Lucidel's aura was boosted by dream magic. His usual single barrel manapool was expanded to almost three barrels deep. Our swords sparked brightly, both of our figures repelled a short distance back.
"Lucidel!" I screamed with fury. "You've got to break the hold this filthy parasite has on you!"
"No one's holding me," he responds.
My world falls apart as I realize Lucidel isn't just a mindless puppet. His mind was twisted in a way that he truly assimilated with the dream magic. The Dreamer turned a general into his own soldier. But that means he still has rational thinking.
"If you can think for yourself, you have to realize this thing isn't your savior or your master. You're a general of an army, the mightiest in the entire Overworld. You serve Anul, and primarily... You serve the Rulers!!!" I shouted, trying to get his conviction and loyalty to bring him back.
"I'm no one's servant," he comments. "I'm here to eliminate you, as you're a danger to this nation."
"W-what?" I stutter. What kind of bullshit did this worm feed my former master?
The Dreamer laughs. "He cannot be brought back or turned against me. My technique works as a perfect hypnosis, and his real psyche is inseparable from my suggestive magic. And if my magic is broken, you know what happens..."
He dies. I know it, as I've seen it time and time again with the red-eyes, and with Heric. If my enemy isn't lying, bringing back Lucidel and Guille might be impossible. Does this mean... they are destined to die here, by my hand?
I grit my teeth, raising my sword and filling it to the brim with light magic mixed with the
A platinum-blonde-haired demon stops him with a single arm, the intense heat causing an explosion. "You're mine, iceman."
Evy tugs my shirt from behind. "What's happening Adam? Why are my teachers now evil?"
Evy was probably now confused, because her former professors are trying to kill me.
"I... can't explain it right now," I answer, defeated by my enemy's tactics.
The Dreamer appears behind us. "He's the one that's evil. He had a chance to hand over his mark under peaceful terms, but chose violence instead. Your friend here isn't who you think he is. He has caused much despair and pain," it spews.
It's trying to confuse Evy, shatter our friendship. The truth is, her trust might be very weak, as I've kept my goals hidden from her. I told her Guille sent me, and now here he is, fighting against me.
Evy doesn't look at me, turned towards the Dreamer. "I don't care who he is. I already know he lied to me, but he also saved my life. Adam gave me the best few months of my life, allowing me to learn dark magic, my long-lived interest. He also told me he would help me learn death magic, something that means to me more than any faults you might see in him.
From the moment we met, I saw a savior in him, as I've escaped Death's grasp with him. I'll follow him and trust in his word, even if it costs me my life."
My jaw hung ajar, as this was the first time I've heard Evy's thoughts of me. I couldn't be more glad, as I saw her as a true friend, and now as a comrade. I stepped up next to her, raising my sword. "Your words mean nothing, bastard. I'll protect her like family, as she's the closest I have to it. Your manipulation and lies have nothing against true bonds, something you can't know since you've never truly had any. Your cage only allowed you to be filth on the floor that needs to be cleaned."
The Dreamer showed anger at those words, raising its arms and summoning metal spears in the air, aiming it towards me.
I could feel Evy waiting for my words. She was too weak and her magic too indirect to fight a monster like Lucidel or Guille. Then again, the Dreamer's magic was too complex and abstract, so I wasn't about to pair those two up.
"Amon! You and I are the main dish, we are the front force. Evy is the dessert, supporting our every move," I yelled out, waiting for my demon comrade to respond.
"Aye aye, rival!!" he said, jumping back to us, positioning Evy between us.
"Let's hold nothing back, and let us do just as we practiced," I command.
We prepared to face the Dreamer, studying each other's magics to form a strategy. The Dreamer isn't the only one ready to fight here.
It was time to envision my dreams.
Evy formed dark mist around her, casting a network of background spells that would aid us. I threw the Sunsword into the air, waiting for the right moment. The air grew hot, specs of a hellish conflagration dancing about.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
"Stigmata: Immortal Hellfire"
There's my cue.
"Spear"
The fight took motion, my thrust deflecting the Dreamer's metal spears. Behind me, Amon lit up the entire room, his flames eating at the shifting house. The hallways opened up, the true scale of the Dreamer's domain showing itself. A fractal of an infinite scale started unveiling itself, room after room. We were in the center of an array of rooms in each direction, all opened up and connected under different angles.
The Dreamer disappeared, but I was following its mana signature. It was moving throughout the domain, going through the countless rooms.
I tended to Lucidel and Guille, deciding to get rid of them first. I was ready, ready to kill my old teachers.
Light crescents flew from my sword, cutting parts of the house and toppling over the burning rubble left by Amon. Along with my demon comrade, I pushed forward, followed by a friendly shadow behind me.
Lucidel threw sword after sword, all made out of his enhanced light magic. I deflected each one, closing the distance between us in a few passing moments. Our swords clashed again, both of us using recoil to aid in our movements.
"Using the same magic as me, brat!?"
"You were the one who taught me," I responded coldly, slashing his face to give him another battle scar.
