The witch’s attack caused a great deal of damage, but not enough to completely decimate the entire squad. The earthen spikes weren’t strong enough to penetrate through heavy armor, and some of the soldiers in light armor were lucky enough to avoid them.
The witch gently stomped the ground.
“Don’t worry about her. Attack!”
A volley of arrows was released at the captain’s order. However, something rose from the ground, blocking the seemingly countless projectiles.
Whatever it was that protected the witch took the shape of a large shield. Two of these earthen creations were large enough to fully cover a person, and she had three of them. They floated around her, slowly revolving in the air.
An armored knight raised his spear and rushed in for an attack. The witch turned to face him, and the shields moved when she raised her hand. The knight thrust his spear into the middle of one with all his might. The strike caused some cracks, but the bulwark held. The second shield rammed him from the side, his position preventing him from dodging. The blow dented his armor and forced him to release the spear. As he fell to the ground, the third shield crushed him from above.
The other men froze at the sound, which was much like a large piece of fruit being squashed.
The first shield began to mend itself, and the soldiers stepped back in stunned silence.
“You monster…” The captain winced in agony as beads of cold sweat ran down his body.
The witch recited something unintelligible and clapped her hands.
The ground began to shake as a rumbling filled the air.
“Wh-what’s going on?!”
A pile of earth and clay gathered before the witch. The rumbling ceased as she waved her hand, transforming it into a humanoid shape twice the size of an adult man. Its body was stout and slightly hunched forward. It had no face, and it reminded the men of the golems from fairy tales.
The witch pointed toward her attackers. The figure turned in the direction she indicated and began to walk forward.
“Here it comes! No cowering! Prepare to engage!”
As the troops regrouped in order to intercept the clay figure, the witch continued to cast spells that would strike down the invaders once and for all.
A shadow suddenly appeared.
Zig dashed out from behind the soldiers, dodging the clay figure’s side attack and leaping into the air, using its body as a foothold. Taking advantage of the momentum, he brought his sword crashing down.
“Nghhh!”
The witch hastily manipulated the shields, stacking two of them on top of each other to block the blow. The force of Zig’s attack almost cut through the middle of the second shield.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I didn’t expect this to be so tough.”
The witch looked slightly shocked as she quickly moved the third shield, but Zig kicked it away while pulling out his sword. The shield swung at him but missed due to the distance he managed to create between them.
Zig and the witch stood about ten paces apart. They exchanged no words, but it was the first time since the battle began that the witch had shown any sign of alarm.
She stared at the man before her gaze shifted to the weapon he carried. She’d never seen anything like it before. The handle was at the center, with longswords extending from either end.
A twinblade.
A weapon scarcely used in battle due to its structure, it was difficult to employ in military formations since the whole body was required to wield it. If the user’s competency wasn’t up to snuff, the weapon would handle them more than they could handle it. Just one look at the sword was enough to tell it was heavy—it was no wonder that the slashing attack from earlier was so powerful.
The witch was aware of the danger she was facing, but…the twinblade’s weight made it difficult for the man to maneuver within a small radius. Because of the distance between them, she could do as she pleased. She decided to improvise and use her magic to take him out from long range.
A moment later, the ground exploded.
Zig closed the gap with such quick steps that he appeared to be an illusion. The range she thought she had wasn’t nearly enough. Her breath caught in her throat as he swung the twinblade in her direction.
Immediately, the witch changed the spell she was casting and moved the shields to protect her. The attack sliced through the second shield, which was still repairing itself. Without even needing another swing, the blade on the opposite end of Zig’s sword repelled the first shield and sent it flying. The third shield, however, was able to block the weapon as it swung back around.
With his twinblade and the earthen shield locked in a dead heat, Zig saw the witch’s face for the first time. He looked into those blue eyes, trying to understand the emotion dwelling deep within them.
The witch glared at him and sent a stone projectile flying straight for him, but he raised his gauntlet, deflecting it. His speed took her aback, but the third shield had given her enough time to cast another spell.
A new shield emerged from the ground beneath Zig. He leapt back, avoiding it as more spikes burst from earth—he was simply too fast for them to find their mark.
The witch was puzzled. How was he anticipating her magic? This man didn’t look like he could use it himself. Was he using some technique to detect whenever her spells activated?
If that were the case…