Sorcerer… Cyborg???

Chapter 175: Fire and Light

Anteris and Tam stood on the stern of the ship, eyeglass forgotten, cast to one side. For nobody in or around Aznur would need aid to see the sight of the Emperor flying above the harbour, a clear challenge to the invaders.

The pair of them had yet to exchange any words since the Emperor had taken flight, boht of them had just watched as the Emperor had manifested his wings of light and ascended into the air.

Finally, Tam broke the silence.

"I haven't fought a Light Element User since the war with the Southern Tribes, they're as rare as they come." It was a matter of fact statement, nothing was said about how they hadn't expected anyone who was at the Advanced Level to remain at the capital. Even Tam's extensive intelligence network had only gathered some rumors about the Emperor's exploits.

Anteris felt the extreme surge of mana as Tam prepared to take to the air, and then he placed a hand on Tam's shoulder.

"Let me, I haven't had a good fight in years." Anteris grinned and sparks began to swirl around him as his red aura formed around him.

"Bring my helm!" Anteris yelled out, and one of his black garbed sailors rushed over, clutching a dark red helmet, squarish in shape, with a cross shaped slit for the wearer to look through. Like any worthwhile set of armor, the slit was enchanted to give the wearer a better field of view than it would traditionally allow.

Flames spun all around Anteris, forming a whirlwind, and they grew in intensity, yet the men on the ship felt no heat, and they didn't scorch the wooden deck below.

The flames grew more and more numerous, until Anteirs was concealed by the red whirlwind of fire spinning around him, and then there was a low boom.

A ring of fire blasted out from around Anteris forming and the sailors and soldiers who had been watching dumbfounded all threw themselves down to the ground. Tam only stood there, and the flames dissipated as they washed up against him, unlike the soldiers, he was well aware that Anteris' flames would not burn what he didn't intend to burn.

As the ring of fire spread out in every direction, the men and women aboard the ships and on the coast alike, all gazed upwards in amazement as Anteris skyrocketed upward, a pair of wings of pure flame streaming out behind him, his heavy halberd held in one hand, all the while his eyes locked on the angelic figure whose wings slowly beat above the harbor.

Stunned by the display of such high level magic, it was as if both the people of Aznur, and the invading forces of Ursten, had all forgotten that they were here to do battle. The sailors whispered to the soldiers aboard.

"That's the Duke's famed Fire Aura, see, I told you lads you weren't the only ones with a leader who could take flight." The sailors bragged, caught up in the impressive display that was happening.

It was as if everything stood still for a moment, above the fleet of black ships, a broad shouldered knight, covered in a flaming aura, wings of fire spreading out behind him, his heavy halberd clutched in one arm, a shield of flame forming in the other.

Across the stretch of ocean between the ships and the coast, floating above the harbor, an angelic figure, long sword drawn, shining with light, wings of pure light stretched out behind him.

And then, with one powerful flap of the Aura formed wings, far faster than most of the onlookers could see, the two combatants shot toward each other.

Anteris slashed down at the Emperor, a blazing slash of pure fire shooting ahead of him, doubly fast due to his speed.

The Emperor sliced through it with ease, his wings folding in as he dove through the gap he had created in the flames before him, spinning rapidly, sword held at an arms length in front of him, piercing toward Anteris.

Anteris let out a loud yell, and the flaming shield on his left arm suddenly expanded in size, becoming almost life-like, only the wisps of flame around its edges betraying its nature, an extension of Anteris' Aura.

The Emperor's sword was covered in a blinding light that formed an ethereal sword that extended over his long sword.

The two flying figures collided and the sword of light met the shield of fire.

Anteris braced for impact, but the sword of light pierced right into the shield, shattering it completely, and flames burst out in every direction.

Under his helm, Anteris' eyes widened in shock, he hadn't expected the Emperor to blast through his defenses so easily. 

The shining sword pierced toward Anteris' throat, a weak point in any suit of armor, magical or not. The Emperor wasn't looking to test his opponent's strength, he was here to defend his empire.

At the last moment, Anteris pulled his halberd inward, placing the blade between him and the sword stabbing toward him. Anteris felt as if an entire mountain had slammed into him, and he was sent flying backward through the sky. 

The Ursten forces watched in horror, as the Grand Admiral flew backward, his wings of flame folded shut, his shield shattered.

Even the Nighthawks, Kothar included, had stopped in their steps, their respective missions forgotten, as the grand battle played out in the skies. Seeing the two truly powerful combatants once again ignited Kothar's thirst for strength, and he watched, awestruck as the civilians around him, so that Silane could commit every single moment of the awesome battle playing out in the skies above to memory.

Tam braced himself, gathering his mana, ready to leap into the skies to join the aerial battle, but he didn't cast his Aura spell just yet, Anteris' Aura was intact, and if Tam interfered while Anteris was still able to hold his own, he knew the battle hungry old Warrior would never forgive him.