74. OutMission (13)

74. OutMission (13)

"Maledictio, Black Sword, This one's Curse Magic," The Skeleton King said

Aria immediately made a bitter and complicated face when she heard that. After that, the situation flipped 180 degrees. Aria made numerous ice walls and shot Ice needles from afar. She's trying to create distance from the Skeleton King while The Skeleton King is persistently chasing after her. But, of course, it wasn't without a price. The Skeleton King would get hit, but he only staggered a bit before pursuing Aria again.

The difference in physical ability and experience decided the match… Aria was cornered. Behind her was her Ice, The Ice that froze tens of Undead. "KA KA KA, Sleep," The battered Skeleton King said as he swung his black Longsword.

*Clank

"Don't forget about me!!" Lex shouted as he defended The Skeleton King's attack to protect Aria.

It was Aria's pained voice that woke Lex up (what am I doing!?) Lex was mad at himself. He didn't help Aria at all. Once she came out, Lex became a bystander watching Aria fight with the Skeleton King from the sideline (since when did I become heroine from old games?) Lex thought. And fortunately, he made it in time.

"KA KA KA, This one though you're going to abandon her," The Skeleton King mocked

But Lex can't refute him back too. It's a fact that he's standing on the sideline watching just now. That's why he can only attack from the other point "aren't you underestimating me too much? You didn't use that Magic before?" Lex said to provoke him

"KA KA KA, Like This one said before, This one underestimate you two to a point, but not that much. You had never used Magic to attack This one too. So why should This one show my card before yours? You are human known for their versatility," The Skeleton king said as he swung his Longsword the situation back like the one when Lex protected the Cave entrance.

(Tch! He's calm as always. Any psychological attack was useless, more like its counterattack toward myself!) "Keh!" Lex shrugged "did you think I don't have any other card now?"

"You don't have to hide it. This one knew you're using <Boost> ancient Strengthening Magic since a while ago. So the Mana Consumption must be large. You can't use any large Magic anymore," The Skeleton King dissed Lex.

"<Side-Slash>" The Skeleton King attacked faster and stronger than before. It's a 'Skill' motion that uses Mana. A technique like Ancient Strengthening Magic but with lower cost and higher power.

*clang

Once it made contact with Lex's dagger, the dagger flew away from his hand. "now, it's your time to go" The Skeleton King attacked the unarmed Lex, then suddenly, Ice sword came from Lex's side. Blocking the attack yet…

*Crash

The Ice sword was unable to block The Skeleton King force and broke. It's only a single moment, but that moment saved Lex's life "Hard like Boulder and Became my Second Skin <Add Elemental: Earth>." It's enough for Lex to activate his Magic. Mana Skin has always been activated since the battle started.

Lex's both hands were covered by gloves made out of stone and blocked the Skeleton King's strike

"Guh!!" Lex let out a pained voice, he can avoid being cut by the Longsword, but he can negate the force behind it.

"Hooh~" The Skeleton King was a bit surprised when he saw Lex's trick. and Taking that chance, Lex strike back with his fist

*Goon!

"Arrgh!!" it was Lex who let out the pained cry. He's able to knock back The Skeleton King and did a bit of damage toward him, but the Recoil attacked Lex too. Gloves made out a stone, it's hurt if someone punches with a stiff glove, the Recoil as hard as the power used to hit. That's why Lex's Add Elemental: Earth was a double-edged attack because of its characteristics and mass.

Usually, Lex would control his strength to endure the Recoil with his Mana Skin. Still, this time his opponent was The Skeleton King. Even if Aria's attack batters the Skeleton King's Armor, he still needs more strength than his Mana Skin can tolerate for his attack to get through to The Skeleton King.

"KA KA KA, I've never seen this kind of Magic before," The Skeleton King said, looking amused by Lex's Magic, "so you do have another card."

He acknowledges that "but nothing will change the result had been decided long ago! You knew it too, aren't you"

"Ugh!" Lex made a bitter face when he heard that. The Skeleton King's mean is the result has been decided Once Lex and the rest took the OutMission. Lex remembered what The Skeleton King told him before, his eyes quickly engulfed by anger.

"Lex!" a clear, beautiful voice called him from behind cleared Lex's thought.

"Do you trust me?" Aria asked

"I trusted you since long ago!"

"Then go and fight back!!"

"Ooh!!" Lex replied and charged the Skeleton King.

***

('Pheww~') Aria sighed in relief once she saw Lex punch The Skeleton King back

('I almost done for') Aria took a deep breath, and then she saw Lex. "Arghh!" cried in pain. It was whether Lex was the one who got hit or Lex the one who hit, each time his face crumbled in pain. Aria immediately understood the reason why Lex didn't use this technique before.

('I need to help him) Aria tried to attack The Skeleton King, but… The Skeleton always positions himself straight with Aria, Lex, and The Skeleton King. If Aria tried to fire her Magic from her position, there's a bigger chance Lex would be the one who got hit.

Aria quickly repositioned herself to secure her firing lane, yet every time she moved, the Skeleton King moved too. Even in the middle of being attacked, he didn't lose the attention of his surroundings.

"Tch!" Aria tried it repeatedly, but it was futile. Each time The Skeleton King used Lex as his cover.

Aria could bend her attack, but it wasn't easy. If she wanted enough speed and strength, her control wasn't enough to turn it like a homing missile. In other words, if she prioritized control, it wouldn't have enough power. ('I need something else, that can avoid Lex in front of me… bend… half-circle… a ring…')

('!?')

('If I made a ring and with one hole to pass Lex when spun… will it work…?')

