The air in dungeon was getting heavier. The words of the woman with twin braids resonated around adding to the eerie atmosphere in the hallways. Nellie’s grip on Listarte tightened feeling the thumping of her heart go faster. Wasn’t this supposed to be a green zone, so why are they getting caught up in precarious situation? Nellie could definitely feel the perilous atmosphere being emitted around the woman who was standing in front of them.
“Why are you all so silent? Make noises white mahò users! Let’s rejoice,” laughing evilly she grinned even more wide that she did earlier. What is this woman?
“Tell us who you are,” Listarte bravely asked. She gripped Nellie’s hand hoping to give the latter a little comfort. Her other hand was clenched so tight to prevent herself from shaking.
Listarte clearly remembers this woman; on any case she was sure they were not safe at all. She can only pray that they were still being monitored by the guardians. She also tried to contact Quinn but it was to no avail, it seems like their connection has been cut off.
“Oh? Somebody’s attempting to contact who knows who. But whatever it’s useless little whites you have been trapped inside my web,” she declared giggling like a mad woman. Her slithering long hair was still hovering right by her shoulders.
“W-what are you saying?” Margoth despite her nervousness asked.
The woman tilted her head malign eyes directed at the group.
“I’ll give you the honor to know me before you die since I am quite amused how all of you still hasn’t cried your eyes out in the sight of me,
“Dear white mahò users, I am the Seventh Milieus Executive from the Seven Tables, Taraya who wields the ender voice. And if you still don’t understand you are trapped in my attribute. Gone are your communication outside and no help will be coming. When you get out here, it would be as corpse,” she explained like she was a professor lecturing her students.
Nellie felt like her head was cracking, the pain was immense that she could not help but kneel down and let out a whimper.
“My, seems like one of you is finally reacting, hmmm I’ve been wasting my time too…” her eyes suddenly showed murderous intent and her eerie wide grin came back.
“Time to have a feast!” She yelled and cackled evilly as she lunges to attack Luther who was shielding the group.
A cobweb stuck in Luther’s eyes blinding his vision that caused him to be unable to deflect Taraya’s attack.
In a second, Luther was down on the stone cold floor. Next to Luther was Mikael, he was about to move backward when he found himself stuck on where he was standing.
“No use, no use, fighting is futile,” Taraya happily chanted when she completely stuck the group in her cobwebs.
As she was laughing maniacally, a sharp gust of wind almost cut her braid. Everything halted, her laughter ceased and her head creakingly turned to the wizling who conjured the spell.
“You dare?!” Taraya erupted.
Taraya immediately dived towards Listarte controlling her cobwebs to trap and cover Lista’s body. But before she could, an air bubble trapped her making her movements restricted. Taraya struggled inside and the bubble began to disperse. Listarte was aware that it was not enough to hold the woman but there was another underlying reason for the attempt. Luther who has collapse began to stand without Taraya noticing, the moment the bubble burst the former stabbed the latter with his long sword making the evil woman’s eyes bulge. Taraya wailed, she produced sharp cobwebs pushing back Luther and Listarte.
“You! You dared!” She screamed once again.
This time the group was back on foot, they were not about to die without putting up a fight.
Forming a circle around Taraya each one of them started to chant their respective spells.
Margoth was the first one to attack; in a fast speed she directed multiple shurikens towards Taraya followed up by a smoke ball that began to engulf the woman. And though Antonella was still feeling the piercing pain in her head she made poisonous flowers bloom around the enemy. Enchanting and spells were echoing in the dungeons and Taraya continued to wail. Listarte then produced another spell.
*“Gentle oh you are wind of the celestial
Hear my plea, grant us thee
Show thy might and beauty
Oh wash away all the sorrow thy see,”*
A whirling wind started to circle Taraya slowly cutting her down. Her clothes started to tear; she began to weaken causing her to kneel down. The wind caused her braids to unravel and it ceased to float around.
The dungeon went silent, as if the catastrophe has gone and past. Lista and the others regrouped. Confiding in each other’s warmth.
Lista was feeling skeptical about the defeat of Taraya, she was sure that that woman was at least on par with Lalia.
On the past when the trainings with Lalia was on going, there were times when she thought she have defeated the wind mage but it was just a false assumption. The moment she let her guard down, the mage would attack causing her defeat. This was what Monk Amon thought her too, never ever let your guard down in the presence of an enemy.
And Listarte was indeed right, when they were silently rejoicing in relief a cobweb right below their feet exploded the huge impact making the ground shake.
They were all thrown away, but thanks to Lista’s protection they have received less damage. Taraya slowly stood up, her head bowed down and her long hair hiding her eyes but it did not hide the grin on her lips.
A malignant laugh echoed around the room. Taraya was laughing very hard that it almost caused another explosion around the halls.
“You expect to defeat an ender?” she mockingly said. She finally looked up revealing her eyes that were dark ecstatic eyes.
Listarte quickly shielded the others together with Luther. On a fighting stance they prepared themselves for another battle.
