**Earlier**
The sudden explosion that had rocked the room, making them all glance up at the ceiling, had passed. No more such explosions were heard or felt. Eirisse couldn't help but wonder, *Was that their plan to breach the ritual site by blasting through the fountain?*
Ercale didn't have much time to contemplate what had happened above ground as the artifact resumed its assault. He did, however, have a strong suspicion about who might be responsible for the explosion. *Most likely that blond sorceress,* he thought as he evaded an attack from the eye.
While Zee remained somewhat preoccupied with looking up, Karin took advantage of the situation. A sly smile crossed her face as she swung her weapon's blade down towards Zee. Sensing the impending attack, Zee swiftly raised her dagger to parry, and the two women resumed their duel.
Lennix saw the opportunity to take his shot since Eirisse was momentarily still. This was his best chance to land a shot on her, but as soon as he pulled the trigger, Eirisse's reflexes kicked in. Despite her foot being far from healed, she managed to make enough of an evasive move, resulting in the bullet grazing her as it pierced into the room's wall.
Eirisse looked at her little brother, disappointed. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, little brother, clearly you haven't learned your lesson yet," she said as she swung her left leg towards him despite not being near him. Lennix recognized this technique, having seen her try to hit Xain with it. As the blood from her torn-off foot came toward him, it burst into red-hot flames. However, Lennix had already anticipated this and moved out of the way, quickly aiming the revolver at Eirisse again.
Eirisse couldn't help but pout, "Didn't I just say you haven't learned your lesson yet? Why are you trying again?" She asked this as Lennix fired another shot. She rolled her eyes before effortlessly dodging the bullet. "If you couldn't hit me while I was unaware, what made you think you could hit me while I was?" Eirisse teased.
Lennix replied with a tinge of frustration, "Could you please talk like a normal person and not a condescending lecturer, please?"
Meanwhile, Ercale was getting real tired of dealing with the eye, as all he could do was dodge it's attacks while not being able to attack back, as every single one of his attacks got negated. He couldn't get close to it either because it would switch color and attacks him again. *What the hell am I supposed to do!* he seethed with anger as yet another one of his attacks was effortlessly negated. *I need at least two people to deal with this thing,* he thought, scanning the room.
Yet, to his dismay, he saw that everyone else was fighting their own battles, or in the case of Clarissa, out of commission. The eye continued to harass him, pushing his patience to the limit.
Then, unexpectedly, another explosion went off above, this time more powerful than before, and it shook the room even harder than before, causing bits of the ceiling to fall and come crashing down to the ground. This brought everyone out of their fight once more, but unlike last time, the explosions didn't stop; they kept going as if two forces were fighting against each other.
Ercale, seizing the moment of distraction created by the ongoing explosions above, found an opportunity to strike. Debris from the ceiling rained down on the eye, trapping it, at least temporarily. The lightning wielder then turned his focus toward Eirisse and unleashed a bolt of lightning in her direction. Eirisse, struggling due to her healing foot, tried to evade the attack, but the lightning bolt struck her shoulder, burning her flesh. She hissed in pain, but there was no time for respite as Lennix took his shot.
Eirisse, acutely aware of the danger the silver bullet posed to her unlife, swiftly dodged the projectile. Despite the difficulty of her current situation, her reflexes remained sharp, allowing her to escape the bullet's deadly trajectory.
Lennix clicked his tongue, his expression tense. *Only one more shot remaining,* Lennix thought to himself as he aimed the gun at his sister once more. Eirisse, recognizing the dual assault on her, leaped into the air just as Ercale unleashed another lightning bolt in her direction. With a graceful mid-air twist, she evaded the attack, propelling the blood from her severed foot around the room, with her primary targets being Ercale and Lennix. As the crimson droplets burst into red-hot flames, Ercale instinctively raised his lightning shield to protect himself, while Lennix managed to dodge the flames, or so he thought.
Eirisse touched down with a triumphant smile, *Got you, little brother,* she thought, savoring her strategic advantage. Not all her blood had ignited simultaneously, and Lennix unwittingly stepped onto a portion she had left untouched. The moment his foot made contact, the blood erupted into a conflagration. Lennix's agonized cries filled the room as his right leg, up to his knee, was consumed by the searing flames. The excruciating pain contorted his face. Lennix's mind raced, *That's not just fire!* he had been burned before, and while it had been painful, it paled in comparison to this torment. He fell to the ground, writhing in torment as he clutched his mutilated leg. "Ugh!" Lennix grunted through the pain.
Eirisse wasn't about to relent, and she continued her assault, this time directing a swift kick toward Ercale, propelling even more blood toward him. Ercale, seeing the torment Lennix was enduring and kept up his lightning shield. As the crimson droplets collided with the sizzling electricity, a vivid spectacle of extreme heat meeting intense energy unfolded, creating a dazzling display of clashing forces.
The shield held firm, absorbing the fiery impact. Eirisse knew that without the artifact, this was her best strategy to immobilize her foes.
Clarissa, struggling with her injuries, made a desperate attempt to join the fray. She managed to prop herself up with one hand, clutching a throwing knife in the other. Her trembling hand aimed at Eirisse, but before she could release her attack, her gaze was drawn upward. From the ceiling, two translucent figures, Xain and the black knight, phased through, landing on the ground. Their expressions were a mix of confusion and concern as they assessed the chaotic scene unfolding before them.