Arthur Leywin POV
"Not bad, boy."
Tess visibly paled, and I grew wide-eyed at the sound of the sickeningly sweet voice. I quickly twirled around, looking towards the voice. My eyes narrowed on the shadow area that draped over the right ledge. My grip on despair tightened, seeing a figure step out of the shadows.
Her skin was as pale as her eyes were dark, and a sea of purple hair spilled down over her shoulders and back. She was taller than Seris, made even taller by her heeled leather boots, their teal coloring matching the runes stitched into her fine white and gray battle robes. The black voids of her eyes were unreadable, and her porcelain cold face showed no emotion on her beautiful, flawless features.
'Arthur, she's strong.' Regis warned with a sense of waryness, which I'd never heard from him before.
'Papa, I'm coming to you.' Sylvie said urgently.
'No. Regis, you're out of aether. Sylvie, you're wounded. Both of you stay back.' I commanded mentally, leaving no room for contestation.
"I must admit. That was quite impressive," She said as she levitated off the ledge. Her dark eyes flicked toward Sylvie and Regis, "Especially those bonds of yours."
My eyes were locked on her, watching her slowly descend to the icy floor in front of us and elegantly land on the ground. She clasped her hands behind the small of her back as she stood several yards in front of us nonchalantly.
"Arthur..." Helen said in a worried tone, walking up behind me.
"Helen. This is no longer your fight. Go. Take everyone with you." I ordered, not taking my eyes off the girl in front of me.
"I'm not leaving you here," Helen said, obviously concerned for me.
"That's an order, Helen," I said sternly.
I didn't give Helen a chance to respond as I began to walk forward. The woman's deep, piercing eyes were locked on me, which is what I wanted. I needed to keep her attention off of the trailblazers. I wasn't sure exactly how strong she was, but I could tell she was far more powerful than the other elite soldiers I'd faced. If I had to deduce who she was, she was undoubtedly a scythe.
I halted my advance, standing a few feet away from her, glaring at her intently. Her eyes flicked behind me as I heard the sound of the trailblazers moving behind me, hopefully preparing to get out of the room.
"Don't let them leave." She ordered flatly.
I narrowed my eyes in confusion, getting into a defensive stance.
"As you wish, Scythe Viessa." Another voice boomed across the chamber.
I grew wide-eyed as I turned around, looking towards the voice. My eyes fell onto another figure as they stood on the opposite ledge this Scythe Viessa was previously on, right above the entrance.
The male figure looked like a walking skeleton with white flesh and a pale, puffy face. His eyes were like empty holes because of how sunken and dark they were, and his flat, greenish hair, like dead seagrass, clung to his forehead and cheeks. He was tall and awkwardly thin, with sharp limbs, while on his back, his spine and ribs were sharply defined.
The figure quickly flew down and landed in front of the exit, blocking the trailblazers. Seeing him squaring off with them, I physically tensed as several trailblazers prepared their weapons and spells. I could tell he was powerful, but not as powerful as Viessa, not even close. He was most likely her retainer.
I clenched my teeth and prepared to dash towards the male to get him out of the trailblazers' path.
'Arthur, behind you!' Regis yelled mentally.
I instantly turned around and grew wide-eyed. I didn't have time to react, as Viessa was standing in front of me and hit me in the chest with a right-handed open palm with immense strength, knocking the wind out of me. A blast of black wind erupted from her hand, sending me flying back against the dungeon wall.
I grunted out as I slammed into the wall with significant impact, shaking it and hearing the ice crack with parts of the icy wall break and fall to the floor while feeling pain on my sternum. I could hear the faint sound of Tess yelling my name in concern as I coughed, trying to regain my breath.
I looked down at my chest, and my brows raised in surprise, seeing her attack had melted a small part of my djinn armor, my lance uniform, and the skin on my chest. I grunted as my chest throbbed from my injury, but it was her direct hit that hurt the most. However, the pain slowly faded, and I could feel my healing factor kick in. I let out a breath of relief as I looked up at Viessa.
Viessa's eyes moved to my chest, seeing my wounds healing and the armor repairing itself. Her dark eyes flicked to mine and narrowed.
"Bilal. Handle them. The Lance is mine." Viessa ordered.
"Yes, Scythe Viessa," Bilal responded.
I clenched my teeth as I heard this.
'I need to end this quickly. I need to help the trailblazers.'
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3rd person POV
Amethyst and golden runes spread across Arthur as he activated realmheart. Viessa's brows raised in surprise, breaking her emotionless face, feeling the change in his power.
