Shroud Arcanum

Chapter 15: - Challenge(3)

Zalya showcased a masterclass in tactical defense. Maintaining a deliberate distance from the crystalline archer, she managed to position herself ideally to deal with its projectiles. With every arrow that the archer loosed, Zalya's whip would lash out like a serpent, intercepting it mid-flight.

But she didn't just deflect; she redirected. Each arrow was sent spiraling into the ranks of the crystalline soldiers, blocking their advance and causing havoc among them.

The archer soon realized the futility of its attempts, momentarily ceasing fire. Seizing this opportunity, Zalya's whip danced through the air, not just a tool of defense but an elegant weapon. It struck strategic points on the advancing foes, causing them to stumble and fall back, incapacitating them temporarily. Buying precious time for her group.

As she skillfully moved to avoid the crystalline soldier, Each step she took was deliberate, each lash of her whip calculated. Yet, she was not a warrior forged from countless battles but a tactician. The sheer number of the enemy is beyond her limit.

As she moved in between, she got cornered. In a split second, her situation grew dire. She found herself backed into a corner, sandwiched between converging threats.

An arrow, meticulously aimed, sped towards her from the front while a soldier lunged from behind, its sharp crystalline blade gleaming ominously. Zalya's mind raced; there wasn't time to fully evade both threats.

Gritting her teeth, she rapidly maneuvered her whip to deflect the soldier's blade from behind, using it to buffer the impact, sending the soldier off balance. Simultaneously, she twisted her body slightly, trying to avoid a fatal blow from the arrow.

After defeating the rogue, Liam and Irys turned their attention to the archer, their senses heightened by the imminent danger Zalya faced. Irys, with a swift motion, hurled her war hammer towards the incoming arrow, hoping to intercept it mid-flight.

But the arrow is faster. It pierces through the air a fraction of a second faster, embedding itself into Zalya's shoulder. A torrent of crimson spurted out, and Zalya's face contorted in pain. Despite her injury, she began to retreat, her movements still controlled and deliberate.

Irys eyes flashed with anger, her catlike iris starting to turn red, and the tattoo on her hand glowed ominously. The broadsword, still embedded in the ground from earlier, resonated with the pattern, its own glow mirroring that of the tattoo. Then, as if obeying an unseen command, the sword moved of its own accord, wrenching itself free from the ground and returning to her hand.

Engulfed in the thick of battle, Aric had his hands full with both the spearman and the knight., not knowing what happened with his friend. He skillfully uses his staff to parry the spearman-piercing thrust while dodging the knight's blade. Every step, every swing, and every dodge Aric took was a calculated maneuver designed to bait them into a trap.

As the spearman and the knight positioned on his left and right side, He feigned exhaustion, letting his guard down just a moment. They took the bait. With their weapons going for the strike, Aric prepared, he jumped backward.

The spearman, quicker in reflex, attempted to redirect his thrust towards Aric's. The knight, on the other hand, raises its shield for defense. The result was a resonating clang as the spearman's weapon collided with the knight's shield, causing both to momentarily lose focus.

Capitalizing on the ensuing confusion, Aric thrust his staff into the spearman's back, causing visible cracks to form on its crystalline structure. He then kicks the spearman into the knight's shield. As they crashed together, something unexpected happened. The knight and the spearman began to fuse as they absorbed the incapacitated soldier around them.

Aric eyes widened in surprise as he exclaim. "Shit!"

On the other side of the battlefield, Irys was a whirlwind of destruction. Her face contorted with fury as she charged through the crystalline soldiers toward the archer. Holding her broadsword with both hands, she slashed down three crystalline soldiers in a single sweeping motion, cleaving them in two.

Meanwhile, Liam stayed close to Zalya. He used his talonstrike to deflect multiple arrows shot at her by the crystalline archer. His eyes never left the battlefield, constantly assessing the situation.

Irys onslaught continued, each step bringing her closer to the archer. As she neared her Warhammer, stuck in the ground from her previous strike, she lifted it effortlessly, now dual-wielding it with the greatsword. Her combat style became even more ferocious.

With the greatsword, she'd make sweeping, powerful cuts, cleaving through the crystalline soldiers like they were paper. The Warhammer, on the other hand, provided crushing force, smashing and shattering enemies with every swing.

Her Warhammer crashed down on one soldier, reducing it to fragments, while her greatsword sliced through another, splitting it down the middle. Together, the weapons danced in her hands, their movements perfectly coordinated as if they were extensions of her body.

As Irys closed in on the crystalline archer, she lowered her stance, muscles coiled like a predatory cat ready to strike. With lightning speed, she lunged, thrusting her broadsword directly toward the archer. The tip pierced through the crystalline body, and for a split second, there was a moment of eerie stillness. But Irys was far from done.

Gripping the Warhammer with both of her hands, she swung it with explosive force onto the hilt of the already embedded greatsword. The sheer power of the impact sent shockwaves, propelling the broadsword completely through the archer's crystalline body.

The force was so tremendous that not only was the archer obliterated into shards of shimmering crystal, but the sword continued its devastating path, cutting down several more crystalline soldiers before embedding itself deep into a wall with a resonating clang.

Liam, witnessing this display, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods she's on our side," he murmured to himself. The sheer raw power Irys showcased made him vow never to cross her.

His contemplation was interrupted by Trick's voice dripping with sarcasm in his mind, "Oh look, Liam, your friend has brought you a lovely present."

Liam's gaze snapped to the other side, seeing Aric running towards them. His eyes widened in disbelief at what he saw. "Aric!" Liam shouted, his voice tinged with a mix of incredulity and alarm, "What in hell, have you dragged along with you?!"

Behind Aric loomed a monstrous creation. It was a towering giant, twice the size of the crystalline knight, its form fused from the knight and the spearman in an unnatural amalgamation.

The grotesque fusion had four thick, muscular arms, each limb a deadly weapon in itself. The two upper arms wielded enormous long swords, each blade gleaming menacingly.

In its two lower arms, it held a massive, reinforced shield and a spear, whose tip gleamed with an ominous glow, promising a lethal strike. The shield bore the same style, its surface scarred from previous battles, yet it appeared as strong as ever.

The giant's twin heads were a horrifying sight to behold. They moved independently, each scanning in different directions, giving it an almost panoramic view of its surroundings. They blinked asynchronously, adding to its intimidating demeanor.

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