A deafening explosion echoed. "BOOM!"
Helel ben Shachar, Famulus of Gerude, stood firm between Thalindra and Ereshkigal. His right hand gripped Ereshkigal's arm, halting the punch that nearly struck Thalindra. The dark aura engulfing Ereshkigal trembled violently in Helel's grasp.
Thalindra lay weak on the ground, her breaths labored. Her dim eyes looked at Helel with profound gratitude.
Without hesitation, Helel delivered a powerful punch to Ereshkigal's face. "Snap out of it, Ereshkigal!" he shouted with determination. The blow sent Ereshkigal flying, his body skidding across the ground and crashing into trees, the sound of splintering wood shaking the earth.
Nyxaris arrived at Thalindra's side, kneeling quickly. Her glowing blue eyes were filled with worry. Ignoring her own bleeding shoulder, she examined the wounds on her mistress.
"Save her," Helel commanded sternly.
Without hesitation, Nyxaris carefully lifted Thalindra, cradling her securely in her arms. She hurried away, seeking a safer place, leaving the chaos behind.
Helel turned to face Ereshkigal, who now rose from the wreckage of shattered trees. His form had grown more fearsome—muscles bulging, and the white fur on his ears bristling wildly. The oppressive darkness surrounding him grew denser, as if the night itself had become his weapon.
"Gerude, it's our turn!" Helel called out.
From a distance, Gerude surged forward with incredible speed. In a heartbeat, he stood beside Helel, golden light radiating from his body, starkly contrasting the surrounding darkness.
Helel gave Gerude a grave look. "We need to disable him—severely enough to keep him from moving."
Gerude nodded resolutely. "Understood."
Before them, Ereshkigal let out a bone-chilling roar, his fiery red eyes brimming with hatred. With untamed power coursing through his body, he launched himself at Helel and Gerude, his massive claws slashing ferociously through the air.
Gerude stood firm, his staff raised high, prepared for Ereshkigal's assault. Beside him, Helel, the Famulus of Light, stood ready to act.
Ereshkigal, consumed by rage and enveloped in dark energy, charged at them like an unstoppable storm. Gerude chanted a spell with commanding intensity, "Sothara lumae'rah… Ashvara tyrael!" Golden light erupted from his body, flowing into Helel, amplifying the Famulus' strength.
Ereshkigal lunged toward them with a thunderous roar. Helel met him head-on, both hands raised and shining brilliantly. Their collision sent a shockwave rippling through the ground, shaking the earth beneath them.
"Avernas syeltha flamorae!" Gerude shouted, raising his staff. A fierce wind lifted him into the air. "Vethra igna'ris valnor!" A massive fireball began to form, swirling with terrifying energy.
"Helel, fall back!" Gerude commanded. Helel immediately released his grip and leaped away. The fireball hurtled toward Ereshkigal, striking him with devastating force. A massive explosion rocked the ground, and Ereshkigal's agonized roar echoed as his body was thrown back, engulfed in flames.
Gerude descended, and Helel caught him effortlessly, setting him down with care. Together, they stood ready for the next attack.
Though battered and scorched, Ereshkigal struggled to rise. "Helel!" Gerude called out. "Finish him!" Helel nodded, his light intensifying. Standing tall between Gerude and Ereshkigal, he began chanting a thunderous spell, "Luxrion ven'thra estellar!"
A burst of radiant light shot forth, cutting through the darkness and slamming into Ereshkigal with immense force. His body was hurled through the air, crashing heavily to the ground. Glowing wounds marked his body, as though sealing away the darkness within him.
**
Ereshkigal staggered, his body nearly breaking under the weight of an unending battle. Burns marred his flesh, and his once-pristine white fur was torn, replaced by blood and dust. His breath came in ragged gasps, his body trembling. The fiery rage in his crimson eyes gave way to pain, sorrow, and an overwhelming sense of fear.
Gerude, seeing the look in his eyes, felt his heart waver. Behind the monstrous facade, he still saw Ereshkigal, Ian's loyal Famulus. But now, he knew the creature they once knew had been consumed by darkness. With a heavy heart, he turned to Helel. "Helel… what now?" he asked, his voice trembling with uncertainty.
Helel, his radiant form shimmering with light, responded firmly yet gently. "We must subdue him, Gerude. Enough to stop him, but not to kill him. He's Ian's Famulus. Ian would be devastated if we destroyed Ereshkigal."
Gerude took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Alright. We'll proceed carefully."
