Chapter 45

Eva Lemuria

I observe Shadow because I know even though he looks innocent with that smile he still is a complete danger to me right now. He didn't even bat an eye when he saw my arm. I can tell that there is something seriously wrong with him just from that. Saras has been screaming for me to run away for a while now and I really want to yell at her to shut up. She doesn't want me to fight and instead run away. I would never run away from this and I especially wouldn't do anything that she told me to do. I have to destroy the white nail or Shadow will continue being trapped within himself. I have never actually fought Shadow seriously because he has always only trained me. I don't even know what his fighting style is.

“Princess, is there something wrong? You seem very agitated.” Shadow

“Enough games. I will free you now.”

It looked as if he had something else to say, but I charged right at him with a fire spear. Shadow jumps to the side and my flames harmlessly pass by him. My flame armor slowly starts to cover every part of my body. I spot Shadow at the other end of the dungeon with a thin dagger in hand. He is casually tossing it around while looking at me with the same carefree smile. All of a sudden the air around us stills and then a tornado it wraps around Shadow. When the wind calms down Shadow is now covered in wind constantly rushing around him like armor.

“Princess you have truly created a wondrous technique. My wind armor has been helping me a lot lately.” Shadow

I shoot another ball of flames at Shadow, but it just disperses against his wind armor. I charge at him with my halberd and form a destruction edge. It cuts through a part of the wall when I am swinging it towards Shadow. The wall is blown away, but I cant afford to be distracted. Shadow brings up his dagger wrapped in the wind to deflect my attack as it blows apart Saras' cell. I take a quick glance and see she's still in chains, but none of the chains are still attached to anything else. Shadow charges at me aiming for my hands to probably disable me. It seems he's been ordered to capture me alive after getting the white nail.

“Don't you want to check on her? She is basically your prisoner Princess.” Shadow

“You're talking too much. I’ll listen when it’s the real Shadow!”

I form a large destruction edge and slam it straight down. The entire dungeon shakes and rumbles as it begins to collapse. Stones fall and walls collapse. Shadows expression finally changes as he looks shocked and forms a wind barrier around himself. I shift through the rubble and appear next to Shadow's barrier as I slam my halberd into it sending him flying back. I shift and appear in his trajectory and slash a destruction edge up. I connect my attack to Shadow's wind barrier blowing it apart and sending Shadow exploding up. He flies up and I shift to follow him to the surface. I realize that we are now above a garden and servants are trying to look at us, but we are too high. I know my father will be pissed because of the shadow guards possible exposure, but I cant do anything about it. I look up and see that Shadow has reformed his wind armor with what looks like wings on his back. The armor is barely visible, but it looks like he has figured out how to fly. I should try that later, but for now, I only have my flame steps.

A burst of flames comes from my feet and then explodes. I rocket towards Shadow and swing a destruction edge at him. Right before I connect to his dagger that he had brought up to defend himself with I shift and appear behind Shadow. I almost connected my attack, but Shadow pulled out another dagger and used it to push himself out of the way of my attack that exploded outwards. I quickly respond by kicking up with a flame step that he blocks with his arm, but it explodes throwing him back. I notice that his arm is slightly burned so at least my attack worked that time. I suddenly feel the wind around us stop and there's a moment of silence before the area around me completely explodes in a miniature storm. I am inside a tornado rampaging and attacking me from all sides. I slowly form a second layer of flame armor and then I begin to expand it out. My flames collide with the tornado around me, but I have trouble pushing it apart so concentrate on one spot and push through a small hole. I shift and quickly shoot out of that hole.

As soon as I exit the tornado I feel something is wrong. I feel my lighting form slowly dispersing and I am forcibly reverted back to my true form. I even feel my flame armor start to flicker away. I slowly start to fall and realize I can't even breathe anymore. I look up and see that Shadow is holding both his hands towards me. He is creating an area without air around me. I feel like my insides are being sucked out and I am trying to hold what little air I have left. I crash into the ground and try to summon some strength to get up, but without air, I feel myself suffocating. My mind is beginning to become hazy and I look up at Shadow still concentrating on keeping me in the airless void.

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All of a sudden I notice clouds start to blanket the sky and I get a sinking feeling in my gut. The sky begins to rumble with lighting as rain begins to fall. Behind Shadow, I spot Saras in her dragon form. I try to yell at her to stop so she won't hurt him, but nothing comes out. Instead, Saras whips her tail at Shadow and his danger senses warn him just in time to bring up his arms and defend himself. He is blown away and I can finally breathe. I look up and see that Saras has shown up in front of me and she has quickly shifted to her human form as she approaches me.

“Eva are you alright?” Saras

Saras reaches for me, but I smack her hands away. I don't know how she got out and I can't worry about that now. Saras attack was enough to stop Shadow for now, but I don't think he is down. He is too strong for that. I get to my feet and look at the sky to find him.

