The monsters lunged at Logan and Aria in a furious assault. He quickly cast Analyze to see what had changed in the creatures.
[Status: Uncontrollable Rage The target enters an uncontrollable fury, increasing all statistics by 20%.]
He also ran an analysis on the man in black who stood beside the serpent.
[Unable to read the target's status due to an item.]
"I see. Aria, impale them," Logan ordered at once.
A column of stone lifted Aria into the air. In the next instant she formed a multitude of ice spikes. They plunged into the monsters and impaled them on contact.
But that wasn't all Logan raised spikes of stone from the ground that pierced the beasts as well. The stone swords spun through the air, slicing through enemies. Despite their boosted stats, the monsters remained helpless. In fact, it was even easier now since they charged stupidly and without restraint.
"What are you waiting for, kill them!" the man in black bellowed hoarsely.
Despite his furious shouts, nothing changed the monsters were still powerless. Logan slaughtered them in succession with Aria, while never taking his eyes off the man.
"He seems completely impotent, overwhelmed. He could have attacked us from a distance, but he's not. Does that mean he's probably incapable of doing so?"
After a short while, there were almost no monsters left. The man, furious at the situation slipping from his control, screamed in rage, his voice cracking:
"Go, Hertha!" he cried eagerly.
The fire serpent beside him let out a cry and leapt into the fray. It paid no mind to the other monsters in its path most were either crushed or burned. Aria hurled ice spikes at it; they melted before they could touch it. The serpent radiated stifling heat.
"Tch!" she swore.
"Take care of the remaining monsters, I'll handle it."
"All right."
Logan found himself face to face with the serpent charging at full speed. The stone blades targeted it immediately. However, the rock fragments disintegrated upon striking the beast. Its scales were far too hot and, above all, incredibly sturdy. Combined with Logan's lack of mastery and the fact that the stone blades were actually brittle, they proved ineffective.
The serpent lashed out with its tail. Logan accelerated and easily dodged the blow. The monster wasn't finished it spat flames far more powerful than those of the smaller serpents. Logan took no chances and dodged as best he could.
The flames began to converge into a concentrated beam of heat, melting everything in its path and leaving only dust or molten rock.
"This is getting dangerous! It'll set the forest on fire if this keeps up!"
Indeed, the beam had melted the stone wall that formed the arena, and flames were already visible on distant trees. Moreover, the serpent was under the effect of Uncontrollable Rage.
"That's it, go on, Hertha!" shouted the man in black, regaining color as his creature gained the upper hand.
"I realize I'm still very limited the rock melts or disintegrates on contact with its scales. Partly due to my own shortcomings. But for now, those are the only attacks I've always used. So in this situation, I have to use the opportunity to get stronger."
Logan closed his eyes briefly and focused on his surroundings. He attempted something he had never done before. Until now, he had only altered his environment with Vector Control raising walls, creating spikes, hurling stones. But he needed to evolve.
This time he felt his surroundings more precisely, the humidity and water in the air. He concentrated his mind on it, visualized what he wanted to do, and Vector Control did the rest.
Every scrap and molecule of water gathered and coalesced into tangible water. Five water spheres now hovered around Logan, trembling violently. Two of them exploded and vanished entirely; the others continued to tremble as he ran.
"Tch! I'm terrible!"
In the end he couldn't keep the water in the shape he wanted and they all dispersed.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
Logan caused the ground beneath the serpent to collapse, sending it plummeting into a deep pit. Immediately a gigantic column of fire erupted from the hole. The serpent burst out of the chasm, almost flying; its flaming scales separated and whirled around it.
"Oh shit!" he cried as the burning scales hurtled toward him.
The flaming scales came from every direction. He managed to fend off most of them, but some struck his right arm and left leg. Flesh was cut and burned at once, leaving ugly wounds and the stench of charred meat.
"Yes, go on!" shouted the hooded man.
Alongside the flying burning scales, the serpent unleashed its beam of heat. Logan was truly in trouble struck several times by the scales, his body badly damaged and his attacks ineffective. The pain was excruciating, yet he did not cry out. Then, suddenly, the serpent was hit by an attack that stalled it momentarily.
It was Aria, finally rejoining the battle after finishing off the small fry. Hundreds of monster corpses lay behind her.
"I thought you said you didn't need help," she said with an amused expression.
"Apparently I needed you," he replied.
"Of course you need me," she said, smiling at him.
"I was a little overconfident, I admit it."
"You holding up?" she asked, eyeing his wounds.
"Better than you and the horse," he answered with a laugh.
"Tch, you're perfectly fine!" she muttered, pouting.
"Let's finish this. Honestly I'm in a bit of pain can you put out the walking candle that is on fire?"
"Give me a minute to charge my new find."
"All right."
The stone swords formed again and flew toward the serpent. They were of course ineffective, but that wasn't the point Logan was holding the serpent in place as Aria had asked. He stole quick glances at her and saw her concentrate an enormous amount of water while the serpent focused its rage solely on him.
The robed man tried to command the serpent, but it was locked in its enraged fixation on Logan. It didn't listen, rendered deaf by the skill it had used. Finally, after a long and exhausting wait, she was ready.
Aria launched an immense sphere of water twice the size of the serpent at it. The beast was engulfed; steam rose immediately from the contact of water and fire. Fortunately, there was much more water than fire the serpent was extinguished inside that colossal bubble. She then froze the bubble, trapping the serpent, and collapsed from exhaustion, her mana spent.
Logan seized the opening at once. The stone blades tore through the serpent, while stone projectiles he hurled pummeled it without mercy. The serpent had no chance it died.
"No, no, this can't be!" the man cried incredulously.
Caught off guard, the battle suddenly turned; he began to retreat. He didn't think long before deciding to flee with his tail between his legs.
"How can that foolish girl fight alongside a human? She must have an enslaving seal forcing her to obey without it I could've killed her!" he spat as he fled.
Lost in his thoughts and the urgency of his escape, he failed to notice the shadow closing in on him. Without a sound, he was slammed to the ground and found himself staring into a pair of glowing red eyes.
"Where did you think you were going? Who are you? What's your purpose?" Logan demanded, lifting the man off the ground.
The man, suspended in midair, grabbed Logan's hands. His face was still hidden beneath the hood of his black robe. With his free hand, Logan pulled it back and his expression immediately tightened.
"What the…?" he muttered, his eyes flickering in disbelief.
The figure wasn't a man at all but a Beastman, with the sharp feline features of a cheetah.
"Forgive me… I have failed my mission," the Beastman gasped weakly.
Before Logan could speak again, white foam began to spill from the creature's mouth. His deep black eyes turned a cold, lifeless white. The man convulsed violently and died in Logan's grasp. Logan released him, and the body fell to the ground, its eyes rolled back in death.
"Poison…" he muttered.
Logan stared down at the lifeless body as Aria arrived moments later.
"What happened here?!" she exclaimed, discovering the man's true nature.
Thus ended that brief but brutal night of battle their mission accomplished, yet leaving behind new questions and uncertainties.
But things would not stop here. Many more events were soon to unfold.