Chapter 74 - Phantasm-Level

Brahmi let out a sigh, placing her hands behind her head as she began to make her way back down the corridor.

"--We need to tell Mother Beatrice about this...it would be best to head back home right away."

"Hah? What about the hunt? I get that we're losin' but that's as good as giving up!"

"Brahmi...that goblin was able to keep up with you--something like that existing in this forest...if it's not the only one, then it can pose a threat to all of us."

Before Brahmi could continue the conversation, the sound of sizzling skin had been replaced by a hum, as the air began to vibrate subtly in the pitch-black cavern.

The source of mana that had disappeared after the usage of the great magic had reappeared--surging from where their backs faced.

"Iris--use illuminate, now!"

Left agape as her heart began thumping again, Iris nodded her head before conjuring the spell, "Licht: Greater Illuminate!"

It was a surreal sight, one they believed was a falsity displayed through their eyes. The creature rose from the ground with only its legs as its arms laid limp at its sides. Skin that had been burnt away stitched itself back together--or rather, new skin was rebuilt in place of what was missing as its burnt away flesh followed suit.

Within moments, it was impossible to tell that the goblin had ever sustained any damage. This time, fear didn't take hold of Iris' body as she extended her hand with malicious intent.

"Hyperion: Scalding Sanction!"

Unleashing a torrent of light that spiralled into a tunnel, crashing directly against the risen creature--it was a spell in the same grouping as the great magic she had used previously. A powerful spell used to burn away her enemies with malicious light.

--I...I don't feel any resistance. It didn't attempt to dodge or even so much as block the attack. Why? Why?

She poured nearly all of her reserves into the casted spell, holding it as she increased its firepower out of fear of what may happen if she released it.

"Iris--calm down! Yer' gonna drain yourself dry!"

Brahmi grabbed hold of Iris' extended wrist, snapping her back into focus as the young mage set the spell free. The two watched as the scorching light dissipated into particles of golden mana--feeling their stomachs sink as their eyes met with the result of the attack.

"How…? I used everything...Brahmi, I used everything I had…"

Dropping to her knees, the blue-haired mage felt her soul resign to the powerless feeling reverberating through herself as the creature stood in the same spot, without so much as a scratch on its pale green skin.

"I think I might know what's going on here."

Keeping her guard up as her eyes didn't dare wander from the stationary goblin, Brahmi stood in front of the defeated Iris, putting herself between the monstrous foe and her partner.

"--This thing clearly has an innate ability. That's the only way any of this makes sense."

"...is that even possible?"

"Ya' tell me. I just watched a pile-a melted flesh rise as if nothing happened, perfectly new without a speck of damage to show for it. Whatever the hell this thing is...my gut is telling me this bastard is the work of that shady kingdom of Belmon."

There wasn't any time for chit chat as the goblin took initiative this time around--rushing forward towards the brunette brawler with reckless abandon. Stopping in front of Brahmi, the goblin stomped its bare foot against the ground, cracking the stone beneath the soles of its feet as it reared its fist back.

"Crap, it's pissed," Brahmi thought to herself as she felt the goblin's ravenous mana condense into its fist.

Raising both arms in front of her face as a shield, it felt as if a boulder was sent flying against her forearms by a catapult--her body being lifted off the ground by the unrelenting force alone. Landing on her feet, she had no chance to launch her own offense as the goblin closed the distance once more with savage aggression. Slamming its fists against her raised arms over and over again, the defeat of her bones rang through the cavern as her forearms cracked under the creature's primal strength.

Gritting her teeth, Brahmi endured the excruciating pain, the repeating blows slamming into the same brittle spots without mercy, the goblin baring its yellows rows of teeth, full of cavities and stained with blood.

"Hyperion: Departure…!"

From behind her, the incantation was like music to her ears as Brahmi watched a mist of golden aura send the verdant menace flying back against the back wall of its domain.

