Wither

It was clear from the start that this was never going to be an easy fight. Roz was up against a powerful barbarian tribe, so he should have seen this coming. An Annihilator capable of unleashing earth spikes with his warhammer, an Inventor who seemed to have a knack for creating chained hooks made of shadows, and a Dominator who could manipulate a floating spike ball made of lightning.

There was no time to think carefully for Roz. This was war.

The Dominator must go first.

A lesson he had learned back in the Academy. Just like Bianca, they were Soul Art users who preferred to keep their distance to focus solely on controlling their spells.

Roz couldn’t afford to give such an allowance, so he rushed after the Dominator.

“Not so fast, ice boy!”

The Inventor launched his shadow hook towards Roz’s leg. Roz had no choice but to turn back and deflect the incoming hook, breaking his momentum. The Inventor pulled the hook back with his chain, then he threw it again. This time, he swung it sideways into an arc. Roz traced the direction of the hook with his eyes and managed to block it with perfect precision, then the Inventor yanked it away for the second time.

“You’re pretty good!” The Inventor praised him. “But can you block this?”

He hurled the hook up into the air in a diagonal direction, then he swung it down. Roz tried to follow its trajectory again, but he ended up catching something else on the corner of his eye. The Dominator’s lightning ball came flying towards him from a different direction.

Damn it!

Roz’s eyes switched back and forth between the two projectiles, then he made his move. He threw one of his swords towards the flying hook and braced himself with the other. The lightning ball rammed into Roz, causing his blade to shatter. The impact spread shockwaves all throughout his frozen armor, forming cracks on its icy exterior, then it sent him flying straight towards the Annihilator.

“You’re finished!” he roared.

The Annihilator swung his warhammer down, releasing an eruption of piercing earth down his path.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Spear!”

Roz stabbed the polearm into the ground and pushed himself above the spikes, allowing the tips to graze off his icy boots.

“T-That can’t be!” The Annihilator gazed up into the air in shock.

Roz threw his spear from above, piercing the barbarian straight through the face. He descended into the ground with a graceful landing, then he turned back towards the other two barbarians. They were furious at what he had done to their comrade, yet at the same time, terrified at what he could do to them. They both looked at the other barbarians who were watching from a distance.

“What are you standing around there for?!” The Inventor yelled. “Get him!”

The other barbarians charged towards the lone warrior, but they ended up getting taken down by another shower of Bianca’s arrows.

Roz couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. He could almost hear Bianca’s words with those arrows.

It was her way of saying, “You aren’t allowed to die yet. Your duty is not over.”

The Inventor grumbled and sent his hook flying once more. Roz knew better than to fixate on that thing. He looked out for the floating lightning ball, and it came right where he had expected it to be. Roz sprang forward, evading the two projectiles with ease.

“I’m not falling for that twice.”

He looked at the Inventor’s hook. Another idea sparked up in his head.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Chained Hook.”

The new creation looked exactly like the barbarian’s favorite weapon, except it was made of ice instead of shadows.

“You fool!” The Inventor laughed at him. “Don’t you have any idea how hard that weapon is to master?! That’s not something anyone can learn overnight!”

“It’s about time you tasted your own medicine,” Roz said.

“I dare you to try!”

Roz spun the hook around with the chain like a wheel, then he began moving it all over his body like he was playing around with a toy.

The Inventor’s jaw dropped. “Impossible….”

Roz released the hook into the air and swung it down on the barbarian, slashing right through his neck before he could say another word. The Inventor’s body dropped to the ground, staining the dirt red with his blood.

“W-Wait!”

The Dominator stepped back and extended his hands, but it was too late. Roz’s hook made its way through his neck, experiencing the same fate as his comrade.

This weapon won’t do well against crowds.

Roz dropped the chained weapon to the floor. He inspected his armor. It was still in one piece, but it ended up sustaining cracks after that last fight. He looked at the barbarian army. There were still far too many coming his way. And who knew how many Soul Art users were left in their ranks? He had only taken down three.

“Soul of Invention: Dual Blades of Ice.”

That didn’t matter to Roz. He was meant to die in this place.

At least, it shouldn’t have mattered. As he faced death in the eye, he realized how scary it truly was. The end was near. His bones shivered all over. He wanted to run away, but he knew he couldn’t. He wished there was another way out of this, but there was nothing else he could see. All he could do was push onward despite that fear.

This is my duty.

Roz slashed through every barbarian that came after him. One by one they fell, and the number of bodies on the floor only continued to rise. It began to feel like mindless slaughter. Slash. Cut. Thrust. Parry. Dodge. Block. Those were the only things on his mind. He could only hope that he could make it to the end and take down Taiga himself.

But suddenly, his blades shattered.

They had come in contact with a barbarian unlike the rest of the pack. A barbarian with skin and muscles made out of pure bronze.

“Those blades of yours are nothing!” he said and punched Roz right through his helmet, breaking it down into pieces of ice.

Roz was sent staggering back, but he managed to keep himself up on his feet.

That was the first hit he had received so far. He was no longer untouchable.

Roz spat on the dirt. His head was spinning from the blow, but he tried to maintain his focus.

A Transmutator. I should have seen that coming too.

“You really think you can break through my skin, boy?! You’ll need something bigger than those blades to stop me!”

Roz ran towards the Transmutator. He hopped on top of another barbarian’s back, then he lifted his hands up in the air.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Greatsword.”

A giant blade formed on his hands, then he slammed it right down the Transmutator’s head, splitting his body down into two halves.

“Was that big enough?” Roz asked.

He swung the sword with a massive crescent arc, taking down three more barbarians before heaving it towards another group in the distance.

“Soul of Evocation: Druid Bear!” An Evoker chanted.

