"It is no doubt the work of her magic and the sword's power," Bowen pondered aloud.
I nodded in agreement to his words. Professor Garrison had inflicted what should have been a mortal wound, yet the ghost knight barely reacted to it. But with a single, insignificant scratch, Cerila managed to force the monster back. Although its wound had already recovered and the leaking faint blue aura now gone, it seemed hesitant to rush back into the fight as it circled around her slowly.
"I'm sure of it. That warning was an accurate one. Only those with magic can defeat these things," Lord Vasquez said briskly.
Cerila hefted Hubris to her shoulder as blue ice snaked down the blade's edge. A blue aura enveloped the ghost's blade as it slashed out. The crescent-shaped attack soared through the air, crashing through a chunk of ice toward Cerila, who deftly dodged to the side.
She ran toward the ghost that seemed to be opting for ranged attacks as it wound up for another swing. In the middle of its next strike, the ground between them erupted into blue glaciers. The ghost's attack managed to cut through many of them, but by the time it reached Cerila, she was gone, moving about in the maze she had created.
Even so, the ghost must have had a way to track her. Its visored eyes tracked her movements through the ice as it swung its sword in a crisscross pattern. The x-shaped projectile sliced through the ice like butter, devastating it and sending icy splinters into the air.
But for every dozen or so destroyed, Cerila continued to raise more. The ice shook around the ghost, and spears of ice burst out toward it from all directions. But with a single step and swing of its blade, it crushed all the attacks and glaciers to dust. And in one swift motion, it brought the flat of its blade up in front of it as an attack reached the creature, deflecting an ice spear from Cerila.
Somewhere in the maze of ice, the broken shards of ice were kicked up into the air as a strong wind seemed to brew. Within a few moments, the storm came into full effect as it rampaged about, tearing the ice apart. The ghost knight was swallowed by the storm, and our view of the battle was blocked off.
Only the sounds of howling winds, ice crumbling, and blades clashing could be heard. Stray attacks, whether it be the crescent blades or shards of ice, would occasionally fly off and impact the orange barrier, only to crumble away.
In reality, the intense fight lasted for only a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity as the ghost knight popped out from the storm with Cerila hot on its heels. Fresh blood dripped down from minor wounds across Cerila's frost-bitten face, and the ghost knight was also suffering as the ghastly blue aura flowed out from various wounds across its arms, legs, and body.
With a wave of her hand, Cerila directed the ice toward the ghost and skated across it. Her body twisted, and she swung Hubris across her body. The violent clash of blades forced the ghost knight back as it glided across the ground. The knight deflected the blow and spun its sword around as the blue aura formed around its blade.
In the following attack, Cerila brought Hubris up and sliced the attack down the center, and as the knight moved to readjust its grip on its blade, Cerila stretched her hand out as a flurry of small ice shards shot out. The ghost knight swung its sword, deflecting some, while others bounced off its armor. However, it was not completely unscathed.
Some of the shards were embedded into its armor-like skin. The blue cold crept along its chest piece, covering the winged cross emblem in its icy embrace. The monster continued to back up until it was forced up against the barrier. Time seemed to slow down as the ice crept along its body. Cerila pushed her body forward, the ice cracking beneath her feet, and Hubris poised for a thrust into its midsection.
But… it was not the finishing blow Cerila had planned for. It was the exact opposite.
Cerila was as fast as she was strong, perhaps now she had fully entered the realm of a War God. But the ghost knight was different. Perhaps in life it was even stronger than it was, but it was able to best Professor Garrison in raw strength and speed by a few leagues.
Even with her planning to slow it down with her magic and pin it against the wall, it was a ruse from the start. The monster was wary of her blade and perhaps decided a more cunning plan was in order.
And all of this was only realized too late.
The chains around the ghost knight's arm stretched out to its sword which moved as a blur as it swung down. Everyone shouted. My heart thumped in my chest as Mom and I pounded against the barrier, trying to warn her. But as time crept along, Cerila, who was unable to hear, seemed too focused to notice. Even in the fleeting seconds as I watched her recognize the swing ready to take her life, she gritted her teeth and pushed forward, determined to strike the creature down.