Huffing, Iris was still sitting on the floor with her hand extended after unleashing the sudden spell.

--That was all I had left in me...Using my ability isn't an option, not with Brahmi around. Sorry, this was the best I could manage under the circumstances...

"Don't push it, dumbass! Anymore and yer' gonna put yourself out of commission!"

"...I'm leaving the rest to you...Mi…"

As if she didn't even hear her companion's worried pleas, Iris slumped over as her eyelids closed over her azure gaze, falling into slumber within moments.

"Crap...that really was all she had left in the tank, huh. Rest well, Iri...I'll handle this."

Standing itself back up, the goblin shrugged off its rough landing against the stone wall, bearing no visible damage once again.

--My bones are just about mended. That took a bit of mana, but my tank is still sittin' pretty. I can unleash hell on this bastard proper now.

"Tough bastard...c'mon then. I'm going to pay you back tenfold for the shit you've pulled."

Accepting her challenge, her rush into battle again was met halfway, clashing fist to fist with the creature of unknown origins of strength. As their knuckles met, the air around the two warriors cracked and hissed, shifting the sturdy floor below into sediment.

An all out brawl would bring with it collateral damage, and without a conscious effort, Iris had no reinforcement to protect her frail body--Brahmi knew this. Intending to bring the fight elsewhere, she dug her toes into the stone below as if it were mud, locking her arms around the goblin's waist and planting her head against its stomach as she charged forward.

Like an unstoppable rhinoceros, the charging brawler crashed through the rock wall, using the creature's body as a shield as she tunnelled through the mass of stone. After charging through a dozen meters of the natural walling of the world, digging a tunnel in her path, Brahmi and the goblin found their way into another channel of the cave.

"Bingo!" Brahmi smiled as she briefly celebrated in her mind at the sight of the new arena.

Stretching far and wide, the extensive cavern gave room for a proper battle without claustrophobia. She released her grip on her foe, jumping back as she left him with a swift kick to the chest to create distance.

--This bastard...the weight behind his fists, that aggression...he's definitely stronger than before Iri lit him up.

"Kishar: Impaler!"

Stomping her foot against the ground, almost completely bare except for the single piece of black fabric wrapped around the middle of her foot, Brahmi unleashed her spell towards her opponent. From the stone ground, spikes protruded around the goblin, jutting towards the creature with the intent of piercing its body.

Its natural instincts and lightning reflexes put it one step ahead of the casted spell, leaping into the air as the rocky javelins failed to reach the elite goblin.

--Just as I thought, yer' a swift bastard, aren't ya?"

With a smile formed naturally out of the thrilling nature of battle, Brahmi surprised her opponent as she appeared in the air beside him with her fist preparing to greet it.

"I may be a connoisseur of ass-whooping, but I'm a damn nature mage, and you've met me in a cave--where I'm surrounded by the natural elements! Yer' ballsy, I'll give ya' that, but this ends here!"

As a mage with a naturally high affinity for gaia, the equivalent of what would be considered "Earthen" magic in this world--her already immense physical abilities were further boosted in such a setting. Her fist came down like a divine smiting against the malevolent being, sending the goblin down to the ground like a meteor to the Earth.

--I know that wasn't enough to put that green bastard down, I've learned as much first-hand.

"Kishar: Mountainshaper--!"

Using the natural resources available to her, the mystic incantation pulled the stone from the ground into the form of a colossal hammer, rearing it back before sending it crashing down atop the fallen goblin.

It wasn't going to take such an attack laying down--the goblin jumped up from its laid position, catching the massive hammer built of gaia with its own two hands.

The weight of the two forces could be felt through the valley of stone, a cold breeze that carried tales of their strength brushed through the cavern as a result of the collision.

"Times two!"

Brahmi swung her hand down as if swinging a hammer herself, conjuring forth another hammer formed of rock, a tool of which could only be handled by the titans of legend--crashing down against the first hammer.