Abaddon launched himself at me, but I was ready to take his attack head-on. He attacked me with lightning-fast attacks, jabbing at vital points all over my body.
I dodged and cut at him, using Sever to dice him into pieces slowly. Like fighting a riptide current, all my progress washed away. With each cut, all the damage I did was reverted like it was nothing.
We fought back and forth like a blood dance of death. Mason would summon Orochi to throw Abaddon every so often, taking an arm or leg so that I could take the opportunity to deal some damage.
Yet it was futile.
Abaddon's genuinely remarkable healing factor made mine look laughable. What was worse was that Abaddon was slowly getting faster and stronger each passing second.
Should this relentless onslaught continue, my death would be inevitable. Fully aware of the peril, Mason escalated his efforts to summon Orochi with fervor. Rather than conjuring the colossal serpent, he split the snake into countless smaller fragmented versions, each delivering a formidable strike that sent Abaddon reeling away from my side.
I decided to invoke a spell that would bind Abaddon in place for an extended duration. Delving into the depths of my being, I sensed the bond with my summoned entity and harnessed the fierce flames of the Phoenix.
"I summon forth a cataclysm, compelling you to endure the searing wrath of the eternal flames of the sun, Fiery Maelstrom!" I plunged my sword, Arondight, into the earth.
Cracks erupted, and with them, flames surged forth, creating a jagged path that led directly to Abaddon.
Engrossed in the chaos of Mason's assault, Abaddon found himself more annoyed than injured, relentlessly attempting to strike and seize the serpentine forms that assaulted him.
As fissures began to form beneath him, a miniature tornado spiraled into existence, unleashing fierce winds that ravaged the surroundings with breathtaking speed.
Simultaneously, the flames of my incantation, Fiery Maelstrom, erupted from the cracks, morphing into chains that ensnared Abaddon. The inferno then entwined with the tornado, consuming the very oxygen around and reducing Abaddon to mere ashes.
Nevertheless, it remained insufficient, a truth we both recognized. Abaddon's recovery accelerated, his resounding voice brimming with sheer exhilaration, starkly contrasting the gravity of our duel to the death.
As I retreated to reconvene with Mason, I reached into my shirt and retrieved my necklace, drawing it forth with unwavering confidence.
The necklace gleamed with a golden chain, each link harmoniously intertwined. It ended in an enigmatic silver orb resembling a cage, within which danced a perpetual flame. As I prepared to unleash the necklace's power, the flame transformed, blossoming into a magnificent bird that cawed triumphantly.
"Hear me, O spirit of the blazing inferno, Ifrit. I call upon you, the embodiment of fire, to ignite an undying flame within my soul. Embrace my fury, my anger, and my thirst for unyielding power. Fuel my desire for power surpassing my own, and grant me the might to reduce those unworthy of witnessing your glory to ashes. I call forth the Mana Art, Contract Augmentation, Phoenix Style!"
A towering inferno enveloped me, and in my mind, I could hear the resounding chords of a grand symphony; such was the feeling I got when using Ifrit's bottomless power. I harnessed the might of my summon, the fabled Fire Elemental Ifrit, the Eternal Phoenix.
In these moments of overwhelming power, I felt invincible, yet deep down, I recognized the danger of letting such strength cloud my judgment.
Returning to my body, everything visibly changed about my attire.
My form transformed into the regal white suit of armor that I had come to know so well.
The left forearm guard, though short, boasted a wing-shaped golden outline that culminated in a sharp tip, while the right guard extended longer, adorned with a striking golden fire emblem at its center.
The collar of my suit was elegantly outlined in gold, seamlessly connecting to the shoulder sections.
My chest was a canvas of gold lines, crowned by a distinctive phoenix symbol that gleamed above it. The midsection near my abdomen was divided into two segments; the upper part featured intricate dolen carvings linked by a golden line to the collar and the lower section of my suit.
My legs were clad in white, embellished with golden designs that caressed my thighs. My knee guards remained pristine white, and my shoes were also white, accented by a golden stripe that traversed them.
A flowing white cape draped from my shoulders, edged in gold, showcasing a magnificent golden phoenix symbol with a fiery gold flame behind it.
Completing this majestic ensemble, Arondight, my trusty blade, had transformed into a more refined and royal weapon, adorned with golden accents throughout it length.
Crimson particles flew out of my body as the pillar of flame disappeared.
Abaddon was still under a constant barrage of attacks by Mason's summon and was already aware of my transformation.
"I smell primordial magic about. Leon, you are contracted to a summon who knows such magic? What a wonderful surprise!"
A guttural roar, reminiscent of a bear's ferocity, erupted from Abaddon, mingling with a sinister, echoing laughter reverberating through the trees, sending tremors rippling through the very earth.
