The Ultimate Regressor System

Back at the dining hall, Eleanor moved as fast as she could....

She gathered some of her people, guiding them towards the safety of another hall as Mark found the rest and provided cover as he led them to her.

"Go, go, go! Grab whoever you can and get to safety."

She stood near the entrance of another hall, guiding as many people as she could to the hall.

The sound of metal came resounding from the hall Lucas had flown into and something in her expression shifted as worry sat heavy in her chest.

"Mark!"

"Busy!"

Mark was surrounded by three guards, gauntlets raised and [Bastion’s Oath] humming faintly on his body.

He looked at the guard’s faces and chuckled nervously.

"Guys... come on, there has to be a way for us to settle this. Let’s all put the weapons down, and talk, yeah?"

Neither of the three men responded. Instead they raised their weapons and inched closer to him...

Eleanor gritted her teeth and was about to run forward when a figure came in front of her, blocking her path...

It was one of Ryker’s men. Tall with broad shoulders and a beard with a heavy axe resting on his shoulder like it weighed nothing. From anyone’s point of view, he looked more like a lumberjack and less like a hardened fighter.

He stepped forward, the axe glistening under the light that bled into the hall.

"Lord Ryker has ordered the death of you and your people."

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. Confusion spreading across her face.

"Why? Why would he do that all of a sudden?"

"He has deemed one of you a threat and Lord Ryker will kill anyone who chooses to betray him. That means you and your people..." The man smiled, a cold grin spreading steadily across his face. "You will die here. By my hands... me and my men will make sure not a single soul leaves this place alive.

Eleanor slowed, then she stepped back. A flaming sword materializing in her grip. Some of the people that were supposed to escape stood, petrified by the oppressive aura the man gave off.

Eleanor’s eyes narrowed as she kept her own blade low and ready, the flames flaring gently.

The man lifted the axe from his shoulder and swung. The hall’s entrance behind them crumbled with rubble blocking the entrance.

He then let the head thud once against the floor and the sound echoed.

"You’re about to die by my hand," he said, again, repeating his earlier threat. "All of you."

Eleanor raised her blade and settled into a stance as she readied herself for what was about to come. She looked up at the man and the hall suddenly felt much, much smaller...

"RAHH!!"

With a roar, the man rushed forward. Eleanor didn’t wait, she rushed at him, flaming sword rising in the air as they clashed.

***

Ryker rushed forward, sword raised as he swung down at Lucas.

He dodged the first one, dodged the second one and parried the third, the impact hurting him on his palm.

"You think you could just come here and ruined everything I’ve done?!" Ryker snarled. "You don’t get to exercise authority in the domain of another man"

Lucas gave ground, blade meeting blade in a rapid series of clashes that rang across the hall.

"If it’s about the food, you can’t blame me. You didn’t actually expect me to just eat something that would kill me did you?"

Lucas gritted his teeth as he parried another hit. Without [Ignition] the fight felt heavier and harder.

Every block sent a shockwave up his arms that hurt way more than he wanted to admit. It was his first time using a sword and it was obvious he lacked the techniques needed to keep up.

Ryker fought like a man who had spent years training himself in the way of the sword. His swings were wide, powerful and precise. Aimed at places that would have killed Lucas if he didn’t have experience from dozens of fights.

There was no way someone could use a sword this good in such a short time...

’Must be his other ability...’

"I would have succeeded," Ryker said between strikes. "I was this close I could almost taste it" He feinted high, then cut low. Lucas twisted aside and felt the edge graze his skin. "You ruined it. All of it! And now I am going to kill every last one of you. Starting with you."

Lucas’s back hit a pillar. He kicked off it, forcing distance. His lungs were burning, his legs were shaking and where the blade grazed started to sting.

Ryker advanced, sword point steady. "You branded yourself the moment you resisted. You thought it was wise to show that my ability had no effect on you. You thought it was smart, it was not."

Lucas raised his blade again, the sword was feeling heavier than it was a moment ago.

"You’re right," he said, breathing hard. "It would have been so much easier to just pretend and find out everything slowly. But where’s the fun in that?"

They clashed again, sparks flying and Lucas trying to keep the sword in his hand.

Each clash threatened to force his weapon away and he had to tighten his grip just to avoid it.

Ryker struck horizontally and kicked Lucas in his side where he was open, sending him tumbling.

His blade came downwards and Lucas stumbled to his feet, barley dodging.

"You are weak with a sword." Ryker said, swing the sword again.

"Yeah, well, I haven’t really used a weapon before, so..."

They rushed at each other once more. The corridor filling with the sound of steel and the boots on stone. Lucas fought defensive now, deciding just to block, dodge and parry as attacking was going to be a really dumb thing to do.

Ryker pressed harder, pushing Lucas farther away from the dining hall and his people, and Lucas knew that if he didn’t think of something right now, things could get really ugly....