The massive mutant had become a walking mass of twisted flesh, metal, and bones, with limbs and faces protruding at unnatural angles. As the spectral warriors attacked it the mutant absorbed each assault, only growing more dangerous as it integrated more and more mutansts.
A group of undead warriors managed to slice through the mutant's thick legs, sending the massive creature toppling forward. But as it hit the ground, the mutant's twisted body retaliated with an unnatural agility. Limbs sprouted where none should be—long arms with clawed fingers emerging from its sides and even from within its torso, latching onto the fallen warriors and ripping them apart with terrifying ease. The pieces of armor and shattered bones of Eyvind's summons were absorbed into the creature, transforming into crude weapons that jutted out from its limbs like jagged spikes.
Eyvind's fireballs continued their barrage, each explosion scorching the creature's skin, leaving charred patches and gashes. Yet, with each fireball, Eyvind's floating flames shrank. The remaining dead warriors redoubled their efforts, positioning themselves in the mutant's path, trying to slow it down as much as possible.
Eyvind's face remained impassive, though his grip on his staff tightened as he watched the last of his summoned warriors struggle to hold back the mutant. He could feel the pulse of energy building within his staff, a spell that had been charging since he first began his incantation. With one final look at the hulking creature that had dared to challenge him, Eyvind raised his staff, and he spoke. "Begone, monster."
He extended his staff forward, and a massive inferno erupted from its tip. The heat was palpable, waves of scorching energy radiating outward as the inferno collided with the mutant, engulfing it in an all-consuming blaze.
The creature let out a hideous, gurgling scream as the fire enveloped it, and the twisted remains of Eyvind's spectral warriors that it had absorbed. The fire spread outward from the mutant's body, spilling to the sides as the intensity of the spell forced the flames into a wide arc that scorched everything in its path.
Nereid, watching from his position with Ivish, grinned as he saw the flames tearing through the monster. He glanced at Ivish, his voice filled with a smug satisfaction. "Your strange summons will no longer trouble my father," he said, his tone sharp with confidence. "Soon you will regret what you did."
Ivish's lips curled into a faint smile, undeterred by his words. Her eyes held a dark gleam, her calm demeanor suggesting she was unfazed by his taunts. "Is that so?" she replied smoothly, her gaze flicking momentarily to the fiery inferno raging behind him.
The mutant, its body now reduced to smoldering pieces, began to disintegrate under the onslaught, limbs and weapons crumbling to ash as the flames consumed the last remnants of its monstrous form. But as the inferno finally died down, a pained yell split the air, cutting through the dissipating echoes of the blast.
Nereid turned, his confidence wavering as he registered the source of the scream. His heart clenched as he saw his father, Eyvind, faltering, his form rigid with shock. Behind him stood Ivish, her expression one of calm satisfaction. She stabbed Eyvind'sback with one of her twin daggers, while her second dagger was against his throat pressing just beneath his chin.
Nereid's eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced back at the Ivish he had been fighting, only to find the space empty, a faint shimmer in the air marking where she had once stood. He turned back with pale face.
Ivish's smiled. "Even the best mages, shortly after casting their most powerful spells, lose their passive abilities, and their mana sense flatters." She chuckled softly, her breath warm against Eyvind's ear as she tightened her hold, pressing the blade at his throat with a deadly calm. "I didn't even need to wait for reinforcements."
Nereid's eyes darted between his father, whose face was twisted in pain, and Ivish, who held him. "But… how?" he asked.
Ivish's eyes glinted with satisfaction as she reached into her cloak and pulled out a dagger, its blade intricately inscribed with a rune diagram. She tossed it to the ground near Nereid's feet, the dagger landing with a soft metallic clang. The rune diagram shimmered faintly in the firelight, illuminating the dark cobblestone with an otherworldly glow.
"Black market tools are interesting, aren'tthey?" she said, an amused smile curving her lips. "These rune daggers let me teleport short distances. They're difficult to make, expensive, and vanish after each use, but—" she gestured at Eyvind, her tone filled with satisfaction, "—they did their job."
Eyvind, his face tense and his voice bitter, interrupted her explanation with a sneer. "Cut the crap, Ivish. I lost, I know that. Just kill me already if you're so sure of your victory." His voice was filled with resigned fury, but beneath it, there was an underlying loyalty, one last stand for his son. "But don't think that you've won over Nereid. My son's not like me."