"This feeling! It's better than sex! The pounding of my heart beats like the drums of war! The blood rushing to my head! Everything about this is right! Keep up with me, you two! I don't want to be disappointed!"
Abaddon fought through Orochi's relentless barrage of strikes, his determination guiding him closer to me. With each passing moment, his pace quickened, transforming into a desperate sprint, and I braced myself for what was to come.
Mason changed his strategy, retreating into the shadows, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
Abaddon surged toward me like a rampaging tempest, a cataclysmic force of nature, but Mason was ready. Just as Abaddon lunged for my head, Mason called forth Orochi from the depths of his shadow, tearing into Abaddon's left side.
The attack was brutal; Abaddon lost his left leg, but in a grotesque display of regeneration, it reformed almost instantly.
I seized the moment, darting in with swift, precise cuts aimed at Abaddon's vital points, but even those strikes were met with a chilling resilience. Abaddon absorbed the pain, his body a dark testament to his will to survive and crush me with overwhelming force.
"MORE! I NEED MORE!" he bellowed, fury and excitement igniting within him as he called his way back into the fray.
As he unleashed a bone-chilling roar, Abaddon's mana signature surged violently, a dark wave of energy that sent a shiver racing down my spine. The very air crackled with his unleashed power, raising the hairs on my neck in a primal warning.
"Leon, his presence has turned sinister. I can feel a restless energy swirling within him, a multitude of entities writhing in his depths. If fills me with... unease," my fiery companion writhed uneasily within me.
In an instant, Abaddon lunged at me with a speed that defied reason, his fists striking like a cyclone. The sheer force of his blows was nothing short of terrifying.
"What the?!? This power is utterly insane!" I screamed, barely evading the onslaught aimed at me.
Each strike whizzed past, a mere breath away from my flesh. The force behind them sent tremors through the air, leaving me reeling and disoriented.
I felt the weight of despair creeping in, inch by inch.
Mason continued his futile attacks with Orochi, but it was clear that Abaddon was merely irritated by his presence now.
"Come one already, Leon! I'm not done warming up yet! Must I kill your friend here and rip him into a million pieces before I see what you are truly capable of?"
If this was a glimpse of his true power, what chance would I stand against him?
'None. No chance at all...'
No, stop that useless thinking.
I have a duty to uphold. The weight of countless lives rested upon my shoulders. I had lives to shield, hearts that relied on my victory. Above all, there are those I cherish more than anything, and I had to ensure their safety at all costs.
For those people, I would fight the Devil himself.
I summoned every once of willpower to confront Abaddon, and he noticed the inferno igniting within my eyes.
"That fire in your eyes, how I longed to witness such a sight again! Show me your potential, pup!"
With a swift motion, I aimed a horizontal strike at Abaddon's chest, but he dismissed my attack as if it were nothing, launching his own brutal counter. His fist hurtled toward my right cheek, a blow that could shatter bones.
I ducked just in time, slashing upward ina desperate attempt to sever his hand.
"Ember."
The word that escaped my lips shattered the very essence of my fire magic, transforming its nature as it coursed through my sword. Earlier, I had unleashed the power of Pyre, engulfing Arondight in searing flames and amplifying its capacity for destruction.
But Ember twisted that power, concentrating the inferno to the blade's tip, unleashing a cataclysmic force upon impact. Whatever I dared to touch was obliterated, reduced to mere ashes in an instant.
As my blade met Abaddon, his right arm disintegrated into nothingness. The shock of my strike rendered him momentarily mute, frozen in disbelief. Seizing the moment, I pressed my attack, watching as he hastily regained his composure, his severed limb reappearing in a grotesque display.
"Marvelous Leon! Where was this earlier?!? Don't stop now, as you have finally piqued my interest!" Abaddon became much more ruthless, giving me no room for error.
The fight had gotten so intense that Mason could not offer support without catching me up in his attacks. Abaddon made quick attacks, all aiming for vitals. I bobbed and weaved under and around them while significantly damaging him, only to have it all healed immediately.
A plan brewed within the depths of my mind, a plan to give Mason a chance to help me strike down the malevolent being named Abaddon.
Fortune smiled upon me, for the blueprint was nearly complete while struggling to survive against this abominable monstrosity. All that remained was to wait for the signal.
Just as the flames of Scorch began to settle on Abaddon's body, Ifrit's voice whispered to me.
"Proceed when ready, Leon."
The crimson marks emerged at every spot my blade touched Abaddon, but he remained oblivious, consumed by our fierce battle.
This technique will likely gravely wound the abomination rather than kill it; slowing down Abaddon was a blessing, even for a few seconds. The downside, however, is that Scorch and Ignite requires a lengthy preparation time, making it useless for short fights.
It was perfect for the situation I was stuck in, as I was in a battle of endurance so long as I didn't immediately die.
"Ignite."
