Chapter: 11

Chapter 11

With Horraine

Thierry rushed at Horraine in a burst of speed, swinging Joyeuse with deadly precision. Horraine dodged the slash and retaliated with a strike of his own. Thierry blocked the attack and countered with a powerful kick to Horraine's stomach, sending him flying backward. Regaining his balance in mid-air, Horraine landed gracefully and immediately launched himself at Thierry again. Appearing at Thierry's left side, Horraine swung his rapier towards Thierry's head. Thierry ducked just in time, the rapier slicing through the air above him. He twisted his body, bringing Joyeuse up in a sweeping arc aimed at Horraine's midsection.

Horraine parried the strike with his rapier, the two blades clashing with a resounding ring. Sparks flew as they exchanged rapid blows, each trying to find an opening in the other's defense. Horraine then disappeared and reappeared behind Thierry. Thierry spun around and slashed at him but missed. Horraine then slashed at Thierry's side with his rapier, making him scream in pain. Blood spurted from the wound and stained the ground red. Thierry stumbled backward and clutched the wound with one hand.

"Damn you! You bastard!" he yelled as he charged at Horraine.

Horraine disappeared again and reappeared in front of Thierry. Thierry swung his sword at Horraine, but he blocked the attack with his rapier. Horraine then slashed at Thierry's leg, causing him to fall to the ground. The man screamed in pain and looked up at Horraine with hatred in his eyes.

"I'm going to kill you!"

"Then you're going to have to try better than that."

"Oh, I will," the rogue priest said.

Thierry tightened his grip on Joyeuse, and a burst of golden energy was released from the sword. Horraine realized Thierry was about to attack and swung downwards, but he was too slow. With a shout of "Joyeuse Rain," the priest released a wave of golden needles made of energy at Horraine, knocking him back.

"That's more like it," Thierry said with a smirk.

He then disappeared and reappeared behind Horraine, slashing at him. Horraine blocked the attack with his rapier. The priest then slashed at Horraine's leg, leaving a minor scratch before jumping back.

"Alright, then it's time to get serious," Horraine said.

Horraine raised his sword, which started to glow bright gold akin to the sun. The air around him began to heat up. Thierry noticed this and unleashed another Joyeuse Rain at Horraine, but all the needles dissipated as Horraine vanished and reappeared before Thierry, thrusting forward.

"Astroremkinesis: Celestial Sword Art: Solar Thrust!"

"Joyeuse Barrier!"

The attack slammed into the barrier, and the two techniques clashed. The air and ground started to heat up, causing the ground behind Thierry to melt into magma and the air to scorch, burning the priest.

"How is this possible?!" Thierry exclaimed as he struggled against the attack.

Horraine didn't answer and continued to push against the barrier. Thierry gritted his teeth and pushed back with all his strength, unleashing a Joyeuse Rain from the barrier. Horraine jumped back and then changed his stance, raising his sword vertically.

"You should consider yourself lucky. You're the first to see this technique. Look at it well before you die."

"Go to hell! Joyeuse Rain: Infinite Shower!"

As the attack was released, a large wave of golden energy needles was sent at Horraine. Horraine stood in the same spot as the aura of his blade became that of a black hole, pulling all of the needles toward it. The needles were broken down into energy and absorbed into the black hole-coated blade.

"Such a shame you will never wield the full potential of that blade," Horraine remarked.

"What?" Thierry asked in shock and horror.

"Astroremkinesis: Celestial Sword Art: Spatial Rend!"

Horraine swung downward and cleaved the air before him in two, splitting it. As Horraine sheathed his rapier back into the portal, everything before him—ceiling, floor, time, space, and Thierry—was cut in two vertically. As the two halves fell to the ground, the portal closed, and Horraine walked up to Thierry's corpse, picking up Joyeuse and sheathing it into a portal.

"Now then, let's check up on the others."

With Kevaughn

Kevaughn dodged the punch thrown at him and countered with a punch of his own, which landed squarely on his hooded opponent's jaw, knocking the hood off. As the hood fell, it revealed a woman with blonde hair and gold eyes.

"Damn you!" She yelled as she charged at him again.

"Hakai-Ergokinesis: Destructive Energy Manipulation - Destructive Wave!"

A surge of destructive energy erupted from Kevaughn's palm, striking the woman and sending her flying backward. The attack destroyed the rest of her hood, revealing a black bodysuit underneath. She rolled on the ground and swiftly regained her footing, her expression now one of fury.

"You bastard!"

She launched herself back at him. Kevaughn braced himself, anticipating her attack. She moved with impressive speed, aiming a series of rapid punches and kicks at him. Kevaughn blocked and dodged as best he could, the blows landing with force but not breaking his defenses. He countered with precise strikes of his own, aiming to wear down her defenses. Then, he channeled destructive energy into his palm and slammed it into the woman's chest, sending her flying back. She crashed into a nearby pillar, causing it to crack under the impact. With a grunt, she pushed herself off the rubble and glared at Kevaughn with renewed determination.

"You'll pay for that," she growled, launching herself at him once again, her fists crackling with energy.

Kevaughn met her head-on, their blows echoing through the chamber. She then kicked Kevaughn in the side, knocking him back and creating some distance between them.

"Inferna-Cryokinesis: Demonic Ice Manipulation - Demonic Blizzard!"

A storm of sharp ice shards came toward Kevaughn. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in determination.

"Atmokinesis: Weather Manipulation - Hurricane Barrier!"

A vortex of wind formed around Kevaughn, the ice shards impacting the barrier and shattering upon contact. Kevaughn smirked at the woman's frustrated expression.

"Damn you! How dare you mock me!" She yelled and charged at him again.

"Hakai-Egro-Atmokinesis: Destructive Weather Manipulation - Gale of Destruction!"

A strong gust of wind slammed into the demon, sending her flying backward. Kevaughn then rushed toward her, attacking with his fists. The demon blocked his attacks and countered with a kick, which Kevaughn dodged. He then punched her in the face, causing her to stagger backward. The demon glared at him and charged at him again.

"Inferna-Cryokinesis: Demonic Ice Manipulation - Demonic Frost!"

The demon unleashed a blast of frost from her palms, freezing the area around Kevaughn. He smirked at her attempts and unleashed a blast of destructive energy from his body, melting the ice and freeing himself. The demon growled in anger and charged at him again.

"Inferna-Cryokinesis: Demonic Ice Manipulation - Demonic Ice Blades!"

The demon summoned sharp blades of ice, launching them at Kevaughn with deadly accuracy. Kevaughn unleashed a burst of destructive energy from his body, destroying the ice blades.

"You bastard!" she yelled in rage.

A dark aura burst from her body as she started to transform, a set of horns growing from her head. But before the transformation could complete, she was hit by a blast of destructive energy, crashing into a wall and causing an explosion that knocked her unconscious.

"Did she really expect me to let her transform?" Kevaughn asked aloud to no one.

Chapter 11: End