In the midst of the battlefield's chaos, a grim sight met Damian and Iris as they raced to Adrain's aid.
Bodies of knights and chaos order members lay scattered, a scene of utter devastation. Tension hung heavy, the clash of weapons and the cries of the injured filling the air.
There was Adrain, kneeling amidst the turmoil. His cloth was ripped, and his face showed the strain of the battle. He panted heavily, struggling to stay on his feet. Facing him was the elder, a figure radiating malevolence, his fist crackling with demonic energy.
" I won't need to tell you my name since you're about to meet your end here!" the elder sneered, his fist ready to strike Adrian down.
Right before that deadly punch landed, Damian descended from Iris' boundary magic and struck his sword to intercept the attack. Their collision sent shockwaves, pushing the elder back and giving Adrain a moment's relief.
Iris descended from the gap and dashed to Adrain's side. His injuries were severe, his body bearing the weight of the relentless onslaught.
With practiced skill, she administered a healing potion, her magic intertwining with the elixir to mend his wounds and restore some of his strength. Adrian coughed, the recovery process painful yet essential. Slowly, he began to heal.
"Distract him, Damian! I'll support you from behind," Iris declared. Her magic enveloped Damian, infusing him with newfound energy. Doubt lingered in her mind, unsure if it would be enough to face the formidable foe ahead.
Breathing heavily but unwavering, Damian met the elder head-on. A clash of titans, their confrontation shook the very ground they stood on.
Though Damian was outmatched in terms of power and experience, his purpose was clear – buy time for Adrian's recovery and the arrival of reinforcements.
"Surprised you're familiar with this style too!" the elder sneered between rapid punches. Damian countered, his swordplay a fusion of Seraphine's teachings from the murim novel, channeled through Alice's insights.
Adrian's experiences had shown the limitations of this world's swordsmanship, pale compared to the depth of martial arts in the murim world. Even one of the strongest knights in the empire, like Adrian, found himself outmatched easily.
Swiftly evading and parrying, Damian's moves resembled a graceful dance on the battlefield. His technique was a flourish of artistry and defense designed to counter the powerful, relentless onslaught.
"Is it the girl named Seraphine who trained you in this art? She's indeed interesting," the elder mused amid his attacks.
He had deduced Seraphine's involvement from their intel – she had ventured into the dungeon and recovered the demonic heart.
As the elder spoke, he unleashed another powerful attack that forced Damian to stagger back a few steps. Despite Iris's supportive buff, Damian was growing weary, his breaths coming heavily.
"Count Gabel… Why are you doing this?" Damian's voice trembled with exhaustion. At the utterance of Count Gabel's name, a name that had reached Damian's ears through Iris, the elder paused his assault, a momentary hesitation in his actions.
"It appears you've uncovered my identity… I suppose the mask serves no purpose now," Count Gabel halted his attack and removed the black cloth that concealed his face. His visage, though middle-aged, contradicted his robust strength and imposing stature.
"How…?" Adrian's voice wavered in disbelief. The sight before him shattered his understanding – a trusted imperial treasurer, outwardly frail, now revealed as a formidable enemy against the empire.
"Well, this is quite the predicament," Count Gabel scratched his head, unsure of how to respond to their stunned reactions.
"Enough talk… My only objective is to silence you all, and I'll accomplish that soon enough," he declared, abruptly lunging toward Damian, poised to strike his abdomen. Damian was caught off guard, unable to react in time.
But just as Count Gabel's fist neared Damian's body, a powerful explosion engulfed the elder's side, flinging him back to his previous position.
Bang!
The source of this intervention was none other than Seraphine, who had swiftly arrived to aid Damian in his dire moment. Armed with her trusty shotgun, her shot had impacted Count Gabel, inflicting damage and temporarily halting his advance.
" How Annoying….," Count Gabel grumbled in irritation as he extinguished the flames that had licked at his clothing. The explosion, though potent, had done little to harm him.
"Seraphine! Aid Damian and hold him off!" Iris's voice resounded in Seraphine's ear through the communication device. Evidently, Iris had some strategy to counter Count Gabel's might.
"Understood, but how can we possibly restrain him? He barely flinched from my attack," Seraphine observed, her concern evident as she gauged the enemy's formidable strength.
"I'll bolster your efforts as much as possible… You don't need to inflict damage; just stall him," Iris replied promptly, conjuring another empowering spell that enveloped both Damian and Seraphine.
The surge of newfound speed and strength surged through Seraphine, an energy she had never experienced before.
"You can do this, Seraphine! Go show him what you're made of!" Iris encouraged with a thumbs-up, her optimism radiating through her words.
Empowered by Iris's magic, Seraphine drew the short sword at her hip, poised for a fierce confrontation with the enraged adversary before her.
"Do you truly believe you can impede me? Such insolence!" Count Gabel scoffed, channeling an intense surge of pure demonic energy that sent a shiver down Seraphine's spine.
The sheer potency of his aura was spine-chilling, exceeding even what Damian, still mastering his abilities, could emit.
"I'm going to educate you, you damn brat!" Count Gabel lunged from his position, hurtling towards Seraphine, who had readied herself in a battle stance. However, something was amiss. His speed seemed to dwindle, causing his advance to resemble a slow-motion sequence.
Count Gabel cast a bewildered glance at his own shadow, realization dawning upon him that it was being ensnared by multiple ominous hands, drastically decelerating his movements.
"You damn witch!" he shouted out desperately at Iris, who stood beside Adrain, engaged in casting a spell by tracing intricate magic circles on the ground.
Upon catching the flash of fury in Count Gabel's eyes, Iris responded with a derisive smile. "Go to hell, you human scum!" she jeered, further stroking his frustration.
Seizing the opportune moment, Seraphine swiftly squeezed the trigger. The shotgun unleashed a powerful explosion that struck Count Gabel straight into his face, packing a formidable punch.
" damn you...all…" Count Gabel's voice wavered, his disbelief palpable in his words.