[Author's Note: Hey, everyone! Damian here! Remember how I said I'm on hiatus? Well, I'm back because my vacation plans were scrapped. So, after finishing my part-time job, I have a lot of free time on my hands. I'll do my best to pump out two to three chapters a week for August before continuing my usual one chapter a week. As always, thank you, everyone, for your continual support, and I apologize for the short chapter from last time. I wanted to start a chapter dedicated to the fight scene you're about to witness since I haven't done one in five chapters. This will officially be my second fight scene in the series. I hope some of you'll take the time to write down a 150-word review. It helps me out a lot. With that said, enjoy!]
3rd Person POV:
"Oh, how marvellous! It makes my whole body tingle!"
With that last sentence, Charles' patience and reasoning finally snapped.
*SWOOSH!*
Charles swung his greatsword underhand with tremendous force, creating a large, golden, crescent shockwave imbued with mana at Headmaster Medea.
Sensing the danger and power behind that attack, the previously lazy and provocative headmaster became alert and cast a spell.
"Misty Step."
The moment the attack was about to hit, Headmaster Medea disappeared into a cloud of mist.
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
The attack passed through the spot Headmaster Medea was previously and left a trail of destruction in its wake, completely demolishing the couch and ploughing through several bookcases containing chained-up forbidden tomes and grimoires that found themselves free of their shackles thanks to Charles' attack.
As thanks, they leaped out of their bookcases and started wreaking havoc in Headmaster Medea's grand library/office. Flying about everywhere and constantly firing off spells that destroyed more parts of the library, and setting free more forbidden tomes and grimoires that contributed to more destruction and the emancipation of their brethren.
Of course, a potential uprising against the world by formerly imprisoned books on the dark arts isn't what we're here to see. Even if it's funny seeing books, spellbooks, grimoires, texts, and the like shouting "Seig Heil!" to a particular red book with a little toothbrush moustache would be hilarious to read about.
No, we are here for only one moustache, the great handlebar moustache that belongs to Charles!
Let us then get back on track with the story.
(Great, an assassin-type opponent. They're one of the most annoying beings to deal with alongside necromancers and immortals.)
[Author's Note: Immortals do not equal Gods. It refers to opponents with high regeneration or a constitution that makes it hard to keep them permanently dead.]
Using his experience, Charles quickly backed himself against a wall so that no surprise attacks could come at him from behind.
(Now, where will she be attacking from?)
Charles closed his eyes in concentration, and several seconds passed before his eyes opened with the eyes of an eagle locked down on its target.
(There!)
Several blades of wind attacked Charles from the right. In response, Charles summoned swords made of pure, colourless mana to counter the attack.
As the attacks collided, Charles' surroundings suddenly became covered in a thick fog and mist.
*CLANG!*
Charles sensed the attack aimed at his head from his left and blocked it with his greatsword.
Pushing back the attack, our dashing old protagonist dispersed the fog with a powerful gust of wind magic.
The dispersed fog revealed Headmaster Medea holding a simple-looking, violet-blue spear with both her hands and in a stance with her spearhead tilted downward.
"Oh, wow! I didn't expect you to be able to react to that!"
"I thought that I had to stop right before my attack hit. It seems an old dog like you know a lot of tricks!"
"Ever heard the phrase, "Respect your elders?" It seems like you sure haven't."
"Pffft! Hahaha! For your information, my age is in the triple digits. Seeing how you're still a human, you must be only past half a century! Based on that logic, shouldn't you be the one licking my boots and calling me mommy?"
"Don't pretend you weren't begging for me to-"
*Ahem!*
"for attention earlier!"
"Hahaha! It looks like someone's still retained a prepubescent virgin boy's mindset despite being old!"
"Sheesh, are age jokes the only thing you can come up with? It sounds like someone might be secretly sensitive about that topic. Is that why your face is always covered with smoke? To hide your wrinkly old skin?"
"Hey! At least I'm not the one using that stupid-looking mop on your lips to hide my face! I would die of shame if I had a moustache like that!"
