Chapter 424 Escape Part-1
"Rrrroooaarrrrrr!" Evelina's agonized roar filled the air as she grappled with the excruciating pain, the darkness threatening to consume her from within.
"E-Eve..." Mariel's shocked expression mirrored her inner turmoil. She hadn't anticipated Evelina, already weakened, to be so profoundly affected by the dark mana's onslaught. If it could consume Evelina to this extent, Mariel dreaded to think what it might do to her.
"You guys are really a pain in the ass," the hooded figure muttered, frustration evident in her voice as she removed what remained of her hood.
'Trrrr' With a tearing sound, the last remnants of the hood fell away, revealing a woman figure clad in black armour, a helmet adorned with small wings concealing her face.
The air around her crackled with dark energy, the manifestation of the malevolent power she wielded.
"sssshhh"
Her voice was cold, tinged with a hint of impatience as she addressed the group. "All I want is that girl.... as long as you give her to me, I will leave this place this instant," she declared, her tone brooking no argument.
"This is bad..." Mariel's gaze shifted to Eli, who remained motionless, pretending to sleep. She bit her lip, a sign of her growing anxiety and uncertainty. The situation was dire, and she struggled to determine the best course of action. If they made a wrong move, if they even touched that woman, Mariel knew all too well they would succumb to the same fiendish fate.
"S-So, -ha- you are the fiend that -ha- escaped from the door, right?" Evelina managed to speak through the searing pain, her words laced with determination despite her condition.
"Hmm... you can say that..." The armoured woman's reply was cryptic yet revealing of her true nature. With a swift motion, she brandished her black sword, unleashing a devastating strike that cleaved through half of the surrounding trees, turning them into nothing but black dust that scattered in the air, leaving behind a barren landscape.
Mariel and Evelina leapt into the sky, their eyes fixed on the armoured woman with heightened alertness.
Meanwhile, Prisania emerged from the shadows and glanced at Eli, who remained motionless, still feigning sleep. She then turned her attention to Mariel and Evelina, who appeared poised for battle.
Prisania emerged from the shadows and glanced at Eli, who remained still in his feigned slumber. She whispered softly, "Master, isn't it time for you to act?" Prisania was a bit concerned that Eli might have been enjoying the tranquillity of sleep, given how peacefully he rested in her embrace like a child.
However, there was no response from Eli.
'Snap'
With a snap of her fingers, Mariel conjured numerous fireballs behind her. The armoured woman scoffed, taunting, "Do you think those things can even reach me?"
"We won't know until we try," Mariel retorted, waving her hand to send the fireballs flying towards the armoured woman.
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
"BOOM!"
...
....
Evelina observed Mariel's efforts and questioned, "Why waste your powers? Her dark mana can absorb almost anything... it's just a waste."
"...." Mariel remained silent, not because she doubted her attack's effectiveness or believed it to be a waste, but because she trusted in Eli. His continued silence suggested he was waiting for a particular moment to intervene.
The armoured woman didn't react as the blast was absorbed by her dark mana. Mariel decided to put all her trust in Eli and go all out. She snapped her fingers again,
'Snap'
"I will show you what the inferno phoenix is truly capable of," Mariel murmured as her yellow flames suddenly flickered crimson, conjuring a small fireball before her...
/Inferno/
The crimson flame shot towards the armoured woman.
The woman flinched, sensing the imminent danger if the fireball hit her. Without hesitation, she started running to evade the crimson fireball, but to her dismay, it pursued her relentlessly.
"Shit!"
"Shhooffffff"
In no time, the armoured woman was struck by the flames. Her dark mana couldn't absorb the fire because the flames themselves burned through her dark powers, leaving her body feeling dry and brittle.
Evelina observed Mariel, who was blankly staring at her opponent, assessing the situation for her next move.
"Inferno... flames... that infinite flame that never dies down..." Prisania thought with admiration and curiosity in her eyes. She then turned to Eli, "Can't control yourself, Master?" noticing Eli squinting his eyes to see the flames.
"..." Eli didn't respond and returned to his unconscious state, his expression unreadable as he remained still amidst the chaos.
'Hehe...' Prisania giggled, sensing a tense yet thrilling atmosphere as the battle unfolded before her.
"Fuck!" The armoured woman shouted, feeling the intense heat even though her body didn't burn. She sensed her body inside starting to dry out from the heat, a discomfort she hadn't anticipated.
'Inferno... these flames are almost as relentless as those in Muspelheim,' she thought, eyeing Mariel warily as she prepared to retaliate.
She stomped on the ground, though the crimson flames still danced on her body, refusing to dissipate.
"I will kill you," the woman declared as she brandished her sword, determination clear in her voice.
"Well, let's see about that," Mariel responded with a confident smile, noting that her flames were indeed affecting the armoured woman.
Mariel swiftly pushed Evelina to the ground, sensing that Evelina's actions might hinder her own movements. Just as the armoured woman closed in on Mariel, she snapped her fingers...
"BOOM!"
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A fireball appeared and exploded, creating a safe distance between them.
"Tsk, do you think you can keep playing that trick?" The armoured woman scoffed, displaying her arms confidently. "See, those flames might hurt others, but they won't harm me. Your flames may burn infinitely, but they will never be able to harm me," she boasted arrogantly.
"Well, I think that trick is working just fine," Mariel replied with a confident smile, knowing the woman's bravado was merely a bluff. She could sense that woman's voice becoming patchy, indicating that her inferno fire was affecting her internally rather than externally. As long as Mariel avoided direct contact with the woman, she would be fine.
'Sssssshhhh'
Mariel's eyes widened as she saw the armoured woman hurling her black sword at her. Just as Mariel prepared to evade the attack, the woman suddenly appeared beneath her. Mariel was caught off guard, realizing she needed to avoid both attacks simultaneously. As she was about to unleash another blast of flames, the armoured woman spoke again.
"Your trick won't work every time," she warned. A black, dark sphere materialized before them and then exploded.
"PUFFFF!!"
The dark mana instantly released into the air, devouring anything in its way.