In the distance, Ereshkigal lowered his head, his voice barely audible as he murmured, "Ian… Ian…" The name sounded like a desperate plea. Suddenly, his whisper turned into a piercing scream, "Ian! Ian! Ian!" A surge of darkness erupted around him, enveloping him in a thick, suffocating mist. The air grew heavy, and their breaths became labored as if climbing a steep mountain.
Gerude raised his staff, his face etched with resolve. "Helel, we'll seal Ereshkigal. This might hurt, but it's the only way to save him!" he declared, chanting an incantation. A magical circle materialized, spinning slowly yet firmly, suppressing the dark energy around Ereshkigal.
Helel stepped forward, his light shining brighter. Crystal chains of light shot from his hands, coiling around Ereshkigal's body. Yet Ereshkigal fought back, his dark energy clashing violently with the light. The collision created a powerful explosion that shook the ground.
Gerude held the chains firmly while reinforcing the magical circle, adding layers of energy to restrain Ereshkigal. "Now, Helel!" Gerude called out, raising his staff skyward to summon a blazing orb of light.
Helel leapt high into the air, catching the orb and transforming it into a massive pillar of pure radiance. With a decisive motion, he hurled the pillar down at Ereshkigal. Though Ereshkigal tried to dodge, his battered body was too slow. The pillar struck him, and the chains of light and magical circle worked in unison, binding him tightly. His final roar echoed before fading into silence.
Ereshkigal's body slumped to the ground, motionless but still breathing faintly. The dark mist surrounding him dissipated, leaving behind the form of a massive fox, wounded and bloodied.
Gerude dropped to his knees, trembling. Helel approached, his luminous aura dimming as he returned to his normal form.
Gerude gazed at Ereshkigal, tears welling in his eyes. "Is this enough, Helel?" he asked, his voice barely holding together.
Helel lowered his gaze, nodding slowly. "I believe so. And he's still alive—that's what matters most."
Gerude clenched his fist over his heart, trying to calm himself. "Ian…"
**
But fate betrayed Gerude and Helel. The once-sturdy pillar of light began to crack, fractures spidering out until it collapsed with a deafening roar. The chains of light and the magical circles binding Ereshkigal shattered, disintegrating into fading fragments of magic in the air.
Ereshkigal rose, her body covered in wounds, yet the searing aura of darkness enveloped her once more. Her roar reverberated, a resounding declaration of unyielding power. In an instant, she lunged toward Helel and Gerude.
"Gerude, watch out!" Helel shouted.
Reacting with lightning speed, Helel folded the luminous wings sprouting from his back, wrapping them around Gerude to shield him. His wings radiated a golden light, forming a glowing barrier on their left side. The magical shield absorbed the brunt of Ereshkigal's initial claw strike, but her relentless assault pressed on, her strength so overwhelming that cracks formed in the shield. With a final surge, it shattered into glimmering magical shards that dissolved into the air.
Ereshkigal didn't relent. Her clawed, furred hand struck Helel's radiant wings directly, tearing through layers of energy that composed them. The left wing disintegrated, breaking apart into shimmering particles of light that vanished within moments.
Helel endured the searing pain but knew there was no time to dwell on it. With a swift motion, he switched positions with Gerude, placing himself directly in Ereshkigal's path to block her next attack. Helel intercepted her strike with his left arm, halting the immense force momentarily. Yet Ereshkigal was relentless. Her free hand lashed out and struck Helel's temple, the blow cloaked in an aura of shadowed power.
"BOOM!"
Helel's body was hurled through the air, slamming into sturdy trees that toppled one by one. His form skidded across the ground before coming to a halt in the distance.
Standing tall, Ereshkigal's breaths were heavy, yet they seethed with rage. She turned her blazing red eyes toward Gerude, who remained frozen in place. Before he could react, Ereshkigal grabbed his face with a brutal grip, her black claws digging into his skin. Blood began to trickle steadily from Gerude's golden, elf-like visage.
"Er... Ereshkigal..." Gerude murmured weakly, but Ereshkigal showed no mercy.
With her other hand, she drove a ferocious punch into Gerude's abdomen. The impact was thunderous. His armor shattered into fragments that scattered through the air. Blood sprayed from Gerude's mouth.
He gasped, struggling to remain conscious despite the excruciating pain radiating from his core. His eyes locked onto Ereshkigal's burning crimson gaze. Behind the feral rage, Gerude discerned something deeper—a pain buried within, a conflict tearing at the soul of the Famulus.
"Ereshkigal..." he rasped, his voice faint and halting. "This... this isn't you... You're Ian's protector... not this savage beast..."
