Mirror Princess: A LitRPG Space Fantasy (Sword of Asteria Book 2)

by Eddie R. Hicks

  “I liked you,” Serzax said, and angled his blade for her. “Even after your betrayal, I had hoped the imperials failed to kill you—”

  “Shut up!”

  Nijana sent the Marauder’s Chakram hurling toward Serzax while leaping back to keep her distance, slowly building AP. Serzax gritted his teeth, and ran after her, swinging and missing each time, stopped then slashed his blade across the floor, releasing a wave of dark energy from Shockwave Slash. Serzax still had some MP left.

  Nijana spread her wings and flew to the ceiling, escaping his Shockwave Slash. She looked down at Serzax, smiling. He couldn’t hit her with his sword strikes. He couldn’t stop her from changing her sigil set up. She worked quickly to pull her spare sigils from her inventory while pulling several more off her body and used the combination, Divine, Heart, Target, Recovery, Minstrel, Curse, and Adversaries. It gave her access to Starlight Recovery and Lullaby.

  “Last chance,” Serzax shouted up to her. “Flee from this castle and city. I will not pursue you, Nijana. You have my word.”

  “Why spare me and not them?!” she shouted down to him, her angelic voice full of vigor. “Was my cunt really that amazing?”

  “You know why!” he roared up to her. “We are both stranded in this universe and members of the same faction. I would rather not have to kill one of my own, but—”

  She threw the Marauder’s Chakram down, cut him, and it returned upward. The laws of physics be dammed.

  Serzax wiped the blood from his cheek and continued. “. . . if you keep fucking throwing that shit at me, then I will!” Nijana flung the chakram at him again, then caught the returning disk. “Very well.”

  He held his sword up and idled in the middle of a spell cast. Serzax cast Dark Orb and blasted Nijana with a black and purple ball of dark energy. He had a lot more MP than she thought and continued to cast Dark Orb. She swerved about in the air, evading his spells. Her AP was nearly at 100—

  A blast of darkness hit her in the chest.

  Serzax got lucky with a Shockwave Slash, inflicting her with the Dark Touch debuff.

  Her strength, vitality, and agility diminished, and soon afterward, Nijana felt her wings grow tired. Losing strength and agility lowered her flight time and speed. She ended up crashing to the floor and struggled to find the energy to push up or fly. She hoped that was the last of his MP. Nijana pushed up, her arms and legs shaking from the sapped strength, and because of that, instead of running to her, Serzax simply walked over.

  He smashed his blade down on the back of her head. The force of the blow pushed Nijana to the tiles, face-first.

  Crack.

  That was her nose breaking upon impact.

  A firm hand grabbed her by the hair, pulled, and tossed Nijana across the throne room. She rolled uncontrollably through the air and crashed through a support pillar, losing a lot of HP. Her chakram went wide and tumbled away on the floor, far from the reach of her red-soaked hand. Red-soaked hand . . . Nijana was bleeding badly.

  She had MP for Starlight Recovery, AP for a song, and had to use both fast.

  Serzax strode toward her, his blade ready to deliver a cut to her body with 32 HP. Nijana reached for her last hope clipped to her belt, Dianna’s Ocarina. She sat up and put the instrument to her lips and played an eye shutting song, Lullaby.

  Please, Hecate, Nijana pleaded. She shook her head. No, Asteria. Please, Asteria, make that work.

  The song entered Serzax’s ears. He stopped moving, wobbled, yawned, and shut his eyes. The Nocturnal Blade slipped from his grip and clanged to the floor. His tired hands lacked the energy to hold his blade.

  Yes, it’s working!

  Nijana stood up to cast Starlight Recovery. Her skirt and cherry hair fluttered in the astral winds that blew. Serzax opened his eyes and shook his head as if he nodded off.

  Lullaby didn’t work.

  Nijana remained idle anyway, allowing Starlight Recovery to—

  Serzax hit her with a bottom-to-top slice.

  The slash sent her up and down, interrupting what was supposed to be a two-second cast. That meant it took Serzax less than two seconds to wake up, grab his sword, dash, and slash her.

  His speed was incredible.

  Nijana hit the glass tiles and never got up. The Nox Knight stood above her body, brushed his silver hair from his cut and bleeding face, and looked at her.

