Seris exchanged several blows with the masked man, each one of them struck each other several times as more thunderous booms erupted. The sheer power behind every strike was leveling buildings around them at a rapid pace.
The strike team that they were sent to rescue, were trying to make their way across the battlefield to assist Orion and Amelia. However, with each blow that the two sorcerers exchanged, it became more difficult for them to stay on their feet.
"What in the hell is this power?"
"I have no idea, it's like two gods are fist fighting each other."
"We don't hurry up and leave, we're going to die just from being near them."
The team gritted their teeth and pushed forward, their mana dangerously low and their stamina rapidly depleting alongside it.
Orion saw them coming and hurled several lightning bolts to destroy the imps that had leapt out at the team. They had been so preoccupied with just staying on their feet that they hadn't noticed the little demons sneaking up behind them with hungry razor sharp grins.
***
Seris landed gracefully on her feet while Linnox skidded to a halt a few feet away.
"Been awhile since I've been challenged like this, it's kinda fun."
Seris appeared to be unbothered by the sheer power of the opponent standing in front of her.
"I agree, it's been awhile for me too."
The masked man rolled his shoulders, loosening the stiffness that had gathered in his muscles.
"What do I call you? Surely, 'Mysterious Masked Man' is not your name?"
Linnox laughed in response before answering, "You can call me Linnox the Unworthy."
Seris rolled her eyes at that. Such a lame ass name.
"Shall we continue?" Seris asked motioning for him to bring it on.
She couldn't see the grin behind the mask as Linnox dashed forward, the ground cratering beneath his feet.
Seris deftly dodged his flurry of blows before delivering an uppercut with her knee that sent him backwards through a ruined wall.
Seris quickly brought her hands up which began to glow with a blue color before a hail of ice spikes fired out in a wide range. Buildings crumbled, to include the one Linnox had gone through, as the ice flew like large missiles.
The debris exploded outwards but began floating in the air instead of falling to the ground. Linnox had purple swirls around his hands as the chunks of brick and metal floated in a slow rotating manner around him.
He thrust his hand forward and the debris shot towards Seris faster than bullets. Seris quickly summoned her shield which took the brunt of the attack. Her feet were pushed backwards as she struggled to withstand the force of the impact.
"Impressive defensive magic."
Seris gave a smirk as sweat beads rolled down her face. Augmenting her physical attributes may not cost a lot of mana but sustaining it for long periods of time was a constant drain. On top of that, she had already used several large spells in a short amount of time, she was at half a tank.
Linnox was harder to read thanks to his mask but Seris noted that his breathing was getting faster and more labored. He too was running out of mana.
Linnox moved first as he punched the ground with a fist.
Giant spikes of rock flew upwards as Seris dashed backwards, dodging each one with inhuman speed.
Seeing an opening she pushed her palm towards him and fired several large balls of fire that detonated on impact.
The area around Linnox exploded like it had been hit several times with large military cannons.
Linnox barely managed to dodge, using his own shield to protect himself from the worst of it. Cracks had formed through the golden barrier that surrounded him as smoke rose from his tattered black cloak.
He was truly impressed by her strength.
Seris stood atop a broken pile of stone, staring down at the masked figure. Something about him was bothering her. She couldn't put her finger on it though.
There wasn't enough time to dwell on this though as Linnox poured a massive amount of mana into a single large spell that formed before him.
A giant black ball, crackling with purple lightning, hovered in the air at chest height. Seris examined the orb of destruction which was growing in size, becoming nearly as large as a boulder.
"Let's see you stop this," Linnox growled, unaware that he was getting carried away. His mission had been forgotten as he became caught up in his own bloodlust.
The ball moved forward suddenly at a pace that seemed impossible for something so large.
Seris gritted her teeth. She didn't have much time to deal with that attack and there was little hope of saving the rest of the city.
She did the only thing she could think of at that moment.
With both hands in front of her she conjured her own massive ball of magical energy. Its deep purple color seemed to pulsate with an internal light as it formed.
This was going to be a destructive test to see who could come out on top. Seris couldn't help but grin, her face becoming feral. Despite the gravity of the situation she was in, she was having fun.
***
A massive wall of fire exploded in front of the strike team and Orion, separating them from the rest of the imps that had been steadily pushing forward. Orion was tapped out and the strike team was at their limit too.
Amelia kept her barrier up but her knees were starting to buckle. She wore a determined look on her face though as she muttered to herself, "I'm not giving up."
She refused to back down as she thought about her mentor.
Erin was no longer taking pictures as he desperately looked for an avenue of escape that they all could take.
"Thought I would pitch in, no need to thank me."
Darius stood above them, his hands outstretched as he maintained the wall.
"You have the strike team right? Why are you still standing here, staring up at your better?"
His arrogance had returned as he sneered at Orion. In his mind, Orion was nothing more than a simple minded soldier who held above average power at best. He completely ignored Amelia, assuming that her barrier spell had been cast by Seris who was currently missing from the group.
"Right, let's go while we can."
The dome of protection faded away as Amelia nearly fell over. Erin caught her and helped her as the entire group moved as fast as they could away from the battlefield.
"She made a fool out of me, I'll show them though. I'll show them all just how powerful I really am."
The wall vanished as wisps of smoke curled up from the pavement. Darius wasn't finished yet though.
Giant red rings of complex shapes formed around his arms as he lifted his hands towards the heavens.
The demons caught off guard, looked skywards just in time to see massive comets of pure fire raining down on them. Explosions rocked the area for several blocks, destroying everything they touched without discrimination.
Darius wore a look that clearly said he was enjoying the screams of the dying demons as he beheld his handy work.
There was a massive flash of light in the distance followed by a BOOM!
A huge gust of wind blew him from his perch, slamming him onto the ground where he passed out. He hadn't seen the cause of the blast but before he lost consciousness, he had a gut feeling that Seris was responsible for yet another round of humiliation.