Chapter 680 The First Taste of Divinity
Seeing the other Evil Goddesses descend from the sky made all the contestant's blood run cold. They had all been struggling up till this point, but now Cherry knew they had no chance.
"We have to retreat-" Cherry started to call out, but a wave of water washed over her and the other contestants in the area. The water washed away the dirt, but also healed them all. Turning to the source, Cherry watched as the water rushed back to O'Lee, but she had started to glow.
"Even if you die, I will bring you back. We fight," O'Lee growled as she stood, and then slapped her hands together, twisting them so they point up and down. Instantly a magic circle covered the entire area. "Me'Tal, Virdis, Glacia. Collect the people," O'Lee growled through gritted teeth with eyes closed, then she opened her eyes burned with shining gold and burning blue blaze, looking directly at Cherry. "We will fight them ourselves."
Cherry's eyes nearly bulged out of her head at O'Lee's words, but there was something about her that seemed different. Blue lines of power snaked and crawled up her body from O'Lee's magic circle and she was surrounded by a serene and powerful aura. It was a spectacle that made even Pyrrah pause from her earlier gloating.
Galio's face broke into a proud smile as he watched the transformation. O'Lee was one of the contestants who truly understood the importance of the goddess trials. She had not only exhibited extraordinary skill in protecting her fellow contestants but was also showing the willingness to face the challenges head-on with fearless determination.
Watching the awe-inspiring scene unfold in front of them, Cherry felt a strange sensation within her. It was as if something within her had ignited, a burning flame bolstered by O'Lee's words and her own determination. The familiar energy coursing through her veins felt fiercer, stronger.
In the next instant, areas of her body began to burn a bright gold, and the scales on her skin began to glow a fiery red. Surprised, Cherry realized that she was receiving the same divine power boost as O'Lee.
As she struggled to control this newfound strength, the shout of encouragement from the crowd and her fellow contestants gave her the courage to embrace it. The energy that filled her was not just raw power; it was a taste of the divine strength that gods and goddesses held.
"Cherry!" Glacia cried, snapping Cherry out of her daze. "Use this power! This must be a temporary gift from Galio. Let's use it to protect the city!"
"You think that we are just going to let you? Girl's! Just leave these two for Whispera and I!" Pyrrah laughed as she started to form fireballs in the air. Before she could finish, the evil goddess was hit and dragged into the air by a red streak.
Whispera turned to look at her but felt something long and wet grabbing at her legs. When the goddess turned back, she flinched at the sea of clear blue tentacles that were rising up from the huge blue magical circle on the ground. Whispera barely had any time to react before she was yanked down toward the ground by the multitude of water tentacles. She tried to wield her distortion field to break free but was met by a tremendous force as if she were being drowned in a cascading sea.
O'Lee's firm and unwavering gaze never left Whispera's form. Her fury shaped the water dancing around them, transforming it into a divine, adamant force. Her hands weaved complex patterns in the air, choreographing the assaulting tentacles that entangled and attacked Whispera without any respite.
Simultaneously, there was a battle of equal fierceness happening in the sky above as well.
Cherry was pushing Pyrrah back with a fierceness that could match an erupting volcano. Pyrrah's fireballs were met with Cherry's own blasts of fire, both enhanced by the temporary divinity from Galio. Their elemental energy swirled and fused in the sky, creating a spectacle of fire and splendor.
Meanwhile, Glacia, Virdis, and Me'Tal were rushing through the city. The power boost had supercharged their abilities as well. Glacia formed icy slides that whisked terrified spectators away from the chaos, while Virdis summoned vines to gently pluck and move those in immediate danger to safer locations. Me'Tal soared high above, using her enhanced sight to pinpoint anyone who might need assistance.
Just when O'Lee thought she had the upper hand, her stomach turned as the space around her became distorted. But before Whispera could pull off her notorious space-time switch, O'Lee counteracted with a furious wave, dissolving and destabilizing her black hole. An otherworldly moan of defiance echoed around them as the distortions got swallowed and nullified by O'Lee's tidal whirlpool. Not missing a beat, O'Lee's tactics shifted fluidly as she conjured an Aquatic Serpent, a divine manifestation of her power, to coil around Whispera. The goddess cringed visibly, trapped in the water serpent's celestial scales, straining against its oppressive strength.
