Chapter 7: Awakening
In the next moment, the stillness shattered.
A sudden blast of wind howled through the air, stirring leaves, dust, and debris in a violent spiral. A whirlwind, tight and compact but furious in nature, erupted from the center of the clearing where Robert stood. Its rotating winds created a wall of pressure that dragged everything nearby from its eye— but the calm center where Robert stood remains untouched but tense.
The knights around him were caught off guard, their heavy armor clanking uselessly against the roaring force that tossed them like dry leaves, waving them around like a child’s toy.
"AAAAAAGH!"
"NOOO—AAGH!"
"WH-WHA-WAIT! HELP!"
They screamed as they were yanked off the ground and flung into the air, their enchanted swords spinning out of their grips, crashing into trees, and embedding themselves into walls.
Their bodies thudded into trunks, bounced across the dirt, or landed with metallic crashes in the nearby fields. Despite their strength and weight, they were helpless against the the powerful gale spell.
At the center, Robert stood unmoving, shielded by the calm eye of the storm. His coat flapped against his frame, and his long herbalist’s scarf trailed behind him like a war banner. His hair danced wildly as he looked around with a mix of disbelief and calculated observation.
"What the hell..." Vandolph muttered, his confidence cracking as the unnatural storm broke their formation.
He turned toward the source of the magical surge. Standing in the shattered doorway of the hut was Marissa, her dark green cloak flowing as if possessed, a baby cradled securely in one arm while the other held a silverwood wand still glowing faintly from the casting. Her expression was calm, her eyes unwavering. Obviously, casting such powerful area spell consumes a lot of mana but seeing her serious expression, it seems that Marissa is prepared to fight to the end.