Robert ducked to the side and the icicle whizzed past him, shattering against a tree behind him.
"Is that all you can do? Just stand there and fling spells around until your delicate hand starts cramping up?" Robert taunted, condensing a bolt of lightning in his hand. Then, with a determined look, he walked towards her, his bold, swift strides exuding a menacing intensity. Everyone around gasped in shock - and here's why:
Wizards below the Legendary level typically fought straightforwardly, using their spells to move, attack, and defend themselves while maintaining a safe distance. However, Legendary wizards were a different story. Unlike their lesser counterparts, they could not only cast powerful spells, but equally excel in melee combat!
Upon attaining the Legendary level, wizards acquired the ability to adapt their spells to whichever shape they desired, be it a fist, a sword, an axe, a foot, a club, a book - any form they could imagine, granting them creative freedom and astonishing versatility in battle. In fact, the deciding factor in a duel between two Legendary wizards was not just their magic strength, but also on the nuances of fighting style, skill, imagination, and strategic thinking.
What shocked the onlookers was that Robert was trying to fight just like a Legendary wizard. By approaching his opponent with a Lightning Strike spell rather than launching it at her, it became clear he intended to duel at close range – a bold move that could make or break the fight.
As Robert closed in, Isabel sneered, amused by his audacity. "This stupid kid has no idea what he's getting himself into!" she thought. With an abrupt gesture, she summoned ice thorns that burst from the ground, blocking his path. The thorns grew rapidly, reaching knee-high and compelling Robert to halt his approach.
Robert paused glaring at her, but his glare turned to a sly smile, causing Isabel to feel a slight unease. She scanned his expression for clues hinting to his next move, but her gaze was drawn upwards. Noticing a small, swirling cloud condensing above her, she realized with a jolt that he was preparing to cast a Thunderbolt spell - but there was no time to dodge aside.
In a moment of panic, she swiftly gathered her magic energy and condensed an Ice dome around herself, bracing for impact. But to her surprise, the lightning that struck the dome was a mere trickle; it was thin and harmless.
"That little son of a biscuit!" Isabel cursed, feeling her anger rising. When she saw him charging up a Thunderbolt spell, she expected a devastating attack, given it's association with high ranking Common Lightning wizards. As the most potent Common Lightning spell, it was renowned among wizards that only Lightning wizards at the fifth-rank of the Common realm and above possessed enough magic energy to cast the Thunderbolt spell effectively, unleashing considerable damage. Consequently, Isabel instinctively deployed her strongest defensive Ice spell, expending a whopping 45% of her magic energy. Now, she was left fuming and feeling cheated, realizing she had been tricked into wasting her magic energy.
Isabel attempted to dissipate the Ice dome and launch a ferocious counterattack, but she hesitated as a sound, like crackling lightning, filled the air. On cue, a bolt of lightning struck the dome, then another, and another, and another, and another, in rapid succession!
The spectators watched in disbelief. They had never witnessed spell casting at such incredible speed before. In a matter of seconds, Robert had unleashed several Lightning strike spells at Isabel's Ice dome. It was almost as if he was giving her no time to recover, and yet he kept casting without breaking a sweat. The factor in his advantage was that the Lightning strike spell, being one of the easiest spells in the Common realm, had a short cooldown time - a mere two seconds.
While his spell may be as strong as a third-rank Common wizard's spell thanks to Poison's amplification, the Ice dome that Isabel had cast with nearly half of her magic energy was incredibly sturdy. However, after receiving the onslaught of eight Lightning strikes, it was on the verge of collapse. This was his chance to finish her off.
Gathering a significant amount of his magic energy at his fingertips, Robert prepared to cast a Lightning arc spell.
Parker studied Isabel's Ice dome, his expression a mask of calm as he assessed her vulnerable state. He considered stepping in and aiding her, but a sudden doubt made him hesitate. What if Isabel was preparing a surprise counterattack for Robert within that Ice dome? He wouldn't want upstage her potential triumph.
After the eighth Lightning strike, Isabel opened her eyes to find her Ice dome on the brink of collapse. She tried to use what little magic energy she had left to stabilize it, but was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of another approaching Lightning spell. "Is this maniac a lightning cannon?" she fumed inwardly. "If only I hadn't fallen for his decoy spell..."
The Lightning arc struck the Ice dome, shattering it into a million pieces. The blast hurled Isabel across the garden, sending her hurtling towards the crowd of students. One of them cast a Plant spell, creating a huge leaf that caught her midair and lowered her to the ground gently.
