With every new cut, the serpent struggled to keep pace with its own attempts at healing, its defenses barely holding against the onslaught.
The rabbit drew in a deep breath, his focus sharpening as he prepared for his next move. With unwavering determination, he unleashed another relentless flurry of attacks, each strike a desperate attempt to pierce the Solar Serpent's defenses.
The serpent roared and writhed, struggling to withstand the onslaught, but Matt's rapid, precise blows continued to cut through its battered scales.
This relentless barrage was his only hope of making a decisive impact. Every slash, every movement was driven by the singular goal of breaking through the serpent's diminishing defenses.
He poured every ounce of his strength and resolve into his strikes, knowing that this was his chance to seize victory.
The serpent, weakened and vulnerable, could no longer fend off the ceaseless assault, and Matt pressed on with fierce resolve, determined to see this battle through to the end.
Even with the renewed assault, the bunny struggled to keep his thoughts and limbs in sync. Every fiber of his being seared as though he were ablaze on a pyre. The blade in his hand felt unbearably heavy now.
Was this his limit?! Damn it! It was far too early to retreat, not when he had just pierced through Inti's scales.
His eyes then flicked to his enemy, who was slowly trying to regenerate its scales.
"Why do you hesitate? Weren't you the one who brought me down just to use my powers? Why aren't you using it to the fullest?" boomed the Mad King within the rabbit's head.
The Mad King made a point... Mattheos did go through all the trouble in finding out which Guardian could uphold his lifestyle of fighting. Though... The rabbit did regret getting one without his sanity.
"Shut up! I'm not hesitating! I need to figure out..."
"You have been holding back. The Inti is not a creature with reason. You cannot play the soft one here nor do you have the time to do so."
The rabbit grudgingly acknowledged that the Mad King had a point; he had no choice but to resort to a berserk state, much like how his boss had always faced her foes.
"Sometimes, I hate that I chose you."
"You cannot deny me, for you were the one who chose me to aid you in your battles. You are too conservative."
Mattheos inhaled sharply, drawing mana into his body and allowing his Spark to wreathe his blade in searing black and purple flames, with a barely discernible hint of orange flickering beneath the surface. And he had just the spell to finish the Inti off.
"One push. One more dance!" roared both the Mad King and Mattheos, launching towards the open-mouthed Solar Serpent.
"Seventh Sin; Scarlet Arson, Pride of Lucifer!" hollered the Fifth Seat as his blade was engulfed with black and amber mana.
The rabbit plunged into the enemy's mouth, twisting and contorting his body to ravage its insides in a brilliant explosion of light. Flames and darkness alike danced across the giant Solar Serpent's form.
Moments later, he emerged triumphant from the other end. The Inti only let out a single scream before crumbling away into the atmosphere. It was such a letdown... But then again, Matt wasn't as powerful compared to his boss and the Viceroy.
But it was still a victory and the rabbit felt he should at least be happy with that. However, he still had one more fight to entertain.
As Mattheos staggered, nearly collapsing from exhaustion, he fell to his knees, struggling to keep his Guardian from seizing control. Unlike his boss and her Guardian, Matt had a long road ahead in mastering his own.
The Mad King relentlessly sought to dominate his mind and body. Clutching his chest and gasping for air, Matt fought against the relentless assault of his Guardian. With clenched eyes, he sought any way to quell the searing pain that wracked his body.
Desperation drove him to attempt something unconventional—anything was worth a try at this point. He remembered the tender moment with his dragoness, Mavislin, when he had cradled her in that serene room and felt her soothing warmth.
By clinging to that cherished memory, the relentless assault of the Mad King began to ebb, like a storm retreating before dawn. This fleeting tranquility gave the rabbit a precious sliver of time to regain his strength.
"I guess it's time to regroup... Boss won't be pleased if I showed up late," mumbled the rabbit, after a few moments.
Grasping his blade and resting it on his shoulder, Mattheos rose to his feet and made his way to the second floor. He hoped to reach it in time to witness the Viceroy's clash with the Firebird.