Chapter 137: Man vs Miracle

Chapter 137: Man vs Miracle

The notification hit Vasi in between two lasers.

Shellgirl has left the party.

What? Vasi squinted at the text, the shock so great that it took her out of the battle entirely for a second. Shellgirl is

Two of Wyrdes drones rewarded her inattention with a laser volley to the back. Beams of light pierced her waist and opened more wounds across her hole-riddled flesh.

Warning: Your Health Points have plummeted below half-health! [Apocalypse Force] blocked your SP regeneration!

Vasi muffled a scream of pain and retaliated with a blizzard spell. A storm of ice shards erupted from her staff at the swarm of drones closing in on her. Most hit their targets, but others bounced off the machines magically empowered metal shells. The drones shrugged off any damage and kept firing at her.

Rosemarine, who had been keeping Wyrde at bay with her Eden Guns so far, flew to her rescue. Steve, held up by her roots, fired a beam of searing lightning at the drone swarm and forced it to disperse away from Vasi.

Begone, steel bugs! Rosemarine flapped her wings. A gust of wind and mist erupted from her leaf-scales, purging the drones of their magical shield. Begone!

Rosemarines [Bacchanal Mist] canceled the drones [Elemental Rainbow] and [Hasten]!

The drones went from lightning quick to sluggishly slow. Vasi immediately rained fire and ice at them, destroying one after the other. Between her allies beams and her own, the Bohens cleared the area around them of enemies. The remaining machines retreated back to their mistress side, high above the devastated landscape.

You took 22 [Wind] damage from the field! Damage halved by [Fomor Lifeforce]!

The Malekings fires had turned into a sharp breeze slowly lacerating Vasis skin. Her strong affinity for the element and damage reduction made it barely noticeable, but the party would die a death of a thousand cuts unless they defeated the Maleking.

Is that what cost you your life, Shellgirl? Vasi glanced sorrowfully at the ground below. The Maleking carried his titanic hide to the outskirts of Athens, far away from the Neurotower. Vasi distinguished Bugsys beams of light searing the landscape, but she failed to pinpoint either Bugsy or her boyfriend. The distance between the two groups was simply too great.

Miss Shellgirl is Rosemarine gulped in sorrow. She had seen the notification too. Shes gone?

I dont know, Vasi lied, both to Rosemarine and to herself. She could hardly check how her allies on the ground were doing because of the distance and fog of war. She hoped Shellgirl had exited the party for a less-than-lethal reason. But we cant get distracted now.

Unfortunately, Wyrde had exploited the moment of respite to cast new spells. A group of drones formed a magical barrier around their mistress to protect her. They formed five successive layers of forcefield, each a different color.

Accelerated Piercing Spell, Wyrde muttered to herself. Accel Supercharge Spell.

Wyrdes next offensive spell will ignore damage reduction and inflict four times the usual damage! [Turbo: Magic] will increase damage by 30% and will pierce through all forms of Resistance!

Stop her! Realizing the danger, Vasi immediately went on the offensive. Ancient Meteor!

Steve was quicker to the draw, his Gehenna Cannon firing a mighty beam across the sky and Rosemarine did the same with her Eden Guns. Their lasers crashed against Wyrdes magical barrier like waves upon a shore, pushing it back without breaking it.

Vasis meteor materialized above Wyrde and crashed against the forcefield. The barriers outer layers fizzled out for a second as the projectile hit with cataclysmic power, allowing her allies beams to penetrate deeper into the Grandmasters protective shell. Half a dozen drones overheated trying to maintain the shield, before shorting out and detonating in short order.

The outer two layers shattered under the onslaught and a pulse of blinding light followed in their wake. It did not matter.

The three other forcefields stood.

Grandmaster Wyrdes [Magik Barrier] shifted her immunities!

Accelerated Delayed Incantation. A massive orb of magic over ten meters wide formed before Wyrde, its colors those of a shining rainbow. The forcefield protecting her expanded to accommodate the projectiles ever-growing size. Accel Prismatic Orb!

The orb vanished from sight in an instant.

Grandmaster Wyrde has cast her spell forward in time! It will hit its target in the future with perfect accuracy!

Vasi cursed under her breath. An invisible sword of Damocles now floated above her and her allies heads, ready to strike anytime.

I cant break through! Rosemarine complained. Its unfair!

