Yeba and Vienna exchanged a glance, their instincts sharp as a silent understanding passed between them. Something was watching—hidden in the shadows, its gaze pressing against their very existence. Yet, despite the discomfort creeping down their spines, they remained focused.
Their mission was paramount.
Ahead, the Magical Academy stood in the distance, its towering structure barely visible through the veil of the night. Without hesitation, they prepared to advance, their bodies coiled to rush forward.
Then, they stopped.
Two figures blocked their path.
They hadn’t sensed them. No disturbance in the air, no fluctuation of magic—nothing. And yet, they stood there, as though they had been there all along.
Yeba's sharp eyes narrowed. Humans. But something was wrong.
One of them had a face that looked torn, not from injury, but as if stitched together by unnatural forces. Strange lines ran across his exposed flesh, forming intricate patterns that pulsed faintly, like a living formation inscribed upon his skin.
The second man was similar—his body lined with the same markings, trailing down his neck. But unlike the other, his face remained eerily composed, unreadable.
Yeba’s fingers twitched. Vienna remained still, her icy gaze cold as frost.
They sensed nothing from these two. No presence, no hostility—only an unnatural stillness.
Then, the two men spoke.
"I'm Caelum." His voice was calm, steady—like a priest delivering a final prayer.
"I'm Frid." The other grinned, his smile stretched unnaturally wide, filled with something between madness and amusement.
Yeba frowned. Vienna’s expression darkened.
This was a waste of time.
They moved to disregard them—
A blinding flash erupted.
Caelum and Frid attacked.
Light exploded.
A golden spear of pure radiance shot toward Yeba, searing the air as it tore forward with terrifying speed.
Reacting instantly, his body blurred—lightning crackled, and he vanished. The spear detonated behind him, a blinding eruption of magic that obliterated the ground, leaving behind a molten crater.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
At the same time, shadows twisted.
Vienna felt a sudden displacement of space, and before she could react, mirrors formed around her.
Dozens. Hundreds.
Each one reflected a different version of herself. Some older, some younger—some that were not human at all.
Illusions.
A lesser mage would have been lost in them, but she was no ordinary spellcaster.
Vienna exhaled.
Frost exploded outward.
A violent blizzard ripped through the air, consuming the mirrors in a wave of freezing destruction. Crystalline shards expanded and shattered, collapsing the twisted reality into nothingness.
Frid laughed.
The world twisted again.
Vienna froze.
Suddenly, she was not on the battlefield.
She was inside a massive, frozen wasteland.
The Academy was gone.
Yeba was nowhere in sight.
Only an endless expanse of snow and ice.
Then, the ground cracked.
And something moved beneath the frost.
Not real.
Her mind screamed, her instincts honed by centuries of combat. Illusions—strong ones.
But illusions only worked if you accepted them.
Without hesitation, Vienna gathered her power. The temperature plummeted—her very breath turning to ice.
Then she shattered the illusion.
Yeba was in motion before Caelum could land a second strike.
The air around them was a battleground of opposing forces—golden radiance clashing against raging thunder.
Caelum was precise. Every beam of light was instantaneous, moving faster than any spell should. He did not cast, he did not chant—his magic simply existed the moment he willed it.
Yeba, however, was an Archmage of Thunder.
Speed was his domain.
With each movement, lightning surged through his limbs, accelerating his reflexes beyond human limits. His body flickered in and out of existence, appearing in multiple places at once.
But Caelum was not fooled.
A pulse of light expanded outward—
Yeba felt his body slow.
A time dilation field.
Damn it.
Caelum's hand rose.
A pillar of light descended from above.
Yeba clenched his fists. Thunder roared.
Electricity tore through the air, defying the very laws of magic as it collided head-on with divine radiance.
The battlefield detonated.
Vienna reemerged from the shattered illusion, her body already moving.
Frid stood before her, his smile widening.
With a flick of his fingers—
The sky turned upside down.
Vienna's breath caught. For a split second, she felt her body invert, her very sense of gravity twisting against her will.
Then—
A blade was at her throat.
Frid’s shadow stretched unnaturally, forming countless hands, each holding a weapon aimed directly at her vital points.
An instant away from death.
But Vienna did not panic.
She merely smiled coldly.
In the blink of an eye—
A storm of frozen spears erupted from her body, impaling the shadow hands before they could land a single cut.
Frid vanished.
Reappeared—
And Vienna was already waiting.
Her hand touched the air—
And the battlefield froze.
Everything.
The ground, the air, even the light itself.
Frid’s movement halted, his figure trapped in ice.
But then—
The ice cracked.
And Frid’s laughter echoed from every direction.
Vienna’s eyes narrowed.
The real fight had just begun.
Lightning howled.
Thunder and radiance clashed, two opposing forces refusing to yield.
Ice and illusion danced in a battle of deception and absolute control.
Yeba and Vienna fought like seasoned warriors, their spells collapsing the very ground beneath them, magic distorting reality with each passing second.
But they were beginning to realize something dangerous.
Their opponents…
Were holding back.
And slowly—
The battle was tilting against them.