Jack shifted, dodging another spectral blade that appeared in tune with the crescendo of the music.
“Fucking!” Jack let out, avoiding an enthralled dancer as the mindless crowd around him turned on him.
Fortunately, his winds kept them at bay, unfortunately, this tied up his hands as he tried to figure out where the Jester was amidst the darkness. He activated his eyes, attempting to sift through the mana in the room but to his vision, all he was greeted by was the sight of the room completely coated by energy.
Damn Jester.
Jack gritted his teeth. To make matters worse, those attacking him were all important people, people that were Selfia's backers, and main supporters, if they got hurt, Jack could only imagine the consequences nationwide.
But that did beg the question, if these were her chief supporters, where were the awakened? Even nobles employed guards and the guests attending were no different.
Where were their knights and bodyguards? In fact, where the hell was Jin and his cousins?!
I can't operate like this, Sara, give me light!
Jack closed his eyes, his mana draining, his body releasing a flash bang that blew away the darkness in a spontaneous burst of light.
Fortunately for Jack, his target wasn't so hard to find. With her smiling white mask, rainbow colored suit, hat with bells and a crystal violin, the maestro of the nightmare orchestra was quickly spotted in the far corner of the ballroom.
Gotcha.
Jack stomped his foot, activating wind barrier, the ground erupting with air that forced everyone back.
Let's make this quick.
Suddenly the music began to dim, the Jester pointing at the man flying at her with her rapier.
“Fortissimo,” The Jester laughed, her voice high pitched.
Dozens of magical sigils lit up, visible music notes floating in the air that pulsed with mana.
“Shit,” Jack let out, realizing too late the nature of the attack.
Prime to explode the music notes collided with Jack, the latter summoning his wings to shield against the detonation that consumed the hall, a myriad of screams sounding out as the guests within the room burned.
Jack tumbled, his expensive clothes alight as winds blew out the flames around him.
“Fuck!” Jack let out, rising to his feet in horror at the guests still dancing despite their bodies burning.
Around him, the black dressed nobles began to drop.
With no muscles left to support their limbs, one by one the guests fell to the floor, fortunately Sahaqiel had managed to contain much of the explosion, leaving many of the guests unharmed.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
But they were still enthralled, dancing without a care and laughing despite the room quickly filling with smoke and flames.
Jack shot off the ground, charging towards the Jester who giggled before vanishing.
Not this shit again! Why does everyone have a teleport ability?!
Activating his eyes, Jack tried to find the woman's path, but with the mana flooding the hall, it was impossible to pin down her exit point.
“You'll have to try better than that bébé,” The Jester laughed, her voice echoing through the halls like nails on chalk.
[You have Resisted the Maestro's Madness]
Jack winced, a headache forming, the sounds of gurgling churning around him as the guests began to tear and claw at each other ravenously.
We have to end this now! And quick! Sara! Lilith! Help me find her! Jack ordered as he sidestepped another volley of spectral blades.
“There, on your left. Search for the influx of mana rising,” Lilith sent, Jack pivoting and flinging a bolt of lightning at the invisible figure.
The Jester broke concealment, her rapier moving, parrying the lightning with the sparks coiling around her weapon and being flung to the side.
Swiping her rapier through the air, the Jester conjured a massive note, a sharp that flew through the air, parting the tiles of the floor with Jack going wide-eyed as it slammed into his wings
“Of course. Close quarters it is then.”
Jack unfurled his feathers, taking off, pivoting through the sea of spectral blades as his mana began to rise. Unbeknownst to him, Lilith appeared, a black cowl hanging around his neck that ate away the mana of the spectral blades that past, fueling Jack's stores with his eyes glowing red.
The Jester seemed to freeze up, her movements going stiff for a second before she placed her bow upon her violin and began to strum the strings violently.
Sigil after sigil lit up, a barrage of magical attacks aimed at Jack, each one, breaking apart as Lilith devoured the skill with Gehenna. What was the Jester's mana, became Jack’s, the latter closing distance despite the Pawn teleporting away.
“On your left,” Lilith reported, Jack's head spinning just as a large musical note flew at him.
Jack's hand came up, the tattoos glowing beneath his skin reacting as he activated Gehenna.
The attack exploded, the energy siphoning into Jack's palm, arcing along his arms with a visible buzz before he kicked off the ground in a flash of light.
This time, faster than the Jester could react.
She immediately attempted to lift her bow, the violin tool slashing at Jack's outstretched palm only to be greeted by the silver feathers that coated his arm.
Sparks flew, the pair entering a dance of slashed and swipes, the Jester put on the back foot as she repeatedly attempted to teleport only to have her skill destroyed by Lilith.
“Fuck off,” Jack laughed, closing the distance, the Jester conjuring a barrier that did nothing to Jack's fingers that crushed her mask and gripped her face.
“No-”
The woman's voice cut off, Jack's other hand plunging into her stomach as his palm clenched down over her mouth.
Wide-eyed, the red eyed Jester's gaze quivered, the woman's weapon poking through Jack's chest with little effect on the man.
Enough of this.
Jack dug his hand into the woman's body, his hand wrapping around something hard, the Jester spitting up blood as her hands dropped her weapons and grabbed at her assailant in a futile attempt at self preservation.
Suddenly her body seized, Jack locking eyes with the pawn who held tears in her eyes. Through muffled words, the Jester surprisingly began to beg.
“Stop-”
“No,” A simple word uttered by a growl mixed of two voices.
Jack retrieved his gore covered hand, pulling with it the woman's spine out of her chest in a burst of blood.
The Jester gurgled, wide-eyed, her arms flailing before her eyes rolled back and her body folded in on herself, her legs buckling with her corpse hitting the floor with a thud.
Lilith snickered, Jack's eyes flashing.
“One down…” Jack spat, tossing away the vertebrae as a door at the end of the hall opened to reveal a bloodied feminine man in a maid outfit gawking at the Jester's corpse. “One more to go.”