Chapter 30: Show down! Lucian vs Colin!

"This way!" Lucian shouted as he could hear more and more voices coming from down the hall.

Lucian burst around the corner, surprising the handful of guards who were also running in his direction.

"It's the intru" One of them started before Lucian smashed his hammer into his body, knocking him into the others like a bowling ball.

Lucian watched as all of them hit the ground and tried to regain their balance.

"Die," Lucian said as he extended his free hand and let loose a fireball.

"ARGHH!" All of them screamed as they were set ablaze by Lucian's magic attack.

Hornby stood back watching as Lucian killed another bunch of guards as if they were nothing.

"You really have gotten the hang of using fire magic... You were just pulling my leg about not being able to use magic back in the cell right?" He asked.

Lucian looked to him, replying with a straight face.

"No, I was telling the truth. I told you before that I'm starting to get the hang of it. As you said, draw on your magical power and let your imagination do the rest."

Hornby gave Lucian a strange look, not remembering having said those words.

"Honestly, I can't say I have ever seen anyone pick up on learning magic as quickly as you have. You must have a real talent for it." Hornby said as he followed Lucian down the hallway.

"Isn't that how everyone else learns how to use magic?" Lucian asked, noticing Hornby's expression.

"No... There are only two ways that most people learn how to use magic. The first is that someone teaches you a spell, showing you how to use it and teaching you the words to say. Next is that you learn from a magic book or scroll that explains everything about the spell and how to do it." Hornby said.

"So you're saying that what I'm doing is uncommon?" Lucian asked.

"I have never seen anyone learn to use magic as you say..." Hornby said.

"I mean it's not a bad thing at all, in fact, it's amazing!" He then said.

"Perhaps you should visit a real magic instructor if we make it out of this alive! Who knows how strong you could become!" He then said giving Lucian a smile.

Lucian suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as his nose picked up a scent. Hornby also stopped and watched as Lucian started sniffing the air.

"This way!" He then said as he started running down one of the many corridors.

"What the hell are you!" Hornby said as he ran after him, trying to keep up.

Lucian and Hornby soon came to a large door with two guards stood outside of it, each of them holding a spear in their hands.

"You, halt there!" One of them shouted as they noticed Lucian.

Lucian didn't stop and charged in giving a battle cry and he swung his hammer with full force.

"Get out of my way!" He shouted, smashing his hammer into one of the guards.

The poor man tried to block his attack with his spear, but the force of his blow snapped the spear in half and sent him crashing through the doors, breaking them open with the weight of his body.

The other guard didn't even have a moment to take in what just happened as Lucian spun around and slammed his fist into the side of his steel helmet. The guards head crashed into the wall, leaving a dent in the solid stone before he dropped to the ground.

Lucian entered the room and could see the large cell in the middle where Hestia lay unconscious. Lucian froze on the spot for a moment as he caught his breath, so happy that he had found her.

"Hestia..." He said as he took a step forwards.

"Hestia... I made it." He said, taking another step.

"Lucian look out!" Hornby shouted as he pushed him out of the way, not a second after a slice of wind magic flew past both of them.

Lucian shook it off and quickly jumped to his feet as he looked where the attack had come from.

"Colin!" He shouted in surprise.

Hornby also got up taking in the dire situation.

"D-Does that mean that Toughclaw lost?..." Hornby asked looking shocked.

"Did you really think that beast-men could stop me?" Colin said as he walked into the room, taking a long hard look at Lucian.

"And now, it is your turn to die." He said as he drew his sword.

"Wind blade!" Colin shouted, not wasting any time in attacking.

Lucian and Hornby jumped out of the way. Lucian darting across to the other side of the room as he fired his own magic attack, with Hornby doing the same from the otherside.

"Fireball!"

"Water bullet!"

Colin quickly put up a magical shield in order to stop Lucian's fireball and simply swatted the water bullet out of the air.

"Hm... Such weak magic will never touch me." Colin said, looking at Hornby who was wide open.

"Wind blade!" Colin shouted as he slashed his sword through the air, creating the magical attack.

Hornby watched as his life flashed before his eyes, the wind blade getting closer and closer ready to slice him in half.

"Look out!" Lucian shouted as he kicked Hornby out of the way and blocked the wind blade with his shield.

The shield was able to hold and Lucian took a defensive stance in front of Hornby, ready to protect him with everything he had.

"you stopped by wind magic with a mere shield?" Colin asked surprised.

Lucian smiled.

"That's not all! Fireball!" Lucian shouted as he fired another blast of fire.

Colin fired another wind blade, cancelling the fire magic out as they clashed mid-air.

"It will take more than that!" Colin said as he appeared next to Lucian with amazing speed.

"Shit!" Lucian shouted as he spun around, only just stopping Colin's dagger with his shield.

Lucian then tried to kick Colin away from him, but Colin caught his kick and cropped his supporting leg, knocking Lucian to the ground.

"You may be strong, but you are untrained," Colin said as he stood over him with a smile.

Lucian grew angrier and angrier as he jumped back to his feet.

"Shut up!" He shouted as he grabbed his hammer and swung it with full force in a sideswipe motion.

Colin jumped over the hammer as it was mid-air quickly spinning in the air and kicking Lucian in the face. Colin then landed and dodged another attack that Lucian threw with his shield this time, attempting to bash him.

"Did you really think you could just barge in here and rescue your pet monster!" Colin shouted as he danced around Lucian, cutting him in a weak point every time Lucian tried to land a blow.

"Your delissional! Like a child!" Colin shouted as he landed blow after blow on Lucian's body.

Colin finally stopped moving and stood still as he watched Lucian drop to his knees.

"Foolish childish dreams... You are not strong enough to do anything." Colin said as he flicked the blood from his blade onto the ground.

Lucian slowly lifted his head as he started laughing, getting a surprised look from Colin.

"Have you truly lost your mind? Is the weight of your inability to do anything finally driving you to accept your fate?" Colin said as a sinister smile formed on his face.

"That's right, let the madness flow into your weak and feeble mind. Let your inability to save your friend become apparent as I end your miserable life!" Colin went on to say as he opened his arms wide, taking pleasure from Lucian's madness.

"Do you ever stop talking..."

"Got you..." Lucian shouted, surprising Colin for a moment.

"Fireball!!!" Lucian shouted as he raised both hands, pouring as much magic into his attack as he could.

Colin had little time to react as Lucian let lose the massive fire attack at such a close distance.

"What! How could!!!" He shouted as he tried his best to throw up a defensive magical barrier.

"HOW!!!" He screamed as the fire broke through his defence, engulfing him in the blue flames before the explosion took out almost half of the mansion, knocking Lucian and Hornby back from the force.

Lucian had pretended to play hurt while his regeneration healed his wounds, Allowing Colin to let his guard down just enough for Lucian to get off an attack at close range.

The shock wave from the attack blew a hole in the side of the mansion and knocked Hornby and Lucian across the room covering it in thick black smoke.

Lucian slowly lifted his head as he regained his consciousness, taking a fresh breath of air as he checked his states bars. His health was at half way and slowly growing, while his magic was about a quarter full.

Lucian slowly stood up and shook off the pain from his body as he slowly headed towards Hestia's cell.

"I'm coming, Hestia..." He muttered as he got closer to the cage.

"Hestia!" He shouted as he finally reached the cell, ripping the door off with brute strength.

To his horror, Hestia was no longer in her cell.

"Where... Where are you, Hestia!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.