The Moonlight Swordsman

Chapter 366 Maximine

At the same time...

Aizel was facing another elf.

*Booom*

The elf stood triumphant after he had hurled Aizel through the trees and into the snowy ground below. Snow and splintered wood littered the previously peaceful alpine scene, which had been turned into a chaotic war.

He looked around at the aftermath of his tremendous attack as he basked in the glow of his triumph.

However, a flicker of movement caught his eye, and he turned just in time to see Aizel emerging from the snow and debris.

"That guy has some power in his body," Aizel murmured while cracking his neck.

[Master, that guy can use darkness.]

"Shit, this might be another pain in the ass." 

Aizel watched as the dark elf vanished in a cloud of sinister black smoke. His natural instincts kicked in as he prepared for the elf to emerge, and lo and behold, a shadowy form appeared from behind him.

Yet, to Aizel's astonishment, the elf refrained from launching an immediate attack.

"Now that you have my attention, human, let me introduce myself.

"My name is Maximine Riccarcio, and you are honored to embrace death, which will be given by me."

Aizel stared at the elf with a dumbfounded look. 

[Master, this is definitely that type of idiot that is found in novels]

Yeah, you are right."

"Are you still ignoring me now?" The elf said this, staring at Aizel intensely.

"Ahem... sorry, my bad, I got lost while staring at your ugly face. It reminded me of an animal from my home place," Aizel replied.

[Fufu]

"You still don't understand what is good for you. Fine by me, I will not waste my time talking to you."

With that, the dark elf vanished back into the darkness, leaving Aizel hanging. As the dark fog closed in on Aizel from all sides, the atmosphere in the area changed in a chilling way.

"Yo yo yo, is this a fog-type attack?"

[Careful Master]

"Wait, I am starting to feel a little headache."

Clutching his head in distress, he tried to outrun the growing darkness by launching himself with blazing jets of propulsion.

Four huge, black arms sprang out of nowhere, snatched his arms, legs, and torso, and hurled him at full speed into the snowy ground.

"What the fuck?" Is he a summoner too?"

[Master..... Master....]

"Oh Shit...not again...."

Abruptly, thick, obsidian chains coiled around his form, constricting tightly around his body and throat, constricting and throttling Aizel as he lay on the ground.

Aizel's newfound resolve led him to bite down hard on his own lips, causing him agony and drawing blood. By going through this agony, he was able to sharpen his senses and finally shake off the illusion. 

He remained where he was, with blood streaming from his lips and ears, in the shadowy black smoke that had been there since the beginning. 

[Master, are you all right?]

Yeah, kind of."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he took a powerful hit to the stomach.

The impact threw him across the snow like a ragdoll, and he rolled aimlessly.

*Booom*

A tiny hill-like boulder stopped his careening descent after he had smashed through several trees. His impact was so significant that it broke the boulder into fragments.

"Fuck...."

[Master, move quickly]

Despite the severe pain, Aizel acted on his instincts and Sekki's timely warning. 

Two obsidian daggers flew by just as he moved away from the boulder, sinking into the shattered hillside where he had stood.

[Master, that dagger seemed kind of different]

Aizel watched intently as the daggers immediately began corroding the fragmented pieces of the boulder.

"Can he use acid and shit? Damn, I need to be more careful now."

"I thought you were stronger." Suddenly, Maximine appeared a little distance away from him and spoke.

"You are pretty weak. I can't understand how Ravanna lost against you," he said.

Sekki, is this guy trying to enrage me or something?"

[It seems so, master]

"Don't worry, dark elfy blud; you only warmed up my shoulder and back," Aizel replied.

Maximine's brows twitched in anger and irritation after hearing his response.

The dark elf faded back into the shadows, leaving Aizel to deal with his isolation once more.

"Mannnn.... I hate this type of enemy."

Instantly, Sekki transformed into a sword, and Aizel firmly gripped it in his hand.

His senses kicked in and then...

*Clang*

Maximine slashed at Aizel with his menacing black sword, then disappeared into his black smoke and reappeared at an unexpected angle, unleashing a barrage of blows.

