Chapter 33 – Tara's Intervention
The air around Tara crackled with the raw power of her elements, the golden light of her orb still lingering in the air. Her heart raced as she watched Dhiren stagger back, the force of her attack temporarily throwing him off balance. The chimera horde hesitated for a moment, the surprise enough to halt their charge. Tara seized the opportunity, her breath coming in shallow gasps.
The air rippled with tension as Tara stepped forward, her powers flaring to life. The chimeras hesitated momentarily, their grotesque forms twitching as if sensing the shift in the battlefield. Dhiren's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his blade as he sneered.
"So, the little girl has decided to play hero?" he mocked, his voice dripping with condescension.
Tara didn't respond. Her focus was singular, her mind racing as she calculated her next move. The elemental energy within her churned violently—fire, water, wind, earth, light, and even the shadowy tendrils of darkness swirled in chaotic harmony. Her fingers trembled as she raised her hand, the raw power crackling at her fingertips.
"Neither you nor your Sect will succeed ", her voice steady despite the storm raging within her. Tara looked intensely at Dhiren as if her eyes would take out his soul.
With a sweep of her arm, Tara unleashed a burst of wind, scattering the advancing chimeras like leaves in a hurricane. The gust sent debris flying, temporarily disorienting the horde. Seizing the moment, she summoned a wall of fire, the flames roaring to life and forming a barrier between her group and the enemies.
Samudra, barely conscious, blinked up at her through the haze of pain. His lips moved, forming a faint, "You're... insane."
Aryan coughed weakly, his bloodied form slumped against Azeus. "Insane, maybe... but effective," he rasped.
"Tara, we need to retreat!" Azeus growled, his golden eyes flickering with draconic intensity. "I can carry them, but you need to hold them off."
Tara nodded, her chest tightening as she glanced at her companions. "Go. I'll cover you."
Azeus hesitated, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer before he transformed. His body expanded, scales glinting in the faint light as his massive dragon form filled the space. With a careful claw, he lifted the unconscious Samudra and a barely conscious Aryan onto his back.
"Don't die, Tara," Azeus rumbled, his voice deep and resonant.
"I don't plan to," she replied, her voice firm but laced with an undercurrent of fear.
As Azeus launched into the air, Tara turned her attention back to the battlefield. The flames she had summoned were beginning to waver, the chimeras forcing their way through. Dhiren stood at the forefront, his blade glowing with dark energy as he sneered at her.
"Running won't save you," he snarled. "You can't stop what's coming."
Tara's gaze hardened. "I'm not running."
She raised her hands, the elements converging around her in a brilliant display of power. Water surged from the ground, intertwining with arcs of lightning that danced across her skin. The earth beneath her feet cracked and trembled, and a swirling vortex of wind whipped around her, carrying embers from the dying flames.
Dhiren's confidence faltered for a fraction of a second, his eyes widening as Tara's power reached its peak. "What are you—"
"You know back in my world people used to fear and admire me because of this", Tara drawled as she gathered more elements under her command.
Tara didn't let him finish. Drawing on her knowledge of the rifts, she focused her energy, the air around her vibrating with an otherworldly hum. She could feel the fabric of reality thinning, the rift pulsing with chaotic energy.
"You think you understand power?" she said, her voice low and steady. "Let me show you what it really means to face someone who's seen the end of the world."
With a sharp motion, Tara unleashed her energy, directing it toward the rift. The opening warped and crackled as she manipulated it, the chaotic energy spiraling outward in a devastating explosion. The chimeras were caught in the blast, their forms disintegrating as the rift collapsed in on itself.
Dhiren's scream echoed through the room as the energy consumed him, his blade shattering in his grasp. His body was flung backward, slamming into the far wall with a sickening crunch.
As the dust settled, Tara stood amidst the wreckage, her body trembling from the exertion. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and her vision blurred, but she forced herself to remain standing.
"It's done," she murmured, her voice barely audible.
---
Elsewhere in the Capital
In a dimly lit chamber, a lone subordinate knelt before an ornate altar, his head bowed in deference. The air was thick with incense, and the flickering light from the candles cast eerie shadows across the room.
"My lord," the subordinate began, his voice trembling slightly. "I bring news from the field."
A figure cloaked in darkness stepped forward, their features obscured. "Speak."
"Dhiren has fallen," the subordinate reported, his tone hesitant. "His life jade... it cracked moments ago."
The figure's hand emerged from the shadows, slender fingers tracing the edge of the now-shattered jade fragment on the altar. A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled their lips.
"So, the little bird has spread his wings," the figure mused, their voice calm but laced with a dangerous undertone.
The subordinate shifted uneasily. "Shall we... intervene?"
"Not yet," the figure replied, their tone decisive. "Let him believe he has won. The pieces are moving as they should."
The figure turned away, their silhouette blending into the darkness. "This is only the beginning."
As the subordinate bowed once more, the room fell silent, the shattered jade glinting ominously in the candlelight.