It clearly had some kind of tracking and teleportation, not to mention movement that was so fast I couldn’t even perceive it.
How can I fight this thing?
I could get Selys-Lyann, but he absorbs magic. Selys-Lyann probably wouldn’t hurt him, if I could even land a hit at all.
Absorbing magic…
I ran toward Sera’s room instead of my own.
I found Ceris, the Song of Harmony, lying next to her bed.
Like deflects like.
Will it work?
I wasn’t sure, but I had to try.
I grabbed the sword and ran down the stairs.
Derek swung a fist at Saffron, but the Tyrant’s child stepped back and avoided the swing.
Blood was trailing down the right side of Derek’s face. His right eye was closed.
Saffron pointed at Derek. “I tire of this. Sit.”
Derek’s necklace flashed with sudden light. “Nah.”
Then Derek stepped in and slammed a fist into Saffron’s gut.
Saffron stumbled back, startled. “What? How?”
Derek didn’t slow down to explain, he just launched a hail of punches that sent the Tyrant’s child staggering back.
Meanwhile, I could see Elora on the opposite side of the room. There was a growing aura of mana around her hands, white mixed with crimson.
Saffron swept at Derek’s legs, but Derek hopped over it and kicked Saffron in the chest. The Tyrant’s child stumbled back, snarled, and then caught Derek’s arm on the next swing.
“This has been absolutely delightful. But I’m afraid you’re just not good enough.” Saffron shook his head. “A disappointment, really. I was hoping…”
Derek slammed his other fist into Saffron’s jaw, knocking the Tyrant’s child back a step.
Saffron just shook his head and kept talking. “…For a real challenge today. Like I used to have, before… Ah, it doesn’t matter.” A blur.
Derek flew backward, slamming into a stone wall.
Elora continued to focus, a swirling nimbus of light around her growing stronger with every moment.
I slowed as I went down the stairs.
Saffron turned his head toward me. “Oh, hello. You’re the one I was meaning to talk to later. But now I’m in a poor mood, so I think I’m just going to go ahead and kill you either way.”
Haste.
I wasn’t anywhere close to fast enough to hit him, even layering as much mana as I could throughout my body.
I didn’t try.
I just threw Ceris toward Derek as quickly as I could.
Saffron blurred and almost casually snatched the sword out of the air. “What’s…? Ah!”
He dropped the sword as his hand began to burn where he touched Ceris’ grip.
Then Derek slammed into his back and pressed him into the wall. “Now, hold still.”
Derek grabbed Saffron’s arms and pinned him against the stone.
I rushed for Ceris.
Elora’s hands glowed brighter, almost blinding to look at. I’d never seen that much mana collected into a single spell. Not even close.
“Elora, hit him now!”
“You’re in the way, idiot!”
“I know! Hit him through me!” Derek yelled.
Saffron laughed. “Are you joking? There’s no way—”
“You absolute idiot!” Elora pointed her right hand. “Fine! If you want to die here, die!”
Elora began to chant, mana emerging from her mouth.
“Burning bright with starry light,
Your strength and mine are one…”
Saffron’s struggles against Derek intensified, but Derek managed to keep him pressed against the wall. For the moment, at least.
“I call upon your divine might,
Flames that can burn even the soul of the sun!
Rage of the God Phoenix!”
The mana crystal in the ring on Elora’s right hand shattered.
An explosion of white flames enveloped her, rising into the shape of a blazing bird.
Elora, barely visible amongst the flames, pointed her finger.
The flames surged forward.
No. I’m not sacrificing Derek for this.
I raised Ceris, the Song of Harmony, and I willed it to work.
The white fire arced, shifting course in mid-air, straight into Ceris’ blade.
I didn’t wait an instant. I could see Saffron turning, throwing Derek off.
I lowered my arm to strike.
Haste.
Jump. Jump. Jump.
The force of activating the ring repeatedly threw me forward with a speed I couldn’t possibly control. But I didn’t need to.
I’d already aimed.
I jammed Ceris right through the center of Saffron’s chest.
There was an explosion of incendiary whiteness as the stored spell was released.
And when my vision cleared, a spherical hole larger than a fist was missing from the center of Saffron’s chest.
Saffron stared at me in shock.
I pulled the sword back and swung again, aiming for his neck.
He raised an arm and deflected the blow, almost casually.
The sword cut into his flesh, but…
Saffron shook his head, grinning through bloodstained teeth.
Where his hand had been burned by touching the sword, the wound was already gone.
The hole in his chest was beginning to close.
And even the cut I’d just made on his arm was almost closed.
No.
I screamed, swinging the sword again and again. He blocked every strike with his arms.
He was healing faster than I could hurt him.
And then, with sudden force, he struck back.
I’d never felt my ribs buckle like that before.
I fell backward, hit the floor, and rolled.
The sword tumbled from my fingers.
“That,” I heard Saffron say, “Was incredible!”
The Tyrant’s child burst into laughter.
My coughing produced blood. That seemed bad.
My silver phoenix sigil was active, already working to try to fix my injuries. But it only had a fraction of the power of the ring of regeneration, and even the ring took time to address broken bones.
I’d left the ring with Sera. In retrospect, that had been a costly mistake.
With effort, I managed to push myself over to face upward.
I tried to reach for Ceris.
Derek ducked down and picked it up first. “Not my first choice of a weapon, but it’ll do.” Derek cracked his neck. The left side of his chest was stained with blood now, and I couldn’t tell how much of it was his.
“You already tried that. It didn’t work.” Saffron shook his head. “At least be creative.”
“Creativity has its place, of course. But in the absence of good ideas, I usually find that hitting something hard enough repeatedly will solve the problem.” Derek grinned. “And I’ve noticed something.”
Saffron tilted his head to the side. “Oh?”
“You’re healing slower than you were a few minutes ago.” Derek pointed Ceris at him. “I think you’re running out of mana.”
Saffron growled. “Not possible.”
Derek stepped to the side. Away from me, and probably deliberately. How generous.