HP: god of potions

Chapter 113

Viridian snarled, his composure cracking. "So be it!" With a sharp motion, he raised both hands again, and the battlefield quaked violently. Massive rifts tore through the ground, and from them emerged monstrous abominations—hulking creatures formed of bone and shadow, their eyes glowing with unholy fire. The air grew colder as Viridian summoned the spirits of entire civilizations, their spectral forms towering over the battlefield. They unleashed devastating spells that scorched the earth and tore the air apart.

Gray's expression hardened. "You want to go all out? Fine." He spun his wand, its tip glowing with an intense light as he began weaving intricate glyphs in the air. Each glyph pulsed with power before erupting into devastating spells. A wave of freezing winds swept across the battlefield, encasing the skeletal army in ice. Explosive bursts of light disintegrated the ghosts and sent the monstrous abominations reeling.

Viridian fought back with ferocity, his necromantic dominion expanding to counter Gray's spells. But Gray's movements were unrelenting, his attacks precise and devastating. He leapt into the air, his wand extending into a staff as he channeled a massive surge of energy. With a deafening roar, he unleashed a beam of pure arcane power that cleaved through Viridian's forces, splitting the battlefield in two.

The battlefield lay in tatters, a place caught between ruin and resilience. Viridian staggered, his breath ragged, his gaze locked on Gray. His tone, a cocktail of awe and irritation, cracked the tense air. "What... are you?"

Gray landed with a practiced grace, his wand shrinking to its original size as he pointed it at Viridian. His eyes glowed with fierce, defiant light, radiating unshaken confidence. "I'm just someone you should've thought twice about challenging."

Though battered, Gray stood unyielding, his presence an indomitable force. The once one-sided battle now hung precariously in the balance, Gray's strength steadily eroding the overwhelming aura of Viridian's might. The barrier surrounding them groaned under the relentless strain, webbed with fractures that pulsed like veins under immense pressure.

Viridian sighed, his expression somber, almost mournful. "It's embarrassing," he admitted, the weight of his centuries-old pride coloring his tone. "To think a mere sixteen-year-old mage could force my hand, making me manifest my domain."

A shadow fell over his face, not of fear but of resigned certainty. A flicker of regret shone in his eyes, and his voice was quieter now, tinged with finality. "But alas, this is where your journey ends."

The ground beneath them trembled violently as Viridian's domain came to life. The cracks in the barrier splintered wider, spilling radiant, destructive energy that consumed the environment. The air thickened, oppressive and choking, while the sky darkened, a blood-red hue staining the heavens. Fire rained down in molten torrents, each droplet scorching the earth upon impact. Rivers turned to bubbling acid, their hiss drowning out even the deafening roar of exploding mountains in the distance. Gravity warped, bending light and space, as pieces of the earth itself floated into the air, suspended like fractured remnants of a broken planet.

Viridian's form transformed, his very being embodying the essence of destruction. His skin darkened, cracked like scorched earth, glowing with fiery magma-like veins that pulsed with every beat of his corrupted heart. His head became a jagged crown of obsidian, spiked and fractured, like a monument of devastation. His eyes glowed like twin supernovas, endless voids of blinding orange light that consumed everything they touched. His limbs elongated unnaturally, his fingers sharp and skeletal, tipped with claws that oozed smoke and ash. Around him swirled an aura of chaos, raw and untamed, and every breath he exhaled seemed to spread ruin.

Viridian floated above the cracked ground, a living apocalypse. He looked down at Gray, his voice echoing with the weight of countless worlds destroyed. "Count yourself lucky, boy, for witnessing the Domain of Destruction." But Gray didn't falter. He stood amidst the chaos, unafraid, his expression calm, even amused. His glowing eyes met Viridian's with an unwavering gaze, a stark contrast to the hellish domain around him.

Viridian scowled. "You are fearless; I'll give you that," he admitted. "But that is as far as you go." He extended a clawed hand, and Gray's body began to disintegrate, crumbling into dust. Viridian sighed, almost disappointed. "Gosh, I feel embarrassed having to pull out a domain on a child."

He turned away, but his satisfaction was short-lived. Behind him, the air shimmered, and with a crackling hum, Gray's body reformed, each particle reassembling with startling precision. Viridian froze, his molten eyes widening in disbelief as he spun around. "What?" Viridian's voice broke as he stared at Gray, completely unharmed. "How are you... existing?" Gray smirked, brushing imaginary dust off his shoulder. "Destruction," he said, his tone laced with mock admiration. "It feels... nice." He flexed his fingers, a faint glow radiating from his hands as he prepared to unleash his own domain.

Before he could act, both combatants felt it: a powerful presence tearing through the barrier with a deafening boom. The energy rippled through the domain, shaking its foundations as both Viridian and Gray turned to face the source. Gray's smirk widened into a grin as recognition dawned. "Rachel?"

The figure stepped forward, her entrance as commanding as the storm itself. It was indeed Rachel, but she was transformed. Gone was her usual brooding demeanor and dark purple cloak. She now wore a resplendent white cloak that shimmered like moonlight. Her once-dark hair was a radiant white, glowing faintly like starlight against the darkness of Viridian's domain. Her presence exuded an overwhelming sense of calm power, a stark contrast to the chaos surrounding her. Rachel floated to Gray, cradling him in her arms in a princess carry. Her voice was teasing, her smirk playful. "Seriously, I leave for a few days, and you get yourself into a fight with a powerful enemy? What are you? A damsel in distress?" Gray blinked, stunned into silence. His mouth opened, then closed, unable to form words. Rachel chuckled. "Speechless? That's a first." Viridian cleared his throat loudly, drawing their attention. "I'm still here," he grumbled, visibly annoyed.