VR- BATTLEFIELD
[FINAL ROUND]
Ryu stood amidst the battlefield, his gaze shifting toward Evelyn, Slyvara, Selena, and the wounded Lunara.
A smirk played on his lips as he tightened his grip on the blade of condensed red energy in his hand. Without hesitation, he hurled the sword forward, the sheer force behind the throw distorting the air around it. The crimson streak tore through the battlefield like a comet, aimed directly at the group.
Evelyn, already on guard, reacted immediately. She raised her shield, its surface glowing with divine energy as she activated Titan's Guard Stance, doubling her defense and reinforcing her stance. A shimmering golden barrier erupted in front of them, a near-unbreakable wall designed to absorb devastating attacks. Yet she did not stop there.
Summoning the full might of her divine blessing, Divine Shieldbearer, she infused her Aegis Shield with the holy power of Athena. A golden aura flared around her, intensifying her defenses further.
But Ryu was far from done.
Raising his hand, his violet eyes gleaming, he activated Telekinesis, locking onto the crimson mana blade mid-flight. With a mere thought, the blade accelerated, already moving at blinding speed got massive boost, vanishing from sight in an instant.
The next moment, it reappeared before Evelyn's shield, slamming into the golden barrier with terrifying force. Sparks erupted as the blade and the divine shield clashed, the impact shaking the ground beneath them. Cracks spiderwebbed across the barrier as Evelyn braced herself, her boots skidding back as she struggled to hold her ground. The sheer force of the attack forced her back several meters, her shield to shake under the strain.
The golden barrier shattered like glass, its remnants dispersing in radiant motes. The red mana sword, still surging with power, closed in. Evelyn raised her shield once more, ready to take the impact head-on, but before the blade could reach her, another layer of defense manifested—a barrier of holy light conjured by Selena. The shimmering wall halted the crimson blade momentarily, sparks flaring as the two forces battled for dominance.
From the ground, hundreds of vines and tree roots erupted, summoned by Slyvara's nature magic. Some wrapped around the holy barrier, reinforcing it, while others coiled around the red mana sword, attempting to bind and push it back.
Darkness followed—an oppressive dome of shadows consuming the area, distorting the very air around them as Lunara's abyssal magic merged with their defenses.
Evelyn turned back, glancing at her allies.
Selena wiped the sweat from her brow, her face pale as she focused on maintaining the barrier. "The barrier is barely holding on…"
Slyvara, her voice tinged with disbelief, muttered, "How is he this strong? We're all the same rank..." Her emerald eyes flickered with uncertainty.
Behind them, Lunara limped forward, her body still riddled with deep lacerations from Hell Waltz Elimination. Though her vampire regeneration worked tirelessly, Ryu's energy lingered in her wounds, slowing the healing process. Her crimson gaze burned with fury and something else "You don't understand… he is a monster."
Across the battlefield, Ryu narrowed his eyes at the struggling defenses. "Useless struggle," he murmured, before unleashing another surge of telekinetic force, amplifying the pressure on the red mana sword.
At the same time, he infused wind magic, forming a razor-sharp current around the blade. The enhanced sword slashed through the vines constricting it, shredding them apart. The holy barrier cracked, its surface trembling as the relentless assault continued.
A commanding voice rang out from the behind the group. "RETREAT!"
Recognizing the urgency, Evelyn and the others prepared to fall back—but before they could, Cassandra was already front of them.
The raven black haired scythe-wielding women strode toward the collapsing barrier, her weapon already raised. As she pulled back her scythe, dark mana exploded around her scythe, forming a giant dark scythe in her grasp. The red mana sword, still pressing forward, now faced a counterattack of equal magnitude.
Red mana surged, coating the enormous blade of Cassandra's weapon. Red energy and dark energy intertwined in a chaotic dance of destruction. With a single, devastating swing, she brought down the colossal scythe at the precise moment the barriers shattered completely.
[Eclipsing Slash]
The red mana sword and Cassandra's dark mana scythe met in an earth-shattering collision.
A blinding explosion erupted, swallowing Cassandra whole.
The shockwave expanded outward, catching Evelyn, Slyvara, Selena, and Lunara in its destructive radius. The very ground split apart beneath them as a wave of crimson and black energy rippled through the battlefield.
Evelyn barely had time to brace herself before being hurled backward, her shield absorbing the brunt of the blast but failing to prevent the overwhelming force from slamming her into the ground.