I had already started to form a spell core. I had to try at least to break down the barrier, even if I knew I would be far too late. Lord Vasquez and Ms. Taurus, who reacted before even I, had already attacked the barrier. But the attack had already arrived, and with its speed and strength, it was all but over.
At least, it should have been.
The heavy swing of the ghost knight stopped abruptly right before it would have taken Cerila's head. A faint golden glow seeped from the visor slit of the knight as Cerila's blade plunged into it. The blue aura sprayed out like blood as Cerila dug her sword into the ghost and tore the wound open. Spears of ice erupted from the ground and impaled the monster further.
When Cerila stepped back hesitantly, freeing Hubris from the gaping wound, the chains around the ghost began to fade away. The ghost knight reached out and gripped Cerila's face. The blueish tint returning to a fading gold only lasted a moment before it disappeared into wispy clusters that floated into the air. The gauntleted hand and armor clattered to the ground, along with the sword, the ghost vanishing for good.
"She really did it…" Professor Garrison mumbled.
I finally took a breath, not realising I had been holding it in, the heat around my hand dissipating as the spell core faded away. Everyone watched in stunned silence, as did Cerila. Once the aura of the monster was completely gone, Cerila reached down, the sword and armor of the monster disappearing into her Spatial Ring.
She limped back to the circle, and it was only then that I noticed the fresh blood seeping from a large cut along her thigh. Despite the wound, she had pushed herself to such lengths, or perhaps adrenaline had consumed her. Either way, when she stepped onto the circle, the barrier warped around her and pushed her to our side.
The first of the ghosts had been defeated.
—
A Forgotten Soul's POV.
I watched as the golden shard shattered into pieces and scattered across the stone floor. Frustration washed over me as I glared at the robed figure clambering next to the core. The name of the being it once was had left me ages ago, much as my own did. Most of my memories had long since faded.
But my hatred remained.
"The first of the guardians is dead," I spat in an unrecognizable voice.
The figure turned its head slightly, its skeletal, hollow eyes giving me barely a passing glance.
"So it seems," it said offhandedly.
…
"The work is not yet complete. One of our guardians has fallen. We have run out of options," I said.
The figure shook its hooded head, the bones grinding and rattling with its movement. "You suffer a single defeat in centuries, and immediately lose faith in our plan. How weak you've become, Captain," it said coldly.
Captain…yes, Captain…many did call me that, I believe.
"Regardless, your worries are for naught. Their doom has already been written in the stone. The plan has proceeded accordingly. The ship has been safely delivered, and the welcoming has reached its final stage. We only require a single, powerful soul directly infused into the core to finish my work," it continued.
"Even so—"
It waved its hand in contempt. "The guardians are merely shades of their former selves. Their sole purpose is to weed out the useless. Even if they are all defeated and the doors breached, none will be able to stand before the captive. It will all be futile in the end, and our long-cherished wish will come to fruition."
"Yes, that's right…revenge against the Blood Emperor," I mumbled.
The robed figure climbed down and waddled toward me. "That's right, revenge against him and all his spawn. And that's all you need to care about, Captain."
It raised its hand to my face. "And, Captain, you've been talking too much recently. We can't have you rethinking your decisions now when we've come so far. Besides, I prefer you when you are silent," it said dispassionately.
Yes…that's right.
—
Kaladin Shadowheart's POV.
Once Sylvia gave the nod of approval, I knelt down and signed,
Cerila shrugged as she rested against the barrier.
I shook my head in return. Why the ghost did that…we may never know. Perhaps it regained its senses again, right before the final blow, which allowed Cerila to free it from its "shackles." Maybe we were just lucky and her magic had indeed slowed it down, even stopped it. Regardless…
I asked.
Cerila had a confused look on her face even after returning.
