Chapter 40 turning tides

  Warning Violence and gore

  POV Alice

  I rushed forth and dropkicked the assassin before she could finish off Jean, putting my full strength into my legs. She was launched into a building, sending a spray of debris in all directions. I rushed over to Jean as he was left kneeling, his eyes closed and blood gushing from the remains of his sword arm. I cradled him in my arms as I took measure of just how bad it was.

  “Jean! Stay with me! O goddess shine upon this soul and keep him from the end, shield him from doom and mend their body, healing light!”

  Jean's eyes opened and the bleeding from his stump stopped flowing.

  “Alice? Shit, I owe you…”

  Jean passed out a moment later as the glow from my healing spell finished it’s work, he was out of the fight for now.

  “For a brat you've sure got some energy.”

  The assassin climbed out of the rubble of the demolished house, her mask lost. She was by all accounts beautiful. Brown eyes with short brown hair and a face like porcelain. But the look on her face… it was like a demon's, reveling in the pain she'd caused.

  Something flared up inside me as she slowly stepped towards me, a burning hot feeling coming from my very core, this world was unfair and people like her shouldn't be allowed to exist. I know that the goddess wants peace and love between all people… but I'm almost certain she would be on my side for this…

  The burning hot feeling kept spreading, to the tips of my fingers and toes until the world brightened and flames rolled off my skin.

  [Unique skill created! Ignite- you've channeled the very power of your soul into temporary strength! -”Don't worry, even I'm disgusted by her.”- Athi.

  With a smile on my face I went into my stance and got ready.

  “I'm going to return every bit of pain you've ever caused.”

  “Try me brat!”

  We dashed towards each other and her dagger met my fist, her blade screeched and sparks flew as her blade snapped at the hilt. My fist barely missed her head as she jumped backward. She glanced at her knife and tossed its broken remains at me and drew another from her waist. I deflected the broken blade with my arm and went for an axe kick. The flames roared as they streaked through the air, I had missed again but the flames spread from my leg to her cloak.

  Without missing a beat she ripped it off and tried to stab me, her blade glowing this time. I dodged this time and landed a ferocious gut punch that sent her sliding several feet back.

  She kneeled for a moment before vomiting up blood.

  “One fucking punch!? You-”

  She vomited a few more mouthfuls of blood before speaking again.

  “This isn't worth it, I'll be back, you squirt!”

  She shakily got back to her feet and right before I could rush at her several thieves jumped down from the surrounding building. I'd chase after her but I can't leave Jean alone… fuck!

  My fist tore one of their heads off and I was rewarded with a spray of blood coming from his neck.

  “Jean… if only I was a bit quicker…”

  I let out a roar of frustration as I dodged blades and even a firebolt. My moves were a blur compared to these low lives and each strike I made hit something vital. My fists were drenched in gore as I ripped them open, guts spilling out and limbs flying as they were ripped off or pulled out of socket.

  “She's a fucking monster! Avenge-”

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  A moment later I was elbow deep into his chest, my hand wrapped around his heart, my flames searing his flesh. With a tug I pulled out his beating heart and crushed it, the blood pooling on my arm. The man reached his hand out to the squished remains of his heart as he lay there dying. The remaining thieves looked on in horror for a moment before they turned tail and ran.

  POV Sarah

  I stood behind Derek's back as I heard a scream come from Jean, I turned for a moment only to have a knife be blocked by Derek.

  “Don’t lose focus.”

  Derek chastised me as I went back to blasting the thugs with my magic, they were endless and it felt like we were fighting the entire city, I'd burn one to a crisp only to have three take their place. I'd have been overrun ages ago if Derek wasn't busy dancing around me with his blade, blocking and parrying everything that came our way.

  It was honestly a miracle that we were still standing as Derek and I had accumulated lots of small wounds across our body and in places where our armor was thinnest. A fireball roared towards us as Derek blocked a massive spear of ice coming from the other direction, I barely managed to grab hold of the spell and steer it away. The flames burned intensely as they barely missed us, a mere arms length from hitting us.

  “Derek. I can't last too much longer, I'm running low on mana.”

  “I'm running out of steam too, there's too many of them…”

  We went back to back panting as the men started to sneer at us, only for them to be cleaved in two as Xion started cutting a bloody swathe through them. Me and Derek paused as she had a massive smile on her beautiful, blood soaked face. Her swords moved like a farmer harvesting wheat, felling one with each blow. Her tail occasionally pierced a vital spot and spells were flashing from her hands.

  A blast of gravity made a few stagger as she leapt from foe to foe, dancing in the spaces between each of them. A moment later she chanted mid-air as she leapt from the shoulders of one of the thieves, a second later a handful of them were cleaved in half from her solo casting Gale hazard! Blood rained down as Xion landed gracefully in front of us.

  “You guys ok?”

  We nodded, still panting a bit from the exertion of holding back a tide of thieves. A sudden blur of metal reached out towards Xion as we relaxed for a moment. Seeing this Derek barely managed to intercept the blade. He slid back several feet as the Fencer clashed blades with him, he only barely managed to bring his sword up to block it.

