The cold morning wind wafted through Samael's disheveled hair, caressing his skin with its icy touch.
Much like the atmosphere, everyone witnessing the standoff between the two opposing forces felt the tension hanging in the air. like a finely honed dagger hovering mere inches from their throats.
The pressure emitted by the Leviathan cub has gone worse over time, sending shockwaves and further disturbing the water.
Unfortunately, the damage done by Samael had begun regenerating, a feat baffling him as his Void purity had gone up over the course of time.
Its regeneration is out of this world! Samael thought, his visage grim.
If they were to defeat the beast, they could only do one of two things. Either deal significantly large damage, so large that the leviathan cub will be forced to slow down, or use his Void element to impede the abomination's healing factor.
Assessing the situation carefully, they have the advantage of numbers. That fact also goes for wits and coordination.
The Leviathan cub isn't smart. It relies heavily on its instincts and has barely used a skill. The only trace of ability it has shown is its utilization of its subzone. But even so, it fails miserably.
Still, their opponent is a saint. A creature capable of manipulating weather upon its wims
But what matters right now is for the others to escape. Erubin and the rest of his crew cannot withstand the full power of two saints fighting. He's seen one before when Antrax and Ajax fought, and he merely lasted for minutes before going into a coma for days!
We need to buy time, Samael concluded as he shifted his gaze towards the crashed boat.
"Leave! We'll buy you time!" Samael roared, luring the attention of the passengers.
Erubin rose to his feet, stepping forward as he replied. "We can still fight—"
"No! Leave. Now!" Samael interjected, silencing the man.
Right now, Erubin and his crew were nothing but...
Baggage.
It would serve him and Ajax better if Erubin would vacate the place as fast as they could before the whole river becomes their field of battle, and it appears it won't be too long.
A deep, curdling screech thundered in the air, sending chills down their spines and rattling their bones. Samael could feel the dirt tremor under his soles, and the wind harshly whip his face.
"Do we have a plan?" Samael asked.
Ajax tightened his grip, the sharp edge of his blade glimmering under the golden rays of the afternoon sun.
"It appears that it can't properly move on the ground yet, so we immobilize it to keep it off shore," Ajax said.
"We'll use your Void element to hinder its regeneration as I continuously deal damage," he followed.
Samael gave a stiff nod as onyx-dark Void matter swirled in his hand, swiftly enveloping Crimson Raven.
The leviathan cub shot a glare towards the shore, its crimson eyes burning in fury as it completely snuffed out the traces of Void matter lingering in its left pupil.
It had begun.
The leviathan cub lunged forward; its maws wide open, revealing a sharp set of teeth.
However, Samael and the rest nimbly avoided the attack.
A thunderous explosion reverberated in the air as chunks of earth flew high into the heavens.
It can jump?! Samael thought in bewilderment. But it was an opportunity. A leviathan is a beast that excels in its home field. Take that away, and it will be greatly weakened.
Not wasting another second, Samael's figure turned into a blur, followed closely by multiple thunderclaps as he appeared above the beast.
"Void Fire," Samael muttered.
Samael extended his finger as purple lines etched themselves at his fingertips, releasing a lush glow as they brought forth destruction.
Multiple rapid explosions shook the earth as Samael fired one Void fire after the other, scorching the pale skin of the abomination black.
"AJAX!" Samael roared.
"On it," Ajax replied as he appeared beside the cub, sword in tow.
"Shadow piercer," Ajax muttered as large, concentrated shadow matter swiveled in his blade, forming a needle-like aura.
Ajax's blade descended with reckoning fury, intending to end the battle once and for all— A burst of astral pressure shot out of the beasts body, effortlessly tearing the ground away and knocking Ajax and Samael back.
Samael struck the ground multiple times before coming to a halt; traces of cracks marred his vessel.
Samael's groan echoed in the air as he rose to his feet. His hands trembling, and his eyes quivering.
BLECH!
A mouthful of blood trickled down Samael's lips and into his hand, staining his clothes and painting the ground red.
