“This isn’t going anywhere...” Whispered with a tired voice, Emma stood with the help of her finely crafted staff made by enchanted mahogany with an opal gem the size of a fist. With Olwen, Lowen, and Julian as the foundation of their defence, the attacking force centred on the remaining Maeists while the warriors harassed and keep the Grimkeeper at bay. Frankly speaking, the team was approaching the end. Even Lucson looked quite exhausted. “But we must go on...” Biting her lips in frustration, Emma caught a brief breather as the barrier kept the miasma away and held on despite the evident fatigue the effort imposed on the defending members.
The battle reignited with the entrance of Merridian and Lucson. Buying enough time for the rest of the members to recover, Merridian strained herself considerably and had to take a rest as the members joined the battle. With their formation, the team managed to put up a good fight against the Grimkeeper. Lucson and Emma had thrown in every fibre of their Natura and even resorted to open several limiting points. Due to their effort, they inflicted considerable damage to the Grimkeeper. Julian and the twin shield knights also managed to keep the team intact and uninjured. However, the Grimkeeper recovered at an astonishing rate as the damage it took faded away in time and its Natura reservoir was limitless.
Having dragged into a battle of attrition, the situation turned sour as the team had already spent after the previous battle. They could not hold on for long. Deliberating the limited options left to the team, Emma did not know what to do. She was only a plain Maeist girl in a village and was scouted by the Principle for her ignis and ventus affinity and trained among the Seeders. Then, she met Merridian and everything took a strange turn with dangerous missions where she brushed across death several times. The way Merridian took them did not help to ease the situation. In fact, the team almost fall apart when Quingon joined the team. Although he has been dragged into it forcefully, the presence of Quingon rebuilt the team as the warrior had a keen smell for danger and his terrifying prowess as a warrior became the foundation of Merridian’s successful stratagem. From there, the team started to accomplish notable feats and finally been invited by the Principle to join the Godwind Division as an official squadron.
In the environment where she could not learn how to lead from an aloof genius and a simple-minded warrior, Emma could only stay in her role as an elemental Maeist and assist Cassia in this battle. Gathering her thought, Emma caught a good moment and unleashed a fireball toward the Grimkeeper. “...Great timing, Emma.” Cassia flashed Emma a faint compliment before concentrating her attention back to the Grimkeeper. Watching behind, Emma tightened her grip and resolved herself. Cassia had obviously reached her limit as the female knight had held the team together with her cheerful and positive yet cautious demeanour. Like a cunning feline, Cassia led the team to watch for the moment and strike when it came. However, the team had reached its limit. The Grimkeeper clearly noticed their fatigue as the demon did not unleash its full potential but instead chose to nimble their strength as if it was playing with a kitten.
With dozens of corrupted spears, the Grimkeeper pounded playfully but persistently on the barrier. Emma quickly rushed to Julian’s assistance as the white-robed Maeist shook with intense effort to hold the barrier. They had spent the Natura reservoir stocked inside the shields wielded by Lowen and Olwen and it took all of their focus just to fend off the attack. By the time the attack had passed, both Maeists could no longer maintain the barrier as it dispelled to thin air. Lucson quickly deployed his barrier but the barrier was not enough to withstand a full-house onslaught with his current Natura and fatigue. Catching her breath, Emma could barely stand as she probed her staff on the ground to support her weight.
“Emma! Are you alright?!” Emma felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at the owner with an apologetic smile. “...I’m fine, Cassia, but I don’t think Julian and I can go any further...” Gesturing at the white-robed Maeist at her side, Emma exhaled with frustration at her inadequateness. “...We do what we must...And we have a backup.” Emma looked questioningly at Cassia but found her answer as she caught the approaching Merridian and Lucious. “Good job holding on for so long.” With a playful smile, Merridian petted Cassia’s head which incurred a disdained look from the younger knight. Ignoring Cassia’s discomfort, Merridian continued. “...Cassian’s fine, but he cannot continue this mission any further. Floki’ll keep him safe...” Emma closed her eyes in relief at the news, but there was more. “...We’ll use Lucious. I know you lots already had your suspicion. Keep it in your heart and assist the boy.”
“...What?! Are you...” Emma found her words stuck in her throat as if the tension which has been building up since her meeting with Merridian had finally erupted. With an infuriated expression, Emma glared at Merridian with open misgiving, but Merridian did not care. “I know how uncertain it is. I know your concern. But there is no other way.” Looking at the firm and calm Merridian, Emma knew better than to argue with the swordswoman. Plus, there was really no other choice. Shifting her gaze to Lucious, Emma softened her expression but keep a firm look while she questioned the boy. “Are you sure, Lucious?” Catching and holding her gaze with a determined look, Lucious nodded affirmatively at Emma.
