Arthur Leywin
I was unable to respond because Jagrette was on me, trying to get to the tree to heal herself, which I was not going to allow. I swung at her, driving her back towards the middle of the ring, I was running low on mana, I have been using up mana consistently this whole fight, even with mana rotation, I was running low.
My sword cut through tendril after tendril as she made her way away from me, but I didn't allow that to happen. I shot toward her, turning her attention back to me, and away from the tree line.
Her hand came up, grabbing my wrist as I swung down on her, and she sent acidic mana into my wrist, making me drop Dawn's Ballad to the ground. I knew I could not swing my fist at her face, it would just burn me.
I quickly grabbed her arm and activated "Absolute Zero" and pushed it onto her, making her release her grip on me, and the two of us separated as I grabbed my sword in the process. I looked down at my body, I had marks all over it, not burn marks, but like a rash or scar, obviously, it was from her acid, but it looked different.
My heartbeat quickened as I sensed something, and that is when we both froze as the dark aura I felt before rose into the sky.
Jagrette and I both looked into the sky as Veer appeared, I could only see him because of my mana enhanced vision. "The brat has arrived!" Jagrette said, looking up at him as his skin began to transform, scales began to grow, runes appeared, and his hair turned red. "He truly is the devil..."
I felt my body start to relax as it got lighter, Veer must be using his blood healing on me, but how? He just fought over a hundred soldiers; shouldn't he be tired. I guess it does not matter, I have a fight to win.
I didn't need Veer worrying about me, I was his older brother, I was supposed to worry about him. "I would worry about me first!" I said as Veer vanished in the air, and I charged at the one armed Retainer, knowing that I could defeat her, all I needed was one more good strike.
I swung my blade at her, acidic mana jumped at me, but I dodged it, seeing it coming at me as I used Realmheart. I don't think I could stop time again, maybe one more, it drains me quite a bit. My blade came down on her, near her shoulder, but Jagrette managed to dodge the attack, sending a knee into my gut, knocking the wind out of me slightly.
She reached down, gripped my throat, and started to burn it using her acid. "Stop with this!" I roared, gripping her arm as I pushed past the pain it inflicted when I grabbed her, it was like grabbing acid, but I had to, I activated "Absolute Zero" once again, freeing myself from her.
I swung my blade at her only arm, but she pulled back, and I shot wind bullets at her, hoping that her acidic mist couldn't melt it, but as it entered her vicinity, they vanished. I think the mist melted the spell down and took it in as its own.
Tendrils came at me, I cut through them one after another, or froze them, she kept backing away from me, trying to get to a tree to heal herself, so I brought the fire to her back, and shot at her at the same time, slicing through the tendrils with ease.
The fire impacted on the Retainer's back, but didn't do much, I swung my blade at her chest, and as she went to dodge it, she was too late, my blade slid from the top of her shoulder down to her belly button, leaving a giant mark in her armor, and blood rushing down her leg.
"Die!" She roared, even being in pain like I cause, the Retainer was relentless, I could see the ground beneath, in all directions, corrosive mana was building up, and about to explode out, it would destroy this whole part of the forest if I allowed it.
I shot at the Retainer, and like a volcano, sludge started to shoot up, green, yet brownish fudge, that melted everything that it came into contact with. I used wind and my own speed to escort myself out of harm's way, making sure nothing hit me, or froze it if I had to.
My ring of fire spell no longer activated anymore, focusing on my current predicament. I pushed my speed to its limits, appearing on the side of Jagrette, she swung her arm at my head, colliding with the side of my skull before I could do anything, knocking me to the ground.
I sensed corrosive mana falling down on me, and quickly rolled onto a patch of grass that still was standing, but as I thought that, the ground beneath me began to change shape. I got to my feet and could see Jagrette launching herself toward the nearest tree.
There was only one option, I activated "Static Void" and traveled to where she was, stood in between the tree and her, and as time resumed, swung my sword at her, and the Retainer's momentum took her right into it.
My blade cut her rib cage open slightly, leaving an indent on her, and more blood to run down her legs. I didn't know what to call her blood, but it wasn't normal, she held her side as I continued to guard the path towards the tree line.
I didn't think she had that much fight left in her, I wounded her pretty severely twice now, and cut one of her arms off. "I think this is the end for you, Jagrette." I told her, surrounding my blade with fire, ice, lightning, and wind, one last strike to end it. "Any final words?" The explosions of acid coming out of the ground stopped, and she began to speak, not nicely.
"You think I have final words for a Lesser like you! I don't, you are an insufficient piece of shit, that should be under my feet, doing what I desire! You should be worshiping me like a god! And yet, you dishonor me like this! Unacceptable!"
