Chapter 102: Erebos's Strike
Todd, recognizing the man from Ty's warnings, tried to connect the dots. "You look exactly like the man Ty has been warning us about!"
The man, Erebos, confirmed Todd's suspicion with a warm, yet sinister smirk. "Ah yes, that would be me. Erebos, the Lord," he declared confidently.
In response, Todd initiated a sweeping attack, aiming to catch Erebos off guard. However, Erebos was quick to react. Using the coin he had placed on Todd earlier, he unleashed a sudden, brutal counterattack.
The coin erupted, spraying blood and sending Todd flying 20-30 feet across the battlefield. Todd's body hit the wall next to the right side of the Cathedral with a heavy thud.
Groaning in pain, he clutched at the wound on his chest, trying to gather his strength and assess the situation.
Erebos, seizing the opportunity created by his successful attack, quickly closed the distance between himself and Todd.
Standing over the fallen Todd, Erebos gazed down with a look that blended admiration with a sinister edge.
"Wow, you sure are durable. Definitely the lucky guy," he commented, his voice dripping with mockery.
Without a moment's pause, Erebos demonstrated his ruthless intent. He lifted his foot high and then brought it down with brutal force onto Todd's chest.
The impact was so severe that it caused the ground itself to cave in slightly under them, the earth yielding to the power of Erebos's assault.
This action further pinned Todd against the debris, the weight of Erebos's attack leaving him in an increasingly precarious situation.
As Erebos's foot slammed down on Todd, Nana, witnessing the brutal scene from a distance, acted swiftly. Her resolve to protect her comrade overrode any hesitation. With determination etched on her face, she launched herself into the fray, moving to engage Erebos and provide Todd with a chance to recover.
Nana, her fingers poised to unleash her explosive abilities, darted towards Erebos with agility and speed.
She was a blur of motion, her determination clear in every move she made.
As she closed in on Erebos, she unleashed a rapid series of finger snaps, each producing a burst aimed at catching him off guard and disrupt his attack on Todd.
Erebos, however, was not easily outmaneuvered. He met Nana's onslaught with a cold, calculating precision.
Despite the barrage of explosions, he managed to maintain his composure, dodging and weaving through the blasts with a surprising agility for someone of his stature.
As Nana focused her attacks on Erebos, her fingers snapped rapidly, sending a series of explosive bursts directly at him.
Each explosion made contact, enveloping him in bursts of flame and smoke. Yet, to her growing frustration, these attacks seemed to have little to no effect on him.
Erebos, amidst the barrage of explosions, remained eerily composed.
His figure emerged from each blast seemingly unscathed, his movements unhindered by the force of Nana's powers.
This unexpected resilience added a chilling dimension to his already intimidating presence.
Realizing her efforts were futile, Nana launched a final, desperate attack. But Erebos, anticipating her move, swiftly sidestepped.
He seized the opportunity and grabbed Nana mid-motion, using her own momentum against her. With a powerful and effortless motion, he threw her through the air.
Nana's body sailed across the battlefield and crashed near Lady Amaris. The impact raised a cloud of dust around her.
Dazed, she struggled to recover, her mind racing to understand why her normally effective attacks had failed to harm Erebos.
Lady Amaris, her dark blue blade gleaming under the moonlight, stood amidst the fallen bodies of two cloaked assailants, each marked with clover tattoos.
The blade, with its black hilt and twin steel edges, dripped with the evidence of her swift, decisive action.
As she wiped her blade clean, her gaze shifted to Nana, just in time to see her hurled through the air by Erebos.
Without hesitation, Lady Amaris sprinted towards Nana's landing spot. Her footsteps were quick and determined, her posture alert and ready for further confrontation.
Reaching Nana, Lady Amaris knelt beside her, quickly scanning for injuries. Her eyes, filled with concern, met Nana's, conveying a silent message of support.
As she helped Nana to sit up, Lady Amaris cast a wary glance back at the battlefield, her hand gripping the hilt of her blade tightly.
The night air was tense, charged with the electricity of the ongoing battle. Lady Amaris stood protectively over Nana, her body language a blend of protective concern and readiness to spring back into action.
In the midst of the chaos, Lady Amaris's face was a portrait of panic and fear as she examined Nana's wounds. Her usual composure shattered, giving way to a torrent of emotions. "No, no, no!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking with desperation. "I won't lose you again!" Her words were laced with a deep-seated fear of a loss she couldn't bear to face.
As she frantically tried to assess Nana's condition, a faint blue light emanated from her hands, casting a soft glow over the injury. Her attention was suddenly drawn to the small fairy tangled in Nana's hair. The fairy, usually vibrant and active, now appeared lifeless and asleep, adding to the gravity of the situation.
Lady Amaris, realizing the direness of their predicament and seeing Erebos slowly advancing towards them, acted out of desperation. She gently, yet firmly, slapped the fairy, urging it to wake up. "Wake up and be useful!" she implored, her voice tinged with urgency.
The fairy, roused from its slumber, slowly rubbed its eyes, its confusion evident. "It's like midnight or something. Why should I be awake?" it grumbled, unaware of the chaotic and dangerous scene unfolding around them.
The tension escalated rapidly as Lady Amaris, her voice rising in panic and anger, confronted the fairy. "What?! Do you not have ears?! This whole time my daugh—Nanako has been getting beaten to a pulp, and you're just sleeping!"
The fairy, now fully awake and realizing the gravity of the situation, began to panic. Hastily, it explained, "I turn off my hearing when I sleep," even as it struggled to untangle itself from Nana's hair.
Erebos, observing the scene unfolding between Lady Amaris and the fairy, couldn't resist the opportunity to inject his own brand of dark humor. He strolled over casually, an amused smirk playing on his lips. "Having a fun conversation?" he inquired, the mocking undertone in his voice unmistakable.
His casual demeanor contrasted sharply with the tension between Lady Amaris and the fairy. Erebos seemed to relish the moment, his amusement at their plight evident in his relaxed posture and the sardonic tilt of his head.