Necroterra affinity was a magic bearing the title of Guardian of the Dead. It was not pure necromancy; it manipulated the very earth where people had died. Of course, it was also an enhancement of normal earth magic.
"Attack…"
Numerous creatures and elves rose from the ground. The magic called "Preservation" could preserve the bodies of creatures or soldiers for an indefinite time. After speaking the word a second time, those preserved dead emerged to fight at his side.
From the hands of a necrotized elf, a dim flame appeared. When he pointed at her, that fire expanded rapidly in several directions. Striking her staff against the ground, a wave of fire spread around her, protecting her from the attacks. From within that protection, a fireball the size of the mountain behind her advanced toward the dead.
"Earth Wall."
Kharos lifted his head, causing a gigantic thirty-meter wall to rise in front of the dead. The creatures split in different directions while the dead elves flew upward with their own magic. All of those creatures and elves were at least circle four to five.
'They all scattered, but I can still destroy a good number… it's time to try my dual magic.'
Raising her staff into the air, Valença generated a wave of heat in the atmosphere and the ground. The soil began to melt, causing the approaching creatures to start sinking while those in the air had their skin burned.
"Zone of Fire and Lava."
The creatures caught sinking began to melt as the ground turned to lava. The air around her transformed into fire, reducing the weaker dead elves to ashes.
"Creature… trap."
Behind her, the ground shifted as a giant antlion made of earth opened its mouth, trying to bite with its enormous mandibles. Spinning her staff backward, an incinerating ray shot from its tip, piercing the ant with devastating force.
Pointing her finger upward, the zone of fire and lava intensified further, reaching eighty percent of all creatures. That strike eliminated all circle fours, but the circle fives still resisted somewhat. Placing her fingertip on her lips, she observed the disaster generated by her power with slight doubt.
"It's strong, but still not good enough… should I use the attack I used in the forest in an improved way?"
The person who had mentioned that to her was none other than Enrico, but it was better not to risk it now, as she might injure him too much—and besides, it would take time to create.
Looking at the zone that enhanced both her fire and lava affinities, she decided to use one of her most powerful spells. It could be destructive, but Enrico would understand it was necessary.
Releasing the staff into the air, she began to float. That was possible thanks to Lúmen'Thyr granting that capability—but that was not all. She extended her hands forward, and a wave of fire stretched for several kilometers, pushing six opponents farther back.
"I need to… get closer."
The only one able to approach her was Kharos himself, who was already running toward her, knowing exactly that. Using Necroterra magic on his own body, fragments scattered along the path began forming a second armor around him. Seeing him approach, Valença only gave a small, cold smile.
"Cataclysm Flames."
A condensed fireball expanded slightly between her hands. Pointing toward the staff, she transferred part of the magic into her weapon. Swiftly grabbing the staff with one hand while holding the fireball in the other, she struck both together toward Kharos. The Lúmen'Thyr suddenly amplified the attack's power.
"Maximum Output."
A red light enveloped both her and Kharos, while in the distance Enrico and Myrris felt that power. One of them grew worried for her brother, while the other was slightly surprised by Valença's action but had already expected something similar. Even so, neither hesitated to continue where they had left off.
'I'll use brute force to free myself.'
He strained his muscles, somehow managing to damage the whip, but it still wasn't enough to break free. Meanwhile, the spear that had pierced his ribs began dissolving back into liquid, returning to the surrounding air. Small droplets spread and aligned behind him, forming multiple sharp tips.
'I can't break free… just as I thought, she's using a small amount of her lord's mana for herself.'
The whip pulled harder toward the ground. Enrico slid across the cracked terrain but planted his leg coated in the crimson shell into the earth, creating resistance. The impact opened a fissure in the ground. His crimson eyes analyzed the mana flow around them. It was time to use his basic improvement from the last month.
'Enhanced Crimson Eyes.'
His eyes changed color, now resembling emerald. Thanks to the enhanced crimson eyes, he could clearly see where the water was being overly compressed—weak points. That was because his crimson eyes were now ten times more precise than before.
'She's quite exhausted.'
He could even perceive her deep condition, even though she was pretending to be in excellent shape.
'Using deep compression without fully regenerating her wound requires more control than simple healing, but what puts her in worse condition is that she has less mana than I do.'
Enrico had improved his mana through time, rewards, and items. Honestly, he was grateful for that, because otherwise he would have been the one with less mana in this fight.
Sensing the air becoming more humid, she looked in all directions. She was gathering all possible water for a single move. Her body began to change slightly, a liquid armor dressing her form. Moments later it thickened, covering up to her neck. The pressure around them increased as if submerged dozens of meters deep.
'Looks like she wants to turn the field into something more favorable. The only problem is I won't allow it.'
Using deep water magic, Enrico controlled the particles, surprising his opponent. Behind her, a water clone appeared, and he immediately switched places with it.
'Since Valença isn't watching, I'll use a little.'
Appearing behind her, his palms pressed against her back. Taking a deep breath, a blue shockwave erupted, launching her dozens of meters away.
'Damn—'
Before she could rise, an explosion in the distance sent her flying backward, crashing into a tree and splitting it in half even without much force being used.
"Sister."
Startled, she looked forward and saw her brother just three meters away, trying to stand. They felt their opponents' presence approaching. When Enrico and Valença exchanged glances, they seemed to have decided something that made both siblings sweat without fully understanding what was about to happen.The only thing they could do was stand up and prepare as the shadows of those two monsters advanced toward them.
"Incandis, come."