Chapter 7

......Chapter 7......

‘Slam! Tap-tap’, some broken fragments fell down out of the blue and a figure emerged from behind.

‘Cough-cough!’

No way! No way! No way! How? Why?

Urgh! I don’t know if it’s my bad luck or his?

“Wh-Who? Wha-What is h-happening?”, asked the little boy, the one I came here for. He emerged from the settling dust coughing, his eyes red with a panicked look. His body shrivelled in horror as he witnessed the destruction all around.

Why now of all times! Now that he disturbed these two people's business, he in grave danger. I need to find a way out for the both of us—

“Tch– a fly. Annoying”, said the middle aged man.

‘Swish’ before I could comprehend the situation, an ice shard was sent flying.

Fear surrounded me in that moment. It felt like my stomach fell and helplessness grasped me. It flew so fast that I was sure I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to.

But still.

Still I tried to remember the words. Words of power.

In those utter chaos within me, I tried to remain calm and tried to recall the words.

What was the word for conjuring a shield?

What was it?

Um? Remember. I need to remember.

I saw the shard approaching at a fast pace but felt helpless.

Aaah! What was it__!

‘…ion…‘

Suddenly I heard some muffled whispers.

They were so soft that any other person would have missed them. But my desperate need caught them.

“D__”, as soon as I was about to say it the shard approached the boy.

My legs went loose and words got choked down my throat, fear engulfed me. At that moment the pain and sorrow of loosing someone right before my eyes, unable to save them came unto me. The feeling of anguish towards my own self welled inside me. I shut my eyes expecting the worst but suddenly!

‘Shatter!’

The shard fell to crumbles.

The hermit retracted his mana barrier.

The boy trembled with teary eyes breathing heavily while I ....

‘Huff…’

‘Huff…’ I tried to catch my breath.

Ah...safe…

He’s safe! Thank the goddess.

“Don’t you think you are biting off more than you can chew?” the man crossed his arms.

“I am not a fool”, replied the aged monk.

“Then I guess you’re not taking me seriously”, asked the man.

“What do you think?”

“Hahaha! May be you do have some self awareness.”

“Self-awareness is a virtue and those who cultivate it shall be rewarded the trait of intellectual excellence. Such a pity that you wouldn’t be able to understand it.”

Not the time to say this but—Hoh! Quite provocative!

But it’s not the time to be thinking about this, rather I should find a way to take the little boy and get away as soon as I can.

“Come here.” Beckoned the aged elder while the boy followed.

He followed. Step by step he treaded and stood behind him.

“You’ll regret this.” Huffed the man.

“I don’t think so.”

“We’ll see!” He yelled and the resentment around him grew even more turning into a blizzard. Chilling gales erupted, so strong that my eyes started to prick and my body began to numb. My fingers turned slight blue and my nose started pricking taking in all the cold smell.

He is probably not in the mood to play any longer. Seems like he’s going for a strong spell or maybe spells.

It's difficult for a battle mage to cast more than one intermediate spell consecutively as it strains a huge amount of mana and needs extreme concentration, let’s not mention that he is casting multiple strong ones.

Although I didn’t wanted to do this but I can’t just sit and watch this unfold into a disaster. Might sound foolish of me but I have to do something.

How troublesome.

If I leave here alive then I'm definitely leaving this dukedom within this week.

But they are both much powerful than me so how can I help?

‘…!’

Oh yes! I got it. If we can’t defeat him through strength then we’ll just use some brains.

He seemed to be gathering his mana while the elder took a protective stance.

I glanced down at his feet.

There!

I brought my hand up and pointed it towards it.

I have only one chance. Either it succeeds or else I'll have to pin my hopes on my luck.

‘Huff–Hu–’

With a breath I shot a blow. The mana created a crack near his feet.

“Argh!” His spell disrupted while he fumbled backward in attempt to get a balance.

Both of them were caught by surprise. The friar took this chance to send heavy blows to him.

He brought his hand forward as if grabbing something int he air. The land began to reverbrated and formed cracks around the opponent.The ground below the man surged to crumble.

The top soil slid causing a small land slide and the dust started to crawl up surrounding the man forming a whirlwind of dust and pebbles.

