The Potential of Magic

Gatom plunged his staff to the ground and took his robe off with a sigh, "It's been two decades. Do you know that?" He said, staring at the devil with his green eyes.

"If my knowledge about human aging is correct, you would've still been an old man." The devil said with a smile, his eyes quickly noticing Gatom's scarred torso. The wounds of a hundred battles… this wizard had faced death countless times. This explains how calm he is facing me, this isn't the first time he was at death's door.

"Giving me time to prepare, you're one gentle devil, aren't you?" Gatom stared at him.

The devil giggled, "Your kind has scarred us devils a lot. You have contingency spell prepared, don't you?" He pointed at him, "I'll get sealed if I attack you now. Your tricks can't fool devils any longer."

Gatom sighed. "You're one smart bastard. A black tattoo appeared on Gatom's chest shoulder. Setting it was a pain; I needed to record my preparation sequence beforehand and started repeating it to get the contingency spell to start working. By setting those limitations, I can even catch the likes of you." A contingency spell is more akin to a ritual than a cast spell. You can bind a magical effect to a predetermined set of moves, words, or gestures. For example, if you clap your hands, you get teleported back ten meters.

The contingency spell is quite inefficient which made it impractical to use with simple spells, and those wizards could only have one contingency spell active at a time. Most have opted for a spell that teleports them away when receiving a fatal wound, or one that heals them or restores their mana, but Gatom made himself a trap two decades ago when he started getting old.

His preparation for solo battles is always the same so he linked a contingency spell to it. If anyone attacks him while he's preparing they'll get sealed in a glass bottle. Until now, he had caught five different creatures and humans with it.

Gatom waved his hands and several tattoos appeared on his whole torso all were magic symbols, scripts, and incantations. He started mumbling in words that even the devil didn't know, and sparks of blue magic crackled from his tattoos across his whole body.

The moment he grabbed his staff again he started floating with a blue mist akin to flames surrounding him. Blood slowly dripped from his nose and ears as he smiled. "I'm too old for this." His green eyes started glowing blue with magic.

The contingency ended and the devil charged immediately, trying to cut Gatom's head before any spell could be cast.

A stone hand emerged from the ground, smacking the devil on his way to Gatom. As his body got sent rolling back, he glared at the old wizard, seeing a giant stone golem emerging from the ground.

"A conjurer? Fine. That makes it an easy fight." The devil took a stance with his four limbs on the ground akin to a running start, but his wings started flapping. "Most wizards can only keep one spell active at a time. As long as I get you, that golem of yours will crumble back to dust."

With a powerful flap, he started flying everyone in the cavern at a high speed, trying to mask his next attack. And out of nowhere, he fired a massive fireball toward Gatom. He doesn't have any choice, it's the end. If he blocked with the golem, the flames would wrap around it and burn him. If he canceled the golem to block with a barrier, I can swoop in and slice his head off.

What will you do? Old wizard, show me the wisdom you humans nurture in your life, give me a glimpse at how delightful your soul would be to consume.

Gatom's eyes shifted toward the fireball with a flare of magic. You underestimate my old backbone; I'll let you know we humans aren't as weak as you see us be. [Magic Divergent]

Blue magic circles appeared around the fireball before it could hit Gatom, and it flew around him and went straight back toward the devil.

He can cast two spells at the same time? The devil gasped as the fireball exploded on his face, sending him flying to the walls with a loud boom. As he smacked onto the wall and debris started falling, Gatom stared at him with a passive face, slowly lifting his palm.

Out of the dust, the devil glared at Gatom with a stern face, a sharp glare escaping his eyes with a flare. As the devil's demonic magic started swelling, he lifted his head.

"What's your name, old human wizard?" He asked.

"Gatom, I was raised in an orphanage so I have no family name to share. And yours?" Gatom took a step forward with the stone golem standing before him.

"I can't share my true name, but call me Gio. It's been over a century since I faced such a talented wizard, not many could attain what you've achieved." The devil stood, extending his hand forward. "I'll grant you immortality and everlasting youth, work for me, human. It'll be a waste for such a talent to get lost in age and time."

Gatom giggled, "Seeking immortality is the act of fools. Death takes all, it shouldn't be shunned away."

"You're the fool. Reconsider, this is your last chance." The devil said with a gentle smile.

"Unlike you fiends, I do have a reason to die. I've already seen life and how ugly it is, this world is disgusting and I'll be happy to leave it for good. And, I've been working my whole life for the moment of my death, my chance of feeling her embrace."

"Death?"

