The battle between Zerathis and Ethan's group continued with ever-increasing intensity. Explosions of energy, waves of dark attacks, and flashes of blazing fire filled the ancient chamber, which was adorned with altars and mysterious symbols. Every movement of Zerathis seemed to shake the earth, while every attempt to fight back felt like a small spark in an endless, dark sea.
Zerathis, despite being severely wounded by their combined attacks, still stood with unrelenting hatred. His shadowy form grew more indistinct, but his glowing red eyes radiated boundless fury. "You have no idea what you're facing," he said, his voice echoing and vibrating the stone walls around them. "I am the darkness that has existed since the beginning of this world. Your power... is far too small to defeat me."
Ethan gripped his sword, which shone with a blue light. Every muscle in his body ached from the constant onslaught, but his resolve was stronger than the exhaustion that tormented him. "We've defeated many enemies before, and we will defeat you too, Zerathis," he said, his voice resolute.
Rowan, his body covered in wounds, summoned the fire within him again. The flames in his hands grew larger, burning with ever-increasing intensity. "I won't let you destroy this world!" he shouted, throwing a huge fireball toward Zerathis. But the creature merely raised his hand, absorbing the fire into his body before releasing a wave of black energy that obliterated the fireball.
Lila, who had been positioned at the back from the start, had prepared a new illusion. This time, she created a more complex and powerful illusion. Shadows swirled around Zerathis, confusing the creature. "You will never win!" Lila shouted, trying to maintain the illusion to keep Zerathis distracted.
However, Zerathis merely laughed coldly. "Illusions will never defeat me!" he said, his voice like a thunderclap. His hand, covered in dark energy, released a wave that effortlessly shattered the illusion.
On the other side, Kael felt the surge of his mental power growing stronger. The medallion hanging around his neck emitted a faint purple glow, signaling that his mental strength was reaching its peak. "I will stop you, Zerathis!" Kael yelled, focusing on controlling the creature with his telepathic and mental powers.
But Zerathis only grinned wickedly. "Your mental power means nothing," he said. "The darkness within me is far stronger than you can imagine."
With lightning speed, Zerathis unleashed a wave of energy that tore through the entire room, striking Kael directly. Kael was thrown back, crashing into the wall with great force. Dark wounds appeared on his body, and blood poured from his injuries, but Kael still managed to stand, despite feeling weak.
Asha immediately rushed to Kael's side, extending her hands to heal the wounds on her friend's body. "Kael, don't give up!" she cried, her healing light flowing into Kael's body, mending most of his injuries.
Although Asha's healing helped, Kael knew they couldn't keep going just by enduring. "We need to find a way to stop him once and for all," he said, panting.
Ethan nodded. "There is one way," he replied, his gaze serious. "We need to attack together, combine our powers into one focused strike."
"Like we did before?" Rowan asked, looking at Ethan with hope in his eyes.
"Yes," Ethan replied, "but this time we will focus our energy into an even bigger attack. All of our energy must be concentrated on one point."
They all looked at each other, understanding that this was their only chance to defeat Zerathis. Rowan raised his hand, creating an even larger and more powerful fireball than before. Lila prepared a more intricate illusion, while Kael readied his mental power. Asha began to direct her healing energy to strengthen them once again.
Zerathis, realizing what they were planning, began gathering even more dark energy in his body. "You fools!" he screamed. "I will destroy you all!" The black energy emanating from his body grew larger, forming a dark energy ball ready to explode.
But Ethan was not afraid. "Now!" he shouted.
Simultaneously, they launched their combined attack. Rowan released the massive fireball, Kael added his mental power to manipulate the wave of energy, Lila created illusions to further confuse Zerathis, and Asha channeled healing energy to amplify their entire attack.
With one massive explosion of energy, the attack collided with Zerathis. His body staggered backward, the dark energy surrounding him began to dissipate, and he felt deep wounds begin to form. Zerathis fell to the ground, his already fragile form growing even weaker from the attack.
However, despite being severely injured, Zerathis still smiled with hatred. "This... is not over," he said, his voice weaker but still full of threat. "I will return... and when I do, no one will be able to stop the darkness I bring."
With those final words, Zerathis's body vanished into a dark shadow, merging with the darkness of the room, leaving them all in an eerie silence.
Ethan and his friends stood panting, exhausted and wounded, but they knew this battle was far from over. They had just defeated one part of the dark force, but a greater threat still loomed.