THIRD PERSON POV
The elf stood up as listlessly as he had earlier. Its hollow eyes met the new form of the one who had dared to challenge him.
A green glowing stone golem stood over six feet tall, crouching in a combat stance with its left hand on the ground and its right straight and to the side. Its eyes were two green light orbs. Its short fingers gripped two rings of blades. The crown on its head and the cloak of black and white fur were the only signs that it was still the same female that he had just hurt.
His pale grey cheeks spread apart as a smile appeared on his face.
"More tricks. Good. You are going to need it," he said. For the first time, the elf took initiative. Dashing forward quite slowly compared to her.
The golem blasted forward shattering the floor with its steps as it tore for the elf. With just a few steps it crossed the meager distance between both combatants.
Their clash sent a shockwave spreading in all directions. The ground shattered beneath their feet and their blades conjoined in a symphony of metal that created a thrum of war in the air. An alluring music of battle and a tenebrous dance of death filled the air The elf and golem moved in a synchronized whirl of blades.
Sparks flew between the two as their blades met and separated. The golem ignored the thrusts and slashes of the black steel and the elf evading the murderous singe of the double-ringed blades.
Down he went, evading a slash to his upper body and returning it with a slash that simply slid off the stone with a spark. The elf smirked and jumped planting a kick on the golem propelling off and separating from the combat.
He landed with a flourish his sword going from black steel to red once again. The color combination was simply confusing.
Hilde understood why at once when the sword released a hot burst of unholy fire in what appeared to be a distant thrust. The thick beam caught the creator player off her game as she was unable to dodge in time. It hit her like a car and shot her in the opposite direction.
The heat melted and burned the front of the golem severely, the ground on her path red and almost melted to lava from the strike.
Her golem figure, blackened and scorched from the flame, shattered into numerous pieces as a result of her forceful collision with the wall and her loss of focus. She tumbled down the massive wall dent and onto the ground, leaving a trail of stone and smoke behind her.
> [Burn damage]
> [- 980 health]
A choke and whimper were audible as pain rattled her body. It was obvious the beam was a sure one-shot kill if not for the golem armor she wore now.
Hilde shivered as Divine purity worked erratically to mend the burns. She shivered, steam rising off her body. However, it appeared that the elf's inner flame was not ready to wait this time.
'Nothingness Empowerment'.
'Wow. You rarely use this. Must be pretty tough'. The once-pleasant sound of Akasha's voice was now annoying.
'What do you think'.
A shadow crossed her as the elf stood by her side sword still red and raised to the sky. A sad smile played across his cheeks as the blade descended.
A boulder smashed into him from behind sending him flying face-first into the wall. Hilde rose weak and shaky while the wounds on her body fixed themselves thanks to divine purity. The feeling of Nothingness Empowerment boosting her healing added to how fast her injuries vanished.
Vulkan's Prize had been unable to survive such a flame. The armor was melted, and broken down the front.
Hilde frowned as she realized her defense stats had dipped due to this damage.
Another such hit would floor her. Her eyes shone as for the second time she used two insights at once. Rocks rolled slowly gathering around her feet. It was clear what she wanted to do but her mind was more focused on healing and as such she couldn't achieve Earthen Forge at the moment.
So she raised her fists, her eyes seeking the chakram blades that had fallen away in the strike.
'You're not the only one who can make such a strike'. She didn't move an inch as drops of water, then a stream, and soon a river of golden flooded from her skin and formed a wall around her. With the stones floating and whizzing past in a storm she turned her attention to the Spear.
'Time for a Sword Beam Cut?'. Akasha piped. Her voice showed just how lax she was with Hildelith taking a beating.
'More like a Spear Beam'. The Primordial Ice Spear shot through the storm of earth and Water and into her grasp.
She didn't dally. She doubted the elf would let her think up a swift plan to trap and kill it. No. It was time to act.
