Chapter 31 - The Unworthy and the Champion(VI)

Chapter 31 

"Why am I telling you this? Well, that's easy. You see, I'm trying to distract you and throw you off. And besides, my prime secret art requires a moment of rest before the storm." 

Her eyes narrowed, her aura intensifying. "Now, let's begin…"

"❰Prime Secret: Fallen Grace of the Serene Angel❱."

In that instant, the air around her shifted, thickening with an overwhelming sense of dread.

Her words lingered in the air, morphing into a swirling cloud of black ink that surged towards the bewildered monster. Silently, the sinister ink slipped inside the monster's body.

*Shroom*

The monster sensed the foreign presence immediately, something stirring within it, warping its very being. A fatal change. Its magic — primal and untouchable — was slowly, insidiously altered. Patches of its invisibility flickered, exposing fragile, vulnerable spots.

The monster roared in defiance, already sensing its coming fate.

What greater curse could there be than this?

 This… this was the ultimate perversion.

To twist its magic into something frail and ordinary. Cruelty beyond measure.

With a bellow of rage, the creature lunged at Sereya, but suddenly, its limbs faltered. A wave of weakness washed over it, and it collapsed to its knees, bloodstained claws digging into the earth.

"Oh, I forgot to mention — don't move. That wouldn't be wise. It will only bring you more pain. Now, let's have a look at your hideous form, shall we?"

A mystical runic symbol materialized in the air, glowing resplendently as it rained light over the monster. The monster's innate magic shattered beneath the light.

In its weakened state, it fell fully to the ground, still struggling for a final fight. 

Sereya took a look at the true appearance of the monster. It looked like a twisted werewolf, but with thin patches of hair, three snake-like tails, and a grotesque, dog-like face.

It mirrored werewolves of myths but with significantly less hair, three flexible tails, and a dog-like face.

Sereya recoiled in disgust. "Yeah, that's a face I won't forget anytime soon. Almost feel sorry for you."

 "Good job," Walllon said, suddenly appearing beside her, eyes fixed on the fallen monster. "The strength of an invisible predator lies in its stealth. Strip that away and what's left? A fangless, clawless… thing. As weak as a babe. This is as far as you go, monster. It's time for this accursed game to end."

Sereya rolled her eyes. "You sure love listening to your voice, don't you."

Wallon grinned, "Shouldn't all people get to listen to this work of art?"

Wallon's friends gathered around him. They brought out their weapons and pointed it at the monster. Finally, they would be done with this debacle once and for all.

But just as they raised their blades, Sereya's voice cut through the moment.

 "Wait!!"

Wallon's smile faded into a frown, "What? Now is our chance to finish it off."

"Something's not right," Sereya Voss muttered, her gaze narrowing at the fallen beast.

Wallon hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Sereya ignored him, focusing on the link between her and the manifestation of her secret art— the ink raging in the monster's body.

'It's starting to resist my secret art… and fast. Impossible. My secret art measures its strength perfectly, countering it with precision. It's totally foolproof. This shouldn't be happening. '

'Was there a mistake in the calculations?'

Sereya coughed up blood, feeling the backlash of her secret art. Forget the impossibility of it all because this was clearly happening, alright?

 "We need to leave. Now!" She cried out loud. "It's getting stronger. My magic can't hold it for long! Wallon, tell your friends to retreat. We can't defeat it with the momentum it is gathering!!"

"Just hold on one a second. Sereya, I don't understand what—"

A familiar ripple of ethereal energy vibrated through the air. Everyone felt it, even more so for those in the barrier. They thoughtlessly gazed at the monster and took a step back. A growl escaped from the weakened lips of the monster and its yellow eyes glowed slightly.

 They didn't need further convincing from Sereya to know that something was definitely wrong.

Sereya screamed, "It is getting stronger. Don't ask me how. I don't have the slightest clue!!"

Suddenly, the monster rose, snorting disdainfully at the gathering around it. Did they really think they could trap it?

Instantly, it vanished into the void. It became invisible once more, attaining its role as the peak predator in this region.

"Methe, lower the barrier!!" Wallon screamed as his face paled. Things were looking goddamn awful.

Like leaves caught in a storm, everyone scattered, going in different directions.

Amidst the chaos, Wallon activated his sigil, boosting his speed tremendously. He turned into a blue blur, dashing through the forest in the blink of an eye.

But unlike Wallon, Sereya wasn't so fortunate. The monster had locked on her just as she began to move. It watched hatefully at her direction and moved silently. Scenes of its capture played in its mind. It would get its revenge.

"It's coming for me!" Sereya sensed the presence of her magic nearby.

Her instincts screamed instantly as she ducked just in time as the air wheezed. Claw marks appeared on the tree beside her. Sereya's mind raced as she sought for a solution to her predicament.

A large cut opened on her neck. Blood trickled as she stumbled to the group.

"Ahhh! I bet you are liking this, aren't you? Just get over with it already." screamed Sereya.

She closed her eyes and waiting for the final blow. The monster's snarls wafted into her ear. It stalked her gently, taunting her for her weakness.

After a moment of taunting, the monster opened its mouth, baring its fang at Sereya. 

Then, it lunged.

*Whoosh!!*

A red blur shot through the scene, halting the monster's attack. The monster paused, eyes scanning for the source, waiting and waiting but nothing out of the blue happened. With a snarl, it turned back to finish off Sereya…

…?

Where was she?

The monster searched everywhere but it could not find its hated prey.

*Roar!!*

Terrifying roars reverberated throughout the forest. 

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On the other side, Raven and the others watched this all unfold with shock in their eyes.

"Someone saved her," muttered Raven. "With a speed like, it has to be one of the heavyweights."

The fiery barrier made it difficult for them to see but they could more or less understand the situation. 

Raven sighed, "I was right. There are conditions that let the monster's territory get stronger and expand. It's linked with its killings but in what way?"

A look of realization appeared aross Trix's face. "So, that's it. We have been looking at it the wrong way!"