I stretched my arms, chaos ensued throughout the entirety of the hideout. While Jonah went to ADS, I asked for the leader alone.
The assistant ran off, amidst the chaos, I couldn't track their mana signature. Kept confusing it for mines. I don't know what it is about them, though. I didn't sense any remnants of that Silk Gaia potion at all in them.
But since I was facing an Ascendant-tier. Yeah, one held together by that drug of a potion.
He eyed me, and as Jonah pursued chaos against the other cloak members, which I knew he would hold his own, it was just him and I.
"Tell me," I begin.
"What do you gain from trying to sabotage the election?"
He didn't say much, just low mutters. My pointed ears twitched, try to pick up on what he was saying, but with the sound of spells being casted and explosions, I couldn't directly pick it up.
I shrugged, fine.
Have it your way.
A quick first step was all I needed. With one, I appeared behind him. Favorite set-up move to begin with. They never—ever, catch on. I was going to throw an elbow, but he read it quickly as well.
He caught it, and then clenched his hands and delivered right to my cheek. I glided back, my hand touching it slightly. Alright, that one had a little kick to it. Might've been the only time I've felt actual damage.
So, that means if you're Ascendant-tier…just like me.
I better start treating him like one, then.
He rushed towards me again, from his cloak, he wielded a dagger. Throwing it towards me, I dodged it easily. But in the same instance of the dagger passing, I looked just slightly over.
The handle…it had a branding.
Branded weapon, it has a magic spell tagged onto it.
Too late to react, the brand slowly began to glow an icy blue. Ice exploded into multiple shards quickly, just happening to skim by my skin as I jumped back.
Black fires enveloped my hand quickly, [Soulwarming]. Ice build up was fast. My shoulder was victim to the spell, and I pressed my hand against it.
Hissed against my shoulder. [Soulwarming] eating away at the cold before it locked me out of my limbs. And that just happened to be my best punching arm.
Behind me, I heard a muffled scream. Then the distinct sound of spell glyphs crackling mid-air—Jonah was doing fine. Probably enjoying himself.
He leapt into the air, mana weaving through his fingers. It didn't flow like it should've, however. It was wild, unshaped.
I see the symptoms of it now. Let's call it Silk Surge. Unstable casting.
His hands tracing a formation I didn't recognize. Mana lines bent around him, forming a distorted prism.
Not good.
I threw my good arm forward. Chanted my favorite two words.
"Dragon Pulse." A concussive blast ripped from my palm.
But…it didn't stop him. He ate it. Pushed through.
His spell collapsed mid-air and converted into a sphere of jagged light and frost. It detonated whe he hit the ground—on purpose.
I was forced to brace it, shielding myself with my forearms, sliding back through the dirt. Shards skidded across my skin, hot and cold all at once.
He's trying to crash-cast through pressure.
And it's working.
If this is just about who's spells are destructive more.
Trust me.
I have a whole lot.
He took another quick step again, a wide swing with his left arm to open. No needed to dodge, I parried perfectly. He was thrown off balance, I pivoted low, using momentum from the parry—and drove a spinning kick into his side. The crack echoed.
Sent flying into the bridge, it didn't break the speed, but he broke through it. Descending lower into the depths of the cave. I gave chase before he could Silk-cast again.
Whatever it is…the affects of the potion are hitting him way harder than it regularly should. But then again, he didn't regularly take this thing.
We descended deeper into a cave, as the light from above faded away, we were met with pitch black, before abnormal blue light surrounded us again. His body skidded against the ground as I landed with a heavy thud.
It was a larger area, and I could tell we were far down below the depths. Descending deeper is not the route I wanted to go, but hey, a stage change, what bad could be done about it?
He slowly got up, and then, without looking, threw his hand back in my direction. I didn't flinch, but [Dragon's Authority] did. I jumped up and pranced around, a couple of times, before performing a half flip in front of him, my body turned upside down.
With my fully extended hand, I chanted yet again.
"Lightspark."
Blue lightning strikes him instantly. Sending him back greater and greater. I soar to catch up, and now at the part of the cave where there just happened to be a large pond…no, an entire mana pool.
Lightning cackles around his body, lingering effects. He winces a couple of times before he's able to skid across the water. Silver-like aura radiating from his shoes. He's using the magic to stay afloat.
Surprised he's still intact to have enough mana control for it.
I lead in with a driving kick, and he blocks. The clash great enough for the water to separate just for a moment. I glide around him quickly and clench my hand for another hook to land with. He's able to predict it.
But not with outright power, no.
I'm just too physically great.
He misses the block, and it lands cleanly towards his cheek. His body pinballed off the water before embedding into the stone like a forgotten statue. I only catch up, before his body falls into the mana pool, sinking slowly.
The turquoise color, it didn't reflect, mana pools never did that. Just an abundance of…
"Mana," I spoke.
My eyes widened.
Shit.
That's the last thing the guy needs.
It's like egging on not just for another shot, but for everything the bartender has behind him.
Bubbles rose up to the top, and I could no longer see him, no, he sunk too deep.
But. It trembled.
The room trembled.
And from below…a light was just starting to emerge.