Chapter 638: Magic
The cathedral groaned as a hundred magic circles appeared at once, emitting a pressure no less than the Pope’s aura. The air crackled with mana, and a dozen futures flickered through my mind, all filled with imminent death. As I scanned the spells for familiar runes, I was surprised to see most of them were defensive.
I cast Fate an uneasy glance, but she wore a carefree smile. "It’s foolish to underestimate an elder goddess," she murmured. "Even after millennia of decline and my fall from grace, my foundations are deeper than you could imagine. Be grateful for our alliance, Magic; for its sake, I will allow your arrogance to pass."
The magic circles slowed, seeming to freeze mid-weave. The tension was sharp enough to slice wards, yet I couldn’t look away. The runes were so beautiful and delicate, like flowers, far surpassing even my newest work.
Subconsciously, I reached for my mana, only to pause as Arantius shifted, gently resting his hand on my shoulder. Startled, I jerked back from my mana and looked up, tail twitching guiltily.
"Careful, little one," he said.
He smiled faintly, but his eyes never left the God of Magic. I jumped slightly and hastily released my mana.
"R-right. Sorry."
Looking closer, I realized these weren’t spells like I was used to. Every single circle was, at minimum, an eighth-circle spell. The very fabric of Haven groaned under their weight, but it was their unique form that fascinated me. How did he condense all that power into a single magic circle? Beyond that, he must have used some kind of soul casting, because the spells were on the verge of completion even before the circle appeared. It was like they were cast in the final stages, ready to take effect instantly.
But was that even possible? He’d only cast them as a reaction to Arantius, and it was clear he hadn’t expected it. So...had he really cast all these eighth and ninth-circle spells in a single instant?
Even if my unstable condition prevented me from emulating him now, I memorized everything, promising to figure it out later. Maybe Fate would even help me.
Magic’s gaze finally left Arantius, locking onto me. It pierced me to my core, stripping away any sense of privacy and leaving me feeling naked before him. Even the Oracle of Eternity felt useless, its defenses shredded like paper, baring my soul.