The Villainess Will Not Bring Dishonor To Her Family

110 - Labyrinth - Part 2

After the battle yesterday I realized something important in the midst of battle. Their weapons are not blessed by elemental gods. For us, the strength of a sword is far from only dependent on the world human eyes can naturally observe.

Whenever I saw and observed their swords and armors I never considered how crucial a difference it would make. Eight years ago, my sword cut through their soft spots without problems. They were running... hitting them was never difficult, and I assumed a sword wouldn't pass through their armor.

I never thought the blessing of a god would have changed so much. That Lumere would manifest in the shape of a sword and create a beautiful and clean edge that cut through their plate armor, as I had always been used to.

Then, when I realized my blade made my magic worked the way it did by my memory, I understood something crucial about my own world. We never use shields. They do not exist other than as huge barricades. An armor will never hold back the full hit of a sword, only that if a knife or a staff. War-hammers crush not just the armors, but bodies under it too. In our world, offense has the advantage. The opposite of here... but perhaps that is why our armor is different. Maybe that is why we reduce the penalties we would get from movement, and why the most successful army in our empire uses a full out offensive strategy.

However, in war heavy armor is needed, and just as here, we actually do use plate armor. However, unlike these guys, we are required to move. To charge in this heavy armor, get over barricades and obstacles, to create fear... we need to be strong. We need to be athletic... and as a water magician blessed my Lumere and with my body rushing with energy from the enhancements I should be able to get out just fine, even in this clunky armor.

I leap from the ground, up against the first wall. Though it feels like my own movement, I know that Lumere has wrapped itself around me and follows my every move with amusement. Still far from the edge I set off and dart up further with a twist of my body to face the opposite wall. I feel light. I feel flexible. It almost feels as though a hand presses on my back as I reach the opposite wall and set off with a violent kick to send me flying up further... and with that I reach the edge.

With ease I push myself up, and in that instant I get a perfect view of everything around me. I see the Celeste knights trying to force their way after my prison, and Asher trying repeatedly to remove the walls that appear between him and my prison. Just as me, he has been blocked off, but they're just trying to keep him away.

The Tepet troops are stuck fighting a war of destroying and making stone walls, but they are not an offensive army. They will have a hard time getting to us.

I see my knights split up in groups. My own unit split apart almost completely by walls meant to distract and distort their sense of direction. I can see Vitis struggle to keep everyone together.

More importantly, I notice a small difference in the gear of a group of nearby earth mages. They're elite troops for sure, but more than that, they look too well equipped to be normal knights. I am a priority target. The opponent nobility is clearly targeting me.

"Ohhh~ by the god..."

Those frightened words come from below as a Headal soldier notices my escape from my prison.

I jump down from my perch. The landing may get roug-

Before I even make it halfway a 'floor' appears half way down to 'catch' me at a safe fall distance. I just barely land on my feet, but before I can jump over the ledge a wall appears in its place. I dash to the side before they block it off, and watch more wall blocking the direction I want to go appearing way before the floor below me, I dash up the side of the wall, only to find it blocked off in an instant, as well as the path ahead. Below me bunches of swords are waiting.

I slide down and claw at the wall. There is only one way out, through the opening down to the side I want to go. Though, there's enemies, and I am unarmed. I need to return to my unit before anything else, and where there is a will, there will be a way.

I set off the wall before I fall entirely and hit the other wall feet first, slamming it hard and push off like I'd do off a rock in a lake. I stretch out my arms in front of me and during this midair jump I grasp the bottom edge of the wall, just for a moment long enough to twist my force into an upwards spin-

But during the spin a floor is created below me again... I roll onto my feet with a momentary dizziness at twisting, turning, jumping and doing weird things and a race between me and them begins. Wherever I run, walls follow and with proper ceilings this time. I run whatever way I can, up, down, left right back or forth, in this labyrinth that forms right in front of me as I move. It splits, it gathers, it breaks apart as it is bombarded, but it is a matter of being faster. If I stop, I'm trapped...

...but enhancement spells never last forever... and neither does my stamina...

—-*—-

Everything is dark. My strength left me a couple of minutes ago, and in an instant my legs seemed to turn to lead. I changed course through the winding paths deeper into the maze that has been created during our game of tag. They lost track of me, and apparently they insist on getting me alive, for the structure hasn't been brought down on my head.

I've used three of my eight prayers for the day, but I... I need to keep some for healing... but as it is right now, I am defenseless. My legs are quivering. Casting prayers takes time, and though I can move faster than most others during this time, it's not enough to outrun their magic. My enhancements ran out before their collective teamwork of locking me up.

I know that there is an opening here in the maze somewhere, for I can hear their voices buzz I the distance. Meanwhile, I'm without anyone here...

No.

I am not alone. I've the ancestors with me. I glance to Lumere that waits, happy to fulfill my requests of war. By the energy and freshness of water I remove the exhaustion, and get ready to cast the tsunami. If we're lucky, we will get to blast away everyone standing ready at the entrance.

I make a mental note. I've four prayers left for the day, and I need to find a way back to everyone else before that number reaches zero.

I get to my feet again and slowly follow the sound of my enemies. From the moment they find me again, they'll start trying to drag me away once more.

I... need to return... and to make sure that they do not throw away their lives without result. I must make sure that any sacrifices made will be worth it. I'm not allowed to lose, not to give up... and anyone that gets in my way will suffer.