Chapter 118: Alaric Steele Vs Brita Kuusk

Alaric stood within the ’Silent Barrier’, his senses on high alert. He had successfully isolated Brita, creating the opportunity he needed. Now, he had to act quickly and decisively. He knew that the other members of the Phantom Assembly wouldn’t remain distracted for long.

He decided to initiate the engagement with a swift, decisive strike. He focused his magical energy, channeling it into a lightning spell. ’Lightning Bolt,’ he thought, the words forming in his mind, instantly triggering the spell.

A bolt of crackling electricity shot forth from his hand, aimed directly at Brita. It moved with blinding speed, a streak of pure energy cutting through the air.

However, Brita’s senses were sharper than he had anticipated. Perhaps it was her heightened awareness from using black magic or just pure instinct. She seemed to sense the incoming attack just moments before it struck. With a swift roll to the side, she narrowly avoided the lightning bolt, the electricity scorching the floor where she had just been standing.

She landed gracefully on her feet, her emerald eyes widening as she turned to face Alaric. The sudden attack had dispelled the ’Veil of Shadows’ around him, revealing his masked figure.

Alaric let out a small sigh. ’I was hoping to avoid a direct confrontation,’ he thought. ’But it seems I have no choice now. I need to finish this quickly.’

Brita’s expression was a mixture of surprise and confusion. She stared at the masked figure, her mind racing. ’Who is this?’ she wondered. ’How did he avoid the paralysis gas? And how did he get past the others without being noticed?’

Her confusion quickly turned to cold determination. She narrowed her eyes, focusing her magical energy. This masked intruder was a threat, and she needed to deal with him swiftly and decisively.

Alaric, sensing her intent, prepared himself for battle. He knew that Brita was a powerful mage, skilled in ice magic and proficient in the dark arts granted to her by Lord Vortan. He needed to be cautious, to anticipate her moves, and to exploit any weaknesses.

He wouldn’t be using any spells that required long chanting. He would be relying on the spells that he was most proficient in, the ones he could cast with just a word or a thought. He was proficient in Flame Elemental spells, Wind Elemental Spells and Ice Elemental Spells.

Brita, similarly, was a highly skilled mage, capable of casting spells with minimal incantation. This was due to both her natural talent and the potent black magic energy she wielded.

The air crackled with tension, the silence within the ’Silent Barrier’ amplifying the intensity of the moment. The two mages stood facing each other, their eyes locked, their minds racing, each anticipating the other’s next move.

Brita was the first to act. ’Ice Shard,’ she thought, the words forming in her mind.

A sharp shard of ice materialized in the air before her, hurtling towards Alaric with incredible speed.

Alaric, anticipating the attack, sidestepped quickly, the ice shard whistling past him, narrowly missing his shoulder. He retaliated immediately. ’Flame Burst,’ he thought.

A burst of flames erupted from his hand, aimed at Brita. The flames moved quickly, licking towards her with intense heat.

Brita responded with her own spell. ’Ice Wall,’ she thought.

A wall of ice instantly materialized before her, intercepting the flames. The flames crashed against the ice, creating a cloud of steam that momentarily obscured the battlefield.

Alaric used this momentary cover to close the distance between them. He moved quickly, using ’Swiftwind Step’ to propel himself forward, his movements fluid and agile.

As the steam cleared, Brita saw Alaric charging towards her. She quickly cast another spell. ’Ice Lance,’ she thought.

A long, sharp lance of ice materialized in her hand. She thrust it towards Alaric, aiming for his chest.

Alaric, anticipating the attack, ducked low, narrowly avoiding the ice lance. He then used the momentum of his movement to launch himself into a close-range attack. ’Flame Strike,’ he thought.

His hand erupted in flames, and he swung it towards Brita’s face.

Brita quickly raised her arm, creating a small ’Ice Shield’ to block the attack. The flames crashed against the ice, creating another cloud of steam.

Alaric used this opportunity to grab Brita’s arm, pulling her closer. ’Wind Slash,’ he thought.

A blade of wind materialized around his free hand, and he slashed it towards Brita’s side.

Brita, reacting quickly, twisted her body, narrowly avoiding the full force of the attack. The wind slash grazed her side, tearing a small rip in her robe.

She quickly pulled away from Alaric’s grasp, creating some distance between them. ’Ice Storm,’ she thought.

A flurry of ice shards materialized in the air around her, hurtling towards Alaric from all directions.

Alaric, realizing the danger of being caught in the ice storm, quickly cast a wind spell. ’Wind Wall,’ he thought.

