As they proceeded towards the wall, Gorlion returned their equipment, including their armor and bag. He also presented them with a new treasure, one that Sophia instantly recognized as a key to the dwarven vault on the central continent. These were a pair of sandals with small wings attached to the back of the ankles, reminiscent of the footwear worn by the Greek god Hermes. The sandals granted the power of flight, allowing the wearer to become beloved of the wind and allow them to run through the air as long as the element was cooperative.
Gorlion's voice was filled with a rare humility as he explained, "I know you seek the treasures of the vaults. The old Valicar, your uncle, had asked me to gather these for him as a token of gratitude for something he had aided me with years ago. With his passing, I bestow them upon you as his successor."
Sophia's delight was palpable when she exclaimed, "We can finally fly!" Wind magic had always been a thorny path for her, so these sandals were a godsend. She hurriedly slipped off her boots and strapped on the ethereal sandals. As soon as they were snug on her feet, she felt a gentle buoyancy. Giving a tentative hop, she started to levitate. But her flight was short-lived, as she lost her balance and fell abruptly busting her ass on the hard ground.
Mike chuckled at Sophia's lack of grace, a smirk playing on his lips. "Let me try before break them," he teased, Taking control, he stepped on the air and found the sensation akin to walking on ice – a lack of friction in the air took some adjustment. However, already having a knack for skating, Mike adjusted his movements and soon took to the air, flying with relative ease.
"Show off," Sophia grumbled, attuning the sandals' magic with her mana, then smiled and thanked Gorlion, for the newfound advantage they held.
"Now we have the edge we need. Thank you, Gorlion," she expressed her gratitude. Mike chimed in with his typical irreverence, "Feel free to shake the ground as much as you want now with that annoying-ass spell of yours." With a hint of laughter in his voice, he moved off the wall as Sophia summoned his blade of frost, "Silvoria" now ready to face the incoming orc assault.
Dropping off the wall, Valicar felt the rush of the wind tangle their wild red and blue hair, matted and unbrushed due to weeks of captivity. The grime and dirt clung to their skin, a constant reminder of their recent ordeal. Though their limbs were sore from being confined for so long, they had no time to rest or groom themselves. As they fell from the high walls, their hair flowed freely.
Weeks without proper hygiene had left them feeling gross, but the urgency of the situation took precedence. The orcs were massing from all directions, their siege weapons rendered useless by Gorlion's powerful spells that had shattered the land around the city. The resulting rubble provided both cover for the orcs and an obstacle for the elvish defenders. Arrows flew from the walls, but the orcs were closing in, scaling ladders to breach the city's defenses.
Seizing complete control of Valicar, Mike surged forward through the air with an invigorated sense of liberation. Equipped with the enchanted sandals, he effortlessly launched himself from any point in the air, smoothly vaulting over the rubble that littered the battlefield. Meanwhile, Sophia's command echoed, "Gromfa," as she conjured ice golems that descended upon the orc ranks below, causing chaos and confusion among their ranks.
Mike's icy blade became an extension of his intent, moving with impeccable precision as it cleaved through orc heads with each skillful swing. The sandals, bestowing him with unerring balance, elevated his swordsmanship to unparalleled heights. Every movement was executed with perfect footing, and the enchanted sandals granted him remarkable leverage from any position. The battle was a symphony of magic, steel, and chaos, with Mike at its epicenter, a force to be reckoned with.
The practiced hand signs that Mike and Sophia had diligently rehearsed flowed seamlessly from his fingers, infusing his strikes with further power and accuracy. Bolts of fire and ice erupted from their fingertips, reaping death for all in his path. The city's inhabitants remained oblivious to the intricacies of his demonic oath, a pact that harnessed the swirling emotions of those around him – whether positive or negative – to amplify his already formidable power, all in secret. Amid the turmoil of the battle, he served as a beacon of inspiration for the elven troops and a harrowing specter of death that sowed fear in the hearts of the orc forces.
As they pressed forward, a sudden bolt of black energy struck Valicar. The leather chest piece absorbed part of the impact, but the searing pain that shot through their body was unlike anything they had experienced before. The agony threatened to strip flesh from bone, a sensation that tore through their senses. Yet, amid the torment, something within Mike's core intertwined with Sophia's presence. As the dark energy sought to consume them, they fought back with their combined power, repelling the malevolent force with a surge of their energy.
This fusion of energies reacted in an instant, pushing back the dark magic that had assailed them. The S-ranked Warlock, much like Mike himself, had appeared on the battlefield, launching a bolt of dark energy akin to what Mike had used on the archer. Although Mike was still relatively new to this form of magic, he recognized his potential to use it in secret to amplify their abilities. Yet, his promise to Sophia – a vow he intended to honor – somewhat curtailed his full exploration of this newfound power.
With every blade swing, a surge of strength coursed through him, a power amplified not only by his oath but also by the seamless intertwining of his and Sophia's magical essences. Their harmonious fusion of magic and combat flowed in perfect synchrony, enhancing their skills and weaving an intricate tapestry where the ethereal strains of his demonic power intertwined with her more conventional magic amidst the cacophony of bloody slaughter and chaos of the battlefield.
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In a single sweeping motion of his blade, Mike unleashed a torrent of ice shards that cut through the orc ranks like a scythe on a wheat field, killing dozens of foes in a cascade of frozen destruction, leaving icy chunks of gore laying about. The S-ranked Warlock remained his primary target, but the warlock's magic was formidable and was not about to be taken down easily. The warlock erected a dark shield formed from swirling black energy, a barrier that absorbed the impact of Mike's icy assault. Seizing the opportunity, the warlock summoned bolts of shadow from below, attempting to ensnare Mike in an inky web of darkness.
