“A Calamity~” Adora says, as she pulls out her sword. “I’ll answer all your questions, if you manage to push me to the limits~ My reinforcements shall arrive on this island in the next 15 minutes. If you can survive 15 minutes against me in a fight, I’ll tell you Everything you want to know.” Rileys face becomes one of interest, as he covers his hands with rocks to make gauntlets, taking a fighting stance.
“Let's make a soul pact.” Riley says to Adora, which seems to catch her interest. “Hmm? Which is?” Adora pulls the sword from her back, pulling the giant metal blade in front of her. The blade is massive, with a vibrant yellow hilt, contrasting from the dim silver color of the actual blade. The sword is broad and imposing, Riley, despite all his knowledge on weapons has never seen something like this before. “Is it a soul saber..?” He thinks to himself, but quickly dismisses his thoughts to continue with his actual conversation. “Put your words into a soul pact. If I can survive against you till your forces arrive, you’ll tell me everything I ask of you.”
“No problem with me.” Adora smiles, charging her Soul Energy into her left hand.. Riley charges Soul Energy into his hands as well, the 2 launch the Soul Energy at each other, making something that seems to work like a Soul Chain of sorts, locking them together. “Its a pact.” Riley says, and begins to focus on his mana output rather than his soul energy. “She seems to be using Soul Energy…. So I’ll focus on my output of Mana.”
Riley rushes toward Adora, seemingly going for a more hands on approach in this battle. The air crackled with tension as Riley and Adora engaged in combat. Riley, his gauntleted hands pulsating with Soul Energy, propelling himself forward with a burst of speed. Adora, wielding her massive sword, meets his charge with an air of calculated confidence. As Riley closes the distance, he summons rocks that he blasts toward Adora Her eyes narrow at the unexpected attack, a glint of surprise crossing her face but keeping her sinister smile. She ducks the projectiles quickly, but they don't crash into the trees behind her, they sit in the air.
Riley seizes the moment, a barrage of more stone projectiles toward Adora. She effortlessly sidesteps them, then throws her sword at Riley. He blocks the blade with his arms, which are covered in his stone gauntlets. "Not bad," she remarks, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. Adora, in a display of seamless skill, switches places with her colossal blade. Both her and her weapon flood with a dark sludge. She then immediately punches Riley directly in his rock gauntlets, shattering one of them and doing a lot of damage to the other. Riley slides back, still standing firm on his two feet, as his gauntlets recover.
"I've faced tougher opponents, you know," Adora taunted, a smirk playing on her lips. She then snaps and her sword swings back into her hands from where she was just standing. Riley scoffs, orchestrating another set of rocks beside him as his gauntlets also complete their recovery. “I’ve faced smarter opponents, You know.” The two rush toward each other, and the battle unfolds in a dynamic dance between sword and stone. Adora's swordsmanship was impeccable, each strike carrying the weight of deadly precision. Riley, in response, utilized his rock constructs not only for defense but also as a means of counterattack. "She’s relying on her swordsmanship. If I keep her on her toes, she won't have time to use whatever magic she's hiding… That teleportation can't be all she has.”
Riley's focus intensifies, as the stone gauntlets that stopped at his elbows expand to cover both his hands. His arms are covered in a brownish stoney texture, with spikes extending from where his shoulders are. His strategy evolved to keep Adora at bay. He moves his hands to signal the rocks beside him to charge and attack Adora she laughs, and bolts toward Riley. She tears apart the stones in less then a second, then swings upward at Riley, who quickly perceives but hardly dodges the attack, leaving a small cut on her cheek.
Adora, undeterred, continued to showcase her proficiency with the sword. The forest around them became a canvas, painted with the strokes of two formidable adversaries locked in a soul pact that would determine the fate of the answers Riley sought. Riley blocks a flurry of Adoras attacks, he jumps to dodge the final strike that comes down at his feet, and in response, the rubble created from this swing goes directly at Adoras face. She dodges and cuts the rubble to pieces before kicking Riley with the side of her leg, knocking him into a tree. She swings her blade down and slashes that tree into two pieces as Riley swiftly dodges it. Riley then gets up and tries to punch Adora, Who counters with her sword and then slashes Riley in his side. He goes for another punch, which Adora blocks as the two clash.
