Quaiesse smiled when hearing Akeno's offer, a cold sweat running down his body. In these past few minutes, his feelings on the situation felt like it went for a rough wyvern ride. First, he resolved for his death, then felt elated from his sudden evolution, now at the end, looking up at the floating figure with his last teammate literally crumbling behind him, a sense of cathartic humour started bubbling inside him.
Yet, even as he felt the metaphorical axe hovering just above his neck, ready to fall, Quaiesse clung to his purpose. His mission and the shared resolve with Divine Chant were etched into his very being. And so, despite the overwhelming odds and the tightening noose around him, he gave the only response his heart allowed.
"Unfortunately, I will be declining your offer. [Wardwyn] bring her down. [Gardian orc] take Divine Chant and move back from here." Quaiesse ordered throwing down his last High-Lv summon.
The light of the summoning acted as a flash making Akeno turn her eyes away for a second, as he hoped. Feeling more confident about the plan, Quaiesse gave his mental command.
The ground beneath Akeno bulged unnaturally, the earth pulsating as if something monstrous was clawing its way out. Then, with a violent burst, thick, sinewy green vines erupted like a hail of daggers, coiling around her ankles, and holding her in place.
Her amused smile faded into a sharp, dispassionate frown, the sudden, invasive sensation ending her composed demeanour. Instinctively, her left hand shot forward—dragging the entangling vines with it—as arcs of lightning crackled to life through her fan, poised to sever the restraints.
But before her lightning severed the vines, an oppressive weight slammed down upon her. Reacting instantly, she amplified her flight spell, a surge of mana coursing through her to counteract the crushing force, negating the pressure from above. However, this manoeuvre came at a cost—her enhanced flight spell locked her in a stalemate against the gravitational pull, halting any further movement.
"Ha, it worked," Quaiesse murmurs under his breath, a flicker of triumph crossing his otherwise strained expression as the sensation of his magic successfully envelops Akeno. As a summoner, he had never possessed such a spell before; this newfound ability being added to his arsenal temporarily from the boon granted by Divine Chant's miracles. Despite this, the accomplishment feels hollow, their combined efforts proving insufficient to do more than momentarily hinder the raven-haired.
Akeno meets their efforts with nothing but a disdainful frown. "Quite a neat combo trick. If you pulled this to someone outside of Nazarick they would be on the ground, face first. Then your newly summoned monster can finish them off. Am I right?" Akeno asks, her face betraying her playful tone.
"Haha, I see my intentions were seen, especially after it failed to perform adequately. But it still manages to achieve the minimum goal of capturing you." Quaiesse replied with a plastered smile.
***************************
Akeno's expression shifted into a calm, pleasant facade, masking her unwavering confidence to swiftly escape from her current restraints and put an end to this charade. If her hands were restrained, she would simply rely on her other abilities. Electricity began coursing over her body, crackling like restless serpents as she prepared to blast the vines apart.
Suddenly, her senses flared. A sharp presence descended from above, forcing her eyes skyward.
A fire demon was plummeting toward her, clad in light armour that glowed with fiery embers. His blade angled like an axe that would split a log in half as it descended to her head. Forgoing surprise, Akeno moved on instinct, snapping her fan into position and swinging it upward to intercept the demon's blazing attack.
The demon, had a medium athletic build, exuding an air of both power and agility. His red skin glistened under the moonlight, contrasting sharply with his deep black eyes that seemed to flicker with an inner fire. Short, fiery red hair crowned his head, adding to his fierce appearance. Four magnificent wings, ablaze with ethereal flames, unfurled from his back, each beat sending waves of heat into the air around him. He is clad in lightweight knight's armour that seems to be designed for speed and mobility above protection. In his hands, a sword that glimmered menacingly is gripped tightly, digging down to bisect the flimsy fan that is stopping him from fulfilling his master's command.
'Is he the one that was summoned? How could I have not noticed him going above me?'
Akeno's flight spell was losing its altitude fast, being pulled down by three forces. Seeing that this was a losing battle, she made a quick decision to at least not get pinned down.