But Ereshkigal remained unresponsive. Her claws tightened on his face, the pressure threatening to crush his skull. Gerude clung to consciousness, desperately reaching for the soul hidden beneath her darkness. "Ereshkigal... come back... I... I beg you..."
Ereshkigal's fiery eyes flickered, but her fury was unrelenting. With terrifying speed, she hoisted Gerude high into the air as though he were nothing more than a lifeless puppet. In one brutal motion, she slammed him into the ground. The earth trembled, cracks radiating outward from the impact.
Before Gerude could recover, she lifted him again—this time higher—and drove him into the earth with even greater force. The deafening crash echoed louder than before, shaking the very air. Gerude felt his bones fracture and splinter.
Ereshkigal's assault was merciless. Her claws tightened around Gerude's face as she raised him once more, only to smash him back into the ground, harder than ever. Each impact sent blood spilling from Gerude's lips, pooling on the shattered earth beneath him.
Her roar filled the air, an expression of unbridled rage, as Gerude's life hung by a thread. His bloodied face reflected his dire state, and his world darkened with each crushing blow.
With one last devastating strike, Ereshkigal drove him into the ground again. The earth quaked, and Gerude's body felt as though it no longer belonged to him.
"Gerude..." Ereshkigal's voice was hoarse, tinged with despair but devoid of mercy. Her body was no longer her own.
**
"Gerude!" Helel's voice rang out, a cry of desperation and fury.
From a distance, Helel's eyes widened in horror at the sight of his master being battered like a broken doll in Ereshkigal's grip. Without hesitation, light flared from Helel's battered form. Though his wings were torn, a formidable power still radiated from within him.
With anger surging to its peak, Helel growled, "Ereshkigal..." His voice trembled with both wrath and anguish. The light around him intensified, blindingly bright, as his shattered wing failed to deter him. His goal was clear: end Gerude's torment.
Helel shot toward Ereshkigal like a falling star, his body blazing with radiance. In an instant, he delivered a powerful kick to Ereshkigal's arm, dislodging her grip on Gerude's face and halting the onslaught.
A sickening crack echoed as Ereshkigal's bones fractured. Her clawed hand was severed, falling to the ground grotesquely. The force hurled Ereshkigal backward. Helel quickly removed the severed hand still clutching Gerude's face. Bloodied and battered, Gerude's visage was barely recognizable beneath the gore and wounds.
Helel knelt beside his master, his face etched with worry. Gerude, despite his grievous injuries, gazed back with unyielding determination. "Help me stand," he rasped, his voice rough with pain.
Without hesitation, Helel lifted his master to his feet. Gerude staggered but steadied himself, a weary yet resolute smile on his face. "Don't underestimate me, Helel. I'm not so easy to kill."
Helel regarded his master with awe. "What do we do now?"
Gerude's gaze burned with resolve. "Now, we put on a show."
With those words, Gerude began chanting an ancient incantation, connecting himself to the power of the Luminaris Dimension—a spell taught to him by Elara during one of their training sessions. "Thalor'khan, Silaris'koth!"
Brilliant light engulfed him, mending his remaining wounds and imbuing him with newfound strength. Majestic, radiant wings unfolded from his back, shining brighter than ever before. Helel stared in astonishment at the transformation. The luminous aura around Gerude bolstered their resolve.
Gerude turned to Helel, his voice unwavering. "The battle has only just begun."
**
In the distance, Ereshkigal, who had been thrown back by Helel's attack, now rose again with unnerving speed. In her Fyrakhan mode, Ereshkigal appeared even more formidable, despite having lost one arm. She showed no signs of weakening, as though nothing could curb her ferocity. In the blink of an eye, she launched herself once more at Gerude and Helel.
Gerude and Helel, fully aware of the looming threat, retreated as fast as lightning, narrowly avoiding Ereshkigal's savage charge. Her strike hit nothing but empty air, momentarily halting her. Without hesitation, Ereshkigal retrieved her severed arm, reattaching it to her body. In an instant, the arm regenerated as though it had never been severed.
Gerude and Helel remained unfazed. They had witnessed Ereshkigal's capabilities before, during the battles against Malinaara and Thalindra. Her rapid regeneration was no longer a surprise to them.
**
Gerude fixed his sharp gaze on Ereshkigal. His voice was steady but measured, as though he was counting every second.
"Are you ready?"
Helel gave a brief nod, his eyes brimming with confidence. "Yes."
Without another word, the two moved in perfect unison, an inseparable force. Gerude swung his staff with precision, aiming for Ereshkigal's left ribs. But Ereshkigal reacted swiftly, blocking the strike with a powerful hand. She grabbed the staff, halting Gerude's momentum entirely.
