Robin releases a smash attack

“Sorry, but you’re outmatched as a strategist,” she told the pitiful opponent with a smile. “Time to end this-!”

She’d released her attack, but rather than finding herself staring off into the distance, she found herself staring at… what? Something like a human-sized bubble had appeared in front of her. When her sword connected with that, it flinched back. It took all of Robin’s concentration to keep her weapon from flying off into the distance behind her, as she rocked backward and extended her arms as if to grab it.

The bubble, meanwhile, had grown much smaller, almost the size of a watermelon. As it vanished, however, her opponent emerged with a pitying smile that mirrored her own a moment earlier. “Nosferatu,” he read from his tome, extending a hand forward as dark mists began to surround Robin.

“No! Nngh, ah!” she cried, beginning to **** as life-draining dark energy erupted around her.

The possum-playing Impostor rose to his feet, waving his hands to drain life **** from Robin and restore his own. “I know what you’re thinking. ‘What manner of protection spell was that?’ The fact that you’re asking that question means you’re no equal to me as a strategist. Honestly, I don’t see how such a brash tactician could be of any value to the Shepherds.”

Robin couldn’t retaliate, but she could at least glimpse around to take stock of her surroundings. Unfortunately, this only revealed more bad news: Chrom and Lucina were nowhere to be seen. The arena wasn’t large enough for them to be hiding. At some point, both of them must have left the stage, which meant there was no one to save her from her current predicament. “Y-you… bastard!” she gasped through closed teeth, as the dark flames finally released her. This hadn’t had any effect on her clothing, but that was a cold comfort: her head and body ached from the spell, and her opponent had completely recovered from the blow he was dealt before. The heroine raised her head with effort…

… Only to see her foe had already cast another spell. “Arcfire,” he called again.