I told you so, don't be overconfident or it'll come back to bite you. It's only overconfidence if I fail. Knowing the homing aspect of Wraith's torch construct, I leap up into the air so as to have them all follow me and clump up.
My maneuver succeeds but I was caught by surprise and so acted too late, meaning they remain too spread out to deal with using a single slash of my weapon. I extend my hand out to send unstructured air-needles towards each of the cubes.
Nine out of ten hit but only two-thirds manage to obliterate the torch constructs upon detonation because the needles need to burst right as the cubes activate to destroy them, leaving eight cubes barreling towards me. I flick my liangi at them, defending against two more with each of my blades.
Of the last four, two hit my belly and their kinetic component punches through the hard leather reinforced by steel bands only to be stopped by my intricate Vuskyt chain-mail.
I use flow to disperse the construct before the torches scorch through my flesh to burn my insides, I do suffer from burns and bruises but naught more than that. The last two catch my lower waist on my left flank and my right thigh, slipping right under the chain-mail.
My defensive construct blocks the first impact, saving my waist's bone, but fails against the second and does naught to stop the blue-white blaze. I feel my leg's flesh boil and hear a dry sound, indicating a cracked bone.
“You do bleed, after all.” The assassin murmurs with a cruel tone.
The impacts send me spinning so I snap an air-shield under my feet, which turns out to be perfectly aimed at the sky, and stomp down on it with a lion's leap that launches me back at Wraith.
I barrel into the assassin whose face froze in surprise at the speed of my defense and retaliation but didn't lose his reflexes as he tries to dodge. I send my left palm at the pavement while thrusting out with the liangi, catching the assassin on the shoulder.
As the killer is sent staggering to the side, preventing him from fleeing, I flip over and land on my feet. Stop this spinning! I flick the liangi into my left hand as I bring my right back and slash with each blade.
I've not Leomi's capability to analyze the barrier to find a weak point, she's always been far better than me in construct theory, but I have blood to corrupt it which is more my style.
During the time it takes a visibly desperate Wraith to block my liangi, using enough energy to prevent my sundering construct from severing his blades during the brief contact, I gather the hot red liquid seeping out of the wounds his torch constructs opened at the tips of my gloved hand's fingers and claw at him.
Wraith fails to see this attack coming but his barrier activates automatically, which is perhaps the most impressive part of Suxen's construct and a massive reason behind its effectiveness.
It takes me only four portions of flow to shear through the barrier with my fingers, something only possible because my blood gives me absolute control.
As I reach to seize his throat, I notice an incline to his torso that tips me off as to an attack coming from below. I shift and barely dodge the knee aimed at my crotch but then receive an elbow that I failed to see coming in the side of my head.
He's as vicious as you are. Wraith had to have predicted I would breach his barrier to make the effort of concealing the fact he was following through with a counter-attack after blocking my liangi.
The fact the blow dazed me and disrupted my rhythm allows the assassin to retrieve the flow that made up his barrier but not reshape it so I press the attack by launching a blow at his face with my wrist.
Wraith raises his right arm and blocks but causes the back of his bandaged hand to impact mine. A thick silver thread runs up his arm and throat to launch into his brain, causing the assassin to stiffen from harsh pain.
I take advantage to bring my head back and smack my mask into his nose. Crack. The bone fracture sends the killer reeling, allowing me to swing my liangi behind his knees.
He trips and falls but quickly rolls to leap back up, landing on his feet just as I launch in pursuit. The man is clearly on some kind of drug to be able to recover so quickly from such injuries, to say naught of withstanding the constant pain.
Wraith moves to turn, his plan quite obviously to lose me since it would be next to impossible for anyone to find him again if he decides to hide which is why he has been so brave in ambushing someone stronger than him.
Unfortunately for him, he is in my range and none can escape it against my wishes. I launch a powerful thrust at his lower-back with my liangi, letting the handle slip between my fingers to extend my reach.
The killer likely heard or intuited he made a mistake because he twists his waist at the last moment before the weapon severs his spine, receiving the blow in the kidneys.
Wraith drops and rolls on the ground as black blood spills out of his back. I lion's leap and swiftly slash at his chest, forcing the man to desperately cross his serpentine daggers to block.
My fore-blade goes through them like butter this time as the man burnt most of his energy blocking my sundering construct the last time. However, the blade plunging towards his rib-cage is blocked by a barrier at the last second before his skin is split.
This desperate last measure surprises me but, by itself, wouldn't be a threat as the barrier shatters after stopping my liangi. The issue is the steel spike sliding out of the tip of his boot which is already kicking at the inside of my right thigh, aimed exactly where the torch construct pierced earlier.
Such a small weapon wouldn't pose any threat by itself but this is an assassin and his counter-attack on the verge of defeat isn't something to brainlessly ignore. I told you to rein in your arrogance! I swear at my sister's terrible timing while already gathering flow in my leg to stop the spike from piercing too deeply.
