Triple Strength

312. Steelwill: Wiremu

Modrica entered the steelman’s aura range. Or Skill range? I am unsure if it is an Aura or Skill, and it doesn’t matter. Steel needles hit and bounce from Modrica. She has Armoured Skin at a much higher level than Težka. Then there is an earth wall on one side of her and in a line toward the Elite. The needles embed themselves in the earth. They are rotating in one direction around Steelman.

I reach the Portcullis as Modrica engages the first Elite. Steel mace rings against Steel shield, and the elite counters Modrica's initial move.

The portcullis is not ordinary steel. All metal defences will be enhanced if they have a Metal affinity user. I don’t stop, though, because Modrica badly needs me. I leave Puia to consume the enhanced steel and make a Težka-sized gap. This will also enhance him, I hope.

I moved toward Modrica and Težka, this time creating my full Granite Armour. I watch as Steelman touches the shoulder of the two Elites in front, and their shields sprout spikes, which are immediately slammed into Modrica and Težka. Modrica is pushed back, while Težka is not. Both spiked shields are red with blood. I try to move faster, ignoring the random arrow that rebounds off my Granite.

The rear two guards move up to support the front two while Steelman stays close, looking for opportunities. I don’t think we can end this quickly. If reinforcements come, we are done. We need to extract and run and I am not sure Modrica will do that.

Steelman repairs the dents and claw marks in the steel shields at a touch on the shoulder. That won’t be using much energy. We either need to run him dry of energy enough that he runs or injure him enough that he runs, or the Elite extract him. The Elite’s primary mission will be to protect Steelman. We need to trigger that primary mission and quickly.

I crash into Modrica’s elite, who is now supported by one of the rear ones. The other one, who was at the back, is now standing next to Steelman. Support and reinforcement to his mates and final protection for Steelman.

My momentum and shield bash pushed the two elites back a step, and they were on the defensive briefly as I viciously and continuously attacked them. Modrica took the opportunity to grab her flail and struck hard, and the steel ball on the end of the flail went over the top of the shield and struck the helmet of the elite. His head went sideways, and the spike on the ball came out with blood on it. The flail chain was caught on the top of the shield, and the elite was momentarily stunned, but Steelman wasn’t. He touched the shoulder, and the helmet repaired itself, and the chain broke, so Modrica was only holding a handle with a short chain on the end rather than a flail.

She tossed it away and struck with her Power Fist, Armour Smash and Fast Strike Skills. This caused Steelman to have to have his hand continuously on the elite's shoulder to keep up with the damage.

The elites were not just taking damage. They had Skills of their own, and their swords were striking hard and fast and returning bloody, except for my elite. His sword was coming back twisted and half-melted from the lava. Then Steelman would touch him, and his sword would reform and last three or four strikes before starting to deform again.

It was time to stop playing their game. I signalled Modrica, and this is where Ruku’s group practice showed its worth. I created a field of ankle-high spikes under their feet, and Modrica and Težka simultaneously let loose with Earthquake. The ground movement, combined with the sudden uneven footing, had them all stumbling as we upped the violence of our attacks.

While they were distracted with their footing and us actually causing damage, a small snake lept from a second-story arrow slit in the watchtower. Halfway to us, he was a giant snake, and I had advised Tāoke to go full Lava Body. He wrapped himself around Steelman so only his feet were visible, and he squeezed and cooked.

Steelman had a very high Heat Resistance. I assume he worked a forge. It still must have hurt. Tāoke’s body rocked as steel spikes ripped through him, and the near elite attacked him. Tāoke’s upper body was free, and he Spit Lava and poison at the elite trying to hack his head off. Tāoke struck, trying to get his fangs on the guy, but he was quick, and Tāoke was hindered by holding Steelman.

The Tāoke unravelled suddenly as Steelman’s armour expanded, producing sharp steel plates that threatened to cut Tāoke to pieces. Tāoke bashed Steelman with his tail, and he went flying against the watchtower wall, causing the stone to crack.

The Elites all fought a retreat to protect their primary mission, and I signalled the retreat. I could tell Modrica was reluctant, but she came. We got near the hole Puia had made, but the wooden gate was still closed, and the hole was not yet big enough for Težka. I slipped through the gap and unbarred the wooden gate. All the locks are on the inside, as the gate is to keep people out. The solid wooden bar is only the first lock. One-meter-high posts were embedded in the road to stop the gate from opening. These had to be pulled out, and the lever-and-pulley system retracted similar posts at the top of the gate.