"I've got no idea what you're talking about," he says as spheres of light surround me. They were about to detonate with his magic, but a darkness protecting me engulfs them, eating Lucidel's attack up.
"Thanks, Evy," I comment while swinging my sword again.
Amon took his battle into another string of rooms, his fire sensible even from a great distance away. He could let loose, burning everything in his sight. He was finally free of restraints, able to use the entire scope of his destructive magic.
As I fought Lucidel, a smirk popped up on my face. "My sword skills are better," I smugly add as my sword cleaves through Lucidel's side, drawing a good amount of blood that spurts onto the floor.
Our surroundings were getting decimated from the level of destructive light attacks that we launched during each of our clashes. We simultaneously sent light projectiles at one another, while also locking ourselves in a deadly dance of swords. The only thing was...
"You're lacking!" I yell out, smashing him through a number of walls with my
He had only one magic, while I had two, with the third assistance of Evy, who was running behind me. The unfair advantage was made clear by Lucidel's abundance of new wounds. It was all going smoothly, but... There was something wrong.
"Adam!" Evy's voice rang out.
Bright hot pink balls appeared around me, my body fighting against its influence. For just a moment, my body slowed like I was in a dream, unable to move swiftly enough.
Evy's magic destroyed each one of those balls, but too late. Lucidel's ray of light already pierced my side, causing me to wince in pain. He followed it up with a kick, sending me flying through a few ceilings.
I picked myself up, now aware that the Dreamer has assumed the same position as Evy. "Fine," I murmur under my breath, continuing my fight. The Sunsword flies into my hand after it's been forced out of it.
"Spear"
I create a tunnel that almost ends Lucidel's life in an instant, only taking his left arm along the way. The 30 foot wide tunnel reaches the faraway Amon, who's almost burned Guille to a crisp. Even though the Sword Saint's manapool is comparable to Amon's, and his battle experience is greater, Amon has the more complex and stronger magic, along with better instincts.
As I push Lucidel in Amon's direction, my demon comrade notices us, grinning widely. Guille sustained many heavy burns, huffing loudly even under the numbing effects of dream magic. Amon laughs, his hands releasing an ungodly amount of hellfire. "I bet I'll finish this faster!"
I smirk, swinging my weapon against Lucidel's lacking magic. My smile fades as I see the Dreamer standing in the midst of Amon's flames, opening its arms.
"Amon, watch out!" I scream.
Suddenly, gravity is reversed as Amon is simultaneously bound by pink circular restraints around his arms and legs, allowing Guille to stab through his abdomen.
"Amon!!" Evy yells out.
I stop her, pushing her back as Lucidel's light sword almost decapitates Evy's head. "Amon will be fine, he can regenerate!" I yell out as I block another slash.
Just as predicted, Amon frees himself from the binds using his hellfire that can burn through any magic. He blasts Guille away furiously, turning his attention to the Dreamer which disappeared. He runs off in the opposite direction, towards the Dreamer. "That little shit! I'll burn him to ash."
"No, Amon, don't give into his tactics! Follow my plan!" I shout with all my might, but it’s useless. He already ventured too far to hear me, his short temper being his weakness.
The Dreamer's specialty was hiding and playing dirty. Although Amon is much stronger, he could fall for its tricks. I try to rush behind him, but the combined forces of Guille and Lucidel stop me. No time to hold back now. I jumped back to Evy so she could hear me, but not my enemies.
"Dial it to eleven, leave nothing for later. We have to pass by this wall if we want to win."
She nods, her manapool starting to deplete quicker as grandiose spells start taking effect.
Guille pukes onto the ground as I appear next to him, almost sinking my sword into his neck. Lucidel just barely manages to stop me, projecting a large beam of light that burns a giant hole behind me. "Are you okay?" he asks Guille.
I wordlessly dash at Lucidel, whose feet stick together under another one of Evy's spells. My sword leaves a deep gash in his stomach as Guille manages to save his life by kicking me away.
"What's... that kid made out of?" Guille asks between huffs.
Their hands tremble as they try to fight of the deteriorating effects of dark magic that Evy constantly spams onto them. As their focus is on the defensive, my sword flies into the air slowly.
"Guille, watch out—"
"Spear"
As Lucidel tries to get his comrade out of the way, a circular hole is drilled into the domain, leaving nothing but bloody mist behind as I murder one of my former teachers. Lucidel stares in disbelief, his body falling to the ground as his skin pales. He was pushed to the brink of death by Evy's invasive spells. My mind dulled, as I pushed out any emotion caused by the image of my former master lying on the floor unmoving. I couldn't let myself show weakness even for a second, even if it's after mercilessly ending the life of the man that enlightened me.
"Let's go!" I order Evy, leaving Lucidel alive as he doesn't pose a threat anymore.
She barely runs to me, exhausted by using up the majority of her manapool to cast spells strong enough for me to win so quickly. I hold her in my arms, then turn away. "Climb on my back, we have no time."
She does as she's told, grabbing on for dear life as my body zooms through the hallways at lightning speeds, aided by my light magic. We traverse miles of hallways and rooms in mere seconds, following the path of everlong flames and ash.