If I didn't know her powers, I would have been in deep shit, it is good Veer, and I came up with this plan. "Jagrette, realize that you are just an ugly bitch!" I said to her, vanishing before her, and reappearing on her side, driving my sword into her chest, with an incredible force.
'Arthur, when you are done, you need to get over here, we could use some help. Veer is taking on the one Retainer by himself, Aya and I joined forces on the other one.' Sylvie sent me another mental message, Veer was fighting a Retainer by himself, he should be able to take care of whoever it is.
"Noooo!" She screamed, trying to block my strike, but was unable to as my sword entered her lower abdomen, right below her core, and the Retainer slumped down on to her knees, and she began to speak again. "Your little brother will be ours in due time, I may die here, but I hope the two of you are dragged through hell while you live in this world of hate and despair!"
'Sylv, I'll be over as soon as I can, I need to deal with this first.' I told her, knowing that I had won the battle, but needed to prepare myself for the next one, already running low on mana.
'Okay, just hurry, I don't know how much longer Lance Aya can hold up, she only survived because Veer showed up.' Sadly, I believed this was true, Veer said beforehand that a Lance would struggle against a Retainer, and he was right.
Acid started to pour out, and jump everywhere, some landed on my skin, burning me, so I quickly pulled Dawn's Ballad out, and took a couple of steps backwards away from her. "The world isn't filled with just hate and despair, my brother and family have shown me that, so you are wrong."
I watched as the life in her eyes slowly faded away, and the Retainer died before me, still corroding the earth around her with her magic. I slumped down, and took in steady breathes, I knew I could not stay here for long, knowing Veer and everyone were fighting more Retainers.
If we manage to take down three Retainers today, this would be a huge victory for Dicathen, three of their strongest Generals, the thing I was trained to do. This is a big step toward victory, but I need Veer to explain in more detail what Agrona has planned.
I watched the acid eat at the earth still, it had a nice ringing sound to it, my skin was still on fire, even though I could feel my little brother trying to heal me as best he could from a far. It amazed me, even while he fights, he is trying his best to heal me. I wanted to be mad about this, but knowing him, he would just complain that I was being annoying or something and tell me to shut up.
I was still breathing heavily, even as I tried to steady myself, I used static void too quickly, too many times, and I may need it again soon. I breathed in, held it, then released it, and did it again, and again.
I wonder how Veer's mental health is doing, if he lost it, this would be the end for him in the field. I would pull the plug, and I think Elder Virion would agree with me. Aldir wants to bring him to see Lord Indrath, I don't see why that is necessary, it is not like he can train like I did, he did not have time, and was already the most valuable asset to Dicathen at his age, because of his strength and knowledge.
'Sylv, I am on my way.' I told her, getting to my feet very slowly, and facing the dead Retainer currently destroying the environment.
'Alright, be quick, I think Veer is losing it, can't tell though. I saw him smiling as he was fighting, I am not close to him, so you have to check it out if you can.' Sylv thought back to me, I could feel her fighting for her life at the moment. 'Be careful about the guy with two mist swords, he is quite an issue.'
'Okay, I will.' I replied back, and then started to push ice all over the Retainer's body, freezing her whole body so that it was encased in ice. I was going to leave her here for now, since I didn't need to have her body at a time like this. I'll come, or someone else will come and get it when we are all done.
I held the broken Dawn's Ballad at my side, it still was good to fight with, it just made me sad to think it broke fighting a Retainer. Alright, I guess I should get going, even if I was in a weakened state, everyone over there is as well.
I surrounded myself with wind mana, reinforced my legs with more mana, and shot myself into the direction everyone was fighting in. Veer, Aya, and Sylv, I'll be there soon enough, I'll give us a better chance to win, and Veer, I'll try not to let you do everything yourself, even though I know you will try.
I was going to have to pass through Ashber town to get there, but it was nighttime, so hopefully no one was up, but even from where I was at. I could hear the rumbling of the battle ahead, so it would not surprise me if people were up and about.
Also, Veer did kill three to four people I believe, they may be looking for them somewhere, who knows. It does not matter, I'll be through the small town in a split second, they will not even see me. Hopefully, Veer killing Sebastian stopped or at least slowed the slave trade going on here.
I didn't want Veer to see the slaves Sebastian had in the storage center he was bringing us to, so it was good the Retainers showed up when they did. I was actually scared of what my brother's reaction was going to be. If I had to say what would have happened, Veer either would have killed him, or cut his legs off, and allowed the slaves to finish him off.
Anyways, the battle is up ahead, I need to prepare myself for these two Retainers, they could be stronger than Jagrette, no, they probably are. I think Veer told me she was pretty weak compared to the other ones, but I do not know who is up here.