Chapter 29: Confrontation with the Prince
A large fireball descended from the sky, centered on Selena and I's location. I raised my hand, shielding my face from the heat and flickering light.
"Get back!" Selena cried, pushing me aside.
Activating the Eyes of Fate, I gasped in surprise. "It's a fifth circle spell!" Judging from the sheer amount of mana, it would likely devastate the entire training ground.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she quickly began casting. Six magic circle sprung about her, rotating quickly and glowing with green light. Mere moments before the fireball collided with the ground, Vines sprouted out of the ground, coiling together and forming a shield. They began small at first, but rapidly thickened over the next second, until they created a convex surface that wrapped around the fireball.
The fireball connected with the vines with a soft pop. A second later, a roar of flames erupted out, shaking the air itself. The bowl channeled it up and away from the ground, but the extreme heat sent mages scattering. As the temperature rose, I waved my hand and cast an aegis spell, shielding me from the worst of it.
As the fires finally died off, chunks of roasted vine fell from the sky, landing with heavy thuds. Before the rest came down, Selena waved her hand and the entire mass dissolved into green light, disappearing entirely. Silence reined over the field for a few seconds, as we all stared at the blue sky above.
"Who did that?" Selena shouted, looking over the assembled mages.
Everyone was quiet for a time, looking around at each other nervously. I saw a few shaking hands and pale faces, undoubtedly sacred after the unexpected brush with death.
A slow clap sounded out, and all eyes turned to a tall, handsome mage. "I'm afraid the fault lies with me," he said, bowing slightly.