Turning
chapter-310

Kishiar began to move without hesitation. Yuder, feeling the absence of anyone nearby, voiced his puzzlement.

"I thought Kanna and the others were with us."

"I sent them to the mages since I had something to look into. They'll meet us when we arrive, so don't worry."

Yuder was often amazed at Kishiar's acute perception. In his current situation, unable to walk on his own, he had no more to say, so he simply closed his mouth. Soon enough, the clamor of voices drew closer, and Kishiar finally set Yuder down, lightly supporting his shoulder so he could lean on him.

"Yuder! You're here!"

Kanna, the first to rush over, without hesitation, grabbed onto Yuder's opposite arm.

"Commander, I'm sorry we're late. We can support him now, so you can let go..."

Emun, who followed behind, faltered with a slightly frightened tone. Kishiar, who had been silent, slowly let go of Yuder's shoulder. Though the others didn't seem to notice anything unusual about this, Yuder detected a hint of subtle regret.

"Alright. Go ahead."

The vicinity of the Magic Spring was morphing into a state both similar and different from before. The barrier magic and amplification circles that previously filled the area were mostly deactivated, with new magic circles interspersed between them. The 14 mages, who were in control of 12 circles, were busy preparing for the end and thus only noticed Yuder's arrival a bit late.

"Well, well. You're here."

Micalin Punt, the leader of the Western Mage Union, approached while rubbing his grimy hands. Seeing Yuder being supported by his comrades, the old mage's eyes shook as if shocked, but he quickly collected himself and concealed it.

"All our preparations are complete. If you give the order, we can activate the circles at any time."

"Good to know."

Kishiar, who had been slowly scanning the area, directed his gaze at the still calm Magic Spring. Between the gaps of the magic circles that once surrounded the area like a wall, he could see a hint of magic power shimmering and flowing out like a mirage. Thanks to the long-term amplification, the region was pulsating more vigorously than ever with pure magic power.

The red eyes passed over the faces of those waiting for an unknown command and finally stopped on Yuder’s face, quietly standing while being supported by two comrades. Despite having just arrived after an uncertain period, his forehead and neck were already beaded with cold sweat. Yet, he endured with calmness, not due to any pride or shame, but seemingly from familiarity with such a state. His pale face, revealed under the bandages, was utterly expressionless, as if he didn't even consider his situation to be difficult. In fact, he'd been like that ever since he woke up from his injury.

Just as Yuder's eyes darkened slightly, the last of the waiting Cavalry members finally arrived.

"Commander. We've all arrived!"

"Everyone, to your positions."

Turning his body, Kishiar issued his command to all. It was time to see the result of the solution they had been working on for so long.

Those supporting Yuder helped him sit on a circle close to the Magic Spring. The twelve mages, including Micalin, went to their respective circles, while the Cavalry members spread out as if protecting the perimeter. And Kishiar stood on the largest circle drawn in a position where he could face Yuder.

Even with Kishiar merely taking his position, all felt a profound sense of their Commander's presence, as though he had stepped up to the very front. With the formation where he stood at the center connected like spider legs to twelve other formations, Yuder's formation seemed like prey ensnared in the tendrils of the spider web.

"I will activate the first formation."

Following this declaration, the first mage muttered the spell in a tense voice. At this, the formation beneath him began to glow, and the power emanating from the Magic Spring increased explosively. It was evidence that the formation was drawing in the surrounding magic power correctly. Soon after, the second and third mages made the same declaration and activated their formations. The formations beneath them, outlined by the magic stones they held in their hands, began to gradually heat up, glowing brighter with every strained swing of their arms and chant of their spells.

"I will activate the eleventh formation."

"I will activate the twelfth formation."

In the midst of a whirl of enormous energy, finally, Micalin activated the twelfth formation. The surrounding trees and the forest shivered in unison as a strong wind blew. The Cavalry members, wary of being swept up in this power, braced themselves and observed the spectacle. They had been briefed about what to expect, but the sensation of witnessing it firsthand was in a completely different realm.

