by John Nest
Smoke would have vehemently denied other Sonstwelters about the knowledge of his home in Zectas, but Mamelon and the rest of the Vigilantez Sonstwelters fully earned his trust. Their actions spoke of their true nature, and he knew that he could count on each one of them.
On the other hand, the Avendre Mercenaries were tasked to continue with their current missions.
Sierra's group were still out in Veneficatl Valley. She also left half of her Druids there to supervise them.
Mamelon's was busty in Wundern Desert wrangling more mounts. Earat and Louche were left in charge of them.
Meanwhile, Thyrsus and Vijaya were given command of all the core range members' Avendre. They were still fixing Silap up.
As for Guro, she remained in Verbrannt, along with all her dedicated recruits. She promised to increase the land size of the village by three times that of Anbau Forest.
Whereas Espion led Smoke's Avendre to Barat Village. Smoke insisted that the Mercenaries be kept busy and unaware of this special mission. It was imperative that their training continue as scheduled as he had big plans for them.
After twelve hours of gliding, he finally saw the heraldic city of Coatl. Caid informed him that it was time for the finals of the Swordsman to Knight competition.
Smoke thought that it would be a perfect opportunity for him to grab Burmistrz.
With the aid of his Telefax Vision, he easily spotted the braggart Duke on top of his special stage in front of the arena.
Diving as fast as he could, Smoke went straight for Burmistrz as he held onto a pure white gem. Igniz started orbiting around him rapidly, and together the two of them gave the sight of a falling meteor.
CRASH
Pieces of debris flew up in flames as Smoke used his Comet Crash ability on the unknowing Duke. He stunned him for a full second.
"Impetus Activate!" shouted Smoke before the Duke could recover, but Macher suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed on to the Duke.
POOF
Smoke, Igniz, Burmistrz, and Macher were instantly teleported inside Darius' preconfigured casting circle.
'I thought you had to be directly touching the impetus object for it to work, but clearly that isn't the case,' Smoke surmised as he angrily stared at Macher.
Burmistrz hurriedly equipped a zweihänder while Macher threateningly pointed his glaive at Smoke.
"So, you're the famous Smoke," growled Burmistrz. "You really are tricky I'll give you that."
Burmistrz looked around the casting circle and found himself completely surrounded by the Vigilantez Sonstwelters.
"Prepare to die, Smoke!" shouted Macher as he charged at him.
Yet, before Macher could reach him, Sierra used her Overgrowth ability and entangled both Burmistrz and Macher with thick roots. She then used Contrition on both of them, increasing their damage taken.
A bombardment of elemental attacks from Mamelon's regiment quickly showered the two of them. Their life bars and names were revealed thereafter. Macher (610,000/680,000 HP). Ultimo Maire (2,084,900/2,100,000 HP).
Macher's life bar was extremely high for a Cavalry Knight, but the Duke's was even more impressive.
"Everyone, focus fire on Macher!" shouted Smoke, and swiftly equipped his white metallic staff.
A torrent of spears, arrows, and bolts suddenly appeared out of nowhere, as Smoke's ranged forces safely attacked from behind Darius' invisible barrier.
Smoke started to jump out of the casting circle, but his leg was caught by Ultimo's whip.
"Where do you think you're going, boy?" snarled Ultimo. "You are going to be a victim of your own trap!"
"Not today!" retorted Smoke. He instantly created a concave Manatl which protected himself from his allies attacks.
"Aargh!" cried out Macher in pain, as most of the ranged attacks directly hit him. The lowest of which injured him for 2,500 damage points.
The few attacks that did miss, struck Ultimo and Smoke's Manatl.
Ultimo guffed at the Vigilantez joint ranged effort as it only dealt less than 500 damage points. It appeared as if he welcomed the damage to him.
"Stop this! Stop this, now!" pleaded Macher as his life bar was reduced to 25% in less than a minute. "Duke Burmistrz, please save me! I know you can get out of this."
"Relax, Macher, you'll return to Zectas anyway," replied Ultimo passively.
However, Ultimo raised his zweihänder over his head and severed off Sierra's thick roots with one stroke. He then yanked Smoke from his crouched position, and used him as a shield for Macher.
Against his will, Smoke blocked the incoming attacks at Macher and spared him from dying. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but at least now he was free from Ultimo's whip.
All of the Vigilantez instantly stopped attacking as Smoke was in the way. He canceled his Manatl and transferred the gathered energy into his staff.
With her Druid staff in hand, Sierra suddenly ran into the preconfigured casting circle and stopped behind the entangled Cavalry Knight.
She struck Macher's nape with all her might, and proceeded to pound her ferule into his spine. Deep dents appeared on Macher's armor with each bludgeon.
Despite the several elemental spikes striking Ultimo, he relentlessly charged at Sierra.
However, Sierra delivered the last strike needed to reduce Macher's life to zero.
"Good job, HighElf, you really killed him. Now, why don't you have a taste of your own medicine, Smoke," replied Ultimo as he grabbed him and Sierra with only his left arm.
