Destined {𝕄𝕀ℕ𝕊𝕌ℕ𝔾}

Chapter Ninety-Five

It was like the two of them were in-sync, lunging at Baekhyeon both at once. Hyunjin's wolf form was not something to take lightly, and purple magic flare around his own body, wrapping around them both to shield them from whatever attack would be thrown their way. He'd expected something strong, but he hadn't expected something strong enough to violently tear away his enchantment with just the flick of a wrist.

They both flew backwards, purple wisps fading away. Hyunjin seemed to have taken the brunt of the blow; he skidded much further, slamming into the closed doors. There was a sickening thud that made Seungmin's blood go cold, even more so when he noticed that Hyunjin could barely get up again, golden eyes wide, blood leaking from the blunt force that had forced his skin to crack.

"I will not fight with dogs," Baekhyeon growled, glowering at him. He flicked his wrist again, magic shooting out from his fingertips, red runes shrieking into existence as they all grouped up on the space Hyunjin was trying to get up from. The explosion that rang out through the room was enough to slam heat into him, smoke obscuring his view. His heartbeat accelerated as he attempted to spot Hyunjin through the haze without much luck.

When it finally cleared, his heart sunk and his breath hitched. Hyunjin was back in human form, now, unconscious, in the center of a large enough crater in the floor. There were burn marks bubbling up on his skin, covering nearly his entire body, the only indication that he was even still alive after that was the stuttering rise and fall of his chest.

From where he stood, he could still see that his healing factor was already starting to kick in, but for wounds that serious... He swallowed thickly; he couldn't imagine that they'd heal without any scars. He sent some of his own healing magic towards his friend, because the mere thought of him dying was enough to make him want to sink to his knees.

Seungmin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, drawing on every ounce of magic he could muster without going overboard. His veins thrummed with it, and wind picked up around the otherwise still room. Baekhyeon watched him, but did nothing, almost as though he was giving him the opportunity to build his magic up.

After that, everything blurred together; he threw attack after attack, but he knew his body was sustaining more damage than he was inflicting. He had been expecting that, of course – he wasn't an idiot.

He wasn't stupid enough to hope that he'd be able to win this fight, either – now, all he could do was delay him as much as possible, give Jisung and Minho enough time to defeat the Vampire King before another undefeatable foe joined them.

Seungmin was only seventeen – he wasn't even a full-fledged wizard in his coven yet. He was still nothing more than Grand Wizard Moonsoo's apprentice; just because he had the potential to become the next Grand Wizard didn't mean he would.

It was as that thought coursed through his mind that Baekhyeon sent out what could only have been the final attack that was meant to finish him; there was a disappointed gleam in his eyes, and they were sad again, the heat of battle fading from his expression.

Seungmin, try as he might, knew there was not a shield in his entire repertoire that would be strong enough to combat that. He doubted there was anyone other than Baekhyeon himself who could summon something strong enough to fight an attack that powerful. His chest rose and fell unevenly as he attempted to block it anyway.

A vibrant purple shield expanded in front of him to block the flames darting towards him, and he gritted his teeth as he braced himself for impact. He grunted against the force, cracks slithering along the pure, concentrated magic he'd drawn up to protect himself. Before it could shatter, something changed in the atmosphere around them – it grew heavier.