(22.1) Otherworlder Vs.

The pair fall but Phoebe still holds onto Aki tightly. A sight that would not look out of place in a historical painting illuminated by the blazing city below and the dark, stormy sky alight with lightning from above. Such thoughts cross his mind yet, Caor could feel nothing but despair.

"Phoebe!" His shout rings across the battlefield.

At that moment, the gashadokuro lurches forward. The gigantic brambles make another attempt to crush the invincible summon. No damage is dealt but the suddenness of the shift is more than enough to send Vira careening from her perch.

A slash of light meets her falling form. Vira counters with a flaming spiral, deflecting the spell and correcting her descent. Before Caor can swing again, Vira commands the remaining Dead nearby to target him.

She lands neatly on the wet rubble, angry at being knocked off her perch.

Mirra and Dent don't give her a chance to gather herself. A wind slash flies at Vira's neck but she bends quickly to the side avoiding the invisible attack.

"Telegraphed..." Vira sneers.

A crackling fist primed for an uppercut rockets for her face. In one fluid motion, Vira spins around the punch and sweeps Mirra's legs out from under her then uses fire to propel herself right into the incoming Dent.

"...And slow." Fire condenses rapidly in Vira's open hand.

Dent wasn't expecting Vira to be so agile and is blasted away by the magical fire.

Mirra tries to strike Vira from behind with a jab but a wall of shadows deflects the blow, trapping her arms within their inky darkness.

The shadows tighten slowly, crushing the gauntlet and arm within its depths.

A sword of light cleaves the shadows, freeing Mirra easily.

"You should have sent stronger ones." Caor's voice is cold and low. His expression seething with unadulterated rage.

He makes a horizontal slash with such speed, it was as if Caor's blade did not touch a single raindrop even though he surely must have.

She cloaks her arms in shadows, shielding herself from the attack.

Were it not for Vira's superior senses as an eltan Undead, she would have surely met her end before ever realising it.

Caor's sword rends the darkness, the spell shining from the blade reflects off the many rain droplets and makes his expression all the more menacing.

Vira leaps back before his sword can sever her arms. She looks down at their ruined flesh. The arms are far too blackened from her constant use of fire to last much longer. Vira needs to steal new arms.

"Eyes on me." Caor flash steps, swinging his sword in short, rapid strokes. "I want you to look at me when I take your head!"

Vira swings Mirra around, using her as a human bat. Caor barely manages to correct his swing to prevent decapitating his companion.

"Careful, boy. Swords are dangerous." Vira sneers.

Magical shadows explode against her back, making her stumble forward. She whips around to see Winter in the distance, standing atop some rubble and charging up another ball.

A little further away, are his parents supporting each other and seeking shelter within a tall building.

Vira smiles darkly, commanding the tangled gashadokuro to move. Its left leg creaks and groans against the might of the summoned bramble yet there is enough give for the gargantuan foot to kick at the building's support, making it collapse in on itself.

Winter cries out in a panic but Vira cannot relish in his despair.

Dust and brick go flying as the gashadokuro's balance is shifted and the giant falls onto its knees, creating a barrier between Vira and Winter. One has been separated but it luckily does nothing for the other three combatants.

The pressure stays high as Dent rushes in and performs several rapid slashes. Each one is blocked or deflected by the snaking shadows that encircle Vira.

Electricity crackles and flashes to the right. Instinctively Vira enshrouds herself with shadows.

Nothing makes contact as she expected, so Vira commands the shadows to spiral, cutting everything in her vicinity.

Only the increasingly violent rainfall makes her company.

Suddenly a wind-boosted, electrified fist comes flying in from an angle, striking the same spot Aki hit. The force of the blow creates a shockwave, cratering the ruined stone even more and pushing the rain away for a moment.

Vira's head snaps to the side as she stumbles back. She cries out in shock yet she does not fall.

"Got you!" Mirra taunts.

She follows up with an axe kick before Vira can recover fully.

The force brings Vira down to a knee and enrages her. How could a past hero like her get forced down so easily?

A cloak of fire explodes out from Vira's body, blasting Mirra backward.

Dent and Caor zip past their companion, catching her from going further and slash at Vira in parallel.

Vira uses her shadows to deflect and block, yet the two fighters can sense that they're gaining more ground with each passing second.

Caor ducks, flashing a pillar of light from his blade. The intense curtain of rain and cloudy dark night makes the light ever brighter, blinding even the Undead eyes of Vira.

The light ends as quickly as it started. A glint of metal and flashing strike aim for Vira's neck. Dent's swordsmanship pushes to the limit of his speed, becoming nigh imperceptible.

Yet it still isn't enough.

Vira catches his hand and crushes it.

"Your speed is impressive but your tactics are honest." Vira's tone is condescending and her laugh is humourless.

Dent swings a dagger then, aiming at her head.

His target moves at last second, avoiding a lethal strike but even so the dagger pierces flesh, its blade embedding itself in her left cheek. The blade's tip exits on the other side of Vira's face.

Vira recoils away, letting him free as she tries to rationalise what just happened.

Dent's pained expression doesn't stop him from laughing back. "I prefer honourable over honest. Sounds much less naive."

He switches hands and joins Caor with his sword raised.

"Disappear!" The two men cross blades and dash forward.

Wind and light wrap around the two swords, preventing even Vira from being able to dodge so easily.

Shadow walls rise and are crushed over and over against the combined magical power of the two Silver Sword swordsmen.

The final wall breaks apart but so does the mana powering the two spells. Vira smiles, her maniacal expression turning to frustrated shock as she sees An electrified fist connect with her face, sending her flying backward.

She corrects herself midair and lands on her feet.

Now, the three combatants stand fanned out in front of Vira and an ample distance away. Vira chuckles darkly.