Chapter 76: Witch And Druid

  The fight was on the moment Thalany vanished from the arena. Jessie activated ‘Storm’ from her Enter The Storm major ability the same instant. The air grew static as her and Hosu’s regeneration of energy increased, ‘Storm’ compounding with Jessie’s aura trait Surge for an even bigger effect.

  Major Ability

  Name: Enter The Storm

  Tier: Iron | Rank: 7 | Reflex

  Type: Spell, Field, Lightning.

  Cost: Middling

  Effect - Iron:

  Storm: Activate a field around you, charging the air and sending bolts of lightning at targets.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Atmosphere

  From: Reap The Harvest

  Type: Aura, Will

  Cost: N/A

  Effect - Iron:

  Improved Aura, Aura sense, and Aura control. Aura trait changed to Surge.

  In a flash, a violent crescent of near-transparent water shot forth from her arcing hand and was on the enemy team in less than a second. As they evaded the slicing magical water, Jessie was already mid-flight above them, flinging an odd mass shaped like the water down at them. The solid greyish-brown mass crumbled into pieces as it hit the ground, debris flying everywhere.

  Major Ability

  Name: Reap the Harvest

  Tier: Iron | Rank: 7 | Willpower

  Type: Spell, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind

  Cost: Low

  Effect - Iron:

  Elemental Scythe (Varied): Fires an elementally charged crescent blade at target.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Jet

  From: Natural Flow

  Type: Mobility, Enhancement

  Cost: Variable

  Effect - Iron:

  Increase your speed of traversal through natural mediums.

  Another crescent flew at them from a different direction, slower than the first but much faster than the second. This was glowing blue and was blinding to look at. It was also much wider than Witch’s scythes. It was wide enough for both of them to jump away again despite the increased distance between them to avoid both falling for Witch’s attacks.

  Witch targeted Jester, the physically weakest of their opponents, and flew in for a gut punch before he got back on his feet. He flew back several metres as Witch’s momentum added to her physical strength as her fist crashed into his abdomen.

  A blue-winged Moon goddess also entered close combat with Vampire after the entire area around him reverberated so much it seemed like space itself was ripping apart. A lightning strike appeared from nowhere, hitting the Jester in his back. He disappeared in a puff of smoke that later revealed a somewhat grotesque doll in the Jester’s image before that, too, vanished in more smoke.

  Behind Witch, the Jester appeared with a thin string held tight between both his hands. He used his momentum to push it against the back of her neck; the string phasing through her until it was on the other side before the Jester pulled it tight once more to choke her.

  Jester grinned before a strange feeling overcame him. With Witch struggling to catch her breath in front of him, her neck already bleeding from the pressure of the string, his muscles spasmed. The intense feeling of his insides shaking and contracting only grew stronger and stronger.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Volt Surge

  From: Enter The Storm

  Type: Spell, Lightning, Affliction, Channelled

  Cost: Middling

  Effect - Iron:

  Volt Surge: Sends a self-amplifying current into target, dealing increasing damage over time.

  A white flash of light appeared behind Jester and stabbed through his back. Once more he poofed away in smoke, and an identical doll was once more left behind. After having lain in wait inside the Witch’s Crest, Grace the triceratops arrived to save her bonded Witch.

  Major Ability

  Name: Familiar

  Tier: Iron | Rank: 5 | Wisdom

  Type: Familiar, Summoning

  Cost: Moderate

  Effect - Iron:

  Summon your chosen familiar to aid you. The Familiar shares energy with you. A dead familiar can be re-summoned for Substantial cost after one week.

  With Grace on the battlefield, Witch’s ‘Storm’ spell effect doubled in regenerative power and more than halved the intervals between lightning strikes. Grace stroked her nose horn on Witch’s hand, the wound on her summoner’s neck disappearing as wetness covered the area.

  While being healed by her Familiar, Jessie utilised the range of her spells just as Jester appeared behind Druid this time. He was still having a hard time controlling his body as it kept locking up from the voltage coursing through him.

  Witch caused the area behind Jester’s back to light up in an inferno seldom seen outside the centre of a Tree fire. While he might’ve been able to control his body enough to dodge ‘Scorch’ at the last moment, Witch also let loose ‘Spike’ to penetrate his leg to keep him right where she wanted him. The spike was nowhere to be seen, though.

  Core Ability

  Name: Call of Nature

  Tier: Iron

  Type: Spell, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Channelled

  Cost: Variable

  Effect - Iron:

  Elemental Call:

  Scorch (Fire): Set fire to target. Medium cost.

