Chapter 15: The Final Clash

Sebeth arrived at the battlefield, the sun high above, with noon nearing its peak. The air was thick with the sounds of battle—clashing steel, guttural cries, and the hum of magic. All around him, chaos reigned. The Knight-commanders were engaged in intense combat with the encircling hobgoblins, each Knight-commander contending with their respective adversaries. The fight had spread across the battlefield, and it took all their effort to ensure Sebeth’s duel with the Goblin Chief remained undisturbed.

The Goblin Chief, a towering figure with jagged, rust-coloured armour, lunged at Cedric. He was kneeling, drained of mana, his armour shredded, and his body trembling. Just as the Goblin Chief’s blade was about to descend, Sebeth surged forward. With a powerful upward strike, he parried the blow, the force of the clash sending a resounding shockwave across the battlefield. The force of their clash shook the ground beneath them, drawing the attention of the nearby combatants—Crafter soldiers and goblins alike—pausing momentarily to witness the fierce exchange.

The Goblin Chief’s jagged grin split across his scarred face. "I hope you’re stronger than your friend here," he sneered, motioning to Cedric, who lay nearby, crumpled and unconscious, his armour torn apart, completely drained of mana. The Chief nearly finished him off before Sebeth's arrival, but now, the situation had shifted.

Sebeth’s expression hardened. He had been in a foul mood since the disastrous meeting with the false Goblin Chief in the Elder Groves. "You'll regret underestimating us," Sebeth growled, his voice low and filled with cold fury. His gaze briefly flicked toward Cedric, ensuring his comrade was safe before refocusing on his opponent.

The Chief laughed, his gravelly voice dripping with malice. "Big words. Let’s see if you can back them up."

Without another word, they lunged at each other, their swords crashing with the force of a storm. The Goblin Chief unleashed a volley of fire spells, sending searing streams of flame toward Sebeth in rapid succession. Sebeth, not holding back any longer, dodged and parried any fireballs coming straight at him. He realized that mere physical strength and agility would not be enough.

Sebeth, without hesitation, took out a Big glowing mana crystal of lighting attribute runes etched on its shining surface. The crystal was large enough to fit in his palm. he quickly attached the mana crystal into the cavity right at the guard of his sword. As the crystal was fixed in its place it began to glow with untapped energy. The moment the crystal connected with his blade, the sword came alive, the runes etched on the crystal and the blade began to glow a bright bluish-white aura of lightning crackling around it.

Sebeth weaved through the barrage of flames, dodging and parrying with skill and precision. With every step, he closed the distance between them, and when their blades clashed once more, a second shockwave erupted, but this time, something was different. The lightning from Sebeth’s sword surged through the Goblin Chief’s blade, and energy coursed through his body.

Again and again, they clashed. With every strike, Sebeth's lightning-charged blows sent jolts through the Goblin Chief, gradually weakening him.

The Chief grunted in surprise, his movements momentarily faltering. But he was tough—he shook off the shock. The chief, realizing the danger of continuing the confrontation, changed tactics. He retreated a few steps and launched another barrage of fire spells, forcing Sebeth to keep his distance while the goblin reevaluated his strategy.

Sebeth deflected each blast, his eyes calculating. He took a moment to scan his surroundings. The battlefield had become a hellscape—flames devoured the once lush forest, smoke choked the air, and the heat was unbearable. "This fight can’t drag on like this," he thought. "The battlefield had become a hellscape, the once-green forest now consumed in raging flames. If this continues, the fires would claim them all, goblin and Crafter alike. I need to act fast." His thoughts raced.

Among his supplies, Sebeth found a set of prototype water attribute grenades—depleted mana crystals he ideally used for other purposes. He had fifteen of them, and though he was reluctant to use them all, this was no time for hesitation.

"I’ll just have to make do," he muttered.

Sebeth strategically threw grenades across the battlefield, and shortly after, they detonated in powerful explosions, emitting dense clouds of steam that temporarily smothered the flames. The sudden surge of mist created a Dense fog, blanketing the area in a veil of white.

The Goblin Chief who was busy crafting his schemes took note of this opportunity his foe had served him on a silver platter no less. "looks like I won't be needing to wait for an opening or create one of my own!!!" the goblin leader chuckled through his inner thoughts, his thoughts leaking out from his sinister expressions.

Hidden in the mist, the Goblin Chief decided to strike. Silent and swift, he lunged at Sebeth, managing to grab hold of his sword. Although Sebeth was not a slouch he was facing a goblin Leader who towered in comparison to him in terms of, physical strength and stature. The fact that he was caught off guard by a surprise assault only compounded the situation. The Chief who had grown accustomed to the lightning zaps by then, grabbed it bare-handed. With a grunt of effort, the Goblin Chief wrenched the blade from Sebeth’s grasp and shoved him several feet back.

Sebeth hit the ground hard, rolling to his feet just in time to see the Chief examine the weapon with a curious glint in his eye.

