Chapter 7: Passion
How many spells had they launched at it? Fifty? A hundred? Over two hundred already? Not only was the shield-bearing undead still standing, its movement hadn't slowed in the slightest.
A chill coursed down Scama's spine.
This thing is much too strong. Are we any closer to winning, or have we barely made a dent in it?
Fear of the unknown was a dreadful thing. There was a swamp of blackness in her path, and she'd set foot in it. Was it knee-deep? Waist-deep? She was already up to her neck dealing with that single foe – and there was no telling how much damage they had truly inflicted upon it.
We can't waste any time. As soon as the other elite undead join up, we're finished.
It had reached the main gate. Its sword sliced through the barricade, splintering the wooden support beams and tossing aside the obstacles they'd set.
A gash was carved into the door, and the ten-foot tall undead rammed its skull into the opening.
"RoAoAOoAoAOooAOAHH!"
Four Armaments recoiled from its inhuman roar. Lilynette clutched her staff against her chest while Scama gnashed her teeth together.
Not good. This… This is not good at all. It's no longer a question of whether or not we can win. If the Sorcerer King can dominate his kind of undead… Haa… I see now. This is it. This is the monster who slaughtered two hundred thousand people in a single battle.
[Lightning!]
The archway was flooded with white. Bolts fired off and struck the shield-bearer head on. It backed away from the door, slipping its skull out of the crack – only to brutally collide into it once more. With each thrust, its head sunk further into their defenses. The door would not hold on for much longer.
"That'll do for the spell attacks. Can you buff me instead?"
Lilynette and the stern-looking caster nodded. Several layers of ethereal protection blanketed Scama's armor and body.
[Anti-Evil Protection!]
[Lesser Strength!]
[Lesser Dexterity!]
[Protection Energy Negative!]
[Haste!]
One more bash from the shield-bearing carcass, and the barricade was no more.
Undeath stood in front of her, ready to ravage this city with its blade. Whatever hopes they had of escaping now lay crushed – like the pile of dust at the creature's feet.
Scama clenched her tomahawk as hard as she could, just to keep her arm from shaking. "I say this from the bottom of my heart. Next time, we should avoid becoming enemies with the Sorcerer King."
The other three forced a pained smirk.
[Doppel.]
An otherworldly copy of Scama's tomahawk appeared beside her. Her weapon possessed the ability to duplicate itself in a spiritual form, giving her an unorthodox fighting style she'd honed with her own skills and abilities. This was the best she could do. Casting one last buff onto herself, [Fortress], Scama took on the towering undead.
Sparks flew each time their weapons met. Lilynette watched as their leader was tossed around by the strength of the undead's blows. Nothing about its combat abilities made sense. That thing knew how to fight. It parried blows when necessary, shifting the weight of its massive frame to throw Scama off-balance. The amount of effort their leader put into rolling away, kicking off the ground and avoiding the next swipe of its wave-blade could not be sustained. Lilynette raised her staff and cast—
[Sunlight!]
A beam of holy light blinded the undead. The priestess knew that supporting Scama from afar was all she could do. Unfortunately, her repertoire of spells didn't even allow her to help with dealing proper damage to the enemy. The pressure of this battle made her forget to breathe. Watching as the undead swung, she understood that a single solid hit likely spelled out their end.
Why is this happening to me!? Not when I'm this close! I've decided. After this, I'm retiring. I'll live out the rest of my days with Sir father-in-law's third son and sate his every need. No more of this. I've earned a break.
[Magic Arrow!]
Their spellcaster continued to assist as well. How much longer of this? Scama was forced on the defensive and the undead was gaining ground. Lilynette, in turn, had to step further back, now seeking refuge while pressed against the wall of a nearby home.
Whatever it takes. I'll do whatever it takes to survive this and have my happily-ever-after. Please, God of Earth. You've given me these powers for a reason, blessed me with this body so I may make my future husband happy – please let it help me survive!
Scama's blows were deflected once again and as the undead lurched forward – their thief sent forth a tarry substance from atop the archway wall. Green glue coated its ankle, immobilizing the undead as Lilynette launched another beam of blinding light.
"There!"
Stuck in place, blinded, assaulted by spells – the undead slammed its shield downwards and erected an impassible wall. No amount of tomahawk blows could pierce that greatshield. Lilynette was about to signal the mage unit into firing everything they had at it, but—
"No! T-The other one is coming! It's charging right at us!"
Haa… I'm going to die without once nursing my husband from my bosom. This is unfair.
"Scama! What do we do!?" The thief exclaimed in terror.
Lilynette saw the enemy rush through the breached gate. There now stood a second towering undead beside the first. The two blades it wielded meant it was most likely a purely offensive type. A threat likely far more lethal than the first…
If only her leader would let her escape.
