I was so absorbed in my conversation with Beatrice that I had completely forgotten about the real battle raging around us.
My eyes snapped to the left.
And the first thing I saw was terrifying.
Dozens of wooden hands had erupted from the ground. Massive structures reaching toward the sky like ancient towers. Each one rivaled the size of Zenos’s most devastating tornado.
But every single one of them stood motionless. Frozen in place.
Because all of their fingers had been severed clean off.
I found Thalia. Her face was painted with pure panic. Beside her, Lady Aerin wore an expression I had never seen on her divine features before. Genuine seriousness.
As for Leena, her other summon, she was nowhere to be found.
Thalia’s gaze was fixed on the sky.
I followed it.
There, perched atop the tallest wooden hand whose fingers lay scattered below, was a small golden speck. Freya’s knight. Ashen.
He wasn’t moving. Wasn’t attacking. Wasn’t even preparing for another strike.
He was simply observing. Admiring his handiwork. The shattered wooden limbs. The splintered roots. The destruction he had wrought with seemingly no effort at all.
He was farming aura.
Absorbing power from the very battlefield itself while Aerin exhausted herself trying to contain him.
I needed to finish things on my end first. Then help Thalia.
My attention shifted to Zenos.
He was locked in combat with Vespara. Between them swirled a fire tornado, but sothing was wrong. The flas weren’t purely his anymore.
Orange and black danced together in a corrupted spiral. His fire against her dark flas.
’Zenos, what’s happening over there?’
His response echoed in my skull. ’Master, her flas are severing my control. I cannot command the fire to move. We are at a stalemate.’
’Hold your position. Find an opening. When you see one, make her regret breathing.’
Before I could strategize further, another voice invaded my thoughts.
’Master.’
Marcus.
’I cannot hold them both much longer.’
I processed the battlefield in an instant. Marcus was engaged with both the ninja and the spear user simultaneously. Sohow keeping them occupied. But he was reaching his limit.
’Marcus. Can you grab them? Hold them in place for so seconds?’
Silence stretched for a heartbeat.
’...That would kill , Master.’
’I know.’
Marcus laughed. That unhinged, theatrical cackle I had grown so familiar with.
’The bait play, huh? I knew that’s what you ant. But I refuse to waste this mont. I am going to show these two pathetic dogs exactly who owns them.’
’Marcus, be serious. If you fail here, we lose everything. I will not allow—’
’Master.’
His voice shifted. Calm now. Almost peaceful.
’I have been waiting for a stage like this my entire existence. Do not you dare take it from .’
I closed my eyes for a mont.
’Then make it count, you theatrical bastard.’
Marcus dropped his sword.
The clang of tal against stone echoed across the arena.
Both opponents saw it happen. The ninja and the spear user exchanged confused glances like this had to be a trick. Marcus’s expression wasn’t that of a man who had surrendered. It was the grin of a predator.
The ninja decided to test the waters. Vanished in a blur of shadow and reappeared directly in front of Marcus. Blades ready. Expecting so hidden counterattack.
Nothing ca.
No retaliation from Marcus. No support fire from Zenos.
So the ninja teleported again. This ti behind Marcus. And drove his blade straight through his back.
SQUELCH!
Blood sprayed from Marcus’s lips. But he was smiling.
He twisted his body slightly. Wrapped his arms around the ninja’s neck in a crushing embrace.
’Master, he cannot teleport now. His ability only functions when there is no physical contact with another person. I noticed when he—’
But then he saw what was coming.
The spear user had launched himself forward. Not throwing his weapon this ti. Charging with it. The lightning-charged tip aid directly at Marcus’s chest.
CRUNCH!
The spear pierced through Marcus. So deep that it continued out his back and impaled the ninja trapped behind him.
Two summons skewered on a single weapon.
Marcus’s eyes turned bloody red. Drowsy from blood loss. But his resolve had never been sharper.
With a grunt of effort, he jumped just enough to wrap his legs around the spear user’s waist. His remaining strength went into his arms, which snaked around the lancer’s neck. Pulling. Squeezing. Forcing all three bodies into one tangled mass.
The spear user scread. The ninja’s blade was now pricking into his own flesh with every movent.
Marcus lowered spear user’s face to his chest and spoke in a motherly tone.
"Kid, stop crying. Remove mama’s armor and have a sip of mama’s milk. It will make you feel better."
Even impaled. Even dying. He was mocking them.
I stared at this fool with sothing resembling awe.
He had locked down two higher-ranked opponents using nothing but his body as a cage. And he was still finding ways to humiliate them.
I had always underestimated Marcus. Treated him as the weaker summon but he kept proving his worth. Ti and ti again.
He was always my ace in the sleeve.
’ZENOS!’ Marcus’s voice roared through our shared ntal link.
’YOU OLD BASTARD! STOP FLIRTING WITH THAT UGLY WITCH AND BURN US ALL! JUST DO IT BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND AND KILL THEM MYSELF!’
A pause.
’AND MAKE IT FLASHY! I WANT THE CROWD TO REMBER THIS FOREVER!’
His heroics had stunned so completely that I almost forgot to issue the command. The attack I had been preparing in the back of my mind.
’Zenos, double casting. Maintain your fire with one hand. Use the other to create a wind tornado and push everything toward Marcus. Now. Hurry.’
He obeyed.
It took him nearly five seconds of intense concentration. A massive storm materialized beside him. Stones and wood fragnts were pulled into its hungry radius, spinning violently.
Then he launched it.
FWOOOOOOSH!
The wind tornado collided with the fire tornado. For a mont they resisted each other. Then the wind began wrapping around the flas. Consuming them. rging with them.
Zenos kept pouring his own fire into the chaos. Feeding both his flas and Vespara’s corrupted ones into this growing monstrosity.
His entire body began leaking aura. Visible waves of energy radiating off him. Showing just how much power this technique demanded.
The storm of chaos started moving. Slowly at first. Crawling toward Marcus and his captives.
Vespara realized she was helpless against wind. She turned to Beatrice, seeking orders.
But Beatrice stood frozen. Stunned by the spectacle unfolding before her.
Without commands, Vespara acted on instinct. She hurled an uneven beam of black flas directly at Zenos.
He dodged at the last possible mont, throwing himself to the ground. But a fragnt of the attack grazed his cloak.
FWOOSH!
Black fire spread instantly. Consuming his entire right arm in cursed flas.
Zenos groaned in agony. But through the pain, he smiled.
Because his job was done.
The havoc was already racing toward its destination.
Marcus refused to release his grip. Even as the enemy summons thrashed and stabbed and electrocuted him in desperation. Every attack they landed hurt each other just as much.
He was already fading. His form dissolving at the edges. His head growing transparent. His lips vanishing into particles of light.
But before they disappeared completely, they ford one final sentence.
"Next ti... send your father."
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
The storm of chaos consud all three of them.
The scene was horrifying. The tornado alone was enough to make spectators lose control of their bladders.
But the screams emanating from within made it infinitely worse. Inhuman shrieks of agony echoing across the arena.
Twenty seconds passed.
The cries went silent.
The storm began to fade.
I sprinted toward Beatrice. Axe raised. Ready to end this.
She saw coming. And when I was close enough to strike, she squeezed her eyes shut. Bracing for death.
But I changed direction at the last mont. Veering slightly to her left.
Because I had spotted sothing crawling in the dirt.
The spear user. Still alive. Coughing. Dragging himself across the ground.
I brought my axe down with all my strength.
CRACK!
His skull split open. His body dissolved into particles.
Eliminated.
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