And those looked like they’d been barely singed. “Hm. You’re not bad, but—”
Another blast of flame leapt out of Meltlake’s cane. She waved her off-hand a moment later, and something within the fire detonated.
The room trembled, the glass roof above us shattering.
A sphere of white enveloped the spot where Mizuchi had stood, then faded.
Mizuchi remained, of course. I could have expected no other result.
But this time?
Her skin and scales both looked just slightly cracked.
Mizuchi snarled and moved her hands together, forming a ball of lightning and hurling it back toward Meltlake.
Meltlake gestured upward. “Wall of Stone.”
The floor of the room cracked as a rectangular section of stone rose, blocking the lightning blast.
Mizuchi charged and slammed a fist into it, shattering the wall into pieces.
Meltlake backed off a step, then flew upward and yelled. “Evacuate as soon as you can move!”
I could see a handful of people in the guest section were doing just that. I didn’t recognize them, but they were rushing for the door.
A couple students had managed to do the same. But only a couple, out of thousands of us.
Mizuchi gestured, and a blast of lightning came from above, like a true bolt from the skies. It slammed into Meltlake, and she tumbled downward, hitting the floor.
Smoke rose from Meltlake as she stood.
Mizuchi rushed forward, aiming a claw for Meltlake’s chest.
And then that smoke gave way to fire.
Mizuchi’s claw hit the aura of fire and burned. She hissed, pulling the claw back before it impacted.
Meltlake raised her rod and pointed at the center of Mizuchi’s chest. A thin line of white fire of blinding intensity blasted out from it.
Mizuchi blurred and appeared several feet away. “That might have actually hurt me. You’ve become quite the nuisance.”
Professor Meltlake coughed. Blood was streaming out of her nose. She raised her rod again, but Mizuchi was faster.
Mizuchi shoved both hands down, ducking under Meltlake’s next blast, and touched the tiles.
A section of floor beneath them instantly changed from stone into deep water.
Meltlake fell as the floor shifted, before she could react. Her aura of flame extinguished.
Mizuchi, however, stood on the water as if it was solid stone.
She tapped a finger against the water, and it froze solid, entombing Meltlake inside.
I need to move.
I pushed my mind harder, to move faster, but nothing was working. I couldn’t shake myself free.
“Now, then.” Mizuchi turned toward the guest section. “Who would like to be next?”
Meltlake burst out of the ice right behind Mizuchi, her body once again ablaze. “Haven’t you heard how I got my name?”
The water that she’d emerged from was burning.
Meltlake put a hand on Mizuchi’s shoulder, then Mizuchi burst into flames.
Mizuchi roared, her scales cracking further at the intensity of the fire, then swung around and drove a fist into Meltlake’s chest.
I heard a gasp of air from Patrick as his mentor flew backward, smashed into a stone pillar, then landed hard on the floor, unmoving.
Mizuchi shook herself, as if wet, and the flames on her skin and scales vanished. I could see tiny rivulets of blood running between the cracks. She’d been burned badly.
Not invincible, then. But even Meltlake couldn’t put her down.
I needed to do something.
I spoke.
“Necklace…Message Keras. Help…”
The necklace flashed for an instant, then died.
This room had been protected against communication magic, too.
I had no way to call for help.
“How wonderful.” Mizuchi dusted herself off. “That was unexpected. Anyone else?”
A blade constructed from raw mana slammed into the side of her face.
She didn’t even react.
Lord Teft slashed at her neck next, but it failed to break through her skin.
“Nothing but an irritant.” She plunged a hand straight through his chest.
My eyes went wide for just a moment.
Then the body detonated.
The explosion of mana sent Mizuchi staggering back, right into the swing of a second Lord Teft.
Simulacra, I realized with a hint of relief.
Mizuchi growled, swinging a fist as she turned, but the other Teft ducked the strike and jabbed her in the ribs. It was just as ineffective as before.
They can’t hurt her, though. He’s just buying time. His weapons are just mana constructs — they must have taken his real dueling cane at the door.
I need to do something.
I focused my mana, trying to push the power from my right hand all the way through my body and into my Enchanter attunement, but it worked too slowly to be effective.
My friends were clearly struggling, too, but none of them had managed to stand or speak. We couldn’t move in the slightest.
With one exception.
Marissa’s hand was trembling.
She was the strongest of us. Almost strong enough to fight off the effect.
If she can get free…
It was a fraction of hope, not nearly enough. But I had to try.
“Mara,” I managed a feeble whisper. “Take…my…hand.”
Mara’s eyes turned toward me. Then I heard her grunt with effort, as she began to make the monumental effort of moving her hand toward mine.
We were lucky — we had already been in contact when I’d tried to teleport us out of the area with my circlet.
Her hand wasn’t far.
But every inch felt like miles.
I struggled with every fraction of my own strength to move my own hand toward hers.
On the stage, Mizuchi finished battering another Lord Teft, which exploded on her like the last.
Another glowing arrow struck her from behind, but it simply shattered against her scales without effect.
One of the house guards charged from one of the sides of the room, jumping through the air and swinging a gleaming blade.
Mizuchi pointed a finger, and a tiny beam of light pierced through the guard’s chest.
The guard landed, took a single ineffective swing with the glowing blade, and then collapsed.
“I’m so glad you’ve all decided to provide me with a hint of entertainment, at least.” She spun, catching Lord Teft’s conjured weapon. “But alas, all good things come to an end.”
She yanked the phantasmal dueling cane out of his hands, and plunged it into the very much real Lord Teft’s chest.
He fell backward, clutching at the bleeding wound.
Move!
My hand slid an inch.
Marissa’s hand moved two inches more.
Our fingers brushed against each other.
Mizuchi turned toward the fallen group on her stage. “I suppose I should clean up this mess.”
She waved a hand. A wave of fire blasted outward, engulfing the still-struggling bodies on the stage.
Teft managed to roll off the platform and avoid the fire, landing hard on his back.
The others were not so lucky.
I heard screams.
I really hoped that Elora wasn’t one of the people on that stage. We weren’t exactly friends, but I still needed her help.
Move!
Our hands slid further, but not quite enough. My strength was waning. My mind was burning.