Brother (2)

Back in Altissa, Volhcard stood firm amidst the chaos, his eyes closed in deep concentration as he spun his wooden staff deliberate, rhythmic arcs. He chanted in otherworldly cadence, his voice weaving through the intricate words of Ancient Elvish, Dwarfish, and Augustinian.

When his eyed snapped open, glowing faintly with ethereal energy, he commanded with authority,

"Idol, at my command, enter the the rift and aid the others!" 

Without hesitation, Idol nodded. The cogs within his mechanical body began to whir to life, emitting a low hum as his pistons engaged. His arms seamlessly in twin broadswords crackling with vibrant electricity, their arcs sparking ominously in the stormy air.

His back shifted, transforming into a reinforced hardshell, its surface gleaming with protective plating designed to deflect even the most devastating blows. However, the trade off was evident—his movements became slower, deliberate as if the weight of his defenses bore down on him.

"Understood." Idol rumbled, his voice deep and mechanical, as he prepared to charge into the rift, unwavering in his mission to assist the others in the heat of battle.

The water morphed into writhing tentacles that lashed out and latched onto the group's limbs, rendering them helpless. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn't break free.

The duck was lifted high into the air, helpless and quivering, before being brought directly in front of Leviathas. His cold, dreadful stare bore into it as he spoke, his voice icy as the ocean.

"I bid you farewell, brother." 

Behind the duck, the water twisted and formed into a menacing spear, its deadly tip aimed at the duck's heart.

Fwoosh!

Clang!

A thunderous impact shattered the tension as Idol came crashing down, colliding with the water spear and slamming to Leviathas with the force of a storm. His greatsword pierced through Leviathas' chest, electricity surging through his body. The crackling current disrupted Leviathas' mana circuits, causing his flow of power to sputter and falter.

As the duck slipped from Leviathas' grasp, it fell back toward the palace floor, saved from immediate peril.

"Get off me, you oversized scrap bucket!" Leviathas roared, his voice filled with rage as he wrestled against Idol's massive frame

With a vicious motion, Leviathas drove his trident into Idol's waist, piercing through three vital cogs. Sparks erupted from the machine, and with a groaning screech of twisting metal, Idol fell backward, crashing into the ocean below.

Immediately, Leviathas soared back to the palace, his eyes alight with a mix of triumph and fury. Without hesitation, he slammed the trident down with all his might, driving it straight into the duck's heart.

The duck dissolved into shimmering shards of mana, scattering briefly before reforming into a humanoid figure. The being that emerged had an ethereal presence, a perfect balance of masculine and feminine features. Long, flowing blue hair cascaded down their back like liquid silk, and their eyes glimmered with a radiant, star-like purple hue—a stark contrast to Leviathas' dark, cold gaze.

As the figure fully materialized, they stood tall, exuding both grace and power. They looked directly at Leviathas, their voice calm yet filled with authority,

"I have returned, brother."

Furious and momentarily stunned, Leviathas tightened his grip on the trident, causing the swirling water around it to condense into a powerful vortex. With a thunderous roar, he slammed the trident toward Kadell.

Boom!

A deafening explosion erupted, sending bolts of electricity crackling through the air. Above, Jae let out a piercing shriek as she dove through the chaos in her thunder wyvern form. Her wings sparked with electricity as she spun through the air, her tail slicing cleanly through Leviathas' lower half.

"Bastards! All of you!"

Leviathas bellowed, his voice dripping with venom as his severed halves stitched themselves back together instantly.

A dark, malevolent green aura began to envelop Leviathas, swirling and writhing like a living entity. His body twisted and contorted unnaturally, bones snapping, muscle stretching, and mana crackling violently as his form shifted in grotesque directions.

With a deafening roar, he slammed his trident into the ocean droplets beneath him.

Boom!

The impact sent shockwaves across the water, and his form erupted into a massive shadow that pulsated with thunderous green mana. A guttural, unholy shriek echoed from the darkness as it expanded, growing larger and more menacing each passing second.

From the shadow emerged a monstrous serpent, its sheer size towering into the heavens as if threatening to pierce the very sky.

Its scales shimmered a sickly, dark green, their surfaces adorned with countless blinking, unblinking eyes. Drool, thick and corrosive, dripped from its gaping maw, sizzling as it hit the ocean floor below.

The air grew heavy, the weight of envy and despair suffocating all who stood in its presence.

"So... the Leviathan of Envy has finally arisen." Kadell muttered, his voice steady but tinged with unease.

He reached for a white curtain from the palace debris, draping it over his bare form like a cloak. His starlit eyes narrowed as he prepared to face the beast.

When Leviathas' massive tail slammed into the sea, the resulting shockwave sent towering walls of water crashing toward the city. The smaller, weaker homed along the outskirts were obliterated, reduced to splinters, while ships in the harbor capsized and sank beneath the waves. The devestation was swift, yet Volhcard and the others remained secured within the fortified circle of the capital.

