Frostfire Legacy

Chapter 272 Both in a Pinch!

Dark, ethereal hands surged toward Aster once again, writhing and grasping at the air, trying to ensnare him as he had willingly stepped back into their range. Lorelai wasted no time, directing her dark magic to trap him before he could strike again.

Seeing the black tendrils creeping closer, Aster disengaged from his position, swiftly leaping backward and out of their reach.

He landed a safe distance away, the eerie hands retracting as they lost their target. The gap between him and Lorelai increased once more, resetting their positions to square one. But this time, Lorelai had seen his skill in action. His surprise advantage of Ground Shrink was now out in the open.

"That was unexpected," Lorelai mused, her flat tone betraying no emotion. "I didn't think you possessed a teleportation skill."

Her cold eyes narrowed as she tapped her staff against the ground. "Still," she added with a slight frown, "that alone won't be enough to beat me."

*THUMP!*

Lorelai's staff struck the floor with a resounding echo, the force of it shaking the air around them. But this time, something far more sinister followed. A crimson wave of energy, almost like a pulse of blood, radiated from her body in all directions, traveling at blinding speed.

"...!"

Aster braced himself, crossing his arms instinctively as the red wave washed over him. He felt no pain and no immediate effects. The wave passed through him, leaving him unscathed—or so it seemed.

His body felt fine, his senses sharp. But the ominous nature of the aura left him uneasy.

"What was that?" Aster muttered under his breath, glancing down at his body. Everything appeared normal until—

*COUGH!*

Aster's throat suddenly tightened, a sharp itch rising within his chest. He coughed violently, bringing his hand to his mouth—only to see it stained with blood. His eyes widened in shock. His body had shown no signs of damage, yet there it was—evidence that something terrible was happening inside him.

[This is… a curse?!?]

Crysta's voice echoed in his mind, her icy tone laced with concern.

[Oh no! Master, she's cursed you!?] Pyra's voice followed, alarmed.

Aster's mind raced, quickly piecing together what had happened. Lorelai had been known to use curses before even when she was still with his party, and he had prepared himself for it, but this one was unlike any he had encountered.

He had felt no immediate damage, yet the blood on his hand and the pressure in his lungs told him that the curse was already working its way through his body.

Curses were tricky, insidious things. They could debilitate an opponent slowly, draining their life force without them even realizing it. Aster knew that there were limited ways to lift such a curse. One was to use a blessed tool or holy water—rare and precious items he didn't have on hand. The other option…

[We have to defeat the Witch to break the curse!?] Crysta announced urgently.

Aster grit his teeth. Of course, defeating Lorelai would lift the curse, but that was a far more dangerous and time-sensitive plan. The longer he waited, the more the curse would sap his strength. He couldn't afford to waste any more time!

"Star!"

A distant voice called out, breaking through his thoughts. It was Cassy. She had been listening to the fight from afar, her ears standing straight up in alert. She could hear Aster's ragged breathing and her heart clenched with fear.

"Hold on, I'm—!" she cried out, rushing toward him with trembling hands, ready to help however she could.

But before she could reach him, the masked figure of Arima intercepted her. Without warning, he grabbed her by the ears and slammed her to the ground with brutal force.

"Ahh! Ugh!"

Cassy's body hit the ground hard, pain radiating through her skull. Before she could even react, Arima's boot was on her head, grinding her face into the floor with cruel indifference.

"I told you not to interfere, didn't I?" Arima's voice was low, a sadistic smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Just stay there and watch—no," he added, his voice dripping with malice, "I mean listen."

"Cassy!" Aster shouted, his eyes darting toward them in alarm.

The sight of Cassy being brutalized by Arima filled him with rage, but his distraction came at a cost. In that moment of vulnerability, Lorelai seized the opportunity. The black hands, sensing his lack of focus, lunged forward with renewed vigor, catching him off guard.

Aster tried to react, but it was too late. One of the dark, spectral hands latched onto his leg, and he felt the sickening drain of energy surge through his body. His strength faltered, the curse and the dark magic working together to weaken him.

"Dammit!" he cursed, slashing at the hand in desperation, but the damage was already done.

He stumbled backward, struggling to maintain his balance as the effects of both the curse and the dark magic took their toll.

With grim determination, Aster steeled himself for what was to come. He couldn't afford to hesitate any longer. If he didn't end this soon, neither he nor Cassy would survive.

The dark hands still clung to Aster's leg, their grip tightening like cold, suffocating chains.

With each second that passed, he felt more of his strength being sapped away. His muscles ached, his energy waning, as the curse Lorelai cast continued to work its way through him. He swung his sword in desperation, managing to sever the hand gripping his leg. But even as it dissolved into a black mist, he could feel that it had taken its toll on him.

[Master, we can't keep this up!?]

Pyra's voice sounded more frantic now, the urgency growing as she sensed Aster's weakening state. The curse was sapping his strength far faster than they had anticipated.

[You need to act fast, or else...?]

Crysta warned, her voice filled with ice-cold logic. There was no room for error now.

Aster's breathing grew heavier as the weight of the curse bore down on him. He glanced toward Cassy again. She was struggling under Arima's oppressive boot, her face twisted in pain. He wanted nothing more than to rush over and rescue her, but he knew that leaving Lorelai unchecked would only lead to both their deaths.

He needed to end this. Now.