Louis unleashed widespread bolts of lightning through a shortened incantation.
Glenn and Hubert avoided them with flight magic, each firing a fireball and flaming arrows respectively. However, Louis effortlessly blocked the attacks from both with a simultaneously deployed defensive barrier.
As one who calls himself the Barrier Magician, his defensive barriers are indeed sturdy.
The strength of defensive barriers was greatly influenced by the magician's mana capacity. For ordinary magicians, while a barrier can block an attack once, it becomes fragile and shatters, but the strength of Louis's barrier was on another level.
Glenn's fireball barely caused a crack. Hubert's flaming arrows, focusing on rapid firing at the cost of power, would need to hit around thirty times to destroy the barrier.
Hubert pondered while evading Louis's attack magic.
While Louis cannot unleash spells as swiftly as the non-incanting Monica, his shortened incantations were still threateningly fast.
Moreover, the power packed in his magic was quite formidable. Inferior to Hubert's uncle the Artillery Magician, but far exceeding most high-ranking magicians. Perhaps, Hubert's barrier could barely withstand one of his attacks.
Slower and less accurate than Monica, but better than my uncle. Weaker than my uncle in power, but stronger than Monica…I see, with no particular weakness, he has no openings.
There are typically two kinds of defensive barriers: a flat shield-like plane, or a hemisphere enclosing the caster.
Planar barriers have the merits of lower mana consumption, ease of creating sturdy barriers, and unhindered movement while deployed.
Hemispherical barriers, on the other hand, consume substantial mana, tend to be thin, and hinder movement, but can counter attacks from any angle.
The cowardly Monica primarily uses hemispheric barriers, rarely moving in combat, and is poor at perceiving attacks from multiple directions.
In contrast, Louis Miller excelled in handling planar barriers with exquisite precision. By activating barriers accurately timed and angled to the enemy's attacks, there is no waste, and he can move swiftly via flight magic.
In short, Louis is overwhelmingly experienced in combat.
Meanwhile, while Hubert can use barriers, they lack the strength to withstand many of Louis's attacks. Glenn cannot even use barriers, leaving only evasion through flight magic.
"Mm-hmm… I'll use my flight magic."
Feigning evasion of Louis's attacks via flight magic, Hubert and Glenn gradually lure him deeper into the densely forested area with poor visibility.
In terrain with many obstacles, high speeds cannot be achieved through flight. Extremely disadvantageous for Glenn, inept at delicate magic control, though less so for Hubert.
They lured Louis there because they had set a trap.
As Louis pursues while flying and incanting an attack spell, a water spear forms in his hand.
Magicians can typically only use two spells simultaneously. Currently, Louis cast flight and attack magic——meaning he cannot cast another defensive barrier.
At Hubert's snap, the trap magic tools he had planted around them activate.
Flames converged on Louis from all directions——an unavoidable fatal strike with a mere water spear as a defense.
Yet Louis remained unfazed, crushing the water spear in his hand. The water then transformed into spiderweb-like strands spreading outward.
The supposed attack was actually a defensive spell, the water strands intercepting and vaporizing the incoming flames.
Louis canceled his flight magic and waved his staff with his left hand.
Countless ice arrows rained down, destroying every last magic tool Hubert had prepared in the forest without a trace.
"I was the one who cast the barrier during the previous magic duel at Serendia Academy. Naturally, I witnessed that entire magic duel."
In other words, he was fully aware of Hubert's tactics using magic tools as traps.
Louis adjusts his slightly askew monocle with a fingertip, maintaining an elegant smile.
"I hear you enjoy hunting, Hubert Dee? Well, I too indulge in a bit of dragon hunting myself."
With a brief incantation and staff swing, Louis created a hemispherical barrier enclosing Hubert and Glenn——not to defend against outside attacks, but to confine them inside.
Louis's lips curled into a sinister grin.
"But dragons, despite their hulking size, are surprisingly swift. So to prevent their escape, I confine them within a barrier and unleash my full onslaught of attack magic… ."
As Louis raises his staff to begin incantation, intending to bombard the imprisoned Hubert and Glenn with his full might, at that very moment…
From behind Louis emerged Roberto Vinkel, gripping a magic sword, silently lunging to strike.
——‘ There's no way to defeat Louis head-on. We need to catch him off guard.'
This was what Monica said during their strategy meeting.
Perhaps Monica alone could win through direct confrontation with her skill and mana.
But for Hubert and the others who were inferior in both areas, setting traps to create an opening for Louis was their only chance at victory.
The deployed magic tool traps were all meant to create that opportunity for Roberto's attack.
Roberto's strike, top in swordsmanship class, was quiet and without waste——a fleeting instant difficult to evade even for skilled warriors.
Yet, Louis Miller casually swung his staff behind him to parry it.
Roberto tries to push further, but Louis's staff doesn't budge an inch.
The moment Roberto pulled back his sword for a second strike, Louis's staff flicked up, entangling the sword.
Without hesitation, Louis then released his staff and struck Roberto's abdomen with his palm.
Maybe physical attacks won't work on them within the magic battle barrier, but coating his palm with mana was another matter.
In essence, Louis coated his palm with a miniature defensive barrier and struck Roberto with it——an utterly primitive tactic unheard of among magicians.
Roberto was blown away, coughing out a wad of air as he tumbled along the ground.
Louis elegantly brushed off his hands with a radiant, ever-beautiful smile.
"I told you, didn't I? I watched your magic duel… you didn't think I'd be oblivious to a lurking ambush?"
Louis kicked his dropped staff into the air with his toes and caught it, then gently patted his palm with the end——a gesture reminiscent of a torturer wielding a whip, permeated by an ominous, murderous aura.
Trapped within the barrier, Glenn trembled in terror and thrust out his hand.
Straining every last drop of his mana, Glenn fired a fireball at the barrier confining them.
Upon impact, Glenn's fireballs burst and scattered flames over the area. This naturally triggered a small explosion within the barrier, injuring Glenn and Hubert.
While magic attacks cannot physically harm in a magic duel, they still felt pain proportional to damage taken, which depleted their mana reserves. Searing agony as if scorched by fire overwhelmed Glenn and Hubert, drastically draining their mana.
Still, Glenn's fireball managed to destroy Louis's confining barrier.
With a click of his tongue, Louis turned his attention behind him. Just as Roberto retrieved his magic sword and charged, Louis parried with his staff.
Seizing that chance, Glenn and Hubert cast flight magic with their dwindling mana reserves.
As Hubert unleashed flaming arrows at Louis, blocked by his defensive barrier, Glenn grabbed Roberto and ascended out of Louis's reach.
"We're retreating for now! Ugh… so… heavy!!"
With flushed cheeks, Glenn fleed while carrying the dangling Roberto away. Hubert also escaped while Louis was focused on Glenn. This update ıs available on novel✦fire.net
Clicking his tongue, Louis cast flight magic. Though he's lost sight of Hubert Dee, the wobbling Glenn carrying Roberto was an easy target to quickly catch up to.
Well then, time to quickly crush those brats and force the Silent Witch's scheme out of them before reporting to the Supreme Council.