Valicar's instincts kicked in, and with a swift dodge, they managed to evade the incoming shadows. Sensing the perilous situation, Sophia swiftly conjured a massive fireball, its radiant glow serving as a countermeasure against the encroaching shadows. She hurled the fireball into a crowd of orcs, leaving them engulfed in flames, their pained screams piercing the air.
"They even squeal like pigs when they burn, hahaha!" Mike's laughter rang out manically amid the carnage, his amusement starkly contrasting Sophia's growing sense of unease and sickness at the brutality of their actions.
The battle escalated once again as another S-ranked figure joined the fray, a presence Mike had anticipated but one that remained unfamiliar to Sophia. This newcomer was a Brawler, a formidable adversary armed with sheer physical prowess and astonishing regeneration capabilities. Their partner, working in tandem, brought forth a chaotic blend of earth and wind-based magic that aimed to unbalance, trip, or sink opponents into treacherous sinkholes, exploiting any openings that arose.
Valicar's newfound sandals proved to be a valuable advantage, allowing them to hover above the ground and evade the simple tricks meant to hinder their movements. Leveraging the enchanted sandals' mobility, Mike demonstrated his mastery of unorthodox swordsmanship. His every move was fluid and unpredictable, even turning himself upside down to disrupt the Brawler's equilibrium. However, their foe's resilience proved remarkable – Mike resorted to cutting off limbs, only for them to regrow with astonishing speed. The Brawler's combat style, akin to a monk as Sophia had described, relied on bare-handed strikes, their blows creating deep craters in the stone, a clear testament to the augmentation of their magic.
With a precisely timed maneuver, Mike descended rapidly, seizing the final instant of his airborne flight to deliver a powerful kick that sent the warlock flying, their jaw shattered from the impact. As Mike descended, his ice blade found its mark, piercing the Brawler's heart with chilling precision."Faersoris" Sophia called, and frost spread rapidly from the point of impact, immobilizing the once-formidable foe. Their regeneration, previously their saving grace, proved futile as Mike's blow shattered them into frozen chunks of meat.
The Brawler's attempt at fusing was short-lived, as their magic crumbled and fell apart, their very essence broken. The Warlock, witnessing their ally's death, was consumed by rage. In retaliation, they unleashed a barrage of shadow bolts at Valicar, seeking vengeance for their fallen comrade. Valicar, utilizing their newfound sandals, took to the skies once more, narrowly evading the shadowy onslaught and maneuvering themselves to retaliate. The battle was far from over, and the tides continued to shift as each side fought with all their might.
"I have an idea!" Sophia's voice rang out amidst the chaos. As bolts and arrows whizzed by, Valicar swiftly reacted, reaching for their inner-dimensional pouch. The magical item's properties enabled them to gather a massive amount of rubble in mere seconds. Sophia poured a tremendous amount of mana into the pouch, fueling its magical capabilities to their limits. In a breathtaking display of power, they harnessed The Bag of Dalioum's full potential, reshaping the battlefield by pulling in loose rubble and orcs alike. The very environment responded to their will as the bag absorbed everything in its path.
With the bag filled to its capacity, Valicar once again took to the skies, ascending with the collected debris held high above. From this strategic vantage point, they unleashed the full might of the gathered rubble, allowing it to cascade down like a relentless storm. The torrent of debris hurtled toward the dark warlock, a formidable figure who had summoned a barrier of shadow to protect herself. The descending rubble collided with the shield, the impact sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Orcs unfortunate enough to be caught in the path of destruction were crushed between rocks and the barrier of dark magic as gravity did its work.
The collision between the rubble and the shadowy barrier was nothing short of titanic. The barrier struggled to withstand the sheer weight and force of the falling debris. As the mountain of rubble pressed against it cracks splintered across the surface of the shadowy shield. In an explosive crescendo, the barrier shattered into fragments, unable to bear the unrelenting onslaught.
Beneath the crumbling barrier, the warlock found herself overwhelmed by the deluge of debris. The once-impenetrable shield was no more, and the dark magic that had sustained it was disrupted by the chaotic impact. The warlock's efforts to summon her sinister powers were stifled, and her connection to the dark energy was severed. With a resounding pop, her power crumbled alongside the barrier, leaving her defenseless against the barrage of debris and bodies. The battlefield reverberated with the deafening crash as the torrent of rubble settled, leaving the dark warlock a puddle of bloody paste beneath the mountainous heap of rocks and gore.
With two of the S-rank adversaries now dead, Mike continued to cut through the orc ranks unchallenged once again, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. The battlefield was shifting, and they seemed to have the upper hand until another formidable presence finally emerged. It was none other than the captain of the S-rankers, accompanied by his two remaining squad mates. Gorlion currently engaged in a fierce one-on-one duel with the orc chieftain, was unable to help Valicar as he was still locked in combat and unable to break free.
The figure that stepped forth was Lorianth, his eyes blazing with fury. His voice carried a mix of disbelief and rage as he questioned Valicar, "How did you amass such incredible power in such a short period?" The loss of three of his fellow S-rank adventurers had dealt a heavy blow to his party's strength, leaving only him, a holy warrior, and a mysterious bard-like figure who seemed to enhance his allies through the power of music.
Though the concept of using songs to enhance magical abilities had been heard of at Helm Hold, it hadn't captured their particular interest. Sophia explained that the man was a bard, a class often associated with buffing and supporting allies through music.
"I thought you only cared about gold, you greedy fuck, huh? Well, I just saved you from having to pay out their retirement, so you're welcome," Mike taunted, his words dripping with sarcasm and defiance as he stood his ground against Lorianth. The battlefield continued to roar with the clash of magic and steel, a cacophony of violence and struggle that tested alliances and poised the fate of the city on a knife's edge.