Elsewhere, Me'Tal's wings flapped with a force that was creating small cyclones, uprooting and sweeping away the evolving chaos. Her eyes were filled with stern determination as she swooped down and helped several city folk escape the perils.
Virdis, on the other hand, created flourishing paths of vibrant plants that redirected the citizens like a natural conveyor belt. With every passing moment, she was commanding immense respect, her actions echoing louder than words. Simultaneously, Glacia was providing cooling shields and freezing any destructive flames that dared to harm her beloved city.
This was real cooperation, it was a unity that transcended any petty rivalries. This was an empathetic protection towards their people and their home, which the Goddess watching from afar admired with a certain pride.
Back in the square, as the skirmish between O'Lee and Whispera reached a fever pitch, even the usually cocky and smug Whispera felt a sense of trepidation bubbling in her chest. The intensity of the battle radiated with an otherworldly glow reflecting the grappling power between the contender and the antagonist. Under O'Lee's relentless assault, Whispera finally felt the raw potential of these contenders, a savage and beautiful taste of divinity.
"I guess that it is time for me to stop holding back!" Whispera laughed, and suddenly all the distortions disappeared.
O'Lee tried to attack, but each time her strikes distorted and then came back towards her own defenses. Whispera's voice echoed ominously, "Let's see how long you can hold up against this! It's time to play for real."
The distortions intensified, morphing into grotesque smiles, horrifying and looming. O'Lee knew she had to change tactics. Calling forth the depth of her divine power, she willed a massive tsunami to rise behind her, the massive wall of water shadowing the entire battleground.
Meanwhile, in the sky, Cherry's fight against Pyrrah had turned into a dazzling dance of flame and resilience. With each attack Pyrrah sent, Cherry met it with equal force.
"Not too bad, child, but now it is time for me to really cut loose!" Pyrrah laughed and her body started to transform and grow into a massive red and black dragon.
A massive rush of air was forced out of the expanding wings, converting into a numbing shockwave that would have forced Cherry away if not for the inflamed control she had over her power. The spectators gasped, their faces a mix of awe and terror as the magnificent, enormous dragon braced itself for the next level of their face-off. n((0veLBIn
Back in the city, Glacia's icy platforms had morphed into a makeshift maze, guiding and dispersing mobs of panicked citizens to safety. Her mastery of ice even allowed her to nullify any stray fireballs that threatened their path, freezing them mid-air and letting them harmlessly shatter on her icy shields.
Virdis had amplified her command over nature to create networks of fast-growing trees, forming natural fortresses to protect the city's infrastructure from stray energy blasts, the thickets of branches absorbing the brunt of any energy fluctuations.
Meanwhile, Me'Tal's power over the air was being used to astounding effect. Her cyclones formed barriers separating the spots of conflict from the residents. They also served as swift airways, transporting injured persons to safety in a heartbeat, thanks to her heightened focus and sharp insight.
Suddenly, an earth-shaking bellow rang through the city as Pyrrah took to the air, Cherry hot on her trail. The once blue sky was now a raging theater of roaring flames and thrashing scales. Despite being visibly smaller, Cherry's determined figure glowed, mirroring a raging inferno refusing to be extinguished.
Back on the ground, the fight between O'Lee and Whispera was reaching a fever pitch. Each counter-attack was punctuated by the thunderous clash of water against the ethereal distortions, creating an explosive spectacle. With a deafening crash, O'Lee's tsunami collided with Whispera's spatial distortion field, sending shockwaves throughout Felidae.
Drained but undeterred, O'Lee knew this was only the beginning of assurances she had to provide, a testament to the sheer power Orcalian women held within them.
O'Lee, Cherry, Glacia, Virdis, and Me'Tal displayed a resolve beyond any seen before, echoing the sentiments of the ancient Goddesses watching from afar. The spectacle was an undying testament to the unwavering spirit of the female warriors, the ones willing to go to any length to protect what they held dear. This was a telltale sign of the goddesses to be, illuminated in the heart of a fierce battle, symbolizing resistance, unity, and an unwavering spirit, forging an epic saga in the annals of Felidae's transformative history.