Vortex Origins -
Chapter 90: The Third creature wave - 8
Chapter 90: The Third creature wave - 8
Ash pushed himself up, shoulders trembling. His back screamed from the impact, but he steadied his stance. The earth beneath his boots felt colder now. He didn’t know if it was the pain, or the way the two Black Knights were walking toward him again—slow, steady, no rush.
Their blades dragged through the dirt, scraping as they moved.
Ash raised his sword.
A flash lit the sky.
Shots rained down from above—Ironhold’s guard post had come alive, torrents of energy lighting the battlefield.
The blasts struck the knights head-on.
But nothing happened.
The beams bounced off their armor like water off stone.
Ash’s eyes narrowed. The knight didn’t even glance up. It simply raised its arm—and flung its blade.
The sword whistled through the air and slammed into one of the gun emplacements with a heavy clang. Sparks flew. Metal split open.
The guard behind the weapon froze, eyes wide as the dark blade stayed embedded in the turret beside him. He reached for a rifle.
Too late.
Ash saw it—the knight’s form vanished in a cloud of smoke the moment its hand left the sword’s hilt. It reappeared at the top of the wall, right hand gripping the hilt again as if it had always been there.
A single, clean motion.
The knight seized the guard by the vest and hurled him over the wall like throwing garbage.
The man hit the ground with a dull crack, blood spraying from his mouth. He coughed once, tried to crawl.
Then something cast a shadow over him.
The second Black Knight.
It raised its sword and plunged it down, straight through the man’s back.
Ash flinched.
His grip on the blade tightened. His thoughts raced.
’They disappear and reappear where the sword lands. But only if they let go... and every time, they come back with a hand on the hilt.’
He exhaled, low and bitter.
’The swords. They’re the anchor.’
Across the battlefield, the knights turned toward him again, their armor streaked with soot and blood.
Ash took a step back.
’Their armor’s unbreakable. Their teamwork’s tight. They never speak, never break rhythm. Always moving as one.’
He clenched his jaw, staring down the path between them.
’This is going to be hell.’
"Kid, get away from there!"
The shout cut through the chaos.
Ash looked up—too late.
One of the Black Knights had already leapt, a jagged blade aimed straight at him, its body a blur of black steel falling from the sky.
"[Skill: Phantom’s Stride]"
Ash vanished just before impact, reappearing a few meters to the side, crouched with one hand against the dirt. Sparks flared as the knight slammed into the ground where he’d been, sending cracks through the earth.
It stood and turned, mechanical and silent.
"[Soul Pool: 75%]"
Ash hissed through his teeth.
’Always when I need it the least...’
He tightened his grip on the blade and shifted his stance, ready to move again—
Wind howled.
Kaius landed nearby, driving a gust toward the knight. The force pushed the creature back a step, dust swirling around its armored frame.
Hunter scanned the field, voice low and tense.
"Where’s Emma?"
Ash didn’t look away from the knight.
"She should’ve made it inside the walls."
Another knight surged forward.
The ground shook as it landed where the group had stood—but they’d already scattered, each leaping back in time.
Kaius turned, panting.
"We take them together. Two on one."
He looked at the others.
"That’s our best shot."
Hunter cracked his knuckles, fury burning in his eyes.
"I owe them. For what they did to Osric."
Then both turned to the last of their team.
Liam dragged a hand down his face, shaking his head.
"You’re all idiots."
Kaius blinked.
"What?"
Liam didn’t answer. He stepped forward—not toward the knights, but toward the broken gates.
"You really think I’m fighting that?"
He gestured at the towering figure in black.
"Then your life must be a joke to you. I don’t really know any of you that well, and I don’t care. I value my life more than anything. I’m not throwing it away for some team I barely joined."
He turned his back and walked off, dust crunching beneath his boots.
Hunter’s jaw clenched as he watched Liam go. Then he looked at Kaius.
"He’s not wrong. I blame you for their deaths. They could have been saved but you add to let your pride get the best of you."
His voice dropped to a growl.
"But still. I’m not leaving until I see that knight—"
A black blade sliced between them, splitting the ground at their feet. Both froze, eyes wide. One wrong step and one of them would’ve been dead.
Ash’s voice came from the edge of the field.
"Focus on their swords. The knights aren’t the real threat."
Hunter snapped his gaze to him.
"What are you even saying? And how the hell are you still breathing when the others are dead?"
Ash’s eyes were cold.
"They died because they were weak. You should’ve left while you still had the chance."
Kaius raised his hand before Hunter could respond.
"Enough. We don’t have time for this. Hunter, go help him with the other one. I’ll handle this one."
Hunter narrowed his eyes.
"He’s matching them in speed and strength. We need to worry about staying alive, not splitting up."
A shadow fell over them. The knights had already reappeared behind them, sword raised to cleave them in two.
Wind burst from Kaius’s palm, slamming into the knight and forcing it back with a metallic screech.
He exhaled.
"Fine. Looks like this one’s ours."
He glanced at Ash.
"And watch yourself."
Ash gave a quick nod, then darted toward the second knight.
Kaius and Hunter turned, wind circling their bodies like a storm waiting to be unleashed.
They moved in.
Wind exploded across the battlefield.
Kaius moved first—one step, and the air cracked. His palm swept forward, releasing a slicing current that smashed into the knight’s chest. The metal groaned but didn’t break.
Hunter followed in the opening. His leg swept low, catching the knight off balance. His fists struck like hammers—one to the chest, another to the side of the helmet. Wind pulsed with each blow, making them land heavier than they should have.
The knight staggered but didn’t fall. It twisted its body, blade slashing through the space where Kaius had just been. The air tore with the swing.
Kaius danced back, barely avoiding the edge.
Hunter was already moving. Wind coiled around his arms as he leapt into the air, spinning once before driving a kick into the knight’s side.
The impact rang out like a bell.
The knight slid back, boots digging a trench into the ground. A dent formed in its armor—but it didn’t fall. It simply raised its head, unmoved, sword lifted again.
Across the field, Ash weaved through deadly steel.
The other knight fought without pause, sword cutting through the air in precise arcs. Ash ducked, his blade clashing once—then twice. Sparks flew. The moment he stepped back, lightning snapped at his feet.
"[Skill: Static Surge]"
"[Skill: Storm Vein]"
Ash moved like lightning. His blade became a blur, chasing an opening that never came. The knight’s defense was absolute, its armor too thick to break through. It fought with calm pressure, each swing pushing him back.
He dashed to the side, eyes narrowing.
Then—movement.
The knight in front of him threw its sword. Not at him. Across the field.
The spinning blade cut through the air and landed near the other knight. Hunter and Kaius froze as it embedded itself into the earth near their opponent.
The knight grab the sword from the ground.
And then—everything changed.
Dark smoke spilled from the seams of its armor. The limbs thickened. The helmet cracked open and sealed again with fresh black iron.
Its body grew.
What stood now was no longer a knight—but something else.
Taller. Broader. Its armor shimmered like wet obsidian, harder than anything they’d faced. Two blades hung at its sides, one humming with residual storm energy, the other soaked in void.
Ash stepped back, eyes wide.
’They fused...?’
The wind around Kaius faltered for a moment.
Hunter muttered,
"That’s not good."
The creature raised both blades.
Then it moved.
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