A powerful gust of wind erupted from his hands, creating a swirling vortex of air that deflected the incoming ice shards. The ice shards shattered against the wind wall, creating a shower of icy fragments that scattered across the stage.

The battle within the ’Silent Barrier’ raged on, the air thick with magical energy. Alaric and Brita continued to exchange a flurry of spells, their movements swift and precise. The stage became a chaotic ballet of fire and ice, wind and shadow.

Alaric, using his superior agility, continued to dodge Brita’s ice attacks, retaliating with bursts of flames and gusts of wind. He was using this opportunity to gauge her strength, to test his own abilities against a mage of equal power, one whose abilities were further enhanced by black magic.

’She’s fast,’ he thought, narrowly avoiding an ’Ice Spear’ that shot past his head. ’And her control over black magic is impressive. It’s definitely amplifying her power.’

Brita, for her part, was growing increasingly frustrated. She couldn’t land a solid hit on Alaric, his movements too unpredictable, his defenses too strong. The masked figure was proving to be a formidable opponent.

“Who are you?” she demanded, her voice laced with anger. “And why are you interfering?”

Alaric simply smirked beneath his mask, not offering any explanation. He continued his assault, launching a ’Flame Whip’ towards her. The whip of fire snaked through the air, aiming to wrap around her legs.

Brita quickly conjured an ’Ice Ground’, freezing the floor beneath the whip. The flames dissipated against the ice, creating a cloud of frosty vapor.

The battle then transitioned into close combat. Alaric, using ’Swiftwind Step’, closed the distance between them once again, launching a quick series of punches and kicks. Brita, using her enhanced speed and agility, blocked most of the attacks, retaliating with swift strikes of her own, using her hands as though they were coated in ice.

“You’re persistent,” she hissed, blocking a kick aimed at her head. “But you can’t win.”

“We’ll see about that,” Alaric retorted, launching a ’Wind Blade’ at her. The blade of compressed air sliced towards her, forcing her to duck and roll out of the way.

The two continued to exchange blows, their movements a blur of speed and power. The stage became a whirlwind of elemental energy, the air crackling with magic.

As the battle progressed, both mages began to escalate their attacks, preparing to unleash more powerful spells. They both knew that the simple spells they had been using wouldn’t be enough to secure a decisive victory. They needed to create an opening, a window of opportunity to cast their more potent magic.

Alaric, seeing a brief opening as Brita recovered from a dodge, decided to unleash a more powerful flame spell. He knew that he had to be quick, or Brita would retaliate before he could complete his spell. He quickly uttered a few lines of chanting, his voice low and rhythmic, before calling out the name of the spell:

“Flames of the Phoenix, from ashes you rise,

Consume my enemies, beneath fiery skies.

Inferno’s embrace, a scorching domain,

’Phoenix Inferno’ ignite the flame!”

A massive wave of fire erupted from his hands, engulfing a large portion of the stage. The heat was intense, radiating outwards, even affecting the air outside the ’Silent Barrier’.

Brita, realizing the danger, quickly conjured a powerful ice spell of her own. She knew that she had to act fast, to counter Alaric’s attack before it engulfed her. She quickly whispered a few lines of chanting, her voice low and urgent, before calling out the spell’s name:

“Frozen winds howl, a blizzard’s embrace,

Envelop my foes, in a chilling space.

Arctic’s fury, a frozen domain,

’Glacial Blizzard’ bring forth the rain!”

A massive wave of icy air erupted from her hands, colliding with Alaric’s ’Phoenix Inferno’. The two elemental forces clashed, creating a massive explosion of steam and ice fragments. The stage was momentarily obscured by the swirling vapor, the air thick with the smell of burnt wood and frozen air.

Alaric, using the cover of the steam, quickly moved to flank Brita. He knew that he couldn’t let her dictate the pace of the battle. He needed to keep her on the defensive, to prevent her from casting any more powerful spells.

As the steam cleared, Brita saw Alaric moving towards her. She quickly conjured several ’Ice Daggers’, launching them towards him.

Alaric, anticipating the attack, used ’Swiftwind Step’ to dodge the incoming projectiles. He moved quickly, weaving through the air, avoiding the ice daggers with precise movements.

He then retaliated with a ’Wind Blast’, a powerful gust of wind that sent Brita stumbling backwards. This gave him the opportunity to close the distance once again, engaging her in close combat.

He launched a series of quick punches and kicks, forcing Brita to defend herself. She blocked most of the attacks, but Alaric managed to land a few blows, his fists connecting with her arms and shoulders.

