Lucas's Pov:
As my sword sliced through the air with ferocious speed, I watched as the knight's arm shot up in a desperate attempt to intercept my strike.
I felt the satisfying resistance of his armor give way, the sickening crunch of metal biting into flesh and bone. the knight's cry coming to my hears as music, his blood staining the ground beneath him as he staggered from the force of my attack.And yet he did not fall...
''WHA-'' he surged forward, his grip tightening around my throat with an iron resolve.
This bastard...
I could feel his fingers digging into the flesh of my neck, but it was useless, as I reached for the dagger concealed at my side. I drove the blade into his exposed neck, the sickening sound of flesh yielding to steel filling the air. His agonized cry was drowned out by the rush of blood as it spilled from the mortal wound, staining his armor crimson.
'' Soul projection Dyonisian Decree ''
What...
I turned on my heel, my eyes locking with Favian's . How could this be possible? It defied everything I thought I knew about the limits of magic.How could such a weak bastard change so much in not even a month?
In that moment, doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind. I searched for any sign of deceit in Favian's expression, but found none and soon my suspects were proven wrong.
From the back of Favian, a grotesque sight unfolded before my eyes. Countless horns and bones erupted from his flesh, twisting and contorting into jagged protrusions that tore through the air like deadly projectiles. With a sickening thud, they impaled the earth around us, sending clouds of dust and debris into the air.
Fear gripped my heart as I beheld the destructive power unleashed by Favian's monstrous form. Instinct screamed at me to flee, to escape the imminent danger that loomed overhead. But try as I might, I found myself rooted to the spot, unable to break free from the iron grip of the knight who held me fast.
Panic surged through my veins as I struggled against the relentless pull of fate. Every fiber of my being screamed for release, for a chance to escape the impending doom that threatened to consume us all. But no matter how much I thrashed and fought against my captor, his hold remained unyielding, a silent testament to the futility of my resistance.
''Release me you bastard!'' I shouted as I moved the dagger around, i could see his face flinching his mouth filled wth blood yet he would not move
As the horns and bones closed in around me, I felt a suffocating sense of dread wash over me like a tidal wave.
For a brief moment, it felt as though time itself had ground to a halt, the world around me frozen . I struggled against the relentless tide, but it was futile. The horns and bones were everywhere, surrounding me on all sides with no hope of escape. So this was a soul projection...
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the grip around me loosened, and I felt myself being released from the vice-like hold of my captor, soon his body too fell on the ground .
But even as I gasped for breath, I knew deep down that it was too late. The damage had already been done.....
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Favian's pov:
It was done. The moment of truth had arrived, and I had wielded my ace. Yet, I couldn't shake the weight of what it had cost me.
My gaze fell upon Roy, his form crumpled on the ground as I approached him.
"You are a true warrior, Roy," I murmured, my voice heavy with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. "Above all, you are a loyal knight." The words hung in the air, tinged with a bittersweet realization that soon he would no longer walk among us.
As his grip on lucas' neck loosened he retreated far away in fear, yet I paid him no mind soon his time would come .
I instead cradled Roy's head in my hands, his eyes fixed on the darkened sky above. The world around us had descended into shadow, illuminated only by the flickering torches that lined the walls of my creations .
Roy's gaze met mine, a silent understanding passing between us. He struggled to speak, his words choked by the blood that pooled in his mouth.
"You are the best man that ever served me," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. "Do not worry. I will look after them myself. I will ensure they miss nothing. This is my thanks to you, for you have gone above and beyond the call of duty."
A sense of peace washed over Roy, his eyes growing calm as he attempted to smile through the pain. But the effort proved too much, and all that escaped his lips was a strained grimace. With one final breath, his life slipped away, the crimson tide of blood staining my hands and face.
I made no move to wipe it away. Instead, I let it linger as a solemn tribute to Roy's courage and sacrifice. For in that moment, I knew that cleaning would undermine his actions
I tore my gaze from Roy and allowed my eyes to roam the room. No matter how many times I looked, I could never grow accustomed to the sight. The black walls were adorned with intricate golden lines, drawing my attention in every direction. Above me, elegant chandeliers hung, casting a warm glow that seemed to dance across the polished floors. . And as I took in all the opulence surrounding me, one word echoed through my mind: 'Royalty''. It was the only word that could accurately describe this grandiose display of extravagance.
My gaze snapped back to Lucas, his usual confident stance replaced with a fearful one. His head darted around frantically, expecting an attack from any direction.
Finally, his eyes landed on me and I could see the terror in them as he struggled to form words. "FAVIAN!" He called out to me, desperation evident in his voice. "I CALL FOR A TRUCE! WE HAVE BOTH SHED ENOUGH BLOOD!" He pleaded, desperate to survive.
