Even the usually composed Howard and Alia were taken aback by the scene unfolding in front of them. The relentless downpour of bones was forming new and increasingly dangerous enemies. However, the situation left no room for hesitation. Acting swiftly, Howard shattered the skeleton soldiers nearest to them with precise blows. Due to her injuries and the necessity of keeping her identity concealed, Alia took shelter behind Howard, careful to preserve her strength.
The skeleton soldiers were not particularly formidable at first, and Howard refrained from using any magic, relying solely on his martial arts prowess to dispatch them. Yet, more bones continued to fall from the sky, some wielding intricately designed weapons. These freshly fallen remains reassembled into even more soldiers, charging at Howard and Alia without pause.
Though the onslaught intensified, Howard remained calm and methodical, quickly dispatching the new wave of skeletons. Alia, watching closely, noted something troubling: Howard was taking slightly longer to deal with this new batch of enemies compared to the first. As a fellow vampire, she knew Howard's endurance was not in question, so there had to be another explanation. The only possibility was that the skill and strength of the skeleton soldiers were steadily increasing with each wave.
Howard had also noticed the escalating difficulty. He turned slightly toward Alia while keeping his eyes on the advancing skeletons and said, "I'll handle these. You need to figure out a way for us to escape. Fighting these waves endlessly won't lead us anywhere."
Before his words could fully register, another round of bones fell from above. This time, they were larger and more substantial, the skeletons they formed were taller and more intimidating, their weapons now even more refined and deadly. Without missing a beat, these newly-formed skeletons rushed at Howard, their strikes carrying much more weight than before.
Howard responded immediately, meeting the stronger enemies head-on with swift, calculated strikes. Meanwhile, Alia redirected her attention from the battle to the swirling Tai Chi diagram overhead. She trusted that Howard would protect her long enough for her to figure out how they could escape. She knew the key lay in that mysterious diagram, which had remained above them since their arrival.
Elsewhere in the vast arena, Leona, Talon, and Emma were also fending off waves of skeleton soldiers. Despite the escalating danger, their seasoned combat skills made it seem effortless. Leona's swordsmanship was a blur of movement as she cut through skeleton after skeleton. Talon and Emma, relying purely on their natural agility and strength, dispatched the enemies with ease, all without needing to transform into their werewolf forms.
"Leona, you're quite good," Emma called out, her voice tinged with excitement after decimating a skeleton soldier. "We should spar after we get out of here."
Leona, recalling her past skirmishes with Talon, smirked and replied, "You werewolves are all the same. Fine, we'll settle it once we're out of this mess."
Talon overheard the exchange and shot a glance at Leona. Their eyes met briefly, sharing a silent understanding, a promise of their unfinished duel. The tension between them was palpable, but before either of them could say anything, Emma, sensing their connection, quickly slashed through the last remaining skeleton soldier nearby, cutting short the moment.
No sooner had they cleared their area than another round of skeleton soldiers began forming around them, forcing the three warriors back into battle. Meanwhile, in the other parts of the arena, similar scenes were unfolding. Though the numbers in these areas were larger, the fighters had banded together in the face of a common enemy, pushing aside their internal conflicts to focus on the relentless waves of skeletal opponents.
Returning to Alia and Howard's side, the skeleton soldiers' strength had continued to rise, but Howard remained undeterred, wiping out the latest wave with precision. He hadn't sustained a single scratch, but Alia could tell that the battle could not go on like this forever. As Howard finished off the latest batch, Alia's mind was racing, trying to decipher the Tai Chi diagram above. Her earlier observations had given her some insight, and now she believed she was close to figuring out a way to escape.
The bones continued to fall in a steady rhythm, their clattering echoing through the arena. As Alia stared intently at the Tai Chi diagram, she noticed something critical. Each time bones fell, the diagram stopped spinning momentarily, the white area on the diagram opening slightly, allowing the bones to pass through. This pause was their chance—the key to escaping lay in timing their ascent perfectly with the diagram's momentary stop. However, while Howard fought, the diagram remained closed and continued its rotation. The challenge would be figuring out how to ascend to the top while dodging the falling bones, which were growing larger and more dangerous with each round.
"Bang!" A sudden, thunderous crash jolted Alia from her thoughts. A massive, golden skull adorned with shimmering gemstones had fallen from the Tai Chi diagram, crashing into the ground with terrifying force. Around the skull, bones of various sizes and shapes converged, rapidly assembling into an enormous skeleton general. This new enemy towered over the battlefield, dwarfing all the previous skeleton soldiers. It bore a massive shield in its left hand and a giant cleaver in its right.
This time, only one skeleton had formed, but its sheer size and the oppressive aura it radiated made it far more intimidating than all the previous waves combined. The colossal general stood tall, its eyes glowing ominously, fixating on Howard and Alia.
Howard immediately understood the gravity of the situation. His demeanor shifted as he prepared for a far more serious fight. His right hand moved forward into a defensive position, while his left hand hovered over his waist, ready to draw a weapon he had yet to reveal.
The towering skeleton general took a step forward, its heavy footfall sending tremors through the ground. Howard tensed, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the titanic clash that would soon unfold. Meanwhile, Alia's gaze remained locked on the Tai Chi diagram, searching for the perfect moment to make their move. The battle was far from over, but the path to freedom was slowly beginning to reveal itself.