Warmth

Chapter 3 - Hindrance

ARTHUR LEYWIN

'Stay here in the house, Sylvie,' Sylvie knew what I was about to do and I felt her nodding. I God stepped away from the house.

It was today, today when everything went wrong.

Arriving at the entrance of Widow's Crypt, I took a deep breath. I walked inside it. From the moment I stepped foot inside the dungeon, I felt the air around me intensified.

Realizing what's happening, I stopped my tracks, beneath me was a stair, but behind the stairs—I could hear something. I conjured a mirror and looked at my appearance, should I hide my appearance?

Nah.

I stumped my foot on the ground and the stairs were destroyed. As I fell, I took out Dawn's Ballad. I slid my hand on top of the sword and aether followed its motion. I conjured a small wind tornado beneath my feet.

I landed on the ground and I entered the waterfall. The moment I stepped foot on the ground behind the waterfall a spike protruded out of the ground, catching the spike I broke the tip of it.

Gazing around the place I saw soldiers punctured on their stomachs—a woman was standing in the center of the room, she was an elf that I wished I had interacted with more. She stood alone, a wooden sword in her right hand.

"You, who are you?" Uto asked.

"Your killer." I announced.

Uto roared in laughter as he heard my words. Alea turned towards me, her eyes turning into horror as she saw me.

"L-leave! I'll hold him out." She shouted. "No one is leaving here today, elf." Uto retorted.

"The only one who's not leaving here is you, Retainer Uto." Uto stopped at his tracks, his body frozen.

"How and why do you know my name, pup?" Uto asked, his bloodlust now pointed at me. Compared to the likes of Kezess and Agrona his King Force felt amateurish.

"Defeat me and I'll tell you." I mocked.

I then burst stepped next to Alea, Alea yelped in surprise, "W-what are you doing!" I touched her back and transferred mana into her body.

"Call for back-up." I whispered. Alea feeling the mana enter her body nodded, she took out an artifact from her dimension ring, Uto saw this and a spike protruded out of the ground.

"Continue, don't be distracted. I'll protect you."

Activating my second phase, runes formed, from my hand to my eyes. I placed my hand on the ground and a purple dome appeared around Alea. Alea's eyes widened but she didn't stop.

"Uto, surrender and I'll kill you painlessly." I shouted.

Uto's lips curled upwards, "Hahaha, you lesser. Did you actually think you could defeat me?"

"Yeah," Mana flowed within my feet and I took a step. I appeared in front of Uto and I swept my sword towards his neck, a spike protruded to his right blocking my sword—but aether covered my sword, not mana.

The spike was sliced like butter, Uto's eyes widened and managed to compose himself as he dodged my strike. Beneath my right arm, my left hand was opened—red mana condensed on my palm, and I launched it to his stomach.

Uto launched away, his back hitting the stone wall.

I burst stepped back to Alea's side."Who amongst the Lances did you call?" I asked.

"The strongest out of all of us." She replied while catching her breath.

Excitement brewed inside me. But it was overshadowed by an explosion in front, Uto roared and the whole cave shook, he then disappeared from his position—only to appear in front of us, but now he was holding a sword.