  “Oh, and yes,” he added. “Your cunt was amazing.”

  You died.

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Serzax let out a brief chuckle and examined his victory. Guy’s corpse was in three pieces, head, body, and arm at one side, Tempeste’s body slouched on the throne, and Nijana, that stupid girl, died at his feet even though he gave her plenty of chances to escape. Now Nijana laid in a massive red pool expanding across the tiles. It was a complete party wipeout made possible by his hands. Serzax laughed again. He won. What were they thinking? Their actions had turned the throne room red.

  He moved to Tempeste’s body and held the Nocturnal Blade steady. The crystal harvest was far from over, and the soul crystals from the three would make an excellent addition to his collection. Serzax selected Tempeste, sank his blade into her chest to mutilate it, pulled it free, and went to sink it down again.

  Serzax stopped.

  “No . . .” he grunted. “My mistake.”

  Serzax stood over Guy’s body. The Paladin had the least amount of LP in the group, and Serzax remembered that fact well. It was in Wylume’s memories which he now possessed after consuming his soul crystal. Guy had to be the one to suffer permadeath first. Serzax raised his Nocturnal Blade and brought it down on the headless Paladin missing an arm—

  Clang.

  A sword out of nowhere struck the Nocturnal Blade, deflecting it from Guy.

  “What?!”

  Slash.

  That same blade struck Serzax from his side, dropping his HP.

  Fury burned within him, prompting Serzax to look aside from the dead Paladin and cleave the air he suspected the uninvited person to be standing. The slice from the Nocturnal Blade went wide. Serzax’s new opponent was fast. He turned again, swinging his weapon, his target now in sight.

  He missed again.

  His target was flying in the opened space of the throne room. They had buzzing fairy wings that kept them aloft. His target was a fae Berserker, a woman wearing reflective white armor and white thigh-high boots.

  Serzax recognized the star-fae Berserker flying ahead of him from Wylume’s memories. She was the star-fae Medic who traveled with Guy, Rachael. She was a Berserker now, so it did not surprise Serzax to see Rachael cast Regeneration on herself, granting her the passive HP regen effect.

  “Another fly to swat, I see,” Serzax said to his new flying opponent.

  “I swear.” Rachael held her sword with both hands. “I will fucking kill you if you lay a finger on Guy.”

  “I would like to see you try!”

  Serzax dashed across the glass floor as it reflected his upward cleave at the floating fairy.

  Much to his surprise, Rachael parried his attack, drifted behind, and shoved her sword in his back. Serzax pivoted with a horizontal slash that sliced her chest. She ignored the cut and unleashed a two-strike assault, hitting his face and shoulder.

  A decisive duel to the death between Serzax and Rachael ensued.

  Averyl entered the throne room, slowly to not make a sound as Rachael and Serzax fought, their swords clashing and clanging. Rachael’s plan was working. She challenged Serzax and drew him away from Guy, Tempeste, and Nijana, a wiped-out party in dire need of a Cleric’s Resurrection spell. Averyl pulled an MP potion from her inventory and drank it to restore her MP to full. She had used a lot of MP to keep Henrietta vertical when the two rescued Marguerite from the chateau. Then she used more MP to cast Resurrection on Xanthe.

  That was when Rachael told Averyl of her plan to save Guy and his party.

  Rachael and Serzax’s bout shifted to the far corner
of the throne room, a sword-swinging fae flying circles around or above a furious human who could not hit her half the time. Averyl moved to Guy first. Rachael’s flight time was limited, after all. She cast Resurrection on the Paladin, smiling as the light from the heavens came to force his severed head and arm to reattach to his body. His wounds sealed shut as the blood returned to where it belonged, inside him.

  Guy opened his eyes and sat up to face Averyl. She put her index finger to her lips, shushing him. Then cast Starlight Recovery and Regeneration to restore his HP. Next up was Tempeste. Averyl repeated her spell casting, restoring life back to the Spellsword maiden, then sealed her wounds up. Tempeste awoke to find herself sitting on the throne, got off it, retrieved her Spellsword Saber, and nodded to Guy. He nodded back after clenching Asteria’s Sword. The two knew what was going on.