“...Quick! I can’t handle another wave of those spears!!” Nodded to the tired Lucson, Emma pushed Lucious to the front. The formation changed with the Maeists including Lucious moving to the front while Lowen and Olwen separated to both flanks. Merridian, Cassia, and Pop stood behind the twin. It was such perplexing formation that even the Grimkeeper stopped and regarded the change cautiously. The demon laughed with amusement when it noticed Lucious at the front of the formation. “...So, it has come down to this. You and me. Let’s see how you wield my gift.” Even as the Grimkeeper sounded with its obvious superiority, it lowered its body and started to gather its power.
Feeling a prick on her skin at the Grimkeeper’s immense power, Emma tightened her grip on her staff as she and other Maeists put their hands on Lucious’s shoulders and back. “Do you have a plan, Lucious?” “...In fact, yes. Although I’m not sure about it...” Listening to Lucious’s plan, Emma became increasingly aghast as her eyes widened by the sheer lunacy of his plan. “...Are you sure you can do that...?” “No, but it happened once...” Emma looked to others and found Julian and Lucson raised their eyebrows in uncertainty, but there was a twinge of curiosity in their eyes. Emma understood the mutual feeling as it was an incorrigible trait of every Maeist to test their unproven and unpolished theories in an actual battle which sometimes cost their lives.
“...Fine. We’re going nowhere if this continues...” Emma sighed with a helpless smile and squeezed Lucious’s shoulder. “Show us your best shot.” Lucious nodded briefly as he concentrated on the Grimkeeper while readying for the attack. Emma felt a sudden sense of foreboding as her body shivered with fear. She looked to the Grimkeeper and found her stomach sank as the demon concentrated his ominous essence and Natura into a compressed sphere. Looking at the demonic sphere quivered with unimaginable power, Emma tightened her grip on Lucious’s shoulder. Lucious nodded slowly in understanding and braced for the final showdown.
A ferocious roar boomed across the area as the Grimkeeper wielded his demonic sphere and blew it toward the team. Finally released from its chain, the demonic sphere sped toward Lucious as it ignited and emerged into a gigantic serpent of cursed flame and miasma. Lucious quickly chanted for his barrier and covered the whole team with his protection. Diving into Lucious’s inner sanctuary, Emma descended and instantly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Natura Lucious welcomed into his realm. Suppressing her worry for Lucious, Emma swam to the centre where Natura converged and weaved into a protective presence. Tucking Lucious’s will with a soft knock, Emma joined her will with the boy’s and sensed Lucious’s quirk in channelling Natura as others had arrived and communed with Lucious.
Emma was surprised by the nature of Lucious’s barrier at the instant she joined Lucious. It was a stark contrast compared to the others. Julian and Lucson’s barrier was always filled with a serene feeling with the certainty to protect. It was similar to other Maeists she encountered, more or less. But Lucious was different. An eerie emptiness enveloped Emma as if she was standing on a desolated plain. Emma sensed confusion in Julian and Lucson but they kept it to themselves and felt for Lucious’s barrier. Continuing her journey, Emma went across the desolated feeling and reached Lucious’s barrier. The barrier was seemingly conventional with Lucious trying to enact several layers of protection. “Good boy...” The younger trainer definitely had talent; he learned from Julian and Lucson and prepared the barrier with multiple layers which intersected with each other as the flow between layers was connected. The barrier was sturdy. Emma joined with others as she extended her will and weaved her control over Lucious’s barrier. With the help of other Maeists, this barrier was the strongest protection Emma ever encountered.
The time to test the mantle of the combination arrived abruptly. The gigantic inferno reached and crashed against the barrier. Emma felt immense pressure as the barrier groaned with its desperate effort to maintain its structure. Although it was shaky, the barrier was holding up against the inferno. Emma sensed the presence of Julian and Lucson as they concentrated their will to help Lucious maintain the barrier. Everything seemed to go well when an ominous feeling struck Emma.
Deep within Lucious’s essence, a darkening presence rose in euphoric joy as if it had finally obtained something it had yearned for. Emma also felt the demonic flare began to seep inside Lucious’s barrier. The barrier was still keeping the deadly inferno at bay but its demonic essence coursed through the layers as it made its way toward Lucious. Emma was not sure what happened, but somehow something inside Lucious called for the demonic essence. Emma tucked on Lucious’s will and found the boy locked in a struggle of will with the darkening presence. Descended into the fight, Emma was stunned by the overwhelming heat and pressure even though she was inside Lucious’s sanctuary as a gigantic serpent of fire stared at the lady Maeist with wicked ferocity and hissed in joy. “What is this thing...?”
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