Nick/Zem vs. the Southern Saint Tiana awoke after momentarily losing consciousness. “Urgh…,” she moaned. “Are you okay, Tiana?” Karan asked, concerned. Tiana endured the pain and got up to scan their surroundings. “What’s going on?” “Olivia bought us time. She’s really strong.” “I still don’t have any idea on what’s happening.” “I’m a little lost, too, but… Look over there.” Tiana looked where Karan was pointing and saw brilliant light erupting out of the Sword of Bonds. The light coalesced and took the shape of a handsome man with beautiful black hair and a toned body. They weren’t holding the sword; instead, it floated around them, releasing four pure blades of light from the handle. The strange white light enveloping their arms and legs seemed to take the place of a weapon. Their cognition armor was shaped differently from normal armor—it covered only the important parts of their body and seemed to prioritize the mobility of their limbs. It made the man look like a fierce fighter. “Wow, where’d this hottie come from?” Tiana joked, eliciting a laugh from Karan. The appearance of the man was no laughing matter to White Mask. “Union?! That’s ridiculous! That’s a lost ancient spell!” he yelled, astonished. He observed his opponent carefully. The man—Nick/Zem—stepped forward. ““Time for round three,”” they said with a mystical, sonorous voice. They then snapped their fingers. ““Full Heal.”” The floating Sword of Bonds shone brightly, illuminating the facility. The light enveloped Tiana and Karan, healing their injuries completely. Tiana’s mood improved instantly when the dull pain in her back and head vanished. Compared to the spell that Zem had chanted earlier, this one was on another level. “Amazing… Healing someone without touching them is no easy feat. Are your spells being channeled through the sword?” Tiana asked. ““It seems that way,”” Nick/Zem answered. The healing spell didn’t only reach members of the Survivors. “Ngh… I didn’t ask for that…,” Nargava grunted. He had been included as well. “Oh, shut up,” Tiana snapped. She and Karan dragged Nargava and hid under a washing tub to stay out of the way, offering slightly embarrassed cheers. ““Sorry for the delay. Let’s get back to it,”” Nick/Zem said. “Is that the holy sword with the power of Union? The prototype that went unused in the last war?” White Mask asked. ““That is not something you need to know.”” “Oh dear. Is this because of the crimes I’ve committed? Then I’ll just force you to answer me.” White Mask concentrated mana into his left hand and expelled an even more sinister aura, which expanded into another barrier. Nick/Zem did the unexpected by stepping directly into it. “H-hey! Don’t just step into his barriers!” Tiana yelled, but they ignored her warning and remained calm. Once their body was completely inside, they performed an incantation. ““Regeneration.”” “What?!” White Mask exclaimed. The Sword of Bonds glowed yet again, its white light expanding to completely cover the malicious red barrier. ““I don’t know the principle behind it, but we can neutralize any damage-dealing barrier with one of our own.”” Regeneration was a barrier spell that could normally only be cast by a team of high priests after scrupulous training. It instantly healed the injuries of any within its range. The spell was nearly forbidden as it prevented death and injury from any type of attack. “Phew… It’s not quite as bad now. Do you mind if I go fix my makeup?” Olivia asked. She put her broken glasses in her chest pocket and wiped the blood from her face, but it was clear she was exhausted. She didn’t receive the last healing spell because of the barrier, and Regeneration’s effect seemed limited. Feeling that they were finally on even ground with White Mask because of the effects of their cognition armor and the barrier, Nick/Zem watched him vigilantly. ““Stay put and rest, Olivia. We’ve healed your injuries, but there’s nothing we can do about the increased gravity other than to defeat this asshole,”” Nick/Zem said, taking a large step toward White Mask, breaking the floor under their feet. They punched the knight in the stomach with a glowing white fist. “Gaaaah!” White Mask staggered violently, falling to his knees with dented armor and pained breathing. ““We finally managed to cause some damage… We have a number of questions. It is about time you talked,”” Nick/Zem said, stretching their fingers. “Don’t get cocky!” White Mask yelled furiously. His dented armor returned to normal. ““…Drats. We put effort into that attack, too.”” “It takes more than that to destroy holy armor!” White Mask retaliated by swinging his sword as hard as he could. ““Geez, that was strong…!”” Nick/Zem crossed their arms and blocked the attack with their gauntlets. They tried to hold their ground, but the sharp and heavy attack pushed them back, their feet tearing up the hard floor. “I believe his sword’s original blade may be folded into a different dimension. It might have been a greatsword larger than the Dragonbone Sword… Or perhaps a staff or a hammer,” the Sword of Bonds said. ““Bond, say it in a way we can understand,”” Nick/Zem responded. “Hmm… It is heavier than it looks. Imagine they are using a massive hammer instead of a sword.” ““Got it!”” White Mask and Nick/Zem’s fight continued for some time. Every collision resounded with a clang or a thud, making the laundromat sound like a construction site. They both fought with surprising precision amid all that deafening noise. White Mask was quiet and efficient in his movements, projecting an air of stoicism. Nick/Zem displayed a mysterious skill as they blocked his attacks and responded with punches. “The more injured you become in my barrier, the harder a time Regeneration will have of keeping up. It’s simple math,” White Mask declared. Just as he claimed, Nick/Zem’s wounds were starting to heal slower. White Mask’s injuries, on the other hand, were still healing automatically, possibly because of the effects of the armor. “Let’s see you block this!” White Mask shouted, delivering a sharp blow with his sword so powerful that Nick/Zem felt the impact in their core when they caught it with their armor. If not for Regeneration, they likely would have been sent soaring to their death. White Mask wasn’t uninjured, but his strength and endurance were far superior. ““Man, I’m impressed. You could’ve been known as a