POV: HELENA IVYRA.
When the enchantment started rejecting H, his QP seemed to take a hit.
It was like he was soaked in kerosene, and I had struck a match.
His body began to contort in several places, giving Noah the opening he needed to close the distance.
Even with Noah's superior agility and H's difficulty controlling his energy, H's physical resilience and the versatility of the ambient enchantment allowed him to create multiple false copies made of that disgusting goo. It was giving Noah quite the extra work.
With the altar still by my side, I took advantage of H's temporary weakness, even struggling, he kept fighting Noah. I realized the fight would drag on, as Noah's flames continued to illuminate the area, flickering in the shadows moving across the walls.
After checking the surroundings and utilizing the extra energy flow the altar provided, I injected more QP into my Axiomatic Tessellation enchantment to strengthen the rectangular base supporting the girls.
At the same time, I quickly glanced around and noted the infrastructure's state: several shelves were already ablaze, many chairs broken, and the floor scorched in multiple spots. I was determined to get out of there as fast as possible.
"Chains of Marginal Liberty: Specter Bala!" I declared, using the enchantment to survey the environment from above.
'Having another pair of eyes on my back is always useful…'
As I alternated between placing the girls on the summoned platform and observing the fight through Bala's eyes, I struggled to see through the dense gloom filling the area. A shiver ran down my spine.
There was something strange about that shadow.
A subtle, almost imperceptible effect, as if someone was watching me constantly.
Despite this strange feeling, I kept my focus on the fight. I saw Noah, his body covered in flames, seizing the moment of H's weakness caused by the mysterious altar enchantment.
He charged ferociously. His martial mastery combined with the power of fire began to dictate the fight's rhythm, delivering blows in quick succession.
Even with H's clone tricks, he couldn't gain an advantage with stealth attacks. The flames around Noah burned them before they could even connect.
'I-I think he has the situation under control…'
But… Why this feeling of apprehension? That previous enchantment seemed to have some kind of psychological effect.
'What a terrifying enchantment…'
My attention shifted from the fight when I saw the shelves around me begin to succumb to the flames. The library's structure was crumbling bit by bit. The crater from the first attack had damaged the back wall.
For now, the library ceiling still holds, but I couldn't guarantee for how long…
'Time to get out of here!'
I pulled the girls onto the rectangular construct. When I tried to levitate it, I felt a tremendous flow of energy leaving the enchantment.
It was the first time I'd tried to support so much weight, the equivalent of two people. I had to be quick if I wanted to get them out safely. I began pulling the construct with me towards the stairs.
As I did so, I took one last look at the fight behind me through Bala's eyes. Even after fighting for so long and using various enchantments, I still didn't quite understand what they were looking for.
Noah was supposedly a Federal Agent. That could only mean H was extremely dangerous for him to come in person.
But… What about his objective? Was he after something?
'Damn it… I think I get it.'
POV: NOAH WILLIAMS.
I didn't know exactly what had happened before, but something that girl did definitely affected H's energy.
I noticed almost immediately that his movements were slower, heavier, as if something invisible was dragging his body down. His joints lost their usual fluidity, and his previously menacing posture now seemed less precise, more off-kilter. His energy, in turn, had become visibly unstable.
It pulsed like a flame about to go out, flickering with irregular frequency, as if the very air around him had been contaminated by a magical distortion.
At the same time, mine was reinvigorated. The sensation was clear: something about that enchantment had favored me too.
'These kids nowadays are scary… Time to get this under control'
Fire of Liberty was an enchantment I didn't often use. Not for lack of power, far from it, but because of its inherently destructive nature and its hard-to-contain range.
I could control the flames, it's true, but they came at a high price: my own energy burned along with them, as if the pact with fire demanded a piece of me with each use.
I needed to be careful in this fight. I couldn't prolong it too much or I'd leave dangerous openings.
Feeling a movement of energy behind me.
I caught a glimpse of the teenagers' signatures heading towards the stairs.
'Alright, they're all leaving. I need to hold him here'
I abandoned my cautious stance. My feet advanced determinedly over the shattered floor. I took a few steps towards H, feeling the heat of my own flames run through my arms.
I noticed he had abandoned his clone strategy, which was unusual for him. His energy began to concentrate directly into his own body, as if he were gathering strength for one last move.
I didn't know what he intended, but one thing was certain: I would burn him alive if necessary.
I approached the shadows still lingering around him.
"Semantic Rupture, inhibit his powers!" I invoked, my voice cutting through the air like a blade.
As soon as the enchantment was cast, I saw the Whisper's effect diminish. The darkness surrounding him lost some of its power, fraying into thinner veils, as if swept away by a wave of light. I seized the moment and charged in.
H closed the distance, using his brutal, almost animalistic style, but without losing power. It was like fighting an avalanche of muscle and goo. Every punch he threw seemed capable of shattering concrete.
I needed to be careful; any direct hit could be disastrous for me. I counter-attacked with speed.
My fire-covered hands tore through the air and burned his arms every time I connected. However, he kept protecting his body with that goo, making the burns superficial, as if the fire was being filtered by a dense layer of mist.
It was then that an idea hit me. He attacked with the anchor from my left, in a long, predictable arc. Instead of retreating as I normally would, I charged forward.
My reflexes screamed against the decision, but my intuition said otherwise. I incinerated my hands with flames and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the gauntlet, burning him with brutal force.
The goo covering him began to melt away like wax. I smelled his flesh burning. He screamed, dropping the anchor in the air.
I grabbed it before it hit the ground. I used the momentum of the swing to strike H on the right side of his body.
He managed to pull his arms to the side in time to block the attack, but the impact sent him several meters to the side.
He was forced to roll on the ground to avoid hitting the wall. Seeing him kneeling there, motionless for a moment, I threw the anchor behind me.
'I guess the last few months have finally come to a conclusion…'
I felt H's energy quieten. Almost nonexistent at that moment.
"You've been improving your enchantments quite a bit… it's a shame it'll be useless," he said, trying to stand but stumbling, weak.
"I admire your self-esteem, but it's over, H. Your escape ends here," I replied, my voice carrying the weight of months of pursuit and exhaustion.
"Your jokes are shit, has anyone ever told you that?" H retorted, coughing hard, blood on his lips.
"What's the problem? In a hurry to go somewhere? Don't worry, the SFR prison is cozy. You'll love it," I replied sarcastically.
"I'm someone who likes to learn from my own mistakes, you know?" he asked, staring at me with a calmer, almost contemplative look. That bothered me.
"I didn't know. But what's your point?" I retorted, impatient with his games.
"In Budapest, you were smarter and caught us off guard. Your merit. But this time, I came prepared," H said, raising his right wrist in front of his body.
Then… what I had felt moments ago, his almost zero energy, simply changed.
In an instant, it reignited with fury, as if he had removed a seal.
'Shit, it was an illusion. But how?'
I advanced immediately towards him, igniting my hands into gauntlets.
"Semantic Rupture, inhibit his energy!" I invoked, in a last desperate effort to stop whatever he was about to do.
But apparently, it was in vain.
The Rupture spoke. I reached him and struck hard.
But I only hit… black goo.
And then, a deep voice, impossible to ignore, echoed through the environment:
LOVECRAFTIAN NIGHTMARE: The Call of Cthulhu!