Intense Struggle! (Round 7 - The Database)

Originally posted on MSPA by Ixcalibur.

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Aeon was not really in a fit state to be fighting. The poison, though it had lessened, had not been healed completely and he still felt slightly numb all over. As if to demonstrate this fact his legs buckled beneath him and he was forced to grab hold of the railing with his free hand while he regained his balance. He knew he was acting recklessly, but reasoned that he had no choice. He had seen Amethyst and Rar barely making an impact against this floating pink woman and had decided he had to help, whether or not he was only helpful as a distraction, he still had to do it.

Through the chaos of the magical battlefield, it was only the shining gold aura surrounding the swordsman that caused Aph to spot him. He charged falteringly towards her, and as such she almost dismissed him out of hand. Already injured, and possessing of no magic of his own, Aph guessed he would be an easy kill. She conjured up a wall of icicles along the walkway that separated her from Aeon. They hung in the air for a moment before hurtling forwards as a wall of razor sharp points.

Aeon had no time to think; as he charged forwards he raised his shoulder almost instinctively, ducking his face down to protect it from the wall of ice. The sharp ice slammed into Sister Clara’s protective armour; shattering upon impact. Aeon staggered back from the blow but quickly recovered and resumed his charge. He didn’t even question how he had emerged from a situation that should have left him horrifically impaled without a scratch, as it was he was too focused on his task.

Aph was having a hard time focusing at the moment, the battle against Konka Rar and Amethyst had not stopped or slowed, and there was still a cacophony of voices in her head demanding attention (one of them accusing the other voices of being the Council of Elders and refusing to shut up), she only noticed Aeon when he was right next to her, swinging Clara’s swordstick at her. She quickly floated backwards, and Aeon’s blow almost fell short, leaving nothing more than a gash along her chest. Rose coloured mana flowed from the wound. Aph conjured more ice, this time it crackled along the floor of the steel walkway, spreading out from where she hovered, and quickly turned her attention to the other magic users.

As Aeon stepped forward to attack again his foot struck the rapidly growing patch of black ice. His balance was already compromised from his partially numb legs, and as such he fell backwards with an undignified thud, barely managing to hold on to Clara’s swordstick. He lay there winded and partially numb; unable to push himself up and uncertain of how much help he had been.

Aph launched a barrage of icicles towards Konka and Amethyst, though she knew it was not going to do any good having already launched many almost identical barrages at the pair without much effect. The idea was to give her a moment to deal with Aeon, who lay almost helpless before her. An enormous dangling icicle, better described as a stalactite, formed in the air above him. For a long moment, from Aeon’s perspective anyway, it hung perilously in the air above his chest, and then it slammed down. As it impacted against Sister Clara’s armour enchantment neither of them could withstand the other. Clara’s enchantment cracked and golden mana leaked out into the air, drawn to the nymph. While simultaneously the absurdly large icicle exploded and fragments of ice were launched in every direction.

Aph was the only one close enough to actually be hit by the explosion of ice. It was painful and left a couple of cuts but otherwise she was okay. With a wave of a hand a gust of wind scattered the remaining ice and she saw that Aeon was unharmed; and leaking magic. Aph reappraised him; perhaps he was a foe worth her time after all. She snatched up the mana draining core from amidst the tangle of tentacles where she had stowed it and began to pump electricity into it.

Amethyst and Konka Rar had paused for a moment, taking advantage of Aph’s distraction to recuperate. They had been losing magic fast, while it seemed that her supplies were practically limitless. They’d been forced to use more and more just to keep up with her, and truth be told both were feeling drained. Konka glanced back to the nymph to see a stream of golden mana flowing into her.
“Perhaps a tactical withdrawal would be in order?” he suggested.

Aph grinned as she drained the last of the mana, causing the armour spell to collapse.
“Clara, you taste delicious.” She laughed, following it up with a slow lick of her lips. “Any chance of seconds?” She followed this up with a volley of flames towards the magic users, and turned her attention back to Aeon. He was attempting to climb up from the slippery ice, having to hold on to the railing with both hands. Quickly one of her tentacles speared him through the heart and held him aloft in front of the nymph. As he died again she forced Clara’s golden mana into him and then flung his corpse back towards the magicians.

Amethyst gasped in shock at seeing her friend so cruelly cut down. As his corpse landed between them she scowled angrily. Konka if he had had a mouth to smile with would have done. A corpse was a tool he could use, even if he doubted this Amethyst would approve. However before he had a chance to raise the corpse, the corpse raised itself. Firmly under Aph’s control it pounced towards Sister Clara.