I gave him no response as a structure made of bone materialized around my legs, lifting me off the ground.
"You really copied my design, huh?" Baalkaroth's mocking voice echoed through the chamber as he observed me sitting on a throne of bones that reached all the way up to the ceiling.
I ignored him as I focused on dealing with Lucas first, even though he spoke the truth
"Third form 'Words of Law': No one may use mana." The command rolled off my tongue and the earth trembled beneath us. With a mighty upheaval, a single hand emerged from the ground holding a bronze plate and a piece of steel.
Lucas immediately drew his dagger, pointing it towards the monstrosity before us in defense. The fool thought it was his enemy.
In one swift movement, the hand grasped the steel between its index finger and thumb and began writing on the bronze plate. Then just as quickly, it retreated back into the earth.
Lucas looked confused, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
"You stand upon my land and under my rule," I declared. "From now on, my words are law. May the sword of the executioner fall when deemed necessary by the judge."
As soon as the words left my lips, two swords appeared above us - one for each of us. Lucas wasted no time in sprinting around to give distance both to me and the sword, but no matter how fast he moved, the sword above him mirrored his every move.
The wall behind us began to shift and morph, revealing what could only be described as a tribunal. Rows of seats filled with skeleton jurors lined the room. At the highest seat sat a larger skeleton dressed in a white wig, holding a hammer and a weighing scale. It was the judge.
As the tribunal materialized before us, the bone throne upon which I sat began to tremble, its structure crumbling beneath me. With a deafening crash, it collapsed to the ground, sending me sprawling amidst the debris.
Pain shot through my body asI fell t,no matter how much I train I really seems I cannot control this....
With a determined grunt, I rose to my feet and unsheathed my sword, its sharp edge glinting in the dim light of the chamber.
My steps were measured and purposeful as I advanced towards Lucas, my gaze fixed upon him with unrelenting resolve. His eyes widened in apprehension as he stumbled backwards, his voice trembling with fear and uncertainty.
"What... What are those swords for?" he stammered, his fear palpable as he beheld the menacing blades hovering above us.
I smirked at his question
''Use your imagination you bastard,'' I muttered under my breath as I lunged forward. Despite his usual tactic of using his abilities to evade and outmaneuver me, I could see a flicker of hesitation in Lucas' eyes. He knew that whatever my ability was, it involved punishing those who dared to go against the law .
With a swift and fluid motion, I lunged forward, my sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. The clang of metal on metal echoed through the chamber as Lucas desperately raised his dagger in an attempt to deflect my strike. But he was no match for the reach and strength of my sword, which bypassed his flimsy defense and left a shallow cut on his side.
Determined to end this fight, I pressed forward with a series of rapid strikes, driving Lucas back with each blow. His defenses faltered under the relentless assault, his movements growing more frantic as he struggled to keep up. He was at a disadvantage, tired and out of breath from our previous skirmishes.
It was then that I understood the tactics of a villain - sending in minions first to tire out their opponent before facing them themselves.
With a fierce roar, he launched a counterattack, his dagger flashing through the air with deadly intent. I parried his blows with practiced ease, using my armored arm to block and smash away his feeble attempts to land a hit.
And then, seizing upon an opening, I struck with the precision of a surgeon's blade. My sword arced through the air in a lethal horizontal sweep, aiming directly for Lucas's exposed neck. The blade shimmered in the dim light of the chamber, its edge honed to perfection. But even as it came within striking distance, Lucas managed to raise his arms in defense, sacrificing one of them instead of his neck.
I watched in satisfaction as my blade cleaved clean through his unarmored forearm, severing it from the elbow , which was made possible only for the fact he was unarmored. After all, Lucas was skilled in quick maneuvers and slashes - not prolonged exchanges of blows where armor would have been beneficial. It was a fatal mistake on his part, but one he could not predict as there was no way that he could have ever thought that such a thing could have happened.
With a primal roar of agony, Lucas staggered backward, his hand instinctively clutching at the grievous wound in his arm. The intensity of his pain was palpable, reverberating through the chamber like a thunderclap, after all I too felt that just few weeks ago.
But even in his agony, Lucas refused to yield. With a defiant glare, he summoned the last vestiges of his strength, his eyes burning with a primal fury. With a burst of speed, fueled by sheer determination, he darted back, using his power to retreat from the fray.
As I watched him retreat, a smirk tugged at the corners of my lips, as apparently the fool forgot about my power less than a minute inside the fight.
Nonetheless I needed to speed up , as I could mantain this ability only for three minutes before I needed to rest and wait for my mana pool to recharge as using it required me to spend more than half of it, nonetheless the gains were too great to ignore making the cost extremely worth it.
Well let's Hope that lady luck Is with me today.....