The Crystal Swordsman: Alfheim's Awakening

Against All Odds

I was suddenly blasted in the chest with a fireball, launching me crashing back thru the front double doors. I tumbled and fell down the stone steps that led up to the royal quarters. I took a massive chunk to my HP and I was now in no shape to fight. When I recovered and started to get back up, I watched Kirito fending Sigurd off with his dual wielding. As someone who has faced him, he'll catch you off guard with how fast he can move those things. One final hit pushed Sigurd down a step but he just spun and used my wings to fly. With him being suspended there for a moment, I reeled back a coiled hand to launch a projectile and hopefully ground him. But when I did that, I remembered that I was a level 1. The only magic I would have available to me is weak illusion.

"Shit..." I knew without that, I'd be useless.

The truth is, I could never beat someone as good as Kirito with purely just swords. The only way I could ever beat him was with the advantage of my magic. Without that, I'd simply be outplayed. Now, we face a foe with my power limits. I almost didn't even want to try. Kirito flew up at Sigurd for an exchange but the heavier Usurper swiped him away. He hit the ground just next to me and I rushed over to help him up.

"Look at you now. Children in the playground of a god. How fitting." He cackled as Kirito and I got up into our fighting stances.

"Rrrraaah!!!" I heard as Sinon sprinted up behind Sigurd and pounced at him.

He turned just barely in time to turn away from the incoming attack as Sinon landed between us and him. I was utterly amazed as my wife spun with aggression and swiped her arm in a downward diagonal. Just as Sigurd deflected the blow, I was able to bare witness to the ice gauntlets that Sinon had fabricated in order to house a frozen arm blade. She was becoming more resilient with her magic and it made me so proud to see. Her other fist was emitting cold air as ice too formed on that hand as well. Another icy arm blade grew and she faced Sigurd with reckless abandon. I hadn't noticed at first, but Sigurd had accidentally hovered just over the dirt diamond that my kingdom uses as a little bout arena. Sinon must have been waiting for this opportunity as she continued to slash at him. It was a fruitless exchange for both parties, but Sinon was keeping up with him. That was when I realized something that I knew had to be relayed.

"He doesn't have my rage!" I noted.

"What do you mean?" Kirito asked.

"I use my innermost rage and convert it into magical reserves for in game. Even tho Sigurd has my body, he doesn't have access to my rage magic." I explained while Sinon and him fought.

"What does that entail for us here?" Kirito wasn't as traversed in the whole magic aspect as I was.

"It means he can't increase his own attack power or movement speed. At least, not by much." I hoped.

"Does that mean you still have your rage reserves?" Kirito kept his gaze on the fight.

I thought about it for a moment and pondered. I either had them with no way to use them, or I didn't have them and I was on my own.

"If I do, I can't access them thru magic. I'd have to express that physically somehow." I explained.

"Try that. I'm going to help out Sinon." He urged me before running off the join the scuffle.

I looked down at my hands which were bare and dirty. I couldn't help but feel like my usefulness had expired as I recalled that my HP was still extremely low. If I fought now I'd die, and if I was revived for the fight, I'd just die again and again because I'm a level 1. He can literally kill me in one hit, it was only a stroke of luck that allowed me not to die right away. I clenched my fits angrily and simply watched Sinon and Kirito fighting side by side. It was too surreal seeing my wife and the black swordsman unloading strikes into my avatar from a bystanders perspective. I was utterly useless, there was nothing I could do.