Arad stood, and so did Jack and Vars, “That was hard to keep up with. How fast can you cast magic?” He asked.
“He’s behind that door. This fight won’t be easy. Leave him to me and deal with the rest.” Gojo replied with a smile, staring back with glowing blue eyes.
“I’m the one who asked to do this,” Arad growled, “You can’t take my kill,”
“You would be the kill if you fought him alone. He might not be as important as the mages of the mage tower, but he’s still a powerful caster.”
Gojo walked toward the massive door, kicking it open, “Hither! Hither! I’m here to see you wither!” He shouted with a smile, walking with his hands in his pocket.
Inside the large room, a single man stood on the balcony wearing a red robe and holding a platinum staff in his hand. “Two void dragons, a necromancer, and a mundane rogue? What an unusual combination. What brought you to my domain?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Gojo smiled, “Your head, wizard.”
The wizard turned around, staring at Gojo with glowing blue eyes. The mana around him trembled, “May I ask why you seek my life? I doubt you have a morality clause. Seeing you travel with a necromancer.”
Gojo looked back at Arad, “What reason?”
“Killing pixies for their wings, dust, and tears. Got asked by a close friend to take you out for it,” Arad replied, keeping Zephyr out of the question.
“For those little things? I doubt whose life is worth more, a pixie or a human?” The wizard, Sirlon sighed.
“Depends on the person in question,” Gojo smiled, “Remember? We’re two dragons and a necromancer. What do you think?”
Sirlon stared back at Jack, “You’re a human. I bet even a criminal scum would answer that question right.” He smiled, “But alas, I doubt much humanity will remain in someone possessing so many divine artifacts,” He eyes Jack’s prosthetic arm and leg.
“That leg and arm, and the one inside your body.” He licked his lips, “Those are some rare strands of mana, forged from the raw chaos of creation and imbued with strands of the mother of all life’s hair.” He giggled, “Where did you get those?”
Jack blinked, “A janky old herbalist in an old shack,” He replied, not believing a word the wizard said.
Gojo walked forward, “There isn’t much use in talking. Can we get to killing each other?” He smiled.
Sirlon laughed, “You dare challenge a high wizard at the top of his tower. You have a death wish.”
Gojo smiled, “I’m taking on him. You deal with the others,” His void deepened, and Sirlon smiled, “Come! Forces of nature.”
With the wizard’s booming words, the room expanded as far as the eyes could see, and several massive elementals showed up. A tornado of fire, a cloud of violent storms, a raging mound of dirt, and a large ball of water.
BAM! Arad lunged forward, swinging his fist at Sirlon.
“Didn’t your brother tell you to stay away?” Sirlon smiled, pointing his staff at Arad, [Disintegrate]
A beam of concentrated green magic rushed at Arad faster than he could see. BAM! Arad froze in place as Gojo extended his hand ahead of him, catching the beam in his palm and rolling it into a ball.
“You aren’t a match for him at your current level and understanding of magic. Let me deal with him, take on the elemental as I told you,” Gojo said, throwing the ball to the side.
The ball disintegrated anything in its way into ash. If it had touched Arad, he would have turned to ash faster than what his vampiric regeneration could keep up with.
Arad stared at the disintegrated ground, shocked. ^[Gojo is right. I can beat that wizard if you want to let me control your body, but now you can’t do anything against him.]^
Sirlon laughed, his blond hair trailing with the wind caused by the swirling magic around his body. “I didn’t know that a disintegrate spell could be caught. Was it the void?”
“We’re a magic dragon. The best class for us is pure wizard. All we need is the patience to study and master its arts,” Gojo smiled, lifting his palm, “Are you ready to die?”
“Pure talent against pure dedication?” Sirlon smiled, pointing his staff at Gojo, “The last question, how are two void dragons in the same place?”
“That is none of your business. You’re dying today,” Gojo pointed at the wizard, mana charging at the tip of his finger.
“Come on, at least let me know that before dying.” Sirlon smiled.
“Dead men can speak with a simple spell, and you aren’t really expecting to die. So I’m not sharing anything,” Gojo disappeared, emerging behind Sirlon with a finger pointing at the back of his head. “Blow up,”
Sirlon smiled, a crystal ward covering his body as he spun around, pointing the tip of his staff at Gojo’s stomach.
