The final gamble

“Pitiful Dark Lord! You dare challenge the sovereign of the continent? How amusing! Come then! Show me the strength of your conviction!”

I giggled delicately as Femto was attacking Minerva. The Dark Lord certainly was putting up a good fight. Well, that was putting it lightly. I’m sure if Femto would have absorbed Sylphid’s strength matters would have been somewhat different but as it stood…

Once again, the Dark Lord succeeded in goring Femto, forcing the devil to reform herself. That was the fifth time now.

A normal person would have long since broken after their attack was shown to be useless time and time again. But Minerva belonged to that rare subset that showed not a smidgen of reduction in willpower.

How vexing.

I was hoping to goad the Dark Lord into attacking me, but she was too cunning for that, no doubt realizing that I was completely protected via a magic shield and that if she would have her attention even slightly diverted from Femto, my familiar would rip her too pieces.

Did she perhaps figure out that there is a time limit on Femto? Or is it just pure discipline? Whatever the case may be, she truly was a worthy opponent.

“Marvelous!”, I praised her. “Very well, in recognition of your prowess, I shall provide you with a small glimpse of my true power! Be grateful to be bestowed this monumental honor!”

...

It seems I was getting ignored. How rude.

In that case it was time for a gamble.

The Dark Lord could not ignore what came next. For I was lowering my magic shield.

And charged up an attack spell.

The reaction was instantaneous. Of course. This wasn’t an opportunity the Dark Lord would be willing to let slip by. She first threw all her axes at Femto in means of distraction and then directly charged at me.

No matter how powerful my spell, her invincibility shield will protect her, so there was no reason for caution.

First gamble won.

And yet just as I was having the Dark Lord in my sights, she disappeared from view.

“What!”

Shadow Teleportation. She already learned to control that move?

How intriguing!

A lesser opponent would have been caught off guard by this.

But not me, not the witch of Miracles. I took account of the shadows upon entering this room and positioned myself accordingly. In order for shadow teleportation to work the spot needs to have a decent size, meaning the actual places of teleportation were rather limited in this room. In other words, the Dark Lord would appear to my right. My blind spot!

I whirled around as fast as I could but even so it wouldn’t be quick enough. Minerva would no doubt take my head.

And yet, when I came face to face with the Dark Lord her axe had yet to succeed in separating my head from my body.

Why was that?

Because Femto was holding her back!

This, for all accounts, should not have been possible. Minerva was faster then Femto. There was no way my familiar should have caught up in time.

And she didn’t.

Femto used her time powers.

Of course, Femto made use of her time slowing ability from the very start. However, she was holding back. And not only that, Femto slowly reduced them as the fight went on. All to create the illusion that Femto was getting weaker, all to ensnare the Dark Lord.

Well, with all that said, even at full **** time distortion, Minerva was only slowed down to about 50% And that will only be the case for a few seconds. After that, Femto’s time draining ability will be completely spend.

In other words, this move had to be used as a trump card.

If the Dark Lord were to teleport herself away again, we would have squandered our final move. My second gamble was that she wouldn’t do so.

This was an easy one. After all, Minerva was just about to decapitate me. And there was nothing that either I or Femto could do to prevent that. Who would stop here?

Ah, this was no trick or deception. I really was at her mercy. And because of that I was convinced that Minerva would not stop her attack.

She didn’t.

Second gamble won.

My familiar led out a cry of shock as Minerva’s axe was only mere centimeters away from my neck.

And then, Femto performed a miracle.

With speed that she should be wholly incapable of, the devil of time closed the distance, embraced the Dark Lord from behind and dug her claws into her flesh.

“WHAT?”, Minerva shouted enraged and for the first time in this fight, the Dark Lord was caught off guard.

That was my third and final gamble.

That Femto would go above and beyond to save my life. That she would tap into powers she herself was not even aware of.

Well done, my familiar.

“BLACK DESTRUCTION BEAM!”

My most magnificent attack painted everything in a dark light of despair as it engulfed both Minerva and Femto.

Third gamble won.