Visarion

The vast, open battleground stretched before them, desolate and intimidating, punctuated only by twisted spires of dark, scorched rock that rose from the cracked earth like skeletal remains. The heat clung to the air, distorting the view of the jagged terrain in a haze, with each breath feeling heavy as if weighed by the intense stillness before the storm.

Kaneth's massive, scaled head shifted slowly, his smoldering eyes narrowing as they fixed on Erenyx and Loretta. His voice, rough and guttural, echoed around them, sounding like rocks grinding against one another: "You… cannot… escape… death…" With a monstrous determination, he started to lumber forward, each ponderous step trembling the ground beneath them. His pace quickened, transforming into a sluggish yet thunderous charge as he lunged toward them, his jaws parting to reveal rows of jagged teeth, glistening with molten fire that dripped to the floor, scorching it black.

As Kaneth drew near, his maw gaping wide to swallow them whole, Erenyx's body tensed, adrenaline firing through her veins. She crouched low and, with explosive strength, launched herself directly under his snapping jaws. In a powerful upward kick, she struck his maw shut, sending his enormous bulk soaring briefly into the air before she twisted mid-spin, axes flashing in the dim light as they found their mark along his thick, scaly neck. The axes bit deep, but not deep enough. Kaneth's body crashed back down, a rumbling shockwave radiating from his impact, sending chunks of molten rock scattering like sparks from a forge.

"Damn? Was it that easy?" Loretta muttered, his tone more wary than relieved, even as he summoned his own blade to his hand. Flames coiled around his fingers, forming a blade that seemed to breathe with embers of life.

Erenyx cast him a sidelong glance, catching her breath. "Hell no. I put everything I had into that, and he barely flinched."

Kaneth's eyes blazed as he slowly pushed himself upright, his voice ragged and drenched in venomous contempt. "Your… fire… isn't… pure… enough…" With a swift, sinuous motion, Kaneth swung his massive tail toward Loretta, who steadied his sword, ready to slice through it. But the tail's armored scales proved tougher than he anticipated; his blade barely made a scratch before the force sent him hurtling backward, shattering a nearby rock pillar with his impact. Dazed, Loretta shook off the shock, forcing himself to his feet, his grip tightening around his sword as Essentia surged through him.

"Shit, this bastard is strong," he gritted, flames igniting once more as he squared off with Kaneth. Loretta charged forward, Essentia blazing, meeting the Wyrm's scaly, jagged blade as Kaneth swung with all his monstrous might. Their weapons clashed in a shower of sparks, the grinding sound rising into a harsh symphony of metal and bone. Loretta's roar echoed through the air, his strength fueled by a fierce determination.

Above them, Erenyx leapt into the fray, her axes merging in a flash of light to form a colossal, double-sided weapon that pulsed with raw Essentia. She swung down with every ounce of her strength, her cry ringing through the field. "WITCH HUNT!" The blade struck true, severing Kaneth's tail with a decisive blow that sent a tremor across the battlefield, the dismembered tail writhing on the ground before falling still.

Kaneth let out an agonized roar, his enormous form faltering under the intense pain. Loretta seized the opportunity, slashing downward with everything he had, cleaving through Kaneth's massive arm until the beast's bony blade fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Kaneth reeled, his scales cracked, his breathing labored as he attempted a desperate final attack, lunging at Loretta with his powerful head. But Loretta nimbly flipped backward, his handspring carrying him just out of reach as he unleashed his Art of the Lotus: Phoenix Flower.

A storm of fireballs erupted from his mouth, each one a blazing ember that seared into Kaneth's back, scalding his scales and filling the air with the scent of burnt flesh.

Erenyx climbed onto Kaneth's massive, wounded back, her hand plunging into the beast's flesh, pushing deeper until she felt the familiar pulse of his heart. With a fierce, primal yell, she tore it free, the petrified stone of the Wyrm's heart still warm with life until, with a final beat, it grew cold in her bloodied hand, her moon lik grey eyes, now glowing a blood red. Kaneth's body slumped, a last, wheezing hiss escaping his maw as he whispered, "You… will… fall… to… his… flame…" His body hit the ground with an earth-shaking finality.

As Erenyx held the heart, a strange sensation crept over her, an echo of Kaneth's lingering hatred. The name 'Greyoll' slipped into her thoughts, carrying a chill of foreboding that Kaneth had taken to his grave.

Loretta's voice broke her from her trance. "Who's… his flame?" He asked, but Erenyx just shook her head, dismissing the name with a shrug, though her mind lingered on the thought. "No idea, but we're not sticking around to find out."

Before they could move on, Loretta's expression twisted in pain, his hand clutching his stomach. The scaly armor Kaku had placed over his wound began to react, spikes jutting out and twisting as if in fear. "I know where she is," he gasped, his breath catching as the armor grew hotter against his skin.

The two exchanged a look, Essentia gathering in their legs as they dashed forward with renewed speed. Creatures lurking in their path barely had a chance to attack before they were struck down, the pair carving their way through the dark terrain until, at last, they reached a scorched, isolated house. The charred structure exuded a sense of sorrow that made them hesitate, a strange despair that clawed at their courage.

"This has to be it," Loretta murmured, his grip on his sword tightening.

A woman's voice, cold yet inviting, drifted from the shadows within. "Enter." Her tone was silken yet barbed, carrying an air of danger that sent chills down their spines.

