Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 115 - Explosion!
"Elara!" he called out, dodging another dark blade. "Wind Wall, forty degrees left of Valeria’s position!"
She looked confused but complied, creating a barrier of compressed air. It wouldn’t stop the Elite Guard, but it would obscure vision for a crucial second.
[Type-114b Explosive Sphere]
Lumi had taken thirteen of these from the base they had raided earlier. Now it was the time to use them.
The Elite Guard was focused on Valeria, treating the rest of them as barely worth notice. That arrogance would be its-
No. That was wishful thinking. This could never kill even the weakest Elite Guard. At best, it might injure it. But even a small advantage could mean survival.
Valeria grunted as a particularly heavy blow sent her skidding backward, her boots carving grooves in the ice. Blood ran from a dozen small cuts where the Elite Guard’s attacks had grazed her.
"Susie!" Lumi called out, his voice carefully pitched to carry panic. "The corruption readings! Are they spiking?"
"What? I-" Susie looked at her instruments reflexively. "No, they’re, why does that matter right now?!"
For just a moment, the Elite Guard’s attention shifted toward Susie and her equipment. In that instant, Lumi caught Valeria’s eye and glanced meaningfully at the ice underneath him.
She understood immediately.
"By the powers invested in me..." Valeria took the slightest time she had to chant. "BURST, SUN AND MOON!" She unleashed her most powerful technique, the energy surrounding her sword growing to massive proportions, even the illusion of a solar eclipse appearing above her head, a massive explosion of light and dark energy that forced even the Elite Guard to focus fully on defense. In that moment of distraction, she shifted her stance subtly, beginning to guide the battle toward Lumi’s trap.
"Jin! Go in!" Valeria called out, the tactic racing through her head.
Jin tried to close distance, electricity burning so intensely his entire body charred as he channeled everything he had into a single devastating attack.
"DIE!"
With a look of acknowledgement, the Guard thrust his free hand as a punch towards Jin, who took the blow sending him flying into a wall. "Lightning," it mused. "How... primitive." It turned its attention back to Valeria.
Valeria executed a perfect feint, seeming to stumble on the uneven ice. The Elite Guard pressed forward, sensing an opening, and stepped directly into the center of Lumi’s explosive formation.
Thirteen Type-114b Explosive Spheres detonated simultaneously.
BOOOOM!
While it couldn’t compare to the massive explosion that had destroyed the Wings of Darkness base, it was grand in its own right.
As the explosion rang out, the ice beneath them shattered, massive chunks flying in all directions. The shockwave knocked everyone flat, Lumi’s ears ringing as he struggled to maintain consciousness. Through blurred vision, he saw a massive crater where the trap had been, smoke and ice particles obscuring everything.
Did it work? Is it- 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
The smoke cleared.
The Elite Guard stood at the crater’s center. A small bit of red blood leaked through cracks in its armor.
Then it moved.
The speed was incomprehensible. One moment it stood in the crater, the next it was directly in front of Valeria. Its blade struck with such force that Valeria’s sword shattered. The impact continued through, catching her across the torso and sending her crashing to the ground in a spray of blood.
It was entirely unclear if she was still alive.
The Elite Guard raised its other hand. Stars materialized above them. The energy each one contained made their chests grow tight. With a casual gesture, they fell.
"ICE BARRIER!" Susie quickly put up a shield for all of them. "Everyone feed it mana! NOW! Make it stronger any way you know!"
Everyone frantically fed it, strengthening its defenses.
The star barrage struck their combined defenses. It barely held on from the first few strikes only because none struck it directly. Finally, the last star did, and shattered the defenses instantly. The overflow of damage sent everyone exploding outwards in a mess of blood and flesh.
"Ah-" Lumi’s scream of agony was interrupted by his body losing the necessary air to scream, and his throat filled with blood. He thought of something to do, yet-
What is something? What? Who am I, who are, ow it hurts! It hurts, what am I thinking about!? I’m so confused, why am I confused? I don’t feel whole...
His eyes widened as he realized exactly what had happened. His soul was already damaged.
He swiftly checked his bodily condition.
[HP: 104/799] [MP: 1341/2,348]
We’re going to die. This thing is going to kill us all, and there’s nothing- screw it, I HAVE TO TRY!
Nonsense, I have to say nonsense! Anything to delay it!
Lumi opened his mouth to speak. "You... I know you did not receive these orders from your god himself. It was Volo-"
"Guard Captain Volo!" The creature corrected harshly. "Speak."
Lumi performatively nodded, then continued. "I speak in regards to the information you received which led to your orders here. I find it interesting that you did not realize what we did to your information channels. You should know that in Entei, Professor Beryllium is perfecting his android technology, do you not? That means th-"
He was interrupted. "Get to the point."
Lumi continued. "Twilight’s brother, Dawn, was severely injured in the past. While you know this, you should know that-"
But before he could continue, a new sound filled the space.
It started as a low rumble, like distant thunder or the grinding of tectonic plates. But it grew quickly, becoming a roar that seemed to come from the very heart of the earth itself. The ice around them began to crack.
The Elite Guard paused, its attention shifting from Lumi to the source of the disturbance. For the first time since it had appeared, the Elite Guard seemed uncertain.
"What?" It lightly questioned the circumstances. It turned, readying its weapon. It scanned the surroundings for the source, but couldn’t. "Just an earthquake."
It turned back to Lumi. "Make it quick, dog."
