"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"-Chapter 346: The Storm Breaks
The Calm Before the Storm
The morning air was still, but the
atmosphere was charged
with anticipation.
Seraphis strode into the
armory
, her fingers trailing over the cold steel of various weapons.
Her gaze settled on a crate of
massive crossbolts
, the ones designed for her fortress'
Downstrike Crossbows
.
She
knelt down, inspecting them
, then smirked.
"A mage, huh?" she mused.
She reached for the
ritual dagger
strapped to her hip, its
obsidian blade gleaming
in the dim torchlight.
With
steady hands
, she
carved intricate anti-magic engravings
into the shafts of each crossbolt.
By the time she was done,
dozens
of the heavy bolts bore the sigils of
magic negation
.
Seraphis wiped her dagger clean and stood.
"Replace the old bolts with these," she commanded.
Her crew
rushed to obey
, hauling the newly enchanted ammunition to the
Downstrike emplacements
on the fortress walls.
She exhaled, rolling her shoulders.
"He's almost here," she murmured.
A Warning from the Watchtower
A
shout from above
broke the morning stillness.
"
Ship ahead! Ship ahead!
"
Seraphis turned sharply, her gaze snapping to the
watchtower above the gate
.
The scout was
pointing frantically
toward the horizon.
She climbed up the stone steps of the fortress wall in swift strides, her eyes narrowing as she spotted the
massive warship cutting through the waves
.
It was
twice the size
of most pirate vessels, its
black sails embroidered with jagged silver streaks
—the symbol of
Stormcaller
.
A
storm began to gather
above it, dark clouds forming in the once-clear sky.
Seraphis grinned.
"Right on time."
She
raised a fist
, signaling her crew.
"Ready yourselves," she commanded.
"
The enemy is coming.
"
The
Arrowstorms
on the towers were loaded.
The
Downstrike Crossbows
were aimed.
Her entire
fortress braced for battle
.
Stormcaller Summons the Tempest
On the deck of the
warship
, Stormcaller stood at the bow, his dark cloak
billowing in the wind
.
He raised his hands,
chanting in an ancient tongue
.
His magic
surged outward
, and the sky responded.
Lightning cracked through the heavens
, illuminating his
piercing silver eyes
.
The sea churned, waves rising violently.
He smirked.
"Let's see what she can do," he muttered.
With a
snap of his fingers
, bolts of
lightning shot down from the heavens
, aimed directly at
Raven Perch
.
A Counter to the Storm
Seraphis
watched the sky light up
, feeling the raw
power of the storm
descending toward them.
She
didn’t flinch
.
Instead, she
turned to her archers
.
"
Aim at the skies! FIRE!
"
The
Arrowstorms released their payload
, unleashing a
rain of anti-magic bolts
into the darkened clouds.
The
moment they struck
, the runes activated.
Lightning fizzled out
, devoured by the enchanted steel.
The sky, once filled with raging energy,
dimmed
slightly.
Aboard the warship, Stormcaller’s
eyes widened in shock
.
"
Fuck.
"
He clenched his jaw.
"She has anti-magic bolts," he growled.
A crew member looked at him with concern.
"What do we do, captain?"
Stormcaller’s expression hardened.
"We still fight," he said coldly.
He
drew his saber
, the blade crackling with residual electricity.
"
Forward! Let’s see if she can handle a storm up close!
"
The Battle Begins
Seraphis
watched the warship push forward
, now coming into range of her fortress'
primary weapons
.
She smiled.
"Perfect."
She turned to the Downstrike crew.
"
Aim at their hull! Fire!
"
The
first wave of anti-magic bolts
tore through the air, slamming into the
side of Stormcaller's ship
.
The
wood splintered
, leaving jagged holes.
The ship
shook violently
, but it kept coming.
Stormcaller stood firm on the deck, his
cloak whipping behind him
.
He
raised a hand
, chanting again, this time sending
a vortex of wind
toward the fortress.
The force was
strong enough to push the next volley of bolts off course
.
Seraphis narrowed her eyes.
"So he can use wind magic too…"
She turned to her
cannoneers
.
"Switch to
grappling shot
," she ordered.
"If he wants to fight up close, let's
pull him in
."
Hooking the Prey
The
cannoneers worked quickly
, loading the massive
harpoon-like cannons
.
Seraphis
raised her hand
.
"Fire!"
The harpoons shot forward,
chains rattling
as they
buried deep into the enemy ship
.
The fortress' crew immediately
began pulling
, slowly
dragging the warship toward Raven Perch
.
Stormcaller’s
crew scrambled
, trying to cut the chains.
But Seraphis
anticipated this
.
She turned to the
archers
.
"Anyone who goes near those chains—
kill them.
"
Arrows rained down
, picking off anyone attempting to sever the lines.
Stormcaller clenched his jaw.
"
She’s forcing us in. Clever.
"
But he wasn’t about to be outplayed.
The Counterattack
Stormcaller lifted his hand and
snapped his fingers
.
Suddenly, a
blast of concentrated wind
shot forward, slamming into the fortress.
It
rattled the walls
, forcing Seraphis to brace herself.
One of the harpoons
snapped loose
, and the ship lurched slightly to the side.
Seraphis
narrowed her eyes
.
"
So, you’re that strong? Let’s see you handle this.
"
She turned to her
crew operating the Downstrike Crossbows
.
"
Load the heavy rounds. Aim for the deck.
"
The
massive siege bolts
were locked in place.
Seraphis watched the ship sway in the waves, then smiled.
"Fire."
The
Downstrike bolts shot forward
, each one capable of tearing through solid steel.
One
smashed through the main mast
, sending
splinters flying
.
Another
buried itself into the deck
, taking out several crew members.
Stormcaller
cursed
, gripping the railing as his ship
shuddered from the impact
.
He turned his gaze to Seraphis,
eyes burning with rage
.
The battle had only just begun.
Seraphis smirked as she watched
Stormcaller steady himself
.
She could see the
fury in his gaze
, but she remained unfazed.
"Is that all?" she taunted, her voice carrying over the water.
Stormcaller grinned darkly.
"Oh, you’ll see soon enough," he muttered under his breath.
The war was just getting started.
Chapter 346: The Storm Breaks
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