1143 The battle for Maynard Island (20)
Mira and Emily crouched behind a partially burned tree trunk, watching the battle between Erik and the blackguards' leader unfold above them. The smoke from the black wyvern's flames still burned the vegetation on top of the small hill, making their eyes water, but they didn't dare move from their position.
Eight Chimaeric Demons surrounded them, while two were being used as mounts. Mira suggested they did that so that, in case they got spotted, they could run away quickly from their position. But it wasn't like there were other places they could go. Emily could either use the small hill to try to kill Monica or nothing.
"The forest is becoming a death trap," a clone said. More trees were catching fire by the minute.
"We're running out of cover."
The flames were consuming their remaining hiding spots, and she knew better than anyone there how important a hiding place for a sniper was.
The young woman adjusted her rifle scope, tracking Monica's movements based on the lights produced by Erik and the wyvern. Erik darted around the undead thaid, his attacks apparently wild. <He is playing it well,> Mira said. Erik was trying to make it look like he was filled with rage and desperation for their supposed death because he needed Monica to think the sniper was dead. He maneuvered closer to the hill, aiming to give Emily an easier shot. However, Monica was a cautious woman, and she kept her distance from the area.
Yet, it didn't mean she wasn't keeping the hill monitored. In fact, she sent her undead searching for any survivor, so it was clear she didn't fully believe the sniper was dead.
"He is good at acting," Emily said, "but she's not taking the bait."
Erik's attacks grew more frenzied, and the openings he left more common, yet Monica kept her distance, forcing him to chase her across the sky.
<Emily, are you in position?> Erik's voice echoed in her mind.
<We found a spot,> she said, <but she's too far. Even if I predict where she'll be, at this distance, I can't guarantee a killing shot.>
Emily looked through her rifle scope. She saw Erik avoiding another burst of fire. Erik moved carefully, despite making it look like he was fighting with reckless abandon. Monica, though, seemed happy to stay far away and tire Erik out.
She still had a lot of mana despite her having raised an undead army and controlling a wyvern.
<I'll try something,> Erik's said. <Be ready to act.>
Erik waited for the right moment. The wyvern reared back, flames building in its throat. This time, instead of dodging, Erik shifted just enough to ensure the blast wouldn't kill him instantly and pumped as much mana as he could into his Force Bastion Brain Crystal power. He couldn't teleport nor avoid the attack because he needed to make Monica believe she had won.
He glanced below from time to time. The battle was still bad, but Erik saw Amber's fog spreading through the undead. It wasn't killing all of them, and the pressure on the Chimaeric Demons' front line didn't decrease, but at least the fight had been shortened, and the number of targets the Chimaeric Demons had to kill decreased.
If his plan didn't work, he might be able to do something about Monica by sacrificing some of the Chimaeric Demons, albeit he didn't like that solution.
However, his army had been decimated already. A couple more deaths would not make a difference at that point. Erik had no intention of dying here. If the whole attack on Maynard Island failed, he was going to teleport where Monica couldn't see him and flee, of course, after having given time for his clones and friends to escape.
Though all the blackguards died, meaning that, even if he failed to kill Monica, he would have still won the general battle.
He also thought about making the Chimaeric Demons shapeshift to help him, but if he did, Monica would either flee or kill the clones.
Erik was barely holding on against the black wyvern. The difference in stats wasn't that much, but the amount of mana it had was astronomical.
He couldn't win in terms of both pure power and resistance. The number of enemies who could give him mana had also been reduced to zero. Only the Chimaeric Demons' deaths would help him from this point of view, but they were few now.
The flames engulfed him. Pain seared through his body as he plummeted toward the hill because of the blast. He used his self-healing power sparingly, just enough to prevent death but leaving visible wounds.
Erik crashed into the hillside, his impact sending up a cloud of dust and ash. He lay there, seemingly struggling to stand up, while monitoring Monica's approach through his Hydra's head.
"Look how far the mighty have fallen," Monica said, guiding her mount lower. "First your friends, and now you."
The wyvern hovered nearby. Monica's voice dripped with satisfaction as she approached.
"Any last words?" she stood over him.
Erik's lips curled into a subtle grin, hidden from Monica's view by his bowed head. At that moment, a sharp crack split the air.