The soul orb pulsed violently as the half-demon youth's chanting reached a fever pitch. Dark tendrils of energy lashed out from the orb, enveloping his body as the power within began to warp and twist his form.
The ground trembled beneath the surge of unholy energy, and the very air around him seemed to crackle with anticipation. Reinhardt stood his ground, his eyes narrowing as he sensed the growing power within his opponent.
Suddenly, the transformation took a grotesque turn. The half-demon youth's body convulsed violently, his limbs elongating and distorting in unnatural ways. His once pale, translucent skin darkened to an ashen gray, with the intricate black markings on his body spreading and growing more pronounced.
His eyes, now completely crimson, glowed with a feral intensity, devoid of any trace of humanity or reason. The sharp, horn-like protrusions on his forehead grew longer, curving menacingly as they pulsed with dark energy.
His cloak, now tattered and shredded, clung to his twisted frame, which had grown larger and more monstrous. Clawed hands, brimming with dark energy, flexed as the creature let out a guttural, primal roar that echoed across the battlefield.
The transformation had not only stripped him of his sanity but had also unleashed a raw, uncontrollable power. The once proud necromancer was gone, replaced by a beast driven purely by instinct and rage.
Cruzer watched in horror as the transformation completed. The half-demon youth had ascended to the peak of the Advanced Mystic tier, but at the cost of his mind. The air around them grew thick with the scent of decay and sulfur as the creature's malevolent aura spread, warping the environment around it.
Reinhardt's expression remained steely, his body tensing as he prepared for the onslaught. He could feel the immense power radiating from the creature before him, but he was undeterred. He had faced countless foes in his time, and this abomination would be no different.
The grotesque monster lunged at Reinhardt with terrifying speed, its claws aimed at his throat. Reinhardt dodged with a swift sidestep, the air around him swirling in response to his movement.
With a quick spin, he brought his fist up, chanting, "Air Cannon!" A powerful blast of compressed air shot from his fist, slamming into the creature and sending it skidding back across the battlefield.
But the creature, undeterred by the impact, righted itself almost instantly and charged again, its claws glowing with a sickly, dark energy. It swung wildly, each strike fueled by raw power and animalistic fury.
Reinhardt met the assault head-on, his fists and feet moving in a blur as he deflected the blows. The ground shook with the force of their clashes, craters forming with every impact.
"Flame Vortex!" Reinhardt shouted, summoning a whirlwind of flames that spiraled around him. The flames roared to life, forming a protective barrier that incinerated everything in its path. The creature roared in defiance and leaped into the vortex, its dark energy clashing with the inferno.
For a moment, the battlefield was engulfed in a blinding light as fire and darkness collided. Reinhardt emerged from the blaze, unharmed, his eyes scanning the battlefield for his opponent.
The creature burst forth from the flames, its body now partially charred but seemingly unfazed by the damage. It charged again, its movements more erratic and frenzied. Reinhardt could see that while the transformation had granted the creature immense power, it had also stripped it of any semblance of strategy or skill. It was a wild beast, relying solely on brute force.
"Wind Cutter!" Reinhardt called out, his hands slicing through the air.
Razor-sharp blades of wind shot out, targeting the creature's limbs. The wind blades struck true, slicing through the monster's flesh with ease. The creature howled in pain but continued its relentless assault, its wounds barely slowing it down.
Reinhardt pressed the attack, his body moving with the fluidity of a seasoned martial artist. He combined his elemental affinities, alternating between air and fire to keep the creature off balance. With each strike, he unleashed powerful gusts of wind that buffeted the creature, followed by searing flames that scorched its flesh.
The creature retaliated with raw, brute strength, its claws tearing through the air with reckless abandon. It lashed out, its dark energy forming jagged spikes that shot toward Reinhardt. He countered with a swift kick, shouting, "Gale Kick!" A powerful gust of wind surged from his foot, shattering the dark spikes and knocking the creature back.
But the creature was relentless. It charged forward once more, its movements growing more frenzied and desperate. Reinhardt could see the madness in its crimson eyes, the loss of all reasoning replaced by a primal instinct to destroy. The creature lunged at him, its jaws snapping with unnatural speed.
Reinhardt ducked low, feeling the rush of air as the creature's jaws snapped shut above him. He planted his hands on the ground and spun, his legs sweeping out in a powerful arc. "Whirlwind Sweep!" he yelled as his legs connected with the creature's midsection, sending it sprawling.
The monster tumbled across the ground, but it was back on its feet in an instant, its body now covered in deep, bleeding gashes. It snarled and charged again, undeterred by the damage it had sustained.
Reinhardt took a deep breath, focusing his energy. The creature was fast, strong, and nearly impervious to pain, but it was also reckless. Reinhardt knew he had to end this quickly before the creature's sheer power overwhelmed him.
The creature lunged again, this time with a dark energy gathering in its claws, ready to deliver a devastating blow. Reinhardt stood his ground, his eyes narrowing as he focused his mana. The air around him began to swirl, and flames flickered to life around his fists.
"Blazing Tempest!" Reinhardt shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield. He brought his fists together, and a massive explosion of fire and wind erupted from his body. The flames and wind combined into a roaring inferno, engulfing the creature in a tempest of fiery destruction.
The monster's howl of pain was drowned out by the roar of the flames. The sheer force of the attack lifted the creature off its feet and sent it crashing into the ground with earth-shattering force. The ground trembled as the inferno consumed everything in its path.
As the flames subsided, Reinhardt stood amidst the smoldering battlefield, his breathing controlled but heavy. His eyes remained fixed on the charred and broken body of the creature that lay motionless before him.
The air was thick with the acrid scent of burnt flesh, and the ground was scorched black where the battle had raged. For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, the creature's body twitched, a faint, rasping breath escaping its lips. Reinhardt tensed, readying himself for another attack, but what came next was not the feral roar of a beast. Instead, a voice—weak, strained, but unmistakably human—croaked out from the twisted form.
"You... fools..."