213: The Healer's Light, Part Twenty

The Healer's Light, Part Twenty

If all of Neve's damage had gone through, then Aphria only had 40% of her HP left. 

That would certainly line up with the fact that she went into her second phase, as indicated by the change in her sword. 

Now, the one blade Aphria wielded glowed so brightly it was almost blinding. 

At the same time, Neve only had 260 mana left. 

Neve had grown over the course of the journey, gaining a lot of stats, but she guessed she still didn't have enough to run around and drag this fight out until she could get Erin back into it. No, she'd likely be forced to use {Flash Shielding} to defend herself from here until the end of the battle. 

{Flash Shielding} consumed 25 MP per cast. Neve would have to spend at least 20 MP casting the two {Fireballs} needed to finish this, assuming she didn't miss. This meant that, optimistically, Neve could cast {Flash Shielding} around 9 or 10 times, if she got some more time to recharge more mana. 

9 or 10 blows was all Neve could afford to block. 

She hadn't been bluffing when she told Aphria that the finale was within sight. One way or another, this would be over likely within the next minute. 

Neve never felt more focused. 

In this instant, staring down the last obstacle of the Final Challenge, everything around Neve was blocked off. 

The camera on her chest, showcasing this moment to millions of people. Any doubts or insecurities that could cause Neve's knees to buckle. The weight of this challenge itself, and its importance. It all faded away, leaving only Neve's mind to speak to her. 

Aphria took a step forward. 

Strategies and possibilities began to flood Neve's consciousness. She had more available to her than just {Flash Shielding} and {Fireball}, after all. 

The angel didn't seem to care to give Neve more time than she had already, though, as she rushed forward, appearing in front of Neve in the blink of an eye. 

Neve activated {Flash Shielding}. A barrier appeared that kept the woman's sword from running down Neve's body. The healer did, once again, something Aphria thought unthinkable and took a step toward her, looking to land a hit with her activated Holy Blade. 

Aphria used the same blade to deflect it easily and then tried to strike again, but {Flash Shielding} was still active. 

MP: 240/1300

Neve hopped back. The angel didn't let up, taking to the air with her wings and flying straight at her. 

Again, Neve cast {Flash Shielding}. Once more, the angel's blade pounded against her barrier, and Neve was unable to return any damage as Aphria lazily blocked whatever strikes Neve went for with her sword. 

MP: 215/1300

A problem was quickly presented to Neve. 

[I can't create any openings,] Neve thought, gritting her teeth. [She can just attack me and back off as soon as I try to do anything until I run out of mana. Shit.] 

This appeared to be part of Aphria's own plan, as she refused to give Neve any time to think either. While Neve tried to figure something out, Aphria flew right back in and the healer was forced to cast {Flash Shielding} again. 

MP: 190/1300

3 out of her 9 or 10 casts were gone, just like that. 

Neve's teeth pressed against each other so hard it almost hurt. Neve couldn't think of anything. She felt that she was genuinely outmatched. 

[The issue is that she's faster and more skilled with her weapons. So, as soon as I make the choice to go on the offensive, there's nothing I can do to...] 

Neve stopped. 

[Oh. Right.] 

Clarity came to her like a care package dropped in the middle of a war-torn battlefield. 

A smile came to her face, as she watched Aphria go in for another blow. 

[Fine. If it's going to happen no matter what, then this might just be optimal.] 

Neve cast a spell as Aphria came down. 

But, it wasn't {Flash Shielding}. 

The healer cast {Sacred Ground} under herself. 

MP: 140/1300

Field of Brilliance was still active, and this rune Neve cast now overlapped with it, having its effect enhanced. 

As Aphria arrived at her position, Neve did not protect herself. 

She understood now that it was pointless to do so, as such a plan was unsustainable. 

The angel's sword went to strike Neve's neck. At the same time, Neve lunged forward, aiming the tip of her blade for Aphria's abdomen. 

Aphria, skilled as she was, turned her body in the air, avoiding the full hit, as her blade reached Neve's neck. 

Two very important things happened, however. 

Firstly, Aphria's sword failed to decapitate Neve, entering her neck but not even making it halfway through. 

And second, Neve's sword did manage to scratch Aphria's waist. 

Which caused an obscene amount of blood to come sliding out from that scratch. 

Instantly, Aphria flew away while Neve cast {Great Healing Dart} once on herself. 

One cast was enough to fully repair the horrible wound Aphria had just inflicted on her neck. 

Standing a fair distance away, Aphria looked down at herself. 

"Hm..." She considered the wound. "All that damage done by one cut? That's a nasty sword you've got there. Are you confident you can hit me enough times to kill me before I take your head off, though? I failed once, but that just means I need to try harder." 

"Go ahead and try." 

Aphria liked that response. 

Neve wasn't trying to be brave, though. 

She needed Aphria to try again. 

With the bottom of her staff planted against the floor, Neve stood in the middle of that rune, waiting for the enemy to attack. 

