Magister Lucius didn't have the worry he had before. He looked like he was in sorrow, knowing that what he did was equal to self sacrifice.
The surroundings were getting colder and colder. The ground was getting covered with ice. The magister actively tried going far from Kael. He must do so, as the power of frost was dangerous to every single human except for himself. It is his innate magic that was only suppressed by his magic necklace. It was the only thing that the magister could think of using during that hopeless time.
Magister Lucius’s innate magic was indeed strong, but unlike Kael who successfully stabilized his innate magic, the grandmaster was still in the process of doing so. His innate magic was too hungry for mana that even in his age, his innate magic was still in chaos. But even if he knew the cost he must pay, in his mind, he must unleash his innate magic to have a winning chance against the demon Zahekam.
“Ice? Is that your true power?”, Zahekam said. He was surprised, as he felt that Magister Lucius gained so much power all of a sudden. However, he was still confident that he could beat the grandmaster mage.
“You made me do this. I will make you pay”, Magister Lucius said. Zahekam smirked at the magister's words.
[Frozen Spear]
The frozen spear created by Lucius rushed towards Zahekam. The path it took became covered in ice as it moved. Seeing this, Zahekam smiled at the grandmaster.
[Dark Spear]
Zahekam intercepted the frozen spear with his attack. The collision of spears was quick and powerful, sending gusts of cold and sharp winds to the sides. The demon conjured another dark spear to follow up, but then, he saw something he didn't expect. The freezing ground was crawling fast towards him. The frozen spear was still intact.
“Wha–”
Zahekam was pierced by the frozen spear. The impact created a large boulder made of ice, and the demon was inside it. He wasn't ready to dodge the attack, as he still underestimated his opponent despite feeling that the magister gained power. The frost was making its way inside his durable demon body. He couldn't move a single muscle.
Magister Lucius walked towards Zahekam, seeing that the demon was trapped in ice. The effect of his innate magic was still spreading, and even if he was to wear another suppressing necklace, the frost that was suppressed for so long could no longer be caged. The ice will continue to consume the whole academy, and eventually the whole town, until he was killed. Such is the unfortunate cost of unleashing a powerful magic that was not ready to be unleashed.
Magister Lucius stopped walking after he was near the demon. The continuous spread of frost was consuming the mana of the innate magic, as well as his own. His situation was weakening him that he chose to sit for awhile, for fear that he would fall. He felt that it was safe to close his eyes while being near Zahekam. He was trying his best to decrease the rate of the frost spreading, but even if he was successful, the frost was still moving. He thought of Kael, then the students inside the academy building, and then he thought of the king and the people of Deyrem. He wanted to warn all of them, but he couldn't get near to anyone because of his power. His mind was filled with regret, thinking that there were other ways to deal with the demon. At that time, he wanted to run out of mana to stop the spread of frost, hoping that Kael and the others wouldn't have to suffer from the harsh cold.
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Kael was lost in his mind. The depth of his meditation was something so unnatural that no humans could reach it. It was a dangerous thing to do, because doing so will cut off anyone from sensing everything from outside the mind. However, despite the dangers, such deep meditation would hasten Kael's healing process, making it the only choice that Kael wanted to make. Because of the risks of such state, and the height of mental control needed, only Kael could do such feat. And because of what he did, Kael was aptly rewarded.
Kael could feel the mana around him, and only the mana around. It was nothingness for him, except the flow of mana was so clear in his mind’s eye. During such incredible meditation, Kael could control all the mana that he could reach, and being the kind of person he is, his reach was quite a large distance.
Kael's mana vessel was healing so fast. It was so fast that he would recover in just a few minutes. A thousand times his mana capacity, and yet, his concentration made it that easy. Kael felt the large influx of mana all of a sudden. He wasn't sure what happened, but he trusted Lucius enough that he didn't think too much about it. Doing so would only hinder his meditation, and every ounce of focus he could use was needed. After some time, the risk he chose paid off.
