Chapter 23 - An aerial battle (2)

The chances of victory was slowly slipping away from Jeryl and his team.

"" Sephir's buff arrived to Jeryl just in time!

""

Raising his daggers which were shimmering with black aura, he brought them down diagonally, unleahing a gleaming black ' V ' with Gruff as a target. This time the sword gashed his forearm. But that was a minor price to pay, considering he got enough chance to cast a powerful spell while also actively using dark element to try to cast debuffs on Gruffold and fend off his attacks.

"Haha! Did you forget about my barriers?!"

!"

He cast a wind barrier around him. Stacking up with the Wind shell, it was very hard to break through. But...

"Mguh!!! How!"

The black slices of mana scored a direct hit, making a deep 'V' shaped cut on Gruffold's torso. Jeryl inwardly smiled.

[. Allows me to bypass a barrier, depending on how well I understand the barrier and the amount of Mana used. Since he has used it so many times before, I know it quite well. Even though they struck him directly, some of the damage was reduced by his wind shell. But there's something even better...]

Gruffold recovered instantly, shock replaced by anger. As he tried to move his body, it did not obey his movements. He tried to lift his sword but his hand kept on swinging it down. His movements and wind control were out of control too.

However his enemy wasn't going to wait for that. Jeryl closed in upon Gruffold, who was having serious problems controlling Nahem. As Gurffold tried to twist his body to avoid getting stabbed, his body twisted in the direction Jeryl was going to stab. Calmly, he reinforced his body with Mana to its maximum and strengthened the wind shell. Only the tip of the dagger got through and inflicted a small wound on his flank. He was feeling that he was slowly regaining control of his body, but that feeling disappeared.

And this time his movements grew even more chaotic. Jeryl jumped back, sneering at him. Blood was trickling down his nose due to the strain of using such heavy skills on a strong opponent simultaneously and successively.

[ Victim's body moves in the opposite direction they want it to. Very nasty if you are unaware about it.]

Jeryl didn't waste a moment and sent orders through his telepathic net.

["Sephir! Quick! Buff the other two! Matrix! Try to restrain Gruffold! Barn! Thumbs up for the much appreciated sniping. Try and injure Gruffold as much as you can and NOW!"]

["Lead... huff huff...er... I... haaaaahh...haaaaahh... can't continue much longer..."]

It was Sephir. He had actually more than pulled his weight. Jeryl had already expected that, so he didn't mind.

["Rest for minute and join us quickly!"]

["Leader, you told us to deal with Gruffold but what are you gonna do?"]

Jeryl smirked when he saw the thing that was heading in his direction.

The sword Nahem was there to protect its struggling master. 's effect would last only for about ten more seconds, within which they would have to believe able to inflict a serious wound on Gruffold. So Jeryl was there to take care of the sword.

The sword launched itself at him, a standard vertical downward blow. But the wind pressured Jeryl's hands from two sides, forcing to block it instead of parrying it. The impact was strong and deep. Unlike its master, Nahem was not arrogant in the least.

It smoothly manoeuvred, making Jeryl wonder whether some invisible wind avatar was actually wielding it or not. It coiled up like a spring and let out a sharp thrust. Lightning fast!!

Jeryl gathered his dark element aura and condensed5 him around the predicted point of impact. It was impossible to dodge, he could only block it. At the last moment, his prediction turned wrong. It changed its course, heading right towards his eye, ready to pierce through his brain.

"Shit!" inwardly cursing, Jeryl brought the flat sides of dagger near his eye and tried to condense as much aura as he could to soften the impact. He even reinforced his eye.

[Losing an eye is okay, but I absolutely can't die here!]

As he racked his brain to think of a plan to defend himself, time ran out.

Along with the sound resembling breaking glass, he felt an unbearable stinging pain in his right eye and its vision was cut off.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!"

Jerking his head backwards, he screamed in pain. But he heard another scream of pain at the same moment.

It was Matrix. He was bloodied all over.

"Oh."

It all became clear to Jeryl. Even while facing an enemy as dangerous as Gruffold, though significantly injured, Matrix had cast a barrier right near his eye. That explained the sound of the breaking glass. Matrix's quick decision making skill was truly strong. Due to his timely assist, Jeryl was still living.

On the contrary, Barn's condition was much better.

Jeryl decided to shift his attention to his battle. Warmth flowed down his right cheek, his blood of course, his body covered in small cuts and wounds, his mind more calm than ever.

"I need to destroy this fucking core."

He muttered to himself while looking at the gem on Nahem's handle.

The sword resumed assault. This time, all the segments of the blades detached and started floating in the air, attacking him from all directions. The string was acting like a whip. Aside from attacking, it was also trying to restrain him to leave him open to the floating blades. Soon, Jeryl again found his back being pushed against the wall. He heard the anguished screams of Barn and Matrix too. Gruffold had regained total control of his body. There was no chance of them surviving his onslaught.

"Even when four of us are here... we are still losing?!

He bitterly bit his lips. Right then he widened his eyes.

["Sephir! Are you done resting!"]

["Of course I have. And I am charging to fire a sure fatal shot at Gruffold."]

Hope was still on their side.

"Haha!!!"

With renewed vigour, Jeryl continued his battle with Nahem.