Finishing the Fight

"Attack him you brainless fools," shouted Lilith to the horde of lizard men. They had been standing roughly two yards from Lilith and I were positioned, not a single one of them bold enough to get between us. They now jolted back to life, apparently more terrified of the prophetesses's wrath than what could happen to them when fighting me. A row of roughly a dozen lizard men shoulder to shoulder charged at me, claws and teeth at the ready.

I need an attack that would cover a wide area, trying to punch my way through them all wouldn't work out too well for me. I could try the same attack I had just used to stop the mana daggers Lilith had sent at me, but it was pretty unstable and I wasn't sure how well it would work on the lizard men. The attack also dissipated after a certain range, meaning I would have to wait for them to get close if I wanted it to be effective, which was a risky move.

Maybe I could try and copy off of Lilith, her Thousand Dagger Assault would be perfect if I angled the to come from above. I hastily pulled more mana from my core and let it flow out through my hand, doing my best to picture exactly how Lilith had formed her attack.

"Thousand Dagger Assault," I shouted with conviction. A thousand crimson mana daggers manifested into the air above me the second I finished speaking, a perfect replica of what Lilith had just done. I swung my hand, sending a wave of death right into the approaching ranks of lizard men.

The effect was beyond devastating, the mana daggers tore through flesh, bone, and scales without mercy. The lizard men wailed and hissed in agony, almost none of them escaping the attack. Never before had I ever done something so bloody or gruesome, it made my stomach churn a little. I quickly shook off such feelings though, the monsters had it coming if they were allied with Lilith.

Five lizard men out of nearly five dozen had survived the attack without getting killed or critically injured. These five remaining survivors stood among their massacred brethren, looking down on the corpses and the dying in terror. One of the lizard men whipped around and began to flee towards the massive door he had come in through only minutes ago. His fellow survivors quickly followed his lead and fled right behind him, none of them daring to look back.

"Looks like you're all alone," I yelled to Lilith, a grin plastered across my face. Her expression was difficult to read due to the distance but it was obvious that she was fuming mad.

"Yara, come to me," said Lilith. The masked woman suddenly emerged from behind a pillar and calmly walked to where Lilith hovered in the air. I had forgotten about the masked woman, what could Lilith want with her now? Did her abilities extend beyond just being able to gauge magical potential?

"What is it that you command of me, my prophetess," said Yara softly as she kneeled to Lilith.

"Your service to the Upholders of the Undeniable Proppehcy requires your life," said Lilith hungrily. "Soul Drain."

The second she uttered those two words, Yara's body began to convulse as it was gripped with Lilith's purple magic. Blue mana was pulled straight out of Yara's body, being forcibly transferred from her to Lilith. The spell ended in a matter of seconds, Yara's lifeless body collapsing to the ground while Lilith radiated with bountiful amounts of mana.

"Now, where were we?" asked Lilith cluelessly.

"We were getting to the part where I was going to keep my word and break your arms and legs," I told her.

I felt numb. Lilith had just murdered one of her own underlings in order to gain more power. There seemed to be no limits to what this monster would do to those around her in order to accomplish her goals. I was done with her, with this fight. It was time to end things.

I channeled mana into my legs and then leaped through the air towards Lilith, plummeting downwards toward her after reaching the apex of my arc. I then gather concentrated amounts of mana into my fists, causing them to glow crimson. Lilith warped her mana into a wall to try and block me, with spikes on the side facing me.

Right before I was about to impale myself on the spikes, I punched the air in front of me and released all the mana I had stored inside of my fist. The crimson mana raced out of my hand and slammed into the purple mana wall, shattering into pieces. I fell right through where the barrier had once been, bringing my other mana-filled fist around and punching Lilith right in the gut.

"Shotgun Series: Bloody Fist," I shouted as I released the pent-up mana. It unleashed explosively out of my fist, far stronger than any of my previous attacks of that kind. Lilith's eyes bulged out of her sockets and blood spewed out of her mouth as she was sent rocketing straight into a pillar. The large stone pillar buckled under the impact and collapsed, taking Lilith with it and sending a massive cloud of dust into the air.

