In that instant, the mages responsible for maintaining the mana at the nodes of the magic array fell in unison.
The eerie scene left Blake utterly shocked.
As an array master, he understood what his opponent was attempting, but he couldn’t comprehend how they still possessed such strength.
From Blake’s perspective, Daniel had chosen brute force to break the array, assuming the mages were key to sustaining it.
His logic was sound: by attacking these mages, he could destroy the array.
Ordinarily, this approach would have been fine, but this wasn’t just any magic array; it was one Blake had meticulously crafted!
Those mages were a decoy, bait to mislead anyone attempting to break the array.
The plan was for them to waste a substantial amount of mana attacking these mages, thinking they could then escape, only to realize that defeating the mages didn’t dispel the array’s effects.
What despair that would be!
This was Blake’s double-layered safeguard.
After this failed attempt, compounded by the weakening effects of the array, the opponents would only grow weaker.
Did they still have the strength to locate the array’s nodes?
Blake allowed himself a smirk.
He had no idea how they managed to strike at the mages, but it was likely due to a rare mind-power magic, as he hadn’t sensed any mana fluctuations.
So, this Daniel possessed a rare mind-power attack?
Even better! B
lake was internally ecstatic, though he maintained his usual composure, not wanting the two heads to notice anything amiss.
When the time came, once Daniel was weak and helpless, Blake vowed to personally capture him and extract the secrets of this mind-power magic.
For an array master like him, such magic was invaluable.
But as he fantasized about obtaining Daniel’s mind-power magic, he suddenly sensed something amiss.
Could it be… that his magic array was… broken?
He could no longer feel any connection to the array he had so painstakingly set up.
How could this be?!
Blake looked ahead, incredulous.
Now, the students from Crossbridge Academy, who had been on the verge of collapse, were beginning to stand.
This could only mean one thing — the magic array he had spent so much time, energy, and dedication setting up had been broken!
How long had it been since the mages had fallen?
Barely a minute?
Perhaps even less.
Had his magic array failed to withstand even a minute against this opponent?
Blake had once believed solely in the power of hard work.
After years of study and countless failures, he had finally created this magic array.
Even he would need significant time to dismantle it.
Yet, for his opponent, it seemed effortless.
In one moment, the mages channeling their mana had collapsed, and in the next, the magic array was gone.
How could Blake accept this outcome? Years of effort, for this?
At that moment, Blake even entertained thoughts of ending it all.
Since childhood, he’d been captivated by magic and later by magic arrays.
Their complexity fascinated him, and he had dedicated himself to their study, sacrificing much.
“Master Blake! Where’s your magic array?”
Blake snapped out of his stupor upon hearing the voice of the head of House Windwhisper.
Looking around, he noticed that both the heads of House Windwhisper and House Lunastone were watching him expectantly.
Meanwhile, the Crossbridge Academy members were now gazing at them with renewed confidence.
Daniel stood at the front, his calm gaze unshaken, as if nothing could disturb him — not even the dismantling of Blake’s magic array.
To him, it seemed, this was just a trivial matter.
“My… my magic array was broken,” Blake admitted, his voice tinged with exhaustion and defeat.
“It’s broken. No matter. Master Blake, do you have any other plans?” Head of House Windwhisper inquired, looking to Blake for guidance.
Under his expectant gaze, Blake released a surge of mana.
Array patterns reappeared beneath his feet, though this time, the magic array enveloped the people of House Windwhisper and House Lunastone rather than Crossbridge Academy.
This new array began to contract, leaving faint patterns under each person’s feet before vanishing entirely.
At once, each person affected by the array felt a surge of strength, and the mana within them began flowing more freely.
“Master Blake, what is this…?”
The two heads immediately sensed the change.
“This is an enhancement array I developed. It improves mana flow and boosts the potency of magic spells. The previous array may have failed…” Blake said, glancing toward Daniel, “but now, we have no choice but to fight head-on. Crossbridge Academy is likely still weakened from the array’s effects, so if we strike quickly, we still have a chance!”
Blake quickly assessed the situation.
This Daniel was certainly not the incompetent figure described in the reports provided by the two heads.
Clearly, he had encountered some kind of fortuitous event, explaining his unexpected power.
But no matter; the difference in power between the two sides remained stark.
United, House Windwhisper and House Lunastone were more than a match for Crossbridge Academy’s current forces.
Once they defeated Daniel, they could finally learn the truth.
Daniel’s strange mind-power magic and whatever other secrets he held would be theirs.
Blake would still be recognized as a master of arrays — so long as Daniel and Crossbridge Academy perished here.
The head of House Windwhisper made a swift decision: “Kill them!”
With a surge of mana, he unleashed a massive tornado beneath Crossbridge Academy’s feet, intending to sweep them all skyward.
The other mages began their assault as well, hurling spells of various sizes toward the members of Crossbridge Academy.
The sheer volume of magic would overwhelm even a tier-diamond mage.
Standing at the front, Rowan steeled himself, saying, “Headmaster, you must lead everyone away! I’ll hold them off!”
After the earlier magic array had drained him, Rowan had less than half of his mana remaining.
But he knew he had to protect Daniel and the students.
If they perished here, Crossbridge Academy would be truly finished.
Crossbridge Academy could lose a head of Academic Affairs, but it couldn’t lose its headmaster and students.
Rowan was prepared to sacrifice his life to buy them time to escape.
If they could reach Crossbridge Academy, he doubted these attackers would dare go too far.
Even the two great houses wouldn’t destroy Crossbridge Academy under everyone’s watch.
Whatever the future held, Rowan couldn’t think that far ahead.
All he knew was that Daniel and the students couldn’t fall here.
Even if it cost him his life, he had to ensure the others got away.