20 The variable
Gemma concentrated her focus on her longsword. Following Gemma's will the mist flowing idly around started to gather on her right.
With the long sword guiding and carrying the mist on itself and behind its trail, Gemma unleashed a flurry of slashes toward the saint of white.
She did not dare to underestimate the saint's martial prowess. there were no weak transcendent.
Weaving her left hand deftly between the strikes to nullify the opening she would give after her sword slash ended, she kept the saint at range, barraging him with small crystalline shards of the mist while looking for a chance to strike with her sword.
Her strategy was straightforward: to rush down the saint and obliterate him before her borrowed energy reserves depleted. Either she would die first, or the saint would die under her offense first.
Almost like sensing Gemma's intentions, the saint of white adopted a defensive stance, while defending himself with martial arts he would evade her slashes with an eerie agility akin to a ghost.
Despite Gemma's attempts to predict his movements, he gracefully dodged the longsword slashes with shallow wounds, whenever she tried to trap him the saint of white would evade her trap almost like he was reading her mind.
Even after seeing the white saint's movements Gemma refused to deviate from her current strategy, doubling down on her relentless assault and increasing the power behind her attacks with each passing second. she applied greater pressure on the white saint,
The white saint's facade remained stoic and indifferent, concealing his growing annoyance at Gemma's relentless assault.
Each strike of her sword was infused with the deadly mist, which upon cut would corrode his skin and slow his muscle movement to a crawl. He shuddered to imagine the fate of his bones if they were to be struck.
Despite his efforts to defend himself, the onslaught was beginning to take its toll, exacerbated by the charred fingers from Geralt's previous attack.
As the shards of crystalline mist increased in frequency and intensity, the saint of white found himself beginning to struggle. Cursing his inability to summon his memories, the saint lamented.
With his memories at his disposal, he could have executed countless strategies to end the fight swiftly and decisively. but sadly, they weren't there.
The lethal longsword added another layer of danger, forcing him to divide his focus between the two threats.
With each passing moment, he felt his defenses becoming unstable and he knew that the breaking point between them was fast approaching.
Something had to happen, or he would fall under Gemma's increasing assault.
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Behind the ongoing battle, a slightly rejuvenated Geralt and Raian stood side by side, observing the fray in front of them. "It seems they haven't noticed us yet," Raian remarked.
Geralt nodded, his expression grim as he looked at Gemma's condition. "They may sense our presence vaguely, but as long as we don't directly engage, they'll likely continue to ignore us."
Despite his depleted strength, Geralt clenched his fist, steeling himself for the coming confrontation.
[The Potion of Cursed Vitality] had offered only a fraction of the recovery he needed, injuries could be healed quickly but the burnout on the inside couldn't be healed quickly, alongside mental exhaustion and numbing painful sensation from the drawback of the potion. Only with time these wounds would heal.
But time was not something they had, the soldiers who departed to investigate the Fallen Titan outside the ancient monastery would return soon.
Raian summoned his sword first preparing to join the fight and began summoning his shield, but Geralt stopped him with a gentle pat on the shoulder. "No need for the shield," he advised. "It won't offer much defense against a saint."
Transferring another memory to Raian, Geralt explained, "This is the best I can give you for now."
Raian accepted the new memory eagerly, feeling a surge of energy coursing through him as he gripped the simple short sword firmly in his hand.
Looking at Geralt with curiosity, Raian asked, "This memory feels strong. Is it of great significance to you?"
Geralt let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "Nah, it's just a memory I use for preparing food."
Seeing the disappointment flicker across Raian's face, he quickly added, "My other memories have specific requirements that you don't possess yet." igniting a green blaze upon his finger. " But don't worry, just follow your plan and be patient."
As Geralt prepared to charge into battle, he gestured Raian to await his signal.
However, before they could act, an ominous sensation gripped Geralt's heart, prompting him to push Raian out of harm's way alongside himself.
Just as a black sphere erupted where they had stood moments before, the sphere upon contact to the ground swiftly increased in size, only stopping after the top started cracking.
As Raian saw the sphere dissipating swiftly, it unveiled a towering set of armor airborne at around four meters in height alongside a humanoid figure clothed in black.
The armor's surface shimmered with a regal blend of purple and black, lending it a commanding presence. Intricate patterns of runes adorned the armor, meticulously etched with precision and grace, further enhancing its majestic allure as it descended to the ground.
Beside the imposing armor, an aged man emerged, clad in majestic black attire.
However, instead of making a graceful landing, both figures simply flopped onto the ground with a resounding thud, catching Raian off guard.
While Raian stood puzzled, uncertain of what to make of the sudden appearance of new characters.
Geralt darted forward the giant in armor with urgency, shouting, "Luciel!!!"
/// the first nightmare is ending soon, in most fics the authors write first nightmare in 5-10 chapters and mine took like 20-25 chapters. How is the experience so far.
Also leave guesses on Raian's aspect. He is a very logical person by the way.///
