Rubble

As Atticus deliberately raised his arms, thousands of tiny flaming orbs flickered to life, their diminutive sizes exponentially expanding with each passing millisecond behind the earthen platform.

In an instant, they all each reached colossal proportions, each fireball appearing on the brink of bursting with unbridled power, painting the sky in a vivid crimson hue.

"No way," no one knew who among them had spoken those words, but it didn't seem to matter as it encapsulated what every single one of them was feeling.

*CLANG*

The sounds of metal hitting the ground filled the air as many of them dropped their raised weapons, each of them having lost hope.

Despite the fact that their whole camp was covered by a mana barrier, they didn't seem to rely on it in the slightest. It was as though they all knew that it was a fool's dream.