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276. Final Preparations
🕑 Added 2025-01-11 15:00:05 +0000 UTCIke returned to the castle to gather mana. Most of the others were almost done by now, but no one asked where he’d been or why he wasn’t ready. One look at his face, and they knew everything they needed to know.
For all that, it didn’t take long for Ike to absorb aether. He followed Shawn’s advice, and the energy poured into him almost before he knew it. A few short hours later, he stood once more.
“Let’s go.”
Nothing more needed to be said. Wisp, Rufus, and Scar joined up behind him, and the four of them rushed out of Ike’s castle once more and into battle.
Scar and Rufus’ men had done a decent job of leading the monster around while they were inside, absorbing mana. The monster didn’t seem to care much about the castle, so they led it in loops around the structure. Mindlessly, it followed, lurching after the mages. The mages had a sort of relay set up. One started running, then vanished, letting another mage take their place. The monster barely reacted to the change. It turned a little, tracking the mage who’d swapped out while they were still close to it, but the second they vanished into the treeline, the figure’s ember pits of eyes followed the new mage instead.
Ike frowned. It was almost as if the figure was tracking them not visually, not by sound, not even by mana… but by heat. And as soon as their heat was obscured by distance or obstacle, it turned away.
It was on fire. If there was anything he was sure of, it was that this monster was definitely associated with fire. The question was, could it also be weakened by fire, like the other monsters, or would it only strengthen it?
No, if I had to guess, fire would strengthen it. It had absorbed mana straight out of Mag’s spell. He didn’t know what it would do with non-magical fire, but he had to expect it would be nothing good. In the worst case, it would absorb it, the same as it did with magic.
As the four of them approached, the figure turned. Its mouth gaped, and fire belched from its throat. It sucked in a deep breath. The fires in its belly flared, fed by the flow of fresh oxygen. Rearing back, it closed its mouth. Its cheeks puffed.
“Split apart!” Ike shouted.
Wisp shot off on a thread. Rufus mounted a broom and surged off. Scar ran left. Ike sprinted right, taking the final remaining direction. He called up Storm Clad as he ran, flaring the lightning part of the skill. The heat of the electricity warmed the air around him. The figure had started turning to track Scar, but when he activated his skill and burned it hot, it whipped about to track him instead.
Ike snorted, almost laughing. That confirmed it. It tracked heat.
Overhead, clouds gathered, the natural side effect of flaring the electric part of his skill. Ike didn’t cancel it, but instead, kept pouring aether into the electricity skill. He needed his biggest hit. Whether he liked it or not, that was still Lightning Caller. Of course, he planned to put more than just Lightning Caller into it, but he needed at least the power of the heavens if he was going to land a serious hit on this giant.
The figure’s cracked and threadbare lips split open. It spat a stream of fire at Ike. Ike vanished, nothing but a smear of neon purple-white left behind him. The fire incinerated the forest and sparked a fresh forest fire. Flames raged in the trees, quickly charring their trunks and crawling through them, searching for new victims.
A boulder smashed into the side of its head. The monster staggered, then turned to face Scar. She stood atop a rise, panting. Beside her, the scar of empty earth where a boulder had stood gaped wide. “Take that, motherfucker!”
The figure responded with a roar. It swept its hand toward her, blackened flesh trailing pink-red embers. Scar’s eyes widened. She ducked, raising her arms to block.
Lurid crimson darted out of the heavens. Mag swooped her up and took to the sky once more, his red robes flapping around his black-and-white wings. His tailfeathers came alight as he sped away, but Scar, clutched in his talons, quickly beat them out.
“Good job, Mag!” Ike cheered for him.
“Of course. I’m the king of the skies!” Mag declared unabashedly.
The figure clawed after Mag, but there was nothing it could do. Mag sped out of its reach, flying too high for it to reach. He only swooped down well out of the figure’s reach to release Scar once more.
“Does anyone need setup or time to cast their biggest move?” Ike shouted, pushing aether into his voice to amplify it. “Remember, external magics are no good! It’ll eat them!”
“I need a few more seconds,” Rufus said.
“I’m good to go!” Scar replied. Her body swelled, visibly growing more muscle.
“Lemme at him,” Wisp called from somewhere unseen.
Ike took a deep breath. Already, lightning crackled around him even when he didn’t bid it to. Lightning Caller shimmered. Overhead, the clouds rumbled and boomed, and pale light flashed in the black mountains of water vapor. “I’m ready whenever you are.”
From Rufus’ direction, red energy shone brightly. It brightened. A high-pitched keen echoed through the woods. And then, abruptly, it all faded.
“I’m ready,” Rufus declared.
“Go!” Ike shouted.
From four directions, they hurtled toward the giant burning figure. The figure threw its head back and screamed, baring its claws at the sky, then lashed out, striking toward the darting attackers. A huge claw hurtled toward Ike, on path to block his path.
It’s all or nothing. Gritting his teeth, Ike charged ahead. He’d beat the claw, or be beaten back, but he wasn’t going to give up now!
