*BOOOM!*
The scattered firebombs all explode at once, momentarily covering the area in smoke while sending Michael tumbling away from the shockwave. Fortunately, Shadow Dance activates due to the smoke concealing him, which helps in healing the injuries he'd sustained from being so close to the explosion in the first place.
Once Michael stops tumbling head over foot, he spits a bloody tooth onto the floor and hastily pats out the flames covering his left arm, the heavy burns quickly beginning to heal and fade away under the effects of Shadow Dance. "Thank god I picked Slark or I'd be dead ten times over by now." he mutters while shaking his head and getting to his feet.
The smoke was still obstructing his sight, but he could hear Sheffield's quiet breathes and exertions. Those invisible platforms might be useful, but jumping between them must be tiring to do constantly.
"Fuck this." he whispers to himself, deciding to try and finish this fight as fast as possible. He points over at the ground and quietly casts, "Serpent Wards." causing Rhasta's giant serpent spirits to manifest, each of them instantly looking in one direction in particular... Could they sense Sheffield without seeing her?
The answer was yes, judging by the shouts of surprise given by Sheffield as the Serpent wards begin firing flame darts at her, she was thoroughly taken off-guard by this ability.
Michael grips Derflinger tightly and dashes towards where he could hear her, running out of the smoke cloud and spotting her using her Shadow Hands to block the Serpents flame darts. "Blink Strike." Michael quickly whispers, appearing behind Sheffield and her defences, allowing him to finally get a hit on her.
Only...
*Clang!*
For a shield of energy to manifest and block the strike, a shield looking remarkably similar to what Nicholas Grimpt's artifacts granted him. Fortunately, he wasn't in the same situation as he had been back then.
The new skill that he'd learned from his Anti-Mage spirit called Mana Break activates, causing Derflinger to glow blue as a similarly coloured after image trailed behind it.
*Waum*
The distinct yet familiar sound of the skill activating alerts Sheffield to his presence, but its effect combined with Derflinger does way more damage than one would expect. Not to Sheffield, but to the artifact that'd shielded her.
The energy shield barely blocks his Mana Break-enhanced attack, but the blue energy that ripples through it almost instantly causes the life-preserving artifact to shatter, shocking Sheffield at the ease of which Michael had destroyed it.
This artifact wasn't the same as the ones used by Nicholas Grimpt, he had elected to use quantity over quality, each of his many artifacts only blocking a single blow before breaking... But Sheffield's had been given to her by the King of Gallia, it should've been able to resist a couple Square Mage tier spells before breaking... Which is why its shattering had shocked her so.
Still, the feedback of his blade being blocked by the energy shield runs up his hand and arms, almost splitting the skin between his fingers. But he quickly recovers enough to perform yet another strike. "You're done, Sheffield!" he roars as he swings down at her, intending to split her completely in half.
Sheffield scowls and thrusts her hand at him, the Ring of Andvari shining brightly along with her runes as she attempts to take control of him. "Not yet I'm not! KNEEL!"
*Flash!*
The Ring releases another burst of light which slams into Michael with full force, and despite his defences, it felt like Sheffield's words were boring into his brain through his eyes. As if a foreign electrical signal was attempting to highjack his senses.
"F-Fuck off!" he growls, rapidly shaking his head and opening his eyes before locking the Sheffield with a furious glare.
"Partner! What are you doing! Stop trying to harm her you crazy sod!" Derflinger shouts, obviously affected by the Ring of Andvari. Fortunately, he was just a sword and was unable to do anything to obstruct Michael.
Sheffield brings up her hand in some vain attempt to block the strike, accidentally putting the Ring of Andvari in its way. Derflinger strikes the ring, but pauses in mid-air as the blade rests on it...
...
Michael locks eyes with Sheffield for two, three seconds, until bright white cracks start forming on the ring's surface. The Mind of God's eyes open wide as she attempts to take the ring off, only for it to finally explode and blow her right arm completely off. Shrapnel scatters everywhere, puncturing Sheffield's torso, but also striking Michael, causing him to stumble backwards as metal shards pierce his chest, arms, face, and legs.
He falls to a knee, somehow having avoided any lethal damage, but seriously injured regardless. He looks over at Sheffield, who has a thin, shattered-looking energy shield dissipating from around her, blood steadily beginning to seep from her many new wounds. "G-Gandalfr, you, the ring..." she growls, glancing down at her missing right arm. Using her left, she retrieves another firestone and presses against her stump, causing her to yelp out in pain as she cauterizes the wound closed. "I'll kill you for this!"
Michael grins at her, planting the still somehow mind-controlled Derflinger into the ground and unsheathing a dagger from his waist. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this. All that time imagining the things I'd do to you for revenge. I'm about to make them reality." he states before activating Shadow Dance, covering him in the blackest cloud of smoke imaginable, with the only other distinguishable thing visible being Michael's two dimly glowing eyes.
He menacingly advances towards her as his wounds rapidly knit themselves closed, fragments of metal shrapnel from the destroyed Ring of Andvari pulling themselves from his flesh and dropping to the floor, leaving a good deal of blood behind as he walks.
"An eye for an eye, Sheffield." he growls while raising his weapon.
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
JayJonnaJamison
Jack Allen
Faruk Ereng
Earlier :
Ralf deflects yet another shot from Agnes flintlock, bursts of flame either melting the projectile before it can make contact with them, and or knocking it away in another direction. He glances to his dragon familiar and gestures at the small army advancing on their position, "Halt their advance! Use no lethal attacks!" he commands and his dragon nods, flying off to impede the enemy.