('No… I'm sure I can hit The Skeleton King with that, but it isn't enough to take him down. And once he saw it, he definitely would think a countermeasure of my attack. I need more power than that… but how… increase its volume? But it becomes harder to control… more speed? Is it the same? I'm not sure I can avoid Lex while spinning it…hmm... Ah!!')

"Lex!" Aria called, "do you trust me?"

"I trusted you since long ago!" Lex replied. Aria let out a bit of smile when she heard Lex's reply ('that's right! I don't need to spin it in the first place)

***

Lex's attacked The Skeleton King (Aria must have found a way to beat him). He obediently did as she said. Then he felt a massive amount of Mana concentrated above him and The Skeleton King.

The Skeleton felt it too, but Lex would attack him whenever he tried to look up. Lex understood his role was to bother and hold the Skeleton king down.

"KA KA KA, that child made the best choice. Though, unfortunately, it seems she's going to sacrifice you to destroy this one too" The Skeleton King laughed in amusement. He mocked Lex for Lex's trust toward his companion. Caused he would make the same choice if their roles were exchanged.

Lex didn't reply. He trusted Aria. He just needed to do his role correctly. Both of them didn't have time to look up and find out what was above them then…

*boom

A huge boulder made of ice crashed both Lex and The Skeleton King. It was a moment of silence…

Once the boulder crumbled and disappeared, the dust subsided…

There's two Aria whose appearance is back to normal. Her <Assimilation> has ended.

"Haa~ Haa~" Aria was breathing hard, her face was pale she was no longer in the condition able to fight

The undamaged Lex and the battered Skeleton King came out next. His Armor is almost unrecognizable as Armor anymore, but he is still standing. The Skeleton King eyes glared toward Aria "foolish… SO FOOLISH!!" The Skeleton King angered. "If you used your full strength to drop that, this one wouldn't be here anymore! But what? you control the power so that one wouldn't get hurt? Do you underestimate This one!? Do you think you can kill this one with that kind of attack!? Ludicrous… now DIE!!!" The Skeleton charged toward Lex once again.

"Damn it!" Lex tried to block with both of his hands, but "Heavy Strike" The Skeleton King used a skill,

*crack

"Argghh!!" Lex was blown away as he screamed in pain. If his hand's bones were not broken, it would be cracked. He was blown away back to where Aria was. "Blow like a gale and Become my second skin <Alternate Elemental>" Lex immediately chanted his Magic. He didn't have time to keep screaming in pain as The Skeleton King quickly approached both of them. That's why he changed his element to Wind immediately than with both hands, and he punched the ground

*swoosh

As he planned, they were both quickly covered by sand smoke. The Skeleton King didn't have any other choice except to halt his attack.

***

"The girl?" The Skeleton King asked once the dust subsided. There's only Lex alone. There's no trace of Aria at all.

"Haha," Lex laughed, "I let her escape and become a sacrifice by my own will. That's what a human's feeling is!"

"In the end, without strength, everything was useless," The Skeleton King replied with an icy voice. "Are you done?"

"Yea, let's end it here!" Lex charged toward The Skeleton King both of his hands changed back to Earth, then just before he reached the Skeleton King, he spun his body, tried to attack with his feet, and wanted to kick him instead. This would be the first time he used his legs to attack The Skeleton King.

"This one wonder why you never used your legs, so it's for this? Ridiculous" The Skeleton King quickly and easily caught Lex's leg then… "That's what you wanted this one to think, no?"

At the same time, Aria's Ethereal body fired Ice Lance from behind the Skeleton King. The Skeleton King Swung his Longsword intercepted Aria's Ice Lance effortlessly "do you think I would believe your lie?" Then The Skeleton King caught Lex's hand, which tried to hit him and throw him away "a decoy followed by another decoy and this attack was a decoy too."

"The real attack was…." The Skeleton King turned his face "you" there's the real Aria with a sword of ice in her hand. She tried to strike the skeleton king but was guarded with The Skeleton King's hand.

Aria made an ugly face. Their plan was fully seen through by The Skeleton King then…

*pan *shoot

A single bullet struck The Skeleton King's side bones from the hole of his Armor. Once The Skeleton King turned his head. There's Lex with a silver gun in his hands. Aria was shocked. This wasn't included in their plan.

"haa~ haa~ This is the real one," Lex said with a bright smile the first time he outmatched The Skeleton King. "Aria, step away at once!"

"Even if it is, do you think a single bullet is enough to take this one down?"

"I wouldn't hope for it if it were normal, but this one was special" Lex showed his silver gun, and at the same time

*boom *burn

The Skeleton King's body was engulfed by fire. "KA KA KA" The Skeleton King laughed just like before. "Magnificent! Wonderful! This fire wasn't normal either This one feels it… this one time has come."

"Why? Why you held back?" Lex can't help but ask, till the very end, The Skeleton King held his power. He didn't use Magic except for his Black Sword.

"Held back? KA KA KA, This one never thought of holding back even once" while engulfed in fire. The Skeleton King replied, "it's unusual for Mana Race to have memories like this one. The price for the knowledge was this one power and as a reward let This one gave you one gift, <Call of the death>" Then Something black flew toward Lex (!!?) Lex was shocked, and he couldn't dodge it because the damage piled up he couldn't move much anymore

The black thing wasn't fast, but there's nothing Lex can do, but before it struck Lex there's a body suddenly appeared in front of him. It was a 3D black shadow, "Aria!" Lex cried. It was Aria's Ethereal body that took the attack.

"This one present don't let your guard down till the very end, KA KA KA KA KA" The Skeleton King laughed as he disappeared along with the fire.