Return of the Runebound Professor

Chapter 118: Agony

Johan lunged, but Todd moved faster. Reddened by the Body Imbuements coursing within him, Todd lunged forward and fired a bolt of flame out of his hands. Johan didn’t even try to dodge it. It struck him and flared against his golden shield, vanishing without leaving a trace of harm.

A pillar of rock shot up, striking Johan’s javelin in the shaft and knocking it upward. It whistled past Isabel as she stepped forward, thrusting her own spear for the Inquisitor. Johan leaned back, vaulting out of the way even as Todd fired two more blasts of fire after him.

Noah groaned, fighting against Johan’s magic. He felt the influence of whatever Johan had done to him starting to slough off, but it was agonizingly slow. Beside him, Lee twitched in pain, unresponsive.

A blast of golden energy shout out of Johan’s hand, heading straight for Todd. Isabel lunged, putting herself between the magic and Todd. Noah’s eyes widened in horror, but streaks of blue light shot through her armor. The wave of energy slammed into her shield and vanished within it.

Isabel let out a battle cry and lunged forward, thrusting her spear at Johan. The Inquisitor’s foot sank into the ground as Isabel liquified it beneath his feet. He thrust a hand toward Isabel, and a palm of golden energy ripped forth.

It struck her shield – and vanished once again. Surprise flickered in his eyes. The strike had cost him precious instants that he needed to dodge, and even though he leaned back, Isabel’s spear scraped his side.

Instead of bouncing right off like Todd’s magic, it gouged a bloody furrow across him. Johan leapt back, then thrust both of his hands forward. A massive wave of gold erupted from his body, picking both Isabel and Todd up and throwing them back.

Todd twisted midair, then threw himself into a roll as he hit the ground. Isabel hit the glowing dome surrounding them and cried out, staggering and jabbing the spear into the ground to keep from falling.

“What manner of Rune do you use?” Johan demanded, pressing a hand to his side. “Demonspawn!”

Todd sent two bolts of flame at Johan’s face. He ducked out of the way and snarled in fury. “Stupid child. Have you not realized how worthless your attacks are?”

A thick wave of flame washed out of Todd’s hands, rolling across the ground and enveloping Johan. Noah ground his teeth, forcing his body to push itself upright. He didn’t know how Isabel was hurting Johan, but Todd’s magic wasn’t going to help him against Johan.

Johan stepped out of the wall of fire, completely unharmed. His eyes flicked to Noah and he reached for his prayer beads. Isabel reared back and hurled her spear at him. Johan jumped to the side to avoid the attack, but the spear vanished as soon as he moved, reappearing in Isabel’s hands.

She launched it at him again, forcing Johan to dodge once more. Noah bit down on his inner cheek until the taste of blood exploded in his mouth. The dizzy reverie that had been binding him finally dispelled and he drew in a sharp breath.

The relief didn’t last long. Despite Isabel’s attempts to stop him, Johan managed to activate the prayer beads once more. A chime ripped through the air and slammed into Noah with such force that it felt like a physical strike.

He stumbled, only managing to stay standing through sheer will. Behind him, Lee didn’t even react. Noah didn’t know if she was even still conscious. His arms trembled in fury. Never had he been so useless since arriving in this world.

Johan noticed that Noah hadn’t fallen, but Isabel and Todd were upon him again. Todd reared back, but instead of the flame that Noah had expected, a torrent of water whipped out of Todd’s clothes.

Noah caught a glimpse of several water skins that he’d somehow hidden beneath his shirt and inside his bag, each of them drained of their contents. The water swirled around him, then slithered toward Johan.

Johan hurled his spear for Todd. Isabel lunged, slamming the spear out of the way with her shield. The golden light faded and the weapon disintegrated as it hit the ground. Johan clapped his hands together, forming another spear in the air before him.

“I’ve played around with you long enough,” Johan said. He ignored the water as it splashed against his Shield harmlessly, failing to even activate it.

A smirk crossed Todd’s face and he nodded to Isabel. Then he charged Johan. His legs blurred from his Imbuements and Johan smiled, rearing back to stab at Todd.

Noah forced his body into motion, not willing to see his student get run through directly in front of him. But, even as he gathered the power of Pyroclastic Resonance to call on the wisps of smoke floating around the dome, he knew it would be too late.

Johan jabbed with the spear. Todd was moving too fast and too straight to change his course or dodge to the side.

Todd didn’t dodge to the sides, nor did he try to stop. Instead, he kept every ounce of his momentum and pitched back, dropping to the ground. Noah nearly laughed in relief as he saw Johan’s spear flit straight past Todd’s face, missing him.

Just like fighting a Slasher.

Todd skidded across the wet floor, dragging his fingers across it as he shot straight through Johan’s legs. Wherever his hands touched the water on the ground, a thick cloud of steam erupted and rose up, forming a cloud around him.