The air crackles with energy, each clash of the two resonating with a symphony of soul and steel Riley, with his hands manipulating the very earth beneath him, continues to defy Adora's attempts to corner him. Adora's sword dances through the air with lethal grace, its every movement calculated and precise. Riley, now fully immersed in the rhythm of the fight, strategized on the fly, his mind racing to anticipate Adora's next move. He won't admit it, but this fight is actually fun for him just as it seems to be fun for her. Riley goes for an uppercut toward Adoras jaw, which misses, Adora swings her blade at Rileys neck, but he uses the rubble on the ground to push himself backward barely fast enough for Adoras attack to miss. Adora's eyes gleam with determination as she thrusts her sword forward, attempting to close the distance. Riley, however, countered with a surge of mana, propelling himself into the air. It seems like he carried locks into the air beneath his feet, as they morph into jagged spikes, aimed at Adora, who still rests on the ground. He BLASTS the spiky rocks toward Adora, as she dismantles them quickly, jumping in the air finally closing the distance.
Riley claps his hands together, as he uses his mana to form a razor blade of rocks and mana. It doesn’t seem like fully used his power, as the blade rotates with the brown mana being very visible through the rocks that are still forming, but alas Riley tosses the razor blade at Adora. Throws her sword, as she's already in motion and unable to dodge mid movement. The sword clashes with mana razor, the sword flows with black sludge as Adora manifests in the place of her sword. While she's still mostly black sludge, she uses her sword which is still taking her place as a way to propel herself OVER the razor, and immediately toward Riley. She immediately punches Riley in his face, slamming the boy into the ground BACKWARDS, toward the location where her sword was landing, spinning at high altitude.
Riley crashes onto the floor, into the tree that was split in half during their previous interaction. He coughs out blood, but quickly conjures a barrage of stone projectiles, aiming to distract Adora. "You’re not as invincible as you pretend to be.”" Adora, undeterred, swaps places with her sword once more. So the sword is floating in the air vulnerable and takes the barrage of projectiles, while she is now propelling toward Riley at high altitudes. She slams down on top of Riley with an Axe Kick. Riley blocks her kick with his arms which are covered in rocks, this time they don't shatter, taking the force from this attack. Riley uses this as an opportunity to push Adora backward, so pushes her leg off his arms, and while she floats, he attempts to punch her with full force. Adora matches Rileys punch by pulling her sword from the air as a means to counter his punch.
The punch makes FULL contact with the sword, they give the boy a weird feeling, but Rileys knuckles are spikey so he takes no physical damage, as he knocks her sword away. But Adora is no longer in the air, as she catches her sword before it flies any further away. Adora and Riley go right back into another clash, going blow for blow this time. Adora manages to see an opening and go for a slash on Rileys chest, but before it can land, the sword is pushed away. Adora is confused, and this gives Riley an opening to hit her with a MEAN Haymaker punch. Adora blasts back as she bleeds from her nose after the clean punch, with a couple of scratch marks on her face from the spiked knuckles.
Adora is absolutely impressed by Rileys read into her attack and what she would do, and even how he countered that. “Mana is Soul Energy's natural opposition.” Riley thinks to himself, cracking his knuckles. “The 2 repel each other like a magnet. Thats why Mana takes shape into Magic, to make contact with Soul Energy based weapons or attacks. Since it has a similar ABILITY to a Soul Saber from what I’ve seen, I thought subconsciously stacking mana onto my body as a way to repel the sword would be a good idea.” Adora cracks her neck and smiles, “Looks like I’ve got to actually try.” She swings her sword, and words appear onto the blade that catch Rileys attention.
Υπηρέτης Ντουλαχαν
Translation - Dullahans Servant.
“Dullahan..?!” Riley mutters out loud, seemingly unable to control his intrusive thoughts. Adora giggles like a little girl, then her body sword begins to flood with sludge, its blade becomes black, which Riley seems to recognize. The eerie substance seems to resonate with its every movement, enhancing the lethality of the weapon. Riley, ever adaptive, manipulates the earth to create a protective barrier, shielding himself from the corrosive effects the blade might possess.
