"Smoke Creation Magic – Rushing Lazy Car!"
"Mineral Creation Magic – Nemean Armor!"
The two opponents reacted swiftly, each choosing their own way to deal with the sudden gale.
On his smoke-powered vehicle, Lotus quickly pulled back, evading the storm. Mars, on the other hand, opted to withstand it head-on. His body became encased in crystal armor, impervious to blades and bullets.
Yet the next moment, the gale swept through.
Mars' armor, which had once been impenetrable, shattered into pieces.
"Impossible!"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
This was merely wind magic—how could it possess such devastating power?
Even when he previously fought Yuno of the Clover Kingdom, Yuno's wind magic had been incapable of breaking through his Nemean Armor.
"Fire Recovery Magic – Phoenix Robe!"
Mars wasted no time in attempting to recover.
But magic has no eyes, and the unleashed storm didn't wait. It violently flung Mars into the distance, slamming him against a far-off wall, embedding him into it.
"This..."
Lotus' pupils shrank, his usually lazy demeanor now replaced with seriousness.
Mars' strength was well-known to him. A man capable of single-handedly facing two Magic Knight squads—yet now, defeated by mere wind magic?
"Wait a second... What did that voice say earlier? Spirit magic?"
Having narrowly escaped death, Vanessa and the others heaved a sigh of relief.
They turned toward their savior with great interest. As the dust settled, Vanessa's face lit up with joy.
"Ethan Hayes! I knew it was you!"
Clap!
Clap!
Dusting off his clothes, Ethan calmly approached the group.
He had been there all along, separated from them by just a wall. However, due to Sylph's interference, he had been in a recovery phase. Despite knowing the others were struggling, he hadn't recklessly intervened.
But any later, and he might've only been able to collect their corpses.
In the original story, it was Yuno's outburst of power that had awakened the wind spirit, Sylph, to repel the enemies. But this wasn't a 2D world or an anime—it was real.
In reality, anything could happen. Betting lives was too risky, and Ethan wasn't willing to take that gamble.
If Yuno and the others perished, the subsequent developments would undoubtedly deviate from the original trajectory, to Ethan's detriment.
He was still growing, and many forces could still threaten him.
Without the advantage of the storyline, even a small mistake could lead him to share their fate.
"Save the chatter for later. Let's finish off the enemies first."
Ethan's grimoire beside him began to shine.
Sylph hadn't lied to him. After receiving two more drops of his blood, she was indeed delivering results.
While she wasn't fully recovered, she was at least 70-80% back.
Defeating the duo entirely might be challenging, but repelling them wasn't out of reach.
Fixing his gaze on Lotus, Ethan extended his hand.
"Wind Creation Magic – Grip of the Wind God!"
Wind is formless; clouds have no shape.
Lotus, on his smoke vehicle, instantly sensed the abnormality surrounding him and attempted to slide away. Looking back, he saw the air where he had just been distort.
In that space, gold coins and bars were crushed into dust.
"Where are you looking?"
Ethan's voice was dangerously close. Startled, black smoke rose around Lotus, concealing him.
Relying on his magic, Lotus decided retreat was the best option.
But despite his plans, Ethan had already closed in.
Slash!
A figure leapt out of the black smoke, droplets of blood trailing in the air.
Clutching his side, Lotus' face was grim.
His smoke magic served two major purposes:
Obscuring vision and hiding his presence, allowing him to seize the advantage. Granting him unparalleled awareness of everything within the smoke.
In other words, he could see everything—down to the tiniest movements.
But Ethan was too fast. One moment, he was far away; the next, he was right there.
"Damn it, another four-leaf!"
Lotus finally noticed Ethan's grimoire. Like Yuno's, it bore an extra leaf.
"So the rumors about the Clover Kingdom having two four-leaf grimoire wielders are true. And this one..."
Encased in smoke, Lotus retreated toward the unconscious Mars.
Ethan didn't recklessly pursue him into the smoke. Instead, he extended his hand, gathering magic.
"Wind Creation Magic – Suffocating Space!"
Wind is formless and colorless.
By rapidly extracting the air surrounding his target, Ethan could create an oxygen-free zone.
This technique wasn't about the strength of one's magic but its application—a concept derived from Ethan's knowledge of science from his past life.
Deprived of air, the smoke thinned.
Spotting Lotus carrying Mars, Ethan's grimoire flipped rapidly, stopping at a page inscribed with ancient runes.
A tiny girl, no larger than a palm, appeared before Ethan.
She had long hair, a cute face, and sharp ears, with two pairs of translucent wings fluttering behind her.
"What... is that?"
Yuno and the others were stunned, unsure of the small girl's origin.
Lotus recognized her instantly.
"A spirit! The wind spirit, Sylph, has truly chosen you!"
Gritting his teeth, he retreated further, cursing their bad luck. Today was not their day.
Behind him, Sylph opened her small mouth, exhaling softly.
"Spirit Magic – Sylph's Sigh!"
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