Chapter 83: Ignite III

  Leo carefully stepped over a stray piece of rubble. He rubbed his nose, attempting to block out the smell of burning flesh that was quickly filling the space. His limbs still felt shaky, and he moved over to pick up one of the throwing knives he’d tossed earlier that had landed nearby. With this one included, he only had five more left. Beside him, Allan raised his axe.

  Darius Gillis stood in the center of the wrecked entryway, eyes still fixed on Spade. Cleary he’d recognized the [Executioner], if the animosity present in his expression was anything to go by. Leo tensed and adjusted his grip on his knife. If they hit him now while he was focused on Spade, they might be able to land a blow.

  The man raised his arm, palm glowing a rich umber hue.

  [Darius has activated the [Ignite] spell]

  Leo rushed forward before he’d even finished reading the notification, aided with a burst of [Sprint]. As he reeled his arm back to fling the dagger, however, the glowing light burst. The resulting explosion knocked him backwards. His throwing knife landed on the ground several feet away with a clatter.

  He cursed, reaching out a hand to stop himself as he slid across the floor. Across the room, Spade had managed to dodge, but the pillar next to where she’d been standing had been completely shattered. Getting close would be harder than he thought.

  A flash of movement zipped past the corner of his eye. Allan raced forward and swung his axe at the man, who turned around just in time to block with his sword. The resulting clash of metal rang loudly throughout the space. Leo could see the [Healer] narrow his eyes as he attempted to push the blade back, but it held strong. Darius raised his other hand.

  [Darius has activated the [Shock] spell]

  Leo yanked a throwing knife out and flung it at the man’s outstretched hand on instinct. It dug into the flesh, and the man yelled and reeled back. Bolts of lightning dispersed harmlessly from his palm.

  Darius spun around to face Leo, the cut on his hand now dripping blood down onto the dirtied floor. He raised his wounded arm in the other [Fragmentholder]’s direction.

  Allan rushed forward to intercept his next spell, but the resulting blast from his next [Ignite] was enough to blow him backwards. Leo barely managed to scramble out of the way in time, rejoining Allan.

  [Darius has activated the [Renewal] skill]

  The cut on the man’s hand began to close. Of course he’d have a healing skill, Leo cursed, and it looked like he had more than enough mana to keep firing spells without a care.

  His eyes narrowed in thought. So far the man hadn’t used [Shock] very often, even when he’d been sparring Spade in close quarters, so that spell must have a much longer cooldown than [Ignite] did. He’d just used it. They needed to get close now while it was still on cooldown.

  Pounding footsteps rang out from behind the man. A gleaming sword thrust towards the noble, who barely managed to leap out of the way in time. Spade followed the strike with an arcing swing that Darius only dodged with the aid of a backwards [Lunge], putting more distance between them.

  Leo leapt up and struck out with his dagger, not giving the man the chance to use more of his magic. The swing went wide, but Allan was there in an instant to follow up with his own attack.

  [Allan has activated the [Cleave] skill]

  The blade of his axe came crashing down towards Darius. He hastily raised his sword to parry, but the force of the swing was enough to knock him backwards in the direction of Spade. He attempted to push them all away with a wide sweep of his sword, but they dodged and kept going.

  Leo’s heart raced as they continued to batter the man with attacks, pushing him closer and closer towards the wall. It was working, he thought. Despite his higher level, Darius couldn’t fight all three of them at once, and they weren’t giving him enough time to use [Ignite]. Once he was cornered, he would have nowhere to run.

  Darius gritted his teeth, anger flashing in his eyes as he was forced further and further back. His back hit the wall with a thump, and Leo surged forward to deal the final blow.

  The man ducked under the swing and slammed his hand down on the ground.

  [Darius has activated the [Ignite] spell]

  The floor exploded. Leo screamed as he flew backwards from the blast, sharp pieces of rubble and debris slicing into his skin as he tumbled through the air. He’d barely managed to block his face with his arms, and he could feel the skin there burning with heat.

  Leo landed hard against a pillar. He gasped as the impact knocked the breath out of his lungs. He felt one of his ribs crack. He groaned, clutching his chest and desperately attempting to get back on his feet. His vision was blurry, his ears ringing. Across the entryway, the thick plumes of smoke were only just beginning to settle, revealing the cracked, shattered remains of that section of the ground.

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  Leo attempted to yank himself up with the aid of the pillar. His ribs stung, but he ignored it and kept going.

  Through the dissipating smoke, he could make out Spade’s figure a few feet away, the [Executioner] slowly climbing back to her feet. One of her shoulders was bleeding where a piece of shrapnel had dug into it, and her sword had landed on the other side of the room. Her breaths were heavy, face covered in grime. Leo imagined he didn’t look much better.

  Where was Allan? Leo desperately scanned the space, trying to make out shapes through the smoke.

  He finally spotted the [Healer] by the foot of the staircase. He was attempting to get back to his feet, his own axe having landed several feet away. He reached a hand out for it, but a shadow moved in the smoke behind him. Leo froze.

  “Allan!” he called out. His throat felt like it was burning, his voice hoarse and dry.