Ivish regarded Eyvind thoughtfully, ignoring the contempt in his voice. "There's no need for killing," she said, her tone soft yet unyielding. She shifted her gaze back to Nereid, her grip on Eyvind's shoulder tightening slightly. "Nereid, if you want your father to live, surrender now. Order your forces to stand down. You and everyone under your command will face the justice system."
Eyvind let out a harsh laugh, the sound filled with disdain. "Justice?" he scoffed, looking over his shoulder at her with a sneer. "Coming from someone as dirty as you? What a irony." His voice was filled with bitterness.
Ivish's expression didn't waver, though her eyes darkened with a hint of something more personal, something long-buried but painfully clear in that moment. "I did what I had to do. I played the game out of necessity," she said. "But now, my children are safe, and I don't need to walk down that path anymore."
Without warning, she twisted the dagger embedded in Eyvind's back, sending a fresh bolt of pain through him. He gasped, his face contorting in agony, the sudden surge of pain forcing a choked yell from his throat. Nereid flinched, his fists clenching as he watched his father writhe under her grip.
Ivish's gaze returned to Nereid, her voice low and dangerous as she issued her ultimatum. "So, what will it be, Nereid? Do you choose to let your father suffer, or will you surrender?"
For a long, agonizing moment, Nereid hesitated, his mind racing as he weighed his options. His father's eyes met his, a silent but powerful look of defiance passing between them. It was clear Eyvind was prepared to die.
With a deep, Nereid closed his eyes, the tension leaving his shoulders as he surrendered. "Fine," he said, his voice quiet but resolute. "I'll surrender."
Ivish's smile softened with satisfaction, and she reached into her cloak, pulling out a small, round object. She tossed it under Nereid's feet, the metallic ball rolling to a stop just before him.
"Use this," she commanded, gesturing to the ball with a nod.
Nereid frowned, staring down at the strange object. He crouched, picking it up cautiously, turning it over in his hand as he examined it. "What is this?" he asked, suspicion lacing his tone.
"You'll see once you activate it," Ivish replied with a cold smile.
Nereid hesitated, glancing back at his father, who met his gaze with an almost pleading intensity. "Son, you don't have to do this," Eyvind said, his voice rough but insistent. His expression softened. "You owe her nothing."
But Nereid didn't reply. He held Eyvind's gaze for a moment. Then, without another word, he activated the strange device. It clicked softly, and in an instant, the metal sphere transformed, unfurling with an unsettling organic motion. Flesh-colored tendrils emerged from its core, wrapping around Nereid's hands, binding them tightly in a way that was neither entirely mechanical nor magical. The writhing material latched onto his wrists, forming a seamless, organic gauntlet that held his hands immobilized.
Nereid's eyes widened in disgust as he looked down at the fleshy restraint. It pulsed faintly, as though it had a life of its own, its surface subtly shifting, almost as if it were breathing. He looked back at Ivish, his face twisted in revulsion.
"There were simpler ways to disarm me, you know," he muttered, his voice tinged with disdain.
Ivish's response was cold, almost clinical. "That isn't just restraint. It's a living mechanism, and if you—or anyone else—tries to force it off…" She let the implication hang in the air.
Nereid's face twisted with understanding, his eyes narrowing. "It'll attack," he finished, a faint shudder running through him as he felt the tendrils subtly tighten, as if they were aware of his thoughts.
Ivish offered no further explanation. She shifted her grip on Eyvind, adjusting the dagger still pressed against his throat, and produced another of the grotesque restraint spheres. This time, she held it up before Eyvind, her gaze locking with his as she extended her hand, the device glinting ominously in the firelight.
Eyvind glared at her. "Do what you must," he spat, his voice laced with bitterness.
With a swift motion, she pressed the device to Eyvind's wrists, activating it with a flick of her thumb. The sphere unraveled, wrapping around his hands in the same grotesque manner as it had with Nereid. Eyvind's expression remained defiant, but a faint flicker of discomfort passed over his face as the living restraint tightened around his hands, its tendrils twitching as if in anticipation.
Nereid looked at his father and felt a surge of helplessness mixed with anger.
Ivish watched them both. She had them exactly where she wanted, bound and unable to retaliate, her mission nearly complete. Her grip on Eyvind tightened as she leaned closer.
"You made this game, Eyvind," she said, a touch of satisfaction in her tone. "And now, it's over.