Hundreds of flaming centipedes crawled from the huge magma lake, their burning bodies casting an eerie glow across the battlefield. Yōulíng shuddered at the sight but steeled herself; she would not disappoint Teo, who lounged casually on his rock as if watching a mere performance.
The trio flinched as the horde approached. Though each centipede wasn't particularly strong on its own, their sheer numbers made them a formidable threat. Yet Teo hadn't summoned any additional familiars, his confidence in them evident. The centipedes surged forward like a burning tide, charging with unnatural single-mindedness that suggested a controlling force behind their actions.
When the first centipede arrived near Ember Tyrant, he swung his flaming fist, connecting with a centipede, and it just exploded on impact. Flashing a smile, he charged at the centipedes, blasting one after the other as he kept getting wilder and wilder.
Yuurei, on the other hand, just killed them cleanly using her blood magic. She controlled the blood that splattered around because of Tyrant's rampage and created spears, knives, and other weaponry with it to cleanly behead the centipedes.
Yōulíng watched her companions' efficiency with a mix of awe and determination. Gathering her mist around her, she faced her own group of advancing centipedes. She wouldn't let herself fall behind.
Turning parts of her body ethereal and then, when it's inside the centipede's skull, she undid the transformation to let her limbs appear in the centipede's brains to one-shot them. Even though it might not work on stronger and smarter enemies, for these dumb insects, this approach worked very well.
Teo lounged on the big rock, just lazily watching his familiars slaughter the centipedes. Impressed by Yōulíng's way of fighting, he closed his eyes again to wait until all the centipedes were wiped out.
A massive explosion hit the battlefield, centered on the rock Teo's perch. The rock he'd been lounging on shattered into a thousand pieces, and through the smoke and debris, Teo's body flew backwards, a gaping hole in his chest. His familiars froze in horror. None of them had ever seen their master wounded before.
But then Teo's laughter echoed across the field as the wound began knitting itself closed. The burned flesh and the fractured bones regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye. "Now that," he said, cracking his neck as he stood, "was actually impressive."
Looking around the room to find who had managed to wound him Toe didn't see anything or anyone that could have harmed him so severely. "Yōulíng, get over here!" he growled.
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Yōulíng immediately appeared beside him and turned him into mist. "Tyrant enter the lake the centipedes crawled out of. I have a feeling the big boss will be hiding in there." He said nonchalantly, not hiding the huge grin.
"Oh, Selene, you’ve really outdone yourself this time." The usual stoicism that defined his features melted away, replaced by a manic gleam in his eyes. His lips twisted into a wide, almost feral grin, baring his teeth as if he were savoring some dark delight.
"All familiars are to stand ready in the subspace; this battle is going to be an extremely tough one, so be prepared to fight to your heart's content." he said as he pulled Sorazaki out of the subspace. Resting it against his shoulder, a beautiful cat appeared on his other shoulder.
"Wéidù Māo, ugh, what a drag. I'll just call you Māo; that's gonna be a lot easier in dire circumstances." He mumbled, "Stay on my shoulder and use your abilities to support me." Ordering her, he slowly walked towards the magma lake in the center.
In the magma lake, Ember Tyrant was slowly descending towards the bottom. A shiver raced down his spine. And what he saw only made it worse. A towering colossus that must have been at least 50 meters tall was standing in front of him, its body a fusion of molten rock and pure flame, constantly shifting between solid and liquid forms. Jagged obsidian spikes are visible atop its broad shoulders, arms, and back, glowing with fiery veins. Its head crowned with a halo of blazing fire, and its eyes are orbs of searing white heat staring straight at Ember Tyrant.
A tight swallow betrayed his unease, despite his effort to appear calm, but he was also excited to fight such a formidable opponent. Charging straight at the colossus with his blade formed by destructive energy. slashing at the colossus, his right arm he cut straight through as the arm sank to the bottom of the lake.
Ember Tyrant looked surprised at the colossus. "Is it just a huge weakling?" looking suspiciously at the arm that had landed on the bottom, he couldn't see the arm anymore; it had disappeared. Another shiver raced down his spine, and before he could react, a massive force slammed into him head-on.
He was launched out of the magma lake like a comet, molten rock splashing in all directions as his body hurtled through the air. Smashing into the volcanic wall with a thunderous crash, the impact sending cracks throughout the wall as debris rained down around him.
Ember Tyrant's form dimmed, flickering unsteadily as cracks of faint energy rippled across his body. His once radiant flames now sputtered weakly, their brilliance nearly extinguished. Sensing his familiar's predicament, Teo extended his hand, a torrent of magic power surging forth. The mana enveloped Ember Tyrant, his flickering light steadying as his flames reignited, burning brighter than before.
"Thanks, master," he muttered as he crawled back up while stumbling a little. Teo just nodded and got straight to the point. "The hell did you see down there, to be slapped around like a dead body?" he asked as his facial features turned even more savage, showing his growing fighting spirit and interest in the formidable enemy looming in the lake.
"I don't really know what to call it, but it looked like a colossus made out of pure flame and molten rock. It should at least be 50 meters tall and looks like a serious threat; his healing powers are extraordinary. I cut off its arm, and within a couple of minutes it was completely healed as if it never happened," he explained as he awkwardly scratched his flame-covered head.