The Virtues' Magecraft

Page 42: Whoever's Strongest Wins

Standing in utter silence, Gabriel finally felt a slight unease settle in his stomach.

He had no reason to be afraid, he told himself. But that didn't change the risk he was taking. In all unlikeliness, he would lose his life.

"Well... Let's just get it done," he mumbled to himself. Gabriel quickly unsheathed Excalibur, only to dig his blade into the ground.

Other than the grand warship before him, half a dozen rowboats drew closer to the island. Each of them carried easily a dozen soldiers. All in all, Gabriel estimated he was facing at least 150 soldiers.

"Let's see how far I can go with magic alone."

Gabriel stared at the sails that adorned each and every ship. All he had to do was push wind against it and they wouldn't move forward.

As simple as that was... "That's no fun."

From eyesight alone, Gabriel judged the ships were a little over a minute from reaching the island. The worst part was the fact that they hadn't attacked yet, except for a single arrow.

He squinted, his eyebrows furrowing.

Gabriel took a step. Followed by another. And another. And another. Gabriel didn't stop until he was knee-deep in water.

And with every breath he took, the near-still waters shifted. More and more waves crashed into the smaller ships, becoming more crooked, more violent with each breath he took in and let out.

A thin smile cracked his lips open just as he let out another exhale. While that exhale turned to fog and mist in the air, Gabriel lifted one of his feet and placed it above the water. He left his foot hovering for a single second until the water beneath him solidified into ice.

As soon as the crystal blue water turned to pale ice, he brought his foot down and stood upon it. Gabriel did the same until he was above the water. He uttered, "Let's begin."

"...What did he just do?" Vaughn said, staring out at Gabriel as the rough waves continued to crash into the side of the ship.

"He... He turned the water into ice so he can stand on it, it seems."

"I didn't know he was capable of that," the brigadier muttered, spitting out a sigh. "I suppose he's doing this to the waves as well. He's got a good range." He looked up. "Shoot him down."

"Prepare to fire," the man said, giving the order.

Gabriel sucked in air through his teeth. "Is it gonna be arrows again?"

Just over a hundred meters from Gabriel stood the ship. Just over a hundred meters away, a volley of arrows flew out in an arc. All aimed at him.

"Knew it. Damn arrows."

With an exhale, his breath turned to white mist in the air.

As soon as he pressed his foot against the ice he stood on... Gabriel disappeared with a blur of white. But that blur reappeared with a flashing impact onto a ship, charging waves through the river shooting up a pillar of water into the sky.

"What the hell even is that?" a woman shouted out, the white rapids of water crashing into his ship as dense energy burst forth within that pale pillar.

A single minute later, Gabriel had already destroyed two of the six ships. And he was well on his third, using Excalibur and any spell of magic he could to destroy. He couldn't kill, Gabriel understood. But that wouldn't stop him from cleaving apart the wooden sailboat and crashing into soldiers with pure magic energy and force.