Strange…it could have been nothing—the final action of a dying man reaching out. But the ghost didn't strike me as the type, although it did seem regretful previously.
Cerila smiled softly at me and felt someone looming behind me. Lord Vasquez looked down at Cerila and offered her a hand, which she took. He hefted her to her feet and took her place in the circle.
"Going already?" Bowen questioned.
"There is no point wasting time. I understand what must be done," Lord Vasquez said.
As he planted the head of his axe into the ground, a black helmet materialized in his other hand. He firmly placed it on his head and strapped it underneath his chin. His helmet was… far more aggressive than I anticipated. The large slits gave him plenty of vision and produced a rather fearsome glare. The golden Gryphon on the forehead shone as he turned to face the barrier consuming him.
Once he was pushed to the other side the second circle began to manifest. The same ghastly blue aura sprang up along with the chains. The animal pelts lifted into the air and formed around the aura into the shape of a muscular man. It covered its chest and lower body and gave the appearance of some kind of wild hunter. He stood at around the same height as Lord Vasquez; however the figure lacked any distinct facial features.
It was a smooth mass of the blue aura. The only thing that could be discerned was the aura that drifted down at an angle from the side of its head where the ears would have been. And even though it was only a flat shape, it was clear with those droopy, pointed ears.
"A Dark Elf…" Varnir muttered.
The Dark Elf gripped its spear and freed it from the stone as Lord Vasquez did the same with his axe. Red-hot flames warped the air as fire erupted from the head of his axe. With a great overhead chop, Lord Vasquez sent the axe into the ground, causing a massive fissure to spread out.
Flames exploded out, melting the ice and destroying the stone as it raced off toward the Dark Elf. But as the flames engulfed the target, the ghost disappeared. I was going to shout to warn him but Lord Vasquez had already noticed the shadow speeding across the floor. The arena was lit, but not nearly enough to be considered bright. There was plenty of darkness and shadows cast around.
Lord Vasquez's armor bulged as he crouched down and burst forward. He launched off toward the shadow, his axe already swinging as flames erupted around it. He hit the ground right where the shadow was, but as he began to pull his axe free, his head jolted backward, narrowly avoiding the spear that materialized from the darkness.
I furrowed my brows in confusion. That….shouldn't have been possible. That wasn't how Shadow magic worked. The ghost—the ghost…
It doesn't have a real body. So it doesn't need to seep in and out of the shadows.
Lord Vasquez's fist erupted into flames as a cone of fire exploded out. But the ghost had already melded into the shadows and was behind Lord Vasquez. It wasn't even fully out of it yet when its spear grazed the back of his leg. The screech of metal on metal rang out, Lord Vasquez's armor holding strong.
But the next few seconds only made us on the other side grow more worried. Lord Vasquez was anticipating, even directly countering the Dark Elf, but the ghost always managed to come out unscathed, landing glancing thrusts in Lord Vasquez's openings. The ghost's strikes were quick, and efficient. It never fully materialized out of the shadows, only its spear coming out fully.
As the two continued to exchange more blows, another thing became clear. The ghost was unable to utilize the shadow offensively, or at the very least, it had chosen not to do so yet. But looking back, the ghost knight also didn't seem able to utilize all of its powers either, so perhaps there was some kind of limitation?
A pillar of flame roared up from where the Dark Elf just was, only for it to strike again from the shadows. Its spear snaked out and sliced into Lord Vasquez's arm, cutting through the Mythril armor, and drawing blood. A circle of flames spread out from Lord Vasquez as the shadow raced away and up a pillar of ice Cerila had made.
It melded back into reality and deftly landed on the ground as the flames passed by it, unharmed. Lord Vasquez rotated his arm and glared down at his wound. It seemed minor as he was still able to move his fingers freely.
Bloodlust burst like a broken dam from Lord Vasquez as red flames sprouted across his black armor and swallowed him. The intense heat warped the air around him as he hefted his axe into both hands.
"I will not be bested by a corpse twice!"