Chapter 195: Cyrus
The prowess of Cyrus the “Boltwave Adept” seemed to surpass that of Wallace significantly.
However, Sein’s assessment might be inaccurate because his swift and ruthless attack on Wallace did not allow his opponent to fully demonstrate his capabilities before succumbing to Sein’s barrage of Solar Eye beams.
Nevertheless, Cyrus exhibited quick reflexes. More importantly, he was flanked by more than ten considerably formidable initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder.
Four of the initiates swiftly countered Sein’s six rounds of Solar Eye spell, their combined magic effectively neutralizing Sein’s attack.
The remaining two beams headed straight for Cyrus, but even those were rendered ineffective under his counteroffensive.
Cyrus the “Boltwave Adept” chose an offensive response over defensive tactics like energy shields when confronted with Sein’s dual Solar Eye beams.
Cyrus's counterattack was notably distinctive.
First, he conjured an azure water screen, which Sein initially mistook for a defensive spell.
However, Cyrus quickly raised his magic rod, conjuring a thick golden lightning chain in mid-air.
This lightning chain, when merged with the azure water screen, transformed into an expansive lightning chainweb, covering a significant portion of the sky.
The fusion of hydro and electro elements significantly amplified the power of this lightning chainweb.
This synergy of elements was not unusual among magic initiates.
Like Sein who mastered lumen and pyro elements, Cyrus had also mastered dual-elemental magic spells and found a way to harmonize two different magical spectrums, thus magnifying their damage output.
Indeed, the divine towers were places where talents gathered.
Over a decade ago, Sein encountered a Quasi Mage named Domvall in the Grantt Territory, who had a remarkable knack for timing air magic releases.
Today, in the Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War, Sein faced numerous top initiates on par with Domvall.
Setting aside the now-deceased Wallace, the younger Quasi Mage before him demonstrated a level of magical ingenuity comparable to Domvall’s, at least in terms of spellcasting.
The enhanced dual-elemental Lightning Chainweb spell not only neutralized half the power of Sein’s dual Solar Eye beams but also expanded to cover a broader area.
After intercepting Sein’s magic, it continued to surge toward his location.
“Hehe... I wonder which divine tower are these arrogant initiates from? How dare they pick a fight with us in our territory?” Cyrus looked toward Sein’s hiding spot, his golden magic rod crackling with brilliant electricity.
Simultaneously, a navy blue aero elemental shield materialized around Cyrus and the female initiate beside him.
Clearly also a Quasi Mage, she watched as Sein’s weakened Solar Eye beams merely rippled against the navy-colored shield, failing to break through.
Naturally, dividing the Solar Eye into six resulted in a significant reduction in their individual strength.
Nevertheless, their collective strength surpassed the original Solar Eye spell.
However, without the concentrated force of their gathering, each beam seemed less formidable against the defenses of these top initiates.
Sein was soon forced out of his hiding place by the Lightning Chainweb.
Cyrus, upon seeing only a black-robed initiate flying on a metal disk, momentarily froze.
Sein, however, was not one to be distracted during a battle like Cyrus.
The initial Solar Eye attack had already provoked a vigorous counter from the initiates from the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder. Sein knew he needed to act swiftly or face dire consequences.
Behind Sein, a golden elemental aura flared to life, with six lifelike golden eyes exuding a chilling intent.
Not giving Cyrus a chance for another strike, Sein unleashed the second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds of Solar Eye beams!
Launching a total of four rounds, Sein sent twenty-four golden beams flying across the sky.
Although other initiates assisted Cyrus in blocking nearly ten beams, Cyrus himself had to contend with about ten.
A series of defenses—Electro Shield, Aero Shield, and Bolt Surge, were rapidly deployed.
The Electro Shield, stored in Cyrus’ crystal accessory, was a defensive magic spell and a protective gift from his mentor.
Cyrus initially thought he would not have to use his defense crystal during this academy war. However, just six months into the conflict, he unexpectedly found himself compelled to activate it.
Sein’s rapid release of the Solar Eye spell, coupled with minimal intervals, left him no choice.
The power and speed of the attack appeared to surpass the expected capabilities of an initiate.
As he faced the barrage of over twenty Solar Eye beams, Cyrus could not help but recall Martinez, the legendary Electro Commander from the previous Regional Inter-Divine Tower Academy War.
The Aero Shield, an enhanced defensive spell, was unleashed by the female initiate beside him.
While her offensive capabilities remained unseen, her defensive prowess was undeniably strong.
In response, Cyrus hastily countered with Boltwave Surge, an advanced offensive spell.
Lacking time to amplify his spell with hydro-electro magic like he did earlier, Cyrus resorted to Boltwave Surge, one of his more powerful standalone advanced magic spells that combined the formidable pyro and electro elements.
“You’re even bolder than Martinez for coming alone into our Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder’s territory! Let’s see who you really are beneath that mask, coward!” Cyrus sneered coldly.
Expecting Sein to have significantly depleted his focus reserve after such frequent casting, Cyrus was itching to take him down.
He even considered handling the mysterious opponent personally without help from the others.
This plan, however, was disrupted when a barrage of thirty-six Solar Eye beams suddenly filled the sky after the hydro, aero, lumen, pyro and electro elemental particles dispersed in the air!
Cyrus’ face paled instantly.
“INCOMING!” he shouted, casting aside any prior ambitious thoughts in his mind.
Cyrus, as a leading initiate of the Divine Tower of Radiant Thunder, possessed commendable judgment and decisiveness.
These qualities had garnered him the high expectations of many full-fledged mages in his academy.
He activated both his and the female initiate’s divine tower badges.
Before his departure, he made the critical decision to shatter the defense crystal, a precious item bestowed upon him by his mentor.
A huge lightning wall appeared in the spot where Cyrus had been standing.
Yet, the barrage of Solar Eye beams almost instantly riddled the Lightning Wall with holes.