The oppressive darkness of the Iron Grotto seemed to thicken as the Beholder’s enormous, grotesque form floated fully into view. Its central eye, gleaming with malevolent intelligence, locked onto Arlan’s strike team, while the writhing stalks surrounding its spherical body shimmered with crackling elemental energy. The air buzzed with tension, and the ground beneath their feet trembled in rhythm with the Beholder’s eerie hum.

Marie’s fiery wings cast flickering light across the jagged cavern walls, her tone tense but steady. “We should be careful,” she muttered. “It feels... smarter. Like it’s waiting for us to move.”

Arlan stood at the center of the team’s loose formation, Starshadow resting lightly in his hand. The blade pulsed faintly with absorbed energy from earlier battles, its mithril edge glowing in defiance of the dark mana saturating the grotto. “It knows we’re here for Soketh,” he said. “And it’s stalling.”

The Beholder moved first, its stalks shifting simultaneously as three beams erupted: a blast of fire toward Savage, a crackling arc of lightning aimed at Marie, and a pulse of shadow energy targeting Chrysta. The team scattered, each moving with practiced precision.

Marie dove to the side, spinning in midair and countering with [Inferno Hand], fiery projectiles that slammed into the Beholder’s shimmering barrier and dispersed harmlessly. “It’s got a mana barrier!” she called. “Nothing’s getting through that.”

Savage growled, deflecting the fire blast with the flat of his greataxe before slamming the weapon into the ground, sending a shockwave rippling through the cavern. “Then we break the shield!” he bellowed, charging forward.

“Wait!” Arlan’s voice cut through the chaos, stopping Savage in his tracks. “It’s not just a shield. It’s feeding off its attacks to reinforce itself. If we hit it head-on, we’re wasting energy.”

JD sprinted along the edge of the group, his [Hurricane Regalia] swirling around him. He deflected a beam of ice with his twin mithril blades, spinning to counter a dark fiend lunging toward Akasha.

“So what’s the plan, General? Dodge until it gets bored?” asked JD.

“No,” Arlan replied, his eyes narrowing as he activated [Heraldic Vision]. The chaotic battlefield slowed down around him, each movement of the Beholder’s barrier was analyzed by Sophia who informed Arlan of the data he needed. Then he continued, “We overload it.”

Chrysta raised her hands, casting [Frost Storm] to intercept a burst of lightning. The prism shattered, absorbing the energy but leaving her panting. “Overload it how? It’s not even flinching.”

Arlan’s voice remained calm, his mind working rapidly. “Its barrier is cycling mana between its eye and stalks. If we force it to redirect all its power to the barrier, the stalks will go dormant. That’s our opening.”

Marie circled higher, narrowly dodging a beam of fire. “And how exactly do we force it to do that?”

“We bait it,” Arlan said, gripping Starshadow tightly. “I’ll absorb the big spells. The rest of you focus on making it overcommit. Once its barrier destabilizes, we take out the stalks.”

The Beholder’s central eye glowed brighter, and a wave of dark mana radiated outward. Arlan raised Starshadow, the sword’s [Spell Absorption Rune] flaring as the energy collided with its edge. He grunted under the force, his boots skidding across the ground.

“Marie, Chrysta, Lucius—start hammering it with ranged firepower. JD, Akasha, Savage—stay mobile and ready to strike once the stalks falter.” His voice cut through the din, commanding and confident. “We take it apart piece by piece.”

The Beholder’s guttural hum grew louder, its central eye narrowing as its stalks readied another barrage. Arlan shifted his stance, his eyes fixed on the creature’s barrier. “Stay sharp, and don’t stop moving. We’ve fought worse than this.”

The cavern erupted with light and sound as the team executed Arlan’s orders, their coordinated efforts setting the stage for the brutal battle to come.

The Beholder’s guttural hum swelled into a roar as its tendrils fired a relentless barrage of elemental beams. The cavern filled with blinding flashes of fire, ice, and lightning, each attack aimed with deadly precision at the strike team. The jagged walls reflected the chaos, amplifying the light and sound into a cacophony of destruction.

