The Daughter of Cursed Steel Chapter 32: Chapter 32: No Path to Victory

Read chapter 32 of The Daughter of Cursed Steel by Ashfell on NovelPedia.

Chapter 32: No Path to Victory Rachel and the Hero were falling through the hole in the castle. As they descended, Rachel grabbed tightly onto his armor and held onto the handle of the greatsword that was still embedded in his chest as they plunged into the darkness. They slammed into the ground below, and the floor completely shattered beneath them. Due to the damage from the ongoing battle, the collapsing floor gave way, sending them crashing through yet another level before they finally came to a stop on the floor below. The impact drove the greatsword even deeper into the Hero of Earth's chest until the tip struck the stone floor beneath him, sending a violent vibration through the blade and breaking it a few inches from the crossguard. The force of the collision sent Rachel stumbling off the Hero. Despite the pain, she forced herself back to her feet, still gripping the handle of the shattered greatsword. Taking a step forward toward the Hero of Earth, who was still lying on his back trying to recover from the fall, she swung the broken blade down toward his neck. But as she brought the blade down, the Hero of Earth slammed his palm against the ground. A small pillar of earth erupted upward between them, bursting forward and smashing into Rachel's shoulder. The impact sent her falling backward as the shattered blade slipped from her grasp. Rachel tried to recover once more, but before she could get back up, the Hero of Earth kicked her as hard as he could, connecting with her face. She was launched across the room, tumbling across the floor. Her nose broke on impact, blood pouring from it as she coughed up blood. A few teeth fell from her mouth and clattered across the stone floor. The Hero of Earth then raised his left hand and pulled the broken blade from his chest. Blood spurted from the wound and started leaking down his body. He then used his strength to tear off his chest plate, tossing it to the side as he started to gather magic. Moments later, earth magic immediately started to seal the wound as stone formed over the massive hole, covering the injury with a layer of hardened earth. He slowly sat up and looked toward where Rachel had fallen. Then, with visible effort, he shakily began to rise to his feet. The impact had caused him more damage than he had expected. His bones creaked as he stood. Rachel regained her focus as she saw him coming toward her. She quickly looked around, searching for anything she could use to stop him. Then she noticed it. The room they had fallen into was her training room. A slight smile spread across her face. This could work. If I use the things in this training room, I might actually have a chance. Rachel gritted her teeth as blood poured from the gaps in her mouth where teeth once were as she scrambled back to her feet and limped toward the gravity sigil that Rafflesia had created for her. She quickly stepped onto the highest gravity setting before pulling a two-handed training battle axe from a nearby weapon rack. Then she tightened her grip on the weapon and waited for the Hero of Earth to get close. The Hero glanced toward Rachel as he acknowledged her toughness. "You are impressive for a girl. You sure know how to take a beating and still get back up." The Hero then burst forward, earth magic forming around his hand as he charged straight toward Rachel. But the moment he stepped into the gravity sigil, its effects took hold, and everything changed. His body was suddenly dragged downward. The hand covered in earth veered off course as the increased gravity pulled both him and his magic toward the floor. Rachel easily sidestepped the slowed attack. Seizing the opportunity, she swung the battle axe down as hard as she could. The blade bit deep into his collarbone as the axe dug into his flesh, while the crushing gravity forced the Hero of Earth down to one knee. But the gravity only stopped him for a moment. A second later, he allowed the earthen magic covering his hand to fade. T