"We can run for now, as your father is suggesting," Arix said. He was pointing his sword in Halden’s direction.
Tarin looked at Arix. “Didn’t expect you, of all people, to suggest running, after what happened to Elena.”
Arix paused. He looked at Halden, then said, “No matter who dies here, you or your father, the one left standing will lose someone they love. And I am not going to let you or him lose each other.”
Tarin looked at Halden. “I don’t consider a traitor to be my father. If you don’t want to fight, then stand aside and let me kill him.”
“But…” Arix paused, and Tarin charged toward Halden once again, raising his greatsword and swinging it at him.
“Tch.” Halden let out a frustrated sound and blocked Tarin’s attack. “Why don’t you understand, my son? Run right now.”
Tarin dropped low, planting his feet, then swung his greatsword at Halden's legs.
Halden jumped, then swung his sword in return, which Tarin blocked.
Arix was standing far away. He took a deep breath, raised his sword, and closed his eyes.
“Please work,” he said as he stood there, concentrating on his blade.
Black cloud-like particles appeared and began revolving around his blade.
Arix opened his eyes, locking his target on Halden. He then swung his sword.
A black beam shot toward Halden, and an explosion erupted along its path.
Halden looked at the attack just in time and dodged it, but by then Tarin was already upon him, and Halden blocked that attack just as easily.
"WOW! Let's name that Black Death." Arix charged toward Halden.
“What if I concentrate on the blade right now?" He focused, and black clouds appeared again, circling it.
After reaching Halden’s range, he swung his sword with a new effect. Black clouds remained along the path of the blade, which after the attack unleashed small explosions.
Halden jumped backward. “You are learning quickly, Arix.”
Tarin swung his sword, and so did Arix.
“Fine then. Be it your way,” Halden said as he blocked their attacks with his sword.
“Agh…” Tarin shouted as he pushed his greatsword with all his strength. Arix did the same.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Halden stood there, blocking their attacks with his sword. After holding them off for a moment, he took a deep breath and leaned toward the ground. It happened so fast that Tarin and Arix’s attacks went above him.
Both of them looked around, trying to find Halden.
When they found him on the ground, he was poised to attack.
“UNLEASH DEATH. OH MY SWORD!” Halden shouted before swinging his sword.
A blinding white light flooded the battlefield, and an explosion followed.
The explosion was powerful enough to send a scorching wave of air rolling across the field. Dwarves and Nyctonas both tightened their grip on the ground to avoid being blown backward. Rurik held Bromgar so he wouldn’t fly back either.
Lyra and Meilie were lying on the ground, which helped them stay in place.
It took a while before the surroundings calmed down.
Halden walked forward toward Arix and Tarin. Both were lying on the ground.
They were still conscious.
Arix tried his best to get up, and so did Tarin.
Halden stood there, watching them stand up once again. But they were in no shape to continue the fight.
They both were gasping for breath.
“How did you do that?” Arix asked, steadying himself against his sword.
Tarin also stood there, holding his greatsword.
“You will learn when the time comes. But for now, run. Take Tarin and your companions and run,” Halden said with a broken voice.
Tarin said in a low voice, “Like hell I will run. I will kill—”
Halden interrupted him by putting his hand on Tarin’s shoulder.
“Please, son. It’s enough.” Halden looked at Arix. “Arix. Take him away now. Let me handl—”
Halden never finished. A loud shhk echoed across the battlefield.
Arix’s eyes widened. Tarin was shocked too. Blood started dripping from Halden’s mouth.
All the dwarves and Nyctonas were shocked as well. Even those sitting or lying down pushed themselves upright. Bromgar also stood up, despite Rurik telling him he couldn’t walk right now. He started walking toward Arix.
A long spear pierced Halden’s heart in an instant. It was so fast that a splash of blood landed on both Tarin’s and Arix’s faces.
Tarin started breathing fast. “Father.”
Halden didn’t say a word. He let out a faint smile before his head dropped forward. His lifeless body remained upright, pinned in place by the spear driven through him into the earth.
“You broke the law, Halden. Before the law could punish you, I decided to do it with my own hands.” Salamander smirked as he appeared before Arix and Tarin.
Arix and Tarin stood there, speechless.
No one on the battlefield realized how Salamander had appeared.
Bromgar, upon seeing him, pushed toward Arix. "They are in big trouble," he muttered.
“Who are you?” Arix asked the entity before him. He was unlike anything Arix had seen – two heads atop two necks, four legs beneath a broad torso, two tails sweeping behind him like weapons.
“Me?” Salamander spread his arms and walked toward Arix. “I am Salamander. Your death.” He smiled and stepped toward them, pulling his spear free.
Halden’s body fell to the ground with a thud.
Tarin breathed hard. “YOU BASTARD!” he shouted and rushed forward.
Salamander smirked and thrust his spear toward Tarin.
But Arix grabbed Tarin just in time and jumped aside, dodging the attack.
Salamander noticed the sword in Arix’s hand. “Oh my! That sword. My Lord will be so happy today, seeing your death and that sword.”
“Stop now, Salamander.” Bromgar reached Salamander and stood against him.
“Let me go, Arix.” Tarin struggled to free himself from Arix’s grip but couldn’t.
“You can’t win, Tarin. Stop now. When the time is right, we’ll run,” Arix said.
Tears ran down Tarin’s face.
“Tch. I can’t save him either. How strong do I have to be before I can be of some use?” Arix thought.
by BooksByMandiMay ● Sci-Fi / LitRPG
Maura ran a game store. Now she's trapped in a deadly multiverse tutorial and assigned a class extinct for fifteen eras: Technomancer. Half magic, half machine, zero instructions. She has to figure out powers nobody remembers and keep a group of strangers alive long enough for any of it to matter.
by BooksByMandiMay ● Sci-Fi / LitRPG Lite
Samantha gets fired, framed for corporate espionage, and then something in her brain snaps. Suddenly she can see reality's source code. A voice says: LEVEL UP. She keeps notes in a journal titled "DEFINITELY NOT EVIL PLANS." She is, in fact, lying about that.
// two systems. two protagonists. same universe-breaking energy.