"Magic. The goddess of magic. Wizards have collectively agreed that she doesn't exist, gods aren't real. But I do believe that she at least exists, and I'll confirm that with my death." Gatom started lifting his hands, his long white beard flapping around as mana swirled around his body.

"I've no reason to live, and all the reasons to die. Come at me, devil. Let's see who'll snatch my soul first, your or my magic." A fire elemental emerged beside the stone golem.

"What a shame, you shall die like everyone before you. Truly a shame." The devil lowered his hand, "And to think you'll summon a second golem, those are all the spells you can use, you're defenseless."

Gatom smiled, pointing a finger down, "I've told you, who'll snatch my soul first." A powerful wave of gravity magic emerged around the devil, pinning him to the ground as blood started gushing out of Gatom's nose.

The devil gasped, unable to move as his legs dug into the ground. The stone golem and fire elemental rushed forward to attack while he was pinned.

A third spell? I see, he's pushing his already old body above its limit. He accepted death and now has no problem going beyond his limits.

The stone golem swung his fist at Gio's head while the fire elemental conjured a blade of blue flames. The fire elemental then transformed into a humanoid shape, wielding the weapon he just made, and swung at Gio's neck in sync with the stone golem.

Gio roared, the muscles on his legs expanding as veins bulged all over his body. Instead of trying to fly or stand, he rolled to the side making it easier for him to escape the gravity zone and the two attacks.

Gatom lifted his palm, swinging it to the left. The gravity field's light shifted from purple to blue as its energy got recycled and started transforming again. From the ended spell, a burning lightning bolt emerged, lunging after the devil at a blinding speed. [Lighting Strike]

Gio's eyes rapidly turned toward Gatom, glaring at him. This old wizard, to think he'll be able to switch between spells this fast, just how strong was he in his prime. He isn't even chanting, no, he's chanting but it's all mumbles beneath his breath, I can't hear what he's trying to do.

Gio landed on the wall, lifting an arm up. I'll dispel that lightning bolt; no he'll just cast another spell. I'll deflect it away with my own magic. [Lightning Bolt] Unlike humans, devils are creatures with a deeper connection to magic and mana; they can cast it without chanting. This ability is one of the things that make them terrifying, they can just point it out, and mana would do their bidding.

Gatom clapped his hands, and the stone golem disappeared. Gio blinked as he could see his spell managing to deflect the lightning magic, but the clap distracted him. What is he trying to do? Why dispel the golem?

With another clap, Gatom teleported the fire elemental to behind Gio.

Damn it, he dispelled the golem to be able to teleport his fire elemental to me. He could see Gatom standing in place with the staff spinning around him, crackling with blue magic.

The fire elemental swung its sword at Gio's head, but he managed to deflect it with his claws. "A mere elemental isn't fast enough to hit me!"

From the wall they stood on, the stone golem emerged as Gatom recast the spell. His eyes slowly paled, going blind.

The golem hugged Gio from the back, but the devil still laughed. "Old Wizard, no, Gatom. Are you about to die, the light of your eyes has faded, hasn't it? I can see it from here." Gio's body turned into a black mist of smoke and ash, slipping through the golem's arms and appearing on its back.

"You humans underestimate us a lot, and overestimate your own power." He clenched a fist, about to punch the golem's back. With a devil's strength, he'll be able to shatter it with a well-placed hit to any crack.

A compressed ball of stone hit Gio in the head, smacking him onto the wall. He gasped, looking to see Gatom pointing his staff at him. How did he hit me? He can't see!

Gio lifted his arm, pointing at Gatom. A dark burning flame emerged from between his claws, bursting forth into a beam of compressed hell heat. [Hell Flame]

As the stone cannon that Gatom used was one shot, he waved his staff and dispelled Gio's flames, shocking him.

No, this is getting ridiculous. You can't dispel a spell without knowing what it is. I don't chant, and I can see he has gotten blind, he can't even hear anymore, can he? Look at all that blood dripping from his ears, eyes, and nose. No, something is off about this old man, he isn't casting magic based on his senses, he's feeling the mana itself in this whole room.

Such mastery over magic… At that moment, the devil's feelings began to change. At first, he only felt excitement for the coming battle, and hunger to consume the souls ahead of him. Gatom looked like he'd fulfill both, and so Gio was elated. But now, something wasn't adding up, he began to feel enraged. Devils are superior to humans, they live for eternity and are blessed by magic since birth, there is no way a human old man could beat him who lived for over a thousand years.

A human who hadn't lived over a century, standing at death door is moving magic better than me, better than most devils I saw, he who started with nothing. Humans who are mere food to us devils shouldn't grow stronger than us.

With Gatom challenging the devil's superiority, both had reached something beyond mortal conflict.