After what felt like an eternity, Scama hollered her last orders.
"Both of you, run away!" Scama looked right at Lilynette and their spellcaster – essentially condemning herself and their thief to death.
"Hm? Already? But I just got here."
Lilynette, Scama, their thief and spellcaster – as well as both undead – their heads all turned towards whoever just spoke.
There was a human standing next to the death warriors. The way he leisurely hung around those two executioners was uncanny. It was so eerie they wondered if he was on the side of the undead.
"I hope you're ready to sweat even more, Scama! Let's give these guys a demon's hell! Gahahaha!"
Their bodies moved, but their minds were blank. Four Armaments could not comprehend the scene playing out before them.
The undead's greatshield slammed into Sitri, only to be deflected and pushed back with a single punch. That same strike Scama could not withstand with over a dozen strengthening spells – was blown off – and the undead took its first step back since it had risen.
"I get it, I get it. I'm awesome! No, I know, but—"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Three of the dual-wielder's blows were blocked by matching his punches with the timing of its swings – all while the shield-bearer still recovered from its staggered state.
"—I'm going to need your help here! Scama! That shield one is almost down! Finish it off as soon as I break its stance!"
Finish it off? Break its stance?
He wasn't asking: he demanded it happen. Something about seeing that lone man deflect both undead to the best of his abilities made Scama's heart burn with passion. His unwavering confidence turned her resolve to steel and she commanded all around to launch their strongest spells at the shield-bearing undead.
Regardless of how much mana they had, this is where the tides would turn. She could feel it when she saw Sitri fight.
By waiting until the very last second to deflect, the powerful undead were left defenseless for a few seconds. She'd only heard of the ability in passing, but recognized it immediately.
A perfect parry.
Not to mention the enhanced blowback and stun duration. It was like witnessing a critical hit over and over again.
"ROOoAAhahHHahaaaahhHHAAA!"
This was no shout attack. It was the sheer intimidation of the undead's superior might. But somehow, Sitri's obnoxious laughter was too fresh in her mind. His laugh was even louder, even more annoying, even more empowering!
"Come on! One more!"
With this strike, the undead set to squish Sitri like a bug. It raised its massive shield overhead and slammed it down at full force. Scama watched – her brain expecting the man's insides to splatter like a crushed grape.
CLANG!
Something happened! Again! She saw what looked like an uppercut aimed at the shield's lower rim, seesawing the entire thing upwards. The undead was hit by its own bulwark! Sparks flew from Sitri's gauntlet and as promised, the shield-bearer was left wide open.
"Now! Give it everything you've got!"
A flurry of elemental attacks struck the undead from the back. A bolt of concentrated lightning fired off from the front. Scama kicked off and ran towards the creature. She saw cracks forming across its body. Launching herself off the undead's shield, Scama swung her tomahawk at its neck. Her ethereal copy crossed up its chest in a devastating X-slash.
She dropped to a single knee, turning around to see the shield-bearer fall down—
—And crumble to dust.
The euphoria she felt at that moment was so intense she could cry.
It was passion akin to ecstasy.
"Alright ! !" Scama shouted at the top of her lungs. Her heartbeat pulsed faster than it ever had. She'd done it. She had overcome one of those monsters.
The dual-wielding undead looked elsewhere. It aimed its sights at the support members behind Scama.
That's right. There's still another one of those monsters! This isn't over yet!
"Watch out!"
Rather than charge forth, the undead threw both of its scimitars at the buffers.
Scama tried to stand, but she was a moment too late. That last attack had taken every ounce of her strength. Thankfully, her warning didn't go unnoticed. At Mithril-rank, every member of Four Armaments was a capable fighter.
The stern-looking spellcaster barely avoided the incoming projectile, but the second was once again deflected by Sitri, who stopped the curved blade from reaching Lilynette.
"What, you don't like me anymore? Give me a few more attacks, I want to learn your patterns! Oh, and as a warning, I only go out of my way to protect cute girls. Thought I'd warn you guys!"
He's still standing!
Scama scrambled to find her words, wanting to assist but unable to think of how. There was no way she could replicate this miracle alone. Thankfully, she knew…! She knew she could count on that man for never knowing when to keep his mouth shut!
"Silver lady, all I've got in my arsenal are parries and counters. Which means! I can't inflict any damage on my own. You'll have to take this thing down."
He needs me. Sitri needs me to stand too!
"If you don't help me beat it, you and Lilynette owe me a threesome!"
"That'll never happen!" Both women exclaimed at the same time.
The battle wasn't over. After using its blades as projectiles, the twin-sword undead summoned a second pair of its weapons.
Scama mustered the strength to rise. She willed her legs into supporting her. Her body trembled, but no longer from fear.
No matter how much her muscles ached, she would fight until the very end.