I landed softly on the ground, thinking about what had just transpired. When I had released the mana from my first at the barrier and not said anything, it had been harder to control compared to when I had given the attack a descriptive name. Maybe that was why Lilith had named her attacks, it was possible that descriptive words had a critical role in magic in this world.

All of the evidence seemed to suggest that it did, I had easily created a more complex attack when I had uttered the words Thousand Dagger Assault. Shotgun Series: Bloody Fist had been a hastily thought-up name but it had dramatically increased the power and precision of the attack. I should think up names for all my major attacks for now, at least until I learn more about how this all worked.

Cries of pain which were followed by sobs filled the air. Lilith had apparently survived her tumble with the pillar, though not uninjured. I calmly walked over to the pile of rubble and looked around, quickly spotting the prophetess. Her entire left arm was pinned under a piece of rubble and her right leg was twisted the wrong way. She had drained Yara's body to try and enhance her power but she hadn't even lasted five minutes against me. She was coated in blood, her entire body heaving as she painfully wheezed for breath. Lilith's once perfect and emotionless face was now grimy, bloody, and full of pain.

Unlike the massacre of the lizard men, I felt not even the slightest bit of remorse or unease about the injuries I had inflicted upon her. Lilith was the main reason I had been torn away from my home, there was no doubt in my mind that she had been the one who had opened that portal for Raek to go through. She had also hurt both Oliver and Amelia, taking them away from me in the process.

"Where is Amelia and Oliver? What have you done with them?" I demanded. Lilith smiled weakly, looking at me with spite.

"They are already on their way to complete the duties assigned to them, you will not find them here, nor will you ever see them again. They are Lady Zavaris's servants, the girl a Harbinger and the boy powering Project Talos," she answered. I swiftly brought my right foot down on her bad leg, causing her to shriek in agony.

"Shotgun Series: Crushing Shatter," I said blankly. Mana rocketed down my right leg and erupted out of the sole of my shoe, hitting Lilith's leg at point black range. A massive crunch rang out through the air as her bone shattered and her leg was almost torn in half. Lilith screamed, tears running down her face.

"Tell you what, I've already broken this leg for me and that arm you got under that rock is for Oliver. I still gotta break your other arm for Amelia but if you cooperate I might let you keep your other leg," I told her with a shrug. "The choice is yours."

"Wha- What do you want to know?" she said between sobs. I was kind of surprised she was actually listening to me, with her being so devoted and all that, but I'll take what I can get. There is only so much pain some people can take after all.

"Firstly, tell me where I am. Secondly, tell me where Amelia and Oliver got sent. Lastly, tell me who this Lady Zavaris is," I told her.

"You are in Iyo-"

Lilith's body suddenly lurched, black magic thrashing it back and forth. I quickly backed away, uncertain of what was happening and frightened by her violent movements. Lilith's unnatural motions abruptly came to a halt, her head whipping to look directly at me. Her eyes were no longer purple, they were entirely black with no irises. Black magic floated ominously around her body and gave off a chilling feel that made my crimson mana retreat from it.

"Who are you," an extremely deep and hoarse voice said. It definitely wasn't Lilith's voice, yet it seemed to originate from her mouth. It wasn't natural though, the words didn't match up with the movements of Lilith's mouth. It was as if Lilith's body was a puppet being manipulated by a bad puppetmaster. Then it hit me.

"I'm speaking to Lady Zavaris aren't I?" I said, not nearly as certain as I sounded but confident enough to guess it was her. This felt like a class case of the underling being controlled by the master in my opinion.

"Yes, you are, now answer me, child. WHO ARE YOU," roared Lady Zavaris's voice, the force of it sending me tumbling back. Her black magic suddenly surrounded me, probing at my crimson aura and trying to latch on to me. I scrunched my face in anger and released as much mana outward as I could, pulling as much as I possibly could from my core.