Adora blasts toward Riley, who seems to be fighting with limits. She's limiting her powers as well, but also is giving an attempt to push him toward his limits. His movements become a blur as he deftly dodges Adora's strikes with perison. Adora, senses the urgency, increased the tempo of her attacks. The sword slashes through the air like a living entity, leaving trails of dark energy in its wake. “Astral BREAK!” Adora yells, Riley, however, manages to block the impact of Adoras attack by covering himself with stones and rocks. He still takes damage but he falls back after tanking the attack. He flips himself over, standing back onto his 2 feet as the rocks remaining from his body shield stack onto his arms.
As Adora surges toward Riley, the air crackles with anticipation. Riley, his knuckles still spiked, yells out “Conquer BARRIER”, creating a swirling barrier to deflect the imminent threat of the attack. The barrier gathers mud, stone, sand and dirt as they swirl around in a spiral in the forest. Adora must stay on her feet, staying still for even a second will lead to her get trapped in the mud and drowning as if in quicksand. The blade, now cloaked in the eerie black sludge, seemed to resonate with both Soul Energy AND Mana. Adora's movements became a whirlwind of lethal grace. She swings the sword with newfound intensity, leaving trails of dark energy behind as it swings toward the Cavendine. Riley, his focus unyielding, manipulates the rocks around him with precision. Each stone became a shield in his Conquer Barrier, deflecting the corrosive effects of the black sludge, as if the very earth itself resisted the encroaching darkness.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
Their clash intensifies, a ballet of elements colliding in a symphony of chaos. Adora, eyes gleaming with anticipation for what Riley would do now, as she sought openings in Riley's defenses. The spikes on Riley's knuckles shimmer as he parries and dodges, his movements a testament to his proficiency in earth manipulation. A moment of recognition flashed in Riley's eyes as he anticipated Adora's strikes. "She must really HAVE no magic…" The realization fueled his determination as he counters Adora's every move with a shield of boulders to parry.
In a swift maneuver, Adora blurred once again, changing places with her sword. The blade danced through the air, guided by her will. Riley adjusts, the rocks beneath him shifting to maintain the intricate dance between defense and counterattack. Adora, a mischievous grin on her face, launches a barrage of slashes, the black sludge trailing the blade like a sinister afterimage. Riley, undeterred, meets each strike with a calculated response. The battlefield became a canvas of elemental clashes, an intricate tapestry of stone, sludge, and the unsettling energy of a calamity.
Adora accelerated the tempo of her attacks. Her sword became a blur of malevolent energy, leaving Riley with little room to breathe. As the girl runs closer toward her, Riley begins to charge something in hands, relying on nothing but his subconscious to counter and block all of Adoras attacks as he begins to form his ultimate counter attack. Adora, impressed by Riley's adaptability, intensifies her assault. The girl starts drooling as it seems like she has a thirst for combat, her slashes leaving ethereal trails of sludge. Riley, however, maintained his focus, the rocks around him weaving a protective barrier against the encroaching woman.
The dance of elements continues, the clash between Adora and Riley reaching a zenith. The battlefield, marked by the imprints of their powers, bore witness to the relentless struggle between two formidable adversaries. The very earth beneath them seemed to resonate with the intensity of their clash, a testament to the profound convergence of soul and sorcery in the throes of combat. As Adora presses forward, her attacks become increasingly unpredictable. The Monarch whirls through the air, leaving dark trails that lingered like haunting echoes. Riley, ever the strategist, weaves through the onslaught with nothing but his subconscious mind as he charges something.