Erenyx crouched, readying herself to summon her beast. Her fingers moved in the familiar signs for Shiki, her great serpent, but nothing happened. Instead, a wave of fear emanated from Shiki, as if the creature itself refused to appear. "What the hell…?" she muttered, fingers shaking as she attempted to summon Zeus instead. A faint crackle of thunder echoed, then silence. Zeus, too, had refused her call.

Before she could process the strangeness, the room shifted, transporting them inside the house in a sudden blur. Their surroundings transformed, revealing what seemed more like a grim museum of war than a home. Statues of fallen Essentials lined the walls, their expressions frozen in agony, their lifeless gazes staring back at them.

From the darkness, the sound of a weapon dragging across the floor pierced the silence, and Erenyx felt her breath catch as they waited. A voice, dark and venomous, filled the room, carrying an undercurrent of malevolence. "To think Kaneth would fall…"

A woman emerged from the shadows—Eldryis, the Mother Gorgon. Her serpentine form was both mesmerizing and terrifying, with scales that gleamed obsidian in the faint light. She wielded a black spear with ease, its blade curved and glowing like a flame.

"You both will have the grace of falling to the flame of the serpent," she sneered, her voice filled with cruel satisfaction as she launched toward them with a deadly speed.

Loretta's hand ignited with fire as he brought it down onto her face, the explosion leaving a charred mark as he spun around, driving his knee into her neck. Erenyx followed close, her axes striking Eldryis's spear with precision, sending it clattering across the floor. But before she could press her advantage, her foot slipped, her heart racing as she pushed herself up, kicking Eldryis with the momentum of her swing.

Loretta seized the opportunity, swiftly sweeping her tail with a low kick that threw her off balance.

Erenyx leaped high into the air, clenching her fist tightly. She channeled Essentia into her back, creating the shimmering outline of butterfly wings. "Butterfly Blow!" she shouted, launching herself downward with immense force. Eldryis barely dodged as Erenyx's fist struck the ground, shattering it and sending shards of debris in all directions. "Damn," Erenyx muttered, brushing off the dust as she prepared for the next move. Loretta took his position behind her, poised and ready.

In an instant, Eldryis's obsidian spear reappeared in her hand, spinning with practiced elegance. A trail of crimson fire blazed along the blade's edge, so intense and pure that it mesmerized even as it radiated lethal heat. "Woah…" Loretta whispered, captivated by the flame's beauty, which he could feel searing into his core. Eldryis surged toward them, her polearm spinning in arcs of deadly flame, sweeping Loretta off his feet before attempting to plunge it straight through his chest. He rolled aside just in time, dodging the lethal strike, while Erenyx swung her axes to intercept the spear. But Eldryis parried her effortlessly, deflecting each blow.

Loretta seized the opportunity, swiftly sweeping her tail with a low kick that threw her off balance.

Erenyx leaped high into the air, clenching her fist tightly. She channeled Essentia into her back, creating the shimmering outline of butterfly wings. "Butterfly Blow!" she shouted, launching herself downward with immense force. Eldryis barely dodged as Erenyx's fist struck the ground, shattering it and sending shards of debris in all directions. "Damn," Erenyx muttered, brushing off the dust as she prepared for the next move. Loretta took his position behind her, poised and ready.

"Fall to the serpent's gaze," Eldryis hissed. Suddenly, from the dark corners of Loretta's mind, memories surged forward-scenes he had long buried and tried to forget, memories that softened the hatred he harbored for his father. In flashes, he saw moments of warmth: his father holding him as a child, doting on him with an uncharacteristic tenderness. He could still see his father's smile, hear his laughter-an unsettling contrast to the man who had later put him through such relentless torment.

"STOP IT!" Loretta cried out, clutching his head as if to banish the visions. Both Eldryis and Erenyx paused, watching his torment. "What the hell is going on?" Erenyx shouted, rushing to his side, but he shoved her away, still writhing under the weight of the memories. Realizing that Loretta was lost in his own inner battle, Erenyx steeled herself, ready to take on Eldryis alone.

The two clashed in a fierce exchange, their weapons sparking with the clash of Essentia. Erenyx gritted her teeth; despite her slender upper body, Eldryis wielded incredible strength, meeting her blows head-on. "You look me in my eyes without flinching. Have you never known sorrow?" Eldryis's voice slithered through the air, as smooth as silk yet sharp with malice.

"Shut the hell up!" Erenyx snapped back, her blood-red eyes blazing, her grin twisted in exhilaration. Moving fluidly, Erenyx spun her body and launched her other axe in a powerful swing, aiming to slice deep into Eldryis's side. She was almost in a trance, each move flowing naturally as she fought with raw, unrestrained fervor.

Eldryis countered with the serpents in her hair, snapping at Erenyx's axe in a desperate attempt to stop it. Though the snakes were cut through, their sacrifice bought Eldryis just enough time to slip out of reach. She leaped into the air, fire spiraling around her spear as she hurled it straight at Erenyx. Bracing herself, Erenyx raised her axe defensively, but a white serpent with crimson eyes emerged from the spear's shaft, fusing with the weapon to increase its power. The spear crashed against her axe with staggering force, nearly pushing her back.

Hissing with satisfaction, Eldryis's spear burst into flames, reforming in her hands. "You're quite an annoyance, girl," she snarled before lunging forward, spinning her weapon in a deadly, drill-like spiral aimed straight at Erenyx.