Toruri, Gnari, and Hiyoku trudged through the suffocating darkness of the ruined dungeon, their footsteps echoing faintly against the decayed stone walls. Shadows flickered ominously with every subtle movement, though no light source was in sight.
Hiyoku broke the silence first. "Gnari, do you even know where you sent that skeleton?"
Gnari, keeping her gaze ahead, shrugged lightly. "No. That was a random door—so it sent him to a random place I've been to."
Hiyoku raised a brow. "Where'd you even learn magic? Specifically door magic?"
Toruri snorted softly, his voice laced with amusement. "Door magic being your destiny magic sounds funny."
Gnari shot him a sharp look. "I taught myself. And yes, it's my destiny magic."
Hiyoku's lips quirked into a sly grin. "Did you start off making cabinets?" His teasing tone made Toruri struggle to suppress a laugh.
Gnari's expression hardened. "Of course not..."
"Mhm, sure..." Hiyoku replied, dragging out the words, his grin widening.
Their banter faded as the group entered a vast chamber. A colossal spiral staircase loomed before them, coiling downwards into a seemingly endless abyss.
Toruri smirked. "What a good day to be able to see in the dark!"
Gnari peered into the gloom. "What's at the bottom?"
"A floor," Toruri quipped dryly.
Gnari frowned. "You can't see a door or anything useful to get us through this dungeon?"
"A floor," Toruri repeated, his grin widening, "and some bones."
Before either of them could respond, Hiyoku sprang into the air and dived into the middle of the spiral.
"And there he goes," Toruri said with a nonchalant shrug before leaping after him.
Gnari sighed. "I'm taking the stairs." She took off, her footsteps echoing as she descended.
Toruri landed gracefully, his boots striking the ground a moment after Hiyoku touched down.
"Hey," Hiyoku said casually.
Toruri gave him a curious look. "Something wrong?"
Hiyoku glanced ahead at an open doorway at the far end of the chamber. A faint unease flickered in his eyes. "I feel... on edge for some reason. PERFECT REASON FOR ME TO RUN AHEAD!" Without waiting for a response, he bolted toward the doorway.
An orange glow flared to life on the wall beside him, casting an eerie light over his frame. A loud bang reverberated as the doorway slammed shut, trapping Hiyoku inside.
"Huh?" Hiyoku murmured, glancing around. The orange glow intensified, rippling across his form like an ominous scan.
Toruri stepped forward. "Hiyoku—"
Before he could finish, the wall where the light emanated began to twist and convulse. Stone cracked and shifted, morphing into a towering figure—a golem with an elongated body, gangly limbs, and a single, luminous orange eye. The creature's gaze burned with malevolence as it stood tall over Hiyoku.
Gnari skidded to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, taking in the scene.
Toruri folded his arms. "There's the dungeon boss."
Hiyoku cocked his head nonchalantly. "Tempting, but I still want to save my strength for the dark lord." With that, he strolled back to the staircase and plopped down on a step. "You guys can handle this thing, right?"
"Yeah, sure," Toruri replied, stretching lazily.
Gnari observed the golem critically. "I wonder how strong this thing is. Judging by the state of this dungeon, it's probably fought countless times before."
Toruri glanced at her. "Gnari, you seem to know a lot about dungeons. Any idea what this guy does?"
Gnari nodded thoughtfully. "Dungeon bosses vary by species. This one's clearly a golem mimicking a cyclops."
"Cyclops golem. Got it," Toruri said, rolling his shoulders.
The golem's glowing eye suddenly unleashed a searing orange beam, aiming straight for Toruri. He reacted instantly, propelling himself into the air as wings sprouted from his back, carrying him above the devastating blast.
"Enhancement Magic!" Toruri shouted as azure light engulfed his fist. He shot forward with incredible speed, his glowing fist slamming into the golem's head. The impact shattered the stone creature's head, sending its body crumbling to the ground in a cascade of rubble. Toruri hovered in mid-air, surveying his handiwork.
"Boss defeated. It's immortal, right? Will it come back to life?"
Gnari said with a beat. "Not until after twenty-four hours."
As if on cue, the sealed door began to slide open—but froze midway. Black ooze seeped from the shattered remains of the golem, writhing with an unnatural energy. A crackling surge of dark power electrified the fragments, which began to coalesce, merging back into a fully reformed golem.
"What? But how?!" Gnari exclaimed.
Toruri's face darkened. "Obviously, the dark lord's using some of his fairy magic BS to keep this thing moving!"
Gnari's eyes narrowed at the black liquid. "What was that stuff?"
"No clue," Toruri said grimly, "but we can win this by destroying every trace of it in its body!"