Isabel reared back and launched her spear at the man’s shadow within the cloud. It flashed through the air, and Noah watched the man’s shadow as it twisted to the side, just barely avoiding getting impaled.

Todd darted out from behind him, dashing to stand beside Isabel. “He can’t see! Attack–”

A wave of gold ripped through the steam, blowing it apart. Cold anger was all that remained on Johan’s face as he stepped out of the dissipating wisps of steam, his hands clenched tightly around the shaft of the spear.

“Childish tricks,” Johan hissed. “I have given you grace enough. Children or not, you aid a demon. There will be no more.”

Sigils raced across Johan’s skin, lighting up his body in a dull glow. Noah finally got his magic active once more and sucked all the smoke in the air toward Johan with a whistle, trying to force it to slip through the man’s mouth. But, the moment it touched him, it sizzled and failed to penetrate the Shield surrounding him.

I really need to get myself one of those. He definitely isn’t just making it himself, it would take way too much energy. Shields are so damn unfair.

Johan shifted, and a sound like a chiming bell rang out. He raised his prayer beads, slamming Noah with another blast of crippling energy. Noah’s insides twisted and he hissed in pain, refusing to let himself fall. He took a staggering step forward, but his magic stubbornly refused to obey him.

Ripples of gold passed over the ground in a line as Johan suddenly appeared before Todd, driving his fist into the boy’s stomach. A wave of gold rolled out and Todd rocketed backward, slamming into the dome with a loud crash.

He slipped to the ground, his eyes fluttering. Isabel – distracted for an instant by Todd’s plight, wasn’t able to properly dodge in time as Johan thrust his javelin for her heart. Isabel shifted her shield, managing to knock the blow slightly askew.

It bit through her armor and penetrated deep into her side. Johan ripped the weapon free and kicked Isabel in the chest, sending her rolling back. Her armor crumpled around her, and she skidded to a stop in the dirt, blood pooling from a huge wound in her chest.

Noah roared, forcing his body forward – and was met with a wall of magical energy as the prayer beads rang out once more. He stumbled, but didn’t fall. Johan’s eyes narrowed and he skipped back, activating the beads once more.

Another blast struck Noah’s body. He fell to one knee, his chest and head pulsing with violent tremors of pain. The beads felt like they were getting less effective, but they were still more than enough to keep Noah down and prevent him from gathering his magic. Every chime did something to severely disrupt Noah’s access to his mindspace and Runes. He couldn’t even call on Combustion, and it was Imbued in his soul.

As Johan stalked toward Noah, raising his spear, Todd forced himself upright and raced over to Isabel. He skidded to a stop beside her, breathing heavily as he fumbled at her belt and pulled out the healing potion they’d each taken to carrying around. He ripped the cork off and shoved it into her mouth, tilting the potion back.

“Attention on me, demon,” Johan snarled. He reared back and thrust the javelin for Noah’s heart.

Something blurred between them. The protective dome shuddered as Lee slammed into it. She leaned heavily against the glowing energy, her arms and legs trembling with exertion. She hadn’t even been able to gather the control to actually attack, but she’d stalled Johan for just an instant longer. Blood trickled down from her ears, eyes, and nose, but she’d somehow managed to force herself upright once more.

Johan snarled in fury. He thrust a hand at Lee and a golden palm slammed into her, smashing her into the wall of the dome. She crumpled, falling limp on the ground.

“Damned cockroaches,” Johan spat, spinning back toward Noah, barely paying attention as Todd sprinted at his back, his hands igniting in flame. Johan didn’t even look back. His hand shot out and he caught Todd by the throat.

Noah forced himself upright and lunged – catching a knee to the face for the attempt. Blood splattered as Noah’s nose broke and he was thrown onto his back. Darkness flashed at the edges of his vision, threatening to consume it.

Stop moving now and everyone dies. Move, damn it!

Noah forced himself up, just in time to see Johan snap Todd’s neck with a violent twist. Something glinted in the air as a golden bracelet that had been on Johan’s wrist slipped from Todd’s fingers and fell to the ground.

“No!” Noah screamed, throwing himself forward.

Johan’s baleful gaze flicked to him and he thrust his spear, driving it straight into Noah’s heart.

Noah choked, reaching desperately for the healing potion on Todd’s waist and pushing himself farther along the spear. Johan shoved Noah down, ripping the spear out of his chest. Todd lips twitched as he tried to breathe, but he'd been paralyzed - not that it would matter in a few seconds.

Blood poured from the fatal wound in Noah’s chest. Noah desperately tried to force his limbs to move, but there was no energy left within them. He screamed in his mind, digging for even a single scrap of magic, but his life flitted away from him.

The world around him started to grow muted, but he could hear the distant sound of Isabel screaming.

Noah’s hand fell back to the ground, splatting in the wet mud.

He breathed one final, agonizing breath.

And then he died.