Abaddon's entire body erupted in a blinding radiance- his arms, hands, torso, legs, and hips ignited with a fierce luminescence, casting an eerie light rivaling the sun.
The harrowing demon widened his eyes in shock as he slowly realized what I had done.
"What the-"
From the sky above, Orochi, the serpent of shadows, plummeted, hissing with a venomous intent as he coiled toward Abaddon.
An explosion raged within Orochi's body as it swallowed Abaddon whole. Though the cataclysm was trapped inside the beast, the earth trembled violently, echoing the fury of a thousand cyclones, until the quake faded into silence as Orochi vanished into the earth as a shadow.
***
Laying my eyes upon our foe for the first time, I regretted coming to help.
Whatever hell hole this creature came out of needed to stay buried. There was no way two Standard Class mages could stand a chance against such an opponent, but we were attempting to do so.
Long before Abaddon underwent his grotesque metamorphosis, I was paralyzed with fear. The mana seeping from his gaunt form was a chilling specter, potent enough to make the bravest souls tremble and lose control. I felt as if I were gazing into the abyss, face-to-face with Death incarnate, a force capable of extinguishing my flickering existence with a mere thought.
But now, the terror has escalated to unfathomable depths, a nightmare far beyond the darkest corners of my imagination.
In a blink, as if coughed up by the shadows, Orochi erupted from the ground, writhing like a fish out of water.
The sickening sound of flesh tearing apart filled the air as Abaddon clawed his way free from the gaping maw of Orochi, a torrent of black ichor cascading from the gash, painting the ground in a grotesque display of carnage.
The monstrous entity erupted forth as Orochi's form disintegrated, bursting like a grotesque pinata.
It towered ominously over us, dwarfing the surrounding trees, its massive frame cloaked in a shroud of dark, matted fur. Sunlight glinted off its razor-sharp, obsidian claws, casting a sinister glow that sent shivers down my spine.
Its colossal, ebony horns spiraled menacingly toward the heavens as it advanced. With a thunderous crash, its serpentine tail lashed the ground, splintering the earth beneath it. Behind this nightmarish figure, vast, bat-like wings unfurled, their flaps resonating with a chilling blend of awe and terror.
Bloody red eyes stared me down as I began to pant and panic.
'Man, I should have stayed in bed today.'
"The synergy between you two is nothing short of extraordinary! As a token of my appreciation, I shall reveal a fraction of my true power, long hidden from the light of day. The warmth of the sun upon my true form is immaculate!" Abaddon extended his hand toward the heavens with a sinister grin, clawing at the sky in newfound excitement.
"This era has many interesting humans! I live for this, to fight beings such as yourselves!" Bringing his raised right hand to his chest, he looked down at me and laughed.
"I haven't felt this way in a long time; this is my purpose in life! I shall fight you both like the warriors you are!"
Abaddon turned his gaze to the right, and his eyes locked onto a being that danced just beyond the veil of reality. A chilling whisper escaped his lips:
"The blood I have spilled and the wars I have waged have led me to this moment. I will seize this chance to revel in my immortality with unyielding delight."
Abaddon shifted his gaze toward us, a sinister grin creeping across his lips as if he relished what he would do next.
'Creepy...'
"Come forth, Darkdrinker, and devour my deepest desires. Strengthen yourself for my benefit."
Darkdrinker emerged from the veiled world, a weapon steeped in dread as if the fabric of reality recoiled at its presence. The atmosphere thickened, suffocating in its weight, while the sun's rays faltered, casting a pallid gloom that twisted the world into a nightmare.
The sword was a chaotic amalgamation of jagged edges, a grotesque fusion of violet and obsidian, devoid of any semblance of order. It resembled a nightmarish jigsaw, haphazardly assembled from shards of dark metal, each piece a testament to the malevolence it embodied.
Abaddon brandished Darkdrinker with disturbingly monsterous form, his grin widening with every menacing arc.
"My sword, Darkdrinker, has laid dormant for centuries, untouched as I have yet to find a worthy soul to have it devour." Abaddon pointed his blade directly at Leon, who was in front of me, before continuing.
"Yet here you stand, two formidable foes, a terrifying duo, working together with machine-like synergy! Come! Let us unleash chaos onto the world with our duel to the death!" Abaddon lunged at us with a roar that echoed through the once-lush forest, his sword gleaming with an insidious light.
Leon sprang forward to confront him without hesitation, leaving me with a clear action plan.
In a moment of desperation, I twisted the blade's path with a flicker of wind mana, hoping to grant Leon a fleeting advantage in the grim duel. Yet, Abaddon's blow was relentless, forcing Leon to summon every ounce of his strength to endure the onslaught.
The clash of their swords sent shockwaves through the earth, causing the very ground to shudder and splinter beneath them.
"This is-" Leon gasped, his body trembling as he fought against Abaddon's unyielding onslaught.