Karyan faced the battle with a smile, "just a few hours ago…and now again, how interesting."
His right hand lacked fingers, "I keep forgetting."
Instead of fingers, he used his serpent to help him fight.
"Be my hand," he said to Sera, focusing on the feeling of being in a deep, fresh forest, moving like a snake through the grass.
He shouted "Granx!" and opened his eyes to see many snakes appear, attacking the flying demons with their poison.
The demons were shapes of black shadows, moving strangely as they fought back against the snakes.
They were strong, but Karyan's snakes were many, and they kept coming. Karyan, however, watched one demon who did nothing. It just stood there, watching everything without moving.
Karyan tried again, calling "Granx!" louder. Twice as many snakes appeared, but the quiet demon still didn't move or get hurt.
Feeling more urgent, Karyan thought of himself as a huge snake, an anaconda, and whispered, "Venom."
A giant snake, made from his magic, came from behind him. It went straight for the shadow demon, trying to swallow it whole.
But the shadow didn't move, and the giant snake broke apart in seconds. It was as if there was a clear wall around the shadow, keeping it safe.
Karyan watched as his giant snake failed to touch the demon.
He realised that his usual way of fighting, with force and more snakes, wouldn't work here. This shadow demon was different. It was protected by something strong and invisible.
Karyan knew he had to think of a new plan.
He stood in the room, the battle around him quieting down as his snakes disappeared. The shadow demon's ability to stay untouched was a puzzle he needed to solve.
Karyan understood that he had to be clever to beat this demon. He needed a new idea, something smart and maybe a bit surprising, to learn the deal of this demon who observed everything but never moved.
Karyan watched his snakes continue to assault the demons, a smile creeped across his face.
He had a plan brewing as he turned his eyes to Sera. With a confident attitude, he approached the unmoving shadow.
"What tricks are you using?" he called out, his voice echoed in the vast hall as he reached out to touch the barrier around the demon. It felt solid, like a wall of glass invisible to the eye.
The shadow remained still, undisturbed by Karyan's presence.
Raising his right hand, he gave Sera a simple command: "Bite it." The serpent moved in, her fangs poised to strike, but even she couldn't make a dent in the transparent shield.
Frustrated but not deterred, Karyan pulled his hand back and threw a punch at the barrier. His fist collided with the hard surface, the impact resonated through his arm.
He tried again and again, his hand moved in a blur, but the glass stood unbroken.
Stepping back, he studied the demon, still smiling. "So you're not giving up, are you?" he said, a playful challenge was in his tone.
He took another step back and closed his eyes, summoning another ally in his mind. "Lanta, lend me your vision, woman."
Lanta, the legendary first Serpent master, had the unique ability to see with the eyes of a snake.
Karyan sought that power now.
Without a word, his eyes opened, transformed. They glowed red, with a golden shine piercing through, allowing him to see what was hidden before.
Through this new sight, he observed the glass-like barrier.
It was a dark magic shield, crafted flawlessly, yet not invincible. Small scratches from the venom attacks marred its surface.
A smirk spread across Karyan's face as he spotted the weak point.
With a loud call of "Venom," he summoned the giant anaconda once again.
The massive snake reared up and struck the same spot on the glass, not once but twice.
Each attack made the crack grow larger, and finally, the shadow demon showed a sign of concern—it flinched.
Encouraged by this reaction, Karyan prepared for the final assault.
"Venom," he shouted, and the fifth anaconda surged forward with all its might.
It slammed into the barrier, and this time, the glass shattered, pieces started flying in all directions.
The demon was now exposed as its protection fell away.
Karyan's plan had worked.
The barrier that had seemed so unbreakable was now just fragments on the floor, and the shadow demon was vulnerable at last.
Karyan's red and golden eyes gleamed as he readied himself for the next phase of the battle.
"So how do you want to do it? Fast or slow?