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Chapter 16 - Clash of Shadows

The Seers surged forward like ghosts emerging from the fog, their movements quick and deadly. Weapons clashed and energies flared, filling the air with the crackle of magic and the harsh sounds of combat. Lucien steadied himself, eyes scanning the chaos around him, and took a tactical step back whenever an enemy drew too close. He had learned from experience that the best way to fight was to lure opponents into an ambush, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Drawing his dagger, he crept stealthily toward one of the Seers, whose focus was on a skirmish nearby. In a flash, Lucien lunged, driving the dagger into the man's side before he could react. A quick flick of his wrist, and he was free, pulling back into the fray. I'll save my ether for the end of the fight; that's usually when things get intense, he thought, the strategy clear in his mind.

To his left, Mar was a whirlwind of blades, slicing through the Seers with a ferocity that left Lucien momentarily awed. She dodged and weaved through the onslaught, her combat skills undeniable. Yet something struck him as odd; there was a chilling ease with which she took lives. Perhaps Solarians are accustomed to their violent ways, much like the wild creatures from my world, he pondered, contemplating the brutal reality of her existence.

His distraction cost him dearly. A Seer, unnoticed in the chaos, lunged at him with a sharp blade. Lucien barely regained his focus in time, pulling his head back as the slash grazed his eyelids, drawing blood but sparing his eye. He retreated swiftly, the man advancing with fierce determination. Without hesitation, Lucien squatted low and unleashed a concentrated blast of light, targeting the Seer's foot. The attack landed, causing the man to stumble, and in an instant, Lucien was upon him again, disarming him with a quick stab to the hand before finishing with a swift slice to his throat.

Breathless, Lucien turned and made his way toward Mar, who was in the thick of battle. His instincts screamed for caution as she almost instinctively prepared to attack him, her senses heightened. "Save your stamina and engage less," he advised, his voice firm amidst the chaos. "The fighting will get intense towards the end."

Mar nodded, understanding the wisdom in his words. She began to adjust her strategy, cutting back on reckless engagements and saving her energy for when it truly mattered.

Meanwhile, Razor was like a one-man army, a master of the battlefield. He wielded a halberd, the ball on its tip spinning dangerously as he slashed at the Seers with deadly precision. He moved fluidly, weaving between attacks like a dancer, each movement calculated and effective. As one man approached him with a blade, Razor dodged effortlessly, his body low to the ground. Another Seer attacked with a spear; Razor stepped on its shaft, using it as leverage to counterattack. He caught the first man's hand mid-swing and sent him sprawling backward.

With a fierce shout, Razor swung his halberd down, the ball spinning faster and faster. A nearby foe, realizing the danger, gasped in recognition. "It's Razor, Death's Edge!" But it was too late. The ball shot out two streaks of light, cleaving through both men in a gruesome display of raw power.

Across the battlefield, Soleli was equally impressive. He danced through the skirmish, his blade thrusting and slashing with fluid motions. As pressure began to build within his weapon, he plunged it into the ground, unleashing a shockwave of kinetic energy that disrupted the footing of several Seers. With a quick activation of his grav lifters, the black boots that they had used to ride to the location, he dashed toward his enemies, slaughtering them with a speed that left little room for retaliation.

But suddenly, the battlefield trembled beneath Lucien's feet, drawing his gaze forward. From the depths of the chaos emerged a Seer wielding massive robotic hands, towering over the remaining fighters. With a flick of its wrist, the being unleashed a devastating beam of energy across the battleground.

Lucien watched in horror as the aftermath unfolded. Out of the hundred and fifty-two combatants who had begun this fight, barely fifty remained, the rest caught in the fury of that mechanical hand. Dread coursed through Lucien's veins as he recognized the overwhelming odds they faced.