"Stall for time! If he were to successfully break through, our chance of survival would grow!" Chief said as she pointed her wand at the metal spike that poked her arm
On the top of her wand, water condensed that wrapped on the metal spike as if it was a ring. The water issued strong force that broke the spike
"If this was any other time, I would kill him before he could succeed!" Flamaz grumbled
No one wants to see another tribe growing stronger than ever. If the Waterside Tribe were to have two 2nd cycle Junior Mages and both could cast magic spells, their strength would be stronger than any other tribe nearby
Even if the Waterside Tribe doesn't plan on becoming enemies with the other tribes, everyone would still be wary
However, if Stone Head really succeed then indeed, their chances of survival would grow
A mage that could cast magic spells is stronger than those that cannot! Unlike the old Chief with power that already deteriorated, Stone Head would be in his prime health!
Even if he wouldn't become as strong as Titane, the gap should be able to be filled by the other Junior Mages with him!
"Go! Go! Go! We must survive!" Right Wind immediately agreed while gritting her teeth. A Junior Mage of her tribe already died, she cannot afford to die here too. If that happens then only one Junior Mage would be left in her tribe
The four; Chief, Flamaz, Burning Fist, and Right Wind hurriedly threw out their magic to the approaching Titane
Every single one of them was giving their best to hold on. They don't care about their mana expenditure anymore. All they have to do is to defend and defend!
As such, the battlefield was soon filled with metal scraps. The scraps were either burned, shattered, or shredded
The four would deal with the metal spikes while Titane continuously regenerated them. It was a never-ending cycle but the four were slowly being pushed back
They don't have the confidence to successfully dodge anymore and they could only do their best to be injured in non-vital areas
On Stone Head's side, patches of his skin bursts, dying himself with fresh blood. It looks as if his mana was on a rampage and has the goal of destroying his body
His own mana was attacking him until his whole body was riddled with wounds. He now looks like a malefic ghost from hell as he constantly shed blood
Even then, his eyes looked completely serene as if everything was under his control
After some time, Stone Head raised his head and let out a roar that loudly rang around
After all of his mana was used up, a special force suddenly descended. The free mana in the atmosphere automatically moved and they were absorbed by Stone Head's body
At a speed visible to the eyes, Stone Head's wounds healed, and not only that, his aura was even growing stronger than before
His body floated while mana energetically swirled around him
Whether it be his body or the might of his magic, both have improved a lot
At this point, Stone Head successfully broke through and he is now a 2nd cycle mage
His body received the blessing of mana for the second time and he was stronger than ever
As soon as Stone Head reach the 2nd cycle, his furious eyes stared at Titane as a magic circle formed on his feet
"[Guardian's Fury!]"
While the spell model of [Guardian's Fury] hasn't improved, now that this is a spell fueled by the power of a 2nd cycle mage, its power still improved
Water clung to Stone Head's body once more and they formed a full-body armor that improved his overall physical capabilities
After seeing him succeed, everyone took a breath of relief. Truth be told, they couldn't hold on longer just on their own. If Stone Head won't help them in time then they might be wiped out
Stone Head didn't hesitate to make a move, he suddenly jumped and the long metal spikes followed him
While in the air, Stone Head lightly twisted his body as he kicked the metal spikes approaching him. His kick shattered several metal spikes at once but more metal spikes attacked him
He skillfully moved and it was as if he learned something when the harpies attacked his tribe. This time, instead of destroying the spikes, he used them as his footing as he approached Titane
However, his actions cause him to be the main target of the berserk Titane
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
Yet even more metal spikes approach Stone Head and he ran while moving his arms to his side
Wind blades condensed around Stone Head and with a motion of his hand, they flew and cut the metal spikes in half
While Stone Head and the other Junior Mages have an element that they are most skillful at, it doesn't mean that they can't use other types of magic!
At the very least, they should be able to control the basic elements!
Metal scraps floated in the air for a moment because of Stone Head but before the scraps could fall down, they were suddenly controlled by him
As if they were controlled by telekinesis, the metal scraps moved without anything touching them and they became Stone Head's weapons as they clashed against the other approaching metal spikes
Of course, Stone Head's power alone might not be enough to deal with Titane and the others made their move
Flamaz and Burning Fist gathered flames on their hands as they sent one fireball after another
Right Wind on the other hand sent wind blades while Chief controlled tentacles of water
The four pave a path for Stone Head, their strongest vanguard and more metal spikes turned into scraps
Soon, Stone Head reached close enough to Titane and he was about to punch him when the metal spikes suddenly retracted as if they reentered Titane's body
Stone Head lose his footing and he started freefalling but just as he finished breaking the ground upon the impact of his fall, Titane's body that was still in mid-air suddenly shuddered and the previous long metal spikes once again appeared and they shot out with speed and strength stronger than before
The one that was injured the most was Stone Head. He crossed his arms in front of him and with the help of his water armor, blocked the metal spikes but several of them still skewered him. The only good thing was that he wasn't hit on vital areas such as the heart or brain
Even though Chief and the others were a distance from Titane, they still weren't left unscathed. The metal spikes still reached them, taking another life
This time, it was Right Wind that died. Out of the eight Junior Mages that they have originally, half already died
The only ones remaining were the mages of the Waterside Tribe and Fire Force Tribe
"Damn it! I said I'll kill you, not the other way around!" Flamaz said angrily, showing the brutality and aggressiveness of tribal people
If it was others, they might choose to retreat but once tribal people are provoked, many of them would not care whether they die or survive
"Wait! It's better to retreat!" Chief said, trying to stop Flamaz. However, both Flamaz and Burning Fist charged at Titane even though their bodies still has metal shards
Burning Fist controlled the metal scraps and rubbles around them, throwing everything he could at Titane while Flamaz still attacked using his fire
However, the result was tragic as they were skewered by the metal spikes once more. They were lucky earlier as they weren't hit on vital areas but this time, Burning Fist was not as lucky anymore
He didn't die directly but after a metal spike penetrated his side, he coughed out blood as his vision blurred
That was quite a heavy hit and he is starting to lose consciousness
Whether it be Flamaz, Burning Fist, and Stone Head, all of them were skewered by the metal spikes. They already lost a lot of blood and if the battle were to continue, they would be annihilated
While gritting her teeth, Chief decided to at least save Stone Head before retreating. They could at least evacuate their tribe as long as they successfully flee
However, the Chief also became a target of Titane as she was the only one still moving. The metal spikes moved once more and the old Chief tried her best to use her magic to defend
But her old age and her injuries are not a good combination and her magic was faltering, resulting in weaker power
Just as before she dies by being turned into a human skewer, the metal spikes suddenly stopped moving
Titane that has bloodshot look in his eyes suddenly trembled and his eyes lose focus. In the end, the metal spikes collapsed one by one along with their make