In a daring move, Adora's sword changes places with her once more, its ethereal movements testing Riley's adaptability. The dance between stone and shadow unfolds with each calculated strike. Riley, refusing to be caught off guard, stops focusing on what he's creating for a few seconds, as he manipulates the rocks to create a protective barrier that seems to repel the malevolent energy emanating from the Adora. Adora, now fully embracing the essence of her title, unleashed a barrage of slashes imbued with the corrosive black sludge. Riley drops what he was crying as he focuses his movements on a symphony of precision, countering with calculated strikes of his own. The spikes on his knuckles became a deadly extension of his will, aiming to disrupt Adora's rhythm. As the battlefield transformed into a chaotic dance of elements, Adora grinned with a mix of excitement and admiration. "You’re special, Riley.," she remarked, her voice carrying a tone of genuine appreciation.
Riley doesn’t respond, as he snaps his fingers, not only do half of his gauntlets go into it, but his conquer barrier also charges fully into what he's creating. “Colossus!” He says, as he creates a stone golem behind him. The stone golem was made by Riley using 20% of his Mana and Soul Energy reserves combined with the stones, mud, dirt and sand he was using around himself. The Stone Golem is a colossal guardian of primordial strength, standing tall with a tapestry of rugged, weathered stones forming its towering form. Standing at a menacing 7 feet tall, with massive hands adorned with jagged spikes evoke both majesty and menace. Its presence, a harmonious blend of ancient power and enduring strength. “You’re decent.” Riley says with confidence.
The 3 fall into the crater of RIley's barrier. Adora falls onto her feet along with Riley and Colossus. It's 2v1 now.” Riley and Colossus charge toward Adora. Colossus is slower then the 2, but is able to sneak in a few quick jabs as Riley and Adora clash. Adora’s battle speed outclasses both, quickly perrying both the strikes of Riley and Colossus. Colossus gets hit with 3 slashes across its chest, it stumbles back, as Adora kicks it directly in its chest. It stumbles backward, as Riley then swoops in before Adora can dish out a finishing blow, they exchange a powerful clash. Their exchange of blows intensifies, the clash of elements echoing through the battleground. Riley's stone constructs move with an almost instinctive responsiveness, adapting to the nuances of Adora's attacks. The spiked knuckles met the blades with an unyielding force, creating a visual spectacle of clashing powers.
Adora, recognizing the need to push Riley to his limits, heightens the aggression of her assault. She still doesn’t seem to be trying much to Riley, but her attacks are getting faster and more aggressive and keeping him on his toes. The sword's blade, now fully submerged in the black sludge, radiates an ominous aura. Riley, however, demonstrated an unparalleled control over his elemental abilities, the protective barrier of rocks weaving seamlessly with the dance of their intertwined powers. In a moment, quite literally less than a second, Adora feigned a vulnerability, a calculated opening that enticed Riley to move in. As he lunged forward, she swiftly redirected her blade, aiming for a precise slash on his chest. Yet, just before the blade could make contact, Colossus intercepts the attack. It blasted its hand toward Riley for the split second he was open, if he didn’t create Colossus that opening would have given Adora the opening to kill him right then and there.
Adora, momentarily confused by the unexpected turn of events, found herself vulnerable. Riley seized the opportunity, delivering a powerful haymaker punch that connected with her face.The impact smashes Adora into the dirt as her sword flies up into the air. For the second she's not holding her sword, Colossus is already running to attack her.. Riley, panting but resolute, observed the aftermath of his well-timed counterattack. Adora, wiping away the blood, wore a mixture of surprise and amusement. Colossus attacks Adora one on one. In hand to hand combat, the 2 clash but Adora seems to be well trained in that.
Colossus goes to jab Adora in her gut, But she dodges, and hits him with an eagle strike. The titan stumbles, then gets bombarded with a barrage of leg-based attacks, finally blasting Colossus with a Knee Bomb directly into the center of the beast. She snaps, her sword spins around and stabs Colossus directly through its rocky core. She then hits it with a roundhouse kick, taking its head completely off and blasting it away. The head seems to sit however, not going anywhere and freezing in the air. This confuses Adora for a few seconds, but she doesn’t have time to worry about that as Riley charges toward her and bombards her with punches, his rock knuckles flowing with Mana.