"Alright! I put up with your antics long enough! It's time for someone to knock some discipline into your head!"
*Giggle!*
"I doubt you can get within two feet of me before I send your old *ss flying."
"The only one flying will be your soul going to heaven once I send you to kingdom come!"
"Well, let's see who's right, shall we?"
"Bring it on!"
After the short exchange of insults, the first one to make a move was Headmaster Medea, who used Misty Step to leap/(teleport?) into the air and create several dozen blue magic circles.
"Water Spear Barrage."
The magic circles shot hundreds of three to six-foot-long spears of condensed water flying at high speeds toward Charles.
"Hmph, child's play."
Unfazed by the spears, Charles chanted a spell, and several large, golden magic circles formed a domed barrier.
"Aegis."
The spears crashed against the barrier head-on, and with a loud misty and smokey explosion, the spears imploded upon contact, simply not having enough power to penetrate Charles' barrier.
"Hmph, a few dozen water spears isn't enough to break my barrier."
Headmaster Medea didn't bother responding to Charles' provocation as she suddenly disappeared in a cloud of fog and mist before reappearing in front of Charles' barrier, poised to strike.
"Vortex Strike."
Large amounts of water suddenly appeared and swirled around the endpoint of Headmaster Medea's spear.
Headmaster Medea drove her attack against the golden barrier, creating a crack on its surface. Mere moments later, the golden barrier shattered into countless golden shards that dissipated.
"Ho, not bad. You concentrated your attack on the weakest point of my barrier, correct?"
Just like before, Headmaster Medea didn't respond to Charles.
(Hmm, I think I know what's going on here. Truly like an assassin.)
(I could end the fight right here and now, but I want to assess the full extent of her abilities properly with my own eyes.)
With the barrier destroyed, Headmaster Medea continued her relentless attack.
Thrust after thrust.
Jab after jab.
Stab after stab.
Charles blocked them all.
The back-and-forth between the two grew so intense that their attacks became nothing more than blurs.
Eventually, for who knows how long their exchange went, Headmaster Medea decided to end the fight.
Leaping back, she jumped into the air, forcing Charles to look directly at her with his head tilted upward.
(Hmph, not a bad tactic. If we were fighting out in the open in broad daylight, I would have my focus momentarily obstructed by the sun blinding my eyes. Unfortunately, since there aren't any overly bright lights hung on the ceiling that my eyes can't tolerate, I can exploit her restricted movement in the air. Assuming she doesn't have flight powers, that is. If she does have flight powers, this will make the battle tricky.)
(Also, she needs to consider a change of underwear. It's only one slip away from revealing-)
(How should I put this?)
(The Promised Land of men's dreams. Yes, that is one way to put it.)
While Charles was contemplating the best way to describe a women's "sacred parts."
Headmaster Medea charged up for her final attack that'll decide the outcome of this battle.
"Let's see what you are truly made of, Otherworlder."
After saying that, she unleashed her most powerful move yet.
"Cocytus."
Suddenly, different parts of her spear began to glow as they transformed into magic circles of varying shades of blue.
With the appearance of those circles. The library/office floor was covered with ice, which locked Charles' feet in place while fog and mist filled the air, and drops of rain and slow fell from who knows where and impaired Charles' vision.
(Goodness, that's some advanced Water Magic Techniques. It is also very ingenious of her to combine it with Ice Magic to create this frozen floor that'll cause opponents to have restricted movement. Truly ingenious. This reminds me of Ceratos, the Great Mage of Ice. If they met, they would get along nicely as one is a womanizer while the other is constantly in heat.)
As Charles continued his inner monologue, the space above Charles was suddenly cleared of fog, mist, rain and snow as a large shadow loomed over him.
...
"That's a ridiculously large spear."
The thing that loomed over him was indeed a spear.
But not just any spear.
It was a several hundred-foot-long, giant, glowing blue spear covered in indecipherable runes and symbols of various sizes.
What's more shocking was the person who created that spear, Headmaster Medea, was holding onto the oversized weapon mid-air.