“You still want to fight back? Futile, it’s just futile,”
“Even for just a second, if we could buy time, the guardians would surely arrive.” Listarte whispered at Luther. Luther nodded, his eyes still focused at the enemy in front of them.
“Let’s stay alive until then,” he tried as hard as possible to make his voice a little optimistic. He glanced at their group mates behind them.
Margoth was frozen on her spot, her eyes were not in focus anymore, and Nellie was trying hard to get her back to her consciousness. The latter was also shaking but has convinced herself to come to it when she saw how ready Listarte and Luther was to protect them. Mikael on the other hand was injured. His right leg was caught up in the explosion earlier. Antonella was slowly healing him using her plants but the progress was slow because of her low mana and her nerves.
Luther composed himself and stared at the enemy, he remembered the aura meditation they were thought and began to close his eyes to perform it, one, two, three deep breaths. He opened his eyes and found a new strength flowing in his body. He casted a glance at Listarte and their eyes reached understanding.
Luther ran towards the enemy ran pouring the last ounce of his strength in this attack. Everything will be then up to Listarte, her strength will be their wild card.
Slash! Luther cut Taraya down but the latter had defended herself using the hardened cobwebs. With all his strength Luther pushed his sword; he chanted a spell boosting his muscle strength. His grip was slowly shaking; he knew the fight he put up was still not enough.
*“Lend me strength
Guardian of power
Bless my sword
Cut my enemy”*
For a second Luther was successful in pushing Taraya, making the distance between Taraya and the group wider. This should be enough Luther thought.
With all his effort, he yelled his battle cry and slashed his sword. It clashed with Taraya’s hardened cobweb making a spark and in the end the difference in strength was evident. Luther’s sword went flying and he was thrown to the wall. The impact made him cough blood.
Listarte saw what happened and began to panic, but she remembered what she should be doing right now, she was their last hope. She continued to meditate her mana preparing to unleash her strength. She was indeed a wildcard. There was power she has not yet shown. A power she was forbidden to use. But in this life and death situation the monks would probably understand her.
Listarte’s were serious; they were glistening with a will to fight. Taraya smirked mockingly not recognizing Listarte’s prowess.
“Why do you want to kill us?” Listarte asked wanting to know the reason behind the sudden attack of the woman.
“Why? You were just out of luck when you encountered me, don’t think you were someone special, cause anyone who have crossed paths with me should meet the same faith as you,” Taraya listlessly voiced out.
“So this was just for fun?” Lista further questioned. She was beginning to feel irritated. All her friend’s injuries just for fun?
“Sort of? Well, this was an order but yeah this is certainly fun,” Taraya entailed after thinking for a moment.
She was about to laugh again when a spark conjured in front of her. Taraya found herself bound in chains while being surrounded by gush of wind. The woman in front of her was raging with anger.
Listarte directed another spell towards Taraya, executing non-verbal spells takes a lot of toll on her body but this was the only thing she could think of in order to defeat the woman. Listarte wanted to know who ordered this woman but she knows it would be useless to ask her, so instead it would be easier to defeat her.
Listarte’s wind was circling her making her hair float in the air, unleashing her stored power the wind made the enchanted ribbon on her hair fly away. With the powerful and vengeful wind, her ash gray hair slowly turned white. Like snow falling from the winter sky her hair screamed peace in the middle of the chaos.
The team mates jaw dropped from the spectacle, it was something they have not seen before. The Listarte in front of them was a whole new person.
“Wow, should I start to get scared? I did not know there was a goddess descent here, what a cheat, you were hiding it all the time?” Although Taraya made her voice sound cheated her face was still grinning evilly.
With her body bound she could not maneuver her cobwebs, but her hair began to hover again, together with it, every cobwebs in the dungeon was summoned towards her it began forming into the shape of… someone?
It was a clone; she was making a clone for herself. When Listarte realized it, it was already too late. The Taraya who was bound disintegrated and the clone came to life. a brand new Taraya was grinning at Listarte.
“Tsk,tsk,tsk, it’s unfortunate that I’m still alive right?” Taraya taunt Listarte.
Listarte despite her strong and sturdy appearance right now was beginning to crumble inside. The recoil of using too much mana without proper training was starting to attack her; she could only last for a little while longer.
Taraya began to attack her again playing with her by directing some of her spells towards Lista’s team. Lista struggled to defend every spell but succeeded in each.
Another, then another, and another, continuous attacks was produced by Taraya. Yet in each attack Listarte could also feel the attacks weakening.
‘Ma!’ Lista was surprised when Quinn suddenly talked to her, their connection was back! Meaning, the Milieus Executive was really starting to weaken, but it was the same case for Lista.
‘Quinn do not come out, can you instead contact Johann?’ Listarte desperately asked Quinn.
He must have sensed how anxious and tired Lista was.
‘Yes Ma, I’ll be right back, please hold on.’
Quinn disappeared; Lista felt her body getting heavier. But just for another minute, until Johann arrives, she convinced herself to stay standing.