Chapter 23 #2
But Milo would never do something so callous. He tried to save everyone, which meant he’d drag this battle out, ensuring none of the top ten perished.
“Perfected or not, he can’t cast if bound,” the devil possessing Stone shouted, before conjuring a floral shield of thorny plants. “Rebecca, lock him down.”
I scanned the field, finding Enchanter Robbins summoning golden chains from the earth below her.
Name: Rebecca Robbins
Branch: Ward (Benevolent Chains)
Rank: 7th
The perversion of not only stealing these witches’ bodies but also referring to each other by the enchanter’s names. It reminded me how demons and devils preferred to keep their true names secretive.
The stern, hateful expression on her face was so opposite from everything they showed on television. The glow of her chains glimmered against her rainbow-dyed pixie cut. She was an enchanter of positivity and progress, pushing for acceptance—at least that was what all my students would say anyway.
Robbins hurled golden chains at Milo, forcing him to retreat. Since they were made of warding magic, Milo couldn’t counter them with telekinesis. Those chains sapped magic away, and if they shackled Milo, this battle would end.
The teleporting devil lunged for Milo, bouncing circles around him. It allowed the devil to strike Milo with several surprise attacks while also obscuring his vision. The bright shimmer of light was like an explosion of high beams again and again. Even I struggled from a safe distance.
“You know, I trained a teleporter,” Milo said, snatching Miguel by the throat. “It’s not easy predicting your movements, but even without realizing, you follow a pattern.”
His time with Hayden had given him an edge with other teleporting witches. Milo tossed the devil into the path of the encroaching golden chains.
While he hadn’t managed to banish the devil, he did force the one possessing Robbins to retract her warding chains.
I assumed the devil couldn’t simply turn off the ward power or hadn’t learned how to control the chains with such precision.
In either sense, it stalled her and the teleporter she’d trapped.
In the few seconds Milo took to catch his breath, two devils sprang out from either side of him. They weren’t aiming for an attack, simply attempting to make contact with him.
Fuck. That was their attack.
He managed to avoid the first one, spinning around her and kicking her down into Stone’s floral shield.
That was close. The witch in question was Enchanter Spade.
Name: Skylar Spade
Branch Hex (Curse Contract)
Rank: 10th
Supposedly, she could create any rule so long as she spoke it into existence, but she had to make contact with the target she wished to summon a rule upon.
Dammit. If that devil touched Milo, all she’d have to do was create a rule to prevent Milo from breathing, demand he drop dead that second, or any other type of hellish instant killing strike the enchanter herself would never utilize.
“Ooooh, fuck,” Milo roared, knocking the other witch back.
He’d only grazed Milo with the lightest swipe.
Name: Trevor Ford
Branch: Rejuvenation (Sensory Lapse)
Rank: 6th
But with the ability to dull or enhance any senses or sensory receptors with contact, the light jab weighed heavily on Milo. Every muscle in his right arm burned. His nerves throbbed with agony, and Milo twitched, fighting to maintain his composure.
Another devil leapt into the fray, attempting to slash Milo’s already injured arm.
He sprang away from the angry blond, dodging the persistent attacks, but hurling chunks of debris with telekinesis to serve as coverage.
It didn’t work as the devil phased right through the rocks, continuing its pursuit.
Name: Lance Whitlock
Branch: Arcane (Intangibility)
Rank: 9th
Enchanter Whitlock was a distant cousin of Tara’s, apparently quite distant, as her thoughts never lingered long on the man, even when classmates would ask questions.
He was a legend in the Global Guild, but Tara never met the man.
A real shame considering he possessed the same intangibility branch as her.
Milo continued dodging blows from Enchanter Whitlock, evading his attacks, while attempting to hit the witch, too. Unfortunately, every well-trained punch Milo threw went right through Whitlock’s intangible body, only for him to re-corporealize a moment later and hit Milo.
“You can’t defeat me, witch,” the devil possessing Whitlock hissed. “I’m a god.”
“Been hearing that a lot lately.” Milo punched the devil through his head, missing completely, but managing to skirt away before the devil struck him.
“Face it, you’re—” The devil froze midsentence with a pained look of shock on his face. “What did you…”
He roared in agony, slapping his head again and again, unable to ease the pain.
What did Milo do?
When the devil finally composed himself, he turned intangible again, allowing a small rock to fall from his head. It thudded on the ground, and the devil glared.
“Such a tiny thing caused this?”
“The way I wanna make a dick joke right now,” Milo said, clotheslining the distracted devil.
Before the devil could compose itself, Milo threw telekinetic pulses to knock the devil off course and send it crashing hard into the ground.
“Enough of this,” said the devil possessing Enchanter Kingston.
He stepped forward, unleashing white, feathered wings and summoning a glowing golden halo over his head.
Name: Richard Kingston
Branch: Alteration (Supreme Physicality)
Branch: Cosmic (Divine Halo)
Branch: Augmentation (Wings)
Rank: 1st
Personally, I believed the Christian presence of his branches played a bigger role in his ranking than his actual ability.
It was profound how religion evolved, finding purpose in magic, and claiming God or whoever blessed the most faithful with great magics—and, of course, demons were naturally drawn to sin and the sinful.
I couldn’t help but wonder how the pious would react to their devoted hero being possessed.
The Global Guild, like too many organizations, favored religious backgrounds and fair complexions more than talent—they’d only recently loosened their chokehold on conservative views.
That said, Enchanter Kingston also possessed the same strength and speed as Gladiatrix.
Milo would need to be on his guard since this devil wouldn’t be fooled like the ones that had possessed Gladiatrix and Wadsworth.
“A devil in angel’s clothing.” Milo grinned. “How poetic.”
“This ends now.” Enchanter Kingston’s wings flapped, and he vanished in a powerful gale.
The gust reeled Milo forward and swept him directly into Kingston’s path. The devil reappeared in a blink, fist balled, and swinging a furious strike meant to knock Milo’s head clean off.
“Aaargh!” Milo yelled in pain as he blocked the blow with his already injured right arm.
A crunch hit hard, followed by a thousand tiny cracks as every bone in Milo’s arm broke.
The nerves in his arm were still in hyperdrive, raging with a fiery throb.
When the realization that Kingston’s fist had shattered the bones of Milo’s forearm, his face turned ghostly white.
Every thought in Milo’s mind went silent.
The pain bled through his entire body, and he nearly buckled right there.
To be struck by the strongest man on earth while his sensations for pain in his arm were elevated. How Milo managed to stand was beyond me. He truly was on a completely different level from anyone I’d ever encountered.
“Got you right where I want ya.” Milo grimaced, slapping his left hand over Kingston’s face.
The bright light of the halo created a caustic burn, singeing Milo’s skin. That ridiculous halo was for more than just show. It protected Kingston from close combat strikes.