I go the closest I felt comfortable with to the staff. The farther away the worst it is to Manipulate the shadow, but I trained a lot this last days; is a very handy skill.

I let the shadows go up the staff in the form of void-black snakes, but not touching or moving the staff until they reached to top.

‘Now’

I pull the staff away, throwing it to the other side into another room, and before the necromancer could react my brother launches a Fire Ball at him.

Without waiting I dash to him even before the flames start to dissipate and jump up the table right at the back of his neck, but surprisingly one of his back hands grabs me.

Ugh, my neck.

Before he could break it my brother throws an Explosive Ball that messes the whole room, but the necromancer still refuses to let go, only giving me space and room to breathe fire on his arm.

Catching my breath I jump back, waiting the smoke to clean up to see the damage. His back arm fell down, burned and melted, to the ground, and half his grim and now livid face was all but bone.

Still, for a surprise attack, it didn’t leave enough damage. Rolling the staff farther out of the room with my Shadow Manipulation, I start to growl at him, using Intimidation, to keep his focus on me.

“You-little-rascals” He says, pausing, sounding even more angry then if he had shouted. “You shall pay by become my new servants. Come!”

From his hands a green mist starts to form, taking the shape of a skull. Then another. Then another, until the air is filled with this flying skull-mist kind of creatures. They start laughing, banging their teeth in the other, making a clashing eerie sound.

They quickly went flying in my direction, but I manage to dodge them while I extended my shadow until it reaches the Necromancer’s feet. He quickly speaks something and break the crystal in his hand before I lock his legs and pull him, distracting him and throwing a Fire Ball at his face, while my brother send another from his back.

Unable to move, one was bound to reach.

The Fire Ball in front; mine; was blocked by his back arm, rendering it useless as the other since both apparently were undead material, and burned really nice.

But the one on the back; my brother’s; was blocked… by a wind attack.

That came from the body behind the necromancer.

-Appraisal Completed –

(Short version)

Race: Lich (High Undead-commanded)

Level: 30

Element: Wind, Dark, Undead

Ineptitudes: Fire, Light, alive by command.

Status: Freshly made

Shit. Big Shit.

We had cleaned up beforehand the parts around the cattle of the undead because he may be able to use them, but I never thought he could create one, a high level at that, so quickly.

‘What should we do brother? Retreat?’

‘No, focus on the necromancer, the other is only a puppet, we only need to cut the strings, just try to block his attacks for me ok?’

‘Ok kind off’

Kind of what? No time to ponder, the Lich starts to stand as the necromancer tries to free his feet, invocating more of those skulls.

It became more difficult to dodge as the Lich threw Wind Blades at me, but it didn’t seem to be familiarized with his new body and abilities.

We should end this quick them.

I thought of some possibilities beforehand, and as commanding undead was one of his abilities, I counted on some miscalculations of our part, though that level scared me.

My brother used another Explosive Ball, barking and calling the Lich attention to himself; which was easy for his beacon type form. The necromancer wasn’t fooled, however, the mere second he wasted blocking his attacks was enough for me to stealth away; I used my Shadow Manipulation to make a silhouetted of me to look as if I had entered a shadow, deliberately letting him see a glisp of it as it entered another shadow from the opposite side.

He sent the Lich up to my brother, but I wasn’t as worried as I normally would be; I have trained him this last few days to learn how to take care on his own, and today he will be put to test. Better get the necromancer then, even more now without support.

So when he went and attacked the silhouette-lure, I didn’t waste time and jumped straight at him, breathing fire midair, but he was quick and sacrificed all his skulls to form a wall in front of him.

Unable to reach him like I planned, I throw another Fire Ball at him to safely jump back. He was furious, I could see clearly in his face, but we planned well, taking any resource he could use.

Ding – Title earned – Strategist

Annoyed he attacked with a green mist, covering the room like a gigantic clawed hand, passing thought the objects like they weren’t there. Not trusting that my shadow would protect me I quickly retreat out of his reach, going back to zero.

Attacking a few more times we walked all over the room, up against the shelves, close to the doors, back to the tables, until he reached some of the drawers and took three crystals off.

“You little shit, making me use my resources, I will make you work like a slave!”

Them he crunched them in his hands.

Like the skulls, some smoke from the color of the crystals started to rise, taking shape and landing on the floor.

Shit.

They were probably the creatures that owned the crystals. They didn’t seemed very stable, coming and going from their form to mere strips of light and mist, but the claws that touched the ground let marks on them.

Double Shit.

I looked at them and used appraisal:

Electric Snake: A big blue snake with horns running on the back until its tail, known to hunt in cold waters, using electricity to paralyze its prey.