Roz turned back, only to be tackled by a large bear covered in what appeared to be grass-like fur and glowing green patterns with branches and flowers growing on top of it. The bear chomped down on his pauldron, its jaws sinking straight down his shoulder. Roz screamed out in pain.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Dagger!”

Roz stabbed through one of the bear’s eyes, causing it to wail out in pain and let go of his shoulder. He kicked the bear’s face away and shuffled backwards with his hands and feet, but that wouldn’t be enough to stop the burly predator. The bear tried to lunge back towards him, but a giant lightning wolf came from the side and bit its fangs down its green fur.

“L-Lupa!” Roz was surprised.

The lady was riding on top of the wolf, doing her best impression of a brave face.

“Are you alright, Roz?!” she asked.

“I’m fine! B-But you shouldn’t be here! It’s too dangerous!”

“Shut up!” Lupa was fuming with tears in her eyes. “I don’t care what you and Bianca agreed upon! There’s no way I’m letting you die, you idiot!”

Roz sighed and pushed himself back up on his feet.

The bear swung its claw on Lupa’s wolf, but the stormborn was too fast for it to catch. The wolf moved around the bear, striking when the time was right and pulling back when the bear tried to retaliate. However, the wolf’s attacks were far too weak to do any significant damage, so they ended up being stuck in a stalemate.

“Lupa’s a stubborn girl.”

Roz looked back to see Bianca walking on the battlefield, surrounded by her knights who were fending off the barbarians.

“Why didn’t you stay back?!” Roz asked her.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, we didn’t come here to save you. The knights have their pride, and I find it troublesome to aim my arrows from such a far distance. It’s more efficient this way.”

Bianca pointed over the distance, where the barbarian chief was watching from afar.

“We’ll handle it from here. Just focus on Taiga. I’ll continue to back you up as usual.”

Roz nodded and started running again. He could only hope that Lupa and Bianca wouldn’t get themselves hurt.

“Soul of Invention: Dual Blades of Ice.”

The frozen knight continued to push through the crowd. Now that Bianca was closer to the battlefield, her arrows had become more accurate. Every barbarian that tried to get close was shot down almost immediately. All he had to do was keep on running, and there was nothing slowing down. Just a little bit more before he could finally reach his main target. Taiga was just within reach.

However, a barbarian came out of nowhere and blocked his path. An arrow pierced through his head, but something shoved his body towards Roz.

What?!

Morri emerged from behind the body and stabbed Roz right through a crack in the armor, right where his abdomen was.

“Got you.”

Roz winced in pain and clenched his teeth.

“Don’t get carried away, brat.”

He grabbed the girl’s throat and slammed her to the ground, then he began choking the girl with his hand. Morri tried to pull away with both of her hands, but her strength was nothing in comparison to Roz.

“Taiga! Are you going to let this woman die for you?!” he yelled at him. “Face me like a real man!”

“Stop fighting!”

The barbarians looked behind them in shock and ceased whatever they were doing. Suddenly, everything fell into a complete silence. Everyone made way for the barbarian chief, allowing him to pass through and face Roz.

“You shameless bastard! How dare you touch one of my lovely maidens?!”

Roz smirked at the sight of the man’s face. All this time, he had only ever seen Taiga act and talk with arrogance and frivolity, but now, the barbarian chief had lost his cool and was burning with a seething rage.

“This is exactly what you did to Bianca, you hypocrite,” Roz said. “Not so cocky now, are you?”

“What do you want, you stupid vigilante?!” Taiga snapped at him.

“A fight to the death, just you and me. Once one of us dies, we’ll let her go.”

Taiga clicked his tongue.

“How do I know you’ll keep your word?”

“I’ll give you three seconds to comply.”

“Don’t give me that nonesense-”

“One.” Roz raised his finger.

Taiga’s face went pale.

“Taiga!” Morri screamed at him. “Don’t listen to him! I’ll gladly sacrifice my life for you! There’s no need for you to hesitate!”

The barbarian chief couldn’t say a word.

“Two.”

“Let her go, damn it!” Taiga stepped forward.

“Two and a half.”

He flinched, then he grasped his fists.

“Fine. I accept your terms.”

“Very good.”

“Taiga!” Morri cried out in disbelief.

Taiga gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry, Morri. I really do have a soft spot when it comes to my harem.”

Roz carried Morri up and brought her over to Bianca.

“Please take her.”

She sighed. “I’m only doing this because I have to.”

Arrows of light surrounded Morri’s body, leaving her with no chance for escape.

All the barbarians moved behind Taiga, while Bianca and her knights stayed behind Roz’s side. They distanced themselves from the two warriors, granting them their space.

“You’ll pay for this, ice boy,” Taiga snarled and pulled out his axe.

“Your time has come, savant. Get ready to say goodbye to your wives,” Roz said, pointing one of his swords at the barbarian chief.

This was it. The moment Roz had been waiting for. A chance to take down Taiga once and for all. This duel may very well decide the fate of Bordertown itself. If Roz succeded, the Crimson Desert Tribe would be without a leader, and they would lose their coordination and morale. But if he failed, only Bianca, Lupa and the knights would remain to fend off the strategic Taiga and his tribe.

However, just as Roz was getting ready for battle, a piercing pain struck through his heart.

“Ach!”

Blood spat out from Roz’s mouth, and the blades on his hands shattered into pieces. The frozen armor melted into water, leaving him with nothing but his black garments.

Why now? I wanted to go on for a little longer.

Roz grapsed his chest, then his body gave out on him and he dropped to the floor.

No….I was so close. I just needed….a little more….time.

Roz’s vision faded into the darkness.

Every flower blooms, but that also means every flower withers. Nothing lasts forever. Power is temporary.