We didn’t get time as the four elites and Steelman advanced on us again. All their armour looked fresh and undented, and Steelman had created himself a halberd. I am sure they were bruised and bleeding under the armour, but it was demoralising to have apparently made no progress.

It's time for round two.

I took stock of our condition. Težka and Modrica were putting on their own intimidation show. Težka had opened the chest of a dead trooper and was eating her heart, and Modrica had another dead trooper and was drinking his blood with her fangs in his neck. This was helping them heal a bit.

I was the least injured, although I was getting low on energy. Tāoke was probably the worst injured, with deep cuts into his Lava Body. You couldn’t tell by looking at him, but I could sense it, and he couldn’t start to regenerate until he changed back. For now, his Lava body was his best bet.

Tāoke started the next round with venom spit to the face plates. They have to breathe, and their eyes, nose, and mouths are excellent ways to ingest venom. They responded by charging us. All four elites were at the front this time, and Steelman was behind with his halberd. The halberd was on a long pole so he could reach past the elites, and it had an axe head and a spear tip. He looked like he knew what he was doing with it, and he probably had some Skills to match.

We met the charge. Modrica and I took one each, and Težka basically bounced two back. That was an exaggeration; they had just come to a sudden stop. Tāoke and I returned to work, filling their visors with Phantasm Venom Cloud. Tāoke started alternating that with Lava Spit. Burning face and reduced visibility are what we are going for. All these elites have a high resistance to heat, and potentially, they will have a self-heal or something.

We were keeping Steelman busy repairing damage when I sensed the gap was big enough. Steelman made his move first, and his Halberg came down on Modrica’s arm with some sort of power/ cutting Skill, and it sliced right through the earthen bone, cutting her left arm clean off just below the elbow.

I retaliated with a short spear and a Power Stike throw. His armour deflected it enough, but it still pierced through his armour and lodged in his shoulder. I suspect he had Steel Bones or similar, but he was wounded and thrown back. Before I could do it again, I was thrown back with a Shield Bash and the spikes cracking my Granite Armour. Granite Armour was as easy for me to repair as the steel plate was to him.

Modrica had sealed her arm with Earthen Shield and was still holding her own. She was no stranger to fighting, regardless of her injuries. She is no stranger to pain.

“Go,” I said, creating a Granite Wall between the Troopers and us. Tāoke was already on the other side of the Portcullis, spitting through the gaps. Modrica spun and led Težka through.

The elites were already coming around the wall, and I spiked them, denting the armour. Again. I had forgotten about Steelman. He had gone to the Portcullis and had his hand on it, and the gap we had made was closing fast, and Težka wasn’t through yet.

He was moving, and the regrowing bars were bending to his strength, but it was slowing him down.

Tāoke squeezed his massive lava body through the gap in the portcullis bars and bit down with full force into the plate-clad arm of Steelman. I was holding off three elites with all I could. I sensed one of Tāoke’s lava fangs break, but the other pierced/melted their way through the plate and into his arm. I sensed he injected Puia.

Steelman let out one of the loudest and agonising screams I had heard as Puia went to work. And I have heard a lot. Then Steelman did something I did not expect. He manipulated his armour and created blades that sliced his own arm off before Puia could get further than the elbow. The part of the arm Puia was in fell to the ground, and Steelman’s upper arm ended in a steel plate. Puia sank below ground and rejoined Tāoke. Tāoke squeezed his body behind the portcullis as the fourth elite came to save his boss.

Težka was through, and Modrica had finished opening the gate. I was burning energy so fast, holding off three elites. I was not going to last. I went for the wall again, curved around me and the gap. Before the elites could go over it, I had dove through and sealed it with another wall.

Just before I ducked through the gate, I saw Steelman watching me. I gave him a nod of respect. Cutting off his arm to save his life was fast, smart thinking and took guts to do it in time. Less than ten seconds later, he would have been dead when Puia turned his heart into lava. He is a scary, smart opponent, and I hope there aren't any more like him here. Steelman with a Steelwill