Chapter 15: The Unfair Blessing
Ray
I stood in the vast hall of the king’s villa, my chest heaving as I wiped blood from my brow. The walls, adorned with golden insignias of the Elthias family, bore scorch marks and cracks from the ongoing fight. Opposite me, the bastared Ravencrest smirked, his black cloak fluttering as if alive, his aura radiating malevolence. The guards who had remained loyal to the king circled the perimeter, waiting for an opportunity to strike, but none dared intervene in his duel with me.
“You’ve lasted longer than I expected,” the bastared Ravencrest sneered, his voice echoing through the hall. The taunt dug into me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. My breaths were shallow, each one laced with the searing pain of exhaustion. He tilted his head slightly, the smirk on his face widening as he examined me like a predator sizing up its prey. “But I must admit, you’re intriguing,” he added, his tone mocking yet curious.
The weight of his words pressed down on me, amplifying the tension in the air. My grip tightened on my sword, the edges of my vision blurred from fatigue. “But endurance alone won’t save you,” he continued, his voice sharp as a blade. “You’re running out of tricks.””
I said nothing. My grip tightened around the hilt of my sword, the faint glow of my remaining mana flickering like a dying ember. I needed to buy time, but the bastared Ravencrest wasn’t the kind of opponent who let his prey breathe.
With a lazy wave of his hand, the bastared Ravencrest summoned a massive circle of glowing runes beneath my feet. “Soul Constriction,” he said with mock reverence. Tendrils of shadow erupted from the circle, coiling around my legs and arms. The tendrils pulsed with energy, sapping my strength.
I gritted my teeth and used my enhanced strength blessing. The dark tendrils snapped as I pulled free, but the bastared Ravencrest only laughed, the sound cold and mocking.
"Predictable," the bastared Ravencrest said. He raised his arms, and the air around him crackled with energy. “Let’s see how you handle this. Void Tempest.”
The air pressure dropped instantly as an invisible force slammed into me. The sheer weight of the spell crushed the floor beneath me, and my knees buckled. The attack wasn’t physical—it was tearing at my very essence, trying to unmake me from the inside out.
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Akira
We moved swiftly through the forest, the moonlight casting long shadows across our path. The distant rumble of battle from the villa grew louder with every step. Maki and Theodore flanked me, their expressions tense. The silence between us was deafening, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath our feet.
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the shadows, blocking our way. Both were shrouded in anonymity—one a small child, barely reaching my waist, and the other a mid-height man cloaked in tattered black robes. I tensed, scanning their postures and movements. The child spoke first, their voice unnervingly calm.
“Turn back. This path leads to death.”
Theodore stepped forward, gravity subtly shifting around him in a way only I could notice. “We don’t have time for games,” he said, his voice a low growl. “Move.”
The taller figure stepped into the moonlight, their face hidden behind a mask. “This is your only warning. Leave.”
I felt my pulse quicken as I studied them. Their movements were too precise, too calculated to be mere coincidence. Something about their presence screamed danger—and purpose. “These two are stalling,” I said, my voice sharp as I pieced their intent together. “They’re likely trying to delay us until it’s too late.” I glanced at Theodore and Maki, my resolve hardening. “We can’t let that happen. We deal with them now, fast and clean.”
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Ray
I clung to consciousness, my vision swimming as I staggered to my feet. The pressure of the bastared Ravencrest’s Void Tempest had nearly crushed me, but I wasn’t done yet. I needed a plan—something to disrupt his overwhelming spellcasting.
“Is this the best you have to offer?” the bastared Ravencrest taunted. He began weaving another spell, golden runes swirling around him. “I thought I’d be facing someone who actually knew what they were doing.”
I forced a grin, blood dripping from my lips. “You’ll regret those words.”
the bastared Ravencrest smirked. “Will I?”
I activated my ghost form, my body becoming intangible as I dashed toward him. But just as I closed the distance, the bastared Ravencrest’s figure shimmered and vanished in a flash of light, reappearing several feet away. His smirk grew wider, taunting me with the distance he maintained.
I tried again, lunging toward him with ghostly precision, but each time my hand neared his body, he vanished and reappeared, his mocking laughter taunting me at every failed attempt. “You can’t touch me,” the bastared Ravencrest mocked. “This spell ensures that anything approaching me with malicious intent triggers a teleportation. You’ll never get close enough to even try, let alone succeed.”
“You think you can take over me like you did in the Lion Cub City?” he whispered, his voice chilling. “Foolish.”
The bastared Ravencrest raised a hand, gripping my spectral form mid-air. Before he could act further, a strained voice broke through the tension. It was Benjiro, his body battered and broken as he leaned against a cracked pillar. His face was a mask of agony, his breaths shallow. "Look at his blessing," Benjiro said hoarsely, each word dragging out like it cost him what little life he had left. "This guy is invincible… with all the spells he’s shown just now."
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He coughed violently, blood splattering onto the floor, the sound wet and sickening. My heart twisted at the sight—Benjiro, the one who had stood with me through so much, was now a shadow of himself. Still, his eyes burned with defiance, a glimmer of the strength that had always defined him.
"What an unfair blessing," he managed, his voice trembling yet resolute. Those words, spoken with finality, hung in the air like a death knell.
Before I could process the weight of his words, a brilliant light engulfed him. The glow was blinding, consuming him entirely in an instant. I could only watch in horror as his body erupted into a violent explosion of light and energy, leaving behind nothing but a charred outline on the floor where he had stood. The sound of the blast echoed, a haunting reminder of the price he paid.
