Chapter 708.3: Fighting a Rank 9 Beast Part 3

From its gaping maw, a ball of dark energy began to form. The air around them seemed to chill as an intense foreboding filled the battlefield.

The energy within the ball swirled ominously, growing in size and power. It was clear to everyone present that the beast was no longer playing around.

"Move, dammit! Move!" Everly shouted, trying to avoid the impending attack. But her body, already pushed past its limit, failed to respond in time.

"Get down!" Seraphina yelled.

Channeling all of her Qi, she used her ultimate defensive technique, [Hydrometallic Bastion]! A technique she worked with the Elders to create with the image of being impenetrable.

A merge of Water and Metal surrounded all of her companions in a castle-like defense. This technique was supposedly impenetrable because it became harder when an opposing force struck it. Simultaneously, it had some of the flexibility of water, allowing it to absorb more power.

With a deafening roar, the Shadowfang unleashed its Dark Annihilation Beam, a colossal beam of dark energy shot directly at the group. The energy pulse caused the air around them to distort, a chilling sense of impending doom descending on everyone.

With no other option, they braced themselves for the impact, their eyes reflecting a mixture of fear, determination, and defiance.

An explosive sound echoed across the field as the Dark Annihilation Beam hit the Hydrometallic Bastion. The ground shook violently, cracks spreading across the earth like a spiderweb.

Despite the immense pressure, Seraphina's Bastion held firm, radiating a blinding light as it absorbed and reflected the dark energy. However, maintaining such a colossal defense was draining her Qi at an alarming rate.

However, in the midst of all this, she had an epiphany!

'The Blood Burst Technique!' Mira had shared it with them when they raided those Spirit Stone Mines!

Without wasting any time, she activated the 3rd stage of the Blood Burst Technique, [Blood Essence Eruption]!

This was a risky move. The Blood Essence Eruption required the user to expend their Blood Essence as a source of power.

It was essentially a double-edged sword - while it would provide her with a vast amount of strength and Qi in a short period, it would also drain her life force significantly. But with the lives of her companions hanging in the balance, she had no other choice.

The moment Seraphina activated the technique, her Qi surged. Her life essence, mixed with her Qi, dyed her Hydrometallic Bastion a crimson hue. The Hydrometallic Bastion, under the influence of this potent Qi, seemed to pulsate and grow even stronger.

The group could only watch in awe and concern as Seraphina's defensive structure began to hold its own against the dark energy beam more effectively, the once-spreading cracks retracting and healing.

However, they could also see the toll it was taking on her. Her complexion was growing paler by the second, and her body was trembling from the strain.

"Seraphina!" Eden called out, concern evident in her voice. But the woman merely offered a weak smile, her attention entirely focused on maintaining the Bastion.

Meanwhile, the Shadowfang, realizing its attack wasn't killing them, roared angrily. It attempted to intensify its Dark Annihilation Beam, the ball of dark energy in its mouth growing bigger and darker.

'It's done!' Mira shouted to everyone through a Sound Transmission, so they would actually hear her through all this noise, 'Prepare your strongest attacks! Don't hold back!'

Their hearts pounded as they prepared to counter.

Eden, with her Wind and Wood affinities, summoned a [Hurricane Quiver], each arrow imbued with the force of a tornado and the steadfastness of the ancient trees.

Asami swirled her fans, shadows coiling around her as she prepared her [Shadowstorm Serenade], ready to unleash a series of devastating, darkness-imbued strikes.

Celaine's Saber sang through the air as she charged it with her Wind Qi, ready to execute the [Galeforce Saber Slash].

Nova, her spear ablaze, executed her [Heavenly Sunfire Descension], the tip of her spear resembling a falling star, ready to strike with devastating impact.

Everly's hands crackled with Fire and Lightning Qi, the [Thunderfire Annihilation] forming around her fingers and body, turning them into weapons of utter destruction.

Rayna, her Double Daggers coated with a deadly mix of shadow and poison, prepared her [Venomfang Fury], ready to wreak havoc on their enemy.

Lastly, Mira, her aura flaring with the myriad of elements she commanded, was readying her newest and possibly most powerful technique.

Her nine tails flickered, each radiating different energies as she prepared to use almost all of them simultaneously.

She drew upon her affinity with Earth, Water, Wind, Yin Fire, Yin Lightning, Ice, Darkness, Illusions, and Charm.

