Book 5. Chapter 16: Krillisk, Tanda, Bloodberri - Clash of Champions

Book 5. Chapter 16: Krillisk, Tanda, Bloodberri - Clash of Champions

Krillisk watched the greater rift portal, his allies spreading out in a large circle. The radius for where the Alliance Champions would exit once it was completed was somewhat large, making them unable to instantly launch a coordinated attack on them the moment they appeared.

However, it was small enough that they should be able to contain the enemy, or if they were lucky, strike them not long after the exit was complete.

Krillisks swarm of locusts surrounded the location, echoing the humming of his wings.

Nevara whined, Your stupid bugs are annoying. Cant you at least stop them for now? Theres got to be at least twenty minutes before

The portal shifted, becoming blue. The Alliance had won already? That seemed more than a little too fast. It was less than ten minutes since they began, and it would be five minutes before they were released.

The Enforcer looked on undaunted. This is why we must slay them. Their special set of circumstances could lead to them affecting the War Trial.

Nevara scoffed. Ridiculous. They are just warriors of the First Tier. Few even make it to the Third.

Theyve already defeated six Champions in total with their party. We are to make sure they lose this world, so they dont make a proper foothold in this Sector. We must destroy their potential.

The Enforcers faceless gaze focused on Krillisk and Nevara, causing them both to shiver. Your duty is perhaps the most important. The Summoner must diehe cannot escape. The penalty for failure will be immense; Greed and Apophis will not forgive your failure, so you better kill him or die trying. To your positions.

Leaping, Krillisk landed nearly a hundred meters away, Nevara likely positioning himself near him, to lay her ambush for anyone that approaches him while having a long range.

His Swarm approached, enough locusts to blot out the sky. They filled the air and landed in the grass, millions of them just crowding the area in which the summoner and their allies could be dumped out of the portal.

His and their wings buzzing and legs scraping created a hypnotic droning, which would distract the enemy when they appeared. Their millions of minds connect to the Swarm in his own, their connection to countless worlds enhancing his mental power.

Eventually, the Alliance Champions appeared in the clearing, less than a hundred meters awaycovered in flaming barriers. Just within Krillisks range. His buzzing wings and mental power of the Swarm pushed into their enemies, causing them to stumble as their force of will and sonic energy slammed into the targets.

The snake woman and the valkyrie grabbed their heads, the sound and mental attacks affecting them greatly. But the ravenwolf woman took to the sky filled with the auril of the beastkin, while the dragon woman flung flames at the incoming Scorpion Rider, who was barreling at the party.

It appeared Hestias Champion was working to call Hestia, while a grouping of powerful flames floating from the Valkyries shield blocked a powerful attack from the Enforcer. The stone-like monsters axes sent waves of black energy, an attack that would be devastating if it landed.

Nevara drew her bow filled with malicious energies. She had prepared a special arrow, which would powerfully curse the target she struck. Each of the Tartarus Champions weaved in their Divine Energy into their attacks, Krillisks call enhanced by his Swarm.

A javelin struck the Dark Elf with a small explosion of flames just as she released her empowered shot at the Summoner. This caused it to deviate heavily, just as a strange reptilian creature with a spear leaped toward Krilliska chameleon?

He worked to crush him with his mind, but the odd lizard disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared, retreating. While Krillisk wanted to chase after the creature, his task was paramount for their success.

The scripts and special magics from their stakes in the ground vibrated, their energies destabilizing the usage of Nordic Runes. Krillisk understood this Champion and the others relied heavily on these, and they were stacking the deck against them.

Focusing back on the enemy Champions, Krillisk attempted to slam his will into the Summonerthe sound and invasion of the swarm was not enough to do more than stagger him.

Krillisk was surprised to find that the summoner kept casting his spell. His will sloughed away from the summoners mind like water off a whale's back.

Krillisks mental energy, too, just washed over the champion, causing Krillisk and the Swarm to be shocked. How was this possible? He had failed in his task!

The swarm buzzed in his own mind as he used his mental energy to disguise himself and move across the battlefield. The powerful droning sound shifted the minds of all those weak enough, changing their perception of reality.

However, a wave of powerful flames was summoned as the Goddess Hestia appeared, the Summoner using a special means to call a humanoid.

This alone was enough to shock Krillisk and the Swarm monitoring the fight. The resonance required to summon a human-like Divine in its complete visage at this Tier was unheard of.

Her golden flames washed over the massive area in all directions, many of the Tartarus Champions being shoved back by the powerful flames of the Goddessand millions of his Swarm eradicated in but a moment. However, many from the surrounding area approached, ready to fill the sky once more.

