Chapter 57 - Impossible Mission

<p> GO.<br/><br/> There's no time.<br/><br/> MOVE.<br/><br/> I'm trying!<br/><br/> LOOK OUT.<br/><br/> Whish!<br/><br/> "You gotta be fucking kidding me!" I yell as two blades fly towards me, weaving between the numerous links layered one over another, as I try to twist and jerk my way across as fast as possible. I spring forward onto my hands, coiling my knees to my chest and I handspring forward by shoving off with my hands. I have a screen grab UnHoly Raze before I stop touching it, rendering me unarmed as I fly past the attack and part way through the maze of lines. As I flex my ab muscles to bring my head forward, I see I'm headed right toward a blazing chain. <br/><br/> Without time to hesitate, I stick my left hand out and grab it, ignoring the searing pain while I force my body to swing under it and release above the majority of the other flames. I backflip from the force, curling my body forward once again so I can see where I'm going. <br/><br/> I land feet first on another chain, bouncing lightly off it to land past the maze gracefully on my feet.<br/><br/> Or I would have, if I hadn't landed on a small rock that was just big enough to twist my ankle to the side. I fall flat on my face as my leg buckles, skidding several feet before stopping. As if too busy laughing at me, the attacks from Eniyala cease for a moment, causing me to shoot back up in anger.<br/><br/> The five spell weapons burst forward again, flying at me from different angles, and I summon and stab the tip of my blade into the ground by my left foot.<br/><br/> "If the moon is my strength… then.. I'm still not naming it Stormy Night!"<br/><br/> I swing the blade around, spinning my body along with it to create a circular arc.<br/><br/> "Full Moon's Deflect!"<br/><br/> The tip of my sword draws a round O, pushing the attacks away. The speed and force are assisted by the buildup of my Strength by stabbing it into the ground first, and I take note of that for the future as I run right, following the chain that is now up against one wall, and growing dimmer.<br/><br/> "I only have about a minute before she unbinds her spell," I mutter as I turn another corner. There are no more attacks, and my eyes lock onto the fading chain.<br/><br/> Left, right, left, left, right, left.<br/><br/> I can feel it with my Instincts. 'I'm close.'<br/><br/> As I round another corner, I finally see it.<br/><br/> The links disappear rapidly, flying past me as they flare out of existence. "Shit."<br/><br/> I was out of time, and Eniyala had managed to get rid of the spell. The worst part was, spells didn't have any cooldown, meaning as soon as she redrew the symbol it would turn into a battle against her Mana and my Stamina, and we both knew how that would end. <br/><br/> "Shit, shit shit shit," I mutter as I dash towards the turn I had seen the chains come from. If I was lucky, I might stand a chance.<br/><br/> But as I peek around the wall, I see… nothing. There's three directions I could go: diagonally left, right, or straight. Due to the way each one was facing and the left one being closer, I would only be able to see either down the left or the right.<br/><br/> "Why does it feel like she did this on purpose?"<br/><br/> GO.<br/><br/> Right. Tick, tock.<br/><br/> I sprint to the left, looking down the lane, but again, nothing. I run past it, to look down the right. <br/><br/> "Where the fuck is she?"<br/><br/> MOVE.<br/><br/> "Wha—"<br/><br/> The ground splinters, and I leap away as a giant blue drill flies out of the ground. Well, it would be a drill, but it's more like a coned blade, and completely smooth. It furls around its inner contents, revealing a small girl with flames in her hair and hands. <br/><br/> "Hey, idiot."<br/><br/>* * *<br/><br/> Eniyala studies her party member. No, he's an enemy for now. He wasn't too injured; his side and his hand were, but she knew that wouldn't stop him. His eye is glowing purple, which she has always found weird. Purple was an uncommon Mana color, and not only that but only one of his eyes ever glowed. Usually both eyes or some specific appendage shone, but this had never been the case for Klum.<br/><br/> 'He's a weirdo, no doubt about it,' she thinks to herself. She hadn't been able to see through the chains, but she could sense Mana through them, so she could get a general sense of direction even without seeing the chains. It was how she had navigated and attacked Klum, as well as setting up her trap.<br/><br/> She should have known he'd find a way through it.