It came in an instant. At a speed unmatched and unseen. The Lich barely had time to react. Whatever forcefield, shielding, or barrier he once had to defend himself was shattered just a moment ago. Even if it did not, it would not have mattered.
A beam of concentrated magical energy reduced him to nothing. Nothing but ash.
The beam I conjured was half as strong as the one I used against the abomination. Regardless, it still tore through the sky behind the lich as I was aiming partly upwards, splitting the black clouds above and allowing the light of the sun to shine through.
A few unlucky black drakes were caught in its path and fell to the ground, charred and dead. The few that remained had flown away to the west from whence they came, most likely hoping that I did not pursue or smite them as I did their fellows and master.
Tempting, but no.
Instead, I cast a different spell and marked the black drakes. This way, I would know the general location of their base of operations, or resting and nesting ground. I had doubts that the drakes would lead me directly to their master. If they did, then that would just make my work easier.
I took in a heavy breath. Sensing that the Lich was no more, I flew further up into the sky and beheld the landscape below. It was dead. Death and decay in shades of brown and black for tens of kilometers. Dark magic had seeped deep into the soil and spoiled much of the natural magic in the area.
Well, it was not anything too serious or damning. A tier 9 purification spell would clean up the dark magic and restore the lands within a day's time. A tier 10 purification spell would do so instantly, but I was not about to expend that much mana and signal my presence further.
Though, to be completely fair, I had already expended a considerable amount of magic. Nothing too severe to have an effect on me in the slightest, but I reckoned it was enough to attract attention. After all, a ray of pure magical energy bursting forth against a Lich empowered by dark magic and supported from afar by a necromancer would appear like a lit beacon to any with magical sense.
Well, that assumed mages were within a hundred kilometers or so.
Remembering what I saw when I peered over this part of the continent with my enhanced senses, there was definitely a mage or two that had sensed me. Probably a hundred.
Another thing to worry about.
But, wouldn't they have noticed the undead army led by a Lich plunging the land in darkness and death?
The fact that I was unable to detect the undead before they were mere kilometers away from me suggested that I was really losing my edge. Or I had lost it already many centuries ago.
Had I really gone so soft?
Using my enhanced senses, I saw that the two magical signatures that were speeding in from the south were now a mere two kilometers away. It would only be a matter of time before they landed.
They had not changed course and were still in a direct path towards my current position. It seemed like they were using a medium for flight and had it directed on my own magical signature.
To be fair, it was a good idea. I could see that my aura was like a burning flame. A bit hard to miss.
I descended from the sky and landed near the oak tree. Frank greeted me with bow as I entered the protection of the shield ward. The ward had enveloped the tree with layered shielding. The first layer prevented anything material from going in. The second prevented the immaterial. The third prevented magic from leaking.
Dark magic had failed to penetrate through the third layer, despite how potent it was. It was a good sign that my wards were still of use. Even if it did, Frank would have immediately retreated with Zeal.
The sentinel probably would have left the cushion behind.
Somehow, I found myself thinking about an irritated or angered Zeal. What did beastkin tantrums look like? Had I even seen anything like it? It was hard to remember, or imagine even.
Zeal was still asleep atop the cushion with one leg dangling and the other somehow raised against the trunk of the oak.
I shook my head and decided to head out of the ward. With a thought, I ordered the ward to reflect the surrounding light and turn Frank and Zeal invisible, leaving only the oak tree to be seen.
I could have summoned a portal and had Frank bring Zeal home temporarily, with cushion, but the visitors were already here.
A grand entrance was expected.
What I was not expecting, however, was a glowing longsword slamming the ground in front of me with a clang while a pair of swordmaidens riding on large, glowing shields landed just behind it.
While splitting the ground with tremendous speed and force.
It was impressive, to say the least. From the looks of it, the swordmaidens had used the longsword as a medium for flight, attaching the shields via magic linking, and let the damn thing fly straight towards their target. Me.
Somehow they emerged unscathed.
But to call them swordmaidens may had been premature on my part. I was sure that they were ladies, my enhanced senses assured me such. But I could be wrong.
That said, things were different. Things should be different. I wouldn't be surprised if these female warriors armed with enchanted swords and shields, clad in white and blue plate, brimming with magic and martial skill, were known by a different name and afforded a different set of capabilities.
I could not see their faces under their covered helm, but I could feel their angry gaze nonetheless. They were also… annoyed?
The longsword removed itself from the ground and flew back into the hands of one of the swordmaidens as they stood and began walking towards me.
"There's so many bones!" I heard one of them say from behind the visor of their helm.
"It stinks of dark magic. I knew we should have intervened the moment that lich crossed the border!" The other replied.
"The Knightmaster gave us explicit orders not to." The other reminded.
That explained a lot. Why the hell would you let a Lich with an undead army slip past the border and penetrate this deep into your lands?
"And here we are, with no Lich, and this… person." The swordmaiden who owned the flying sword pointed towards me. Her tone was rather dismissive.
"Are you sure he isn't? He's standing on a pile of bones."
I looked at my feet and found that I was indeed standing on a pile of bones.
"He isn't. My sword was following a being of pure magic."
There was a short pause as the swordmaidens stared at me, inspecting me from head to toe. I took it as an opportunity to speak.
"The Lich has fallen," I said, somehow startling the swordmaidens into taking a battle posture, "And as you can see with the piles of bones scattered around, so has the rest of his army."
"Who are you?" The swordmaiden with the flying sword asked with apprehension.
I raised my chin, closed my eyes, and took in a deep breath.
I had no idea how to go about this.
"A hermit." I decided to take the proven and tested method.
The swordmaidens were not amused by my statement. I sensed magic building up from within their bodies. Please don't.
"I am of no threat." I said, trying to calm down the situation.
"You did not answer my question," The swordmaiden with the longsword said, I could feel her glare, "Who. Are. You?"
"As I said, a hermit." I said with finality.
"That's it!" The other swordmaiden exclaimed. Ignoring the protest of her companion, the swordmaiden turned into a blur, closed the distance between us, and struck out.
I saw her speed, took note of where she was swinging, and turned slightly. Her attack missed me by a few inches, slicing empty air. Unfazed by her failure, she spun around and swung for my head.
She was fast, but not fast enough. I leaned back and avoided her swing. She then tried to kick me in the groin, only for me to swipe her legs from underneath her feet.
She fell to the ground with a grunt, her sword falling into my possession. I could have let her swing hit me, but her sword was of mithril steel, second only to adamantite. It would have shattered against my barrier and lost forever.
A swordmaiden ought to be more careful and patient.
Defiant, she recovered quickly and summoned the shield she had so carelessly discarded when she attacked. A powerful throw sent the shield flying straight towards me, pointed edge aimed at my chest.
I held out a palm and cast a spell, slowing the shield to a complete halt.
"W-what?!" She exclaimed as I took her shield. Both her weapon and shield were now in my possession.
Careless. Were they amateurs? They seemed too eager and dismissive until confronted.
The now disarmed swordmaiden was about to square up with fists when her companion slapped the back of her head.
"Ow!" She said in pain.
"Idiot! What did the Knightmaster say about attacking alone and recklessly?!" She sounded more annoyed rather than angry at her companion's foolishness.
"B-but."
"Shut it! I'll deal with this. You stay behind me." And with that, the careless swordmaiden stood back as her more composed companion took her place.
However, I did not want to continue this silly fight. What were they fighting me for anyway? I said I was a hermit and there was truth it that.
"Can we not?" I finally said with mild annoyance of my own.
My words, however, fell on deaf ears.