Many of their prepared stakes even burned away. The Swarm guessed this was likely part of Hestias goalbut Tartaruss preparations were significant, and the Nordic Runes would remain inhibited, many stakes placed further away in a special formation.

Until the last stake was removed, their Nordic runes would be reduced by more than half.

Unfortunately for Krillisk, he had to allow himself to be burned slightly by the wave of divine flames as he covered the enemys perception with his mental projection. Hestias flames burned deeply into his flesh, but he shoved his own Divines energy into the flames and extinguished them.

When he was using his legs and wings to produce the sounds to effect their minds, he could move very little. Leaping through the air would cause him to have to stop his assault, and the summoner could break free of his mental illusion.

Twisting the enemys minds using the hum of the Swarm, his manifestation of Greed built within his body.

His body grew and his features twisted. He became a larger locust man, ready to fight somewhat with malevolence powering his attacks, able to invade his enemys body in addition to its mind.

He was still weak in melee, but he had the hardiness of an insectoid.

Krillisks allies had been shoved back from the flames, and the Alliance Champions followed as they broke off into their own one on one fights.

The Scorpion Rider fought the Dragoness, and the Enforcer faced off against the powerful valkyrie which grew to meet his axes. The giant snake girl chased after the fiendish parasite, which drove various dinosaurs with its will.

With the power of the Swarm, Krillisk created a powerful zone. The droning hum of the Swarm trapped his target within, a field completely filled with locusts. The sky was blotted with so many locusts that the summoner wouldnt even be able to see or breathe without a locust in the way.

Krillisk had now altered the perception field of the Summoner and his allies so that his allies could not come to assist, nor could he detect Krillisk. Victory was his!

The Summoner appeared to be casting some sort of spell. Redoubling his efforts, enhanced by his God, Krillisk slammed his mental and sonic energy of the locusts back into the Summoner, interrupting it.

Krillisk attempted to crush the Summoners mind with more focus, but then a snake-like creature wrapped around his throat and began to tighten and constrict around him.

Pain erupted in his neck and his compound eyes bulged as he was even burned around his throat. Shifting his attention to this strange creature, he still kept his mental projection active. He would remain invisible to all the enemies, including the foolish Summoner.

It appeared it was a creature of the void, making it a challenge for Krillisk to target its strange mind or body with the sonic attacks of the Swarm. The feeling the creature gave caused Krillisks eyes to narrow. It was just like the summoner.

He wrapped his claws around the beast, crushing it as it screamed but would not let go. Redoubling his efforts, Krillisk tried to slam his will into its mind as if a fist struck it deep within its brain, causing it to freeze and teleport away.

His attack appeared to be successful, but even against the weak creature, he could tell that its void-like nature made the attack significantly weaker.

When Krillisk looked up, he was shocked that the human was now approaching him, and was nearly on top of him. Overall, the fight was already not going great for his team. Their ambush was countered.

None of his allies had fallen, but if one of the Alliance wasnt taken down soon, Tartarus would certainly suffer significant losses and have difficulty pushing for the final victory. Their odds were good, but none of them imagined they would win all of their fights.

They had faith their attacks on multiple fronts would be successful, but a push to crush Lifes Haven after Cascadia would be much easier with more Champions. Krillisk side stepped as he shifted the Champions perception.

Tanda continued following the Dark Elf, each attack cutting into the snakes and wearing down the malevolence of the Apophis Champion. Her face was a mask of rage, snake scales interspersed throughout her skin.

The golden energy from Tandas resonance grew, her family facing each of their battles. Sensing Jakes battle, she was shocked at the type of fight he was experiencing.

The twos minds almost disappeared from her ability to think about, the droning buzzing from the locusts growing higher and higher.

Only her Hearth connection to Jake, her enchanted Hearthvines burning brightly within her, kept her comprised of their fight.

The evil locust man assaulted Jake with a mixture of malevolence and his mental attack, and Tanda and her clan-wives worked hard to counter it through their powerful link.

The five of them pushed purifying flames within their Hearth into him, as he reached and grabbed onto the Greed Champion and took on Resonance with Tanda, taking on the state of the Avenger.

Tanda smiled. One Champion was already down. It was time for their counterattack.

***

Being struck by the mental attack, both Blood and Berri had a hard time thinking straight.

Berri spotted the disgusting spider-bug creature the moment they exited the Greater Rift in the distance. She nearly shouted with glee when Fhesiah took on that enemy instead, her slight delay in responding leaving her without the choice herself.

Blood and Berri took off after the army of dinosaurs, fighting through them as they seemed well-suited to the fight.

A strange creature was driving them, they could sense. But they could not yet see it.

