Helpless

"This can't be... Where is the village?"

"We looked everywhere, Haruki. Are you sure this was the right way?" asks Rai.

"Of course, this is the right way," I roar.

"Then where is the village!!" screams Elsie.

I look around. The smell of the village still lingers in the air, like it's still here. But it's not. What's going on?

"I-It... could be... an enemy's magic..." says Erika, shivering.

"An enemy's magic?" I ask. "But when could we..." A light goes off in my head. "The barrier," I say, "That can be the only plausible explanation."

"But didn't you cast a barrier of your own, Haruki?" asks Rai.

"The enemy's barrier may have been more powerful than mine."

"A barrier more powerful than yours?" questions Elsie. "I find that hard to believe, seeing as you defeated me using my magic before."

"I know many magical spells; however, I do not have experience using them. I may have used too little mana in my spell. It could be that, or..."

"Or?"

"Or we are dealing with an expert in t