"Wait! Stop! Let me breathe! I can't! I absolutely can't! Let me have a single breather!"
A good performance, if I have to say, coming from me. Anyways, I didn't run out of breath; I just felt exhausted from always having to put myself on the defensive. Seriously, more than half of my options were ineffective against this red-haired knight. This wasn't merely a bad matchup; this was a horrible matchup.
My opponent wasn't going all out either, I can tell. He didn't use the sheathed sword at his waist; he would glance at it from time to time, but he wouldn't pull it out.
"Was he underestimating me?"
No, I doubt it. He fights like he wants to kill me, but couldn't quite commit to it since he was always watching his rear. A true hero, always watching his rear to keep an eye on his friends.
Anyways, I feigned running out of breath, grasping my chest, despite being a skeleton. Although this Reinhard-knight wasn't quite buying it, he stopped before me, scanning my 'defeated' figure with wary eyes.
"It's buying time!" That black-haired boy shouted.
Yes, obviously, I was buying time. I also needed to reassess my situation. I slowly stood up, making sure my movements were unthreatening and unassuming. I needed a dialogue; I wanted to know more about the mentality of this knight before me.
Now then, I need to keep up the regalia befitting that of a ruler.
"I demand silence! You worthless pile of s-!"
"GAH!"
For a few internal seconds. I couldn't think about anything. My mind was an empty void, as if a [ Flashbang ] spell pierced through my magical defenses and exploded right in front of me. That was the second time I gasped out of shock — also, the first time where a significant amount of my HP was chipped away.
"Greater Teleportation!" I shouted, teleporting away while staggering in the air. Most of the damage came from Reinhard-knight's fist and that Sung-bastard's dagger. Reinhard's fist pushed through all the resistances, whereas Sung-bastard's dagger pierced through it.
Still, they didn't take more than fifteen percent of my HP. At this point, it was safe to assume, that if they were players, they were beyond level one hundred in terms of stats, but their builds were unoptimized, and they clearly didn't have a lot of counters or offensive options.
Anything below seventh-tier magic, with a few exceptions, won't be enough to deal with them. A fight of attrition against these humans would be a death sentence.
"You goddamned insects!" Albedo shouted, sensing that I was damaged. She was also surprised when the enemy she was fighting instantly disappeared, then reappeared behind me. This Sung-bastard had both instant teleportation and swift speed. What a pain.
Albedo also activated her special racial skill, which was my first time seeing it. Any living beings near her were stunned, the spell also pierced natural and magical resistances.
[ Succubus Howl. ]
Reinhard-Knight, that ant shadow, that ethereal summon, and Sung-bastard looked up at me. They were about to pounce on me, mid-air, if it weren't for Albedo catching their attention. Had Albedo not attracted their attention? I would've cast [ Black Hole ] immediately.
Sung-bastard then walked away and faced Albedo. What a terrifying fight for both of them. Albedo can't hit Sung because of his massive speed advantage, and Sung-bastard can't damage Albedo because of her overwhelming defenses.
In a pure PVP duel scenario. Albedo could kill that bastard if she were to go all out, albeit with some difficulty. Also, Albedo could annihilate that bastard if she were to transform fully. However, when fighting that bastard, it wasn't a one-versus-one; he had his shadow army.
"Grasp Heart!" I cast it at that ethereal summon, and it just glared at me; the spell had no effects whatsoever. A spiritual summon, there were similar things back in Yggdrasill, too. They were annoying but easily countered, you usually counter it by attacking the summoner or break their focus.
I pointed my bony fingers at the black-haired boy. "Ray of Negative Energy!" However, as always, Reinhard-knight stepped in and slapped the energy blast away with his white-gloved hands.
"Silent Magic: Perfect Unknowable." A perfect spell for ambushes or hiding, it cannot be easily countered without some high-level magic or skills. That Reinhard-knight was looking around the area with an expression of casual deference. I was slowly flying away from the scene. [ Perfect Unknowable ] erases all sounds, presence, aura, and even scent.
"Yes, very clearly," Reinhard-knight said whilst I let out a soft sigh.
I can feel his gaze from behind. An ambush against him is difficult to pull off then. I was struck by an invisible gust of air, knocking me off course and sending me crashing into a well-stocked shelf. Reinhard-knight then quickly arrived.
"Elemental Skull!" The spell that revealed Riku Aganeia's weakness against the acidic elements. Reinhard-knight stepped back from the sight, clearly cautious. The skull glowed with a radiant light, and the colors were always changing.
I then stepped in front of it as I made it silently charge up a powerful nuke spell that had combined all the elements. [ Pure Elemental Blast ].
It will take some time to charge and fire. I maintained eye contact with Reinhard-knight. I could tell he was worried since we were quite a distance from his friends. However, that black-haired boy was prowling nearby.
"You're certainly quite the trouble, Reinhard van Astrea, but I doubt your friends can catch up to you," I said, with regal flair.
It was a three-sided comment because he was really the strongest amongst them, and they could not catch up. Also, if something were to happen to him, they can't provide meaningful support other than the odd shadows also prowling around. Also, he was far away from them, and I will do anything to keep him here if Albedo decides to go all out.
"May I call you, Reinhard?" First, the familiarization with the target; second, the plea to his conscience; third, the 'gracious' surrender offer; then, fourth, the harvesting. Honestly, low chance of success. However, it never hurts to be diligent and meticulous.
Reinhard-knight kept quiet whilst glaring at me. I couldn't read his mind or pierce whatever defenses it had without casting something powerful. Then he disappeared, and a loud crack from behind me echoed. I didn't even have to turn my head around to know what he did.
My elemental skull was gone. I wanted to blast him with that powerful nuke spell when the negotiations would predictably fail again. I didn't expect him to make the first move; I expected him to respond to my dialogue attempts like a good, honorable knight.
I was then kicked from behind, sending me up into the air. I have long stopped suppressing my passives and some racial bonuses; however, that still didn't stop this damned knight from chipping away my HP. What was this guy made of?
I was about to cast a single target spell.
"Pandora's Actor. Cocytus is coming in." My father, my supreme being, said to me. I expected this ever since most of the limits imposed on both Albedo and me had to be let go. The enemies were surprisingly more powerful than initially expected.
"Cocytus will be there to help you escape. The initial scouting was fruitful; Demiurge and I have sufficient data. I expect to hear your report soon."
The wish-modified [ Gate ] portal appeared again.
A cold, heavy mist started emitting from the portal's entrance. Cocytus' passive was massively boosted, and then he finally stepped out from the portal. Reinhard-knight was wary, his right foot already positioned towards his black-haired friend when Cocytus appeared.
"I am. Your. Opponent. Now. Reinhard van Astrea." Cocytus said, letting out an excited breath.