"Interesting. I noticed you used aether before, but to see you have this much control." Viessa began as she looked at Arthur's now healed and covered chest before her eyes flicked back to Arthurs. "Not only that, spell forms. A descendent?" She curiously tilted her head slightly to the right. "No, something more. Interesting indeed. The High Sovereign will take great interest in you."
"Only if you live to tell him," Arthur said threateningly and dashed towards Viessa.
Arthur covered despair in frost fire, and Viessa casually flicked her wrist as Arthur closed in, covering herself in a barrier of black wind. Arthur swung despair down, striking the barrier. The white flames began to spread across the barrier but quickly broke apart as the barrier burst out in all directions like a nova.
Arthur flew back as he was hit by the black wind. He grunted in pain, with parts of his armor and skin melting from her immense magic. Arthur skidded to a halt and stopped several feet away from Viessa. He narrowed his eyes at her, ignoring the pain, feeling his wounds healing and armor repairing itself.
Arthur gritted his teeth, seeing and feeling her strength and power. He shook with nervousness as he was concerned for the trailblazers but also because he had never faced a Scythe before. He killed the last retainer he met with ease, so he didn't think the difference in their power would be this significant.
Arthur tensed, feeling a sudden burst of power, and his eyes grew wide. Viessa and Arthur both looked towards the trailblazers, where the power was coming from. A small smile formed on Arthur's face as the presence felt familiar.
"Don't get hurt," Arthur said to himself.
***
Tessia gritted her teeth, seeing Bilal standing in front of them, blocking their advance. Her heart beat quickly in her chest, nervous about this battle but also scared for Arthur. She knew Arthur could take care of himself, as he had killed a retainer before. However, she could tell Viessa was different from the powerful presence she emitted.
Then, she heard Bilal call her a Scythe, and unwanted thoughts of losing Arthur flooded her mind. Tessia gripped her bladed staff as the trailblazers all took defensive stances.
"Caera, what do you know about this one?" Helen asked, looking at Caera inquisitively.
My eyes flicked to Caera as she stood defensively, scowling at Bilal. "Nothing. I've never heard of him. He must've taken over for Jagrette, as she was Viessa's retainer."
"Ah. Lady Caera Denoir," Bilal said as he stepped forward towards us, his eyes locked on Caera. "I heard you still drew breath. Allow me to fix that."
A loud explosion erupted around the cavern as Tessia looked toward Arthur wide-eyed. Concern washed over her as she saw he had been thrown into a wall. Tessia gritted her teeth as she turned towards Bilal. Tessia wanted to help Arthur, but first, she had to take care of Bilal.
Tessia reached into her core and activated her beast will. Her hair turned green, and her skin turned green, and she emitted a presence more significant than before. Bilal stopped as he turned to look at her in surprise. His eyes narrowed and he got into a defensive stance.
A sickening green mana quickly covered Bilial, covering him in a type of mana armor.
"Shit. Poison magic." Caera muttered. "Don't touch him!" Caera yelled in concern to everyone.
"Trailblazers! Prepare for battle!" Helen yelled.
Bilal smiled sinisterly as two sickeningly green daggers formed in his hands. He threw the daggers toward us, and several members got into defensive stances. Bilal waved his hands, and the daggers began to move and flew through the air. Tessia went wide-eyed, seeing Bilal could control the daggers mid-air.
"Move!" Helen yelled urgently.
Everyone began to scatter as the daggers plunged into several members of the trailblazers, delivering lethal blows. Tessia quickly ducked as a dagger flew over my head. She watched as the daggers returned to his hands, and he returned to a defensive stance. Several thuds could be heard as about forty members fell to the ground.
Several of the members coughed profusely before their bodies became motionless. Tessia gritted her teeth as she took an attack stance.
"Mama," Sylvie said, worried, as she walked up to her.
Tessia looked at Sylvie, concerned. "Sylvie, are you ok?"
Sylvie nodded. "I'm healed for the most part," Sylvie said as she formed two mana daggers in her hand.
"Are you able to help Art?" Tessia asked.
Sylvie shook her head. "He wants me to stay with you. And Regis isn't able to fight yet."
Tessia nodded with gritted teeth as she looked back to Bilal. She knew the faster they defeated Bilal, the faster Sylvie could help Arthur.
"Hold on, Arthur," Tessia said as she waved her bladed staff.
***
Concerned for the elf?" Viessa asked curiously.