His command of the shadows took several shapes during the fierce conflict between them. He didn't rely solely on his swordsmanship as he faded into the dark smoke. Instead, he manipulated the smoke itself into a weapon of destruction.

Each apparition revealed a new dimension of his sinister power. The darkness wrapped itself around his sword, transforming it into a lethal serpent.

Aizel, on the other hand, showed off his prowess by deftly deflecting and blocking each blow.

The smokey cloud that Maximine produced clung to Aizel's body, obscuring his eyesight and draining his vitality. It seemed as though the darkness itself was working against Aizel to suffocate and exhaust him. 

The dark elf's assault continued as he summoned shadows to make phantom copies of themselves. The ghostly doubles of Maximine moved in lockstep with him, making it nearly impossible for Aizel to tell them apart. When Aizel's blade touched the shadows, they dissipated into thin black vapor.

Just how many tricks does he have in his sleeves, man?" Aizel murmured.

Dark energy surged around Maximine as he reached into the depths of his abilities. He sent loose a swarm of dark tendrils that slithered like vipers, all with the intention of ensnaring Aizel. Some of them touched Aizel, leaving a cold feeling behind.

I need to do something."

SEKKI,"

[On it, Master]

Aizel's hard work, which involved focusing the flaming essence into his twin spinning blades, resulted in a devastating explosion that tore apart the web of shadows Maximine had fashioned. 

*BOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The sound reverberated across the frozen landscape, so loud that it overpowered the howling winds.

The force with which he let go was just breathtaking.

A dazzling conflagration broke forth, consuming the phantom duplicates of Maximine and eradicating the lingering black fumes and shadowy tendrils. The once-snowy landscape became a blackened, burned wasteland in the blink of an eye.

As the shockwaves spread, they caused a wave of damage. The ground shook beneath their feet, and the explosion's reverberations shook the mountains far beyond.

As the fire spread, Aizel and Maximine found themselves in the midst of the raging inferno. The flames veiled their figures for a while, but when the storm passed, Aizel was there, scarred but unbowed. His weapons, which had been ablaze moments before, were now at rest.

However, Maximine was lying on the ground; his body was burned and debilitated by the intensity of the explosion.

The dark elf's aura of malevolence had waned, and he struggled to rise amidst the desolation.

Aizel walked over to his defeated foe, still holding his blades. 

"Hey, I was just getting started, you know."

"FU...CK Y...OU!" Maximine responded in a weak voice.

"Yeah yeah,"

With the intention of delivering the killing blow, Aizel descended onto the downed dark elf, his dual blades lifted high. 

However, his triumphant expression morphed into one of shock and disbelief as the dark elf's form disintegrated into an inky black smoke. It was then that the harsh truth dawned on him.

"HIHIHI, IDIOT" Maximine materialized behind him and trusted his black sword deep into Aizel's body. 

His smile of triumph, however, was short-lived this time. 

Aizel's body began disintegrating into countless sparks of lightning, scattering in every direction. 

He was shocked to see that these sparks had evolved into clones of Aizel. These clones bore sinister grins on their faces and eyes ablaze with crackling lightning, freezing Maximine with dread.

"You didn't think only you could do this right." Every single clone of Aizel spoke at the same time.

"Let me see, how do you dodge this attack now?"

Simultaneously, each clone raised two fingers to their foreheads.

[Just like Piccolo]

Shut up, this is my attack,"

Each clone unleashed a high-velocity water jet cutter attack from their fingertips, resembling laser beams, all directed at Maximine.

Maximine desperately dodged the water jet cutters from every direction by darting and weaving through the attack. At every opportunity, he turned into a puff of black smoke and escaped the path of the water jet cutters. 

The constant onslaught, however, was taxing his abilities to their breaking point, making it more difficult for him to avoid the strikes and keep up his hazy defense.

Meanwhile, Aizel's clones were racing for Maximine with electrifying speed, constantly releasing watery attacks.

[Master be aware of his tricks. Darkness is a tricky power]

I know very well that if he thinks he can outsmart me, then this blud will be dead before he knows what hit him,"