Voxis charged yet again but this time Ezra dodged it easily with AMP. He sidestepped and swung toward Voxis' side, but there was a peculiar feeling like something was dampening the blow softening the might of the attack.
It didn't even seem to land as Voxis replied with a low kick. Ezra jumped to deal a kick himself as the kick was about to land, a force propelled him away. It felt as if a shockwave hit him.
Ezra regained composure and initiated the conversation again.
"So, your element is Wind?" Ezra circled cautiously. "I have never seen a wind mage before."
Voxis bowed. "We are somewhat rare in these parts." He cast a spell and three mini tornadoes formed surrounding and revolving around him.
'Dammit, how do I win against that?' Ezra thought.
He backed away cautiously eyeing Voxis who was standing casually.
"I think it is time for you to attack Lord Ezra," Voxis smiled.
Ezra took out his recurve bow, he drew it to the maximum, and then he let loose. The arrow flew toward Voxis at dazzling speed, but because of the wind, the arrow veered off target.
Voxis chuckled, but Ezra didn't flinch.
The wind mage attacked Ezra with an offensive spell, out of his palm, a gust so strong exploded forth and Ezra was blown away.
"Come now, Milord, I think it's about time you cast a spell of your own." Voxis coaxed him with a gentle tone. "There were reports that you awakened two years ago in Anticourt and there was a tremendous amount of casualties, I think that you don't like using spells because of the damage you would cause. Am I right?"
Ezra was annoyed, he would if he could. This mage was definitely not a squire, by the manner he talked it was obvious that he was a noble. If only Voxis knew that it was because of a magic crystal, the fire magic crystal on Ezra's hands that time was the catalyst to use external magic.
He talked to his parents about the phenomenon, but apparently, they knew nobody who could use magic crystals as a weapon like that, if they did all of the knights would carry one. As for enchanted weapons they were rare. He studied the enchanted item that Reitz had given to him but as for why it was so, he had a hunch that he needed to melt it before he understood the mechanics.
Being a gift from his father, he didn't want to melt the artefact and could only hope that he could find another in the future so that he could study the enchanted artefacts. It is said that these items were from a lost age in this world and no one knew how to make them exactly. It fascinated him endlessly.
He could use the magic crystals but it actually destroyed them after use, they became an expendable item and that was why his lab expenses skyrocketed. He tried to manipulate the magic being drawn but it seemed that magic crystals sucked up what it could if he terminated the magic input the crystal could not be paired with a magic core, rendering it useless. That was why he extensively studied cores. By doing so he might unlock the secret of modulating his own magic so that he would not destroy a magic crystal.
Ezra didn't reply. He was breathing fast, he didn't know what to do know even with AMP activated, his projectiles were rendered useless by the wind current around Voxis.
Ezra looked at his surroundings for anything that he could use.
Ezra's guards were tense seeing their Lord fumble around helplessly while Voxis seemed to be relaxed.
Ezra saw Voxis' whirlwinds sucking up the debris. Ezra then thought of an idea. As Voxis came near to him, he flung anything that he could get his hands on, dirt, stones, wood anything that would get sucked up by his wind barrier.
Each time that Voxis charged he evaded effectively, never going in firing range of Voxis. However, he was never frustrated and just kept pursuing Ezra with this gentle demeanour.
After a while the debris had accumulated in the vortexes, Voxis involuntarily squinted to pinpoint Ezra's location. He disrupted the vortex.
This was the moment Ezra was waiting for, with the bow already drawn, he shot towards Voxis. Voxis notice and tried to expel the arrow fired at him.
But he didn't notice that Ezra already closed the distance, with his height it was a clear hit to the groin, Ezra punched as hard as he could with magic coursing through his fist. The instant Ezra was about to strike Voxis activated a delayed spell to push the child back. The spell connected as well as Ezra's fist to Voxis nether region.
The power of the fist was so explosive that Voxis fainted at that instant. While the spell exploded and sent Ezra flying knocking him unconscious. The battle was a draw.
Everyone's mouths were agape. They didn't expect the battle to have such an outcome. There was silence and after a while, the two combatants woke up. They were placed in the infirmary.
Voxis spread his legs, he was still suffering from pain from Ezra's blow.
He looked at Ezra and grimaced.
"Lord Ezra, " Voxis attempted a bow.
"Voxis," he replied. He was in a much better shape than him.
"Apparently the match was a draw," Ezra spoke
Voxis nodded.
"I'm sorry for your predicament, Lord Voxis, I assume you are one. Am I correct?"
"Haha," Voxis laughed," Well, my predicament is my fault," Voxis grimaced again, the pain acted up."I guess I should not go easy on you. Yes you guessed correctly I am Earl Voxis Rosenkrantz"
Ezra was shocked. "What are you doing in Bren without a courtesy call from father?"
"I had this bout arranged actually," he grimaced again. "I wanted to test your abilities, if you were worthy of my sister,"
"What? What sister?" Ezra asked bewildered.
"I am the elder brother of Her Highness Princess Hestia."
Ezra didn't reply and just wore a shocked expression.
"Haha, I like that look on your face it eases up the pain I'm feeling," he twitched involuntarily because of his pain. "I guess you ended the Rosenkrantz line with that fist of yours, haha" He added.
"But you are a Rosenkrantz, and your sister is a Regaladeus, I don't understand," Ezra said with scrunched eyebrows.
"That's because she is just my half-sister, my father died in battle and mother remarried. Right now I am the vassal of Princess Hestia."
"I see," Ezra rubbed his chin.
"You are very much like my sister described you," Voxis smiled.
"What do you mean? I've only seen her when we were five."
"Yes, but that day was very memorable to her. She does like you, you know?"
"Are you crazy? The last time we met she threw her drink at me."
"Haha, that's how she is, she loves the attention, she told me you were ignoring her that's why she did that."
Ezra scratched his head. He understood a lot of complicated math but girls were just a mystery to him.
"She's pretty spoiled you know since she is the daughter of Rex Imperia," added Voxis calmly.
"Don't mind it too much. Oh, by the way, she is coming over tomorrow."
Ezra didn't reply, he didn't know what to do.