Arthur looked back at her and narrowed his gaze, not answering her. He covered despair in fire and lightning magic and raised it above his head. He god stepped several feet behind Viessa and swung despair down, sending forth a powerful wave of fire and lighting magic.
The wave struck Viessa, erupting in a massive explosion, shaking the cavern. Arthur didn't hesitate to return to a defensive stance as he assessed the damage. Arthur's brows raised in surprise, and he gritted his teeth.
His eyes fell onto Viessa, who stood there surrounded by a black wind barrier, staring at Arthur. Viessa waved her hand as the barrier broke apart and formed five black wind spears above her. Viessa thrust her hand forward as the spears flew toward Arthur.
Arthur waved his hand, using realmheart to control the spears. However, he grew wide-eyed as he couldn't control the foreign mana. Arthur quickly godstepped out of the way and looked to where he was previously standing as the spears hit the wall.
Arthur's eyes narrowed as he observed the wall where the spears hit looked eroded as the wind ate away at it.
"I'm disappointed, Lance. I expected better." Viessa provoked.
Arthur looked back at Viessa and snorted as he waved his hand. The floor around him cracked as several earth and ice spikes rose from the floor. Arthur wrapped the ice spikes in lighting magic and the earth spears in fire magic.
Viessa got into a defensive stance as Arthur godstepped in the air near the roof above Viessa. Before Viessa had a chance to figure out what was happening, Arthur snapped his fingers, sending a sound wave toward Viessa. Viessa grunted as the sound wave hit her and laid her out on the floor, stomach first.
Arthur waved his hand, increasing the gravity, holding Viessa down. Arthur waved his hand again, throwing the spikes toward the laid-out Viessa. Arthur covered despair in wind magic and thrust it forward, sending down a piercing wind strike at Viessa.
The combined attack closed in on Viessa when black wind covered her body. The wind quickly burst apart in a nova that seemed to block out the light, striking the shards and the wind attack. The combined attack burst apart as the black dome flew at Arthur.
Arthur gritted his teeth as he godstepped out of the air and appeared on the ground a few feet away from Viessa. Arthur looked at Viessa, who was now standing, as the dome dispersed.
"That's more like it," Viessa said, slightly intrigued, as she began to walk towards Arthur.
"I'm glad I can entertain you," Arthur said in frustration.
Viessa gave off a sweet chuckle, "Barely. I hope you have more to offer."
Arthur got into a defensive stance as Viessa waved her hands, forming several black wind spears around her. Arthur was raised despair to counter her attack when he heard a blood-curdling yell.
"A-Arthur! Help me!!!!"
Arthur froze in place, and his skin turned visibly pale. His head snapped toward the voice and grew wide-eyed with dread. His eyes fell on Bilal, who held Tessia in the air by a chokehold. The rest of the trailblazers lay dead around them, with their bodies butchered.
"Tess!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Arther yelled in desperation.
He began to move toward Tess when the five black wind spears Viessa created suddenly slammed into him. Arthur grunted from the impact, and his armor and skin melted away as he flew back and slammed into the wall. The impact sent out a shockwave, which sent cracks throughout the wall and ground beneath him.
He coughed up some blood and looked down, seeing the majority of his armor and skin had melted and was slowly healing. He painfully and dreadfully looked up to where Tess was, and his brows raised in surprise to see she wasn't there. He looked toward the entrance, seeing she and the trailblazers were still okay and fighting Bilal.
'An illusion?'
'Get up, Arthur! This fight isn't over!' Regis yelled mentally.
Arthur gritted his teeth and looked toward Viessa, who was staring at him with a satisfied smirk. Arthur slowly got up; his armor was almost repaired, and his injuries practically healed. However, his physical strength felt slightly diminished.
Arthur began to walk toward Viessa, gripping Despair angrily. Arthur grunted and rubbed his temples, feeling a white-hot pain behind his eyes.
"Why didn't you save me?"
Arthur froze, and his head snapped toward the voice, seeing Lilia standing there. She had gaping holes in her chest, and blood poured down her lips. Her eyes were watery, and she looked at Arthur with a look of betrayal.
"I thought we were friends... Why didn't you save me?"
Arthur's breath hitched, "L-Lila..."
He began to reach out toward her.
"First me, then her. Who's next?"
Arthur's voice snapped toward the second voice, and he flinched, seeing Jarrod's severed torso leaning against the pillar. He was visibly pale, and blood covered his face. He slowly lifted his arm toward Arthur. "You were supposed to protect us."
"Why didn't you come to Darv."