  Lastly was Nijana, who was lying in a pool of her own blood on the floor. Resurrecting her was the hardest part. Averyl did not see Nijana’s corpse on the glass floor, she saw herself. A grim reminder of her fate if Averyl failed as her duty as a healer. Like Guy and Tempeste, Nijana pushed up and off the floor, now clean of her blood. Averyl’s alter ego from another universe found her fallen Marauder’s Chakram and Dianna’s Ocarina, then readjusted her sigil set up for party support. The Bard stood ready to fight and play music.

  Guy sent a party invitation to Averyl and Rachael.

  And Serzax was none the wiser—

  “Averyl!”

  Smack.

  Something hard and sharp collided with Averyl, hitting her with enough force to send her through the air like a rag doll and hit the wall. Averyl groaned as she pushed up from the knockback. She was wrong. Serzax had clued in that Averyl arrived and brought the dead back into the fight.

  Serzax changed tactics and went for the healer of the party, Averyl.

  Guy stepped in front of Averyl and used his body to shield her from Serzax’s brutal slash. The Paladin deflected the next six hits from Serzax and stood to lose a lot of HP fast unless Averyl returned to the conflict.

  So she did. Averyl stood up, cast Regeneration on Guy, then followed up with Starlight Recovery, bringing his HP up to survive Serzax’s fury. Keeping Guy alive was all that mattered now. She did not even stop to heal herself from the attack—

  A sparkle of healing energy soothed Averyl’s wounds. Rachael had flown above the battle and cast Regeneration on Averyl.

  “Keep Guy alive, please!” Rachael pleaded from above.

  Averyl clenched her Flame Priestess’s Scepter and nodded to her. “I shall!”

  Tempeste entered the fray, sinking the Spellsword Saber into Serzax’s back. From above, Rachael dove to slice red gashes across Serzax’s frame, then ascended with swiftness to escape from his countering strikes. Nijana took flight next and threw her Marauder’s Chakram at Serzax, keeping her distance the entire time. Once Nijana got AP, she put Dianna’s Ocarina to her lips and played Swift Carol, enchanting the party’s movement speed.

  All the while, Guy’s HP refused to fall below 70 percent thanks to Averyl’s constant healing spells. Serzax had enough. He screamed and used Storm Slash, knocking Tempeste and Guy away. Guy’s human racial trait did not work that time, and it flung the Paladin backward and through a pillar. Serzax shifted his rage at Averyl and swung.

  And missed.

  Averyl leaped and fluttered her wings and ascended to join Nijana and Rachael in the air. He could not reach them unless he cast a spell, and that required MP, which he had clearly run out of. Averyl cast Asteria’s Judgment and took a few swings at him from above, each hit inflicting him with light damage, more so than usual. Right, he is weak against the light!

  Tempeste got to her feet and slashed Serzax up and down again. Guy came to later, hit Serzax’s left side, parried his counter, then pierced him when Serzax turned to strike Tempeste. Nijana played a new song, Requiem of War I. Now Guy, Tempeste, Averyl, Nijana, and Rachael had enhanced physical attacks. Their combined power brought Serzax closer to his death, making the wounds on his chest, arms, and face spill blood on the glass tiles.

  Guy and Tempeste stood shoulder to shoulder, huffing and puffing from the extensive workout of their swordplay with the Nox Knight. Serzax did the same and ambled backward from the two with a worried frown as they walked closer.

  “Unbelievable,” Serzax snorted, and spat out a wad of blood.

  Guy and Tempeste readied their blades in unison.

  “Aww, is that fear in your voice?” Tempeste said with mocking laughter.

  “You know,” Guy said and chuckled. “I think your son sounded the same way just before I put him down—”

  Serzax screamed.

  Serzax’s outburst reverberated throughout the throne room and its glass floor. He ran to Guy, swinging his sword, not like a swordsman in combat, but as a pissed-off man who had lost control of the situation. Guy deflected the strikes, leaped to Serzax’s right side, gave him a slash, and then taunted him.

  “Yeah, and Wylume screamed like that too, just like a little bitch.” Guy lunged again and again. “You should have fucking heard it.”

  “Does he need to since he has his memories?” Tempeste said, her blade cutting a red gash across Serzax’s chest.

  “You’re right,” Guy said. “Just think about it, and you’ll know how he sounded, Serzax!”

