A Naga noticed them standing still, chatting, and saw an opportunity. It raised its trident high and hurled it straight at them.
The trident whistled as it flew through the air. None of them noticed the incoming attack until a sudden blur shot across their field of vision.
VOOM!
CLANG!
A metallic clang rang out as the trident was deflected, splashing water in all directions as it fell.
Draven materialized in front of the group, the purple runes on his obsidian blade glowing faintly. In the next instant…
VOOM!
He darted toward the Naga responsible for the attack.
WHOOSH!
The creature barely had time to react before Draven’s sword slashed across its neck, decapitating it cleanly. Green blood sprayed briefly before the lifeless body collapsed into the murky water. Draven turned back to the team, his purple eyes narrowed.
“Stay focused,” he said, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. “Your chatter could cost you your lives. Be grateful my lord has given you all this opportunity to broaden your horizons. You’d do well to make proper use of it.”
Without waiting for a reply, Draven vanished in a blur, speeding off toward the next group of monsters.
The group stood momentarily stunned before Axel broke the silence with a sheepish laugh. “Okay… noted. Less talking, more fighting.”
“You heard the dragon, folks. Let’s get back to the raid,” Axel said as he twirled his daggers, crouching slightly in a battle stance with both blades ahead of him, a grin spreading across his face.
“Right!” the rest of them yelled, charging forward as their feet splashed through the shallow water, determination lighting their faces.
Meanwhile…
Above in the skies, Alzuring soared effortlessly, his massive blue wings beating through the humid air of the dungeon.
From this height, the battlefield was a grim view of bodies, blood, and broken ruins. The lagoon glowed faintly beneath him, its glowing bioluminescence standing out sharply against the crimson swirls of spilled Naga blood.
With a flick of his hand, an arrow materialized on his bow, formed entirely of compressed wind. The string hummed as he pulled it back, narrowing his eyes at the Nagas below.
“Filthy creatures… Rejoice, for I am about to free you of your vile existence.”
He released the arrow.
WHOOSH!
It flew faster than the eye could follow, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle. When it hit the group of Nagas, it exploded with a deafening BOOM!
The force was massive; several Nagas were blown apart instantly, their scaly bodies ripped to pieces in a spray of blood and guts. Water erupted into the air like a geyser, and the coral towers nearby shattered into rubble.
Before the dust and water spray had even settled, Alzuring fired again.
SWOOSH! BOOM!
This time, his arrow struck a ruined temple where a group of Nagas was trying to hide. The blast tore through the stone like paper, sending chunks of rock flying everywhere. The temple collapsed in on itself with a loud CRASH, burying the Nagas underneath a mountain of debris. Down below, the Nagas hissed in fear. Their ranks fell apart as they panicked, some slithering away toward the deeper waters, their tails thrashing wildly.
“You think you can run?” Alzuring narrowed his gaze.
“How foolish.”
He flapped his wings hard, rising higher into the sky. The wind around him spun faster and faster as he formed another arrow, this one larger and glowing brighter than all the others.
“This is the end for you,” he said, pulling back the bowstring.
He fired.
WHOOSH! KABOOM!
The massive arrow slammed into the water with an earth-shaking explosion. A giant column of water shot into the sky, dragging debris and Nagas with it. The shockwave ripped through the lagoon, smashing more coral towers and tossing the fleeing Nagas like ragdolls. The few still alive were helplessly crushed under falling chunks of rock, their bodies broken and bloody.
Alzuring summoned a handful of smaller arrows, firing them in rapid succession.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The arrows shot into the water like spears, each one striking its target with pinpoint accuracy. The Nagas who thought they could hide underwater were dragged up by the force of the explosions, their limp bodies splashing back into the blood-filled lagoon.
He descended, landing atop a crumbled coral tower. He held out his hand, summoning a swirling ball of wind. With a flick of his hand, he hurled it into a cluster of remaining Nagas.
WHIRRR! WHOOSH! BOOM!
The ball spun wildly, creating a mini tornado that sucked the creatures in. Their screams were drowned out by the roaring wind, and when it finally stopped, nothing was left but scattered pieces of their bodies.
Hovering back into the air, Alzuring looked over the lagoon, now a wasteland of rubble and blood.
“I believe I should be done here,” he said calmly, his glowing eyes scanning the ruins.
High in the skies, Alzuring’s sharp eyes caught sight of a swirling inferno in the distance. A massive tornado of fire rose into the air. The fiery vortex spun faster and faster, its heat so intense that even from afar, Alzuring could feel it radiating through the humid air.
Suddenly, the flames began to solidify. The roaring fire hardened into jagged, golden crystalline shards, catching the faint glow of the lagoon below. The tornado froze, taking the form of a crystalline sand pillar. It stood in place for a breathless moment, then-
CRACK!
The crystal formation shattered explosively, raining down countless shards that gleamed like falling stars. As they hit the ground, an ear-piercing hiss filled the air, steam rising violently from the impact points.
The shards melted on contact, spreading an acidic mist that made the Nagas scream in agony. Their hisses echoed through the battlefield, their bodies twisting as the corrosive vapor
consumed them.
Before the chaos could settle, another explosion rocked the air.
BOOM!
The shockwave rippled through the lagoon, sending waves crashing against the coral ruins. Bits of debris and charred bodies were flung into the air, adding to the devastation. Alzuring narrowed his glowing eyes, watching as the remnants of the infernal attack painted the horizon with flames and ash.
“Cinder and Terra,” he muttered to himself, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
“Such a dazzling display of skill, truly impressive.”
“At that rate, they should be finishing soon.” He smiled. “But I finished first, so I should hurry over to meet the young lord. Perhaps he shall praise me for my amazing performance.”
He smiled, then nodded slightly.
“Though I doubt just this would be enough to ensure I’m not outdone by the others.”
With a powerful beat of his wings, he adjusted his position, deciding it was best to eliminate
more Nagas.
“I suppose I should clean up a bit more… Maybe I’ll get all the glory,” he murmured, readying another arrow of wind as he flew forward with a massive beat of his wings.
Meanwhile…
On the blood-soaked battlefield, Mar’Garet moved like a shadow.
Her armor gleamed faintly, catching the dim green glow of the lagoon as she stepped into a shallow pool. The water rippled outward, mingling with the green blood of fallen Nagas.
A hiss sounded behind her, and she spun around. One of the creatures lunged, its fangs bared, trident pointed to skewer her. Mar’Garet’s crimson eyes narrowed.
FWISH!
Her spear lashed out in a blur, piercing through the Naga’s throat. It gurgled, clawing at the weapon impaling it. With a flick of her wrist, she twisted the spear, tearing through flesh and scales with a sickening CRACK as its spine shattered. The creature slumped to the ground, its lifeless body splashing into the lagoon.
“Pathetic,” she spat, yanking the spear free, green blood dripping from its blade.