This Ascent to Divinity is Lewder Than Expected
7.63 – Second Duel

With the knowledge that every minute spent dawdling was another that her Possessed teammates might be wreaking havoc—in a way that she was highly disappointed she couldn't play spectator to—Zoey, along with Astrid, worked through the pseudo-Egyptian labyrinth with a sense of urgency.

Well … that was why Zoey worked faster. Astrid might have a different perspective. She was under the sway of her Bloodlust, operating at the upper limit of what she could manage without risking losing control. The way the red-haired warrior was clearing hallways and rooms so eagerly seemed more in anticipation of finding a Possessed than excitement for killing monsters—though she certainly went about that enthusiastically as well.

Astrid dispelled the doubt fifteen minutes later with a highly agitated complaint of, "Still haven't found us? How long is it take?"

Zoey didn't comment on the lapse in grammar. "I'm pretty sure avoiding her is what we want," she said amusedly. "It's good we've stayed out of her way."

Not that she knew who the Possessed was, yet.

"Hmph," Astrid said. "Others lost, we will not. And will be good fight. This way, can—"

Zoey's attention lapsed the smallest amount as she focused on Astrid's words—enough to make an opening. But Astrid once again demonstrated how she had been born and raised for her role. As if preternaturally sensing the attack coming, her neck snapped left to look over her shoulder, her red-green locking on Zoey.

"Duck."

A misty, crimson barrier sprung up around Zoey even as her body reflexively obeyed Astrid's command. Twin daggers slammed into her back anyway—or tried to. She stumbled forward, the momentum absorbed by the Crimson Barrier, and she spun and backpedaled, a retaliatory spell forming in her head.

But the attacker disengaged, dancing backward and laughing.

"What kind of bullshit is that?" asked a red-eyed Delta. "You're psychic now? I for sure had the drop on you."

Disoriented, Zoey looked around. Where had she even come from? Behind one of the pillars? How?

Astrid had charged forward the instant she'd told Zoey to duck, and she positioned her shield toward the foxgirl, now guarding Zoey.

"Heard you," Astrid said. "Loud."

"Not a chance," Delta dismissed. "I'm no amateur."

"Loud and clumsy," Astrid disagreed with a smirk. "Next time, do better."

Delta paused, then seemed absolutely delighted. "Oh, she's in a frisky mood, isn't she?" She looked over the redhead's shoulder to meet Zoey's eyes. "She's all sorts of riled up. Been wondering what kinda fuck she'd be, when she's in that sort of state."

"Won't find out," Astrid said, her lips pulling into a grin. "You lose. Easily. Not even fight."

"We'll see about that." She addressed Zoey again: "The panties are a shame, though. I bet that was your idea, you killjoy."

"You seem … mostly yourself," Zoey said cautiously. She hadn't known what to expect from a Possession. That Delta's attitude seemed basically intact was both expected and not.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Delta paused. "Oh, by the way, ran into blondie and cutie earlier. You seriously should have been there."

"I wish I had." And she wasn't lying in the slightest. Even if she couldn't have joined in, her imagination ran a little wild at what her girlfriends had gotten up to. "Where's your shadow?"

Delta affected an innocent expression. "Definitely not setting up a sneaky flank. Pinky promise."

Zoey snorted. She'd been scanning the area since the start, anticipating an ambush from Delta's second half. However and wherever she was hiding, though, was beyond Zoey's ability to detect.

Internally, concern filled her. If a Possessed Delta had defeated Rosalie and Maddy, she wasn't sure she and Astrid would fare much better. Zoey's class was pretty broken, and as far as duos went, she and Astrid were stronger synergistically. But still. It wasn't going to be easy.

"No more talk," Astrid said, lifting her shield. "We fight."

She didn't wait for Zoey's input. The girl had clearly been raring to try her hand against a Possessed. And while Zoey thought that the majority of that interest was testing her mettle … she also suspected a second motivation that Astrid wouldn't admit to herself. She wanted to see what happened afterward, in the case that they tried their hardest but lost anyway.

Secretly, Zoey might be looking forward to that too. But she wouldn't let her interest sabotage her. She pushed Bolster into Astrid and started casting a basic lightning bolt. She would do her best to win, no matter how much fun being pinned down by a Possessed Delta might be.