Brita, realizing that she was at a disadvantage in close combat, quickly conjured an ’Ice Ground’ beneath Alaric’s feet. The floor beneath him instantly froze, making it difficult for him to move.

Alaric, however, reacted quickly. He cast a ’Flame Burst’ at the ice beneath him, melting it instantly. He then used the momentum of the explosion to launch himself backwards, creating some distance between them once again.

As Alaric launched himself backward, creating distance from Brita and the rapidly freezing stage, he didn’t waste a single moment. While still airborne, he began to channel his magical energy, preparing a powerful wind spell. He knew he needed to press his advantage, to keep Brita on the defensive. He couldn’t afford to give her time to recover or prepare a counterattack.

While mid-air, he began chanting the incantation for his wind spell, his voice low and resonant, the words flowing smoothly even as he landed gracefully on the now-unfrozen stage. The spell name and the chant was:

“Winds of the tempest, a furious might,

Tear through the heavens, with all of your light.

Whirlwind’s embrace, a swirling domain,

’Tempest’s Fury’ unleash the hurricane!”

As his feet touched the ground, the spell reached its culmination. A massive vortex of wind erupted from his hands, swirling towards Brita with incredible force. The wind howled and roared, carrying with it shards of ice and debris from the shattered ice wall.

Brita’s eyes widened in surprise as she saw the powerful wind spell hurtling towards her. She hadn’t seen him chanting while he was in the air, she was focused on him creating distance and didn’t expect him to launch such a powerful attack so quickly after he landed. She barely had time to react, quickly conjuring a weak ’Ice Shield’ to defend herself.

The ’Ice Shield’ was no match for the ’Tempest’s Fury’. The swirling winds tore through the ice, shattering it into a thousand tiny fragments. The full force of the spell slammed into Brita, sending her stumbling backward.

Alaric didn’t let up. He used the momentum of the wind spell to propel himself forward, closing the distance between them once again. He launched into a flurry of close-combat attacks, his movements fluid and precise.

He started with a quick jab to Brita’s face, followed by a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at her side. Brita managed to block the jab with her forearm, but she was unable to fully evade the kick. It connected with her ribs, sending a sharp pain through her body.

Alaric then followed up with a spinning back kick, aiming for her head. Brita ducked low, narrowly avoiding the attack. She retaliated with a quick ’Ice Spike’, attempting to stab Alaric in the leg.

Alaric, anticipating her move, jumped back, avoiding the ice spike. He then landed gracefully, immediately launching another attack. He executed a swift series of punches, each aimed at a different part of Brita’s body.

Brita, despite the pain from the earlier kick, managed to block most of the punches, using her enhanced speed and reflexes. However, Alaric’s relentless assault was overwhelming her. She was struggling to keep up with his speed and power.

She tried to create some distance by conjuring a small ’Ice Blast’, hoping to push Alaric back. But Alaric simply sidestepped the blast, using the opportunity to close the distance once again. He grabbed her arm, using his superior strength to pull her closer.

He then unleashed a ’Flame Strike’ with his free hand, aiming for her face. Brita quickly turned her head, avoiding the full force of the attack. But the flames still grazed her cheek, leaving a small burn mark.

Alaric didn’t let up. He continued his relentless assault, mixing punches, kicks, and flame spells in a seamless combination. He was using his superior martial arts skills to overwhelm Brita, his movements precise and powerful.

Brita was struggling to defend herself. She was constantly on the defensive, barely managing to block or evade Alaric’s attacks. The black magic energy flowing through her veins was enhancing her speed and strength, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Alaric’s superior skill and relentless assault.

She tried to conjure more ice spells, hoping to create some distance or to land a decisive blow. But Alaric was too quick, too agile. He would either dodge the spells or use his flame magic to counter them, melting the ice before it could reach him.

Despite the relentless beating she was receiving, Brita’s injuries were healing almost as quickly as they were inflicted. The black magic energy coursing through her veins was acting as a powerful healing agent, mending her wounds and allowing her to continue the fight.

Alaric noticed this, a slight frown creasing his brow. ’This black magic is quite potent,’ he thought. ’It’s healing her injuries almost instantly. I need to find a way to disrupt that flow of energy, or this fight could drag on for a while.’

He decided to change his strategy. Instead of focusing on inflicting superficial damage, he would aim for more debilitating blows, targeting vital points and attempting to disrupt her flow of magical energy.

He feigned a punch to her face, then quickly shifted his weight, delivering a powerful kick to her stomach. Brita gasped as the kick connected, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through her body.

Alaric then followed up with a ’Flame Claw’, raking his hand across her chest. The flames tore through her robe, leaving a deep burn mark.