Arlan held his ground at the center of the formation, Starshadow absorbing a surge of the barrage of third-tier magic spells cast every second. The blade hummed with energy, the [Spell Absorption Rune] glowing dangerously bright. “Keep moving!” he barked. “It’s trying to pin us down!”

Marie soared above the battlefield with her fiery wings. She hurled an [Inferno Hand] at a cluster of fiends skittering toward Savage. “You’re welcome!” she called as the explosion sent the creatures sprawling. Before she could revel in her small victory, a tendril snapped upward, firing an ice beam that hit her directly. Despite her mana barrier negating damage, she was still knocked back a bit.

“Marie! Are you alright?!” JD shouted from the ground as he deflected another tendril with his twin blades. His [Hurricane Regalia] flared as he spun through the fiends attempting to flank him, scattering them like leaves in a storm. He left behind multiple [Echo] clones.

“Arlan, it’s not stopping!” Chrysta called, casting [Glacial Fortress] to block a surge of lightning aimed at her and Lucius. The ice wall splintered under the impact, shards scattering like glass. “We better do something quick!”

Arlan gritted his teeth, his eyes darting between the Beholder’s core and its barrier. Through his [Heraldic Vision], he noticed the barrier pulsing erratically, its energy surging each time it fired an attack. “It’s overloading itself,” he muttered. “Just a little more.”

Savage charged headlong into a wave of fiends, his greataxe glowing with earthen mana. “Bring it you ugly fucks!” he roared, slamming the blade into the ground. The shockwave pulverized the nearest creatures, but a tendril whipped around, firing a fire beam that forced him back. “This thing’s got too many damn eyes!” he growled.

Akasha darted between the tendrils, her claws flashing as she slashed at exposed stalks. “It can’t track us all at once,” she snarled, leaping onto a jagged outcropping for cover. A tendril swung toward her, but she evaded it with inhuman speed. “Keep it distracted!”

From behind the line, Lucius adjusted his artifact goggles, scanning the barrier’s energy flow. “Arlan’s right—it’s dumping everything into its attacks and the barrier. If we can force one big spell, it might collapse under the strain.”

Arlan’s voice rang out, clear and commanding. “Yuna, Marie, Chrysta, Lucius—combine for an [Oblivion Surge]! Force it to defend itself!”

The team snapped into action. Yuna stepped forward, her staff glowing as she channeled radiant mana into the center of their formation. A shimmering orb of light began to form, pulsating with raw mana.

Marie landed next to Yuna, her fiery wings igniting as she added her demonic mana. Chrysta, her hands trembling with mana, added to the group channel.

Lucius adjusted his artifact wand and added his own specialty as well, activating [Mana Amplifier] as he fired a concentrated stream of arcane energy into the core of the spell. The combined pure mana swirled violently, creating an unstable but devastating weapon.

“Hold it steady!” Yuna shouted, her voice straining as the orb’s power threatened to destabilize. “Just a few more seconds!”

The Beholder’s central eye narrowed, its barrier rippling as if sensing the danger. Tendrils lashed out, firing beams of lightning and fire in an attempt to disrupt the casting. Arlan darted forward, Starshadow intercepting the attacks. Each beam that struck the sword was absorbed, the blade glowing brighter with stored energy.

“Now!” Arlan commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Launch it!”

Marie roared as she hurled the [Oblivion Surge] toward the Beholder. The massive, swirling sphere of pure mana streaked across the cavern, colliding with the shimmering barrier in an explosion of light and sound. The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, the cavern walls groaning under the strain.

The Beholder’s barrier crackled and flickered, fractures spreading like spiderwebs. Its central eye glowed brightly, pouring mana into the shield in a desperate attempt to maintain it. But the energy was too much—the barrier erupted in a cascade of shattered light, leaving the Beholder exposed and vulnerable.

“It’s down!” Lucius shouted, his voice tinged with triumph. “The barrier’s gone!”

“Now!” Arlan shouted. “JD, Akasha, Savage—take the stalks!”

The team surged forward, the tide of battle turning in their favor as they pressed the attack against the now-exposed Beholder.

