AW Chapter 82 - Ice Spear

“Prancer cannot get a single heal in as Veyra cancels Wisp Of Healing for a second time!” Artonis’s voice roared over the arena. “The Celestial Order are trying to deal with Veyra using minimal mana, and that’s backfiring! Miko is forced to cast Warlock’s Territory on Veyra, giving no assistance to Annath!”

Next to Anna, The group of teens that had called the match a picnic now had their eyes locked on the display above, no more funny remarks flowing. Aiden and the Swordmaiden, one of the five gods, exchanged blades at a pace too fast to keep up with. Spells flew all around, none of which Anna understood. She kept up only by following the commentary.

Words flowed rapidly out of Artonis’s mouth. “Miko follows with Searshot. Veyra portals out with the last of her mana, finally freeing Celestial Order’s backline, but not without wasting their valuable time and mana. Prancer starts casting Wisp Of Healing for a third time, but Veyra is not done! She casts Ray Of Time from her new location, not giving any time to breathe! This is unbelievable!”

“Let’s not forget,” Leona said, “that while Miko and Prancer fail to cast spells to support Annath, The Emerald Aurora is passively and constantly healing Assassin A. Any damage she dealt has healed her team.”

“As a result, Assassin A is fighting without Blood Desperation,” Artonis said. “Astral Rage has run out, leaving him without his damage amplifiers, but his defence has risen to twelve hundred, more than enough to allow him to land perfect blocks against Annath, and that he does, not missing a single block!”

“They’re evenly matched,” Patrick said in awe next to her. “I can’t believe it. He’s matching Annath…”

“Neither player is landing a single hit,” Leona said. “If this keeps going, Assassin will start losing the defence he has stolen. Sablethorn requires him to stay on the offensive. And he lunges in, leaving his guard entirely open! He lands a clean hit, but Annath’s sword lands on his shoulder!”

***

[Blood Desperation - Active Conditions Met]

[Straight Attacks Are 100% More Effective When Under 40% Health]

Annath’s sword cut an inch into my left shoulder, stopped by my defence. My health fell to 21% instantly, then began rapidly regenerating by Emerald Aurora’s blessing.

Veyra’s words proved true once again. “You can take a clean hit from her basic attack after you reach around twelve hundred defence. Just make sure nothing can combo you down.”

Both of their mages were occupied, and Annath took time to swing again. I had two seconds of [Blood Desperation]. I hit her once, then activated [Eviscerate] and immediately hit again. With a heavy clink, my defence was brought to 1537.

I only hit a single stack of evisceration there. I wasn’t trying to stack her up for a one-shot. Instead, I activated the skill repeatedly with low stacks to quickly build defence.

From the side of my eye, I saw both Prancer and Miko blasting Veyra with spells. Her health bar was below 30%. She’d done a fantastic job keeping them busy, but she couldn’t assassinate them like she could with lower level back-lines. Miko and Prancer held their weight together, and they were steadily healing now that Veyra’s mana was running out.

[Sword Dance] continued buffing Annath’s sword as she swung at me with a clean angle to finish me off. I couldn’t see a counter-attack.

But I had defence. Now that I’d reached this point, I knew the battle would end quickly in someone dying.

I [Shadow Dashed] through Annath, shooting myself straight at Prancer. I landed next to him, my initial crit missing his throat. This battle was moving way too fast.

But the pace was too fast for Prancer and Miko as well, whose eyes opened wide in surprise. I reoriented myself in an instant and slashed at Prancer’s chest. His health fell to 64%, and I switched The Immortal for Soul Orb Of Rathax.

Miko reacted with [Flame Lungs], hitting my back directly. I didn’t bother dodging. With my health now at 37%, I trusted [Emerald Aurora] to keep me alive while I hit Prancer again. He panicked with [Block], missing.

More dangerous was Annath [Sword Dashing] to me. She wound-up her sword, casting [Celestial Slash].

I had no chance of dodging that. [Shadow Dash] was on cooldown. I had a fraction of a second to kill Prancer. I had to kill him now.

My dagger landed and the two stacks of evisceration blew open, leaving Prancer at 2% health.

Shit, shit, shit, I thought while spamming [Shadow Dash] in a panic, my life flashing before Annath’s sword.

