The Villain Professor's Second Chance

The second lich raised its staff, and a circle of dark runes appeared beneath its feet. The air itself seemed to warp, and with a low, ominous hum, skeletal warriors began to claw their way up from the earth. Their bones clattered against each other, the eerie sound echoing through the vast chamber. The undead rose, a small army taking form, each skeletal warrior bearing a rusted blade or a shattered shield. Their hollow eyes locked onto Maris and Amberine, as if drawn to the life that still pulsed in the two girls' veins.

Maris steadied her wand, her heart pounding. "Amberine! Get ready!" she shouted over the noise of the clattering bones. The liches loomed ahead, their blue eyes glowing with cold malice. Maris had faced many enemies since becoming an intern with the royal knights, but she had never fought anything like this—two liches and now a horde of undead warriors. She knew the odds were against them, but they had no other choice.

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"I'm always ready!" Amberine snapped, her fiery temper evident in her voice. Flames danced around her hands, wild and fierce, as she charged forward, her fire magic roaring to life. The light of her flames cast twisted shadows along the chamber walls, her figure silhouetted by the blaze. She swung her arm, sending a burst of flames towards the advancing skeletal warriors. The fire consumed the first row of skeletons, their bones turning to ash in seconds, but the liches seemed unimpressed.

Maris took a deep breath, focusing her mana as she aimed her wand at the approaching undead. "Fulminis!" she cried, the word of power resonating through the chamber. A bolt of lightning crackled to life, streaking towards one of the skeletal warriors. The electric arc struck its target, the skeleton shattering into pieces, its bones scattering across the stone floor. The satisfaction of the hit was fleeting, as more skeletons seemed to rise to take its place.

Her mana reserves were dwindling. She could feel the exhaustion setting in, each spell taking a significant toll on her body. The mana channels in her veins burned with overuse, her hands trembling as she fought to maintain her focus. But she couldn't give up. She wouldn't. Amberine needed her, and they needed each other if they were going to survive this.

"They just keep coming!" Amberine yelled, her frustration evident as she swung her flames in an arc, trying to keep the skeletal warriors at bay. Her fire washed over the lich closest to her, scorching its bony frame, but it barely reacted. The creature's glowing eyes remained fixed on her, cold and calculating, as if it found her struggle amusing.

"This isn't working!" Maris muttered, her voice filled with both panic and determination. She could see the skeletal warriors closing in, their rusted weapons glinting dully in the dim light of the chamber. Every time she or Amberine managed to take one down, another rose to replace it. The liches moved with deliberate calm, their magic summoning wave after wave of undead, as if they were simply toying with the two girls.

Amberine's face was flushed with exertion, her fiery hair damp with sweat, yet her eyes still blazed with determination. She rushed towards one of the liches, her hands blazing, and landed a direct hit. The flames roared, engulfing the lich, but as the fire died down, the creature still stood, its skeletal form unyielding. It turned its head, its eyes locking onto Amberine with an almost mocking calm.

"Oh, come on!" Amberine shouted, her voice raw, her frustration boiling over. "Why won't you just burn already?!"

Maris's eyes flicked to the liches, and a cold fear settled in her stomach. How was the cloaked man able to summon two liches of this power without breaking a sweat? How could he control them so effortlessly, while she and Amberine were struggling just to keep up? It wasn't just unfair—it was terrifying. Whoever this man was, he was powerful beyond anything they had encountered before.

The liches raised their staffs in unison, their hollow eyes glinting with malice. They moved with a cold, terrifying precision, their skeletal hands tracing symbols in the air. Maris and Amberine watched in horror as the dark magic manifested in front of them—a swirling cloud of corrosive miasma, moving towards them with the intent to devour.

"Amberine, watch out!" Maris shouted. Amberine turned just in time, her eyes widening as the dark cloud advanced. She thrust her hands out, her flames surging to form a barrier. The fire wall sprang up, the flames licking at the edges of the miasma, trying to hold it back. But Maris could see the strain in Amberine's expression, her flames weakening, the barrier barely holding.

Maris's heart pounded. They needed more power, something strong enough to break through the liches' defenses. They couldn't keep fighting like this; it was only a matter of time before their mana ran out, and then—they'd be finished. An idea sparked in her mind, a desperate, risky idea. She remembered an experimental combination spell she and Amberine had theorized during a training session—a spell that used her shadow magic as a catalyst for Amberine's fire. They had never tested it; it was too unstable, too dangerous.

But right now, it was their only chance.

"Amberine!" Maris called out, her voice steady despite the fear that clawed at her insides. Amberine glanced at her, her expression strained but determined. "The combination spell! We need to try it!"

Amberine's eyes widened, her exhaustion momentarily replaced by surprise. "Are you serious? We've never even—"

"I know!" Maris cut her off, her voice firm. "But it's our only shot. We have to do this, or we're done for."

Amberine hesitated for only a moment before nodding, her expression hardening. "Alright. Let's do it."@@novelbin@@

Maris took a deep breath, planting her feet firmly on the stone floor. She closed her eyes, reaching deep within herself, pulling on every last bit of mana she had left. She could feel the exhaustion tugging at her, her body protesting, but she ignored it. She had to do this. She had to keep fighting.

The shadow beneath her began to shift, darkening, growing larger as she poured her magic into it. The darkness spread across the ground, moving like a living entity, stretching outwards, swirling and shifting as it took form. Maris could feel the magic humming through her veins, her heart pounding in her ears as the shadow lifted from the ground, taking shape in the air.

The shadow formed the outline of a bird—a phoenix. Its wings spread wide, its body long and sleek, the darkness almost tangible as it hovered in front of her, its form shifting and twisting like smoke. The shadowy phoenix was enormous, its presence filling the arena, casting a dark, foreboding shadow across the stone floor.

Amberine took a step forward, her eyes locking onto Maris's creation. She could feel the heat of Ifrit's fire within her, the flames burning beneath her skin, begging to be unleashed. She knew this was the moment—either they succeeded, or they fell. There was no middle ground.

"Alright, Maris," Amberine said, her voice barely a whisper. She raised her hands, her flames roaring to life, the fire snaking up her arms, winding towards Maris's shadow phoenix. The flames danced across her skin, bright and fierce, illuminating the chamber as they wound towards the shadow, infusing it with heat, with life.

The shadowy form of the phoenix began to blaze, the flames spreading across its body, consuming the darkness and transforming it. The once cold, smoky figure became a creature of pure fire—a burning phoenix, its wings blazing with a brilliant intensity. The heat radiated from it in waves, overwhelming, forcing the liches to take a step back, their skeletal forms recoiling from the sheer intensity of the magic.

Maris gritted her teeth, her entire body shaking from the strain. She could feel the last of her mana draining, her vision blurring as the world seemed to tilt around her. But she held on, her focus unwavering as she guided the phoenix, her eyes fixed on the liches before them.

"Now, Amberine!" Maris shouted, her voice hoarse.

Amberine let out a fierce battle cry, her eyes blazing with determination as she directed the flaming phoenix towards their enemies. The creature let out a deafening screech, its wings spreading wide as it hurtled towards the liches, the heat of its flames warping the very air around it.

The liches raised their staffs, their hollow eyes widening as the blazing phoenix bore down on them. They tried to cast their spells, their hands moving in a desperate attempt to protect themselves, but it was too late. The phoenix collided with them, the flames consuming their skeletal forms, the dark magic that surrounded them burning away under the intensity of the fire.

The chamber was filled with a blinding light, the roar of the flames drowning out everything else. Maris and Amberine stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the burning liches, their bodies trembling from exerting their mana.

"DIE!!!"