The ground exploded beneath Ray, sending him flying back. The ethereal clone was on him in less than a moment and, with a swift kick, sent him crashing into a nearby tent. Ray groaned in pain and tried to push himself back to his feet. A glowing red foot slammed him back into the ground.

  “Stay there while I catch your friend.”

  Ray could barely make out the form of the robed figure rushing toward Erith and Chio. He struggled to throw the clone off, but it was in vain. The man jumped over a slash from Chio, grabbing him by the back of the neck and slamming him into the ground with enough force to create a small crater. He rose, turning his attention to Erith.

  “No!” Ray shouted, trying to shove the thing pinning him off with all his might.

  When that still did not work, he instructed Horde Breaker to suck all the mana out of it. His arm tried to, but it was no use. There was no mana flowing through the clone, and no life force.

  “Go and help her!” Ray shouted through the mental link.

  Horde Breaker sprang from his body, morphing into its humanoid form, and charged toward the man. It launched into the air, latching onto the man's back, catching him off guard. Rib-like appendages dug into his flesh, cementing its hold as he shrieked in pain.

  Erith seized the opportunity, slashing at the man's neck, but a wave of energy exploded out of him, pushing her back. Horde Breaker dug deeper into his back and began siphoning his mana. He tried to reach back and pull the small humanoid off his back, but pulled his hand back with a cry of pain less than a second later. Three fingers were missing from the hand, and he ground his teeth, trying to push through the pain now pulsing through his body. Desperate, he called his clone back to get this thing off him.

  However, Ray did not let it get far as a black bolt flew straight toward the clone. It noticed the attack and dodged out of the way, but Ray’s actual target was in too much pain to realize what was coming. The man fell to the ground with a blood-curdling scream as his left leg disappeared. He desperately tried to crawl away, but he didn’t get far as a flaming sword came down on his neck. The ethereal clone crumbled away as the flames extinguished.

  Erith made her way over and collapsed beside Ray as Horde Breaker reattached itself. “You got any more stamina potions?”

  Ray pushed himself up to a sitting position with a groan. “I do, but using them might not be worth it.”

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  “My mom is still fighting-”

  “That’s not what I meant. They have diminishing returns the more you drink. The effectiveness is halved for 10 hours; if you drink another one, it only worsens.”

  “Well, how many potions do you have?”

  “Two of each.”

  ‘Shit!” she cursed, looking in the direction her mothers and Draven's fight had gone in.

  A line of devastation carved its path along the forest, leading further away from the makeshift camp. Nevala approached, helping a heavily injured Chio walk to the destroyed tent. Ray pulled a healing potion from his bag and offered it to Chio as they sat down.

  “Thanks,” he muttered between ragged breaths.

  He visibly brightened and several cuts across his body healed as he drank, but his breath was still pained and shallow. “I don’t think I can keep fighting,” Chio muttered.

  “I don’t know if any of us can,” Ray said.

  Erith still stared in the direction her mother had gone. “Give me a stamina potion.”

  “You know how they said your mom got that injury, right?” Nevala asked.

  Erith ground her teeth.

  “Also, if you drink another stamina potion, a healing potion will have almost no effect,” Ray added.

  “I know but-”

  “But you just got your family back…” Nevala said, looking mournfully at where she had shot down the archer.

  “Yes,” Erith said with worry in her voice.

  “Your mom is strong. She will be ok on her own,” Chio said.

  Erith nodded.

  Deep within the forest, the battle raged on. Shallow cuts had opened on Draven's body, where he had failed to block Vaelora’s spear. In comparison, she looked to be in a much better state, only because she had been burning through mana to heal herself whenever Draven landed a hit, leaving her almost completely drained.

  They exchanged another round of blows, but neither warrior came out on top.

  “What do you want with my daughter, anyway?”

  Draven did not answer. Instead, trying to land a jab while she was speaking.

  Vaelora sent the punch flying wide with a swipe from her spear. “Cheap tricks aren't going to save you.”

  She struck out at him, but he deflected her spear again and counterattacked. This time, Vaelora did not dodge. Instead, she allowed the punch to hit her left arm while she recovered her spear and drove it into Draven’s side. She was flying backwards, her arm broken, as he fell to his knees, holding his side. Her arm knit itself back together as she moved toward him. Checking her mana with an internal curse upon seeing it was nearly empty. She needed to end this now.

  She swung her spear in an overhead arc; the tip glowing with golden light. Draven met the attack with his fist, but the weapon exploded with a radiant energy when it made contact, leaving burns running down his arm. He recoiled, clutching his arm, and let out a cry of pain. He began muttering something under his breath as Vaelora approached, raising her weapon.

  “How did you manage to defeat my father?”

  Draven backed away, continuing to mutter under his breath.

  “I'm done with you,” she said, bringing her spear back and preparing to deliver the final strike.

  “Mind Break!”

  Everything went dark as Vaelora’s mind shattered, leaving only a searing pain and the remnants of who she was trying to pull themselves back together.

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