Chapter 73: The Rescue Attempt
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We fell quiet after that, processing the danger of this situation while watching Charmcaster attempt a particularly complex spell.
The pages of Gwen's spellbook fluttered wildly as she chanted. For a short moment, it looked like she might have caught Addwaitya off guard. A massive vortex of energy formed above the turtle tyrant, threatening to crush him.
Then he laughed. The sound was like maddening thunder. With a casual gesture, he collapsed the vortex in on itself, sending the energy rebounding back at Charmcaster. She barely managed to raise a shield in time.
"Child of my enemy, your attempts are amusing at best!" Addwaitya shouted, voice carrying across the entire realm. "Keep going, show me more. Show me how much I've inspired you by killing your pathetic father!"
"Die, BASTARD!" Charmcaster trembled in rage, throwing spells at his flying form.
The situation didn't look good. Charmcaster had no chance of winning anyway, but now she was being overcome by rage. She'd be defeated, killed, the moment the turtle got bored. I, along with these two girls jumping in, wouldn't help either. The power gap was larger than that. This was not a fight we could win.
"We should retreat," Kitty said quietly as if she could read my mind, swallowing hard. She was trembling in fear. "There's no way we can win this fight."
I could understand why she was scared. Magic was one of the few weaknesses that Kitty Pryde had. While so far she'd been fine against mindless golems, it wouldn't be the same against a Master of Magic like Addwaitya.
Illyana nodded in agreement. "Not even in Limbo would I want to face him with the Rune in his possession. Well, I'd win in Limbo, but not without casualty."
I looked at them both, then back to Charmcaster. Even from this distance, I could see the desperation in her movements, the reckless determination of someone who knew they were outmatched but wouldn't back down.
"I'm not leaving without her," I said firmly.
"What do you suggest then, hero boy?"
"I'm sorry for dragging you guys in, but don't worry, my suggestions don't include you getting involved. I'll take care of this. She may be a backstabbing thief, but she cared about my family in her own way." If not, why did she bother teaching Gwen that meditation technique when she hated her so much? "I'm not going to watch her die."
Before they could argue, I began making my way down toward the battlefield. We were close enough now to hear the exchange between Charmcaster and her opponent.
"You shall die today for killing my father!" Charmcaster screamed, her voice raw with emotion as she unleashed another barrage of spells.
Addwaitya swatted them aside like flies. Now I could see him clearly, a ten-foot-tall turtle-like creature, his ancient shell covered in arcane symbols that glowed with each spell he cast. Unlike normal Geochelone Aerios, he had arms ending in clawed hands rather than flippers, and his eyes burned with malevolent intelligence.
"Your father was a fool who challenged powers beyond his understanding. Meaning, me!!" Addwaitya's voice rumbled like stones grinding together. "As are you, child. Though I must admit, your stolen trinkets have made this more amusing than I expected."
I'd heard enough. My hand found the Omnitrix, cycling through my options. Against a being who could manipulate magical energy, one choice stood out.
"How about you fight someone your own size?" I shouted as the transformation washed over me, the familiar surge of power reconfiguring my DNA.
"Feedback!"
I landed on the platform between them, my single eye locked on Addwaitya as my antenna-like plugs extended, already beginning to absorb the ambient magical energy that saturated the air.
Charmcaster looked at me in shock. "B-Ben? What are you…?! How did you-?" A multitude of emotions ran through her face which had already given up on this battle. In her eyes, I saw hope rekindle.
"Less talking, more running," I suggested, not taking my eyes off the turtle tyrant. "I'll handle this."
Addwaitya regarded me with mild curiosity. "Another insect to crush. How tiresome."
He unleashed a blast of pink energy that could have leveled a building. I caught it with my fingertips, the magical power flowing into me, charging me up like a battery. The sensation was incredible. Pure magical potential that filled me with strength, and my cells hummed with electric potential.
"Thanks for the boost, Oogway," I grinned, redirecting the energy right back at him with interest. The blast struck his shell, actually pushing him back several feet. His expression shifted from boredom to mild surprise.
"Interesting," he mused. "A Conductoid. Rare in this part of the cosmos."
I tried not to let my surprise show. He knew what species I was? But there was no time to dwell on it as he launched his counterattack. Not at me, but at the platform itself.
The stone beneath my feet suddenly rippled, attempting to engulf me like quicksand. I leapt clear, only to find the air around me becoming solid, magical restraints forming around my limbs. This was not good. He already knew attacking me directly wouldn't work, so he was attacking the terrain.
"Did you really think I wouldn't adapt?" Addwaitya's voice carried a note of genuine amusement now. "In my domain, reality bends to my will."
With a gesture, he performed a spell that sealed the plugs on my fingers and antenna, preventing me from absorbing any more power. The magic I'd already collected began to backfire, painful surges rippling through my body.
Illyana appeared beside me in a flash of light, her Soulsword slicing through my magical restraints. "This isn't working!" she hissed. "We need to retreat, Ben!"
Even though she said that, she'd already come to help me. I was grateful for that.
Addwaitya turned his attention to her, recognition dawning in his ancient eyes. "The Darkchilde. So far from your throne." With a casual wave, he summoned a massive stone golem that immediately engaged Illyana, keeping her occupied.
I glanced around quickly and spotted Charmcaster. Rather than fleeing, she was preparing another spell, her face contorted with rage and determination. That annoying and stupid girl.
"You took everything from me!" she screamed at Addwaitya. "My father, my childhood, my home!"
"Hah! And I'll take more still," he replied coldly, gathering energy for what looked like a finishing blow.
I made my decision in an instant, slapping the Omnitrix symbol on my chest. The green flash momentarily blinded everyone as I returned into human and then XLR8 right away, my form becoming a blur of black and blue.
Before Charmcaster could react, I had her in my arms, racing away from Addwaitya at speeds that distorted the very air around us.
"No! Let me go! Ben Tennyson, how dare you meddle in my matters?! Let me go!" she struggled against my grip, her voice breaking. "I need to have my revenge!"
"Shut the FUCK up, Hope, I'm risking my life here!" I shouted at her face, and her voice died like a broken bulb. "Ugh… Just think about it. You'll never get revenge if you're dead, would you? Come back a few years later when you're stronger," I added, not slowing down.
Charmcaster stared at me for a moment, her eyes wet at my scolding, before she put her face on my shoulder, hugging me tightly. I spotted Kitty and raced toward her, gesturing for her to grab hold. As soon as she had a grip on my arm, I called out to Illyana, who was still fighting the powerful golem. "Time to go!"
The entire citadel began to shake violently as Addwaitya's rage manifested physically.
"THIEVES! TRESPASSERS! YOU DARE? YOU THINK YOU CAN FLEE?" His voice boomed across the realm, the Alpha Rune on his chest glowing like a miniature sun. The stone platforms around us began to crack and collapse, the very fabric of Ledgerdomain warping to block our escape.
Illyana finally managed to dispatch the golem and teleported to our side, looking exhausted but determined. "This way!"
She led us through a dizzying series of teleports, staying just ahead of the collapsing architecture and magical traps that sprang up in our wake. With each jump, I could see she was growing weaker, the strain of using her powers in a hostile realm taking its toll.
We finally reached what should have been the boundary back to Limbo, only to find our path blocked by a churning sea of raw magic, powerful currents of pure energy that would tear us apart if we tried to cross.
Behind us, the ground split open, and Addwaitya emerged in a form three times larger than before, his shell now a fortress, his eyes blazing suns of fury.
"THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM LEDGERDOMAIN WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!" he thundered, the Alpha Rune pulsing with each word.
Illyana staggered slightly, her demonic features flickering as her power waned. "I can teleport us back to Limbo," she said, her voice strained. "It will drain me completely. Be ready to run when we land."
Before I could protest, she turned to face Addwaitya one last time. Despite her weakened state, she stood tall, her chin raised in defiance.
"Perhaps next time, turtle," she called out, raising a middle finger at him. "When you're not hiding behind your fancy necklace."
With that final act of defiance, she opened a portal beneath our feet. The last thing I saw before we fell through was Addwaitya's face contorted with rage, the Alpha Rune blazing like a supernova as he lunged toward us.
We crashed onto the crimson soil of Limbo in a heap of exhausted limbs. Charmcaster had finally lost consciousness, her body going limp in my arms. Kitty looked shaken but intact. Illyana, to my surprise, was already straightening up, strength visibly returning to her demonic form as she reconnected with her realm.
"Ah, never mind. We don't gotta fight no monsters, I'm back to feeling great again!" Then a slow, satisfied smirk spread across her face as she looked at me. "Not bad, Tennyson. You kept your promise when you said we'd be done before breakfast."
I allowed myself to collapse onto my back, reverting to human form as I stared up at Limbo's burning sky. "Let's never do that again," I groaned, though I knew this was just the beginning of our problems.
After all, we still had an unconscious sorceress with stolen magical artifacts to deal with. And something told me Addwaitya wasn't the type to forgive and forget.
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Author Note: The current #1st is too high to cross in a day, so we won't do that goal. Instead of a 24-hour goal as usual, we'd do a milestone-type goal without a time limit (within this ongoing week, I mean).
Goal is 2500 stones for 1x bonus (plus usual chapter). Currently, we're at 1700. It's not far. We might be able to cross it in a day if many of y'all vote, but if we don't, we'll definitely cross it by the next day. Start voting!
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