The scroll was a rare and valuable item, especially for civilians like Busca, who, despite being a local bully on Stardust Avenue, was still considered an ordinary citizen. He was just a bit more fortunate than his neighbors, and even so, spending fifty magic coins on a single scroll was out of the question for him or his son. Such items were reserved for emergencies; in a regular confrontation like this, their utility was limited. Common sense dictated that ordinary civilians rarely resorted to magic scrolls in fights.
In the heat of the moment, Martin hurled a flame scroll toward Kerry. The scroll struck Kerry’s hand, causing him momentary discomfort, yet Busca felt no concern for his son’s well-being.
Kerry, too, remained unfazed. "Let’s see how many more of those scrolls you have!" he taunted, brandishing his sword with confidence.
"Okay, challenge accepted!" Martin replied, a determined glint in his eyes. He reached into his bag, tore open a scroll, and tossed it at Kerry. Then another, and another…
In a matter of seconds, he had thrown five scrolls, two flames, two lightning, and one wind. The air crackled with energy as flames danced and lightning flashed, sending plumes of smoke and dust swirling around. The onlookers gasped; the sight of so many scrolls being unleashed in rapid succession was nothing short of extraordinary. The value of those six scrolls amounted to three silver coins—an exorbitant sum for the average citizen.
Kerry was prepared, skillfully evading the onslaught, but the embarrassment of having to dodge scrolls was clear on his face.
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"Come on, Kerry! Those scrolls are worth a fortune! He can’t have many left! Now’s your chance to attack!" Busca shouted, eager for his son to seize the moment.
Taking his father’s words to heart, Kerry lunged forward, sword raised high, teeth bared.
Martin, maintaining his cool demeanor, dug into his bag again, pulling out more scrolls and tossing them one by one, as if he was carelessly discarding coins. Each scroll he threw was equivalent to the average monthly income of a typical civilian. The crowd was stunned; how could anyone waste such wealth so nonchalantly?
As the scrolls rained down on Kerry, he found himself overwhelmed. He had faced many opponents in his time, but never had he seen someone unleash a barrage of scrolls in such a reckless manner. By the time Martin finished, he had thrown a total of thirty-nine scrolls, each worth fifty copper coins—nearly twenty silver coins in total!
Panting slightly, Martin paused to catch his breath, eyeing Kerry, who was now visibly dazed from the sheer volume of magic being thrown at him.
"You think you can keep this up? Your scrolls will run out eventually!" Kerry shouted, attempting to regain his composure. He raised his sword once more, ready to strike.
But Martin had a different plan. He planted his wand firmly into the ground, channeling a spell that would create a gust of wind. With deft flicks of his wrist, he activated a scroll from the pile scattered at Kerry's feet.
The ground erupted into flames, catching Kerry off guard. He shrieked in surprise as he stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding the blast.
The scrolls at his feet began to stir, almost as if they had a life of their own, rising up to hover in the air before him.
The crowd watched in silence, captivated by the spectacle. Martin, with a sly grin, controlled the magic at his fingertips, directing the scrolls toward Kerry as if they were sentient weapons primed for battle.
As the flames flickered and the dust settled, Kerry remained rooted to the spot, caught between disbelief and fear. The tide had turned, and the power of the scrolls was no longer just a distant concept but a stark reality he had to face.