  Restore (Water): Restore the physical body of the target to its natural state. Middling cost over time. Channelled.

  Replenish (Wind): Replenishes stamina of target. Middling cost over time. Channelled.

  Spike (Earth): Forces the earth beneath target into a jagged spear. Will explode after a short time. Moderate cost.

  Jester got out of the fire with severe burns on his back, but was still in the fight for now. The Moon goddess he had tried to ambush shot a dimmer and narrower blue crescent at Jester as he landed on his side; this one much faster than the previous crescent. He couldn’t get away even if he’d been able to move.

  The crescent sliced his chest open, and he was removed from the arena.

  Witch flew back into the fray against Vampire, who was deeply bruised already, though he was healing fast. Red strings of blood tethered him to Druid and drained her of her energy, which he used to heal himself.

  With a double ‘Storm’ effect along with Witch’s Surge trait, he wouldn’t be able to drain her dry, though, and the glowing Druid smashed her fist into his fading grin as he realised this.

  Just as planned, Vampire flew back into one of Witch’s most recent abilities, one of two she had absorbed on this unknown world.

  He landed on his back, and a crimson fire burst from the ground beneath him, incinerating his left side. It wasn’t a full, direct hit on the mine, but it would do for now.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Scatter The Seeds

  From: Reap The Harvest

  Type: Spell, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind

  Cost: Low

  Effect - Iron:

  Seed (Varied): Place an elemental trap in the targeted area.

  Vampire rolled away from the spouting flames, his burnt arm somehow remaining in the fire. Druid landed a glowing crescent at his foot, which severed him from the rest of his leg.

  Vampire screamed, and shadows filled the arena, almost thick enough to touch. A rising sense of dread filled Witch as she lost all aura-senses and normal magical senses. She could no longer see or hear the moisture in the air, nor the temperature differences between people and the surrounding air.

  Major Ability

  Name: Natural Flow

  Tier: Iron | Rank: 6 | Speed

  Type: Perception, Elemental

  Cost: N/A

  Effect - Iron:

  Improved senses. Senses attuned to nature.

  Witch felt something sharp stab through her stomach, revealing that her sense of touch and pain was still as strong as ever. Her hearing proved to be working as well, as Grace yelped in fright and returned to the Witch’s Crest unharmed. The terrifying darkness had proved too much for her.

  Whatever had stabbed her pulled out of her, and she fell to her knees as blood spilled from her mouth. It stabbed her shoulder next, and she let loose a scream.

  The second ability Witch had absorbed in this world activated, and the surrounding darkness started churning, though never vanished or dissipated. It had been a literal shot in the dark, but the ability did nothing more than it should.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Turbulence

  From: Natural Flow

  Type: Spell, Wind, Channelled

  Cost: Miniscule

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  Effect - Iron:

  Turbulence: Violently alter the flow of air or water around you.

  A lightning blast shot again, the darkness only letting a slight flash through for a mere instant, doing nothing.

  As the implement piercing through her shoulder retracted, a bright blue light broke through the dreadful darkness. A flat circle of pure blue light hovered above the Moon goddess; her own blue light was nothing compared to the awesome light works that were Druid’s most powerful ability.

  The darkness succumbed and was pushed into the ground, acting like empty space that the three fighters stood upon, like gods in the vast space of the universe. Nothing but them and the blue light was anywhere around except the darkness. Witch and Vampire each gazed at the blue light, unable to look away. Witch knew she shouldn’t have looked, but as it pushed away the darkness holding her hostage, she had had no choice.

  The blue disk above Druid was like a massive halo, the woman beneath only growing more beautiful whilst basking in its divine light. Druid, the goddess of the moon, activated the ability again.

  The fight was over.

  As the referee disappeared, Druid activated Luna Form, her Core ability that she had gained as soon as she woke to her magic after returning from Afterlife. Her hair, eyes, and skin took on a shiny blue light that breathed along with her as ethereal blue wings grew from her shoulder blades.

  Core Ability

  Name: Luna Form

  Tier: Iron

  Type: Altering, Enhancement

  Cost: Low

  Effect - Seed:

  Luna Form:

  Take on the form of an Avatar of the Moon. In ‘Luna Form’, magic is empowered and may have additional or altered effects.

  When Witch had activated Storm, so too had Druid activated the spell from her Meadow Of The Blooming Vines ability, causing tiny spores to cover the surrounding field.