  The warning was a second too late. Darius lunged and grabbed the [Healer], wrenching him backwards before he could pick up his weapon. Allan cursed and attempted to elbow the man, managing to land a blow to his jaw, but his grip held firm.

  [Darius has activated the [Shock] spell]

  Bright beams of light flashed as lightning burst forth from the man’s palm. Leo yelled, but his voice was drowned out by Allan’s piercing scream as the lightning coursed through him. He thrashed, desperately trying to escape, but the magic didn’t stop.

  It felt like ages before the light finally faded. The [Healer] slumped down to the ground, limbs twitching. Leo was terrified for a second that he’d died, but then he saw the man’s chest move. He was still breathing. It was shallow, but he was alive.

  The momentary relief was quickly replaced with anger. White hot rage flared in his chest like a roaring wildfire. Leo gritted his teeth and forced himself all the way up to his feet, ignoring the sharp stabbing pain in his chest.

  In front of the stairs, Darius grabbed Allan’s collapsed form, yanking him up by his hair. Leo could see the [Healer] fighting to stay conscious as he attempted to bat the man away.

  “Let. Him. Go,” Leo bit out, his voice echoing throughout the enclosed space. Darius narrowed his eyes. He yanked Allan’s head back and raised his sword to the man’s neck. Leo barely resisted the urge to lunge right then and there.

  “I want your fragment,” the noble said. Even as exhausted as he was, his voice still managed to sound commanding. His gaze shifted over to Spade, who’d gotten back to her feet. His eyes narrowed. “And the executioner’s head.”

  The roaring anger rose. Leo’s fingers clenched into a fist. He forced himself to take a deep breath. Damn it, what was he supposed to do? What could he do?

  His eyes flitted desperately around the ruined entryway as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. He’d dropped his dagger during the explosion and only had two throwing knives left on his belt. Spade didn’t have her weapon. Allan’s limbs were still twitching slightly, and it was clear he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

  The [Fragmentholder]’s mind raced. Could he distract Darius with [Visual Illusion]? No, he couldn’t risk it when his sword was so close to Allan’s neck, and the man already knew about his illusions. One wrong move, one misplaced movement, and Allan was dead.

  Darius pressed the blade closer, and Leo could see a thin line of red forming. His heart raced. He was running out of time. If he could just get his arm away, something.

  “Well?” the noble taunted. “What’s your answer?”

  Leo opened his mouth, then closed it again. He had a clear line to Darius. He just needed a distraction.

  Beside him, stray debris crunched as Spade approached. She was gripping her wounded shoulder to stop the bleeding, grey eyes fixed on the two across the room. When she spoke, her voice was low, just barely loud enough for Leo to hear.

  “How many knives do you have left?”

  Leo’s eyes briefly darted over to her, then back to Darius and Allan. “Two,” he murmured. She nodded slowly.

  “Give me one.”

  The [Fragmentholder] wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but he carefully slid one out of his belt and handed it to her, keeping his eyes on Darius the whole time. “What’re you planning?” he asked uneasily.

  Spade adjusted her grip on the dagger and turned to face Leo, grey eyes gleaming in the flickering flames. “You need a distraction, right?” She raised her other hand.

  “Don’t miss.”

  In a single motion, she dug the blade into her arm.

  [Spade has activated the [Empathy] personal skill. Target: Darius]

  Blood gushed out from the cut, dripping down the [Executioner]’s arm and onto the floor. Across the entryway, Darius screamed. Crimson bloomed from the fabric of his sleeve. He hunched over and clutched his arm in pain, dropping Allan in the process.

  Leo didn’t have time to think, to process what had happened. He acted on pure instinct.

  In a burst of speed, he activated [Sprint] and surged forward towards the other [Fragmentholder], racing across the wrecked entryway. He reeled his arm back just as Darius looked up.

  In one violent swing, he carved his knife into the man’s throat.

  [You have gained experience! Experience shared with [2] other party members]

  [You have leveled up! 300 points awarded]

  [You have gained a new skill: Return]

  [Progress towards next level: 23%]

  The notifications flitted past Leo’s vision, and for a moment he simply stood there, adrenaline still pumping through his veins. Darius collapsed in a heap, landing on the ground with a thump. The noise was enough to snap him back into focus.

  “Allan!” Leo spun around and hurried over to where the [Healer] had landed. He was struggling to get up to his feet, and he bent down to help. Hazel eyes quickly scanned the man.

  Allan’s face was pale, his breaths heavier, and he had a thin cut across his neck where the sword had touched. But he was okay. Leo felt a wave of relief wash over him.

  “Is he dead?” the [Healer] asked once he’d caught his breath. He nodded his head in Darius’s direction. Leo glanced back.

  The noble now lay on the ground, bleeding red from both the wound on his arm and his neck. Leo could see how deep the knife had dug, the flesh at his throat flayed open and dripping crimson into a growing puddle on the floor. His eyes stared lifelessly ahead, body utterly still. Across the room, Spade stepped towards them, clutching her bleeding arm.

  Leo exhaled and slowly nodded.

  “Yeah,” he said. “It’s over.”