(20) Water Manipulation

Phoebe skillfully manoeuvres the flying disk under and over the crumbling city and burning debris, easily dodging the gashadokuro's repeated assault and Vira's rain of fire and shadows.

"It's just like riding a skateboard!" Phoebe's expression is tense but not with fear but rather excitement.

"What kinda skateboarding did you do?!" Winter holds onto Phoebe's cloak with a white knuckled grip, just like Aki does.

The gashadokuro slams its fist in front of them, blocking the street they're riding down. Yet this isn't enough to stop Phoebe.

"Hold on tight!" She laughs.

"We are!" Aki closes her eyes and holds on for dear life.

Phoebe leans forward then suddenly pulls back and to the side, making a flying leap onto one of the burning buildings. She grinds the base of the disk along the wall just over the boney fist and lands safely on the other side, still going full speed.

Vira screams in frustration and the gashadokuro kicks off, attempting to crush the escaping trio.

Before Vira realises it, Phoebe has kited her right up the water's edge. The gashadokuro attempts to kick the riders but Phoebe's skillful manoeuvring results in the kick going wide.

Water splashes everywhere, quenching the flames that coats the gashadokuro's leg and foot.

Phoebe drifts around, tossing Aki and Winter off the disk as she continues drawing Vira's ire.

Aki and Winter roll to a stop and quickly take cover behind some rubble.

"Now what?" Winter asks.

"I can use Water Manipulation to try and douse the fire but," Aki's gaze rapidly jumps between the sea and the 50 metre foe. "I'll need some time for that. Can you guys get me that?"

"This would be easier if I had more summons to call on." Winter looks at his wand and tightens his grip on it. "It's too dangerous to summon Necra right now. Even if I had the mana, mentally I'm tapped. But I'll do my best."

"Incoming!" Phoebe goes flying past, barely avoiding a fireball that explodes behind her.

From the flames coming toward the two is a pair of bottles tied together around their spout.

Aki takes a few steps back and manages to catch them. "Mana potions!"

She shares it with Winter and the two down the bottles quickly. With their mana restored, the pair feel a little more confident.

"Well, I still can't summon Necra but I can definitely be annoying." Winter smiles at Aki. "I'm going!"

Aki and Winter split ways, Winter heading to the gashadokuro's feet while Aki dashes toward the water.

"Damned bugs! Burn!" Vira launches another fireball, this time at Aki.

She leaps out of the way, jumping clear over the railing to the seaside right as the fireball explodes onto the stones.

Before Aki hits the water, she swings her amulet and gathers mana at her feet. She lands roughly on the rolling waves and looks up at her attacker. Vira is distracted by a rapid-fire assault coming from Winter while the gashadokuro is struggling to pull its leg from the water. Pillars continuously appear and shatter around its shin courtesy of the high-speed Phoebe zipping between its legs.

Aki takes a moment to stabilise herself. She crosses her arm in front of her chest as magical power warps to her command. Water floats up around Aki, forming five spiralling rings around her.

"Water Manipulation…"

Whilst Aki charges her spell, Vira has managed to strike Phoebe off her disk and pins her beneath the gashadokuro's flaming hand. However, rather than panicking, Phoebe flashes a shakily confident grin.

"Hold your breath," Phoebe shouts.

Before the gashadokuro can completely crush her beneath its flaming palm, Phoebe sinks into the stones, leaving a confused Vira trying to figure out what she means. Realisation dawns across Vira and she looks up to see five separate beams of water flying toward her.

Aki's water cannons douse the green flames that wreathe the gashadokuro and completely engulf Vira in the waves.

The beams of water start to steam. Vira had shielded herself entirely with her flames and made them explode outwards, breaking Aki's concentration and causing her to sink slightly into the rolling waves.

"So the illusionist has more tricks, does she!?" Vira growls angrily. "But it was worthless. Drown in your failure."