****
Ryu took a step forward, his boots pressing into the cracked and scorched ground. The spot where Evelyn, Sylvara, Selena, and Lunara once stood was now a ruined wasteland. The aftermath of the explosion had left deep fissures in the earth, still radiating heat, embers flickering in the air. Dust and the lingering scent of burning mana hung thick, obscuring the remnants of the fierce clash.
Evelyn knelt a few meters away, her shield half-broken, her once-imposing figure now covered in dirt, blood, and burns. Her golden sheild, which once radiated divine brilliance, was cracked and dulled, bearing testament to the force of Ryu's attack.
She gasped for breath, struggling to maintain her balance as her body screamed in protest.
To her left lay Sylvara, her long, light-green hair matted with dust and blood. Her elegant elven robes were torn, and though she had used the last of her strength to summon earth walls and vines to protect herself, even nature's embrace had not fully shielded her from the explosion's devastating force.
She wasn't unconscious, but she had no strength left to stand. Both women, who once exuded a peak of beauty and untouchable presence, now looked completely battered, a stark contrast to their previous grandeur.
Ryu ignored them, as he walked past, his attention focused elsewhere.
In front of him lay Cassandra—or what remained of her. Blood and charred flesh smeared the ground, bones shattered and scattered. She had taken direct blunt of explotion. The explosion had ripped her apart, leaving nothing but a mangled, unrecognizable corpse.
"So she could only revive once," Ryu murmured, his voice carrying both sadness and disappointment. He had expected more.
With that, he turned his attention back to Evelyn and Sylvara. He walked past them again. His steps were deliberate, purposeful, until he stood before Lunara.
Lunara was barely holding on. One of her arms had been completely obliterated in the explosion. Her silver hair, usually pristine and regal, was now matted with dirt and blood, strands clinging to her face. She panted heavily, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to remain upright.
Even with her vampiric regeneration, the wounds inflicted by Ryu's attack were taking longer to heal than they should have. The remnants of his energy still lingered in her wounds, preventing full recovery.
Without hesitation, Ryu reached down and grabbed Lunara by the neck, lifting her off the ground with a single hand. She didn't resist—she didn't have the strength to. She hung limply in his grasp, her crimson eyes staring into his own violet ones.
Then, she smiled—a twisted, knowing smile.
"We meet again, Princess," Ryu said, his voice laced with amusement as he tightened his grip slightly. "Maybe we can spend more time together this time."
Lunara didn't flinch. Her smile widened, a predatory glint in her eyes as she slowly raised her remaining hand, her fingers tracing along his cheek. Her sharp nails dug into his skin just enough to draw blood, and with a slow, deliberate movement, she brought her fingers to her lips and licked the crimson droplets from them.
"You are strong," she purred, her voice both sultry and dangerous. "Stronger than I anticipated."
Her hand trailed lower, her nails scraping lightly against his jaw as she continued. "You could be mine, you know. My bonded. My slave. My vampire." Her lips curled into a smirk. "Wouldn't that be wonderful? We could spend eternity together."
Ryu chuckled, his violet eyes gleaming. "How generous of you, Princess." His grip on her neck tightened slightly. "But I must refuse."
Lunara tilted her head, unfazed. Instead of looking disappointed, she looked... entertained. "That's unfortunate," she mused, bringing her hand back to her lips, licking the last traces of his blood. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "But your opinion doesn't matter, I will make you mine. Whether by choice... or by force."
Ryu's smirk didn't fade, but before he could reply, his senses picked a presence.
His gaze shifted behind him.
From the distance, a figure was approaching. A slow, deliberate walk. No rush. No urgency. Just a steady, calm stride.
Leon.
Ryu raised an eyebrow as he turned fully towards the approaching warrior.
There was something... different. Unlike before, Leon wasn't surging with lightning or overflowing with mana. He wasn't radiating power, nor was he emanating the fiery combat aura that usually accompanied him.
He simply walked.
Head lowered.
Expression hidden by his hairs.
But there was an unsettling weight to his presence.
Ryu's instincts whispered a warning.
'Interesting'
Without hesitation, he released Lunara, tossing her to the side like discarded prey. She landed roughly, rolling before coming to a stop, coughing as she struggled to regain her breath. But Ryu's attention had already shifted away from her.
He turned to fully face Leon, his posture relaxed but his mind razor-sharp.
A small smirk played on his lips as he took a step forward.
TO BE CONTINUE...