The jinns leaned forward attacking yacha and his team, in an unusually odd formation, taking turns attacking. Yacha raised his hand to form a fireball, but an arrow came in his direction, aiming for the same hand. He jumped in a circulating way and sent the fireball in the direction the arrow came from. Fused with thunder long thread served as an accelerator. A collision happened; it hit the target, leading to an elf figure falling into it, shifting back to its original form.
Angering the other jinns even more.
The jinns are angry for a specific reason but still have an order. To kill the elite Orionis division. –They knew who they were– The intel they got about them and their destination.
The battle heated, and Speira gritted her teeth as pain radiated from her left ear, blood dripping down her neck from where the jinn's blade had struck in a sneak attack. The creature's twisted silhouette of smoke and shadows had already shifted its form, turning into a massive, snarling wolf with glowing eyes. It circled, ready to strike again.
"Speira!" Eline shouted.
Her sword flashed as she parried an incoming blow from another jinn, this one in the shape of a hulking, armored knight. Water surged around her, forming a protective barrier as she blocked the attacks, but the relentless assault from the jinns kept her on edge.
Yacha and Ursang fought side by side, their backs pressed against each other as two jinns took on the form of serpentine beasts, their movements so fast they seemed to blur. Yacha's spear crackled with electricity, and with a sweeping motion, he sent a bolt of thunder ripping through the air. The strike hit one of the jinns mid-transformation, its body convulsing as it tried to reform. The creature hissed, its shape flickering between forms—man, beast, and wisp of smoke.
"Keep them at bay!" Ursang shouted.
His thick double-edged sword clashed against the iron claws of a jinn that had shifted into a monstrous bear. Earth magic surged from his feet, and with a roar, he stomped the ground. The forest floor erupted in jagged stone pillars, forcing the jinn to leap back, only for Ursang to charge forward with his sword, slashing through its smoky form.
Speira, her breath ragged from the pain, gripped her short swords tighter, wind swirling violently around her. The wolf-shaped jinn lunged, but Speira was ready this time. She spun, her blades cutting through the air with unnatural speed, carried by the wind she commanded. The jinn's wolfish form tried to dodge, but Speira's wind-enhanced strike was too fast. The blade sliced through its shadowy body, sending it howling in fury before retreating into the trees, its form rippling like disturbed water.
"More are coming!" Yacha warned.
His eyes darted to the tree line where the remaining jinns flickered in and out of sight, shifting between different shapes—some human, some beastly, all dangerous. His spear ignited in flames now, fire licking up the shaft. With a battle cry, he thrust it forward, sending a wall of fire racing toward the approaching jinns.
But these creatures were quick, their forms twisting and contorting as they dodged the flames, their laughter echoing hauntingly through the forest. One jinn, now in the shape of a raven, dove for Eline, claws outstretched, but Eline met it head-on. Water surged around her, and with a sharp cry, she swung her sword. A wave of water, sharp as steel, sliced through the raven's form, tearing it apart mid-air.
Ursang's earth magic pulsed again as he fended off another jinn, this one in the form of a serpent, its body winding around him. With a grunt, he slammed his sword into the ground, creating a fissure that swallowed the serpent's lower half. Ursang twisted, wrenching the blade free and driving it through the jinn's shifting form as it writhed in pain.
The jinns kept coming, their forms shifting and reforming with each strike. Speira, blood still dripping from her ear. She regrouped with Yacha and Eline.
"We need to finish this!" she growled, her wind magic swirling around her like a storm.
"I've got an idea," Yacha said, eyes narrowing. His spear crackled with both fire and thunder now. He raised it high.
"Eline, give me a boost!"
Understanding his plan, Eline raised her sword, summoning the last of her water magic. A torrent of water surged toward Yacha, spiraling around his spear.
Ursang slammed his foot into the ground, anchoring the team as the water and electricity fused in Yacha's spearhead.
With a roar, Yacha hurled the spear, the combined elements shooting forward like a lightning bolt wrapped in a tidal wave. The jinns scattered, but the attack was too fast. The bolt struck the ground, exploding in a flash of light, sending waves of energy rippling through the air.
The remaining jinns screeched as their forms were ripped apart by the overwhelming force.
The battle turned as the jinns, crafty and swift, shifted their forms again, this time they disappeared into smoke and shadow before darting between the trees.
In a matter of seconds, Yacha, Ursang, Eline, and Speira were separated, surrounded by the jinns who had taken on new shapes—each more terrifying than the last.
Yacha found himself isolated, two jinns in the form of twin wolves lunging at him from opposite sides. He barely had time to summon a wall of fire, but even that wasn't enough to hold them back for long. His spear crackled with thunder as he thrust it forward, but his strikes were wild, desperate. The wolves dodged, their movements too quick, and they circled, snapping at him from all directions.
Speira, her breathing heavy, cursed under her breath as she faced off against a jinn who had taken on the shape of a towering, faceless warrior. It swung a massive axe, forcing her to leap back, her blades flashing as she tried to find an opening. But the jinn was relentless, each swing of its axe crashing against her defense, wind swirling violently as she tried to keep her balance.
Eline was caught in a deadly dance with a jinn that had transformed into a sleek panther, its body coiled and ready to strike. Every time she sent a wave of water at it, the creature slipped through her magic like liquid, reforming behind her in a flash. Her sword was a blur as she deflected its claws, but it was too fast, and she was tired.
Ursang, separated from his team, fought against a monstrous, shifting mass of smoke that darted in and out of the ground like a serpent. His thick sword swung heavy, smashing through roots and dirt, but every time he connected with the jinn, the jinn simply reformed somewhere else. His earth magic cracked the ground beneath him, but the jinn was too elusive, its mocking laughter grating in his ears.