The battlefield was alive with chaos, a clash of raw power and elemental fury as spells and attacks were hurled back and forth between the Vengeful One and the towering Umbra Wyrm. Each strike illuminated the dark peaks of the Ebonspike Range, the air crackling with energy and the ground scorched and shattered from their unrelenting assault.
The Vengeful One darted between the shadows, her Umbral Step skill flickering her in and out of visibility as she sought an opening. With every reappearance, her hands glowed with dark energy as she unleashed blasts of shadowy force that collided with the beast's armored scales, sending shards of light and shadow scattering into the air. She cursed under her breath as the attacks barely seemed to scratch the surface, the Umbra Wyrm's obsidian armor proving almost impenetrable.
The beast retaliated with a guttural roar, its massive maw opening wide to unleash a torrent of shadowy flames. The inferno scorched the ground as the Vengeful One leaped aside, her Eclipse Bastion shield snapping up just in time to block the edge of the attack. The shield groaned under the force, cracks forming along its surface before it shattered, sending her skidding backward.
She snarled, her eyes scanning the beast with calculating precision. "Where's your weakness, you damned overgrown lizard?" she muttered, her crimson gaze locking onto the joints of its wings as it prepared to launch into the air again.
The Umbra Wyrm didn't give her time to ponder. It lunged forward, its claws raking through the earth with terrifying speed. She barely dodged, twisting mid-step to retaliate with a blast of dark energy aimed at the underside of its neck. The attack struck true, staggering the beast for a moment, but it quickly recovered, whipping its tail around in a wide arc.
The spiked tail slammed into the ground where she'd been moments before, sending shards of rock flying in all directions. One jagged piece grazed her cheek, drawing blood that dripped down her face. She didn't flinch, her focus unbroken as she raised her hand to the sky. "Nightfall Lance!" she shouted, summoning a jagged spear of pure shadow that materialized in her grasp.
With a burst of speed, she hurled the lance at the beast's chest, the projectile streaking through the air like a bolt of darkness. It struck the Umbra Wyrm square in the chest, the force driving it back a few paces, but the lance disintegrated against its scales. The beast roared in fury, its sulfurous eyes locking onto her with renewed hatred.
"Persistent, aren't you?" she growled, her smirk tinged with frustration as she dodged another swipe of its claws. She blinked forward with Umbral Step, appearing just beneath its massive body. With a grunt of effort, she slammed her fists into its underbelly, dark energy rippling outward from the impact.
The Umbra Wyrm howled in pain, its tail lashing out wildly. One swing caught her across the side, sending her flying into a cluster of boulders with a sickening crack. She groaned as she pulled herself to her feet, her body already mending the damage, her fiery eyes blazing brighter.
"You're tough, I'll give you that," she muttered, wiping blood from her mouth. "But so am I."
The beast snarled, lowering its head as its wings flared wide. With a mighty leap, it took to the air, its massive form blocking out the sun as it circled above. Shadowy flames began to gather in its maw, the glow illuminating its jagged teeth as it prepared to unleash another devastating attack.
The Vengeful One smirked, her fists glowing with dark energy as she readied herself. "Come on, then. Let's see who breaks first."
The flames erupted downward, a torrent of destruction that raced toward her. She sprinted forward, weaving through the inferno with uncanny agility, the ground exploding in her wake. With a roar of defiance, she launched herself upward, meeting the beast head-on, fists and flames colliding in a cataclysmic burst of power. The massive beast roared, its claws raking across the ground in a sweeping arc as the queen darted aside with blinding agility, her Umbral Step flickering her out of harm's reach.
"Sage!" she barked, her voice sharp as she reappeared behind the beast, slamming her fists into its hind leg. The impact sent a tremor through the air, but the Umbra Wyrm barely flinched, its obsidian scales absorbing the brunt of her attack. "There's got to be something! A joint? A weak spot? Anything!"
"Analyzing..." Sage replied, its voice calm yet maddeningly slow as she launched herself upward, narrowly avoiding the beast's tail as it lashed out with devastating force. The spiked appendage missed her by mere inches, smashing into a boulder and shattering it into dust.
She landed in a crouch, panting as sweat and blood mingled on her brow. "Hurry it up, Sage! I can't keep playing like this forever!"
The Umbra Wyrm roared again, its sulfurous eyes narrowing as it lunged forward, its maw wide open and glowing with shadowy flames. She darted sideways, flickering through the shadows with Umbral Step, reappearing at its side and hurling a blast of dark energy toward its neck.
The attack hit with a deafening crack, but the beast didn't falter. It turned on her, its massive claws slicing through the air in retaliation. She ducked low, rolling beneath the swing, her fists glowing as she delivered a series of rapid punches to its underbelly.
"Results inconclusive, my Lady," Sage finally answered as she dodged another swipe of the beast's tail. "This creature is one of legend. No records exist detailing a successful subjugation or defeat."
Her frustration boiled over as she jumped backward, her crimson eyes narrowing at the towering beast. "Are you telling me this thing doesn't have a weakness?!" she growled, dodging yet another fiery blast as the Umbra Wyrm unleashed its shadowy breath.
"Not precisely," Sage replied. "It is possible a weakness exists, but it has not been recorded. This creature is unique in both its longevity and its power. No one has ever succeeded in killing it."
Her smirk returned, though it was laced with frustration as she leaped forward again, her fist colliding with the side of the beast's head in an explosion of dark energy. "Well, isn't that just lovely! So, I'm fighting a walking myth with no cheat sheet?! Fantastic!"