Snow Owl Bear: A huge bear with the face of an owl. Have massive paws and can easily break a spine in two. Can survive harsh cold environments, usually uses wind attacks and his massive size paws as weapons.

Flying Manta Ray: Elemental creature, made of water, is almost impossible to see when mixed with its element. Tends to use it body as weapon, embracing the preys head and drowning them with its body.

Well, isn’t that lovely?

The impatient snake brings it’s body up, and like the tail of a rattlesnake it shakes his horns until bolts of energy pass through its back between the spikes. At least they weren’t poisonous.

From its fangs lighting comes out, making me dodge backwards at it jumping from shelve to shelve. Oi, I want those books, stop burning them!

The Owl didn’t advance, but I could sense the Manta closing in behind me. That one was the most worrisome and quicker of the bunch, flying above.

I jump up to avoid been trapped in between them as the Owl jumps almost as high as the celling goes and starts bringing down his enormous paw. I throw a Fire Ball at his face, making him lose his impulse midair as I dodge sideways.

When he falls, however, I can see that no damage was made while they circled around the bookshelf I stood on. They don’t give me a breather as they keep attacking nonstop, sometimes hitting their target as they tired me out, going around the top of the bookshelves until the second floor and back down at the tables.

As soon as I stand on one of them the owl throws the snake like a spear, in a reckless way that definably wouldn’t have hurt me, but took me off the tables.

I look at the Necromancer as he stood in place without moving, and ducking another wind blade mixed with lightning I’m able to see his hands shake and the frown on his face.

So this magic was tiring him quickly hm… So as the Lich, it must be a conscious effort… if I kill him, the others might vanish.

I attack one of them back as I did many times, but now I aimed slightly off, which lead the ball of fire straight at the necromancer, but the mantas quickly stood in the way and starts to spin, making a water barrier.

After that the other two keep attacking me, while the mantas stood behind protecting him.

Well, shit.

Then an idea forms as I get closer to the tables once more. Looking to my side, it was easy to find what I was looking for; the skull kept in the velvet pillow.

It was important to him, so much that he didn’t even think of using it as a weapon, rather using the precious crystals to deal with us, and even his experiment.

He saw me looking, and understanding passed his eyes as I aimed at the skull and thrown a Fire Ball at it.

“Faust!”

As I thought he uses the mantas to protect the skull, but by the time he realizes his mistake I’ve already close in the distance and jumped up his face, breathing a stream of fire.

I did not know at that moment that the magic that he was using did not allow him to move; if he did the creatures would dissipate like smoke; but by having attacked him and the skull at the same time, I put him in a corner; if he moved, the mantas would dissipate and the skull would be hit, but if he didn’t move he himself would be eliminated.

He made his choice clear once my fire caught up his clothes and my teeth sink into his flesh.

He could keep the creatures up only enough to protect the skull. Gurgling blood leap out of his throat as he held his neck, trying to stop the endless stream of blood.

Still, his other hand rises as he lock eyes with the skull.

“F-Faust”

More blood gushes out, making him unable to speak, and victorious I stood there, watching him.

And yet, even when realization that death came upon him to claim what was left of his soul, his eyes never wondered off the skull.

My brother came from upstairs, gasping but unharmed, and sat down beside me, watching his final moments.

With a grunt I stand and pawed my way to the skull. Yeah, I know, he doesn’t deserve it, I can’t even phantom how many people and creatures he killed, but I wouldn’t be any different once I went down the same hole as him and started to not care.

Call it been a sissy, a wimp, and I could even agree; yet I gently put the skull beside him, and once a grin raised his limps, his eyes stopped moving, and he gave his last breath, eyes locked at the skull.

Death always send shivers down my spine, even if from my enemy.

I start to lick my wounds clean, now letting the adrenaline rush go down to savor the victory.

It tasted bitter and sweet.

~~~~

It took me a long time to decide how this battle would unfold, ugh, though I think it ended up pretty nicely.

ML: Then how about me appearing?

Author: Calm down~~~ It won’t take long~~

ML:… But?

Author: *starts to whistle away as innocent as possible, taking a deep breath and saying in one go:* ButtheMCisstilladogsoyouwon’thaveyourwaywithhim, bye!

*Hides behind a table, prepares for throwing battle*

~~While that battle goes up for the tenth time~~

MC: Yes, we won! We are getting stronger! *Sparkling eyes, ignoring the noise in the background*

ML:… I think you need to be punished. *close in on him*

MC: Hm…? Why? Do I even know you?

ML: *Shocked, goes back to stare daggers on the author*

Author: Let’s whistle away~~~~~