What is happening!?
What is happening!?
What is happening!?
My mind went into overdrive.
Aria was emitting a soft red glow.
Why is Aria glowing!? What is that bloody idiot doing!?
Before I could process these questions, two tentacles of water surged forth from beside me, moving with a speed and force that took me by surprise. One of them struck Ignatius squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling away from Aria, while the other cradled her protectively. In that moment, I felt a surge of gratitude towards the mysterious force that had intervened to shield her.
"Aria! Are you okay?"
Leaping over the balcony, I dashed with urgency towards Aria. The water enveloping her sizzled and evaporated, gradually cooling her down from whatever intense energy which caused her to glow. A hot mist coalesced around us, veiling the surroundings in a hazy opacity. However, pinpointing Ignatius's location was still an easy feat.
"What are you doing! Aria said she was going to help me succeed! Give! Her! Ba-"
Another water tentacle emerged from behind me, slamming into him with such force that he was sent crashing into the wall, abruptly cutting off Ignatius' enraged tirade.
"Aria, please be alright."
Droplets of water dripped down onto her body. Tears perhaps. The crimson glow gradually faded as the surrounding mist cooled down.
"Aria, please answer me."
But before I could hear her response, a deafening explosion rocked the stairwell behind me, launching a shower of bricks hurtling towards me with terrifying force. Instinctively, I braced myself for impact and a cushion of water materialized around me, forming a protective barrier just in time to absorb the deadly projectiles.
Fear, confusion, anger–they all warred for dominance within me as I grappled with the enormity of what was happening. And yet, amidst the chaos, one thing became abundantly clear: Aria was in danger, and I would do whatever it took to protect her.
Through undulating ripples of the water cocoon enveloping me and the thickening fog, I caught sight of my target.
His body was drenched in water, his hair soaking wet. Stains of blood tainted his dampened attire, while loose bandages hung askew from his body revealing the bruises and cuts underneath.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
His eyes glowed a vivid, unsettling red, sparking a visceral reaction within me. My teeth clenched together tightly as steam billowed from my mouth in a display of simmering rage.
"Aria is mine, you sick fuc-"
----------------------------------------
A dense cloud of mist expanded outwards, emanating from the girl's body and swiftly enveloping the room. With its arrival, the temperature plummeted sharply, rendering the previous warmth a distant memory. The mist gathered thickest around the girl, shrouding her physical form in a dense veil, save for her eyes, which glimmered fiery red amidst the fog. The swaying movements of the water tentacles disturbed the mist cloud, occasionally parting to reveal a large mass of water enveloping Marine's entire body.
Bang! Boom!
"It seems Marine underestimated the disparity between purebloods and mixed-bloods. She should have approached this situation with far more caution than her previous murders."
The stairwell glowed red and rapidly transitioned into a yellow flash of light.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the east stairwell erupted into a burst of flying debris, rocketing towards Marine. Her protective bubble of water surged in size, swiftly engulfing each projectile that dared to come into contact with its watery mass.
"Even though I already warned her." Aldric spoke as a chunk of rock shattered upon striking his face. He turned and faced the tiny girl lying unconscious in a bubble of water.
“Ignatius performed slightly better than expected, being able to handle so much of the Great spirit’s strength.”
Although he was slightly interested due to Marine's circumstances, his attention soon waned as he gazed skyward. It was a boring fight. Ignatius and Marine were simply too inexperienced to execute anything beyond basic offensive and defensive maneuvers. A monotonous dance of explosions and water tentacles whipping across the room, lacking in variation or excitement. There was little point in observing the battle anyway, since Marine was the guaranteed victor, largely owing to Ignatius's exhaustion.
Rather, Aldric was more concerned about the rustling of leaves and the faint tremors surrounding the estate.
"Tsk, damn rats are here."
While pondering how to deal with the uninvited guests, Aldric returned his attention to the fight only to be greeted by a massive tentacle cleaving through the pillars. It crashes into Aldric, yet he remained unfazed while the tentacle dissipates into droplets that rained down on the entrance of the hall.
A second tentacle gripped Ignatius tightly, while another hovered above his mouth, clutching a yellow, glowing pill.
"A fire-endowed pill... that's one way to end the battle I suppose."
As the tentacle plunged into Ignatius' throat, Aldric summoned a wall of earth with a stomp of his foot, sending Marine tumbling backwards, unconscious. The once active tentacles collapsed into puddles on the ground.
Kneeling on the ground, Ignatius coughed up water that had entered his lungs and throat, struggling to catch his breath. Aldric paid him little heed considering what was about to happen next. Instead, he shifted his feet, summoning two domes of earth to shield Marine and the other unconscious girl nearby.
"Just in time." Aldric remarked with a satisfied smile, watching as Ignatius's body erupted into a blinding white light. As the brilliance enveloped them all, Aldric surveyed the scene with a sense of contentment, stroking his chin thoughtfully. The ceiling began to crumble. The falling stones casted shadows on the corpses of curious onlookers that were illuminated by the blast of light, concealing their lifeless forms amidst the chaos.
It wasn't the best possible outcome considering that the rats now had unrestricted visibility but it sufficed.