Arthur turned around toward the third voice, seeing Mica lying there, arms and legs gone, green liquid pouring out of her severed limbs, and her eyes locked on Arthur.
"You could've saved me. You should've saved me," Mica said.
"You should've saved all of us," The three said in unison.
Arthur stumbled back, his breathing staggered and tears flowing down his cheeks.
"N-no!" He reached out to them, "I'm so-"
'Princess, stop and fucking listen to what I'm saying! Snap out of it!' Regis yelled mentally, breaking through the mental illusion.
Arthur stopped and blinked, seeing the figures were gone. He turned around when he grunted and went wide-eyed as Viessa grabbed him around his throat and lifted him in the air, impeding his airway.
"So weak-minded you are," Viessa scoffed.
She lifted her free hand and gathered black void wind when suddenly a crescent of wind, black fire, and a mana dagger flew in from the side.
***
Tessia shot several wind daggers at Bilal, who just dashed out of the way. Sylvie flew at Bilal and threw the mana daggers she had created at him. Bilal flew up into the air as he dodged the attacks and threw his toxic daggers toward the trailblazers.
Sylvie formed two mana daggers as she threw them towards Bilal's. As the daggers closed in on each other, Bilal waved his hand, and the toxic daggers changed direction mid-air. The toxic daggers dodged Sylvie's attack and flew towards Sylvie.
Tessia was about to wave her staff to protect Sylvie when a wave of soul fire flew in from the side. The soul fire hit the toxic daggers, destroying each other right before they hit Sylvie.
Tessia looked towards the source of the attack to see Caera standing there with her soul engulfed in soul fire. Caera and Tessia shared a nod before they looked toward Bilal.
Bilal formed two toxic daggers in his hand as he prepared to throw them.
"Now!" Helen yelled.
Several trailblazers standing beside Helen shot a volley mixed with various spells at Bilal. Bilal threw his daggers at the incoming attacks, controlling them mid-air. The daggers began slicing through the spells like butter, canceling them.
Tessia waved her staff as Bilal was distracted, and several vines shot up from the floor. The vines quickly wrapped around Bilal's legs and made a sizzling sound as they burned against his armor. Bilal looked down wide-eyed but didn't have time to react as Tessia waved her hand.
The vines pulled Bilal and began to twirl him around in a circular pattern. Tessia waved her hand again, forming several vine-like spikes on a patch of area on the floor. The vines lifted Bilal into the air, and Tessia waved her hand again. A blast of wind burst down from the air like a microburst, hitting Bilal and slamming him into the spikes back first.
Bilal grunted as the spikes penetrated his armor and shot through his chest, legs, and arms. Bilal coughed multiple times as he began to get up slowly. Tessia's eyes flicked to the left as Caera swung her sword, sending a crescent of soul fire at Bilal. The fire hit Bilal, and he began to desperately scream in pain.
Tessia looked up as Sylvie formed a mana dagger and threw it down at Belial, which embedded itself in his head. Bilal's body froze briefly before it went limp, and his screams abruptly halted. Everyone took a breath of relief as they watched the soul fire slowly consume Bilal, turning him into nothing.
"Everyone, let's move, fall back!" Helen yelled.
The trailblazers nodded as everyone began to run toward the exit. Tessia looked back to Art, and she grew wide-eyed. She watched Arthur look around aimlessly, reaching out towards nothing, as Viessa slowly approached him. Arthur stopped and turned around, and Tess' stomach dropped, seeing Viessa grab him in a choke hold and lift him into the air.
"We need to help Art!" Tessia yelled to Sylvie.
Sylvie nodded. "Let's go!"
"No, wait!" Helen yelled, trying to stop them.
Tessia dashed towards Arthur as she covered her staff in wind magic. Sylvie flew above her as she formed a mana dagger in her hand. Tessia looked behind her as she noticed Caera was running behind her.
"You'll need all the help you can get," Caera yelled.
Tessia nodded at her before she looked back at Viessa, determined to save the love of her life. Viessa lifted her free hand and began to gather void wind.
Tessia narrowed her eyes as she waved her staff and yelled, "Hands off what isn't yours, you bitch!"
Tessia shot a crescent of wind, Ceara swung her sword, shooting forward a crescent of soul fire, and Sylvie threw her mana dagger at Viessa.
Viessa looked at the attacks in annoyance as Arthur struggled to breathe in her grasp. She threw Arthur to the side, and he slammed against the wall as she began to wave her hand when she yelled in pain.