The Goblin Chief grinned, the blade crackling with energy in his hands. "Interesting... Even without a caster, this weapon still holds its power."

The tables had turned, and Sebeth was unarmed. The Goblin Chief, now holding Sebeth’s lightning-imbued blade. The Chief swung the blade recklessly, trying to figure out how to unleash its full potential, and in doing so, left himself open to missteps. Sebeth’s mind raced as he dodged the strikes, narrowly avoiding the blade's crackling edge. He needed to turn this around.

"You look a little lost without your toy," the Goblin Chief sneered, swinging wildly. His attacks lacked refinement, focusing more on understanding the sword's mechanics than decisively defeating Sebeth.

Then, his surroundings caught his attention—rain. It had started to fall, slowly at first, but now heavier, as thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. The fire and steam had drastically shifted the weather, and a storm was brewing, dark clouds swirling overhead.

Sebeth took advantage of the distraction, quickly formulating a plan. His eyes darted to the cliff edge behind him—the only escape was down into the water below. But he needed to buy time.

Sebeth smirked. "This could work."

Sebeth kept on dodging the Goblin Chiefs' attacks rather skilfully. He did let some attacks hit him intentionally from time to time. He made certain the cunning Goblin did not realize that it was Sebeth, not he, who was leading the way. Whenever Sebeth sustained a hit, he discreetly detached a segment of his metal armour to prevent raising any suspicions. The series of planned retreats and dodges executed by Sebeth allowed them to reach the destination that Sebeth had in mind. Sebeth Peaked below the cliff to see whether the water below was deep enough to make a safe fall.

"It appears that you are out of Options here. There is no escape for you from here. There is the cliff and here I am. Which would you choose? A cowardly death by Sucide or a Heroic Death by your Blade, by My Own Hands..."

"Before you End my Life, I suppose I could tell you how to use that sword properly. It’s a complex weapon, there’s a hidden mechanism you haven’t activated yet. I can see clearly that you’ve taken quite a liking to it." Sebeth said, his voice calm despite the situation.

The Goblin Chief paused, intrigued by Sebeth’s offer. "Speak then, human. Go on, Amuse me."

Sebeth instructed the chief on awakening the blade's true power, gently leading him to lift the sword aloft, and directing its point towards the heavens. "There’s a mechanism in the hilt. Now, Twist it to the right, and you’ll unlock the blade’s true potential," Sebeth explained, carefully eyeing the storm above.

Initially, the Goblin Chief suspected a bluff, but he had prepared countermeasures in case of any trickery. Thus, he chose to comply with his adversary's instructions, confident that his enemy was completely encircled. The Chief did as instructed, twisting the hilt. Immediately, the blade’s aura changed, the silver metal turning pitch black, its lightning aura intensifying along its edge, even more potent now. The Chief grinned, raising the sword high, confident in his victory.

Sebeth’s eyes flickered with anticipation. "One more thing," he said, almost too casually, "try holding it up higher. You’ll see the full effect."

"Don't Patronize me, you foolish human. You wait there, I'll end you soon enough. And here I thought I would need my son's help to deal with your kind."

As the chief gloated, ready to deliver the final blow, Sebeth silently activated his plan. The cliff they stood on was the highest point around, and as the Goblin Chief raised the lightning-charged sword, the storm brewing above them intensified. Thunder roared, and rain began to fall, the temperature shift from their battle having triggered a sudden storm.

Amidst the chaos, Sebeth was covertly gathering mana in his fists, poised to unleash a barrage of lightning spells at the goblin leader. Meanwhile, The unsuspecting Goblin Chief, arrogant and unaware, lifted the sword above his head, pointing it toward Sebeth as he prepared to strike.

At that moment, Sebeth released a tightly packed lightning spell, sending a bolt straight toward the blade. It connected, charging the weapon even further. But that wasn’t the True danger—the Goblin Chief had raised the sword into the perfect position.

The Goblin Chief smirked, thinking it had no effect. But then, a massive lightning bolt descended from the storm overhead and came crashing down. Drawn to the supercharged sword, it struck the Goblin Chief with devastating force.

There was no time for the chief to react. The impact was instantaneous. The Goblin Chief’s eyes widened in horror as the lightning struck his raised sword, coursing through him with a violent crackle. His body convulsed, the overwhelming energy causing him to vanish in a blinding flash of light, obliterated instantaneously. A bright flash followed by an explosion rocked the battlefield as the Goblin Chief’s body was incinerated in a single strike. His lifeless body collapsed to the earth, scorched and smouldering.

Sebeth, already prepared, leapt off the cliff’s edge, plunging into the water below just as the explosion rang out behind him. He surfaced moments later, shaking his head with a tired but satisfied grin. "That was a close one," he muttered, dragging himself out of the river, soaked but unharmed. He glanced back at the smoking remains of the Goblin Chief. "Note to self: next time, don’t use experimental gear during a battle."

He glanced back at the battlefield. The storm was still raging, but the Goblin Chief was no more. Victory, though hard-earned, was theirs.

***