The slash resounded as Veyra finished Prancer with an icicle.

Rathax’s Soul Orb [Reset] my dash and I found myself as a shadow just barely in time to dodge [Celestial Slash]. Maneuvering my panicked dash was just about impossible, and I couldn’t pick a target.

Annath’s sword passed through my shadow. I realized I was already in position to counter-attack. My body returned and I landed another hit on her chestplate, Sablethorn blinking bright.

Miko cast fire behind me—I didn’t know what spell—but Veyra blocked it with an [Elemental Barrier].

The Immortal was in my inventory with no time to bring it out. Blocking was out of the question. This was it. I was dead, or Annath was dead. I activated [Eviscerate] and recklessly charged forward, thrusting Sablethorn against Annath’s helmet. She counter-attacked, hitting me.

Slash.

[You have died.]

But that wasn’t the only message.

[You Slayed Annath!]

Both of us collapsed, health bars dropping to zero. I found myself as a ghost, floating in the arena. I was a spectator now.

Miko had 14% health. Veyra had 32%. Miko’s mana bar was low with perhaps two more spells available.

Veyra had absolutely no mana whatsoever, and she’d run out of mana potions. Miko had an overwhelming advantage, despite his health being 14%.

Like any professional mage in this situation, Veyra had only one option. She ran.

Miko cast [Warlock’s Territory] immediately, locking Veyra’s run into a swamp. He took a breath and a deep exhale. An innocent-looking dart of fire shot from his mouth, though that was [Searshot], a spell with a deceptively small hitbox for the explosion it caused on contact.

Veyra didn’t have mana for even an [Elemental Barrier]. In the swamp, she couldn’t dodge.

She’d recovered just enough for freehanded ice magic. Not enough to create a wall or a shield; all she could do was freeze the tip of her staff into a sharp icicle.

She threw her staff like a spear at [Searshot].

The collision happened ten feet from her. [Searshot] exploded upon meeting her staff like a firework of flames. The AoE hit her, taking her health to 4%. Her staff survived the explosion, poking out of the ground where the icicle had pierced into the stone.

One heavy step at a time, Veyra stepped out of the swamp, toward her staff. She picked it up.

Both mages now had absolutely no mana. Veyra’s regeneration was slightly faster, but it would still take five seconds until she could cast any spell. Neither player had mana potions remaining.

It was Miko’s time to run. He bolted off, and Veyra, in her beautiful support robe, carrying an icy staff turned to a spear, ran after him.

The game of tag lasted for five seconds, Miko being the faster runner, until Veyra’s passive regeneration kicked in. A sneaky [Elemental Barrier] caught Miko’s foot, and he planted face-first onto the ground.

Veyra caught up and drove her staff through his head.

Slash.

[You Have Won Round Two]

[Team Solo Mage 1 - 1 Team Celestial Order]

“Yes!” I pumped my fist, letting out the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

***

The crowd erupted into cheers. To Anna’s left, the group of teens stared up at the display in stunned silence. Mom was the first to raise the banner, and Anna followed late, too surprised by what she had witnessed.

“The Celestial Order falls!” Artonis announced with just as much surprise. “Miko, Prancer, and Annath have all died, and round two goes to Team Solo Mage!”

“Unbelievable!” Leona said, lost for words. “The score is one to one in a best of five. Annath has by no means lost the title, but it certainly feels like Solo Mage has delivered the deepest wound yet! When have we ever seen a final exchange like that?”

“Holy shit,” Patrick said. “Veyra killed him melee?”

“Well, she’s my brother’s ally,” Anna said. “Of course she’s good.”

“No, you don’t get it,” Patrick said in awe. “Her casting is better than FireBrand’s.”

Anna wasn’t sure what that meant. FireBrand must have been some good player. She’d heard the name somewhere, right?

“Your brother is amazing as well,” Patrick said. “I need to see him face off against Dragrath.”

Anna eyed him from the side of her eye. For once, Patrick had been wrong. Aiden had won the first round. “He’ll win them all,” Anna said.

Except, she realized, if Aiden won, that meant she would have to fulfill her promise and go try out Wonderwind with Patrick…

She still rooted for Aiden as they loaded into the third round.