Viessa looked down, and everyone followed her gaze. Viessa gritted her teeth, seeing a black shadow wolf puppy furiously biting her ankle.
Viessa quickly flew up into the air, dodging the incoming attacks. She angrily kicked her leg, knocking Regis off her ankle. Regis flew through the air, waving his little legs, before he landed on the ground with a thud.
Viessa glared at Tessia, Caera, and Sylvie, "This is a private party."
"Sorry, must've lost our invitations, Viessa," Caera spat.
Viessa looked at Caera and scoffed. Her lips curved up sinisterly as an idea came to mind. "Very well. Might as well invite more guests."
Sylvie, Caera, and Tess looked at Viessa, confused. She elegantly raised both of her arms, and the three girls all looked behind them at the sound of armor moving. Their eyes widened in fear, disgust, and pure horror, seeing the corpses of their dead comrades begin to stand up.
The corpses made it to their feet and stumbled forward before they all looked at Sylvie, Tess, and Caera. They stood there for a brief moment before they charged at the three of them.
"What kind of magic does this?!" Tessia yelled, surrounding herself in wind magic.
"The kind that desecrates the dead," Ceara yelled angrily.
Sylvie turned toward Viessa, who raised her right arm above her head. Black void wind began to twirl around her ferociously as she glared at the three girls.
"Prepare to die, you insects," Viessa spat, though she was only looking at Caera and Tess. Her eyes flicked to Sylvie, "Then, I'll take you to Alacrya, daughter of the High Sovereign."
Sylvie gritted her teeth, forming two mana daggers in her hands.
Arthur grunted as he painfully lifted his head and looked toward where he last saw Viessa. His eyes widened in fear and horror, seeing Tessia and Caera squaring off with an army of the dead that was quickly approaching them, and Sylvie was about to fight Viessa.
"No!" Arthur yelled desperately, seeing the ones he cared about were in danger.
Arthur godstepped in front of them as he activated his destruction rune without thinking clearly. The illusions of Mica, Jarrod, and Lillia were still weighing on his mind, and he didn't want to lose anyone else. A wave of hatred washed over Arthur as his vision turned red. Amethyst flames flared to life, covering despair and Arthur.
Tessia, Caera, Sylvie, and Viessa looked at Arthur with surprise. Arthur glared at Viessa and swung despair in a vertical swipe, shooting a tsunami of destruction fire toward Viessa. Viessa grew wide-eyed and visibly paled at the sudden influx of power. She shot her gathered void wind at the flames of destruction and quickly flew out of the way. The amethyst flames crashed into the decay magic, quickly destroying it.
"Ah!!!" Arthur yelled angrily as flames of destruction raged around him.
Arthur looked at the advancing army of the dead with fury and swung his sword horizontally, shooting another blanket of amethyst flames. Sylvie quickly flew down and grabbed Caera and Tess, flying them out of the way of Arthur's attack. The flames raged forward and slammed into the dead, wrapping around them and turning them into nothing.
Viessa looked at the destruction power with surprise, seeing her raised warriors turned to nothing. She looked back at Arthur, who looked back at her with a sinister smile. "Come here, little Scythe!" He yelled in an unrecognizable voice.
Arthur angrily began to swing despair again and again recklessly, sending blast after blast of destruction flames at Viessa while yelling uncontrollably.
"Art!!!"
"Papa!!"
Tessia and Sylvie yelled, concerned, seeing him losing control.
Viessa gritted her teeth as she quickly flew around, dodging the attacks. As she flew in the air, her eyes flicked to where Bilal was, seeing he was gone. Viessa scoffed, "Useless."
Viessa flew high toward the ceiling and looked back at Arthur, "Another day, boy."
Viessa quickly turned around and flew away into the darkness from where she appeared, leaving the area. However, no one paid her attention as everyone watched Arthur concerned.
"Art!!" Tessia yelled in desperation as flames of destruction began to leap off him.
Arthur fell to his knees as he yelled angrily at the top of his lungs.
"Hold on, Arthur!!" Regis yelled as he rushed forward.
Everyone looked at Regis desperately as he jumped into the air in a cloud of smoke, entering Arthur's chest. Arthur remained on his knees, yelling loudly, as the destruction flames slowly died down.
Tessia, Caera, and Sylvie watched Arthur intently as the destruction flames disappeared, and he wobbled back and forth. Arthur's eyelids slowly shut, and his body fell forward and hit the floor with a thud.
"Art!!" Tessia yelled as she ran towards Arthur, who had lost consciousness.