[Banishment]
A wave of magic covered Gojo’s body, and Sirlon smiled, “See you in the hells,”
CLACK! Gojo grabbed the portal by the edges, and the wizard started sweating. He started bending it, and Sirlon took a step back.
“Ice, cold freezes everything, and the void devours it,” He smiled as the spell shattered, “You need more control to hit me with a spell,” BAM! He punched Sirlon in the face, sending him flying.
***
In the back, Arad swung his fist at the large earth elemental, sending it rolling back. “You’re strong and heavy but slow.”
SWOSH! The water and fire elementals rushed at Vars, but he remained still, tapping the ground with his hand, “Rise, Death knights!”
From his shadow, two skeletons burning with unholy green flame emerged. Full plate armor covered their bodies as they swung two great swords at the elementals.
“They are both immune to fire and have enough heat to evaporate water,” Vars smiled, “Have a nice time dealing with them,”
On the other side, Jack pulled a tiny sack filled with flowers from his pocket, he threw it at the air elemental with a smile. “How do you hurt air?” He smiled, “Set it ablaze,”
Jack pointed his arm cannon forward and fired at the air Elemental, igniting its whole body.
BAM! Arad extended his arm, sucking the whole earth elemental into his stomach and disintegrating it.
He then looked at Gojo and the wizard leaping around, exchanging punches at a ridiculous speed.
^Doma, can you beat him?^
^[With your body? With ease, I took full control. But I would need to get ruthless.]^
Arad smiled. ^I bet Zephyr counted on you being with me when she sent us on this mission. Let’s give it a try,^
Doma smiled, ^[Let’s do it, darling]^ Her voice faded into his head.
Arad’s eyes closed as countless black scars filled his body, curse marks and magic circles created by Doma.
Vars felt a shiver down his spine. Whatever Arad did, something horrific was coming out.
ZON! Arad’s body disappeared.
Sirlon dodged one of Gojo’s punches with a smile on his face, “You’re skilled, but I shall win,”
“No, you won’t, I’m just warming up.” Gojo giggled, “Don’t start bragging when I didn’t even shift into a half-dragon form.”
Thud! Sirlon hit something as he backed away, feeling a hand clenched on his jewels.
“Do you know what they call a man that lacks courage?” A voice came from behind Sirlon.
CRACK! Sirlon howled as his jewelry was ripped off and thrown to the ground. As he fell on his face, bleeding he could see Arad walking between him and Gojo with a bloodied hand.
“A curse that makes you terrified of me for the rest of your life as long as those who witnessed you losing them are still alive,” Arad started laughing maniacally, “It’s always fun seeing that face on you wizards. How much do you fear us?”
Sirlon could see it with a glance, not Arad, but the witch laughing inside him.
“I’m going to take your eyes, ears, and spleen and make cursed soup. No, I will use your leather to make a lethal poison and sell it for copper,” Arad started laughing.
“You cursed witch! How did you take over a dragon’s body?” Sirlon growled.
Arad suddenly stopped laughing, glaring at Sirlon with glowing pink eyes, “Oh, come on,” Arad giggled with a shy smile, “He’s my husband. We share mind and body always,”
“Damned Hag,” Sirlon stood, healing his body and glaring at Arad, “I will rip you apart from his body for what you did.”
Arad smiled from ear to ear, “You asked earlier about morality. Who do you think is the most vile one here?” He stared at Sirlon, “Is it the necromancer delving into forbidden magic? Nah! Is it you, torturing the peaceful pixies? Nah!” He shook his head, pointing at Sirlon with one finger, “It’s me, the one who curses people into suffering for all eternity,”
Sirlon screamed in terror as the curse kicked in, falling to the ground and crawling into a ball crying like a baby. In his eyes, Arad has turned into the worst horror he had ever seen.
Gojo stared at Arad, “As I said, it was a matter of knowledge. Arad doesn’t know enough about magic to counter it, but you can,” He smiled.
Arad put his hands on his hips, “Of course I do, kid. I’ve been studying curses longer than this Buffon has ever breathed air.” He approached Sirlon and kicked him in the guts. “Let’s give him the happy end he deserves. He shall die with a smile.”
Arad pointed his finger at Sirlon’s terrified body. “Fear not, child. Die with a smile.”
Sirlon suddenly started laughing, and laughing, and laughing. His body twisted and covolted violently. [Death Laught]
Arad smiled, “He will laugh to death, a curse for those who seek happiness but don’t deserve it.”