Last Clash

I stared the battlefield with my damaged vision, dead bodies, broken weapons, blood and severed limbs are piled up. Dust and ash filled the air as the undead army moved towards the city gate. This is what a battlefield looks like, I realized. There isn't a single soul to stop their troop, most of the soldiers were lying dead, they couldn't handle the continuous onslaught of the undead army and remaining ones fled with their lords, coward nobles. I crashed the transmission bead, the only hope I am hanging on now.

I have cleared most of the undeads within the reachable radius of my magic, few were trying to encircle me but retreated towards city gate. Now what remains---

"It appears you gave him a severe cut, oh. It would be unfortunate if he couldn't clearly see who killed him."

The Arch-Lich Xarathas. An unearthly manifestation of malice and malevolence with eyes seems like two voids holding glowing orbs of red that seem to piercing my soul. Wearing a black loose robe over a purplish skin which tightly stretched over his bones, giving him a gaunt appearance. A crown is placed in his hairless head that's made of hands and fingers curled up together. He talks by spreading the magic energy in form of sound waves, which sounds quite odd but it's better than skin and bones rubbing against each other. Now that his full attention is on me, I am out of practical options to buy enough time.

I evaded the approaching black flames summoned by Xarathas and channelled my mana to suppress the bleeding in my left eye from the cut given by the death knight who is coming at me with a blade coated in death aura. Aura manifestation? he is a master level. Damnit, I can't fight two master level at the same time, plus this blurred vision is a hindrance.

"Go to the city gate and clear the way for the undead, there are still some 3-star knights lurking within the city gate. He will entertain me for the time being."

The death knight moved out of the path as Xarathas waved his hand in my direction. Waves after waves the black flames rushed towards me. "<<Terra Guardian>>", I used the spell to create few large earthen walls to block, at the same time I sent him <<Sun Brust>>, one of the few offensive spells I am left with as my mana is low. Although its mana consumption is low, it is very destructive in nature. He tried to use <<Dispel>>, but failed to break the spell. He had to move out of the way as the golden orbs obliterated the space he was previously in, sending shockwaves in the battlefield.

"Again? I initially believed that to be an error, but I can now confirm it. The knowledge applied in this spell is unknown to me, which is why <<Dispel>> failed. Additionally, even though you are in fifth circle, your spell possesses the strength of the seventh circle. Impressive, no wonder they call you 'Prodigy of Count's House'."

They say it's the better to receive lich's wrath than his curiosity, his eerie smile and cold unyielding gaze sending chills on my spine. I must converse with him to buy myself more time.

"It's a pity, even though you met every requirement, the 'Orb of Fallen God' inhabiting your body prevented you from progressing past the fifth circle."

"What are you….?"

"You choose to talk now?"

I was stunned speechless by his abrupt words; what is this lich talking about? No, I may find a clue for my unidentified condition.

"Why do you think a ninth circle dark magician would travel to such a barren place? For a mere fifth circle? Although you have terrifying talent and all elemental affinity, that is insufficient to unnerve a ninth circle lich. Instead, what interest me about you is your knowledge and something you possess."

Ninth circle? The eighth circle is the highest magic circle a mage of this kingdom has. This fight was lost from the very beginning. But there's still a chance, if reinforcements from the empire arrive before he advances to the kingdom's central region.

He used magic once again, his strikes are becoming more intense as black spikes start to form beneath me, pinning me through my thigh. During my recovery from this attack, magic was once again deployed. A few black shackles had me fixed in place. As I struggled to free myself from the shackles, he flew at me, then halted close to me, making him appear even more menacing from close.

"Will we now finish the task? I will turn you into a wonderful specimen after I am done."