peerless fighter if you didn’t hide from public view,”” Nick/Zem said. “I have no interest in fleeting matters such as fame,” White Mask responded. ““Really? You’re surprisingly stoic.”” “That’s enough of your impudence.” ““Yeah, it’s time to get serious.”” “Huh?” White Mask’s tone expressed disbelief as Nick/Zem floated in the air. They had simply jumped without coming down. “Do you think you can catch me off guard with—? What?!” Instead of continuing to rise, Nick/Zem turned at a sharp, unnatural angle in the air with tremendous speed and struck his knee from the side. “Gah!” ““Steppingmen can ultimately only perform movements that are physically possible. They can jump high enough to clear a building, but they can’t perform stunts like this.”” “Wh-what the hell did you do?!” Nick/Zem only smiled in response. ““Let’s pick up the speed. Try your best to dodge.”” They toyed with White Mask by zipping around him quickly like light reflecting off mirrors. Their chaotic movement differed greatly from the extreme finesse of Olivia’s fighting style. “D-damn you…!” White Mask swung his sword and missed, leaving his chest defenseless. Nick/Zem feinted like they were going to take advantage with a punch, then retreated diagonally upward to quickly circle around him and attack from the back. They continued to overwhelm him with unpredictable moves, leaving White Mask wounded all over. The tables had been turned. ““If that’s all you’ve got, how about we go ahead and end this?”” “Don’t think this is over, you brat! Magic Search!” White Mask chanted, extending a hand toward seemingly nothing. “There it is… Guided Fireball!” He then shot ten fireballs from his hand. They floated in the air for a moment before speeding off in all directions. ““Oh, crap,”” Nick/Zem cursed. The fireballs didn’t go far before they collided with nothing and exploded. “I knew it… You formed a kind of cognition armor around us. You used it as a platform to make it look like you were floating,” White Mask said. ““Damn… Good job figuring that out. I also made it so whenever we step on it, we gain momentum from the recoil. It’s a simple trick,”” Nick/Zem said. “That sword is controlling it!” White Mask yelled. He turned his gaze to the floating Sword of Bonds and leaped at it with his sword held aloft. ““Oh no, we’re in trouble now! …Psych,”” Nick/Zem said with a sneer. “Hah, I knew you would attack me!” The Sword of Bonds laughed and began to spin so quickly it looked like a shining wheel, the blades viciously cutting air. “Hraah!” White Mask yelled and struck the spinning sword fearlessly. The collision resulted in a blinding burst of light and heat. The speed of both blades was so great that the impact practically resulted in an explosion. ““Hey, don’t forget about us.”” Nick/Zem wasted no time taking advantage of White Mask’s loss of balance and hammered him with punches, kicks, and elbows. As soon as White Mask turned his attention to dodging their attacks, the Sword of Bonds struck him with a parabolic swing. White Mask was strong, but he couldn’t defend himself from all angles at once. Nick/Zem then brought their heel down upon White Mask’s head, spiking him so hard, the floor caved in when he fell. He lay there with his limbs outstretched. ““…Did we do it?”” A momentary silence fell over the abandoned facility. Nick/Zem hoped they had won, but they knew it was unlikely to be that easy. Their hope was crushed when White Mask laughed loudly. “Heh-heh-heh… I must commend you. I haven’t been put in a pinch like this in a very long time!” he said, getting up slowly. Red light poked through a gap in his black armor; it felt like his immense power was swelling like a balloon. ““Bond, what’s happening?”” Nick/Zem asked. “If that really is holy armor, then it has likely activated emergency evacuation mode. He will be significantly faster than before. That applies not just to his physical speed, but to his cranial nerves as well. Be ready for his skills to have enhanced,” the Sword of Bonds answered. ““Hey, don’t sound so nonchalant about it!”” “Prepare yourself… No more holding back from me!” They reengaged, entering a total deadlock. Flashes of light accompanied by thunderous booms illuminated the facility, and cracks formed in the walls and floor. It looked like the place could collapse at any moment. The only reason it hadn’t was because they limited the size of their barriers and consciously tried to avoid expanding the battlefield—their attacks would have caused untold destruction otherwise. They continued to walk that deadly tightrope until the deadlock finally neared a conclusion. “Heh-heh… You should be proud you succeeded in pushing me this far!” White Mask yelled. Nick/Zem were starting to be overwhelmed. The extreme pressure of White Mask’s barrier was causing their cognition armor to pop off their body, and the Sword of Bond’s light was beginning to dim. They were also reaching the end of their mana supply. ““No ordinary person could withstand our attacks for this long. You’re a great fighter, too,”” Nick/Zem responded. “Hah, I have no need for compliments from children such as yourselves. But I will do you the favor of remembering you.” ““Ditto to that… Nice knowing you, White Mask. You lost ’cause you were too focused on outlasting us.”” “Hah, what are you—?” White Mask was interrupted when his breastplate swelled unnaturally. “Gah… Y-you?!” “Hey, that went pretty well for an impromptu team up.” Olivia had hit White Mask in the back with a palm strike so hard that the impact traveled through his body to his chest on the other side, resulting in an explosion. She pretended to retreat during the battle and instead recovered her energy, replenished her mana, and watched for a chance to deliver the final blow. ““We knew it would be cooler to defeat you on our own, but you had an advanced magic item, trapped your opponent in a barrier, and fought hard to make this situation as favorable for yourself as you could. You have no right to call what we did dirty,”” Nick/Zem said with the malicious smile that Zem displayed on occasion. “Nonsense!” White Mask yelled. “Let’s go, Nick! Or should I call you Zem?” Olivia asked. ““Either one is fine.”” Olivia began to strike White Mask with lethal blows to his vital points. Nick/Zem punched the broken breastplate hard, to make doubly sure he would stay down.
Chapter 58
11 min read