Rematch with the General

Hellebore leaped down from the wall, feet hitting the rocky ground with a solid thud. Some part of Theo half expected the ground to tremble.

'Keep it together,' he told himself furiously, gritting his teeth. Now more than ever, he couldn't let his focus slip even an inch.

The image of Hellebore's fist protruding from Avia's chest flashed in his mind again. And Ryan must be picturing the exact same thing, judging by the way he started shivering.

As much as Theo wanted to comfort him, right now he didn't dare tear his attention away from Hellebore. Anyway, out of the corner of his eye he glimpsed Fia touching Ryan's arm. He'd have to trust them to handle this.

Zenith had already lifted his sword, pointing it at Hellebore. Hellebore responded with an insolent smirk.

"I see you're as ready as I am."

"I'm not fighting you because I want to." Zenith spoke, to Theo's surprise. "It's simply what I must do."

"Sure, sure," Hellebore sneered. "Well, then. Let's go."

With that, he lunged at Zenith in a blur of motion. Theo barely had time to cast a shield spell before Hellebore slammed into Zenith's shield.

Combined with Theo's spell, the shield managed to hold Hellebore back – but not for long. Zenith was trembling, his heels sliding backward across the slippery rock. He couldn't stay stuck on the defense.

So Theo cast an elemental spell. As the shield spell sputtered into nothing, white light wreathed Zenith's blade. He twisted his shield away from Hellebore's fist before spinning toward the demon's unguarded side.

But Hellebore's fist shot out before Zenith's sword could hit. With a dull thud, the sword dug into the vines wrapped around the demon's arm. Zenith clenched his teeth, and Theo did too, their combined Levias pulsing through both their bodies.

Elemental spells wouldn't be enough. He'd learned that in their last battle. Then –

Gripping the staff tight, Theo once again sent his power toward the Star of Miriel. It was harder than before; the Levia pulsing through his veins felt thick and sluggish like tar. As he gathered the Levia, exhaustion began to cloud the edges of his mind.

No. Not yet. He hadn't even gotten started.

One final push, and his Levia finally surged into the Star. The dark blue cosmos closed around him again. Though the stars within it seemed a little dimmer than before, it was still enough.

As he traced the lines of the spell, some distant part of his consciousness heard crackling fire, clanging metal, zipping arrows. Zenith and the others must be fighting as hard as they could. He couldn't let them down.

Clenching his hands into fists, he urged his Levia to flow faster, stronger. He could feel the Star's power intertwining with his own, shoring up the places where it flickered and faded. But it was still taking too long....

When pink light erupted around him, he fell onto his rear in surprise. Sure enough, the diagram glowed bright and strong, casting stark highlights on Ryan and Fia's startled faces.

No time to admire it. Theo hauled himself to his knees, raising his glowing staff high. The power swept across his contract with Zenith, brightening and sharpening until it burned like the midday sun.

Zenith gave his sword a tremendous swing, and light-blades swept in its wake. For a moment, their glow illuminated every detail of Hellebore's wide-eyed expression. Then they surged forward.

Hellebore couldn't dodge in time. The light-blades punted him high in the air, whirling around him like a raging storm. More and more, they kept coming. Every swing of Zenith's sword summoned a new arc of blades.

'Yes, yes!' Triumph swelled in Theo, almost as bright as the blades. They could do this.

But his head was spinning, and his knees were weak and wobbly, and the taste of metal had flooded his mouth. The light began to flicker inside the Star of Miriel, then the lines of the diagram began to blur. No, he couldn't – not yet –

As the light glowing in Zenith's sword faded, he jumped into the air himself. Lunging straight at Hellebore, sword pointed. All right, if Theo could just hold on until Zenith was able to strike....

By now, Zenith had almost closed the distance between himself and Hellebore. Hair and cape flapping behind him, bathed in the harsh glow from his sword, he looked like a terrible angel of vengeance.

Then the light flickered into nothing, and night shrouded the island once more.

Theo tried to scream, but nothing came out of his throat. The diagram was no longer glowing beneath him. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't cast another spell. Even a blade-sharpening one would work –

Too late. Hellebore and Zenith both went tumbling back to the island. Zenith landed on one knee with a heavy clang of armor, gasping for breath. Hellebore hit the ground on his back a few meters ahead.

"He's down!" Ryan yelled.

Right. Maybe Theo hadn't been able to take Hellebore out with the dream-spell, but he'd weakened the general significantly. If they struck now, they could end this.

"Come on!" Ryan and Fia charged out from behind the boulder, already aglow with an elemental spell. Ryllis lunged at the fallen Hellebore with her burning spear. Even Zenith hauled himself to his feet, though his legs were trembling.

Still, Theo had to answer his resolve. He gasped in desperate breaths, trying to gather his whirling thoughts. Every muscle ached, but he couldn't give in yet.

A sudden crackle pierced the air. Shedding bits of rock everywhere, a wall of spiked vines tore out of the ground in front of Hellebore.

Theo's jaw dropped. No way. Even after that attack?

The vines lashed at the oncoming attackers. They easily knocked Fia's arrow out of the air, batted Ryllis aside like a rag doll. Zenith kept charging, unaugmented sword bravely pointed.

'Help him! I have to help him!' Furious, Theo strained to grasp every fizzling spark of Levia inside him. Finally a spell burst out – a basic strengthening one.

Wreathed in pink light, Zenith swung his sword at the vines. The blade hit with a solid impact, but to Theo's horror, barely sank more than an inch into the tough wood.

The vines rustled. Growling, Zenith yanked his sword free. Just in time before the vines sank back into the ground.

Revealing Hellebore now standing upright. He was breathing hard, chest heaving and shoulders slumped. Blood matted his hair and dripped from the cuts marring his body, making him appear more monstrous than ever.

"Well," Hellebore rasped. "Not bad, homunculus knight."

Though the strengthening spell had run its course, Zenith pointed his sword again.

At least they'd managed to injure Hellebore. Drawing in a shuddering breath, Theo straightened his back. Though faint, the glow from the Star of Miriel gave him a little extra strength.

Ryllis was already back on her feet, glowing with a strengthening spell. Fia crouched low, arrow aimed. So Theo needed to do his part.

He squeezed his eyes shut and reached for his Levia. The dawn light felt dim and distant, but it responded to his call. As it rose up to meet him, he began sketching a blade-sharpening spell.

The diagram flickered when it appeared, like a dying light bulb. His heart swooped, but the glow became steadier, and a matching pink light surrounded Zenith's sword. Theo let out a relieved sigh.

Just as Zenith charged, a strange scent drifted toward Theo. Not the salt of the sea, nor the acrid smoke from the broken machine. Something light and sweet, almost floral.

'What?' Without thinking, he turned around to look for its source. Yet even that small, simple movement seemed to take all his effort. As the floral scent crept into his nose and flooded his throat, his muscles grew heavier and heavier. Like he was lying beneath a warm comforter on a cold winter day. Even though he was on the island of Mare, locked in a life-or-death battle...

He could tell himself this all he wanted, but his body wouldn't listen. His thoughts were slowing too, like they were fighting through a thick layer of molasses. It was too much...too much effort.

Better to close his eyes and let the thoughts drift away. Yeah, a little rest wouldn't hurt....

Right before his eyelids slid shut, a blurry figure appeared in front of him. A person? Glinting glasses, pale hair. 'Zenith?' some dim part of Theo wondered, but it couldn't be...Zenith was busy fighting Hellebore, and Theo...Theo had to help him....

Too late. Darkness swallowed his world, and all that remained was the scent of flowers.