A shot of energy slammed into the Pirate King, sending him staggering. He had clearly not been expecting a shot to suddenly be coming for him. The blow would not be enough to defeat the monster, but it would screw with him for a few moments. That wouldn't be enough, Red knew, but perhaps Silas and Derrin could get back on their feet by that time.
How the blasted man had got in the fort, Red had no idea. He also hadn't the slightest clue where Zara was. None of that mattered, though.
There was an enemy in front of him. Likely the deadliest enemy he had ever faced aside from the Herald. That creature was a monster in its own right.
Red fired another shot, but the Pirate King slashed it away with his blade. He kept his gun aimed at the pirate in case the man made any moves. Red knew that he had no chance of surviving a direct conflict with the pirate. He had dismantled two of the strongest warriors in the entire camp after all, and Red had no skill in melee combat.
"I have to say, I was hoping to just enjoy my day. Nowhere in my wildest dreams did I expect to walk out the door and find…" Red wrinkled his nose, "...this waiting on my doorstep. How did you find your way here anyway?"
"Put down the gun, boy, before I end your sorry existence," He sneered, raising his own gun.
"Gun battle, is it? You certainly seem to like your chances. I'll have you know I am an expert in the art of shooting. I'm also self-taught…kind of. So do with that what you will," Red cracked his neck.
The Pirate King scoffed, "I have been more than patient with all of you. As such, I will no longer feel bad for killing you, kid. You brought this on yourself."
Red grinned. He really didn't expect to stand much of a chance in this fight. He had a few wild cards that he was hoping to use against the Pirate King. Even with those, there was no way he could win the fight.
But he didn't need to.
His plan had been set in motion the moment he stepped out the door from the engineering room. All he needed to do now was buy some time. How much? Well, that depended entirely on Vizim.
"Red, get out of here!" Derrin yelled as he struggled under the pirate.
Silas still lay prone where he had fallen. Red could see redness soaking into his shirt, and he hoped the man wasn't dead. He didn't like the fellow, but that didn't mean he wanted him to die.
The Pirate King had had enough. He pulled the trigger on his gun. Red fired as well. The Pirate King deftly blocked the strike and waited for his shot to connect. It never did. The energy from the pirate's gun careened off Red's shield before dissipating against the ground.
"What the?" The surprised Pirate King gaped.
Red fired his gun again and then replaced it with his other one. The Pirate King still cleanly avoided his shots. Even the sudden appearance of Red's shield hadn't been enough to distract the man. No matter. Red wasn't done with Aegis yet.
"Like it?" Red called, "It's my new creation. I've heard that it will change the face of war across the seas as we know it. I didn't see why before, but now I do. Just look at this, it's enough to stop you from killing me."
The man sneered and rushed forward. Red chuckled softly as he continued to fire on the approaching figure. At the same time, he began the work of summoning his own mistblade. The Pirate King blocked some and avoided others.
Nothing seemed to come close to hitting. Red wasn't surprised. He had heard what Derrin called to Silas. The man had teleportation powers or something.
Why did he get cool powers while Red was stuck with fake swords? No matter. That very same fake sword would be the only thing delaying the fight long enough for them to win. He only needed to hold him off for a few more minutes. That would be all the time Vizim needed.
The Pirate King lunged, blade outstretched, as he brought it down on Red's head. His own blade manifested in his hand, glowing with a teal light. The sword clattered off Red's shield as the Pirate King staggered under the force of his own blow. The shield crackled beneath the strike. It wouldn't withstand another attack like it.
That was fine.
Red lashed out with his own blade. The strike wasn't good. He had trained, yes, but he would need far more time to truly learn the basics of sword fighting. However, in this short fight, he didn't need the strike to be true. It wouldn't have done anything anyway.
The Pirate King, already off balance, saw the seemingly normal blade lash towards him. He was forced to teleport himself backward, where he tripped. Red's sword missed as the pirate stumbled backward, snarling.
"How does it feel to be outplayed by a kid?" Red laughed maniacally as he fired another shot at the Pirate King.
The man leaped back, avoiding the shot, "You are truly a sly little devil, aren't you. You're the one who made all the bombs, weren't you?"
"I do dabble in those affairs occasionally. I'm glad you enjoyed my presents so much."
The Pirate King grinned, "None of those presents are going to help you now. How much charge do you have left on that device? I'll bet it will shatter beneath one more of my hits. Then what? Do you have any more repulsive plans in place? None of it will be enough to beat me. You are better off surrendering."
"Well, Mr. I'm the Great Pirate King because I suck at naming anything, so I needed to make myself feel powerful. None of that matters now because I have already got my next present ready for you."
"And what is that?" The Pirate King narrowed his eyes.
Red grinned as Derrin's blade came plummeting down towards the Pirate King's back.