[I cant believe you were actually technically correct, dear sistera Scorpion is in fact an arachnid. Our runes are inhibited, it appears those stakes in the ground are the cause? We must defeat the parasites controlling the auril beasts.]

Berri and Blood began their dance, flooding their body with holy light and dark. Swirling it around as they shifted their body, they surged at the oncoming tainted dinosaurs.

Various T-rexes, raptors, and other dinosaurs rushed toward Jakes party, and the Garuda, Bree, and Bloodberri all moved in response.

Targeting the strange riders, Berri danced and sliced her tail, passing it over and piercing into the riders; keeping the dinosaurs unharmed.

Her spriggon friends had been making buddies with the dinosaurs even more lately. Thus, they were her friends, too. Plus, Jake and Tanda liked them.

Even Fhesiah and Ophelia

Blood scoffed in her mind, [Following your thoughts is as painful as always. Do try to keep it to the important bits, and focus on that big one there!]

She was already doing it! Following Zhang Feis guidance, the two of them worked together to shift their energy around their body in synchronicity.

Blood took a lot of practice, but Berri just had to shooom, and zoooom as they moved; moving the holy light and dark together with her sister, in a fun dance.

The runes were inhibited currently, but filling them was still easy as always, as the maul was infused with holy energies.

A massive creature lurked, and Blood and Berri both could tell it was driving the parasites. It was large, and

She sent her sister, Dammit!

Blood chuckled. [That thing is uglier than the scorpion man by far. Its like a massive tentacled flea. Disgusting. We drew the short stick again.]

Berri was filled with rage. She bet Fhesiah knew that! No wonder she went after the spider guy!

Light and dark were released as she surged toward her final target. The creature then finished calling its goddess, releasing a devastating sickness into the air.

Waves of disease and decay echoed out in a wave, and despite Blood and Berri releasing waves of holy light and dark from their bodies, they were struck with the force of terrible illness.

Persisting to attack the enemy, Berri even shoved some of Tandas auril energy along with hers. Her heartbeats would disrupt the mana, but if you timed it just right, it was no problem at all!

The life energy suffused their body somewhat, counteracting the effects of the disease along with their [Purifying Flames].

While some creatures tried to get into their way, Blood wrenched away all obstacles with her [Telekinesis]. Her maul slammed into the malevolent aura unimpeded, the flea wailing in anger as it was washed over with holy light and dark light.

Knowing the creature was their primary enemy, they activated [Between Heaven and Hell]. The monster was covered in light and dark, a wave of holy energy emanating out from it, debuffing it as it screeched.

However, it then did something Berri hadnt expected: it leaped away! It leaped so far beyond the trees that Blood and Berri both just hovered there, dumbfounded. That jerk!

Jake was fighting the mind bug man, and he too was invaded by malevolence. Blood and Berri sent their assistance, pushing back against the evil aura with their [Purifying Flames] through their bond.

When Jake won his battle, they smiled in victory. Surely, he would be here to help them soon enough.

Several dinosaurs leaped at them, the various creatures going for Bloodberris throat. But they danced left and right, emanating darkness, as Blood released [Absorb Strength].

Each swing of theirs crushed or smacked one of the strange insects off its carrier, and the Garuda and Bree both fought to cut through them. Each targeted the parasites, and as they were removed, the creatures were knocked to the ground, unmoving.

But the beasts of Highlands were tenacious. They had the energy of auril beating in their chests. The first creatures they had freed now woke up, joining to face their vicious enemy.

As if knowing the terrible creatures that caused their plight, they leaped into the air and attacked the evil passengers rather than the controlled dinosaurs.

Berri smiled and pointed, Yeah! Get the bad guys! Get those nasty bugs on their necks!

As if listening to her precise command, swipes of claws and bites of teeth cut into the parasites joined to their necks. Some dinosaurs died, but others survived to join the battle as Bloodberri danced through the hundreds of enemies coming for them.

The parasites were enhanced by a terrible aura, the power of the creatures being increased. Several of them slammed their claws into Bloodberris large body, but her blades sliced back into them.

Her snake body slithered like a spiral of death, the evil enemies searching for her doom. She continued to sway and dance, crushing the parasites with her maul.

Berri supposed the creatures would normally be powerful when added together. There were over a hundred of them, all swarming in their attack on herself and trying to bypass her to get at the rest of her family.

Individually, they were weak. However, just as she thought things were going well, the fleas horrible aura of death reached her new allies. Many of the freed dinosaurs were enveloped, and started to zombify, as if covered in blight for minutes.

Berri groaned, as she retrieved her Epic Censer from her bracelet. What a pain in the ass.