'How strong is this guy?' wondered Smoke as he felt his breath being squeezed out of him.
Suddenly, he saw Laernea and Sharur jump out from Nanahuatl's hidden barrier.
"Go back!" worriedly shouted Smoke.
Then, he saw why Ultimo was holding them with only one hand. In his right, he held a pure white gem, much like the one he used earlier.
"Impetus Activate!" shouted Ultimo.
* * * * * *
POOF
Smoke, Sierra, Sharur, Laernea, and Ultimo were teleported inside a sealed great hall of the Zuchthaus Labyrinth under Coatl City.
Yet, this great hall was different to the others Smoke had been to, as this one had lesser pillars. They did, however, have torches. This considerably brightened the visibility of the expansive chamber.
Before Ultimo could do anything else, Smoke struck him with his energized staff and damaged him for 100,000 points.
Ultimo firmly planted his feet on the floor, but he was still blown backward while standing.
"That's very impressive," stated Ultimo. "What kind of attack was that? It has been a long time since I've been damage by this much."
"Laernea, Sharur, back away. Leave this to Sierra and Me," ordered Smoke, and paid Ultimo no mind. "Look for an exit instead."
He did a quick search with his eyes, but could not find any doorways. As he realized that this was another part of the labyrinth he had never been to, he wondered how many more sealed chambers like this one existed.
"Don't bother. There isn't one," interjected Ultimo. "This is where the Tenebris made their own preconfigured casting circle," he said, and pointed to the floor.
"Honestly, I was surprised that you had a transference gem as well," Ultimo casually spoke. "From the lack of powerful spells that attacked me during your entrapment, I'm guessing that you only have that one powerful Wizard who created your transference gem."
"Sharur, Laernea, do as much damage as you can, but don't let him get near you," said Sierra and charged at Ultimo.
The Duke of Coatl removed his thick, royal coat and revealed his massive muscles through his plaid shirt. He had no form of armor on him at all. "It has been a long time since my days in the Ladrones del Mundo. I gladly accept your challenge!"
Laernea and Sharur fired their bolts and arrows at Ultimo. However, they only damaged him for less than 200 points.
Ultimo did not bother to block or dodge the ranged attacks. Instead, he held his zweihänder w
ith both his hands and swung it at Sierra.
Sierra parried Ultimo's zweihänder with her ferule, but she was blown backwards. Smoke hurriedly caught him, and avoided a harmful tumble on the floor.
Despite their low damage, Laernea and Sharur kept on attacking.
"Why did you two leave Nanahuatl's safety?" asked Smoke, as the four of them regrouped themselves. "Good thing Igniz wasn't near us when that bastard forcibly transferred us here."
"I don't know what happened myself," answered Sharur hesitantly. "After I saw Sierra rush inside the casting circle, my feet began running towards her."
"I tried to stop Sharur, but it was already too late," meekly added Laernea.
With them staying as far away from Ultimo as possible, the former High Commander of the Ladrones del Mundo kept on taunting them. "Smoke, did you know that I used a transference gem on your beloved Flame Knight, the one called Ilad?"
Smoke paid little attention to Ultimo as he racked his brain for ideas on how to get out of this situation.
"Of course, it was a different casting circle and a different room. I never kept track of which ones the Tenebris made. Unfortunately, I only have two more of these precious gems left," babbled on Ultimo.
"Sierra, can you use your Overgrowth ability on him?" asked Smoke in a hushed voice.
"I've been trying that for a while now, but it seems like the roots can't penetrate through this labyrinth's floor," she replied, annoyed.
"Then, let's just go for a two-two formation," said Smoke. "Sierra, can you cast—"
He was about to ask her to give them some buffs, but she already beat him to it.
Sierra tapped her ferule on top of their heads and small thorns enveloped their body, which gave them a return damage aura. She then casted Archon's Blessing on Smoke, doubling his life and damage for the next two minutes.
"But that bastard is still under my Contrition ability. So, he will still receive increased damage," explained Sierra.
"Alright, let's go!" yelled Smoke and charged at Ultimo.
Smoke and Sierra ran side by side while Laernea and Sharur constantly fired their ranged attacks at the Brandals' final Boss.
The ranged attackers continuously hit their mark, but Ultimo remained unfazed.
Sierra careened blindly towards Ultimo, but was blasted backwards with another full swing from his zweihänder.
However, this was all part of their plan as Smoke suddenly appeared behind Ultimo and delivered a point blank Lightning Strike on his spine.
Smoke successfully struck Ultimo with his surprise attack, but it only harmed Ultimo for 50,000 points.
Ultimo countered with a slash on Smoke's chest, but he was able to avoid it with his Hyper Jump ability at the last second.
"Smoke, you always keep on impressing me, I just can't believe it," bantered Ultimo. "It was a good idea on what you did to Horrabelle, and I bet you thought you could do the same thing with me. Trap me in a chamber, alone. Well, look where we are? Isn't this what you wanted?"
'What I wanted was for you to die outside Nanahuatl!' angrily thought Smoke.
