Eyril stood amidst the debris, framed by the gaping hole in the wall. His garment fluttered in the gust of air, then, in a split second, he vanished, reappearing as he swung at Theo three times in one spot.
Theo managed to block what came at him.
Relentless in his assault, Eyril slashed without pause.
Theo was pushed back, his blade meeting every strike.
"This dexterity… your dexterity is inferior to mine," Theo said calmly.
He slashed at Eyril with such speed that his hand didn't seem to move, the only proof of his attack was the burst of sparks erupting from Eyril's sword.
With that strike, Eyril staggered back a single step.
"Not enough?" Theo asked, repeating the attacks, each swing throwing sparks that ignited the library around them.
"..."
Eyril glanced at the growing flames and said, "It's manageable."
"Manageable?" Theo echoed with a smile.
He continued his assault across the entire library floor, moving so fast that only mirages and flashes of sparks marked where he stood.
Fire climbed the pillars of the upper floors, collapsing them, books rained down, fueling the blaze.
Eyril gave the fire a brief glance before launching a powerful upward swing, sending Theo crashing through the ceiling.
It's on command... I need to be careful with him, Theo thought, getting up near a ladder where he had landed.
Eyril leapt through the hole in the floor, slowly making his way up the stairs toward him.
Looking down at the burning chaos below, Theo knew he couldn't stay still. Grabbing the ladder, he ran up.
This is too disadvantageous for me…
Standing in front of the ladder, looking up, Eyril sighed.
Gripping his sword with his left hand, he swung it wide, his blade cleaving through the walls just above where Theo had been running, decimating everything in its path and reducing it all to ash.
"What?!"
Caught off guard, Theo lost his balance and fell.
Regaining his composure, he grabbed the ladder and steadied himself.
The slash had carved such a massive gap that Theo could stand inside it. So he did, jumping in, sprinting upward along a 70-degree slope.
What is this? And how am I supposed to fight him?
One wrong move and I'm dead, Theo thought, glancing over his shoulder. Eyril was steadily making his way up the impossibly steep incline.
If that's the case… I'll have to use everything I've got.
Good that I learned this spell… A way to combine cheap magic with my dexterity.
Theo gripped his sword tightly, shifting his weight onto his dominant leg.
A gust of wind blew past as time seemed to pause. Pouring strength into his legs, he burst forward, chanting:
"Catenae Sanguineae Obscurae."
Dark red chains materialized from the ceiling above, conjured all across the space. In a split second, they crashed down with terrifying speed, smashing into the floor and cutting a vast distance between him and Eyril.
I just need it to last long enough for me to escape this mess.
Theo dashed up the slope, muscles burning as he ran.
I need to use this spell responsibly… They should trap him long enough.
He looked back. Eyril stood beneath the shadowy canopy of the falling chains, his figure cloaked in darkness.
Cough, cough.
There's so much ash… it's hard to breathe. Even the helmet isn't helping…
…
Eyril stood in place, reaching for one of the chains, its surface glistening, dripping red liquid that poured down the links and flooded the lower floors.
"…Huh."
His hand stopped just shy of touching it.
"This'll be tricky."
He leaned forward, and vanished. Slipping through the chains, Eyril advanced at a steady pace up the slope.
…
Theo reached the top. He found himself in a ravine. Above him, the exit bridge remained, still partially intact.
There it is. I'll take him to the surface.
Then, a sudden tingle crawled up the back of his neck.
He spun backwards, dodging a sudden strike, nearly falling off the edge.
He's already here?!
Theo's eyes widened as he saw Eyril sprinting up the slope, unhindered.
Dispelling his aura, Theo swung his sword in a horizontal arc and chanted:
"Praesidium."
A barrier erupted across the slope, glowing with a bluish light. Blue particles drifted from its surface. It formed a solid shield near the ceiling and floor, fading gradually into transparency toward the center.
"For now, this will do."
With that, Theo leapt toward the exit bridge.