Kapitel 251: Chapter 251: Lost the Battle but Won the Victory
Because Wood had used the recoil from his intermediate wind magic to accelerate, his body was now completely airborne. Holding his sword in one hand while casting wind magic with the other, he had no ability to dodge or even defend!
With Ghislaine's strength, if her kick connected with his neck, Wood would likely be knocked unconscious immediately.
In the split second before impact, Wood reluctantly canceled his wind magic and quickly formed a brown magic circle in front of him.
"It's useless! Even if you can cast magic without chanting, at this distance, you won't have enough time to gather the magic power needed for an intermediate spell!" Ghislaine called out.
Magic users not only require time for incantations but also need time to gather the required magic energy. The ability to gather elemental magic power faster or slower depends on one's affinity with those elements.
Casting intermediate magic requires a significant amount of magic power. At the distance Ghislaine was from Wood, there was simply no way, regardless of Wood's talent, that he could gather enough magic energy in such a short moment to cast intermediate-level magic.
"Who said magic has to be powerful to be effective in battle? Beginner Earth Magic—Earth Spike!"
The spell Wood cast was merely a basic earth magic spell, similar to a fireball or water bullet—basic, low-level spells. In terms of raw power, such spells have limited lethality, even against ordinary people. Ghislaine didn't understand why Wood would bother casting such a spell in this situation.
Earth magic is typically used for defense. Even if it were an intermediate-level spell, Ghislaine was confident she could shatter any defense Wood created and knock him out in one strike.
As her powerful kick sliced through the air, about to hit Wood's neck, Ghislaine suddenly felt her balance falter. Her kick, aimed precisely at his vital spot, missed completely as Wood dodged by lowering his head at the last moment.
The reason Ghislaine lost her balance was quite simple—it was the earth magic Wood had cast.
Rather than using the spell to defend, Wood had used it to disrupt her!
With Ghislaine's hands occupied holding her sword and one leg committed to the kick, she was balancing solely on her other leg. Wood's earth magic had summoned a small spike from the ground right under Ghislaine's foot, throwing her off balance.
Normally, this weak spell wouldn't even kill a small animal, much less a seasoned warrior like Ghislaine. But placed precisely under her supporting foot, it broke her balance, causing her kick to miss.
In that brief moment of imbalance, Wood decisively released his sword. His hands immediately began to gather magic power at a rapid pace.
A crimson magic circle formed before him, and within an instant, flames erupted from it.
"Intermediate Fire Magic—Exploding Flame Pillar!"
It wasn't that Wood didn't want to use a higher-level spell; it was just that, without a staff, intermediate magic was his limit. Even with a staff, gathering enough magic power for an advanced spell in such a short time would have been impossible.
Fire magic is the most destructive of all magic types, and even someone as strong as Ghislaine, a "Sword King," wouldn't come out unscathed if hit by an intermediate-level spell at such close range!
The roaring flames shot out, making the surrounding air unbearably hot. Facing the oncoming flames, Ghislaine had no choice but to separate her two iron swords. With one sword in each hand, she surrounded herself with her powerful aura and sliced through the massive flame pillar!
"Boom—!"
The explosion of fire was spectacular, lighting up the training ground like a burst of fireworks. Burning embers, like meteor showers, fell across the field. Wood, being so close to the magic's impact, was covered in ash and dirt.
His sword had been left behind when he released it to cast the spell. Now, it had fallen into Ghislaine's possession.
As the flames died down, the ground revealed a medium-sized crater, charred black from the intense heat. The onlookers craned their necks, eager to see Ghislaine's condition, when suddenly a sword pierced through the smoke. With one powerful swing, the smoke was blown away, revealing Ghislaine unharmed.
She emerged from the crater, holding her now red-hot, chipped iron swords, but she had taken no damage. Aside from a few singed spots on her already minimal clothing, she didn't have a scratch on her.
Seeing this, the Boreas family sighed in relief. If their strongest warrior, the "Black Wolf Sword King" Ghislaine, had been defeated by a seven-year-old child, it would have sent shockwaves through the entire kingdom, possibly even the continent.
Wood had given it his all, but he still couldn't harm Ghislaine. This was the result Sauros and the others had expected.
"That was quite a spectacular counterattack. You've won this wager, Wood," Ghislaine said, driving her now cooling swords into the ground. She didn't continue attacking, but instead looked at Wood with admiration.
Hearing her words, Wood performed a gentlemanly bow in the style of a noble knight and then dusted himself off as he stepped down from the stage.
"What's going on, Ghislaine?" Philip asked, confused by what had just transpired. His limited strength made it difficult to grasp the details of the fight.
"I'm sorry, Lord Sauros, but in the wager between you and Wood, I lost," Ghislaine confessed. "Though it was brief, I had to use my Sword King-level aura to defend myself from his final fire magic attack. In that moment, I fought with enough power to be considered serious, which means, by the terms of the wager, I lost."
Though Ghislaine hadn't been defeated in battle, Wood's victory condition had been to force her to fight seriously, and in that regard, Ghislaine had indeed lost.
*******
P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein