POV: HELENA IVYRA.
Before H's attack could hit me, I had just enough time to realize that deep voice belonged to him.
It was likely the result of the enchantment he'd cast.
After all... many enchantments require a vocal trigger to be invoked. However, there was a type that worked almost passively: the Analog and Spiritual ones.
How did I know that? Well... lucky me. I had one of them.
"Chains of Marginal Liberty: Specter Bala!" I declared. I activated my enchantment on my right wrist and felt the mark glow blue.
Injecting energy, I summoned the Specter.
I saw a form made of burning red scarves, wrapped in several chains, some broken, others intact. Specter Bala flew towards my back, releasing part of its chains and entangling them in the anchor H was using against me.
I connected my energy flow to Specter Bala through the mark, gaining quick access to its vision. I saw myself from behind and noticed that H had his anchor trapped by chains, trying to break free from the temporary blockage Bala had created.
As soon as I returned to my normal vision, I felt my energy flowing into two enchantments at the same time.
"Specter Gato, create your illusions!" I said, as I summoned the second specter.
From the palm of my left hand, a dark blue mist formed. From within it, feline eyes glowed burnt yellow.
As soon as it appeared, the specter spread across my body, and two connections formed with duplicates that appeared beside me.
Two identical copies, like a mirror. They immediately advanced towards H.
I turned to face him. "Axiomatic Tessellation!" I proclaimed, forming two gauntlets on my hands and two shields in front of my duplicates.
The instant I heard that deep voice again,
I knew I wouldn't be leaving here so easily. At least, not without a fight.
There we were, on a random Wednesday, facing a strange man inside a library.
What a crazy twist, huh, Helena? Well, so be it.
If he thinks he can defeat me with a single blow... Whether it's out of arrogance or underestimation,
'I'll give him a serious headache.'
I thought, as I advanced towards him.
A few moments earlier…
POV: NOAH WILLIAMS.
As soon as I saw H use a strong, unknown enchantment, I was on alert.
It was the first time he'd cast that particular one.
"Damn...". I noticed the girl was a few meters behind me.
When H advanced, I activated my flame enchantment and unleashed a tall blaze between us.
That broke his charge for a moment. I circled the flame to attack him and saw him form a guard. I kicked him at stomach height, from the right side, trying to unbalance him.
But it was useless. He blocked the blow and counter-attacked with a wave of that green goo, coming from his left hand.
I spun to the side, dodging the goo. He prepared a kick, but I took advantage of the spin's momentum and used more QP on the mark on my left wrist. I incinerated my foot and tried to deliver a roundhouse kick.
He didn't have time to react, just crossed his arms to defend.
When I landed the blow...
The man in front of me disappeared into a black goo and disintegrated. I extended my senses around.
His energy appeared behind the girl. It was too late to reach him. Until I saw a type of spirit come out of the girl's back and trap H's weapon, preventing the attack.
Then, her duplicates advanced on him, accompanied by shields for defense.
'She stopped the attack and even counter-attacked? Not bad…'
I mused, contemplating the girl's ability. I refocused on H. I concentrated on his energy and ran towards him.
He exchanged blows with the duplicates before destroying them and advancing to hit the girl. She used a shield, which dissolved upon impact.
I arrived between them. Quickly, I activated an energy flow to my right wrist.
"Semantic Rupture!" I declared, inhibiting some of the effect of the Whisper of the Margins in that area.
By alternating the verbal invocation of the enchantment, I could distort them according to my will.
With that, H's spell was slightly corrupted. In retaliation, he used his shadow movement and retreated to the other side of the library.
I focused on following him until we were face to face again.
POV: HELENA IVYRA.
"I think you need to choose your targets better, my dear H. The young lady must have gone easy on you, apparently," Noah said, with his usual caution.
"Damn this shitty country. Who, in their right mind, would let whores have access to this?" H growled, consumed by rage.
As I recovered from the exchange of blows,
I heard Noah's mental voice again:
"I need you to protect the girls and head for the stairs, I can get the pro..."
The phrase was interrupted when H attacked him again, anchor in hand. Noah used a flame enchantment, evoking blazes in his hands.
He struck the ground repeatedly to slow H down, but it was useless. He quickly approached and began an intense sequence of blows. Noah was forced to release more flames to counter H's attacks.
Thanks to that, a fire began to form in the environment. The wooden shelves served as a guide for the fire that was already starting to spread, although it was still difficult to discern it because of the black aura that limited vision.
I then realized that H's energy had changed. Two separate signatures formed, one fighting Noah, the other advancing behind him. And preparing to attack him from behind!.
"Chains of Marginal Liberty: Specter Professor, project wisdom onto this fool!" I summoned the third specter. A bundle of paper leaves came together, forming a small shape. With light green eyes, it emitted a sound wave that disoriented H's clone.
Enough time for Noah to notice and unleash a strong blaze, separating the two Hs. The clone was burned, and the real one retreated a few steps.
Right after, I heard Noah's mental voice, with urgency:
"Get out of here! NOW!"
I saw Noah drastically increase his use of QPs. And then, he invoked: "Fire of Liberty!" he shouted, strengthening the flames around and advancing on H with impressive speed.
I activated Axiomatic Tessellation once again, forming gauntlets, and headed towards the girls. The smell of sulfur and carbon monoxide from the fire was already making it difficult to breathe. So, I created a mask-shaped construct over my mouth.
I passed through the overturned chairs, jumping over a small niche shelf that was now broken. I managed to reach the girls, lying beside a table in the center of the floor. I assessed the environment.
Noah and H exchanged blows in the gloom, illuminated only by the blazes that streaked through the air.
The two seemed only unconscious. I placed them side by side and tried to invoke a rectangular construct under them to carry them out.
However... The moment I inserted magical energy into the gauntlets to form the platform, I felt the energy being sucked into a new enchantment, that of the papyrus. And a new flash faded my mind at that instant.
The words began to narrate something that seemed to be a... tale? Prophecy?. At that time, I couldn't discern.
"There, the first of all appeared"
"The first to protect, our dominating gift..."
"A book that emanates ancient power."
"Known by many, feared by fools, always associated with the Library."
"When carried by a reader in a library, it allows one to summon an altar and use the Literary Mark of its original writer."
"Thus was born the Library's Silence Aura"
"Such connection strengthens as more altars are summoned in different temples."
"The passive power: The Scream, is also activated, when... (unknown)"
The description was interrupted by a strange phonetics that confused me.
I saw a construct appear beside me. An altar? No. It was something like a large, rudimentary lectern, made of something similar to polished quartz.
It was translucent, but it reflected the light of the surrounding blazes with a crystalline softness, as if channeling and purifying the chaos that was taking over the environment.
Its contours were angular and ancient, reminiscent of the architecture of forgotten ruins known only from hidden records. Every line of the altar seemed carved with arcane symbols that pulsed, however vaguely, in pale blue.
I stared at the altar. On it, rested a book. The cover was thick and dark, made of a leather unlike anything I knew, something between mineral and organic.
It had a subtle glow, as if absorbing light instead of reflecting it. The strangest thing, however, was the fact that the book had no pages. It was open, but empty, the interior completely hollow, as if it were just a receptacle waiting for something.
Until... An energetic sheet of paper appeared before me, floating in the air with an almost solemn lightness. It didn't tremble or oscillate with the wind, as if the space around it had been frozen to accommodate it.
I recognized that sheet. It was a copy of the papyrus. The same one that had originated the previous enchantment. Its magical texture seemed to pulse in tune with the altar's energy. A golden glow traced the words that danced on its surface, rewriting themselves, as if recalling their own origin. It attached itself to the book.
Upon touching the cover, it was as if the book awoke from a deep sleep.
An intense light spread from the point of contact, running along the edges of the cover, invading the altar, and spilling onto the floor like a liquid of pure energy.
The enchantment was activated. A powerful wave of energy enveloped the surrounding environment.
Not with violence, but with firmness. Like a tide that silently imposed itself on everything it touched. I felt the impact in my chest, as if a new frequency had replaced the old. My lungs expanded more easily.
The oppression of the black aura began to dissipate in my perception, still present, but weaker, more... vulnerable. I felt lighter.
My thoughts, previously scattered due to the heat, fear, and rush, cleared. It was as if every beat of my heart was synchronized with that altar.
My magical flow stabilized. The muscle pain softened. Even the suffocating heat of the fire seemed to recede for a brief moment, allowing me to breathe more deeply.
It was as if... everything was falling into place around me. But the strangest part was yet to come. Everything there began to energize, the energy flow filled with more QPs, and my mind seemed to clear for a few moments.
I noticed the girls' signatures become more vivid and, in the background, I felt Noah's energy revitalized. The enchantment that had been activated was beneficial for everyone.
Or rather...
Almost everyone. The enchantment behaved differently when it influenced H.
I felt the energy emitted by him weaken... no, it was fighting his control.
It was practically... burning him from the inside out. It was rejecting him in some way.