Chapter 77 — She Who Shall Rule the Seas
We continue;
The blue light bathing the cavern had become almost blinding. The entire lake now floated in the air like a suspended ocean, responding to Alma's every gesture. Her silhouette had completely transformed. Her legs had fused into a long, majestic tail covered in deep blue scales veined with luminescent gold. Her hair floated freely around her like living seaweed, and her eyes shone with a supernatural blue glow, almost divine.
Caster's smile had vanished.
For the first time, he truly felt danger. A danger that made even his bones tremble.
"…Tsk. You were hiding your true strength, little one…" he growled, raising his arms.
Behind him, thousands of razor-sharp blood blades materialized with a wet, sinister sound.
"You really think this changes anything?! TELL ME!!!!!!!!"
He launched them with a sharp motion.
SHLAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
The projectiles streaked forward like a deadly rain across the cavern.
But Alma didn't even move. The water reacted for her. A colossal oceanic wall surged in front of her with a deafening roar.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
All the blood blades were swallowed, dissolved, and crushed by the titanic pressure. Not a single one reached its target. Caster's eyes widened.
Alma suddenly vanished into a current.
Caster spun around — too late.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A torrent of extremely compressed water struck him square in the back and sent him flying through several crystal columns in an explosion of debris and blue light. The cavern shook violently.
Alma gave him no respite. Hundreds of aquatic chains formed around him and tightened like living serpents. She slowly joined her hands. The entire ocean began to spin.A gigantic whirlpool was born at the center of the chamber, sucking in everything in its path. The rotation grew faster and faster, more and more violent. Caster felt his bones cracking under the monstrous pressure.
"TSK…!" he growled, trying to create a blood barrier.
But everything was instantly crushed.
Alma stretched her hand toward him, her gaze cold and determined.
"It's over…"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The whirlpool exploded into a cataclysmic column of water that tore through the entire cavern before crashing down on Caster with terrifying force. Blue lightning streaked through the mass of water as several kilometers of underground tunnels collapsed around them. Even the capital on the surface trembled as if struck by an earthquake.
Silence finally returned.
Alma breathed heavily, her tail slowly beating against the descending water. Her body trembled with exhaustion. In the middle of the ruins, Caster lay covered in severe wounds. A large portion of his torso had been torn away. He seemed defeated.
Alma closed her eyes for a moment, relieved.
…Or so she thought.
A black, corrosive energy suddenly began to ooze from Caster's body. His smile returned, but this time it was twisted and inhuman.
"Ahh… I almost forgot this feeling," he murmured in a voice that doubled over itself.
A monstrous pressure exploded inside the cavern. The blue crystals cracked one after another. The lake began to tremble, then evaporate.
Caster placed a hand over his own heart.
"Give me your strength…"
The blood around him turned a dark red-black.
"Valak… Demon of the Red Bath."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A bloody explosion shook the entire cavern. Alma felt her body freeze. This aura had nothing to do with Caster anymore. It was something ancient. Something deeply evil. She had never felt anything like it.
Anchor, at her side, wore a grave expression.
"This time… it's serious. Run, human," he said simply.
Caster's body transformed violently. Black blood covered his skin, forming a living, pulsating organic armor. Two long, twisted red horns grew from his skull. Several red eyes opened across his chest. His arms became massive, covered in swollen black veins, and from his back, several bloody appendages burst out like hungry living tails.
His eyes opened fully. Blood-red. The word "Extermination" was etched into them. His voice was doubled.
"Listen well because I won't say it twice. I am a member of the Illuminati, girl… Second Lieutenant of the Sixth Pillar. You have no idea of the true power that rules this world…" he declared in a deep, multi-layered voice, almost amused despite the rage.
"And today, you will die for daring to push me this far."
The pressure he emitted was so overwhelming that the entire lake evaporated in seconds. Anchor slowly began to disappear into blue particles.
"My time is over…" he murmured with a sad smile.
"Wait! Anchor!" Alma cried out in panic.
"This power… it must become yours now. Fight, human…"
He vanished. At the same moment, Alma's mermaid transformation collapsed. Her tail returned to human legs. The lake was completely dry.
Caster — or rather Valak — lifted his head.
And the world exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A gigantic wave of blood tore through the depths and surged upward like a red tsunami toward the surface. The sky above the capital suddenly darkened. All the pipes, fountains, and sewers exploded simultaneously.
Torrents of poisoned blood flooded Dragonil. The streets became scarlet rivers. Buildings collapsed. Dragons screamed in the sky while weaker ones drowned.
High above the city, Dominus observed the scene from the back of the black dragon, a growing smile on her lips.
"Oh… interesting."
Beside her, Luppy watched in shock.
"Caster… He really went as far as Valak? I wonder who he's fighting."
In the depths, Alma was violently thrown into the ocean of blood. The thick, corrosive liquid swallowed her. She suffocated, her lungs burning. She had no oxygen left.
Caster reappeared in front of her in the blink of an eye.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
His fist sank into her stomach, sending her flying. He immediately followed up, appearing everywhere around her, striking relentlessly.
"You lost," he growled, smashing her face against a mass of hardened blood.
Alma spat blood. Her body was at its limit.
But something lit up in her mind. She began to think.
Blood… is also a fluid. It contains water. A lot of water.
She slowly stretched out her hand and analyzed the composition of the blood surrounding her at incredible speed.
Caster frowned.
"What are you plotting now…?"
Sudden luminescent blue runes appeared throughout the red ocean.
"Aquatic Enchantment… Extended," Alma murmured.
"What?!' Caster screamed, eyes wide.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire blood answered her call. A gigantic blood tornado rose into the sky of Dragonil, sucking in millions of liters of blood around Alma.
"Impossible…! My power… what did you do, you bitch!"
For the first time, a glimmer of fear crossed the demon's gaze.
Alma raised her eyes, cold and determined.
"Thank you, Mom… I owe you this. You're the one who taught me how to enchant fluids and now… I'm not going to lose this fight…"
Forbidden Art…
The tornado compressed violently.
Crimson Leviathan!!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The final attack crashed down on Caster in an apocalyptic explosion, taking the form of sea dragons. The kingdom trembled from all sides. The blood exploded in every direction before gradually transforming into thousands of luminous red particles that rose toward the sky like liberated souls.
Silence finally fell over Dragonil.
Luppy, far above, had a frozen expression.
"…Hyn, I can no longer sense… Caster… Am I dreaming or… has he been defeated?"
Even Dominus burst into loud laughter.
"Wow, I can't believe it. Caster defeated? Ahhhhhhhhh that's so cool… This is getting really interesting now."
Meanwhile, Alexander was running at full speed through the devastated palace. When he burst into the throne room, the scene froze him in place.
Damian, Kana, and Noël lay on the ground, injured and exhausted.
In the center, Vulcan still stood, his aura blazing and his gaze empty.
Vulcan slowly turned his head toward him. Monstrous flames began to dance around his body.
Damian weakly lifted his head, coughing blood.
"A….Ale…Alexander... Be careful. Vulcan is monstrously strong… he's lost his mind."
Vulcan vanished in a burst of fire.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The clash between the two dragons shook the entire hall.
The real battle had just begun.
To be continued…