  Major Ability

  Name: Meadow of the Blooming Vines

  Tier: Seed | Rank: 4 | Wisdom

  Type: Spell, Field, Nature.

  Cost: Middling

  Effect - Seed:

  Wild Growth: Activate a field around you that fills the air with spores. ‘Wild Growth’ spores take hold in enemies and start growing vines.

  Luna Form: ‘Wild Growth’ spores created during Luna Form are more resistant to being removed.

  As Witch flew up and above, Druid went around and flung her ‘High Tide’ Moontide Crescent. While she had wings, they weren’t strong enough to fly just yet, and a slow fall was the extent of her capabilities for now—though she used them for a boost of speed.

  The ‘High Tide’ was blinding in its light and very wide, though the slower of the two variations from her Moontide Crescent ability.

  Major Ability

  Name: Moontide Crescent

  Tier: Seed | Rank: 5 | Speed

  Type: Spell, Nature

  Cost: Low

  Effect - Seed:

  A blast of magical lunar energy is shot towards the target location. The type of blast alternates between two types:

  High Tide: A wide and powerful wave.

  Low Tide: A narrow and fast-moving wave.

  Luna Form: Cooldown of Moontide Crescent is halved. A short while without using Moontide Crescent allows you to choose between ‘High Tide’ and ‘Low Tide’.

  As Witch started a brawl against Jester, Druid followed the same flow of combat and burst through the air towards Vampire. He had just got away from ‘High Tide’ in time for Druid to let loose a silent scream that caused fluctuations in the surrounding air. He didn’t quite fall to his knees, but his hands covered his ears in a flash as thin blood dripped from his nose, and then his eyes.

  Major Ability

  Name: Swan Song

  Tier: Seed | Rank: 4 | Willpower

  Type: Spell, Control

  Cost: Medium

  Effect - Seed:

  Swan Song: A vocalised explosion of sound reverberates inside a targeted area, causing various disrupting effects on targets within the area.

  Luna Form: The effects of ‘Swan Song’ worsen each time the sound echoes back from the edge of the affected area.

  The moon-enhanced Druid jumped, landing her knee straight in Vampire’s face, knocking him back. As his blood touched her, a thin string of blood flew back towards Vampire, connecting the two in a tether of blood that wouldn’t let Druid go. She sensed her energy getting drained through the link, but Witch was close enough to counteract it somewhat.

  Vampire rolled to his feet and chomped with his mouth. A ghostly image of sharp fangs appeared in front of Druid, chomping down at her. She shot a ‘Low Tide’ Moontide Crescent through it, and the image wilted away before its teeth could harm her.

  Vampire dodged the ‘Low Tide’ with only a nick in his leg; the much faster Crescent was near-impossible to get away from if not prepared for it.

  Druid saw Vampire’s nose and more recent leg wound already healing from the tether between them, the energy stolen from her being used to regenerate him.

  Feeling more confident that Vampire had a shorter range than her, Druid held both arms towards him, a green circle appearing between them, which spun faster and faster until a barrage of green energy started shooting from the circle.

  Vampire ran to the side, but Druid turned, keeping on him and hitting him several times.

  Major Ability

  Name: A Thousand Verdant Seeds

  Tier: Seed | Rank: 4 | Reflex

  Type: Spell, Nature, Affliction

  Cost: Meagre

  Effect - Seed:

  A Thousand Verdant Seeds: Unleash a barrage of small, magical projectiles in front of you. Each projectile has a slight chance to inflict Dendrotoxin on enemy targets hit.

  Dendrotoxin: Slowly turn the infected’s cell structure into that of a tree. Effect stacks.

  Luna Form: Chances of inflicting Dendrotoxin are increased, and Luna Form-empowered Dendrotoxin afflictions work slightly faster.

  Vampire jumped into the air, causing Druid to overcorrect her aim as he tumbled in the opposite direction than she thought he would. His eyes shone red as they met Druid’s own eyes, and Druid froze. She lost focus on her spell and could not move.

  Vampire flew towards her like a bird of prey going in for the kill. Druid shook off the effect of Vampire’s ability just in time to fling a ‘High Tide’ at him. He evaded easily despite his confused expression when she overpowered his ability, the wide arc she made with her arm a clear indicator of her next move.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Gaze of the Guardian of the Moon

  From: Lunar Void

  Type: Perception, Will

  Cost: N/A

  Effect - Seed:

  Improved eyesight. Resistance to negative effects affecting eyes and eyesight.

  Luna Form: Resistance to negative effects increased based on Willpower.

