By watching the orc warriors’ weapons coming down on the demon like they were the wrath of the heavens, Ragh’Ash could almost smell the sweet scent of Lith’s blood in the air.
Which is why she was dumbfounded when a fireball exploded on the ground and sent the orcs surrounding Lith flying like leaves scattered by the autumn wind.
<"How is that possible?"> Ragh’Ash blurted out in her stupor.
The lack of air element prevented Lith from flying or casting powerful air spells, but there was more than enough to support a tier 0 gravity magic trick. Even the shockwave from a simple fireball was enough to buy him some space once his opponents had become weightless.
‘I think we are in trouble.’ Solus was worried. ‘The lack of earth magic already prevented us from Blinking. Now even flight and lightning bolts are sealed. What if the shaman can seal the other elements too?’
‘That’s the bad news. The good news is the same applies to them.’ Lith watched some orcs trying to produce air blades, yet all they managed to do was waste their mana.
‘Their coordination is nonexistent. We’ll see who runs out of tricks first.’ Lith’s hands moved so fast that for a second even the shaman only saw a blur. Then, a volley of fireballs and several ice spears darted toward the mana crystal.
Ragh’Ash attempted to raise a stone wall and failed.
‘Gods below! What have I done? I must protect the holy crystal!’ She thought. She didn’t have the time to nullify two elements and even if she did, it would make her completely useless in combat.
The only thing she could do was to push Testa’Lhosh and the crystal away with spirit magic while shielding herself with the thickest ice wall she could produce in the little time she had left.
She succeeded in saving both the crystal and herself, but it came at a terrible price. Lith had timed the two spells so that the fireballs would hit first, shattering the ice protection he knew she would have employed, so that the ice spears would find a clear path to the enemy.
Ragh’Ash was alive, but barely. Chunks of her flesh were missing because of the explosions and several spears had struck her despite her raising walls one after another. She was already healing her wounds with Invigoration, but the aftereffects would leave her weakened nonetheless.
‘What an idiot!’ Lith inwardly laughed. ‘Playing dirty is a game two can play. I want the crystal badly, but not if it costs me my life. By attacking it, I can force the orcs on the defensive.’
The orcs rushed Lith again. The demon’s blasphemous act had pushed their rage to its peak, allowing their bloodlust to blind them. Exactly like Lith wanted. The orcs were a threat to his life only if they coordinated their efforts.
They attacked him as if they were alone, giving no consideration to their own companions’ movements. Without tactics, the orcs were just an annoyance. Their crude weapons were nothing compared to Gatekeeper, their boosted cores granted them feeble abilities compared to Lith’s bright cyan one when pushed to its limit.
Ragh’Ash’s plan had only one flaw. Both she and Lith knew it, but only one of them could exploit it. Depriving the world energy of a specific element blocked the related spells, but it couldn’t affect fusion magic.
Fusion magic didn’t rely on external energy but on the elemental power its user naturally stored. Lith’s air fusion could not only make him incredibly fast, but it was also channeled and amplified by the Gatekeeper’s enchantment, boosting the sword’s edge.
A single slash was what it took to cleave an orc asunder, along with the ax with which he had attempted to block. A single lunge would go clear through its intended victim and beyond, wounding those stupid enough to be near its exit point.
<"Curse you, demon!"> screamed in anguish as she ripped off the head of one of their youths to consume his flesh to regain her strength. The fight had barely started, yet the number of her warriors had halved and she was gravely injured.
Thanks to Invigoration, Ragh’Ash was able to instantly assimilate the food’s nutrients and restore her strength. Testa’Lhosh immediately ran to her side. The chieftain was visibly worried for her.
Without the shaman, the tribe was as good as dead. The holy crystal would become a liability instead of a treasure. Testa’Lhosh’s life depended on her.
<"The warriors will not last long without my help."> Testa’Lhosh said while delicately leaving the crystal by her side.
<"Do whatever you need, but try to keep me alive. You still need a man to have offspring."> The chieftain didn’t trust her more than he would a nest of vipers. His words were meant to remind the shaman that the survival of the Grey Wolf tribe needed at least two orcs.
He didn’t miss how Ragh’Ash moved her gaze from him to the remaining three youths. There was still a male left, which meant she still had options. Inwardly cursing his bad luck, Testa’Lhosh unsheathed his greatsword and joined the fray.
Aside from the holy crystal, the chieftain’s blade was the only treasure of the Grey Wolf tribe that had survived the war. It was an enchanted weapon that had fallen into the orcs’ hands after its previous owner had fallen into their stomachs.
Ragh’Ash nodded. Her powers activated the crystal once again, passing all the remaining energy she had stored within it to the chieftain. His core immediately turned from bright yellow to bright cyan, which Solus promptly reported to Lith.
‘For f*ck’s sake! I hate fair fights!’ Lith inwardly cursed. Testa’Lhosh was at least 20 centimeters (8″) taller than Lith and 30 kg heavier. Thanks to his Awakened like body, those 30 kg were all muscles.
Lith had no advantage against Testa’Lhosh, aside from his own equipment and training. In terms of sheer physical strength, the chieftain was like an adult fighting a prepubescent teen.
‘How long until the balance is restored?’ Lith hated forcing Solus to consume her remaining mana, but he had no choice. Only when all of Lith’s skills were online again he could safely terminate the orc tribe.
‘Earth is back to normal already. Air should support spells up to tier two.’ Solus replied. She was already so weakened that only her natural senses remained. Solus decided to save the remainder of her mana for an emergency, just to be safe.
She could have used Invigoration, but unlike Lith’s, it required more time and was dependant on her companion’s status. Using it would not only leave her completely helpless for a while, but could also destabilize Lith’s mana flow.
Solus couldn’t stand by idly either, so she moved from Lith’s mouth to his right hand and turned into her glove form. That way he could at least use her as a shield if the need arose.
The greatsword gave Testa’Lhosh the superior range, forcing Lith on the defensive. Their fusion magic was on par, so it was like neither was employing it. The chieftain was faster, stronger, and to make things worse he shouted orders that made the remaining orcs regain their sanity.
Ragh’Ash was now back on her feet, using the crystal to infuse one of the young female orcs until the youth screamed in agony. The shaman didn’t trust the chieftain more than he trusted her. Ragh’Ash wanted to win, no matter the cost.
