The Chimera roared, its three heads snapping and snarling, each with a different elemental affinity. One breathed fire, another unleashed torrents of water, and the third crackled with electricity. The sheer power of the beast sent tremors through the chamber, its oppressive presence forcing the group to steady themselves.
JC stood at the forefront, his body tense. "Stay focused! We've come too far to back down now!"
Mark gritted his teeth and hurled a bolt of lightning at the Chimera. The beast absorbed the attack with its electric head, the energy coursing through its body before it redirected the strike back at the group.
"Move!" JC shouted, pulling Lissy out of the way just in time. The lightning scorched the ground where she had stood moments before.
---
Angel darted to the side, using her shadows to slip behind the Chimera. Her tendrils lashed out, wrapping around the water head and yanking it backward.
"I've got one!" she yelled, straining against the beast's immense strength.
Jackson took the opportunity to unleash a burst of wind, slicing into the Chimera's side. The attack left shallow cuts but failed to do significant damage.
"It's too strong!" Jackson shouted. "Our attacks aren't doing enough!"
Lissy stepped forward, her flames blazing brighter than ever. She hurled a massive fireball at the fire head, hoping to overwhelm it. The attack struck true, and for a moment, the head recoiled, but the Chimera retaliated with a blast of flame that forced Lissy to dive for cover.
"Damn it!" she cursed, frustration etched across her face.
---
JC narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. "We need to focus on one head at a time! Overwhelm it before it can recover!"
Mark nodded, sparks crackling in his hands. "Then let's start with the water head. It's healing the others with those water blasts!"
The group rallied, concentrating their attacks on the water head. Angel's shadows constricted it, keeping it in place as Mark unleashed a storm of lightning. Lissy added her flames to the mix, the combined elemental barrage causing the head to shriek in pain.
For a moment, it seemed like they were gaining the upper hand. The water head sagged, its movements slowing. But just as they thought victory was within reach, the Chimera reared back, its fire head unleashing a torrent of flames that scattered the group.
---
JC skidded across the chamber floor, his pendant glowing faintly as it absorbed the excess mana in the air. He pushed himself to his feet, his eyes scanning the battlefield.
The others were struggling—Mark's lightning attacks had grown weaker, Jackson was panting from overusing his wind abilities, and Lissy's flames were flickering, her mana reserves nearly depleted. Angel's shadows wavered as she fought to maintain control over the Chimera's relentless movements.
"This isn't working," JC muttered under his breath.
The Chimera let out a deafening roar, its remaining two heads glaring at the group with murderous intent. The beast lunged forward, its claws slashing through the air.
JC sprinted toward the others, his voice ringing out. "Fall back! Regroup!"
They scrambled to retreat, narrowly avoiding the Chimera's attacks. JC stood at the front, his pendant glowing brighter as he prepared to face the creature head-on.
---
The Chimera charged, its massive body shaking the ground. JC raised his hand, summoning a shield of light to block the attack. The force of the collision sent shockwaves through the chamber, but the shield held—for now.
"Listen to me," JC said, his voice steady despite the strain in his body. "We can't beat this thing like this. We need a new plan."
"What kind of plan?" Mark shouted, his voice tinged with panic. "It's tearing us apart!"
JC gritted his teeth, the shield beginning to crack under the Chimera's relentless assault. "We need to push it back to the dungeon's core. There's more mana there—it'll weaken the Chimera while giving us a chance to recover."
Jackson frowned. "And how do we do that?"
"Together," JC said, stepping back as the shield shattered. He turned to face the group, his eyes blazing with determination. "I'll lead it. You focus on keeping it off balance. Trust me."
---
Reluctantly, the group nodded. JC sprinted forward, drawing the Chimera's attention with a flash of light magic. The beast roared, its fire and lightning heads snapping at him as it gave chase.
"Now!" JC shouted.
Mark unleashed a burst of lightning, striking the Chimera's legs and causing it to stumble. Jackson followed up with a gust of wind, pushing the beast further toward the core chamber.
Angel's shadows wrapped around the creature's hind legs, dragging it back as Lissy sent a stream of fire at its flanks. The Chimera thrashed and roared, but the combined efforts of the group slowly forced it to retreat.
---
Finally, they reached the core—a massive chamber filled with swirling mana that glowed like a miniature sun. The Chimera hesitated, its heads snapping at the overwhelming energy radiating from the core.
JC turned to the group, his voice firm. "This is it. We end it here."
Exhausted but resolute, the group prepared for one final push. The Chimera roared, its elemental attacks intensifying as it charged them once more.
The battle wasn't over—but they were ready to give it everything they had.