The two clashed as the wind immediately caught them, slamming them into the eye of the storm. There, the lightning would have struck them mercilessly, had Heks not regained control of the tornado.
"Do you really think you can withstand the power of a thousand thunderbolts?" Heks's voice was distorted by the wind, but Golujef heard it echoing inside his skull, metallic and rough, annoying as a drill pressed against his brain. Soon a sharp noise reached the ears of the two adversaries, followed by a deep, dangerous roar: the thunderbolts had reached the eye of the storm, ready to explode!
Heks used her powers to turn the black substance surrounding her body into a catalyst for the electrical energy of the thunder, directing it toward Golujef, who opened his jaws to bite her but was stopped by the discharge of energy. His agonizing screams reached every part of the woods, making the earth tremble and the sky pour.
Heks could not withstand the force of a thousand thunderbolts for long; her skin began to darken and crack under the immense power of that attack. Her body managed to break the chain at the very last second, plummeting downward to crash into the ground.
Heks spat blood and lifted her eyes to the sky, seeing Golujef's body still suspended in the air, constantly struck by lightning, bleeding and blackened. It was then that the tornado broke, dissipating along with Heks's energy, as she collapsed to the ground, paralyzed by a lack of strength. The lightning had reached her organs, but she was still breathing.
Golujef fell, smashing into the debris on the ground: he remained motionless, but only for a few seconds, then pushed himself back up, leaning on his weapon, which had returned to him at that moment. His strange armor was reduced to tatters, and putrid black blood dripped wherever he moved: it was then that he changed his appearance, releasing his final reserves of strength.
"I will devour you piece by piece... you will suffer every second, you will beg me to kill you... but I won't. I will break your body and your spirit, you cursed witch!"
His weapon sank into Heks's leg. She let out a harrowing scream and tried to break free from the monster's grip, who seemed even stronger than before. The blade made of bone pinned her to the ground, threatening to snap her femur.
"Where did all your strength go? You are but a little insect on my path. My plan will not fail. I will make this world mine and devour it!"
He opened his jaws, descending upon her, but before he could bite into her flesh, something breached his chest, blasting him away from Heks's body. A dark figure appeared beside the witch, a demonic being with long silver hair and blood-red eyes. He grabbed Golujef's weapon and removed it from Heks's leg, who gasped and began to breathe again.
"What an ugly staff..." He snapped it in half with one hand, smiling cheerfully and provoking a furious attack from the adversary, who threw himself at them, roaring in desperation.
Astrael pushed Heks away from him and charged at the Ravenous One, bearing his fangs and his large black claws, which sank into Golujef's rotting flesh. "Have you ever wondered... what it feels like to be devoured?"
Golujef widened his black, blood-dripping eyes and watched the center of the field, where a chasm opened out of nowhere. The earth began to quake, and Astrael laughed, tightening his grip on the opposing demon, preventing him from escaping that confrontation. Suddenly, an enormous, tubular-shaped being appeared, stretching its maw wide open, ready to grab something and swallow it whole. Its presence was accompanied by tremors that struck the ground, simulating a minor earthquake, which also reached the cave where some of the survivors were taking shelter.
In that small space, several discussions were taking place: Alex and Zeyana had stepped aside to argue, though they had ended their moment of anger and frustration with a desperate kiss, while the Order's soldiers were keeping an eye on the surroundings, expecting the worst. Scarlett had to pretend not to hear the Archmage's sighs, forced to witness something she would have preferred to ignore. After all, she had to protect her Empress and therefore endure these scenes as well, which unfortunately were quite frequent.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Enrico had received medical attention, closing up his deepest wound, and then he had withdrawn from the group, resting against the cold, rough rock. William suspected his isolation was due to his sister's betrayal, so he left him be.
"William? Do you think... we're going to die?"
"No... I'm fairly convinced that as long as we have the protection of the Empress, the Archmage, and Grimilde, no one will hurt us."
"I'm not very convinced... I'm scared."
William looked at her closely and stepped nearer, grasping her shoulder with his warm hand: "Whatever happens, I am with you and I will protect you. I swear it on everything I hold dear."
Adelina lowered her gaze and offered an uncertain, but grateful smile: "I know I can always count on you." She concluded those sweet words by hugging him tightly, drawing comfort from her dear friend, whom she cared for very much. William returned the embrace, then had Adelina sit down next to him, searching for something to say to distract her from the terrible situation:
"What do you think of the relationship between... the princess and the Queen? I was shocked..." William didn't have a judgmental tone; he was genuinely surprised.
Adelina rubbed her cold hands together, then answered calmly: "I think Snow White is truly brave... she is risking her life for Grimilde, and it's so romantic and crazy at the same time. I can't judge them in any way."
"The women of Arran seem truly strong," William joked to lighten the conversation. "They actually are perfect together."
A moment of silence followed, then Adelina sighed, resting her head on William's shoulder: "I'm worried about them..."