The Beholder’s barrier flared brighter, its central eye narrowing as it redirected power to withstand the assault. Its tendrils faltered momentarily, their movements sluggish.

JD spun into action, sending an [Echo] forward and trading its place, like its propelling him forward. Then he struck with precision, severing one stalk in a flash of mithril.

Akasha leaped from shadow to shadow, her claws raking through the base of another tendril, which writhed before falling limp.

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Savage roared, swinging his greataxe overhead and cleaving through a third stalk.

The Beholder screeched, its guttural hum intensifying as its exposed form pulsed with erratic mana. Tendrils lashed out wildly, firing beams of fire, ice, and dark energy in chaotic arcs. The cavern trembled under the assault, rocks crumbling from the ceiling as the oppressive mana thickened.

“It’s going berserk!” JD shouted, slicing through a wave of smaller fiends attempting to swarm Chrysta. “We need to take it down now!”

Marie circled above, her fiery wings blazing brightly as she hurled [Wrath of Ignis]. The flames scorched the Beholder’s exposed body, but the creature still thrashed violently. “It’s falling apart!” she yelled. “Keep the pressure on!”

Arlan, standing in the eye of the storm, gripped Starshadow tightly. His [Heraldic Vision] mapped every move of the Beholder and his team, identifying openings. “Continue on the tendrils!” he commanded.

From her position at the rear of the formation, Fiala maintained a barrage of [Holy Bolts] against the nearby dark fiends, her golden magic shimmering faintly in the oppressive darkness.

Sweat trickled down her brow as the strain casting spells grew heavier with each passing second. The chaotic din of battle raged around her, but she remained focused, her hands glowing with radiant energy.

Then she heard it—a voice, soft and familiar, cutting through the chaos like a beacon.

“Sister…”

Fiala froze, her heart lurching. She turned her head sharply, and there he was—Anthony Lira. Her late brother stood at the edge of the battlefield, his brown eyes warm, his smile as gentle as she remembered. He stepped forward, his form illuminated faintly by the glow of her barrier.

“Anthony?” she whispered, her voice trembling. Her barrier flickered as her concentration faltered. “Is it really you?”

He nodded, his gaze steady and calm. “It’s me, Fiala. I couldn’t leave you. Not when you’re facing this.”

Her breath caught in her throat as tears welled in her eyes. “How? I thought you were…” Her voice broke, unable to finish the sentence.

“I was,” Anthony said, his tone low but resolute. “But I’m here now. You’ve always been strong, Fiala, but no one can carry this burden alone.” He extended a hand toward her. “Let me help you.”

Fiala was in a trance and stopped moving and lowered her own personal mana barrier. “Anthony…” she whispered, her voice filled with longing. “I—I can’t believe it’s you.”

“It is,” he said gently. “I’ve missed you so much.”

For a brief moment, the chaos of the battlefield faded away. The Beholder’s screeches and the sound of spells clashing against its barrier became distant echoes. All Fiala could see was her brother, his presence overwhelming her with a mix of joy and disbelief.

But then, something changed.

Anthony’s expression darkened, the warmth in his eyes fading as his smile twisted into a cruel smirk. “And now, you’ll join me,” he said, his voice dripping with malice.

Before Fiala could react, Anthony’s hand morphed into a jagged shard of ice, driving it deep into her abdomen. She gasped in shock and collapsed to the ground, her radiant barrier shattering as her magic faltered.

The illusion dissolved, and reality came crashing back. The true source of the attack revealed itself: one of the Beholder’s tendrils, its tip still glowing from the ice beam it had fired. The creature screeched in triumph as Fiala writhed in pain on the cavern floor.

“Fiala!” Chrysta cried, freezing another tendril mid-strike before rushing to her side.

Akasha darted toward Fiala, her claws slashing at a wave of fiends converging on her position. “She’s hit bad!” Akasha growled, her voice tight with urgency. “Yuna, get her out of here!”

Yuna sprinted over, her staff glowing as she cast [Lesser Healing Light] to stabilize Fiala’s wound. “Stay with me,” she said, her voice steady but strained. “You’re going to be fine!”

