The Soul Keeper

My arms hurt with the power behind this guy's hit. I leapt back, putting some distance between us. Who the hell was this guy?

A rise in mana alerted me of the Inquisitors. They had almost completed their spells again. My smile shattered, I dashed to the side as their spears once again rained all around me. My new opponent ran along with me, not allowing me to get any closer to the dangerous spellcasters behind him.

I gritted my teeth – I needed to take him out first.

As soon as the last spear landed somewhere behind me, I dashed forward. I used Death's Scythe and Fallen Grace, then swung my scythe aiming for his throat.

He ducked under my blade with ease, then swung his spear towards my legs. I threw myself back just in time to avoid getting my knees crushed, then rolled backwards. I needed more than just a weapon to defeat this guy – he was fast and skilled with his weapon.

I dashed forward once more as I released my magic. Flames danced on my skin, then spread to the grass all around us. Their roar muffled the sounds of battle above us. My opponent stepped back as the flames tugged at his clothes.

"Your tricks won't save you, sinner!" His shout echoed, but I didn't pay his words much mind. I sidestepped his next attack as he thrust his spear forward. Without a second of hesitation, I grabbed the shaft of his spear with my right hand and swung my scythe with my left.

His eyes widened as he tried to free his spear from my grasp. My eyes sparked with flames of victory, but that spark died with the appearance of a golden barrier around my opponent. My scythe hit the golden barrier, but my swing didn't carry enough strength behind it to crack it, let alone destroy it.

I let go of his spear just in time as it began to crackle with lightning. I put some more distance between us. "Some help would be nice!" I called out to the others. 

The Demon Lord ignored me, but then again, I wasn't expecting any help from him. It was Fetheion who responded to my cry of help. The earth rumbled and strands of black mist seeped out of the earth.

My opponent ignored them – his attention was solely focused on me. He dashed towards me, swinging his spear without hesitation. I raised my scythe in an attempt to block his strike. The sound of metal hitting metal echoed, and I winced with pain as the golden lightning passed onto my scythe.

I drew a sharp breath as I leapt back once more. My fingers and palms felt a bit numb.

"Fetheion!" I shouted again. "Don't just stand and watch!" Now wasn't the time to test my mettle.

The strands of black mist continued seeping out of the earth. I shot my uncle a death glare as my opponent once again followed me. Adamant about killing me, he completely ignored the dark mist gathering around our feet. I forced my expression to remain still as I blocked another strike. Lightning crackled, and my flames roared in response. 

As my fingers went numb once more, the smell of burnt hair reached my nostrils. He grunted as he cut his own braid with a swift motion. "Cheap tricks like those will not save you!"

His over the top voice and battle cries would have been quite entertaining if he weren't so powerful and if this battle weren't the one to decide the fate of our world. Because of the severity of the situation, all it did was get on my nerves even more.

He thrust his spear forward again. I sidestepped it, then responded with a swing of my own. As soon as out weapons clashed, I retreated a couple of steps. He followed me without hesitation. I glanced at the dark, shadowy mist gathering around our feet. It seemed to be powerful enough now.

I pointed at my opponent, and flames leapt from my fingers to him. As he raised his arm to cover his face from my flames, I stuck the lower end of the shaft of my scythe to the ground. Using it as an anchor point, I leapt up and kicked him in the chest.

He staggered backwards, nearly losing his balance. The black mist rose, tendrils of darkness reached for him as he just barely recovered his balance. His eyes flashed golden with hatred, but I didn't let that stop me. I dashed forward, swinging my scythe. The golden barrier appeared once more – were they only keeping it active against my lethal attacks? It wasn't there when I kicked him.

Not having the time to ponder about it all, I poured my power into the scythe. The crystalline blade began to emit a pale silvery light as I brought it down upon the golden barrier. 

The satisfying crack was followed by the sound of a shattering barrier and a shocked scream from the inquisitors this guy was protecting. A wicked smile formed on my lips. I swung my scythe in such a way that the blade passed by his raised weapon just shy of hitting it. Instead, I whirled it around and hit my opponent's knee with the lower end of the scythe's shaft. Immediately after, I followed with a kick and a wave of fire.

Losing his balance under the pressure I exerted, he finally fell on one knee.

The black mist rose, its tendrils reached up and wrapped themselves around his body. He gasped for air as the darkness swallowed him whole. His hand reached out form the darkness, almost as if he were begging for help, yet the inquisitors did nothing. It took a moment for his hand to disappear in the darkness, lifeless and lump.

I shuddered, I almost felt bad for him. I would have preferred to grant him a swift death instead.

I took a deep breath, pushed his out of my mind and focused my gaze on the inquisitors.

"Let's try this again." I whispered as I dashed ahead.