Acrodontayay lunged forward, fists swinging with the force of a battering ram, aiming to pummel Verte into submission. Yet, every time his attacks seemed destined to connect, Verte would vanish in a flicker of light, reappearing effortlessly behind him.
"Cowardly move, elf!" Acrodontayay growled, his voice reverberating with frustration.
"You just need to keep up," Verte replied, her tone light but mocking.
Why does this technique feel so familiar? Acrodontayay pondered, narrowing his eyes as his fists clenched tighter.
He launched another punch, but once more, Verte sidestepped reality, materializing at his side like a phantom. He pivoted into a kick, only for her to blink out of harm's way again, this time reappearing behind him.
That's what it is! Recognition flashed across his face as he leaped back, putting distance between them.
"When are you going to fight, elf?" he taunted, his voice rising with irritation. "Do you think you can stall me with a reactive aegis?"
Verte's lips curled into a wry smile. "I didn't expect such a brute like you to know what that is."
"Elves to me are like insects," Acrodontayay sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "I had an unreasonable fear of your kind once—until I learned how easy it is to kill you. I've slain many who relied on reactive aegises. Some teleported away like you; others used barriers. You might have both."
Verte's expression flickered with surprise, though she quickly masked it. "You know a lot…"
"Is that enough to impress you? Will you finally fight me?"
Her smirk widened as rainbow energy began to swirl around her lithe frame, an aura of raw power igniting her form. "If that's what you want, it's what you'll get."
The aura intensified, shifting to a vibrant electric hue. "Elemental Harness—" Her voice rang out like a bell of challenge as the energy around her transformed into a crackling storm of lightning.
"Thunderlance Surge!" Verte's fingertips glowed, discharging a colossal beam of electricity. The brilliant torrent hurtled toward Acrodontayay with devastating force, engulfing him in a blinding explosion. The earth trembled, scorched and ravaged by the aftermath.
When the dust settled, Acrodontayay stood unmoved, smoke curling from his scorched figure. Without hesitation, he lunged, his fist aimed squarely at Verte. She vanished just before impact, reappearing behind him.
Frustration mounting, Acrodontayay swung again, and again, Verte evaded him with her relentless teleportation.
Her electric aura shifted into a blazing inferno. "Elemental Harness—" Fire erupted around her. She ascended, her fiery presence commanding the battlefield.
"Apocalyptic Ember Rain!!!" Verte unleashed a storm of gargantuan flaming meteors. They rained down with earth-shaking force, each one blazing with destruction.
Acrodontayay leaped skyward, smashing through the infernal projectiles with his fists. Summoning his folded chair, he hurled it with pinpoint precision. The weapon cleaved through several meteors, detonating them midair. As the chair neared Verte, she teleported again—this time directly in front of him.
Seizing the moment, Acrodontayay brought his elbow crashing down. Verte barely managed to erect a shimmering barrier that absorbed the blow but sent her careening to the ground. She landed with a thunderous crash, unscathed but shaken.
"Elf tricks won't work on me!" Acrodontayay bellowed, recalling his chair to his hand. Unfolding it, he launched himself toward Verte with unrelenting speed.
In the split second before impact, Verte teleported again, reappearing meters away. Her fiery aura transformed into a tempestuous gale.
"Elemental Harness—" The wind howled around her.
"Tempest Piercer!!!" Verte unleashed a torrent of compressed wind, striking Acrodontayay in the back. The force propelled him through the outlands, through the dense forest beyond, crashing through ancient trees like twigs. He hurtled across the landscape, the unyielding gale driving him further, until he soared over the ocean.
Verte pursued, teleporting high above him. Her aura shifted once more, this time to an icy, crystalline blue.
"Elemental Harness—" Frost enveloped her, the chill emanating like a blizzard.
"Glacial Annihilation!" She unleashed a devastating blast of freezing energy. The arctic surge collided with Acrodontayay, freezing him midair in a solid block of ice. The ocean beneath him crystallized instantly, stretching miles between the island and his frozen prison.
Verte landed lightly on the frozen ocean, her breaths coming faster, her forehead glistening with sweat.
"That should hold—" she started to say, but the ice surrounding Acrodontayay began to fracture. Cracks spiderwebbed across the frozen prison, radiating outward with an ominous groan.
Suddenly, the ice erupted in a surge of blue energy, shattering into countless shards that exploded outward. Acrodontayay emerged, standing tall atop the fractured remnants, his aura glowing a menacing blue and his eyes blazing with energy.
"THRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" His deafening roar sent shockwaves through the area, disintegrating the remaining ice into mist. Before the shards could hit the water, Acrodontayay vanished in a blur and reappeared behind Verte.