My tsunami of crimson magic collided with Zavaris's black magic, causing both to halt where they stood. For a brief moment, I felt panic creep into my mind as my wave seemed to be unable to break through Zaravis's powerful black magic. Thankfully though my fears were soon alleviated as my crimson wave overran her black magic, slamming into Lilith's body and sending her flying through the air. The force had been so extreme that it had ripped her pinned arm free of its joint, causing blood to spew everywhere.

Black magic still floated in the air around Lilith but it was quickly dissipating. Lilith's body must be reaching its limit, it wouldn't be long before she died. I walked over to the body, cautious to keep my crimson mana at the ready to defend myself. The ground suddenly shook, causing me to look around. It seemed that our clash of magic had caused serious damage to the great hall and surrounding structure. Pillars were already beginning to crumble and fall apart, I wouldn't have much time before the whole thing collapsed.

"I shall crush you like a bug under my foot, you will not interfere with my plans," proclaimed the hoarse voice again. Lilith's jaw was gruesomely hanging several inches too low but yet it still managed to mouth the words being spoken by Lady Zavaris. I did feel a little bit of pity for Lilith. She was a heartless monster and deserved it, but suffering to this extent was a bit much for almost anyone. It was time to put her out of her misery and end this before I got buried by the collapsing castle.

"Shut up," I responded as I raised my right leg again. "Shotgun Series: Crushing Shatter."

I brought my leg down right on Lilith's face, averting my eyes as I did it. I may not have much empathy for her but I still felt a little distressed about killing someone. I felt her face cave under the pressure, the black magic vanishing from the surrounding air and Lilith's ragged breath falling silent. My leg shook as I lifted it from her corpse, as did both of my hands. How many people had I killed both directly and indirectly in this world? Lilith, Raek, Verno, Yara, and all of those massacred lizard men. Was this my future?

A massive chunk of the ceiling suddenly crashed into the floor nearby, causing me to stumble. The great hall wouldn't last much longer, I shook off the oppressive feeling weighing down on me and began to run. I quickly made a beeline for the massive doors that I had originally entered through, using my mana to strengthen the muscles in my leg so I would run faster. It was a dangerous technique since I had never run this fast before, and my reflexes weren't working at the same speed as my legs. I nearly fell several times but managed to make it to the doors without being crushed.

Now came the hard part. I had no idea which hallway to head down, I was currently at an intersection of three hallways. I knew that the one to my left was the way I had been dragged along when being brought from my cell in the dungeon. I doubted I would find a way out there, so that left the hallway right in front of me and the one on my right.

My decision was quickly made for me though when the hallway on the right suddenly collapsed in on itself, leaving only the middle hallway as a reasonable option. I leaped forward, racing down the shaking and crumbling passage. Whenever I reached an intersecting hallway, I continued straight or went up the hallway that had stairs, reasoning that up must lead out in some sense. If I had to leap out of a window of some tower, I was sure my magic could protect me.

My hope of escape grew dimmer and dimmer by the moment, the castle's rate of collapse was accelerating to be almost right on my heels while I still couldn't seem to find a single window or hallway that led outside. A chunk of stone hit my right shoulder, causing me to stumble but only leaving me with a minor bruise. That was the final straw, I was done with this bullcrap. I gathered mana in my right shoulder, happy that it was starting to get easier to control and manipulate.

"Barreling Charge," I yelled as I lowered my mana-charged shoulder into the next wall that got in my way. I went straight through it as if it was made of cardboard. I continued straight, smashing through dusty rooms that were filled with furniture, books, and paintings. I plowed through every room I ran into until I suddenly crashed through a wall and was blinded by sunlight.

As I was blinded by sunlight, I also ran out of ground to run on. I plummeted through the air, my trip ending shortly as I crashed into the ground after a couple of seconds. I winced in slight pain, my mana only managing to protect me from some of the force of the impact. I lay there on the ground, staring straight up at the open blue sky.

It felt amazing to have the sun on my skin and fresh air in my lungs. I took a quick look around, realizing that I wasn't technically free of the castle yet. I was between the outer wall of the castle and the keep, which was the structure I had just burst out of and was still collapsing inward on itself. The keep was certainly a massive and imposing structure, or at least it had been. Some of the structure seemed to be holding steady against the collapse, so not all of it was lost.

