A truly admirable and complicated spell the earth mage had concocted would have definitely killed and stopped Elijah's pursuit.
During the final second, Elijah's direction suddenly changed course to the confident face of a blonde haired lackey
A family man pulled into a game created by the enemy of the entire world.
Elijah's dimly glowing fist took his head directly off his spine, causing a few injuries to the hunter staggered just behind him.
Beside the headless man was obviously a friend of his, who quickly grew a dense flame in the palm of his hand.
"DANNY! WHY?!" The man tightened his grip, and brought his hand to his head.
'Shit!! That will kill me with a single strike!'
The wind split with Elijah's body sporadically reversing its momentum. His hip twisted, barely avoiding a whip of fire exploding into sparks as it dragged itself against the stone floor.
Second chances did not exist anymore! It was kill, or be killed!
Just in the nick of time, a barrier of water made its way from Abel's shoulders and began rippling in front of Elijah's body. This only blocked the whip of fire, while Elijah was forced to barely dodge a pillar of finely cut stone extending from over 30 feet away.
The spells began increasing as they realized the danger of Elijah's attacks. Anyone who let their guard down was destined to die.
Shockwave after shockwave was created as concentrated spells of air and fire blew holes in the mountain of rubble that Elijah flew over.
To change the way he played the game, a familiar black short sword was taken from a spatial storage he opened up in secrecy.
"Abel! Try submerging them in water, but avoid the strong one! Larsen Creveron is somewhere above! He may have fled!"
Abel was thankful he would be able to help in the way he intended. Elijah was far too quick for him to create water barriers in the nick of time.
As cover fire, Niko used the last of his mana to create two beams of fire that blocked the formation's vision, and within the distraction was a deadly child that sliced through the necks and chest bones with ease.
An inhuman was shown alongside an emotionless child. However, Elijah was not emotionless. In fact, every strike brought him a tinge of fear for his reality was beginning to come back to him.
In combination with Abel's surging current of water, there were far too many variables at play for the hunters to lock onto Elijah's figure.
Maybe it was the good times he had within the cave systems with his party, or the expeditions by himself that brought him a sense of joy and something to grow stronger for — all of which would've led to the possibly kingdom-ending fight on the frontlines.
Death after death, he was slowly but surely losing his past self and creating a new one.
In the end of the slaughter, Elijah had not one, but six wounds all over his body that rendered his right arm unable to be used. Even the body of water coalescing around him was not enough to save him as the only man standing was the earth judge who had constantly set up defenses in preparation for Elijah's ability to avoid almost everything.
"Y-YOU CAN'T WIN!!! JUST ACCEPT YOUR DEATH!!" Rafe removed a portion of the stone pillars that came from many different directions.
"Elijah! Let me flush him out for you! Give yourself time to absorb more mana!" Abel yelled.
"Aren't you almost out of mana?!"
"Yes! But I have enough room for one more big spell!"
Suddenly, the ground tremored, resulting in a matrix of stone snakes swirling in every direction possible.
Elijah was instantly smothered by the snakes that seem to have come to life. Yet, he pushed through, damaging his fists with every relentless punch.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
After just a few punches, Elijah's entire body became clamped down and held in place.
"I can't… MOVE!!"
The snakes were fueled by the imagination of a snake itself, but soon lost the mana residing within from Niko's efforts.
Boom! Rafe timely blocked the fire beam with a shield of stone.
Elijah took this split second opportunity to increase the amount of mana within his body, and pushed through the trap with pure strength.
Spinning around the many slithering snakes, Elijah made it to Rafe's backside, only to feel the might of an indestructible staff fracturing his knee.
BAM!
Elijah quickly backed off out of fear, and flew through the matrix of stone snakes slithering through the air.
Abel soon erected a thick barrier of water that effortlessly received each impact.
Shortly after, they fled to behind the peak of the rubble mountain, and quickly concocted a plan.
Elijah noticed that Abel was not creating a spell anything like the one he thought he had planned.
His armless figure conjured a body of water that began condensing into the shape of a ball. Slowly, it grew to a. Size comparable to his own body, and condensing almost as much as before.
Abel was planning to buy them time to escape. An admirable decision by a man who should not be alive.
"Please Elijah! Leave and never come back. Take Niko and Fly till the end of the world! And when you get strong enough, kill The Void!" Abel was screaming to his heart's content at a volume sensible to hear.
His last wish before the ground began shaking from the struggle of the judge was what caused Elijah to take him up on his offer. Especially when the healing water covering his body had completely disappeared.
Following his final words, Abel began traversing the mountain of rubble, even slipping at times.
"Goodbye Abel… I wish… I wish you didn't have to die…" Elijah muttered to himself while memories of Amaris' death came flooding back into his mind. The cold and empty feeling he now began to notice was tearing him apart from the inside.
Suddenly, Rafe's quaking element control reached a second stage, causing randomly shaped boulders and rocks to fall from the ceiling. Directly next to Elijah's body now sat a human-sized boulder that may have been meant to kill him.
But… It seemed the world wanted him to live another day.