"I will... But, first, maybe I'll wait out that spell of yours." Aphria said. 

"You're welcome to do that too," Neve shrugged. "Look at your scratch." 

Her smile faded away. Aphria reluctantly did just that. 

She understood what Neve was getting at as soon as she looked at the wound again. 

"That really is a horrifying weapon." 

She understood, but Neve said it out loud anyway. 

"You can come over here and fight me on my terms, or you can stay over there and maybe bleed out before this spell fades away," Neve said, tapping her staff against the floor.  2

"You're bluffing," Aphria said. "That spell will likely cancel itself out within seconds." 

"Maybe. But, how do you know?" Neve replied. Keeping her eyes locked with Aphria's, she said, "you're no healer. You don't know how long this will last. What do you want to do? Gamble on the spell's duration, or go for the ensured victory? The ball's in your court, Aphria. I'm fine with either decision you make." 

  When she heard that, Aphria gave Neve a very fond smile. 

One that wasn't really befitting someone trying to murder her. 

"I hate these confusing expressions of yours. But, fine. I understand," Aphria replied. "Let's finish this the fun way, then." 

And so, Aphria flew in again. 

It felt like the world slowed down as she did. 

This was it. 

It was an underhanded method that Neve had used to get this far, but Neve couldn't help it. 

She was no warrior. She could not take a hammer the size of a grown man and swing it, battling with Aphria in a glorious frenzy like some other hero may have. She was no assassin. She could not dip, lean, and dodge away from Aphria's strikes, only to counter with a perfectly aimed blow to her heart at just the right time. She was no real sorcerer either. {Fireball}, for as much damage as it dealt, was a simple, one-dimensional spell. And the fact that Neve had managed to land any casts of it at all was incredible, but Aphria wouldn't let that happen again. 

No, Neve was a healer. 

There was only one way Neve could win a battle like this. 

By outlasting her opponent. 

Keeping her weapons low, Neve allowed Aphria to close the distance. 

The one-armed angel arrived at the rune with her sword's tip aimed at Neve's chest. 

The healer welcomed the sword. 

But, not before marking herself with her staff, and then the angel. 

The angel's blade slipped into Neve's chest and erupted out from her back. 

It hurt, naturally. It hurt quite badly, in fact. But, there was one simple fact about Neve and her journey that allowed her to stay focused, even as she'd just been impaled. 

She'd been through worse. 

Neve had been burned, cut, stabbed, beaten, and broken so many times it was impossible to count. 

Perhaps the same could be said for Aphria, of course. Scars decorated her body in the same way they probably would with Neve if she couldn't heal herself. 

But, therein lay the difference between them. 

Neve could heal herself. 

Aphria couldn't. 

That was all that mattered. 

As Aphria deposited her blade within Neve's body, the healer slashed out at her. 

Predictably, Aphria pulled her blade out and flew backward, trying to avoid the, as she'd described it, horrifying weapon Neve possessed. 

That space was all Neve needed, however. 

Aphria's eyes widened as the tip of Neve's staff glowed when the healer activated {Equivalent Exchange}. 

She seemed confused, until she saw the wound on Neve's chest begin to close, and a wound began to appear on her own chest. 

Equivalent Exchange transferred damage at a rate of 25% per second, at a cost of 25 mana per second. If allowed to fully transfer the damage that was inflicted, it would completely recreate whatever wound was on the person being healed onto the body of an enemy, at a cost of 100 mana. 

Aphria likely didn't know that, but she probably guessed this was what was currently happening, as she instantly tried to {Silence} Neve. 

Using whatever strength was left in her body, Neve jumped to the left, inadvertently leaving the {Sacred Ground} rune. She had to, however, as a {Silence} rune appeared where Neve had been standing. 

Then, Aphria flew in. 

She charged forward so quickly that her departure left cracks on the floor where she'd been standing. 

Two seconds passed between Neve activating the ability and Aphria making the decision to attack. 

The wound was halfway transferred. 

MP: 90/1300

Desperately, Aphria tried to plant her sword within Neve's body a second time. Even Neve could tell by the way the woman thrust her sword wildly that for just this moment, just this once, Aphria abandoned proper swordsmanship, knowing she'd die if she couldn't land a hit here. Any hit at all. 

Neve smiled, seeing that.

It was for that reason that a basic technique the lamia taught Neve on the Third Floor worked here. 

Neve stepped into the opponent's space. Aphria's sword went over Neve's left shoulder. 

And, the healer stepped in, so as to not allow Aphria to get any type of clean hit. 

The wound finished transferring. 

Aphria froze. 

She and Neve almost ended up in a hug, with Aphria's arm over Neve's body. 

From Aphria's mouth, blood spilled out as a result of the hole in her chest, falling on Neve's arm. 

And, finally, the angel fell to the side, dropping her blade. 

EXP Gained: 15000

EXP: 15490/760

Level Up!

WST Gained: 50000

WST: 157050

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