  “You kids sure are a lot of trouble, makes me wonder just how special that mage is.”

  Xion brought her blades up and swung at the Fencer, her blades hitting nothing but air as he backed away.

  “Unlike my tasteless comrades I trade names with those I fight, my name is Corvi, and I challenge your leader to a duel!”

  Xion stepped forward, a grin still on her face.

  “My name is Xion, and I'll have your head!”

  The Fencer swung forward in an arc, his estoc slicing through the air with a whistle only to meet Xion's blades. He was fast, faster than Xion, she struggled to keep up even though she had two blades. A constant ringing from their blades meeting sounded through the air and I couldn't help but notice the metallic scent of blood on the air from all the fighting. Me and Derek stood transfixed as they danced. Their blades met, moving faster and faster until one of Xions blades were knocked aside from a desicive parry.

  As Corvi went for a killing blow Xion sheathed her sword. She sprang forward so fast that we couldn't see her move. A loud snap sounded as Corvi's estoc was sliced in two.

  “Well… that was unexpec-”

  Xion didn't wait for him to monologue this time and went for his head, he deftly dodged back several feet, his mask being split from Xion's blow. A small trail of blood marred his cheek as he looked at her in indignation.

  “The nerve! Well you've won this round, but next time I see you I'll have your tail as a trophy!”

  He threw down a smoke bomb and escaped as we coughed. Xion stood, panting slightly. Seemingly she was only now just getting close to her limits, just how much stamina did she have??

  “We should get the others and head inside, their teleportation circle should be somewhere in there.”

  Xion nods and grabs her lost sword before we make our way to Alice. She's sitting beside Jean who looks to be in bad shape when we arrive, his arm is cut off clean at the elbow and he's unconscious.

  “What happened?”

  “The assassin Jean was fighting was crafty and fast as hell. I got one good hit on her before she turned tail and ran.”

  Alice curls her hand into a fist, a grim look passing on her face for just a moment.

  “Let's worry about that later. Sarah, help me carry him.”

  I take Jean’s good arm and we both lift him, as we get to the front door of the tower one of the doors flies off its hinges barely missing us. From the dark opening of the tower is a dark figure.

  POV Xion

  The door of the tower flies off its hinges, soaring above us before hitting the ground with a thud. A feeling of helplessness engulfs me, and I quickly appraise the figure making its way out.

  [Appraise has met the requirements to evolve! Appraise has turned into Scan.]

  [Swordsman LVL 92- extreme threat]

  I imbue my blades with pure magic as a wave of force pushes into me. I only barely manage to stop it from hitting the others and turning us into sashimi.

  “Looks like you kids put up a real fight. Edgar was a valuable mage to have you know. Guess I'll have to eat the loss in profits this is gonna cost me.”

  His sword shimmered in the air like an angel's wing as he held it out. Like a reluctant executioner he slowly walked with his blade held leisurely at his side.

  “I hate killing young fellows like you, but hey, it's nothing personal.”

  He lunged before I could blink, like lightning his blade was already coming down on me. I used quickdraw with both of my blades and only barely held back his attack. Alice quickly set down Jean with Sarah as we held our blades against the others. I was being completely overwhelmed in the struggle, the most annoying part was he didn't seem to be even breaking a sweat!

  Derek swung his blade at the leader's side only for his sword to be grabbed with his bare hand. A moment later Derek was sailing through the air, landing in an abandoned cabbage stand roughly.

  With the brief distraction Derek gave me I used spacial magic to send a sword slice at the back of his neck. With a lazy flick of his wrist my sword was parried and for a second I saw my death coming for a second time. Time slowed to a standstill and the world bled shades of gray as I saw my last moments.

  Right as the blade touched my neck Alice's fist met with his cheek and he stumbled back. Alice was wreathed in flames as she stood angrily by my side.

  “C'mon! We can't give up yet Xion!”

  I nodded to her as Sarah and Derek started hammering the leader with spells, rocks and forebolts flew and slowed him down as he seemed to pick up the pace a bit. No longer looking down on us.

  The leader of the black blades flowed from dodges to cutting through rocks and more physical magic as he made his way steadily to me and Alice. We both rushed him at the same time, my swords and her fists keeping him on the back foot as spells occasionally made him stumble a bit.

  It was in one of these moments that me and Alice saw an opening, her fist crashed into his chest as my blades were mere inches from his face. A moment later I stumbled back with a large gash in my chest, blood quickly dripping down my front as Alice was kicked into a nearby stone building. A large dent formed where Alice had landed, her flames sputtering out and dying a moment later. The leader vanished into thin air and moments later Sarah and Derek were toppled over covered in small cuts.

  “I really didn't want to do this. Look at what you all made me do.”

  The leader lamented as he cleaned his blade of blood, taking care to polish it to a sheen. I gasped as blood started to fill my lungs. No! Not yet! I'm not ready to die again! I tried to get back up, to hold my blade a bit tighter but I couldn't. The world started to get cold and before I knew it I couldn't move anymore. I laid flat on my front as blood slowly pooled around me, this couldn't be the end…