Shit... Samael thought.
Shifting his gaze ahead, Samael fixated his eyes on Ajax defiantly challenging the leviathan cub in a battle of astral pressure.
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It appeared as though two domes of unknown origin struck each other mercilessly.
The wind lashed in rage, the ground shook in terror, and the dust billowed high in the air as the clash went on.
Slowly, the leviathan cub rose to its feet, spearing a glance towards Ajax as its pressure gradually grew higher.
Samael clenched his jaw as a burst of astral veil enveloped his body in its protective embrace.
Shifting his gaze back, Samael couldn't help but curse under his breath.
Erubin and his men weren't too far off; if Ajax and the abomination's clash kept going, they would sweep everyone and everything in their path. including Erubin and the others.
Samael lowered his stance as another wave of pressure nearly swept him off his feet.
The ground had cracked, showing the dirt underneath. The water in the river pushed back under the overwhelming clash of the two saints.
It won't be long.
Samael grasped the ground tight as he propelled himself forward, breezing through the wind like an arrow.
On the other hand, Ajax slowly but steadily marched towards the Leviathan cub, steadfastly braving the waves of pressure the beast sent before him.
Without hesitation, Ajax took the notch up even higher, successfully forming a crater underneath their feet.
The abomination recoiled back, barely avoiding a tumble. Accepting Ajax's challenge, the creature fired back in response.
Ajax's grunt reverberated in the air, his steel boots skidding off the ground. Without a second thought, Ajax dug his foot in the dirt, dialing up his astral pressure even higher.
The abomination released a war cry as it poured its all, creating a dome of astral pressure so strong it wiped off everything in its path.
Ajax braced himself, a roar escaping his lips as a burst of astral pressure jetted off his vessel, furiously slamming into the approaching dome.
"ARGHHHHH!" Ajax bellowed, his blade drilled deep in the ground, barely holding him from flying.
The beast screeched in return, its massive body slowly skidding back.
The two domes grinded each other, producing a humming sound and evaporating any unfortunate being in between.
Erubin and his men watched the enormous scene in front of their eyes; their jaws dropped wide as the wind whipped their hair back. a single question lingering in their mind.
How can someone have so much power?
The humming noise grew louder by the second, resonating within the air as it traveled far and wide.
Eventually, all in the nearest 2 kilometers were engulfed in blinding light, devouring all blocking its path, Erubin and his men included.
The blinding flash drowned their vessels in the lights might, temporarily blinding them and bestowing upon acceptance that it was over for them.
After all, how can they survive two saints?
However, in its midst, Samael's figure appeared, gently landing on the dirt as he muttered.
"Void Dome."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!
An ear-shattering explosion thundered in the air, followed by rageful shockwaves wiping away everything near Ajax and the Leviathan cub.
The ground shook, the dust stirred, and chunks of earth rained down like rain.
Erubin felt the world stop for a moment, his life flashing before his eyes. Yet, death never came for him.
Erubin slowly opened his eyes, his gaze widening as he saw Samael stand before him, arms raised ahead.
There stood a dome so dark that no light could pierce it. But that dome had cracks marring its visage as it slowly fell down like shattered glass.
"Wha—" Erubin's words were cut short when Samael fell to his knee, blood gushing out of his orifices.
Erubin and his men rushed to Samael, checking his condition, when the man roared.
"GO! RUN!" Samael instructed, tears of blood meandering down his cheeks, his bloodshot eyes fixated at the tower of smoke left behind by the two saints.
Erubin tightened his fist, shame and anger welling in his heart. They wanted to help, and they really do. But with their power, they're nothing but a burden, weighing Samael down.
"...Understood," Erubin muttered in reply.
"MEN! GET YOURSELF UP AND RUN! RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN!" Erubin bellowed.
The soldiers gritted their teeth as they shakily rose to their feet, their blades acting as canes.
Samael closed his eyes, his fist trembling as he muttered.
"Regeneration..."