Fiala’s eyes fluttered open, her voice weak. “I thought... it was him,” she whispered, her hand trembling as it clutched Yuna’s arm. “It felt so real…”

Arlan knelt beside her briefly, his hand gripping hers. “It wasn’t him,” he said firmly, his voice calm but resolute. “It was the Beholder’s illusion. Don’t blame yourself.”

Fiala’s lips quivered, but she nodded weakly. “I’m sorry… I let you down.”

Arlan shook his head, standing tall again and activated [Crown’s Reprisal] to further heal Fiala’s wound. “You didn’t. You’re alive—that’s what matters. Yuna, get her out of here. We’ll handle this.”

Yuna nodded and began retreating with Fiala, who clung weakly to her. Chrysta conjured a protective ice wall to shield their retreat, her hands trembling as she maintained the spell. “Keep her safe,” she murmured.

The Beholder screeched again, its movements growing more erratic as its tendrils lashed out wildly. The team pressed the attack, their strikes coordinated under Arlan’s leadership.

Marie soared higher, channeling her remaining mana into four enhanced sixth-tier [Arc Flares]. “This is for Fiala!” she shouted, hurling the fiery projectile at the Beholder’s core. The spear struck home, eliciting another guttural scream from the creature as ichor spilled from its wounds.

Chrysta conjured multiple [Ice Spikes], launching them into the base of a thrashing tendril and freezing it solid. Savage followed with a powerful swing of his greataxe, shattering the frozen stalk into shards. “That’s another down!” he bellowed.

Arlan stood at the center of the formation, cleaving nearby reapers while absorbing spells where he could, Starshadow glowing with absorbed energy. “Its mana barrier is fading once more,” he said, his voice sharp and focused. “One more push, and we finish this.”

The Beholder’s guttural screech reverberated through the dark abyssal plains once more, its remaining tendrils lashing wildly as it fought to stay afloat. Its central eye, now bloodshot and glowing with erratic pulses of mana, fixated on Arlan’s strike team. The oppressive darkness of the Iron Grotto seemed to twist and distort under the weight of the Beholder’s waning but still volatile power.

Arlan stepped forward, Starshadow pulsing with the energy it had absorbed. He glanced at his team, each of them battered but still standing, and called out, “We end this now! Focus fire on its main eye—don’t let it recover!”

Marie soared higher, her fiery wings blazing like twin suns as she gathered the last reserves of her demonic mana. Her voice thundered over the chaos, filled with unrelenting determination.

“[Wrath of Ignis]!” she roared, summoning a massive, searing glyph in the air before her. The symbol burst into three spiraling streams of molten flame, each one homing in on the Beholder’s core with explosive precision. The fiery tendrils struck in unison, slamming into its oozing body with deafening detonations that illuminated the cavern in brilliant orange light.

On the ground, Chrysta’s ice-covered hands trembled with strain as she launched [Glacial Shards] at the creature’s remaining tendrils. Each shard hit with pinpoint accuracy, freezing sections of the Beholder’s thrashing form solid. “We can do this!” she shouted, her voice hoarse from exertion. “Keep hitting it!”

Frej moved with deadly precision, her spear glowing faintly as she channeled a steady flow of essence into its razor-sharp tip. She lunged forward, targeting a frozen tendril weakened by Chrysta’s assault. “[Aurum Piercer]!” she cried, her spear glowing golden as it punched through the icy stalk and shattered it into fragments. “FOR GLORY OF HOUSE AIKAHN!!”

Savage charged through the fray, his greataxe glowing faintly as he activated [Trifecta]. With incredible speed, he unleashed three devastating swings in rapid succession—one horizontal slash cleaving through a tendril, a vertical strike crushing another, and a spinning blow scattering ichor and debris. He planted his feet, laughing as the Beholder reeled from the assault. “I’m right with you Frej!” he roared, his voice echoing.

JD darted between the remaining fiends, his [Hurricane Regalia] scattering them like leaves in a storm. “[Echo]!” he called, creating three perfect clones of himself, each one moving with supernatural speed. They weaved through the battlefield, flanking the Beholder from multiple angles.

