Chapter 113: Requesting Backup

Now would be a good time to leave...

I cloaked myself and started retreating from the two of them...

Just then, Axiom raised his sword and it became a scepter.

My invisibility was nullified and I gritted my teeth in anger.

I glanced over to Kyriel and she seemed to be reaching out to me...almost in desperation.

And yet...

Soon it seemed like I'd belong to her anyway...

I absolutely could not let that happen.

Tyras flashed over to me and I struggled to keep up with the incredible speed and ferocity of his attacks.

Every impact from his sword was followed up by several more impacts to my body from the phase blades. His speed was absolutely insane.

I couldn't keep up with him anymore even with The Warlord.

What the hell did the Source just do to Ignitus!?

At the same time, Axiom was firing explosive spells at me that seemed to cause the areas hit to decay.

I had to make damn sure not to be in any of those areas while also fighting Tyras. It wasn't easy, but I managed to conjure several spells to attack. I manifested fire, lightning, and light javelins to purge the Black Ooze in them.

I needed to leave badly. I decided to try and run away, but when I did, I was enveloped in darkness and found myself back at the start...right in the field of battle.

I could feel Valtheim's horrifying gaze on me every time it happened too... She was keeping me here somehow...

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!?!? WHAT KIND OF MONSTER CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT!?!?

As I dodged their attacks, I contacted Isabella.

"Isabella! Where are you!? Things are getting REALLY bad over here!"

"I'm on an airship right now heading towards Nexus. Are you okay!?"

"No! I'm losing badly to two of these Generals at the same time! What's worse is that the Source'a bodyguard is also fighting! She's some kind of monster capable of destroying the landscape without a trace. She eats all of my attacks like nothing's happening! I need backup, NOW!"

"Hold on, Mizik! I...I can't say how much longer I'll be! We've only just left a few minutes ago. Ah...no no no... Please get away from there!!! Mizik!"

"Every time I try to run, Valtheim drags me back!"

"Val...theim? Who...or what is that!?"

"The monster woman I told you about. The Source's bodyguard. She has a name and seems to be in charge. But the Source isn't here right now. He did something to our world and it made everyone stronger!"

"I...I don't know what to say... We're moving as quickly as we can! Please just hold on a bit longer!"

"I'll try...just hurry!"

I decided I'd had enough of Axiom and avoided Tyras to try and take him down.

Luckily, Wrath was still active, so I had a boost to my abilities.

Once I reached Axiom, I aimed my shotguns at him in almost point-blank range.

"EXTERMINATUS!!!" I shouted and let loose with a hail of explosive gunfire and chain-sword combo attacks.

When the attack finished, Axiom leaped away and covered his face which had been exposed. Unfortunately, I didn't see it before a new mask was formed.

At the same time, he needed a moment to regenerate the arm I had blown off. Before I could continue the attack, Tyras reached me again and nearly cut my legs off with a low slice from his sword, Hopelessness.

We exchanged blows as I kept casting magic at both him and Axiom, but I was starting to run into another issue...

I hadn't experienced this problem much before, but the rapid deployment of high-powered and complex spells I'd been repeatedly casting were draining my mp significantly.

Pulling from the chasm of magic was possible, but it caused me to exert my body... Like the time I blew up Port Davis.

I could already feel myself slowing down from the continuous casting.

Damn it all...!

"Starting to slow down already? You're not much of a challenge now, you know?" Tyras said mockingly.

"Right, isn't he supposed to be a threat to Master? This guy is a joke!!!" Axiom said.

After they spoke, my foot slipped on the destroyed ground and I was stabbed in the shoulder before instant reaction could activate.

Pain shot through my arm as several phase blades cut into me...and eventually severed it.

Tyras took the opportunity and sliced one of my legs off too, then kicked me to the ground.

This...isn't good... Damn you to hell...

"Look at you, mighty Chosen Hero! Laid so low by our attacks... How hilarious!" Tyras said.

I contacted Isabella.

"Isabella...I think this is it... They have me crippled and my magic is running out..."

"No...MIZIK! PLEASE HOLD ON! WE'RE ON OUR WAY, I PROMISE! PLEASE DON'T DIE ON ME!!!"

"Be Brave, Isabella. I don't think they'll kill me... They seem intent on letting me live. I'll do my best to let you know where they take me, then you can pick me up!"

"I WANT TO PREVENT THAT! DAMN THIS BLACK OOZE AND DAMN ITS STUPID GENERALS ALL STRAIGHT TO HELL!!!"

"I love you, Isabella...never forget that."

I severed contact with her before she could protest... I couldn't listen to her right now...it was too painful...

Just then, Tyras looked into the darkened sky.

I took the opportunity to use telekinesis on my arm and leg. I pulled them back to me and used Ultimate Healing to mend them back on...

It felt a bit weird, but they still worked well enough. I would have to have Isabella look at them, later.

I grabbed Vengeance and leaped way from Tyras.

Just then...

A bright orange light flashed in the sky.

I looked up and saw a mighty pair of dragon wings flare out and several streams of exploding flames shot from the sky.

The impacts damn near destroyed everything around us as a flaming dragon launched itself towards the ground and destroyed everything in the area.

I was almost blown away by the attack, but...

Once it finished, a man was standing there.

His hair was red and there was a pair of horns on his head with a crystal levitating between them. Although, one of his horns was broken.

He had huge glowing dragon wings on his back with an immaculate maroon robe lined with gold.

He carried a wooden staff veined with what appeared to be lava...and at it's tip, was a sharp crystal.

I immediately ran over to him and he turned to me.

"Ah, there you are. Sorry I'm late! My name is Johann," he said with a smile.

