"Flame Arts: 1st Form"
"ccckksssskkkk"
Flames enveloped Ember as it sliced through Dungeon Walker's calf, searing the flesh as it cut.
"aarrrhhhh"
A harrowing scream escaped Dungeon Walker's lips as one of its legs knelt down, wracked with the agony of burning flesh. Enraged and in pain, Dungeon Walker attempted to elbow Eli back who was near its proximity.
However, Eli anticipated the countermove. He skillfully used Ember, swiftly redirecting it to wrap around Dungeon Walker's other arm. With a sharp yank, Eli managed to narrowly escape the monster's elbow strike.
In a fraction of a second, Eli was in front of Dungeon Walker. He caught Celestria, which still hovered from the prior collision.
He swung the Trident with a wide arc, slicing off Dungeon Walker's elbow joint as deep as possible. As he removed Ember, he gracefully backflipped, landing back on the slope of black blood spikes.
His auburn hair cascaded down like a fiery waterfall,
"Hehe..." A dangerous and wicked smile curled upon his lips, sending shivers down Dungeon Walker's spine.
At that moment, If Scarlett, his big sister were to see this, that would have filled Scarlett with pure delight.
The monster hesitated for a fleeting moment as it locked eyes with Eli, unable to comprehend the enigmatic intent behind that smile.
Shrugging off those thoughts, Dungeon Walker readied itself for another round of intense combat.
'Sshhhh'
Eli took a deep breath, and every fibre of his body channelled mana at a rapid rate. His lungs felt like they were burning, akin to a sizzling grill.
'Ting'
'chuchh'
Meanwhile, the group watched in utter astonishment,
"Wh-What in the world did I just...witness?" Arlyne muttered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"..." The others were equally stunned, their faces reflecting a mix of emotions: astonishment, happiness, worthlessness and....Jealousy.
Jealousy swirled within them as they watched Eli, a Mortal, display his incredible abilities in combat. It was a humbling experience for them to witness such power, leaving them feeling dwarfed and worthless in comparison.
The bitter taste of their own limitations weighed heavily on their minds as they watched the battle unfold before them.
'chuck'
'Ting'
'Chukkk'
There were numerous cuts appeared on the joints of Dungeon Walker's body. These cuts stubbornly refused to heal, causing the creature to howl in pain.
"FUCKER!!" Dungeon Walker roared in pain and agony whenever Celestria's dark mana ate away its dark mana.
Its control over the Domain began to weaken as the spikes gradually transformed back into black blood.
It's Domain started to collapse.....
However, Eli wasn't done yet.
"Terra Arts: 2nd Form"
/Gravity/
"Ocean Arts: 2nd Form"
/Oceanic Dominion/
"furrhhh" Dungeon Walker suddenly felt the immense weight of tons of boulders pressing down on it.
'splash'
'splash'
The black blood which was under Dungeon Walker's control, suddenly trembled before changing its form.
The black blood surrounding them started to move and form whip-like structures that wrapped around Dungeon Walker's body and joints while pulling it downward.
'Thud' Dungeon Walker couldn't withstand the immense pressure and fell to its knees.
"aarrhhh"
'Step'
As it struggled, it saw a bloodied young man with cracks on his skin walking toward it with a blank expression.
He clutched a gruesome object in his left hand and Celestria in his right, ready for any unexpected turn of events.
'ploobb'
After waiting for a minute, only the blood-gushing sound echoed in the chamber.
Eli lowered his guard a little.
Eli carefully used Celestria to cut open the stomach-like object he had cut off from the fallen Dungeon Walker's inside.
'ploobb'
As the blade sliced through, a white fluid gushed out along with a tiny figure.
"TIANA!!" Alysia's voice reverberated through the chamber as she rushed towards Eli, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and concern. The others were equally puzzled and shocked by the sudden revelation.
'Clukghhh'
Eli threw the gruesome thing aside and held Tiana, who was curled up, her skin partially eroded from the corrosion of that white fluid.
'She must have exhausted herself using every bit of her power to protect herself' Eli thought as he felt a faint heartbeat from Tiana.
[..Eli]
"....sigh" He sighed deeply.
"Tiana!" Alysia rushed forward, her eyes brimming with tears, as she stood in front of the bloodied Eli who was warmly looking at Tiana.
Eli then turned his head and looked at Alysia, who was momentarily stunned.
"H-Huh?"
Eli didn't say anything; instead, he gently handed Tiana over to Alysia, his trembling hands carefully transferring the injured girl.
With the same trembling hands, she accepted Tiana.
"T-T-Tia-na!!"
[Aly-sia]
Tears streamed down Alysia's face as she held Tiana close, her heart overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. She wanted to hug her, kiss her, and reprimand her, but,
"Thank Yo--"
Before she could do anything, she lowered her head and was about to say those heartfelt words, but Eli's hoarse voice interrupted her as he offered his understanding.
"I-If I were....in your shoes...I would have-done the same....thing may b-be much more...worse and she is a-also my Friend"
Alysia, moved by his words, didn't know how to respond.
Others watched the touching reunion between Alysia and Tiana with indescribable emotions etched on their faces
"I...Never thought Tiana was captured" Amber mumbled as she finally comprehended the depths of Alysia's betrayal while supporting Eva who was staring at Eli.
"...Well, sigh..." Oliver, unable to put his feelings into words, merely sighed heavily, empathizing with Alysia's actions. After all, he knew he would go to great lengths to protect his loved one from a similar fate.
Arlyne and Rize supported Marie, who had lost her hands to the recoil of her powerful spells.
"....I am sorry, Ms. Alysia, If not for our..." Marie, burdened with guilt, tried to apologize to Alysia for the circumstances they had found themselves in.
"N-No" Alysia, her tone cracking with emotion, swiftly cut off Marie's apology.
As they all shared in the aftermath of the ordeal, their attention suddenly snapped to Eli, who had been silently lost in thought.
"A-Asher Eli" Rize called out to him, snapping him back to the present.
"...." Eli turned to face them, but his appearance sent shockwaves through the group.
"!!!"
His face resembled a shattered mask, covered in cracks with blood oozing from the fissures. His left eye was completely obliterated, leaving only a black void, and his right eye was almost hidden by a blood-clotted sclera.
And there were some black patches on his face and body.
"A-Ash!!" Marie shouted in shock, unable to process the gruesome sight before her.
"You are corrupted!!!" Arlyne shouted in shock.
Eli remained silent, offering only a broken smile, before addressing the group with a hoarse voice,
"W-whether the announcement would come or..."
"N-No, A Portal would open after clearing the Dungeon so...." As Oliver tried to locate any signs of portals, he was suddenly interrupted by the ominous sound of the....dead Dungeon Walker rising once more, its blanke eyes glared and fixed squarely on Eli.
"RROOAAAAARRRRRRRRR"