The Battle Continue
The battle between the Invited and Claudia unfolded with a raw intensity that resonated throughout the stone arena.
The remaining members of the Invited engaged in a fierce confrontation with the enigmatic woman at the heart of the arena.
One of the Invited called Liam, a young man with a broadsword charged forward. His blade swinging in wide arcs.
Claudia countered, sending a surge of dark energy that forced Liam to divert his charge, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.
Another one, now a woman in her twenties named Sophia, armed with Gear in a form of a staff, her hands glowing with a soft blue light.
She then released a barrage of ice shards towards Claudia, who gracefully sidestepped the frozen assault, the shards shattering against the grey stones behind her.
Now a girl as young as Ethan and Irene named Mia darted in and out of Claudia's reach. Just like Irene she using twin daggers.
She aimed for the gaps in Claudia's defenses, but the woman's magic shield absorbed the strikes, leaving Mia to retreat and regroup.
Meanwhile, Ryan directed the others with hand signals. He launched a volley of attacks with Liam while also using his Talent to buff the others around him.
Each attacks aimed with deadly precision, but Claudia's barrier deflected them. Sending them clinking harmlessly to the ground.
One of them named Amelia using her Talent to summon a gust of wind that whipped around the arena, attempting to disorient Claudia. However, Claudia remained rooted. her magic forming a protective bubble that repelled the gale.
Noah, the youngest of the Invited, unleashed a torrent of lightning from his fingertips.
The bolts crackled through the air, illuminating the arena with flashes of light.
Claudia raised her hand, and the lightning veered off course, absorbed by the stones that seemed to hunger for the energy.
The other Invited did the same. Giving Claudia relentless attacks, but her defence seems unpenetrable.
The Invited then circled around Claudia, attacking in waves, their coordination improving with each pass.
Liam and Mia leading them to engaged in close combat, while Sophia provided ranged support. Ryan continued to adapt their tactics and providing buff of his light to them, looking for any weakness in Claudia's formidable defense.
Claudia, however, was a force to be reckoned with. Her magic was not just defensive; she conjured spectral blades that sliced through the air, forcing the Invited to dodge and weave.
She summoned chains of shadow that snaked across the ground, attempting to ensnare her opponents.
But the Invited were persistent. They pressed on, their attacks growing more desperate as they sought to wear down Claudia's defenses.
Sweat and dust mingled on their brows, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as the battle demanded everything they had.
As the fight continued, it became clear that Claudia was just testing them, pushing them to their limits.
The clash of magic and metal echoed off the ancient stones, a symphony of conflict that had played out countless times before.
The Invited fought on, their eyes set on the Second Floor.
But suddenly, the battle had taken a dire turn for the Invited. Their coordinated attacks and strategic maneuvers, which held promise few minutes before were now faltering.
The air was thick with fear as the reality of their situation settled upon them.
Claudia lashed out her spells slicing through the defenses of the Invited.
Liam was the first to fall back, a gash across his arm from a spectral blade that Claudia had summoned. He grunted in pain, his sword arm hanging limply at his side.
Sophia tried to conjure a protective barrier, but the effort was too late. A burst of dark energy sent her tumbling across the arena floor, her robes singed at the edges. She lay there, dazed, trying to regain her senses.
Mia's agility had kept her safe for a time, but a sudden lash of shadowy chains caught her off guard, wrapping around her legs and sending her crashing to the ground. She struggled against the bindings, her daggers just out of reach.
Ryan shouted commands, trying to keep the team together, but the chaos was overwhelming even for him.
A bolt of purple magic grazed his shoulder, disrupting his concentration.
Amelia swung her staff with determination, but her wind spells could not find their mark. Claudia's magic was too strong, too fast.
A concentrated orb of energy struck Amelia squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of her and forcing her to her knees.
Noah unleashed his lightning with a desperate fervor. But Claudia was ready, redirecting the energy back towards him. He barely managed to dodge, the heat of the near-miss singing his eyebrows.
The Invited were scattered, their formations broken. They gasped for breath, their wounds a testament to Claudia's prowess.
Meanwhile, the woman in black stood unscathed. Her smile now a grim line as she prepared to deliver the final blows.
"Is this all you've got?" Claudia said.
Claudia watched them, her respect for their tenacity evident in the slight nod she gave.
She have killed a lot of human dead over the times. But she always respected them for their tenacity. Though most of it is pointless.
Her eyes settled on Ethan and Irene, who stood a few steps behind the other Invited. They simply stood there, watching, and although Ethan held his bow, he exerted only minimal effort to attack.
Claudia had no intention of wasting time. She immediately launched her attack, eager to quickly end the lives of these Invited.
"Ethan! Irene! What the fuck are you doing?!" Ryan looked at them both with an incredulous gaze.
Ethan returned his look with a cold stare. "Don't worry. We got this."
Ryan didn't understand what he was saying. But then everything happened so fast.
Claudia lunged at them with incredible speed.
The battle intensified.
Irene, her dagger infused with shadow power, met Claudia's charge head-on.
Irene moved with a dancer's precision, her every step calculated and swift. As Claudia approached, she sidestepped, allowing the momentum of the lunge to carry her opponent forward.
With a fluid motion, she brought her dagger down in an arc, aiming for Claudia's exposed flank. The shadow energy within the blade pulsed, eager to strike.
Meanwhile, Ethan, ever the calm in the storm, creating another arrow to his Aether bow.
He drew back the string, the bowstring humming with tension. He waited for the perfect moment, his eyes tracking Claudia's movements with unerring focus.
Claudia, however, was a whirlwind of motion. She twisted away from Irene's strike, the shadows from the dagger grazing her robe but failing to find purchase.
Ethan smiled slightly. Yes. They have to put up a performance for the watchers.
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