  Druid placed her hands in front of her once more, readying another barrage of ‘Thousand Verdant Seeds’ when she felt a presence appearing behind her. Her aura lashed out towards her ambusher with no effect, but before Jester could make his attack, he jumped away from behind Druid to escape the blazing flames.

  Minor Ability

  Name: Empress of the Moon and the Void

  From: Lunar Void

  Type: Aura, Will, Nature

  Cost: N/A

  Effect - Seed:

  Improved Aura, Aura sense, and Aura control. Aura effect changed to Moonlight.

  Taking advantage of Witch’s fiery distraction, Druid turned to face her assailant in an instant and fired a ‘Low Tide’ straight into him. It carved open his chest an instant later, and his blood erupted along with a pained scream before he vanished from the arena.

  Witch travelled along the air between Vampire and herself as Druid, too, shot forth with a wing-assisted dash towards their last foe. Druid noticed a certain glimmer appearing on the floor behind Vampire and grinned as she slammed her fist into his face.

  While Witch most often had the advantage of more momentum because of her Jet ability, Druid was the physically strongest one of them, her strength somehow being tied to one of her major abilities.

  Their training with Thalany had taught them that this connection between the ability and a physical or mental attribute would allow that attribute to increase along with the connected ability’s rank. As the major ability ranked up, so would Druid’s strength.

  This was a temporary effect, as when a Remnant increased in tier, all their attributes would increase as well. This also happened in a smaller capacity when ranking up, though, as a higher rank Seed was stronger than a lower-ranked Seed, generally speaking. That was why abilities and knowing how and when to use them were important in a fight between Remnants.

  The vampire flew back from the impact of the blue-glowing fist of Druid. Right as his body landed on the floor a few metres back, he noticed heat building below him. Vampire tossed himself away from where he was, but it hadn’t been fast enough.

  He felt his arm catching fire and rather than accepting defeat, he disconnected his arm and left it behind as he rolled away.

  Druid didn’t miss a beat and had already sent a ‘Low Tide’ crescent to sever his leg. Vampire’s scream when his leg split apart almost caused her to worry, but Witch and Thalany had taught her better. Blood and pain, even from those you care about, can’t steal your focus during a fight. The moment you lose sight of what’s happening, the enemy will take advantage.

  Darkness started creeping from the shadows around the arena and from Vampire himself. While slow at first, the darkness gained speed, and before his scream had ended, it covered everything.

  Druid’s ‘Gaze of the Guardian of the Moon’ tried to adapt, but it proved too slow when it was Witch’s turn to scream. The scream sounded muffled from within the darkness that was still thickening around her, but it was still clear to Druid. Her aura became difficult to spread out as well, and all her senses dulled within the dark.

  After Witch’s scream, a flash of lightning lit up the darkness in a certain direction, and ‘Gaze of the Guardian of the Moon’ finally noticed slight fluctuations and erratic movement in the darkness in the same direction. Druid activated her last ability, the major ability that both ‘Empress of the Moon and the Void’ and ‘Gaze of the Guardian of the Moon’ were connected to.

  Major Ability

  Name: Lunar Void

  Tier: Seed | Rank: 3 | Strength

  Type: Spell, Nature

  Cost: High

  Effect - Seed:

  Lunar Void: A disc of high lunar energy is summoned above the caster with both a blinding and a mesmerising effect. A second activation of Lunar Void causes the disc to detonate, expelling its energy towards enemy targets within range.

  Luna Form: Light and dark in the vicinity get absorbed into the lunar disc as additional energy.

  A large disc of intense magical energy came into being above Druid, a loud whirring sound emanating from it. The potent light wrestled the darkness around Druid for a small fraction of a second before the darkness was utterly and completely overpowered.

  The darkness was pressed into the ground and walls as it wasn’t allowed to muddle the lunar light emanating from the disc. Thin whirls of darkness were fed into the disc, one at the upper centre and one at the lower centre.

  As more darkness left the room, the thick, dark shadows gave way to true nothingness, a blacker black than darkness could ever be. If darkness were the total lack of light, void was the total lack of even darkness. An emptiness without end.

  With most of the darkness sucked into the moon disc, Witch and Vampire were revealed, standing some metres away from its origin. Witch bled from her stomach and shoulder as she sat on the ground, gawking at the brilliant moonlight above Druid. Witch had no actual way of fighting the rather hypnotic effect of the light like Druid had.

  Lunar Void activated again. The disc erupted into a beam directed towards Vampire, and the match was called.