In her hand, the icy Scythe grew heavier as she imbued it with the essence of each element. The usually stark ice started glowing, the spectrum of colors a testament to the elemental chaos contained within. But, with her increased mastery over Qi, she didn't have any problem controlling them.

"Now!" She yelled, activating the Suppression Array!

The array burst into radiant light, the streams of energy shooting toward the Shadowfang.

As the light from the array wrapped around it, the beast let out a roar of protest, its dark aura clashing violently against the radiant glow. Its Dark Annihilation Beam flickered, the beast's power waning under the pressure of the Suppression Array.

"Attack!" Mira ordered, the command resonating through the battlefield.

They burst with power in perfect synchronization, using the 3rd Stage of the Blood Burst Technique (except for Celaine and Asami) as they released their attacks.

Eden's [Hurricane Quiver] transformed the sky into a deadly canvas. Arrows transformed into roaring tornados, hurtling through the air with the unyielding resolve of ancient trees. Each arrow found its mark, tearing into the beast, a cacophony of elemental violence that whistled across the battlefield.

Asami's [Shadowstorm Serenade] was an elegant, devastating ballet of darkness. Shadows swirled, danced, and surged forward, a black tide washing over the Shadowfang, its body caught in the relentless rhythm of Asami's shadowy symphony.

Nova and Celaine's combined attack turned the battlefield into a scene straight from a myth. Celaine's [Galeforce Saber Slash] created a cyclone, and within it, Nova's [Heavenly Sunfire Descension] blazed, transforming the cyclone into a flaming typhoon. The collision against the Shadowfang shook the earth, a cataclysmic explosion that marked their defiance.

Everly's [Thunderfire Annihilation] was an electrifying spectacle. The swirling maelstrom of fire and lightning turned her into an avatar of elemental destruction. Each crackle of electricity, each lick of flame that engulfed the beast, wore down its defenses, weakening it even further.

Rayna, a phantom with her [Venomfang Fury], moved with an unsettling grace. Her daggers, coated with a fatal blend of shadow and poison, danced in the darkness. Each precise, merciless strike diminished the beast's resistance, the lethal ballet leaving a symphony of poisonous destruction in its wake.

Finally, it was Mira's turn.

Using the 4th Stage of the Blood Burst Technique, [Blood Burst], she channeled all of this excess power into the newly formed technique that she called: [Paragon Blizzard Obliteration].

Her aura flared with a kaleidoscope of colors, each representing a different element. The hourglass on her scythe rotated as she used her Scythe and Martial Manifestations alongside her icy-blue tail, increasing her power and ice affinity further.

With a swift motion, Mira summoned nine illusions of herself, each an exact replica exuding a unique elemental aura. Each illusion was tangible and lifelike since they were made up of her various elements, wielding a Scythe made of solid ice.

They stood in an imposing formation, a legion of ice-born warriors ready to unleash a storm of elemental devastation upon their foe.

She cast a charm on the beast with her pink tail, turning its attention to her immediately.

Now that she had given her teammates some reprieve, it was her turn to attack.

As if moving as one, the illusions surged forward, each strike resonating with the fury of the elements. The beast was assaulted from all directions by a flurry of devastating attacks, the battlefield echoing with the cataclysmic event of earth shaking, water roaring, wind howling, Yin fire blazing, Yin lightning crackling, shadows creeping, and illusions shimmering.

With each hit, another speck of sand in the hourglass fell, but it was much slower compared to every other opponent she had faced up until now.

But the true spectacle of [Paragon Blizzard Obliteration] was yet to come.

At the peak of their unleashed might, the illusions congregated around the Shadowfang. With a harmonized battle cry, they swung their Scythes in unison, and as soon as they connected with their opponent, they blew themselves up.

The result was a blinding burst of icy devastation, their expended energy erupting in an explosion that rivaled the intensity of a supernova.

The force of the explosion rippled through the battlefield, creating a massive crater, uprooting trees, and destroying everything in its path.

The dark aura of the Shadowfang was engulfed by the icy shockwave, reducing it to a mere flicker amidst the storm of elemental fury.

Mira's companions were swept up in the aftermath, but Mira had attempted to control her Qi enough so that they wouldn't die from it.

"RAAAAAA!" The beast let out a pained roar, showing just how effective their attacks were.

However, Mira knew that it wasn't over yet. Although her technique had severely weakened the Shadowfang, it was still standing, its dark energy beginning to coalesce once again.

But this time, they had the upper hand, and they wouldn't let their chance slip away.