The water flooded back in at her. Rolling and coiling around her waist it lifted her. Her eyes were darkened with green dots at the center, and her skin was tinted with darkness, oozing black smoke of nothingness.
Hildelith didn't want to admit it. But she was pissed. The elf had humbled her far more than even First. With First it was okay as she managed to match him in other ways. With the elf, it was completely different.
Her eyes found it and like she expected he was already ready to swing another one of those beams.
Spear in her right hand she waved her left. The hall exploded in dust and stones forming a caved path as the rocks kept exploding towards the elf. He dived to the left.
She raised the Ice Spear above her head. "You're not the only one who can do that". She swung. Black mist flowed from her arm, into the spear and shot out in a thick concentrated beam of nothingness.
The elf's eyes widened as it dove out of the way once more.
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'Cole warned you about the Tower. Conquer. He said to conquer. ' she thought frantically as the elf shook himself up and raised its sword. The still sad smile on his face.
'Cole knows everything. So why not drop a warning? He loves doing that even if he speaks of the rules.' she refused to back off even if she knew this thing was in another league.
The elf moved. Akasha assisted her in controlling the water as it too moved her forward. The ice once white was now shimmering and pulsing with black mist.
The elf swung out another beam. She did too. Surprisingly both beams met midair. There was no explosion, no dramatic implosion. Just erasure.
'So the red flame powers the sword and makes it more difficult'. She eyed the elf who was rolling beneath the still-flying beam.
In a shocking turn, he ended his roll abruptly and lunged into the air straight at her passing form. Nothingness spilled from her body and like a suction engulfed her from the outside.
The elf splashed into the falling waves of water sword slicing with a red beam.
Black mist spat Hildelith out by the door. 'Now'. With a sharp flex of her palms, the falling water roared back up and engulfed the equally falling elf. She could feel his struggles in the water. Watch the beams that shot out and cleaved through parts of the throne room walls.
'Think girl. He must have known those purified wouldn't be able to aid me inside here. So what was he expecting me to know' she glared at the elf who cut a path in the water before she dragged him back in.
'Just freeze him'.
'Cole said to conquer.' she ignored Akasha repeating what she already knew. 'The system always gives a way. Shows it no matter how insignificant it might appear'.
'The shield, or the helm. No. One would just crack and for my head, it doesn't matter when my body is so easily pierced. If the shield was strong enough to hold that beam would it even matter when he's too fast and skilled for me to land a good hit? Think girl' She screamed in her head.
The elf was fighting harder. Each cut he made splashing water free from her control. Focused on pinning him in the spot all her intent was on the singular task.
'Strength doesn't matter in all fights obviously, skill should but I already bested First and he too was better. I beat him by..' she locked eyes with the hollowed flame of the elf then he was swallowed once more.
'...by planning. But that doesn't matter here either. strength trumps all plans. I'm going in circles here' She frowned as she staggered back faltering at realizing how much water she'd lost. She was too far to create more and send back and that would take precious intent away holding him down.
'Maybe I should freeze him over '. She shook her head at that thought. 'Too easy'.
"What am I missing? What?" she shouted annoyed.
BOOM!!!
Her water evaporated as a huge eruption of flame burned it all up. Hildelith stepped back panting from holding him down for so long. If only she had the time or chance to attack while he was distracted with fighting.
The elf stepped out of the mist his steps just as assured as before. He cracked a dark, sad smile tilting his head to the side. Hilde's eyes widened.
'Ground him. The system always shows the way'. she chuckled.
A sly smirk spread across her face. Her eyes turned green as she pulled at the earth and they came, as they always did. As she did with the cerberi a fine storm whipped up around the elf.
The elf seemed confused. He looked almost curious to know why she felt the stones would help again. Hilde though had no time to respond or elucidate on the plan to her flame-controlled sad friend.
So she turned and with all her energy she made a beeline for the first of them.
Even before she arrived the golden weaves of the system formed something in her hand. A crystal, bright with the red light of a tainted flame.