At that exact moment, Helel dashed from the right, his body streaking like an arrow. His kick struck Ereshkigal's shoulder with immense force. The blow staggered her, but it wasn't enough to bring her down. Without hesitation, Ereshkigal tightened her grip on Gerude's staff and hurled him aside, his body sent flying through the air.
Helel, displaying keen reflexes, caught Gerude's staff mid-air and swung it with full force toward Ereshkigal. Meanwhile, Gerude regained control of his movement and delivered a powerful kick to Ereshkigal's chest. The impact resonated with a deep thud, but Ereshkigal's body remained upright, unfazed.
Helel seized the opportunity, leaping high into the air with his heel aimed at Ereshkigal's crown. Just before the attack landed, Ereshkigal let out a sharp snarl, raising her hand high to counter with overwhelming power.
But Gerude saw an opening. Clenching his fist, he channeled all his magical energy into a decisive punch aimed at Ereshkigal's abdomen. "This is for earlier!" he roared. Blood spurted from Ereshkigal's mouth, yet she remained standing, her eyes blazing with fury, though her body now showed faint signs of faltering.
Helel wasted no time. With remarkable agility, he maneuvered behind the towering figure, using Ereshkigal's newly reattached arm as leverage. In one fluid motion, he kicked at her ankle. The force drove Ereshkigal to the ground.
Without giving her a moment to recover, Gerude and Helel struck together, pouring their energy into a coordinated attack. Their fists, imbued with destructive light magic, targeted Ereshkigal's prone form.
In that desperate moment, Ereshkigal slammed both hands into the ground, creating a seismic shockwave that lifted her back to her feet. The force disrupted Gerude and Helel's attack, their blows striking only the empty earth.
Ereshkigal used the momentary reprieve to retreat, putting distance between herself and her two opponents. A cold smile crept across her face before she unleashed a burst of dark magical energy. A searing orb of shadow shot toward Gerude with devastating speed.
Without hesitation, Gerude raised his hand, summoning a magical shield. The dark energy struck the barrier with a deafening impact, but Gerude held firm, his focus unbroken.
Helel capitalized on the distraction, dashing forward with blinding speed. His kick, aimed at Ereshkigal's face, missed by a hair as she dodged gracefully. In a swift counter, she planted an open palm on Helel's face, slamming him mercilessly into the ground.
Helel hit the earth hard, but Gerude appeared behind Ereshkigal in a flash. With a precise strike, his staff slammed into her neck, causing her to lurch to the side. Gerude used the momentum to drive his staff into the ground, pivoting and landing a powerful kick to Ereshkigal's torso.
The massive figure was thrown back but rose immediately, surging toward Gerude with unrelenting ferocity. Her fist crashed into his chest, dragging him backward. The air around them thickened with dust and tension.
Helel caught Gerude before he could fall further, steadying his master. Without hesitation, Helel charged forward, trading places with Gerude. A flurry of punches and kicks rained down on Ereshkigal. Gerude soon joined the assault, their combined attacks hammering relentlessly at their foe.
Ereshkigal countered with equal ferocity, her strikes carrying the force of a thunderstorm. Though exhaustion began to weigh on their bodies, neither side relented, knowing there was no room for retreat.
**
From afar, Elara, her focus locked on maintaining the light prison that bound Ilyrien, watched the battle unfold. She was captivated by Gerude and his Famulus, Helel ben Shachar, moving in harmony. To her, it was as if they were dancing—a radiant choreography amid the chaos of combat.
**
The fight raged on. Gerude's right foot struck Ereshkigal's left arm at the same moment Helel's left foot hit her right. Despite being pinned by the relentless assault of the master and Famulus, Ereshkigal deflected both attacks with precision.
An explosion of energy rippled outward, shaking the ground beneath them. Ereshkigal leaped back, creating space. Gerude and Helel followed suit, retreating to regain their breath.
For a brief moment, they stood apart, catching their breath, their bodies growing heavier with fatigue from the unyielding battle.
Though Ereshkigal's physical form approached its limits, something stirred deep within her. Inside her, where the primal force of Fyrakhan mode roared, a shadowed corner of her mind remained untouched. In that dim space, the true Ereshkigal sat motionless. Her eyes, vacant yet brimming with sorrow, reflected a profound despair.
Within the darkness of her soul, memories clawed at her. A single name escaped her lips, barely audible, filled with regret.
"I...an..."
A guilt deeper than any wound she had endured gnawed at her, dragging her back to the fateful moment on the hill of Altharion.