The Dance of Light
The sky was torn into a glowing rift.
At the top of the mechanical lizard's skull, a halo of blackish energy pulsed with a dull roar. Blue flashes erupted from its armoured body, illuminating the night with a spectral light.
The antimatter blast was charged.
An infernal blast fell on the city, raising waves of burning dust. The adventurers on the ramparts watched the impending apocalypse in horror.
- He's going to shoot!
Then, with a shattering roar, the attack was released.
A sphere of pure destruction shot through the air, distorting space as it went. Everything it touched disappeared instantly, swallowed up in absolute nothingness.
But at the last moment, a glimmer of light burst forth.
- A dimensional barrier!
A giant magic circle spread out between the city and the sphere. The mages had reacted in time. A barrier of light appeared, covering the entire line of defence, vibrating under the impact of the antimatter blast.
The sky shook. Space itself bent under the intensity of the shock.
Erd, stationed below, watched the scene without the slightest fear. His steely gaze was already fixed on his target.
He drew his sword.
A scarlet katana, whose blade seemed to glow with fiery fire. Benizakura.
- Tss... this is going to be complicated.
He tightened his grip on the handle and, without waiting, leapt forward.
Chaos on the battlefield
But as he dashed forward...
The ground suddenly exploded.
Dozens of creatures sprang from the void. Monsters.
Their skin was blackened, corrupted by the energy of antimatter. Their eyes glowed with an unhealthy lustre, thirsting for destruction.
The adventurers on the ramparts cried out in shock.
- Monsters! They've come out of nowhere!
Lila, who had stayed at the forge, widened her eyes.
- Erd, be careful!
But the warrior didn't stop running.
A monster appeared on his right flank. In a single movement, it swung round and split the air.
SHHHING!
The monster's body was sliced in two before it even hit the ground.
Another leapt at its back. Erd, without looking back, took a step to the side and plunged his sabre into its skull.
Dozens of creatures pounced on him, but he kept moving forward without slowing down.
- Get out of my way.
An arc of red light crossed the battlefield.
Benizakura danced in the shadows.
In a matter of seconds, a dozen monsters were lying on the ground.
But he had no time to linger.
The mechanical lizard was preparing to fire again.
Erd leapt.
The assault on the steel monster
He dodged a first attack.
Then a second.
His reflexes were superhuman.
The monster swept through the air with a titanic sweep of its tail. Erd bent his legs and slid forward, going under the blow.
A cannon emerged from the lizard's back and fired a burst of energy.
Erd swung to the side, grazed by the blast. The heat burnt his skin, but he kept moving.
He was already raising his katana to strike...
But the blade bounced off the metal armour.
- Tch... Too solid.
A new kind of magic
Another approach was needed.
Erd exhaled slowly. A white gleam awoke in his eyes.
His light magic was activated.
His body became a living bolt of lightning.
Enemy fire rained down, but none of it reached him.
He moved with inhuman speed, evading each attack with unreal grace.
Then he raised a hand to the sky.
- Locus Lux.
A circle of light appeared beneath his feet, stretching for hundreds of metres.
A stream of pure energy burst from the ground, illuminating the battlefield in a blinding light.
The monsters stopped dead in their tracks, as if frozen by the power of the magic.
But...
The mechanical lizard didn't move.
The spell had no effect on him.
Erd gritted his teeth.
- Shit...
This was the first time an enemy had resisted his zone spell.
A wry smile
In the distance, Dune was watching the scene.
The young girl closed her eyes and concentrated.
- Master, can I intervene?" she asked telepathically.
There was silence for a moment.
Then a voice echoed in her mind.
- No, you may not.
She frowned.
- But...
She felt a smile.
- Take a good look. I'm going to have some fun.