Storm of Wolves

Sigurd's new ability allowed him to detect enemies faster, although now the spell was something he couldn't easily disable. 

'It's a little irritating this damn pinging and prick in my body...' 

However, the spell allowed him to chase the wolves without a sense of danger because he could feel their direction and numbers. 

'I can feel their mana. It's low... very low.'

He looked to his right, where Eva grasped her spear and focused her beautiful purple ice magic around the tip of her spear and body. Sigurd felt impressed that this new sonar spell could detect the amount of mana inside the bodies of his partners or enemies.

'This is truly amazing. So this is sensing the amount of mana someone has...'

Eva noticed the strange face of Sigurd.

"Are you okay?" She huffed as their pace increased. "Where are they now?"

Sigurd's steps suddenly stopped, flicking his arms around before holding his left palm towards a large hill around fifteen metres to their northwest. 

"They are here." He smirked before beautiful green flames began swirling around his body. The emerald and black flickered, which caused the rain droplets to shimmer, creating a miniature aurora around his body.

The speed at which his spell had manifested surprised Eva.

"So beautiful and fluid..." she gasped, her hand moving across her mouth as she felt her heartbeat.

—Lanza del Noctra (Spear of the Night)

A simple spell created a beautiful lance made of black and green flames. The surrounding pressure caused a small cyclone as the air around the two-metre-long pole began freezing. Soon after, black ice covered the entire spear.

Sigurd smiled at the frozen pole. "Well, now I know what this does. I hope you don't mind me taking some inspiration from your magic since your lovely element flows inside me now." He smirked with pride.

"N-no, I don't mind at all." Eva grinned nervously as the warmth within her heart grew more powerful. "I never expected you to create something so similar to my magic." She gasped in shock, but her eyes beamed with happiness.

"Prepare for combat. There are ten wolves, all around six mana and stronger than yesterday. Protect me while I cast magic," he ordered before swiping his left arm in a vertical-cutting motion.

With a boom, the spear shot towards the hill, twirling through the air covered in black ice and green flames. It was difficult to keep track of the spear as it moved too fast. The five wolves stalking on top of the hill didn't realise what had just happened.

Eva readied herself, blue icy mist manifesting around her body, creating a pseudo-armour as she stood ahead of Sigurd, who didn't check his magic or the impact.

Instead, around his body, a swirling display of green and black lights formed sharp shards of emerald ice. The magic inside him swirled around his body before collecting fluidly to create more shards.

"Beautiful," Eva mumbled, noticing how the ice was almost glass-like. The blueish-green colour created a unique shimmer, allowing the chaotic rain to refract the colour.

Bang!

The ice lance impaled the front and rear wolves, killing two of them instead; their skulls cracked apart from the force while the flames melted their brain and flesh.

'Maybe I made it a little too strong...' Sigurd thought, tapping his chin in contemplation.

The two dozen shards moved along with his movements, glistening with black ice shavings. Sigurd wasn't saying he didn't want to kill them, but because it used so much of his mana and weakened him, it became a waste.

However, his next spell was not so considerate about not killing the beast instantly. He felt a tense tightening in his chest as the mana inside his body dropped below 10 from 42.

'Shooting this much at once is going to hurt.' He clenched his teeth, the surrounding air thickening, causing Eva to step back to escape the cold air. 'My control over this magic needs work so that Eva doesn't notice the cold. That is my goal.'

Eight wolves suddenly jumped down the hill, their eyes filled with anger as Eva snapped her gaze towards them. Sigurd's hand lifted as the shards followed, dancing around his body with a dozen rotating around his hand.

"Such control..." Eva noted the perfect synchronisation between Sigurd's hands and the ice. His affinity and control were clearly above hers, and it was easy to assume his magic was leagues above her.

Eva felt her pride slightly bruised at the thought of someone better than her in magic, but her gaze continued to focus on the battle ahead, instead grateful her master was talented.

"Go Forth!" 

His gentle words were like a deadly order, as hundreds of small shards shot towards the eight wolves at high speed. Eva, with her spear, followed them. The ice shards exploded across the area, piercing and exploding against the group of wolves.

In an instant, around five of the wolves were dead, their bodies not moving from the initial shock and permafrost of the ice shards. They never stood a chance; now, like porcupines, their bodies were full of holes while others suffered critical injuries.

Sigurd staggered as his vision became dizzy for a second and his mana dangerously low. A meagre amount of mana remained inside his body; however, moments later, the flow of that white essence from the defeated, less Agmar flooded his body completely.

The pain was excruciating. Sigurd could feel his stomach twisting and turning, his shoulder blades twisting inside his body, and the veins bulging as the defeated Agmar's white essence was drawn inside. 'I will grow stronger, but taking this much is far too wasteful; give some to her!' 

Sigurd bit down his teeth, trying to manipulate the white essence. His magic formed a small flame that travelled towards Eva. However, three wolves were still alive, and with their blood thirst at an all-time high, they would not stop allowing him to accomplish his goal.

"Watch out!"

Eva's body moved faster than before. Her spear twisted and slicked the face of one of the three wolves, stunning it briefly.

She spun around, her black ice armour dissipating into mana as the black essence was drawn inside her body. Eva continued to dodge the attacks from the final three wolves by a thread.

Her attacks seemed to do nothing but anger them, her feet sliding across the wet ground as she struggled to keep her distance. The wolves were stronger than before, and even Eva could barely compete until a sudden burst of power filled her body. She felt something prick her skin as a powerful energy flooded her womb.

'This is...his mana? What is this feeling?' She questioned internally before slashing her spear through the neck of one wolf, watching its body collapse as blood poured from its wound.

The other two wolves noticed the change and turned their heads towards Sigurd, whose magic had vanished entirely. He was almost frozen to death, his clothes soaked in water and his body shivering because of low mana.

'So my magic and the essence entered her...' Sigurd's tired eyes watched Eva. 'It looks like these two weeks will be amazing training for us.'

Sigurd's grin was uncontrollable, but the sounds of a wolf dying seconds later covered it. Eva used all her might and mana to attack the last beast, and with a slice against its leg, it could not stand or move.

With her spear pointing towards the head of the wolf, it dropped to the floor with a thud as its red eyes stared at her in hatred. With a deep breath, Eva ended the life of the wolf by piercing its skull.

"Haa....Haa... I killed them! It took almost all of my mana, but I killed a Lesser Agmar!" Eva shouted in a joyful tone.

"Well done," Sigurd sighed in relief before collapsing. His breathing was rapid; his body curled up in pain. "Aarghh!"

Eva's eyes widened as she dropped her spear. The black ice armour and weapon dissipated as the essence of the three wolves poured into the pair.

At this moment, Sigurd realised he needed some mana or magic to survive devouring Agmar, or he would suffer this intense pain.