held his side where his ribs had broken, managing to ease the pain slightly. His survival was thanks not only to the Great Fireball's protective barrier but also to his nearly peak-level physical resilience, comparable to a first-level elemental swordsman.
His powerful physique had absorbed part of the spell's impact, keeping him alive.
"Heh, Mage Jason, you've run out of time. This ends now!"
Merlin's eyes glinted with a hint of recklessness as he watched Jason readying another spell.
"Great Frost Spell!"
With a final push, Merlin drained the last of his mana to activate the Great Frost Spell.
"Crack, crack."
The Great Frost Spell's power far exceeded that of the standard Frost Spell, and its binding strength was unparalleled. Even with some preparation, Jason found himself frozen in place, unable to escape the spell's icy hold.
Jason glanced at his translucent shield, confident in the second-level spell, Ring of Holy Light, and sneered. "Pathetic heretic, your efforts are useless. The Ring of Holy Light is beyond your ability to break."
"Oh, really? A second-level spell, you say?"
Merlin's lips twisted into a sly smile. Somehow, an ancient pendant had appeared around his neck.
"Let's see if it can withstand ten Great Fireballs."
With that, Merlin channeled his mental energy into the pendant, and instantly, ten gigantic fireballs, radiating intense heat, hurtled toward Jason with deadly precision.