64. Sunder

sixty-four

Sunder

Blood pours down my sword arm from the thousand tiny cuts Malicryn has given me, like death by paper cuts. Thankfully, I feel none of them. The adrenaline coursing through me consumes my thoughts and movements. The last guard lays dead in the street as Bobble races to my side. Silently, I compel him not to heal me, not yet. Conserve energy.

Malicryn still looks fresh, as if she's just woken up bright and ready for the day. Somehow, her magic has grown greatly since I last saw her. I swallow thickly as the realization hits me. This isn't going to be easy.

Her laughter dances around us like a chilling wind, and I sense more than see Bobble tense beside me.

"Oh, Danny," she coos, her voice echoing around the now silent street. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Aren't you happy? Your kitty came to help you."

I grit my teeth, focusing my power to create another shield between us. It crackles with energy, the blue hue of it painting our faces in stark relief against the encroaching darkness.

"Why are you doing this?" I choke out. "You truly just want to watch the entire world die? Those souls are your ancestors, too. That's your dead falling from the sky."

Her eyes flicker like I've hit a nerve, but it's gone too quickly to be sure.

"You should be proud," she continues, twirling the dagger in her hand with an air of indifference that has my blood boiling. "You've lasted longer than I thought you would. I have things to be about, unfortunately. Time to end this little dance of ours."

Her nonchalance is both grating and unnerving. I grip my sword tighter, trying desperately to hang on tight as the blood threatens to let it slip from my fingers at any moment. I glance over at Bobble, and our eyes meet. His golden orbs are filled with a resolve that steels my shaking insides.

With a swift flick of her wrist, a blast of black Chroma hurtles towards us. My eyes widen, surprised to see the dark magic blast from her. I grunt as I push against it, my power wrestling with hers. All this time she's been using red; she's been playing with me like a mouse plays with its kill.

I scream curses with the effort to push against the force. Even with Bobble's yellow Chroma joining mine, we're no match for this raw power.

The world seems to spiral out of control, my vision blurring as the inky magic threatens to consume us. I force a sharp intake of breath, trying to steady myself, but it's like fighting against a hurricane.

"Bobble!" I gasp, struggling to keep my feet underneath me. His worried eyes meet mine, and for a moment, there's more emotion in his gaze than I've ever seen before. A mix of fear and resignation, hinting at depths I haven't explored yet.

We both know we can't hold on any longer.

A deafening roar echoes through the street, shaking the very ground beneath our feet. The darkness consumes us, crushing us against a wooden structure with terrifying force. Its malevolent energy seeps into every fiber of my being, penetrating deep into my mind and soul with merciless intent.

My screams are drowned out by Bobbles' desperate cries as we are assaulted by a barrage of dark magic, each strike chipping away at our sanity and will to fight back.