The Lightning Mage

63 | The Last Battle, Part IV

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"I'm giving you one last chance to surrender and leave," Neil declared as he strolled towards them. The sun had set outside the castle, but his golden eyes still shimmered in the dim room.

It all made sense now—how Lyn had been so conveniently introduced to Neil in jail; how willing he had been to help her find Cydney; how he had disappeared back then in the cave, and a few hours ago when Millie was injured...

In her quest to find Cydney, Lyn had been blind to the real threat: the Masked Ninja.

"Fuck you," Lyn growled. "I'm not leaving until I make you pay for everything you did."

Neil raised an eyebrow. A small smile, as mocking as his voice, tugged at his lips. "You sure, Lyn? After all, the only person who can ever possibly beat me is injured." He cocked his head towards Cydney, who was holding onto Raph while struggling to stand up.

Lyn clenched her fists and cursed inwardly. It was true; she had never once beaten Neil, not during their duel and not during any of their practices. If Emily was with her, or Irene, or any of the Witches, maybe they could take him down together, maybe. But Lyn was alone...

"Well, I'm still here, aren't I?" Cydney snapped. Her lips were trembling, but her dark eyes fixed on Lyn with a glare that seemed to say, "Trust me." As if on cue, the dagger on Lyn's hand elongated into a long sword.

"I'm here too," Raph chimed in. He was pursing his lips as if he was about to puke his dinner out. Despite that, he looked as determined as Cydney. "I'll boost you up, Lyn. Go wild. Go wild for Millie."

Lyn gripped the sword; the hilt molded into the shape of her palms. Neil was a hell of a fighter, but she had the best healer in the world behind her, as well as a weapon enhanced by the best enhancer mage. Electricity swarmed around her as she pointed the sword at him.

"I'll fucking kill you. For Cinna and Millie."

A sudden surge of energy burst through her; her mind cleared, her body stopped aching, and all of her exhaustion disappeared without a trace. Raph's boost was as phenomenal as ever. She charged herself up—sparks coated her entire body, both outside and inside—and, without any hesitation, charged forward.

The speed she gained from both her lightning and Raph's magic was not enough to catch Neil off-guard, however. He swung out his sword just in time, and the two blades clashed with a loud ring that echoed throughout the room. The impact pushed them away from each other, but they both struck again immediately, not giving themselves any time to relax.

For the next few minutes, their swords were a hurricane of slashing and clashing. Even with all the boosts she had gotten, Lyn could barely keep up with the monster that is Neil.

Her foot missed a step. Stumbling forward, her eyes widened in horror as a glint of metal flashed in front of her. Oh no, not again—

She raised her hand upwards. The beautiful stained glass window above her burst into smithereens, while a streak of light smashed right into Neil's sword, right before it cut her.

The resulting explosion pushed both of them back. Lyn fell and slid across the room; despite tearing up from the smoke around her, she kept her eyes peeled for an attack.

Indeed, Neil was already dashing towards her, clearing the fog around him like a whirlwind. She swung her sword out to meet his, but her grip was not tight enough—and her sword flew out of her hands.

A gasp caught in her throat as her body froze in time.

"I warned you before, didn't I?" Neil's weapon hovered dangerously below her neck. "I told you not to throw your life away just for a woman."