The spasms passed as quickly as they’d begun. When Vir regained control of his body, he found Cirayus, unharmed, clutching the Mejai of Realms by his head, lifting him into the air with one arm.
No damage? Impossible!
The mejai’s feet flailed under him, but even in this state, he fired B Grade Lightning Bursts one after another.
He might as well have been a mosquito. A spell that would’ve roasted most mortals merely fizzled away as another tattoo on Cirayus’ body roared to life.
It’s absorbing the spell’s prana? How?
“Just when you think you’ve gained a bit of strength…” Maiya said softly.
“There’s always someone more powerful,” Vir completed. At some point, he’d grasped Maiya’s hand, tightly locking his fingers in her own.
A Grade spells were considered borderline strategic. Capable of freezing entire swaths of land and incinerating whole companies of troops with a single spell, they were weapons of mass destruction, and the highest tier found in actual combat.
And the demon had simply shrugged it off.
The Mejai of Realms screamed as Cirayus increased the pressure on his head. He reached for another orb, but he’d already lost. Nothing he brought out now would matter.
The mejai fired… and missed. His spells soared sky-high before bursting into a thousand brilliant embers.
Flare!
“It’s a signal!” Maiya said. “He’s calling for help!”
The mejai stared defiantly through the gaps in the giant’s fingers, even as his skull caved. “You might kill me. But will you also kill the hundred mercenaries hunting the boy?”
There was no hope against an enemy who could ignore A Grade magic, let alone someone who moved so blindingly fast, and who possessed ten times the physical might of Vir and Maiya combined. This was nothing more than a last act of defiance.
“I do whatever it takes, human. I always have.” With a sickening crunch, Cirayus caved the mejai’s head in. The cries silenced.
“Should we run?” Maiya asked softly.
Despite her panic, she’d neither frozen up nor curled up in a ball, as she might’ve only months prior. She stood bravely in the face of certain death, and Vir couldn’t help but admire her, despite the danger they were in.
“There’s no running from that. You saw how he moved. He can manipulate his weight freely. He’ll butcher us before we’re halfway to your Acira.”
“This… is the end, isn’t it?”
“It doesn’t have to be. Look, I’ve never begged you for anything before. But I am begging you now. Please escape. Live! You don’t need to die here. He’s after me, not you.”
Thump. Thump. Thump. The demon loped closer.
Maiya stared him in the eyes, tears flowing down her face. “C’mon. You’ve known me, what? Sixteen years? As if I’d ever agree to such a stupid suggestion. Didn’t you say it yourself? That you wanted to fight beside me? Well, I’m here. Right now. And I’m fighting. So you better give this everything you have, because I swear to Vera, I’ll reincarnate as a Prana Swarm and haunt you if you don’t. Got it?”
Vir found himself at a loss for words. Just a moment ago, he’d been fully prepared to argue back, but his rebuttal died on his lips against such overwhelming determination. It was both shocking and touching that his friend would go so far for him.
“Guess I’ll get to test out my new abilities, then,” Vir smiled sadly. “We stick together. We fight him as one.”
“Good. You attack. I’ll back you up from behind.”
“Sorry to break your little moment, but now that we’re done with that annoyance, how about a nice, light fight to the death? You two against me,” the giant said, cracking his neck. “Believe me, you can’t know how much I’ve looked forward to getting some exercise. Do put on a good show? I wish to relish our time together before the human’s lackeys ruin our fun.”
With a steeled expression, Vir and Maiya faced the demon. Maiya leveled her bracer, while Vir retrieved a chakram from around his neck, and pointed his katar—already loaded with Maiya’s Enhance Speed orb—at their foe.
“Bring it,” they said together. Not as childhood friends, nor as lovers. But as mejai and warrior. United as one.
58THE RAVAGER AND THE SHADOW
(PART ONE)
Vir made the first move, launching an Empowered chakram at the demon, further augmenting his throw with Parai’s channeling technique. His new upgrade sent the disc ripping through the air, almost as if the chakrams had a mejai speed enhancement on them.
They didn’t. Only Vir’s katar had the benefit of Maiya’s Enhance Speed, but he hardly even saw the disc before it collided with their enemy.
It bounced off, doing no damage at all, but Vir never expected it to. While the demon blocked the attack, Vir Leaped into the fray, exploiting the opening to deliver an upward slash. This attack had four augmentations boosting it. Empower, Prana Blade, Maiya’s C Grade Enhance Speed orb, and finally Parai’s channeling technique, Prana Channeling. It was the most devastating attack Vir could muster…
And it was blocked by the giant’s tower shield, pinging off, and leaving Vir’s arm vibrating from the force of the impact.
Maiya covered Vir’s escape with a C Grade Wind Blade. The very spell that nearly ended Vir’s life in the Godshollow now tore through the air at his enemy, but the demon didn’t even bother to block it. Vir Micro Leaped away, narrowly avoiding the greatsword that slashed down. Its force sent a shockwave of wind crashing into Vir as it passed just inches away from his face.
That could’ve easily decapitated me…
“Oho? Kalaripayattu, is it? Surprising. Where did you learn that, boy?”
“You’ve got no reason to know.” Vir’s words hid his surprise; Kalari was hardly a common artform.
Vir dodged another attack, then a third. The strikes came right at the edge of his limits, though they were nothing he couldn’t handle. Though poleax was dangerous, the greatsword the giant kept poised above his head was the real danger. Whenever Vir moved in, either the shield or poleaxe would block him, while the greatsword swung from above. It was an absolutely perfect defense that leveraged the giant’s inhuman strength and size.
“True, I suppose,” Cirayus said, taking one hand off his greatsword to stroke his black beard. If the weight of the oversized weapon strained his arm, he certainly didn’t show it.
Just how strong is this guy?
Merely attempting to attack the demon was like walking into a gauntlet of blades—Vir danced with death every time.
To think he’s only blocking… Forget Balancer of Scales or any of the demon’s other powers—the giant hadn’t even launched a single offensive strike of his own yet.
That’s… interesting. Why is that?
Vir shook off those thoughts. Thinking of how fearsome his opponent was would only lead to his loss. First, he had to get past the shield.
He was sure his attacks were deadly enough to do damage to the giant’s skin. The demon wore no armor, and it didn’t look like his skin was any different from a normal demon’s. If only he could land a strike.
Despite his size, the giant moved with the same grace Vir did, even without the aid of Balancer. For such a heavy, large opponent to match him—possibly even outmatch his agility… It was truly an unfair advantage.
Vir Leaped in, firing off strike after strike. He came in low with an uppercut. Bounding from the side, he slashed with every ounce of his strength. He even jumped and attempted aerial strikes.