"Isa!" Parker sprinted towards Isabel, dropping to his knees beside her limp form, and gently cradling her cheek. The other students gathered around, and a girl donning a golden robe began to examine her.
"She's okay - just a minor bruise on her shoulder, and she's experiencing magic exhaustion. But she'll be fine," the Light element student assured him. They were known to be healers, and one of their signature spells, Light recovery, could mend almost any injury.
The students now glared at Robert with a new level of hatred. Defeating Isabel had only fueled their resentment.
"Now you know how it feels when someone hurts your friend," Robert said with a smug smile. Hearing that, Zack, who had been quietly observing the drama unfold near a row of stunning black flowers, smirked satisfactorily. He carefully picked one of the flowers and brought it to his nose, sniffing it heartily.
Parker's eyes blazed red as he rose from Isabel's side, turning to face Robert with a murderous glare. "You son of a..." he snarled, his entire body bursting into flames out of rage.
"Now that's more like it. Poison, I'm gonna have to use your powers now," Robert said and switched to Poison's element. His Lightning element was too weak to face Parker, and it's energy was nearly drained after the fight with Isabel.
"Fire eruption!"
"Magnified gravity!"
They suddenly began to fight, completely disregarding the safety of the students who were still gathered around. Flames gathered under Robert's feet and was about to erupt, but he responded with a 'Magnified gravity' spell from the Mystic Earth element, keeping the flames underground.
The students furrowed their brows, staring at Robert in confusion.
"Wait a minute, isn't your elemental affinity Lightning?" Parker asked, his anger momentarily forgotten.
"I would've gladly answer your question but, HAND OF GOD!" Robert yelled. Taking advantage of Parker's momentary distraction, he cast the only Earth spell below the Legendary level that could assume the form of a human body part. In effect, a gaint earthen hand, the size of a small car, rose from the ground and gripped Parker tightly.
Robert grinned, thinking he had won. But as the fist closed around Parker, it began to turn red-hot, melting away like wax under a blowtorch. Parker was generating such intense heat that the earthen hand grasping him had started to liquefy. With a cry of "Dragon breath!" he unleashed a wave of fire, blasting the molten hand apart and sending Robert flying backwards.
"Holy cow, dude!" Robert exclaimed, rising to his feet. "That was amazing."
"Pyroblast!" Parker shouted, preparing another attack. Learning the source of Robert's Earth power would have to wait; his immediate goal was to teach Robert a bitter lesson.
A massive fireball the size of a large balloon formed in front of Parker, and with a vigorous thrust of his hand, it soared towards Robert at an alarming speed. But before it could reach him, another Earthen hand erupted from the ground, catching the fireball and flinging it back at Parker. The students' eyes widened in disbelief.
They had never seen such an extraordinary move before. Throwing one's spell back? It was totally insane!
As Parker's own spell came hurtling back towards him in full speed, he quickly thought of what to do. Realising that the fire element didn't really have a defensive spell, he decided to attack and destroy the spell flying towards him. The fireball closed in, and Parker gathered his magic energy, forming another fireball. With a grunt of effort he launched it at his previous spell. The two fireballs collided, creating a powerful shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet, sending them sprawling on the ground. The only one still standing was Robert, who had used the Magnified gravity spell to support himself.
Parker struggle to rise, but Robert swiftly waved his hand, casting the Magnified gravity spell once more, pinning him down. Robert began to laugh as he walked up to him, the sound echoing across the garden and grating on Parker's ears.
"This should teach you not to bully others because you're stronger," Robert said coldly, raising his hand to strike Parker. But then a deep, stern voice spoke up, and Robert recognized it immediately. It was Dean Siege.
"That's enough for today, everyone back to your rooms!" The Dean ordered, his voice just as intimidating and deep as his imposing figure. He gave Robert a look of disappointment as the students scurried out of the garden, his eyes conveying a message that said, "You, wait behind."
After Parker and the rest of the students left, Dean Siege turned to face Robert with a stern and unyielding expression. Robert met his gaze and released a sheepish smile, struggling to maintain eye contact.
Dean Siege grunted, and with a wave of his hand, he conjured a gigantic watery hand that was even larger than Robert's Hand of God spell. The hand gently gripped Robert's arm, effortlessly lifting him off the ground and carrying him towards the Dean.
"Sir, I can explain," Robert began with a guilty smile.
"Oh, you have a lot of explanation to do!" Dean Siege snapped and turned to walk towards the stone building, the water hand following close behind with Robert in its grasp.