Capítulo 162: Gambling with a sword and spell
Oh no, I left the door open! Elizabeth realized.
She was already inside the cell, talking with the children, and the door was quite far away. There was no way she could close it in time without making a commotion. But by having it open, was it not advertising she was here? These thoughts flashed by, but the footsteps outside accelerated. They noticed something was wrong!
I'll gamble it on this then! She decided as she began constructing Stone Shard again. Ambush them and finish the fight quickly! Don't let anyone else know and then escape with the children!
Her casting speed was slow as runes lit up in her Magic Circle one by one. She despaired at her abysmal speed. No matter what, she was an amateur, even with an advanced Core. This was as fast as she could go! Thankfully, it was not totally terrible. Earth-type spells benefited from proximity with the earth, which helped simplify the processes involved. Conversely, this was why Freon's casting speed was so slow. Fire was not a natural element, so he had to create it! The advantage was that fire-type spells boasted tremendous power! Earth-type spells could not compare.
The seconds ticked by as Elizabeth became increasingly nervous. She sacrificed closing the door to save time for her spell. If her gamble failed, then she would really be in trouble! The spell materialized the instant a guard entered sight. Without waiting, she launched the projectile! The guard was taken by surprise and it pierced him! However, Elizabeth's aim was slightly off as it hit his shoulder and nothing vital. Nevertheless, the mere force alone threw him back and slammed him into the wall. The Stone Shard was embedded so deeply in the wall that he was pinned down!
Everything happened so fast that everyone blinked their eyes in confusion. The children were dumbfounded. For the guards to start fighting with one another, was that normal? They remembered Elizabeth's previous words and started believing. Elizabeth slowly became a beacon of hope for them! This was their last chance to survive! Meanwhile, another guard stood there confused. One second, his partner was about to investigate the cell. The next, he was pinned to the wall in a bloody mess. He glanced inside to see Elizabeth and his expression changed.
"How did you escape?" the guard asked suspiciously. He looked around the cell for anyone else but found no one. This made him more cautious.
"Why don't you come and find out?" Elizabeth smiled.
"You…" He stared at Elizabeth's fearless expression and hesitated. Although his partner was attacked, Elizabeth was holding no weapon! He believed that there was something more here.
"Tell me, where am I? Is the Whispering Shadow really involved in kidnapping me or is there a higher power commanding it?" she demanded.
The guard was silent and slowly unsheathed his sword. "I don't know how you escaped, but you're just a harmless flower. Surrender and I promise I won't hurt you much. You're needed by our master after all."
"I should be saying the same thing to you. When the Alzar Kingdom finds out what all of you have done, they will never let you go. Instead of threatening me now, shouldn't you be begging for mercy?"
The guard snorted. "You talk too much!"
Saying so, he dashed forward. He was initially hesitant to attack, but he realized he thought too highly of her. She was a mere princess! Much less possessing any combat power, she probably never held a sword in her life! While he was feeling embarrassed for hesitating, Elizabeth continued smiling ominously. She removed her hands from behind her back, revealing her spell! The guard widened his eyes as Stone Shard attacked him! Elizabeth used the conversation to construct her spell again, grasping the guard's thought process perfectly! The projectile instantly pierced through the man's lower torso, forcing him to stagger back and spurt blood. His eyes were filled with rage.
Elizabeth's face dropped. Her attack was not lethal enough! The guard charged forward, powered by adrenaline, and hacked at her! Forget about capturing her, his thoughts were focused on killing her! Elizabeth was watching everything carefully. The instant her spell missed, she ignored her headache and sharpened her concentration to the peak. It might not be on the level of Perception Realm, but it was the best she could manage! The sword glided across the air like a scythe, closing the distance in a heartbeat. A diagonal hack!
Elizabeth moved, pivoting on her foot to dodge the strike. Unfortunately, her condition was too poor. Moreover, her experience in close quarters combat was non-existent. How could she avoid it perfectly? The guard sliced through her dress right down the middle as a thin cut emerged on her skin. Although it was shallow, it was not any less painful! Her face contorted as her dress shredded to pieces. Thankfully, she was on the flatter side… Just imagining the pain of her breasts being cut made her shiver. She ignored her increasing nudity while her mind spun.
She knew that staying on the defensive would eventually get her killed! She needed to regain the initiative! But her spells needed time and concentration to create. It was not something that could be used easily in close quarters, especially in such a high-paced fight. Without that drawback, every martial artist might throw their hands up to surrender. Arcania would be too overpowered! The world was brutally fair. There was no such thing as one dominant path to the top! Every path had different strengths and weaknesses! Nonetheless, she had to do something!
The guard frowned and followed up with another horizontal slash. The execution was smooth and flowed naturally from his previous attack. Elizabeth instinctively ducked, watching the blade glide over her head and cutting half of her hair. Her forehead dripped with blood as she hardened her gaze. Her opponent tried to continue and twist his waist, but his wound was too painful. Blood began to decorate his clothes. It forced him to stop. Elizabeth took this chance to unsheathe her sword. She might be an amateur with the sword, but anything was better than running around like an idiot!
She decided quickly as she retaliated. Although her movements were clumsy, her opponent was heavily wounded. This evened the playing field! The guard shrugged off the poor assault while retreating. His wound was severe and slowly turning lethal. Continuing would agitate his wounds and accelerate his death. That said, Elizabeth could not break his defense. Moreover, she was facing against two enemies! The first guard who she ambushed was recovering already. If the two of them joined forces against her, she would ultimately fall!
But she was tied down. Elizabeth wanted to attack the downed guard and finish off this threat. However, how could she let her enemy approach the children behind her? While she could attack the downed guard, her opponent could also attack them! Both sides had their weaknesses and understood this. Of course, she could just abandon the children. They were unrelated to her, and their relationship spanned less than a minute. They could hardly be considered acquaintances. At this moment, they were unnecessary baggage! Unfortunately, Elizabeth refused. When the image of Aisa appeared, her mind was already set. She would not regret nor change her decision! She would protect them! That was how she did things!
Hence, Elizabeth took a gamble! While she was entangled in swordplay, her ring started to glow. Splitting her concentration, fighting with one hand, while casting magic with the other! Since her focus was split, her assault weakened. The guard facing her used this chance to return the favor with extreme ferocity. An overhead swing, a right shoulder slice, a horizontal sweep… The attacks came relentlessly as Elizabeth took the beating passively. Her sword skills were too pathetic to block everything. Her body was covered in bloody cuts and combined with her mental fatigue, she struggled to stay conscious.
The seconds passed painfully slowly. In combat, every second was akin to an eternity! However, how fast could she cast spells? Her attention was divided, forcing her speed to fall. Her opponent was no pushover either. He saw a chance and sneered. With a powerful upward stroke, Elizabeth's sword flung from her hands, landing nearby. Elizabeth's face darkened. Her spell was still a few seconds from casting! But without a sword, she was as defenseless as a lamb waiting for slaughter! Without thinking, she lunged forward. She ignored the pain in her body and closed the gap in an instant.
Status de energia semanal
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