Extending her free hand with precision, Akeno aimed directly at the fire demon's gut, activating her [Lightning] spell with a mental command. A streak of vivid purple lightning burst forth, crackling through the air with deadly intent.
The demon, however, anticipated her attack with unnerving swiftness. Twisting his body mid-descent, narrowly evaded the crackling bolt, the faint glow of his armour catching the light as he flipped backwards. In one fluid motion, he used Akeno's own body as a foothold, his armoured boot pressing against her shoulder to launch himself away. The force of the manoeuvre sent Akeno hurtling downward, her fall accelerating as the weight of her restraints and the demon's calculated movement added to her momentum.
*Boom*
A poom of dust lightly covered where Akeno's fell. Her disgraceful figure sprawled in an unsightly way. Seeing this Quaiesse almost looked away in respect. He didn't though and he was grateful for it. Akeno's face which always had a condescending glint, turned furious as waves of murderous intent burst off her.
A plume of dust rose gently where Akeno had crashed, settling over the ground like a mocking veil. Her figure lay sprawled in a most unsightly and undignified manner, the elegance she so often exuded utterly shattered. Quaiesse, standing nearby, instinctively averted his gaze in a show of respect—or perhaps pity—but stopped himself, his gut telling him to be cautious, and for that, he was unexpectedly grateful.
As the dust began to clear, Akeno's face came into view. Gone was her ever-present, condescending glint; in its place was a mask of unbridled fury. Her eyes burned with rage, and the air around her seemed to thrum with danger as waves of murderous intent radiated from her.
Quaiesse forces down his instinctive scream and swiftly resumes his attack. Sharp icicles form around his extended hand, glinting ominously before being launched like buckshot toward Akeno. Beside him, [Wardwyn] follows suit, summoning crescent blades of wind and sending them hurtling forward. The projectiles streak through the air in unison, their aim precise and unyielding.
Realizing she can't evade in time with the vines still anchoring her, Akeno abandons the thought of escape. Her fingers spark with sudden intensity as she conjures an area-of-effect spell.
A ball of lightning manifested above her head, and then as if instantly filled with air, it expanded. The ball turned into a cage, expanding around Akeno as the centre. The lighting bars numbering 6, each thick as a metal pole, cut the vine and intercepted the icicles. The lightning shattered the ice with its touch and expanded forward towards its true target. This unstoppable crawl however stop it reached a few feet away from Quaiesse. It was suddenly repealed as if hitting an unmoveable force.
A sphere of lightning materializes above Akeno's head, swelling outward as though inhaling a massive breath. In a flash, it reshapes into a cage, six searing bars of energy radiating outward with Akeno at its heart. The electrified poles, thick as iron beams, slice effortlessly through the binding vines, freeing her in an instant.
The unrelenting overflow intercepts the arriving icicles, breaking them into harmless shards with a piercing crackle. It crept forward, like a wave of death heading at Quaiesse. However, just as it approaches him, the crackling energy comes to a sudden halt, repulsed by an invisible, immovable force, and disperses into the air with a piercing hiss.
Akeno's eyes widened in surprise as her lightning was effortlessly repelled. Her body twisted gracefully as she evaded the follow-up attack with fluid precision. Her gaze sharpened, flicking to the unseen barrier that had nullified her power. 'Was that what blocked my earlier spell too?' she thought, her mind racing. 'If it can withstand an 8th-tier attack, keeping the surroundings intact might be impossible.'
The flare of her fury dimmed, giving way to calculated focus. Her eyes scanned Quaiesse's vicinity, scrutinizing every detail, and her lips curved into a knowing smile.
*************************
Seeing his 7th-tier magic easily countered by his opponent Quaiesse bit his lips in frustration. He was hoping that would end her or at least damage her heavily, but she only came out with a little cut on her thigh.
'Dame it, now what do I do? And what was that spell just now, I would have died if this barrier was not present.'
Quaiesse is a summoner and though he had insight and understanding of spells above an average sorcerer, that was his limit. Even with the increased amount of mana and the new knowledge he gained, he still lacks the innate understanding of a caster. And that deficit became fatal in magic battles of such a level.
