The ground shuddered violently as the giant crab emerged, its enormous legs pounding against the earth.
Each stomp sent shockwaves tearing through the battlefield, shaking trees, splintering rocks, and finally hurling the fighters backward in a wave of dust and debris.
Before the tremors could subside, Albin clasped his hands together, gathering vibrations in the air around him.
With a sharp motion, he unleashed a cluster of sound, the pressure rippling outward in shimmering waves that disoriented the monstrous crab, making it reel and screech in confusion.
As the creature roared and thrashed in rage, Reggie seized his chance. Flames ignited across his arms as he raised them skyward,summoning a colossal flaming sword that descended like a meteor.
The blade crashed against the crab's shell, sending sparks and embers spiraling into the sky.
A crack split through the creature's armor; a chunk of its shell fell, followed by a gush of thick crimson blood.
At the same moment, Rala stretched her hands outward, her eyes glowing icy blue. Frozen chains of frost surged from the ground, coiling around the crab's legs and locking them in place, frost spreading rapidly across its limbs.
Albin dashed forward again, sliding beneath the beast's enormous frame. His palms pulsed with power as he formed another cluster of sonic energy,then detonated it.
The resulting shockwave blasted the crab upward, shaking the air with a deafening boom.
---
Far away, in a region untouched by battle, Lady Grey D. Alliana strode through the arched corridors of a grand temple, flanked by two knights in gleaming armor.
Rays of sunlight filtered through tall stained glass windows, painting her silver gown in hues of gold and violet.
At the end of the hall, she was ushered into the chamber of Elder Melgrim, an elderly man with a calm yet radiant presence. His eyes lit up the moment she entered.
"Lady Alliana," he greeted warmly. "It's a pleasure. Please, sit,make yourself comfortable."
As she took her seat, an attendant served her a cup of tea. The aroma of herbs filled the air as the two began their discussion.
Lady Alliana wasted no time. "Elder Melgrim," she said with poise, "your expertise and wisdom are unmatched. The Institute would be honored to have you among its scholars."
But the Elder smiled faintly and shook his head. "I must decline, my lady," he replied. "There is still much to be done here.
The people in these streets need guidance. I cannot abandon them now, not when change is finally within reach."
Her expression softened, but her resolve did not waver. "Then," she said thoughtfully, "perhaps you could serve part-time. Aid the people as you always have, and still lend your wisdom to the Institute."
Melgrim chuckled heartily. "Ah, Lady Alliana," he said, eyes twinkling, "you never fail to bend a situation to your favor."
After a moment of reflection, his tone shifted to one of sincerity. "Very well," he said at last. "It would be my honor to serve,part-time. That way, I may continue to help both the people and the scholars who seek knowledge."
---
The focus returns to the battlefield, where flames and frost dominated the terrain. Ranold stood firm, his arms wreathed in blazing energy as he conjured a cage of fire that trapped the behemoth crab within.
Beside him, Real unleashed a barrage of ice spikes, each strike piercing through the creature's battered shell, weakening it with every blow.
The wounded beast let out a guttural roar and began burrowing into the ground, vanishing beneath the cracked earth. Silence fell,heavy and tense.
"Stay alert," Real warned, eyes scanning the trembling soil.
Without warning, the ground erupted, and the crab burst upward directly beneath Albin, throwing him off his feet.
In that instant, Ranold and Taka reacted in perfect sync,each unleashing a devastating beam of flame and ice from opposite sides.
The twin forces collided upon the crab's body, fire and frost merging in a violent explosion.
The creature let out a final, ear-splitting roar before its massive body detonated, scattering blood and fragments across the field like crimson rain.
From a nearby ridge, the Sorcerer Supreme, Aaric, watched with a calm smile. He quietly jotted notes into his leather-bound book, his eyes gleaming with both pride and curiosity.
Elsewhere on the battlefield, Venus, Bayle, and Darel were locked in a fierce clash with a legion of beastial horsemen.
Venus and Bayle stood at the center of their formation,their combined might turning the terrain into chaos. Waves and flames surged across the ground, colliding violently to form clouds of thick steam that enveloped the battlefield.
Amid the haze, Darel moved with precision, supporting their every strike,amplifying Venus's inferno and reinforcing Bayle's torrents,creating a perfect rhythm between fire, water, and willpower.
The battlefield raged with chaos ,the roar of the flames, the crash of the waves, and the shrieks of the beastial horsemen filled the air like a storm of war.
Venus stood at the front, his crimson blade burning brighter than ever, the fire reflecting in his blood-soaked armor.
Bayle moved beside him, swirling torrents of water around her arms like ribbons of living liquid, while Darel stood behind, his eyes glowing faintly with the calm precision of a strategist.
"Now!" Venus shouted.
In an instant, Bayle spun, sending forth a massive surge of water that tore through the field like a tidal wave, washing away a line of approaching horsemen.
Before the water could crash down, Venus leapt into the air, igniting the wave in midair ,turning the entire surge into a wall of fire and steam that devoured everything in its path.
Screams echoed as the beastial riders were engulfed by the inferno, their weapons melting under the combined force of fire and water fused in violent harmony.
Through the thick veil of steam, a few horsemen charged forward, their beastly mounts neighing wildly.
Darel's staff pulsed with light as he slammed it into the ground, releasing a series of energy pulses that distorted the air around them.
Each pulse struck the riders with pinpoint precision, bursting their armor apart and disorienting their mounts.
"Bayle, left flank!" Darel called out sharply.
Bayle responded instantly. He extended her hand, conjuring blades of hardened water, and with a graceful sweep, He severed through the enemies like slicing through mist.
Venus dashed through the steam, his movements a blur. Flames trailed behind him with every step. He swung his sword in a wide arc, and with a roar, unleashed a crescent of burning energy that cut through the last of the charging horsemen.
The explosion that followed lit up the sky in fiery brilliance, the battlefield now littered with smoldering ash and fallen beasts.
Silence descended for a brief moment. Only the crackle of flame and the distant hum of magic lingered in the air.
Venus exhaled heavily, lowering his sword. His armor was drenched, not only in sweat but in the dark blood of the defeated.
"Let's move," he said, his voice calm but resolute. "The dungeon boss awaits."
Bayle raised an eyebrow, smirking as He walked past him. "You might want to wash up first," she teased lightly, eyeing the streaks of blood splattered across his face and armor. "You look like you just crawled out of a slaughterhouse."
Venus wiped a smear of blood from his cheek with the back of his hand, a small grin tugging at his lips. "I'll clean up after the next fight," he replied. "For now… we finish this."
Darel chuckled softly as he joined them, tightening his grip on his staff. "Then let's not keep the boss waiting."
With that, the trio pressed forward,the flames and steam fading behind them as they stepped into the shadowed entrance of the dungeon, the air inside pulsing with a sinister, otherworldly glow.