The Underground Trouble, part 2/2

The time seemingly slowed down, all the points in her intelligence fastening her mind beyond human grasp. The vibrant streaks of light transformed into slow-moving sparks, seemingly crawling toward her through the viscous medium of time itself.

She couldn't dodge as there were too many projectiles, but she also couldn't block them with her telekinesis. Yet her eyes glittered, and the corners of her mouth curled upward to form a smile laced with ferocity as the solution crystallized in her mind.

'There is always a way.'

A surge of telekinetic might erupted from her, an unrestrained flood of energy that swirled in concentric waves, rippling across the streets surrounding her in circular patterns.

Summoning a reservoir of her power, she seized the stones from the road below her, sending them spiraling upward as a vibrant array of spells hurtled toward her.

'This must work.'

A split second later, the street erupted in a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues as the spells and fireballs collided with the barrier of floating stone, erupting like spacecraft meeting their demise in an asteroid field, forcing her to squint at the brightness of the explosions.

"What?!"

"How can she control so many objects?!!"

Behind shimmering masks, the mages faltered, taking cautious steps backward, their polished masks catching the fierce display of vibrant explosions and mirroring the chaos around them.

'Now!' Seizing the fleeting opportunity, Tia funneled her energy, feeling a warm rush cascading through her veins.

In a heartbeat, the once levitated stones transformed into projectiles, shooting in all directions like shrapnel from a detonated fragmentation grenade. They whizzed through the air with the wind howling in their wake.

The masked mages swiftly waved their wands like orchestra conductors. With flashes of light bursting from the tips of their wands, they redirected the stone onslaught, sending them hurling onto the road and houses behind them.

In the midst of the chaos, Tia's mind raced, analyzing and deconstructing the magic unfolding before her. 'Deflect? That should be the equivalent of a single rune—fast and easy to cast.'

The adrenaline coursing through Tia's veins transformed into a blistering inferno, consuming every ounce of restraint. Tia's eyes turned predatory, her reason sizzling out as she fully entered her frenzied battle state.

"Burn!" She screamed with her eyes aglow, and a blindingly bright orange light flashed around her as all the kinetic energy turned into blazing rivers of fire.

The flames cascaded down the street, setting the masked mages on fire, their black robes turning them into human torches.

"Ahhh!"

Screaming in pain, two collapsed to the ground, twitching and screaming as the flames consumed them.

The three remaining mages waved their wands amidst the raging inferno, their tips flashing in calming, bluish lights.

The fiery storm dispersed around them, repelled by the glow of their wands.

'Extinguish!' Even in her frenzied state, her mind quickly identified the magic concept used to erase her flames.

At the same time, the other thread of her mind constructed worked on her won spell, forging one rune after another.

Not giving them any break, Tia channeled her power into her wand. Her eyes shone, and her hair wildly danced as the magic runes of her razor spell lit up from its tip.

With renewed force, the flames intensified, spiraling and twisting around her wand, fueled by a kinetic force so immense that it cracked the pavement and sent vibrations through the air.

'It is ready.'

With a wave of her wand, the torrent of flames exploded forward, rushing against the three mages waving their wands around to keep the fire at bay.

The mages couldn't even react as the destructive force smashed through their defenses, their blood sizzling in the flames as their robes and flesh were cut and ignited and their bodies thrown like ragdolls across the street.

Panting, adrenaline still coursing fervently through her, Tia whispered, exhilaration lacing her words, "Thank you; I have learned a lot." It was a manic joy, an embrace of the chaos of the magic battle—her first real taste of magic warfare in her current life.

Ding!

Quest failed! You have been noticed!

Beep!

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Mission Completed:

Objective --> Repel the terrorist attack and destroy the attackers

Rewards --> 2 x esper point; +1 to WIL; +1 to VIT

<<<<<<>>>>>>

[Novice Runic Spellcraft (40%)] --> [Novice Runic Spellcraft (45%)]

The unexpected ding echoed in her suddenly still mind, the sound reverberating like a dropped stone disturbing the stillness of a pond. Tia's eyes snapped close, her frenzied haze dissipating to reveal the destruction and the flames.

A shudder passed through her as she muttered under her breath. 'I lost myself again.'

At her silent thought, the flames went out abruptly, leaving a trail of smoke and silence in their wake.

She took a deep breath, battling the lingering rush of adrenaline as she mentally berated herself. 'I could have ended this far quicker with my gun, or maybe if I was a bit more aggressive and attacked them immediately with my telekinesis.'

However, her regret turned into a smile, 'No, I should rather keep my gun hidden for now. Also, my defensive and cautious approach might have been slower, but at the same time safer.'

A spark of understanding kindled in her, a revelation born from observing the simple yet effective defenses employed by the mages. She had been too focused on offensive magic, neglecting the vital defensive spells.

'Deflect rune. I need to learn it, and if I imbue it into my kinetic barrier, it should make it much more effective.'

The more she thought about the battle, the happier she was. 'Chantless casting? No, that is unlikely. More probable is that either their masks were enchanted to block the voices or their wands were imbued with prepared spells.'

"Put down your wand!" A yell jolted her from the after-battle analysis, making her turn to its source.

Nine figures appeared on the end of the street, clad in the same outmoded gray suits as the enforcers she had encountered before. They were marching in formation, faces grim and determined, their wands pointing at her.

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