Vira puppeteers the gashadokuro's movements with her own body. The gashadokuro rattles as it shifts. It still has one leg submerged, creating waves as it moves. It raises an arm, about to smack Aki into the water underfoot.

"Get out of the way, Aki!" Winter warns. He slings spell after spell at Vira, trying to interrupt the attack to no effect.

Phoebe also springs back to the surface but before she can get her bearings, a grand fireball fills Phoebe's sight and explodes.

"No!..." Aki says weakly. She tries to run back to solid ground but is too drained from her last attack, her legs shaking too much to get off the water's surface. It takes all her focus to not fall beneath the waves.

She tries to move, to at least get to a shallower area but her body is resistant to her commands. Aki stares defiantly up at the giant and its rider surrounded by an aura of fire on its head.

The stormy clouds behind it painted red from the burning city below, the strong smell of rain fills Aki's nose. A flash of gold appears behind the gashadokuro, visible to Aki from her low viewing position. Her eyes widen as the light forms into a giant golden blade, wreathed in electricity and is pushed forward by a squall, striking the gashadokuro's upper arm in an instant.

The magical attacks are ineffective because of gashadokuro's immunity, and yet the combined force of the impact is enough to push the arm off course, slamming into the wood and flagstones at the pier's edge.

Vira manages to stay on its head, however, the gashadokuro cannot keep its balance and sinks deeper into the water. It tries to push itself back up with its unsubmerged leg.

Before it can rebalance itself, Phoebe steps through the ashes, her hair and clothes charred, and slams down her staff. A sinkhole forms beneath the gashadokuro's leg, trapping its movement completely.

In the meantime, Aki has recovered her strength and scrambles back to the edge of the water and takes Winter's hand to get back onto solid ground. She nods in thanks and joins him next to Phoebe by some rubble.

"The guys got here just in time," Phoebe cheers weakly. "Looks like Dent's okay too. Thank goodness."

Aki sees the other members of Silver Sword in the distance. Obscured by smoke and debris but coming closer all the same. She waves to them, noticing that there are more people running behind them – though she can't tell if they're Dead or defenders at this distance.

Likely the latter, all things considered.

Chills run down Aki's spine suddenly.

Vira cries out in frustration at this sudden turn of events. Her mana-filled voice, joined by the threatening cackle of the giant underfoot echoes far and wide.

Rings of darkness open up around the gashadokuro – outside of the sinkhole's range – opening the way for Dead servants to rise up from within. They form a staggered line and barrier between the backup and the trio of tired combatants.

"This is going nowhere," Winter states. He fires a shadow ball at the ground, scattering the wood and stones to buy some time. "A summon immune to damage and an army of Dead that'll come at her call won't stop unless we deal with its summoner."

"But as long as she's up there, we can't touch her." Phoebe leans on her staff, her arms and legs shaking from effort. "I'm running on fumes… how's everyone else?"

"I've still got some fight in me," Winter says through gritted teeth.

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Aki Title: Witch

LE: 35/55 HP: 167/200 

MP: 144/300

SP: 46/50

[Starved: Lack of food dulls sense by a small amount]

[Skill Burn: Use of Skill Points prevents full LE recovery for some time]

[Blurred Vision: Temporary effect. If not healed, eyes will permanently worsen]

More: ⟲

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She shakes her head, clearing the status from her view.

"I can keep going." Aki waves offhandedly and scans the battlefield.

There are less Dead between them and the gashadokuro but the rings of shadows still circle nearby.

Vira is still on the gashadokuro. Her green flames flare viciously against her shadows, and she appears to be struggling with something.

Regardless, Vira is stunned so there is time to come up with a plan.

Aki suddenly catches sight of the gashadokuro's arm still buried in the rubble, creating a direct path straight to Vira. She smiles as an idea comes to mind.

"What are we waiting for? We've got a ramp rolled out just for us." Aki points.

The clouds above begin to rumble and a light rain begins to fall as the three begin their operation.