Chaotic Battle

I looked at the gargoyles surrounding us, their mouths snarling as they watched our every move. White foam could be seen frotting from their mouth. I counted them and realized there were seven, which should be manageable to some degree.

Some held rusted swords and axes, while most relied on their deadly claws and fists as weapons. Since I had lost my weapon, this was pretty fortunate for me.

There was no movement from any of us, not a sound could be heard. But of course, we couldn't stay like this forever.

''<Fortifiez Alliex!>''

Fiorella's voice echoed, and a shining white glow enveloped the both of us. I felt a newfound strength rising within me. Was it a strengthening spell?

Noticing the sudden change, the gargoyles all screamed a high-pitched, deafening screech and lunged toward us.

''<Ventus Clipeum!>''

Fiorella shouted another incantation, and large green orbs surrounded us, blocking the barrage of attacks, the sound of their claws and weapons clashing against the shields was deafening. However, it stopped their momentum and stunned them in the air. Most of them retreated backward with their wings.

''----?!''

Before it could escape, I grabbed the leg of the gargoyle in front of me. He screeched at me, but I ignored it.

It seems that the gauntlet's protection also extends to living beings, as I raised his heavy body up with ease. With all of my strength, I swung it to the ground, the impact bone-shattering as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. His body was completely limp, and I stood over the lifeless carcass of the monster, causing the other gargoyles to hesitate just slightly.

One of the gargoyles who had retreated suddenly pushed the ground with his feet, fluttered his wings and lunged at me with his axe ready to strike.

His attack was fast, but sluggish and predictable. I raised my arms and blocked the impact, making the dull axe stumble back after striking my mithril armor. The strengthening spell had not only improved my strength but also my reaction speed, letting me react even to these types of attacks.

Seizing the moment, I grabbed the gargoyle by its snarling mouth and lunged towards a nearby wall, crashing its head against the brick surface with the same bone-shattering force as before, the impact multiplied by the speed I gained thanks to the silver boots. The sound of its skull cracking echoed through the street, and the gargoyle fell limp to the ground. Looking closely, I realized it had stopped breathing.

That's two down.

Something casted a shadow from behind me, but I didn't care to turn back. The sound that echoed across the street reassured me that I'd be fine. The familiar sound of a boiling kettle about to explode.

''<Ignis, Consume!>''

---The street that just a moment before was completely dark, was engulfed in a bright, hellish inferno.

I bent down and grabbed the gargoyle's dull axe, stepping back to where Fiorella was. She was shaking in fear, or perhaps pain from casting the spell with her bare hands. Either way, I slapped her on the back to hopefully wake her up.

''Hey, they're still alive.''

Her eyes seemed to focus again.

The gargoyles howled in agony, grasping at their burning faces. But even as they burned, they remained fierce and stood their ground. Two of them lunged toward us.

I jumped forward, and swung the axe upward towards the left gargoyle's exposed stomach, cutting through the skin and flesh of the monster.

''AHHk!''

Fiorella's scream reached my ears, and I turned around to see that the other gargoyle had stabbed through her chest with his claws, standing over her face and threatening to slash right through.

I was about to move in her aid, before noticing that she grabbed the gargoyle's face, confusing and stunning him for a second.

''<Ventus Gliadi>''

She whispered under her breath, and the gargoyle's face split apart into tiny pieces, his body falling slumped to the ground. Even the fire had been blown away by the wind attack.

I quickly moved to Fiorella's side.

''You okay?''

''I-i think so... <Mederi>''

Her hand glowed a bright white, as the wound created by the gargoyle closed in a matter of seconds. That's magic for you.

''You got any more mana left?''

''A b-bit, I sh-should stick to small spells, though...''

''I see.''

We were at a standstill with the three gargoyles left. The both of us were tired and heavily panting. Even if I'm faster than before, my stamina is still the same.

The gargoyles launched forward, from below, and from the sides.

Fiorella casted some sort of double spell, but I wasn't focused enough to catch what it was. I do know that it pushed the two gargoyles back, so I assumed it was a wind spell.

I launched forward as well, kicking the gargoyle in the face. The impact sent its body flying back. I raised the dull axe and brought it down with all my strength, the blade inserting itself into the monster's forehead.

I lost my footing and stumbled forward, losing my grip on the axe.

''Shit!''

The injured gargoyles noticed this, and jumped toward me, swinging their daggers at me. I managed to block one of them, but the other cut right through one of the gaps in my armor, leaving a deep cut right where the tricep would be.

I was unable to even make a pained sound, as the other gargoyle hit me in the head with his fist, the impact of his hand on the helmet sending shockwaves through my entire body. I felt a hot liquid trickling down from my nose, did it break my nose just from that?!

I fell backward from the impact, right where the first gargoyle had crashed into. I grabbed a piece of the broken cement with my right hand and quickly tried to stand up.

The two gargoyles moved in a frenzy toward me. I hurled the rock at the face of one of them, striking the right gargoyle in the center of the forehead, making him stumble backward in a daze.

The other gargoyle seemed distracted for a second, and without missing a beat I moved forward and struck him in the mouth with my foot, the speed of the hit cracking his front teeth and dislocating his jaw.

The previously knocked-down gargoyle jumped at me from behind, but I spun around and struck his face with an elbow, the sharp ends of the armor piercing his cheek and sending him to the ground.

''I-I-Isaac, I'm s-sorry, I'm out of mana...''

Her voice was shaky as if she was about to cry.

''Huh?! Alrea---!!''

My words were cut short, as one of the gargoyles recovered and charged at me from the side. I just barely managed to avoid the attack, but not before it landed a strike on my shoulder, cracking the bone underneath.

''Ghh?!''

I gritted my teeth in pain and turned around to face the injured monsters.

Their breath was heavy and tired, their bodies were filled with bleeding injuries and their skin was scorched from the previous fire.

One of them moved forward to attack again, and I prepared myself, but suddenly---

''...?! That...''

The gargoyle's head suddenly exploded, accompanied by the deafening sound of a small explosion.

The other gargoyle had a similar destiny, a gigantic hole was created in his chest, and his body fell limp onto the ground.

I couldn't believe my eyes, and it seemed Fiorella couldn't either.

''Psst, hey!''

An unknown voice called out to us, and we turned toward a dark alley, where a man in an elegant suit stood, hidden by the darkness of the alley.

Looking closer, I realized that the man was completely hiding every bit of revealed skin in bandages, even wearing a top hat to hide the top of his head.

But that wasn't what caught my attention, rather, it was the large shotgun he held in his hands. A Winchester 1897, to be exact.

''Are you people injured? If so, follow me.''

----After what felt like an eternity, the battle ended with our victory, thanks to this mysterious man.