Chapter 57 - Weaving Tricks

Yarrow slashed the monster across its unprotected back, his aggro skill fully active as he did so, "You and I are the only ones crossing blades here," the paladin's voice all but ordered.

The monster's attacks seemed to grow speedier with its continued frustration at being forced to attack Yarrow when there were easier targets in the room and it snarled back, "Then I will smash you into the floor, leave you so broken even your healer cannot fix you and delight in the knowledge that you will watch as I rip each of these others to shreds and devour their strength to make it my own."

Ash refreshed all of her shields without stopping her attacks on the creature even as the others also continued to fight. They were all wary, though, highly doubting the intelligent creature would hold true to its word. Fel once more slipped to her side, a few words spoken softly into her ear earning a very slight nod in return.

Yarrow slipped up in a dodge a while later and Ash healed him with a noticeable spell, feeling the monster's gaze dart towards her once more. Considering Fi had not yet actually healed Yarrow and had only cast shielding spells it was likely the creature was incorrectly designating what their party members each did.

Ash waited until Yarrow's skill forced its attention away from her once more before casting the spell Fel had requested. Her request was not a simple one, requiring Ash to move quite a bit while maintaining several spells.

During her time behind Fi, waiting to be certain Yarrow had its undivided attention before attacking again, Fel had noticed something. It was gathering magic and a lot of it. At first the magic had been gathering throughout the room, creating what would likely end up being a distraction for all of them.

So, she'd given him another reason to target Ash. He seemed to underestimate their unicorn party member and making him think of her as a healer that knew a few attack spells would likely only increase that disdain. He was also overeager to obtain Ash's magic and it would make him easy to exploit.

After Ash's little healing display all of the magic was gathered behind where, to the monster's senses, Ash continued to stand.

Ash actually stood just behind Fi, two of her four spell slots being used to maintain illusion spells. She kept her shielding spell ready for the party as well and used the final slot to create and fire attack spells that seemed to be coming from Fi to the creature's senses. Her mana wouldn't last forever doing so, as even with all of the things she gained to ease casting maintaining illusory magic still cost a fair bit. It didn't need to last forever, though, just long enough for the thing to slip up.

Ash was starting to doubt Fel's plan by the time the accumulated magic finally struck. Fi and Gardenia also reacted perfectly, though they also knew of the ruse. Yarrow, they were less certain about. Given that they were in a party he should be able to see Ash behind Fi. Given Fi's oath to nonviolence, he should also recognize that the spells were not coming from Fi but Ash.

Despite all of that, he looked properly devastated as Fi conjured a shield to protect the illusory version of Ash that held remarkably well right up until it crumbled under the strain. The monster likely didn't notice the second shielding spell it hit, cast as swiftly as Ash possibly could within the illusion itself to provide the proper resistance for a body. The illusion crumpled to the ground and faded from existence as she'd seen the Godsborn do in the images of the murders that had caused the morph.

There was a sliver of chance, Fel had expressed, that it didn't know how Godsborn died and wanted her intact. It would rage at the fact it had lost her if that was the case and that would be their opening. Whatever the outcome was about to be, Ash now only had one illusion to maintain and so prepared another spell in the storage it had occupied previously.

It laughed darkly, "Without the pure one to heal your wounds all will perish here, it is only a matter of time," its inky gaze seemed to grow slightly darker as it locked on Yarrow once more, "And since I intend to keep you alive a little longer, to enjoy your torment, the pure one's power will also be forced to linger. She will watch all of you perish, knowing you would have lived if only someone stronger had come in her place. Then I will devour the magic that remains here. Whether she comes to avenge you and brings me more food or I break free to pursue her, I will feast on that pure one until nothing remains to be put back together again."

Ash couldn't help it, a slight tremble ran through her at its words, though she managed to still herself as Fi's quiet voice spoke for only her to hear, "Calm."

The thing had lost track of Fel's faded form once more in the commotion and its gloating. Seeming overcome with grief and rage, Fel slammed into the back of one of its legs once more, enchanted blades ripping into it with little regard for her surroundings. Ash swore she heard Fi murmur something about drama, though she doubted any emotion showed on the stoic healer's face.

The monster was properly baited and this time Fel had both shields on her and made it through the frost the creature unleashed safely. Disappearing only to reappear behind Gardenia, she met its cold gaze with her own. Judging the remnants of Ash's magic gone, the monster began to gather another devastating frost attack. It was certain that Fi's shielding spells were not strong enough to protect them. Protecting things and healing them were the specialties of pure ones, its knowledge told it. Without the creature, they would all perish.