Her barrier adapts to any element we use, Vasi thought, her mind frantically working on a solution. The God-Card was still petrified and Wyrde would turn it back to stone the moment the witch removed the petrification effect; her other allies had their hands full dealing with the Maleking; and neither magic nor brute strength could break past the forcefields. I could try to get around them with Grimalkin Gate but it will burn through my SP and I cant recover them. Its all or nothing.

But at this point, what other options did she have? With all the buffs Wyrde stacked on her last spell, it would kill one of them. The Bohens couldnt afford to stall.

Vasi was all in.

I have a plan! Focus your projectiles on one point and fire at all! Vasi activated her staffs doublecast feature. Grimalkin Gate!

Vasi expected Rosemarine to laugh gleefully at her prompting, but the dragon remained eerily focused on the task at hand. She fired three beams of enchanted pollen, one from her mouth and two from her cannons, and focused them on a single point.

Vasi opened the first gate before them, and another inside Wyrdes forcefield.

The Grandmaster immediately figured out the plan and canceled her forcefield to increase her mobility. This allowed Steve to snipe at her with its own cannon. Wyrde was forced to disperse her drones and fly away to dodge the attack.

The Grimalkin Gate unleashed Rosemarines own projectiles upon the Grandmaster, but she proved too fast. Her wings carried her out of the beams line of fire and she swiftly began to cast a new spell.

Accel Prisma

Wyrde didnt finish her sentence. A new rift in space opened right before her eyes, much to her shock.

Vasis second instance of the spell activated, allowing her to manifest a second set of doorways. She used them to redirect Rosemarines attack back at Wyrde, forcing her to fly upward to avoid a direct hit.

She failed. Rosemarines redirected pollen beams hit Wyrdes metal tail before she could get out of the way. The Grandmasters biomechanical scales rusted away centuries in the span of a second and exposed skinless flesh. Rot consumed that as well and then the bone, until only a bloody stump was left.

Supereffective hit! 3435 [Wood] damage!

The Grandmasters shriek of pain and outrage drew a smile from Rosemarines face.

Vasi didnt share her joy. The magic in her blood weakened with each new spell, but no new influx of power came to compensate for what she lost. They had to hit Wyrde hard and fast, or else she would eventually adapt.

Warning: You have spent over half your SP!

We have her on the backfoot! Vasi shouted, burning through her magical reserves. Keep firing! I cant sustain this tactic for long!

Vasi opened new gates across the sky in quick succession, redirecting Rosemarines attacks again and again and again. Unable to catch her breath, Wyrde flew in an irregular pattern and danced around the beams the best she could.

Using all her wits and focus, Vasi attempted to anticipate the dragonlords flight. She opened a useless rift in front of Wyrde, baited her into flying up to dodge, and then created the real one right above. The surprised Grandmaster ended up shot in the leg.

Supereffective hit! 3435 [Wood] damage!

Once again, Rosemarines pollen consumed steel and flesh alike. The power of nature overcame the Unity masters technological implants until nothing but a bleeding stump remained.

The victory was short-lived. Wyrde roared to the heavens. Red particles erupted from her metal scales, and her wings started to flap so quickly that they became nearly invisible.

Wyrdes [Overgear] buffed her stats!

Wyrdes speed increased. She was in one place one moment and in another the next, flying away before a Grimalkin Gate could fully open.

Castling Drones merged with Steve Roadwonders through [Interlocked Technology].Grandmaster Wyrde ruptured Steve Roadwonders core through [Interlocked Technology]!You have run out of SP. You are no longer protected from [Lightning] by [Aegis of Zeus].Vitality check successful! Grandmaster Wyrde avoided [Petrification]!

Mister where are you? Rosemarine gargled as the light swallowed her whole. I cant see you

9380 multi-elemental damage!

The storm tore Rosemarine to shreds.

A shower of golden blood and guts fell upon the land, staining Vasis robes and wings along the way. Rosemarines chest was vaporized alongside most wings and roots, her head blasted off her body. Vasi watched it fall to her left in disbelief until it crashed into the ground below.

This is a nightmare. Vasi blankly stared at the severed head staining the earth with blood, at petals carried by the winds across the wasteland. I I must wake up.

It took a notification to shake her out of disbelief.