As each formation activated, the intensifying white light followed the connected lines toward Kishiar in the center. When all twelve formations had finally been activated, the gathered light was so intense that Kishiar's figure was barely discernible.

The Cavalry members, only just realizing the depth of their Commander's magic power, were intensely anxious for Kishiar's safety, while the twelve mages were tense for a somewhat different reason.

The success of the spell being cast today hinged entirely on how well the Duke of Peletta could manage this enormous magic and adjust each formation. Normally, such important work would be entrusted to the most proficient and experienced person, naturally expected to be the Leader Micalin, but the Duke of Peletta had firmly refused and taken the position himself. So far, he was chillingly perfect in controlling all the formations.

Kishiar, his hands wrapped in golden magic, controlled the light converging on the formation. As the gathered white light at the center changed to blue, then from blue to red, the magic power emanating from the well increased, causing the waves sweeping the surroundings to intensify.

As time passed, the mages were soaked in sweat and Kishiar, who was controlling the entire formation, started to breathe a little harder. Finally, the light gathered in the center turned black, and the strong wind subsided slightly. This was the moment when the power they had tried to complete through the formation had finally taken shape, signaling that the time had come.

The mages, through Kishiar's control, reached out unanimously toward the black light gathered in the central formation. They combined their powers to cover Yuder's formation with the light. As the blackened formation lifted into the air and whipped around, Yuder's figure inside was hidden from view for a moment.

"Is... is everything going okay?"

Kanna, standing right next to Emun, listened to his panting murmur without even blinking her eyes, her gaze fixed on the spectacle.

Where Yuder stood, his aura appeared as if alive, greedily devouring the light pouring into it in a swirling torrent. Despite having gathered and expended such light for so long, the speed at which it disappeared was so fast that, in the blink of an eye, Yuder's form was revealed once again to all present.

The mages chanted their spells with greater intensity, the spirals of power flowing from the Magic Spring increasing in strength. Still, Yuder's aura persistently devoured the light, again and again.

Not long after, one of the mages let out a stifled groan.

"The... the speed is too fast!"

He crumpled, unable to bear the excessive energy drain, dropping to one knee. The flow of magic power heading towards the central aura wavered. At the same time, one of Kishiar's arms, wrapped in a golden light, jerked and stiffened.

"Commander!"

Someone called out, but no disaster struck. Kishiar, as if anticipating the situation, calmly made a small wave with his hand. The energy erupting from the Magic Spring explosively increased, causing the golden light enveloping his hand to grow. Just this increase in light was enough for the wobbling power to regain its stability quickly.

Even when several other mages dropped to their knees afterward, Kishiar each time amplified the light with the same method, supplementing and controlling the unstable power of the aura. His gaze was solely fixed on Yuder Aile in front of him.

"I have no idea what's going on."

"…The spell is complete, but the target requires more magic power than that. If we continue this way, we might break due to insufficient magic power."

Emun muttered while tapping his foot, and the mage closest to them, stationed at the seventh aura, briefly explained while panting.

Finally, when all the mages besides Micalin reached their limits, the light absorbed by the aura enveloping Yuder was almost entirely golden.

"When will this end…"

Someone muttered in exhaustion when, finally, even Micalin Punt faltered and dropped to his knee. The elder mage kept chanting his spell until the moment he fell, but there was an instant of weakness in the power flowing toward the central aura.

When the only light flowing into the aura became Kishiar's golden light, brought forth through the Magic Spring, everyone present had a premonition of the impending failure.

However, Kishiar's next move was something no one could have predicted.

Instead of the twelve auras that had lost their efficacy, he directly reached out toward the Magic Spring. The golden power surged explosively, tracing a complex trajectory of light. Over it layered different colors of energy that seemed to protect the magic, and suddenly, a new light began to gush over the abandoned auras. A much more potent spell was being rapidly woven.

"Ah…"

With an awestruck gasp from someone, the newly completed spell was immediately cast over Yuder's aura. A tremendous burst of light forced everyone to close their eyes. They felt a strong wind sweep over them.

After a moment, when people raised their heads, they saw that all the light had faded, and the wind had calmed. The aura had not shattered and remained intact. No one was injured.

There was no failure.