In an unknown dimension, a hooded figure in a black robe was floating above an infinite span of Grassland, deeply immersed into meditation. A wide and translucent runic circle filled with complex ancient syllabus was behind the hooded man.
His eyes suddenly opened wide and his lips lifted into a smile.
"So, you're finally awake now!" his hands started making symbols and chants flowed out of his lips as mana started flowing out of his hands.
******
A huge pillar of amber prana gushed out upwards from where Luke was.
As the prana subsided, Luke came out with slow steps towards them. His hair had transformed into amber fire dancing in the air with his every movement. His eyes and brows had turned into flames, flickering about and both his hands were glowing as if molten lava was flowing through them and crimson patterns had formed all over his body and on the arms.
His leather boots melted away and every step he took melted the floor beneath leaving red marks from the heat. His gauntlets were piping hot and turned red as if they were just out of the furnace.
A runic ring filled with ancient syllables floated behind him, rotating and releasing intense vibrations in the air, affecting the very fabric of space in the region.
The ancient humming of the chants reverberated in the air, and intensified with his every step. Seeing him walking towards it, for the first time, fear reflected in the Imoogi's eyes. For some reason, it didn't dare to look towards Luke and started shaking in fear.
Luke slowly approached, one step after another. Lifting his leg, when he was about to take another step, the feet didn't even touch the ground when he vanished from the spot.
The vertical pupils of the Imoogi narrowed, it could smell death approaching.
Before it could react and turn, a smoldering hot gauntlet punch hit squarely on its jaw, pushing it down on the floor in lightning speed and one of its fangs flying away in the distance.
But before its head could strike the floor, Luke appeared on the ground just in the direction of the fall and another fist smacked the jaw of the Imoogi, blasting it up in the air again.
Multiple lightning fast punches kept hitting its jaw and it swayed from one direction to another, dancing its head in the air. Thunder clapping sound reverberated in the air from the punches. Its scales melted, broke off and kept flying around.
Finally, a punch hit right on top of its head, pushing it down and burying it inside the floor. The head smashed hard and blood splattered out in a wave. The head turned into a paste as the Imoogi's body stopped moving. It had breathed its last breath a long time ago, and finally its corpse was spared from further mutilation.
Luke was standing motionless in front of the Imoogi's body. Steam coming out of the gauntlets, on the verge of melting, his clothes had burned off into ashes and he was standing naked, his body glowing amber like lava.
Noah groaned in pain as he tried to move, with the remaining power of his body and gingerly stood up. With the shield as support, he limped towards Luke. He kept calling for him, but Luke was motionless, not moving a muscle.
"LUKE!" Noah shouted as he reached near him, unable to touch or get near him because of the intense heat radiating from him.
Luke turned his head instantly, his fiery eyes staring right into Noah's.
Noah was taken aback by the intense bloodlust released from Luke. He resembled more of a bloodthirsty demon than his friend.
But just then the flames vanished, Luke's fiery hair and eyes returned to normal. His body stopped burning, and the crimson patterns vanished as the ring behind him stopped spinning and got on his back as the tattoo.
His eyes closed, and he fell towards Noah. Surprised, Noah jumped and caught his falling body. He put him down and laid him on his back.
"Cover him with this." Jordan came limping near them and passed a shirt he pulled out from his dimensional pouch.
Noah nodded in thanks and covered Luke's naked body.
Jane crawled towards Ruby and extended her hand towards her. There were two vials of red and blue liquid in her hands which she asked Ruby to drink.
"Take this healing and mana recovery potion! Only you can save Adriana! She's in a critical state." She begged as tears started rolling out of her eyes. "Please! I'll do anything! Please save her!"
Ruby looked towards Adriana lying at a distance, blood had soaked the ground. If not saved now, it might be too late. She didn't wait anymore. She took the potions and gulped them down.
The blood stopped flowing and the cuts almost healed at a visible rate. Ruby stood up gingerly and tried to channel her mana. Golden mana started forming on her hand. Seeing that, she didn't waste time and moved towards Adriana, but she stopped abruptly, when she reached near Shane.
Shane was groaning in pain. He had some cuts on his body but they were not severe. Seeing him conscious and faring well she released a sigh, and started moving again.
A golden runic magic circle formed above Adriana. Mana started flowing out of the circle in the form of threads.
The threads attached themselves to Adriana and lifted her body in the air. The threads kept coming out of the circle and wrapped her up inside in a cocoon. The circle vanished and the magic thread cocoon fell on the ground softly as the threads kept flickering with golden light.
Ruby sighed in relief. The spell was not easy to cast as beads of sweat on her forehead was the proof. She took some deep breaths and then turned around towards her brother.
But just then a figure draped in black from head to toe, and only his black eyes visible appeared suddenly behind Ruby and puled his dagger forward, placing it on her neck.
"Move and you die!" a gruff voice fell on Ruby's ears. Shocking her stiff with a dagger on her neck.
Noah and the others were shocked, before they could understand the situation, clapping sounds came from the entrance where Adriana and the others came out of.
"Bravo! Bravo! I didn't expect you people would be able to defeat the Imoogi! But you have exceeded that and killed it! No praises are enough for you lot!" a young man in his twenties, long black hair and a diamond shaped face with a long nose. Wearing an emerald long coat and leather armor came out clapping as he walked towards them.
"Raven you bastard!" Jane gritted her teeth in anger and cursed at him.
"Surprise!!" Raven looked at her with a wide grin on his face.