Just moments earlier, after cleaving down the monstrous bird, Ben spotted they locked in battle. At first, he suspect them, 'were they allies of the Magus? Or this is just a trap?'
But then the spells flew. They clash againt each other, and the magus is planning to kill one of them.
Whatever connection they might've shared before, it was broken now. Maybe they had stood on the same side once… but not anymore.
That was all Ben needed to see. With no hesitation, he charged.
BOOM!
The Magus smashed into the ground like a falling star, cracks spiderwebbing out beneath him. The shockwave shattered nearby stones and hurled debris in every direction.
Ben landed with both feet forward, already swinging again. His pickaxe cleaved downward.
The Magus twisted, deflecting with a wave of shadow, but Ben's mana-disrupting strike cut through it like paper.
Sparks erupted as the pickaxe grazed his ribs, and the Magus hissed, pain flickering behind his eyes for the first time.
