Heart and Harmony (II) *BONUS*

Over an hour had passed, and Maverick was throwing everything he had into the fight. Spell after spell flew from him—some silent, some without even a wand.

He poured raw Magical-Energy into every move, using the fast, brutal techniques he had picked up over the past few months of training.

He was a blur, dodging, striking, spinning, pushing every trick his teacher had drilled into him. But nothing worked.

With each failed attempt, frustration grew inside Maverick.

He was bruised and battered, pain radiating from all over his body.

He was feeling pain, worn out, but he was determined to land at least one hit. Pushing his body and magic to the breaking point, his attacks grew increasingly desperate.

Finally, with a flicker in his eyes, Maverick made a gamble. He flicked the finger of his empty hand, sending invisible ripples through the air.

His teacher had mentioned that one of the conditions to break free from the illusion was knowing you were under it.

At that same moment, his wand hand too jerked forward, launching a blasting Confringo. Edward effortlessly deflected it like it was nothing.

But then, Edward's eyes widened as his magical senses screamed a warning, contradicting what his eyes saw. It hit him: he was under his own spell without realizing it. But when?

He didn't have time to dwell on it before a blast hit him from behind. The Arch-Magus didn't fall, though. In that split second, he broke free from the illusion and slammed his foot into the ground, steadying himself as the momentum nearly launched him forward.

His previously domineering appearance though, was now marred with dirt and rocks.

Maverick, now on his knees, panted heavily. 'All that for just a sprinkle of dirt,' he thought to himself with fists clenched in a mix of victory and defeat.

He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to let the leftover adrenaline from the duel fade away as he heard Edward's footsteps approaching.

Edward stood beside him, stretched out his finger, and cast a spell that enveloped Maverick. "Hmm… Two broken ribs, multiple fractures, and your right shoulder's dislocated," Edward said, his voice steady but laced with concern.

Maverick could only sigh. With that injury, he had only managed to catch Edward off guard once—and all he had done was get his robe dirty.

At least Edward's healer could fix him up pretty quickly, and be not bed-ridden for a long.

Edward then sat down next to him, crossing his legs and remaining quiet, just waiting for Maverick's breathing to even out.

After a moment, he pulled a bottle of water from his storage ring and handed it to him. "That was some clever thinking. When did you cast the illusion?"

In that instant, Maverick's thoughts shifted to one of the smoothest, overpowered villains from a certain comic, and a smug grin spread across his face.

"Teacher, when did you get the impression that you weren't under my illusion from the start?" he replied, unable to resist teasing.

Smack!

"Ow, ow! That hurt!" Maverick cried, rubbing the bump forming on his head.

Edward shot him a deadpan look, but Maverick chuckled, savoring the rare moment of having one up on his teacher.

"It was the last Confringo," he explained, pride creeping into his voice. "I cast the illusion spell simultaneously with my other hand, wandlessly."

Edward stared blankly at his student, his thoughts a mix of shock and disbelief.

He had cast two spells at once, one without a wand and without a chant.

He had mastered his own spell to an unbelievable degree—enough to catch a wizard two ranks above him off guard.

It was too much to take in—simply unheard of.

Maverick gulped down the water in deep swigs, noticing that his teacher was still in a daze.

He shifted to sit more comfortably, or at least as comfortably as one could on a pile of broken rocks. With a weary sigh, he muttered, "You weren't even trying, were you, teacher?"

Edward came out of his stuper, gave his a long glance then smirked, dodging the question with his usual air of mystery.

"You know," he said, a hint of admiration in his voice, "it's only been five months, and you've gone from fumbling through spells to… well, to this."

"But still…" Maverick began, ready to protest.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Another 'but'? Are you forgetting who I am again?"

A reluctant smile crossed Maverick's face. This was a familiar scene —every time Edward bested him, every time he felt crushed and frustrated, his teacher would remind him of the vast difference in their ranks.

Edward continued, his voice a mix of firmness and encouragement. "Look, you went all out and even managed to sneak an attack on me. Me!" He emphasized by jabbing a finger at his own chest.

"Your dueling, when you harness your incredible mana control, is better than most Marquis I know. Don't forget, dueling isn't just about flashy moves or a ton of spells. It's about making sure your attack hits and letting it count.

Your control over mana—its perception and manipulation—that's your edge. And don't forget how good you are with illusions. You even got me! That means you can hit anyone under Arch-Magus. As long as they're unaware, you've got that window for a decisive blow.

So, be more confident. No Great Magus could handle you in a short duel. They'd have to drag it out to even stand a chance—and soon, even that won't be enough."

Maverick looked down, letting his teacher's words sink in. The frustration slowly faded, replaced with a flicker of pride.

'That's right. I've got too many cards up my sleeves that no one expects. But I won't let it get to my head,' Maverick thought, his determination settling in.

Just then, the ground shook violently, cracks splintering through the rocky cliff. Dust rose, and it felt like the whole place was on the verge of collapsing.

The teacher and student steadied themselves quickly. Looking around, Edward sighed and took out his wand for the first time that day.

"I'd better clean this up," he said dryly. "Or MACUSA and the White House will be breathing down my neck."

"Uh, teacher, are you sure a Reverte can fix all… this…?" Maverick asked, wobbling and wincing as the ground shook even more violently.

"Hah," Edward chuckled. "Piece of cake." He snapped his fingers, and two constructs of Magical Energy appeared beneath them, forming solid circles of pure mana for them to stand on.

Powerful wizards can will pure magic into stable physical constructs. The size and durability would depend on the wizard's mastery over Magical Energy Manipulation and the amount of magic they have.

Maverick slumped down, crossing his legs on the conjured circle while Edward lifted them both about ten feet in the air.

"Take it easy, just sit back" Edward said, a quick glance at his exhausted student. "After this, we'll head back and get you all healed up."

Edward then gave a flick with his wand then read the incantation.

Reverte!

The wrecked cliff began to shift, almost like time itself was reversing.

Rumble.

Rumble.

The massive, crumbled edges of the southwest cliff—the size of a stadium and nearly a thousand feet high—reformed, piece by piece, rumbling as they settled back into place.

Rumble.

Rumble.

Maverick watched in awe as, within a minute, the cliff stood pristine, as if they'd never battled at all.

With a satisfied nod, Edward guided the constructs back down to the cliff, which now looked as good as new.

Just then, the only three spectators Apparated onto the cliff, and Isabella lunged toward Maverick, her eyes filled with concern as she took in Maverick's state. "Ricky!" she exclaimed, squatting beside him.

"Uh... I'm okay, Bella," Maverick said, trying not to wince as he forced a smile, hoping to ease her worry.

"Dad, did you really have to go this far?" she said, shooting her father a look and letting out a huff.

Edward scratched his head. Words with his wife and daughter were battles even the Arch-Magus knew he had no hope of winning.

"Let's take him to the base infirmary…" Sarah suggested.

"No. We go home," Edward replied, already raising his wand. "I had a friend prepared, before we came."

He tightened his grip, eyes sharp with focus, and swiped his wand across the air. Space seemed to tear open before them, forming a pitch-black line that widened into a tall, rectangular gateway.

"Let's go," Edward said, glancing back. "Apparating in his state wouldn't be very comfortable."

Maverick watched, mouth hanging open, mesmerized by the sight. He had never seen or even heard of space magic like this before.

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Author's Note:

If you'd like to read more, chapters up to 56 are now available on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/RyanFic

The scheduled release starts next week, but if we reach 400 power stones in the next three days, I'll publish another bonus chapter!