He slowly opened his eyes, a bundle of nerves etching lines on his skin. His muscles squirming like worms burrowing under his flesh.
Regeneration allows him to heal faster than others, but it's extremely painful, as he could feel his organs stitch themselves back and his bones snap back to their rightful place.
Within a minute or two, Samael painstakingly rose to his feet. He wasn't fully healed yet, but just enough to allow him to fight.
Regeneration burns a great deal of essence; it won't be long until he uses his saved-up essence in his Void charge.
Void Dome allows him to protect many people at once, but to tank an attack of that magnitude still contained an inevitable rebound.
Samael wiped his lips, and he spat on the side, ridding his mouth of the familiar taste of blood.
With a blink of his eyes, white specks swiveled in his pupils.
"All seeing eye," Samael muttered.
Samael shifted his gaze towards the towering smoke, his eyes narrowing down as he peered deep into the dust.
A soft sigh escaped Samael's lips, along with a sense of dread. He could see Ajax's life aura, but so does the leviathan cub, albeit faintly.
Eventually, Ajax's figure formed from the thinning smoke, revealing his armor, which was dented and damaged.
On the other hand, the abomination rose to its feet, its pale body slowly morphing back into shape.
What a shitty ability Samael couldn't help but scowl in exasperation.
The Abomination released a deep roar as it bared its fangs at Ajax, seemingly forgetting Samael's existence.
Its jaw fell wide open, extending to lengths Samael's brain couldn't have predicted.
What the... Samael's thought process came to a halt as his Void compass rang in alert, warning him of impending danger.
Then came the rain.
From the thunderclouds brought upon by the Leviathan cub, a sudden downpour caught Samael by surprise, opting for him to glance up.
It summoned rain using its subzone...? Samael thought, a smudge of confusion lingering in his pupils.
However, his bewilderment only grew wilder as he witnessed the raindrops hover mere inches from the ground. It was a beautiful scene, but Samael felt his heart go cold.
This... Don't tell me... Samael's gaze slowly wandered towards the beast, his eyes frying open by the second.
The droplets of water moved in waves, forming lines upon lines as they swarmed the maws of the beast.
The droplets of rain swiveled and circled the abomination, swiftly merging as they flocked each other mercilessly.
Within seconds, before Samael eyes stood a giant sphere of water, resting near the jaws of the Leviathan cub, nearly blocking the sun in its might.
Samael couldn't remove his eyes from the creature, dread taking root deep in his heart.
Ajax, on the other hand, tightened his grip on his blade as he swiftly called upon Igram and Merlin.
The trusty shadow knight came forward without fear, braving the ginormous sphere of water mere meters away from it.
Raising its shadow blade high in the air, Igram impaled his weapon deep into the ground, forming a makeshift shield.
Igram, much like Ajax, had evolved over time, forming skills, and with new skills comes greater power.
Igram's adaptive ability has soared as time goes on. Igram can not only adapt faster, but he can hasten this process by personally tanking the attack Ajax wishes him to learn.
Igram has acquired regeneration capabilities at the cost of Ajax's essence. A small trade for an ability capable of changing the tides of battle
"Merlin," Ajax said, calling forth the shadow spawn Samael had never seen before.
Merlin came forward confidently, unafraid of the threat posed by the abomination.
The shadow spawn raised its hand forward, summoning waves upon waves of shadows, forming a large armor similar to that of Igram.
The shadow armor enveloped Igram in its embrace, doubling the shadow's defensive capabilities off the roof.
Merlin wasn't simply unafraid; he was confident. He was a shadow spawn capable of utilizing a plethora of skills. Unlike Ajax, who can only copy abilities for a limited period of time, Merlin may keep a single ability from his enemies.
Their preparations were complete, but so was the leviathan cub.
The sphere of water lowered ever so slowly, and before Samael's eyes, the abomination swallowed the sphere of water in one fell swoop.
It lowered its jaw, spearing it towards Ajax and his spawn as its maw glew incandescent.
A lone bead of sweat meandered down Samael's forehead as he uttered.
"Shit."