Saving Grace

Uhhhhhh…

Dumbfounded by the sudden occurrence, I just stood there, motionless. A giant dark shadow crashed against the incongruent knight and his scarred mount, pinning them down to the wall.

「Skill 'Tenacity' is deactivating」

Suddenly, I could see more of my surroundings. What was once a blurry mirage of bland colors was now filled with the dark colors of the deep pit.

….Oh

Then, I realized – somewhat belatedly – that I was no longer in the pit.

""?!""

The dumfounded faces of the Night Beasts – most likely similar to my own – filled my formerly murky vision. They looked surprised–to say the least, like they had just seen a ghost. Each and everyone of them had their eyes wide and their mouths agape like fools witnessing a miracle for the first time.

"THAT is for slamming me on a wall, you eight-legged pain in the ass!"

A familiar voice broke our consensual silence, resounding from the opening that the mad witch had created along with the giant black shadow.

I turn towards her, hesitant and curious to do so.

Oof, that doesn't look good

The witch was disheveled, her usual robe torn here and there, revealing her hourglass-like figure. Her silver hair was an absolute mess, like she had just gone for a walk in the middle of a hurricane–heck, she may have even made it herself. Her face was covered in soot and grime, covering her divine visage. A furious gust of wind enveloped her, the mana that surrounded her swirled in the air more aggressively and destructively than ever before. Despite all these noticeable changes, one of them stood out more than the rest.

Her veil was gone

This was a big step, albeit one I was not a part of–which made me just a tad bit disappointed and lonely. Despite all the distrust and avoidance that I had for her, I could not feel but be drawn to her. It was like I knew her somewhere.. or at least I knew somebody who did. It was hypocritical, sure, but it was hypocrisy I was willing to accept.

She flicked her wrist, the wind obeying her intent immediately. A sharp gust of wind followed her slender fingers, five blades of conjured mana being created in the process.

Immediately afterwards, the surrounding darkness moved, converging on the large black mass lodged in the wall along with the knight and his mount.

「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」

A cold shiver ran down my spine, making me flinch and waking me up from my surprised trance. I followed my 「Instinct」 , taking large, mana‐enhanced step back.

"..!!"

The Night Beasts reached the same conclusion as me, albeit belatedly. They also opted for a quick retreat, taking the injured member along with them. They shouted at each other, hurling orders and warnings here and there. In the end, they were just a second too late.

The blades of wind met the darkness once more, their own respective power colliding with each other.

On one side stood the gracious yet deadly force of wind, sharpening itself to even deadlier levels. The other was the complete opposite.

On the other side of the collision was the enveloping and ever-present presence of darkness. It writhed in space, leaning the realm on which it resided, only to face the deadly force of wind. It was struggling and changing, hurrying to attain a form most suited for it's current adversary.

It was then that I realized:

The elements were more than what I had just thought

They were all around us, occupying space, filling the air, connecting and disconnecting people and objects equally and unequally. They were picky, yet chose all that came to knock to their doorstep. The elements were more than just power, they were a being that needed to be asked, pleased, and convinced. It was almost like people in a way, both trying to be themselves while copying others. They were contradictory, never making the same decision twice while being lenient at the same time. Which meant…

Amidst the furious exchange of elemental power, I reach for it.

Immediately after doing so, I was reminded of the time when I had reached that ethereal space filled with the numerous streams of mana. Now, I realize, that the colors that were there represented the element they embodied.

I focused within myself–specifically my Core. The aurora of mana that I had seen before did not respond, not even a flicker or a shine to indicate progress. Still, I did not give up.

I knew it was there, watching, observing, spectating my every action and thought, waiting for me. I reach for the wave of mana that I was most compatible with, hoping for a response. Still, nothing.

But that didn't mean it wasn't there

I activate my attribute.

「Your attribute 'Absorption' is activating」

A foreign presence erupted from inside of me, flowing through my mana circuits and into my body. A dark presence writhed on my arm, coiling around it like a snake on a branch.

I let it envelope me, cover me in it's presence. The darkness obliged, leaping out of my skin and into a thin translucent screen in front of me.

The barrier met the colliding force's overpowering presence. The thin screen of elemental mana resisted, trying it's best to protect me, but alas, it was for naught.

They were just too powerful.

The conjured barrier shivered and trembled, before finally shattering under the two powerhouse's might. Though it was brief, the barrier had protected me from the worst of the resulting shockwave.

And then I was flying.

I soared backwards, away from the towering presence of the beast and the witch. For a brief second, I thought I had learned the 「Flight」 spell that the witch had been extremely proficient in. It was brief, though, like a trick or dare at a party, destined to be regretted.

I spun midair, the shockwave powerful enough to send me flying to a ledge on the other side of the pit.

Then, I hit a wall.

I summoned the barrier again, this time behind me. It resisted again, shivered, and inevitably shattered with the momentum I had.

My back ached, the spine within it on the verge of breaking. It was incredibly painful, enough to make a scream erupt from my inner depths. My back hurt, and so did my shoulder, arm, legs, and knees. It felt more painful than I thought it would.

I can't even imagine what it would be like without the barrier

That flimsy screen was, perhaps, my saving grace.