Wielder

Chapter 14 - Out of Hiding

   Without a second thought, Alie nodded. "On it."

   Michael's eyes widened. "No, wait!"

   She ignored him. Using her imagination, she jumped high into the air, landing just on the edge of the magic shield. 

   The Evil trailed her with their glowing red eyes as she dashed across the barrier. They abandoned their efforts to claw at the shield entirely, choosing instead to chase her. They tumbled over each other in their attempt to claw at her feet, hissing and growling when they failed. 

   Magic built up around her. She breathed it into her lungs, electrified by its rejuvenating power. She reached out her hand, drawing golden dust from all around her. It swept up in a summoned wind, swirling obediently to her. 

   She channeled that magic into the Ultimate. The blade sang as the golden light built up around it. The air around her thickened, brewing a storm of magic current. 

   The Evil below her pressed against the shield. They clustered together tightly, eager to reach her. Under their pressure, the shield began to swell. 

   Alie urged the magic to the tip of the Ultimate. It clumped into a tight ball, shimmering. 

   Then, she waited. She let the shield beneath her feet bulge higher and higher. When she feared it would burst, she lifted the Ultimate high above her head. 

   With all her strength, she plunged the sword, magic and all, into the shield. 

   The ball of magic exploded. Golden sparks shot out in every direction, splintering the Evil into fragments. The red glow of their eyes faded into the lifeless muck of their melting flesh. The pressure against her feet vanished, causing her to freefall. 

   She whirled in a complete circle as she descended into the depths of the Evil. The Ultimate, still aglow with magic, obliterated every being it touched. She held her breath against the stench of their instant decay. Her lungs and muscles strained with every sweep of her arms. 

   As the surviving Evil surrounded her, she summoned magic again. 

   The resulting explosion killed hundreds. 

   It barely made a dent against their numbers. She had only a moment to steady her footing and take in a few desperate gulps of air before they overwhelmed her again. 

   She guarded herself with a bubble shield to give her a moment to think. The Evil pressed in around her from all directions, relentlessly clawing and biting. In her hand, the Ultimate nudged her forward, eager to return to the battle. 

   "Just give me a second," she muttered to it. She turned back and forth, looking for some sort of advantage. She found none. 

   But as she turned, she realized the Ultimate was pulling her in a very specific direction. 

   Not sure what else to do, she faced the direction it pulled her and opened up a small section in her bubble shield. Then she began hacking her way forward, destroying as many Evil as she could along the way. 

   She made slow progress. After a while, she decided not to think about how many Evil she had destroyed and whether it was making any impact on their total numbers. As long as she could move, and she could breathe, and she could fight, then that would have to be progress enough. 

   The minutes passed by slowly. Her hair slipped from its band at the base of her neck, falling across her eyes. Sweat greased her palms, causing her grip on the Ultimate to slip. Evil latched onto her clothes. Her shoes slid on the muck of those she killed.