The series of surprises during this deadly fight doesn't end here. I detect a silver bolt flying so fast I couldn't dodge it if I tried, it flickers between my legs to plunge into Wraith's calf and severs the foot clean off.
“Arrrhg!” The assassin screams as his boot flies off.
“I did warn you to watch out for arrows.” I coldly remark as a chill runs through my back.
As the words leave my lips I shift to the side without warning while kicking my prey to the side. A second bolt, likely fired before I even moved, plunges into the pavement where Wraith was a split-second ago. It would've went through my right flank had I stayed still, severely injuring me if not directly putting me at death's door.
I experience no surprise at this attack, I know not the circumstances behind the Shade's decision but it's clear he places a highest priority of the assassin's life than my safety... and I was blocking his shot.
The possibility exists Aisha deemed me too dangerous after our last conversation, there is also the fact I've been declared an enemy of the Empire although Archer is unlikely to have acted with that as motivation since his first huge arrow was aimed at saving me.
I lion's leap to Wraith and kick the man up in the air, saving him from a third bolt and causing the assassin to lose consciousness. I catch him before he hits the pavement and leave the area in zigzags before a fourth bolt is fired.
I cauterize the killer's wounds as I rush through Kruzser's streets, ensuring he doesn't die of blood-loss despite wishing he would be conscious to experience this searing pain which must be worse than what I feel from the burn to my right thigh.
As I journey straight back to the Hospitaliers' headquarters, avoiding and outrunning Exemplars, I come across more companies of imperial guards escorting soldiers in chains near the Midnight Palace but this time spot several Nobles held alongside their subordinates.
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The sight startles me as I've never seen high born in such a position before. A few wear Roskal's crest, showing that the imperial guards weren't only sent to capture Elizabeth Vil but to put an end to the battle inside the capital.
I take a sharp turn at a corner to avoid a large contingent, allowing Wraith's body to slam against the wall, only to run into four Exemplars with their golden lion pommel swords in hand.
I swear under my breath and reach for flow, planning to overwhelm them as before, only to find I've barely ten portions left. You siphoned the energy?! What am I, a milk thief?! I kept our heart going and you've been reckless too running around like you have!
Dammit, Jess, I knew that thing wasn't useful. I pour energy into my liangi's runes, linking my defensive construct to my sundering construct through the pathways I engraved so as to be able to switch between one and the other at will.
I make this decision because the constructs held within this weapon are my most effective and efficient ones, guaranteeing my ability to do battle at a time where I cannot afford to experiment with my flow.
Kinetic force worked before to clear my path but it did not lay down the Exemplars for good, proving their overall defenses too strong to shatter without use of a pinpoint attack.
The elite temple guards sworn to the Emperor rush with bared swords without speaking any words. I flick Wraith to the side and make my liangi swirl out to meet their weapons with a double slash of my own.
I divert two swords with each of my blades, deflecting the sharp edges enhanced by armor-piercing constructs with my defensive construct, using the fact my weapon is made of the highest quality Vuskyt to gain an advantage.
The Lassus steel isn't even dented by the impacts as the metal is of the highest quality, on par if not superior with these Exemplars' weapons. The warriors immediately fan out to make it more difficult for me and block my escape but their movements give me an opening to exploit.
I launch a vertical slash down at the one facing me with the strength of my single right arm while using my left to send the liangi's aft-blade whirling back under my armpit.
As the Exemplar raises his kite shield to block, I switch to my sundering construct. My fore-blade severs through the reinforced wood as his defensive construct and that of his three companions fail, splitting all four shields at once which costs me the same amount in portions of flow.
While the liangi shears through my target's vambrace, the aft-blade threatens to split the chin of the Exemplar circling to my back which prevents the woman from retaliating.
I twist my waist to dodge two coordinated thrusts aimed at my flanks and front-kick the one whose forearm I just injured, causing him to stagger back. I stomp forth after him as my weapon's handle spins around my shoulder to bring the aft-blade down on my target.
The man panics and tries to block with the guard of his sword but is too slow. My blade lands on his breastplate and slices through, opening a wide gap in the steel armor of the four Exemplars at the cost of almost all my flow because of their sympathetic construct.
Unfortunately, the blade fails to cut through the chain-mail and gambeson beneath the plate which means I'm forced to disengage. The good news is that the two blows disrupted the Exemplars' tempo and perhaps frightened them some as they spread out, switching to a more defensive formation as they retaliate.
I barely manage to parry a blade falling towards my skull from behind by striking the flat of it thanks to detecting the silver armor-piercing construct applied on the edge.
The other three strikes, aimed at my chest, neck, and waist, are just as dangerous but I succeed in dodging two by leaning down and slapping the third away with my left hand.
Exemplars truly aren't to be treated lightly when engaged in battle, the best way to deal with them is to strike hard and fast to create an opening to disengage, else one must be prepared to fight to the death.
