Chapter 20
The warrior didn't give him a moment's reprieve. She came from the side this time, greatsword whistling through the air. Levi teleported at the last second, reappearing behind her. "Oh magic, strike with the force of the heavens — Thunder Lance!" A spear of crackling lightning shot forward. The warrior twisted just enough for it to miss her heart, but it still struck her shoulder, sending a shock through her body and forcing her to her knees. Levi prepared to press his advantage, but the red-haired vampire tackled him from the side with enough force to drive the air from his lungs. He crashed to the ground, and above him, her blue eyes blazed with murderous fury.
Levi didn't waste the opening. "Oh magic, let the winds carve" Razor-thin gusts of air shot forward, invisible but deadly. The red-haired vampire pushed off the ground, trying to dodge — too late. A blade of wind sliced across her thigh, cutting deep, and another slashed her arm. She hissed in pain, but still advanced, blood staining her pristine dress. The strategist tried to reposition, but the increased gravity kept her slow. Levi turned on her next. "Oh magic, pierce the heavens" A spear of brilliant white light formed in his hand and shot forward, crossing the distance in an instant. She twisted, avoiding a lethal hit, but the lance still grazed her side, burning through fabric and flesh.
The warrior roared, breaking through the gravity's pull with sheer strength. She charged Levi, her greatsword moving in a blur. He teleported just as the blade came down, the ground where he'd stood exploding into rubble. Reappearing behind her, he struck without hesitation. "Oh magic, let nature reclaim" Thorns and brambles erupted from the earth, a storm of jagged vines tearing toward the warrior. She slashed wildly, cutting them down, but there were too many. The vines wrapped around her arms and legs, pulling tight, cutting deep. Still, she fought, dragging herself forward despite the pain.
The red-haired vampire took advantage of his focus, appearing behind him with terrifying speed. Her claws flashed toward his back — but Levi was faster. "Oh magic, turn flesh to stone" His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. The effect was immediate. Her skin began to harden, stone spreading from the point of contact. She shrieked, trying to pull away, but his grip was iron. She lashed out with her free hand — and Levi let her go just before the claws reached him. She stumbled back, the stone spreading along her arm, slowing her movements.
The strategist finally broke free of the gravity spell, her golden eyes burning with fury. She raised her hands, preparing to rush him — but Levi was already ready. "Oh magic, freeze all in your grasp " A wave of ice shot forward, cold enough to crack the air. The strategist leapt aside, avoiding a direct hit — but the ice spread fast. It caught her leg, freezing her in place, and in an instant, the frost raced upward, encasing her to the waist. She struggled, but the ice held firm. The battlefield was his now.
Levi turned back to the warrior, who had nearly reached him despite the vines tearing at her flesh. He sighed. "You should've stayed down." Raising his hand, he spoke the words that would end it. "Oh magic, bring the storm " Lightning crackled around his fingers, coalescing into a jagged spear of pure electricity. He hurled it with deadly precision. The warrior raised her sword to block — but the spear wasn't physical. It passed through the weapon, striking her chest. The blast sent her flying, her body convulsing as the lightning consumed her. When she hit the ground, she didn't rise. Levi turned to the others, his eyes cold. "Who's next?"
The red-haired vampire's face twisted with rage and pain. She shot forward with terrifying speed, the stone creeping up her arm not slowing her down enough. Levi's eyes narrowed. "Oh magic, let flesh boil " He met her charge head-on, catching her wrist again — but this time, heat flared. Her skin blackened and cracked, the sickening scent of burning flesh filling the air. She screamed, trying to pull away, but Levi didn't let go. He twisted her arm brutally, the stone-weakened limb snapping with a grotesque crack. She staggered back, clutching the mangled, charred ruin of her arm, her eyes wide with pain and fury.
The strategist was still half-trapped in ice, but she wasn't waiting. With a snarl, she wrenched herself free, shattering the frost with sheer force. She moved faster than a human eye could follow, closing the distance in a heartbeat. Levi was ready. "Oh magic, let the earth feast" The ground beneath her split open with a deep, rumbling roar. Jagged, obsidian teeth shot upward from the chasm, impaling her legs and waist. Blood poured as she shrieked, trying to rip herself free — but the stone teeth only bit deeper. The more she struggled, the more it tore, viscera spilling onto the ground as her strength began to fade.
The red-haired one wasn't done. Despite her broken arm and burned flesh, she charged again, her speed still monstrous. Levi sighed, his patience gone. "Oh magic, strip them of breath " The air around her vanished instantly. She staggered mid-run, her lungs seizing as she clawed at her throat. Her movements grew frantic, her body betraying her as oxygen deprivation set in. Levi watched, unmoving, as she fell to her knees, eyes bulging. He let it drag on, watching her suffer, before finally stepping forward and ending it. "Oh magic, end this misery " A spear of black energy formed in his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, it impaled her through the chest. She didn't even have the strength to scream as her body collapsed, twitching once before going still.
Only the strategist remained now, still impaled by the Abyss Maw's teeth. She was gasping, her body trembling from blood loss, but her golden eyes still burned with hate. Levi approached slowly, his footsteps calm and deliberate. "You should've run," he said softly. She spat blood at his feet. He tilted his head, almost amused. "Fine." He raised a hand one last time. "Oh magic, bring the end" A sphere of crimson fire formed above his palm, pulsing with unstable, deadly heat. With a flick of his fingers, it shot forward. The explosion that followed was instant and devastating. When the smoke cleared, nothing of the strategist remained but scorched, broken stone and ash.
Levi stood at the edge of the ruined lodge, the cold wind brushing through his hair as he stared at the smoldering remains. The thought came suddenly — "Maybe it's time I left this world entirely." It wasn't a new idea; ever since he discovered that rift, the pull toward other worlds had grown stronger. And now, with the knowledge of the Infinite Corridor — a passageway to different worlds, perhaps even different times — his curiosity had become impossible to ignore. He'd found its existence in the Belmont trove, buried among old texts and forgotten records. A smile tugged at his lips. "But first, I have some loose ends to tie up." With that, he turned, already preparing for his journey.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N guess what the next world is? hint: there is a lot of weaving powers.