"What in the Gods' name is that?!"

Yuni asked, her voice trembling as she shakily notched five arrows onto her bowstring, her hands unsteady but determined to act.

Before she could release the arrows, Kadell gently lowered her bow with his left hand. His starlike purple eyes met with hers, calm and soothing, as he spoke with a soft yet resolute tone.

"This battle is mine to face." he said, his voice carrying an otherworldly grace that seemed to steady the chaos around them.

"After all, it was my mistake that gave rise to this calamity... I ask that no one intervene—not even you, my lady."

He gave her a small reassuring smile as he finished, the faint curve of his lips contrasting with the tense, looming threat of Leviathas behind him. Yuni hesitated, her grip on her bow tightening, but the sincerity in his gaze made her lower it fully, albeit reluctantly.

With a simple swipe of his index finger, Kadell sliced Leviathas clean in half, only for the monstrous serpent to regenerate instantly. The massive tail swung toward Kadell with terrifying force.

Clash!

A radiant blue trident, glowing with a golden hue, floated beside Kadell and deflected the tail. In the blink of an eye, the trident unleashed thousands of slashes, carving intricate patterns on Leviathas' colossal body faster than the naked eye can track.

"So this is the power of a demigod... bloody hell." 

Theo muttered weakly, his voice strained as he leaned heavily on Yumi's shoulder. His pale face exhausted with both awe and exhaustion though his eyes remained locked on the battle unfolding before them.

Yuni let out a small sigh, glancing at Theo, "Try not to keel over. You're already bleeding enough for the both of us."

Kadell let out a soft giggle, effortlessly dodging through three massive whirlpools that erupted around him. With a sharp whistle, the golden-blue trident streaked through the air and stabbed into Leviathas' writhing form.

However, the monstrous serpent thrashed violently, rolling through the ocean to dislodge the weapon.

A guttural shriek tore from Leviathas' mouth as he unleashed a thunderous breath of water, the torrent rushing toward Kadell like a tidal wave.

Clang!

The water was split cleanly in two by Aralia, who appeared in a blur, her cold, determined expression masking the agony of her battered body.

"I'll help." she said, her voice rough and almost beastly, a low growl underscoring her words.

Ignoring the blood dripping from her countless wounds. Aralia leapt high into the air, her greataxe glinting under the storm's fury. She brought it crashing down into the left side of Leviathas' colossal body, the blade cleaving through flesh and scales as she dragged it along his side.

"Move!" Leviathas roared, his voice guttural echoing across the seas.

With another violent roll, Leviathas sent Aralia hurling toward the ocean below.

Whoosh!

Jae still in her wyvern form, swooped in at the last second, catching Aralia mid-fall with her, her massive wings. Aralia clung to Jae's back, her bloodied hangs gripping the wyvern's scales as she gritted her teeth, her focus unwavering despite her injuries.

Kadell watched them with a faint smile.

"You mortals truly are relentless."

Kadell let out a sharp whistle, the golden-blue trident moving in erratic, unpredictable motions, like a serpent dancing through the storm.

Enraged, Leviathas lunged forward, his massive maw gaping wide in an attempt to swallow Kadell whole.

Slash!

Aralia, propelled by Jae's swift flight, struck with incredible speed, her greataxe slicing Leviathas' lower jaw clean in half. Blood and drool sprayed into the churning waters below as Leviathas let out a furious, guttural roar.

"This pains me, brother." Kadell said, his voice soft and somber, tinged with genuine sorrow, "But your madness must end."

Kadell raised his hand, whistling once more. The trident, glowing brighter with every moment, spun in a tight arc before darting like a meteor toward Leviathas' midpoint its golden edge aiming to carve Leviathans into pieces.

Kadell faltered for a brief moment, his hand trembling as he hesitated to deliver the final blow. In that instant, Leviathas' injuries mended themselves, muscles knitting back together and scales shimmering with renewed vitality.

The great oceanic beast let out a deafening roar, his massive jaws parting to unleash a thunderous icy breath of mana. Kadell braced himself, the glowing trident forming a radiant shield that took the impact of the attack.

"Me? Dead? Leviathas bellowed, his voice echoing across the sea with fury.

"Never! Nothing will end me here, not even you!"

Leviathas' body surged with power as he summoned thousands of whirlpools, each spiraling with destructive force. They churned violently, splitting off in two directions—one toward the city and the other toward the palace.

"NO!" Aralia voice rang out in desperate anguish as her eyes widened in horror.

Fwoom!

A massive circular barrier of golden light enveloped all of Altissa, blocking the oncoming onslaught. At the center of the docks, Volhcard stood steadfast, his staff planted firmly into the ground as mana swirled around him.

Though his body trembled with exhaustion and sweat drenched his brow, the dwarven priest held his ground.

"Not while I stand..."