Ivish and Nereid circled each other. Nereid's stance was low, his sword poised with a calm but fierce precision, while Ivish moved lightly.
Nereid moved first, lunging forward swinging his sword. Ivish ducked low, feeling the blade pass just inches above her head. In one swift motion, she brought her own blades up, aiming for his neck, but Nereid's left hand rose to meet her attack, catching her blade against his forearm. She felt her dagger collide with something hard and unyielding—the reinforced armor embedded in his forearm.
For a split second, Ivish's surprise showed in her widened eyes, and Nereid didn'twaste that opportunity. His right fist came around in a brutal punch, his armored knuckles colliding with her face with a sickening crunch. Ivish staggered back, feeling the warm trickle of blood from her nose, her vision blurring momentarily from the impact. Yet she didn't falter, her gaze sharpening, steely resolve returning as she wiped the blood from her nose with a swift, disdainful gesture.
She barely took a breath before she launched herself at him again. As she neared him, she tossed one of her steel spheres low, rolling it under Nereid's legs with a flick of her wrist. Nereid's eyes tracked it, but the device activated too quickly; a field of dense, gravitational pull erupted from the ball, anchoring him in place. The gravity field was like an invisible net, dragging him toward the ground, each movement he tried to make feeling as if he were wading through a swamp of thick pressure.
Ivish didn't waste a moment. She slipped around him, raising her daggers with the intent to strike. But Nereid, pinned though he was, managed to bring his forearm up just in time, catching her blades again against the hardened armor. He then swung his sword backward, aiming blindly in her direction.
But Ivish was faster. She anticipated the move and ducked, twisting her body with agile grace as her daggers slashed across his stomach. She felt the blade bite into fabric and flesh, a satisfying resistance before blood began to stain his clothes. She aimed higher, this time angling her dagger toward his neck, but once again, his armored forearm came up, deflecting the strike with practiced ease.
In counterattack, Nereid extended his free arm toward her, his fingers splayed as a concentrated pulse of energy began to gather in his palm. Ivish's instincts kicked in, and she brought both daggers up in front of her, bracing for impact. But the blast sent her skidding backward across the ground, her feet struggling to find traction as the force carried her nearly twenty paces away.
Her balance faltered for a moment, her breath coming in quick, shallow bursts as she steadied herself, but she didn't lose her resolve. Nereid, meanwhile, glanced down at the bleeding cut on his stomach, his expression barely shifting as he acknowledged the damage. Without taking his eyes off Ivish, he brought his sword down into the sphere generating the gravity field, driving the blade into the device with controlled force. The sphere shattered, the gravitational pull dissipating instantly, freeing him from the field's invisible grasp.
The two combatants exchanged a silent look, both breathing heavily, each weighing their next move.
Not far behind them, Eyvind was standing with raised staff. With a swift gesture, he directed his summoned warriors forward.
Yet each time he felled one of Ivish's creatures, it didn't stay down for long. Unless they were completely obliterated, the remnants of their bodies seemed to twitch, to writhe. He watched with a mix of horror and fascination as the severed limbs of one creature began to move, dragging themselves across the ground to another fallen mutant. The bodies merged, fusing together in a grotesque, unnatural process that created larger, stronger versions of the original mutants.
Eyvind's eyes narrowed as he watched the "multi-mutants" rise from the ground, grotesque amalgamations of the bodies he'd already slain.
Eyvind cast a spell, summoning a concentrated orb of dark energy above his head. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the orb hurtling toward one of the mutants, watching as it exploded upon impact, disintegrating the creature entirely. This time, no body parts were left to fuse, the energy reducing the mutant to a fine ash. But this spell wan not enough to stop giant mutants that fised from multiple other mutants.
The fused mutant was getting closer to Eyvind. Its body was a pulsating mass of flesh and bone, with countless eyes blinking erratically from every angle, each one tracking the movement of Eyvind's spectral warriors as they encircled it. Limbs protruded from random points across its body, some ending in claws, others in massive fists, and others yet in twisted, jointless arms that dragged against the ground as it lumbered forward. It moved slowly, its entire body shuddering with each step as if struggling to carry the weight of its own monstrous mass, but the power within its frame was undeniable. Each footfall sent vibrations through the ground, cracks spidering out from where it stepped.
Eyvind closed his eyes briefly, focusing his energy inward as he prepared for an incantation. Magic welled up around him, shimmering tendrils of dark energy swirling at his feet as he began chanting in a low, rhythmic tone.