The frenzy of combat broke out. And a true frenzy, since, where Zoey often could stand in the backline and cast spells with impunity, she was a frontline participant this time—because Delta's shadow revealed itself a moment later, slipping from around a pillar and dashing for her with incredible speed.

Delta's shadow wielded only half the strength of her main body, but when it came to a one-on-one duel, a hybrid support-damage mage was at a distinct disadvantage over an agile rogue.

Astrid's Crimson Barrier, the bubble of red mist she kept anchored on Zoey, was the only thing that allowed her to fight on even footing. Daggers flashed as the black shadow slipped and danced around her, Zoey backing away to stay out of range of her slashes. The shadow lashed out with viper-like movements to scrape or bury her daggers into Astrid's defensive skill, even piercing it, though when her weapons made contact, no line of red opened across Zoey's skin. Rather, there was a sense of energy draining from her, making her body feel heavier and heavier.

Non-standard combat rules then. Damage meant exhaustion, not injury.

Zoey missed her first lightning bolt, and her second. Rogues were slippery, and Delta knew Zoey's attack patterns well. But the third time was the charm; she predicted the foxgirl's dodge. A brilliant white light slammed into her chest, and the shadow blasted backward, slamming into the wall ten feet away with an impact that shattered stone. She staggered to her feet, barely avoiding an instant follow-up lightning bolt. Her black figure smoked and crackled with remnants of electricity as she retreated behind a pillar to regather herself.

A quick glance showed that Astrid was holding her own, even against an empowered Delta. That shocked Zoey. Astrid didn't seem especially pressed, though the defensive-focused fighter wasn't putting her opponent on the back foot, either.

Confusion filled her—then a realization. The only possible explanation. Delta had been drained from her earlier fight against Rosalie and Maddy, hadn't she? Otherwise she should be dominating Astrid.

That would explain how a team could expect to win against such monstrous opponents. Even if they lost, and they likely would lose at least the first fight, they would keep weakening the Possessed until they did, eventually, triumph.

In this case, Zoey thought they could end Delta's possession here and now. This fight didn't seem remotely insurmountable.

Delta's shadow slipped out of her cover and dashed in a zig-zagging pattern toward Zoey. Zoey's staff drifted left and right as she tried to lock on. She bit back a curse as the lightning bolt flew wide. And then it was a melee brawl again, which was twenty times more annoying.

A dozen more exchanges followed before Zoey finally landed the hit she needed to. Activating Burst and feeling her reserves sink, she sent off an empowered Heavy Lightning Bolt she'd been charging at the steep cost of letting Delta's shadow land multiple consecutive hits on her.

The gamble paid off. The bolt struck her opponent off center, but the explosion erased the entire right side of her body. Arm, half her chest, and a good portion of her stomach.

The shadow held coherency for a second as she stared down at herself, then collapsed and dissipated into a pool of black smoke.

Zoey spun and came to Astrid's aid. A second Bolster revitalized the woman—who had been struggling far more against Delta's main body when that significant effect had faded.

Now that it was a two-on-one, the foxgirl didn't stand a chance.

The concluding exchange began with a shield-bash into the face that staggered the foxgirl. A Heavy Lightning Bolt blew her across the room, her body tumbling and bouncing against the floor as her daggers flew from her hands.

It physically pained Zoey to attack Delta with such a devastating blow, despite that this fight didn't come with blood or bruises—it was guided by the shard's own rules, draining energy rather than vitality.

Delta didn't stand back up. She was down for good.

Several seconds passed, Zoey breathing hard, waiting to see what would happen.

Staring at the ceiling, Delta suddenly complained, "Aw, come on. Not fair." She kicked her feet petulantly. "I wanted to fuck the newbie!"

The labyrinth shuddered, and a surge of red energy flew out of Delta. The girl's back arched, and she gasped at the sensation. The ghostly red energy—the Possession?—disappeared into the walls.

Delta jolted into an upright position. Her eyes were their usual bright purple. She paused, head cocking and tall fox ears twitching as her brain no doubt processed everything that had happened through a now-lucid mind.

"Huh," the foxgirl eventually said. Her lips curled up with amusement. "You know," she announced, "I stand by everything I said and did this past hour."