"Dammit… Niko! WHERE ARE YOU!" A loud shout revealed the body of Niko, who came from within the center of the mountain of rubble — hidden within the shaking gaps while focusing on absorbing mana.
"Elijah! I was able to absorb a good chunk of mana. I think I could create more illusions if you want to go for one last attack!" Niko said while looking had Elijah's broken and beaten arm, especially at the elbow which seemed to be broken. Also, his legs were full of burns and slices.
"I… Abel told us to leave him. But if you think you can create a perfect illusion of me, then I have a plan."
"I can do it. Fly above him while I create the clone. If we fool even Abel, it will be even more believable." Niko began pointing to the ceiling. "Actually, I want this to be a good illusion and I want to see if the quality can be better… It may take more time than usual."
Now, standing in front of Abel was Rafe, a brown hair and brown-eyed earth mage that wore the natural world itself. An oversized cloak with buttons holding it together on his left side protected him from the dirtiness of his own affinity.
His hands were flawlessly clean, not paying his dead comrades any mind when the chance came to him.
Deep down, Rafe's stress was only rising. Around his neck was a golden amulet with a purple crystal inside. Its ethereal glow was flickering as if the crystal itself was scared.
Nonetheless, he 'showed' no fear while despising the armless laughingstock
"Do you really think you will stop me from getting to them? I can collapse this entire cavern within seconds!"
"I am not afraid of death. So… Just know that what you are doing is wrong. But… It is okay. Your mind is sick and controlled by the very thing you worship. It is not your fault…"
Abel continued to condense the sphere of water, and soon released it at a point blank range.
"Quick Niko!" Elijah grew uneasy as he heard the torrential waves of water splashing across the floor.
It was unknown because of the stone coliseum Rafe had created around Abel, forcing him into a close range battle.
"I'm working on it!!"
Exiting the body of Elijah was an ethereal figure just barely translucent. However, whenever both figures moved further away from each other, the illusion gained a sense of life Elijah was unable to escape comprehend.
The plan continued quickly with a silent illusion stumbling down the peak of the mountain.
Meanwhile, Elijah had made his way to the top of the ravine in secrecy, sequestering his figure in the blanket of darkness.
Executing this plan meant they were only risking Niko's power being revealed. If anything went south, Elijah would fly at top speed with Niko wrapped around his back.
It was a known fact Abel was unsuitable to leave.
If all three of them somehow made it out alive, Abel would likely submerge his entire body in a suffocating amount of water on his own accord…
Elijah watched as a mentor of his received unavoidable blows to every part of his body. Spikes of stone trapped Abel in one place without the option to move an inch. Every point of contact created a wild bruise already beginning to turn purple.
There was a time and place where the outcome of the fight depended on your affinity. Abel had the most disadvantages one could have — especially without a single arm.
"It looks like your friend over there didn't listen to your last wish! What an idiot." Rafe said while removing the stone coliseum.
"Huh? Elijah?! Please tell me it's not true! You were supposed to escape!" Abel pleaded as he laid helplessly on the floor.
Abel was filled with despair as he knew the only hope to kill the plague inhabiting the kingdom was Elijah. Without enough mana to have a full battle, the savior would die.
In the end, a thick stone spike was thrusted through Abel's abdomen.
Rafe's expression suddenly grew proud, filled with an excitement for the merits he would receive after returning.
It was obvious to Rafe this fight was nothing but over. The cost being mere hunters without a speck of potential.
"Elijah… there is still a chance. Run!" Abel's vision was beginning to black out, but widened in disbelief when he didn't even see Elijah try to dodge the blow.
Rafe ran forward with his wooden staff and shoved the bottom end into Elijah's face. Blood poured out of his mouth while falling to his knees then back. It was a near instant, but awkward death.
"Well… I guess I am done here." Rafe dropped his shoulders in boredom after he expected a somewhat reasonable fight, but was only annoyed by Abel's tears — tears that Abel himself did not expect to release. "I'm gonna have to give Lorsen a talking to about leaving the fight…"
Above the entire scene, Elijah was waiting patiently until Rafe had fully dropped his guard.
The air made way for Elijah's instantaneous speed that jolted his internal organs. A massive amount of mana was concentrated into both of his legs while a small amount exploded throughout the rest of his body.
Unfortunately, the natural terrain had caught sight of the slight change, causing Rafe to raise his staff above his head.
Bulging through Rafe's muscles was an unholy amount of confidence. However, when diving into the crevasse of the brain was a cloud of doubt — rather, a seed of despair that blossomed like a flower the moment Elijah's legs came into contact with the wooden staff.
"IMPOSSIB—"
BOOOM!
Debris, flesh, blood, and splintered bones flew everywhere while Elijah's body continued to pass through the ravine, and into a lower cave where he laid unconscious with both legs shattered into many pieces. Abel had fallen down with him, and before his last breath, he uttered a few words.
"Take… my… affinity…"
Elijah did not waste a single breath and placed his hand on the dismembered and beaten chest.
During this process, Elijah was struggling to stay conscious.
The moment a familiar feeling of energy entered his soul — at the behest of a charred hole that developed inside the chest of Abel, warmth spread through his body cleansing every worry and ounce of pain imaginable.