Destroying The Lair (6)

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We stumbled upon a garden of exquisite beauty and proportion. The stars were in full sight and the moon seemed extremely close as if one could grab it by reaching out a hand. it was incredible.

Sadly, the paradise-like scene was ruined by the battle taking place. Flowers were scattered or stomped to bits while the white gazeboes were destroyed with each collision.

Chloe was wielding her scythe with grace parrying before attacking with horrifying speed and precision. As for the opposing party, it was strange. He was seated comfortably on a chair with a cup of tea in hand. He was observing Chloe's fight with interest.

He was dressed as if he stepped out of a period in the past. He wore an old-style suit and a white mantle. He had silver irises and pale blond hair, quite blessed in terms of looks. He didn't seem old judging by his appearance but that was a poor indicator in the supernatural world.

No matter how much I looked, I couldn't understand what Chloe was fighting against. There was no visible enemy but she was waving her scythe in the air. I would have thought that she was fighting an illusion were it not for the audible sound of collision and the air blasts all around us.

Somehow the bastard was fighting with Chloe while staying seated. This alone was a clear indicator. The fucker was powerful.

Looking beyond, I could see the place we arrived from, the meandering forest road. When we were outside the lair we couldn't see the manor at all but from this vantage point, everything was clear to me. It looked like ever since we came to this place we fell under the observation of this man. None of our steps escaped his attention.

Just the fact that he barely looked at us, new arrivals meant that he expected us and wasn't surprised or worried about our numbers.

He must consider us weak - I concluded.

Chloe gave us a wry smile, the man had stopped attacking. Only then I noticed that she was covered in blood. Her body was full of injuries in a state of healing or already healed. My eyes narrowed.

Bastard.

I could hear my teeth grinding. We used the enemy's willingness to stop momentarily to approach Chloe. We surround her, forming a wing formation on each of her sides. I was on her right side, right next to her.

"Guys be careful, this guy can use Glamour!" Chloe's tone was stern.

"Glamour!?" Everybody with me as an exception was filled with doubt and shock.

"What ability is that?" I asked.

Lorn shortly explained, "What makes Faerie's inhabitants so powerful is an ability called Glamour. They can create tailored illusions that carried real consequences. For example, what we've seen earlier, Chloe was battling invisible enemies we couldn't see. In reality, she was caught in his glamour. The enemies were illusory but their attacks were the real deal."

I nodded in understanding. I recalled when I met Eric the bartender/prince in Sebas' Manor. He had hidden so well that regular senses couldn't keep track of him. Only when Chloe berated him exasperatedly had he shown up.

He had been using Glamour at that time.

Lorn pursued, "That's not all. Glamour is not only their attacking/defensive means but it is also the most practical way they use to obtain sustenance. You see, Fae feeds on emotions. I suspect that earlier while he was toying with Chloe, he was trying to get a rise out of her. They become more powerful as they feed too. That's the frightening nature of Faerie denizens."

I thought about something after hearing him. The giddiness on the prince when he pulled his prank in the manor. He felt more vivid. In the same vein, I now understood why he would work at Chloe's club. What better place than there to find heightened emotion? He was somewhat similar to Stella. Except she fed exclusively on lust. It was the difference between a glutton and a gourmet.

Clink.

The noise grabbed our attention. The silver-eyed man had stood up. He was observing us like a predator assessing its prey. After a couple of breaths, he spoke, "Welcome. It seemed that the last guests have arrived."

"My subordinates didn't manage to dent your numbers. Very impressive." His gaze fell on me. "You've managed not to be obliterated by a demon and even sent him back to hell. How peculiar. Granted, it was of low station amidst its kin, not to mention the very world was restraining its true might."

"Now, let's crush a few toys, shall we?" As soon as he finished, the world seemed to shift on its axiom.

I found myself separated from the others in an otherworldly forest. The trees were so high they hid the sky from sight. I felt like in the blink of an eye I had been reduced to an ant in a grass field. I was not completely alone though before I stood five silver-eyed men in classical suits.

"Show me, how you can still be alive after the demon assault. I am very curious. I heard about you from the Great One. He said that you were a truly immortal being. Not just long-lived but seemingly forever out of the grasp of the great beyond. Let's put that to test?"

They all spoke at the same time.

Creepy.

"I-" I couldn't answer before he or they? pounced on me. Their speed was so ghastly their feet barely touched the ground, gravity laws were turned into a joke.

The first one came from the side with a sweeping kick toward my face. The force raised a violent wind that forced me to close my eyes but I kept track of his motion with my will. Sensing the approaching blow, I raised a hand in defense.

BANG!

I felt like I was hit by a running train.

Crack.

My bone snapped but I ignored it. I directed my hand toward the incoming 'clone?" while I flexed my willpower in retaliation shaping it like a whip. There was a deadly whistle as the wind was violently torn apart.

Swiiish!!!

The whip removed the clone's arm from its shoulder. Strangely, there was no blood. Not waiting, I shot a willpower blade straight at the neck of the second clone. I couldn't observe the effects. My eyes widened just as a blow hammered my skull, flattening it on the ground. Soil exploded in all directions.

Before I could recover my bearing a searing heat struck my back turning me into a burning man.

A lightning bolt blasted sending me flying. I struggled through the flames and the numbness, just to see a sword of light smoothly cutting me in twine while the devious flames reduced my divided body to ashes.

Before the ashes settled on the ground my right hand had already recovered. I pointed a finger toward one of his clones. The ground softened swallowing it whole. My body recovered by half and one of my feet stomp on the ground. I shot toward another clone and grasped its head before crushing it.

Spinning on my ankle, I kicked my other foot completely recovering before blowing the third clone toward a tree the circumference of ten men holding hands in a circle. The body sank into the tree shooting wooden shards.

This time I wasn't naked, amidst all these the magic robes weren't destroyed. The remaining one-armed clone looked at me in great surprise. It opened its mouth but was interrupted by me. I sent my willpower into its body ripping its spine out of its chest and reducing its body to bits.

I looked around still in attack mode, the forest was still here. Claps broke the silence as shadows separated from the distant trees. Tens of clones appeared from all sides. The destroyed clones faded from reality.

"This has to be against the rules. Right?" I chuckled warily.