<br/><br/> But now that she was here in person, she could finish this fight.<br/><br/> She could have won by staying hidden, but that wouldn't elicit much growth, would it? If that was the only way she could beat someone she had spent this much time with, she didn't deserve to win.<br/><br/> The rod attached to her back left shoulder extended and grew to its normal length, touching a small section of her bare back. This allowed her to channel her Mana through it, which in turn amplified her fire's power and control. The reason it was attached to her back in such a manner?<br/><br/> It was a strategy she had crafted just for Klum, to leave both of her hands free.<br/><br/> Simultaneously, she casts four spells. "Enhance, Chains of Ignios, Fiery Fingerblades, Ignios Stand."<br/><br/> Klum seems unbothered by the murmuring, and doesn't even react when three spears, five swords, five chains and the golden bands all appear around Eniyala. Five rings sit on her right hand, all different sizes, and on her left sit five more rings, each one connected to a chain.<br/><br/> For the first time in her life, Eniyala grins. Not the small smile she's had a few times, not the semi-controlled laugh that had escaped from her. Her teeth shone from behind her lips as a small trickle of blood appeared under one nostril.<br/><br/> 'I swear to Meinzer, Klum, I'll kill you if you turn me into some psychopath like you.'<br/><br/> Seeing her smile, one of his own grows on his face. <br/><br/> "Guess we're thinking the same thing, then?" He asks.<br/><br/> 'What a dork,' she wants to respond, instead rolling her eyes. "I could never think at such a low level."<br/><br/> "Guess you'll never see me coming then!"<br/><br/> "You're right in front of me…"<br/><br/> As if to try and prove his point, he darts forward, lowering the edge of his blade. Eniyala's eyes track his movements easily, thanks to her boosted Agility.<br/><br/> Another part of the strategy was to raise her Agility as she had leveled up. She had never doubted Klum would get here. <br/><br/> From a downward position, he would either strike up or from his left to right. So, Eniyala positioned two swords there, using two of the spears to attack from his blind spot. Klum instantly adapts, swinging UnHoly Raze in the small space between the two swords, and cutting through in a wide arc. Eniyala barely moves out of the way, her right upper arm receiving a deep gash through it as he turns his swipe at 90° and then 45° angles to cut down the two spears. <br/><br/> He takes another step forward, raising his blade on his right side. 'A simple swipe,' Eniyala says, and her right middle and index fingers twitch.<br/><br/> A shortsword flies in to block the blow, but Klum's sword traces a mini lightning bolt, going above it to continue forward.<br/><br/> Clang!<br/><br/> The longsword flies in last second, deflecting the attack away. Righting itself, it shoots straight for the young man's face, and he ducks under, pulling his arm down after recovering from the deflect.<br/><br/>"And the two competitors decide that a long distance relationship simply isn't for them, and are now clashing equally in face-to-fac—… magic combat!"<br/><br/> Eniyala scoffs. 'I'm going to kill that guy.' Clearly, though, Klum is too focused to even hear him and agree with her. He sets his sword up near his shoulder, in a thrusting motion.<br/><br/> 'No, it's his move,' Eniyala thinks to herself as she positions the last spear above them, and points it straight down. Three of the swords prepare to block the attack, while the two smallest ones fly around and attack from either side of the white-haired monster she was facing. She tries to keep focus on the chains that are digging into the ground, too, while being subtle about it. Suddenly, her Statbook flaps open and flies in front of her, using its transparent mode so that she could still see Klum while she read the message.<br/><br/>(Klum has activated Skill Heavy Thrust.)<br/><br/> "Shit—"<br/><br/> Unable to properly react in time, she moves the three blades to line up edge to edge in front of her, in order to block the Thrust.<br/><br/> "…Reverse Crescent Slash."<br/><br/> The tip of Klum's weapon flashes upwards and across, destroying the longsword and one of the shortswords. Continuing to spin around, he unleashes three horizontal arcs at the dagger and knife that were coming at his sides, destroying those as well. He whips his head around, but Eniyala has her middle finger up already.<br/><br/> "Look, it's your favorite move," she says smugly, as a giant "bird" comes flying down on Klum.</p>