Sharur and Laernea's ranged attacks kept hitting Ultimo, but their damage was barely registering in his life bar. Even Sharur's spiral bolts could not knock him back.
Sierra suddenly appeared from behind Ultimo and was about to hit his back, but Ultimo effortlessly parried her ferule with his sword and slashed her arm. She backed away and used Cure on herself.
With Ultimo still focused on Sierra, Smoke stepped in and struck his chin with Lightning Shock, paralyzing him for three seconds.
Both Smoke and Sierra dished out their attacks on his unarmored body, yet their damage could not go beyond 1,000 points.
"Back off, now!" shouted Smoke.
Ultimo stretched his arms over his head after he recovered from his paralysis. He looked like a man just woken up from a nap.
"Did you think that you could harm me, just because I didn't have any armor on?" questioned Ultimo. "Am I the first Barbarian Warlord that you have ever faced?"
"This guy just doesn't shut up," said an irritated Smoke out loud.
"Fighting a Witch in close range was a brilliant idea, but fighting a Warlord in closed quarters...Well, that's just inviting death," stated Ultimo flatly.
"Argh!" suddenly cried out Ultimo as four bolts struck his back, and impaled themselves deep into his flesh.
Sharur charged his Spiral Pierce attack, while Laernea coated the OrkElf's bolt with a strong poison and anticoagulant. With their joint strike, Ultimo was inflicted with the Poisoned and Bleeding status.
"I guess I shouldn't have underestimated the two of you," said Ultimo, and tried to reach for the bolts. He pulled each one without flinching.
"Your actions have consequences. Prepare to die," said Ultimo calmly and charged for Laernea and Sharur.
However, Smoke stepped in between them and protected them inside his spherical Manatl.
SCHILD SCHILD SCHILD SCHILD
Sparks came out from each of Ultimo's strike with his zweihänder. Sierra tried to attack him, but Smoke signaled her to stay away.
With both his grip on the gigantic sword, Ultimo's attacks were steadily becoming faster. His sword began to show afterimages of itself, similar to Smoke's weighted chain and sickle.
After a minute of relentless attacks, Ultimo showed no signs of fatigue or becoming out of breath. Yet, Smoke's Manatl displayed cracks of degradation.
"Smoke, what do we do?" asked Laernea as she held on to her long bow and pointed it at Ultimo.
"I'm going to cancel my Manatl, and the two of you run over to where Sierra is," said Smoke calmly.
After giving them a nod, Smoke shouted. "Now!"
He canceled his Manatl, then Laernea and Sharur ran for their lives. Smoke jumped back. With his energized white staff, he charged into the flurry of Ultimo's zweihänder and struck him in the shoulders.
This time, Smoke damaged him for 75,000 points.
Ultimo backed away, and grabbed his injured left shoulder.
"So, that's how it works," said the Barbarian Warlord.
"Let me see you try and stop this," taunted Ultimo and charged at Smoke with another flurry of attacks.
Smoke instantly put up a concave Manatl and held his ground firmly, but suddenly the unceasing attacks stopped.
He searched for Ultimo in front of him, but he found him running over towards Sierra, Sharur, and Laernea.
Sierra transformed into a Werebear and fearlessly charged at him. Ultimo swung his sword at her, but she parried it away with her claws and slashed his arm instead.
"The famous red Werebear," said Ultimo unfazed. "Let's see you block this!"
Ultimo released afterimages of his sword and Sierra braced herself for the imminent slashes, but none of the Barbarian's attack made contact with her.
Smoke appeared in front of Sierra and protected her inside his Manatl.
SCHILD SCHILD SCHILD SCHILD
Then, Ultimo's attack suddenly stopped. The Barbarian Warlord went after his real targets, Laernea and Sharur.
He threw his zweihänder at them, and it plunged into Laernea's stomach. The lioness Lioumerean slumped down to the floor.
Sharur rushed to Laernea's side and pulled out the Barbarian's sword. "Are you okay? Quick, give me some of your herbs," said the rattled OrkElf.
"I don't think my herbs could do anything for me now," she answered softly.
"Sierra! Sierra!" desperately shouted Sharur. "Come here, Laernea needs you!"
However, it was Ultimo who arrived first. He easily kicked the OrkElf away from Laernea, and picked up his zweihänder.
"Well, hello there, pretty kitten," said Ultimo with a sinister smile. "Want me to take your suffering a—" the Barbarian stopped talking as Smoke's charged staff hit him in the back.
Both Smoke and Sierra arrived at Laernea's side. Smoke hurriedly put up a Manatl sphere while Sierra cured the bleeding Lioumerean.
"Sharur!" Smoke yelled t
o warn his friend as Ultimo did not bother to attack his Manatl, and directly went after the OrkElf.
Sharur bravely stood his ground and fired his spiral bolts at Ultimo.
Smoke canceled his Manatl, but had not gathered any energy as the Barbarian did not attack his barrier.
Desperate, Smoke used his Hyper Jump ability and collided with Ultimo. The Barbarian Warlord's forward motion made him fall face front.