"Thank Iris you're here...WE NEED TO LEAVE!" I shouted.

"Sure, but hold on...something smells really bad here..." He said.

Up close, I could see that his eyes were golden.

A moment later, both Tyras and Axiom showed up again. This time, Kyriel was here as well.

"Kyriel, kill that winged asshole right now," Axiom said.

She punched Axiom in the back of the head and he placed his hands there in pain.

"FINE, I WON'T ORDER YOU AROUND! JUST DO YOUR DAMN JOB!!!" Axiom shouted angrily.

She held her dagger to his throat and pointed at me.

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS!?!? HE'S THE ENEMY, YOU DUMBASS!!! THAT PIECE OF SHIT WILL RUIN EVERYHIG IF-" Axiom shouted.

Then Kyriel did something surprising...

She stabbed Axiom in the throat.

He fell to the ground choking on his own blood and Kyriel stepped forward.

Unfortunately, Axiom regenerated moments later...

"Stupid...bitch... Damn you..." Axiom muttered.

"Looks like they don't really get along too well..." Johann said.

He readied his staff and adopted a combat stance as Kyriel approached him with her dagger out.

She kept stealing glances at me and then disappeared.

She appeared behind Johann and he swung his staff to greet her, she was hit in the chest and sent flying through a building at high speed.

A moment later, several more...Kyriels...appeared and attacked Johann.

"This might get little warm..." Johann said as fire exploded all around him and destroyed the clones.

Strangely enough, I couldn't feel any heat from his attacks.

What is this guy? Is he really a dragon!?

Tyras and Axiom also went on the offensive.

Tyras came to attack me and Axiom fired several blasts of his decaying magic at us, but Johann swung his staff and nullified it with his flames.

I blocked and parried some of Tyras' attacks but ultimately, I was nearly worthless at the moment.

Instead, Johann stepped in and swung his staff like a halberd at Tyras. Causing him to back away.

I dropped to my knee and tried to catch my breath.

Being out of magic was truly detrimental to everything I did as The Warmage...

Johann seemed to be handling himself just fine, however.

This guy was apparently a good friend to Iris. Even if he was supposedly a dragon god, I would trust him...mainly because I damn well couldn't do anything else at the moment...

Johann slammed his staff into the ground and lava began erupting all around the area.

Fire exploded all around us and turned this part of the city into a molten wasteland.

And I still couldn't feel any heat.

Wherever Johann went, a trail of fire followed. He would flap his mighty wings and set everything in front of him ablaze.

He continued fighting all three of the generals as if it were nothing.

Eventually, Valthiem appeared again in mid-air and Johann looked over to her.

"Oh...what the hell is that thing!? It smells horrible!"

"VALTHEIM! WE NEED HELP HERE!" Axiom shouted.

"Divine entity detected...eliminating..." Valtheim said.

"Yeah...no way in hell am I fighting something like that!" Johann said.

He ran over and grabbed me, then leaped into the sky with his wings out.

At the same time, I could see eyes opening everywhere in the night sky.

I felt nothing but horror as the eyes opened a second time to reveal rows of teeth within them... They fired black lasers out of their mouths and Johann weaved around them as he flew away.

I turned my head and saw Valtheim was flying after us. Several streams of black energy radiated off of her as she flew.

"There is...no escape...!" She said.

I could hear her voice on the back of my neck.

"Johann...what is that thing?" I asked him.

"We'll talk later, man! For now, just be quiet and enjoy the ride!" Johann said.

I looked down and I could see Tyras, Axiom, and Kyriel all running after us.

Kyriel was in front and managing to keep up much better than the other two, of course.

She was really trying hard to catch up while constantly reaching out to me.

Why are you so interested in me!?

Johann periodically shot exploding fire streams at Valtheim. He noticed that when she absorbed something, she had to stop and kept firing at her.

Her form seemed to flicker as if it weren't really there.

Valtheim didn't seem foolish, however...

She started dodging his attacks and coming after us, rapidly.

As we flew, Iris appeared in front of us, already in her divine form. Her face twisted in horror as she saw Valtheim.

"What...? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT ABOMINATION!?" Iris screamed in terror.

"LESS TALK, MORE FLYING! IRIS, WE GOTTA MOVE!!!" Johann shouted.

Iris moved along with us and reached her hand out towards Valtheim.

Her divine scales reacted, but...

They didn't move.

"Huh...? This thing's alignment is...perfectly balanced...?" Iris said fearfully.

Johann immediately folded his staff into three segments and placed it on his back. Then he grabbed Iris' arm and pulled her close.

He launched a barrage of fireballs at Valtheim.

They surrounded her and she stopped for a moment as she absorbed the flames. She emerged completely unscathed.

"MIZIK! DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME THAT YOU TRIED TO FIGHT THAT THING!" Iris screamed.

"I...I didn't try to fight her! I fought the others on the ground! The ones still following us!"

Iris looked down and fired several blasts of magic at them as well. Unfortunately, they all dodged very easily.

"Alright! I'm getting us out of here! Get ready!" Iris shouted.

There was a flash of light and we were transported to the airship Isabella and the other Enforcers were on.

"He's here now. Retreat immediately. General Leiso, out," Leiso said into a communicator.

It seemed like she was contacting the ship I had arrived in.

"MIZIK!!!" Isabella ran over to and took me from Johann.

She held me tightly and healed my wounds.

Then I felt my arm and leg go back to normal. That was much better. She also began rapidly transferring magic power to me.

Within minutes, I could stand on my own again.

I looked around and every one was staring at me.

"Sorry...I'm okay, now. I have some intel about the enemy and...it isn't good at all..." I said.

"Let's just start at the beginning," Iris said.