  Serzax (Nox Knight) | HP: 13%

  Serzax’s end was near. The big Nox Knight came at Guy again with a vertical strike.

  Swing and a miss.

  Rachael swooped down again, struck Serzax with Gravity Swing, knocked him on his ass, then followed up with a flurry of cuts. With Serzax getting back to his feet, Guy, and Tempeste went on the offense, putting Nijana’s songs to their full use.

  Serzax (Nox Knight) | HP: 8%

  Almost there. And Guy had AP saved up.

  Serzax broke out laughing and twirled to use Storm Slash, knocking everyone away.

  Guy used On Your Feet. A wave left his body, forcing everyone Serzax knocked down to leap to their feet, Guy included.

  Serzax snorted, his face full of shock. “Your harem makes you overpowered, Paladin.”

  “What?!” Rachael yelled.

  Guy shook his head in denial. “It’s not a harem!”

  “Call it whatever you wish!” Serzax bellowed and darted for the throne room’s exit.

  Guy and Tempeste ran in pursuit of Serzax. They had him now.

  Serzax stopped running as he made it to the exit and growled.

  Xanthe, Kam, Zuran, and Henrietta had arrived and stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking Serzax’s escape.

  “Sorry we are late,” Zuran said. “Had to make sure Marguerite got out of the city alive.”

  Xanthe curled her lips into a smile aimed at Serzax. “Going somewhere?”

  Serzax stepped back. “I thought Leafblade did away with you, shadow angel.”

  “He was about to until they showed up,” Xanthe said and gestured ahead. “Oh marvelous, Averyl and Rachael, I was worried you two might not have made it in time.”

  Xanthe, Kam, Zuran, and Henrietta drew their weapons, pushed into the throne room, and forced Serzax to back up. Nijana, Averyl, and Rachael swarmed Serzax’s position from above like furious hornets, and Guy and Tempeste’s swords prevented Serzax from backing up any farther.

  Serzax looked at the unfair predicament he found himself in. Guy and his friends surrounded him.

  “Fuck this!” Serzax raged, then rushed to the windows.

  Guy and Tempeste chased with Rachael flying behind, her wings buzzing loudly. Swift Carol’s effect faded, and they lost their enhanced speed and learned that Serzax was a faster runner than them under normal circumstances. It was up to Rachael now, since flying was faster than running. Not that Guy and Tempeste gave up. The duo continued for the fleeing Nox Knight, even though he was ahead.

  Rachael came in for a landing and ran. Her flight time must have run out. The three refused to give up and kept up the chase, running
in a triangle formation, swords aimed for Serzax’s back and fluttering black cape.

  Crash.

  Serzax leaped through the window, shattering it and sending millions of shards to the ground outside.

  “You can’t hide from me motherfucker!” Guy shouted as the three approached the window.

  By the time Guy, Rachael, and Tempeste got there, they saw nothing that looked like a black-caped Nox Knight on the ground outside. Serzax made one hell of a disappearing act.

  Guy grimaced. “Okay, so maybe you can hide . . .”

  He peered at the burning city of Lumière on the horizon, noting that there were fewer fires destroying it. Lumière’s army had retaken fallen neighborhoods and sent their Mages to put out the flames by casting water spells on them. There were fewer fae and dark elves in the streets too. Most were dead. The rest had escaped, likely realizing they took heavy losses.

  The chaos was ending. Guy and the two swordswomen at his left and right sheathed their swords and left the castle to claim their victory.

  Galaxy Defenders: Lumière – Quest Complete

  Obtained: 5000 Experience Points

  Guy has attained level 21!

  Rachael has attained level 20!

  Zuran has attained level 21!

  Kam has attained level 21!

  Xanthe has attained level 20!

  Henrietta has attained level 19!

  “Damn,” Guy said as he examined his friends. “We gotta get you all some subclasses.”

  “My lady,” a Ranger called to Tempeste.

  A Ranger from Lumière’s army ran to meet Tempeste outside as they assessed the damage to the city. The Ranger pointed at what two armored elves dragged with them, a battered and bloodied fae.

  Leafblade (Berserker) | HP: 2%

  “Taken a prisoner, I see,” Tempeste said.

  “We found his body and had one of our healers resurrect him,” the Ranger said.

  “Why not finish him?” Guy asked.