Chapter Twenty-Two: Shifting Blame

Moreover, from the previous two spells, it was clear that the pale-faced youth showed not the slightest hesitation in attacking him. The strategy of buying time as a last resort was evidently futile; there remained only one course—staking everything on a desperate struggle. With this realization, Ville grit his teeth hard, took a deep breath, and unleashed every bit of magic stored within his mind. In rapid succession, he cast three spells.

“Demonfire burning unceasingly in the depths of Hell, heed my call! By my name, I summon you! Become my magic sword and shatter all obstacles—Infernal Flames!”

“Element of fire, incinerate the hidden enemies lurking in darkness! By my name, I summon you to devour all, to burn the world to ashes—Explosion of Flames!”

“O illusory wind, transform into a dragon of guardianship!—Phantom Wind Dragon!”

Three spells in succession drained Ville’s magical reserves to the very dregs. His legs buckled, and he nearly collapsed to the ground as all manner of magical energies within the basement erupted into chaos. The combined force of Infernal Flames and Explosion of Flames conjured an enormous fireball in mid-air, almost beyond imagination. Then, with the addition of the Phantom Wind Dragon, that immense fireball was transformed into a colossal fire dragon!

“Damn it!” The pale-faced youth’s features finally betrayed a trace of terror at the sight of the giant fire dragon Ville had conjured. He had never imagined that a mere sixteen-year-old could unleash such devastating magic. With a strangled cry, he frantically waved his wand, reciting a rapid incantation. Four wind barriers appeared before him in quick succession. Then, with a further spell, he conjured several dozen massive wind lances out of thin air, sending them straight toward the fire dragon.

The fire dragon roared, its searing flames threatening to consume everything. It streaked through the air as a blazing crimson streak, charging straight at the pale-faced youth. The wind lances and the fire dragon collided with an earth-shattering explosion, the shock so powerful it caused the very walls of the Magic Guild to tremble.

Because the basement was sealed, the violent shockwave flung Ville—now powerless—clear across the room. He crashed into a magical wooden chest at the back of the dueling arena, pain shooting through him as stars danced before his eyes. Yet the pale-faced youth fared even worse. Though his wind lances were powerful, they could not match Ville’s fire dragon. The dragon shredded dozens of wind lances and, though diminished in size and power by the impact, it still smashed through two of the wind barriers with ease. The third barrier dissolved in an instant beneath its assault.

Only a single shield remained, and the youth could feel the blistering heat through the magic barrier. His face turned ashen; in desperation, he bit his tongue hard, the pain snapping his mind to clarity. Before the final barrier could be shattered, he darted aside and, with a flurry of incantations and wand movements, conjured a massive wind cyclone in the arena, its size rivaling Ville’s fire dragon.

With a shattering crack, the last defensive barrier was broken. The fire dragon, still roaring, bore down upon him, but the youth now drove his wind cyclone directly into it. The two colossal forces clashed, the resulting tremors shaking the room as if struck by a magnitude four or five earthquake.

“Enough!”

At that moment, the two women at the edge of the arena—Lysse and West—acted in unison. Lysse unleashed a massive fireball, while West conjured a globe of solid ice. These two antithetical spheres collided with the cyclone and the fire dragon. Water and fire—opposing magics—exploded violently between the two forces, utterly annihilating both the cyclone and the dragon.

The blast whipped up a fierce wind, scattering dust throughout the basement. In the aftermath, the pale-faced youth was sent flying by the unexpected explosion. He scrambled to his feet, his face mottled with red and blue bruises, looking utterly wretched.

“What do you two think you’re doing?!”

He tried to suppress his fury, but having victory snatched away at the last moment by Lysse and West’s interference, a flash of anger crossed his face. Worse still, the two had acted without warning him, causing him to suffer in the process.

“Oh! My apologies, Semily!” Lysse said, though a hint of schadenfreude flickered on her face. She forced herself to look serious, suppressing her laughter. “Perhaps we went a little too far, but there was no other way. Everything in this basement is extremely valuable—we couldn’t let your duel destroy these precious magical artifacts.”

“In fact, something already has been destroyed,” West, the icy beauty, said coolly. She pointed to the damaged hourglass at the edge of the arena. “If I recall, that magical time hourglass was the mentor’s favorite possession.”

At her words, Semily whipped around to look at the hourglass, his face instantly falling.

“Damn it!”

Semily cursed inwardly. His eyes flickered and a sly smile crept across his lips as he turned, just in time to see Ville struggling to his feet. Truth be told, both looked equally battered at this moment—disheveled hair, tattered clothes, and bruises all over.

“Heh, kid, I’ve done a quick calculation. We may not have reached the full three minutes, but it’s close enough. So, you’ve passed this trial. That means you are now officially a member of the Magic Guild. From now on, you may call yourself a mage.”

Ville’s ears still rang, his mind a blank, but that did not stop him from seeing Semily’s sly, mischievous grin. Staggering to the edge of the arena and bracing himself against the wall, Ville took several deep breaths before asking with some effort, “Ha! Tell me, what scheme are you plotting now?”

“Why, naturally I’ll pin the blame for ‘damaging guild property’ on you!” Semily replied with a sly laugh and the air of a petty schemer. Yet Ville felt no annoyance or dislike. Semily, though proud and somewhat vain, was not arrogant. He was meticulous, candid, and never hid his thoughts—he always spoke his mind.

“Do as you like,” Ville replied weakly. He had exhausted all his magic and had no strength left in his body. “Is there anywhere I can rest?”