A cold, mocking voice slithered into his mind.
"Impressive, devil. You exceeded my expectations."
The hydra's massive heads tilted slightly, all four pairs of eyes locking onto him.
"But it changes nothing. You will still die."
Lucivar exhaled slowly, crimson light flickering in his eyes.
"Oh?" he muttered. "Then let's see who's still standing at the end."
He snapped his head to the side.
"Jorah, move!"
"Merilda!" Volric shouted. "Stay back and support us!"
She slammed her staff into the ground, mana flaring. "Already doing it. Don't die on me!"
Lucivar glanced at Volrian. "Stick close. Don't overextend."
Volrian swallowed hard, then nodded. "Got it."
Jorah met Lucivar's eyes for a brief second, no words, just resolve.
As they all charged forward, three hydra heads shot out at once, splitting apart mid-motion.
One lunged for Jorah.
One rushed straight at Lucivar.
The third snapped toward Volrian.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
All three blocked instinctively, swords raised just in time. The impact rang through the dungeon as each hydra head clamped its jaws around their blades, teeth grinding against steel.
"Don't let it hold you!" Lucivar shouted. "If you're in trouble, strike immediately. This time, don't give it any chance to regenerate!"
"Right!"
"Got it!"
Jorah and Volrian roared in response.
They twisted their wrists and wrenched their swords free, forcing the hydra heads back. The moment they broke away, all three leapt sideways, retreating to create distance.
"Now!"
Jorah and Volrian dashed in again, blades flashing as they aimed straight for the hydra's eyes.
But the monster reacted instantly.
The heads twisted unnaturally, slamming their blades into the side instead. Sparks flew as steel struck thick, overlapping scales.
"Tch!" Volrian clicked his tongue. "Even that didn't pierce it? Those scales are ridiculous."
Lucivar narrowed his eyes. So even direct hits won't break through unless it's the weak point.
Jorah straightened, gripping his sword tighter. His aura shifted, heavy, sharp, dangerous.
"This is getting annoying," he growled.
Lightning began to crackle faintly around his body.
"I'm done holding back," Jorah said coldly. "I'm going all out now."
Jorah raised his sword high.
Lightning crackled down the blade as he slammed it into the ground.
BOOM.
"Lightning Sword, Manas Release," he whispered calmly.
Electric arcs wrapped around the embedded blade. Jorah dragged the sword upward, tearing it free from the ground as thunder roared, lightning flooding the steel.
At that moment, a hydra head lunged toward him, mouth wide, fangs bared.
Jorah closed his eyes.
The air screamed.
In the next instant, he was gone.
Too fast.
The hydra's eyes couldn't track him. Its instincts couldn't react.
Slash, slash, slash, slash.
Jorah reappeared mid-motion, lightning trailing behind him as his blade ripped across the hydra's scales in a blur, carving glowing lines of destruction.
Then—
SHNK.
He drove the blade straight into the hydra's eye.
The monster let out a piercing, distorted scream, its massive head jerking backward in agony.
Jorah didn't stop.
He vanished again.
The hydra opened its mouth, preparing to spray, but Jorah appeared inside its range, moving at the same impossible speed.
He raised his sword and pinned the hydra's tongue, blade lodged deep.
With a powerful kick, he leapt backward, tearing the sword free.
The hydra screamed again, thrashing wildly.
Bleeding. Blinded. Panicking.
It recoiled, dragging its head toward the lake, trying to retreat, trying to regenerate.
"Not happening."
Lightning exploded beneath Jorah's feet.
He burst forward, faster than before.
Just as the hydra's head was about to sink into the water, Jorah leapt, soaring into the air, and came crashing down directly onto its face.
The impact shook the dungeon.
He raised his sword, then unleashed a storm.
CLING, CLING, CLING, CLING, CLING, CLING, CLING.
Steel and lightning struck over and over, each blow landing faster than the last, sparks and blood spraying as Jorah hammered the hydra's head relentlessly.
Blood exploded from the hydra's head.
One of its foreheads cracked.
Then—
BOOM.
The scales guarding that forehead shattered completely, fragments of crystal and bone spraying across the dungeon floor.
Jorah didn't hesitate.
He raised his sword one final time and drove it down, the blade piercing straight into the exposed core embedded in the forehead.
The hydra screamed.