A Great shard of the flame of divinity.
With it in hand, she halted before her agent of victory and smirked. Her hand holding the shard-like salvation thrust it into the dense but hollow metal. She watched astounded as the metal plating parted to give way to the shard.
Behind her, the elf smiled even as he dodged and cut through the stones holding it in place.
But the flame wasn't as willing to help stall. His body exploded forward with tremendous speed.
Hilde frowned as she felt her mind stitch the shard into the thing before her. Then her divinity poured into it. The wind whistled and the sound of a blade cutting through air reached her ears just as the sword of her executioner dropped to her neck.
Hilde shut her eyes. It was too late. The cold of steel pricked her neck eliciting a gasp from her lips. 'Maybe I should have frozen it'.
CLANG!!!
The glorious sound of metal striking metal echoed in her ears. Her eyes flew open to take note of the wondrous sight. At least for her and maybe for someone else.
To her right, just an inch left to cut her head clean off was the halted heated blade of the elf. His cheeks were stretched so wide he almost reminded her of the destroyer's ever-present smile.
Yet his flaming eyes gave off a different vibe, burning with a feral rage that made Hilde shiver even with the heat emitting from the two sources around her.
But the eye candy was the new blade that held his sword in place. A finely polished silver sword with an equally silver guard and black handle grasped by the metallic palms of a now living armor.
Its eyes were aflame with fire just like the elf. But unlike the red, angry, and unholy flame burning within the deep hollows of its socket, those of the living armor burned a golden flame.
Even more interesting were the lines of gold that ran across all the gaps or stretch in the full coat of living armor. Its chest had the brightest glow though housing the shine of its core. The former Great Shard of Flame.
> [Holy Flame Armors - Basic Guard Template]
> Stolen from the embers of the unholy fire. Purified and refined from the armor statues of the Aswingnir royal guard. These armors were reforged with purified shards of the Fires of Divinity, and refined into their current form by the divine wrath and purity of their creator This living armor is an extension of its creator's purity. A living testimony of her wrath.
> Might: 30
> Mobility: 40
> Physique: 30
> Focus: 30
> Racial Perks
> Exhim Order -
> Born of desperation and pain, the Holy Flame armor does not just protect. A being of vengeance and yet one of order, situational conflict affects their morals. This ability represents the complex nature of the Holy Flame Armors, which balance their wrathful origins with a newfound sense of duty and order. Their behavior and actions can shift based on the moral and situational conflicts they encounter, reflecting their dual nature of vengeance and order.
> Cohort -
> In the presence of other Holy Flame Armors in battle, all agility is doubled. In the presence of other living armor in battle, there is a +20% increase in Physique. This ability highlights the synergistic power of Holy Flame Armors when fighting alongside their kind or other living armors, significantly enhancing their combat effectiveness through increased mobility and endurance.
> Personal Perks
> Holy Judgement -
> Bring the fury of the creator upon those who tarnish the great name with the purified Flame. This perk allows the Holy Flame Armor to channel the righteous fury of their creator, unleashing powerful, purifying flames upon enemies who defile the sacred. This attack not only deals significant damage but also serves as a testament to the wrath and purity instilled in the armor by its creator.
> Flame's Resurgence -
> The Holy Flame Armor can draw upon the remnants of its core's original power to regenerate itself. When significantly damaged, the armor can ignite a burst of golden flames that heals its injuries and strengthens its defenses temporarily. This resurgence ability ensures that the Holy Flame Armor remains a formidable opponent even in dire situations, symbolizing the enduring spirit of its divine creation.
Hilde barely cared about the standoff between both fighters her feet scurrying for the next armor standing in place. Her mind already spinning with the details of her next plan.
'I'm taking another break after this fight. If I survive. This game is goddamn mad. ' she laughed even as she stopped before the next armor and repeated the process. Her mind was a mess as she thought of everything that brought her to the one saving grace she had now.