XXVIII
Luna took a deep breath. This time she thrust the butt of her lance into the ground. She didn't know why Lina was here, but she could not let Xelloss escape. He was just the right opponent to wrap this up with. A violent fight between him and her was almost as good as a fight with a Demon Lord without the chance of actually killing a Demon Lord. A barrier as large as the circle and over twice as tall appeared. It shimmered a brilliant gold and obscured everything on the other side into unrecognizable shapes. No sound traveled through it even.
Xelloss gripped his staff with both hands. It was not hard to see that Luna's intent was battle. A glance at Lina showed her in a state of barely suppressed panic. Xelloss looked back at Luna, at least she would not be inclined to focus attacks on Lina. No Luna was on a monster hunt.
The silence was suddenly broken by the clash of staff and lance. Power crackled in the air around and especially between them. There was a nearly deafening crack as both opponents were flung backwards. Each slid several yards across the ice before coming to a stop. Silence once again consumed the barrier.
Lina shook her head as the second thunderous crack of power shook the ice. This is what she came here to stop from happening, and she'd only hastened it. She wasn't sure who would win this fight, but either way she was going to lose something precious to her if it was allowed to play out to the end.
Spells flashed in quick succession now. Since neither could immediately overpower the other, they both fell back on more moderate power intended to chip away at their opponent.
With a deep breath, Lina gathered her power. "Bomb de Wind!" The powerful burst of wind slammed both Luna and Xelloss into the solid golden wall of the barrier.
Xelloss smirked. He ought to have known Lina could not stand idly by with such an important battle raging right in front of her. Indeed she couldn't even sit idly by halfway around the world with such an important battle occurring.
Luna glared at her little sister. "Don't you dare interfere. You are meddling in affairs you don't understand, and don't think being my little sister will stay my hand if you get in my way."
Lina shoved down panic. It wasn't idle threats her big sister was declaring. She might not quite kill her, but Lina would wish Luna would have had mercy and killed her, such was the world of hurt her sister could leave her in.
"I understand better than you do." Lina held her head up high. She was daring Luna to refute it. "I'm not the little kid you bullied and tortured anymore."
Luna didn't answer with words but charged at Lina. Lina cast a shield and gritted her teeth expecting Luna to plow throw it and beat the crap out of her. The shield held, to both their surprises. Lina didn't waste time marveling on it, she couldn't afford to. Lightning crackled through the shield as it faded forcing Luna back.
Xelloss raised his brows and let the base of his staff rest on the ground. Well this was quite the development. He knew Lina and Luna had issues, but this was beyond what even he expected. Lina may have been terrified of her big sister, but it appeared she'd gained enough power to hold her own against Luna. While there was still plenty of kick in the spells that they were wielding, neither was using quite lethal force. Not the same level of spells that Luna had come at him with.
Luna managed to knock Lina back into the barrier. Lina slid down the barrier wall but managed to land in a crouch. Defense shield ready, but there was no need the second attack was not aimed at her.
Xelloss snapped up a dark shield barely in time. It was so weak it shattered beneath the holy attack. He winced in pain as the remnants of the attack spell hit him.
"Well that was sloppy of me to think you'd forgotten about our fight," Xelloss said looking at Luna with a pained smirk.
Serveral strong attacks had both of them sweating slightly. Lina in the meantime regained her feet and glared at the two fighting. Both were ignoring her completely again.
"I will not be ignored!" Lina shouted. Lightning erupted from a giant magic circle in front of her. The entire barrier was lit up. Both Luna and Xelloss were looking singed when the light faded.
Luna was frowning. "I didn't want to have to do this." She slammed the blade of her staff into the ice. "But if you're going to keep interfering, I have no choice but to end this quickly."
Lina's eyes got wide. She'd seen this move before. Holy light blasted up from the freshly consecrated ground. Burned people like a rain of cinders. She looked at Xelloss. What would it do to a demon inside of a holy barrier?
She threw herself into the air, launching herself at her sister's lance. She needed to get that thing out of the ground before Luna could consecrate it. Without the blade in the ground it would just be a relatively small blast of holy light shot from the tip of the blade.
Lina grabbed the lance just as Luna finished the chant. She cried out as the staff of the lance burned into the soft flesh of her hands, but she refused to let go. Holy light shot towards the ceiling of the barrier.
Luna glared at her sister. She yanked the lance out of her little sister's burnt hands. Then she swung it around and hit Lina across the temple with the staff.
"Stay down this time sister." Lina didn't move.
Xelloss was suddenly between Lina and Luna. Luna blinked. He could not teleport in this sealed space. She had no idea he could move that fast without it.
"That was too far Luna." Xelloss said. His staff was raised; ready to strike or defend.
Lina groaned as she sat up. Her head was pounding. Feeling her left temple revealed a large and very tender lump. Lina may have caught up on spell power but Luna still had size and physical power on her side.
Looking to the center of the barrier, Lina saw terrifying spell power built up. Luna and Xelloss were locked staff to lance. Both were looking worse for the wear for however long she was out. Power was radiating and crackling out far enough to engulf almost the entire barrier.
In a blinding flash and deafening roar the power exploded. All three beings in the barrier were knocked into the wall. The barrier wavered and Luna was slow to rise. In the moment that the barrier wavered Lina could see the fight still waging on outside. Bodies of both dragons and demons littered the frozen landscape as far as she could see. Then the sight was blocked by the barrier snapping back into solid form.
Luna was on her feet again and immediately she and Xelloss resumed their fight. Lina only knew one way to stop this and save them both. Still it meant that she'd have to risk all of their lives. Only the Lord of Nightmares had the power she needed.
Lina looked down at her stomach. Summoning the Lord of Nightmares could cost her not only her own life but the life she carried within her. Of course both could be forfeit depending on the outcome of this battle anyway. Lina decided. She could not sit by and wait for the outcome when she could do something to sway it.
