Broken Tower Saga: The First Swordsman

"AHHH," Anton shouted in pain while removing the sickle from his chest. Blood was splashed with the sickle, and he tried to restrict it at the very moment. But the next moment, his face turned ugly as the coldness that was invading through the sickle slowly rose. 

"Let me help," Tanya said, and came close to him. With his consent, she froze the spot where the blood was still oozing out and restricted him from feeling most of the pain. She could have restricted all of it, but that was not a sound solution or not a solution at all. Pain was the indicator of something wrong with your body. Without it, you will not understand what is wrong with you. 

"At least we won," Anton said with an ugly face. He was just about to call for a Wrik, who was still battling Ben to find something wrong with the masked guy they had just frozen. "Don't tell me—''

Anton did not have time to say the words as the ice cracked from the black-clad masked fellow. He rose in the next moment and vapour rose from his body. The residual of the ice spell was all gone. The black cloak he was wearing over the leather jerkins and breastplate was unharmed, even after enduring the flame and ice. While with a hard shake of his head, Scythe stood straight as well. With the cut mark on the mask, it looked even more hideous now.

Anton squinted his nose and joined in the conflict again. He could feel the pain in his chest rose by a fair margin even though it was restricted by Tanya's [Mist of Change]. He had two weapons in his arm now. His regular blade and the sickle from Scythe. He had no intention of returning it to this masked guy now. Evan and Davin joined as well with their swords.

Scythe waited for them to come, picking up the scythe in his arms. The chains lessened and the blade in the scythe extended further, radiating azure light. The black-clad fellow swung the scythe in almost a 360 degree round swing. It was perfect and the azure light dashed from the blade in the Omni-direction. 

Anton lunged above it in a backflip while Even and Davin blocked it with their sword. As for the two mages, they put up two high shields made of fire and ice, respectively. 

Only Anton was able to get closer to the guy, but the wound on his chest did not let him use all his abilities simultaneously. He exchanged a few notes with him before withdrawing.

Evan came next, and he did the same as well. Then a few fire spells attacked Scythe, who rendered it useless with a couple of swings of the Scythe. Davin came next and proved to be useless as well. Tanya's ice spells were of little use, though she had tried none of the big spells now. Only the usual ice spears and needles.

"Maha blessed him," swore Anton, looking at the fellow swinging the scythe all over. "How much mana does he have?"

"I think he had at least double mana compared to me," Tanya said, arching her brows. "Trying to exhaust him will prove to be more difficult than just outnumbering him. Attack together again."

Anton nodded and his legs moved like a black shadow. Why play head-on when you have the advantage in numbers? He did not go head-on with the God-blessed fellow. He moved swiftly with [Shadow Steps] and dodged the scythe by only an inch. He saw the cold energy go over his face. For a second, he thought the world had slowed down, and in the next move, he had hacked the sickle on the thigh of his opponent. 

Anton withdrew, and another person went straight on with Scythe. Fraser went to help Wrik first, but his lord refused his help. So, Fraser went after the other guy. The tall fellow clashed the scythe with his long axe violently. Overflow of mana outburst in azure and white light. 

Davin and Evan joined Fraser in the next moment. Davin helped in blocking the long scythe while Evan attacked the guy. Evan swung his sword on the lower body of Scythe, breaking the armament defence and at the joint of the armour.

Scythe bent over the knee and unrestrained the chain again. Mana outburst from his body like lava from a volcano. With a clever manoeuvre, he trapped Fraser and Davin with the chain. A knife appeared in his other arm, and its blade extended in azure light too. With a snap of his wrist, the knife pinned on the chest of Davin. 

By the time Anton and Evan were able to attack again, another knife has appeared on the masked guy's arm. He did not throw it this time. First pulled the long scythe with an unrestrained strength. The elongated blade injured the two fellows before it came into Scythe's arm. 

Davin and Fraser dropped to the ground. They were in no condition to continue now and if they did not get treatment immediately, the consequences of their pain would be rather dire. 

"Davin," shouted Anton. The Shadow stalker saw the two girls help them and he joined Scythe in close quarters again.

Mist rose in the small spot they were battling. Tanya tried to link her spell here, but alas! It was of no use. The weird mask Scythe wore put resistance against any illusionary and mental spells. Scythe could see, though not too clearly. 

Evan came on his way alone. The former acolyte was not finding it easy, even with all his training and skills. His face was already pale from over-drafting his mana. Compared to everyone here, his mana was the least, and he used it as marginally as possible, but today was not like any other day where he could get away with just skills. He hacked his sword at the long scythe when a shadow jumped from his behind and attacked the masked fellow with no restraint in the joint of the knees.

Anton had hidden in the shadow of Evan and was successful in his blow. Flame burst in the next moment. The radiant scarlet flame waved at Scythe again, and this time it went for a few more seconds extra.

Scythe tried to dismiss it with a swing of the scythe, but failed. Fortunately, his cloak and armour were not so regular items. He only had to draft his mana to put a defence against the flame. 

Dozens of short ice needles hit him all over the body with the flame. It only hurt badly and was mostly useless in dealing with any damage.

The flame finally ended and Scythe was freed, but not between his legs. They froze again. He revolved in his lower body, but before he could free his leg, a sickle pierced him in the thigh. His leg jerked, and he only grunted. The attack had not ended yet. His intuition told him something was coming from behind. 

Just the moment the masked guy was freed from the ice, a sword attacked him on the back. He put the scythe as a block, but the attacker made a faint and assaulted below.

Scythe looked at the attacker and a worry hit him. "Ben," he said, and it was the only word he had said during the battle.

The one that attacked him was Wrik, whose eyes were glowing with silver light. He did not waste a moment after he dealt with Ben. The crazy guy turned out to be quite difficult dealing alone. Fortunately, he knew all his tricks and was able to finish them within time.

Anton and Evan came from behind him and stood alongside Wrik. The three of them were extremely overdraft physically and mentally. With an exchange of glances, the three of them attack together with their full capacity.

Three figures moved around Scytle at a swift speed. Wherever they found a opportunity to deal a blow, they claimed it. Even Scythe, who had higher mana and physical strength than anyone here, and had items that were not meant for a test like this, was finding it extremely difficult. 

Even before he could attack with his weapon, another person assaulted him and when he went for that person, another one took his place. He tried to trap them with the chains again, but this time, they were prepared. When the chain elongated towards them, they did not dodge, instead caught themselves in. Anton and Evan were trapped in the chains. Or were they?

With the jerk of their body, they pulled Scythe towards them rather than going with the long weapon. Scythe's body pulled, and Wrik took advantage of the situation, pierced the sword into the gut of the masked man. 

His sword did feel some restriction, but Wrik waged his everything on the attack. It finally pierced their opponent's abdomen quite severely. 

Scythe dropped to the ground and struggle to rise again. Wrik pulled his sword in one swipe and rest it just before the neck of the masked fellow. 

"It took so many of us to deal with a single guy," he said, sighing high. "Evan, you are right, he's really a monster." 

"But we won," Anton said. He did not celebrate like his usual self, jumping but sat down immediately. Evan did the same. The battle exhausted every one of them.

"We did win the battle, but I don't think it worth it." Wrik sighed and looked at the masked fellow. "I will keep my bargain, but before that, you guys need to pay some debt."

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End of the chapter: Debt. 

Next Chapter: End of the Little War.