The clash continues, and the battle between the Monarch Of Vanity and the Terraforge Prodigy reaches its climax. Riley smirks with confidence as Adora ravishes in the adrenaline. She goes blow for blow with the boy, relying on her sword which is seeming to dim with color. Riley begins to gain more confidence, realizing that the teleportation might not be an issue anymore. Riley counters each of Adora's strikes with a rock infused punch of his own. Riley hits Adora with 3 solid punches, but Adora quickly finds an opening and Riley's defense and capitalizes in it to overwhelm him in ONE final test of his durability.
Adora slashes Riley in his leg with a lot of force instead of parrying his attack, a massive wound appears which throws off his balance, his attack misses as he winces in pain, Adora punches Riley in his face 3 times, once is an uppercut, and the other 2 are full on haymakers. Right as he tries to recover, in less then a second, she tosses her sword behind him, switches places with it, then BEAMS him in the back of his head with a 3rd Haymaker. His head falls, but she switches places with the sword again to smash his face with another punch. He takes the force from this attack, then she grabs his face, TOSSES Riley across the crater, and charges soul energy into her blade. She swoops in, this time actually attempting to cut his hands off.
Riley didn't pass out from the attacks, so he uses all his might to stack rocks on top of the gauntlets to weaken any possible damage. The sword slashes directly through the barrier, but BARELY misses cutting through his bone. Riley’s flesh gets torn to shreds however, as he gets punched in his face once more. He crashes on the ground, with his rock gauntlets torn to shreds and bleeding from his hands, hardly able to move his legs. “Seems like if I actually TRIED you would’ve died long ago. Sad.” Riley winces at her words but he scoffs, he has one last idea in mind. “My father would never let me accept a loss like this.” “Let's play a game, Adora.”
Adora is interested as she sees Riley stand on his 2 feet, he seems to try to shake off all his brutal injuries. “Honestly… I'm glad I went with her instead of Azra or Zerx…. Not that I care if they die or not… Just… ugh whatever.” He shakes his head, and begins to move like he was never injured, cracking his shoulder. He sticks out his hands, which leaves Adora confused at what he's attempting. “Go on..” She says, standing waiting to see what he tries, ready to take him out. “It's something that I like to call. Rock. Paper. Scissors.”
Adora doesn’t get it, but then immediately, Riley slaps his hand on the other to make a paper symbole, and the ground beneath her crumbles, while she falls, Riley immediately switches his hands to make the scissors symbol. The rocks he's been subconsciously holding in the air the ENTIRE battle all come beaming toward Adora. The head of Colossus, the rocky boots he made, the spikes, even tiny bits of the gauntlets stab Adora in all her sides, exactly what he did to Jaiden. Riley then charges every last bit of Soul Energy and Mana into one fist, the 2 repel each other which replicates the destructive power of Zerx’s attacks. He's not literally using Zerx’s Reverse Soul Energy, but due to Mana and Soul Energy reflecting each other, the destructive power is similar.
Riley rushes down into the Cavern, and while Adora cant move her body at all, stunned, Riley charges and SLAMS his fist into her stomach. “For once, I’ll thank you for showing me this Attack, Zerx.”
“DREAD IMPACT”
Riley screams, in an attempt to hit that attack as well, but it doesn’t bring the same effects as Zerx’s from before. Despite that, the attack immediately beams into Adora. She seems to be bleeding from her eyes, as her body seems to replicate imploding. Riley puts all his remaining strength into this attack… until….
He hears the sound of Glass shattering. He looks up. He sees that he did in fact punch something, but it wasn’t what he thought. Riley full force punched a mirror. This mirror has a reflection of Adora and her physical form getting attacked by his dread impact and before Riley can turn, he hears the sound of something charging behind him.
“Mirror Flux Prism.”
Riley gets absolutely destroyed by this beam of pure mana. The beam isn’t even Magic, it's just mana. What Riley doesn’t seem to recognize is WHOS Magic this is, because it doesn’t feel like Adoras power at ALL. “Thanks Sidel~” Adora giggles as Riley is blasted out of the crater and back onto the main ground level of the forest. She climbs back up, as she hears the sound of propellers flying down onto the forest.
“Ahh! Took you boys long enough.” She says to her reinforcements, as Riley can do nothing but lay down in agony… Witnessing the invasion of Dundread Island.