Refusing to descend, the revenant twisted in midair and stabbed out in a furious arc. Its claws streaked toward the bare side of Voltrask, pulsing with black-blue energy. The chimera, however, was quicker. Just in time to avoid the impact, its armor shifted with a harsh grind as its plated spine flexed. The clash of metal against black force was deafening.
Jacob sucked in a sharp breath as the Soul Bond flared in their mind. He felt everything—every twitch of Voltrask's muscles, every surge of mana coursing through its body. It was raw, intoxicating power. But underneath it lurked something worse. A pull. A whisper in their bones, urging him to let go, to surrender completely to the beast's instincts.
"We need to move," Connor muttered, his voice sharp in Jacob's ear.
Across the battlefield, the revenant's head snapped toward them.
It knew.
Voltrask was keeping it busy, buying them time to strike. But this wasn't about brute strength anymore—it was endurance. A war of attrition. And Voltrask couldn't hold out forever.
Connor didn't hesitate. He activated Piercing Shot, their shared body tensing as he lined up the aim. Jacob's mind raced alongside him.
What if they combined it with Emerald Ensnarement, like before?
The thought surged through him. Without wasting a second, Jacob flicked through their menu, fingers moving frantically in search of the skill—
Too late.
Connor was fired.
The shot tore through the revenant's leg, a clean, brutal hole punched through shadow-forged flesh.
Voltrask lunged at the opening.
Then the battlefield screamed.
The revenant's roar was something wrong. A sickening mix of reptilian bellow and insectile shriek, twisted into a single, piercing cry. It lashed out, its armored tail snapping like a battering ram, shattering its own cracked plating. Obsidian shards scattered like broken glass.
But it didn't stop. It never stopped.
Black-blue energy flared across its body, molten veins pulsing as bones snapped back into place. Flesh wove itself together, sealing wounds that should have left it crippled.
Then—
It lunged.
Not at Voltrask.
At them.
Jacob and Connor tensed as one. Connor reacted first—without a word, a spear materialized in the air, propelled forward by a series of glowing magic circles forming behind it, amplifying its speed. That much was familiar.
But this time… something was different.
Merge Aspect Activated: [Emerald Ensnarement + Piercing Shot]
New Skill Unlocked: Emerald Requiem
The air hummed as a brilliant emerald bolt erupted from their weapon. But it didn't just pierce—it wrapped.
Mana-infused vines shot from the impact point, binding the revenant in place. The harder it struggled, the tighter they constricted.
Life Drain Pulse Activated.
Bound enemies lose stamina, energy, health, and mana. Drained energy is redirected to the user.
The revenant writhed, but every movement only fed their strength.
Rowan saw the opening. His axe burned red-hot, heat rippling from its blade. He hurled it—
Then vanished.
He reappeared mid-air, just as the axe reached its mark. His fist struck first, slamming into the revenant's skull with bone-crunching force. An instant later, the axe buried itself deep into its shoulder.
The beast snarled, trying to break free, trying to do something. But everywhere it turned, another attack forced it back into the fight.
And they didn't stop.
"Keep it going!" Connor barked. "Don't kill it! The skill drains its mana—we need this!"
Mana Replenishment: 70/350.
The number ticked upward.
They adjusted their strategy, striking just enough to keep it contained. Wearing it down. Bleeding it dry.
Mana Replenishment: 150/350.
Jacob and Connor exchanged a glance. A shared grin.
It was working.
Then—
The ground shook.
[WARNING: Evolution Phase Initiating—Host Body Severely Damaged.]
New Form Manifesting…
Revenant of the Fallen Guardian—Phase Two Awakened.
The air thickened, pressing down like a storm about to break.
Something far worse was about to be born.
The Revenant—no, the Fallen Guardian now—let out a low, bone-rattling growl. The sound wasn't just heard—it was felt, deep in the chest, like the voice of something ancient and wrong waking from a long slumber.
Its molten claws flexed, silver metal dripping like burning mercury. The very air warped around it, distorting from the sheer heat and malice radiating off its form.
Rowan adjusted his grip on his weapon, his usual smirk nowhere to be found. "Anyone else feel like we just kicked a hornet's nest… And now it's really pissed?"
Connor didn't take his eyes off the monster. "We need a plan. Now."
Jacob's vision wavered as another prompt flickered to life.
[Emergency Fusion Option: Override Chimera Cooldown—Force-Release Proto-Voltrask?]
Warning: Extreme Strain on User. Risk of Permanent Damage: 89%.
Their pulse pounded in their ears. Their hands trembled. This was reckless. Stupid.
But they were out of options.
With a scream of effort, Proto-Voltrask snapped into existence.
Molten lightning rippled across its unstable body, raw energy crackling off its form like a living storm. It was barely holding together, but it didn't matter.
Their shared body staggered under the strain, but they tightened their grip on their spear. Their minds linked with their beast, thoughts merging into a single, undeniable purpose.
Jacob took a shaky breath.
"Voltrask…"
Connor exhaled, steadying their grip.
"One last time."
The revenant landed, claws digging into the dirt, its gaze locking onto the rising chimera.
They steadied themselves, muscles screaming in protest.
"This ends now."
Proto-Voltrask roared one last time and rushed forward.
Fire clashed against darkness, the force of their collision shaking the battlefield, sending waves of hot air rippling through the scorched earth. The ground cracked beneath their feet, splintering like fragile glass under the weight of the unleashed power. Smoke and ash swirled together, carried by the shockwave, creating a swirling maelstrom of heat and shadow.
The chimera's molten jaws snapped shut around the Revenant's scythe-like arm, searing through its tainted flesh as the fight reached its breaking point. The revenant roared, retaliating with a savage strike. Its claws tore deep into the chimera's body, splitting unstable hide and sending arcs of molten ichor and blackened shadow crashing to the ground.
There was no turning back.
This was it.
Victory—or nothing.