Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 209: Eternity, Part Ten
Mel, Zura, Athene, and Caroline gathered with the rest of the adventurers and soldiers at Telvan’s walls.
They stood in a tense line, staring out at the horizon where the Fiends were approaching.
The creatures were massive lumps of abominable flesh, moving slowly but steadily toward the city. It was like a scene out of a nightmare, but one that was not unfamiliar to Mel.
[We fought against worse back at Garriden, didn’t we? It’ll be the same this time.]
She wasn’t too sure she believed those words but she said them to herself nonetheless.
"Looks like we’re about to get into a hell of a fight," Zura said casually, her eyes fixed on the approaching horrors.
"Seems like it," Mel quietly replied. She didn’t have much else to say.
Suddenly, she felt Zura’s hand slip into hers.
Mel flinched. Zura squeezed a little.
Then, Zura leaned in close, her lips brushing against Mel’s ear as she whispered:
"Can I ask you something?"
"... Go ahead," Mel muttered.
"If we survive this, I want to take you out on a date."
Mel’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She thought about it.
Lianna’s face still flashed in her mind. Part of her, that same greedy side she’d thought she put away months ago, tried to convince her that even now Lianna could still choose her over Enverna.
She silenced those thoughts quickly, though and said:
"I’d like that."
Almost as soon as she said that, the Fiends got close enough for her to hear them.
The Fiends arrived, their grotesque forms looming over the horizon.
The tension in the air was palpable as mages and soldiers began launching projectiles at the approaching enemies. Arrows whistled through the air, and fireballs exploded in bright bursts against the darkening sky.
Mel, standing among the mages, took a deep breath and focused.
She raised her hands. She launched powerful lightning bolts at the Fiends. The bolts crackled and sizzled, striking the abominations and causing a couple of them to convulse before collapsing in heaps of smoldering flesh.
She took down a few more of the Fiends before they managed to reach the gates, but the onslaught was relentless.
Soon, the Fiends were banging on the gates, their sheer weight and power causing the wood to splinter and crack. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before they breached the city.
Athene, her voice cutting through the chaos, shouted:
"Get down to the gates! We need to be there when the fighting really starts!"
Mel, Zura, and Caroline nodded, quickly making their way down the walls to the city gates.
The pounding grew louder, more intense, and then, with a deafening crash, the doors were broken.
Fiends poured through the breach, their hideous forms charging forward.
Zura ran up, shield and hammer in hand. She swung her hammer with ferocity, smashing into the Fiends and protecting the soldiers fighting nearby.
Mel continued launching her spells, her lightning bolts cutting through the Fiends with deadly accuracy.
She felt the strain of constant casting but pushed through, knowing how crucial her role was.
Caroline and Athene charged into the fray, their blades flashing in the dim light.
Caroline’s strikes were swift and lethal, cutting down enemies with each swing. Athene, her expression fierce, carved through the Fiends with the grace and power of a seasoned warrior.
The battle was chaotic, the sounds of clashing steel and roars of Fiends filling the air. Mel stayed close to Zura, covering her with spells as Zura fought valiantly. Caroline and Athene’s presence bolstered the soldiers’ morale, their leadership and skill turning the tide of the fight.
Despite the overwhelming odds, they fought with everything they had, determined to protect Telvan and its people.
---
{Lianna}
Back at the fight against Vy, Lianna and Enverna were doing their best to take her down.
Lianna’s arrows flew rapid-fire, while Enverna aimed her spear directly at Vy’s heart. But Vy was fast, almost impossibly so.
She dodged their attacks with ease. Lianna’s frustration mounted.
[Why is she so damn hard to hit!?}
Using Xi’s Instinct, Vy coated her hands in crackling lightning, aiming to slice through Lianna’s body.
Just as Vy’s hand shot towards Lianna, Enverna intercepted, her spear clashing against Vy’s lightning-coated hand. Enverna pushed her back.
Lianna watched in awe as Enverna fought furiously, faster and sharper than she’d ever seen her. Every move was precise, every strike calculated. It was as if Enverna had tapped into a new level of skill and speed.
"Enverna, left side!" Lianna called out, using {Lover’s Intuition} to guide her partner. Enverna shifted her stance, exploiting the opening Lianna had pointed out.
Vy, seeing the coordination between the two, decided to target Lianna directly.
She sprinted towards her with incredible speed, catching Lianna off-guard.
In a flash, Vy’s lightning-coated hand sliced through the air.
"Agh-" Lianna gasped.
Lianna felt a searing pain as her left hand went flying off.
Lianna screamed and fell back, clutching her bleeding stump.
Vy moved in for the kill, her face twisted with a cruel smile. But Enverna was there, faster than a heartbeat, stabbing Vy in the right thigh with her spear. Vy snarled in pain, retreating a few steps.
They reached a brief stalemate. Vy glared at Enverna, her eyes filled with disdain.
"Are you truly willing to die for scum like Lianna?" Vy spat. "Run away. Lianna’s only a child of mana, after all," she said with a smirk.
Enverna’s eyes blazed with anger. She tightened her grip on her spear and stood firm.
"I’m not going anywhere," Enverna declared. Her voice was strong and clear, carrying over the sounds of battle. "I love Lianna."
Lianna froze.
[What?]
Lianna’s heart skipped a beat, her pain momentarily forgotten. She looked at Enverna, her eyes wide with surprise and emotion. Despite the dire situation, a warmth spread through her chest.
Vy sneered, but Enverna’s declaration had changed something in the air. The battle wasn’t over.
Lianna stood up.
They could do this. Together.