With a gasp, Verte hastily conjured a barrier as Acrodontayay's fist slammed into it, sending her hurtling back toward the island. She crashed through the forest, tearing through trees like a falling comet, before slamming into the village. Her barrier flickered but held firm, protecting her from harm.
Before she could recover, Acrodontayay was upon her again, descending with a brutal kick. The impact rattled her barrier, forcing Verte to teleport several meters away, her breath ragged.
Teleporting takes too much mana, she thought, clenching her fists. Maybe I was right for overcharging the plan…
Acrodontayay sneered, his blue aura flickering around him. "That barrier can't keep you safe for long, elf!"
He disappeared again, reappearing in front of her with blinding speed. His punch, shrouded in crackling blue energy, struck her barrier and left a visible crack.
How did he— Verte's mind raced as she teleported farther away.
"Elemental Harness—" she chanted, her aura shifting to an ominous dark hue.
"Umbra Spheres!" Two orbs of concentrated darkness materialized in her hands. She hurled them at Acrodontayay, who deflected them with a casual swipe of his arms. The spheres veered into the sky, lingering ominously.
Verte shifted her aura once more, its color morphing into radiant light. "Elemental Harness—"
"Luminary Lance!!" A beam of pure light took the form of a lance, speeding toward Acrodontayay. He caught the lance with a grin, hurling it skyward.
The two dark spheres from earlier combined into a massive orb, which Verte caught and hurled upward. In the same motion, she teleported behind Acrodontayay and touched him, teleporting him directly into the orb's center.
"AAAAARGH!!!" Acrodontayay's pained screams echoed as the dark magic electrocuted him.
Verte flicked her wrist, her glowing yellow eyes directing the light lance from above to pierce through Acrodontayay's chest. The impact carried him—and the orb of darkness—downward, resulting in a colossal explosion of light and shadow that consumed the battlefield.
As the smoke cleared, Acrodontayay emerged, his body glowing violently, his eyes alight with an unnatural fire. He swiped at Verte, who barely teleported away, only for him to appear behind her instantly. His kick struck her barrier again, leaving a splintering crack.
He's adapting to my teleportation, Verte realized, her movements slowing as exhaustion overtook her. He's draining my mana with every move. I might run out!
Acrodontayay chuckled darkly, his voice filled with malice. "I sense your mana—it's vanishing. Your barrier is going to break, and you're getting tired. It's only a matter of time until I hear the sound of my scales battering your flesh."
Verte's aura dissipated entirely. "There goes my elemental harness…"
Acrodontayay calmly unfolded his chair, setting it on the ground before sitting. "Impressive, elf. You've done more than most. But I've fought plenty like you—elves with mastery over magic, elemental harnesses, barriers, and teleportation. I noticed your immense mana pool at the start of our fight, but it's dwindled. Where did the rest go?"
Verte froze, her wide eyes betraying her thoughts. He noticed…
Acrodontayay smirked. "You elves always think you're clever, but you underestimate your opponents' intelligence. I don't know where you funneled all that mana, but I'll figure it out soon enough."
"Skill 1: Sit Down."
In an instant, Verte was teleported above the chair. Acrodontayay swiped at her, shattering her barrier completely on contact.
No! she thought, horror flashing across her face.
Acrodontayay's grin widened as he swiped again, but Verte evaded at the last moment—not through teleportation, but raw speed. Sliding to a halt, she panted heavily, her vision blurring from exhaustion.
"That wasn't teleportation," Acrodontayay said, standing slowly. "That was sheer desperation. You're out of mana, and now your barrier is gone."
Verte's breaths came in short, ragged gasps.
"You shouldn't be worn out like this. Are you panicking? Do you sense your own death?"
Summoning the last of her strength, Verte screamed, "Soul Magic: Soul Lock!"
Darkness engulfed Acrodontayay, golden rods of magic impaling him from all sides.
"Spell Magic: Body Lock!" Chains wrapped tightly around him, binding him in place.
Verte collapsed to her knees, trembling. That should hold him—
A feral roar erupted from Acrodontayay as he shattered the bindings, his glowing eyes burning with rage.
"Impossible…" Verte whispered, her voice quaking.
"Zero mana," he sneered, stepping forward. "My favorite part of the fight—the moment when the battle becomes utterly one-sided. I bathe in the hopelessness of my enemies."
"Stay back…" Verte murmured, her hands and knees trembling as she slumped to the ground.
Acrodontayay leaned down, his predatory smile gleaming. "The damage you've done to my village is fixable. But you… What makes you any different from the other elves I've slaughtered?"