Unnatural intellect

In the delicate art of magic, mages typically weave their spells by drawing upon the mana nestled within their cores. The farther a spell extends from the caster, the greater the challenge of maintaining control, resulting in diminished magical potency. This fundamental principle dictates that most mages wield their mana in close proximity before directing it toward their intended target—a practice that underscores the effectiveness of melee combat over long-distance magic.

Yet, as Orion faced the wyvern before him, he saw that this paradigm crumbled into irrelevance. The beast conjured fireballs from a considerable distance with unnerving ease, bypassing barriers of defense as if they were mere illusions. The level of mana manipulation it exhibited eclipsed anything Orion had ever encountered. Every motion, every spell, was executed with seamless precision, defying the conventional constraints of magical theory. The wyvern was not simply wielding magic; it was mastering it in ways that shattered the very foundations of Orion's understanding.

He clenched his jaw, inhaling sharply as his mind raced. He was outclassed in magical prowess, that much was undeniable. If he were to prevail, he had only one option: close the distance and engage in melee combat. Other wise it was just him running from its magic.

With his black sword gripped firmly in his hands, he conjured defenses of wind and ice once more, fortifying himself for the next clash. The wyvern let out a deep, guttural roar. In response, a cascade of fireballs materialized in the air around it, each one fiercer and more precise than the last. They streaked toward Orion in deadly arcs, burning bright against the darkened sky.

His barriers absorbed the first few, but they shattered on impact, unable to withstand the sheer power behind the onslaught. The relentless barrage forced Orion into motion once more. He weaved between the infernal projectiles, pushing his agility to its limits, his movements fueled by sheer instinct and years of honed training. But as he evaded, a nagging thought surfaced in his mind.

"No creature has infinite mana," he mused under his breath, leaping over a blast that erupted at his feet. "Even draconic magic must have its limits. If I can hold out long enough, it has to exhaust itself."

Yet as the battle raged on, it wasn't the wyvern that showed signs of fatigue. Orion could feel it creeping into his limbs, a sluggishness setting into his body as his mana reserves waned. The wyvern, however, remained unyielding. Each attack was as precise, as devastating as the last. There was no falter, no hesitation—only unrelenting force.

His eyes narrowed. "Just what the hell are you?"

The more orion fought this creature, more bizzar its existence became: not only it seems to have limitless mana reserves. The wyvern fought with unnatural intellect. It wasn't simply hurling fire blindly; it was calculating, predicting, adapting. Every dodge, every counterattack Orion attempted was met with a refinement in its assault, as if it were learning from him in real-time. Even predicting his next moves.

"This isn't just a mindless magical creature," he muttered. "It's... something more."

A particularly vicious fireball singed past his shoulder, tearing into his cloak. Orion barely registered the heat as he pressed forward. The relentless assault had driven him into a pattern of evasion, but he refused to be trapped in a purely defensive stance any longer. A decisive strike was needed—a break in the tempo.

He surged forward, shattering the constraints of mere survival and stepping into the offensive. Ice coiled around his left arm, forming a jagged shield, while his black blade pulsed with the energy of wind magic. He needed to close the gap, no matter the cost.

The wyvern, sensing the shift in his intent, let out another reverberating growl. The air thickened with mana, and then, in a single instant, a dozen fireballs manifested above Orion in a perfect ring, trapping him within their searing grasp.

His breath hitched. The positioning, the synchronization—this was no mere attack. It was a trap, meticulously laid from the start.

His mind reeled. "It's been leading me here... this entire time."

Realization struck like a hammer. Every evasion, every maneuver had subtly funneled him into this exact position, and now, he stood surrounded by an inferno poised to descend at a moment's notice. The wyvern's intelligence had gone beyond mere adaptation; it had orchestrated the battlefield itself.

Orion exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his blade. "Now that," he murmured, a smirk ghosting across his lips, "is something extraordinary."

The wyvern's eyes gleamed with the thrill of imminent victory. It inhaled deeply, the glow within its throat intensifying as it prepared to unleash its signature breath. The hovering fireballs trembled in the air, mere seconds from converging upon Orion with devastating finality.

But he did not move to flee.

Instead, he lunged forward.

The instant he moved, the wyvern released its full might. A roaring torrent of flames erupted from its maw, merging with the descending orbs in a singular, cataclysmic explosion. The air itself seemed to ignite as fire consumed the space where Orion stood. The sheer force of the detonation sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield, engulfing everything in a blinding blaze.

The wyvern's wings flared wide, bracing against the concussive force. It let out a low, satisfied growl, its piercing gaze fixed upon the inferno, awaiting the inevitable silence that would follow.

But something was wrong.

A flicker of movement within the flames caught the wyvern's attention. A shadow, cutting through the fire, moving impossibly fast.

The realization came too late.

From the heart of the explosion, Orion emerged, his form wreathed in shimmering wind magic, some how unscathed. The very moment the wyvern comprehended its error, he was already upon it.

"Got you."

With a single, devastating slash, Orion drove his black blade forward, its wind-infused edge tearing through the barrier of flames and striking true.