The bastared Ravencrest’s laughter echoed through the hall, loud and mocking. "Oh, this is priceless! Did you think you could critique blessings without consequences? That, my dear stranger, is the Universal Curse. Call a blessing unfair, and the gods themselves will strike you down for your arrogance."
My fists clenched, fury boiling over, but my body refused to respond, drained from the earlier assaults. Unnoticed by anyone, three figures had been watching from a distance—Selia, Taki, and Lucky. They had arrived moments earlier, just in time to witness Benjiro’s tragic death. Frozen in shock, none of them dared to move or speak.
But the silence broke when Lucky, overwhelmed, let out a startled gasp. Heads turned instantly toward them, and the three found themselves exposed. the bastared Ravencrest’s grin widened, his gaze locking onto the newcomers.
Selia gasped, her eyes immediately locking onto the charred remains of Benjiro. "No…" she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. Lucky stayed close behind her, his face pale as he took in the scene.
Taki, however, froze for only a moment before her expression twisted in rage. "You bastard!" she screamed, her fists clenching as water began to swirl around her. Without waiting for a signal, she launched herself toward the bastared Ravencrest, her blessing manifesting as sharp streams of water that slashed through the air.
I blinked in shock. Taki’s movements were precise, and her attacks forced the bastared Ravencrest to teleport repeatedly to avoid her strikes. Despite his mocking demeanor, he began to weave defensive spells, golden runes flashing around him.
"Impressive," the bastared Ravencrest said, his tone tinged with surprise. "I didn’t expect such ferocity from you. But it won’t be enough."
Taki gritted her teeth, ignoring his taunts as she continued her assault. Her water whips lashed out in unpredictable patterns, forcing him to stay on the defensive. I watched, astonished. 'She’s holding her own against him,' I thought, a flicker of hope igniting in my chest.
But the battle began to take its toll. Taki’s breaths grew labored, her movements slowing as her mana reserves dwindled. A powerful counterspell from the bastared Ravencrest shattered her water barrier, sending her flying across the room. She crashed into a pillar, slumping to the ground with a groan.
"Taki!" Selia cried, rushing toward her. Lucky hesitated, torn between helping Taki and shielding Selia from further harm.
The bastared Ravencrest chuckled, brushing off his cloak. "A valiant effort, but futile. You should know better than to challenge me, little girl."
My fury reignited as I saw Taki struggling to stand, blood trickling down her face. "That’s enough," I growled, my voice low but laced with determination. I forced myself upright, my hands trembling but steady. "You’ll pay for that."
Selia
Before the city was attacked, meteors streaked across the sky, burning trails of destruction in their wake. We had barely escaped when Ray found us. His face was stern, his words sharper than usual. “I saw the meteors coming. Run, and don’t stop until you’re far enough away. I’ll handle the rest.”
We didn’t question him, but the weight of his voice lingered as we fled. Taki hadn’t stopped looking back, her steps hesitant as if wanting to stay behind. I could see the struggle in her eyes, torn between obeying Ray and staying to fight. “Ray wouldn’t leave us if we were in danger,” she muttered, mostly to herself. “He expects the same from us.”
We eventually found refuge in the ruins of an old house, a remnant of the battlefield where we had fought alongside Benjiro. The air was heavy, the silence oppressive. It felt like the ghost of that battle still lingered, refusing to let us forget. I couldn’t stop myself from glancing at the broken walls, half-expecting shadows to leap out and drag us back into the chaos.
Taki wasted no time. She stepped into the clearing, summoning her water blessing with a sharp breath. “Ray said I need precision,” she murmured. Her voice was focused, determined. The streams of water coiled around her, lashing out as she mimicked the techniques he had taught her.
I watched from the doorway, arms crossed. She was improving, but her movements still carried hesitation. Her frustration was palpable, radiating through every swing of her water blades. “You’re rushing it,” I called out. She turned, her face flushed with frustration and a hint of shame. “Ray wouldn’t let you get away with that.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she adjusted her stance and began again, her determination unwavering. It reminded me of Ray’s quiet, relentless drive, and for a moment, I wondered how much she had come to admire him.
Nearby, Lucky leaned against a crumbling wall, ever the clown despite the tension in the air. “Why don’t you train me instead?” he quipped with a grin. “I’d make a great student. Fast learner.”
I didn’t bother responding, my eyes fixed on the device in my hand. The hacked network displayed dots representing the king, his son, and Ray. “Something’s wrong,” I said softly. The signals didn’t make sense. The king and his son were moving, but Ray’s dot remained surrounded. My stomach churned at the implications.
Taki stopped mid-swing, her breathing heavy. “What’s wrong?”
I hesitated before showing her the screen. “They’ve left Ray behind. He’s surrounded.”
Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. “We have to go back!”
Lucky’s humor faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. “We’re sneaking in, right? I’m not built for fighting.”
I shook my head. “We can’t rush in blind. Let’s see what’s happening first.”
We set out again, making our way toward the king’s signal. The air grew colder, heavier with every step, as if the world itself was warning us to turn back. The signal led us to a clearing where we saw him standing across from a green-haired man. Their auras were overwhelming, suffocating the air around them with tension. The sheer presence of their power radiated outward, making the ground beneath us feel as though it trembled in fear of what might come next.
“This isn’t good,” I said, my voice barely audible over the distant roars of energy. My stomach churned. “If the king and his son are here, what’s happening to Ray?”
Taki didn’t wait for a response. She broke into a run, her resolve unshakable. Lucky and I exchanged a glance, the same unspoken fear mirrored in his eyes, before we followed her.