“Stay away from me! I don't know how you were freed from those chains but I will personally lock you back up later. Your storm better not harm my kingdom or I’ll kill you.”

I don't wait for her response as I instead reform my flame armor and condense it as much as I can before I shoot straight up into the sky and into the clouds. I fly around looking for Shadow until I see him shoot up from some rubble on the side of the castle. At this point, I notice more guards and even my family is rushing towards this area. Shadow flies above where I was before and looks for me. Instead, I shoot down right towards him and unshift right above him as I bring a destruction step right above his head. He crosses his daggers above his head to block my attack, but it’s not enough as one of his daggers is directly shattered and Shadow shoots towards the ground. I shoot towards the ground myself and slowly approach Shadow as he is now standing. All of a sudden dozens of swords are floating around me while pointing at me. I look over and see my brother with his arm stretched towards me is standing not far away.

“I knew it was a matter of time before you tried to destroy this kingdom. You even attack the man that trained you your whole childhood.” George

“George stop now! I know Eva has a good reason for this.” Father

Father appears as well, but he is still using a cane to walk around so I can't expect much physical support from him here. Instead of responding to either of these two I keep my eyes on Shadow as he slowly starts to float back up to the sky. He has a smirk on his face as he sees me being attacked by my own brother. I look over at Saras and feel my blood boil because of what I am about to do.

“Saras! Hit him outside of the city sky. I need him in the opening.”

Saras eyes widen at my request for her and I feel my blood boil more for having to ask her of all people for help, but she's the only other one I know that can fly here. She nods her head and transforms into her dragon form before taking off. I look towards my brother and see the cold rage in his eyes and shake my head.

“I thought I told you to get over your fear brother.”

“I am not afraid! Do not speak down to me like that! You are just a bomb that has finally exploded.” George

I can only shake my head at him before I sheath my halberd and then I quickly grab two of the sword flying around me before I shift straight up into the sky. I watch as Shadow easily avoids Saras as she keeps trying to hit him in directions away from the city. I fly above them and wait for my opening. When I see my chance I unshift and throw one of George’s swords down after coating it in lighting that propels it forward. The air around it explodes as the sword shoots down faster than I can follow with my eyes. Shadow barely dodges the first blade that shoots past him and explodes into the ground beneath him. As soon as he dodges that one I throw the other blade down and the same as the last one it explodes down. Shadow barely dodges again, but I notice he has a deep cut in his side. It’s a serious injury, but not something that can stop him as he can still cross his arms to defend against Saras’ claw. He isn't shredded to pieces but is still blown away towards the open area outside of the city.

I quickly Shift and follow him outside of the city. I appear above him as I look down on him. Shadow is standing in a crater with his clothes torn apart and I can finally see that damn nail in his chest. Shadow quickly forms his wind armor again and looks up at me, but I shift and shoot back up into the clouds. When I am in the clouds I unshift and use a flame step to keep myself in the air and I hold up my arm. I begin to form a fireball while constantly pouring my mana into it. Soon it grows to a humongous size and it begins to push the clouds away. I see Shadow flying towards me, but stops as his eyes go wide. I am sure from his point of view it looks like the sun is eclipsed by a giant ball of black flames. Hopefully, this attack will force him to use up all his mana and I can finally free him from the nail. I throw my hand down and the fire ball follows the motion and shoots at speeds you wouldn't expect for something its size. Shadow quickly pushes his hands forward and creates a wall of rampaging wind, but it’s not enough to stop my attack or even slow it down. He quickly reinforces his wind armor and then crosses his arm and a ball of wind forms around him. My fireball collides with his shield and begins to rip it up but the wind becomes more violent and is slowly being pushed down. My fireball is almost completely dispersed when I shift and shoot down. I fly right through my fireball and see there is only a flimsy shield of wind protecting Shadow now and I shoot right through it. I appear right in front of Shadow and focus half my remaining mana into my fist. I punch Shadow in the stomach and his armor completely shatters. He coughs up a little blood before he shoots at the ground. I disperse the rest of the fireball before I land on the ground beside Shadow. He is battered and bruised with cuts all over him and I am probably in the same condition as him. I take a step back and raise my halberd up.

“See you when you wake up.”

I bring down my halberd on the white nail and there is an explosion of white energy again. This time I am too weak to stand my ground against the blast and I am thrown back. I lay on my back and see that the sky is starting to clear up and that annoying dragon is flying towards us. I still shiver a little when I see Saras in her dragon form, but when she's in her human form I just want to punch her in the face. I see her land beside me and shift to her human form and I begin to lose my conscious. She's trying to say something, but I just pass out after hitting her hand away that was trying to touch me.