Ralf turns his attention back towards Agnes who was hastily trying to reload her weapon, giving him ample opportunity to country attack. He dashes forwards and jabs his sword in her direction while chanting, short after firing a small burst of fire that strikes Agnes, singing her eyebrows, but more importantly causing her to flinch and stumble backwards.
She loses her grip on her flintlock as she hastily rubs the sot from her face and eyes, leaving her with only her sword left to combat Ralf. Who, just so happens to be charging Agnes just as she finally gets back her vision.
*Crash*
*Thud!*
Ralf charges straight into her, picking her up and throwing her down the hill, causing her to start rolling down it as if she were chasing a wheel of cheese. With that, he grabs the flintlock from the ground and looks towards Tiffania, his brows raising when he notices the Valliere girl get hit by a stray Erase spell cast by the Half-Elf.
Tiffania's clothes and cloak were a bit scorched, but all in all, she was unharmed, if out of breath. Princess Henrietta sprints for Louise as soon as she's disabled however, taking up the pink-haired girl into her arms and trying to awaken her. "Louise! You've got to break yourself from the spell!" she says while gently shaking her, but her expression darkens when she doesn't immediately awaken. "What spell did you cast!?" she exclaims, locking eyes with the sheepish-looking Tiffania.
"I-it was a memory erase spell...I removed an hours worth of memories from her mind." she says while walking over, "I was hoping that removing her memories would remove the Ring's control over her."
Henrietta frowns but eventually relents, nodding as it was probably the best chance they had at removing the Ring's influence. It was an incredibly powerful and famous artifact, originally protected by the water spirit guarding Lake Lagdorian... Mortals were never meant to wield its power.
"I apologize for interrupting, but the rest of your men are still under the enemy's control!" Ralf states from the side, pointing over at his retreating dragon who'd taken one too many musket shots.
Henrietta frowns and looks over at Tiffania, "Can you cast this 'Erase' spell on multiple people?"
Tiffania anxiously tugs on her cloak's hood, "I can, but it takes time and tires me out." she admits,
Henrietta nods and picks up Louise's wand, "Then begin it, I will try to give you enough time to cast it." she says while making her way to a position where she could clearly see her entire mind-controlled entourage.
"I will assist you." Ralf adds, standing a good distance from her and using Earth elemental spells to start obstructing the approaching army... Unfortunately, they too had mages at their disposal, allowing them to reverse whatever alterations Ralf makes and allowing the Musketeer Knights to quickly advance.
"In the name of your Princess, stop!" Henrietta exclaims while waving her borrowed wand overhead, literally sucking vast amounts of water from the vapour in the air. It pools above her like vortex, and sweat begins to gather on her forehead as she draws more and more water.
Her mind-controlled subjects begin firing muskets and spells at her, but Ralf fires gouts of heavy fire to obstruct them, while Henrietta divides her attention and forms a wall of water in front of her.
After a few more moments of Henrietta gathering water, she pulls on it all and gathers it into her makeshift water wall before firing it forward like a miniature tidal wave. It begins sweeping down the hill, picking up anyone and everyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. They wouldn't drown, but it certainly knocks a few of them out.
The enemy mages attempt to stop it with their own spells, but nothing they throw at it is able to do more than leave ripples on its surface. A few take refuge under a few conjured stone spheres, but the rest are swept further down the hill.
With that done, Henrietta drops her hands to her knees while trying to catch her breath. She was neither a warrior, nor particularly practised in using her magic. Sure she was powerful, but she hadn't actually cast a spell like that in years. She glances over to Tiffania who was just finishing up her preparations for the Erase spell but her eyes widen when she spots a familiar face advancing behind Tiffania. "Wait!"
"Erase!" Tiffania finally casts, a large flare of white light firing down the hill and enveloping all of Henrietta's people on it. This does have some side effects however, her skin goes pale and her breathing becomes weak. Tiffania drops to a knee in exhaustion with her vision becoming blurry, making her unable to even spot the attack coming from behind her. She doesn't hear Henrietta's warning as Agnes' sword comes down behind her, directly at her neck.
*Clang!*
Only for it to be blocked by a familiar-looking energy shield, one created by a broach in her pocket that she'd been intending to gift to Michael. It turns to dust upon deflecting the attack, and Agnes is sent stumbling backwards, allowing Ralf to make a swift and fierce counterattack.
*Whoosh!*
A hot stream of fire blows Agnes clear off of her feet, almost burning completely through her chest plate as he runs to protect Tiffania. "No one shall attack my charge! Under control or not!" he roars, glancing over his shoulder at Henrietta who looks too shocked to form any kind of reaction against him, despite his attack greatly injuring Agnes.
Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!
If you like my content or want to read ahead please go to : https://www.p.atreon.com/Nagross, I'd appreciate it.
Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :
ShinAmazake
Kingsprovince
JayJonnaJamison
Jack Allen
Faruk Ereng
Vous aimerez peut-être aussi
Commentaire de paragraphe
La fonction de commentaire de paragraphe est maintenant disponible sur le Web ! Déplacez la souris sur n’importe quel paragraphe et cliquez sur l’icône pour ajouter votre commentaire.
De plus, vous pouvez toujours l’activer/désactiver dans les paramètres.
OK