Chapter 8: The Puppet Master
Name: Sharya Hansen
Age: 17
Personality: Very cheeky, full of life, yet very secretive when talking about certain topics (her family)
Birthday: 14 December
Strengths: Reconnaissance missions, any one on one situations, emotional intelligence
Weaknesses: Restraint, her sweet tooth
Favourite things: Cats of all kinds, salty foods, playing darts
Sharya stood motionless by the puppet master's side. Her Coral Peacocks robe billowed in the wind. The Puppet Master flashed a gold toothed smile, sinister in nature, towards the two Magic Knights.
"You see," he began in a sinister voice that sent chills down Lars's spine, "I've always wanted a Magic Knight as a flesh puppet. And now, three are just there in front of me! Fun, fun!" He cackled. "And now you can't attack me without hurting your little friend over here.
"Yul barreled into the square, his steel magic armor gleaming despite the blood trickling down his leg. "I'll tear you apart!" Yul roared, charging forward, lance raised high.
"Puppet Trap Magic: Springtrap!" the Puppet Master spat.
A massive, glowing bear trap materialized from thin air, its jagged edges snapping shut around Yul's ankle with a sickening crunch. Yul's scream of agony echoed through the square as he collapsed, clutching his leg.
"Yul!" Lars cried out, his heart sinking. His teammate was down, and the situation was spiraling out of control.
The Puppet Master cackled, his deranged laughter ringing out as he turned his attention to Lars. "Now, let's deal with you, shall we?"
Lars readied himself, but before the Puppet Master could launch another spell, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
"Mind Magic: Kraftvoller Gedankenstoß!"
Lars unleashed a powerful mind blast, aiming directly at the Puppet Master. But the villain reacted swiftly, stacking nearby toys and debris to form a makeshift shield. The blast collided with the shield, scattering the objects but leaving the Puppet Master unharmed.
"You're a feisty one," the Puppet Master sneered. "But you're all out of luck. Now, let's see how well you fare when your little friend here fights for me."
Lars's stomach dropped as the Puppet Master gestured towards Sharya. Her body stiffened as invisible strings latched onto her limbs. She struggled, her eyes wide with terror, but her body moved of its own accord. Tears streamed down her face as she was forced to raise her fan-dagger, her gaze locked onto Lars.
"Sharya, no..." Lars muttered, but he knew what was coming.
The Puppet Master's grin widened. "Now, my puppet, finish him!"
Sharya, despite the pain in her eyes, rushed at Lars, her movements swift and deadly. She swung her dagger at him in a wide arc, her speed faster than Lars anticipated. He sidestepped just in time, narrowly avoiding the blade.
"Sharya, fight it!" Lars growled, but it was no use. She was completely under the Puppet Master's control.
With no choice, Lars braced himself for another attack. Sharya leapt at him, her dagger slashing through the air. Lars blocked with the butt of his spear, the impact reverberating through his arms. Sharya's strength, amplified by the Puppet Master's magic, was overwhelming.
She spun around, delivering a clean heel kick to Lars's head. He staggered back, his vision blurring for a moment as she pressed the advantage, pinning him to the ground.
Lars gritted his teeth and kicked her in the stomach, sending her tumbling backward. He scrambled to his feet, his heart racing. He didn't want to hurt her, but the Puppet Master left him no choice.
"I didn't want to have to do this," Lars muttered, his voice laced with regret. "But you'll thank me later. Mind Magic: Grand Catharsis!"
A pulse of mind energy erupted from Lars, crashing into Sharya with enough force to snap the strings of the Puppet Master's control. She flew backward, slamming into a tree. The magic that bound her shattered against the branches, and she collapsed, free from the Puppet Master's grip.
Lars spat blood from his mouth, turning his gaze to the Puppet Master, his patience finally worn thin. "You have no one to fight for you now," Lars said, his voice cold and sharp. "It's finally a fair one-on-one."
The Puppet Master's smile faltered, but only for a moment. Then it twisted into a cruel grin. "Fair? You think this is fair? You don't understand my magic!" he shouted, his voice dripping with malice. "I am the Puppet Master! I don't fight for myself!"
He raised his hands high, as if commanding unseen forces, and the ground beneath them trembled.
"Puppet Magic: Willow Corpse!"
With a wave of his hands, the massive tree behind him began to move, its branches contorting, its trunk twisting and warping. Roots ripped free from the earth, reshaping into a monstrous puppet. Its bark-covered body groaned and creaked as it took form, its face an eyeless, twisted visage of nature warped by magic. Green, glowing orbs appeared where its eyes should have been, locking onto Lars with an eerie, unnatural focus.
Lars stood his ground, steeling himself for what was to come. He raised his hands, summoning his magic. "Mind Magic: Kraftvoller Gedankenstoß!" he shouted, sending another mind blast towards the creature. The shimmering energy struck the puppet, but it barely flinched, its bark absorbing most of the impact.
Frustrated, Lars launched his spear directly at the creature's forehead, aiming for the weak spot. But the monster lashed out with a massive, branch-like arm, swatting the spear away as if it were nothing more than an annoyance.
"Damn it!" Lars cursed under his breath, realizing he was outmatched in raw power. His mind raced for a solution—he couldn't beat this thing with brute force alone.
Then, as if answering his desperate plea, his grimoire glowed brightly, and new words began to form on its pages. Lars focused, his heart pounding with anticipation as the spell took shape.
"Mind Magic: Resonant Concussion!"
Lars unleashed the spell, a massive barrier of mind energy forming above the puppet. With a resounding crash, the barrier descended like a hammer, slamming into the monster's head. The creature staggered, its focus disrupted as its glowing eyes blinked in confusion.
But Lars didn't stop there. He poured more magic into the spell, pressing down with all his might. The creature writhed, its form buckling under the force of Lars's will. Finally, with a thunderous crack, the monster's body exploded, a spray of tree sap and splintered wood raining down across the battlefield.
The Puppet Master stood frozen in disbelief, his mouth agape. "How… how did you…?"
Lars wiped the blood from his mouth, staring the Puppet Master down with a defiant grin. "Because I'm Lars Mertens."