Desperate Strike

I don't know why but Estell was frozen in fear. Even though she had not taken the brunt of the psychic attack as I had. It was like she had never withstood this kind of pressure.

And to be fair neither had I but still I was able to move and for some reason I had believed she too would have been able to.

Estell had proven herself to me with both her actions and power but now… frozen in fear as she was I couldn't help but lose a sliver of respect of her.

I crouched and took hold of her legs and back, putting her into my arms as I leaped from where I was standing.

I had used all of my power to jump, aiming for the jagged ruins. A place that would be free of the flames that had come to consume us.

It was unlike the flames that had been spit from the three pointer as that one was concentrated on one area. This one turned everything it came into contact with into ash and the area in which it affected was larger than anything I had seen.

The whole ruined city, it was consumed in a matter of seconds. The flames touched everything. Even the places that I had hoped to find solace in.

For a moment everything stilled as I found myself falling from the sky. The flames were gradually receding but that was a slow process. And by the time I fell from my spot in the sky the flames would not have receded enough for us to stand safely.

I had nothing, no options, no choices, nothing would save me. I took a deep breath as I started to fall, Estell's weight hurrying it.

…

I woke from my panic to a sea of flames, everything was consumed by it. The whole world around us was nothing but ashes and the Mask stood at the center.

A crushing presence found our silhouettes and focused on us. I was about to freeze up again when I felt it.

A motherly presence, yet it was not one of welcoming but of admonishment. A slap found its way to my cheek. I brought a hand to it and found myself recoiling back in pain.

'Who? Who was that?' I parroted in my head. It felt so overwhelmingly powerful yet so welcoming despite the violence.

'Thine power's are useful in the rescue of my beloved… use them' It echoed throughout my head yet it didn't. I grit my teeth as a painful roar echoed from my mouth.

My mana was in flux, the power I had worked so hard to control doing nothing but rage. It took itself from my control and took whatever mana it could from my husk of a body.

Snow fell from my cheeks as it was created. A winter wonderland overtaking just a footstep of the ground.

"Was- No, just… thank you."

I looked above, only to see a face of absolute concentration. He was falling from the sky, my weight undoubtedly burdening him.

I couldn't help but blush and look away as I thought of my presence. Maybe if I wasn't here he would have survived. It was my fault anyway for making him come closer to the center.

He could have lived. And even then he could have done better if he just dropped me. Maybe even survived the rage of the Mask if he had abandoned me.

But… my cheeks turned red as steam seemed to fly from my ears, he saved me.

I felt us land on the ground, no, the snow that I had created. It was burning, the snow, it hadn't even started to melt before then. It went straight to burning.

I frowned and took control once again. I felt my reserves almost completely empty but that was not a problem.

Reaching into my cloak I find the bottle that I had hidden. It was extremely expensive but the [mana potion] would allow me to continue creating footholds for us.

I uncorked the bottle and downed it, the taste extremely hideous but I swallowed nonetheless.

For a moment I just gasped, the mana flooding me before I took control of both it and my ability.

"Are you able to make more of those platforms?"

"Yeah… as long as you let me down I should be able to."

"Ok, stay here and create a path for me."

My eyes widened, "You can't be serious, we should run not fi- fight that thing"

He smiled, a wide one filled with ambition. I couldn't help but find it beautiful. Not the smile but the emotion behind it.

It was like an ideal taken form, as if his whole being in that moment was dedicated to nothing more than his goal. It was so… so pretty.

"Ok… just be safe."

Again he smiled, "I will."

I watched as he exited from where we were, carefully placing me down on the platform of snow I had created.

Every step of his brought more distance from where I was. I focused and focused even more. Watching for when Mihr lost any significant altitude and created a semi platform of snow.

Each one took almost an eighth of my reserves, I wish that I had been able to tell him that but by the time I was almost out of mana he had arrived at the Mask.

It seemed almost surprised at the fact that anyone would go against it but that surprise was what brought it damage.

A quick slash, using the momentum I had given him from the fall. It slashed off one of the heads.

To my surprise there was no retaliation. It was like the Mask was under some sort of chain, something that suppressed its strength.

A moment passed as Mihr fell closer and closer to the ground. At this point he was so far away that I could barely make any snow around him but I tried any way.

With the last of my mana, I squeezed everything. A platform of pure ice appeared and caught him from his fall.

The last thing I saw before I fell into the blissful sleep was the sight of Mihr cutting another head from the shoulders of the Mask. A grateful expression on his face as he looked back at me.

It warmed my heart.