Until the man came to his senses, the damage was done.

He got trapped in the whirlwind and the dust blocked the man’s sight while he got hit multiple times by blows after blows sent by the hermit.

“Argh!...Ahh!...Ouch!”

Looks I did it__

Just when everything was going fine suddenly a snowstorm overtook the dusty whirlwind and the dust dispersed.

Huge sharp crystals flew out from the snowstorm. While most were blocked and repelled but some still managed to hurt the hermit as he tried to protect the child.

‘Swoosh’

I was observing the chaos from hiding when something was sent flying. A shard emerged from the snowy winds and flew towards me. In a failed attempt to dodge, I tried to shift side ways.

In that split second the scene from two years ago played before me when I was cornered by a massive ogre inside his cave. Surrounded by darkness with a flickering glow, the utter give up on escape resounded when that ogre’s spiked club was just a few inches away from my head.

‘Plip-plop’

I felt it stinging.

Something warm oozed down my collarbone dying my clothes wet while the wound stung cold against my skin.

“Hiss–”

I brought my fingers to my throbbing throat and the tips came out crimson.

“Ah.” The words barely came out.

Blood...

I turned my head to glance at the rubbles of the shattered pillar behind me then turned my head back and stared at my hand.

“I never expected that you who claim to be so righteous and just would take the opportunity to sneak an attack on me, that too using a pest to distract me.”

I looked up only to find the man glaring this way. My heart jumped but I stayed on my feet, steading my breathing and clenched my fist to stop it from quivering.

It grazed me.

I am in deep trouble.

“Should I help you do pest control?” With this the snow around him curled up, alleviated, then with a flick of his finger it rushed towards me.

My insides tells me if I get by those simple looking snowballs then it won't end too well for me.

But it also tells me that I am not match for this person. Not just him but both of them but it's no use regretting. What had to happen has already happened so I can't back away now. Let's try to get lucky and atleast be alive for as long as I can.

I brought my defensive stance forward. Just as I was about to summon a shield, a barrier of flash occurred in front of me and all the balls collided, exploding with great resonance sending a heavy after cause all around.

My feet slid as I backed from the force. More than half of the remaining detritus was wiped away except for the one concealing me. The middle aged man was also approached by the rebound but he waved it away using a flick of his arm.

If those shots hit me, I would be as good as shredded meat lying in a puddle of blood.

But that’s not the main point now. The point is this earth shield.

“Your opponent is me. Don’t bring others into this.”

“Tsk-tsk—You didn't appreciate my magnanimous heart to help you do some cleaning. Never mind. It’s probably dead by now.”

H-huh?

Hu– looks like he thinks I died from the shard earlier.

“Get out of my way old man. I am in a hurry.” The man grumbled.

“No matter what you can’t take this holy relic from here.”

“You think, you can stop me after even after all this? Do you even have the mana to do so? You may even collapse right here, right now.”

“I think I do have as much as you do. I can hold you off to the end so worry about yourself.” The monk pushed back his shoulders and straightened.

“Hah– why?....”, the man muttered. His head was down and he looked lost.

“Why...must you stop me?”

The atmosphere grew gloomy.

Oh-oh.

“I need it…

I really need it…

I do!” A squall accompanied his plea.

“I can’t let you have this.” The monk sighed still standing firm to his stance.

“Why!?” The man looked the monk in the eye, his eyes as if trying to convey his pain and silently begging to make an exception.

“This holy relic would deem to be a key for doom, if in your hands. The whole empire... or may even the whole world world will be affected. So must I apologise but you can’t have it.”

“Hehe-he-he…fine.

Not now.

But… If…

I can’t have it then… no one shall.

I won’t let anyone else take it!” The man growled.

Then strong winds surrounded him and his feet rose from the ground. He stood in mid air looking down at the pedestal.

The elder tried to shot another attack to stop him but in vain, he blocked it and spoke.

“Any men, thou who bears the curse of thee holy relic left by the three divine beings shall get a an embrace from the lightning along with every single admiration of touch, till his last breath frees him of the pleasure.”

He cursed it.

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