Rosemarine Eglantine de la Barthes has left the party.

You forced me to do this, fairy lord. You forced me to do this.

Tears of sorrow and rage poured from Vasis eyes. They turned to the cause of all this suffering, screaming vengeance.

You deceived this child and led her astray from the true dragon path. Wyrde formed another prismatic orb in her hand and aimed for the kill. This is all on you.

Vasis fingers trembled with burning anger. She glanced at the card in her hand, stained with her friends blood and her own. The true dragon path, you said?

[Archwitch Brew]activated!

Vasis crafting Perk activated, merging their blood together. The fluids washed away the cards prison of stone and returned it to full power.

It was time for Wyrde to see the light.

I call upon you, oh supreme god from another world! Vasis words carried across the land and into the worlds beyond. Great Calamity of all, Emperor of Outremonde and the Albain Mountains, mightiest of all dragons.

Wyrde immediately realized her mistake and attempted to petrify the card again. Too late. The consumable burned between Vasis fingers, its power unleashed upon the cosmos.

Vainqueur the Dragon!

When Basil stared at the empty spot where his teammate used to stand, his first thought was: This hasnt happened.

His second? This cant be happening.

His third? I can undo it.

His fourth? I cant.

[Permanent Buff] renewed [Joyful Spirit]!

The final one?

I have to make this count. Basil stood back on his feet, facing the titan who had slain his friend. The Maleking stepped over Bugsys starscorched flames, his eyes burning with malice. It cant be in vain.

Lethal Vigil did not activate this time. No berserk rage clouded his mind. In fact, Basils mind had never been so sharply focused as it was now.

He raised his weapon and leaped into the fray.

Time slowed down around Basil. The wind lacerating his body, Bugsys flames, even the dust in the air. All seemed frozen to his eyes.

Yet even in this world of slowed time, the Maleking moved frighteningly fast. The titan crouched slightly, adjusting his stance. He lowered his sword and bent his knees. Basil recognized the pose as one used by iaijutsu practitioners before they unleashed a blindingly quick strike.

I must congratulate you, warriors, said the Maleking with bloodthirsty glee. No one has ever managed to push me this far before.

His praise washed over Basil without swaying his heart.

Basil could only use the Joyful Spirit buff once. A missing blow would waste the charge. He was quick, but his halberds range couldnt compare to the Malekings titanic blade. The risks were too great.

He would need a tool with far greater range.

Basil stored his halberd in his inventory, much to the Malekings surprise. He double-jumped up and up, positioning himself above the demon lord. The two foes glared at each other, the air choking with tension.

Clear the area! Basil shouted at his teammates. Im using it!

Realizing what his Tamer was up to, Bugsy quickly flew away as fast as his wings could carry him. Plato did not move, trusting his Counterstance. With no time left to waste, Basil opened his inventory.

Before todays disaster, he had briefly teleported to France to check up on a theory of his. Once upon a time, Basil had tried and failed to add his house to his inventory. The System wouldnt let him store buildings.

But there was something very interesting about Basils Holy War Apotheosis Perk.

Item selected: [Eiffel Tower].

It turned everything he touched into a weapon.

A three-hundred meters long spear of rusted steel materialized above the Maleking. Its shadow, many times larger than the demon king, obscured the sunlight. Basils hands grabbed the metal frame as the projectile fell, empowering it with his Perks and buffs.

Runestorm: Frost! Basil shouted like a maniac. His magic coursed through steel and imbued it with a layer of ice. Eiffel Tower Spear!

He could have sworn the Malekings eyes all widened in shock at his audacity.

Yet the demon king did not surrender himself to despair. He aimed from the falling steel tower and prepared to swipe it off the sky with a well-placed strike.

Smilodon Blitz!

A mad kitten bit into the Malekings leg. He left a small wound, but one that invited retribution.

As it was a direct assault rather than a counterattack, the Malekings ability activated immediately. His sword fell upon Plato with furious speed. The feline was buried under a tide of steel and searing dust.

Plato has lost all his extra lives! His next death will be the last!

Basil wondered why his friend would make this sacrifice, before quickly realizing why: the Malekings automatic counterattack ruined his defensive posture. His sword was stuck in the earth. The Maleking failed to raise it in time to protect himself.

The Eiffel Tower crashed against his chest, a spike of ice surging from its tip.