Aozaki Aoko Case File [482] (Patreon)

Edgin played his song nervously, glancing around—he was searching for Forge. As long as he found Forge, he’d find his daughter Kira.

Unfortunately, amidst the intense fighting in the VIP section, there was no sign of Forge. Besides the panicked spectators, all that remained were the Tower Guards and the Thayan assassins, desperately trying to kill each other.

Edgin forced himself to stay calm. Using his bardic abilities, he boosted his teammates’ morale. Xenk and Holga were like two meat grinders, hacking through enemies with their weapons.

Although Sofina in midair noticed Aoko’s arrival, she had no time to care about anything else. She was totally focused on the horn.

The sky above Neverwinter was suddenly covered by dark clouds. Countless tentacle-like things emerged from the clouds, converging to a point, and then, like liquid flowing into a funnel, poured into the top of the horn, only to become gas that spread out from the bottom.

This was the Beckoning of Death!

“Get out of here! Run as far as you can!” Aoko shouted to her teammates in battle, then, without looking back, smashed through the glass and leaped outside, soaring into the sky.

Normally, maintaining a flight spell required concentration, but with her split-thought spell and massive magic circuits, Aoko managed to cheat a bit—approaching Sofina from the air as she prepared her counterspell with all her might.

“Hurry, let’s fall back!” Xenk urged his teammates anxiously. He knew all too well what that red mist was. As a half-undead, he might survive, but his teammates definitely wouldn’t. “Stay away from the mist!”

The three fought as they retreated. The leaking crimson mist had already poisoned many unlucky nobles at the gaming tables, leaving them foaming at the mouth as they were transformed into undead. The Thayans didn’t care about the mist at all—they even eagerly inhaled it.

Holga, though raging, remained fully rational. Fighting as she withdrew, she lopped off the head of a Thayan who tried to ambush Edgin, then dragged her old friend away from the pursuing mist.

Xenk had more to consider. The Harpers and druids were evacuating the crowd, and even the tournament in the arena had been forcibly halted. The displacer beasts chasing contestants were slaughtered by Harpers to disperse civilians as fast as possible.

But they were a step too slow. Some of the crimson mist had already spread into the stands, killing and transforming a few spectators. Things were becoming irreversible.

Aoko noticed this and had to accelerate her casting. Crossing her arms over her chest, palms facing each other, a glowing red sphere of magical energy began to form.

Sofina’s chanting grew more intense, and more and more crimson mist poured from the horn. Finally, Aoko completed her first ever 9th-level spell.

Her hands moved like a cat’s cradle, transforming from a reversed cross to a prayer posture. The red energy sphere vanished.

“Mordenkainen’s Disjunction!”

Under Sofina’s incredulous gaze, the horn—almost an artifact—suddenly burst with red light and exploded into fragments.

“No, no, no!” Sofina screamed hysterically. Her years of planning were ruined! Even the artifact entrusted to her by the great Szass Tam was destroyed. “You filthy, polluting mortals! I’ll make you wish you were dead!”

“Hmph, anyone can talk tough,” Aoko sneered back, teleporting behind Sofina. With her right index and middle fingers together, a series of illusory magic circles spun around her arm.

“Isaac’s Greater Missile Storm!”

Seventeen arcane missiles streaked toward Sofina. The sudden backstab startled the Thayan Red Wizard, but her casting speed didn’t falter.

She drew a circle with all ten fingers, instantly conjuring a spherical transparent forcefield that enveloped her. The missiles pounded the shield, only pushing her back without injury.

Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere... Aoko thought, eyes narrowed. She quickly cast another spell, planning to use the sphere to force Sofina out of the arena—who knew if she had any backup plans to restart the ritual?

Aoko thrust her palms, sending an invisible shockwave at the forcefield enclosing Sofina, launching her uncontrollably toward the ground outside the arena.

Twin Metamagic: Maximized, Quickened Forcewave.

Sofina realized things were turning bad and immediately dispelled her own Resilient Sphere with a scream.

Aoko frowned at her. That scream clearly wasn’t a Banshee’s Wail or fear of heights—it had to be some way to signal her minions.

Her guess was spot on. The spectators killed by the Beckoning of Death now rose like zombies, fighting the Harpers and druids. Other spectators screamed and rushed to escape—the scene was chaos.

Contestants in the arena realized what was happening. Though not especially strong, they were far tougher than the average undead. They quickly joined the Harpers and Emerald Enclave druids, fighting shoulder to shoulder against the undead and Thayan assassins.

Sofina’s scream not only ordered her forces inside the arena but also summoned Thayan agents hidden in the city’s districts near the arena, who now emerged and began killing on the streets.

But thanks to Aoko and her friends, these Thayans were quickly intercepted by prepared Neverwinter adventurers.

At this moment, Neverwinter Ciy fell into utter chaos. The clash of swords and magic echoed everywhere, the former peace and prosperity gone. Sensing danger, shops and residents locked their doors and windows.

To catch the bandits, catch the leader first. Aoko narrowed her eyes, sped up, and flew after Sofina. If she could take down this Red Wizard archmage, the rest of the Thayan remnants in Neverwinter would be no threat!