Chapter 212: Combo Generator
Sierra had a bird’s eye view of the arena within the submerged cathedral. She kept as much distance from the developing conflict as she could, sticking to the perimeter as she sought opportunities to contribute, but she couldn’t help but feel as though she was trapped inside a collapsing glass cage with two absolute monsters.
From her perspective, the overall situation didn’t look good. The arena had a razor thin layer of water coating its entire surface while the outer vestibules were fully submerged. Each step that Coop took splashed, radiating shallow waves as he maneuvered. Meanwhile, the High Priestess tiptoed on top of the surface of the water. Neither of the primary combatants had landed any particularly damaging blows to the other, but it seemed like the Priestess held several advantages between the range of her spells, the development of the arena, and that they were fighting within her own domain. Sierra wasn’t sure how a melee focused fighter would manage against the mobile caster in a drawn out fight, especially as the water level rose, and she lacked the ability to consistently provide support.
The stronghold of the High Priestess had sprung a few leaks in its effort to contain the aggressive gladiator, but most of the water that pooled inside the chamber was the result of the crystal clear and highly pressurized water orbs being smashed by the heavy morning star. The enemy obstacles contained an incomprehensible quantity of liquid. They completely ignored their already large physical dimensions and exploded into waterfall-like cascades whenever they popped. Sierra was forced to skirt around them like they were untethered hot air balloons as some of the orbs hovered throughout the domain, even after the number gradually decreased after Coop individually destroyed them.
The submerged enclave held its rigid exterior, but the entire structure was shifting. Water was starting to pool on one side, revealing a slight lean that she wouldn’t have noticed from the air, but was made obvious by the sloshing water as it ran across the grooved floor. The constant bashing from the sledgehammer-like weapon had caused the entire structure to become unmoored from whatever magic had fastened it in place. The abyss beyond the walls remained uninviting to Sierra, though the whole cathedral had brightened slightly as they drifted closer to the surface. Coop appeared to be singularly focused on destroying the High Priestess with little regard for the condition of their vessel. Sierra felt like she needed to be ready for another Cloud Vortex at any moment, or they might drown when the walls finally collapsed.
Sierra was literally and figuratively out of her depth. It took all of her skills and experience to contribute anything at all to the conflict between the two titans. She liberally applied her Nimbus Strides, holding none back. If she didn’t, she was guaranteed to die a horrible, crushing death. After seeing the fate of Coop’s spear, she had no desire to be killed by the extraordinary pressure of the orbs. The Priestess’s errant skills were enough to push her evasiveness to her limit. She rarely had the chance to weave Zephyr Blasts into her dance, but even when she did, they did little more than annoy the fully empowered Priestess. The level gap was such that Sierra had no choice but to retreat and seek windows of opportunity to land surprise attacks, except now she was trapped within the domain.
The whole experience was a far cry from her dominating presence in Costa Rica, where she was at the clear apex of the region. Monsters and intruders risked it all when they appeared in her forest. She was considered a secret champion by those who knew of her, as she prevented the Cult from sending Acolytes and Priests beyond her territory. It wasn’t until she heard Juliana’s message and she left to rejoin the Jaguar Sun that she found herself outclassed and forced to retreat from the very High Priestess that was being pressed by the outsider. Now that she was caught among actual peak examples of warriors in the assimilation, she felt truly inadequate.
She had been able to develop her own little enclave after the Jaguar Sun failed to topple the Cult, thanks in large part to her previously unsurpassed abilities. Her Cloud Dancer class was something special, giving her access to seemingly unlimited skills through one simple channel, but she wasn’t particularly strong due to the requirement to chain moves in a constantly flowing, and literal, dance.
While she worried about navigating the air, Coop was smashing through orbs and slowly making his way across the platform, getting closer and closer to the Priestess. The Priestess, for her part, was running out of orbs to transfer her position with, and it seemed as though it was only a matter of time before she would be forced to stand before the Champion of Ghost Reef.
Juliana had informed her of the presence of the outsider, but she hadn’t made the connection between the powerful Champion from her ally’s story and the suicidal fighter that had blindly engaged the High Priestess. It wasn’t until they were already within the submerged domain that she realized who he was. At first glance, Coop didn’t seem to wield the unmatched Strength he was now displaying. In fact, she had mistaken him for a much more average warrior when he first assaulted the Priestess. His physical presence wasn’t as imposing as someone like Tzultacaj and other pure Strength focused fighters, at least from a distance. The truly strong often moved like hulking barbarians. Coop, for his part, seemed more balanced, like a natural athlete before the assimilation came.
Once he was engrossed in combat, Sierra was glad Coop wasn’t focused on her. Even if it meant trading power profiles, she wouldn’t swap places with the High Priestess. Coop’s aura filled the chamber, and it made her blood run cold. He seemed unstoppable. It didn’t matter how much faster she could be, she thought his pursuit would be unending. The Priestess appeared to be coming to the same conclusion. The obstacles she used to trap and defeat others were being crushed with simple motions that concealed the effort he must have been putting behind the blows.
As the number of water orbs dwindled, Sierra found herself with more room to maneuver. Her Nimbus Strides started to recover, and she began to pool them for when they became more necessary. She was able to spend more time watching for openings in the High Priestess’s actions as Coop demanded the enemy’s full attention.
“Don’t you see?” The High Priestess asked Coop, as the pair continued an ongoing conversation that Sierra hardly followed. “In this way, those who would have died at the hands of invaders have the chance to contribute to the rest of us instead! They become the wind in our sails, the pillars of our fortress, and the army at our backs!”