Garius waved his back hand, a lazy, dismissive flick. The air behind him shimmered.
Marcellus's eyes widened. He slammed both palms together and activated his full defensive array. Hundreds of interlocking circles spiraled into existence around him, each one layering over the next, forming a complex, shimmering barrier.
The circles rotated in opposite directions, weaving a cocoon of raw, concentrated mana. It gleamed like polished crystal, catching the light in dazzling refractions. Marcellus didn't just wait behind it. He thrust one palm forward, firing a concentrated lance of raw mana into the incoming attack, splitting the brunt of the blast before it could fully connect.
The barrier caught the shattered remnants, absorbing the dispersed force with a deep, resonant hum. The mana cocoon flickered, cracks spider-webbing across its surface from the strain, but it held. Marcellus gritted his teeth, pouring more mana into the array as the last fragments dissolved against it.