As one, JD and his clones struck, their mithril blades severing another tendril with synchronized precision. “No more hiding behind your stalks!” he shouted, a smirk crossing his face as he swapped places with an [Echo] to evade a retaliatory swipe.

Akasha leapt from shadow to shadow, her movements a blur as she closed in on a tendril attempting to lash out at Frej. “[Shadow Rend]!” she snarled, her claws glowing with crimson energy as they tore through the appendage. The stalk fell limp as she landed lightly and vanished again into the darkness. “Two left!” she growled. “Take them out now!”

From above, Lucius adjusted his artifact goggles, his sharp eyes scanning the Beholder’s writhing form. “I’ve got a weakness in its upper quadrant!” he shouted, taking aim with his mana-charged artifact hand blaster. “[Arcane Ray]!” The concentrated blast streaked across the battlefield, striking the exposed area with pinpoint accuracy. The Beholder screeched in pain, its form convulsing under the assault.

“Almost there!” Frej called back, her spear spinning in an elegant arc as she lunged forward again. She drove it into the writhing creature, golden energy erupting from the point of impact. Destroying the final stalk.

The Beholder thrashed violently, its guttural screeches growing louder as its core began to fracture under the relentless onslaught. Its tendrils flailed desperately, but the coordinated attacks from Arlan’s team were unrelenting.

But the Beholder’s central eye flared brightly, and a surge of dark mana erupted outward, knocking several of the team off balance. Arlan skidded back, planting Starshadow into the ground to stabilize himself. “It’s drawing in all its remaining power!” he shouted. “Get ready for a final strike!”

The creature began to glow ominously, its core swelling with unstable energy. The tendrils, though weakened, lashed out with renewed fury, forcing the team to scatter. The air vibrated with the sheer intensity of the mana it was gathering.

Lucius his voice cutting through the chaos. “It’s overloading itself! It’s trying to take us down with it!!”

Arlan’s eyes narrowed. “Then we make sure it doesn’t get the chance. Keep the dark fiends off me!”

Marie, Savage, and JD sprang into action. Savage slammed his greataxe into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the nearest baphomets. JD sprinted along the edges of the battle, his [Echo] clones cleaving any reapers going for Arlan. Marie unleashed [Arc Flares] at an unrelenting rate, burning another throng of dark fiends.

Chrysta and Lucius combined their efforts, launching simultaneous blasts of ice and arcane energy to pin the Beholder in place. “It’s all yours, Arlan!” Chrysta called, her voice hoarse from exertion.

Arlan charged forward, his movements a blur of speed and precision. The Beholder unleashed a desperate beam of mana directly at him, but Starshadow absorbed the attack with a deafening hum, growing brighter with every step.

With a final, thunderous roar, Arlan leapt high into the air, bringing Starshadow down in an arc that cleaved through the Beholder’s main eye. [Titan Strike] activated on impact, unleashing a shockwave of kinetic energy that surged through the creature’s body. The Beholder screeched one last time, its form convulsing before collapsing in on itself.

The explosion of dark mana was contained within Starshadow’s radiant glow, the cavern trembling as the creature disintegrated into ash and ichor. A heavy silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the team’s ragged breaths.

Arlan stood over the Beholder’s remains, Starshadow dimming as its energy dispersed. He turned to his team, each of them battered but alive, and gave a brief nod. “It’s dead. Good work, everyone.”

Marie landed beside him, her wings flickering out as she deactivated [Hellborn]. “If that’s Soketh’s warm-up act, I don’t even want to imagine the main event,” she muttered, her tone equal parts relief and exhaustion.

Arlan glanced toward the distant spires of Soketh’s castle, their dark outlines barely visible through the cavern’s oppressive gloom. “We’ve got a long way to go,” he said, his voice resolute. “But we’ll make it. We were lucky Fiala wasn’t killed.”

The team regrouped, though the Beholder was defeated, the first battle had taken its toll on the party, and the path ahead promised even greater challenges. But for now, they had survived—and that was enough.