Chapter 707: Chapter 707: The Trial (Part 8)
Point-of-View: Ciel Campbell
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"You damned mortals...!" Bellowed Kerubiel, firing out a scorching blast of flames at me, gritting his teeth as I phased through it.
As he flew across, I blasted myself in that direction, driving my Explosion Blade forward as I closed in and striking his chest, a powerful explosion erupting upon impact and launching him back through the air.
I fired out explosions behind myself to chase after him, striking him again with my Explosion Blade as I closed in, repeating the process over and over.
As I sent him hurtling towards the barrier, he crashed onto it with immense force, violent ripples erupting across the golden dome, before I blasted myself towards him and slammed my feet onto the middle of his body, pinning him against the barrier.
I used my Wind Magic to keep myself airborne as I then proceeded to repeatedly strike him with my Explosion Blade, over and over, blasting him to pieces each time he began to regenerate.
"<We’re almost out of time, Ciel, fall back>!" Rex warned me, before I struck Kerubiel one last time and flew back, getting some distance and swooping down towards the ground, my Spirit Fusion wearing off right as I landed.
"Hope that made a significant dent in his Mana," I muttered, right as dozens of blood tendrils extended out towards Kerubiel, as Cleo switched to her Spirit Fusion with her Vampire Spirit.
"<Be careful, I can’t do anything to protect you now that our Spirit Fusion is used up, and make sure to keep track of your Mana, you’ve barely got a quarter of it left>," Rex reminded me.
Yeah, I know. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.
I then glanced up as Cleo snared Kerubiel with her blood tendrils, piercing them into his body. He struggled to try and break free, before the tendrils branched out and burst out all around his body, the blood crystallizing as dozens of jagged crimson shards poked out.
I took aim and launched a rapid, powerful explosion at him, hitting the middle of his body and blasting him to pieces. As he regenerated, Cleo shot towards him, whipping her arm across and firing out a slashing wave of blood, slicing off his left arm as he frantically veered across, his eyes widening as I unleashed a volley of explosions at him.
His movements are getting sloppier and sloppier. The more we damage him, the more he panics and loses his cool. He isn’t even attacking anymore, his focus has completely shifted to evasion.
As Cleo caught him with several blood tendrils and began ripping his body apart, his Halo detached and flew away again. I swiftly took aim, before firing out a barrage of explosions as he began to regenerate from scratch, blasting him to bits.
The Halo darted away again, before dozens of slashing waves of blood came shooting out as he started to regenerate, slicing his shapeless, regenerating form to pieces.
Cleo and I continued attacking relentlessly, forcing his Halo to keep moving and trying to regenerate, we-...huh?
Suddenly, I collapsed onto one knee, my vision blurring slightly. What the...?
"<You’re almost completely out of Mana, you’ve barely got any left. One or two more explosions and you’ll probably pass out>," Remarked Rex, as I tried to get back onto my feet, only to collapse onto my knee again.
Damn it...!
Sorry, Cleo, but you’re on your own for a while. Hm?
As Cleo shot towards Kerubiel with several blood tendrils extended out around her, she suddenly came to an abrupt halt, the glow around her body flickering...before her Spirit Fusion wore off, reverting her to her base form.
As she began to plummet, Kerubiel swooped down as his upper body regenerated, eliciting a choked gasp from her as he grabbed her by the throat, a furious, icy look in his eyes.
"D-Damn it, so close...," She gasped, as he tightened his grip.
Crap, I need to-...!
"<Stop>!" Exclaimed Rex as I began to charge up an explosion, "<Stay calm, don’t forget that she can...>"
Huh? Oh, that’s right...
"Yes, you almost succeeded. I am running on fumes, my Mana has been almost completely depleted. But you failed in the end, both of you have extinguished your own Mana before you could drain mine.
Had you forced me to regenerate even a fraction more, you may well have defeated me. Now, die," He uttered venomously, before unleashing a devastating light blast, which burst right through Cleo’s neck and tore her head off.
Blood sprayed out of the stump left around her neck as her arms slumped to her sides, Kerubiel tossing her body away before turning his attention to me. I began to charge up an explosion, but I was too slow, as he rapidly swooped down towards me and struck the middle of my left forearm, snapping the bones like twigs as I let out a sharp gasp of pain.
He then slammed his foot against my chest, sending me flying back and crashing onto a pile of rubble. I coughed out blood with a sharp wheeze as I began to try and sit up, before he shot forward and stomped on my stomach, blood bursting out of my mouth as he pinned me against the rubble.
"You used up the last bit of your Mana attempting to charge up that feeble attack. Hm, you do have a drop of Mana left, but only enough to keep you conscious, it isn’t enough to cast your Magic any-...," He began, before tensing and trailing off as a massive eruption of flames burst out several meters behind him...as Cleo’s Phoenix Resurrection triggered.
He turned his gaze back in alarm, taking his attention completely off of me. I quickly and shakily raised my right arm, channeling the last drop of my Mana into my Personalis Arma, manifesting my Explosion Blade.
As the concentrated mass of explosion energy extended out, the tip of the blade just barely reached his torso, grazing his skin by a whisker...but that’s all I needed.
He cried out sharply as a crushing explosion erupted upon contact, caving his torso in as he got launched back and slammed onto the ground with a sharp gasp, the glow around his Halo flickering.
My Explosion Blade faded as my consciousness began to drift off, my vision darkening around the edges. But I managed to keep my eyes open just long enough to see Cleo springing up behind the Angel and slash at his Halo with her Mana Claws, my eyelids slowly fluttering shut right as her claws collided against the Halo...and sliced clean through the glowing golden ring...
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