"I think that one's an elder witch, and her companion is her apprentice," Damian said, narrowing his eyes at the figures across the street.
People ran screaming, scattering everywhere. Cars spun around and sped off, trying to escape.
"She has a Forbidden Grimoire with her. That means she's powerful," Captain Edmund said, tightening his grip on the shaft of his scythe.
The witch summoned a doll to her side.
Carefully, she draped the torn cloth Margaret had given her over the doll. The doll twitched and shivered, its small frame twisting and reshaping until it became an exact replica of Captain Edmund, from head to uniform.
The Grimoire floated beside her, pages flipping on their own. She murmured an incantation, and a large mirror appeared out of nowhere at her side.
"Captain!" Theai's voice rang out, her eyes widening as she stared toward him.
I glanced at Captain Edmund as his body slowly faded into darkness, a writhing shadow consuming him.
"Now it is three against three," the elder witch said, raising her hand toward us, a dangerous smirk curling her lips.
Her apprentice dashed forward with Margaret at her side, claws flexing, ready to strike.
The three of us remaining surged forward.
"Let's get them back!" I shouted.
One by one, we clashed with our enemies.
The witch's apprentice lunged at me, her sharp nails slashing toward my chest. I twisted just in time to avoid the blow. She swung again, but I leapt backward, landing on my feet.
"Chrono Shards!"
I released four spinning temporal shards that sliced through the air toward her, each one glimmering and leaving trails of golden light in its wake.
"Nether Lash!"
Dark, pulsing chains erupted from her hands, twisting and lashing outward. She swung them, and the chains smashed into my shards, shattering them into pieces.
I saw Theai dealing with the elder witch. She summoned four carnivorous plants that thrashed violently by her side.
"Temporal Shift!"
Temporal light burst from my palm, and I shot it toward the plants. The golden energy wrapped around them, and their movements sped up, snapping and lunging straight at the elder witch.
But the elder witch floated into the air, mirrors appearing everywhere around her. She teleported quickly between them, dodging every bite from the plants.
I glanced back at my opponent, who was now advancing toward me. I locked my eyes on her, focusing all my attention.
"Phase Rift!"
A faint golden glow wrapped around my legs and feet. I kicked off the ground, afterimages trailing behind me as I surged toward her back.
I appeared behind her, ready to release my sharp shards.
"Nocturne Shackles!"
Dark chains erupted from her back. I froze as they shot into my hands and feet, binding me instantly.
I waited to trigger my crowd control immunity, but nothing happened.
[Moment of Clarity sealed by enemy magic!]
[Moment of Clarity cannot be triggered]
A holographic notification appeared before me. That explained why I had fallen asleep earlier. She had powers to seal my ability.
I struggled against the chains, twisting and pulling with all my strength.
"You can't free yourself," the witch said, smiling and letting out a soft giggle.
She waved her hand, and the dark chains tightened around me.
"Aghhh!" I cried, pain surging through my body.
"It's over for you now!" she said, her eyes glinting.
Suddenly, a white wolf came charging at her with incredible speed.
The witch saw it and released three chains from one hand, pointing them straight at the wolf.
The wolf growled, and then its body began to expand, tripling in size. Its massive jaws snapped around the chains, pulling the witch toward it.
I forced myself free, struggling with all my strength, and broke the chains.
The witch was dragged by the giant white wolf, struggling and screaming.
I glanced at Damian, who was locked in battle with Margaret. I ran toward them as fast as I could.
"Margaret, that's enough!" I shouted, grabbing her in my arms. She didn't respond, her body stiff and unyielding.
She swung her trident at me. I leaped back, dodging it just in time.
She paused for a moment, dark energy swirling through her body.
"Damian, swap opponents!" I shouted.
Damian nodded and charged toward the witch I had just fought.
Margaret readied her stance, gripping her trident tightly.
She lunged at me, thrusting the trident with deadly speed. I dropped low just in time, sliding beneath the weapon as it smashed toward me. While crouching, I stretched my hand forward.
"Chrono Shards!"
Three temporal shards shot from my palm, spinning through the air toward her.
Margaret saw the attack coming and leapt, twisting into a backflip before landing gracefully on the ground. When I stood up, she had vanished. The concrete beneath me had turned into a shallow pond, water swirling around my thighs.
I scanned everywhere for her, but she was nowhere in sight.
Suddenly, something slashed at my side.
"Arrgh!" I screamed, pressing my hand to the cut as blood poured down.
[Chrono Heal has been triggered!]
Margaret leapt above me, her new siren tail flicking behind her.
"Lightning Jolt!"
She pointed her trident at me, and a bolt of lightning arced toward me below. Sparks crackled across the air as heat and electricity seared the space, signaling the descending strike.
"Temporal Shift!"
As the lightning struck below, I unleashed a burst of golden temporal energy from my palm, spiraling around the bolt. The two forces collided, twisting and crackling together before the lightning shot back toward Margaret. It struck with a blinding flash and dissipated, leaving a shimmering glow in the air.
She dove back into the pond, disappearing beneath the rippling water. My eyes scanned the pond, every ripple making me tense, ready for anything.
"If only I had more skills," I muttered under my breath, clenching my fists.
After a few moments, the water beneath me began rising and swirling violently. Margaret moved with incredible speed below the surface, spinning and creating a circular current. I tried to jump back, but the water surged upward, blocking my escape.
Margaret moved faster, swimming below with intense speed. She formed a massive water cyclone that engulfed the area entirely. Waves crashed against my body as she struck again, swinging her tail and sending spheres of water slamming into me.
Splash!
The spheres kept hitting me, pounding me from all directions.
"Temporal Shi–"
I tried to release a skill, but a huge water sphere smashed into my face. I stumbled, gasping for breath as pain shot through my body. Margaret continued her relentless assault, each strike wearing me down. My arms felt heavy, my legs weak, and I could barely stay upright.
She kept spamming me with countless spheres of water. So this was the power of our Vice Captain.
"Ezekiel, are you okay in there?" Theai's voice rang in my mind.
I could feel my strength slipping away. The water continued battering me, nearly drowning me, and I knew I couldn't hold out much longer.
[Chrono Heal has been triggered!]
"Help me!" I cried in my mind, reaching for any aid.
[Theai Willow lends you her skill Sylvan Refuge (1 stack)]
[You can activate it one time]
A notification hovered before me.
"Use my skill, Ezekiel!" Theai urged in my mind.
Without hesitation, I focused all my energy and shouted,
"Sylvan Refuge!"
I aimed the skill at Margaret as she surged toward me, her trident thrusting forward and massive waves crashing around her. From the ground, Theai's power manifested. A massive tree erupted beneath me, its roots and branches rapidly absorbing all the water Margaret had summoned.
Margaret faltered as she charged forward, her assault losing power against the sudden barrier of the tree.