"Poseidon's Wrath."
The giant blue spear. Already intimidating and full of destructive power, reached a new height as the image of a giant, ghostly, translucent, blue, bearded man wearing a crown appeared holding Headmaster Medea's spear.
Together, they hurled the spear at Charles like an Olympian would with a javelin.
The spear collided with the immobile Charles head-on.
A large explosion followed, and all that remained was a large crater in the middle of the library/office with Charles lying in the center, unconscious.
Or, that's what Headmaster Medea expected to happen.
"WHAT!?"
Indeed, after the spear hit Charles head-on, an explosion occurred, and a crater formed.
However, Charles remained standing and was holding the giant spear with his right, gauntlet-covered arm.
"Hmph, not a bad move."
"But you'll need more power than that to defeat me, Charles Integra, the Sword of Ishta."
"Since you've displayed your powers, allow me to show you mine."
As he was speaking. Charles' eyes glowed bright gold before his body became enveloped in a golden aura.
Then, the figure of a blindfolded woman, much larger than the ghostly water god Headmaster Medea conjured, appeared. With her flowing white robes, large angelic wings and a longsword with its guard in the form of a pair of scales. She looked like the Goddess of Justice incarnate.
The golden woman, Justice, we'll call her, raised her sword overhead in a position about to strike, waiting for the signal.
Charles leisurely took his time and imitated the stance of Justice.
Headmaster Medea, witnessing everything, remained standing where she was.
After all, how does one fight against Justice itself?
Witnessing the majestic figure, she fell to her knees, weeping silent tears and recalled the story of her life and everything she did.
She was an ordinary little girl living in a small humble village with her parents.
Although she was bullied sometimes for her unusual magic.
Then one day, the feudal lord of the land visited and became smitten with her beauty.
Forcibly taken away from her parents, she was locked away in the noble's manor until a hero came to free her.
Falling in love with the hero, the young girl became his travelling companion for many years until she was one day sold into slavery by the very man she loved because of her useless magic.
Years passed, and the young girl (now a woman) was broken out of her captivity for a second time. This time, she was saved by a group of witches who saw potential in her magic and trained her into a deadly assassin.
With her newfound powers, the burning desire for revenge against her ex and seething hatred against nobles. She set out on a killing spree.
At first, she only killed targets of her wrath. Those who are guilty of crimes punishable by death and rescued those who fell into a similar situation as her.
But all that changed once she encountered her ex.
Years after the hero left her, he retired and married another woman and started a happy family.
Seething with hatred and revenge, she barged into his home and held him and his family captive.
The hero, not recognizing her, thinking she was just an ordinary criminal, pleaded for his life and offered to give up his valuables.
Enraged, the woman wanted him to suffer and threw all her morals and rationalities out the window and began to commit unspeakable acts of horror on his family.
The hero, nothing more than a shell of his former glory and power could only watch as the woman destroyed his family, wife, children, and grandchildren. All dead and in pieces on the floor.
It was only after he was in his dying moments did he finally recognize who the woman was.
But it was far too late for him to apologize and beg for forgiveness.
Just like what happened to his family, what's done is done.
On that night, something snapped in the woman.
She began to relish in the sorrows of others.
She loved the looks of despair on their faces as they begged for her to spare their loved ones.
From that point on, she wouldn't just kill her targets. She would butcher them and their families in the most gruesome way possible, slowly and painfully.
This senseless violence went on for decades until someone finally opened her eyes to what she did.
When she realized, with horror, the pain she unjustly inflicted on others.
She wished for death.
It was only thanks to her friend and the gift they left her that she was able to cling to life.
Several decades more passed and just as she thought her life would continue peacefully.
Her past finally caught up to her.
Now she stood before God as he laid his verdict upon her.
"Judgement"
With one word, the sword of God came crashing upon her.
And everything in her vision became white.
She didn't know how long passed, but when she came about, she found herself on her knees and still alive.
And a hand was stretched out to her.
A white-gloved hand.
"You look like you could use some help."