I rage at the fact I've no longer any energy to use because my sister is using much of what I had kept in reserve as well as our regeneration to keep a frail, useless, organ running.
With no flow to burn, I can only use the left arm I made with minimal strength or risk the limb losing coherence. I rush forth and thrust my liangi to the one facing me again, aiming at the gap I tore through his armor.
The Exemplar, thinking I could cut through, takes a step back to dodge. I immediately stomp down and slash out the liangi. My aft-blade and fore-blade impact the attackers on my flanks.
Without a sundering construct, the Lassus steel impacts their armors and bends but manages to stop their rush at me. The liangi quickly snaps back into shape while the one behind me attempts to strike my back.
I throw a back-kick that hits the guard of her sword as she raises it, causing me grievous pain but breaking her grip on the guard and sending the weapon tumbling to the side. I use what little flow I've left to lion's step backward at the sword.
The woman, thinking I'm going for her, retreats with a diagonal side-step and opens the way for me to lay my foot on the weapon. I borrow energy from the construct keeping our heart running and break the Exemplar's link to her sword.
As I focus to steal the energy contained within her armor-piercing construct, the three other Exemplars rush at me while she activates the runes on her gauntlet, producing a triangular shredding blade.
She thrusts at the left side of my back, forcing me to choose between receiving a wound and stealing the flow. I decide to take the energy, recovering four portions after repaying my sister.
I let my knee drop to try to dodge while swinging my aft-blade but the woman is too swift for it to save me, I follow the silver triangular construct as it plunges at my back and grit my teeth.
I scream as I feel hundreds of tiny blades rip into my waist, tearing through my flesh and sizzling into my bones. My knee finally hits the ground, putting me out of range of her thrust, and my liangi closes in on the woman which forces her to step back.
I burn a tenth of a portion to bring my weapon around with a lion strike and four tenths more to activate my defensive construct as I block a stab from the Exemplar facing me with the handle.
The two temple guard elites who were on my flank are now charging with overhead blows so I angle my weapon to stop their two blades with my own. The woman thrusts her triangular shredding blade towards the back of my neck while her three companions press down on me with their weapons to hold me in place.
“Ryykwrh!” I roar.
I tighten my every muscle, reinforcing them with a portion and a half of flow because I need no strengthening but this weak body cannot handle my will. I push back against the pressure and win enough ground in a short enough span of time to disengage my liangi with a forceful twist.
My weapon's blades bend and snap back, destabilizing the two Exemplars on my flank so that their swords fall just short of hitting my shoulders. The one facing me is pressuring me with the tip so he has no reach or leverage to strike and has to dodge the fore-blade rushing at him from the side.
My aft-blade intercepts the construct threatening to behead me at the last moment by striking the woman's forearm. I leap to my feet and use my last two portions to shape thin four blood-needles each containing a tiny lightning construct, using my injuries as a resource.
“You fools know no fear, to fight Elizabeth Vil in a contest of strength!” I mock to distract them.
I send the projectiles into the tears I cut into their plate armors, which are easily distinguishable because of the gap in the silver aura of their defensive constructs.
My fierce provocation causes these elites to hesitate just a fraction of a second, time I've bought through my unyielding ruthlessness in previous battles.
My blood-needles slip through the small gaps of their mail and penetrate their hard leather armors with blinding speed, my absolute control allowing me to negate their secondary defensive constructs to deliver small bolts of lightning.
My four opponents grunt in pain from their wounds, two stagger but the ones to my left and front retaliate despite their weakened states. I fling my liangi to parry one blow and jump away to dodge the second.
I land next to Wraith and pick him up, confident they're too injured to pursue me in their plate armor. I flick my gaze around to find sixteen more Exemplars rushing over, ten behind already entering the street and three approaching from each side-alley.
I throw the assassin on my shoulder and spring away, wincing with each step because of the pain in my right thigh and the agony of my torn back. Despite all this, I feel exhilarated at besting the best the Empire has offered when placed at a severe disadvantage.
There is a reason the liangi is the weapon Lisilese elite favor most, it is a true weapon fit for ruthless hunters who don't hesitate at trading wounds to win a fight and escape the fate of becoming prey.
The sixteen Exemplars follow close as I rush towards the Hospitalier headquarters, their lion's steps allowing them to keep up with me. There will be no escape once you arrive, our body is reaching the limit. My life is in your hands, sister, I've no fear. You'll be the death of me, I swear.
“Elizabeth Vil, stop!” The loud yell reaches my ears but I ignore it like all others. “There is yet hope for you to serve as a bulwark against the threat to the south for our Emperor, for the good of all who live in the Empire!”
I do catch sight of the one who spoke and notice it is the Exemplar with a bandaged face. Yet, as I look, I notice a thin silver line at the very edges of my perception cruising to the spot between my shoulders.
I immediately kick a nearby wall, dodging the projectile which leaves a burning wound on my right shoulder and skewers a morsel of flesh from the inside of Wraith's arm. My Little one will be a bit disappointed.