Chapter 301 - Facing off against the villainess
The oppressive air in the chamber hummed with burgeoning magic as the freshly-formed echoes wasted no time casting their spells. Gaspar’s eyes narrowed dangerously, quickly assessing the situation.
“Penney,” he barked, turning to the magister. “Handle those echoes with the others. I’ll deal with the Baroness’ echo.”
The portly man gave a curt nod, already beginning his own spellcasting alongside the junior wizards. Moments later, the chamber erupted in a chaotic storm of magical explosions — spells collided mid-air, blending into a kaleidoscope of arcane forces. The echoes appeared to be roughly on par with those they had encountered in the outer sections, which meant this battle could drag on for some time.
Rosa’s now-familiar melodies pierced through parts of the chaos, a subtle but tangible shift that bolstered Gaspar and the wizards. Fynn and Shin moved into their already well-practised roles. Shin positioned himself as a shield, absorbing what spells he could and fending off whatever conjured foes drew near, while Fynn darted forward with predatory agility, seeking an opening for melee combat.
Gaspar focused on the Baroness’ echo, sensing her mana coiling once more. He promptly channelled his own mana through his staff, casting two spells in quick succession — Flamewrath Barrage and Cinderstrike.Fireballs streaked through the air, followed by a molten bolt aimed directly at the echo. Without fail, however, each attack was met with precision. Impressive walls of conjured fire and water sprang forth, neutralising his spells in bursts of steam and crackling heat.
The Baroness’ echo remained unfazed, her hand raised as if in mockery, and Gaspar could not help cursing under his breath as a shower of flaming arrows and watery spears crossed the chamber, homing in on multiple targets. Clemmons and the rest of the barrier wizards blocked the assault with their own defensive spells, but what unsettled Gaspar was the sheer speedand versatility showcased by the echo. She nearly effortlessly wove dozens of them at once, in an almost perfect combination of both pyrokinesis and hydrokinesis. Gaspar had not even realised the techniques could be used this effectively.
As a wizard, he could not help but respect the skill on display.
The echo’s attention shifted when she noticed Fynn closing in. Walls of searing fire rose in his path, followed by spears of water crashing from above. Forced into evasive manoeuvres, Fynn was momentarily pinned, dodging strikes meant only to kill.
Gaspar slammed his staff into the ground, steeling himself as he began channelling another spell. Clearly, he could not afford to hold back here, and it would be best to finish this as soon as possible. Since projectile attacks were easily countered, he would try a different approach. Fynn’s advance, at least, bought him time.
A surge of heat coursed through him as his mana surged, though slower than he would have expected. A frown crossed his face at the subtle resistance. Was the Baroness’ echo trying to seize control of his spell?
…The audacity.
His anger stoked, he completed his spell with one final push. A twisting whirlpool of flames erupted beneath her, expanding into a fiery maelstrom that sought to devour everything in its wake. Then, with a thunderous explosion, the inferno consumed her and several nearby echoes.