Brita cried out in pain, clutching her chest. But even as the flames burned her flesh, the black magic energy began to work its magic, quickly healing the wound.

Alaric pressed his advantage, continuing his relentless assault. He knew he had to act quickly, to finish this fight before the other members of the Phantom Assembly realized what was happening.

~~

The relentless exchange of blows continued, the stage becoming a ravaged testament to their battle. Scorched patches of wood mingled with shattered ice fragments, the air still thick with the lingering scent of burnt flesh and frost. Alaric pressed his advantage, maintaining his relentless assault, targeting vital points, attempting to disrupt Brita’s flow of black magic.

He aimed a ’Flame Kick’ at her knee, forcing her to hop back, narrowly avoiding the searing heat. He followed up with a ’Wind Punch’ aimed at her stomach, the force of the blow sending her stumbling backward.

Brita, despite the pain and the constant pressure, refused to yield. The black magic energy continued to mend her wounds, allowing her to keep fighting, albeit barely. Her emerald eyes burned with a fierce determination, a refusal to be defeated.

After a particularly intense exchange of blows, both combatants paused, momentarily disengaging to catch their breath. They stood facing each other, their chests heaving, their eyes locked.

Brita stared intently at Alaric, her gaze scrutinizing his masked face. “Just who are you?” she demanded, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and curiosity. “A mage with your skill, combined with such proficient close-combat abilities… you shouldn’t be an unknown.”

She paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “The mask…” she murmured, her eyes narrowing. “Perhaps you’re someone famous. Someone who doesn’t want to be recognized.” A smirk touched her lips. “I’ll make sure to break that mask,” she whispered, her voice laced with a hint of menace.

Alaric remained silent, offering no response to her questions or threats. He simply stared back at her, his expression hidden behind the mask. He was conserving his energy, preparing for the next phase of the battle.

Brita’s smirk widened, her eyes gleaming with a newfound intensity. She reached into a small pouch attached to her belt, pulling out a long, ornate staff. It was crafted from dark wood, its surface intricately carved with symbols that seemed to writhe and shift in the dim light. A large, obsidian gem was embedded at the top, radiating a faint, ominous glow.

As soon as Brita grasped the staff, a palpable shift occurred in the atmosphere. The black magic energy surrounding her intensified, becoming even more potent. The air around her crackled with dark energy, sending a chill down Alaric’s spine.

He felt the change immediately, a sense of foreboding settling in his stomach. ’This is it,’ he thought. ’She’s getting serious now. This is going to be a long fight.’

He knew that the staff was a conduit for her black magic, amplifying her power significantly. He had to be even more cautious now, to anticipate her attacks and to defend himself accordingly.

Brita held the staff aloft, her emerald eyes fixed on Alaric. The obsidian gem at the top pulsed with dark energy, casting eerie shadows across the stage.

“Now,” she said, her voice low and menacing, “let’s see what you’re really made of.”

She swung the staff in a wide arc, unleashing a wave of dark energy towards Alaric. The energy moved quickly, a swirling vortex of shadows that threatened to engulf him.

Alaric quickly cast a wind spell, ’Wind Shield’ to defend himself. He whispered the quick chant as he was making the wind shield:

“Winds of protection, a swirling defense,

Protect me from harm, with your powerful sense.

A barrier of air, a swirling domain,

’Wind Shield’ protect me from bane.”

A swirling vortex of wind erupted from his hands, intercepting the wave of dark energy. The two forces collided, creating a shockwave that sent tremors through the stage. The ’Silent Barrier’ held firm, containing the explosion of energy within its confines.

Brita didn’t let up. She followed up with another attack, conjuring several ’Ice Spears’ and launching them towards Alaric. She was now wielding the staff with practiced ease, using it to channel her black magic into powerful and precise attacks.

Alaric, anticipating the attack, quickly cast ’Swiftwind Step’ to dodge the incoming projectiles. He moved quickly, weaving through the air, avoiding the ice spears with precise movements. He then retaliated with a ’Flame Burst’, aiming at Brita.

Brita, wielding her staff, quickly created an ’Ice Wall’ to intercept the flames. The flames crashed against the ice, creating a cloud of steam. But this time, Brita used the staff to channel her black magic through the ’Ice Wall’, enhancing its defensive capabilities. The ice wall did not melt like before and held firm.

Alaric quickly understood that this fight was going to be much different from before. Brita, with her staff, was now a much more formidable opponent.

~~

A/N: I hope you all liked this battle and the choreography in this battle. Had to think quite a bit.