Chapter 28: The Joker Card Found
In the blink of an eye, both the monster and the Commander vanished, instantly clashing at the center of the clearing. The collision released violent shockwaves that cracked the surrounding earth. Due to its massive size and newly attained lightning abilities, the monster punched down onto the Commander, who managed to raise his battle axe high to shield his face.
Too soon, he was pinned down once more. The monster's lightning-speed punches rained down on him. With the axe held defensively above his head, he miraculously managed to block each blow, yet the force was colossal. Each hit released shockwaves that violently shook the earth and formed a growing crater beneath the Commander's feet, burying his legs under piles of pulverized rock and dirt.
The Commander struggled, fighting to maintain his position as the brutal barrage continued. A dark confusion began to surface: the monster was purposefully aiming for his axe. He didn't know why, but it felt deeply malicious. He could sense the strange, chilling joy the creature derived from watching him suffer. The further he pushed himself, the more power he summoned, the more certain he became: the creature copied his abilities and instantly created its own version—far better and more powerful—specifically to systematically shatter his hope.
"No!" he yelled internally.
"I'm not going to break!"
"I'll stand and fight! Even if it kills me, I won't let this monstrosity leave here alive! As a Magic Knight, I'll protect and fight evil until my last breath!" he roared, venting his rage at the top of his lungs.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
The electric sparks surging from his body grew more intense than ever before, drawing on every reserve of power. The surrounding trees and grass combusted under the searing energy.
"Great Goddess, guide thy servant through the darkness and bend the power of creation (Light) to his will!"
"Lightning Burst!"
A massive surge of bright yellow lightning erupted from the Commander, spreading outward like a living EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse). The blast caused extensive damage to the surrounding area, but the monster remained utterly unaffected.
"An impressive effort nevertheless," Cassian analyzed from his position.
"But of course, Magic of the same kind can counter each other, provided the counter has the appropriate power or higher. A simple, but complicated, magical law."
The monster raised its hand high into the air. A sudden gust of wind swirled around its palm, rapidly forming a highly compressed energy ball so large it was bigger than its own fist, acting like a rotating sphere of volatile energy. Then, the black lightning surged from its body and violently transferred into the ball.
The Commander was shocked, seeing the sphere now infused with dark, lethal lightning and radiating an ominous, choking aura. No one was more surprised than Cassian. His lips slowly curved into an utterly sinister, delighted smile. He couldn't contain his excitement; the monster was blowing his mind with its technique.
"I don't believe it," Cassian whispered.
"It's not just able to copy an ability, but it is also able to boost the power of the techniques it copies, and even able to combine different abilities!" he explained, his analysis speeding past the combat.
"Beautiful," he breathed, genuine tears of joy slowly running down his cheeks. He hadn't had a good fight in a long, long while, and he was now certain: he had finally found his ultimate joker.
Without hesitation, the monster brutally slammed the combined energy ball onto the Commander, who desperately raised his axe to block it. The energy sphere struck the axe blade and began to spin like a rotating, electrified circular saw, all while releasing powerful electrical charges that shook the earth.
The monster applied even more force, striving to shatter the axe, enjoying every moment of the Commander's misery. The more force it applied, the more the ground around them crumbled, forcing the Commander's legs to sink deeper into the earth. The Commander struggled to hold the axe steady, pinned beneath the sheer weight and height disadvantage. He had no opening to counter, but he wasn't giving up yet.
Then, the energy ball began to spin even faster as the monster added a final spike of power, and the contained sphere slowly became unstable. The pressure on the Commander increased exponentially, forcing the man down onto one knee as the ball became dangerously volatile until...
BOOM!
The sphere burst like a volatile balloon, causing a massive explosion that sent the Commander flying backward. He slammed hard into a massive tree trunk, and the impact caused the tree to snap and tumble to the ground. The Commander, miraculously, landed on his feet.
"Now's the cha—" Cassian began.
COUGH! COUGH!
Thick blood spilled from the Commander's mouth. His vision was turning dangerously blurry, and the heavy axe in his hand suddenly felt like an impossible weight.
"I… I'm… at my limit," he gasped.
"No, not yet. Not now," he pleaded with himself.
The dust cloud around his position faded slightly. Through the haze, the monster was seen slowly separating its hands. A small, perfect black ball appeared suspended between its palms, releasing uncontrolled, lethal electric charges that shot out randomly in all directions.