The Umbra Wyrm roared in fury, its wings flaring as it lunged toward her with terrifying speed. She ducked under its swipe, slamming her fists into its forearm before flipping backward, just barely avoiding a retaliatory strike.
"If it's never been defeated before, then I'll just have to be the first, won't I?!" she shouted, her voice carrying over the deafening chaos of their battle.
"A most logical conclusion, my Lady," Sage replied, its tone maddeningly neutral. "However, I recommend caution. This creature's power far exceeds that of any recorded adversary."
She laughed, the sound wild and unrestrained as she dodged another swipe, her blood pounding in her ears. "Caution's a little late, don't you think?!"
Her fiery eyes locked onto the Umbra Wyrm, her mind racing as she continued her relentless assault. She would find its weakness—no matter how deeply hidden, no matter how long it took.
The battlefield's chaos dimmed for a moment in her mind as a sly grin spread across her bloodied face. She dodged another swipe of the Umbra Wyrm's claw, her body moving with practiced agility, but her focus wasn't on the beast's attacks anymore—it was on an idea, a brilliant and absurd one.
"Sage," she muttered, her voice calm despite the roar of the beast in front of her, "is this thing a male?"
There was a brief pause before Sage's voice echoed in her mind, utterly neutral as always. "Affirmative. The creature exhibits all recorded traits of a male of its kind."
The grin widened into a full-blown smile, a manic glint shining in her fiery eyes. A laugh bubbled in her throat as she flickered out of sight with Umbral Step, reappearing beneath the beast's hulking form.
"EVERY MALE HAS THE SAME WEAKNESS!" she declared, her voice ringing out like a battle cry.
The Umbra Wyrm snarled, lowering its head in confusion as its sulfurous eyes searched for her. Before it could react, she gathered every ounce of power coursing through her body, channeling her shadowy energy into her leg as it glowed with a dark, violent aura. Her foot surged upward with unrelenting force, a strike aimed directly between the beast's massive hind legs.
The impact was cataclysmic. A sickening crack echoed through the battlefield as her foot connected with its most vulnerable point. The Umbra Wyrm let out a screech that was neither roar nor growl but a sound so primal and pained it sent shivers through even her hardened troops watching from a distance.
The beast stumbled, its massive form shaking as its wings spasmed uncontrollably. Its claws scraped the ground as it wavered, its head shaking in utter disbelief at the audacity of the strike.
She landed nimbly, wiping the blood from her mouth with a smirk as she watched the legendary creature teeter. "See? Legend or not, some things are universal."
For a moment, the Umbra Wyrm appeared to lose its balance, its hulking form slumping as it struggled to recover from the unprecedented attack. It let out a low, guttural groan that seemed to vibrate through the very earth.
"Sage," she quipped, her tone casual as she prepared for the beast's retaliation, "I think I've found its weak spot. Care to log that for future reference?"
"Noted, my Lady," Sage replied, its voice as calm as ever despite the absurdity of the situation. "Effective yet unorthodox."
She laughed again, her crimson eyes gleaming with fiery determination as the Umbra Wyrm slowly regained its footing, its roars now tinged with fury and humiliation.
From their vantage point on the ridge, the soldiers of the 1st Dark Marine Battalion and the 53rd Battle Group watched the battlefield unfold with wide eyes and slack jaws. A mage among them, Private Illarion, had conjured a shimmering orb of light with his magic, projecting the scene for the gathered forces to witness.
"She's going for it!" someone muttered as the Vengeful One blinked out of sight with Umbral Step, reappearing beneath the towering Umbra Wyrm.
The troops leaned in closer, their breaths collectively held as their queen shouted something that the spell couldn't quite pick up at the distance. Then, with a burst of shadowy energy, she delivered a devastating upward kick directly to the beast's most vulnerable spot.
The entire ridge fell silent, save for the horrifying crack that echoed through the orb. The Umbra Wyrm's agonized screech filled the projection, a sound so pitiful and raw that every male present instinctively jerked back, wincing as though they'd been struck themselves.
Private Tharos, a burly soldier known for his iron nerves, clutched his chest, a pained expression twisting his face. "By the Gods... She went for the jewels."
Another Marine, Corporal Yevan, visibly shuddered, rubbing the back of his neck as though trying to soothe an ache that wasn't there. "I mean, sure, it's the enemy and all, but... Damn. That's cruel."
One of the younger recruits, Private Orlen, turned away from the orb, his face pale as he muttered, "I think I felt that in my soul."
The group of men exchanged solemn nods, their gazes collectively shifting back to the shimmering orb. Though they were loyal to their queen, though they reveled in her triumphs, none of them could deny the twinge of sympathy they felt for the colossal beast writhing in agony on the field below.
"Poor bastard," someone whispered.
"You can say that again," Tharos replied, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye.
Illarion, still maintaining the projection, shook his head slowly, a mix of awe and pity in his voice. "Remind me never to get on her bad side. Ever."
Despite their collective sympathy, a ripple of laughter broke out as the Umbra Wyrm staggered back, its terrifying presence somewhat diminished in the face of its newfound vulnerability. The soldiers clapped each other on the back, their spirits lifting as they marveled at their queen's audacious maneuver.
"She's incredible," one of them murmured, a touch of pride breaking through the pity.
"That she is," another agreed, nodding toward the battlefield. "But still... Poor guy."
As the Umbra Wyrm began to recover, its enraged snarls carrying across the distance, the soldiers prepared themselves for what came next. Yet, despite the tension, they couldn't help but exchange knowing glances, a collective understanding passing between them.
Even their queen had her limits—but evidently, mercy for a male's most sensitive spot wasn't one of them.