A few seconds.
That was all the time it would take before the Mages would experience death.
It wasn't as simple as closing one's eyes and never opening them again. No, this was something crueler.
The sight of the breaking ground, and the feeling of extreme heat, was enough to tell the defeated ones of the fate that awaited them.
Still, they were not done!
"Rise!" The leader of the Mage Squad screamed, rising to his feet.
None of his injuries had been serious, so he could cope.
The others were the same.
They rose, unsure of what else to do. If they tried using Advanced Magic, the monster would charge at them before they could complete the chant.
If they used simpler attacks, their efforts would be rendered useless.
It was at this point that the Mages realized their error.
'We shouldn't have told the Guards to retreat!'
They could have at least served as some form of vanguard for them while they prepared their Spell.