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Kael woke up, his mana vessel completely restored, and was full with mana again. It was a wonderful feeling, but what he saw distracted him from the sensation. He saw the frozen ground spreading from the grandmaster mage. Zahekam was inside a large boulder of ice, and the breeze around him was so cold. At first he was confused, as he saw that Zahekam couldn't attack anymore but Lucius was still spreading the frost. Then, he realized that Lucius couldn't control the frost, making him assume that Lucius must've an innate magic that was freezing the whole place. He saw Lucius stopping, and then the grandmaster sat. Kael could feel the regret that Lucius had during that time. He stood and went on his way towards Lucius.
Kael touched the frozen ground with his finger. He instinctively moved his finger away from the ice, as he felt the powerful freezing effect that the ice has. Lucius didn't need to tell him anything, he knew that the spread of frost will endanger the whole town. Kael thought of a plan to stop the frost from spreading, and recalled a magic spell that could solve the problem. He didn't waste another second. He sat far enough from the spread of frost, and started meditating.
Kael could see the flow of mana again. He manipulated the flow of mana to converge into a ball. At a certain point, he uttered the magic he needed.
[Eternal Flame]
The ball of flame glowed pure in between Kael's hands. There's no heat felt around it, it was just a glowing ball. Kael was deep in meditation for a time, increasing the strength of the eternal flame. When he opened his eyes, the frost was about to reach him.
Kael guided the pure ball of flame towards the spread of frost. The eternal flame glowed even more, and it began spreading warmth all around. The frozen ground was thawed, and the cold breeze was changed into calm air. Lucius felt the change of his surroundings. The magister turned around, and saw Kael walking towards him.
“Kael…”, Lucius uttered. He was relieved that Kael was safe, but then he remembered his innate magic. “Don't come close!”
“Magister, it's alright. I have this”, Kael raised the eternal flame and showed it. He then gave it to the grandmaster.
“What's this? It's.. so warm”, Lucius stated.
Lucius was bewildered. His innate magic was not spreading frost anymore, and he knew that it was caused by what he had on his hands.
“It's Eternal Flame”, Kael said.
“Eternal Flame? The greatest fire that can burn anything?”, Lucius asked. He didn't believe Kael, as he could hold the ball of flame and he was unharmed.
“It is as you said, magister”
Lucius looked at Kael. He still have some doubts, but the effect of the ball of flame was a compelling evidence to make him believe.
“As long as you have that, your power will not endanger the town”, Kael said.
Lucius looked at the ball of flame. The glow of it was strange, as if giving him the peace of mind he was feeling at that moment. A student like Kael should not be able to create such magic, but he experienced it first hand.
“Who are you? How can you do something like this?”, Lucius asked.
Kael took the eternal flame, and merged it with the grandmaster mage's heart. Then, he spoke to answer Lucius.
“If I were to tell you, you would know that I'm the enemy of your church”, Kael said.
“What do you mean? How did you know my faith?”, Lucius asked.
“You're just like the others. You're a believer of Rezelus church”
Lucius’s eyes widened. He denied what Kael said. He felt so insulted that he admitted that he’s a believer of the Lucienean faith.
“I.. I didn't know that”, Kael uttered.
Lucius was puzzled. Kael claimed to be an enemy of the Rezelus church. He knew that only the Lucienean faith could claim what Kael said, but as one of the Lucienean faithfuls, he didn't know Kael, aside from being his student. He considered the magic that Kael showed him, and thought deeply about Kael's identity. There's no person of the Lucienean faith that fit Kael's character.
“Are you a rebel?”, Lucius asked.
“No”
“Then, what–”
Kael stopped the grandmaster from speaking. He pointed at the ice boulder that he intentionally left unmelted. It was cracking a little bit, and the demon inside it was moving little by little.
“He's starting to move again. Be ready, magister”, Kael said.