The wall that guarded the keep was still all in one piece, albeit not exactly in the best shape but it was still imposing. The area between the wall and the keep was full of overgrown grass and rotting remnants of a past long gone. Stalls, houses, and several crumbling statues dotted the area between the keep and the wall. I was situated in a brick courtyard that had a destroyed fountain in the center of it. To my very far right seemed to be the gate that led out of the castle.

A painful throb from my wrists, ankles, and back suddenly drew my attention away from my surroundings. My wrists and ankles had burns where the chains had held me, but it seemed like they weren't too bad. My back was what was really killing me, it's pain felt much more defined and stabbing than my wrists. I reached my hand under the back of my shirt and lightly felt part of the incomplete symbol that had been etched into my back, immediately pulling my fingers away as my pain spiked once I touched it. I could only hope that it was too serious of a wound, there wasn't much I could do about it right now.

I stood up and went and sat on the edge of the destroyed fountain. I then watched as the keep crumbled bit by bit, wondering what my next move should be now. My focus had only been on escaping, I hadn't really thought about what would happen after. I was in a foreign world with nothing but the clothes on my back and an ever-growing list of enemies.

Finding a way home was my main goal but what about Oliver and Amelia? I couldn't just leave them here and I had also made a promise to Amelia. On top of that, I had not the faintest clue how to use my magic to create a portal home. I was a novice, there was simply too much that I didn't know and my magic and this world.

These problems led me to an obvious solution but one that would not be easily obtainable. I needed allies, people that I could trust to help me find a way back home and teach me how to use my magical abilities. It would also be nice to have a little assistance in my mission to find and free Oliver and Amelia.

Alright then, my first goal was to get myself acquainted with this world and learn how to use my magic, which I would most likely need allies to accomplish. After that, I would find Oliver and Amelia and hopefully free them.

Unfortunately, I had no idea where Lilith had sent Amelia or how much time had passed since her departure from the castle. On the other hand, I knew that Oliver was to be sent to the southern region of whatever country I was in and be used in Project Talos, which was managed by someone called Lord Tyrath. That should definitely be ample information to find him if I could find someone to direct me. I would just have to wait and see what information I could find on Amelia's whereabouts.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair, this was a lot. Before this mess, I had barely been responsible enough to be expected to clean the house and take out the trash. Now I needed to navigate some screwed-up fantasy world and save two people I barely knew from a cut that had kidnapped us. It felt kind of overwhelming, but it wasn't like I had a choice. At least things were beginning to look up, I wasn't locked in a cage or being tortured.

"Hey kid," barked an angry voice. "What the hell are you doing here."

I whipped my head up and to my right to find a tall man standing a few yards away from me. His appearance was dirty and ragged, his jacket had several holes in it and his clothes were covered in dirt and grease spots. His hair was also greasy and mangy, running just down to his shoulders. The look on his unshaven face was one of anger and distrust, he definitely didn't like that I was here.

The thing that caught my attention the most though was what he wielded in his hands. Two identical silver hook swords with black leather for their handles were what the man brandished at me threateningly. In front of the handles was a half-crescent piece of metal that guarded his hands and could also be used at close range. The hooks at the end of the sword were quite big, they also looked to be wicked sharp. To top it all off, the hook swords had jagged points at the end of their hilts, making the weapons even more versatile.

"I don't mean any trouble, I'm just passing through," I told the man with raised hands. Why did my luck have to be so bad? It hadn't even been ten minutes since I had escaped the collapsing keep and now I had to deal with this?

The man shook his head and gave a small chuckle. He then lunged forward, swinging his right hook sword at me furiously. I stumbled backward out of the path of the hook sword just in time to dodge it, watching as it slashed through the air where I had been standing and hit the stone fountain with a clang.

"There ain't no one just passing through around these parts you liar. You're trespassing in Razor Fang territory, so you must be after our coin. Thieves that get caught are killed on sight around these parts," said the man, a wild look in his eyes.

Perfect.

Yet another psychopath that wanted to kill me.