As Keon and Stella fought off the swarm of Blood Beasts, the battlefield shifted once more.
The Mutated Bloodwick let out a guttural growl, its glowing eyes flicking toward the Abyssflame Serpent, still coiling in spectral fire. The serpent's abyssal frost burned relentlessly, its skeletal body twisting through the air like a wraith.
Then—one of the Bloodwick's massive arms uncoiled.
With a sudden, unnatural stretch, the grotesque limb shot forward like a whip, its claws snapping shut around the Abyssflame Serpent's midsection.
A chilling crack rang through the air as the serpent hissed, its flaming bones groaning under the monstrous grip.
Then, with sheer brute force—the Bloodwick yanked it down.
The ground trembled as the Abyssflame Serpent was slammed into the earth, its eerie blue flames flaring wildly. Dust and debris exploded outward, momentarily obscuring the scene.
But the serpent was not so easily subdued.
With a violent twist, its long, spectral body coiled tighter, wrapping around the Bloodwick's monstrous arm like a constricting vice. Blue flames licked at the beast's flesh, spreading across its twisted fur.
The Bloodwick snarled, its jagged maw pulling into a savage grin even as its arm burned.
Then—it pulled.
The two creatures collided with earth-shaking force, their massive forms thrashing against each other like two titanic wrestlers locked in primal combat. The Bloodwick's hulking form bent low, trying to rip the serpent apart, while the Abyssflame Serpent tightened its coils, its spectral flames crawling higher, attempting to consume its foe.
They crashed and rolled, clawing, biting, and crushing each other in a brutal display of raw power.
Keon, barely dodging a leaping Blood Beast, spared a glance at the chaos behind him. His eye twitched.
"…Are they—wrestling?"
Stella, mid-charging her plasma rifle, took one look and exhaled in disbelief.
"That is… definitely wrestling."
Another deafening slam shook the battlefield as the two monstrous entities locked together in their battle for dominance.
And neither was willing to back down.
Stella teleported back, reappearing in a burst of blue light, her breathing sharp as she landed beside Keon. Her plasma rifle was still recharging, humming faintly with residual energy.
Keon, standing firm in the chaos, was manipulating the Rift Barrier—his ability distorting space as he pulled and ejected Blood Beasts, sending them spiraling away like ragdolls. Some crashed into the walls, others into each other, their grotesque forms writhing as they were forcefully displaced.
Stella didn't waste a second.
"Keon!" she called out. "I have a plan!"
Keon, still flinging enemies through the barrier, raised an eyebrow. "I hope it's a good one."
"I can activate my Plasma Emergency Mode," she said, gripping her rifle tightly. "It'll absorb all remaining charge and fire a high-speed, concentrated plasma beam."
Keon immediately recognized the implication. A single devastating shot—enough to turn the tide of battle.
But then came the real problem.
Stella glanced between the Bloodbeast Horde still swarming them and the Mutated Bloodwick, which was still locked in its brutal clash with the Abyssflame Serpent.
"…But who do we shoot?"
Her gaze flickered to Keon, eyes sharp and waiting for a decision.
The massive horde, which threatened to overrun them completely?
Or the monstrous Bloodwick, which, if left unchecked, might be far worse?
The battlefield pulsed with chaos, the answer hanging in the air—seconds away from a decision that could shift everything.
Keon's eyes flicked toward the Mutated Bloodwick, still locked in its savage struggle with the Abyssflame Serpent.
The serpent's Abyssal Frost burned into the Bloodwick's flesh, its spectral blue flames eating away at the unstable mutations. Chunks of decaying, rotting tissue peeled away from its monstrous form, disintegrating into nothing.
Keon tilted his head, watching as the Bloodwick's grotesque body spasmed, its regenerating flesh failing to keep up with the serpent's relentless assault. One of its massive arms, once writhing with unstable Espria energy, twitched violently, its movements losing coordination.
Keon exhaled through his nose.
"Nahh…" he muttered, waving dismissively. "He's a goner."
Stella blinked at him. "You sure about that?"
As if to answer, the Bloodwick let out a strangled, distorted howl, its voice now weaker, its form collapsing under its own instability. The Abyssflame Serpent, sensing its advantage, coiled tighter around the beast, its spectral maw snapping viciously.
Keon smirked.
"Yeah. He's done."
He turned back to Stella, eyes sharp.
"Focus on the horde."
Keon's gaze locked onto the horde of Blood Beasts, their grotesque forms still circling, waiting for an opening. He turned to Stella, his expression sharp.
"How long?"
Stella checked her plasma rifle, the energy coils glowing unstable blue as it prepared to discharge in Emergency Mode.
"Ten seconds."
Keon cracked his neck, his fingers twitching. "Alright."
He turned back toward the swarm, his Rift Barrier pulsing around him like a distortion in reality. The nearest Blood Beasts twitched, their unnatural bodies jerking as if sensing the shift.
Keon exhaled. Then—he flicked his hand.
The Rift trembled.
Space compressed—then pulled.
The horde lurched, their bodies yanked toward a single point, their unstable flesh twisting and folding as they collided with one another. Some screeched in protest, limbs bending at impossible angles, while others struggled against the invisible force—but Keon's Rift didn't ask. It took.
One by one, the monstrosities were dragged into a single, writhing mass.
Stella's rifle whined louder, reaching critical charge.
Keon took a step back, smirking.
"They're all yours."
Stella grinned, aiming down the sight.
"Lining up the shot."
Stella pulled the trigger.
A blinding flash erupted from the rifle's barrel—a concentrated beam of pure blue plasma, pulsing with violent energy, tearing through the air with a sonic boom. The force of the shot rippled outward, distorting the very space around it as it surged forward at blinding speed.
The moment the beam struck the writhing mass of Blood Beasts, an explosion of energy followed. A brilliant blue detonation expanded outward, engulfing everything in its path. The sheer heat and force vaporized flesh, turning the creatures into disintegrating silhouettes, their agonized screeches drowned out by the roaring plasma.
The ground beneath them cracked and melted, leaving behind a scorched trench of smoldering blue embers. The air shimmered with aftershock waves, and for a brief moment—everything was silent.
Then, the battlefield settled.
Only the remnants of blue fire flickered in the destruction's wake.
Keon whistled, eyes wide as he took in the aftermath. "Damn. That was insane."
Stella, breathing heavily, let her plasma rifle slip from her hands, the barrel glowing red-hot from the overload. The weapon hit the ground with a metallic clunk, steam rising from its burnt end.
But before they could celebrate—
A deep, guttural growl rumbled through the air.
Keon and Stella turned sharply.
The Mutated Bloodwick stood tall, chest heaving, its monstrous arms twitching. And beneath its massive claws—the Abyssalflame Serpent lay motionless.
Then—it twitched.
With a violent jerk, the serpent rose to its full height, its abyssal flames flickering wildly, its monstrous eyes glowing with undying fury.
Keon blinked. "Wait… how the hell is it still alive?"
Stella sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Keon… Rank 5 to 9 beasts don't die unless their core is destroyed."
Keon's eyes widened in realization. "Oh, shit. Right. I forgot."