Then, with a swift motion of his staff, Eyvind cast a boost spell upon himself, his aura flaring brighter as the spell took hold. His speed and precision sharpened, the power amplifying his magical control, and he raised his hands once more, calling forth multiple orbs of flame. The small, flickering flames hovered in the air, shimmering like embers, each one radiating a faint warmth. With a flick of his wrist, the orbs began to spin, each flame becoming a miniature cannon as it sent fireballs toward the hulking mutant with unrelenting force. Each fireball streaked through the air, crackling as it collided with the creature's flesh, bursting on impact and sending bits of scorched skin and muscle flying.
But the fused mutant pressed forward, unyielding even under the constant barrage. It raised one massive fist, swatting at the fireballs that scorched its limbs and torso, but the fireballs were relentless. Each flame orb would shrink slightly after launching a fireball, its glow fading until it eventually winked out, only for Eyvind to summon new ones, maintaining a continuous volley.
Eyvind's spectral warriors advanced on the monster, their armor gleaming faintly in the firelight as they moved in synchronized formation. They flanked the giant mutant, splitting into groups that surrounded it from all sides. Each warrior struck with precision, their swords finding gaps between the creature's protruding limbs, slicing through its unnatural form with a cold efficiency. Despite their ethereal nature, Eyvind's undead soldiers moved with practiced coordination. The mutant swung its massive arms in a wide arc, but the warriors ducked and evaded with seamless movements, darting back to deliver another calculated strike.
"Protect me," Eyvind's voice cut through the night as he directed his command to Nereid. Nereid nodded, positioning himself directly between Eyvind, Ivish, and any remaining small mutants.
Ivish's eyes narrowed, her gaze shifting between the colossal mutant battling Eyvind's summons and Nereid standing firmly in her way. She darted forward intending to strike interrupt Eyvind's spell before it was cast.
Nereid, however, wasn't trying to defeat her in outright combat this time, but rather to block her every move, playing a deliberate game of interference to keep her from reaching Eyvind. Ivish's movements were swift, but each attack was met with a calm, controlled parry. Nereid's armor absorbed the brunt of her slashes, his forearms blocking any attack that aimed for his unprotected areas.
Ivish in a burst of movement, swung low, her foot sweeping out to knock Nereid's legs from beneath him. He stumbled, momentarily off balance, his footing faltering just enough for Ivish to see an opening. Without hesitation, she drew several small daggers from her belt, launching them toward Eyvind with expert precision.
But Nereid's laughter echoed through the night, cutting through her momentary satisfaction. "That's pointless," he scoffed, his voice laced with a mocking edge as he steadied himself.
The daggers flew straight toward Eyvind. But as they neared him, a shimmering barrier appeared, deflecting them harmlessly aside. Eyvind's incantation continued uninterrupted, his eyes closed in utter concentration. The barrier was no active spell; it was a passive defense, a technique Eyvind had honed over years of magical mastery, a protective ward that activated whenever an attack came near him. Ivish's irritation was evident in the way she muttered a sharp "Tsk."
Behind Nereid, Eyvind's incantation rose in volume, his voice carrying through the battlefield, each syllable thick with arcane weight. The glow surrounding him intensified, casting long shadows over the surrounding street. Meanwhile, the orbs of fire continued their relentless assault on the mutant, which had begun to show signs of strain, patches of charred flesh peeling away to reveal bone and sinew beneath. Yet still it advanced, each fireball impact slowing its movement but failing to stop it entirely.
The colossal mutant swayed slightly, then let out a guttural roar that shook the air around it. With a massive, twisted arm, it swung at the spectral warriors, attempting to crush them beneath its weight, but the warriors moved with coordinated precision, splitting apart and reforming around the creature. One spectral warrior took advantage of the creature's slow recovery from a missed strike, driving its sword deep into one of the creature's numerous eyes, the blade sinking with a sickening squelch. The mutant recoiled, swinging wildly, but the undead soldier had already retreated, another warrior moving in to slash at its exposed side.
The monster struggled to keep up with the constant assault. It was strong—each swing of its limb had the force to crush stone, and it managed to smash several spectral warriors to shimmering dust. The creature's own movements, while powerful, were slow, labored, its body unable to match the spectral warriors' speed and agility.
Under the barrage of fireballs and strikes, the mutant's flesh began to show more damage. Holes and gashes covered its body, revealing thick, pulsing muscle beneath, charred black in places by Eyvind's relentless fire. Yet it continued forward, driven by some blind, instinctual desire to reach Eyvind.
The mutant took another step, its body jerking as another fireball burst against its torso, flames licking up its side. The creature swayed, but it continued forward, dragging itself through the barrage, of flames.