His mind raced, grasping for options. Summoning more minions seemed like the logical solution. With his newfound knowledge, he could potentially unleash even more devastating creations. But reality hit him like a blow to the chest—he was out of summoning catalysts. The demon he had conjured earlier was his last, the strongest he had ever brought forth. Now, his arsenal was reduced to strengthening magic, but even that was redundant as Divine Chant's buffs had already pushed his summons to their physical limits.
The weight of his predicament settled heavily on him. He was left with spells he barely understood, facing an opponent whose abilities dwarfed his own. Frustration clawed at him, his fists clenching tightly at the bitter truth. The only thing keeping him from utter defeat was the barrier in front of him—a fragile reprieve against the inevitable. And he knew all too well... it wouldn't hold forever.
He continues to eye Akeno as she blocks another strike from the demon, following it up with a quick shot of pressurised air that she had set up beforehand. At the same time, a fire burned the sharp branches that suddenly sprouted behind her, an attack from the [Wardwyn] beside him.
This stalemate has been going on for a few minutes now, but they have yet to score a decisive blow. Granted, she has not caused any considerable damage to their side, but that is only a matter of time, especially if she meets up with the one who is fighting the most of his summons.
That is another reason he cannot concentrate fully on the fight in front of him. Due to the miracle that let the summons exchange their thoughts, their battle prowess and coordination became unmatched. But it also came with a devastating side effect, one that he caught too late.
Their sense of fear and any negative emotions are also shared through that same connection. This was a major demerit in a battle, especially if the opponent was someone who could kill your forces single-handedly. Even if they could have whittled down the opponent's stamina via numbers, all the fear felt by the dying comrades was like a poison, slowing down their actions with doubt and regret. The opponent slowly becomes a figure that is unwinnable. This has even affected him to an extent, as he also shares their mental connection.
'I didn't even experience it first-hand but if I am feeling it this much….. I don't know if I can even fight that monster when it finally shows up here. Shit….Shit….shit… if only we can deal with this one here before then.'
Amidst the storm of his mental anguish, an idea finally struck Quaiesse. It was reckless, desperate—a last gamble. But hesitation anchored him. Could he bring this to Divine Chant? Even if it succeeded, he would almost certainly die, and worse, Divine Chant might not escape unscathed either.
The thought gnawed at him, but the hesitation didn't last long. He clenched his jaw, steeling himself. First, he resolved, 'I'll confirm the plan's validity with her. After that… I'll figure out the rest.'
With that, he reached out, opening the mental link to Divine Chant.
"Dc can you hear me?"
After several seconds of silence, a raspy voice, like someone was peeling off the skin of dried trees, echoed in his mind.
"….Yes Quaiesse, I hear you. I am sorry but I need a little more time to recover my power then…"
He couldn't believe the other side was Divine Chant, making him almost turn around to check. He was reminded of her current state: dried and crumbling. Guilty thoughts creep into him. 'Am I about to ask for more from her….even after she sacrifices so much already', but beating it down he continued.
"I… I wanted to ask if that power is limited to buffing and defence?"
"…..No, it's possible to use it offensively as well."
"Good, then we might be able to win this fight… Divine Chant, I think I understand how the item's power works. But… will you still be okay after using it for an attack?" Quaiesse's voice was firm, but the lingering worry laced his words.
The silence that followed was suffocating. It pressed against him, amplifying the sound of his thudding pulse in the stillness. He clenched his fists, beginning to regret the question. Had he doubted her resolve by asking? Just as the weight of his thoughts began to crush him, her voice broke through.
"This item [[Dress of Heaven's Command] enables me to temporarily give tangible effects to any words I say. But this power is meant for the Gods and our mortal bodies can't endure the backlash. I, like my predecessor must sacrifice an equivalent price for the words we speak." Divine Chant said softly, her tone not wavering even with the implications of her words.
"I understand." That is all Quaiesse can say. He has felt her resolve once again. 'Guess I was the one that was weaving and maybe I was projecting that to her…..'
"Ok. Here is the plan." Quaiesse declared resolutely, targeting himself as much as to her.