Xavier stood firm as he called out, “Chase!”
“I’m handling this one. You and the others should focus on the bone dragon. Don’t let it tear the rest of the team apart!”
Chase, still recovering from the shock, snapped his attention to Xavier, his eyes widening at the surge of mana surrounding him.
“Sir, are you sure? That thing… it’s not like anything we’ve faced before!”
“I’m sure.” Xavier’s tone was intense, his gaze locked onto Alexei. “You guys can hack it, leave this bastard to me. Trust me! Everything will be fine.”
Chase clenched his fists tightly as he glanced at the massive bone dragon, its blue flame wings casting a ghostly light over the battlefield.
“You heard him!” Chase shouted, rallying the others. “We take down the dragon!”
A female healer, trembling but focused, began casting healing on the wounded. “Be careful, sir!” she called out.
Xavier didn’t look back. His eyes were fixed completely on Alexei. The green mana
surrounding him flared brighter, responding to his will. His body tensed as he prepared to face the undead general head-on.
Alexei watched all of this unfold, a small touch of amusement in his blue-flamed eyes as his own dark energy flared to meet Xavier’s.
The ground beneath them cracked from the sheer force of the two opposing auras colliding in the air.
“Ah, so you do have some fight in you after all. It appears you’re not just trying to be brave, but you possess genuine skill. Though I’m sure you know that alone may not be enough, yet you face me nonetheless. I must admit, I admire your courage,” Alexei said.
“Good. Let’s see how long you last before I tear you apart, just like the others,” Xavier replied, twirling his sword as he widened his stance, ready for battle.
For a few moments, they stood there, sizing each other up. Blue lightning began to crackle from Alexei’s body as he prepared for their clash.
Then, in an instant, BOOM-both of them moved.
CLANG!
Their swords clashed in a flash of blinding light, the sound of metal against metal echoing through the ruins.
Shockwaves rippled out from the impact, kicking up dust and debris from the cracked earth. Sparks flew as their blades screeched against each other, neither giving an inch as they pushed against one another, their auras clashing just as intensely.
Xavier gritted his teeth, his green mana flaring as he twisted his blade, breaking the lock between them. He sidestepped quickly, leaving a green afterimage as he aimed a quick slash toward Alexei’s side.
But Alexei was just as fast. His body blurred, leaving a trail of blue lightning in his wake as he dodged, the electric current causing the nearby rocks to explode in showers of sparks. He countered with a powerful overhead strike, his blade crackling with lightning.
Xavier barely managed to block, their swords meeting with another loud CLANG.
The force of their clash sent shockwaves rippling again, shaking the crumbling structures around them.
A nearby ruined wall gave way, collapsing in on itself as stones and metal beams tumbled down, sending clouds of dust into the air.
Xavier, feeling the sting of the lightning crackling from Alexei’s body, jumped back, skidding across the ground as his mana flared brighter, surrounding him like a protective shield.
He barely had time to catch his breath before Alexei closed the distance again, his sword cutting through the air with incredible speed, leaving arcs of blue lightning in its wake.
Each step Alexei took left scorched marks on the ground, the lightning sizzling and crackling, causing the very air to vibrate violently.
Xavier stayed light on his feet, dodging and parrying the strikes, the pressure mounting with each clash.
As they moved, their battle became a blur. They zigzagged across the ruins, their bodies blurring as they moved around one another, swords flashing as they collided again and again.
Meanwhile…
Chase calmed himself, his breath steadying as he looked at the towering bone dragon looming above them, its blue flame wings casting a glow across the battlefield.
“Alright, everyone! Listen up!” His voice rang out above the chaos.
“We need to focus on the bone dragon! I’ll lead the charge!”
“Are you crazy?” Derek exclaimed, glancing nervously at the massive creature. “That thing could squash us like bugs!”
“We can’t let it tear through our remaining members,” Chase replied. “We’ve got to be smart about this. Karl, you take the front! Lead all the others with physical enhancement talents to create openings!”
“Great, throw us to the meat grinder,” Karl grumbled. “You really know how to inspire confidence.”
“Just trust me, okay?” Chase shot back, eyes sharp. “We’ve trained for this. Mia, you’re with me! Use your wind to keep it off balance.”
“And Lisa, you and the other fire elementalists should flank it. Your Flameblade hits harder- try to draw its attention.”
“Got it!” Mia replied, her excitement overcoming her initial fear.
“I’ll keep the wind flowing! Just like we practiced!”
“Let’s move!” Chase called, leading the charge as they raced toward the bone dragon, its massive form dwarfing them.
As they approached, the bone dragon roared, a bone-chilling sound that vibrated through the
air.
It opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of blue flames, scorching the ground where they had just been. Chase dove to the side, rolling to avoid the deadly inferno.
“Get ready!” Chase shouted, his voice echoing through the haze of heat and smoke. “Derek,
now!”
Derek, steadying himself, slammed his stone-embedded gauntlets into the ground. With a loud rumble, the earth quaked as a series of stone spikes erupted, aimed directly at the
dragon’s legs.
The bone dragon roared again, attempting to evade the attack, but some spikes struck, embedding themselves in its sparse scales.
“Nice shot!” Chase yelled, pumping his fist. “Keep it distracted! Lisa, now!”
With fierce determination, Lisa charged in, her Flameblade igniting in brilliant hues of red and orange. “Hey, ugly! Over here!” she taunted, dancing around the dragon’s claws as she slashed at its exposed joints. The flames licked against the dragon’s bones, leaving charred
marks but failing to penetrate deeply.
“Keep it busy! Mia!” Chase shouted.
Mia sprang into action, harnessing the wind to propel herself forward. “Here I go!” she
called, creating a swirling gust that pushed the bone dragon’s massive tail off course as it attempted to smash Lisa. The tail missed, crashing against the ground with a thunderous boom that shook the battlefield.
“Watch out for its breath!” Derek warned, just as the dragon opened its jaws again, gathering
blue flames.
“Chase!” Karl shouted, eyes wide. “It’s about to breathe fire!”
“Everyone, scatter!” Chase commanded, and they all dove in different directions just in time as the dragon unleashed its fiery breath, scorching the ground and leaving a charred mark where they had stood moments before.
“Get back together!” Chase shouted as they regrouped, panting from the exertion. “Ethan,
use your shadows! Get behind it and strike!”
Ethan nodded, his eyes glinting with his purple mana. “On it!” He disappeared into the shadows, vanishing from sight as he made his way through the battlefield, reappearing just
behind the bone dragon.
“Now!” he yelled, his twin daggers glinting as he leaped forward, aiming for the joints where the skeletal dragon’s leg bones connected. His blades struck, chipping away at the exposed
bones causing it to loos it’s footing and stumble for a moment.
“Just like that!” Chase yelled. “Keep it on its toes!”
