Maids VS Apocalypse

The illusions hadn’t ceased and several surrounded them at that moment. Some of them had targeted her master before, but only now did she sense that he was in imminent danger. She became convinced that the real assailant was behind her and so she made the split-second decision to turn around and face him.

That was when the jian of what she thought was a fake connected with the shaft of her spear, which she had raised to block, and feeling the weight behind it, she froze.

In her moment of hesitation, she noticed the devilish smile on the handsome man’s face and came to a realization-- the clones weren’t mere illusions.

"Ma-"

The entire world went white.

~[ ]~

’Shadow clones?’

Mark knew with utmost certainty that the enemy boss, Zhang Tianmu, wouldn’t leave without making one last attempt at his life. The impression he got from the clearly Chinese man removed the possibility of him making the sensible solution in such a situation.

Still, knowing he would do something and stopping him were two different things. The latter seemed like it was going to be much trickier once the robed man began attacking with copies of himself. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

At first, Mark thought it was just that; illusions used to distract them while the real one would deliver his strike while remaining invisible. He then gave it some thought and realized that might not be the case.

’One thing doesn’t change...’ Mark thought while watching Elya parry one attack after the other. ’The distraction...’

It was then that he speculated that the illusions might not be as frail as the robed man made them out to be-- He might be able to create solid clones as well, and using them, he could trick everyone into believing the real body is on one location while he’s in another, diverting their attention while readying to strike.

’This is a pain...’

His attempt at reading the enemy’s actions turned into an endless series of one side changing their actions because the others expected them. That’s where he decided to stop. Worrying about things he had no control over was nothing but stress so he turned his sights to what was under his control.

’If he really is after me...’

With a press of the RT button on his imaginary controller, he produced a flash grenade and removed the pin but kept the lever firmly in place. He then waited. When Lara’s white spearhead got parried he knew it was the right moment.

The real Zhang Tianmu was without a doubt the one facing the maid. The white energy created through her Lunar Arts Ability was capable of cutting through fully activated Force Fields so the only thing capable of blocking it would be a special weapon of some kind. That meant the clones attacking him were solid and could do real damage.

If Lara chooses to focus on the enemy in front of her the clones would do the job, but if she turns to handle the clones she would be the one attacked. That is unless someone intervened.

The grayish metal pip was already in the air when Lara’s downward slash was parried. Fearing it would be noticed before then he waited one excruciating second before tossing it into the air, risking it blowing in his hand. He also waited until what he thought was the last moment before coating his head in the maximum output of his Force Field, lowering it ever so slightly around his eyes to see the moment the light burst out. The instant white painted everything he executed the second part of his plan.

Grabbing Lara by the shoulder, he pushed her aside, feeling his grip on the carbon fiber knife tighten.

Other than his Force Field, he only had one more Ability. What little he knew about it convinced him it was the only way he could deal damage to someone as powerful as the enemy boss, but even if he wanted to hit him with it, he had no idea how to use it.

Activating Abilities didn’t require input from his imaginary controller, that much was clear from how he only needed to focus his mind to use his Force Field. By the time he arrived at that conclusion, the blade of his weapon had already extended many times its size, its white color blending with the blinding light from the flashbang.

’GETSUGA-’ He screamed inwardly as if to enhance his image of the attack. ’TANSHOU!!!!!!’

The second his hand came swinging down, Mark watched as the entire world went dark around him.

~[ ]~

As he was keeping an eye on the youth the entire time, Ramsay was the only one who noticed the flashbang rise in the air.

"Moth-"

Blinding light enveloped the entirety of the hall robbing everyone who happened to be looking in its general direction of their sight.

The grenade was an item created by the Level 5 LRGS and was far more powerful than a normal stun grenade. Because of that, the Sergeant believed not even Ben was safe despite it having exploded behind him. If he hadn’t covered his head in the glow of his Force Field the same would have happened to him.

’What the hell does he-’

He couldn’t even finish that thought when a far worse premonition hit him and he immediately moved from his position. In the blurry pale scenery that followed the detonation of the flashbang, Ramsay watched as the youth swung a massive sword. For a fraction of a second, he was shocked as to where it came from, but then he realized something identical right there on the spear wielded by the main.

The sword in the youth’s hand kept growing and expanding as it cut through the air. Its form deteriorated as it gained size, and by the time he brought it down, it became nothing more than a massive wave.

The energy contained within it spilled out and expanded. It carved into the floor and ceiling, cutting through the audience stands and reaching the wall behind them. The entire hall rumbled as if a devastating earthquake hit the region and the structure that was built to last seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

’Fucking hell...’

Everything the white energy passed through was gone, leaving only a deep gash behind. Nothing remained. The entire area was erased, including the spot he was standing on a second ago.

Ramsay felt the blood drain from his face, realizing his entire existence would have been erased if he hadn’t reacted when he did. That horror only lasted for a second when he saw the one the attack was aimed at.

Zhang Tianmu was rushing toward the podium, his handsome face twisted with rage, his eyes squeezed shut. He was a Priest of the Scorched Abyss, after all. Even while robbed of his sight, he was still able to evade an attack launched at him from point-blank range, but not without paying a price.

A crimson trail followed in his tracks, painted by the essence seeping from where his left arm should’ve been. His right hand clutched the bloodied robe around his left shoulder as he ran. Just as he jumped onto the stage his head shot up and he hastily jumped to the side.

Arrows pierced the last spot his legs touched.

’Still got it, huh...’ Ramsay thought as another arrow dropped into his right hand, its head made out of three parts twisted around each other in the shape of a spiral. He didn’t waste time knocking it and drawing the bowstring.

A second passed, then another.

Zhang Tianmu reached the side corner of the stage and summoned his blue flames, burning the roots and vines blocking the exit. Watching him jump through the fire and disappear, Ramsay slowly lowered his bow. He stared at the burning plants for a few seconds then heaved a sigh.

The rumbling had stopped. Turning around, the Sergeant looked at the scar carved into the underground grand hall. The radiant white energy had dissipated, leaving the darkness to fill the depths of the gash. A terrifying Ability that can cut through the Force Field of an Awakened. When used without restraint, it could easily lead to unimaginable destruction.

’Damn it...’ Unequipping his weapons, the Sergeant reached for his hair, ruffled, and clicked his tongue. ’This is why I keep saying he should have gone to the academy...’

Teaching was never a skill of his so the last thing he wanted was to be stuck with a newly Awakened who doesn’t even know how to use his Abilities. He even went and burned through all of his MP, knocking himself out despite all the warnings they gave him before.

Seeing him sprawled on the floor, his maid panicking as she searched for any visible wounds, Ramsay couldn’t help lament his luck.

’In the first place...’ he shifted his attention to more important matters in an attempt to cope with his reality. ’Where did he get that Ability?’